Operation Fairhaven FOB - Alpha Team - RPLOG
From Flexible Survival
Participants
Date
6/5/2025
Log
=Participants=
Date
6/5/2025
Log
(Wolfwood) The gathering at the off ramp onto the highway at the far end of Fairhaven is far more active than it normally is. Several trucks are hauling heavy machinery and construction equipment, a mini bus stands at the ready and is full of workers and professionals ready for their task, and several additional vehicles idle nearby with a multitude of mercenaries double checking their equipment and preparing to disembark. They all stand together with a singular united goal: Head out of the bubble, secure a forward base of operations for Fairhaven's scouts, see to it that it gets built, and get paid. A woman in power armor clamors onto the back of a reinforced pickup truck and hollars out to get everyone's attention.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" The speaker is Madison Wolfwood, the human tasked by the city to organize the operation after negotiations with Zephyr and RSX to do just this very same operation broke down. It is certainly more of a gamble to ask an independent to get a huge task done, but there were few in Fairhaven with as much out of bubble experience as Wolfwood. So she got the job. "Everything's set to go! Just going to say this one last time for the idiots in the rear who were taking it up theirs when I last explained this! Our target is an old power substation about 100 miles east of here in a neighboring town. There are oversized mechanical golems protecting it that need forceful disassembly which is where strike teams Alpha and Beta come in. Alpha's securing the area around the admin building's ruins, Beta is securing the area around the power relay. Charlie, you're on babysitting duty with the construction crew and will be positioned a few blocks away while we clear out the threats."
The brown haired human adjusts her grip on her helmet that sits tucked beneath her arm. "Remember! We're going outside of the bubble! Whatever nanites are there are barely there at all. Your mutant abilities are almost definitely going to suffer, your nanomagic isn't going to work unless you're real close to someone with basically the singular exception to that, and the nanites can't stop you from dying stone cold if you get sloppy. This is your last chance to bail if you have cold feet. For everyone else, start your engines! We're heading out!!!"
(Waconet) Waconet listens to the walking tank give her last pep talk before heading out as he was in his own vehicle, a retrofitted Ford Bronco, that oddly enough he had bought from Wolfwood some time ago. He double checks that the vehicle has a full charge for the trip there and back again. Nodding at the heading out call, he starts it up and follows along with the convoy.
(Caitlin) Caitlin adjusts the sights on the new AMR that was handed to her once more. Checking the validity of Greyson's work for the eight time before picking the heavy thing up once more to lay across one shoulder as Wolfwood speaks up. The time to go was getting close at hand so the fox heads out to her own vehicle. A scrapped together van that she and Greyson had worked to build back up to a sorta working order to recheck the supplies the nudist wolf had brought. Giving a callout to him as she works. "Where did you put the keys this time Greyson, everyone else is ready to go!"
(Tyo) Tyo brushes a couple of his clawed furred fingers through the fur in his cheek as that leather duster of his flutters slightly with his idle movements, the wolfy listens to the briefing with rapt attention. After the last words are spoken the wolven Brood King nods as if understanding although the nod is half to himself as he prepares to leave the bubble of nanite power he has grown used to over the last six years however a soft wolfish grin creeps onto his lips as he anticipates the adventure. Quietly he moves over to the member of his household is with his Ford Bronco, he offers the serpent a gentle pet along his side before taking his place in the passenger seat as he steels himself for what lies ahead.
(Janex) Amid the crowd gathered to listen, a black-furred canine in an armored bodysuit sits against a discarded concrete median barrier, idly snapping his paw to create a tiny flame in his palms, then extinguishing it. with a flick. Even as he flicks his ears up to listen to the... inspirational speech, Janex keeps staring at his hands, fire reflecting in his burning eyes. Snap. Flick. Snap. Flick. He finally looks up as the last call is announced, and nods solemnly to himself, hopping from his seat. Collecting his pack, he slings a large tech cannon over his shoulder onto his back, and walks cautiously towards the convoy, hoping he can find a spare seat. "'Hey there! Going my way?'" he mutters to himself, practicing his opening lines quietly.
(Everdeene) Everdeene stretches as she looks to the nearby faces, some very familiar to her, some utterly new to her, yet, she can't help but smile, for the camaraderie to be formed and for the goal they are all here to undertake, looking over her personal weapons, doing one last check over them before getting onto the trailer of the available vehicles, due to her unique physiology, being a large, tall taur, she's gonna need to be taken by another who can drive, but is prepared for what's to come otherwise.
(Rulsk) A power armored, 20ft long, black furred wolf checks over his gear with a critical eye, glaring at it as if daring it to have any problems. Given that he has absolutely no understanding of its function, there's not much for Rulsk to see and in truth he just hopes that there's nothing wrong with what he assumes are the enchantments powering it. That done, he noses at the satchels strapped to his sides and checks on his emergency food supplies. Smaller than normal though he may be, he still anticipates needing to snack pretty often to compensate for the lack of ambient nanites. Everything seems to be in order, so he lopes over to the flatbed truck he's hitching a ride with for the journey and clambers up onto the back. He stretches out and settles in for a long trip, his head resting on the cab so he can feel the wind in his face. He parts his jaws in a canine smile and lolls his tongue to the side, drooling a bit as he grins. He thinks over Wolfwood's words and tries to envision what the scenario she'd describing will be like. He's never left the Bubble before and was born after the P-Day, so a world without nanites is just... alien to him. At least he has friends along, whom he glances at and wags his tail slowly, eyes drifting from person to person, their presence helping him relax.
