ғ ᴇ ᴀ ʀ ʟ ᴇ s s - ᴀ ᴅʏsᴛᴏᴘɪᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ 「ɪɴ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ」

[RedArmyShogun]

Erja Liikanen - Team 2

​

During the trip to the Parking deck, and the intermediate hours, Erja spent half the time rolling her eyes around in various positions, looking up, down, left and right. Putting in a few eye drops, adding two magazines for her SVD in addition to her normal load out, Erja also takes along a single grappling set. The 2nd half of the wait? Napping in a corner booth, seemingly without a worry in the world, until it was time to leave at any rate.

Upon arrival civilians and a couple of Security guards fled the structure and the streets, some calling the Clerics as they did so.
"We should have just robbed a Bank.. Though my appearance would have tipped them off regardless." Erja adds in, shrugging it off as she takes her SVD from its position on her back by its sling, to a ready carry. Pressing down on the safety lever, then pulling back the bolt carrier with an audible click, a new round slams into the breach as it closes forward. Watching as some of the suitcases transformed into the robotic Drones, orders come in from Karin, or Empress as she would be called during the op. Not exactly happy with the deployment plan, she just had to make it work for now.

"Heading there now.. Come on Ire." Motioning with her head for Auratta to follow her in kind, Erja keeps semi hunched over to make use of what little concealment was available on the upper levels.

"Ire.. I don't much need a spotter, so given I'm in command of Delta we'll be doing things my way. For now we'll stay together until fire needs to be split up, Keep in eyesight of me and be ready to group up for concentrated fire. I won't tell you every little rule there is to sniping, we don't have the time, and you have some training." Pondering how to best make use of Auratta, the NOAH's eye's would come in use soon enough, actually maybe sooner than expected.

"I'll have need of your rifle and eyes soon enough on Team Three's side.. Or Team One's. Depends if my PTRS needs to bark at the armor down the street.. Your .50 lacks the punch for some of what they have, but is good for infantry behind cover and in automobiles.."

Pressing her left hand against her ear, it seemed a headset was connected from their to below the Sniper's armored mask. With the pair nearing the top. "For now lets find spots where we can have trucks or vans to our back, or where water drainage holes might be in the concrete, and get a recon of the surroundings. We are pretty exposed here, so keep your head down."

"You focus on the buildings, I'll focus on the open area's. Also after this point, look for hand singles and keep radio chatter to a minimal it. If you have anything to say I'll listen till the shooting starts."

Looking sternly at the spotter Erja keeps speaking, but this time with a subtle lean of her head towards the left. Scrapping her left finger across some form of spin-wheel at the corner of her armored mask.

"White Death calling Empress actual. Delta in position, awaiting ROE, will be limiting Radio Communication.. Doing a brief recon, reporting findings in brief. Will engage at discretion upon contact with the enemy on our position, unless given Commands to engage in advanced. Over." Says a clam, almost bored voices.

Recalling the three guards who were demanded captured, there was little point in requesting to fire on them, and until one of the two teams requested fire, there was no point on firing on them, or on the approaching sirens.

Moving forward and onto the roof proper Erja is careful to keep the upper railing above her head, with passing gaps for drainage and cost cutting save saving excuses, as her vision to the area below. Making a forward swipe of her left hand, she then turns it to the left and makes a round about motion, the message being, start scouting from the north then circle around and back. Once she had some idea of what was out in the immediate area and the two primary locations she could Radio it to Alpha and Empress directly to filter down to the other three teams.

Her headset could only handle so many channels and in any case talking to the three other teams over her boss was in poor form, technological limitations aside.

​

 

[Yvain]

NOMINE MENDOX AKA 'CORVUS'

\ INTRODUCING TEAM 3 /

The man stood, cigarette in one hand as he twitched occasionally, jerking the cigarette in between the tips of his two fingers in silence as he inhaled the toxins given to him, and exhaled slowly. He awaited for his task as his surroundings bustled with noises of people speaking to one another: Men and women sitting around, glass meeting the wooden tables softly, whispers and small laughter exchanging between people. Finally, once that sign of Afterlife had flipped 'CLOSED', silence was prompted before he exhaled once again, a sneer apparent across his face.

Here was the start of some action: Getting to know who would be stuck with this man. It was a cruel process really, It wasn't that people had a complete problem with being paired with Mendox, but rather it was eerie to be paired with him. His unpredictability and reputation for being the 'mad one' was never a good sign among his fellow peers, so really even he himself was also aware that he was comparable to 'that weird kid who gets chosen last a lot'. It didn't however mean he sucked at his job so with the leader choosing teams, it was like russian roulette for everyone.

"Third squad is Aresia, Whyte, Hamilton and Mendox. You will be infiltrating a nearby compound across from the parking structure and securing an IMPERATOR-CLASS Armored Personnel Carrier. The compound is heavily guarded, so you will need to use infiltration tactics in order to sneak your way in. Don't get your asses stuck in a prolonged firefight, we need you in and out ASAP. Once you have secured the APC, you will either drive to support second squad, or move to pickup first squad if they are already outside and ready."

Nomine blinked as his head scanned the area in search for each of the three members he would be paired with. It was an interesting team-up indeed, not one he would expect really. Would they all get along by chance? Hell no, was what Nomine predicted in his head. It would just be plain luck that the four of them would remain professional at all times and he proceeded to silently stride over by Juniper's side in order to slowly form a gathering for their teammates to notice.

Going down one by one, Nomine would say in the least that they complimented each other. Even with the Chaos Witch being the odd one out, he saw some potential in her abilities to help with their infiltration. There was a leader who shared the same occupation of being a 'spy' with him, a young man who had a knack for technology, and then the girl: with an interesting elegance.

As Juniper spoke he stretched, groaning.

"I hope we all get along. We are responsible for each other's lives." he chuckled before walking off, the strong smell of cigarettes masking around him like his own favorite cologne.

/ TASK 1: "Why not an ice breaker?" /

"So... Give or take, Why not an ice breaker?" Nomine slipped as he crouched on one knee, digging a cigarette into the ground. "Who wants to do what?" he asked, clearing his throat before looking over his shoulder as he hid behind a wall. "Y'see... I'm not one to fight. Obvious weakness. But..." Corvus pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the direction of two men who were fixing a tire.

"I have a tactical idea which you all are free to pitch in on. Assuming Juniper and I can take down those two and play pretend for a while. The main point, is to lay low. And cursed girly-" his eyes immediately looked up to stare at Chaos Witch. "The main point is to try and lay low at all cost." He paused, looking over his teammates as his finger twitched for another cigarette.

"Thats the point of infiltration. I don't give a fuck about what you dislike. What we really need to figure out in order for this infiltration is: Who can do what, A weakness you have strategically or in combat, and how we can implement those weaknesses in the form of pairing up with somebody to complement that weakness."

Nomine massaged the back of his neck as he stared back and eyed at the two men. He found group work to be a hassle: For one thing it did get certain tasks done faster, but for another thing it was hard to work with people who barely had experience. Although one can lead, it was simply extra baggage to plan and teach-It took up to much time. Even if Nomine can offer strategy within 2 minutes, Those 2 minutes could've been used for something greater! Like taking down those two guards the first minute and quickly switching into their uniform the next!

A sigh escaped his lips before he bit the bottom part. He ached for a cigarette, and proceeded to twitch his fingers together, pinching each tip and and rubbing his fingernails stressfully. He was being kind enough to pull one of his 'ice breakers' and get the ball rolling, but can these people think any more quicker!?

"For sure, we should take those two guys out." he declared, looking over each member for some sign of agreement. "We could take one of the trucks and go in smoothly as our two other members are being smuggled in as well." Nomine pushed his glasses up from under the frame with the use of a finger. He felt as though his patience was being tested, and he was no patient man at all. Not that he threw fits of rage over it however, he didn't mind 'going slow' it was just a part of life to get to know people, especially those you would be paired to work with professionally and if you expected good results-Then you had to be patient.

Mobile friendly <3

\ INTRODUCING TEAM 3 /

The man stood, cigarette in one hand as he twitched occasionally, jerking the cigarette in between the tips of his two fingers in silence as he inhaled the toxins given to him, and exhaled slowly. He awaited for his task as his surroundings bustled with noises of people speaking to one another: Men and women sitting around, glass meeting the wooden tables softly, whispers and small laughter exchanging between people. Finally, once that sign of Afterlife had flipped 'CLOSED', silence was prompted before he exhaled once again, a sneer apparent across his face.

Here was the start of some action: Getting to know who would be stuck with this man. It was a cruel process really, It wasn't that people had a complete problem with being paired with Mendox, but rather it was eerie to be paired with him. His unpredictability and reputation for being the 'mad one' was never a good sign among his fellow peers, so really even he himself was also aware that he was comparable to 'that weird kid who gets chosen last a lot'. It didn't however mean he sucked at his job so with the leader choosing teams, it was like russian roulette for everyone.

