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[Die Screaming] Red death part II: To Die For So Little.

Charmaylarg Dufrain

🎖️ Game Master
RP Date
YE-41
RP Location
FR-3 system 'Garden of thorns'
Aftermath - Red Firebase.

With the sound of a hundred crashing symbals, the shield finally gave to the fire from above. Those on the exterior of the hillfort; Both Reds and Kuvexians alike suffered much the same fate as a lance of aether, weakened by its trip through the atmosphere but still more than enough to get the job done lanced into the side of the hillfort and detonated with over 2kt of force.

Those who survived the impact either died from the debris or the shockwave if they were lucky while those unlucky few reds inside the tunnels or in the lower trenches were literally buried alive. Not by the aetheric bombardment but by a hard made choice by those inside the depths of the command center as a final straw and been reached.

Before the earthen shield could be punctured like the energy shield had the ground had begun to shake violently like a nest of hornets on the attack before slowly falling away as prefab buildings and fortified emplacements literally sluffed away as the buried beast began to rise. Slowly at first and then with purpose the hillfort rose and revealed its true nature as from the muddy depths a single Atlas class destroyer rose; shaking off its coat of dirt and began to take to the skies ominously above its former home, the single red stripe across its flank a sign of its ownership as one of the few warships leased to the BRR in good faith by their former enemies to take part in the offensive.

Those who survived bellow were still many, and the majority sported gold and violent armor. So it was with a heavy heart that an old veteran forsook those who wore his color on their shoulder and issued a single order. An order which had the guns on the bottom of the destroyer aim straight down at its former home.

And they opened fire with all the rage and sorrow it could muster before the rest of its guns turned towards the skies and answered the challenge laid before it.


Three Days Later - 47 kilometers east.

For the assault team of marines and their IPG comrades, the escape was a blur. Swept up in the commotion and a tide of red bodies in panic the IPG leader, Duece had taken lead and practically dragged the marines and her team off the tarmac of the airstrip and into the woodline with a healthy group of reds who either had better survival instincts than their comrades or simply needed someone to follow quickly trailed behind.

They had continued on silent and morbid over the course of several hours through the jungle, their wounded forcing slow progress as not only the marine Louis needed a stretcher or transport or medical attention. The spooks seemed to care little, Even though it seemed one of their own; Apples, had been caught in the landslide of the lower trenches. They continued on until finally breaking camp.

The wounded and survivors had shown up for hours afterward, following the path of those that went before them until finally right before nightfall the last survivor seemed to edge into the camp. A pilot, and a familiar face at that in the form of Windchime eventually broke trail into the glade they had been using with a couple of other pilots in tow, Their flight suits stained with blood and sweat. After her, Nobody else outside the camp seemed to answer the radio calls and further attempts by even the most optimistic were cut off.

By nightfall over sixty-seven souls sat situated in the dark glade. With the exception of just five marines and four spooks it was an entire majority Reds with Windchime and two of her pilots making up the sole officer cadre and the rest being miscellaneous souls ranging from a handful of soldiers to a spattering of flight crews and three PA pilots (Still in possession of their Twisted Demon armors).

The first couple of days played out simply. The IPG team would head in a direction and make just enough headway that the marines, After stripping their encumbering outer armor of the Golem armor in the oppressive heat could keep pace. It was an unspoken decision from Windchime that the reds would follow the greens deeper into the jungle, lacking a direction to follow themselves. Though less and less of them seemed to arrive at camp each night as the denizens of the jungle picked off the weak and stragglers in the form of stealthy megafauna and aggressive and invasive insectoids.

Camp - Louis, Carina, Minnie, Lupin, Tobias.

The fourth day brought rain. A torrential downpour so oppressive that flash flooding and mudslides stopped any progress before it started. The team; Weary, light on ammo, and low on necessities nestled under the roots of a tree so giant that the small overhang of roots at the base of the tree made a cave large enough to fit a small house in and continued on far enough across it could be considered a subway tunnel.

Somwhere deeper inside many of the reds huddled around a makeshift fire that in the damp tunnel they struggled to stay lit while keeping their distance from the greens. While they still followed the lead of the spooks there was a clear divide between them and more than a few still glanced nervously at the two spooks not out scouting in the rain; Locust and Tobias.

It had become a rumor among them that one or more of the spooks had been circling around to pick off the stragglers or wounded at the back of the line every day of travel. Windchime had put it all down as hearsay to squash any resentment that even she felt towards her former foes but none could know how true it was.

Tobias certainly was privy to the order that when Locust had been sent out to forage every day or scout that the sultry cyborg had been culling the heard. The whole spook team knew it, It had sped up their pace considerably. Because after all, The reds had a use, they had been sent their and Duece had even leaked the location of the firebase for the very reason of collecting a finite number of bodies for the mission at hand.

But only so many were needed. And certainly not the wounded ones.

