Riot in the Underground

[I'll start making occasional replies to some of your posts outside of moving the main story forward at this point.]

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Armelle gave a curt nod to Jurin, "Very well. I apologize if I offended you at all. That was not my intent." Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. Tinies seemed to respond to any height-based comments a bit differently than the Hobbits she knew.

As this was happening, Sumari rose from her seat to sit next to Lucius. "Call it habit. I can't really shake that bit of my heritage." She was very cheerful, seemingly lacking the normal disdain for other races associated with her kind. "It's also a bit less likely to kill than a gun, especially if you use the right arrows." The Elf-Maid looked down, idly brushing her long, flaxen hair from the side of her head, revealing an Elf ear that was rather significantly torn up and scarred, before she realized what she was doing and quickly re-covered it. "Ah..." The woman strained to think of something to talk about, "So... why did you join up with us today, Lucius?"

"And I thought the neko was intimidating," thought Minacchi, eyeing Kath in awe, but attempting to be inconspicuous about it. He wasn't entirely sure if he was succeeding, and decided to turn his gaze elsewhere as he stumbled up the ramp. In his wonderment, he had accidentally re-latched one of the rods under his cloak, and it hit the uneven ground of the ramp, making him walk into it and jam it into his chest and causing him to trip. He just hoped he didn't fall on anyone who would not take kindly to being fell upon.

Ivan walked towards lucius at a careful pace, trying to pay attention to as many of the transports occupants as he could. He sat next to him, and strapped in, a hand firmly wrapped around his weapon's grip.
"Ivan." He said slowly, offering his hand from the depths of his cloak. "I'm Ivan."

"I am not offended." Jurin replied to Armelle. "I'm smaller than most races you probably use to working with. Furthermore you know nothing of my skills or level of inteligence, so I cannot blame you for not having faith in the untested." His words were still pretty cold but they seemed nicer than anything else he had said thus far. 'This mission will be dangerous, best be more delicate with my words than usual. I need these Footers to value my life if I am to survive.' He reasoned in his head.

With everyone strapped in, save for Kath and Steel Blood, Armelle pressed a button on her little device, and the transport slowly rose after the ramps closed, leaving only artificial light for illumination.
"We'll have a couple crates of different types of ammunition to choose from at the Forward Operating Base. These are Negavian citizens we'll be dealing with, and even though we have permission to use lethal force, I'd like to avoid souring the Fist's image too badly." Armelle seemed to be none too keen on the 'any means necessary' provision Kamlon had left dangling. "But don't be naïve and expect that we'll be able to get through this without some amount of blood on your hands." She at least wasn't hopelessly idealistic about what they were getting into.

Suddenly, the vehicle lurched as it bolted towards the 'roads' to the Underground. Everyone felt it, but the two standing squadmates seemed unaffected: Kath simply dug a clawed hand into the ceiling while Steel Blood leaned forward into the momentum, her plastic and metal body aided in balancing thanks to several gyroscopic stabilizers contained within her.
Tor, the womanizing Neko, had apparently not strapped in, and was thrown from his seat, ending up plastered against the rear wall. Most everyone had a good chuckle at this, including Tor, who was thankfully only injured in pride.

"Everyone's gear in need of any last-minute checks?" The engineer, Lydia, called out once the vehicle stabilized a bit.
In response, Julius tossed her his lasgun from across the way, "The Machine Spirit is being fussy again. I guess I haven't been saying the litanies enough..." The engineer caught the weapon easily. She would've cracked a joke, but knew better by now than to raise the ire of the superstitious Medicae. Otherwise, the permanent members of Squad 3 simply gave their own weapons a once-over: Steel Blood drew the devices from her hips and activated them, causing shimmering, green blades of energy to sprout from the handles, arcing down in front of her hands to give the twin swords a strange, curving shape, before she turned them off and reholstered them.

Minacchi decided he'd better give his own equipment a once-over too, just to be sure. But first, he should offer a hand. It would be the kind thing to do. Facing Tor, who had come uncomfortably close to landing on Minacchi himself, the actor asked, "Would you like a hand?"

Lucius shook Ivan's hand. "Nice to meet both of you." He nodded at Sumari with a grin on his face. "It's nice to see an Elf who follows the ways of their heritage. And you're right too. I far prefer my bow to guns partially because it's so much easier to just fire a warning shot with a bow. That and I find the twang of a bow is far kinder on the ears then the bang of a gun." He noticed her scarred ear, but didn't react to it. "Hmmm, why did I sign up? Well, to be honest I have three reasons for signing up. One, I like helping others, and this will certainly help a lot of people. Two, it's a nice change of pace from my usual adventures, and I do enjoy adventures. Then three, to be honest I was also kind of bored." He gave her a sort of apologetic smile, embarrassed that one of his reasons for coming was because he was bored. "Of course, I would have come even if I wasn't bored. People are in danger, and it's the duty of those who are capable to protect them."