"Third squad is Aresia, Whyte, Hamilton and Mendox. You will be infiltrating a nearby compound across from the parking structure and securing an IMPERATOR-CLASS Armored Personnel Carrier. The compound is heavily guarded, so you will need to use infiltration tactics in order to sneak your way in. Don't get your asses stuck in a prolonged firefight, we need you in and out ASAP. Once you have secured the APC, you will either drive to support second squad, or move to pickup first squad if they are already outside and ready."

Nomine blinked as his head scanned the area in search for each of the three members he would be paired with. It was an interesting team-up indeed, not one he would expect really. Would they all get along by chance? Hell no, was what Nomine predicted in his head. It would just be plain luck that the four of them would remain professional at all times and he proceeded to silently stride over by Juniper's side in order to slowly form a gathering for their teammates to notice.

Going down one by one, Nomine would say in the least that they complimented each other. Even with the Chaos Witch being the odd one out, he saw some potential in her abilities to help with their infiltration. There was a leader who shared the same occupation of being a 'spy' with him, a young man who had a knack for technology, and then the girl: with an interesting elegance.

As Juniper spoke he stretched, groaning.

"I hope we all get along. We are responsible for each other's lives." he chuckled before walking off, the strong smell of cigarettes masking around him like his own favorite cologne.

/ TASK 1: "Why not an ice breaker?" /

"So... Give or take, Why not an ice breaker?" Nomine slipped as he crouched on one knee, digging a cigarette into the ground. "Who wants to do what?" he asked, clearing his throat before looking over his shoulder as he hid behind a wall. "Y'see... I'm not one to fight. Obvious weakness. But..." Corvus pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the direction of two men who were fixing a tire.

"I have a tactical idea which you all are free to pitch in on. Assuming Juniper and I can take down those two and play pretend for a while. The main point, is to lay low. And cursed girly-" his eyes immediately looked up to stare at Chaos Witch. "The main point is to try and lay low at all cost." He paused, looking over his teammates as his finger twitched for another cigarette.

"Thats the point of infiltration. I don't give a fuck about what you dislike. What we really need to figure out in order for this infiltration is: Who can do what, A weakness you have strategically or in combat, and how we can implement those weaknesses in the form of pairing up with somebody to complement that weakness."

Nomine massaged the back of his neck as he stared back and eyed at the two men. He found group work to be a hassle: For one thing it did get certain tasks done faster, but for another thing it was hard to work with people who barely had experience. Although one can lead, it was simply extra baggage to plan and teach-It took up to much time. Even if Nomine can offer strategy within 2 minutes, Those 2 minutes could've been used for something greater! Like taking down those two guards the first minute and quickly switching into their uniform the next!

A sigh escaped his lips before he bit the bottom part. He ached for a cigarette, and proceeded to twitch his fingers together, pinching each tip and and rubbing his fingernails stressfully. He was being kind enough to pull one of his 'ice breakers' and get the ball rolling, but can these people think any more quicker!?

"For sure, we should take those two guys out." he declared, looking over each member for some sign of agreement. "We could take one of the trucks and go in smoothly as our two other members are being smuggled in as well." Nomine pushed his glasses up from under the frame with the use of a finger. He felt as though his patience was being tested, and he was no patient man at all. Not that he threw fits of rage over it however, he didn't mind 'going slow' it was just a part of life to get to know people, especially those you would be paired to work with professionally and if you expected good results-Then you had to be patient.

 

[Zombehs]

How did FEARLESS afford all this? It was a question Magna often asked himself as he looked around the deserted garage that currently housed the ED-100 unit. Dropped off by the support team shortly before the operation had commenced, he sat in the cockpit and waited for his part to come up in the play. Despite the security and comfort of his position, his mind nonetheless wandered when he wasn't day dreaming of an otherworldly archive.

The comms crackled to life, catching his attention, but Magna tilted his head in confusion at GODFATHER's orders. They were contradictory to the mission his squad, even if it was only of two, had been given at the brief. More so for himself than Tia at the least. He waited until the other member of his squad had finished before opening a line with GODFATHER. "Has my original objective been overridden?" As he waited for a response, Magna did in fact hear the sirens Tia mentioned once he listened out for them, but they failed to elicit any real concern from the NOAH.

Listening into the inter-squad communications, he leaned back into his seat given Squad Two turned down Tia's offer of assistance. Things fell quiet for a few moments, and Magna was just about to pull out a tablet when his squad mate's voice came over the comms again. He turned on the device and flicked through to an app, humming as if in consideration, before Tia got a reply from him. "I have little to offer for fire support outside the ED-100 and any delay in its arrival could be catastrophic for the third squad. God speed if Squad two needs you though."

With that said, Magna squirmed around a bit and nestled himself comfortably into the pilot's seat. In the unlit garage, the steady pulse of ED-100's symbols slowed even further as the NOAH relaxed. Illuminated by the tablet's screen, his expression was serene as he distracted himself from the escalating situations the other squads were no doubt finding themselves in. His part would come up soon enough.

 

[ERode]

A dozen? A whole DOZEN of them? That was more than the 10 or so that the FEARLESS had, right? And those were just the ones outside, patrolling in clear view. What about hidden snipers? What about other patrols? What about CLERICs who WEREN'T on patrol? What if there were PALADINs? Did they even have anything that could take down a fortification?

The trip through the congested streets of VALHALLA was peaceful enough. With the destination already in mind and his own slight frame blocked by the many other bodies that formed a crowd, Arata could actually relax for a moment, finding comfort in artificial anonymity. Getting to the café, at least, wasn't a nerve-wracking objective, but at the same time, the closer he got to the café, the more his stomach turned once more. Reaching the café meant that the next part of the mission would begin, but at the same time, if he dawdled outside for too long, someone was going to go out to get him. Probably Sarge. Or Razor. Or, god forbid, Goblin. He faltered momentarily as he stood in front of the café, before plunging in.

If nothing else, it was quiet and empty, outside of all those FEARLESS members pretending to be normal, paying customers. Arata stole a couple of glances at them all, before settling for a seat away from the almost-transparent windows. Sure, the others can feel free to ogle their CLERIC foes as much as they wanted, but there was no way in hell he planned on doing so. With a sigh, he sat down, right as a waitress waltzed by. Notepad in hand, the middle-aged woman said with a crisp smile, "Welcome to Carnations, what can I get for you?"

"Um…some water."

The smile persisted. "Is that all?"

Arata looked back at her blankly, before realizing that he had fucked up. Just water? Water was fucking free. This place didn't even have free Wi-Fi and he didn't even have a smartphone. Shit, his cover was getting blown! If he didn't order something now, he'd just look like a goddamn bum wasting a seat!

"…is that all?" the woman repeated, even though Arata knew that she knew that he had totally heard that question.

"…coffee," he replied weakly.

"Any cream or sugar?"

What does that even mean?!

"Black then," she nodded, as if he had actually answered her.

A couple minutes later, she returned with the black brew and another crisp smile. Cupping the hot beverage, Arata sipped it, made a face, and wished he had some hot chocolate instead. He leaned back on his seat, and was just about to enjoy the ambience of the café when White Wych suddenly spoke up speaking of…resident directors? Screaming wolf? And then…she was looking at him again? Arata shot a bewildered glance in her direction. Did the white-haired girl finally snap? Was she officially crazy now? Can they abort the mission due to this?

But the Commodre didn't say anything, and everyone else seemed to have just tuned out her inane ramblings. That was…good, he supposed. It couldn't get any more random than that, right? Sarge was speaking up now, and it looked like he didn't even have to fight for once! Just had to guard White Wych while Sarge made a bomb threat! Arata took another sip of the bitter coffee, letting it warm himself up on the inside.

Wait.

He had to guard her? And a bomb threat? And Razor was going to kill every normal person there?! A sudden chain of events left Arata practically paralyzed, from Sarge clearing all the staff out of the café to Razor pulling out his bow to…basically every other RONIN arming themselves. He looked frantically from one, to the other, and then back to Netrunner and White Wych, before slowing shrinking. Should he ask why they were arming up when the second team hadn't communicate anything yet?

No, he'd just get slapped by Sarge for backtalking his superiors or something.

Arata awkwardly hid under a table, hoping beyond hope that no one outside the rush-hour streets of VALHALLA would notice what was going on.

But it was very hard, through the crystal-clear windows of a café that had closed with more than 10 customers still inside it, for pedestrians outside not to notice the gunmetal and body armor of the rebels within.

