MISSION: BRASS DEVIL, PART 2

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   2 . 2

INTRO • IT'S SHOWTIME • A LITTLE PARTY NEVER... • HEIST IT UP • THE DEVIL'S GOT RED EYES • FYI

// INTRO.  

Having spent some time to gather information about each of the families, learn about the history of Braccia, and agree upon the secret location of the Orb in this city, now has come the time for the Orbers to put their strategies into action. Through some fairly impressive in cognito antics while maintaining their respective covers, the Orbers will have split into different factions to help with the ultimate goal: retrieve the orb.

Orbers from Lionetta have decided to organize a distraction and gather as many of their fellow Lionetta members away from the headquarters as possible. Orbers from Featherstone, led by Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, and River Song, have slowly been pilfering and assembling some of the weaponry and helpful tech. And Orbers from the Ti’shaaz have slowly been adding fuel to the family drama, stoking the flames between the Ti’shaaz and Lionetta families in hopes of invoking a battle on the same night as the planned heist.

Everyone has a good feeling about the work that they’ve done, the collaborative efforts that have brought them to the climax of their time on Braccia. But the night is still young, and there are many things that could go wrong if there is one misstep, one cog out of place in this seemingly well-oiled machine. It is imperative that every Orber pulls their weight in order for the retrieval to go successfully. But that shouldn’t be a problem, right?

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// PART I.IT'S SHOWTIME  

Eventually, the time for preparations is over — the team has to make their move. The orb is waiting for them on the highest floor of the Lionetta main headquarters… all they have to do is get in.

1.0   Several different smaller teams decide to head into the old mines that lie beneath the surface of Braccia’s hustle and bustle. Those who decide to utilise the entrances further away from the Lionetta HQ, in the hopes of using paths less traveled and making it there unnoticed, will find that their journey leads them into complete darkness. Be sure to watch your steps — as the tunnels you take along here are ones that have been long since abandoned; there are pitfalls where the rock has crumbled away, leaving nothing but a chasm behind. There are also crumbling walkways and rotten wood that sag and give out from underneath your feet when you least expect it.

Aside from that though, there are no purposeful traps laid out — nothing visible to your eyes to stop you from advancing.

For those who decide to use the lit pathway leading straight from the headquarters to the fountain and the back alley behind Cherry on Top — well, at least you’ll be able to see where you’re going! However, the first thing you’ll notice are the blinking red lights of security cameras deliberately planted along the pathway … and for those who are not Lionetta, it may get uncomfortable, real fast. There are traps set along the way that only activate if the person trying to walk past is not a Lionetta member. Sharp blades might suddenly drop down on you from above. Spikes may burst out of from the ground like killer daisies. And a part of the pathway that you’re on could break into neat square pieces beneath your feet, crumbling away until you’re falling into nothingness.

Irregardless of which perilous road the Orbers choose to take, you will all eventually be led towards the same location: a golden door stands before them, the words For a better future carved into its surface. And if any of you happen to have a key (or a copy of it) like the one that Jim and Finn found, it’s to your benefit that it fits the lock perfectly. There’s nothing left but to go through, right?

2.0   The mines are not the only way in, of course: anyone with an official badge like the one that Kovacs managed to snag on a night out will have access to the elevator and will be able to call it to ground level, as well as take it up to the walkway. Or go straight to the walkway itself, and you’ll be able to boldly enter through the front doors as anyone with a badge has very little reason to be questioned … for now, anyway.

3.0   Meanwhile, An’alya has been mobilising members of the Ti’shaaz family against the Lionetta and are currently hard at work targeting the magical barrier that surrounds the Lionetta HQ. Eventually, those working at the barriers will begin to feel the magic within them weaken and crumble away in a slow but satisfying moment of victory. This weakened security allows Orbers with teleportation abilities to simply zip themselves inside — and perhaps with a few passengers in tow! Rhysand will have one lizard-shaped passenger alongside him already — An’alya herself has taken the first opportunity she could, leading the charge as she scuttles forward immediately upon entry, leaving the others to follow in her wake.

But while those teleporting in may have it easy, it’s hard to know where to teleport — you’d better hope that it isn’t in the middle of a guard shift change, or the guards’ break room, or a room locked from the outside ...

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// PART II.A LITTLE PARTY NEVER KILLED NOBODY  

A couple of days before the party, a word-of-mouth invitation begins to travel through the members of the Lionetta family about a speakeasy party with food, drink, and most of all: music. The evening is meant to boost morale and bring the family together, pulling both HQs (lower and main) into an event that has little to do with their daily lives and their grueling jobs. Here they can regale each other with their loyalty and bond to their family; to remember the good times as it were. The party venue occupies the entire ground floor of a building nestled among other bars and clubs of what has fondly been referred to as the ‘entertainment district’. No other signage on the exterior of the building indicates that anything special is happening as the event is very much exclusive.

4.0   When you enter the hall, it’s to the sound of brass and percussion and a male’s singing voice to the tune of something you might have heard before. The makeshift stage is set with speakers and lights and a place for a band to really show the room what they’re made of. There are drinks and bits of food and a small crowd of people have already gathered to enjoy the festivities with a greater crowd expected to fill the room for a good time. It might not be anything to the level of Cheri’s birthday gala, particularly when the theme of the party is to celebrate Lionetta, but it’s an impressive feat all the same and the people here have been promised a good time.

Newly recruited member, Newt, is on stage behind a piano with a couple of other locals not associated with any family in particular who have all had to quickly (but enthusiastically) learn a new set of songs for the evening, music from ‘far away cities’. Joined on stage by another new recruit is The Doctor (11) who has a microphone in one hand and appears to be crooning a rather unrecognizable (by this world’s standards) tune. If you spent any time on Earth during the 1980s, you might recognize it though. It’s very catchy.

5.0   The evening seems to go without a hitch, attracting a large part of the Lionetta family to join the festivities through word of mouth. Everyone is just here to have a good time! As the crowd grows, Majima can be found on the floor keeping the party going by refilling the glasses of family members, while making sure no one gets just a little too out of hand. The music continues, the chatter grows louder, and the laughs and sloppy dancing increases with the hours. Sometime after midnight, when the hours feel a little late, you might find some of the Lionetta members trying to tap into their communications devices with the slow and sloppy realization that they haven’t been operating for … how long has it even been? A while now, right? Some of the members can be found shuffling out of the party in confusion, while others shrug a shoulder and go back to the festivities. Suddenly, someone comes back into the room and yells:

’What the fuck’s going on here? My car’s been tampered with! Can anyone else get to HQ? My goddamned comms won’t work.’

There is a flurry of panicked confusion and Lionetta members pausing in their drinking and dancing to check whether what’s been shouted is true. It looks like the ruse might be up. Will you pretend to be like the rest of the family and act accordingly? Confused and unaware of the plot you’ve cooked up? Or will you come clean and try to find an escape route — perhaps helped by those who, on the outside, have been hard at work making sure the cars aren't in driveable condition.

6.0   As if things hadn’t been chaotic enough, all members of the Lionetta family, including any Lionetta Orbers, will hear a sharp, piercing static crackle through your communications devices as Lionetta members seem to have finally found a way to hack their way through the comms-blocking tech that had been keeping them out. Olexa’s voice cuts in and out and it’s clear she’s been trying to reach her family for a few minutes now. Harsh and commanding, there’s a moment of steady audio that comes through every device in the room as Olexa speaks:

OLEXA

— I repeat, Lionetta HQ is under a goddamned attack! The Ti’shaaz have infiltrated, and they are looking to attack any one of our family members. Arm yourselves, protect our headquarters!

If you haven’t made a decision to stay or leave just yet, you’ll find yourself trapped with the other Lionetta as the doors crash open and colourful blasts of magic are aimed at the partygoers and ricochet off of the venue space. Robed members of the Ti’shaaz family crowd the entrance and start to filter in, officially crashing the party and ending the festivities with violence. The Lionetta, however, won’t be cowed to submission and they quickly gather their wits about them to fight back, throwing punches and swinging kicks to try and disarm the other family, dodging their magical strikes.

Here you have a few options: whether you’re Lionetta or Ti’shaaz, you can stay and fight and keep members of both families occupied, or you can find a way out to join your fellow Orbers at Lionetta’s main HQ for the heist.

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// PART III.HEIST IT UP  

7.0   The smaller team that make it inside first will be the one to hit the control room, revealed in the blueprints to be located on the 20th floor — and whether by teleportation or entry by badge, they are let in through the door… but the room is far from empty. There’s an awkward split second as you exchange glances with the guards inside, and then they come charging for you. When the guards have been incapacitated in whatever manner the team deems fit (depending on their level of thirst for blood), they’ll quickly have the opportunity to get the rest of the team in position for the remainder of the heist. Those with a talent for hacking will be able to access the security system without too much difficulty, shutting the cameras off, or programming them on a loop that should hopefully fool anyone looking at the footage elsewhere.

8.0   However, as the other Orbers slowly begin to infiltrate the headquarters, now unseen by any cameras, an alarm blares out, loud and insistent. It seems that the use of the stolen badge has finally been registered and the family have been alerted. Evgen, the officer who the badge belonged to, had immediately reported the missing identification … and unfortunately its use has instantly triggered the alarm system. Oops.

