RP: YSS Kaiyō Mission 33: Usowotsuku

[raz]

20日1月YE 47
Funky City
Nepleslia

Dusty beams of neon light sliced across the seventh floor apartment through old metal slat shades affixed permanently half-open atop the street facing window, casting broken and erratic silhouettes from the traffic-jammed ground level where colorful storefronts, cafes, bars, and other more seedy sensations attracted anonymous masses beneath the Nepleslian megacity's towering hundred-and-a-half-plus story habitation blocks. It was a big room that used to be some kind of office space, but was now more like an expansive studio hangout ringed with worn out seats, tables stacked high with the week's trash and contraband, and a number of huge televisions to hold the attention of even the most zeeted ganger. Of which there were about a half dozen in various states of awareness there today alongside the YSS Kaiyō II's away team, watching cheap mutant girls dance around in vibrant colors on volumetric screens plastered to the walls between hits of whatever else got them off.

Aiko and William stood at the business end of a wide, messy hardwood desk adorned with a bong and stacks of paper collected in green file folders that tracked the decades the further down the stack you looked. Proper documentation for the Twenty Eight Gumtree gang's legitimate businesses, of course. Across from them was a slim man—having a well toned body and as tall as William but a third the weight—whose skin was quite nearly as orange as a tangerine and latticed with greenish veins that showed through up through the translucent top layers of his flesh. He wore mirrored pince-nez glasses so dark purple they appeared almost black from most angles that his scrunched brow seemed to have grown to envelop in a manner that kept them on his face more than his pointy aquiline nose or any mechanism of the accessory. This villain had on matte blue patent leather pants with a thick trench coat to match and not much else, and stood up very straight except for the very top of his back where his shoulders rolled forward to let his arms hang lazily to the front of his stance. The man's bald pate was ringed with greasy white locks that stuck together unevenly and shot down straight to his jawline, giving him the air of some kind of narcotics monk.

"Then our deal is complete, Mister Yoldeen," Aiko said, reaching her hand out to shake the marmalade man's and finish up with this portion of their quest. Her long black hair covered her mostly exposed back from sight, but that didn't keep the couple of slightly mutated Nepleslian gangbangers keeping close watch on her and William from trying to stare through it and see the perfect Nekovalkyrja form her shiny black leotard teased when she'd strode into their domain some time before. Aiko's legs, more modestly covered with a pair of baggy black hakama pants that were bloused into jika tabi riding boots, still drew their wicked gazes as they loomed closer.

The head honcho in his navy coat reached one of his long arms out to meet Aiko's hand and shook it, passing off a data stick into the princess' palm. Within its records, the device held information on—and the location of—the Star Army team's next lead: an abandoned PNUgen facility buried beneath Funky City's crust so many years before Yamatai and Nepleslia split that it lay even further below the crime infested lower city zone they currently found themselves in. A mission undertaken based on information Uesu had shared with Captain Hoshi and Task Force 282 that promised to unlock old bioengineering secrets that could help turn the tide against the Mishhuvurthyar.

Aiko had led her comrades here in secret today. Kaiyō, in orbit above, had been permitted into Nepleslian space for joint exercises with Battlegroup Havoc. And while that occurred, the stout Star Army squad came down to run this true mission. While not quite undercover with complex cover stories this time, the team didn't advertise their presence or identities due to the sensitive nature of their objective. Though William and his Berserkers had fought several times now alongside Uesureyans, many Nepleslian citizens and factions still held their old Emperor Kitsurugi Uesu in contempt.

"Not quite," the lanky orange Yoldeen replied, smiling a set of spiny shard implants dripping with his viscous, drug-affected saliva. He kept Aiko's hand in his grip and scratched her wrist with the tip of his unkempt right index fingernail. "I think the IPG will pay me more for a Ketsurui princess," he added, still not letting go even as Aiko tried to pull away, looking at William next as he held her. "And you! Shouldn't have come with 'em, catlover. It's gonna embarrass your daddy so bad!"

Behind William and Aiko, the other Kaiyō crew could see the two gangers standing guard draw pistols and take aim. The other five Gumtrees in the room hadn't stirred yet, though they watched, likely too hopped up (or down) to see the scene unfolding as anything different than the adver-drama shows they invested most of their lives in.

 

[Gles]

Meeting Room

It was already a horrible surprise to find out the Kaiyo's next assignment lay in the smoggy, industrial megahellhole that was Funky City. Though Molli was born and raised there, it never truly felt like a home to her with its violence and garish excess. With all that had happened that led to her fleeing on an outbound ship as a wanted woman so many years ago, the prospect of returning wasn't exactly thrilling. But soldiers obeyed their superiors if they wanted to stay on duty, and wanted women didn't let the truth of their circumstances slip to those they wanted to keep as friends. That the "joint exercise" was just a smokescreen for another delve into an underground base didn't come as a surprise to Molli whatsoever -- she was getting used to that level of subterfuge by now.