A chain reaction of shrieks and screams sounded, mass hysteria resounding through the innocent bystanders outside, most eyes focused on the grenade launcher wielded by a muscled beefcake. Immediately, the orderly crowd turned into a panicked mess, salarymen and afternoon shoppers scrambling away from Carnations.

With commotion like that, it didn't take long at all for the dozen or so CLERICs across the street to notice something was wrong.

The raven-haired youth made an earnest prayer to become a potted plant.

God didn't answer.

 

[Astros]

The car ride over had been a silent one. Paired with the Chaos Witch in the back, Rubel watched the passing scenery from his right rear window. All attempts of his to start conversation had been met with strict silence so he'd resigned himself to it as his eyes wandered the streets. It wasn't long before the vehicle came to a halt on a barren street corner, and the irony of the enemy being so close was realized.

Parking a few blocks away from their mission target they'd be walking. Each taking a separate route, they eventually conveyed on the alleyway not far from the CLERIC base. For a time they rested, scouting and confirming what Intel had already told them; the place wouldn't be easy to get into. With only one entrance in or out they'd have to make their own or improvise.

The first to break the silence was Mendox who proposed they nab the uniforms from the armored truck nearby and disguise their way in. The plans was decent, but didn't see much attention from the rest of the squad as he continued talking. Juniper for her part looked focused in thought while the Chaos Witch was uninterested. She seemed less than amused as she stood back against the wall with her arms crossed and eyes shut. Perhaps in meditation to keep her cool or simply drown out the awful situation, the most she managed was to give Mendox a contemptuous look after his little lecture.

"I think we shouldn't force Chaos to help with infiltration then. It's just not her style and breathing down her neck won't be much help. Once we get a hold of the APCs then she can work her magic." Rubel suggested. Looking to Chaos she seemed more irritated by the suggestion as her eyes were now open staring at the wall across from her. For Mendox's part, he seemed to only give a silent rebuke in response

As the seconds ticked by Mendox's patience wore thin. Re-pitching his plan, Rubel was first to voice opinion."I'll pass." he said with assurance. Taking his hands from behind his head he straightened out to a more solid standing pose. "Putting all our eggs in one basket is never good. Besides, someone will need to be a diversion if they catch onto you."

Shifting his right hand to under his cloak, Rubel retrieved an oval shaped face mask. Despite lacking any visible strap he latched it to his face with ease and let the cover show. White as a ghost, the center was occupied by a grinning face that could only be describe as a Jester. With black half circles for eyes it lacked a nose or a hat, but brandished the signature jovial grin. In passing one could just barely make out the circuitry on the other side.

With the echoed sound of sirens filling the streets Rubel knew, as did the others, that the mission was starting whether they were prepared or not. Being sure of other ways inside, Valhalla's drainage system came to his mind. Convoluted and mundane at times, where old streets had been new buildings now stood. But more than that the truck seemed too convenient. His intuition didn't trust it and he rarely doubted the wondrous invention that was his subconscious mind. So while the others decided on a course of action he opened his suitcase to prepare.

 

[Astoria]

\\ Juniper Hamilton
\\ Team III

Juniper drove. The car that was picked for the mission was the definition of inconspicuous; it was a five-year-old, white SUV that still looked like it had rolled off the manufacturing line a few months ago. With its four occupants, the members of team three, piled in, the family vehicle gave the ragtag infiltration team some much needed personal space. The environment within the car was silent. While they met in the armory back at headquarters, Juniper had held her own small briefing between the four of them; she'd made clear her own expectations out of the group. She had few concerns out of Rubel and Nomine but she continued to be concerned with Aresia's behavior. It was made especially clear that the group was not to blow their cover.

She thought she hadn't been too harsh in laying down her own rules, but a tense atmosphere had befallen the occupants of the car on the ride over instead of the much preferred pre-game banter of a well-oiled team. But in an organization like this, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Soon enough, the vehicle's GPS system brought them to within several blocks of their destination. Finding a spot in a public parking space, they agreed to each take a separate path to their proper rendezvous point. As they all split, Juniper was the last to leave, keeping a moment's watch over the car before gathering her equipment.

Because their mission had called for stealth and discretion, the raven-haired operative's loadout was light. Forgoing the long rifle more suited for open combat, she merely packed her Walther PPK and several extra magazines into the folds of her jacket pockets, in addition to relevant tools. Locking the cars and hiding the keys nearby, she met the rest of her team at the mentioned point several minutes later.

Greeting them with a silent gesture, Juniper observed the CLERIC Special Operations Base from their concealed vantage point. As expected, the compound was well defended; the appearance of a TEMPLAR main battle tank even surprised the intelligence officer, who let out a brief epithet cursing the capabilities of her fellow officers in the intel business.

The complex was too well defended. Nonetheless, she saw an opportunity for an opening; as a red armored truck passed by, it was evident from the guards' lazy inspection and the truck's quick pass-through that operational security was lax. And just across the street, there was another truck.
A simple, obvious idea formed in Juniper's mind, but she listened to the opinions of the two proper spies.

And of course, they had two differing opinions. But although the truck was admittedly too obvious, it was still their best bet. "No, Nomine is right. Our best bet right now is the truck. The perimeter of the entire facility is too well-guarded for any other individual action," she pointed out. Even if they managed to get within through other means, they would still be sorely out of place within uniform out in the open. Before she could deliberate further, the sounds of sirens began to alarm in the distance, echoing off the tall buildings surrounding their location. Glancing quickly at the men in the operations base, it was clear that they were alerted, their eyes and heads flicking side to side in attention.

"Shit!" Juniper hissed under her breath. It seemed like one of the teams had tripped the alarm prematurely. "We won't many options now. Everybody's going to be on high alert across town. We'll use the chaos and infiltrate with the truck when they thin out. We'll do it short and dirty. The tank looks intimidating, but it still needs a crew and time to start up, so let's get a move on." Juniper felt for the weapons in her pockets, double-checking that she hadn't misplaced them along the way. "If this works, I'll buy everybody a drink."

"Nomine, with me. Aresia, Whyte, move along the other side of the truck in case our cover's blown. Those two go down—silently." Making a silent gesture, she pointed in the direction of the disabled vehicle. Thankfully, it seemed like two men had about finished replacing the flat tire, and were gathering up their tools.

Signaling to Nomine to follow, she crouched down, approaching the backs of the two men to knock them out.

 

[Skyswimsky]

This still sucked. While she wasn't aware, nor did she care, about her reputation amongst the others it became quickly apparent that everybody seemed to assume she would do her utmost to make this mission go wrong. Sure, if it were her, she would simply brute-force it. If every of the other three had as much firepower as her this would not be a problem either.

Alas, this was not the case, and as much as the Chaos Witch hated to listen to Juniper: she was the appointed commander. For now the Chaos Witch was calm enough to listen to Backdrop without any problems. In fact, inside the Van, Aresia was even able to meditate for a bit clearly unfazed by the tense situation her mere presense seems to create.

In the end, relying mainly on her power alone, the Chaos Witch could be mistaken for a civilian: having neither conventional weapons nor protection equipped. Though, best-case-scenario, Aresia wouldn't even need it.

Aresia gave an annoyed sight, rather aimed at Corvus than Brother, before she finally had enough of it. "You better watch your mouth, human. I wasn't even gonna say ANYTHING. You know, I am not part of FEARLESS because I tend to disobey any and all orders and do whatever the fuck I want - except when I do. So keep your stupid sermon to yourself or I will make sure you can never open that smarty-pants mouth of yours again. I gonna listen to whatever the high-class tart is gonna tell me to do as long as it makes sense." With that, the Chaos Witch ignored the glasses-wearing male for now and instead concentrated on what their great leader had to say.

"You know, seeing how we have the initiative I could also create distraction and blow that little toy, the tank, up." As soon as the young woman had given her own little input on the situation however - the moment Juniper replied with a 'Shit' - Aresia put her hands up in defeat. "Aaaannd initiative gone."

Still, their commander kept a calm mind and Aresia simply obliged her spewed command.

 

[Bismarck]

Andre gave a frustrated sigh, he hadn't heard a word from Ji Yun, and it didn't help his frustration anymore to watch the entire crowd outside go into a state of mass hysteria. On a positive note, cars were being abandoned as no one seemed to want to wait for traffic to clear up to run away. Which in turn meant his team would have plenty of cover to get to the front gate. Shouldering the M79 Thumper, Andre took aim down the sight, right for the chainlink fence, that made up the gate, that was between him, and the package. He settled on high explosive, keeping his HEDP rounds for later, when he might need to break a door, or a wall. The old man's single, working eye didn't fail him either, as he pulled the trigger. A decently loud pop filled the air, as the shell flew toward the gate, before impacting with a rather loud explosion. The damage to any clerics wouldn't be clear until after the dust settled, but he was certain the gate was wide open. Granted, in a worst case scenario, a few rounds of ammo could shatter just about any lock from a few feet away.