Lionetta officers begin to swarm the hallways and the elevator will immediately shut down (hopefully you’re not inside it as it stops between Level 13 and 14!), so the only way to move forward now is by foot.

Those on the lower floors will find that while there are no traps set in the hallways, the space is now filled with Lionetta guards and officers, all armed with a myriad of weapons: standard issue guns, certainly, but also stun guns, revolvers with bullets that have been enchanted to follow their target, and staves and knives with energy blades that crackle and glow with white light. A number of the officers here are also highly competent in hand-to-hand combat — and though some, like Petra and Mikaela, might be dressed in attire more suited for a party than a battle, they shouldn’t be underestimated. Without effort, they can (and will) make a hair pin, a brooch, or a stiletto heel a deadly weapon. Officers who have familiarity with any of the Lionetta Orbers will advance with an especially personal viciousness — traitors, after all, are not kindly looked upon and deserve the worst punishments.

9.0   In contrast to the lower levels, Orbers on the 20th floor and upwards seem to be herded into a narrow hallway with only one direction: forward. At the end of the path is a set of stairs leading to the next level up and onward, each ascension designed to be slow and deliberate with the flight of steps on alternating sides of the building. The only way to get there is to cross the length of the floor’s footprint.

From Level 20-23, guards and officers meet you in a battle round.

On Level 24 the floor is suspiciously devoid of anyone. Before you can think to turn back, every entrance is sealed with heavy, reinforced steel walls, and a roar that reminds you of the ocean sends a prickle up the length of your spine as the entire floor begins to flood with water. Slowly but surely, it rushes in from all sides to fill the space and unless you have the ability to grow gills … how will you escape? Maybe the how doesn’t matter — only that you do.

On the 25th floor, it becomes apparent to you that the air has a slightly luminous, greenish tint to it … but by the time you open your mouth to warn the others, it’s already in your lungs. It won’t take long before you begin to imagine enemies all around you: sudden attacks are coming out of nowhere, guards aiming their guns at you, alien creatures from the fighting ring snapping their jaws and throwing kicks and punches, clawed fingers trying to grasp at your face. You lash out at them in desperation — and, unfortunately, whoever is in their place in reality.

If you happen to make it past Level 25 unscathed, perhaps breathing in the gaseous substance on Level 26 will be what affects you: pouring out from pin-pricked holes in the walls like pores and colouring the air purple, its potency is much greater than the green mist from the previous floor. Instead of enemies, you are surrounded by the people you miss from home, those who might have been passed in your timeline. They ask you to stay with them, plead with you that they’re worried what might happen if you keep going — they murmur, please, just stay with me here and I’ve missed you so much. From an outside perspective, the sight won’t be so heartwarming: anyone observing you with a clear mind will notice a light purplish frost has started to cover your skin as though slowly encasing you in its substance …

With the aid of magic, air bubbles, or the antidote carefully nicked from the Featherstones, you somehow manage past the deadly, magical traps … only the dangers are hardly over. On Levels 27 and 28 sharp, red laser lines that criss-cross the hallways fill the remainder of the room — only those truly confident in their skill and agility can make it across unassisted. For the less coordinated, however, there is still hope: maybe you are one of the Featherstones and were equipped with the reflection tech made specifically for a situation like this one … or, if you can quickly gain contact (use that network!) with the others in the control room, they can do something about these lasers — if they aren’t still occupied with the Lionetta officers currently trying to take their control room back, anyway.

Finally, making it to the second-to-highest level, you will come face to face with two giant dog-like creatures… with glittering collars around their necks, each with a small tag to identify them. They are Ursa and Altair, respectively. Surely you were prepared for this, right? If you’re a Lionetta, you may be familiar with the alien-dogs and have a better chance of getting past them. If you dare to approach, however, you’ll notice that the ground surrounding them is a crimson mess of fresh blood. They’ve clearly had their dinner already… and the eager looks in their eyes can only be read as such: are you going to be their dessert?

Past the dogs and their matted fur and sharp teeth, there lies the entrance to the top floor — an entrance that only opens through facial recognition … strange, however is the scaly frost that has spread all over the scanner, leaving it non-functional — and the door… wide open.

TOP

// PART IV.THE DEVIL'S GOT RED EYES  

As the two Orbers who have managed to make it before the others sneak towards the door and the stairs that lead up, they will hear two voices: female, both of them, one strained and quiet, like speaking is a struggle; the other, lilting and sugar-sweet.

● ● ●

“So, you’ve been running all this all along?”

“Why yes. Never crossed your pretty head, did it? My Lexie’s been doing such a wonderful job, you see, no wonder you were fooled. And now you’re going to die for it… just like Dnria.”

The two Orbers continue to creep towards the open door, careful not to be heard or detected. It’ll be a strange scene that opens towards them: a dark office, wooden floors looking far older than the building itself must be — expensive furniture, and all of it is lit with a red glow.

In the middle of it all —

“Just like Dnria H’ia? Ha… what an honour, to die like her. Bested by the same person. Ti’shaaz was right to be wary of you, Ruvia.”

An’alya lies on the floor, eyes blood-shot, a trickle of blood staining the side of her mouth. She’s trembling, breathing heavily, like behind every breath is unimaginable pain.

“Oh, honey, don’t think I gave you permission to call me by that nickname. It’s Cheruvia to you.”

Next to An’alya, her red eyes glowing just as bright as the round object that orbits her head in a slow circle, is Cheri...

… or perhaps that should be rephrased. Next to the fallen gang leader stands not the sweet, cheerful club owner, but Ruvia Alonetti: the owner of the Braccia orb, and the founder of the Lionetta family.

Whatever you do next… it's best to be careful. It will crucial to have a plan — because somehow that orb needs to leave this room with you.

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F Y I

• The events in this log take place ICly during one evening, but OOCly it spans the first two weeks of October.

• The ultimate conclusion of the mission and the return to the station will be posted on October 16.

• If you have questions about anything in this log, please direct them HERE.

• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪

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▶ NAV

Comments

questions

[ximilian]

For any questions regarding the events or information on this log, ask them here.

[kovach]

hey mods! ♥ thanks for the opportunity of snatching that orb. thanks, rng gods, for believing in a meaty brute to get this done.

some questions for the log!

1. setting questions! are there any notable entry/exit points to the office aside from the door they enter from? windows, etc.? how large is it to move around in? i.e. is it big enough that if someone isn't looking at the door, someone could potentially sneak in without being noticed? with those wooden floor being so old, do they squeak at all when being walked on?

2. aside from her evil vibes and glowing red eyes, what else is immediately visibly evident about cheri? does she carry anything that could appear like a weapon? does she have any blood on her? does an'alya have any other notable wounds that could be seen aside from the blood trickle on her mouth?

thanks!

[bijective]

Yo! Thanks again for putting all this together!!

1.) This one is more for clarification — Since Parts I & II are happening simultaneously, are we assuming that the Orbers infiltrating HQ (post-party attack) are within the second wave? If so, does the second wave have similar access to either the dark or lit tunnels?

2.) A follow-up to #1 — How heavily guarded is the control room at this stage? Or is that contingent on who (from the Orbers’ side) is standing guard there?

apologies in advance if I'm misreading anything on my end! just want to make sure before I go sinking my teeth into stuff.

[spacedisaster]

Hi mods!

Peter has his retractable helmet (That he might lend to Peter Parker or Kovacs later) that allows him to see in the dark, breathe both in space and underwater. He will be wearing it since the dark mines and if he gets trapped in floor 24 with the water, my best guess is that should keep him alive. But my question is how to go from there.

Are there any visible mechanisms in the room to be tampered with so the chars can open the doors? Does it just fill with water up to the top, and that's it, it tries to drown them? Can the sealed doors be blown up with explosives?

I also have a bunch of questions about the lasers on floor 27/28:

Are they just light ones, like in Ocean's 12, or more like a Resident Evil deadly laser grid that will cut anything that gets in contact with it? I'm guessing normal lasers but asking to be sure.

If a laser is touched, an alarm starts going on, or is it traps/the room gets sealed?

Is there a visible panel/mechanism in the room to deactivate the lasers?

Would any of the tech Tony, Bucky, and River stole help against the lasers?

If a mirror is used, would that help deflect them?

These ones feels like particular difficult floors out of the movie CUBE, but super fun to play out too. It's only that I don't want to godmod by accident because I don't have all the info and I'm making the wrong assumptions.

[morethan084]

Hey mods! Quick question. On level 24, would Daisy be able to use her powers to break apart the steel walls?

NPC thread: CLOSED TO KOVACS (@kovach) AND PETER PARKER (@webdesigned)

[ximilian]

(following the log)

Next to the fallen gang leader stands not the sweet, cheerful club owner, but Ruvia Alonetti: the owner of the Braccia orb, and the founder of the Lionetta family.

Whatever you do next… it's best to be careful. It will crucial to have a plan — because somehow that orb needs to leave this room with you.