"They're just reds" had been all the reinforcement given by Duece to the team. Though even then the marines on their side had been kept in the dark to not only that but towards the whole mission. To some it might not sit right, But to the spooks the blood on their hands was justified and their purpose still remained unspoken.

In the rain, however, Locust was remarkably useless with her cybernetic advantage and the sultry woman simply sat crouched, in the semi-dark of the tunnel, watching the marines across from them. A particular mark of hers in the form of Carina tempted her to the point of madness.

She never showed it, however. And even now as her little doll leaned over the explosive one, Locust kept her head down just enough that it wouldn't be obvious she was staring.

Or that the thin line of her mouth pulled ever so slightly into a smile.

"Wash around the wound carefully," Minnie remarked to Carina as the two of them kneeled over the hunched form of Louis, Carefully checking the wound on the mans head. Louis had suffered internal hemorrhaging in the battle along with a series of other injuries and had required a pressure bleed when it became clear the blood pooling in his skull was forcing his brain to swell against his skull and was slowly killing him.

"How are you feeling, Lou?" The sergeant did her best to keep the now conscious demolitionist focussed and awake in such times.

Field surgery had been performed as soon as they broke camp the first day and made the discovery and a small hole had been carefully drilled into the mans skull to release the pressure by the veteran sergeant and her surgical skills. But the healing wound, even with all the antibiotics and medical nanites they could spare was showing signs of infection and fever and required it to be cleaned and treated hourly like it did now. Louis for his part had finally been able to walk and stay conscious long enough that he was deemed stable by the veteran sergeant with her medical expertise and had been allowed to proceed with the group mostly unaided.

Though a couple of Reds surprisingly stuck close to him, Carrying looted weapons and acting as a crutch to the man from time to time.

Seemingly the only ones to make it out of the fight from before in the best shape with the exception of Minnie and carina had been Lupin and Sebastian. The sniper had earned his first kill against another marksman and the SOL had bested a superior PA pilot. Though even now the two showed signs of wear as the VOIDs backup energy supply had begun to dwindle even with the minimal use and Lupins long-gun had used most of its ammo in the deterrence of predators and occasional hunting of small game. They stood vigil with the rest of the group in morbid silence as the burning question of why they were even here hovered in the minds.

None of them had yet broached the topic but it was clear that with the reds slowly building tensions and the lack of direction that a boiling point was soon approaching.

Where they heading back towards the small death?
Why had they even flown to the base to help the reds in the first place?
Why hadn't anybody even told them where they were going and how much further?
Would they make it with what little supplies they had left?

Nearby a couple reds in the group looked over their shoulders at the greens and quickly back down into a huddle with their comrades...
 
Location:Swamp
Year: YE 41
L. Fekete

The trek out of the hillfort took its toll. Barely conscious Lou blinked, his vision blurring as he groaned trying to move his arm.his eyes coming into focus enough to see a figure, hearing a woman's voice asking how he was feeling. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he sat up blinking quickly. His body felt like it was on fire still. His complexion was now pale, his face becoming gaunt, it was obvious he was a wreck. His natural hand would shake, whilst his cybernetic s seemed to have a slight delay."doc....i-I am on fire....H-how l-likely is it i-ill survive...honestly?" His voice showed little signs of fear, but the look in his eyes showed his need to survive, the desperation scratching at the back of his mind.
 
Gangrene Grotto

The team's other Lou, the one blessed with melanin-enriched features, somehow had managed to get himself a small bit of sleep despite the tensions and worries that run rampant through the rag-tag group of survivors. The adolescent marksman sat with his back against a wall, knees tucked up into the lad's chest with his arms wrapped around the soon to be useless rifle.

It made sense, Lupin had been running back and forth every time he had a spare chance, trying to add what little he could to their dwindling rations. It was also why Lulu had barely half a magazine left for his M3, about three rounds for his long-gun, four magnum cartridges for his revolver and a little over a magazine for his service pistol, which definitely wasn't enough to do much in a fight. But he was knackered and sleep came easily, his stripped-down golem suit surprisingly comfortable once the undamaged plates were cast aside. Lupin gently snored away in his corner, barrels taped up to protect them from the ever present humidity and his longish hair held back by a bandanna tied around the lad's head.

Something woke him up, maybe the treacherous mutterings from the Reds that outnumbered the Marines or a distant crack of thunder he didn't know, the lad sucking in a breath as his eyes groggily fluttered open. He was quiet a few moments as Lupin brought himself up to date on the current situation, deciding to stay down and not get in the way of the two Medics doing their job, opting to instead pluck a cigarette from his own faintly pointed right ear and seat it beneath his chapped lips.

"How about you, big guy, how are you holding up?" the sniper inquired, his orange eyes pointing across to Sebastian as a small arc-lighter was waved past the end of the cigarette, causing it to smolder as Lupin cycled the smoke through his lungs, exhaling to let it dissipate into the damp air.
 
