In fact, it seems that the sniper's targets have almost exclusively been those dressed as scientists, medics or technicians
"Well, scratch that idea then. I'm not getting shot on the case of mistaken identity, especially if he's trying not to kill us. That would be ironic."
"So what, then? Just rush the building and get inside?"
"If there's still folks to save, we should try, but not at the cost of our lives. If you're good keep going Trystt, we can. You can stay behind me. Otherwise, we could go..."
Is no-one else wondering why the crazed vigilante is targeting civilian scientists rather than the mercenaries-cum-security guards of this place?
Midnight shakes her head
He must be after someone specific or trying to do damage to their operation here, but the cost to innocent life...
She sets her mouth in a determined grimace, then her eyes turn to Trystt
Staying with us is safer, just stay behind Spore or me, I'm out of nanotech to heal with but my skin's a bit sturdier than yours...
She speaks, deadpan.
"Only one way to find out. Let's head for the lab. Either something is in there, or we'll find someone who might know what this is all about." Napalm begins running towards the lab building.
Ebon nods "Let's at least keep moving, the only way is forward. If The Hand is about I need to get to the bottom of all this." He moves along with the rest of them.
Deciding that the only way is through, the group head out of the building and begin charging across the open space toward the collection of burning buildings.
Thick plumes of pea green smoke billow into the air here, where the storage buildings that flank the road have been set ablaze with green alchemical fire, whatever chemicals stored there erupting when the explosion happened.
The air reeks of chemicals and ashes.
"Let me go first, I'll check it out," Spore offers, stepping tentatively into the gas.
Looking into the smoke Ebon stands uneasily at the thought of getting lost in there. "Go ahead Spore find us away through, but call out if you get into trouble I'll be right behind you." He nods to the large plant, stepping to the edge of the cloud.
Napalm nods. "Be careful, Spore. Depending on what those chemicals are, even someone like you could get a nasty chemical burn or simply suffocate if they displace all the oxygen...hey, do you even breathe oxygen? Or is it carbon dioxide?" He shakes his head and waves the question off. "Discussion for another time. Just be careful and back out if it gets bad."
He looks around for others going into or out of the gas cloud to see if anyone might be using a mask.
Despite the constant air flowing around her head, Midnight's eyes water in irritation.
Whatever we do, we cannot remain here...
She glances at Trystt
I can fly myself and Trystt over or around, but we may be better to wait for Spore's return in case his reconnaisance has uncovered something useful...
|
"Be careful, Big Guy." Trystt acquiesces to Spore's suggestion, though she isn't completely happy about it. She gestures for him to lean down before he goes and a small static shock flies between the two. "Just whisper to me if you need us."
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Spore makes his way slowly and carefully into the smoke. Though he does not breathe in the same way as his friends, it is an unconscious decision to close the millions of stomata along his body so that the poisonous fumes cannot suffuse him.
He trudges warily into the plumes until he can no longer see the rest of the group through the smog but there is relief that he knows he can still easily communicate with his little friend. The buildings flank him on both sides and the heat radiating from the roaring flames that lick out of the windows is almost unbearable and in another unconscious decision he sticks directly to the middle where his flammable body is furthest away from the fire.
He tries to peer through the smoke toward the laboratory building and sees ahead of it is a large open space but a number of armed guards have begun building a huge barricade, fearful that they must be under major attack and if the sniper shots have stopped, the ground assault must follow.
But he is only able to pay attention to that for a moment as the smoke drifts again and completely obscures his vision beyond ten feet.
He hears a sudden clanking of metal, quickly followed by heavy, artificial-sounding breathing and a voice that says;
Shooting has stopped sir. Security cameras have picked up a ground team fighting some of your men and headed this way but we can't see anything in the smoke... with respect sir, I don't take orders from you.... Yes.... No, I know he was killed in the blast... Yes sir, I suppose you are. I understand.
Droid, switch to infra-red.
There is an electronic buzz and then;
AFFIRMATIVE! SCANNING!
Pointing the tip of a vine back behind him, towards the others, Spore quickly describes what he sees via Trystt's link.
"A whole team is through here, armed guards, and they're ready to fight- gotta whole barricade set up and they're taking about us, and somebody here who died in the attack. Can you all find a way around? They're scanning with some robot-tech now. They'll spot us soon! I can draw attention away if you need time?"
Ebon steps back slowly from the cloud. "He should get out of there, pull them to us outside the cloud and we can take them down. We cannot fight in there." He then takes up a stance waiting for whatever comes out.
Napalm nods. "Get him out of there. If they can see us, we need to take cover." He points to the building to their right. "Quick, behind that."
Napalm rushes to the edge of the building. Once hidden behind it, he says, "If they could see us, then they much have some infra-red goggles. Or maybe a surveillance drone."