[kovach]

[ they need a plan, that much is pretty clear, so without much hesitation, kovacs makes the initial call: if anyone's going to be getting that orb, it's going to be peter, and as for him — well, he can do the kind of thing he does best. it's not like it'll be his first time dealing with ageless assholes tearing down anyone to maintain their power. getting rid of people like that is the reason he even still exists at all. cheri — or whatever the fuck her name is — she's just another asshole.

nodding his head to peter, he takes a breath, turning his heel on the ground and entering the room, slow and careful, leaving his friend behind to remain in hiding. his own appearance is a mess from his journey in getting up here, dress shirt ripped in places from taking part in a number of fights, trenchcoat long since lost when he'd had to escape flooding waters, blood stains in more than a few places.

but on the plus side, in reaching into his shirt pocket, he's still got a carton of smokes, box slightly soggy but cigarettes only vaguely damp that they'll still burn. pulling one out, he plucks it into his mouth. ]

Kind of fucked up, isn't it? [ he speaks out clearly, just loud enough to get her attention, but maintains a calm tone, more like he's intrigued by the scene rather than alert. casually, he pulls out a box of matches from his same shirt pocket. ] Thought you were the lady all about peace and love between families and shit. [ his eyes look to an'alya on the floor, evidently still bleeding from her mouth. hard to tell if she'll make it at all. considering he isn't even sure if he'll get out of this, he doubts he could do anything for her. ] She must've really pissed you off.

soldier blue | ti'shaaz | ota

[firstroar]

tl;dr: primarily here as a support/aid via psionic shit; power breakdown + permissions here as needed

I.1.0 - mines
Unfortunately, the pale blue glow that blossoms and grows into the shape of Blue is not true light - not light that can cast a glow in this dark place. His figure does not reveal the hidden shapes and silhouettes of the pathway some of the Orbers have chosen to take. Likewise, the "light" of the presence of said Orbers casts no glow in turn; he is as blind as those within are...

...Or not! For those who can see in this darkness can lend some notion to what there is to be seen, should Blue need to borrow a glimpse.

That said, it's really hard to ease in to appearance to those already on their way, save for a few soft, telepathic words:

I'm only here to help - to make sure you can make your way through safely.

Which means if he senses someone beginning to panic from a sudden loss of balance, he will hard-focus on that person and use some telekinesis to keep them upright, even afloat, to spare them a sudden drop - just long enough to get their footing. Hopefully he has a chance to make himself known before that dramatic turn, but if not, well...we adapt! As one must.

Don't panic! I have you...


II.4.0 - speakeasy, upper & lower floors
Majima's made sure there's a place for Blue's body to rest safely while the work is done, but it's likely other trusted Orbers know the room upstairs is safe as well. Blue is at rest in a chair, often slumped as though he were dead asleep, but periodically his mind snaps back and he startles with a sharp breath and a fluttering of his eyes.

"Ah..." He needs a moment to catch his breath, slowly shifting from the uncomfortable slouch, and lift his head to get his bearings before realizing someone else may be there.

In the party, more mindful Orbers may spy the red-eyed specter drifting amongst the Lionetta partygoers. Periodically, he stops, fixing on a particular person or cluster of them, eyes gleaming as he tries to glean information from them...

...only for those eyes to fix on the Orber who may have noticed him.


II.6.0 - speakeasy, family fight
Things have escalated quite quickly. Once the jig's up, Blue's mental projection draws away from the Lionetta targets as Ti'Shaaz members rush in. Picking a side between these two would be foolish: Blue has to make sure those Orbers still remaining are safe.

Here and there, a bullet or magic dart is stopped just shy of making its mark on someone, a honeycombed barrier glimmering just as it catches the projectiles, and just as quickly drops.

Keep moving, his thoughts will ring in, a ghostly hand touching whomever he's just saved. I'll cover your escape.

But who will cover him? His body is upstairs, still dormant. As things go on, some of the Lionetta members looking for an alternate route out try their luck finding a fire escape upstairs. Blue, clad in Ti'Shaaz robes, will be easy pickings.

When rough hands grasp onto his physical, the specter of Blue flinches, conveying a pulse of distress before flickering and vanishing. The psionic recon is over, one way or another...

I.1.0

[hatejakku]

When Finn hears Blue's voice in his head, he immediately begins to look around as if he could see him. Even if he wasn't in the pitch darkness of the mine, he's still very much blind. All the same, he hadn't sensed Blue with them, so the sudden voice throws him off.

And just like that, he's too distracted to notice the new hole beneath his feet. Finn EEP!s, spins his arms around, but is ultimately set right by Blue.

Thanks. Finn stops for a moment to take a breath. I can't sense you. Are you okay?

II.6.0 - speakeasy, family fight

[hikae]

[ When the gang war started it was a perfect time to leave the stage. However, a performance manager can't leave before the staff does, so between busting heads, Majima directed Orbers in need through the safe passages that were left. Use these door, that corridor there, joining in the covering the team's retreat. Eventually, he slithers out of the club main hall, running up the stairs, still high on adrenaline and pure, well, excitement.

Violence does make his blood sing, but he remains focused on the mission.

The door to Blue's safe room is unlocked and that's an immediate red alarm blasting in Majima's head. He rushes in, finding one of the Lionetta's men grabbing Blue by his arm— Hell, if he'd think hard enough he could still match the face to some name of Lionetta's officer. Fortunately, it was the one who participated in drinking tonight ]

Don't ya dare put yer hands on him— !

[ Without thinking Majima pushes the officer away, before even checking for any concealed weapons he might have at hand. Everything to put a distance between the two, create a space he can immediately occupy. ]

Tsk, sir. Party is happenin' downstairs. [ Majima says mockingly, but the nervous glance he shoots at Blue betrays his concern. Thing is, he doesn't really have an eye to spare and can't let the enemy leave his field of vision. He turns his head just slightly, just enough to have Blue in his limited peripheral vision ] Yer okay there?

Edward Elric l Fullmetal Alchemist

[chrysology]

6.0

[Ed's wanting to help somehow. Even if he isn't with the Lionetta with easier access to the orb in comparison. So naturally he shows up to help be a distraction, to help fight and further cause chaos. He's never been one to back down. Except that one time with Scar but he figures none of these people would be familiar enough with his auto-mail on the other end that they could actually (hopefully not!) destroy it like that. So he's getting right in the thick of it.

By basically yelling loudly and punching and kicking at those around him that aren't Orbers and weren't with his family with the robes. He will be using his alchemy to create a blade from his auto-mail, but never aims to kill. Is more aiming to be a distraction, to simply hurt but not kill anyone. To protect those he is fighting alongside by occasionally clapping his hands and slamming them to the ground to create a sudden barrier from the floor to protect them from an oncoming attack. Or even just straight up attempting to get between the Orber and their attacker, in attempting to block the hit with his auto-mail arm. Whether the Orber is aware of his prosthetics under the robes though, it may be concerning and confusing for them initially.]

You okay?

9.0

Water:

Wate -- shit. I can't swim!

[Ed. Can't swim. Not with his auto-mail. With that added weight. So he's definitely going to struggle with this particular trap. Try as he might in knowing how to swim, physically attempting with the movements, but not being able to properly do so in reaching the surface as it fills up higher and higher due to the weight of his prosthetic arm and leg. Even if this particular colder climate model of auto-mail was lighter in comparison that didn't mean it wasn't still heavier than a regular flesh limb. It weights him down that he won't manage to keep his head up if it rises above his height he can stand up in.]

Seeing Loved Ones

[There were so many back home he had lost. So many he just generally missed, even if back home they were still alive and waiting for him. But that doesn't mean he's expecting this. To see them before him like this. His mother. Nina. Hughes. Even Al and Winry. All holding out their arms to him and telling him to stay, that they missed him.

Sure, he had memories of his mother that were similar, from when he was younger. But this was different. The first time in years he is seeing her like this without having dealt with nightmares. With her blaming him for what happened, with her appearance changing to that thing they brought back when they attempted to see her smile again. And Hughes. He always blamed himself since finding out what happened. That Hughes was killed while looking into things trying to help the brothers. And Nina.....he'd never forget her. The guilt that he never picked up on what was going on in time there either.

He breaks, ignoring or simply unable to hear if his team mates were concerned over him as he drops to his knees. Crying and apologizing.]

9.0 - water

[cruelyethuman]

[It's been horrible, the walk through every level to find the orb. To find the salvation to his problems, but the Darkling keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

He has felled too many guards to count, most were blinded to spare the lives as he crossed through one hallway or the other in a group of people who might not think too kindly on watching every living thing be Cut down.

Had dragged himself through traps that seemed set by children, and those that might have been designed by torturers. Shu Han scientists come to mind.

But he made it this far, 24 levels above the ground floor. But he's not alone. As soon as he clears the doorway, something huge and metallic slam down, barring the only way in as water rushes past his feet.]

You can't- swim.

[He knows this boy, the straw-colored hair and the artificial hand poking out from under the clothes he's wearing.]

Your Science. Can you use it here?