Upon hearing the suggestion to check their weapons and items the Half-Celestial checked one of the two bags at his side. The first seemed perfectly normal. However, if Sumari or Ivan looked into the second bag, they would find it filled to the top with water.

"Three minutes out. Get ready." Armelle stated matter-of-factly.

Tor had managed to crawl back to his seat and gotten himself strapped in, "I swear I'm not incompetent or anything! I was just distracted is all..."

"Yeah, right. Just don't let yourself mess up when we're on the ground. You're a member of Squad 3 for now, so we have to take care of you when you get hurt." Sara seemed to make it known what she thought would inevitably happen.

Minacchi, ignored, reached into his cloak and produced a revolver. Magically enhanced to be as accurate as a sniper rifle - he didn't want his impeccable aim thrown off by technical error. It looked fine. He returned it to its hidden holster and produced a two feet, eight inches-long rapier, with a flashy and well-designed hilt and guard. He gave it an equally quick inspection before returning it to the darkness of his cloak. The final thing Minacchi checked over was his mask - half-and-half red and black separated vertically, with white, one-way see through fabric over its squinty, laughing eyeholes and its grinning mouth. The shape was simple, but the craftsmanship was excellent at worst. Minacchi took his time inspecting it, making sure none of the hinges were loose between the metal ring that would encircle his head and fasten the wood in front of his face, making sure there were no cracks in the mask, nor tears in the fabric. Making sure it was shiny enough.

Ivan smiled to himself as he watched them all check their weapons. He would never need to do that, she was always ready. He gently rubbed his thumb along the pommel. Always perfectly sharp, absolutely unblemished, and ready to kill on a hairs trigger. She would never let him down, this he was sure of. He glanced at a pouch on his waist, her on the other hand...no, she could care for her own machines, besides, she was supposed to be hidden, not even coming along. He raised his head once more.
When Lucius spoke he listened intently, the words bringing back small memories, on the verge of evaporating, and with then, old conflicts. It wasn't duty to help the weak, was it? No, it couldn't be. A long time ago, when he was weak no one ever came to his aid. If it was duty, why did everyone ignore it, there was so much suffering because people ignored this new duty...No, there was no question. He had already been told of duty. Duty to your master. Once the master had been sated, follow your heart until you are called on again. There was no duty to the weak, he was just following his heart...The bird wing ones always did seem a little topsy turvy about everything, but this one seemed just ok. Hmmm....
"Lucius...Why is there a duty to the ones who can't defend themselves?"

Any conversations that were ongoing would have to continue as people walked. With a shudder, the cargo ship cum transport [that is a totally valid way to use the word 'cum' by the way] began to descend near the inky black barrier that numerous battlemages were working on maintaining. Armelle was the first off, followed by the two established battlemages of Squad 3. The woman marched over to the nearest individual who seemed the least busy to get some information.

"So, details thus far have been less than cheery. What can we expect on the way to the Pit?"

The man wore the garb of a battlemage himself, but he was obviously resting for a bit, his eyes already sunken as if he hadn't slept in days. "Lotsa Crazies, I can tell ya that. They're not moving like individuals down there: more like a swarm answering to a single intelligence."

"Crazies? Who came up with the idea of calling Negavian citizens Crazies?" Armelle was perturbed by the nomenclature, "It sounds so dehumanizing..."

"That's the name cos' that's the best way to describe them, I'm afraid. Oh sure, they still use weapons and such, but they just scream bloody murder all the time. Anybody who isn't like them, they just tear apart..." He hung his head, not really wanting to go on.

Armelle sighed, turned to the disembarking squad, and started issuing commands, "Alright, get your asses ready for a fight. No distractions, I want everyone as aware of your surroundings and squadmates as possible. We're standing at the entrance to the Third Ward, which gives us the clearest path to The Pit possible. We're going to be dealing with lots of blind alleys and also some wide-open courtyards with apartment complexes on either side of us. We'll come up with individualized tactics as necessary. For now, we don't know enough about the state of things down there to guess how we're going to move about in all situations."
Steel Blood walked up to stand alongside her Captain, informing everyone in an almost convincingly human voice, "Communications with the outside are going to be spotty at best. Lydia and I both have the best comms gear as far as we know, so emergency messages will have to go through us in all likelihood."

Most squad members started rooting through a hastily placed 'armory' for a few pieces of less-lethal gear, be it shock batons or rubber bullets, though they didn't give up their more deadly munitions either.

Lucius shrugged as he got out of his seat. "Well, first off because it's good to help others, and not just in a moral or spiritual sense. You can judge an entire society based on how they treat those who are less fortunate. Two, your position can always be reversed, and it's always easier to lose a high position then it is to gain one." The half-celestial shrugged again. "I've never been very good at philosophy. Still, if it's in your power to help and protect another person, you honestly should do your best." He slipped some food out of his cloak and gave it to Ivan. "Eat up, you'll need to keep up your strength my friend."

(Edited out)

Jurin untied himself and climbed down gracefully. He hadn't checked his weapons, they never left his side and he never let them be anything other than excellent. The tiny found a good spot near the group to listen and also avoid being stomped.