Racking the bolt on his AK-74 partially back, he checked to make sure a round was chambered, before letting it slide forward. "Move up, use the vehicles as cover. Take shots as you go, kill as many as you can before we reach the door." Andre remarked, before charging out of the cafe. His M79, and the belt of grenades bouncing off his body as he ran. He really did look more like a one man armory, than a resistance soldier. Especially as he took aim, shooting and walking, before ducking into cover behind a vehicle. His entire strategy relied on speed, and trickery. Certainly it wasn't anything as fancy as Angsar, but he knew his way around a battlefield.

For his age the old man shined, as he used every bit of tactics he'd ever learned. Each time he wanted to take a shot, he would crawl, or crouch low and prowl between vehicles. Making sure each time he popped out, it was from a different position. Never giving the guards a chance to focus all their fire on him. He managed to fire off around two thirty round magazines in semi-automatic before he found himself just a short dash away from the entrance. "Group up on me, or near me. On my word we're running in, and we're not stopping. There's very little cover between here and the front door. Save for dead bodies, and a few supply crates and trucks." The old man explained, as he poked out his head just enough to survey the distance between himself, and the front door to the compound that held the package he was supposed to secure. With a loud sigh, he ejected the thirty round magazine he'd planned to use, in favor of a large 100 round drum magazine. His hand lazily unscrewing the suppressor as he waited for his squad, slipping the piece of equipment into an empty magazine pouch. Andre took a moment to check for any battle wounds he'd missed due to his adrenaline rush. And also to check how stable his armor plating still was, wondering just how many more shots he could sustain, before he risked the plate breaking. Hopefully he would able to stand a few more hits, without needing medical attention. And he could only pray that no one got lucky enough to shoot one of the many grenades on his body. That would certainly be a mess, he was carrying enough explosives to cause quite a problem to a group of APC's, transport vehicles, and even a few squadrons of clerics. "Oh you better pull through with that APC, this is going to be one hell of a mess."

Pulling out his radio, Andre finally got a chance to call into command, "We're about to breach the front gate. Waiting for squadron to regroup, the package should be secured in the next ten to fifteen minutes."​

 

[Villamvihar]

Team 2
​

Three hours, two experiments and one briefcase filled with various chemicals later, codename Faceless was on site and things started to go sour really quickly. They had prepared to turn a building into the biggest deathtrap of the century, but no, the snipers had to forego all sense of stealth, displaying their rifles in the open. While Ade could honestly not fault them for displaying their weapons openly to an extent as those things were about the size of a scooter, they could have still exercised more caution. Civilians noticed them right away and within moments, the crowd was moving so openly that they might as well have announced their presence to the forces of New Ecclesia. The chemist could see people going to the side to call emergency response teams, which had them contemplate the merits of causing chaos amongst the civilians.

It is too bad that they would have had to resort to some elaborate setup if they wanted to manage that. Ade was not about to compromise on causing harm to the people whom they hated with such a passion and most of their suitcase was filled with explosives, various tools to make sure that they could set traps up on unexpected surfaces and a couple of chemicals that would produce lethal results when mixed together. Amongst the last were the prototype mixture they developed during their experiment, intended for use as a last resort in case things went sideways. Thus, the command to capture three clerics turned Ade's mood from 'moderately displeased' to 'pissed off'.

"Fucking hell, next time, you'll tell me to tie my shoelaces, won't you?" grumbled Faceless as they glared at the other two saboteurs from behind the mask, causing the two to flinch, then they looked at the Cleric squad. They were quite close by and judging by their numbers, probably looking for a way to avoid the fight if they could help it. Well, they were shit out of luck in that case. A plan was already starting to form in Ade's mind as they ran over all the possibilities of using their kit in a non-lethal way. "All right, you'll get your hostages. It won't hurt our chances if they're blind right?" Without even waiting for the Empress' confirmation, Ade waved to the two saboteurs, then barked to the two dogs to follow them. While the chemist most definitely was not a fan of the creepy little girl's constructs, they certainly were useful.

Within seconds, Faceless disappeared and their subordinates dispersed.

---

To put it simply, Faceless' plan was vague as hell. The only orders the saboteurs got were to lie in wait at a certain point with visors down. That was all instruction they got and it was making both of them uneasy; normally, their superiors gave them some sort of a plan to adhere to. There was no such thing this time. 'Just wait. You'll know what to do and when to act' were the exact words of Ade Stafford and the fact that there were three Clerics advancing on their position was not helping. The militants seemed to be a little hurried, but as meticulous as always in their approach, keeping their order despite the position they were in. Whatever orders they had gotten, they were marching down the street, keeping a look out for something and they were sure to eventually discover the position of FEARLESS agents.

The Clerics drew closer and closer. Fear grew amongst the two saboteurs, but they did not dare to act lest they disrupt the plan of their immediate superior. That proved to be the correct choice as two bright flashes filled the sky, followed by a set of explosions moments later. Shrapnel along with screams of pain flew through the air, then Ade literally kicked one of the saboteurs in the ass as they rushed towards the Clerics.

"I told you to act quickly, morons!" Already, the one Cleric not affected by the explosions started to back off with fear in his eyes as his teammates held their hands in front of their faces, clutching their eyes as they rolled on the ground. He was but a young man, likely a fresh recruit out of training on a routine patrol mission and his instincts commanded him to flee from the battlefield. Abandoning all rationale, the young man started running and for his troubles, got a crossbow bolt firmly embedded in the neck. "Fucking... This is Faceless, hostages secured! Two severely wounded, one bleeding out soon," reported Ade as they toggled their radio to Empress' frequency. "Will be delivering soon." The wounded man would not live for maybe a couple of seconds... But all in all, the mission successful.[/hr]

 

[Izurich]

Gamma Squad, namely White Death and Ire, immediately departed to the top deck as they were the most important piece in actually accomplishing the whole 2nd Squad's main goal. As expected from the veteran marksman, she got into position swiftly together with the red-haired Noah. "Empress to White Death, keep a close watch on 1st and 3rd Squad's position," Karin paused for a moment as she tried to make use of Erja's skill of acting independently, "You may task Ire to watch the other Squad to cover more ground if you're able to act as your own spotter. Do not engage until either Squads made contact with hostile forces. Over."

She had no time to respond to Faceless' sardonic tone so the black-haired girl just nodded, "As long as our foes can clearly see they are alive." Karin motioned for the riflemen and support personnel to dash into the parking structure along with Ajax, her remaining mecha-dog. They quickly made climbed towards the fourth floor just below the top deck. "Get into positions, Alpha squad, Beta squad." The sub-squad of eight riflemen each took strategic spot behind concrete pillars and cars while the field medics made checks to their equipment and establishes additional radio channels in case something happened to Empress.

With their positions established, they had to wait for Ade and their squad to return with the hostages before they could set up the traps. A transmission came from them, "Empress to Faceless. Very good, just drape them on my Drones' backs, they can bring them here so you and your team can focus on setting up the traps. Over"

 

[Valor]

1 7 3 0
A F T E R L I F E

Back at the AFTERLIFE Command Post, several intelligence officers sat at their stations, actively communicating with the forces on the field to ensure that the pieces were in their correct positions. For better or for worse, the plan was now underway. The Commodore stood behind a large table, watching as his command staff moved pieces back and forth on the map to visualize the situation that was unfolding before them. While the Commodore was ambivalent about the current state of affairs, he was beginning to see the lack of cohesion between the squads become more evident.

First squad had refused to wait for second squad's squads signal, engaging enemy forces at the objective before the Commodore had planned. While it was too late to chastise the squad for their impetuous assault, he knew that some of the response forces would be able to direct to the objective in no time. While second squad was completing their objectives admirably, they were being more cautious than initially planned, moving far more slowly than the Commodore had hoped.

Finally, it did not seem third squad had made any significant progress in obtaining the Armored Personnel Carrier for the PACKAGE's extraction. While this would normally be alarming, Gillian trusted Juniper's impeccable timing and her ability to always get the job done. The squad still had time as the PACKAGE was still far from being secured...

For now, all the Commodore could do was wait, hoping that his plan would go off without too many further hitches.


-----

"Get off your asses! We're under attack! Somebody get command on the line and get us some reinforcements!"

An officer growled from behind the defensive line. The defending CLERICs held their ground at the front entrance, unleashing a barrage of automatic fire into the surrounding area in an attempt to cut down the Resistance fighters approaching their position. Although the CLERICs were under heavy fire, it was clear to the CLERICs that the incoming fire was coming from only one person.

"Somebody kill that asshole!"