(Wolfwood) The gathering at the off ramp onto the highway at the far end of Fairhaven is far more active than it normally is. Several trucks are hauling heavy machinery and construction equipment, a mini bus stands at the ready and is full of workers and professionals ready for their task, and several additional vehicles idle nearby with a multitude of mercenaries double checking their equipment and preparing to disembark. They all stand together with a singular united goal: Head out of the bubble, secure a forward base of operations for Fairhaven's scouts, see to it that it gets built, and get paid. A woman in power armor clamors onto the back of a reinforced pickup truck and hollars out to get everyone's attention.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" The speaker is Madison Wolfwood, the human tasked by the city to organize the operation after negotiations with Zephyr and RSX to do just this very same operation broke down. It is certainly more of a gamble to ask an independent to get a huge task done, but there were few in Fairhaven with as much out of bubble experience as Wolfwood. So she got the job. "Everything's set to go! Just going to say this one last time for the idiots in the rear who were taking it up theirs when I last explained this! Our target is an old power substation about 100 miles east of here in a neighboring town. There are oversized mechanical golems protecting it that need forceful disassembly which is where strike teams Alpha and Beta come in. Alpha's securing the area around the admin building's ruins, Beta is securing the area around the power relay. Charlie, you're on babysitting duty with the construction crew and will be positioned a few blocks away while we clear out the threats."
The brown haired human adjusts her grip on her helmet that sits tucked beneath her arm. "Remember! We're going outside of the bubble! Whatever nanites are there are barely there at all. Your mutant abilities are almost definitely going to suffer, your nanomagic isn't going to work unless you're real close to someone with basically the singular exception to that, and the nanites can't stop you from dying stone cold if you get sloppy. This is your last chance to bail if you have cold feet. For everyone else, start your engines! We're heading out!!!"
(Waconet) Waconet listens to the walking tank give her last pep talk before heading out as he was in his own vehicle, a retrofitted Ford Bronco, that oddly enough he had bought from Wolfwood some time ago. He double checks that the vehicle has a full charge for the trip there and back again. Nodding at the heading out call, he starts it up and follows along with the convoy.
(Caitlin) Caitlin adjusts the sights on the new AMR that was handed to her once more. Checking the validity of Greyson's work for the eight time before picking the heavy thing up once more to lay across one shoulder as Wolfwood speaks up. The time to go was getting close at hand so the fox heads out to her own vehicle. A scrapped together van that she and Greyson had worked to build back up to a sorta working order to recheck the supplies the nudist wolf had brought. Giving a callout to him as she works. "Where did you put the keys this time Greyson, everyone else is ready to go!"
(Tyo) Tyo brushes a couple of his clawed furred fingers through the fur in his cheek as that leather duster of his flutters slightly with his idle movements, the wolfy listens to the briefing with rapt attention. After the last words are spoken the wolven Brood King nods as if understanding although the nod is half to himself as he prepares to leave the bubble of nanite power he has grown used to over the last six years however a soft wolfish grin creeps onto his lips as he anticipates the adventure. Quietly he moves over to the member of his household is with his Ford Bronco, he offers the serpent a gentle pet along his side before taking his place in the passenger seat as he steels himself for what lies ahead.
(Janex) Amid the crowd gathered to listen, a black-furred canine in an armored bodysuit sits against a discarded concrete median barrier, idly snapping his paw to create a tiny flame in his palms, then extinguishing it. with a flick. Even as he flicks his ears up to listen to the... inspirational speech, Janex keeps staring at his hands, fire reflecting in his burning eyes. Snap. Flick. Snap. Flick. He finally looks up as the last call is announced, and nods solemnly to himself, hopping from his seat. Collecting his pack, he slings a large tech cannon over his shoulder onto his back, and walks cautiously towards the convoy, hoping he can find a spare seat. "'Hey there! Going my way?'" he mutters to himself, practicing his opening lines quietly.
(Everdeene) Everdeene stretches as she looks to the nearby faces, some very familiar to her, some utterly new to her, yet, she can't help but smile, for the camaraderie to be formed and for the goal they are all here to undertake, looking over her personal weapons, doing one last check over them before getting onto the trailer of the available vehicles, due to her unique physiology, being a large, tall taur, she's gonna need to be taken by another who can drive, but is prepared for what's to come otherwise.
(Rulsk) A power armored, 20ft long, black furred wolf checks over his gear with a critical eye, glaring at it as if daring it to have any problems. Given that he has absolutely no understanding of its function, there's not much for Rulsk to see and in truth he just hopes that there's nothing wrong with what he assumes are the enchantments powering it. That done, he noses at the satchels strapped to his sides and checks on his emergency food supplies. Smaller than normal though he may be, he still anticipates needing to snack pretty often to compensate for the lack of ambient nanites. Everything seems to be in order, so he lopes over to the flatbed truck he's hitching a ride with for the journey and clambers up onto the back. He stretches out and settles in for a long trip, his head resting on the cab so he can feel the wind in his face. He parts his jaws in a canine smile and lolls his tongue to the side, drooling a bit as he grins. He thinks over Wolfwood's words and tries to envision what the scenario she'd describing will be like. He's never left the Bubble before and was born after the P-Day, so a world without nanites is just... alien to him. At least he has friends along, whom he glances at and wags his tail slowly, eyes drifting from person to person, their presence helping him relax.
(Greyson) The aforementioned nudist working with Caitlin sighs, deciding to hide in the back of the van this time around, the world beyond the bubble not so likely to take his fashion sense so politely. Organizing piles of spare ammunition, battery packs, salvage, and hiking bars, Greyson looks up from his work, pressing a list into the woman's chest before digging a set of keys from the pocket of her jacket, "Put em in here when we agreed you'd be driving- don't want locals trying to rail me or kill me for looking like an |actual| goddamn werewolf." He sighs, glancing to the side at the announcement, "You sure it's a great idea lugging me around for combat duty, swear Charlie might be safer..." A worried look crosses his features before he shakes his shoulders, brushing it off, "Whatever the case is, I've got enough bullshit back here to build an armory if people start breaking down out there... and scrap to repair the van if you end up totalling it- before or |after| we get there." At the cry of the nearby hitch-hiker, the bare wolf-beast leans out of the side of the van, cupping a hand over his mouth and waving him over, "Got plenty of room for one more if you don't mind sharing it with some twinkie crumbs and junk metal. Gonna be a good few hours!" He cants his head to Caitlin, "Could use somebody to watch her driving while I make sure nothing in the back goes kablooey!"
(Caitlin) Caitlin hackles twitch in amusment as Greyson once again complains about being brought with, causing the ribbons and silver of her muzzle jewelry to dance as she leans over to look at the new passenger. "Hope you don't get carsick, I'm a far better driver then the whiner here!" The passenger door popping open to let Janex in since Greyson's occupying the back.
