After the Dawn (IC)

[Ayakashi]

Nuriel
March 9 - 1:22 PM
Out in the Snow
Somewhere Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

She had been silent for quite a bit. The preparation, the helicopter ride. This was the behavior she was most commonly known for when going on missions, as if surrounded by a cold, impenetrable barrier which isolated her in self-imposed loneliness. The sankta meant to be disagreeable to no one however, she simply sought to gather herself and have enough peace of mind to carry out the job she had been given. The responsibilities bestowed upon her further required her to achieve a semblance of inner-peace, that, she knew all too well.

It's a cruel thing really, to try to will yourself into acting, to tell yourself that now isn't the time to remember the past or be afraid, yet your body refuses to move, all your mind does is freeze, and you are ultimately left as a pile of anguished and desperate pleas for help.

Yet no one can help you, not even those who try to pick you up and snap you out of it.

It had happened to her before, and she felt that if she didn't take the proper measures, it might occur to her again.

But Nuriel had tried her best to prepare herself for this day. Even if she couldn't get to know her teammates as much as she wanted during that night at the bar, having spent some time with them to understand their personality and characters had given Nuriel a little bit of a boost knowing who you'll be fighting alongside with is important, isn't it? Her having accomplished that small feat made her feel slightly more confident as someone who was qualified for the job Sarah had given her.

Of course, a single night isn't going to be as effective as entire weeks or months spent together, but it was a start.

However, the time for introspection had run out, and the time for her trial had come.

"Secure Squad is good to go! We can move out as soon as you guys are ready."

"We are good."

Well, she was ready, but most of her squad appeared to be as well. None needed the same kind of 'treatment' that Gravemoss had received, and Sting looked quite a lot better than when he had first reported in this morning. Nuriel had to wonder what Director Muelsyse had done to him, but well, as long as it worked, she felt there was no need to pursue such queries.

The sankta hopped off from the chopper, naturally taking a bit to find her balance in the snow since she had a huge cleaver dangling off her back, alongside a few extra layers of clothing over her cassock-dress. The moment her feet dug into the snow, an old pain gnawed at her body, one that she faced every night in her dreams. The scars from the wounds she had sustained burned, and for a moment the people moving out of the helicopter looked like old, familiar figures. It was but a fleeting illusion, from which Nuriel woke up instantly, yet that brief 'dream' was enough to leave her reminiscing for a moment.

"I can't let them down again..."

Neither those who were already gone, nor those who were still alive in the present. She had to be strong.

[RacingeR]

Asura
March 9 - 1:22 PM
Out in the Snow
Somewhere Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

The Lupo girl had spent most of the ride in silence, working on her report for her last job before this one (a convoy escort mission that had turned out to be -against all odds -boring and uneventful). Not much to do except to wait and be ready for the moment. She had left the shovel and ladder to the others, but had taken the grappling hook herself. Bit hard to use with a single hand, but her Arts could be used to help, and she liked to ensure her own mobility whenever possible.

Finally out there in the mission, Asura’s golden eyes practically shone as she bounded upon the snow, seemingly not all that bothered by the terrain. She had survived harsh winters before, with a lot less clothing and food, and the weather simply didn’t seem to affect her all that much.

She scanned the terrain around her almost as a reflex, but there wasn’t nothing particular to note, aside from the lake not being frozen. One would have expected it to be, really, but she guessed that was something that could happen. Still got to keep it into account, if only because an accidental dive into it would be lethal at these temperatures.

Asura stretched, and nodded to herself, a half-smile on her mouth. She was in top condition. The Lupo followed after Nuriel, standing a bit behind and to the side of her. Inside, she could already feel the impatience, the craving for that old feeling. But she had to wait. Only a bit more.

She would feel alive again, soon enough.

[SleepMode]

Operator Vitro
March 9 - 1:22 PM
Dropoff
Somewhere Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

“Huuu…”

The flight towards Rocky Mountain made good to catch some winks of lost sleep. Blinking away the last of the bleariness, Vitro stretched out his arms and yawned. Working past the late hours while working off the N-Mixture’s symptoms was not a recommended use of pre-mission time, but the end results were worth the night:



Inside one of Vitro’s bags were five extra vials of restorative and enhancer brews, specified in safe dosages for their intended recipients. Single-use they may be, they may come in handy during Assault Team's inevitable fight against the Bolivarian Army. For the time being, however, best to keep them on his person before the split-off; custom Arts Units aren't cheap, and Vitro will be damned if any broke from beyond his purview.

Looking across the stark-white lakeside, the Supporter whistled. Even with the winter modification to his hazard wear, the chill still sent the Liberi’s hair on ends. Been a while since he last set foot onto a cold-climate Catastrophe site, but swap the choking dust with frigid snow, it was more or less the same, no?