Several CLERICs were cut down by Sarge's automatic fire and explosive ordnance over the next few moments, but how long the advantage of surprise would last was a mystery. Eventually, a CLERIC ran to a nearby tower, manning a heavy machine gun that threatened to tear the surrounding area below into shreds. "Target locked! Open fire!" The gun position blared, screaming a volley of tracer rounds down and across the street. The elevation was too high for an accurate grenade, launched or otherwise, with the trail of heavy rounds quickly turning the Sarge's cover into holed cheese.

As the Sarge's position was suppressed, nearly a dozen more guards appeared from the base, heavily armed and joining the defenders in the fight. How many more defenders were in the structure remained a mystery, though the Commodore had originally estimated approximately thirty defenders.

Past the defenders, which now numbered twenty in strength and a heavy machine gun, lay an electronically locked door that guarded the entrance into the building. Three inches of thick steel, it would be almost impossible to blow a hole through it.


----

Surrounding the parking complex, nearly a dozen CLERIC patrol vehicles dotted the surrounding area. Although the response from the police was almost instantaneous, the first responders had difficulty clearing the area of the rush hour civilian vehicles so they could send out a proper blockade. The first units to arrive on the scene were low-ranking CLERICs, those that handled the more daily law enforcement duties. Though, the heavier cavalry was already on the way.

After approximately half an hour, a basic police barricade had been erected around the complex and the highest ranking officers on sight began to plan out the situation. Lieutenant Emyhr, the highest ranking CLERIC currently on sight, attempted to throw together a team of volunteers to move into the building, but ultimately failed. It seemed that none of the first responders wanted to move into the building knowing that their teammates had recently been taken hostage by the enemy.

"Cowards! Jameson, when are the reinforcements coming?"

"Sir! Elite CLERIC battalions are en route! Some of them broke off as other resistance attacks have appeared across the city!"

"What?! What are the rebel dogs hoping to accomplish with these attacks?! Somebody grab me a goddamn megaphone!"

Once the Lieutenant had the megaphone in his hands, he pointed the object towards the parking structure. "Come out now with your hands up, you rebel dogs! Don't throw your lives away for this stupid cause!"

----

The situation at the CLERIC Special Operations base was just as it seemed. Dozens of CLERICs ran about, organizing themselves into squads as they prepared to move out. Several platoons of CLERICs ran across the open lot and into several of the Armored Personnel Carriers, several of which storming out of the base and towards Second Squad's location. Although most of the vehicles had been taken, one APC still remained in the lot. If the squad did not make a move soon, they would have lost sight of their objective and First Squad would be left without any sort of extraction.

The two men defending the armored vehicle didn't put up a fight, both of which were promptly knocked out by members of Third Squad. With the vehicle now in their possession, they would possibly have a better shot at rolling into the base undetected. However, it appeared that many of the defenders had left the complex. Was the slow approach still necessary?



----

Fourth Squad still had not received any new orders from command. Without control of the APC, Tia's role in the mission was nearly non-existent. Although she could perform a strafing run on the current members of the police barricade, that may only incite the CLERICs to make a move on the parking structure. TINKER was still on standby, though his assistance might be needed at First or Third squad's objectives. However, deploying his combat mech too early might incite a heavier response from Ecclesian forces, bringing far more attention to whichever side he attempts to help.
​

 

[ERode]

Breathe in, breathe out.

As Sarge barked out orders to advance, the rest of the Ronins dashed into action, following the veteran's charge loosely. The fact that he WAS rigged to be a suicide bomber gave them all something to be concerned about, after all, and considering how his own position was being suppressed, no one wanted to dodge machine gun fire along with him. Fanning out and taking various positions behind cars, the majority of them brought out their automatic weapons, beginning to fire back at the mounting opposition. Indeed, most of the Ronin had evacuated the building, except for one.

Hiding behind the wall of the café, no longer targeted due to Sarge's brilliant, unintended distraction, Big Mac looked at the three kids cowering within the café, snorted, before focusing. He'd have one shot with his baby girl before the CLERICs were aware of his threat, but that was fine. He won't miss.

Breathe in, breathe out.

The bald, tall man used the sound of Fire Punch's grenades as a signal and pivoted out of his cover, rocket launcher already loaded and on his shoulder. A scree resounded violently through the small room as the missile spiralled towards the tower, but Big Mac didn't bother to see the results. Dropping to the ground immediately, he crawled away as bullets began to rain down upon the café.

In the chaos of the firefight, no CLERICs noticed the ugly form of Goblin, crossing the street diagonally, sneaking up and preparing to blow the brains out of the next CLERIC to run to a tower.

 

[Jakers]

"Roger that, it's just... my main task is kinda nonexistent right now. I'll get into position for now if needed, out," Tia said in reply to the young mastermind. Switching off the radio, Tia gave a nod as she heard the words of her Team 4 partner, who seemed to be cooped up somewhere safe for now. She could understand his thinking - they were pretty important to this mission in time - but didn't GODFATHER himself say they should help other areas while the wait for the APC? Either way, Tia's response was still in a chipper manner.

"You got it, kiddo! I don't plan to stick around with team two for long, so don't worry, I won't be running late for our big moment," Tia paused for a moment, and a loud chuckle could be heard through Tinker's radio, followed by a statement. "Waaait, did you say 'God speed'? Hah! Thanks, but God wishes he could go at this speed, baby! I'll meet you back here later~."

And with that, Tia was off. The motorcycle revved and hummed through the abandoned alleyway she'd situated herself in; a petrol-induced roar more beautiful than any living creature, a song more beautiful than any singer's in her ears. However, despite the almost euphoric sensation of being on the thing once more, Tia knew better than to go full speed straight away. An engine like Mixuki's could screech even over the commotion of the sirens, and Tia's re-positioning wouldn't be so discreet.

Cutting the engines and carefully navigating through the streets at a relatively low speed, Tia stuck to the streets she knew would be abandoned. Evacuating civilians would no doubt take the shortest route to areas they could hide in the midst of the attack; calculating a route to avoid them in this manner was fairly easy. The sounds of sirens and shouting were getting closer, which meant it was time to dismiss her motorcycle for now. It wasn't a quiet machine, even when running at a mere 20mph. Tia's foot begrudgingly hit the brake as the wheels of the Blackbird Ultra came to a halt.

"Mixuki: away." Tia commanded, landing in a crouched position as the motorcycle faded out of existence. She'd take it from foot here, otherwise there was no doubt she'd be noticed. Keeping low and using cars abandoned by civilians in the commotion as cover within the streets, Tia was able to get a look at the barricade around the recently secured parking lot. The CLERICs seemed to be backing off for now, so Tia assumed they either had it very well secured, had taken hostages, or both. The Lieutenant, however, got her attention in particular.

'Hoooo-whee. Get a load of this guy,' Tia thought to herself as she peeked around cover, 'he's got some nerve showing his face and blurting into a megaphone when we've got two crack snipers that could delete his entire head any moment they see fit,' on that thought, Tia wondered how well team two had seized the parking lot by now. It was a pretty ideal place to defend from, but the CLERIC response time certainly wasn't low. Thumbing a radio, Tia proceeded to contact team two again.

"This is Tia to Empress. Sorry to bombard you with more things, but I'm in a good position to hit these guys and their barricade. If they stay in that formation they're in, I can do a maneuver using my 'petrol' to hit well over a dozen of them and compromise their position with flames. Remember, I can also request things like stuns, smokes - hell, even machine guns - to be teleported back to me with Mixuki if you want me to do something specific," Tia muttered across the radio, her body crouched as her spare hand gripped the handle of her incendiary SMG. "I don't want to stir the wasp's nest, though... so, I'll leave it to your judgement. Over~."

Clicking off the radio, Tia wiped the black visor of her motorcycle helmet with a gloved hand, laying as low as possible for now. All of the attention was diverted to the parking lot, so it wasn't hard to stay unnoticed from a distance. She knew she couldn't single-handedly ensure the safety of Team Two, and she knew some of the ballsy moves she had in mind would be risky. The 'big guns' of the government hadn't been deployed yet.

But, Hell, if she could help out - even a tiny bit - it sure beat just waiting for the APC which would likely take a while to secure.

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Finishing her tea only seconds before everything began to erupt a single round pierced through the cafe's window and shot the glass she was holding clear away from her hand. The shards erupted impacting her making her twinge with pain. Feeling the wet ooze of blood leaking from her body she looked down to see that two of the shards impacted her body in her left arm. Blinking the pain shot up her arm before she let out a grunt. Being pulled under the table as everything blew up around them she only had time to get down as the noise of heavy ammunition impacting followed by a loud discharge sounded off within the Cafe. Cloudly blue iris's shrunk down as the noise began to get to her.