(Wolfwood) The convoy loads up and drives off in short order. Considering the dangers ahead, few of those present aren't seasoned mercenaries. But with pay this good, who could say no despite the risk? The trip takes some time and the road shows visible signs of recent rushed repairs and temporary fixes. There have doubtlessly been efforts to ensure that the heavy construction equipment would even be able to use the roads that, unlike those within Fairhaven proper, don't get nearly the kind of love they deserve. Humorously enough, outside of the bubble, without the drip feed of nanites chewing at them, the roads have held up alright over the years. Perhaps that's the benefit of both being in California and not constantly having multi thousand pound vehicles driving to and fro over them.
The three squads soon break off from one another and head to their respective points of interest. The lead up is over. It's time for action.
Alpha team pulls up alongside their side of the substation. It has clearly seen better days. The chain link fences are rusted out, foliage reaches up past the cracks in the decaying asphalt, and then, of course, is the star of the show. The old administrative building is partially collapsed and is now serving almost like an outer shell to a rather odd sight. A massive pile of junk. It must be several stories high and is made up of metal, wood, concrete, and just about everything else you could imagine an oversized golem ripping out of the surrounding town and tossing onto the pile. In front of it is a large parking lot with several assorted groupings of junk and piles of scrap. Caitlin and Rulsk can pick up on something a bit more dower, however. The scent of death. Corpses are lodged between the gaps of the heavy pile's mass. Inanimate objects aren't the only things that have been 'salvaged' and Rulsk in particular can tell that some of the sources are relatively fresh. Wolfwood leads Alpha team towards a gap in the fence which would put them closer to the admin building than had they used the front entrance. She turns and looks to those assembled.
"Alright. Things are going to get real hot real fast. The second we cross the threshold onto the property and get into range of the damaged server, the golems are probably going to wake up. Any calm discussion is going to have to happen now. So. Let's discuss. Anyone have any ideas besides smashing the golems until they stop moving?" The human, her face now covered by the sealed helmet of her armor is difficult to read. Her tone at least suggests an edge of apprehension and anticipation. Hardly surprising considering what they are about to do.
(Waconet) Waconet pulls a bona fide Rocket Launcher from his vehicle when Wolfwood asks about how the team wants to deal with the Golems before they go active. "Well, I have a few ideas, one of them is simply sacrificing one of our vehicles and ramming one into them. Two, I have brought, in no small quantities, heavy ordinance in order to do the obvious. Yeah I just want to to blow them up."
(Caitlin) Caitlin spends the entire drive there shooting the shit with Janex and Greyson if they are both up for it and dodging the occassional pothole while going just a tad, totally a tad, bit too fast while following. That cheerful demenaor changes once they come in range of their objective and the scent of blood fills her nose. Her hackles twitching sending her ribbons dancing as they pull up to park. Wolfwood going opening the floor to plans from others gives her some time to visually scout the area and look for some usage of that rifle Greyson gave her but her options were limited. Eyeing the administration building as she speaks up "Did you send a group out before us? Scouts? Know of anyone who would be wandering through here?"
(Wolfwood) Wolfwood purses her lips, then shakes her head. "Nah. Nobody but us. Why, you..." She seems to get the idea and glances back towards the giant scrap pile. "Unfortunately, there's a trade route that passes through the area. If the weather's bad or something makes the normal route dangerous, it wouldn't shock me if someone tried coming closer to the station here and...well. If the golems happen to be wandering..." She trails off and exhales, the sound of her breath the only solid indication of her being at all disturbed. The joys of power armor.
(Greyson) The aforementioned nudist working with Caitlin sighs, deciding to hide in the back of the van this time around, the world beyond the bubble not so likely to take his fashion sense so politely. Organizing piles of spare ammunition, battery packs, salvage, and hiking bars, Greyson looks up from his work, pressing a list into the woman's chest before digging a set of keys from the pocket of her jacket, "Put em in here when we agreed you'd be driving- don't want locals trying to rail me or kill me for looking like an |actual| goddamn werewolf." He sighs, glancing to the side at the announcement, "You sure it's a great idea lugging me around for combat duty, swear Charlie might be safer..." A worried look crosses his features before he shakes his shoulders, brushing it off, "Whatever the case is, I've got enough bullshit back here to build an armory if people start breaking down out there... and scrap to repair the van if you end up totalling it- before or |after| we get there." At the cry of the nearby hitch-hiker, the bare wolf-beast leans out of the side of the van, cupping a hand over his mouth and waving him over, "Got plenty of room for one more if you don't mind sharing it with some twinkie crumbs and junk metal. Gonna be a good few hours!" He cants his head to Caitlin, "Could use somebody to watch her driving while I make sure nothing in the back goes kablooey!"
(Caitlin) Caitlin hackles twitch in amusment as Greyson once again complains about being brought with, causing the ribbons and silver of her muzzle jewelry to dance as she leans over to look at the new passenger. "Hope you don't get carsick, I'm a far better driver then the whiner here!" The passenger door popping open to let Janex in since Greyson's occupying the back.
(Wolfwood) The convoy loads up and drives off in short order. Considering the dangers ahead, few of those present aren't seasoned mercenaries. But with pay this good, who could say no despite the risk? The trip takes some time and the road shows visible signs of recent rushed repairs and temporary fixes. There have doubtlessly been efforts to ensure that the heavy construction equipment would even be able to use the roads that, unlike those within Fairhaven proper, don't get nearly the kind of love they deserve. Humorously enough, outside of the bubble, without the drip feed of nanites chewing at them, the roads have held up alright over the years. Perhaps that's the benefit of both being in California and not constantly having multi thousand pound vehicles driving to and fro over them.
The three squads soon break off from one another and head to their respective points of interest. The lead up is over. It's time for action.