Done admiring the scenery, Vitro finished clipping the last of the medikits onto his packstraps. Being the team healer, it was a no-brainer he would be in charge of the medical supplies. His Arts was no replacement for surgical triage, and the inclusion of disinfectants alone can save many a life from infection. Of course, this was assuming his team would be caught mid-infiltration; but with the present unknowns in this operation it doesn't hurt to expect the worst.

Vitro further helped himself to the portable heater and testing kits, taking responsibility for the clunkier hardware to save the team space. The only exception is the extendable ladder, as Vitro’s back is already occupied by a radio. Sting seemed the able-bodied type, so a mere ladder shouldn't be an issue.

Becoming the team’s packmule isn’t precisely the most desirable position, but with his limited avenues combat-wise, it was among the most help he could offer.



“Ladder and shovel aside, Infiltration’s supplies are all accounted for on my end. Up and ready, Squad Leader Nuriel.”

[Elyrin]

March 9 - 1:23 PM
Out in the Snow Somewhere
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

Moving should help, Director Muelsyse, but moderate your pace so as not to sweat into the layer nearest your skin. This is a poor environment to catch cold in.

Most of the director's face was covered by a scarf and hood, but a flat, unimpressed glare was visible - just barely, if you squinted a bit - through her pair of tinted ski goggles.

"Th-thank you for the advice, D-doctor. Even a renowned b-biologist would never come up with an idea like that." Another shudder wracked the elf's body, and she shoved her mittened hands under her arms and squeezed herself tight. "I'll be f-fine. You should be worried about the lizard woman over there. I think she might be c-cold-blooded."

Sure enough, Santonia was standing near her squad leader doing exercises to keep the chill at bay. And Muelsyse completely disregarded both Grapevine's medical advice and her own observation and stood there in misery instead of following suit.

"M-maybe it'll be a bit warmer in the city..."

Meanwhile, Valravn set up the assault team's Defender-4 and piloted it toward the lake. The drone wasn't exactly built for reconnaissance, but it dutifully puttered over there to have a look around. Sadly, it didn't find much. The camera on it was pretty basic, lacking a detailed few and any sort of zoom function. It was able to confirm the entire lake was unfrozen, not just the shore the helicopter had landed nearest to, and that it was strangely round. Almost a perfect oval shape. It couldn't see anything in the lake, but given the low picture quality that could be the fault of the camera rather than nothing actually being in there.

"Okay, looks like all three squads are ready. We can move out now." Jessica pulled a hood over her ears with one hand while pointing and waving in her squad's general direction with the other. "I'll take point with Grave Moss. Secure squad, take rear, Defenders in the back."

With that, the next leg of the Blacksteel Team's trip began. With Grave Moss in the lead, though, it wasn't exactly a quick one.

---

March 9 - 1:46 PM
Out in the Snow Somewhere
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia


Well, it might not have been quick, but it wasn't difficult either. The fallen snow had been crushed flat in the wake of the mobile city, leaving a hard surface that was easy to walk across even for those who had never been on a cold-weather mission before. The past week had mercifully not had the wind or snow to cover up the path. Any stumbles or falls would be have to be blamed on the operators themselves.

The team reached the edge of Rocky Mountain, close enough to touch the massive treads that held the city up above the wastelands. But there was no visible access point, so Jessica directed the march north towards the main entry ramp. A short while later, they found what they were looking for. An access ladder tucked uncomfortably tight between two treads, leading to a metal catwalk that sat above them and vanished into the darkness beneath the city.

"Uh, here, I guess?" Jessica aimed a flashlight at the top of the ladder, but she didn't have the range or a good enough angle to see very far. "Looks like it's time to split up. There should be a maintenance entrance up there somewhere, right?"

The Feline stood on her tiptoes and held the flashlight as high as she could reach, trying in vain to get a good view of the catwalk.

Muelsyse

The Director is badly affected by the weather. Water Arts are difficult to use in the cold, and all of her spells cost 2 additional SP to cast.

[Egophobia]

Operator Grapevine
March 9 – 1:24PM
Dropoff
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

“Ideally, but Columbian architecture is prone to the artificial canyon phenomenon. Mind the airflow in streets and alleyways where possible.”

Grapevine registered Muelsyse's sarcasm, it just wasn't relevant. Duress begat foul temper, after all, it was perfectly natural. She made a note of the Elf's condition before moving to rejoin the rest of the group. Best they get moving before a proper wind chill had time to pick up. Operator Santonia looked to be just as ill-suited for the climate as the Rhine Lab director, but at least the Savra was handling it better. Grave Moss wasn't too far either, which just left the Liberi girl, Valravn. She looked over to where the girl was playing with the drone and... hm.

Honestly? She'd expected at least one of the Blacksteel employees to be fussing over the strange, unfrozen lake in the middle of this whiteout, even if only for procedure's sake. Perhaps that was Valravn's job, but it seemed... unlikely that the young caster would also be the sole biochemical engineer on-hand for operations in a Catastrophe Zone. The Sankta refrained from sighing and paced over to where the Liberi was flying her drone.