Exhaleing she felt the furnititure in the room begin to sway and pull toward the center of the room. The matter collapsing down on itself before turning in, out and churning. Putting her hands over her ears she suddenly could see as twelve rabbits began to pour from the mass of matter before it was entirely used up. Looking around the creatures seemed feral compared to their normal appearence. Teeth moving unnaturally and with their paws replaced with claws the entities scattered out of the cafe and began to scuttle around the battlefield. Swarming up the rabbits took a more direct route as their appearence made itself known. Catching a Cleric from behind the creatures swarmed over him sending bits of its armor into the air before three of them were cut down.

Heads swiveling unnaturally they targeted the next cleric that was shooting at them and overpowered it before making its way back to Victoria who wasnt cowering any longer. Having used the sight she had moved up and through the field of fire using the chaos caused by the rabbits as cover. Feeling them swarm around her she looked at them all before all their eyes turned towards Sarge and his grenades. "Do you have any composition B? I am sure that door could use some... refitting." Victoria said before one of the rabbits detatched a grenade from the walking armories belt. Tossing it among themselves they seemed to be playing hot potatoe before they all pointed at one of them. "Hahah! Vestro! Vestro!" They began to chant before the rabbit that was chosen began to run far around the flanks of the Clerics. Clambering unnaturally around the debris it pull the pin and put it in between its teeth to keep the primer from being released.

Once in position Victoria looked around and smirked "No one expects a midget with a hand grenade." Victoria said as the Rabbit scurried under the smoke of the tower and appeared near a group of three Clerics. Grenade it its mouth its teeth move like a chainsaw juggling the grenade in its mouth and allowing the primer to pop off the grenade. "Bwahahah!" It called out before detonating itself in a fusion of black material and explosive justice. The remaining rabbits put their hands up and seemed to dance around before running off and collecting things. Another came up and tried taking a grenade from Sarge's belt but was batted away by Victoria "No, it wont work twice... just wait, it will come soon." She cooed out to the cliniclly insane entity. Eyes staring blankly in return the rabbit's hand continued to reach out before she picked the light creature up and tossed it over her shoulders with more effort than she though making her tinge in pain.

Landing ontop of a car in the middle of the field of fire it stood up and looked around giving Victoria a perfect view of the front of the Cleric line. Rabbit swarm coming back around it seemed to be probing for any signs of an advance as more of the creatures continued to appear with each one of their kind falling. The ones appearing around Victoria seemed docile in comparison to their feral cousins. "Go get ammo." She commanded the group of three rabbits. Staring at her she had to repeat herself more than once before they scurried off in an almost efficent yet bumbling fashion. Letting out a sigh she felt her left arm and cringed as the pain shot through her again. It was annoying... pain was a way of knowing you were alive. Nothing compared to what those individuals put her through... put all of them through.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Erja Liikanen - Team 2

​

Pausing for a bit as Karin's reply, Erja can't help but to wonder if the younger woman was a mind reader.. Or she paid heavy attention to their files particularly well, either way she was free to act as she deemed. Continuing her recon of the area, she could only report what she seen, Ire would likely give her own piece of the puzzle in time. Firstly were the positions being tightened around them, of 2nd concern were the APC's pouring out of Third Squads area of responsibility, it seemed the clerics were coming in force... The North seemed mostly silent minus some blockade units being position by the clerics, but what really grabbed her attention was 1st Squads attack.

Between the RPG, the HMG, and immediately there after yet another explosion by the First Squad. "..." At a loss of words, Erja had to find a way to make sure Team Two stayed the distraction, while fulfilling her orders from Empress. There was also Ire to keep an eye on.

While she had half a mind to shoot the bastard with the Microphone, she was sure that the cluster of defenses were with him. Taking a deep breath then exhaling all of her air, Erja sights her SVD on the position of Squad one, aiming through the drainage opening of the parking deck, just one of the positions she preplanned.

With the smoldering wreck of the tower and MG position, the White Death notices a rather heated looking man behind the defensive lines at the entrance, screaming and pointing. Male, upper 20's to lower 30's, wedding ring on his left hand, clean shaved if not red faced, an officer or an NCO likely.

Aiming for his chest given the distance and at the side seams, Erja uses her secondary eye to gage the distance, a firing solution soon decided on. "Engaging." Was the curt and short Reply sent to the team leader. Suddenly the 7.62 round clears the gap impacting with the officers side ribs. Quickly switching her aim a hairs breath, the soldier immediately near the man she guessed was an officer was chosen, somewhat in need of a shave, male, age hard to gage, likely 30's, blue eyes, with a look of surprise he was already reaching for a first aid pack.

Aiming for his neck a second shot screams from the rifle, striking the target with a mist of crimson spraying from his carotid artery. As the two lay bleeding Erja takes the time to breathe, ducking low and tactical rolling to her left to set up her next firing position. There was no point in admiring her handy work.

Getting ready to pop up from her next position, Erja pauses to pass information and orders.

"Ira, we are going to be a bit busy here, finish your recon, then either assist me with Team One, or fire on the Cleric shits gathering about.. Watch your head." With Narrowed eyes a smirk was beneath her mask unseen. "..or if you trust those eyes of yours try offing the tank Crew at Three's post.. Be ready for Orders from me or Empress."

Pausing for a bit there were also the APC's to deal with, something neither could do. Well that wasn't entirely true, at less that 100 yards the PTRS could do a number on them, and either her PTRS or her partners .50 could carry out soft kill attacks on vision ports or aiming devices. But truth be told, she didn't expect them to hold out for too long.

A part of her really hated this, it was one thing to assassinate others, or to wipe out a checkpoint, providing covering fire, and having a junior to order about was something else. "White Death to Empress, large grouping of APC's heading from Squad 3's position, Tank has yet to move.., ETA five-ten minutes.. Light gathering of Cleric forces around our position has intensified, North mostly clear, Estimate 20, correction 15 guards in the Open on Team One, Team one has made a mess of the tower at objective, Team Three's grouping is headed this way, cannot tell how loaded the APC's are.. Additional report to come from Ire. Over."

For all her skill as a sniper, Erja could not see through cover. She didn't like how Chaty she had to be with her report, but the Commander needed to know. Repeating the breathing and aiming process from before this time she takes aim for a pair moving behind the ruined tower.

Going for a shot on one man's side, his body suddenly collapsing could be seen from the scope, though this time the second soldier is more alert, grabbing the wounded man by the collar and back tracking to cover. Rather than trying to finish this one off Erja corrects her aim for a soldier near the door who seemed to have a red cross on a white band attached to his arm. Firing upon him, the round hits center mass, not taking time to confirm the kill Erja ducks and moves position for the third time during this engagement. With four men dead or wounded in under two minutes it was highly unlikely they wouldn't be fully aware of the sniper.

​

 

[Rax Rosetta]

​

Ansgar, unlike many people who were cowering in terror, desperately chasing after Andre, acting on their own, or otherwise doing something or another, Ansgar was analyzing. He was not an assault expert, not by any stretch of the imagination, despite the majority of the rest of the squad having some sort of assault expertise. However, his analysis of the situation was grim. Even if they slaughtered everyone outside, and that was a fairly hefty if at this point, getting inside would take someone with electronics savvy. Something that the explosive, trigger happy gobshites that were in open combat with the CLERICS didn't seem to realize. Now, don't get him wrong, Ansgar loved slotting CLERICS and NEW ECCLESIANS in general, however, he'd rather get the job done and hurt them a damn sight more than merely slotting them would. Besides, he could track them down to their homes and slot them then. However, this left him with a rather potent opportunity, one that he would not be idly sitting by to allow to go to waste. However, he needed a certain someone, and that meant dragging some NOAH along. Did the God above hate him, or what?

Keeping low, despite all the chaos and shooting going on, and staying out of sight mind you, Ansgar was quick to make his way to the table that Lionheart was hiding under. Grabbing him by the collar, he fixed his eyes dead on the cowering kid, eyes unwavering and clearly unkind. "If your done pissing yourself and wallowing in self pity, Lionheart, we got a job to do. You're coming with me, we go in all quiet like along the side, you open that place up like a whorehouse after working hours, and we grab the Package. Those damn fools are getting themselves killed in a frontal assault, might as well take advantage of it." Ansgar would, if need be, drag the boy from his hiding spot, holding him low so that he didn't get attention from the counter fire resulting from that damn rocket. This is why he preferred not working with the loud assault types, they just made things worse by going hurr durr kick the door in. Because the CLERICS wouldn't plan for having someone try to breach the front door, oh no, not at all. If he was lucky? Andre would get himself killed and it would be one less pain in his ass to worry about. He should probably make mention of the fact he was going in all quiet like, but that would happen soon enough.