Alpha team pulls up alongside their side of the substation. It has clearly seen better days. The chain link fences are rusted out, foliage reaches up past the cracks in the decaying asphalt, and then, of course, is the star of the show. The old administrative building is partially collapsed and is now serving almost like an outer shell to a rather odd sight. A massive pile of junk. It must be several stories high and is made up of metal, wood, concrete, and just about everything else you could imagine an oversized golem ripping out of the surrounding town and tossing onto the pile. In front of it is a large parking lot with several assorted groupings of junk and piles of scrap. Caitlin and Rulsk can pick up on something a bit more dower, however. The scent of death. Corpses are lodged between the gaps of the heavy pile's mass. Inanimate objects aren't the only things that have been 'salvaged' and Rulsk in particular can tell that some of the sources are relatively fresh. Wolfwood leads Alpha team towards a gap in the fence which would put them closer to the admin building than had they used the front entrance. She turns and looks to those assembled.
"Alright. Things are going to get real hot real fast. The second we cross the threshold onto the property and get into range of the damaged server, the golems are probably going to wake up. Any calm discussion is going to have to happen now. So. Let's discuss. Anyone have any ideas besides smashing the golems until they stop moving?" The human, her face now covered by the sealed helmet of her armor is difficult to read. Her tone at least suggests an edge of apprehension and anticipation. Hardly surprising considering what they are about to do.
(Waconet) Waconet pulls a bona fide Rocket Launcher from his vehicle when Wolfwood asks about how the team wants to deal with the Golems before they go active. "Well, I have a few ideas, one of them is simply sacrificing one of our vehicles and ramming one into them. Two, I have brought, in no small quantities, heavy ordinance in order to do the obvious. Yeah I just want to to blow them up."
(Caitlin) Caitlin spends the entire drive there shooting the shit with Janex and Greyson if they are both up for it and dodging the occassional pothole while going just a tad, totally a tad, bit too fast while following. That cheerful demenaor changes once they come in range of their objective and the scent of blood fills her nose. Her hackles twitching sending her ribbons dancing as they pull up to park. Wolfwood going opening the floor to plans from others gives her some time to visually scout the area and look for some usage of that rifle Greyson gave her but her options were limited. Eyeing the administration building as she speaks up "Did you send a group out before us? Scouts? Know of anyone who would be wandering through here?"
(Wolfwood) Wolfwood purses her lips, then shakes her head. "Nah. Nobody but us. Why, you..." She seems to get the idea and glances back towards the giant scrap pile. "Unfortunately, there's a trade route that passes through the area. If the weather's bad or something makes the normal route dangerous, it wouldn't shock me if someone tried coming closer to the station here and...well. If the golems happen to be wandering..." She trails off and exhales, the sound of her breath the only solid indication of her being at all disturbed. The joys of power armor.
(Tyo) Tyo notices the changes in the environment as soon as they pass outside the boundries of the nanite bubble, parts of his split consciousness break off to try managing the strain of his own body on itself. Once they reach their destination the wolf opens the door of his snake pet's Bronco gathering with the assembed group as the prepare for the chaos that is almost assured to be unleashed from Wolfwood's words, he looks over his fellow operatives as he stays somewhat close to Waconet while his purple wolven eyes land onto that instrument in those hands that he has seen used to brutal measures more than once. The wolf prepares his own equipment as he readily place a paw onto the warhorn that lies beneath his duster, his eyes scan the building looking over it's state before drifting around the the landscape before him, that wolfish grin on his lips hold firmly with the anticipation of battle from the commander's words before offering some himself in hopes of encourgment, "We know our job, let's get thing done folks!"
(Janex) Janex enjoys the drive immensely, considering the pair seem unfazed at traveling with a hellhound. He even warms up to join in the banter, even as some bumps in the road and Caitlin's driving make him hold on to his seat with nerves. As he gathers 'round to hear Wolfwood out, he eyes his surroundings calmly, only pointing to an abandoned-looking apartment complex overlooking the area once the conversation hits a lull. "Think I'd be better off taking the golems from up there," he offers. "Might have eyes on the golems and pull focus from the admin building if they're more worried about me."
(Everdeene) Everdeene hisses out in a soothing tone, "I have a custom made Rocket Launcher, if we find a weak-point of anything we have to face, expose it as much as possible, and have me fire away a good shot at it, or, if it's too mobile, I can use my chainsword to try and tear through some limbs if possible, or armor if needed."
She then looks to the others, "And if there's a need for healing or food, I can try to provide what I can on the move, hope you like milk~" She adds with a sing-song tone, followed by a wink.
"Also, I see a few good spots over there and there that would work for a few potentially bad hits, make sure to remember them." she says as she points out said spots, before looking with annoyed confusion, "Anyone else feeling... heavier now...? I feel like I'm under the ocean again... except even heavier..." Everdeene shifts around as she asks.
(Rulsk) Rulsk is in constant pain. When people told him about the world outside the Bubble, they never mentioned just how much it would *hurt* to simply exist out here. He's forced to slowly burn his stores of builder nanites to stave off a bone-deep ache that fills him right to the core. Despite doing so, every jolt of the truck over a rough patch on the highway feels like he's being simultaneously crushed and stretched to breaking, somehow all at once. He's grateful when they arrive, as it means he can finally stand and stretch out his sore muscles again.As the convoy pulls up to the old administrative building, the cloying scent of death fills his nose, making him raise his hackles, silently snarling through grit teeth. At Wolfwood's question, he rumbles, "Someone died here recently, or at least some of those bodies are much, much fresher than the others. Whatever is here is definitely still active."
He glances at the arrayed junk, eyes flicking between the various piles of junk, his ears perked as he focuses his full attention on trying to detect threats. A semi-truck covered in industrial server racks... sounds off. So too does a tightly packed stack of junker cars. And... a pit of gravel. None of those things should be moving, but he can hear the faint sounds of shifting and grinding coming from them. The barricades blocking off something covered in a tarp, the bronze bear statue with a military dressed mannequin draped across its back, and the suspiciously golem shaped assortment of metal do flare up his instincts, but he can't hear any sounds coming from them. He conveys his findings to the group, pointing with his muzzle one after another at the three junkpiles that are making ominous sounds, "There... there... and there. I hear movement."