“Operator Valravn, I would ask your assistance in testing the liquid in this depression.” She gestured to the 'lake'. “Please take a sample while I prepare the equipment. This should only take a moment.”




Operator Grapevine
March 9 – 1:48PM
In the shadow of the city
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

Well, as wasteland strolls went, it wasn't that bad, even if she'd spent the last five years working indoors. The terrain was flat, and her equipment not much heavier than usual, leaving the Sankta time enough to mull over the results from the testing kit and to monitor the condition of the others. Fine, for the most part, though Muelsyse's physiological reaction to the cold was, to put it frankly, a bit extreme.

At any rate, the shape of Rocky Mountain grew and grew until it loomed directly overhead as they picked their way around its exterior looking for a path for the infiltration team to get in. The Sankta was not impressed by what they found. Was the maintenance channel so narrow because the engineers had wanted as little space as possible between treads to maximize points of contact with the frozen ground below? Maybe. Or more likely, the channel had been an afterthought and squirreled away somewhere where it wouldn't detract from the resort town's 'curb appeal'.

No matter. The ladder looked relatively undamaged for an external fixture in a Castastrophe environment. For that much, at least, being nestled so tightly between the treads had been a blessing.

[Ayakashi]

Nuriel
March 9 - 1:24 PM
Out in the Snow
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

This was a bit too easy. Of course, there was no way to tell if they had been spotted, and the contingent of potential hostiles inside could lack the sufficient manpower to keep an eye on every single way of ingress into the city. However, it would be foolish to not take precautions, and thus Nuriel told her squad:

"We should assume that people have locked this place down. Sting or Asura, can either of you lead the way? The one who doesn't should watch the back. I'll be in second and Vitro will be third."

These two were discrete and had the keenest pairs of eyes, thus they were natural candidates to be the lookouts for the party. Blacksteel should maybe have added a combat engineer to deal with security bypasses the team will inevitably run into, but the skills of the squad she had given would have to suffice. Nuriel is used to that, since after all, Reunion never exactly was picky on who they recruited.

While Sting and Asura were sorting out who would have the honor of following Nuriel's order, the sankta turned to Vitro.

"Let's get going shall we? "

She extends her hand to him. The liberi was the one member of her squad which she knew the least about, mostly because he came late and she never saw what was behind that mask. Nuriel did go through his operator records, as she did for her other squadmates, but there was something distinctly detached about making a judgement with letters printed onto a piece of paper. Her time in Reunion had made Nuriel have a preference for the more direct and personal approach of getting to know her squadmates. Not that she was one to mingle much herself, but she was always fond of observing others...

[Plue]

GraveMoss
March 9 - 1:46 PM
Out in the Snow Somewhere
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

The defender's long legged stride eats up the barren terrain with an... acceptable pace. If anyone was able to see her face they perhaps would be concerned by the completely relaxed expression she has on her face. The half hour jog towards the land ship a refreshing walk. The only regret she has is having to have the armor sealed up so she can't feel the cool breeze. Ah~ So much snow, it is beautiful. And more importantly cold.

The tight pathway...

"GraveMoss unit will continue on~ Flare green if finds targets, reds needs assistance~ Frosty Nuriel~"

There should likely be a signal for retreat, but GraveMoss never liked having to leave someone behind. Gaze drifts to her squad, though it isn't just her now on her own. Is this what they call the burden of leadership?

"Yellow to fallback~?" Offering this as a question to the other two squad leaders. At least the shortest one seemed to have plenty of experience at such things from the sounds of it.

There's no way for her in her heavy gear to fit through that path. Any attempt at stealth would likely be ruined by her trying as well.

"Moss hopes none of you die~" The armored operator chimes, wishing the stealth squad the best in a cheery tone of voice. If they were beyond the reach of her shield there wasn't anything else she could do for them. If there were hostile forces in the city acting as a distraction would give them the best odds that she could.

The direction to the main city gates should be... that way?

[Zagrin]

Sting
March 9 - 1:22 PM
Out in the Snow
Somewhere Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

Sting let out a sigh as they reached the base of the mobile city, setting down the shovel and extendable ladder that he'd been left to carry along before beginning to rub his hands fervently. Suffice to say he wasn't too much a fan of this type of weather, or at least when it involved him trudging through the northern wastes with infiltration equipment. Still at least he seemed to be handling it better than their employer. It looked like she'd freeze solid at any second. Being he gentleman that he is, he would've (reluctantly) offered her his coat, but considering how much she was already wearing, it seemed doubtful that would have helped at all and so refrained from doing so.

"We should assume that people have locked this place down. Sting or Asura, can either of you lead the way? The one who doesn't should watch the back. I'll be in second and Vitro will be third."