For her part, Molli chose to wear her sleek bodysuit with a puffy jacket and sturdy running shoes as she accompanied the princess and William. The city was a nightmare of close-quarters combat, so cutting down on anything that could get caught on terrain or grabbed was ideal. The jacket, on top of being fashionable, was just poofy enough to mask the bulging pistol that sat snugly in Molli's shoulder holster. It was a minimalist set-up, if a tad revealing, judging by the occasional whistle from a grungy ganger whose eyes wandered to the soldier's backside.

Most were more interested in Aiko, however, for obvious reasons. Besides looking stunning in her pristine, un-Nepleslian perfection, she commanded an aura of power that none could ignore. Molli knew from the moment they strode into this skeezy joint that some chem-huffing moron would get a bold idea they'd be tempted to act on the longer they stayed. All that mattered was when, and Molli's crimson eyes scanned the room, awaiting the moment the pin dropped with a hand twitching towards the holster inside her jacket. The stench of their onlookers got stronger as a few inched closer to her officers.

Yoldeen was just like any other wannabe bigshot that managed to sink his greasy claws into a scrap of the city: more balls than brains, and keen to take the quickest path to the top, risk be damned. Even if he'd known just how dangerous it was to threaten a Yamatain princess, he'd have still tested his luck. That's how life was in Funky City -- the brave burned bright and fast, because anything was better than being slowly choked into an ignoble grave.

Molli wasn't feeling particularly impressed by his bravery, however. Once Yoldeen made his betrayal known, the Nepleslian acted swiftly. In a flash, her hand vanished into the jacket and withdrew a stubby pistol that she raised into the air and fired. It was a semi-auto that fired metal cartridges like in the good old days, and more importantly, it made an ear-splitting, attention-grabbed bang. Seizing the element of surprise, Molli strode forward and jammed the barrel of her pistol to the back of one of the gunmen's heads. "If ya don't git yer skuddin' paw offa her," Molli growled, "Th'Gummers're gonna be another wanted t'be, but couldn't."

In the years since she'd naturalized as a Yamataian citizen, Molli hoped she could forget what it was like to act like a slummer. Standing here, gun in hand, neck-deep in a ganger drug den, she realized that the instinct of a survivor hadn't left her at all. It was all coming back to her like a bad habit, or a toxic addiction.

 

[Gunhand4171]

Funky City
Nepleslia

William was also suprised that the next mission took them into Nepleslian space, though not nearly the same as the visceral reaction Molli had. The ID-SOL had suggested once or twice to his friends that they should come to Nepleslia. Though he definitely didn't mean for it to turn into a work thing...

For his part, William wore a black trench coat, ballistic vest, black cargo pants and combat boots. The final article he wore as a ballistic half face mask in the shape of a skull. The mask was armored, but also had built in comms and a rebreather. The mask wasnt a perfect disguise, but it was very versatile. For this outing, he was packing revolvers in his underarm holsters, and his katana on his hip. As they walked through the neon lit streets, the marine stuck to Aiko like glue. His own training as the princess's retainer coming back into sharp focus. He fought to keep his eyes straight ahead and not deck any of the locals who leered at the Kaiyo crew.

He stayed silent during the meeting, but he watched Yoldeen cautiously. Things had gone okay so far, that was until the gang banger had made them. Molli was quick to react, but William was hot on her heels. In a flash, William was up with katana in hand and sliced the blade in an upward arc, aiming to slice the arm Yoldeen's was holding Aiko with off at the elbow. A revolver appeared in his other hand and he leveled it at Yoldeen's head. "Too bad you won't get the chance to tell them." He sneered, before he fired.

 

[Megabirb]

Meeting Room

The news that their next assignment would see them heading to Nepleslia had filled Rio with a electrical current of excitement. Her first time to Nepleslia and Funky City. Somewhere new to see and learn about. Rio hoped that she would have a chance to grab a souvenir or two at some point while team was on planet.

For her part, Rio had sought to be as inconspicuous as the blue skinned neko could be. Quickly bought once they had gotten planetside Rio had picked up a simple t-shirt, a brown leather bomber jacket, jeans and riding boots. She had also grabbed a newsboy cap to wear as well instead of pinning up her hair as she usually did. Having followed Molli's example, Rio had opted to carry her radiant pistol in a shoulder holster underneath her jacket for this mission. Her service pistol was discreetly holstered in the back of her waist and hidden underneath her shirt and jacket.

Rio's excitement for getting to travel somewhere new faded as the crew ventured into the deeper levels of the city. That excitement completely died when they had entered the den the den they currently found themselves in. The entire place and it's inhabitants caused her nose to wrinkle in disgust. The worst of it was the smell to Rio. The NMX base had smelled better than this dump.

Like the rest of the squad, Rio had stayed silent for the duration of the meeting. Once things went sideways though Rio was right behind Molli and Will. As she hopped up from her seat Rio pulled her radiant from underneath her jacket. In a single swift movement Rio took aim at the head of the gunman behind Aiko and fired almost in time with Will's own shot.