(Waconet) Waconet works on pulling several boxes out from his vehicle, tucking in his wings as his serpentine form otherwise fits easily inside as he judiciously unloads quite the collection of equipment. And once fully unloaded, he opens the boxes to reveal... Exactly what you might expect from an Explosives Expert. Boxes of grenades, satchel charges, rockets and even a mortar with its own box of shells and charges ready to go. He places the mortar up first, taking a look through his binoculars and using them to sight in potential targets. He follows up with setting out the charges and shells for the mortar. He has the Rocket launcher hung on a sling around his figure with spare ammo being carried in a backpack. And with that, he's ready to go.
(Greyson) Shielding his eyes from the sun, the feral-looking wolf-beast stares over the building, watching the others as they shuffle about, making their preparations before eyeing the team with heavy artillery, the nudist cocking his head to the side. "Hey- take a look over there real quick..." He gestures around the scrap barricades, the building practically mid-collapse as it already was. "Server's in there somewhere and we've got no idea how battered it is... probably won't survive if the place comes crashing around on it. If we're gonna be firing rockets and artillery in there, we need to make sure me and the rest of the boys in Charlie've got something to work with once the dust clears..." He sighs, scratching his chin and staring up towards Caitlin and Janex, "You two- if we're pissing them off, see if you can't draw them |outside|, we've got a beehive in there and a lot of room to work with, see where they're coming from with a few pot-shots and make some call-outs, if we're smart we can knock out some paths |away| from the building and force them to either bunker down or come to |us| all the way out this way. If even one stray plate slips off that tower, this whole operation might be in for some bad news..." Gesturing to the front of the would-be scrapyard, he mutters, "We've got the tools to build a funnel and I'm sure I could make some spare if we end up running out of toys... look for the van with an M and a tail on it if you need to resupply or get anything patched up out here."
(Wolfwood) Wolfwood hmns, nods, and recovers her hammer. "I agree with him. If we can kick the hornet's nest and draw them further from the building, all the better." She looks to Waco. "Everyone, get into position. Once we're ready, we can ring the bell."
(Waconet) Waconet looks over his shell supplies, "Draw them out? I got a couple of smoke shells that make a boom noise and leave a cloud, but won't hurt the building itself. I could even have the shells explode up in the air so they won't obstruct our view of the area."
(Wolfwood) Wolfwood shrugs. "Your call. I'd say the areal explosives. Those blow up downwards, right? Fired over the yard, it'd entirely miss the building."
(Waconet) Waconet nods to the power armored human, "Shrapnel shots, ariel burst, I got those too. Make the call when you want the Artillery to start."
(Wolfwood) Everyone moves to get into position and prepare for the golems to be lured out to fight the team on their own terms. Wolfwood hunkers down by a toppled van and shoots Waconet a nod. It's go time.
(Caitlin) Caitlin eyes the building Janex pointed out above the area in thought as her ears twitch and her muscles ache. Having been so long since she was outside the bubble she almost forgot how it felt to be out here. The terrible itch, the pain of her every cell letting her know its not a good idea to be out of a bubble as she digs into her pocket to pull out a bottle and toss back two of the pills while the plan is put together. Turning around she points to Greyson and the van, moving over herself to pull the AMR out that he had offered her to get into position. Climbing the tallest of the vehicles they had to get into a, potentially awkward, position to utilize it as she zeros in the scope and waits.
(Tyo) Tyo gives his fluffy head as if trying to get himself into the correct mindset as he tries to get himself into the best position he can with the impending chance of combats from what the commander Wolfwood has mentioned, the wolf shifts himself behind Waco as he sees the snake preparing mass violence. The wolf pulls that instrument out from his duster, aa horn of ebony marbled with a couple small streaks of purple, holding it close he shifts himself back further and further until he is standing behind that powerful serpent form ready to alert the other if he spots any movement that may be the aforementioned golems moving in to the group's position. While preparing he keeps what left over attention he has on the rest of his squad trying to make sure to jump to give them some help if need be, his fur tingles slightly as if electrified by the tension lingering in atmosphere.
(Everdeene) Everdeene spends a moment loading her rocket launcher, gets to aiming it from a good distance, and then aiming it, steading her rocket launcher with three of her four arms and having her fourth ready to fire, giving a nod to show her ready to go.
(Rulsk) Rulsk nods and moves to the front of the formation, poised and ready to catch the attention of any hostiles and ensure they engage him and nobody else, if at all possible. He bristles with anticipation, aches fading away as adrenaline kicks in.
(Greyson) Scampering up the roadside back towards the Merc N' Tails van, Greyson slips up the side of the hood, making his way onto the roof with a pair of binoculars as he takes position by the roadside, a bouquet of smoke and tear grenades at his side, eyes flicking between his comms unit and the scene laid out in front of him. While it wasn't an aerial viewpoint, it would be the safest place for him, not only free cover, but something mobile, a far better chance for survival should anyone need to run and gun, keys left in the driver's seat, already adjusted and laid back.
(Janex) The black hound tips his muzzle back and squints up at a water tower with clear sight lines to the spots Rulsk noted, changing his gameplan and nodding to the rest of the group. Checking his pack and his energy weapons one last time, he hustles off to climb up the tower's height and oversee the field of battle. He even manages to take in a breathtaking view of the horizon as he climbs, looking out at a world he hadn't seen in... who knows how long, by now.
(Waconet) Waconet , upon seeing the nod from Wolfwood, hefts up one of the shells and hangs it over the pre-sighted mortar. He shouts "Fire for effect!" before dropping the shell and covering his ear canals. And even with those covered he still can hear the boom as the shell is projected upwards, the concussive force feeling like a kick all over his form causes him to wince a bit as he's not supported by the nanites out here. The shell, reaching its peak about 4 seconds later, arcs downwards, having reached a height in the thousands of feet racing downwards towards the grounds just outside the administration building. And with just a fraction of a second away from impacting the ground, it detonates, sending a barage of shrapnel into a tight cone into the ground, sending up dust from the impact. The explosion sending another shockwave towards the group. The quetzalcoatl, removing his hands from his ears, picks up another round, ready to fire again.
(Wolfwood) There is a loud groaning sound. Both from the pile of scrap as well as from the yard. Suddenly, two of the piles of junk in the yard burst to life.