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Gangrene Grotto

Sebastian was very tired, even with stims running through his body. After the fight with the enemy PA the ID-SOL was able to take stock his suit's combat readiness and it wasnt great. Soon he wouldn't be able to use thing at all, turning a powerful war machine into an expensive statue.

The battle with the Golden armor also caused a good bit of damage to the VOID's armored plating, but Sebastian was able to do a crude patch job. It was better than nothing.

Even now the armor stood resolute, a middile finger to the sky in defiance. He was growing on the armor's quirk... it did save his ass after all.

His eyes flicked over to Lou as he spoke. "Bored..." he replied, a smirk on his lips. "I'm ready to get out of here and back to killin Kuvies. What about you?" He added, eyes scanning over the Reds who has been eyeing them. He patted his sidearm nonchalantly, making certain for the 20th time that it was still in the holster and ready to go at a moments notice.
 
Gangrene Grotto

"Dunno what other answer I expected honestly," Lulu chuckled, looking the man he hardly knew up and down once more before pushing more smoke through his lungs, gaze slowly dragging to the ground.

"Fresh underwear, some more ammo, a dry towel and I'd be good for the time being honestly," the sniper admitted thoughtfully with a slight frown, eyes crossing over each other to watch his cigarette's end smoulder as he took a particularly long pull, showcasing the lad's impressive lung capacity before the half-nub of nicotine was offered to Sebastian with a smokey exhale.

"You want some of this, big guy?"
 
Carina had to wipe at a few trickles of sweat beading her brow as she worked. She was fresh out of SAW, her education reflecting this as she'd fought to keep a steady hand at her work. The last few days had been... grueling, after the hill fort's fall, of trudging behind a group of spooks with Reds trailing behind. Ammunition all but spent. The young lady picked up her canteen and took a small sip. While she'd wanted to take a harder pull on it, thanks to the hot, muggy weather, Carina instead screwed the cap back on. Locust's creepy stare going unnoticed whilst she began to take stock of what was left of her medical supply.

Damn but this weather was hell. She'd lived a couple of years on the swamp world of Kennewes, a planet-renowned for its terrible climate. Having thought herself prepared for this eventuality, she was proven quite wrong.
 
Gangrene Grotto

Tobias had been briefed on what the mission had entailed, but nothing could have prepared him for the oppressive humidity of the swamp. Even the ubiquitous black IPG armor was not immune to the constant moisture and temperature, and the coolant system was barely able to keep his suit at a withstandable temperature. Still though, he kept at least his helmet off when in the camp.

He sat at a slight distance from the rest of the group in the grotto, checking his ammunition supply while doing his best not to look like a menacing spook, and keeping an eye on the marines and Reds. Serving as a much-less-terrifying point of contact between the IPG team and the rest of the group was also an unofficial task now, and so as he set down his rifle and magazine on the rock he rose and began to make his way over to the group.

Squatting down next to them in what he hoped was a not-too-suspicious manner he asked, "How are you all holding up?"
 
Gangrene Grotto

Sebastian nodded and took the cigarette from the marksman. The thing looked so small in his much larger hands. He brought it up to his lips and took a drag. With his larger lungs he took a bigger drag than expected. He held his breath for a few seconds before slowly exhaling through his nose, releasing twin jets of the smoke.

"Some fresh clothes would be nice. I'm tired of being soaked to the bones." He added as the last of the smoke left his lungs.
 
Gangrene Grotto (Names canon now)

"You're fine, Lou"
Minnie assured Louis while packing up her own medical kit after removing a small ampule; Its contents looking just as bare as Carinas kit, the two of them being the only medical personnel in the entire group.

And he was fine, all things considered. Internal hemorrhaging had required the pressure to be relieved from his skull and a set of broken ribs had caused significant inflammation but the marine was none worse for wear.

So long as they made it back to the firebase soon and proper routine of antibiotics and proper treatment before their dwindling supply ran out and the intense humidity and intense traveling conditions turned currently passive and mild fevers and injuries into terminal fevers and fatal infections. And both had taken a major toll as piece by piece the team's armor fell by the wayside and even the hardened resolve of the reds faded as heavy greatcoats more often than not were left behind in piles every time camp was broken leaving almost the entire team in their coverall uniforms with the barest of armor.

It made her nod in acknowledgment towards Sebastians and Lupins comments and brought attention to just how soaked through everyone was from not only the heat but the constant and random rain showers like right at that moment.

Wordlessly however at Tobias inquiry she pressed the small ampule to Lou's arm and drained the contents of the stimulant into him. It would keep him going and numb the pain long enough for the rain to break and the group to make a few more miles of progress...

With a pat on the younger medics shoulder, she gave her best non-committal grunt she stood and gave a hed jerk to the operator that made the demand clear.

Follow.

