CLOSED SIDE STORY Heartless Shell -- A Rescue Mission

[Wade Von Doom]

PREVIOUSLY...

After the 'Pathfinder' station was taken by the heroes, efforts went underway to decrypt the station's data from its cyber-networks that were connected to the AI. When the station severed itself from it, however, much of the data was either lost or corrupted, meaning anything they could find about the AI's whereabouts or motives seemed to come up empty. But, the attempts weren't fruitless. In searching through what little data had been uncovered, a variety of dossiers made by the machines were found. Some were of the heroes that had been taken to the station before the takeover, others were of individuals of high priority by the AI.

One name in particular stood out, at least to Alec Duggan, who recognized the name from his universe. 'Commander Shepard.'

A hero who fought against a race of machine beings called 'The Reapers' from attacking and destroying the advanced civilizations of the galaxy. If the AI had interest in Shepard, it could only mean trouble. The dossier had tracked everything Shepard had done and kept tabs on everywhere he went, and indicated they would try kidnapping him once he visited 'Project Base,' after saving a Dr. Amanda Kenson. The Pathfinder had working teleporters, but they could only send, not receive.

A rash plan was put in place, thanks to Alec's insistence they try rescuing the Commander before he was taken. A team would be sent through a teleporter to Shepard's location, rescue him from the AI before their plan could take place, and take shelter in a safe location until they could be exfiltrated back to the Pathfinder. There were hiccups with the rescue, but they succeeded in saving Shepard.

The AI's machines tried to replace Shepard with a doppelgänger, and frame him as a terrorist by destroying both Project Base, and an alien colony within the solar system of the base's location. The fight that ensued with the machines ended with time itself breaking, as Shepard's own timeline began bleeding into itself. The Machines and heroes were interfering with a 'fixed point in time' that involved Shepard himself, causing a time paradox that could destroy the universe. But, before that could happen, a mysterious figure came in to fix it, accompanied by some familiar faces.

'Randi,' as he called himself, got everyone out of Project Base before things got worse. By taking Shepard out of his galaxy, it temporarily saved his life and his home universe. But it was not a permanent fix. They would need to solve it or else leave that universe in an uncertain state. For right now, Randi contacted the Pathfinder, letting them know of what happened, and that he was taking care of the injured members of the team. A rendezvous was made so both sides could meet up and talk further in person.

NOW....

As you might expect, things have gotten complicated... or more complicated. Randi has sent the Pathfinder an SOS. His own station is under attack, and is in need of help before they are overrun. The coordinates given are to another version of Earth, in particular, a place called 'Big Shell.'

And the enemy Randi and co face were simply called, 'Heartless.'

The Evrensel Conflict Presents....
HEARTLESS SHELL

Starring:

Vaudeville -- @Amber Franklin
Ed Dellar -- @The Wanderer
Alande Vara -- @PolyesterH
Tokui Uchiha -- @Valkan
Todo Aoi -- @SorryTM
Luer Lastez -- @LenxKaitoYaoi
Shivaji Ohm -- @The Lotus Archives
Piper 'Pip' Delaney -- @rissa
​

-----------------------------------------

ON THE HELIPAD:​

The arriving team would land there. With a flash of light, they would be perfectly put right on the H of the landing zone exactly. Probably the easiest teleporting any of them had ever done, since the exact position they needed to go was literally right there. From up top, they could see over the whole of 'Big Shell,' and nothing seemed out of the ordinary so far. The hexagonal base seemed barren, with only passing seagulls overhead being the only company to them from this world. A heavy fog, however, was passing over the place, and while things were visible for now, it was surely to get worse as time passed.

Yet, where to look? Randi had left his message vague, cut off by his attackers before he could explain further. But, nothing was on fire or smoking, nor were there any sounds of battle. And from how calm everything was, it wouldn't be hard to miss.

WITHIN THE SHELL:​

Wherever the others were, things certainly weren't as calm. Besides Tokui and Shepard, who were left to rest up their wounds in their own medical beds, Randi had undergone some of his own counter-espionage against the AI and her forces. Right beside the medical room, there were several pods filled with 'scattered,' those who had been abducted by the AI and thrown across the multiverse. Randi had managed to 'catch' some of them as they fell through time and space, and put them in the pods for their own safety.