The first to become visible bursts forth from the gravel filled pothole. It appears the gravel was only laid out over a hunk of sheet metal with the golem waiting beneath. The golem appears to have been structured around equipment taken out of a sports focused store. Framed with what might have been goal posts, equipped with several different types of ball launchers, and seemingly powered by several off board boat motors. Its muscles are even made out of the elastics you would find in a weight room which have been surrounded by several layers of plastic taken from the bottles that hold tennis balls. On its back is a cage carrying an assortment of ball shaped projectiles which appear to be designed to erupt on impact. Who knows what that ball buster can do!
The second roar is very tinny and comes from what one might have previously presumed was immobile. Made of seemingly solid brass, the animated statue has seams around its joints allowing for fully articulated movement. Its claws appear to be made of sharpened hooks taken off of trailers that were securely welded onto the brass. It is covered in scratches and gouges which implicate it having been assaulted by people in the past. The fact it is still moving suggests they were added to the pile. On its back is a mannequin which, based on its deteriorating attire, looks to have been taken out of a local museum. It appears to have once been an accurate presentation of Teddy Roosevelt, though time has not been kind to it. Thick wires and cables attach the mannequin to the statue and provide it something far more dangerous than claws: opposable thumbs. Its arm extends out like a grappling hook and grabs a long pipe that it appears to be readying to use as a lance.
Wolfwood swears as she sees smaller, short golems start to climb out of the pile. Far less dangerous looking than the big golems but in mass could overwhelm the party if not taken out quickly. "Alright! Small change of plans! I'm going to flank the big fuckers once you have them distracted and stomp out the little things before they become a swarm! The rest of you! I need you to kill that freak of a golem! And kill that god damn president!"
Wolfwood gets into position to bolt past the golems. The more agile sports-themed golem will pass first, but will certainly be harder to hit. The slower moving but very tanky bear statue will pass the yard's threshold second.
(Waconet) Waconet isn't aimed at either of those two large golems and puts the shell back into the case. Instead, he pulls up his equipped rocket launcher and sees that the sporty golem is already on the move towards the group. He shoulders the launcher and takes aim at the ball launching menace. Taking aim at the charging golem, the snake fires the rocket, igniting the booster within as the projectile jets forwards, containing a dense payload,designed to slam into a target and to add insult to injury, detonate into a fiery storm of burning heat.
(Caitlin) Caitlin takes a deep breath as she adjusts the scope waiting for the boom. Then the boom hits, the roaring a sound in the back of her mind as everything between her and the massive brass creature of an ex president fades away. Her focus narrowing to a pin cushion of the scope as she rakes it over the target. Looking for a chink in the armor, a small flaw. Eye sighting on the old president and ca'
(Tyo) Tyo feeling those shock waves coursing like a tsunami through the bristles of his fur the wolf bring his warhorn up to his lips just in case while staying as close to the progenitor of the forceful waves as his fluffy pelt brushes softly against Waconet's side, his gaze remains to the best of his ability fixed on any sudden movements from anyone or thing but his squad, and only moments after Waco's artillery. Seeing those shapes forming from the piles that scrap he quickly blows his horn as he rallies his allies with that thunderous tone that reverberates through the golems' frames as he signals the beginning of battle, after giving out his call his paws flutter inside of his trench coat putting away his horn and taking up a violin colored as dark as the wolf's own abyssal fur save for the grey bands that make up the grain of the wood it is shaped while he takes a paw step away from that majestic frame adorned with brilliant emerald.
(Wolfwood) The sports golem, seeing Waco preparing to fire a rocket, roars in boat engine and fires off a volley of random ball objects down range seemingly trying to strike the rocket before it hits. If one were to slow down time and follow from the perspective of that rocket, it would be something straight out of a movie as the rapidly moving projectile dodges each object. When it finally does hit something, it's close enough to the golem to cause it to stumble back, several strands of taught rubber muscle snapping from the shockwave. It avoided the worst of the blast, but it's clearly not unharmed.
(Caitlin) Caitlin takes a deep breath as she adjusts the scope waiting for the boom. Then the boom hits, the roaring a sound in the back of her mind as everything between her and the massive brass creature of an ex president fades away. Her focus narrowing to a pin cushion of the scope as she rakes it over the target. Looking for a chink in the armor, a small flaw. Eye sighting on the old president and cables holding it together as her eye is drawn to the back plating and how it was spliced open by the cabling. Realizing what she's seeing as she raises her voice to be heard over the chaos. "The Rider's the weakpoint! The Tether points fuck the plating, break its back!" She follows up her words by squeezing the trigger and letting the AMR Greyson leant her roar and kick against her shoulder as a round is sent down range for that bull and rider. Looking to bag herself a big prize in this big game hunting!
(Wolfwood) The funny thing about anti-material rifles is that they end to be very against the preservation of matter. While the bullet over penetrates the bear, the hole it leaves causes its rider's ass to fall down into the cavity which both makes its control harder and the aim of its makeshift lance far more difficult. The dead president looks in Caitlin's direction, however! It clearly does not appreciate being given the worst seat in the house. Someone needs to distract it or it's going to redirect the bear to head not just towards her but also their rides home.
(Janex) Janex hardly summits the water tower, panting as he sits on the grated floor of the platform, when the blast off Waconet's artillery goes off. Covering his ears and scrabbling back as he feels his whole body shake from the explosion, he peers down as the field stirs to life with the abominations awakening below. Eyes darting between the two golems, the hellhound silently picks the sturdier of the two to set his aim down on, focusing on Roosevelt and the tethers at the bear's back, at Cait's advice. "All right, Mr. President..." Janex mutters to himself, the sole audience of his lame joke, as infernal fire gathers around his closed paw. "...this is for 'Manifest Destiny.'" Eyes aglow, gritting his teeth as the unholy brand on the paw sears brightly into his flesh, he rears back and hurls a fireball down at the disfigured mannequin.