Away from the rest of the team and even the more curious reds the diminutive NCO seamlessly whirred in on Tobias in a way that seemed rather plain from a distance but the sheer intensity of her unblinking cybernetic gaze and the occasional pulse of blood-red from interwoven fiber optic cables in her hair follicles and the flexing of her bulky if small strong arm that up close the veteran marine looked all the part up close as a violent pitbull about to attack.

Her gaze cold but cracking at the surface with raw emotion and her rather unimpressive chest puffed out she opened her mouth just as Locust practically materialized behind the shorter woman and towered over her at her full cybernetically enhanced height; Well over twice and then some of the marine with her usual deadpan gaze that dissected any of the frail and unimpressive woman's actions as a palpable tension radiated from the real killer as Minnie stiffened but made no move to turn as a sixth sense made whatever she was about to say die on her lips, A hand twitching just enough that five scalpel-like claws flicked almost silently from her strong arm as Tobias gaze was held by the shorter women, Only moments from what was going from a likely outburst into a full-on brawl that would likely see the woman in front of him a broken mess under the professional murderer behind her if Locusts usual overreaction was anything to go off of.

Whatever misunderstanding, inevitable encounter, or just mental breakdown was about to commence had only gone unnoticed until the murder-cyborg had moved into a striking position as the team nearby became fully aware when two dozen reds stalked past them with sidearms, M2 rifles, and makeshift weapons at the ready and the two sole officers among them in the form of Windchime and Facet more than bristling for a fight.

Even if they didn't like the greens they hated the spooks and whether or not they had been culling the reds or not was beside the point as a critical juncture had been reached. The team seemingly ignored for the time being with the exception of two reds who stood over Carina and Lou, Familiar to the latter by their trophy kuvexian looted weapons, And the two sets of Crooked demon armor now once again dawned as one stood between Sebastian and his armor and the other took a position off to the side of the team. None of the two reds or armored frames made any violent gestures or even seemed to pay attention to the team but their presence made the message clear.

Let it happen, Dont get involved.
 
Gangrene Grotto

Lupin had been about to comment on how the rain at least helped wash the sweat and condensation away momentarily, even if it would just make the air heavier later, but the sniper instead sucked in a quiet breath as they were joined by the youngest spook. Lulu's pretty amber eyes studied Tobias a moment before the building commotion stole his attention away, the half-Hanyan lad's hands half way through taping down his pistol's grip-safety as the damp air grew more palpable each passing moment.

"...was better a few moments ago, I'll be honest~" he replied in earnest, slowly overlapping a few layers of black electrical tape over his sidearm's composite grip-panels, swallowing hard enough for even the drugged up Louis to hear as a bead of sweat unrelated to the humidity crawled down to his chin. One thumb moving to slyly click back his pistol's hammer just in case, the faded scars on the side of Lupin's head itching, even through his matted hair.

Lupin's first deployment wasn't looking great, if he was to be honest for a moment, it'd be memorable though if he was ever permitted the chance to make it out of this bioluminescent hellhole of a forest.
 
Gangrene Grotto

Tobias saw Locust at her full height, and understood what the operative was silently implying. If he let things escalate, the small medic and anyone else who got involved would end up dead. He needed to deescalate the situation without wounding the Marines' pride too much, and without displaying any weakness on the part of the IPG if they were to have the Reds follow their authority when it mattered.

He spoke, putting a great amount of effort into trying to project an air of calm and authority, "Sergeant, I might suggest that whatever you have to say, you try and say it in a manner that's not likely to upset our mutual aquiantance here. If you can't, then perhaps saving it for after the mission would be better." Though his voice might have been unsteady, the hand on his knife's handle suggested that at the very least the boy was willing to commit to harming another Nepleslian soldier.
 
Carina for whatever reason had seem engrossed in cataloging her dwindling supply of medicines and medical supplies. It had, had enough to see them through this far. But only just. The young medic had seemed oblivious to the rising situation until it was too late. Looking up finally at seeing movement within inches of herself, she did her best to suppress her shock at seeing two Reds now within reaching distance of herself and Louis. The creaking whirr of servos behind her could only signify the group's powered armors were active. That or someone's cybernetics were real shitty. As a voice spoke, calm, almost diplomatic range out over the cavern, Carina looked to its origin. One of the IPG, she didn't know his name because quite frankly the plucky young medic had made it her business to avoid their ilk whenever possible. They weren't like the cops back home, easily duped, bribed, or taken down. These folks knew their business. And that had been enough.

Where Tobias was looking drew her eye as well. Seeing just who and what was going on caused her eyes to go wide. Her jaw hung open just a little and on reflex, Carina's hand had strayed toward her revolver. That creepy fucking IPG chick looming over the only other medic, and her immediate superior. Just by chance did she look up. And saw the face of one of the two Reds. Message received. Slowly her hand drew away from the mostly spent weapon. If she'd drawn, Carina didn't know what may have occurred from her brash, hot-headed decision. But she sure as hell didn't like where this was going. And while unable to bring herself to pipe up, make her voice heard, her gaze lingered back and forth between the two women. Concern for her boss, and an unreadable expression behind her eyes at Locust.
 