But, as alarms began to ring out across the station, all of them would be awakened. The pods would be opened so they weren't trapped inside, but they would all feel incredibly nauseous and light-headed. The last thing the people in the pods would remember was the flash of green light overtaking their senses, before they began falling endlessly, like they had been thrown out an airplane and left to plummet from the sky.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande Vara, Helipad

He was distraught at first, the possibilities of what lay ahead of him a long time from now fresh in his mind. How he'd explain why he went AWOL, the fact he was collaborating with beings that would definitely be reality deviants if they followed him back, and why he had not tried to re-establish contact. Each answer he concluded was going to be simple. He was kidnapped, they were less of a threat to humanity than the AI that was plotting to take over the multiverse, and that establishing contact would put the consentual reality at risk. He had already put his recommandations on how his home was to be handled. Hopefully, they'd be taken seriously. For now, establishing a good reputation for mutual cooperation between him and the organization he now found himself part of was his highest priority. He requested they follow protocol for his home, he'll make sure this mission succeeds.

Teplorting in, Alande had kept a slightly smirking, excited expression for a while. He kept his gloves clasped before the teleportation, the first deviation from this is him adgusting his glasses as he looks around. If nothing else, the facility was well constructed on first glance. In a few ways, it reminded him of the bunker he was inducted in. Of course, that one was far closer to the shore and less artistically inclined than this facility. He was obviously standing on a cargo area, which wouldn't be his choice to supply this facility but logistics weren't important right now. But later, this would be a fantastic forward operating base. Randi has a great choice of locale, apparently.

Noting the lack of anything out of the ordinary, they squint silently and silently click down the first button on the left, tactfully concealed by the inside of its frame. Immediatally, he is flooded with very basic biological information. The ocean, of course, was a mess of different microorgansms even with the state of the water what it was. What was important was that he didn't see anything hostile combatants hidden around. He looks at each of the Strut's. He turns to the group, occasionally pointing at objects for emphasis.

"This is a heliport. They fly supplies to this pad to drop them off. This is not a self-sustaining base, the shipping crates prove that. This crane, and that one over there, move these supply containers around to different hexagonal structures. I'm willing to bet that this half of the facility is primarily logistics and administration based. Our best bet is to get to the computer systems to establish contact with Randi. If I had to guess, its probably in one of the two central buildings. Lets head to the one closest to us first, pronto."

It was fairly obvious that Alande assumed that none of them knew much of anything about how these facilities work. It was almost condecending, frankly. The fact he made a plan without talking to anyone about it stood on a blury line between leadership and disregard for the opinions of the others in the group. The only thing disrupting this tone was that although Alande looked ready to get moving, he was maintaining eye contact with the group.

 

[The Lotus Archives]

Shivaji
Medbay
​

Sleep had always been a fickle mistress, the cousin of death she had lured many in with the promise of peace and shelter only to deliver a deluge of horrors that would leave waking in a cold sweat thankful that it had all been but a dream. Tonight this sweet seductress had granted Shivaji with a blissful dream of flying through space in his Gundam, free to roam the cosmos. Soaring amongst the endless sea of stars and the brilliant hues of the nebulas, he discovered a star that pulsated blue and red. The anomaly was both alluring and deeply alarming. Yet he couldn't help but travel closer until he found himself trapped in a gravity pull. The frightening turn was short lived as a green light entrapped him and his mobile suit, the fall was deafening. The silent fall in space, the black screen of his dead HUD, and black void of a downed and falling
suit. Sprung him from his slumber and into the waking world. To a world of blaring alarms and the inside of his head on fire. The pain, sharp and consuming, forced his eyes to temporarily snap shut as he caught the breath he hadn't known escaped him. Willing his eyes back open to face the world and its jarring alarm he quickly scanned the room to find a few people waking up while others remained asleep for the moment in their pods. He had been kidnapped before but this held the knowledge that something had happened to the suit he had called his home for so long. The one he had been asleep in last he was aware of. The thought led him to the realization that he didn't know when was the last time he had been awake. Or where he had awakened now, both of those however would have to wait as he threw his left leg out and over the lip of the pod. Silently compelling himself through headache as his foot hit the floor. The cool sensation under his bare foot confirmed his suspicions of him being undressed, though as he stepped down and landed in a deep crouch he noticed something. He was indeed dressed but instead of his flight suit was the thin white of a paper medical gown. ''Medical bay?'' He thought to himself as he stood up and looked around. The urge to throw up swelling as his head became light and the alarms blurred onto a endless drone for a moment.

