Future Age ~IC~

[Winter]

Once all the spars were concluded Naomi slid a hand along the side of her dark hair, releasing a small exhale before standing up from the bleachers she'd been sitting on to address them once more. "Alright that just about does it for today, feel free to do whatever, explore the base, head back to the hub honestly I don't care. If you feel the need to ask me about something... don't". Naomi then took herself off from the training room, heading off towards the Stalker bar adjacent to the hub where she'd likely spend the remainder of the evening assaulting her liver with various poisons till she'd consumed enough to feel something.

The following day would be spent in a similar fashion, albeit the simulation was a recreation of St Aylers Warrior-Square with simulated combatants posted within locations APOLLO deemed most likely based upon previous information it had about Jaclyn and her team. The focus of each exercise were to establish some kind of combat synergy as a team and while they had some success, there were some faults that needed a lot of work. APOLLO generated each possible scenario, generating different positions for the combatants and calculating their chances of success for each different approach they attempted.

The training was long and rigorous and by the time it finished there would be a sense of doubt on whether or not they could actually achieve success at all given the odds. It wasn't looking good if the simulation was anything to go by, but that being said there was one thing APOLLO couldn't account for and that was human error, something Naomi brought up post training although it was unclear whether or not she was trying to revive some confidence in the team or whether she was more annoyed by the results and making excuses. Aside from the training she would appear to be pretty absent, closing herself off in her office or taking herself out to who knows where.

On the eve of the mission she spent most of her time in the hubs own briefing room with a map of the square, trying to find some semblance of an advantage they could use to approach the square without engaging in a full on firefight with Jaclyn's team. She'd probably spent the better part of the night there, asking APOLLO to generate new statistics based on different tactical choices implemented at different stages of the mission. After a while she slumped back in a chair, starting to wonder whether or not attempting this at all was really a good idea. Then again the consequences of failure meant a lot of lives would be lost as a result.

If the data in Jaclyn's possession made it into the hands of the WGA a good chunk of their operatives and informants would either be killed or tracked across the city, perhaps worse than that they'd be captured and tortured for information on Serenity. Closing her eyes for a moment she wondered whether they should just face the firefight and push towards the square and hope they made it, pray that they wouldn't end up face down in the gutter. With her elbows on the table and her head in her hands she'd suddenly look up before quickly making her way towards the door, flinging it open before stepping out into the hub.

"Everyone get in here now." she called, gesturing with her hand for them to join her inside the room before moving back behind the table as she waited for them all to filter in. "Ok so things aren't looking good and after the simulations yesterday... well, chances are we're heading into a fight with the odds against us... but." she reached over to the side of the table and pulled over what appeared to be a blueprint of the square from when it was constructed along with the rest of the district, she flattened it out and turned it around so they could all get a look at it. "There's something we have that they don't."

She looked between them to see if they would get it on their own before pointing towards a sewer entrance outside of the square. "Grimm, you have probably more experience with the infrastructure of the sewers than anyone here... do you think you could navigate us towards the square undetected?" she asked, hoping that alone would prompt the others to follow her train of thought. "If we can get through the sewers towards the square we could potentially come up right at their feet, avoiding her stationed sentries, patrols and lookouts... of course I'm just assuming she has those setup but regardless it'd minimise our presence in the area till we're right at their doorstep."

Naomi pressed her finger down on the sewer entrance and traced her finger along towards the square. It was clearly not straightforward and the infrastructure of sewers could make for a veritable maze of tunnels and junctions, but if Grimm could navigate them well enough to take them towards their target they could potentially cut their commute to the square in half and avoid a nasty fight in the process. "Obviously there's a chance Jaclyn might have stationed some of her people at the exits to these sewers but honestly a fight here is still better than a fight in the open where we could be picked off, so... what do you think?" she addressed the team openly for their two cents on the idea.

 

[Eastwood]

​

Zadok looked down at the depressingly low-tech plans laid out before him. In moments like these, he was glad that despair, like the rest of his emotions, were quarantined away from any cognitive process. The sewers, while not a bad plan of attack, was predictable and very likely to be booby-trapped.

<"We must remember that our target is former Serenity. It is very likely that she has anticipated this and has already laid out a trap. If our goal is to avoid detection by any means necessary, then might I advise this?"> He pulled the sleeve back on his entirely cybernetic right arm and up to his shoulder. Above his elbow, which they now realized was double jointed, were small spherical pod-like shapes. With a pneumatic hiss, they popped out and sprung little metallic legs, giving the impression of a metallic eyeball with legs. One of them, whose legs were tied together, hovered in mid-air like a miniature helicopter.

<"These are my eyes, they will provide elucidation.">

 

[Ygor's Revenge]

Burnt and calloused hands worked beneath the warmth of a desk lamp, piecing together the segments of a metal sphere. Grimm's bloodshot eyes were fixed on the bits of metal shell as he carefully closed them around explosive components, pausing every now and then to insert a screw. Restocking his weapons supply didn't take terribly long, but it required a great deal of concentration. And the mutant's mind was struggling to pay attention. The last two days had been a blur of simulated battles and recovery, all centered around the upcoming mission. Again and again they'd gone over the possible scenarios of raiding St. Ayler's square, and an unspoken miasma of doubt had settled over the team. They were all exceptional, but the daunting task of infiltrating a WGA base was itself to cast hopelessness on anyone.

Grimm looked up from his work as Naomi's voice reached his ears. He turned away from his desk and looked back over the dimly lit room towards the door. Her voice almost sounded hopeful. The mutant set down his tools and slid down from his chair, grabbing his cloak from the coat-hook. The hood was drawn up to shadow his uncovered face by the time he stepped outside into the hub. He moved in his familiar half-hobble to the table where the woman stood. She had a blueprint pulled up. Grimm immediately recognized the highlighted lines that wound their way beneath the faint tops of buildings, the same buildings he'd seen in the countless hours of training.

The mutant looked up as Naomi addressed him directly, eyes widening a bit in cauldron-like sockets. They flickered over to the cyborg priest, Zadok, as he interjected and widened even more at what he presented. Strange mechanical spheres, claimed as eyes, affixed directly into his arm. Grimm shuffled a few steps forward to examine them, intrigue shimmering in his pupils like gemstones in the dull river water of his eyes. There was an innate desire to take one, to dissemble it and learn its secrets. He ignored it, prying his gaze off of the levitating spheres and back to Naomi. He raised a fist to his mouth as he cleared his throat.

"There's a distinct possibility," he said at last, "I'm fairly certain I'd be able navigate them." He looked over the table at the blueprints again, tracing mainlines and service tunnels with his finger, "Yes, we could pull it off...An attack from below ground could work in our favor even if we were expected. If we could draw some of them in, make them fight us..." Grimm looked to Zadok, "Your eyes would be crucial for all this, of course."