Minacchi once again waited for everyone else to get off the transport before doing so himself. He looked around at the non-lethal weaponry that the others were stocking up on. He didn't feel he would need any of that; his personal charm was disarming enough. Hoo hoo.

"Anyway, I'd probably end up carrying too much; any more than I have now and I'll make too much noise to be able to be effectively stealthy."

Minacchi decided to ready himself in his own way. He took out his mask and stared down at it in his hand, making a somewhat nervous expression. Time to get into his element, he thought. He lifted the mask up to his face and slipped the metal ring around his head, positioning the mask in place over his face, then let out an audible grunt. Then a louder one, a groan of effort as he dropped to his knees.

"Aggh! Aggggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!" he yelled out, uncaring of whomever heard him. In fact, the more people he could get to look his way the better. He clutched his mask tightly against his face and shook his body, making spasms seemingly indicating pain.

Jurin looked at Minacchi. "Are you going to be a problem? Are you sure you should be here? I wouldn't want you to start howlering when we need to hide." He seemed uninterested for as many questions he asked.

Ivan quickly took the food offered, and slipped it under his cloak.
"...Thank you..." He vehemently muttered. He strode out of the transport, and onto the ground outside, looking around, when all of a sudden the masked man started wailing. He quickly dashed back towards him, and placed a hand on his back, kneeling down next to him. "Are you alright? What wrong?" He quickly flickered his eyes up and down the man's body.

Lucius followed Ivan to the source of the screaming. He placed a hand on Minacchi's shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" He noticed that Minacchi was wearing a mask and narrowed his eyes. "Minacchi...what is that mask you're wearing? Is it...magical?"

Minacchi's curdled yelling flowed into the sound of laughter attempting to be held back.

"I-- I'm sorry. I do deeply apologize! Ehehaha! It's only a-- er, well-- a pre-performance practice which provides me the proficiency to perform profound and plentiful. The path of the performer pretty well propagates my perilous platform of precipice, prohibiting the potentiality for pacified preparation."

It only just dawned on him that such an outburst might relegate views on him in other's minds to lower standards. He hoped he wouldn't become the target of undeserved prejudice.

"Right. Moving on." Armelle was holding back a large number of questions, but decided none of them were particularly important: let the actor amply alliterate as others attend, addled and agape.
She walked up to the mages maintaining the magical barrier, motioning for her expanded squad to follow.

"We'll be able to enter just fine, but it's meant to keep people from crossing the other way. Make sure you're ready, and meet me on the other side." With this, the Captain walked backwards, the shimmering wall giving way as if a liquid, covering the woman's features as she entered.

"Chaos-magick, I'm sure..." Julius commented of the opaque purple construct, just before being pushed through by Kath. The permanent members of the squad went through, intentionally leaving the recruits one final chance to back out. Reisen, Elizabeth, and Tor all proceeded with some trepidation.

The three would happen upon their adopted group already hard at work: a member of the Fist had been waiting to greet them, his body flensed and hanged above the street. Steel Blood had climbed up a wall to untie one of the ends of the rope keeping the corpse suspended, as if a banner, while Kath gingerly accepted the lowering fallen. Those members that weren't watching for attack silently offered up prayers to whoever was listening. It would not be the last time that the divine were called upon that day.

Once the body was down, Armelle calmly said, "Set him near the barrier and send out a message. The signal should get through at this range."

Jurin shook his head. 'I'll never understand Footers.' He thought to himself as he passed through the barrier. Jurin watched as the group took down the body and listened. 'What an utter waste of time, he is dead nothing more that they can do just wasting energy.' He reasoned to himself not voicing his opinion just waiting for proper orders.

The moment ivan saw the man was only faking injuries he pulled back, and started wring his hands as if trying to clean them. He turned away from him and shuddered for a moment before retaining his composure. After a few seconds of consideration he strode towards the silvery wall, looking it up and down. This was his last chance to turn back. He slipped a hand into a pouch at his waist and muttered.
"What do I do..." It took a moment before he nodded and slowly stepped into the silvery wall.

Minnacchio, done with his well-rehearsed performance, rose to his feet and gave a dynamic flick of his cloak before stepping undaunted towards the barrier. He walked up to the group huddled around the dead person, whom he ignored, and asked, "Would anyone mind my taking point as a scout?"

(Hey guys, I really am sorry that I sort of disappeared for so long on this RP. EDIT: Fixed it Nyaha. :3)

Lucius passed through the barrier without hesitation and grimaced when he saw the body. "So they really have gone mad...I suggest that we use lethal force. I don't like it, but judging from the state of that body using anything else would put all of us in danger. And actually Minacchi, I think I might join you with taking point. As long as our Commander doesn't mind. You can move silently I hope?"

(FYI Nergal, Minnacchio didn't tell anyone his stage name yet. You should still be calling him Minacchi. Sorry if my post was confusing. ^^; )