 

[The Wanderer]

Ed
Helipad

The Ogryn after the ordeal within the space station was near immediately thrown in with a team to retrieve someone who was important to an Alec. The exact nature between them was completely unknown to Ed but he understood when pals needed to save other pals. So, he would go along with the others to a strange pad, and before Ed could ask when the ship would take them all down, there was a flash of light, and they were standing on a strange platform with an 'H' on it. The exact nature of the letter and the purpose of it was foreign to Ed but he did at least have the mental aptitude to realize it was similar to the LZ platforms on battlefronts.

Wherever they were, it was on possibly an ocean-world. As all he could see around them was a lot of water. The mental image of fish and what they tasted like made Ed hungry. Peering over the edge to look at the structure, Ed was confused by the odd shapes of the buildings, that and the height from the top to the ocean. "Long way down. Careful, lil'uns." He'd speak in that deep accented voice of his, some would think it was like an Eastern European accent bordering on Russian. Ed looking over the gathered crew, he stood taller than most of them but that was a given considering he was an Ogryn and they were little.

He turned back to the array of buildings and inhaled deeply, his ears listening to the wind. Only catching the scent of salty air, and the distant waves far below. No signs of fighting nor the smell of death. The quiet made Ed uneasy.

He readjusted his heavy-stubber in its sling on his shoulder. The massive gun bouncing slightly, the rounds making clinky-clink as the weapon bounced. His mace and shield had obvious signs of wear and damage, the slab of metal having dents and burn marks on it, but that would also serve to show just how thick the material was. Ed would turn to look at the one in glasses as he spoke to them all, speaking about the nature of the platform, going on about the function of it, which would confuse Ed to no end, the Ogryn feeling the heat of frustration rise in his head as he tried to fathom what Alande had said. But he would just sit and listen, understanding that if he speaks up, he'll just make things more confusing for himself.

At the end of Alande's explanation, Ed would raise his hand and ask. "What is a heliport? Is it like a Valkyrie?"

@Amber Franklin @PolyesterH @Valkan @LenxKaitoYaoi

 

[Valkan]

Tokui Uchiha

Tokui was fast asleep, deeply lost in his forced resting state. His mo-... Kasumi, and that robot did quite a number on him. Several broken ribs, an arm shattered in multiple spots, and plenty of bruising. That said, before sedating him, Tokui recalls Randi giving him some sort of medicine. At the moment, Tokui wondered how effective a drink would be to heal broken bones and torn muscles... Lo and behold, when Tokui finally woke up, he was in perfect health. He would have admired the greatness of that medicine for at least a moment, but he had no time for it. As an alarm is what awoke him.

He jumped off the bed, and donned his cloak. It was looking worse for wear after that fight, but it was still usable. Not knowing what lied ahead, he also put his mask on.

Tokui cautiously walked around the medical bay area, but nothing seemed out of place other than the alarm. "Randi? What's going on?" As he waited for answers from his savior, he decided to tend to the just awakened person in the medbay "Hey, you alright over there?" After running a quick check with his gifted sight, Tokui noticed the guy from the pod was merely dazed and/or confused "...I reckon you're new to this. I'm Tokui, let's get you your stuff before whatever is causing the alarm to be a threat to this room". Tokui considered using a pseudonym again, but at this point his enemy clearly knew who he was, making such an effort pointless.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande Vera, Helipad

Alande looks up to Ed, wind taken out of his sails by Ed's question. People that were genuinely dull was something Alande hasn't dealt with in a long time. Usually people pick up on what he's talking about with the method he just used, between the pointing and the statements. Though, in hindsight, talking about the facility's logistics and administration features got in the way of his method. Ed's equipment certainly looked like he'd understand, but evidently that was a faulty assumption. He didn't know what a Valkyrie was in Ed's world, but he could take a guess. Valkyries were part of Norse mythology and were winged. Helicopters are commonly associated with them, so it was worth building off that assumption.

"A heliport is a place for a Valkyrie to land on, and to drop stuff off at. If you have other questions I'll answer them while we move. Follow me."

The tone was confident and authoritative, but Alande was truthfully less than certain. Packaged with the answer was the quiet hope that Ed wouldn't have a dozen more questions. Or at least time wouldn't be bled trying to answer them all.