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

Sierra ached in places she forgot could ache.

The so-called "training" was far more intensive and rigorous than she anticipated, recalling semi-fond memories when she first began working beneath Master. She welcomed it with over-the-top zealous and fists of steel. Most of the time, that landed her at the bottom of the totem pole in the simulations. It became quickly apparent she lacked the constant vigilance of a trained operative. If she wasn't getting from around the corner, then the hostage took one. If she missed the ticking bomb beneath the chair, she ended up collapsing the room herself when going overboard in her fights and missing the infrastructural weaknesses. Every time Sierra thought she compensated for a miss APOLLO threw a new wrench. The girl, who became frustrated and could be found if not training against APOLLO then beating up punching bags, never lost her stride. Sierra threw herself at it again and again, improving one tiny step at a time.

If she recognized that little progress was not enough, it didn't show. She sat on a table between JD and Convel, legs kicking absently as she tugged the collar of her brand new, Serenity-approved, uniform. It felt tight and itchy, nothing like the baggy hand-me-downs she'd been wearing all her life. Her eyes focused on the map Boss presented. It seemed straightforward. And with Birdman and Priest to lead the way, Sierra presumed that they had that all handled, leaving her to follow along and enjoy the adventure. Sierra wasn't as adept as the others to this kind of work, so she was comfortable at playing follow-the-leader for the time being, preferring to be the team's muscle when the time came.

She leaned towards JD while picking at her sleeves, feeling uncomfortably hot against her prosthetic limbs. "Hey how'dya do on that last round? I heard you got put in quite the harry round."

 

[Capt. Blu]

JD had always thought the Ivory Skulls training regime was tough and that it pushed him to test his limits. Serenity proved him wrong. At some point he wasn't sure if their training was just an excuse for the Boss to watch a bunch of random people get their asses handed to them several different ways. It was even more of a pain to force himself not to just electrocute the problem and keep it moving. He mentally cursed the 'rule' he promised to uphold each time he got knocked down, but that didn't stop him from getting back up to fight again.

The new uniform he wore was messily buttoned and untucked, nearly as disheveled as he felt. He leaned against the table, letting the Boss talk to the others about navigating the sewers- something he wasn't skilled at but wasn't a stranger to. As disgusting as it was, if it would save them from getting murdered on their first mission, JD was more than willing to comply. He didn't have much to input on the conversation so his attention turned to Sierra when she spoke. "Huh? Oh," He laughed a little. "You'd think after getting your ass kicked so many times, you'd learn to I dunno, not get… fake shot?" He offered a shrug before slouching his shoulders a bit. "Well, could always be worse. At least we have short stuff and techno helping us gain the upperhand. Catch em by surprise and maybe it'll be a clean sweep."

It was all purely hope and positive thinking, but what better time to have it than when the odds were stacked against them. "You don't seem like you're in much of a rush to train again either/ Guessing you're having bad luck too? That... or you just really need to tear the sleeves off your outfit." He offered a shrug. "Would be kind of a cool look I'll admit."

 

[Arcadius]

Hanlon frowned at what Naomi called an advantage. Close quarters combat was a bitch if it was done in urban environment, close quarters combat in tunnels, well, that was a can of worms he really hoped they wouldn't have to open. Not that there was a good and safe way to go about this. If they caught them in the open, they simply lacked the mobility, numbers and armanents for a an equal to equal firefight. It only left more options for escape, and planning for failure was failure in planning. The sewers could potentially hide them, but if they got caugh in a fight there, or worse, boxed in from front and back at the same time, a lot of them would not be coming back.

"Ehh, we need to scout the area first," he grumbled leaning over the planning table. "Grimm, do you know if there are any gangs, smugglers or underground clubs in the area? Any kind of manpower we could use as probe without raising suspition that's something is up? For all we know, they could post reserves further away from the insertion point, which means we'd jump in right in between two enemy units."

"We must focus on maximum stealth, speed and scouting. I think we all agree that if we get stuck in a firefight down there, we're good as dead. Means we must use silencers and subsonic ammo, or meleé weapons. Additionally, make sure everone's kit is not making any noise, everything is well tied, and there's nothing shiny showing anywhere, no belt buckles and ornate pins. Ideally dress in matte dark green and grey, it meshes better with darkness than solid black."

 

[Happy Trails]

For Convel regimented practice had always been a deeply therapeutic exercise, and to his quiet delight the Serenity iteration had filled this in spades. His body revealed its eagerness for unreasonable demands after the first night. Sleeping soundly for the first time in what felt like years and the gentle ache of his reawakened muscles, left him in quietly relaxed. He appraised the holo-map in front of him with a raised eyebrow. As a tactical officer he had grown used to operating in the cramped spaces of the warrens criminals made into their homes, the sewer at first glance didn't seem too different. However, he had to admit that it did not like the idea of a group with such little cohesion would be confronting what for many would be a terrifying final exam.

He leaned his chair back onto its rear legs to consider the squad without obviously turning his head. Sierra was proving to be someone it was impossible not to like. Her vandalism of her uniform made him smile even now. She wouldn't go so far as he would, outright refusing to wear it, but she would make it work for her at least.

 

[Mizos]

Sven watched the exchanges between the others, watching as Hana did a bit of target practice on her own. The exchange between Sierra and Grim drew his attention for a bit but eventually he lowered his attention back to his own musings, the moment passed quickly and standing Sven was more than happy to leave their 'leader' alone and go off on his own. Hana joined him as he went to take a long walk around Serenity, he wanted to be as familiar as possible with the place, at least the ones without armed guards blocking his path.

The simulation that followed didn't offer him much comfort, he didn't get along with people he had worked with for years, a few days wasn't going to change anything. Sitting in his room going over documents he was reminded of the state of the Serenity constantly, he knew it was hopeful thinking they were just on their back foot but sending fresh faces into a fight like this was desperate. He clicked his tongue swiping something off his screen, it ultimately didn't matter where Serenity stood, any damage done to the WG worked for him.
Their synergy wasn't the best and he was pretty sure most of them would decline having wires forcibly plugged into their bodies so that meant he'd just have to watch them and adjust any plans made accordingly. Hana had informed him that their teamwork with the others was terrible which Sven calmly told her not to state the obvious, when she added that it was probably because of his personality he shoved her out of the room.
"Realistically…this is going to go terribly," Sven said staring at his flickering screen. "Even with human error we're outnumbered, outgunned and with our luck expected."
Sven closed his eyes playing the scene out in his head, a few sacrifices weren't too bad but being such a small group even losing one person would put them at an extreme disadvantage. Opening his eyes Sven looked back down at his screen pulling up another document.
"Thankfully I don't give two shits about the odds. Make it work or die just like always."