(Wolfwood) The president is now on fire. Probably not a sentence anyone here was imagining would be relevant to their life but here you are. The mannequin burns brightly, the wires and cables controlling it beginning to heat it. Some of that fire also apparently got into its innards as horrible grinding noises now are emitted by the bear as it moves. That maddeningly good throw of a hellish fireball might have just made the bear's death inevitable as well as its rider. How long it will take for it to keel over is another matter.
(Everdeene) Everdeene growls having aiming at the brass beast, contemplating it for a bit, before aiming ahead of where the beast will be running and aiming to blind it further with an explosion at it's feet.
"Can't hit what you can't see, how about keeling over now, rather than later!" she shouts after the shot.
(Rulsk) Rulsk sees the athletic golem start to unload its balls everywhere and the former president's dire focus. He immediately starts to snarl and howl, bark and growl, rant and roar to try to draw the focus of both enemies. The stars in his coat blaze into hellfire and surround him in raging, unholy flames. He pivots to try to block their advance as the cloud of dust rises, a wall of black fur, power armor, and stellar plasma keeping danger at bay and away from his friends. He tenses like a coiled spring, then lunges forwards in a bodily tackle at the sports equipment monstrosity, to knock it to the ground and pin it in place.
(Greyson) Greyson ogling the combat from afar, the wolf hefts up his comms device, crackling over the radio, "Can confirm some good hits and an act of treason before that dust-storm picked up there... not that that's a bad thing." A snicker rises from his throat, "Now that Sporty's blind, see if you can all pick up a few shots on Yogi, armor's tightly woven, stance isn't defensive yet so it looks like he's gonna be doing the real damage while the one hurling balls is going for a diversion. If one of you wants to take him out of the picture, just aim for the supports, those posts'll crack like eggs if you get em in the right spot..." He squints into the distance, muttering, "Cait, Jan, you guys got eyes on anything else up there I should be taking a look at? Only so much I can see from all the way out here and I don't got that kinda birds-eye."
(Wolfwood) To say the team has had a strong start would be an understatement. While the bear does charge out of the yard, the dust cloud has prevented it from being able to immediately charge at anyone. Now that is past the cloud, however, it can clearly see where everyone is. Most importantly, what is clearly the biggest threat of the lot. It begins to charge in Rulsk's direction.
Meanwhile, the sports golem revs up its engines and begins to pelt the large armored mutant with balls covered in spikes. As he is so close and unable to dodge, he of course gets hit point blank. Undeterred, however, the mutant prevents it from targeting anyone else and the awkward angle it shot from made the wounds he sustained flesh wounds at worst.
Back towards the yard, the sound of small blasts can be heard. Janex can see from his high perch that Wolfwood is playing at being the Doom Marine as she rips and tears at the small golems. Occasionally she slams her sledge hammer into a group of them, a small directed explosion erupting from the point she strikes and blasting the things to bits. She's holding up just fine so far.
(Waconet) Waconet looks over at Rulsk holding down the sport golem, while looking like the wolf is taking a few hits by some flying balls. Thinking better than hitting it with another rocket he sets aside Kindness as he then equips a gun. This Gun he Found on the Moon. He shoulders the rifle and proceeds to show up Lee Harvey Oswald. As the feathered snake had trained specifically to hit up to four times with his rifle.
(Wolfwood) The sport supply adorned golem is now ever so slightly less sporty as all of the ball launchers on its chassis seize on account of a severe case of lead poisoning. It is still quite a heavy golem, however, and can certainly do damage with its abject mass. The boat engines that power it rev up loudly as it continues to try and escape from the giant wolf's grasp...however, as it stands, it can no longer fire at things from afar. The team can safely focus on the bear while Rulsk tears apart the golem.
(Caitlin) Caitlin answers Greyson by hotkeying her mic and allowing him to get an earful of the AMR as she cycles rounds. "Moving. I'll let you know if something bites me." She finally answers before the rifle is hefted into her hands and she bolts off the vehicle to relocate from her shot. Heading towards some of the sturdy cover that was pointed out before this entire firefight had begun. Hitting the cover hard she wheezes out a breath, making a note to start carrying a rifle of this size or similar weight next time she does running, before propping up the rifle on the debris and waiting. Sighting in her scope for hitting the bear-bull again as she scans the area near her for more threats as she keys the mic to speak to Greyson again. "Two targets are priority, Wolfwoods churning and burning the little guys. Once this is done think we are clear." Her rifle coming back up to her shoulder as she works to sighting in another shot.
(Tyo) Tyo lets out a small rumbling chuckle as what he wants to his doesn't matter for sight as he begins to pull the bow of his violin across those strings letting those note ring out, a passionate solo plays out and if one knows the specific piece of music the wolf is playing they would know it's the Devil's Trill which flows outwards while keeping himself behind the snake that is preparing for another wave of violence, his gaze drifts from each of the members of ther group hoping his ballad inspires them before settling on the oncoming golem assault with a fire blazing in those amethyst wolven orbs.
(Janex) As Janex readies another ball of fire in his fist, he cocks his ear to the distant sound of explosions, catching the sight of Wolfwood's latest hammer swing sending tiny golems flying in every direction. With his free paw, he activates his comms to update Greyson and Caitlin. "Same on my end, so far I just see Wolfwood making hay out of those little guys. Speaking of which--" His last words come out somewhat pained, as the flames gathering around his paw reach their height. With a bellow, the hellhound hurls another infernal fireball down on the misshapen statue and rider, shaking out his paw and clutching it with a wince.
(Wolfwood) The bear rears up as another fireball hits it. The wires holding the mannequin president attached snap, the mannequin slumping in the cavity of the golem's back. It emits a tinny roar and looks towards Everdeene who it proceeds to charge. It is on fire, sagging, and in poor shape.
(Everdeene) Everdeene's roar gets everyone's attention as they watch the Shadow Dragoness suddenly charge across the battlefield and upom impact the torso gets entirely dislodged from it's limbs in an almost cartoonish fashion, and her claws, tightly gripping the partially melted, flaming torso, shatter it entirely, upon impact with the ground.