Going ahead, pretty dangerous job on average. After all first person in front is also the first one that'll be spotted and taken out by a sniper. Still, he had some experience when it came to making his way through enemy territory, albeit not one that involved infiltrating an inert mobile city.

"Sure, boss, I'll go ahead," Sting responded, before taking the second of the two radios they had been provided, "If I see any problems, I'll give you a heads up. Or, more importantly, if you start missing me, you can call me up anytime."

[arkturus]

Operator Valravn
March 9 – 1:24PM
Dropoff
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

“Operator Valravn, I would ask your assistance in testing the liquid in this depression.” She gestured to the 'lake'. “Please take a sample while I prepare the equipment. This should only take a moment.”

"Hmm? Oh, sure Doc." The liberi looked up and waved an affirmative at the grumpy looking sankta. Grapevine was it? Valravn didn't know that much about her, only that she was a doctor on loan from some big pharma company. She had to wonder though why her halo and wings looked like that though. Perhaps some research accident? The research-oriented people she knew back at the Tower were always doing haphazard experiments. But then what about Nuriel?

She thought about it some more before shrugging. Eh, maybe it's just a normal thing. She was probably the least qualified to talk about weird wings.

As she walked, the caster recalled the drone. It was to be expected that a simple defense drone wouldn't be outfitted with high definition cameras for reconnaissance. It probably didn't even have storage to save the video feed. She pulled out a small vial and approached the mysterious lake to gather a sample. While she was at it she might as well make some observations, she was curious after all. The sample came first, of course, best to take it before she could potentially contaminate it. She held the vial up to the light to observe the water for visible particles. Since she was at the water's edge, the caster also took the chance to note the color and if she could see the bottom. She also dipped a tip of a talon into the liquid to test the temperature compared to her own. It wasn't the best way to do it but it would have to do. If it was contaminated with Originium...well she was Infected already.

March 9 – 1:48PM
In the shadow of the city
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

As the teams approached the city's underbelly, Valravn craned her head upwards as if taking in the view of one of the nearby mountains.

"Wheeeeeew," pursing her dry lips, the liberi did her best imitation of a whistle.

It was a sight one rarely saw after all.

Then it was time to split up. She waved a goodbye to the infiltration team and saw their armored squad leader looking around, presumably to find the entrance.

"Ah right!" Valravn flagged down Grapevine, taking out the vial of water and her notes. "Heya Doc~. Here's that sample you asked me to get and I took some notes!" She rattles off the data she's gathered.

[RacingeR]

Asura
March 9 - 1:24 PM
Out in the Snow
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

“No lookouts on the perimeter… they probably don’t have the numbers to keep the watch. They could be set up behind each entrance but there might be too many tunnels…” Asura muttered to herself, frowning slightly. During the whole trek, she had kept her eyes trained on the city’s frame as they approached. “It is unlikely they don’t have access to the city’s blueprints, so they’re most likely posted at the main entrance and the nexuses for the maintenance tunnels. Can’t discard that they’ve already detected our approach somehow.”

She’d been trying to see if she could detect any observation devices in the wall as they approached. However, she doubted she’d be able to identify any at this distance. Still worth the attempt.

It was a somewhat half-assed analysis, but the enemy had been given quite a lot of time to take positions in the city, and they should’ve been expecting Columbia to intervene somehow. Still, it could be that they had to dedicate quite a lot of people to keep watch on and pacify the citizens.

Quite the troubling thought, that last one.

Still, Nuriel’s assumption was a correct one. It was best to proceed expecting the worst-case scenario, and this ladder was too good of an ambush point. With that thought in mind, Asura quickly knelt on the snow, and adjusted her backpack and clothing in such a way that the stakes she had hidden within were easily able to be shot out at any moment. Thankfully she didn’t need to use her arms to fight, so it didn’t matter if they weren’t free.

“I’ll take the rear, then.” She said, kicking on the snow to return some heat to her body. She liked snow to a certain extent, but not in this quantity. Being out in the cold for longer wasn’t a good idea. It’d dull their combat senses. “Ready to go, boss.”

[SleepMode]

Operator Vitro
March 9 - 1:24 PM
Dropoff
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

"Let's get going shall we?"

Meeting Nuriel’s outstretched hand with his own, the Liberi hummed in assent.

“Of course. At your pace, Squad Leader Nuriel.”

A most curious choice of leadership, but the prior command does bely experience coordinating others. Regardless of past affiliations, the Sankta seem to prove herself an able leader at least. If anything, the Liberi reckons both the environ and team composition is designed in her favor; Blacksteel really does have an eye for talent, even in its associate organizations.

Vitro hummed quietly, partly in thought.

That said, qualification wasn’t his biggest concern. If what he recalled of her demeanor and records proved accurate, this posit may be her greatest bane and boon alike— –

…The Support Operator will do all he could to lighten the effort, but matters of the mind are not his forte.