At the meeting Sven eyes twitched a bit at the map but that was the extent of emotion that showed on the man's face. Hana took a quick glance around observing those dressed in Serenity uniforms.
"Maybe we should have worn ours."
Sven shook his head focusing back on the map, they weren't working in a store, helping customers or trying to inform the world they were Serenity and he wasn't going to even humor that 'unity' crap, there was no point in it.
He glanced at the others as they brought up their own plans, Grimm being the lead man for the sewers with the most experience. He wouldn't deny that claim, he had lost track how often he had gotten lost in the sewers while hiding. Glancing at Hanlon he was annoyed by it but he agreed with at least one person at the table.
"I agree with scouting a bit," Sven said pointing at the map. "I can tap into a few cameras and drones in the area, give us a look at her setup, so at the very least we won't be guessing if she has people waiting for us and where they are. I won't be able to do much about blind spots such as the sewer however and if their smart they'll use those. Since that's the case."
Sven glanced at Grimm.
"I hope you do have some people you can call on."
Focusing back on the map he looked at a few of the spots.
"Still we may be able to tell well some of the patrols are, and with any luck avoid more trouble. An eye in the sky either after we leave or before we go in, I can be in and out at anytime so let me know."
"What should I do?" Hana questioned.
"You're part of the punch things really hard club...just punch things really hard...and silently, remember that last part especially."
His peace said Sven backed off the table and looked over at Hana to see if she had anything to add, the stone faced woman only offered a small shake of her head as she had little she could to help get into the sewers.
"You can't shoot worth anything so I'll take the silence guns, you go melee," Han said.
"Don't use fake productivity as a reason to insult me," Sven said glaring at her.
"...I was being sincere."
"Just do your job."
"I'll make sure to imagine your face for extra effect."
"I'll adjust your optics if need be to make it easier, just don't be mad if I shut them off if we get into a gunfight."

 

[Winter]

Naomi remained silent as she listened to everyone give their input, covering her mouth with a hand as she contemplated all the options while staring at the maps, layouts and blueprints laid out across the table. She'd shake her head however at the comments about Jaclyn having made preparations for the sewers. "I don't think she knows about the sewers beneath the square... look here" she tapped her finger down onto the record date annotated beside the visual layout. "These were built when the district was being constructed 'before' they connected it with the city wide sewer system. Meaning she might not know they're even there, in fact I'd be surprised if they're even still in use" she replied. "Which is good for us but creates an additional problem because if they're not being used anymore and are otherwise disconnected from the city wide sewer, there's no guarantee there's even an exit from there to the topside of the square. It's possible the exits are sealed off for safety precautions" she sighed and sat herself down onto a chair, exhaling as she rubbed her eyes.