Gangrene Grotto

The reds approach to surround Minnie, Tobias, and Locust was not unnoticed even in the rather spacious caverns though none of the three made so much as a move from their standoff to address it; Even Locust when a Crooked Demon powered armor frame came within striking range of her powerful cybernetic legs and the wicked chainsword maglocked to its underarm cycled once before powering back down with a high-pitched whine of stress that implied the flecks of gold and red-brown painting its wicked teeth were anything other than aesthetic detailing.

Besides the armor, many of the reds wielding crude clubs, axes, and even a couple of chainswords took the front of the semi-circle trapping the three inside while the half-douzen reds still in possession of their M2 rifles or simular firearms kept the perimeter security until a tight noose had slowly closed until all possible exits or egress became impossible.

Once the snare was complete two forms pushed through to enter the circle in the form of the two leadership figures; The two pilots and only remaining officers from the group of reds in the form of the haughty Windchime and her quieter wingman, the rail-thin and currently rather pale form of Facet.

"Scurry along now, little mouse" Facet spoke down to Minnie with a flagrant shoo motion with one hand, The other holding a drawn 45. low at her side but still pointing directly at Tobias while her superior simply looked on with burning hatred at Locust before she too turned to address the smaller sergeant.

"We also have things to discuss with the operators."

For the first time since her unblinking gaze burned into Tobias, Minnies head turned almost painfully slow until it looked towards the red officer. With her mouth drawn into a tight line she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Windchime with a single hand gesture.

"No words, no excuses, no compromises. We're owed answers and if these two won't give them, then the other three will when they come back. Now move and fall inline or I'll have you subdued as well."

As if to add finality to her statement a single Red stepped forwards to attempt to place a single guiding hand onto Minnie but before a single finger could touch her, her larger cybernetic arm coiled and landed a closed fist into the mans stomach like a piston causing him to double over onto his side.

"Wait your turn." Came the shrill and high pitched tone of the veteran as the single blow was delivered without breaking eye contact with the red officer who simply held up a single finger and waved it in a pre-ordained signal as all hell broke loose.

Minutes Later.

The fight had been a close thing. The code quarters and combined prowess of the three defenders had easily evened the odds against the larger numbers in the first moments as Locust had finally reacted; A single cybernetic limb lancing out to latch unsuspected onto the leg of the armored frame and push it back, Causing the armor to lurch forwards as she allowed the momentum to drag her down as well to land on her back and launch her other cybernetic out at a normally impossible 90-degree angle to encompass the faceplate of the armor and using the momentum of the slipping armor to literally throw the armor onto its side and ride it until she found herself onto of the armor, One leg now pinning an arm while the other started twisting its grip on the face beneath its talons as the armors servos fought to stop the much smaller woman from literally snapping the neck of its pilot.

Nearby Minnie had gone to ground fighting, Throwing cybernetic back blows and using her smaller stature and the remainder of her golems plating to shrug off blunted weapons and attempted grapples while Tobias' training left him to easily disarm and counter the first couple reds of their weapons.

But the fight had only been a close thing.

Sheer numbers eventually wrestled Minnie off her feet and got her on her back and pinning her two arms while she thrashed furiously and Tobias could only keep his defense until the swarm of reds allowed one to get a lucky blow to his temple by something blunt that sent his vision exploding into stars as a rush of bodies tackled him to the ground.

Even Locust had been overwhelmed when she was forced to stop her attempted beheading of the frames pilot to defend herself but was too late when the reds got into her guard and literally lifted her up by her own massive legs and got her onto her back where the best the operator could do was curl her 'netics into her chest like a ball to whether a storm of blows and kicks and mitigate their damage.

Within moments the three were pinned while the nearby gunmen took the chance to move in and finalize the maneuver with gun barrels place to the backs of heads in finality or sweeping over their prone forms to watch over them.

From the haze in their vision and fog in their heads they could barely hear the displeased and haughty tone of windchime when she spoke down to them, Declaring how pointless a fight was and promising with a steel-toed kick to Locusts temple that every bruise they had just left on her men would be met with broken bones.

The officer strode forwards, Past Locust and only briefly glancing at Minnie with a head-shake until she stopped over the prone and pinned form of Tobias; Her sudden stop intentionally kicking mud in the operators face as she danned to lean down over the man to grab his head and twist it up to look at her with clear disdain as she established the power-play.

"Mouse knew well before I did that we're long off course from her ship and fellow greens." She stated matter of factly to the operator as her lips drew into a thin line of contempt " You can lie to her all you want but you won't lie to me because unlike her I'm willing to do what it takes to complete my objective."