Newton Geiszler | Pacific Rim | Lionetta HQ / Speakeasy / Ambush

[groupiedrifter]

I. A Prelude to A Speakeasy | Lionetta HQ or Club / Speakeasy (Preparation)

[Days prior to the heist, Newton prepares that Lionetta shindig with maybe the most caution he's ever managed (without failing at said caution; a miracle!). Set lists, easy convincing, a cute little band he's compiled from some really lovely people from his favorite clubs to perform at; yeah...! Yeah, he's got this! Sure, the thought of putting it all on and trying to get it to go off without a hitch is making his head hurt, but he's got lots of really capable folks from the Ximilia helping him, too. Things are gonna be fine. Absolutely fine.

What's maybe a little less fine is that he's been kind of cloudy-headed ever since his drunken talk with Herm after that fancy gala; nothing super serious or anything, but he's felt off. Sometimes he loses track of time here and there, and other times he just feels discomforted while he's lying in his bed, or he'll forget something from a set list and sheepishly apologize to the club he's working at. Maybe it's like that song by AWOLNATION — 'Blame it on my ADD, baby!'

Lot to think about. Anyway.

The day of the heist, he's happy to report his head is way clear now (if not aching like a bitch), and he's in fact hyperfocused as he bosses around his fellow orber with love; anyone who is here to help set up, god bless and godspeed. Decorations ain't gonna get themselves up! The stage isn't done! We've gotta get more chairs! Way more chairs! Oodles of chairs!

Somwhere in the boss-arounding, he tastes blood running from the back of his nasal cavity, and curses under his breath before he pinches his nose and leans forward, trying not to stain his button-up shirt like he's accidentally done before. Glancing aside, he gestures to the person in his periphery.]

Hey! Sorry, you got a handkerchief? Dry air, man. My nasal membrane is screaming at me.

II. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody | Club / Speakeasy



[An established set-list, with requests more than welcome, of course:

I Love Rock N' Roll by Joan Jett, Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper, Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio by Duran Duran, Body Talks by The Struts — actually, a few songs by The Struts, because who doesn't love The goddamn Struts?? Tainted Love and Are You Gonna Be My Girl are bops that get involved, too, and Greta Van Fleet gets a little coverage before he slips in some jazzy covers of Studio Killers; who in their right mind wouldn't want to hear a swing-styled rendition of Ode to Bouncer, I ask you? It pains him not to start in on some grungy rock n' punk, but he also is self-aware enough to know the Lionetta would probably stare at him like he grew an extra head.

Newt switches between piano and guitar, depending, content to leave the lovely gal from the club down the street to croon some choice melodies; they practiced a lot to get these, uh... 'songs from cities across the river' done just right. Maybe you'd like to join in, though? He's not about to turn down some karaoke for those who have the brass balls. All the while, Newt kind of loses himself in the work for a while; kinda... forgets a bit, that they're even on a mission. There's lights, there's cheering and glasses tinking together, there's a sense of togetherness that washes over the speakeasy. The only time he comes back to reality is when he switches his earpiece on between songs and hears the careful planning and conversation amongst the Ximilia crew.

Ah. Right. This is a mission.

Either way, before and after playing, he's happily hopping down off the stage to come up and greet the local Lionetta and his Orbers alike.]

If anyone's got a request, you better speak now or forever hold your peace!

... And it'll cost you! I need a sip of whatever you've got in that glass!

III. A Little Ambush Might Kill Somebody | Club / Speakeasy



[Newton's on stage when the comms devices make a terrible noise in his ear; it stops him from playing the piano any further, and he moves to stand and make his way over to the mic. There's a sense of growing unease that certainly rips him right out of how he'd felt earlier, and he swallows hard; well, he can't fix this, but he could only hope that their plan worked well enough to get their other chunk of the crew closer to the orb with less obstacles. His fellow musician is wisely exiting as he holds up his hands and gestures placatingly.]

Hang on, hang on! Nobody panic. We're gonna figure this out, just —

[He doesn't know what exactly to say in that moment, but he apparently won't need to speak any further. The doors suddenly burst open to reveal the Ti’shaaz family, with magical energy emitting from their hands — crackling lightning, licking flames, gusts of uncomfortable wind — and Newton flinches, meets the hardened gaze of one of the men in the front, and grips the amulet Sam had given him that dangles off his neck just before a wall of fire blasts through the front stage.

He stumbles backward as the amulet does its job of shielding him from harm... aaaand haphazardly trips off the back edge of the platform in panic and incoordination. The poor fellow has fallen on his ass hard in his hurry to get out of the line of attack, but he is miraculously unscathed and crawling backward from the half-smoldered stage he'd been standing on moments before. If he weren't so alarmed and ill-prepared for whatever happens next, he'd be mourning the fact that his protective bubble didn't shield the piano, which is now absolutely on fire.

Whatever the case, hopefully the guy who tried to turn him to ash isn't looking around for a little kaiju groupie to finish off.]

IV. Hollywood, Baby! | Club / Speakeasy



[Or — if you prefer — Newton pops up later from behind the bar like a creature in whack-a-mole, specifically to smash a liquor bottle over someone's head before they can cast some kind of violent spellwork on you. The Ti’shaaz family member crumples to the ground, and Newt leans over the counter to watch them go down all slow-and-dramatic-like.

Looking up with a short but sure grin, he says with breathy weariness:] Like out of a Hollywood blockbuster, huh?!

[He smells a bit of smoke, but other than a few scrapes or bruises, he seems to be getting along pretty well.

Someone's gotta be, in case you guys get yourselves seriously hurt! Sheesh.

(He's not a medical doctor, guys, but he'll help where he can; just don't get yourselves killed!)]

V. Wildcard

[You got something you wanna plan out that doesn't quite fit? Wanna do something that happens before the heist, squeezing in some CR, etc.? Just hit me up via PM or by simpledog.]

III

[coordination]

[ The Ti'shaaz member who targeted Newton does in fact seem to still have his eyes on him. But this is where Yzak steps in - subtly of course because he was one of the many magic users that broke in to ruin the fun. No fellow Ti'shaaz would get in the way of one of their comrades!

But this is Newton being targeted, and Yzak's aim here is to take action in a way that doesn't seem off or suspicious but also keeps his priority on his own teammates.

There's magic, bullets and everything in between flying every which way, so it certainly doesn't seem on purpose that when Yzak deflects an attack aimed at him, it just so happens to ricochet and directly whack the Ti'shaaz going after Newton in the back of his head. The man lets out a yelp and crumples to the ground. ]

Shit!

[ Yzak exclaims, in case anybody else from Ti'shaaz happened to see that. You know, for that extra bit of acting flair. As if he gives a shit. ]

Kaidan Alenko | Mass Effect

[majorbiotic]

1.1 Lit Mine Path

[Ever since he learned about the mines that were directly under Lionetta's headquarters, Kaidan had wanted to check them out. He was taking it on good faith that the party distraction was going well as he headed to the entrance they found on the maps. It was hard to miss thanks to the fountain, and he was sure there were going to be obstacles in the way. It was a dangerous mission to be sure but whether it worked as another distraction or a way inside, he was going down there.

He knew other Orbers had a simillar idea so he would wait to see how many others would come to this entrance. Kaidan wanted to be sure he was where he would be the most helpful]

iii. Heist is Up

[ooc: I'm going to leave this mostly open for people to tag in if they want tech, biotic, or extraction support from Kaidan. So this is more of a wildcard for any fighting your character might need support for, or if they get injured and you want help from Kaidan getting them out of HQ. Poke me on seraphjewel if you want to plot it out first!]

mine path

[winscenario]

[ Jim isn't at all surprised to spot Kaidan approaching the fountain. He's been keeping himself hidden in a nearby shadow, and he steps out carefully as Kaidan comes closer, giving him ample time and opportunity to see him there and not be startled. ]

Guessing we're both here for the same thing.

[ He nods to the fountain. ] Let's go?

Finn | Closed to Peter & Jim

[hatejakku]

[ He probably shouldn't even be down here, had kind of planned to help Newton stir up some distractions, but Finn was the one that ultimately plucked that key so it's kind of his obligation to come along. Plus, James was going.

The mine evidently split into two, one supposedly much darker than the other. Finn took the one that the others claimed was dark, figuring that he was better equipped to handle it than someone who still relied on their eyes to see. That doesn't mean it's easy. He's still learning the Force which is not exactly meant to be used as a radar.

He could practically hear Solo's voice since this began but it feels particularly loud in these mines, like the frustration is echoing off the walls. That's not how the Force works!

Anyway, he's here now, and the Force isn't really a terrible radar all things considered. Besides, he can see people better than he used to, and Peter seems to be here and making good time. Finn's hand lands on his arm. ]

You're walking pretty good for someone in the dark.

[ He's not sure Peter knows about the whole blind thing. Probably, if he caught a glimpse of his pale eyes before the entered here. But if they're actually on the lit path or if someone has a flashlight, then Finn just kinda outed himself, oops. ]

[spacedisaster]

[ It's exactly because Finn and Jim had found the key, and because he didn't get to have a good look at Finn's eyes, that Peter didn't think anything out of the ordinary is going on. He's been busy hanging out copies of the key to the other groups infiltrating the mines, and checking that his blaster's guns and his helmet worked as intended.