"That being said any more information we can get is only going to help so if you can get that for us Sven I'm all for it" she leaned forwards, resting her elbows on the table with her hands supporting her head for a moment. "We have around four hours before we're scheduled to depart, I suggest you all get yourselves ready. Check your gear, fix your mental state... whatever you need to do to get ready. Our window is closing and we can't stall for anymore time to look for better options so this has to be our plan going forwards for now." with that the Lieutenant stood up and headed towards the door to make her own preparations. "Hangar LB-8 on the east side of the base is where we're departing from so we'll meet there, bring only what you need... as Hanlon pointed out stealth is probably our best chance at this".

~~~~~~~~~~~~// LB-8 Hangar, 4 hours later\\~~~~~~~~~~~~​

At the center of the large open hangar nested the Sparrow that'd be taking them to their insertion point into St Aylers Warrior-Square. Equipped with state of the art stealth and camouflage components it was a marvel in aviation technology developed and honed by Masuma Tech. Several engineers were prepping it for flight and the pilot could be seen standing beside an engineer looking at a chart discussing details likely about it's outfit and maintenance checks. Naomi was sat close by atop a crate presumably having contained components for the engineers to prep the Sparrow, waiting for the rest of the squad to arrive. As per Hanlon's suggestion she'd worn mission appropriate attire, ensuring everything was compact for easy movement and fast movement. Ordinarily she wouldn't give a shit, but there was more on the line than just herself if things started to go south fast.

"Lieutenant, the Sparrow is prepped. Once your team has arrived we can get in the air" the synthetic voice of the pilot pulled her from her thoughts, bringing forth a simple nod from the girl. "Thanks, they should be here shortly" she replied, the Omnic returning the nod before making it's way back towards the Sparrow likely to check the system controls one last time before flight. Once everyone had arrived a ramp would lower from the rear of the Sparrow allowing everyone to filter inside and take one of the seats lining the walls. The interior wasn't too cramped but it was plainly obvious it was made for efficiency over comfort. Each seat had a pull down harness that locked into place to keep the passenger safe which was more a necessity at the speeds they were travelling at.

After everyone had taken their seats and secured their harness the lights in the interior would dim as the engines roared into life, whirring as powerful generators sprung to life and prepared to move the Sparrow forwards. A few minutes later they were away, departing from the hangar and out across Eternity. "Next stop, Aylers" the synthetic voice announced over the intercom, "Please enjoy the flight and remember to keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times. Serenity airlines thanks you for choosing us to fly you to your destination today." Naomi rolled her eyes a little with only the smallest smile on her features. "Just get us there in one piece you oversized clock" her dig was met with synthetic laughter, "Ouch, right in the heart... oh wait." Naomi snickered and sat back in her seat, closing her eyes a little to rest her mental state for the short journey.

The city of Eternity passed beneath them as they made their way towards the square. Countless lights glittering in the urban chaotic mass that made the home of millions of people. Unfortunately the Sparrow lacked windows, otherwise the view would have been quite amazing from way up there, not that they would have much time to enjoy it anyway as they would soon find they were starting to slow down and drop altitude, the engines hummed quietly as the stealth functions of the Sparrow engaged, a cloak enveloping the vehicle as it descended along one of the canals separating the districts before eventually closing towards a space on the outskirt of the square beside the canal, an ideal location to insert into the sewers. "We've arrived Lieutenant" the synthetic voice announced, a green light filling the interior as the back ramp lowered to allow them out into what appeared to be a clearing behind an abandoned factory. "Good luck".

"Everyone out" Naomi called, pushing the harness up as she made for the ramp and hopped down onto the ground, surveying the area quickly before motioning with her hands for the others to hurry off the Sparrow. Once everyone was off, engines would power up again before it'd make a rapid exit away from them. "Alright, mission is on. Let's get a move on before we're noticed. According to the plans we're about two clicks east from the sewer entrance, after that Grimm you're up". Naomi reached to her back and pulled her assault rifle into her hands, motioning in the direction of the sewer before making in that direction. It wouldn't take them too long to reach, though the area was eerily quiet and dark despite the usual noise and light of Eternities districts. Upon reaching the entrance they would be greeted with a large iron gate covering a circular tunnel, the gate chained shut just as she'd suspected earlier during the review of the layouts.

Pulling her sidearm she aimed at the lock, covering her face with her other hand before firing two muted shots at the heavy duty padlock which pinged and fell to the floor with a dull thump. After swinging the gate open she motioned for everyone to get inside before looking to Grimm, giving him a nod to take the lead and navigate them towards the square. The sewer itself was just as gross and smelly as you'd expect, the walls thick with green and brown slime, two rising concrete catwalks running deeper either side of a small sewage river that drained into the canal at the entrance. Light filtered in from grates above, but they would have to rely more on their own light sources the deeper they ventured.

 

[Happy Trails]

Upon dismissal from the debriefing Convel rose and left for the garage where he'd parked. The informal squad areas still felt strange to him, the awkward small talk that happened there creating doubts he had lost the luxury of. No, there were enough nervous knots in his chest without being added to by that. He needed quiet right now.

In the passenger seat of his car he sat, chain smoking coffin nails and willing the nicotine to settle him again. It had been too long since he had done anything in anger, let a lone fired a gun. Yet here he sat, in a staging area for a terrorist group with only a few hours separating him from the demands of true combat. His mind wandered to pregame speeches from team captains, talks with his mother about being truly ready to leave The Cut for the first time, and the loud roar music in the back of APCs before he and the other Tacticals kicked in the doors of public housing units. This collage of assurance fell flat on his chest and left him wanting.

He danced his fingers across the dashboard, playing with the knobs. He couldn't fall into the quiet half sleep he knew he needed. This alien hesitation demanded his full attention. For want of a cure he pulled his helmet out of the back seat and checked its plates. All shiny and new, contrasting the dull carbon blacked frame they were attached to. His mind played with the metaphor but found it just as wanting as all the remembered parallels.

He let out a long sigh and stared into the eyes of the helmet. The faint glow of his own augmented pair reflected back at him.In them he saw the question that burned inside him, tying all of those knots and dismissing all the platitudes he offered. Running a thumb along the knicks and dents of the cheek frame he closed his eyes and gave the doubt the attention it so craved. The skin along surgery scar crawled and the smell of alcohol stung his nostrils.

"Nope, but it's too late." he said to no one.

He lit the last coffin nail from his pack and opened his eyes again. The helmet sat there in his lap, a silent dare. He met its gaze unblinking. The nervous energy was still there, but for the moment at least, it seemed pacified. With a single, long, drag he finished the cigarette and stepped out of his car. This place was wrong. His being here was wrong. Everything about what he was doing was wrong. The protests of his conscience were too distant now though, and as he slid the helmet back over his head they fell silent.

He walked to his trunk and pulled the pair of antiques he'd chosen out of their foam lined boxes. The metaphors they offered gave him comfort, recognizing their selection as much of a process of self assertion as actual planning. Two relics called back into service honestly was a bit of self aggrandizement too far for him to warrant, but they massage loose the final knots now that he wore them. A smile found its way back onto his lips.





Once they arrived at the combat zone the unconscious part of him that had been playing with waking up for the past two days came back fully. His HUD played across his vision, telling him the state of his magazines, outlining the edges of the world, and subtly reminding him where his team mates were. He fell in behind Naomi, eager to see just what it was that made Stalkers so damn dangerous. The contrast between their silhouettes mimicking the differences between them he had both imagined and observed in reverse. He pressed himself against a wall as she opened their way in and waited for things to finally get started for real.

 