 

[The Lotus Archives]

Shivaji Ohm

Medbay - @Valkan​

As he willed the pounding in his head to take a backseat and looked around he watched a man jump out of the pod. Taking the moment to analyze the man's movements he considered if he too had been kidnapped or perhaps was the one behind it. While he was suspicious he couldn't sense any threat from the young man and his words didn't convey anything of alarm. He still couldn't trust this person, there was still too much that he didn't know yet. "New to this?'' He asked subconsciously, his calm monotone vocals hiding the suspicions he carried. Shaking the last remnants of confusion from his mind he considered asking the man if he knew where they were, or even who had taken them. However before he could he remembered the man had mentioned finding Shivaji's belongings. '"Tokui, I am Ohm, and I am fine but unarmed.'" He added as he scanned the room once more, his eyes surveying for anything that could be used as a weapon until they found his gear. He hadn't used his first name, the fact was he still didn't know if he could trust this stranger. ''Tokui, do you know where my things are? I would rather not walk around naked and unarmed.'' He admitted with a waving gesture over the front of his thin paper gown. While the question was innocent Shivaji wanted to know how much this man knew and how deeply involved in his kidnapping the man had been. Yet he couldn't just come out and ask him, Could he? Shelving the thought he considered finding his way out of the room and then home, but realistically if he didn't know where in the galaxy he was. How could he possibly go home? But why would he want to..

''Where are we?''

The question slipped out of him, soft and muted under his breath but still loud enough to pull him from his thoughts and back into the present. His eyes darting over to Tokui as he watched the man. Curious to see if the man was truly involved or was perhaps another victim, unless this was like that horror game he had played and this man was a survivor of the kidnappers last game.

 

[rissa]

The Grail Warden, Pip

WITHIN THE SHELL @Wade Von Doom


The fall was never-ending; a flight through purgatory with a clouded mind— half registering the sensation before being absorbed and obliterated by it once more. Aimless and unable to make purchase with her surroundings, mentally or physically, Pip decided to just… fall. Forever and ever, it seemed. She couldn't tell up from down, left from right, front from back— and after awhile she realized it didn't quite matter. There was just the awful plunging sensation and the tiny portion of her psyche that refused to sleep.

Refused to drift away and go silent. Refused to back away from the endless, all consuming sensation.

Memories flashed across the dim surface of her consciousness, but they were like granules of sand through fingertips, unable to last. Figments and filaments of good times was all she managed to capture, over and over and over again— the faces of those she loved, the sound of her best friend laughing, the cheers of her classmates as they found the Mysteria Totem in less than twenty minutes.

Hope was oftentimes cruel. She'd always known that, but it wasn't until this eternity of falling that she understood. Hope was a fleeting mistress, an all-consuming flame for the briefest of moments—

Pip twisted, twitched, unsure whether it was in the air or atop the ground.

She cracked open an eye and there was light. The purchase of solid foundation against the soles of her feet. The blare of an almighty alarm reverberating through her bones. Pip laughed, a loud bark that ended with her on her knees against cool tile and retching everything from her stomach. Though she was lightheaded and still dry-heaving, Pip looked around the foreign facility wearing nothing but a flimsy medical gown, and began helping the others who, like her, were finally making their descent.

"I'm gunna try and find us some water," Pip said to the closest person to her, "And figure out what the hell is happening."

 

[Wade Von Doom]

DOWN BELOW:

No answer from Randi. If he wasn't around, one of the H-Robots would easily come in his place. But it was just them. One of the people getting out the pods Pip helped with was a dwarf, who wore an eyepatch and had a shaved head with a large, knotted beard. "Wha' in the name of sanity?" He asked aloud, baffled by the sights before him, and annoyed by the sounds. "Can someon' shu' tha' thing off?!" He shouted to everyone, staggering over the locked doors. "Hey! Anyone there?!" He pounded his fists against the metal, shouting as loudly as possibly, but no answer. "Hey! We're trappe' in her'! Any'ody!" On he kept shouting and pounding, until after one last smack against the door, something began to leak out.

A dark ooze slowly dripped out from the tight crack that separated the doors from each other. It leaked onto the floor, and the dwarf slowly backed away in concern. Yet, it followed him with each step back he took, until it sunk under his feet and circled around him. He turned side to side, seeing what it was doing. Then, a hand reached out from the blackness and grabbed at his foot. He screamed, trying to kick it away, only for another hand to grab his and pull him down to his knees. More hands then formed outwards to pull him into their embrace.

He continued to scream, but it was too late for him. Slowly, the color of his skin faded away, and the gown itself evaporated into nothing. When the hands moved away, what was left of the dwarf was unrecognizable. He became a creature of pure darkness.

​

If slightly adorable looking. But don't let its appearance fool you, for more of them lifted themselves out the oozing puddle of darkness to reveal themselves; forming into a group of fifteen to overwhelm everyone.