He activated the latter the moment they walked into the mines, the two red glowing orbs visible in the darkness, allowing Peter to see what was ahead of him. The helmet also comes with Thermal vision, which is useful to alert them of possible enemies hiding nearby. When a hand lands on his shoulder, Peter looks back, blinking in confusion behind the lens of the helmet. It is pretty obvious that's the reason why he can see since it covers his whole face, but maybe Finn thought he was only wearing a helmet for protection...? ]

Thanks, man. I'm lucky that the helmet was with me when I woke up at the station, it helps me see in the dark. The path in front of us is straight for the most part, then there's a sharp turn to the right. You're not claustrophobic, I take it?

The Darkling || Grishaverse

[cruelyethuman]

PART 1 It's showtime
1.0 in to the darknes - mines

[The road to hell is paved with good intentions and the Darkling agrees to follow in to the abandoned mines only because every other good intention on this mission has failed. Spectacularly.

Every bad intention as well.

All in all, intentions seems to be the real issue here, and he has none when he steps in the pitch dark and stumble through the shadows that swallow them all up.

The sides are easy to find, and once he stops blinking in the vain effort to see, well, anything, the Darkling walks down the twisting hallways and the narrowing pathways with one hand on it the whole way. Letting the rough stone grind against the palm of his hand, it makes it easier when he knocks in to low-hanging ceilings or outcrops. When he trips over large rocks left and forgotten on the ground.]

This will have to end eventually.

PART 3 Heist it up
8.0 - guards and officers

[The only thing surprising about the building, is the utter lack of proper security and the Darkling steps in to the building, hands out and shadows from the mines already surging up behind him like a solid wall of darkness.]

You can choose to walk away.

[And even that small mercy is only because he's not alone here. There are more orbers walking around, pulling weapons or doing something to the bugs that might be in the walls. The persistent image of real bugs, crawling over the walls comes to him in a flash. Despite Jim's explanation. That this is just another thing that is more like the station than home, the technology too advanced to be believed.

But believe it he does, because Vivica exists and there are the voices of others ringing in his head as he steps further in to the headquarters and slashes his hands at the advancing guards.]

9.0 - level 26

[Panting, hands clenched and resting against his thighs, the Darkling takes a minute to catch his breath.

Every level, every single one, was walking through hell and just when it was too much, too hard and too little oxygen, he had to do it all over again.

The group scattered, and now he watches the next long hallway with tired eyes. Another hell waiting just a step away. Poison, knives, sharp sticks and water. Pitfalls might be hidden, and this time he will step forward alone.

Again.

Always. Nothing had broken him yet, and this will not be how he dies. Not on an alien world, with salvation and hope so close he can almost feel it tingling at his fingertips.

The Darkling steps forward slow, inching himself along. Nothing drops from the ceiling and nothing shoots out from the walls. His shadows writhe at his feet, following him like loyal dogs. Twisting around his legs like black snakes, and he watches.

As some walks slowly towards him, and the wall of darkness trembles against the palm of his hand. The person walking closer still, head down and skirt swishing around her legs. Feet bare and treading softly on the carpet, and his heart flips.

Luda, hair loose around her shoulder and her eyes bright and alive. Skin pink with blood and her hands--]

What?

["Aleksander-" she breathes, his name on her lips for the first time in centuries. For the first time since he held her in his arms and she died there, nestled close to his chest. "What are you doing?".]

Luda, what-?

[It makes no sense. She's dead, have been dead for longer than she was ever alive. Her body lost inside the Fold, curled up on a cot. Except, she's not. She's-

Another deep breath, hands shaking as he reaches for her and she dances just out of reach. The station promised- Vivica told him - patience, do the job and be rewarded, but he hadn't- "Stay with me, Aleksander. I haven't seen you in so long. Did you find me an amplifier?"]

I- no. I looked, but you were... you died.

["Silly, do I look dead to you? Open your eyes and look at me."

She doesn't. She looks just like his late wife, the last love of his life and the reason he's even here. Why the promise made by the voice in his ear got his attention. His eyes are wet with tears when he looks up, taking in every inch of her.]

I can't. Luda, I can't. I have to do something, but once it's done. We will have all the time in the world-

["You're leaving me? That isn't what we promised," her hands clench, "We are never alone. You and me, against the world. Protecting our people. How could you forget?"]

I didn't- I never forgot.

PART ??? network. (locked to Peter Quill, aka Star-lord)
Peter. I need your help.

??? - wildcard

[Do you want something else? Any ideas what I didn't put up? Wildcard me or plot with me on ireth

Network | Un. Star-Lord

[spacedisaster]

[ Given what they are doing and how things have gone lately, seeing 'I need your help' it's an instant red flag for Peter. It doesn't take him long to answer. ]

Yes, I'm here. Are you okay? Did you get caught?

hermann gottlieb | pacific rim

[bijective]

{Preface: For this part of the heist, Hermann is attending the Lionetta party and will join the rest of the Heist Team at Lionetta HQ after said party gets crashed.}

Part II. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

4.0 - Exponential Idle

[Patience is the name of game here. Hermann hadn’t quite felt this tense since the royal tea party back on Gyeongje. He opts to sit in the furthermost corner of the establishment. What may look like a mathematician carefully plotting out some elaborate algorithm in his journal is an encrypted message of what he is observing so far within the speakeasy, pinpointing where all the big-wigs have situated themselves in.

He shifts in his seat, taking another survey of who else is in the room while taking a sip of his water. That’s all he can really do: Keep hydrated and wait until the moment is right.

Not that he can verbalize his anxieties out loud, but he looks about as worrisome as you can get. A trembling hand tries to set the glass down, only for it tip over and have water spill on his trousers.]

6.30 Personal Goal // Euler's Method

[Hermann’s prepared for this moment. He knows he is not trained for field espionage, but he’ll attempt to throw the rest of the Lionetta family off from revealing his true intentions. Even if that means taking on the identity of another family Orber.

The tailoring job is shoddy: a testament to working with a dubious tailor in the alleyway for an astronomical price. All for the sake of keeping things on the down-low. But it gets the job done.

He scratches at his collarbone. The fabrics of his disguise are hot and itchy. Surely, this is what misery feels like. Double that with the hazards of the dark tunnels and Hermann is already quivering like a leaf.

He holds out a flashlight for whoever he travelling with.]

Do be careful. I’m not sure this path can hold our weight much longer.

Part III. Heist It Up.

7.01 - A-Stability

[Inside the security control room, Hermann wastes no time getting situated with his surroundings. There is a computer station to his immediate right where he can track the progress of the current team on the upper levels. All their suspicions are correct about the number of traps set out to slow their progress. He’ll have to work quickly and catch up as best he can.

He turns to the person next to him and offers a polite nod.]

My apologies. Hope you haven’t waited for too long. I’ll try to be as quick as I can.

[ps Yes. He is still wearing that godawful disguise.]

7.03 Network-Com // Technical Support - Purifico (Closed to Yzak)

[The sudden change in the audio feed. What sounds almost like a waterfall has Hermann’s heart drop to his belly. A droplet of sweat reaches his brow as he tries to breathe steadily.

He needs to be fast on his end to locate the exact coordinates of Yzak’s location.]

Mister Jule! What on earth is happening over there?

7.03A Network-Com // Technical Support

[Now that Hermann is all well and settled, he can get to work with checking in on the Orbers on the upper levels. This is a team effort, after all.]

Good god. The security protocols here are downright devilish.

[At least he can do something about it. Computer science is his speciality and he will damn well put this gift to good use.]

There shouldn't be any guards ahead but please proceed carefully.

7.04 - Fail Safe (cw: blood, minor injury, gun violence)

[Even with the rest of the team neutralizing the guards, there’s still the risk of being hit by one of their long-range weapons.

...Luckily, this one was only just a scratch.

His right hand grips tightly around his left shoulder. While the bullet didn’t directly hit him, it scratched across the skin to leave a sizeable laceration. He winces at the seething hot pain steaming out of his wound. It hurts, but he also needs to focus. If the others can stand their ground while heavily injured, then so can he! They’re all so close to reaching their objective.

He lets his hand down and forces himself back on the keyboard. They’re a team and he has to do his part to help.]

7.01 - A-Stability

[spacedisaster]

[ Peter is hardly new to combat, but he has to give it to the Lionetta's, these people don't give up easily. That is what crosses his mind as he fires another nonlethal electric bolt towards a corridor, where a couple of goons are trying to reach the control room Hermann, Peter and some others are currently ocupying. He hits the one on the left and the other quickly hides behind a large wardrobe, using it as cover, but doesn't go away.

After walking the dark path through the mines a few hours ago, their group finally made it to the door and into the building, up to the 20 floor to surprise those in the control room. Well...Calling it a surprise might be a bit of an overestimation. These people had cameras, so they saw them coming. But their group had determination! And Peter also had a pair of blaster guns, which, granted, was a bit more useful than determination alone.