 

[Nameless]

Meeting Room

Another sneaking mission to find a hidden complex. The idea itself brought Sif back to her first mission. She didn't know what to expect at the time, but now she was more prepared, and after getting a rundown on what kind of place they were stepping foot in, she thought up her most daring outfit yet. Three nekovalkyrja waltzing into a crime den, that was already looking like trouble. It turned heads, raised questions perhaps. In an attempt to lower their profile, Sif decided to integrate her Candy Festival costume into her disguise, mainly the cloak, cowl and the mask. The latter two to hide that she's a nekovalkyrja --and to add a bit of mystique-- the former to hide most of the equipment she carried. Though one need not worry of it getting snagged as it was secured in a way to make it easy to come undone.

In a dangerous environment, one must also be perceived as dangerous. The image of the herald of pestilence surely fit that requirement. But a mask and a cape only spoke of hidden agendas. Signs of being battle tested was important to the look as well. Fortunately they had just came into possession of a number of "salvaged goods" from the NMX they retrieved in the prior mission. Rio's radiant pistol being one of them. Sif carried the same, strapped to her side. If they were to get disarmed, it'd look bad for Yamatai when a number of nekovalkyrjas carrying Yamataian weapons were found sneaking around. The fewer issued gear carried, the better.

That brings about the rest of Sif's ensemble. She was wearing some combat boots purposefully left out in the sun for a few days to be bleached. Her bottoms were dark urban-pattern camo pants with knee and shin guards weathered to look worn. Her top was a plain green t-shirt underneath a ballistic vest with three NMX combat knives stowed on each side, though currently covered by the unbuttoned denim jacket. Her NMX-issued combat gloves looked the newest, though she sanded out the markings.

On her back, she also carried her impaler rifle from the previous mission, currently hidden under the cloak.

When they were making their way through the seedy corner of the city, the mask served to hide her scrutinizing eyes as she studied the punks and ne'er-do-wells they passed. Inside the meeting room, she stayed at the rear, by the door, arms confidently folded as she leaned against the frame, though the tip of her finger was on the hilt of a knife with the other hand ready to draw the radiant pistol at a moment's notice.

To think such a place could exist, Sif was equal parts concerned and enthralled. She could sense the tension in the air as Aiko spoke with the dealer. She was calm and collected as always, despite being in such an enclosed space surrounded by goons that could turn hostile at any moment. And when that moment came at Molli's gunfire, and William's slice and shoot maneuver, Sif sprung to action as well.

She took one of her knives and quickly aimed to dig it into the area around the shoulder and the neck of the thug to her left, who moved to unholster his pistol in response to Molli's shot. In the same breath, she drew the radiant pistol and at first aimed it at the guy sitting across the one she just stabbed, but upon seeing that he was in a world of his own, she instead shifted her aim towards the thug right behind him and squeezed the trigger.

 

[Sunny D]

Morgana slouched against the crumbling brick wall, her mirrored aviators glinting like twin slashes of neon as the sickly glow from the slatted blinds cut across the room. The bodysuit clinging to her was all sharp lines and cold purpose—matte black, sculpted to her figure, with panels smooth as silk across her chest and stomach, and ribbed textures running along her sides. Between the panels, faint orange neon strips pulsed softly, the dying ember of a cigarette in a room gone cold. The fabric caught what little light there was, shimmering faintly like oil on wet asphalt. Over it all hung a bomber jacket that had lived a few too many lives. Frayed seams, scuffed leather, and a patchwork of corporate insignias told stories of places that no longer existed, of deals gone sour in Funky Town’s back alleys. It hung from her body loosely.

She watched the scene unfold, her expression unreadable behind the lenses, giving a barely audible sigh as the situation instantly deteriorated. With a slight tilt of her head, she rolled her eyes just enough for a shard of green to peek over the top of her shades. The players in this little drama were predictable, their tension building like a cheap lazor pop track before the drop. She flexed her wrists, revealing a silver holowatch which gleamed in the filtered neon. A quick swipe of her hand over its faintly glowing interface made the air shimmer around her like heat haze.

From her jackets inside pocket, she drew a matte black NSP—sleek, unmarked, and lethal. She held it one-handed, the weapon leveled lazily at the closest goon like it was an afterthought. The moment the silhouette of her target filled her sights; she pulled the trigger. Then she was in motion. Her body uncoiled like a serpent, fluid and fast, the bomber flaring around her as she slid toward a stack of overturned tables firing as she moved.

“Chusa,” she called out, her voice steady as she settled into cover. “Your knack for being recognised, despite your best efforts, is... notable."

 

[raz]

Twenty Eight Gumtree Gang Block

The emergency sirens that always punctuated Funky City's constant thrum of life and death on Nepleslia went unnoticed. That constant presence to remind the low city criminals that another gang carrying a badge and government authority was there to always oppose them, and quickly became part of the megacity's background pulse to anyone who spent more than five minutes on the Democratic Imperium's capital world. Easily ignored until those flashing lights were right on top of you.

William's heavy revolver blast sent Yoldeen bursting through his office's slatted windows, taking the tall but wiry-light mutant right off his feet and down onto the streets below. It was just as the red and blue lights of a dozen NPF squad cars rolled up to the building's façade, replacing the pink and green neon shadows that usually lit the area. Yoldeen's body thumped down onto one of their hoods, which forced the up-armored police hovercar to the ground in a plume of dust and shattered glass that twinkled like rain against the city block's strobing spectacle.