= = =

Operator Vitro
March 9 – 1:47PM
In the city’s shadow
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

Vitro had expected a tougher trek to Rocky Mountain, but the hardened track proved to make things easier. Vitro had hoped there were a detour or two to examine the Catastrophe proper, but time was of the essence. Now at the base of its colossal tracks, the access ladder made itself known between the treads. The rungs stretch upwards, not even Jessica’s flashlight could track its end.

"Looks like it's time to split up. There should be a maintenance entrance up there somewhere, right?"

“A moment, a moment! Before we all go our separate ways, take these with you:”

The Support Operator pulled out the bandolier of glass vials, each with an Assault Team member’s name scrawled onto its surface.

“As you fellows will clash against Bolivar’s war-dogs, I thought it wise to provide you all an extra push. The gray one will heal you in a pitch, while the red acts as physical enhancement. Simply uncork the container and inhale the contents, no need to consume it orally — if fact, I actively discourage it for those with acute taste.

“Without my presence, these vials carry only a single charge each, so use them wisely.” Vitro hummed. “And remember, they are to be used on yourself and only yourself; the brews’ portions have been tuned to your safe consumption, and treating someone of excess poisoning from inhaling Defender Gravemoss’ charges is not something any of us want.”

After handing the Assault Squad (plus Jessica) their respective brews, the Liberi tossed an additional vial to the Savra.

“Here; consider your munitions restocked, Santonia.” He puffed, folding his hands in exaggerated indignation. “Can’t say I’m amused at your use of it the night prior, but given the festive mischief I will kindly overlook it.

“…And I hope you’re considering my proposition, huu. So come back in one piece, will you?”

With the last-minute supplying done, Vitro began following his Squad’s ascent up the ladder, into the belly of the beast.

Wise Up: Arts

Neutralize-Vial
One of Vitro’s Poison-based Arts, the gray vapors stored in one of his Arts Unit. Curiously, rather than outright poisoning you, the body’s healing capabilities kick into overdrive and heals your wounds. Smells of dried plants and bitter roots.

This variant was given to Operators Valravn, Grapevine, and Jessica.

(One-Use) Restores 10 HP, removes the Stunned and Withered status effect.

===

Aggravate-Vial
One of Vitro’s Poison-based Arts, the red vapors stored in one of his Arts Unit. Upon inhalation, you feel a rush as the body feels faster and stronger. Smells of burning spice and light citrus.

This variant was given to Operators Gravemoss and Santonia.

(One-Use) Increase one’s Physical Strength, Physical Strength, Physiological Endurance and Mobility by 1 rank for 2 turns.

[Elyrin]

March 9 - 1:48 PM
Out in the Snow Somewhere
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia


One by one, the infiltration team ascended the hidden ladder, brushing against the unmoving city treads along the way. Fortunately the metal catwalk at the top sat well above the treads, high enough to be safely out of range of any snow that might be kicked up. Though if the city start moving again while the team was still in there, the snow would probably be a minor concern.

"H-hang on! I'm still here!" Before the whole squad could go in without her, Muelsyse squeezed in near the back of the line, between Vitro and Asura. "R-really, I hope you w-weren't planning to leave me with the direct assault guys."

The march across the snowfield hadn't done anything to help with the cold, apparently. Oh well. With that brief hiccup handled, the infiltration team resumed their infiltration and climbed into the belly of the beast.

...meanwhile, Grave Moss had already started marching further north. Jessica waved at her team to follow before jogging off after the Pilosa.

"Uh, secure squad, move out!"

---

Infiltration Squad
March 9 - 1:50 PM
In the Belly of the Beast


Fortunately, the catwalk at the top of the ladder was a fair bit wider than the ladder itself. Two people shoulder to shoulder would be a squeeze, but the team could walk in single file without feeling claustrophobic. And the guardrails along the sides seemed pretty sturdy.

"He's already g-gone."

Sure enough, Sting was nowhere to be seen. There was some lighting along the catwalk, mostly red, but it was wasn't overly bright. The squad could make out the nearby areas but the light wasn't nearly enough to see into the distance. The catwalk was pretty extensive, and seemed to form a sort of uneven grid. The path the team was standing on kept in parallel with the treads, and similar paths were visible off to either side, probably in between the closest treads and the next. Every few meters another walkway lead across the treads to the other sections.

Further ahead, besides the red lights along the pathway, one white light was visible a bit to the left.

---

Operator Sting

Naturally, the "advance party" had also noticed the white light, and deemed it worthy of investigation. The Entoma approached it as quickly as he dared, maybe expecting to run into one of the Bolivarians, or perhaps one of the townsfolk looking for a way to sneak out of the city. That could be interesting.

Sadly - thankfully? - as he drew close enough to make out some detail, the light turned out to be illuminating some kind of sign about three meters overhead.