The men inside the control room had been taken down already, now left unconscious, and those with hacking abilities, like Herman, took their place while Peter does his best to keep enemies at bay. Now that they were no longer in the mines, and he had a good look at the scientist, Peter is terribly amused by the fact Hermann is dressed like some sort of wannabe Captain America...for some reason. ]

Nothing to apologize for, take all the time you need. [ It's not as if they're in a rush or anything and trying not to be killed, Peter thinks to himself. He knows that rushing the other man won't help, so he keeps the conversation casual. ] You know, blue and red does suit you. It brings up your eyes, Cap.

andromache | the old guard | ota

[oiorpata]

PART I: IT'S SHOW TIME
LIT HALLWAY 🗡 ( cw: impalement)

[ schmoozing with gangs is one thing, but this part? this mission, of actual action? this is where andy prefers to be. joe was always much better at playing parts undercover, and she spare a moment to miss him before getting a move on. her priority going into this is mostly just... try and keep other people safe. she doesn't have to watch herself the same way they do. ]

[ she ends up taking the lit hallway route, mostly because it seems riskier, a path more likely to get them noticed - and she'd rather be able to help her fellow orbers there. it doesn't take her long to question that decision, as lionetta family members move without issues, but andy pinpoints the various security cameras as a problem instantly. ]

[ seconds later, a spike shoots out from the ground, piercing straight through her stomach. ] Motherfucker!

[ maybe she will go catch up to the mines crew. ]

PART III: HEIST IT UP
LEVELS 20-23 🗡 ( cw: blood, violence, neck injury, death )

[ the people are the easiest part. people are the same, they're more predictable than mine shafts or traps in the walls. andy has no qualms about this part, flying into action when they encounter lionetta members. ]

[ unlike how she might have been in the fighting rings, or even on the job with featherstone, andy is a little more ruthless here. she swings her axe, uses a sword, besting anyone who attacks her and leaving a trail of unconscious or dead at her feet. what she isn't expecting, apparently, is a small dagger thrown from afar that lodges itself into her neck. she gags, drops her sword to claw at her neck as she chokes up blood, spitting it down her chin. her body drops next, first to her knees, then to the floor, coughing up a few more spatters of blood before she straight up just... dies. ]

LEVEL 24 🗡

[ the moment the doors seal up, andy is prepared for the worst, though she doesn't know what the worst is until the room starts to fill with water. she has no fear of dying here - but she also thinks of quynh, of repeatedly drowning in the same fate, and she wants to get out. she sloshes through the ankle deep water and feels at the walls to no avail. ]

Tell me someone brought explosives or can use their mind to blow this shit up.

LEVEL 26 🗡

[ soaking and sopping wet from the horror pool on the prior floor, bloodstained from battles with allies and enemies alike, andy enters the next one with with trepidation. soon enough, the air starts fogging with a purple mist, and andy yanks up her bandana, even though she doesn't think it'll do much. ] Shit.

[ it does nothing. it doesn't take long before a familiar face seemingly rises from the waters below, her dark hair plastered to her face, dressed in the filthy gown andy last saw her in. her eyes widen. ]

Quynh?

[ andromache, i have missed you, so much. andy has forgotten a lot of things, but not the sound of quynh's voice, and it echoes in her head like it has for centuries, leaving her frozen to the spot. this is why she's here, isn't it? for quynh? ]

LEVEL 27 🗡 ( cw: dismemberment, blood )

[ the door opens to the 27 floor and she's greeted by the sight of lasers. it's security, obviously, but given the rest of this place, she wouldn't be surprised if they're sharper than they seem. if someone tries to move past her, she holds out her arm to block it. ]

I'll go first. I'm really good at this game. See if you can contact someone in the control room to turn it off, I'll see what's on the other side.

[ she doesn't like the idea of this revealing anything about her, but it's not like that hasn't happened already tonight. she makes sure everything she has on her is tucked in tight and neat, and then she steps into the lasers with very little hesitation. she's fluid as she maneuvers through them, twisting, bending, almost like a ballerina. ]

[ she makes one small mistake, and it's only because her axe slips from it's scabbard at her back during one tougher bend. she reaches for it without thinking, and the laser slices through her arm; it cuts down into the bone, blood suddenly gushing down her arm as it hangs limply and loose, partly amputated. ]

Fuck! [ she snaps it out, jerking her arm back and saving her axe with the other hand, but her tone is more annoyed than horrified at the fact that she's been essentially dismembered in the middle of a laser grid. ]

PART 0: ???
WILDCARD 🗡

[ hit me up for other or closed starters etc!! pms, romanitas#5368 @ disco, communism !! ]

lit hallway

[majorbiotic]

[Kaidan hears the curse and hurries to find the cause. He freezes seeing a woman with a spike through her stomach. So at first Andy will see a man with what looks like a glowing blue aura. Kaidan drops it temporarily. He doesn't have medi-gel for this, but he's going to do his best to help anyway]

Let me look. I have field medical training.

[At the very least, he can try to stop the bleeding]

alina starkov | shadow & bone

[peasant]

THE MINES.

1.0

[ it's a gamble, really, that an'alya will remain too fixated on lionetta's barrier to notice alina's sudden absence — but it's a gamble she willingly takes. risky as it feels, alina slips away to the mines, reassuring herself she won't be missed. she so rarely had been in her old life as something unseen, overlooked as any plain mouse hiding in corners would be; why should it be any different this time?

still, she's aware of how delayed her appearance is — the last to arrive, it seems, when she trickles in from behind the group, scattering old stones in her path and knocking shoulders with strangers in the dark. she mumbles out an apology after an exasperated oof, swiping her sweaty palms over the golden engravings on her black kefta. all the better to channel the first flickering burst of light to her fingertips when she claps them together, a striking of palms that seems to echo down the narrow tunnel in front of them. ]

Watch your eyes, [ she warns softly as the orb begins to grow larger, blindingly bright in the small space. after a moment of concentration, it fades to a smaller, orange flare — an illumination not unlike a lantern hovering above her palm. her head tips to the tight squeeze of the corridor in front of them, cobwebbed and rickety. already, she can see a worn bridge farther up ahead, half-collapsed from wear and neglect. ] You go first. I'll light your way.

HEIST IT UP.

8.0

[ fortune doesn't favor her, by the time she reaches the upper floors. as luck would have it, not only has she been separated from her group &mdash but her invisibility amulet shatters into sharp, scattered pieces the moment its time limit has run up, leaving her exposed in the middle of a rotation of guards. it doesn't take them long to shake themselves from their stupor of bewilderment; their jaws snap closed just as alina's does, reaching for the weapons slotted into their leather suspenders.

much as she loathes the unfortunate reminder her kefta brings, more a claim of ownership than a familiar friend, it proves itself useful. alina's head ducks, lifting her arm up in a flurry of fabric, just in time for the bullet to ricochet off of her kefta's barrier. it pings off the metal walls before it clatters to the floor with a chiming ring, and alina —

finds herself spun off her feet by the impact, solidly colliding with a body behind her, as she lets out a searing hiss of pain. still, she's quick to scramble back when a shadow hovers above her, ready for their next aim; her hands fly up, sunlight soaring from her fingertips in a raging white inferno, melting the gun in the guard's hands to a scorching sludge of black.

or, later on, perhaps she's found another one of her orber's flanked by lionetta's forces. quickly, a spherical orb surrounds them both — waves of light swimming around them, its own bubble of protection. the next darting shot of gunfire slides off of alina's fiery shelter of light without fanfare, liquefying into molten gold as it drips down to the ground. through the concentrated clench of her jaw, she yelps out, ]

— Go. I don't know how long I can hold it.

9.0

[ mist spills into her lungs long before she realizes it's clung to the particles in the air, a purple film that coats every inhale she takes. too late, alina claps a hand over her mouth as a weak barrier that does nothing to prevent the fog from slipping through the cracks in her fingers, pouring down her throat.

her body rebels against it instantly, sputtering on a choking cough that pricks her eyes with tears. and through the blur of her vision, a figure swims into her sight — a boy, hidden beneath a mop of curls. no, a man — mal in his army cut, brave and bold, and peering at her with the same pouring relief she feels to have found him again. ]

Mal? Is that really you?

[ she sputters, the corners of her eyes pricking with fresh tears. he only smiles, shakes his head, i've been looking all over for you, he tells her, exhausted. don't tell me you've forgotten me already. alina's breath hitches, shaking her head furiously, as she reaches for his sleeve.

it's a sluggish movement, slowed by the purple ice collecting like crystals on her arms, turning her skin a startling shade of blue. if hands reach to shake her out of her reverie, she throws her elbow back — weak, but frantic despite it, clawing at whoever holds her in their grip.

she had been separated from mal once before by selfish, interfering hands. not again. not this time, not when he's returned to her across worlds. ]

No! [ frenetic energy gathers in her hands and sparks in the air, like a thunderstorm beginning to electrify the skies — a warning to whoever tries to pull her back. ] Get off of me!

WILDCARD.

[ feel free to hit me up via PM or nereids if you'd like a closed starter! i'm happy to write them, or happy to go with whatever wildcard you throw my way. i'm cool with alina getting attacked by anyone via the green mist, exploring more traps in the mine or hq, team-ups to fight off guards, or having her shake others out of their hallucinations.

any alterations to the prompts above to better fit a scenario is also fine with me! go wild to your heart's content. ♥ ]

8.0

[laviny]

[As it happens Yelena is just entering the room when Alina melts the guard's gun.]

Whoa. Amazing.

[She says, truly impressed as she whacks the guard in question solidly across the back of the head with her Widow's baton, knocking him out before he can try anything else.