On their quick initiative, the other Kaiyō crew made quick work of their targets. Only the strung-out guy Sif had spared and the other dude Molli initially held up remained, the latter of whom spun around to face her with a maniacal grin on his scaly, segmented mutant face. He'd brought his pistol up to his temple and immediately fired, splattering his own brains all over the room behind William.

"Never," Aiko replied to Morgana as her eyes darted to the scratch Yoldeen had etched into her wrist. Less incredulous than matter-of-fact, the princess knew she was impossible to recognize without her signature bellflowers set above her right ear. "This must have been a setup. The IPG is beneath contempt for good reason."

Even with the half dozen cop cars blasting lights and sirens outside, the office was suddenly dominated by an orangey hue as its volumetric displays came to life. A humanoid visage animated in ascii characters, doubtlessly Yoldeen's likeness down to his ugly little glasses recognizable even in the text-based video, cackled through the clutch of screens that surrounded the Star Army soldiers.

"No shit, bitch!" the digitized gang leader declared. "Now the Sky Marshal's gotta pay for a new clone, too! Big payday with NPF backup right on time, huh? Y'all don't even know how networked the Twenty Eights are, we got all the—"

"Faelan-shoi," Aiko said, speaking calmly even as Yoldeen continued his tirade unabated. She had a rosy blush smeared across her pale cheeks, looking very flushed despite her determined attitude. "Access the building's systems wirelessly and find us a route out. Dictate directions while we move. They should have a garage with transport on the upper levels. Wil, you make us any walls she needs. The rest of you, on me!"

With that, Aiko beelined toward the office's door that led out onto a very dingy but otherwise plain apartment hallway beyond and flung open the door. Beyond, thresholds lined the corridor every ten feet or so, and at the end lay a central staircase that provided the Gumtree Gang Block access up and down the twelve stories. Far down there, a cop kitted out with a ballistic helmet and riot shield spearheaded a group of police coming up from the ground floor. The princess had already unholstered her NSP and was marching counter to them with it raised and ready.

"Cease and desist, intruder!" he announced from a chest mounted mini-megaphone while loosing shots from his Zen .357 service pistol without delay.

They whizzed past the princess and she froze for a moment. And then she ducked and skittered to the floor, holding both hands over her ears while making herself small against the hallway's corner.

 

[Gles]

The explosion of violence that erupted all around Molli was all too normal by this point, despite her hope that they'd be able to go longer without getting shot at. She had been the first to draw, but that hope kept her finger off the trigger; it was the biggest sign that she'd forgotten how life was in the slums, and it made the Nepleslian feel utterly inept. As Yoldeen's body shattered the massive office windows and let the rust-scented smog in, Molli froze as her target spun to face her. His pistol raised, and the soldier gasped at what seemed like a fatal mistake -- only for blood to splatter across her face from the explosive impact of his suicide. Was he grinning because he'd seen Molli's hesitation and known her weakness before the end?

With the shock wearing off, the blaring sirens, all the louder thanks to the broken window, snapped Molli back to reality. The sounds of the NPF could never be forgotten, unfortunately, and Molli had always learned to steer clear of the noise if she wanted to keep from catching a bullet -- or a made-up fine. "Ah'm with her," Molli grumbled, jabbing a thumb in Morgana's direction. "Yeh're kinna..." Molli gestured vaguely with her arms as she appraised Aiko, whose larger than life presence always stuck out in her mind, "...Reconizzble." It didn't seem far-fetched that the squad of Yamataians might have immediately landed on someone's radar as soon as their boots hit the concrete.

When the room became bathed with the orange hue of Yoldeen's distasteful likeness, Molli gripped her pistol tightly, as if expecting him to materialize in person and start shooting at them. "Bet 'e thought they'd get 'im a new meatsuit..." Molli said, lightly kicking the leg of the dead man at her feet, now understanding his willingness to turn a gun on himself. The ruminations were short-lived, as Aiko's orders came as swift as her ensuing movements. Molli followed close behind the princess, but her metal eyes widened in surprise at the squad that mobilized down the hall. They were firing on Aiko's position; it seemed that taking prisoners wasn't on the agenda today.

Much as Molli didn't care for killing people that were just doing their jobs, she couldn't just stand there and let Aiko stay in danger again. "Keep yer noggin down!" Molli barked as she dove down the hallway, then thrust her metallic right arm outward. With a sharp click, the glowing red limb detached and flew through the threshold, propelled by miniature aether thrusters that gave the anti-gravity some push. Through a camera feed in her metal eyes, Molli guided her arm toward the vanguard of the police unit and aimed to deliver a solid punch right into his shield.

 

[Nameless]

"Perfect ex-e-cution," Sif proudly said to herself with a voice slightly muffled by the plague doctor mask, surprised that her maneuver worked as smoothly as it did, as well as being pleased that everyone was still in one piece. The tremors in her hand as she ripped the knife off of the body was barely noticeable but it was there, a mix of adrenaline and nerves that she has still yet to fully tame. "No, wait, can't lose character now." She shook her head and tapped the tip of the knife gently at the side of her mask before she retreated back into the mindset of a battle-hardened mercenary staring down the ruthless forces of an entrenched enemy.