Obviously referencing Minnie's never explained aversion to killing the red drew a survival knife from the webbing of her coveralls and pressed the tip of the blade under the operator's right eye until the tip drew the smallest bead of crimson from the flesh of his cheek, The intention clear.

"So lets start where we are really going and what that whore boss of yours expects to find there that's worth murdering my men for?"


Nearby with the rest of the team, The limp form of Minnie Valentine had been dragged from the two operators and deposited with a less than gentle toss at the foot of the group with a groan as she simply laid there silently breathing in sharp and shallow breaths.

The other officer Facet had followed her men to the group of marines and looked on with an unreadable expression for several moments before simply uttering the statement that We just wanted to be left alone after the civil war, You could even give us that?

Looking as if she wanted to say more or elaborate the young red officer instead shook her head and turned back towards her group and beckoned the other reds in the powered armor and standing over the greens to join the rest of the group without making any notion to disarm them but with a warning against Getting in the way or acting up.

Shortly after Facet and her men had left, Minnie rolled over with a groan to lay on her back, Silently breathing and looking towards the ceiling of the cavern, a single one of her cybernetic eyes slightly dimmer than its mirror twin with a barely noticeable crack in it.

"Fuck." Washer only reply to nobody in particular.
 
Gangrene Grotto

The grip on Lupin's sidearm had tightened enough for the creak of its frame fighting against his gloved hand to become fairly audible, tensions were high and the lad's inner green-blooded patriot was screaming for him to act. He never did though, hammer only de-cocking once he'd seen Minnie roll onto her back and groan, stuffing it back into his holster once it was clearer the small Sargent was alive albeit hurting. Lulu eyed the nearby Reds warily as he slid up the dank wall into a standing position, M3 clattering against his rigging as the lad left his bolt-gun behind to take a few cautious steps towards the floored NSMC Medic, waving Carina over to take a look at her.

"Fuck, Sarge, you've looked better~" he murmured, squatting down to try and get her into a more comfortable position before deciding it would probably be better to not move her until Carina said to so so. One hand on Minnie's shoulder as he looked back over to the pile of people surrounding the two spooks who'd decided to stick around.

"They're~" Lupin cut himself off, wondering if he should really be saying this before deciding fuck it, they'd probably not take him seriously anyway.

"They're IPG you assholes," the marksman growled at the Reds, swallowing thickly to gather a bit more courage before continuing. "They won't say shit if they don't want to, and if Deuce comes back to find her folks all sliced up she's going to go scorched earth on all our asses~ just-just think about that for a moment yeah?" Lupin finished with a slight stammer, the hand on Minnie's shoulder shaking a little as he went back to seeing if there was anything he could do to make the short, possibly concussed woman more comfortable.
 
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Location: Gangrene Grotto
Private L.Fekete



the humidity wasn't the only heavy feeling in the air, the skeletonized harness of his Golem armour. left little in the way of protection, his eyes watched as the group began to make their move, lupin seeming to pull attention from those closest to him. Lou saw a brief opportunity, falling from his slightly elevated stretcher. onto his butt pack, louis winced through the pain. his hand slipping into the bag, finding exactly what he hoped had remained with them. one of two bricks of plastic explosives set on remote detonators. grabbing the brick he slowly came up, his prone position now fairly quickly becoming standing. in the confusion he struck the red closest to him in the back of the head with the brick.watching the silver kuvexian pistol slipping through his belt onto the floor next to lou. turning to catch his balance. He pulled the detonator from his pouch on the shoulder of the harness."you know, maybe it's the hole in my head, or maybe I'm tired. But right now...Ma'am. I think you have two options. One, wait for the fucking spooks to come back. Because Lupin is right. They won't say a damn thing. We are all tired of eachother and exhausted. Even I could see that. Now option two.... You try anything fucking stupid and I blow this cave to hell...it collapses and the wsympathetic detonation of other explosives in the area. Ensure I kill us all. Let's see how desperate you really are eh!?" His hands stayed in tight to ensure there is no chance to wrestle the detonator from his hand. As he kicked the pistol back towards his bag.
 
Gangrene Grotto

Tobias's expression barely changed when the knife started to pierce his skin. IPG conditioning kicked in, helping him dull the pain to background noise as his mindware began to probe the surroundings. "You know as much as you need to. I do regret that you made such a poor choice, Marissa." He emphasized the Red's first name, attempting to use it to shake the pilot's resolve, his tone of voice now totally differing from anything the group of reds and greens had heard before.

He closed his eyes and his mindware began to poke inside of the three Crooked Demon armors, penetrating through communications systems that Deuce had wisely instructed him to compromise days prior. Neural probes were deactivated, and he seized control of their motor and fire control functions, bringing them to swing their rifles around and take aim the unarmored troops, and at windchime, vibroclaws humming to life on the larger arms.

"I do hope that you won't make another one."
 