----------------------------------

UP TOP:

While the team took in their surroundings and began discussing with themselves a strategy, the faint shadows of seagulls passed them by overhead. Then a larger shadow passed over. Followed by another. And another. Suddenly the seagulls were engulfed by birds three times their size. Or, actually, calling these things birds is not entirely accurate.

They're more like Wyverns.

​

And with the heavy fog setting in more and more by the second, they used it as cover to hide. Until one took a steep dive down towards them; mouth agape to take a bite.

 

[Valkan]

Tokui Uchiha

Ohm? Ok. Ohm was being cooperative enough to get things moving fast, which was nice. "Good question. They should be around here, somewhere... Better speed this up." With that said, Tokui made a hand gesture, and three puffs of smoke popped behind him. Every one of them with an exact copy of him, and all of them started rummaging through the room looking for scattered gear. As the shadow clones looked around, Ohm asked something again "... Another great question. I don't know where we are currently, but I do know why you're here... That one is a bit of a long story. We're better off explaining that once we are safe." Tokui sighed "I can assure you, however, you are not in your own world."

Around the same time, two more pods opened. One of which took a very reckless approach to the situation. "Calm down over there. Panicking will get you nowhere." It was then that the dwarf was swallowed by a mass of weird matter. Then a small group of creatures formed from the mass. Not good. Their looks were nothing to write home about, but they clearly were a threat, just ask the potentially deceased dwarf. Luck wasn't entirely against them however, as a shadow clone made a discovery. "Your belongings must be in one of those lockers over there! Gear up, or dress up at least. I'll cover you!" With that said, one of the clones stood by the lockers, while Tokui and the other two clones stood in line between the monsters and the rest of the room. All three pulled out a kunai and created a sword of storm-nature chakra blade, while readying another jutsu with their free hand.

 

[PolyesterH]

Alande Vera, Helipad

Alande looked up at the shadows intensely, watching the Wyverns form. This was doubtlessly one of the few things he'd classify as 'odd' in his life. Perhaps the most odd thing Alande saw regarding this creature was that it wasn't alive. At least, not in the biological sense. Something else was animating it besides muscle and sinew. Putting his hand in his pocket, he said a single word.

"Golly".

That was the only thing he needed for the auto-injector to trigger. His body was stabbed directly into an artery, injecting his contents. shifting his genes and granting him enhanced agility. Calmly, he grabs his cane and twists a dial. The wood hides itself, changing shape and revealing the metal underneath as it made a full rapier. The metal makes a quiet yet high pitched grinding drone in the brief moment where it shifts. He didn't have time to analyze the beast anymore at the moment, the beast would be on him before he could examine it.

Crouching down, he waited patiently for the beast to get close enough. Taking the opportunity when it presented itself, he quickly stepped to the side to avoid where it was heading and jumped in the air far higher than one would expect from a preson. He twists and pushes single dial, the blade sharpening itself far beyond what should be possible and surging with a pure expression of commerce. After all, how could he miss the oppertunity to learn of this creature? He twists once in the air, focussing on a certain spot underneath the Heartless's wing. Stabbing forward, the blade meets its target and pushes through. A follow up slash cuts through the form, as he falls back down and lands. Unsuprisingly, given that the heartless aren't made of cells, there's not a drop of blood.

 

[rissa]

The Grail Warden, Pip

WITHIN THE SHELL @Wade Von Doom @Valkan @The Lotus Archives


"Phantasya be with me," Pip muttered under her breath, horrified at the amalgamation of darkness before her. Screams of dismay sounded from behind her, a growing terror lacing through each consecutive shout. Pip looked to the left, where a large glass wall separated this area from a medical bay, and where a pair of twins waited to aid them. She shivered, glancing between the bubbling darkness and the people at her heels.

"Stay close to me," Pip shouted, and punched the glass wall several times, butterflying the pane upon impact. It wouldn't give, however, as its splintering shards refused to fall away and allow entry.

No good. Glass is too strong. I'll have to transform.

And so she did, in a shower of golden flakes and stars. The light was not blinding, though it did fill the room with a warm, saturated glow. The people on her side of the room stared as she reformed; tall, armored, and… still weak. Pip immediately dropped to one knee, the weight of the transformation making her head spin even more. The darkness, sensing something, turned to gaze at her with their eerie yellow eyes— and for a moment, something deep within her sensed something else —before rational thought and instinct kicked into gear.

One punch from False Ancients fractured the integrity of the glass wall. Another sent a shower of glass raining atop both sides of the room. Pip, now the Grail Warden manifested, nodded towards the twins and urged the rest through the opening. She warned them to watch their footing— but what was a little glass when little creatures could swallow you up whole and regurgitate you into shadow?