[Eastwood]

​

When dismissed, Zadok walked past the squad gathering places, through the corridors, until he had arrived in his shared room. In the quiet, he took of his titanium medallion, a silvery cog-wheel surrounding a white cybernetic skull that was embedded in a black titanium cross, and dropped to his knees. He fed the beads of the necklace between his fingers like a drive belt and formed the Sign of the Cog against his metal chest, and closed his golden eye. Whether Sierra was with him or not, it did not seem to bother him, he said the prayer that he had not uttered in almost a century.

"<I offer my life to the Omnissiah, I pray that He accepts it.>"
"<I offer my strength to the Omnissiah, I pray that He redresses it.>"
"<I offer my blood for the Omnissiah, I pray that he quenches His thirst.>"
"<I offer my body on the altar of the battlefield, I pray He grants me a noble death.>"
"<I pray for His protection, for all of us, as I offer all that I am.>"
"<Iron within, Iron without.>"

He knelt, still forming the Cog and feeding the beads of his rosaries between his metal fingers. Doubts circled his mind. Was this truly the right and proper call of action? Was this truly what the Omnissiah desired? Yes, Zadok steeled himself. The World Government had inflicted too much suffering and misery for far too long. By the Will of the Omnissiah, their tyranny will end, one way or another. He remained there, his eye closed and his mind deep in meditation, until his inner clock told him that it was time to go.


He walked up the ramp, his distaste for having an Omnic for a pilot not showing, and took a seat and secured himself. He marvelled at the ship's smooth and quiet take off, it's machine-spirit whispering with delight as it soared through the nightsky. It was very different, and much quieter, than the roar of the Lightning Vultures that he was used to, but that was only to be expected. The Vultures were a combat ship, with an aggressive spirit to match, in comparison to the lighter and more care-free purr of the Sparrow. Once they landed, he was the last to leave and patted the inner hull of the ship in a silent appreciation of thanks before stepping off the ramp.

"<I could have opened that lock silently.>" He commented, as he stooped to step into the dark sewer. His bionic eyes were easily able to enhance the light in the darkness and the smell did not bother him as his rebreather pumped in recycled enhanced oxygen mixed with the sweet taste of incense. Every time he exhaled, the sweet fog emanated from his re-breather granting levity and a small relief to the unblessed of his new unit.

 

[Ygor's Revenge]

"We'll need you, and you, and you..." Grimm's hands shot over the shelves of his room, plucking trinkets and tools stashed away and lining the pockets and pouches that lined his armor, stuffing spheres and canisters into the satchel that hung at his side. His eyes seemed to glow in their sockets, crackling with the same giddy electricity that danced through his limbs and coiled into tight springs just below his ribs. Excitement, anxiety, and nervousness all swirled in a cocktail of manic energy in his veins as the clock ticked closer to deployment. The mutant was already checking and rechecking his pockets even as he filled them, worried that he might have forgotten even the most superfluous of backup equipment. This was the real thing. He couldn't afford the slightest mistake.

"We're in for a big day," Grimm murmured, "Everyone needs to do their part. They're all counting on us." He grasped a metal sphere and balanced it on his finger tips, staring at his distorted reflection. "Counting on me to lead them..." Excitement crumbled before a pang of nervousness. The mutant glanced over his shoulder at the schematic on his desk. He'd studied it for as long as he was able. He was quite sure he could lead them, but suppose things had changed. Suppose a tunnel had collapsed, suppose an ambush was waiting for them... Grimm quietly put the grenade away in his bag before scuttling over to the desk and laying his eyes on the map. One last glance, fingers running over the tubes and tunnels that would lead to their objective. Its angles and curves were familiar to him, even if he had never been there before. They were made in the old style, like the sewers of decayed and ancient Burke were he had once dwelt. His hand left the printout as he checked himself one final time.

~

Grimm's awestruck grin was hidden behind his mask as he stared at the Sparrow. He had only ever seen such things as hovering specks from the cathedral tower, zipping through the forests of skyscrapers that loomed in other districts. Seeing one up close was absolutely breathtaking. The mutant's eyes ran over its hawkish angles as he ascended its ramp, the florescent lighting of the hanger vanishing as he entered the interior with the rest of the crew. He crawled into a seat and pulled the harness over his chest and tightened it against his armor and the countless gadgets and weapons concealed within. He gripped the harness and grinned as the engine whirred to life, the electric springs of excitement in his chest humming giddily along with them and sending pulses to his shoulders. Grimm nodded at the Omnic pilot as they ascended into the air, wishing he could have shared his view of the city beneath them.

~

They were at the entrance to the tunnel. Grimm stared at it, and it stared back with the circle of darkness that made its tunnel-eye, peering through the pitted and rusted grate that sealed it off from the outside world. The rush of the trip here was wearing off, and the mutant's smile gradually lessened as he prepared himself to lead the group through the shadows. His breath hissed through his mask as he took a step forward. The lock would have to come off. It wouldn't be too difficult, but--

Grimm winced as Naomi stepped forward and blew open the gate with a pistol. It was silenced, but he knew how sound bounced through tunnels. If there was something in there, it would have heard that.

"Be careful," he breathed, "Be careful...We might not be the only ones down here." He followed Naomi's nod and stepped in front of everyone, passing through the stone arch into the world that lay beneath the city, looking over his hunched shoulder. "Stay close. Keep quiet." He began treading along the stone catwalk down the tunnel. The water lapped softly against the mildewed masonry and fell in drips from the cracks in the ceiling, the only noise as they groped their way through tunnels that hadn't seen maintenance in decades. Grimm seemed to move almost catlike in the dark, his limp becoming the furtive loping of a tom hunting in a trash-strewn alley.

 

[Capt. Blu]

No one seemed very eager to start the mission.

That was fair.

After all of the team failures and the verbal doubts that went about, JD was surprised some of them didn't quit. It was definitely good to know that they at least had the resolve to try. Individually, even JD saw the group had remarkable talents, but any time they were tested to assist the others, he could really only flinch as it crashed and burned.

"Don't worry guys, we just gotta try a bit harder."

Well. It wasn't that the advice was wrong. It was more so that the group had all been sitting face to face in the Sparrow with similar doubts before- grant it, at least slightly less doubts when they first got together.

JD, after attempting to enthusiastically high five the omnic piloting the ship, had been focusing on his feet most of the trip, mainly because there weren't windows he could watch through. His black headphones, an added 'necessity' for the mission, were over his ears and he bobbed his head to an unheard rhythm, seemingly not paying attention to his surroundings. However, the moment anyone spoke or directed something his way, he'd look up and respond in kind.

"Showtime." JD hopped out of his seat and triple checked to make sure his escrima sticks were on his back and secure. When he was sure everything was set, he pushed his headphones down around his neck and followed the group to their destination.

When they hit the sewers, JD fell a little ways back in the group, keeping an eye on their surroundings from there. He wasn't keen on being anywhere close to the sewage river and touching the walls didn't seem ideal either but unfortunately, there was little time to complain about it considering they were headed right into battle. It wasn't like he hadn't traversed through a sewer before- grant it this time didn't involve him and his team getting lost and chased in the tunnels ultimately leading to them falling into said river of muck.

At least, he was really hoping there wouldn't be a repeat of that. JD shuddered at the thought and took a deep breath, inhaling through his jacket sleeve. At least this go round, they were fortunate enough to have light sources, and a cyborg that could apparently emit sweeter perfumes to hopefully make things smell a little better. Although that was debatable too as the perfumes only mixed with the nasty scent, giving JD only moment's reprieve before he once again had to inhale the sewage fumes. "Could be worse… Could be worse…" He mumbled, steeling himself and his stomach.