The digitized visage of their most gracious host appeared as the sound of the cops' arrival broke the momentary lull from the gunfight, his gloating largely ignored when Aiko's orders were set. Even if he didn't confirm Aiko's hunch at a setup, the timing was too close to be anything but. Maybe except for a very keen police force, which was highly unlikely given the sorts of people they brushed past on the way here.

When the squad split and mobilized, Sif put away the knife and pistol to bring out the impaler rifle. One look and anyone could see that it was nice and clean. Anyone who looked at the pistol beforehand might have also noted the same. In short, it was clear how much care Sif put into these weapons, which was in contrast with her more road-weary ensemble.

Navigating the building behind Aiko and Molli, Sif remembered one important thing any battle-tested veteran should know, hallways are deathtraps. Many faceless foes have fallen to the protagonists' effective use of the funnel it creates, and many deuteragonist have been injured in similar instances. Coming face-to-face with the shield-bearer, Sif mused how nice it would have been if she thought to bring one.

As Aiko took cover and Molli fired off her arm, Sif, channeling the character she envisioned for this operation, dropped to a knee, leaned down as low as she could without being prone and trained her sights at the the officer's feet and let out a burst of blue laser beams, taking great care to not accidentally hit the two people ahead of her.

 

[Gunhand4171]

Twenty Eight Gumtree Gang Block

William stood, replacing the spent bullet as Yoldeen's body fell. When he reappeared on the screens, the marine groaned. "You have to be kidding me... Can he shut the hell up already?"

The thought that this fuster-cluck could be anything IPG related greatly concerned William. They were supposed to be on his side. He would have to run this up the flag pole. All the way to his father if he had to. Now though? They had bigger problems.

Turning to Aiko, he nodded. "I'll back her up." Pulling his data jockey from a pocket, he jacked his cyberware into the module and began searching for a way into the buildings network. At the same time, he was deploying firewalls to keep himself and Morgana safe.

When the officer yelled and began firing, he took note of Aiko's response. It was not like the warrior princess of Yamatai to hide when the aether started flying. Something wasn't right. Moving next to her he yelled into the hall. "You are interfering with an NSMC operation! Cease and desist now or it's your ass!" As he did, he checked Aiko over. Specifically, he tried to gauge the cut on her arm that Yoldeen left.

 

[Megabirb]

Twenty Eight Gumtree Gang Block

As the smog and noise from outside flooded into the office through the newly shattered window after Yoldeen's betrayal, Rio's ears rang for several moments then quickly faded. She had no real experience with ballistic weapons in a such a small environment. She had know them to be loud, but it was much louder than she had expected. quietly she pulled her hat further down on her head, covering her ears in the hope that it would help muffle any future encounters.

The reappearance of Yoldeen's ugly mug and grating voice brought Rio back into focus. "I doubt he is capable of doing so. If we see him again we should help him do so. permanently. Along with whoever told him who we really are!" growled Rio in response to Will's complaint towards Yoldeen's yapping as she took a quick peek out the shattered window at the large number of police hovercar. Rio's momentary delay meant that she was following Will as he entered the hallway.

Muffled from inside the office, the report of the advancing officer's service pistol was painfully loud to Rio in the tight, echoing hallway. Seeing Will checking on Aiko, Rio takes a running start and dives through the fire to cross the hall. "Was the Chusa hit?" Rio hollered, trying to yell over the deafening noise as she joined them.

 

[raz]

Seventh Floor Corridor

Sif's shots skittered and sang whizzing across the hard concrete just a couple millimeters beneath the brownish grey low pile carpet that had covered this building's floors for so long their original color was unknowable, plinking up into the charging policeman's aegis even as the NPF officer's pistol shots impacted into the plaster covered walls around her and the others. In their body armor, neither the cop on point nor his comrades now advancing in column behind him seemed to have been injured—though perhaps Sif had contributed to the inaccuracy of the police fusillade as her rounds skipped around at their feet.

A moment later Molli's rocket fist slammed into the metal riot shield's facing, making clean contact right in its center of gravity. The cop wielding it held his ground at first, pushing forward to counter the super punch's force. He held Molli's prosthetic weapon there for a few seconds in counterbalance, wrestling with the fist's wild propulsion as it shifted around scraping sparks across his shield in an attempt to get through it. And then finally, Molli's arm pushed hard enough to shift the policeman backward even with his solid stance, first sliding him backward and then toppling him into the cops crowding in though the stairwell in back of him. They made for an ugly pile of armor and man as they scrambled around while Molli's first returned to her unimpeded on automatic recall.

Aiko blinked up at William, who had her wrist in his grasp, as if coming out of a daze. Her scarlet eyes traced the ID-SOL's gaze down to her wrist. The scratch Yoldeen had given her was now a black line surrounded by a throbbing, hot pink aura that traced her web of veins out across her pale arm just under the surface of her skin.

"My body is attempting to develop immunity," the princess said to her Nepleslian friend. Aiko's face darted over to some dusty chunk of debris floating down through the air, looking too surprised to see it while her stare tracked it down to the floor beside her. "This process will take some time to correct. Whatever he did is potent. Forgive my inability while we exfiltrate."