Pip eyed the shadow creature that was once the dwarf— gave a silent prayer for his soul before running forward, dizziness be damned, and swinging her blade, intent on slicing him in half.

 

[The Lotus Archives]

Shivaji Ohm
In the shell- @Wade Von Doom @Valkan @rissa ​

He sighed, this was a lot to take in, but if Tokui was right Shivaji had no room or time to allow himself to be caught slacking. Hearing Tokui mention their belongings being in the lockers, he nodded and raced over to find his belongings.

'"Haro!! Can you hear me!'' He called, the monotone nature of his voice hid the desperation he felt. He needed to locate his companion. Haro was the one thing that made sense at the moment. As the words came out he felt a shiver course through his body, that alarming sense of danger but before he could say anything to warn those around him, his words were caught in his throat. As a dwarf stepped out of a pod and then was consumed by what looked like moving shadows.

''What the actual fuck is that.''

He whispered in disbelief before he turned to look at Tokui, his new found wave of confusion and disbelief only growing as he saw the clones and the energy sword he seemed to produce out of thin air. He almost didn't hear his words over the myriad of questions that ran through his mind with sickening rapidity. As the shadows morphed around them and the Heartless pooled up from their depths. While the sight was something to behold, he steeled his mind and readied himself to face an unknown opponent with nothing more than the medical gown he was currently wearing.

As Tokui spoke again and mentioned holding them off and seeing the clones move to form a barrier. Shivaji could only blink a few times before turning and looking around. If he could find a scalpel he would be fine, he hoped. He wasn't entirely sure what help he could provide to the two with him, but he would be damned before he allowed himself to be dependent on someone else to save him. Looking to the other survivor he let out a chuckle as he watched her transform.

''Definitely a lot to take in. But you can't dream of faces unknown so..real it must be. Even if it should be impossible.''

He said to no one in particular as he opened a locker. A soft almost sweet and reverent 'Thank you.'" slipped from him as his eyes fell upon Haro and his gear. Rushing through his gear he found a Reason to smile, well two. As he turned back around to face the Heartless in the room with his reason in hand. He silently and without consideration to his or anyone's ears raised the long barrel pistol and pulled the trigger. Sending four shots out towards any nearby heartless. While they were kinda cute, he didn't care enough to not aim for their heads, it was too late to consider if they were in space or if the shots would work but he needed to do something. He refused to die like this, in his mobile suit, sure. But naked in the unknown with shadow demons and wizard ninjas? No, this was absolutely not the way to die. With his free hand he would tap Haro twice and grab his combat knife after he tied his suit around his waist. The teal orbs' eyes lit up after Shivaji activitied him, The chime and subsequent cheer from the robot brought some relief to Shivaji.

''Haro, find our location and then find our sleeping beauty will ya?'' Shivaji worried for a moment before he heard that cheer. '"Haro! Go, Haro Can!!'' call out from behind him and then saw the teal orb drop from the locker and roll out and off to do his own thing. Looking back to the shadows Shivaji would maintain his aim as he crouched into a combat position and raised his knife infront of him.

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

For the moment, as they were left on this large pad Luer held his bow in hand and simply laid down in the middle of the helipad and groaned. He understood to a degree that multiverse traveling was… complicated. But did it really have to involve flying so damn much? "ANNA… please… I am so very dizzy and nauseous…" The others were lucky he was not so keen to hurl right now, lest one of them be a victim of its path. He did not particularly care about what they were on, either, so while he was listening he was not paying much attention to Alande's explanation.

What he did notice was the shadows above, and eventually one daring to dive down to them. He groaned to himself again, mocking an arrow and taking aim. Hitting it would have been easy, even as disoriented as he was, but as it got close enough he felt comfortable to shoot without risking anyone or anything else noticing it, Alande charged at it. Watching the display that was whatever in the hell this man is happen, he sighed and relaxed for a moment. Was that necessary? More effort than necessary for that, he felt. He supposed this meant they could not linger here much longer, though. He rolled onto all fours with a small grunt and sighed again. "We should get moving." How and where he would leave up to the others, focusing on watching the sky for anymore unfavorable dives.

