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Post by fen on Dec 31, 2019 5:42:08 GMT -6
“Do we have to do this now?”
Yuki’s welcome back to the world of the active was not entirely pleasant. Her capture and subsequent faux rescue by Myra did nothing to help how she was feeling up to said capture. What started as a rebellious outing quickly turned into a threat to her life- something she wouldn’t have minded if it didn’t involve someone else!
A click of her wrist, and the handcuffs came undone. It seemed that she had long been at work on them- somehow.
She swung her hair up, putting it back into a ponytail as her face took on a grim expression. They were certainly weaponless, but she was becoming increasingly familiar with how that didn’t seem to matter with the Lions.
Her phone’s light caught the glint of a small, thin, sharp object- some scrap she must have picked up somewhere in the facility. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but just fine enough to serve as a tool.
“Think the others actually know where we are? Or was that big shot giving them more credit than they deserve?”
“They’re stupid, but they’re not that stupid. Expecting a ‘daring rescue’ any moment now.”
Myra picked up a rifle from off the ground and gave it a once-over. It was a tad heftier than she’d like, but she somehow doubted they would escape without trading fire.
“Good job picking that lock by the way,” she said, cautiously approaching the door. “Thought I’d have to escort you out of here like you were some giant hairy alien. Might’ve had trouble fitting into that power armor, now that I think about it.”
“Uh huh.” With a quickly scavenged pistol at her side, she took position beside Myra. Peering through the slight opening in the door, the two of them could spot movement in the facility. Workers were quickly moving trucks to and fro, many of them leading out of the facility and into the service tunnel they spotted before.
A large, previously unseen machine stood in the center of the facility. Covered in simple, somewhat rounded armor, its gunmetal gray coloration and lack of equipment gave it a prototypical appearance.
Red flashed along its face as a mono-eye swept from side to side, before centering. The machine lumbered forward, taking slow, hesitant steps.
“...Is that a new Martian machine? Looks… Weird. Why doesn’t it have any weapons?”
---
The hum of the hot desert air gave them no company. The ever impartial sun watched their journey from above. The desert proved easy to navigate, as much of the area around the cities was dry land. It wasn’t until those cities began to disappear in the background that the dunes began to emerge.
Frozen waves of sand stood in their way, shielding what lies beyond from their search. A particularly tall dune was the last thing they needed to cross before arriving at their destination.
Yet it was strange… They were supposed to be near their friends, and yet they there was nary a sign of life. Was there truly something behind that dune?
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jan 5, 2020 14:06:21 GMT -6
“All we’ve got is sand as far as the eye can see,” Sean grumbled. He didn’t care much for sand; it always managed to nestle its way into the deepest parts of his boots, only to slip under his heel days or even weeks later. “Though I doubt they’d plan an attack with footies alone. Unless our intelligence is grossly mistaken, they’ve got something here. Whatever it is, it isn’t good.”
His grip tightened around the barrel of his shotgun.
“Jingo’s gone dark, but I don’t think she’s left the facility. Let’s hope we don’t find her and Yuki buried in a shallow grave out here, aye?”
The pain and growing anxiety didn't leave much room for witty comments, proving to be a distraction that far outweighed her teammate's presence in the cockpit.
Part of Lin almost wished that there wasn't anything there. As much as it would mean that Myra and Yuki were out of reach, it would also mean that machine – or anything like it – wouldn't be there. Because what else would a secret Martian facility be doing in the middle of a desert if not for transporting – or gods forbid, manufacturing – those things?
She stole a glance towards Sean – the first she’d given him during the entire ride there. There was a moment of hesitation, one that said perhaps a bit too much on its own, before she turned her eyes back to the screen in front of her.
“... yeah.”
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“Doesn’t need them,” Myra answered matter-of-factly. Her eyes darted toward the half-build machines that lined the warehouse. “Fact that they’re moving out means they’ve spotted something. As soon as that prototype machine Dae-Won’s piloting takes off, we make a run for it. Steal whatever we can and put the pedal to the metal.”
She looked back at Yuki with a smirk.
“Better to die fighting than with a bag over your head, right?”
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Post by fen on Jan 30, 2020 0:46:56 GMT -6
A red hole began to form in the dune just in front of them, quickly darkening.