No mention of distance. Sting hadn't been walking for too long, just a couple of minutes, but then again the north and south walls were a bit further away than that...

---

Assault Squad
Near the City Entry Ramp
2:28 PM
Rocky Mountain


The rest of the team continued their march along the city walls, still not encountering any signs of life besides Rocky Mountain itself. After rounding the corner to the north wall the team was forced to slow down a bit as the snow grew deeper, but Grave Moss made a fairly effective plow.

After some time, the two squads approached the massive ramp that acted as the bridge between the city and the wasteland outside. Jessica called a halt to the march and sent the Secure Squad's vanguard ahead to take a closer look.

"Nothing? They just left it open?"

"Nothing, ma'am. Plenty of tracks at the base of the ramp, nobody waiting at the top. Maybe they all moved in or maybe they got what they came for and left before we got here."

"Hmm..." Jessica had her rifle at the ready, expecting some sort of resistance at the city entrance, but the complete lack of literally anyone left her stumped. "It's been a couple days, right? If the Bolivarians left already, they'd probably leave the entrance open instead of wasting time trying to close it. Especially with the Catastrophe wrecking things, and maybe knocking the power out."

The Feline turned to the towering Pilosa leading the other squad.

"What do you think, Grave Moss? Want to form up and walk right in?"

Water Sample

The water sample taken by Valravn is clearly dirty. Not enough to call it "muddy water" but there is some visible grey or black particulate.

The water is cool but a good bit warmer than the surrounding air.

The originium test is a strong positive with extremely high originium levels. It is likely that there was or still is some amount of active originium in the lake.

[pinetree]

Operator Santonia
March 9 - 1:24 PM
Dropoff
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia

Santonia had never been as far north before, and she was sure she wouldn't ever come back. No matter how well designed the winter gear was or how much she moved her body, the cold seemed to still reach deep in her. She clenched her teeth so they wouldn't keep chattering and tried to convince herself that the rigidness in her fingers was natural and that she wouldn't lose at least one of them before this mission was over. Good thing she didn't bring her harp, she wouldn't be able to play it anyway.

Just as Santonia finally gave up on the jumping jacks and decided to go gather with her group, Vitro started distributing potions around, and approached to give her an extra.

“Here; consider your munitions restocked, Santonia.” He puffed, folding his hands in exaggerated indignation. “Can’t say I’m amused at your use of it the night prior, but given the festive mischief I will kindly overlook it.

"The gifts never end eh? How kind of you, I'll be sure to pay you back for all of this mate."

“…And I hope you’re considering my proposition, huu. So come back in one piece, will you?”

"Hm, sure..." The Savra scratched her head akwardly, thinking of how to respond, and let the tension in her jaw go for a moment.
Replacing her silence with teeth-chattering wasn't much better, so she just started talking.
"Look, I still want to outdrink you Vits, so you better be stay safe as well, hear me? Now rack off before your angel boss has to call you again. See ya!"

In a single motion, Santonia turned around and used her tail to push Vitro away a bit, then ran to the assault team.

---

Assault Squad
Near the City Entry Ramp
2:28 PM
Rocky Mountain

"What do you think, Grave Moss? Want to form up and walk right in?"

"Before you say anything boss, I have a suggestion." Said the Savra, running in between Jessica and the armored pilosa. "Send me to investigate deeper in and you guys can follow a bit behind. I'll check inside the nearby buildings and all that jazz, if the drongos ambush me I can put most of them to sleep and you guys can use my singing as the signal to move in."

The Savra was quite eager to finish this mission as soon as possible, and they did have to make a bit of a ruckus if they wanted the attention to be on them instead of the infiltration squad. Besides, she felt like Grave Moss was the type to just barge in, and while the savra wasn't much different, she wasn't keen on facing off military on their terms.
She'd rather try to gain some advantage over them, be it by surprising them or just unleashing her arts, even if it put her in more risk than just standing behind the sloth colossus.

"What do you say Moss boss? Oh, I'll still need someone to cover me though, if they have a long range sniper then I'm toast."

[Zagrin]

Operator Sting
Infiltration Squad
March 9 - 1:50 PM
In the Belly of the Beast

So far, so good.

It seemed the place hadn't been locked down as tightly as Nuriel had feared, or at least there were no signs of any sentries or other unexpected surprises so far. Well, as far as he could tell anyways, the general lack of lighting made discerning such things difficult. If he really wanted to get a better look, he could always use the flashlight he had been provided for the mission, but that would just give away his position if there actually was anyone monitoring this area. The lack of cover in this area, combined with the fact they were limited to these catwalks meant that they would be nothing more than a bunch of sitting ducks had they encountered a squad of snipers while traversing this place. At least in the dark, it's just as unlikely that any enemy combatants would see them coming as they would see them. Unless they had something like night-vision googles...

...

I'm just going to ignore that thought.