 

[The Wanderer]

Ed
Heliport - Confused but now armed

The Ogryn would nod to Alande's words, accepting what he said. "Understood, Boss. We should clear the way in case one lands. The engines can burn flesh good. Or meat." The thought of fried meat got Ed hungry. The Ogryn would begin to reach towards his pack to fetch a ration bar he had nabbed from the supply person. "Wish we had Grox leg or potatoes to peel. Good snack to have on missions." He'd ramble on about before he heard a noise above him that made Ed instinctively bring his Stubber up. Pulling the little safety lever back and cocking the gun. To Ed, it sounded like the weapon was clearing its throat. The twin-linked stubber would make short work of anything that dared to threaten the Lil'uns in his charge.

Which is when one beast made a dive for them, Alande would go for the kill and do a good job at that. The corpse dropping and didn't leave an ounce of blood. Causing Ed to get confused. He'd poke the corpse with the barrel of his gun before he'd look back up, hefting the large weapon to hold it braced and ready to fire at the moment anything else should decide to dive. Hearing the blue haired one speak, Ed would nod his head in agreement but would not take his eyes off the sky. "Yes. We should move, lil'uns. More can come." Despite his simple way, the way Ed spoke had some sense of wisdom in his words. Like he had personally dealt with big winged creatures before. "If any come down, I'll crunch them good." Was all he'd say as he'd basically follow the group like a giant guard dog.


@Amber Franklin @Wade Von Doom @PolyesterH @LenxKaitoYaoi

 

[Wade Von Doom]

~~GM~~

UP TOP:

The heartless body crashed down onto the helipad once Alande slayed it. Though it's body rested there for a few minutes, it quickly vanished into a puff of black smoke, leaving not a single trace. It certainly angered the other wyverns above, however, as the other two then began swarming down upon the team. They circled around first, analyzing them all, before sweeping in from the sides, bearing their claws to slash at their bodies and faces.

More than began to appear from out of the clouds. A whole flock of these red monsters, hungry for their hearts like vultures. When another dove down to attack, a sniper shot rang out across the open waters, striking the beast perfectly between the eyes. When it hit the ground, it again vanished into black smoke. Another shot echoed, again focused on another of the creatures. It was providing covering fire. The way down was a staircase across the helipad, leading down to a long balcony that reached halfway around the hexagon strut to a doorway leading inside. If they could evade the creatures, that was their safety.

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DOWN BELOW:

The former dwarf watched as Pip broke the glass wall between medical and quarantine, and only stood there as she approached with sword in hand. Yet, right as she was about to strike it, the heartless suddenly shrunk. It flattened itself to the ground like a piece of paper, before scurrying around her. Several more of the heartless began surrounding her, twitching and fidgeting like roaches crawling across a dirty floor. When she tried striking one, it also shrunk down to the floor, scuttling under her feet to get behind her to then expand back to size, and claw at the exposed parts of her armor.

Tokui and Shiv had better luck. The barrage of kunai struck the heartless like bee stings, some even sticking out of their bodies, but the damage wasn't enough to take them down, instead shrinking once more to avoid more kunai. They rushed to Tokui and his clones, swarming them like Pip, and sprung out to claw at their bodies when they lost sight of them behind their backs.

Shiv, on the other hand, Would have had chunks of black matter scattered about the place if the Heartless didn't vanish into smoke. A well placed shot to their head or chests took them out instantly, but yet again, they were quick to shrink before he could fire off more rounds.

With all this fighting happening, more and more Heartless were beginning to form as they swarmed the others coming out the pods. A close look would see their bodies disappear into nothing, while a glowing orb formed out their bodies and twisted itself into a dark purple. A Heartless would then form out from it. They were stealing hearts and turning them into more of these incessant creatures.

Yet, luck was on their side. To the opposite side of the room, where Pip had awaken from and broken down the glass wall, an emergency exit opened itself up. A small shaft door sprung open from the ceiling, and down came a ladder for people to climb. "Quick, get in the damn vent!" It was Randi! He was still alive!

 

[The Wanderer]

Ed
He fire da gun

Thankfully his stance and gun already aimed at the sky would make it so Ed was primed and ready for the descending monsters.

Ka-chunk-ka-chunk!


Would ring out in rapid succession in loud bangs of gunfire, Ed's gun fired in a slow yet steady volume of fire. The gun essentially firing what was .50 BMG, it would make short work of anything that got too close to those within Ed's charge. But as he was an Ogryn and even though he had the strength to wield the gun with ease, the recoil was still too much to properly zero in on the monsters that kept their distance. But for two flying beasts that got too close, they'd practically explode into mists of black. Making Ed sad somewhat as there wasn't a mist of gore that he was used to. But at least the others would be safe as he would herd them towards the staircase as he continued to fire upon the beasts in the air.