When he's down she takes just a moment to take a closer look at the molten metal that was once the guard's weapon.]

You melted the whole gun.

[Obviously Alina knows she melted the gun. But it was awesome, okay.]

Daisy Johnson | Agents of SHIELD | OTA

[morethan084]

Closed to Rhys and Alina

And you guys think we can trust that these actually work?

[Daisy asks once she knows it’s safe to talk out loud. Moving to take a seat in one of the chairs, she turns the amulet over in her hand. She won’t put it on yet, because why waste one of them now when they are going to need as much time as they can get once they infiltrate?]

Cause this? Could seriously be a game-changer.

[Daisy hasn’t gotten much sleep ever since she got into a very heated argument with Kirigan. She hasn’t spoken to Alina about it because in the grand scheme of things? It’s the least important thing on Daisy’s mind right now. It’s much easier to just push it to the back of her mind and focus on the task at hand. The entire reason they’re even here.]

7.0

[The amulets do in fact work, much to Daisy’s relief. She easily weaves through people going unnoticed, and her next task ahead is to deal with the control room. Likely, she won’t be the only one in there trying to mess with the cameras. The elevator ride up is tense, she barely breathes the entire time she’s in there with members of the family. Once it opens up on the 20th floor, Daisy quickly slips out.

The room, of course, isn’t empty. Daisy slides into the room when the door opens for a security member. Looking over one of their shoulders at all of the controls, Daisy looks up when the doors open again. It’s an Orber this time. There’s a very brief pause before the guards get to their feet and go straight for the fellow Orber. She could use this time to just start doing what she has to do, but it feels unfair to leave them to deal with the guards alone. With a sigh, she uses her powers to send one of them knocking into the wall. Falling into an unconscious heap onto the ground.]

Don’t freak out. It’s me, Daisy. I’m just kind of invisible right now. Long story.

[She explains, once it’s safe to talk. Hurrying over to the controls to start on the cameras.]

We need to work fast.

9.0

24th Floor

[The amulet’s protection is long gone at this point, and as nice as it was, she knew it wouldn’t last her entire time in here. Not that fighting was at all new to her actually, it was a great stress reliever right now. She knew how to do this. Making it onto the 24th floor, Daisy inhales deeply as she prepares for another fight when she opens the stairwell door.

No one.

Well, not no one. There’s another Orber right behind her. She almost punches them out of instinct.]

Sorry.

[Daisy keeps her voice low as she moves inside, holding the door until they come in right behind her.]

This feels like a--

[The door slams shut behind them and reinforced steel walls quickly shoot up, surrounding them. Cautiously, Daisy steps further into the room as she looks around. What the hell is that noise? Daisy looks to the only other person in this room with her just as she catches sight of something out of the corner of her eye.]

Shit.

[So this was their plan? Try to drown the intruders? Daisy brings her hands up, aiming them at the steel walls as she feels the water lap at her ankles. They’ve got to get out of here, and quick.]

25th Floor

[Soaked from the water on the floor below, Daisy makes her way to the next level. Opening the door there’s an eerie silence in the room, it seems like the further up she’s gone, the fewer guards there appear to be. Honestly, she thought it was her eyes adjusting at first, but now she realizes that’s not the case. The air really is green. There’s no scent to it, but that can’t be good.

Bringing her arm up to cover her arm and mouth with it, Daisy continues through the room to see what she can find. Hearing the door open, Daisy hurries to find some kind of shelter. Looking out from where she’s hiding she spots a guard with a flashlight and gun. They’re shouting that they know someone is in here. She quickly moves from one spot to another, but when she turns to run there’s another guard right in front of her.

Daisy reacts quickly, grabbing their wrist as she brings their arm up as she moves into their body. Twisting their thumb to make them let go of the gun, she manages to grab it from them and quickly spins around to face them.]

How’d that work out for you?

[Now she’s pointing the gun at them. Or at least, she thinks she is. When in reality, there’s no gun and no guard. She’s just got her hands up, pointed at another Orber. Unless said Orber did, in fact, have a gun pointed at them, in which case--

It’s Daisy’s now?]

Wildcard

[Have something else in mind? Feel free to write something below or PM/message me on plurk punkchica321]

25th floor

[spacedisaster]

[ Peter's shaking water off of himself as well but eventually, he decides that it's just easier to get rid of the soaked jacket he's wearing, it will only hinder his movements. Peter has activated his retractable helmet after Ed gave it back, and he's using it to protect his face and filter any possible toxins in the air. He's relocating the gadgets he carried in the jacket to other pockets in his person when Daisy shows up out of the blue, acting like he just murdered her pet puppy.

At first, Peter thinks she's part of the Lionetta's gang too, and curses himself for getting so distracted that someone managed to sneak up on him. After the question, it doesn't take him more than a second to recognize her as one of the orbers and while they've never talked before, he can tell them apart. There's also the fact that she's grabbing him, getting close and personal, and looking really pissed off. ]

Ey, ey, easy there, ma'am. Sorry but I don't put out in on the first date...! [ Her hands are all over his own, and he isn't quite sure what she's trying to do, given how Peter's blasters were not drawn when she walked into the room, and they're still strapped to his thighs instead. He doesn't reach for them either as to not alarm Daisy further, but takes a step back at the same time she moves and...raises her arms at him? Uh. ]

Easy there, I'm with you in this mission to get the orb. Let's play nice. [ The words are clear, even friendly. Of course, what Peter says and what Daisy hears due to the gaseous substance filling the room and clouding her senses might be a different thing. Maybe it sounds like screaming to her, threats, or even some cruel words she's heard before from someone she cared about that betrayed her. ]

clara oswald | doctor who

[bossily]

4.0
[As entertained as she is by both Newt and the Doctor (as well as all the others who have come together to perform), Clara's feeling brave tonight. She's drank enough that her courage makes her feel invincible. And that ends with Clara Oswald dressed to the nines, standing up on stage to sing along with some piano accompaniment. She makes her way through some Joni Mitchell and going in the entire other direction with some A-Ha, she seems to realize she's actually just sung out in front of people.

A lot of other people.

She declines taking on a third song and stares out at the crowd with wide eyes before hurrying off stage. There's such a thing as too much excitement, and she definitely thinks she's had way too much already.

She can be found leaning in a nice dark corner of the party, drinking plenty of water and trying to act like she hadn't just let her guard down in front of a room of so many other people. If you happen to pass by and she knows you, she'll reach out to grab hold of your hand to tug you in close. She needs a good conversation right about now.

And if she doesn't happen to know you? Well, you get grabbed by the hand and greeted with:]

Tell me about your most embarrassing moment, quick as you like.

[She's still got a personal goal to work on, after all.]

6.0
[Clara gives a sharp gasp and presses her hand against her ear as the static in her earpiece startles her. She's already up and on her feet as Olexa's voice chimes through, just in time for the party to end with one hell of a bang. As Ti’shaaz attacks Lionetta with their magic Clara focuses on dodging and hiding. She isn't trained enough in charter magic to make a difference against skilled magic users like these ones, and knows better than to get in over her head against them.

She finds the nearest Orber and hurries her way toward them, dodging magic on the way.]

You don't mind playing bodyguard till we get outside, do you?

[It's called out as she essentially stands behind them like they're a shield. She's clever and good at talking people out of harming her, but with magic flying the way it is, she doesn't figure she's going to get a lot of chances to manipulate anyone into doing anything. Best that she focus on getting herself and her friend here out alive.]

4.0

[groupiedrifter]

[Newt is so proud of you, Clara! It's not easy to go singing in front of others; Newt does it on occasion when he's got lots of liquid courage (read: booze in his system), but he's always been a little self-conscious about his voice. Sue him, he's gotten a lot of comments over the years about it. But Clara! Clara's so cute, and her voice is cute, and everything about her tonight is cute. When she finally gets enough wits about her to recognize the brave thing she just did and hops off the stage, Newton finishes out his current set before he scurries off to find her.

She has no time, of course, to say anything first. It's all Newt as he throws his hands up and out, like he's announcing some grand news.]

Wow, wow, wow! It must be my birthday tonight!

You were magnificent out there, Stargirl!

[Excuse him while he picks you up and does a little twirl.]

Tony Stark | Featherstone | OTA

[arc_reactor]

9.0 - Floor 24

( Providing light during that dark ascent was easy, considering his armor glowed from all angles all the time. Tony's earlier efforts during the week paid off: the jammer has been working on the Lionetta comms, and last he heard, Newt's party is in full swing.

With part of Team Nerd on security, Tony heads with the forward team to press on ahead. Dispatching human guards isn't something he's too thrilled about, so he's aimed to incapacitate with non-lethal force- Olexa's gonna have a lot of personnel with broken bones tomorrow. He's almost relieved to find the 24th floor empty.

Almost.

Something's wrong. Tony gets a fraction of a second's warning before they're closed off from moving any further, heavy walls sliding shut with a pneumatic sigh, as the water starts rushing in. Tony's instinct is to blast his way out, but being surrounded by not-as-equally-armored friends, who like their internal organs right where they belong, not spattered by percussive blasts, that's gonna be a no-go. Unless...