It was a good thing that the squad had approached somewhat split up- because not long after a purple beam blew through this opening, glassing the sides of the hole within the dune as it pierced straight through the center of the group, avoiding most of them. For a brief moment their cameras faltered and the vision outside their machine grew fuzzy. A stocky machine lumbered onto the dune, causing it to collapse within the hole the beam formed.
Although clearly humanoid, its arm and legs were were surprisingly rounded for an AA- making it look as if it was a turtle. its flat face hung from the top of its body not unlike someone opening a manhole from below, with a crisp yellow camera centered just within the darkness. An emitter just below its neck began to light up once more, and the group could see sparks emerge as it appeared to charge up for yet another beam.
---
The hangar's flurry of action had not yet abated, but it allowed them to move between cover with more ease. Dae-Won's figure had long since disappeared from the crowd, though no doubt he had made his way to his machine. More and more material was being shuttled back into the tunnel and away from the facility.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Yuki spoke in a whisper, eyeing a nearby jeep that was yet manned. "I think I see a machine gun in the back of that jeep... We could probably run them down while making our escape."
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Feb 7, 2020 9:49:33 GMT -6
“Only if you take the wheel,” Myra asserted. Her gaze swept across the hangar, bustling with activity and yet without an eye to catch them. The moment they peeled away in the jeep, their cover would be blown regardless. Making a show of it—if nothing else—might be pretty fun. “Think you can hotwire that bad boy while I cover for you? Should be easy enough for someone who can break out of handcuffs that easily…”
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Creaaaaaaaak. The Nemea lurched to the side, steadying itself with an uncertain gait. The brief disorientation of their visuals nauseated Sean, whose robotic arm gripped a handlebar in the cockpit firmly enough for the metal to warp under his fingers. There was little time for respite, however, as the unknown machine immediately began charging its next beam. “Wishing I had that seatbelt right about now…” Sean flicked on the comm link, swallowing down the bile caught in his throat. A quick survey of the battlefield revealed that the opening shot had failed to significantly damage any of their machines; a tactical mistake, he thought, and proof of the enemy combatant’s overconfidence. “Get caught in that blast, and ye’re done for—fan out and wait for its second salvo before engaging. The moment ye get a clear shot, hit that bastard with everything ye’ve got!” The four machines quickly dispersed, the Nemea and Meléagros approaching from the sides while the Big Boy and Hobgoblin hung back and positioned themselves to fire. A second beam tore through their ranks, catching one of the pillars that jut out from the Hobgoblin’s backpack. “Ye alright over there? Smelling overdone bacon coming from yer direction!” Everything they’d got, as the record went, probably wouldn’t be enough. And unfortunately, mobility was pretty important with a machine like that. Gabe’s options for “Everything he’s got” were relatively limited. Gabe swore loudly to himself as he barely avoided an SPF 100,000-level tan, as part of the Hobgoblin’s backpack got caught in the blast. Yeah, the Dorcus was right out. But he would fire off as many shots from his rifle and bazooka as he could manage in the meantime, slamming the controls to the machine to and fro as he tried to maintain a solid aim and evasive maneuvers. “Hob’ll live, but this already ain’t lookin’ good. I don’t wanna join the metal high five club yet.” “Shockwave. Don’t look now, but you’re incredibly close to transforming into barbecue.” Renardo murmured with an unimpressed timbre. “Is what I would have been saying a few moments ago. The Big Boy’s battle study algorithms and advanced radar are up now. Stay on your toes. I shall stay behind you for assistance.” “Counting on that data,” Sean interjected. “In the meantime, rest of us will keep ourselves from being flash-fried, aye?"
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Post by fen on Feb 24, 2020 19:48:30 GMT -6
“It’s fine, it’s fine-” Chanted Yuki to herself as she slid under the front seat of the jeep, tearing open the brake panel and getting to work. It didn’t take long for them to be discovered, and amidst the shouting two armed men ran towards them, rifles aimed and firing. Myra’s position in the back of the jeep was enough to give them some time as she fired back.
“Gimme just- okay, got it!” With a snap the engine kicked on; Yuki settled back into the front seat and jammed the gas. Burnt rubber filled their nostrils as they shot out of the warehouse, the dune serving as a makeshift ramp as they arced onto the desert.