She closed her eyes and took deliberate breaths to slow down her hurried respiration. Meanwhile, William's mindware showed him the building's layout. Morgana would see the same via her access if she tried. It was an old official zoning record, but nonetheless showed a garage on level 11 that took up almost the entire floor. Other than the stairwell ahead, now teeming with NPF officers tangled up with each other as they flooded in, there was no regular access. But the schematics showed the walls were thin and lacked any reinforcement on the building's interior, and that there existed two thin one-meter-wide spaces between this block and those nextdoor that ostensibly contained some sort of ancient fire escape ladders that had been sealed in whenever the adjacent buildings were constructed.

Right in front of them, only about a yard or so ahead, the first door to the Kaiyō team's left swung open with enough force that the dust and gunsmoke now filling the corridor's air swirled about like murky grey eddies in one of Funky City's toxic sewer pipes. The sudden slam heralded something far more lazy: some buzzcut Nepleslian man in striped boxer shorts, a heather blue t-shirt, and a ratty terrycloth robe that looked kind of yellowish green despite having once been white. His average frame sauntered out with a Zen submachinegun in hand, held low at the hip in both hands, and an NPF badge that hung from a ball chain lanyard around his neck.

"Gumtrees are this detective's beat!" the guy bellowed down toward the stairwell, sloppily turning to walk and meet his colleagues. "I'm the law here!" he added, letting rip a burst of .357 police ball at the invading cops, who were only just recovering from Molli and Sif's attack. They began returning fire, striking the apparent detective in his shoulder as he continued unabated to greet them.

 

[Gles]

Molli's soundscape had been drowned out by the boom of several repeated ballistic retorts in a confined space, and in their wake came a high-pitched drone that informed the soldier she most assuredly had some form of hearing damage. It made it practically impossible to hear what anyone had to say, and in the moment Molli realized just how terrifying it felt to be so close to violence without the cushion of a Mindy, or even basic body armor. She concentrated on her arm to remain productive to the team, and it was to her satisfaction that firing it off had the intended effect -- a messy pile-up that could buy them some time. She turned onto her side in order to receive her returning limb, which she slotted back into its port with a rough click.

Molli was considering firing it off again when the door ahead of her was thrown open, and its occupant emerged from the dusty haze in naught but his jammies, an automatic weapon, and the intent to start blasting. While most of the seasoned members of the crew were taking cover, this crazy son of a skiz was marching right towards the squad willing to loose a volley. It was a scene almost as comical as it was incredibly frightening. Though Molli had serious doubts that this 'detective' was the real deal, the thought of using a third party as cover for an exfil wasn't comfortable, and so she extended her cybernetic arm and allowed it to detach once more.

Unlike the rocket-propelled punch, it floated through the air at a more measured pace, until its digits seized upon the nape of the 'detective's' neck. "Get DOWN ya sketchy IDJIT!" Molli screamed over the gunfire as she tried to encourage the man to take a knee, hopefully before the rest of his body was filled with lead.

 

[Ametheliana]

Seventh Floor Corridor

Creased close, the Shoi's amethyst eyes caught the inadequate light of the hallway in tiny fractals between her dark lashes. The look on Koizumi Aratani's face perfectly telegraphed her feelings about the developing situation. Skin scrunched up between her tethered brows in an uncomely squint. Her mind was focused on her fingers—not her own expression—that were working the Type 39 Zen AR she held, switching the firing mode over to its secondary plasma stream. She took two heavy steps towards the jumbled pile, angling to avoid spewing the blue stream on the shield Molli had driven into. Instead, she concentrated below it on the mound of footsoldiers as they recovered.

Used to providing support as she did on Urtullan by dropping in when mecha or armors needed repairing, the Shoi had been surprised to be pulled aside for the mission. She didn't have the rapport the away team had with one another but also anticipated the only way to gain such would be joining along on a full mission like this one. So, she had hung back in the room and let the others do the talking as she observed. But now that combat was happening, her natural inclinations kept her from staying in the shadows any longer.

Her silvery white hair whipped behind her, catching on the ridges of the bullet vest she wore snugly beneath a tight fitting shirt with a stylized Nepleslian-style dragon on its chest. There were a few leather bracelets on her wrist and one of the triangular charms on them glowed a familiar teal. Baggy lavender cargo pants meant she had extra magazines and extra cells for the ZARCNAM as well as a few surprises, like the grenades that sloshed around with each of the two steps she took towards the NPF pile.

"Got an exit strategy, boss?" Aratani asked over her shoulder, thinking she was yelling back to Aiko and cheekily using the name of their ship's AI in the process. Truly, though, the question would be directed to William after his assessment of the Ketsurui royal and with his knowledge of the building's layout.

"Over these lumps or through them?" Putting extra panache on the third word out of her mouth, she had directed her attention back to the NPF.

