[center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/76msg18.png[/img] [/center] [hr] [color=Gold]“[i]That’s[/i] good to hear!”[/color] Dana replied with a giggle when Aiya assured her she had nothing to worry about. The officer continued to make playful small talk with the rest of the group, ultimately suggesting that, once they’d aced their current exercise, she’d arrange for a little celebration. [color=Gold]“Yeah, that sounds like a [i]lot[/i] of fun!”[/color] Dana agreed. [color=Gold]“Don’t ya think, Penny?”[/color] she added with a mischievous grin. A moment after the bespectacled girl gave her reply, Garnier’s voice sliced through the relaxed atmosphere like a sickle through a shaft of wheat. [color=Gold][i]Webber’s group…?[/i][/color] Dana wondered as the three officers gathered to discuss the situation, her formerly light-hearted demeanor shifting to one of focused concern. Penny clearly felt the same, as she shared an equally concerned glance with her roommate, while asking Garnier for additional clarification. As it transpired, it was not Garnier, but rather Holst who responded, telling them that Webber’s team was in trouble and that speed was of the essence. Dana nodded as she grabbed the tossed earpiece, before racing out into the storm-lashed night once more… [hr] As Team 3 sped across the rain-soaked rooftops, the officers’ small drone acting as a guide, Dana’s thoughts couldn’t help but turn towards Noah. While she had certainly wanted to team up with the burly cadet, this wasn’t exactly how she’d envisioned it happening. Although the drones weren’t programmed to kill, there was still the possibility, however unlikely, that [i]something[/i] might cause that programming to be altered… Indeed, Dana reflected, this situation bore a rather worrying resemblance to one of her favorite episodes of Guardian Gunslinger Alexis, in which a legion of prototype combat drones, built to aid the hair trigger heroine, were turned against her by the eldritch technomancy of the evil Doktor Xylannis. Of course, that was just a work of fiction, Xylannis merely the product of someone’s exceptionally creative imagination, but who could truly say that the Voids didn’t possess such abilities as well? Or worse, what if the mysteriously absent Astrelle had been right, and there really [i]was[/i] something sinister at work at the very heart of Nova Lux? If that were true, then Noah and his team were in very real danger… The energetic Norban shook her head, forcing those unpleasant thoughts from her mind. No, this wasn’t the time to be worrying about improbable what-ifs. She needed to focus. Her team was relying on her, [i]Noah[/i] was relying on her, and she couldn’t, [i]wouldn’t,[/i] let them down. The wind was fierce, the rain torrential, and the path treacherous, to say the least, yet still the squad of Ars Magi moved with great haste, each of them employing their unique elementum or specialized aspect of their parma to overcome the various obstacles that sought to hinder their progress. And Dana Noel was no exception. From the moment she’d leapt out of the parking garage, the irrepressible Norban had conjured a pathway of glowing stars to serve as stepping stones, a new star appearing the moment her foot left the star below her. With her footing secure, even the buffeting winds could do little to hinder her advance. As they drew nearer to the imperiled team’s location, the rain began to taper off, while far above, powerful air currents rent the thick clouds asunder, allowing the pale glow of the moon to bathe the ruined landscape in an ethereal light. And it was by this light that they caught their first glimpse of their new foe… [color=Gold]“Holy crap…”[/color] Dana gasped, her eyes going wide. [color=Gold]“That thing’s enormous!”[/color] Yes, this, [i]this[/i] was the real deal, a true giant robot. And despite its menacing aspect, Dana couldn’t help but marvel at how [i]awesome[/i] it was. Of course, it would have been much [i]more[/i] awesome if it was on their side, and as if to emphasize that point, it unleashed a stream of mighty blasts from its arm-mounted energy cannon. The increased illumination provided by the cannon’s fearsome bombardment revealed that its target was none other than Priya, who thankfully seemed to be avoiding the beams’ fury, albeit just barely… Moments later, a claymore wielding Ars Magi was sent flying through a nearby building by a kick from the titanic machine’s powerful leg. And there, further along the street was Noah. Dima appeared to be with him, along with Amanda and another officer she didn’t recognize. The quartet was being pinned down by six of the “smaller” drones, and seemed on the verge of being overrun. [color=Gold]“You can say [i]that[/i] again,”[/color] Dana agreed when Penny observed that this thing would be a lot harder to take out than their previous opponents. [color=Gold]“But just think how cool it’ll be when we clean its clock!”[/color] she added as a fierce smile spread across her face. It was then that Cordelia spoke up, announcing that she would provide a means for their team to have quick access to every important location on the battlefield below. An instant later, and the former servant had fully transformed, her rain-slicked parma looking particularly resplendent in the moonlight’s soft glow. Gathering her power, along with seemingly every piece of glass in the vicinity, the azure-haired Ars Magi swiftly conjured two trios of portals for the team to make use of. [color=Gold]“Wow, Cordy, that’s incredible!”[/color] Dana marveled, her golden eyes glittering with excitement. [color=Gold]“Thanks a lot!”[/color] she added, giving her newest teammate a big smile. Penny unsurprisingly elected to make use of the portal directly above the giant war machine, and while Dana would have normally loved to remain on the rooftop to provide the pint-sized powerhouse with supporting fire, her concern for Noah (and certainly not her desire to fight alongside him) weighed far more heavily on the energetic Norban’s thoughts. [color=Gold]“That’s fine by me, Penny,”[/color] she told her roommate. [color=Gold]“You’ve totally got this!”[/color] she added, while giving the hammer wielding Ars Magi a confident thumbs up. [color=Gold]“I’m gonna go help Noah’s group out!”[/color] she called to the rest of the team as she headed through the first portal. [color=Gold]“If ya need any long-ranged support, just give me a shout!”[/color] Upon reaching the other side of the enchanted doorway, Dana found herself standing in the midst of the pinned down squad. Not wasting a moment, she sent an array of glowing stars flying from her splayed fingers, which rapidly began firing incandescent beams of golden energy at the various attacking drones’ optical clusters. Simultaneously, she drew Shining Zenith from its holster and, giving the chrome-coated pistol a quick twirl, took careful aim and sent a super-charged beam straight through the chest of the nearest drone, the force of the blow knocking the crippled machine onto its back. [color=Gold]“Hey guys!”[/color] she announced cheerily. [color=Gold]“Need some help?”[/color]