As the water hits mid-thigh, then midsection, then mid-chest, he offers up a rebreather crafted from his own suit to those stuck with him. )

Put this on so you won't drown.

[laviny]

[Yelena curses softly when the doors slam. She really should have seen this coming, and she's annoyed with herself that she didn't.

Aside from that she's remarkably calm though, even as the water laps at her ankles and makes it's way up to her knees. She tries to inspect the walls, looking for weaknesses but the water is filling the room too fast.

When Tony offers her the rebreather she's a little startled, and impressed, actually. How did he even do that? She accepts it, gratefully. She's shorter than Tony and in even more immediate danger of being fully submerged.]

Oh, good. I didn't want to drown today.

[She says and puts it on.]

Sabriel | Ti'Shaaz | OTA

[bindsthedead]

In the mines
[Darkness simply isn't much of a problem when 'conjure lights' is the first spell Sabriel learned.

Crumbling walkways and rotten wood, on the other hand, are not so easily dealt with, and Sabriel often finds herself slowing to test if she's on stable ground, and occasionally uses Charter magic to reinforce things before proceeding, motioning whoever's with her to follow closely.]

Watch your step. I don't know how far we'd fall if we slipped.

[Even the lights she's conjured don't illuminate that far down.]

Lionetta HQ, combat

[Ranna's lullabye is effective enough at first- but the sleep it imposes is easily broken, especially when the Lionetta have few issues with shouting, shaking, and kicking each other awake, so Sabriel has to resort to other tactics.

Viveca's going to teleport them all away once they have the orb- Sabriel knows this from experience. So Sabriel focuses on moving ahead, incapacitating guards instead of killing them- in some cases, merely attaching their feet to the floor and running past.

There's no need for anyone to die. Not if she can choose otherwise.]

24th floor

[Sabriel wades forwards as the water pours in- but when it's up to her knees and rapidly rising, she takes a deep breath and traces out marks to a spell she's studied and practiced but never used, sketched marks expaninding around her as the water near her is pushed back. Sabriel's surrounded herself with a globe of air, one that moves with her as she pushes forward, reaching out to any crewmates she sees.]

Get next to me! We need to find the exit!

Wildcard

[Got something else in mind? Go for it!]

lionetta hq ; combat

[attackbrows]

[All their plans going into this heist feel like it is coming apart by a single thread. But it’s that single thread that is going to get them over this hurdle. Not with senseless violence, but with sharp wit and the drive to go forward as fast as they can.

The concerted effort to knock the Lionetta down with Sabriel's magic is a welcomed approach. The Doctor is worried she might be at this all night if he doesn’t step in to help. There isn’t a single space for breathing room to gather their bearings. He taps the side of his sonic sunglasses to overpower some of the fuse boxes and light fixtures to stun them, even if it was for a brief minute.]

Okay. Plan A? Slow, but no cigar. We either [He points at one entranceway where a majority of guards are coming from.] close the floodgates or make a run for it. Either way [He waggles his eyebrows.] no other way but up!

the doctor (12) | doctor who | lionetta

[attackbrows]

{Preface: The Doctor is within the first group infiltrating Lionetta HQ, forgoing the entire distraction party with the Lionetta family.}

PART I — IT'S SHOWTIME

1.0A — THESE TUNNELS ARE LIT 💡

[Right. Time to get a move on. The tunnels below the Cherry on Top are just the prelude to what is ahead of them. The Doctor has Lionetta credentials, so traps aren’t much of an issue (for now). Just don’t count on him having much ethos if they encounter another veteran family member. His very short tenure with the family is about as warm as a platter of lasagna sitting on top of the counter for over five hours: well-cooked, yet the cheese is calcified.

A hand brushes against the wall as he glances at the ceiling, noting the security cameras ahead. His pace is casual. The party going on above the surface should give them the chance to be methodical with their work.

…It will also be helpful if he didn’t clam up to the person he’s partnered next to. His eyes reluctantly looking towards the side of them and offering:]

First time?

PART III — HEIST IT UP

7.0A — DECENTRALIZED

[The Doctor is one of the first-wave of Orbers to infiltrate the control room. Some might find it favourable to use brute force to knock down the guards who are standing their ground. He, however, has something different in mind. He hates that hasn’t had the chance to show off his sonic sunglasses in a much flashier fashion, but he is going to change that soon. While the room is filled with gunshots and grunts, the Doctor is on his hands and knees to get into position.]

You people and the shooting! Always with the shooting!

7.0B NETWORK — Closed to Clara + The Doctor (11)

[It made sense for the other Doctor and Clara to stand back at the party. The last thing they need is for the top Lionetta personnel to raise suspicions why a majority of their new recruits aren’t present. The Doctor is still going to sulk about it as he makes his way to the middle level of HQ. It’s not the same when he doesn’t have someone around his circle to ogle at him doing clever things.]

DJ Marky Mark to the Funky Bunch. Do you read me Funky Bunch? The banana has split.

9.28 — BURN OUT

[Yeah. Okay. Lasers. Good. That’s good. Not the first time he’s had to deal with death lasers. Could be much worse: the Doctor loses an arm or two trying to do feeble cartwheels around it. For good measure, he rips a piece of his shirt and tosses it straight into one laser and watches it burn to a crisp.

Oh, that’s great. He’s just going to gesture in the next person’s direction and offer:]

You first.

7.0b network ;

[lateness]

hello dj marky mark! the funky bunch read you loud and clear

the vibrations here are

well

rather good

Yzak Jule | Gundam SEED (closed to Athrun)

[coordination]

[ Once Yzak has fled the speakeasy attack and ensured that Blue was protected for the time being, he makes his way to catch up with the others who have already gone ahead to infiltrate the Lionetta HQ. Or, specifically, he ends up running into Athrun on the way up (and after a very close call on the 24th floor that Hermann helped him out of, so he is still a little ... damp). Deciding that it is PROBABLY a good idea to stick together, these two Coordinator soldier boys trek onward in hopes to complete their mission alongside their allies and secure the orb.

After Yzak's experience on the 24th floor, he tentatively peeks his head into a room on the 25th before they enter properly, inspecting the ceiling and walls. ]

Doesn't look like there are any trap walls ready to drop this time.

hell yeah hell yeah

[egraegis]

[Athrun has his hand hovering near his gun holster, casting his eyes carefully around the room for hiding spots, either for their use or their enemies.]

Don't celebrate too soon. It's not like I expected them to lay down the welcome mat, but this place is much crazier than expected.

Zhao Tianyou | Yakuza / RGG

[essenceofdeadlybeasts]

He wouldn't have considered being with the Featherstones all that useful in the end if it wasn't for the armory. Most information gathered about their quarry was found elsewhere. But the armory made it worthwhile even if it was a hassle to get in while no one else was looking. Zhao didn't have to be told by anyone to take advantage of the goods there. It was perfectly logical to a guy like him to sneak out whatever he found interesting and potentially useful.

When the round of information sharing went out and then plans for the heist started happening, it became even more apparent that some of the items the Featherstones had amassed would be useful for those going in. Zhao figured he'd be right in the middle of the action, too, one way or another because like hell he'd sit back and watch from the sidelines. So, he did his best to slowly stock up.

I. Part 1 - It's Showtime

[At first Zhao couldn't make up his mind which way to go. The dark tunnel seemed logical for sneaking into the place without being spotted as those tunnels seemed abandoned. On the other hand, they were so dark that vision was pretty much impossible without a flashlight or something and there was always the possibility they were abandoned because of cave-ins and deadends. That's what Zhao would have done in any case; purposefully destroy unwanted tunnels to prevent this exact sort of sneaking in thing from happening.

When a familiar face or two decided to chance the well lit main tunnel, Zhao mind up his mind. He would also go down the main mine tunnel and risk being caught if spotted or alerted by the defense mechanisms waiting for them down that not-at-all abandoned tunnel. He liked the idea of simply storming in guns blazing, so to speak, anyway. This was close enough. Especially if they got caught or were met by opposition once they got into the headquarters proper.

Zhao wasn't capable of taking out the cameras and other traps via some sneaky means such as hacking, but he had a good eye and spotted many of the hazards before tripping them. He alerted others as he came across obstacles so they could be dealt with appropriately. A few he dealt with himself; mostly physical traps that were easily avoided by careful agility or broken with blunt force before they could go off.]

II. Part 3 - Heist It Up

[Blaring alarms were always a fun way to ruin someone's day. Unfortunately this wasn't some punk kid jostling vehicles outside for the hell of it and the sirens here meant the jig was up. They'd been discovered. So much for careful work.

However, Zhao wasn't really disappointed. Adrenaline pumped into his veins as the stomping of Lionetta guards mixed with the sound of the alarm. He was ready for a fight. Though he remained calm there was a clear shift in his stance that belied his otherwise lack of reaction to the new threat and slowly, as the guards poured into the hallway, a smile crept onto his features.]

Now the real fun starts. All right fellas- who wants to hit the ground first? You?

[He taunted the enemy with no remorse as they stopped in front of the intruders, pointing at one to rile him up and get the party started.]

III. Wildcard

[[Anything else! Fighting their way further up the floors, during extraction after it's all done, anything and everything in between. It's all good. Will match prose or brackets.]]