 

[Nameless]

Seventh Floor Corridor

William's arrival slightly threw off Sif's aim, her margin of fire being forced narrower due to his bulky frame, but that did get her to notice that he was off to assist Aiko. Up until that point, Sif had thought things were still going their way, but it seemed the princess was out of commission. How dire the issue was wasn't clear from her vantage point, and she felt the dread building. "Scheiße!" she cursed in Abwheran, picking herself up off the ground while the cops were knocked back into a pile thanks to Molli's disembodied arm. Sif took position right in front of Aiko and William, serving as cover for them with her body armor as well as to gain some ground and a clearer shot without any friendly obstructions.

Though the last part of that idea quickly got scrapped as a party of one jumped into the fray through a door that burst open, whose form did little to inspire any form of confidence or hope, and rather evoked the image of a sleazy neighbor. Though the badge suggested he was more of a sleazy alcoholic who happened to land a job in the police department thanks to nepotism before departmental corruption took hold; a shell long withered away by his vices, underworld debts and perhaps a lost Lenore, looking for purpose at the end of a needle or at the bottom of a bottle.

Sif's aim locked in to his chest. Had he turned just a millisecond slower or if Sif had a faster reaction time, she would have introduced him to NMX munitions, but him turning towards the cops marked him neutral, an enemy of her enemy, at best. Yet, he remained an obstruction to her line of fire, which elicited a grunt of frustration from behind the plague mask as she couldn't, in good conscience, just shoot through him, and neither could she adjust her position, which would have meant leaving William and Aiko exposed.

But seeing Molli's hand attempting to push the stranger down a little, Sif had hope that it would work and leveled her gun once more, ready to fire what was left in the battery once there was an opening, ready to pull out her secondary once the gun was fully discharged.

Spoiler: OOC

Scheiße is Shit in German, which is the real world equivalent to the Abwheran language according to the wiki. Miss worldwide in the making, I know

 

[Gunhand4171]

William cursed as he took in the wound. "I know you aren't a fan of this, but I need to do it." The ID-SOL said, cradling Aiko in one massive arm. He knew Aiko didn't like being touched or anything of the sort, however the situation necessitated William's transgression. Shielding her body with his own, he slid his sword back into his sheath and held his revolver in his free hand.

"She's been poisoned." He replied to Rio. Turning back to Aratani he nodded. "Let these idiots fight themselves. We have bigger problems." He marked the spot with his mindware, flagging the old fire escape in everyone's HUD. "Fighting withdraw! I'll clear the way. Once its open I'll cover you all." William ordered as he moved towards the thin wall that hid the fire escape. "Sorry again about this." He whispered apologetically, shielding Aiko with his other arm. With a roar, he slammed a massive combat boot into the wall.

 

[Megabirb]

With her head partially leaned around the corner to get a better glimpse of the situation, "Is it always so chaotic on Nepleslia?!" Rio mentally asked herself after having witnessed the alarming arrival of the NPF 'detective'. She wasn't sure if he really was one but that didn't matter as much as him incidentally providing the team with covering fire. She half wondered if yet another party might also join into the hallway fight at this point. The situation had clearly gotten out of hand in a very short amount of time.

Upon hearing that Aiko had been poisoned Rio's head snapped back around the corner to quickly as William gave his orders. As soon as he began to move with Aiko, Rio peeled off the corner to join them, radiant pistol at the ready for anymore unexpected entrances. "Understood. I'll take point as soon as the wall is breached." she called out. Once they reached the marked wall Rio would position herself just to the side, pistol in both hands and held close to her body, ready to charge through the wall as soon as it was opened.

 

[Sunny D]

Morgana leaned against a wall for cover as she examined the building schematics on her wrist watch. She was looking at the elevator shaft, working out the logistics of getting Willaim and Molli, the Nepalesians being without an ICS and her not trusting an elevator under combat conditions it was a conundrum. The revelation that Aiko was incapacitated put pay to that idea, though William beat her to an alternative.

"Not a great idea for you to be both on rear guard duty and carrying the Commander." She said approaching William. "Give her here, I'll carry her." she said holding out her hand.

 

[raz]

Seventh Floor Corridor

Kicking drywall typically resulted in little more than a leg shaped hole and getting awkwardly stuck, but William was a large man with a large foot and so his ID-SOL sized boot ripped down from where he raised it near chest height all the way to the floor and tore a good Nekovalkyrja-sized passageway for the team to crouch through. Rio went in first, taking point as she'd intended, and Sif remained in position to cover the makeshift doorway. He would struggle to slip between the jagged hollow himself, especially having picked Aiko up, and needed to let her pass on her own two legs before bullying his way into the next room. Thankfully, his brief squeeze made the hollow a little bigger for the rest of the squad who'd follow him in.

Molli's disembodied prosthetic successfully grabbed onto the supposed detective's collar, tugging backward at his ragged robe like a cat pulling its kittens out from a toxic Nepleslian sewer pipe. He quickly fell on his ass and dug his off hand's fingers into the hard floor, trying in vain to find purchase on the thin carpet as if he expected to be pulled away by whatever unknown force had put him down. Now three wounds deep on his upper torso, the detective finally peered backward and saw the Kaiyō crew absconding.