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

"Whoa," Sierra breathed when she approached the Sparrow. Her eyes lit up as she grazed one hand across its smooth hull. It was her first time seeing an aircraft this close. She turned when she heard the familiar echo of an Omnic's voice. "Heya. You the pilot? Name's Sierra!" she reached forward a hand, but the Omnic was already pulled away again, their mission about to be underway.

The girl hid a gulp and boarded with the others. "First time for a lot of things, huh?" she said to no one in particular. Each member of their group seemed wrapped in their own thoughts, little rituals, or what-have-you's for their first real mission. She watched it all passively, not quite understanding. It wasn't like none of them had been in a fight before. What made this so special, other than the stakes were slightly different? Sierra told herself that when they were readying to leave, as she fitted into gear she thought would be suitable. Per JD's suggestion she'd done away with the long sleeves in favor of shorter ones. She found arm guards grafted for prosthetic limbs, engineered for easy movement and to take high damage. She wore a bulletproof like a pullover, and a knife at her waist. After some consideration she neglected taking a gun. She was still shoddy at using one, having not taken many lessons with Serenity's arsenal, and figured she was as likely to shoot her own teammates as the enemies.

When she was done getting ready, Sierra sat in the crews' prep room, still as a statue.

On the flight there, Sierra gripped her harness with a gripped that whined, faint beads of sweat forming on the side of her jaw. Any turbulence or the faintest bump hit caused her to wince. She glared at Sven who sat beside her. "Not a peep, Coder."

In contrast to some of the others, Sierra was relieved to step off and into the sewers. She wrinkled her nose faintly at the smell, finding herself placed in front of JD as they entered the decrepit underworkings. Her eyebrows lifted at Grimm's omnious warnings. "I hope you're wrong, Birdman," she whispered as they went in.

 

[Winter]

Naomi did her best to hide her initial frustration at the comments made about having used her silenced sidearm to free the grate lock, unused to having to really care much about her actions given she'd been used to confronting challenges head on without giving a shit for the consequences. Nevertheless she stowed it away on her leg holster as she followed up behind Grimm, choosing not to explain her opinion that the pipes likely made more noise than her sidearm. The cool air from the canal behind them blew in behind them, offering a temporary reprieve from the acrid smell of the sewer before once again turning stagnant. She'd liked to have thought this was a new smell to her senses but unfortunately this wasn't the first time she'd had to venture through somewhere disgusting for the sake of a mission.

"Keep a lookout for traps, despite my doubts it's good practice to check anyway... " she half muttered as they started deeper down the eroded pungent tunnels under St Aylers Warrior-Square. "Sven, did you find anything on the local cam feeds?" she asked, hoping he might have some intel for them that'd give them better chances when they arrived topside of the square. She fully expected for him to have nothing, after all Jaclyn was nothing if not thorough and locking up the grid would have been atop her list of priorities assuming she had someone on her team capable of delivering an above satisfactory tech job, which was more than likely. Then again she didn't yet know how capable Sven was and it was entirely possible he could force his way through whatever security that might await him upon an attempt.

For a while as they traversed deeper there was nothing to greet them but the patter of leaky pipes and the occasional droplet from a grate above them allowing just enough light for them to be able to see where they were going. The tunnels seemed to be dead and after moving through several junctions and logistical obstacles in their way they would eventually break into what appeared to be an unfinished subway, tunnelling machines and bulk resources covered by tarps left abandoned. "Likely left behind when this district was condemned and declared dead" Naomi commented without expecting a response, giving Grimm a light pat on the shoulder to imply she could take point from here as she lead them up the tunnel where assuredly there would be a constructed entrance.

It was entirely possible that Jaclyn expected the unfinished subway to be a dead end and not connected to the old sewer system, however that didn't mean she wouldn't have stationed anyone at the entrance just in case. "Get ready" she announced, sliding her rifle from her back into her hands, shouldering the weapon and raising it forwards as they ascended the dust covered escalators towards the boarded up doors covered in graffiti. Fortunately the doors didn't sit directly at the entrance but further towards the tunnels, enabling them to comfortably and carefully pry the boarded door open causing a wave of dust to billow out from the jerked movement. Naomi parted the door slightly, peaking through it before eventually motioning with her hand for the others to follow as she hugged the wall towards the open entrance to the square.

Immediately two things became quickly apparent, the first being that there were no lights on in any of the buildings, leaving only the street lights and the billboards only half visible between buildings as their light source. The second being that the area was completely devoid of anyone, no sentries, no guards, no patrols or checkpoints. It was as if they'd arrived at the wrong destination or as if they'd missed their chance entirely and were walking into a dead world. Only the subtle blow of the wind and the occasional sound in the distance echoing off the walls greeted them upon their arrival causing an uneasy eerie feeling to set in for those unused to such an environment. Lowering her rifle to look back at the others she motioned towards her eyes and then up at the darkened windows of the square before motioning once again for them to follow.

The square itself was exactly that, four blocks of multiple floors facing inwards with a large stone fountain at the centre depicting what appeared to be a tall man holding a strange looking rifle. Between the outside of the square and the apartment blocks ran unmarked roads with abandoned dusty cars, most of which had been picked for parts from the looks of it. A few inward facing benches had been cemented symmetrically around the fountain but other then that concrete blocks that'd been placed to house plant life and flora sat baron of anything but dirt and dust. Once upon a time the square could have once made a nice little location for people to inhabit, but with so much ruin and neglect it was hard to really see it without using a good bit of imagination to envision what it could have been.

Minutes bled by as they crossed the square, scans and information fed from APOLLO showing nothing but emptiness save for a cat bounding from an alleyway only to quickly disappear down the next. " ... We must be too late, they've moved" Naomi pressed a finger up towards her ear, clicking a small button causing her ear COM to light up with a little blue LED as she made contact with Serenity. "We made it to the square but no one's here... we missed our win-" before she could finish her sentence several spotlights hit the square, lighting it like a stage before the sound of a whirring engine filled the area, a chilling sound for some who might recognise the very specific sound of this particular engine. "Come into my parlor... " a male voice spoke from what sounded like VOX speakers.

The air shifted and warped behind them before a cloaking field dropped revealing a GOALIATH-M2 military assault mech, an armoured behemoth sporting powerful guns and state of the art tech reinforced with a hard encased cold fusion engine. The heavily armoured carapace sported a triangular indent that transmitted optics from the front of the mech to the pilot inside, unlike the single ocular of a PALADIN which was far inferior and exploitable. "... Fuck... " was all Naomi could get out as the torso of the mech twisted before taking a step forwards as one of it's arms reeled back to swing forwards colliding with the Lieutenant sending her flying across the square, her body smashing into an old dusty car causing it to bend around her as it skidded and smashed into the the base of apartment blocks.

"Man this thing is fun!" the man and presumably the pilot said with enthusiasm as the mech turned to face the rest of the team, complex servos and motors working in tandem to move the hulking mass of metal fluidly. "And it looks like I have more guinea pigs to try this thing out on" as he spoke the left cannon raised towards the group, a heavy 'thunk' resounding as it loaded a salvo ready for firing. "Don't worry... you won't feel a thing I'm sure.. " before the cannon delivered their untimely deaths there was a loud grunt from the other side of the square followed by a loud 'BANG' as the twisted shape of a car collided with the mech, causing it to stumble backwards a few steps. Naomi stood where she'd previously landed, her attire cut and shredded in places but what was perhaps more noticeable was the purple symmetrical hexagonal pattern which glowed along her right arm.