@Wade Von Doom @PolyesterH @Amber Franklin @LenxKaitoYaoi

 

[Amber Franklin]

Dominique Moon/Vaudeville - Played by Amber Franklin

Their command of the teleportation mechanism was somewhat imperfect why Vaudeville appears in the same greenlight on the helipad as the others, but only after the winged creatures start their attack. At first, she looks out at the ocean that surrounds their destination and has a deep inhale of the air. The Pathfinder is a remarkable place, but even its advanced technology could not replicate the real feel and smell of this ocean. Just as she muses how it would be nice to go for a swim, the symbiote makes her aware of something diving for her.

The Wyvern that had intended to devour the human heart at the nougaty center of the symbiote, would be impaled through the mouth by a golden tendril that extends from her right arm. It no sooner poofs into nothing than Vaudeville extends her arms and they form into a pair of large draconic wings.

"I got air cover! Harpy mode activated!" Vaudeville announces to her team and leaps up into the air from a standing position; she beats the wings to take flight. Her feet become talons, and she uses them to tear apart a Wyvern that was going for Luer while he was aiming at another in a different direction. Ed nearly clips her with his gunfire, earning a squawk of indignation from her.

"Hey big guy! Watch the crossfire!" She yells down at Ed when swooping close enough for him to hear.

Vaudeville circles the air around the team as they move towards that door, ready to intercept wyverns midair to their prey or tear apart any that come for her. She also keeps her senses tuned to catch where their sniper cover was coming from.

 

[rissa]

The Grail Warden, Pip

WITHIN THE SHELL @Wade Von Doom @Valkan @The Lotus Archives


What the…?

Pip stared, stuck somewhere between shock, amusement, and horror. It was like being back in the World Between with Amere's VR set over her eyes, playing a game of whack-a-mole. Pip was fast, strong too, but that didn't matter when the creatures were quicker than you— and could make themselves as flat as a sheet of paper. Twisting on her heel, Pip… danced. Light on her feet, bobbing and weaving through the shadows and their tiny little claws. She eventually gave up on her broadsword and waited the ten impossibly long heartbeats to transform it into a khukuri. It was smaller, quicker, and gave her more room to maneuver around the pods.

She lashed out lightning fast, in an attempt to squish one of the shadow creatures with her shield— but once again it was too fast, too quick to transform and flit away. Pip barked out a laugh, weaving through the kunai and bullets that were actually managing to damage them. It took a second (and more than a few landed attacks) for her to fall into a rhythm; she'd gather and round them up while the men in the other room killed them dead.

Teamwork sure does make the dream work, Pip thought to herself with a grunt, kicking off a shadow that managed to latch on to her greaves. That's when she heard it; a clink of metal and a voice off to her left— unfamiliar, surely, but definitely friendly. Pip signaled to the defenders in the med-bay and called out to the twenty or so folks who, like her, had just finished falling.

"Get up and get out! I'll keep 'em busy. Go!"

 

[Wade Von Doom]

ABOVE:

While flying above, Vaud would get a good idea of where these creatures were coming from. The seagulls. As they tried flying away, a wyvern would snatch one up in their jaws; devouring their bodies whole. Yet, a tiny, soft glow would escape their bodies and hover in the air briefly, before then morphing into a black void of darkness, and out popped yet another of these flying beasts.

There were dozens of seagulls on this massive barge, with plenty more wyverns to form. But that wasn't the worst of their problems. When they started going down the stairs, the faint sound of jet engines could be heard under the roars of the flying monsters. It began growing louder and louder, until flying out the fog it came.

​

It was going full speed towards them like a harrier jet, firing directly at Vaud with a barrage of blasts. The wyverns moved instinctively out of its oncoming path, with one landing at the bottom of the stairs to trap the team, and another charging at them from the side.

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BELOW

In her brief moment to order the others to escape, another heartless creature jumped out from behind her; intend on clawing at her exposed neck. But, right before it struck, a fist struck the tiny black creature's face, sending it flying across the room. A young man, around Pip's age, still wearing his gown. His hair was as grey as an old man's, and his eyes silver as a steel sword. While the gown covered up his torso and most of his legs, she could still see how heavily scarred he was along his arms and feet.

Cut marks that looked decades older than he looked, bruises and skin abrasions that discolored his already pale skin. He was a battered and beaten young man. Without saying a word, he went charging towards the lockers where the others stuff was, but the room was pouring with Heartless now.

​