As Sting approached the source of the white light, he was able to make out that it wasn't just some random glimmering light, but in fact a sign.

North Wall, South Wall, Power Station, huh?

There were three options. Both the North and South Wall seemed like they would be ways to get to the topside of the city. Which one they were supposed to use however...well, that a call for their squad leader to make, and definitely not because he might of forgotten some details during the mission brief. That left him with one option: the power station. Well that was where he intended to go first even if he knew what the "right" answer was between the walls. It seemed worthwhile to check out if there were any clues as to what had caused the city to become inert and, more importantly, if somebody else had the same idea.

[Plue]

GraveMoss
March 9 - 1:46 PM
Out in the Snow Somewhere
Outside Rocky Mountain, Columbia


GraveMoss amused herself along the way as she varied the angle of her shieldplow, snow having just a little bit different angle that seemed to work the best compared to vehicle mounted weapons deflection. Humming along to the rhythmic scraping was likely best that no one else was able to hear her.


A wide open door and no enemies? Lucky~

"What do you think, Grave Moss? Want to form up and walk right in?"

Forward~

"Before you say anything boss, I have a suggestion." Said the Savra, running in between Jessica and the armored pilosa. "Send me to investigate deeper in and you guys can follow a bit behind. I'll check inside the nearby buildings and all that jazz, if the drongos ambush me I can put most of them to sleep and you guys can use my singing as the signal to move in."

"What do you say Moss boss? Oh, I'll still need someone to cover me though, if they have a long range sniper then I'm toast."

The towering defender scratched at the ground idly with her lance in consideration of the twos suggestion. Having a mobile scout did seem useful, however could the rest of them respond quickly… Helmeted gaze turns to look at the other two members of the squad very briefly.


“Ah~ Rejected~”

That seemed like a very good way to end up with a dead scout, their armor did not look particularly strong either way as well.


“Form up on GraveMoss, grumpy notdoc left, black bird right, lizy tail cover rear~”


Her shield would more easily cover the healer this way, and let birrd caster shoot more easily, which still offering some cover. The savra would keep anyone from sneaking up on them, and easily be able to break off.


“Lizy tail will scouts sides once Moss secures area~”


It was a good idea to poke along the sides.

[Elyrin]

Assault Squad
Near the City Entry Ramp
2:30 PM
Rocky Mountain

The Savra's request was denied, and the squad's formation decided. Neither of the team's casters voiced any objection on the matter, so the squad gathered up and readied themselves to enter the city.

"Right. If you want to check the area out first, we can wait a few minutes before we follow you in. Give a shout on the radio if you need backup, okay?" Jessica lowered her rifle and signaled her squad to stay put for the time being. "One last gear check, everyone! One word from the assault team and we're going in, so be ready to move at a moment's notice."

With the team behind her, Grave Moss ascended the ramp and advanced into the city of Rocky Mountain.

---

Inside the open gate was a large parking area, by the looks of things. Maybe a warehouse that happened to store vehicles? Or maybe a bit of both. There was a good bit of space around the gate itself leaving plenty of room to get in or out, but advancing further in revealed the city's silent machines parked on either side. Large trucks with tires as big around as an adult man, unhooked trailers for loading smaller vehicles, rows of pristine-looking snowmobiles, and the occasional van to break up the monotony.

Every one was decorated with the same logo, one large mountain flanked by one small and one even smaller one, and a similar name. Rocky Mountaineering, Rocky Mountain Tours, Rocky Road Transport, and so on. The path from the entry ramp continued ahead to another ramp leading up and curving around to the left, leaving the top out of sight.

There was nothing parked around the right side of the ramp, leaving the area clear. Instead there were several doorways along the wall, with overhead lights still lit. One off to the side by its lonesome was labeled MAINTENANCE ONLY, while four others were grouped closer together. There appeared to be a panel beside each one and floor indicator ls above, so clearly elevators.

Surprisingly, even with the city quiet they seemed to be in service. The indicator above one elevator was on, with the 6 glowing a bright orange. After a few seconds, it shut off, and the 5 lit up instead.

[Elyrin]

Operator Sting
March 9 - 1:50 PM
In the Belly of the Beast

Further onward, Sting continued. No need to radio the team, or wait for the team to radio him. That might reveal his position to the enemy and compromise the whole stealth part of the mission. Besides, between the four of them, they should be able to figure out the path he was taking and follow along.

...was Sting actually thinking about any of this? Maybe. Maybe not. But he was thinking about the mission.

---

2:04 PM

The path wasn't exactly straight, and the Entoma found himself blocked off by a railing a few times and forced to go around. Fortunately he found another sign confirming he was still going in mostly the right direction, and was able to follow it to his probable destination.

A solid concrete wall featuring one metal door, slightly rusty and adorned with bright yellow lettering. It probably said Power Station B-C, but the paint was pretty badly worn. It was locked by a plain old door lock, or maybe just stuck, but locked seemed a reasonable enough explanation. Less reasonable, there was a noticeable chill emanating from the door despite the already cold outside temperature.