She looked physically winded from the hit and after a moment to gather herself she shouted towards the team, "FIND COVER NOW!" she yelled as she ran to her own, taking up a position behind one of the concrete pillars that'd been intended for plants. The GOLIATH's servos began whirring as it recovered from the hit, buying them just enough time to make a break for some cover. "JD! you can throw electric right? try and stun it, lock it down! Sierra, Hana... if JD can manage to stun it I want you to coordinate and try to topple it. Everyone else, buy them time, spread out and keep it busy" she didn't think she needed to explain how much shit they were in. Unlike PALADINS these mechs were designed for combat and so were outfitted with plenty of nasty surprises meant to deliver death and destruction to it's enemies. It undoubtedly had counter measures but Naomi hoped that with enough of a charge they might at least stun it for long enough to deal with it's sun weapon systems.

 

[Capt. Blu]

It was still a troublesome task to do, but as they moved along the sewer path and up until they got to the square, JD focused on the electricity around him. It was faint and near nonexistent despite him being positive there were things he could probably tap into. When they got to the square, JD was a little ways behind the group eyeing the area, looking for vantage points or hideaways that people could drop in from. Even after Naomi's call, he couldn't help but feel like someone or something was watching them.

Unfortunately, he was right because soon enough they were spotlighted and a large mech appeared in front of them. Without hesitation, he reached behind himself to grab his escrima sticks, tapping them together in some show of 'turning them on'. "Man this'd be so cool if it wasn't trying to kill us…" It was mumbled, but it immediately quieted when Naomi was flung to the side. At first, he turned in the direction with half a mind to run over and help. But then he remembered all their training- even if it was in the matter of two days. Naomi would be fine- bosses usually could withstand a whole lot more than getting flung about.

The rest of the group on the other hand… they were staring into the barrel of a cannon that, by JD's quick judgement, could have killed them in one go. He was almost positive he couldn't deflect something like that either- not this close. Electricity jumped across his escrima sticks, a few stray waves going up his arm as the adrenaline started to build. "Good start to the first day on the-" He stepped back when the car came careening across the square and into the mech, saving them from imminent death. JD stood in stunned surprised for a few moments until Naomi's commands snapped him back into the adrenaline rush he had before.

"Got it- wait, huh?!" He was bouncing on his toes, prepared to lunge forward head first at the mech, until he realized what Naomi asked. "You think I can just stun a- Y'know what never mind." His voice wasn't very loud, but it was still laced with incredulity. The man wasn't exactly sure when he or whatever gave away the fact that he could manipulate electricity- save for the fact that he was kind of bad at hiding it in the first place- but all ready Naomi was asking him to do things as if it would take a snap of his fingers. But, boss' orders were the boss' orders.

"Hana, can you keep it busy so I can go around it? Sierra, stick close so you know when to strike?" As he ran forward he snapped his escrima sticks together and reeled back to slam the (now) bo staff into the mech's legs. Electricity surged from the staff to the mech but instead of it working as JD imagined, it was suddenly redirected and sent him backwards a few feet.

While it wasn't the most painful thing he'd felt before, the surprise of it didn't give him enough time to try and temper the sudden shock. "A-Alright, s-so n-ot the legs." He shook his head, dispelling most of the sudden jitters. "Alright, one more time." JD bounced up, rushing past the crew as they tried to keep the mech's attention- or rather keep from dying. This time, he timed it so the moment he leapt forward to it's 'waist', the mech was turning away from him. He tossed the bo staff in Sierra's direction and slammed his hands down, gripping onto one of the protruding parts so he didn't fall off. It didn't take the man long to detect something on the mech, but JD kept his head down and tried to stay in his blindspot.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mooon!" It was like riding an on the fritz hoverbike the way the mech lurched around as electricity surged into its back. "Coming through! Watch yourselves!" He called out to the others when the arms thrashed about.

When it suddenly jerked to a stop JD lost his balance and crashed to the ground. He scrambled to his feet when he thought the arm was pointing at him, but it continued to lean forward, lifeless. "I- It worked? Oh sh- Hell yeah, it worked!" The moment his fist went into the air, dizziness overtook him and he staggered backwards. He mentally cursed, realizing how much energy it took just to keep the mech still. Most things he took down were small mechs or WGA weapons- or people for that matter, this was a lot larger and a lot more powerful. While the mech was stunned for who knew how long, he put distance in between them to let the others take it down. "Alright… a little too careless there..." He place his hand on the nearby street lamp to lean against it, watching the world spin around him for a bit.

 

[Eastwood]

<"This is a kill-zone. Expect an ambush. There's something... here"> Experience, and the presence of signal jammers, told Zadok that any deserted location that they were expected to be in was more than likely an ambush. Jacyln knew they were coming, somehow, and prepared appropriately. He unholstered his galvanic pistol and thumbed the activation switch on. With a low but steady whine, the century-old battery-powered rail-pistol hummed to life. As far as kill-zones go, this was pretty deadly. Still, he wasn't expecting a mk-2 Goliath. Already, his bionic eyes scanned the mech as he ran through his data-banks as he was given his orders.

<"Understood, Commander. The machine possesses a weakness, the armor is thinned around the back of it's knees. Focus that, and it will crash down.">

He started to run around the mech, firing his pistol at every exploitable spot he knew. He knew that the magnetically propelled slugs wouldn't do that much damage so he focused on delicate machinery. Sensor arrays, joints, even a few potshots at the whirling cockpit, as he sought to distract the metal giant.

<"Up on your feet, it is far too soon for you to die."> He made his way towards the fallen electromancer and hoisted him back onto his feet by lifting his armpits. For the rest of the fight, he continued to do the same thing: running in circles around the machine and helping those who needed it.

 

[SilentxChaos]

​

"Whoa," Sierra sounded impressed when she watched Naomi get flung about by the mech. Instincts kicked in; Sierra grabbed Hackerman and pulled him to cover, seeing he was the closest and one of the more likely to get shot the more he stood around. The spotlights had flooded one side of her vision with annoying spots, so her efforts landed Hackerman nearly running into a wall before she released him and they managed to find cover. No sooner had they, than Boss was back on her feet, flinging cars about. Sierra bounced on her toes and whistled. "That's what I'm talking about, Boss man! Or-- woman. Whatever."

When orders were dished out, Sierra wasted no time. She dashed from the cover and came to JD's side. She wore the same manic grin she had when they trained together. This time, her eyes alighted with extra delight now that the danger was serious. She nodded at JD, hearing him wanting her to stick close. "You got it! Hope those taser sticks pack a hard enough punch," she said as he sprinted towards the mech.

Sierra stuck as close as possible to JD while dodging the mech's guns. She didn't have the experience of Hanlon, or Zadok's wealthy database, but it was clear here she knew something when it came to dealing with mech suits. Her dodging was quick and jerky as she sprinted, first getting close to it, then backing away, forcing consistent readjustment of its targeting systems. The rest of the team chimed in to distract it-. She sprinted around a car as the Goaliath unleashed a spray of ammunition. She ducked, rolled, and came back up in time to see JD's bo staff sailing towards her. She caught it, confused.

"Sparks! What are you--" her voice died as her mouth fell open, watching JD sprinting straight from the mech and jumping on it in an act of ballsy courage. She laughed and whooped, even as an itch of confusion set when as his electrical prowess manifested, cackling around the enemy. "Wait... I thought it was only...." she looked down at the staff.