(Rulsk) Rulsk snarls as the heavy balls bounce off his armored body. As Waconet's pinpoint accurate gunfire shatters the launchers that have been harrying him, he grins widely, fangs bared in pleasure and promised aggression. His hellfire scorches the sports golem below him, a prelude to what the wolf is about to unleash. The only warning the athletic amalgamation gets is the widening of the massive canine's jaws, before a beam of raw astral fire erupts from his throat. Even blunted by the lack of nanites, very little can resist an eruption of plasma. The huge wolf keeps his prey trapped beneath him as he unleashes the fury of a star directly onto it. It flails wildly as it tries to free it self, to escape its demise, but it is no use. Its struggles weaken and fade into mere twitches as its elastic muscles snap, its remaining projectiles crack and detonate, and even its goalpost bones creak, sag, and ultimately slough away into molten metal. Soon, there's nothing left but the broken remains of a shattered and roasted golem. The triumphant wolf arches his body, throws his head back, and howls in victory.
(Wolfwood) As the howl passes, the silence compared to just seconds before is almost deafening. Caitlyn looks off to the side and sees that Wolfwood is pinning a larger one of the small golems down to the ground by the neck with a hand as she kneels over the pile. It seems she finally was able to get close enough to get to work securing the server. The fight is over. For many, this is the first fight experienced outside of the bubble. As are the inevitable aches and pains that are going to start ringing out loud as the adrenaline runs out. The team can make their way back to the yard and regroup as Wolfwood works. The sounds of combat at the power relay are starting to die down as well, though the precise fate of what has happened there is unknown.
(Waconet) Waconet focuses on bringing up a minibubble as his NICE starts up and activates his Regulation Nanomagic for those folks who were really starting to feel the effects of being out of bubble. As he also had Distrubuted Nanomagic, any one who had a NICE not being used could extend the range of the area he could help out by an additional 5 ft.
(Caitlin) Caitlin kept her guard up, her weapon ready as she scanned the field of combat and watched as the two golems get torn to shreds and Wolfwood seems to be able to handle herself. Finally, finally as the last pieces of the brass bear hit the ground does she finally hit the safety on the gun and take a deep breath. Rubbing at her shoulder as she opens comms. "Right, Wolfwood think we are good over here. Anyone hurt? Take a ball to the balls? Or we get out of here with a few scratches?" Gripping the carry handle of the AMR she lifts it in both hands with a huff and admires the weapon for a second, She finally got to fire an AMR and not get yelled at!
(Tyo) Tyo lets out a small sigh of relief as he sees those juggernaut golems but down to rest and slows the melody of his instrument, the wolf begins to put away his trusty violin noticing some black almost oily fluid left on the bow he gives not heed to it as he places it back into it's proper place inside of his duster. One of the Brood King's paws reaches outwards giving the spine of his closest companion and member of his household a soft pat on his serpentine back, "Good job boi." before his looks on to the decapitated building, "you know how to get a server running, right?" his gaze blistered with obvious concern at the sight of the building the server is hosted in with a wary grin plastered on his furry lips, the wolf's own nanties beginning to get to work in supporting his pet in the task at hand with a small could spilling forth from that fluffy pelt.
(Janex) Watching from high as the bear came down with a sickening crunch, only to be temporarily blinded as the concentrated power of the sun destroyed the pile of leftovers from gym class, Janex shields his eyes, lowering his paw to see the dust settling over their battlefield. A slightly delirious laugh sets in, along with the exhaustion he'd been suppressing, as he sits back against the water tower, dangling his hindpaws from the platform. He'd done what he came to do. "Yeah, I think I'll live..." the hellhound murmurs into his comms as he cradles the searing brand on his paw to his chest. "I'll be down in a minute," he pants, looking out onto the view sretching for miles. So the world outside the bubble was still there, huh...?
(Everdeene) Everdeene lets out a roar alongside Rulsk's howl, and once the adrenaline begins to fade away, she drags herself onto the trailer and lays on her side, "I-if anyone's~... h-hungry, there's~... plenty of milk to go around for everyone~..." she gestures to her breasts.
(Rulsk) Rulsk feels *immediate* relief as Waconet's minibubble covers him. He wags his tail gratefully and gives a deep sigh as all the aches of the long journey and of the battle fade away practically instantly. His healing factor kicks into its usual level of efficiency and closes the few superficial wounds he'd taken almost instantly. He lowers his head to fix his jaws around the remaining scrap of the broken and melted sports golem, then drags it closer to the group. He's tired and hungry, but jubilant at how things had turned out. The fight, fast though it was, took a lot out of him, as he's never been in such a hostile environment before. He settles down next to Waconet so that he can rest within the radius of the minibubble his dear friend is generating, albeit behind a truck and more or less out of sight of the main group as he refills his nanite reserves in the way ravenous wolves are known for.
(Greyson) Greyson slips off the topside of the van, setting his equipment into the backside before running over to check on the damage, walking alongside Caitlin and lifting the brass from beside the totaled bear and its rider, clapping the woman's shoulder, "Relax, boss, think the worst we got's a nibbling... oughta secure that building before Charlie gets in here, think when I come back I'd like it to be standing up a bit... and for now it looks like a stiff breeze might topple the whole damn thing. " He snickers, arching a brow. "You make it out alright? Saw a bit of scuttling, but the van's not exactly the best vantage point." At that crackling into the comms, the wolf-beast murmurs, "I've got some spare tylenol with both your names on it right now..." He glances up towards the tower, humming, "Might have to bring it up to you- don't think I've seen the world from that high up since I got inoculated- especially not out here..." Everdeene's offering brings a wince from the mutt's muzzle, "I'll... pass, got some Clif bars back in the van.. but uh- thanks, yeah?" He chuckles, staring on as Rulsk digs into the recently maimed golem, eyes flicking briefly towards Caitlin, then back towards the recently decimated creature, offering a shrug in turn.
(Wolfwood) As Wolfwood finishing sending a reset signal to the server, the sputter of new golems coming out of the pile ceases. Still moving, but no new ones are being generated. For now. She knows that it will just pick things right back up if it doesn't get sufficient power and repairs soon. She glances back over towards the relay.
"Hey! This is Alpha. Sector cleared! How're things over there?"
TO BE CONTINUED.