"Suspects on foot, I need backup!" he shouted, laying back down into the floor with Molli's bionics still attached to his robe and then taking aim at the Star Army team. "They're gonna get the supplies! I'm taking the shot!"

The blue plasma stream from Aratani's ZARCNAM meanwhile rushed over the downed detective, now clear of fire from both sides, and impacted into the ground just in front of the regrouping riot cops. A beam mighty enough to take on power armors, it quickly destabilized the deck under them. That first officer who'd been punched back by Molli tripped and fell as the concrete ground beneath him turned molten and dripped away through the ceiling of the level one story down. His riot shield clattered to the floor, and the abused officer only caught his fall in time to paw around in an attempt to save himself from sinking any deeper than his armpits. The other incoming cops immediately to his rear stopped shooting for a second to stabilize themselves and help him up while even more of their fellows continued to push up behind them and take what marginal shots they could.

The Donut Room

When Rio moved through from the hallway, tungsten lights flickered to life and bathed the room with an ugly yellow tint. The space was about fifteen feet long by ten feet over to a darkened window that looked out only into conduit-works and mold, and was packed full of various crates with a single workbench over to the right corner opposite where William created the entrance (itself only two feet away from a perfectly usable door). A rifle, pair of pistols, a grenade, and some tools sat on the workbench—which was affixed with a small vise—next to a caged 5-gun weapons locker, and what appeared to be crates of ammo were stacked around it.

But the majority of the rest of the room was filled to the ceiling with yellow cardstock boxes about a foot long and 3 inches square. Through a clear plastic window on each box, Rio could immediately see rows upon rows of chocolate glazed donuts. The only labelling appeared to indicate "HUMANITARIAN RING PASTRY: SHELF STABLE" in thin stencil lettering.

"I can walk, you both must remain ready to fight in my stead," Aiko said to Morgana and William, wandering into the room with an uncharacteristic levity in her step considering the raging fight that had erupted. She approached one row of the amber snack stacks and ran her right finger a millimeter above their surface as if to somehow take stock of them for a moment too long. "Odd."

Then, the princess snapped her gaze away to survey the room, choosing quickly to glide over to that darkened window and thrust it open.

"This way, right?" Aiko asked, and then with little regard for what dangers may lurk, she thrust her head through to take stock. With just as much speed, she soon reeled back as if stung by a hornet. "Nnh! Too bright!" she spat, rubbing both fists into her eyes. "But clear for you, Rio-san."

What Aiko had seen had been naught more than a pinprick of sun where the joined roofing that sealed the old fire escape cavity had fallen away, but that had apparently been enough for her to tolerate in this state. Within the cramped space was a rusty old series of ladders and varied tubing that carried coolant and water and electricity, as well as a thick humidity that bled from its walls. There was trash, too, and the passageway they'd have to take smelled disgusting with some hint of sweetness to it that seemed to waft up from below, probably due to dead rodents or a stashed victim somewhere on the lower levels.

 

[Gles]

The Donut Room

Even from her prone position on the ground, Molli could feel the sheer, overwhelming heat of the ZARCNAM's plasma stream overhead. Its molten energy left a lingering warmth on her back that, ironically, made the scrappy Nepleslian's blood run cold. They don't believe in zitchin' overkill on Yamatai?! Molli thought in a panic, though she let out a relieved sigh to see the self-professed detective had gone down before said plasma stream evaporated him from the waist up. That relief quickly turned to shock when he faced the team and leveled his weapon toward them.

She couldn't believe her eyes, but the degree of stupidity one had to have to turn away from the people who just shot you and aim at the ones who weren't was pretty believable in every part of town. "ARE Y'OUTTA YER FLARKIN' MIND?!" Molli screamed, like an angry cat whose kitten decided to pull a gun on its mother after it'd pulled it out of a toxic Nepleslian sewer pipe, "SHOOT TH'OTHER GUYS!" Molli had a feeling that the words of a 'perp' wouldn't carry much weight with this whack job, and so she set her arm to grab the front of the man's gun as she scrambled to her feet and sprinted after the team through the makeshift exit William's boot made. The last one in, she withdrew her arm -- with or without the crazed gunman's weapon -- and entered with her pistol raised and ready to fire.

The room she entered smelled like gunpowder, oil, and anarchy in the making. Weapons and explosives, plus the tools to make, break, or mod them, were a familiar and unsurprising sight. "More bullets 'n people in this friggin' dive..." she mumbled, brushing a metal hand over the weapons on the workbench, before her eyes whirred to focus on the greater prize: the donuts. Molli was quick to help herself to one, taking a huge bite that left chocolate on the sides of her mouth. Despite the adrenaline pumping through her veins and the imminent danger in the wings, there was always time to enjoy a donut.

"Wash duhplah?" Molli asked with a mouth full of food, which she swallowed before continuing, "Do ah hunt fer some shades, Princess?" Her concern for Aiko was palpable in the question; it was odd to see her in a relatively helpless state. The soldier's eyes flitted to Sif and Rio, then to the hole in the wall. "Sif, Rio, gimme ah hand wiv th'hole, ah wanna plugit. Find somefin' heavy." It wouldn't hold for long, but it might buy them a few seconds, at least.