She shook her head; her turn now. No time for dwelling. Tightening her grip around the staff, Sierra waited for JD to clear the mech before raising it like a javelin. She didn't know how much time it would take for the Goaliath to reboot; better now than never. With a grunt, she threw the staff right into the weakest point, behind the knee, just like Zadok said. The sliced through it, parting metal far more easily that it should have been capable of, embedding into the joint. No sooner had Sierra tossed the staff than she was sprinting to cover the distance, one arm raised and ready.

"Hana, I really hope you're behind me!" Sierra cried as she leapt for and punched the mech. Her hit connected near the crippled area produced by JD's staff, momentarily enhanced by Sierra's magnetic warping. The heavy plating began to buckle. Sierra gripped the staff and yanked it out. She hit the area again and again, using her powers to bolster the staff's damage in an attempt to cripple the knee entirely.

 

[Ygor's Revenge]

The lifeless square exploded into action as a metal giant melted into existence and swung its pillar-like arm into Naomi. She flew across the square into a ruined car, rusting metal buckling and shrieking as she made impact. A crow-like screech filled the air as Grimm swore through the speakers of his mask. The mutant's dark gray cloak suddenly billowed out like leprous wings as he sprang into the air to distance himself from Naomi's retaliation, landing with a scraping of metal bottomed boots against concrete. His crooked body whirled around as turned to face the new opponent, knees and back bent as his fingers arched into claws at his side. It was the largest functioning mech he'd ever seen up close, armed with enormous canons, and had more steel plating than a battleship. Grimm's eyes narrowed as he heard servos whirring away inside the machine, each stomp of its foot shaking loose debris from the abandoned piles of trash in the street. A blast from one of its guns suddenly pulverized the street where the mutant had been standing. He felt the heat of the shot as he sprang into the air once more, hand shooting to his side to retrieve the dragon-headed firearm.

Fire lit up the abandoned square in a roaring burst of blood-red. Tongues of gunpowder flame lashed against the hoses and wires of the mech's right arm.

Gritty concrete dust fluttered into the air as Grimm landed with a grunt. Already he was reaching into a pocket to pull out a metal sphere, sliding around to face the machine and lifting his sinewy arm over his head. He took aim, ready to chuck the orb at the mech the moment his teammates were out of range.

 

[Mizos]

Sven climbed onto the ship alongside Hana paying little mind to the omnic pilot just wanting to get this mission finished, he had spent his time checking the area they were heading too and Hana had watched bad reality tv as she always did. He lost track of how many times he had gone over his screen and even on the plane fastened with the harness he was staring at what information he had through his glasses. The blue sheen faded from them as the woman spoke next to him, he sighed at the strange name she gave him and waved a hand.
"It matters little to me what problems you have," Sven said before taking the paperbag Hana handed him.
Setting it on his lap just in case his own sickness came the blue returned to his glasses and he returned to reviewing what he was able to figure out.
Pinpointing the location wasn't too hard, there was a bit of resistance but not enough to be a problem, thanks to that resistance it was easy to know exactly where to look. He seemed uninterested in the ride and any form of conversation, and Hana merely shut her eyes folding her hands in her lap. From a glance she seemed to be mentally preparing herself for the battle head, a form of light meditation while they had a moment, but upon looking closer her head nodded a bit showing she had just fallen asleep.
She raised her head to look over at JD.
"Your positivity is appreciated."
With that she lowered her head and perhaps a bit too quickly returned to her light slumber.

Once in the sewer Hana pulled her hood up over her head and tossed something to Sven, he placed what looked like a plastic mask over his mouth and nose a small 'click' following before he walked with her. Hana placed a similar object over her mouth and followed alongside Sven occasionally glancing over at anything that scurried past.
When Naomi spoke to him Sven glanced over at her and gave a small shake of his head.
"No….which is strange," he said. "Gaining access wasn't a problem…it might have been too easy…but I didn't find anything once I was in. I thought they were all in blind spots or maybe it was a false image but to find absolutely nothing…"
Sven trailed off not sure how to explain anything else, it wasn't purposefully hidden, there was some places he got a clear shot of. He even used a patrolling drone passing over the area and found nothing, that didn't sit well with him.
Sven came to a stop staring at the tarps for a brief moment when Naomi drew attention to them, his eyes narrowed at the sight and he turned making sure not to fall behind, if he had a comment he kept it to himself making sure to keep up with the others, Hana only stopped to wait for him.

When they finally made it out of the sewer Sven took a good look around as Hana removed her hood, a familiar sensation ran through his body as they stood in the empty area. He tried to pinpoint why it was so familiar, it wasn't until a certain sound filled his ears did he recognize what was flowing through him. A moment later Naomi was flying into the distance from the sudden appearance of the mech.
"Yep…that's my luck going to the shitter. Recognize that feeling anywhere," Sven said staring up at the machine. "That explains the empty area and finding nothing."
He glanced in the direction Naomi had gone and with a heavy sigh tapped Hana.
"She still alive?"
The answer came from Naomi herself as the car slammed into the mech, both watch the scene with blank expression, one not sure what emotion to show and the other their normal face.
"She appears to be."
"There's goes my good day then."
At Naomi's instructions Sven opened his mouth to speak but was pulled away from Hana who watched him go as if she was watching ants cross her path on the sidewalk. Sven had to put his hands out to stop from slamming into the nearby wall and gritting his teeth quickly dropped down behind cover, Hana meanwhile was adjusting the gloves on her hands ignoring the bullets that were flying past her body, she hadn't moved from her spot even after receiving orders from Naomi or a push from JD. She only glanced back at Sven.
"It shot at me. Do as they say," Sven said.
Hana gave a small nod and turning around waited as Sven's wires shot out stabbing into her back, she lurched forward for a moment and with the slightest twitch from his fingers, Hana leapt forward joining the fray.

Hana wasted little time getting the machine's attention kicking it straight in its optics to ensure it saw her, she landed and ran to the side rolling and weaving between the bullets, twisting her body between the gunfire, bullets piercing her cloak but managing to avoid her body as she flipped through the air and rolled along the ground. She pushed off her hands and slid over a car, ripping off one of the doors she flung it at the machine. That bought her enough time for Sven to contemplate their next option, leaping over the car she grabbed another door and holding it up ran straight towards the mech using the makeshift shield as she steadily got closer. Instead of attacking however she leapt out of the way as she had bought plenty of time for the other two assaulting the mech.
Sven watched as JD stopped the Mech with his electricity which he didn't use his sticks for, his mouth twitched a bit at the sight.
"…well that's too surprises today," Sven said glancing in Naomi's direction before focusing back on Hana. "Removing one limiter Hana, I'm going to be pissed if you mess up."
The wires let off a small glow for a brief moment, a surge passing through the lines and immediately flowed through Hana, her body twitched at the sudden rush that flowed through her, hopping from foot to foot she lowered her body barreling forward behind Sierra.
"I'm technically diagonal of you," Hana responded as she caught up to Sierra. "I've been told it's not good to be behind dat ass."
"If that walking relic is wrong he's paying for your repairs," Sven muttered as Hana reached the back of the knee and slamming her foot down prepared her body, something black formed around her fists before a flurry of blows followed as she leaned forwards, her fists slamming repeatedly into the metal bending it with each hit, blood danced past her face from her bleeding knuckles but she continued to move, a yawn escaping from her before she slammed her elbow into it and stepped backwards shaking off her hands.

Sven noticing that Grimm was preparing something glanced at Sierra, making a small motion with his finger Hana slammed her hand on Sierra's shoulder.
"Sven's making me do this," she said before she grabbed the young lady and flung her backwards away from the mech, jumping away herself to get out of the creature's range.
"We're even!" Sven yelled to Sierra making Hana point in the gremlin's direction and his prepped 'toy'.