"Anybody got something we can light on fire? Maybe something to draw their attention."
Spore nods back at Trystt out of habit, even though he knows she can't see. "On it," he says.
Moving quickly forward, he pops out past the gas line for just a moment before diving back in, and angling northward.
Distraction's a good idea Napalm, but there's already plenty of smoke and noise, better be something tailored for the purpose, otherwise I fear any amateur effort would be lost in the existing audio and visual landscape...
She ghosts from foot to foot burning off her nervous energy as she waits to see what happens with Spore's distraction.
The metallic footsteps continue to sound from within the smoke, only barely audible beyond the crackle of the flames. But then the robotic voice is loud and clear;
SCANNING! SCANNING! SCANNING! it pauses. FIVE HEAT SIGNATURES, NORTH-EAST OF OUR POSITION!
There seems to be some discussion at that.
It's them! one says.
We don't know, it could be people hiding for Christ's sake.
Yeah but how can we chance it? You see what they did to those other guys? I say we just blast 'em and if it's some techs or whatever then we can blame it on the shooter.
You're a real as*hole, you know that?
A voice shouts out of the smoke then;
Step forward and identify yourselves, now! We have masks we can give you, and you'll be safe in the smoke, the shooter won't be able to pick a target in here.
You have five seconds or we will have to assume you are hostile and open fire.
TARGETS NOT DEFINED. HET SIGNATURES INDISTINCT.
The roaring flames of the building seem to be providing perfect cover and as the group makes their way around that structure, though the heat is unbearable, they could not ask for a better cloak.
"Shit, these guys are scared. I could hear them. Some of them are willing to kill anything that moves and just blame it on the chaos later. Still, they're very uncertain."
Napalm leans around the corner and yells at the men. "Don't shoot! People are hurt out here! We need help! Where are you?!"
Don't give me that sh*t! the voice shouts again, the one who wanted to open fire immediately. You got three seconds to step in here buddy and then this place is going up like the fourth of July! If you're who you say you are we'll get you to safety. If you're not, well it's better us than those ninja dicks.
So not a camera, otherwise they could see who we are.
Napalm makes a face at the man's response, then waves to the others to go around the building. He continues talking to try and draw them out. "Don't shoot! I'm Doctor Jacob Lassiter! We're wounded and can't move! One of us is shot! I don't know if he's going to live! I've got scared lab techs here!"
Ebon stands completely still watching the smoke expecting the men to move out to investigate. Only taking his eyes off it when Napalm signals to head around the building.
Droid, go check it out.
AFFIRMATIVE! the droid replies before clanking toward you with metal feet grating as it comes.
The robot stands at around 6 feet tall, made of sleek grey metal, accented in green. It stands on slender legs driven by pnuematics that are housed up inside it's vaguely triangular body. Both arms end in three fingered hands with wrist-mounted weapons.
It exits the cloud and regards you with a single, dull red 'eye.'
INDICATE THE INJURED CIVILIAN. it says in a lifeless electronic voice.
Midnight watches closely, readying her lightning blast in case the machine turns hostile.
Ebon looks at Trystt as she speaks up to the bot, then back at the large metallic thing eyeing it up, fists clenched waiting to see its response before dashing at it.
Napalm nods as Trystt speaks up. "She's back here. How many soldiers are over there? And what is that gas? Do you have masks for us?" He looks the robot over.
Spore returns to Trystt's side, and waits to see the Droid's reaction.
The droid stomps forward and looms over Trytt.
SCANNING! MINOR INJURY DETECTED. PLEASE STATE THE NATURE OF THE MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
It does not seem to respond to your question about gas masks, singularly focussed on the task of determining the extent of Trystt's injury.
Following Iron Man's quantum leap forward in the fields of AI and wearable tech, the market became flooded with robotic soldiers from a hundred different companies. You have heard rumours of incredibly advanced robotic soldiers called Sentinels and more insidious versions being utilised by super villains.
But this one seems like an 'entry-level' robotic guard with a clear limitation on deductive reasoning.
Nonetheless, as a construct it is immune to mind-affecting spells or abilities and has a material hardness that physical attacks would need to bypass. It appears armed with wrist-mounted automatic weapons and could probably pack a punch if physical combat were essential.
Slowly, two men emerge from the smoke, wearing gas masks and dressed in the black and grey uniform of the guards you saw at the front entrance. They have submachine guns held at their shoulder.
Ebon watches as the guards step out of the gas, every muscle every nerve in his body is set ready to pounce on them if they move to threaten them.
Midnight's hands open and shut with the tension of the situation.
We cannot creep around without placing them in danger now, yet their ruse is sure to fail sooner or later, should we strike now before they are discovered!? she hisses at Spore and Akio, just out of earshot of the guards and robot.