----
The Hobgoblin’s barrage did a number on the enemy machine, which raised both bulky arms up to tank the majority of the blasts. Each rocket caused it to stagger in place, and although it’s armor remained intact, the rumbling from its body seemed to imply it wasn’t very stable. A stream of information began to flow between the squadron members, the Big Boy’s advanced logistic systems were pointing out that it was about to fire, again.
More importantly, it pointed out that the amount of energy flowing into its reactor was high- even for Martian test tech. Well timed shots along its waist would cause a catastrophic failure, and its next shot would be its last.
As its arms spread wide, a jeep launched over the dune top and onto the desert, speeding away from the mystery machine, but also very much in its firing range.
Spotting the jeep, the machine swiveled its torso slightly towards it, charging up another beam.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Mar 16, 2020 16:38:29 GMT -6
“Shit shit shit shit shit!” Myra swiveled the machine gun around to face the unknown machine, brass shells flying behind the jeep. Her hands grew numb in the handles, but she refused to release her grip. “Can’t this thing go any faster?! What the flying fuck is four-wheel drive for if we can’t haul ass?!”
Inside the Nemea, information poured into the targeting systems, highlighting the Martian machine’s reactor like a big glowing orange weak spot from a video game. Linnea manually adjusted her aim and readied the missile pods housed on the Nemea’s shoulders. Sean’s heavy breaths echoed through the comm links.
“This balloon’s soon to pop,” he growled, the steel handlebar wrinkling under his grip. “Just hold yer fire until the last… possible… second!”
Their missiles, just a hair of a second slower than everyone else’s weapons, sounded their assault. The Hobgoblin and Big Boy followed after, beams tearing through the sweltering desert air. The Martian machine’s belly swelled with heat as their attacks met their target, bubbling grotesquely until smoke spewed from its seams. Moments later, the machine toppled into the sand.
“Ha-ha! Now that’s what I’m talking about, lads!” Sean switched to the intercom for Myra and Yuki. “Ye chose one hell of a time to make yer great escape, didn’t ye? Think ye ought to make like a banana and split, the hauler’s parked a half a mile back!”
The machine gun mounted on the jeep ground to a halt, resting against the sideboards. Myra slumped against the truck bed. She took deep breaths, one after another. Was it exhaustion or exhilaration that made her hands shake like this?
“Wish I had a setting that high back home,” she mumbled to herself.
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Post by fen on Mar 18, 2020 1:12:24 GMT -6
"...that wasn't funny." Was Yuki's only reply, but the grin on her face told her everything else.
The remains of the slain machine crashed into the sand, sending a plume of it upward. There was, at least in the immediate aftermath, no sign of reinforcements; the dunes were quiet. The jeep continued onward, at this point having cleared the imminent danger zone of the warehouse. It rushed by the feet of the Nemea, a tired Yuki adjusting the mirrors to flash a sign towards the pilot above. Picking out a radio, she fumbled with it in one hand before finding their emergency frequency.
"This is Yuki! Myra is with me, we managed to steal a vehicle. The warehouse seems to be storing Martian... experimental machinery, like the big AA you guys took out." There was a brief pause as she looked back at Myra, who gave her a simple thumbs up.
"It looked like they had some sort of tunnel by the main building, maybe they were smuggling parts in or out. We didn't get a good look." Right on cue, a cloud of smoke engulfed the warehouse and buffeted the pilots with debris. Their machines rocked under the sudden explosion, which by no means was dangerous- just surprising.
"Oh no! Did they-"
The radio cut out, static filling their comms for a moment. The light from a single monoeye glared through the smoke, as did the hum of what seemed to be machinery starting up. As the smoke faded, the silhouette of a slim figure stood within the ruins of the warehouse.
It looked, more than anything, like the white machine they fought in Shanghai- the one that moved blindingly fast. This one was sleeker, and a bit smaller. Its armor seemed to be a dull gold, with the inner frame visible in the wide spaces between the armored plates. It looked almost like a snake- or a dragon, in the form of a man.
...though, clearly machine.
The frame around the monoeye opened up, peeling back golden armor to expand the visor, and with it came a booming voice. "A bit late, ESU dogs!" Its shoulder thrusters flared forwards, launching the thin machine back. Its legs revealed spikes, crashing into the remains of the warehouse roof as it held a hand out-
A thin laser fired from its palm, scorching the sand and firing towards the jeep- but falling short and instead glassing the sand beneath and in front of the Nemea.
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