Gangrene Grotto

Sebastian could only watch as the Reds surrounded them, the two Crooked Demons blocking his path to his squadmates as well as to his armor. "You pig fucking dipshits! Can't stand a fair fight can you!" He growled, looking between the armors. His frustration and rage boiling over as they attacked his squadmates. Seeing his Sergeant getting worked over nearly made him charge the Crooked Demon closest to him, however he restrained himself. Outside his own armor, these PA's could tear him to bloody ribbons in an instant.

He felt absolutely useless. He needed to get to his armor to turn the tide and he couldn't until they we distracted.

But then the armors turned, their weapons systems turning on their compatriots. It was all the distraction he needed. He sprinted towards his armor and hoped that he could perform a hotstart before the other Reds could stop him. "My turn you bastards..." He hissed through his teeth as he moved to his warmachine.
 
Gangrene Grotto

Carina could only blink as things quickly took and turn and escalated. She'd been balancing on her haunches, hands in her kit before she was struck with equal parts shock, and surprise. So much so in fact that she fell backward once things began to die down. Carina's fingertips seemed to want to try and dig into the stone floor of the cave but were unable to do so. The SAW medic scrambled forward, both hands holding her medical kit as they tossed her sergeant carelessly aside. Thankfully the older woman rolled on to her back and saving Carina the trouble as she began to silently assess Minnie's injuries with a methodical glint in her hazel eyes.

She was careful as she probed, taking note of any winces, yelps, or screams and even mumbled assistance from the pummeled and likely bruised woman. There wasn't much in the way of traditional medical supplies left, but there was enough left for her Hypolathe as she ignored the Reds' comments to the other marines while pressing the end of the medical device to an exposed portion of Minnie's neck after syncing the 'lathe up to her Datajockey to imprint Minnie's genetic code on the device and its nanite payload. If it worked, it'd hopefully ease the healing process and repair any tissue damage sparing the elder and more experienced medic from internal bleeding and other complications. The injector still had a few shots of the medical nanites, and it was promptly ejected to be replaced with one of Emrys Industries' patented pain-relieving agent called Endurance. Halving the dose of her dwindling supply, Carina pressed the Hypolathe's injector again to her patient's neck and releasing the contents into the woman's bloodstream. It'd help dull any 'pain' she may have been experiencing but keep her alert enough to think rationally without the drugged euphoria normally associated with synthetic opioids.

It was clear she likely couldn't treat the others until things calmed which made her palms itch.
 
Gangrene Grotto


Facet had barely taken a half douzen steps before Lou acted. With reflexes that evaporated any sense of a nervous follower and exposed reflexes of the inner fighter ace she swung around in an instant, 45. drawn and already drawing a bead on Lou's forehead, his death grip on the detonator the only thing stopping her from plugging a more permanent hole in the man's skull.

With cogitation that belied her young age the wingman and officer had clearly already engrossed the situation and even held up a timely gesture in the universal symbol for stop just as the second red was raising his M2 to crack Lou's head open from behind and the now disarmed red had swung around more confused than angry at what had hit him.

Simultaneously as the two crooked demons whirred and Sebastian took his chance and was met with no timely notice, the dominant red still stared implacably down at Tobias; The slightest twinge of annoyance pulling her lips into a thin line but otherwise leaving her unchanged.

The knife, however still relented from its impending blinding of the man for a long moment as the only sounds in the cave being the distant cries of surprise and the electric whirring of chainweapons just as one pilot managed an impressive emergency shutdown and the other strained against the cybermuscles of his power frame with more futility.

The quiet going on long enough for tobias to risk a glance he would find the ace of aces still squatting over him, but looking past him as if he were still worth less than the mud on her boots.

Still looking past him windchime finally stood and took a more formal posture, her chest outwards and looking down her chin at something just outside of tobias' peripheral it may very well have remained a mystery had he not already been aware of their presence.

Like unseen specters finally given form; Seven silhouettes stood spread across the mouth of the cave and the thick jungle beyond, almost imperceptible if not for the midnight black armor that stood out in the almost oppressive downpour. Each one simply stood stock still with weapons unslung and low but left no doubt from the professional stature they upheld that if anyone so much as flinched they would cease to be anything but a smear on the wall.

The statement was reinforced by something much larger in the back of the group easily twice the height of the tallest of the operators and three times again as bulky; Leaving more than one red dumbfounded how a night-black painted Aggressor had manifested to within mere meters of the sentries without so much as a sound.

But still, while most of the reds and even those of the team who could see them were focussed on the ones they could see it was Windchime who alone had been looking past Tobias at the patch of too dark in the cave mere feet from them that coalesced into the form of a Brivita armor-wearing operator without a single drop of rain falling off its sleek form leaving anyone to guess how long he had been there.