With, hopefully, Lionheart in tow, Ansgar made his way to the street, but not behind the idiots openly fighting. Oh no, he went out the side of the cafe, keeping his head down and moving from car to car, watching the fighting and making sure that he moved when no one was readily paying attention in his direction. It helped he wasn't blindly firing their way with some noisy automatic gun, laden with enough explosives that he could bellyflop that door and possibly blow it clean off its hinges. Keeping low, he made his way for the alleys along the sides of the compound, moving low and from cover to cover, whether it was a pile of garbage, a dumpster, abandoned belongings, whatever would hide him and, if need be, Lionheart as well. He would have to find a chink in the fence to cut a gap in, find a door, get that gibbering coward Lionheart to open the door, find the Package, extract it, and find the damn APC that was supposed to grab the Package and then get the hell out of dodge. You know, like how this plan could have gone if that damn glory boy of a soldier hadn't gone and expected making bomb threats wouldn't get attention.​

 

[Bismarck]

Things only seemed to ever deteriorate as the mission went on. Sarge sat behind his cover, just praying the next bullet wasn't meant for him. However he looked across the street to see the outline of Big Mac, and a launcher. A smile found its way across the fighter's face, as he racked the bolt back on his AK-74, feeling much more confident in this fight now. The screech of the rocket flying across the roadway, and slamming into the tower left the old man happier than he'd been in many years. "Bet you didn't expect that one, you arrogant fucks!" The old man cried in his own elation, and rage. A small bit of laughter finding its way into his lungs.

Sarge slipped the belt of grenades off his shoulder, finding it a bit lighter due to a few rabbits of Victoria's. He swatted a few away by himself, damn near punching the second one to approach him, or in this case attempt to steal a grenade off of him. It wasn't because he hated the NOAH's creation, it was purely instinct for the fighter to not like being disarmed. However the belt now laid on the ground, next to the grenade launcher as Andre began speaking over the radio, "I see the next position, it's past the gate. A large Military supply truck. It's got just enough armor to stop small caliber rounds. Seems like it's empty now, a few clerics left it earlier to shoot at us." The squad leader explained, as he suddenly darted out from his cover to line up a few shots.

Three trigger pulls, and another Cleric dropped dead without another world. The old man managed to pop off another three shots, before fire was pulled back to him. Big Mac's Rocket Launcher was only so good for protection. The old man took a moment as he heard shots start hitting his car, and the ground around him again, to figure out just what he wanted to do. The Clerics had a major number advantage, and he knew Angsar was already planning something more sneaky. He just had to pray either Angsar succeeded, or throwing enough bullets one way, would be enough to win this fight. The old man waited for a few clerics to get cocky, and try to advance into the street.

Being a very powerfully built man, Andre smiled as he saw a pair of two clerics starting to test the waters. He grabbed a few extra grenade shells, tucking them into the empty pouches on his vest. He made sure he had both weapons attached on slings, ready to switch between either. The old man sprinted out, wildly enough, wanting to catch as many soldiers off guard as he could. His first round of now fully automatic fire ripping apart one of the two soldiers. Sarge was very much a brave, old stupid man, "Forward FEARLESS, let's get into this damn compound!" He growled, as he dropped his AK-74, letting it bang off his body, as he grabbed the next cleric by the neck. He would certainly take some damage for this, and yet his smile widened, as he picked the man up off the ground, and started to move forward with him. Fueled purely by adrenaline, and a hint of battle rage like the warriors of old.

Bullets flew in,the monster of a man that was Andre, had only a nice set of protective Ballistic plates, and a cleric who was being shot to pieces to protect him. Holding the body that was now going limp as it was shot up by his old comrades, Andre almost took off in a sprint, or at least a run with the body. At the moment he held very few grenades for his M79, yet he raised the loaded weapon with one arm, firing a shot toward the nearest group of clerics. It wasn't too terribly long until Andre could take cover behind the supply truck. Dropping the bullet riddled cleric corpse, he patted it on the shoulder, "My thanks comrade." The old man muttered, making a joke to himself. Andre certainly was injured, as he looked at himself, blood leaked profusely from his leg. And the plates in the front of his combat vest weren't going to hold up to another high caliber round. Anymore 7.62, or even a 5.56 risked penetrating his body. His right arm also had a nice looking new bullet wound, right through the bicep. Thankfully it had exited, and wouldn't need a medic for more than a wrapping. However the shot in his leg would need to be dug out. Sarge would be able to walk and run, but only for as long as his body kept the pain from flooding in.

"Fucking clerics. We're such a great bunch for injury, but not killing, aren't we?" Andre muttered as he loaded another grenade into his M79 thumper. Firing at a few crates where some of the Clerics chose to take cover and fire. His fire wasn't accurate, but on the same token, you didn't have to be perfect with a grenade launcher. He set the launcher down, and pulled out his AK-74 once more, taking shorts bursts of automatic fire at any clerics who started to get too close to his new truck, he was using as cover. "Command, I'm within the gate. The rest of my team is still advancing. This place is hell. I'm wounded, not sure about the rest of my team, as they're still making their way up here." As Andre spoke to command, he felt another bullet hit him in the back of his shoulder. He wasn't leaned into his cover enough apparently.

Ducking into his cover, Andre heard another hail of bullets start hammering his position. Taking a moment to rest, the old man started to wrap his wounds up while under fire. He only had a bit of electrical tape, as part of his usual kit, but it would suffice. At least enough to stem the bleeding. "Hey you bastards, send an old Cleric another shield would you! You shot my last one to pieces!" Andre taunted as loud as his lungs would muster through the gunfight. He was cautious however, as he wrapped his leg up first. He would pause between each complete rotation of the makeshift bandage around his leg, to fire another volley of rounds. "Lionheart, that massive sword is a shield right? It blocks bullets! Get the hell up here, I need someone to lead the charge! Be brave dammit, and I'll get you a nice quiet room back at HQ." Andre ordered over the radio, hoping the last comment might be a nice bit of a reward for the young Noah. However little did he know, he'd just put the young boy in a dilemma. Caught between the orders of the real commander, and the other veteran on the team.​

 

[Astros]

"GET YOUR ASSES IN GEAR ladies!!! We got rebel trash that needs taught a lesson. HUSSLE HUSSLE HUSSLE!"

A man in his thirties stood to the side and watched as the CLERICs scrambled to their squads. Yelling orders over the roar of starting engines, he appeared to be of distinguished rank as he swiftly marched around the lot, helmet in hand. His face, rough and ragged was scarred by a long line the length of his right cheek. His right eye above it seemed to be frozen in place, searching for an enemy long since defeated. Whether that was the case, he at least gave the air of a veteran as he effortlessly hopped into the back of a passing APC and rode off in the direction of Squad Two.

______________________________________________________________________________​

With a thud the shutter door closed behind Brother and Chaos before it locked with a clunk. Standing in darkness the two were greeted by the pleasant smells of steel, dirt, and dust that permeated from the truck's cargo. With a flick of the thumb they could see one another again as Rubel began to search. Waving the flashlight around the moderately spacious compartment it passed over pallets of labelled boxes and unmarked wooden crates. Housing a fresh supply of rations, weapons and munition the pair were after something a little more specific. "Here they are." Rubel whispered as he cut the plastic from a pallet of boxes. Pulling back the cardboard flaps inside were sets of CLERIC chest pieces.

Suddenly the truck's engine could be heard turning over before it lurched forward and slowly made its way toward the compound's gate. Rubel quick to react pulled from his cloak a small handheld device that resembled a laptop. Barely fitting the palm of his hand it had a joystick and a mini keyboard. Rapping vigorously on its keys he took command of his eyes in the sky.

______________________________________________________________________________​

Overlooking the parking lot, two drones began to move apart from where they had been idling. On the ground below two squads were readying to mount the last APC and Main Battle Tank. Closing in on them from above and out of sight the bionic birds unloaded a rapid volley. With precise accuracy two JPOX pellets hit three men from the squad mounting the APC. One to the helmet and the other their trigger arm. Within seconds of impact the grey substance began expanding to the size of a watermelon, enveloping a good portion of the CLERIC's visors and torso. As those free to aim shot back Rubel had his drone evade to the left and prepare for another.

Simultaneously his second drone began assaulting the Tank. In a bid to prevent its deployment Rubel took aim at the hatch from his monitor. Missing two shots, the other four successfully hit their mark. Cocooning the hatch and handle the crew would be hard pressed to open it up without a corrosive or explosive. "Tch, the guns are off." "Ah well, that should buy us some time."

 

[Yvain]

NOMINE MENDOX AKA 'CORVUS'

"Feisty little thing." Chuckled Nomine at the woman's anger as he remained rather even-tempered on the subject of her being the odd one out. By no means did he intend to piss her off-At least not that much, but he simply shifted his gaze away from the raven haired girl and pulled his shoulders up to a shrug."As they say-The runt of the pack always dies first. Prove me wrong." he shrugged, his snarky comment more so a way to encourage her rather than discourage her.