[Zagrin]

Operator Sting
March 9 - 2:04 PM
In the Belly of the Beast

Hmm...

Sting rubbed his chin as he stared at the sealed door before him.

The path here had been straightforward for the most part, at least there wasn't anything resembling a side path along the way, so it's not as if he had taken a wrong turn or anything before getting here. Therefore, it was clear that the way forward to the power station was through that door. There was, of course, the matter of the lock preventing access to it, but there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about it.

Suffice to say, that suited Sting just fine. His less than savory past had him deal with similar locks in the past, all he needed to do was reach out and...

Hm?

Before touching the door, Sting withdrew his hand back before rapidly rubbing it together with his other hand to warm it up. The air around the door was noticeably colder than anywhere else in the tunnels he had been, which was already pretty frigid.

Well, that's ominous...

Something on the other side of that door was responsible for the chill that Sting had felt. He now couldn't help but wonder if the door had been locked not to keep others out, but keep something, or someone, locked in. A troubling thought, to say the least. One that even made Sting consider whether he should radio back to the team and let them know about his discovery. Still, what exactly would that achieve? All that he could tell them is that there's some locked, frigid door ahead. Nothing about that seemed particularly urgent that warranted giving them a heads up. In fact, if he contacted them it was likely that whatever was on the other side would become aware of his presence, the same could be said if he sat around and waited for them. More people meant more movement, more voices and some people less skilled in covert actions than others. No, better just to have a look and see what they would be dealing, afterwards he could double back if it turned out to be too dangerous to risk using the radio.

Besides, doors are meant to be opened, right?

His mind seemingly made up, Sting drew his weapon, a karambit that he had owned even before joining the Blacksteel company. This however wasn't any ordinary blade, it had been modified so as to allow one to utilize originium arts while wielding it. Unfortunately, Sting wasn't too knowledgeable about such things, so using it like a wand to throw around fireballs akin to caster was something that was way out of his league. He could however use it as a focusing point for his own brand of arts allowing him to cut, or to be more accurate burn or melt, through troublesome obstacles.

Taking a breath, he placed the blade upon the lock and began to instinctively channel his arts into it.

[Elyrin]

Operator Sting
March 9 - 2:05 PM
In the Belly of the Beast

The tip of Sting's blade pushed into the keyhole ever so slightly. But that was more than enough. With his Arts, a bit of rusty metal was no obstacle of all. There was a slight twinge in his arms as he started, and then the power began to flow.

Slowly, quietly, Sting worked the knife. Just a slight change of angle or a push of a few millimeters at a time. A bit too much force and the blade would punch right through, and the shriek of metal grinding on metal would alert anything that might be waiting inside. Fortunately, he was a professional. Clean and quiet, Sting cut through the lock and slowly pushed the door open to peek inside the room.

The lighting inside was about the same as the lighting outside. Soft red emergency lights barely enough to see anything, but they worked a bit better in the enclosed space. Much of the room was taken up by... machinery of some kind. A generator? Even if the real lights had been on, Sting was no engineer or electrician.

Suddenly, movement on the floor caught the man's attention, around knee height. It was hard to make out any detail, but whatever it was seemed to be crawling, or even wriggling along the floor. Besides that, it bristled with spikes-

...

It was an originium slug. It seemed to be slowly moving away from Sting, and if he squinted a bit, he could see another one off to his right near the machinery. Well, there was never just one originium slug. No doubt there were a bunch of them in the room, now oozing or skittering away from the strange intruder.

Wait. Skittering? Were Sting's ears playing tricks on him? Did originium slugs skitter?

[RacingeR]

Asura
March 9 - 1:50 PM
In the Belly of the Beast

“He’s not that far. No, I supposed by now he should’ve moved a lot farther, given that he didn’t come back or radio us.” Asura answered the doctor vaguely. She was sticking by Muelsyse by the rear for now.

Usually, for a rear position, she liked to keep a bit more of distance. Meant she had clearer firing lines and could keep better track of the action, and had less chance to end up unnerving her teammates. However, with the present lineup, someone had to take on the task of bodyguarding their client, and that someone would have to be Asura. Even if Nuriel hadn’t ordered so yet, it was the most logical course of action.

The pink Lupo’s eyes scoured the darkness around them, keeping watch. There’d been no ambush. No sign of anyone or anything nasty waiting for them, either.

Somehow, that just seemed strange. Well, Asura herself just found the fact disappointing, but she couldn’t be too impatient. The mission had just started. She couldn’t be unlucky enough to run into two boring ones in a row. Even if that sentiment contradicted her growing feeling of paranoia regarding the mission. So many details about it were suspicious…

Ah, well. For now all she could do was sit here and wait for orders.