Meeting Windchimes silent challenge with his own the operator slunk forwards without making a sound until two glimmers of light reflected from of all things; In a culture of cybernetics capable of superhuman feats the face before them was frame by a simple pair of square-framed glasses on a face so plain and uninteresting that the man it revealed looked less like an IPG operator and more like someone you would likely find on a list of stalkers of an all-girls boarding school; A man so plain and forgettable that had you passed him in the street you would never have known the specter of death had passed you by.

None in the cave but Locust and Tobias would have known it was the face of the second IPG teams leader; Dreamy Steve.

After a silent showdown that seemed to last an eternity, Windchime finally relented and turned on her heel with a dissatisfied harumph and stalked past both her own confused men and even the weapons of the single still controlled PA tracking her, Past windchime and her standoff with Louis and even directly past the now activating COID suit towards the original camp of the reds with a call of Stop fucking around we're moving out in ten!

When she was just out of earshot the operator helped Tobias to his feet and appraised Locust, Already mobile again and looking none the worse for wear with the exception of now being a lot more mud caked than she had been minutes early before. Offering the two of them an identical smile to what Duece would have even with the same way it never reached his eyes Steve offered a piece of advice with a voice just as plain, boring, and unassuming as he looked, and followed it up with a nod towards the group of marines and Louis' willingness to simply end everyone all at once without hesitation.

"Never fight the whole city unless you think you can win, kid."

Confused and angry chatter followed as reds still processing the situation shuffled past, with Facet being the last to relent; The trigger of her 45. only a hair's breadth from striking before she decocked the weapon and holstered it.

But not before taking advantage of the lowering tensions to deliver to all people Lupin a direct connection from the toe of her boot to the side of his gut in an impressive and lightning-fast kick before she too mimicked her bosses harumph and followed the rest of them with a barely heard comment challenging him to "Keep trying to be a fucking hero, Pretty boy."

The kick, as surprising as it was delt little damage and even after the fact was obviously more for show and catharsis than to damage the marine.

By the time the team had gotten their wits about them two things had happened.

With some effort and help from Lupin and Carina, Minnie was able to stagger into a sitting position and get her wits.

And all the formerly present operators in the rain, even the form of the Aggressor had simply vanished back into the jungle with even the IFF of Sebastian's armor and its powerful monoeyes picking up not even the trace that another friendly frame was ever within spitting distance of his own.

For the second time in as many minutes Minnie offered a silent and pained "Fuck" of a curse before she too staggered to her feat and repeated the order, following some kind of logic clear to only the officers and NCO's (and IPG) present.

"Get ready to move in ten."

Without further explanation, praise, or preamble she shuffled off towards the mouth of the cave almost out of sight and stared off into the rain. A single cracked cybernetic eye still watching Tobias and the new operator from its peripheral.
 
Gangrene Grotto

Lupin had been thankful he still had his Golem's base layer of synthetic muscle to take some of the kick out of Facet's steel-toed boot, it still stung like a bitch though, and left the marksman clutching his side as the watched the small Sergeant storm off to stare into the oppressive downpour. The shaggy-haired marine was fairly certain nothing was broken, at least physically, but the fact both a fellow Marine and a Red had called him 'pretty boy' sat in an odd corner at the back of his mind.

Further retaliation and provocation beyond this would just keep wicking away at the already short fuse on this whole clusfterfuck of a situation, so Lupin stuffed the desire back down into the deep pit it'd tried crawling out from, the desire to bend that offending limb the wrong way and make that bastard swallow her own teeth.

Something much more threatening and immediate took up most of Lupin's mental capacity currently as he let out a small and tender hiss, something that kept creeping back in no matter how much he tried to suppress the notion, not like pondering on the unfathomable would help him in any way whatsoever. He was smart enough to know he'd be dead without ever knowing it if the spooks deemed it necessary anyway.

But just how many of those fuckers were watching from the bioluminescent treeline? The IPG were certainly no saints, but maybe it'd been why angry fauna had been the only resistance found by the Marines and remaining Reds thus far, that was something he'd have to consider a bit later once he could spare a moment to think on it. For the moment, Lupin simply afforded the visible black-clad operators a quick yet cautious squint before bundling up what was left of his gear, slinging the bolt-gun over his back and slamming on his helmet before taking a few brisk steps out to shadow Minnie. Taking it as an opportunity to try walking off the sting in his side.

He wanted to say something reassuring, as much as that stepped outside his comfort zone and as weird as it'd be for the Sergeant to hear such talk from a Private, so instead Lupin took a knee and checked over the legs of his suit for any rips, tears or other damage that'd lead to exposed skin. "Sergeant Valentine, ma'am... you had to treat anybody for blood-suckers or other parasites yet?" the young lad asked, helmeted head pivoting up to offer Minnie a neutral, polarized look in the afterglow of an otherwise rather tense situation as he waited for the Sargent to gather her thoughts.

"Lots of brush we've been stomping through, it's the most green a lot of us have seen, as ironic as that is~"
 
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