Soon, what was seemingly the end of the two's dispute, Nomine twitched in response as he jerked his head in the direction of the echoing alarms as well as Juniper hissing,'Shit'. "Really now-Whats so hard about being careful and laying low. I can't even imagine, which fucker didn't pay attention. Makes the job for us even more of a pain than it already is." He growled with sudden annoyance, quickly crouching low and following behind Juniper. Although well aware that each team was equally hard in their own way, It simply just irked the man's tolerance that nothing went smoothly when working as a large group divided into teams. Seriously, you put so much trust in other people with simple tasks and it just becomes a sort of huge cluster fuck full of problems-The tiniest of issues creating a chain event of even the worse of consequences.

The man's hands twitched. He could really go for a cigarette, and that drink which had been offered on the table by Juniper? Yeah-He could go for that too. His mind was everywhere, and the man couldn't focus on one thing at a time. He felt annoyed because things weren't going smoothly, but also a rush of adrenaline creeping up on him. Now was the time for work, and fast at that. Luckily the man had long been used to working under timed pressure and as he quickly approached behind a soldier and grabbed the burly man from the neck, kicking the back of his leg in order for the man to meet his height more properly and tightly restraining his neck with an arm, his other hand muffling what could've been cries of help. A cry for back up.

"Now that that's all f-MMMf! MMMmmfg! mmmfghh..."

The soldier's eyes slowly rolled back as Corvus simply incapacitated him with ease. He soon released the body from his grip by opening his arms up as a small 'thud' was heard and dusted his hands clean before he stepped aside and half-heartedly bowed."M'lady." He smirked attempting to lighten up the fact that the two were working under pressure before he jumped onto the truck and pulled off the covers slightly, creating a small opening and sliding underneath for the time being.

In the process though, from the corner of his eye, Corvus stopped midway through as he caught a glimpse of a familiar drone which had belonged to Brother. Getting momentarily distracted with sudden interest he grinned. "Seems like our queue to work faster." the man stated before watching the drones as he slouched between the truck's contents and pulled the cover back up.
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Out Of Cake: Willing to edit anything. Didn't know if he should hide at the passenger seat or the back. Figured it was safe to say the back :/

Mobile friendly <3

"Feisty little thing." Chuckled Nomine at the woman's anger as he remained rather even-tempered on the subject of her being the odd one out. By no means did he intend to piss her off-At least not that much, but he simply shifted his gaze away from the raven haired girl and pulled his shoulders up to a shrug."As they say-The runt of the pack always dies first. Prove me wrong." he shrugged, his snarky comment more so a way to encourage her rather than discourage her.

Soon, what was seemingly the end of the two's dispute, Nomine twitched in response as he jerked his head in the direction of the echoing alarms as well as Juniper hissing,'Shit'. "Really now-Whats so hard about being careful and laying low. I can't even imagine, which fucker didn't pay attention. Makes the job for us even more of a pain than it already is." He growled with sudden annoyance, quickly crouching low and following behind Juniper. Although well aware that each team was equally hard in their own way, It simply just irked the man's tolerance that nothing went smoothly when working as a large group divided into teams. Seriously, you put so much trust in other people with simple tasks and it just becomes a sort of huge cluster fuck full of problems-The tiniest of issues creating a chain event of even the worse of consequences.

The man's hands twitched. He could really go for a cigarette, and that drink which had been offered on the table by Juniper? Yeah-He could go for that too. His mind was everywhere, and the man couldn't focus on one thing at a time. He felt annoyed because things weren't going smoothly, but also a rush of adrenaline creeping up on him. Now was the time for work, and fast at that. Luckily the man had long been used to working under timed pressure and as he quickly approached behind a soldier and grabbed the burly man from the neck, kicking the back of his leg in order for the man to meet his height more properly and tightly restraining his neck with an arm, his other hand muffling what could've been cries of help. A cry for back up.

"Now that that's all f-MMMf! MMMmmfg! mmmfghh..."

The soldier's eyes slowly rolled back as Corvus simply incapacitated him with ease. He soon released the body from his grip by opening his arms up as a small 'thud' was heard and dusted his hands clean before he stepped aside and half-heartedly bowed."M'lady." He smirked attempting to lighten up the fact that the two were working under pressure before he jumped onto the truck and pulled off the covers slightly, creating a small opening and sliding underneath for the time being.

In the process though, from the corner of his eye, Corvus stopped midway through as he caught a glimpse of a familiar drone which had belonged to Brother. Getting momentarily distracted with sudden interest he grinned. "Seems like our queue to work faster." the man stated before watching the drones as he slouched between the truck's contents and pulled the cover back up.

 

[ERode]

Shit, they were really doing this, weren't they? Explosions sounded much to close as bullets rained and splattered every which direction, Arata still curled up under the table as plates and glasses and lightbulbs shattered. Shards rained down, dusting the floor before a truly terrific scream sounded within the café, fiery death spiralling towards the armed men who were returning fire. Forcing his eyes open, the dark-haired youth caught a glimpse of the White Wych as she ran off, following after the one individual who had started this chaotic mess. What? Was he supposed to follow her? When she just dragged out a whole dozen rabbit monsters with her, each of them clearly varying levels of insane?

He gulped, his hands shaking even as they clutched to protect his head. Was he going to have to do this? Why didn't she just stay back? Was Netrunner doing his job? One cold, sweaty hand reached out towards the ether, Arata still hesitant about manifesting the Weapon of Massacre there, still unwilling to chase the blind girl into the bloodstained carnage of the firefight. He'd just…have to do it, huh?

Because more Clerics were heading out, more guns to be pointed at a group of individuals who were really just reliant on the offensive capabilities of a psychotic blind chick.

Once they died, he'd be next, and he'd be alone.

"Co-" was all he managed when Razor suddenly showed up beside him, grabbing him by the collar and shouting something at him. Over all the gunshots and explosions and rabbit-laughter and chaos and sirens, Arata could only stare at him, eyes wide at the facial expressions and mouth movements of the violent, psychotic blond. As he was hauled up and dragged out from a side exit though, it became clear to him what they were doing. They weren't going to be fighting! Instead, they would use everyone else as a distraction in order to slip in all sneaky-like!

Despite himself, Arata let out a sigh of relief. No combat after all. Just thievery. His eyes flickered around frenetically once more, from the CLERICs to the RONINs to the building to any cover available. Though not nearly as skilled as Razor was in infiltration shenanigans, the NOAH was still keeping up fairly well, always staying a pace or two behind the man as he mimicked the man's usage of cover. Garbage, dumpsters, cardboard boxes, all those things reminded Arata of more unpleasant times, and that alone kept him from cowering once more.

Move or die. Put like that, it was simple for him to advance, the fear that had once immobilized him now propelling him forward. Soon, thanks to Sarge's latest advancements, the pair found themselves on the side of the military complex, blocked off by a fence and then the building's steel walls. Peeking from out the side of a dumpster smelling of squid and semen, the NOAH let out a deep sigh.

Move or die! Finish the mission or die! Retrieve the PACKAGE or die!

Sarge's voice sounded from the radio, calling for his assistance in fighting through a hail of bullets, but it was already too late. Razor had provided a path for Arata that didn't involve direct combat, and that alone was more convincing than having a quiet room in the AFTERLIFE. Even if Sarge would execute him later, he'd rather take his chances with one gunman than 30.

"Consume me, Regana-Hier!"

Space warped as the power that laid within Lionheart's soul burst out, two sigils emerging before his palms. They crackled as his hands joined the two silver-white sigils together, before a long handle rose out of the ether. Grasping the handle, Lionheart didn't even wait for the Weapon of Massacre to fully manifest before striking four times with a still-molten blade. The fence didn't even squeak as chain links were sliced, forming a square-shaped hole in the fence as part of the weave fell.

His inkstone eyes never even turned to face Razor, before one powerful stomp propelled the superhuman swordwielder to the side of the building. The pavement cracked as he skidded to a stop, white mist coiling out of his mouth as he exhaled.

"The Fifth Evil, Immortal Slayer."

A forgotten technique manifested, its variations engraved into his body as the greatsword revelled, singing, dancing. Dozens of strokes rained down at a blinding rate, thoroughly dicing a portion of the wall before, to finish things off, the flat of the blade slammed into the wall like a hammer.

Debris shot into the room like shrapnel, finely diced concrete chunks flying off to reveal the interior of the military complex, and Lionheart immediately darted in, not bothering to wait for Razor.

Move or die.

Finish the mission or die.

Retrieve the PACKAGE or die.

Terror consumed him and made him whole.