Let's be war buddies...

[initiates]

Date & Time: 18th, beginning at 2100 hours, through to the 20th.
Location: All around Exsilium.
Characters: Everyone!
Summary: The United Earth decides Exsilium had obviously not learned its lesson back in October, and does another round of humble-making bombing for those impertinent exiles. OOC info can be found here.
Warnings: Violence, death, general gloom and doom.

The warning had gone out approximately two hours before the bombing began, broadcast to any available receptor on the island: UE aggressions incoming, bombs expected; please proceed to Catacombs immediately. It repeats over and over, right up until the first bomb, aimed at the Hold itself, silences the signal.

The air is thick with smoke and worse. Every one to two hours another bomb shakes the island. Buildings crumble and shatter, but the focus is on the Hold and the native hospital. Initiative employees, some sick as anyone else, are steadfast in their escorting natives and transports alike into the underground catacombs. For two days the bombs continue ceaselessly, dropped by their cloaked and invisible carriers overhead.

The United Earth is nothing if not thorough.

Comments

OPEN | random orchestration, shifting people around, being dumb

[fe_male]

[ Tony takes to the skies instantly, doctors be damned, looking at the trajectory of the bombs, looking at what they were likely to be targeting. (So what if he's coughing? This suit is better than the gallimaufric one he had last time with this. This one is airtight, seals him inside and that's it until he comes back out. The suit can be piloted electronically too, which is good because his arms and legs are week, but he can tell the suit mentally when he wants to do something, and then it's happening.

This. This is what it feels like to fly. Not 'can fly'. Am flying'. It's different.

But he can identify some targets, and he hovers in the air sending specific evacuation instructions, telling people the fastest way to get down into the catacombs - somewhere he is himself never going again. He'll move supplies, relay messages, and saves some exiles here and there. They seem leery of his presence but happy enough to be saved and taken somewhere safe.

As the bombing continues throughout the next two days, Tony does more or less the same, staying in the suit, working on orchestrating passage for as long as people are trying to get to the catacombs, lifting fallen structures for better rescue attempts, and a couple of times now he's simply looked at a bomb that was headed in a specific direction and told it to go somewhere else. The most recent time it still got close to the target, so he's not just relying on that anymore.

Welcome to need rescuing, help him out in any of this, or realize he hasn't slept or eaten and make him stop helping and come down to the caves catacombs like sane person. ]

that last option please

[deductus]

[The average man would have sought shelter the moment the first bomb hit. Sherlock Holmes was not an average man. He immediately headed out and while this wasn't something he could use his skills on, he'd done what he could to help. He'd gotten sick (surprise surprise) and the only thing he'd done was wrap a scarf around his mouth and nose. It hadn't yet reached the point where he'd be bedridden and until that happened he'd go on as if nothing had changed.

However while an ordinary human like him could deliver supplies, help pull people out of the rubble. He was of significantly less help when bombs were actually falling. He'd jerkily dived for shelter as the first bombs hit, but he doesn't have time to be relieved about not getting caught up in the blast because he feels the tell-tale tingle in his nose and chest. Chemical warfare then and he had to get out of here and to higher ground. He looks around and calculates how long it'd take him to run against a how fast the gas was working and realises that running is out. He eyes the nearest bombed building and decides, climbing it is. He tightens the scarf around his face and starts climbing, ignoring the occasional twinge from his mostly healed bullet wound.

Do you know what would be faster? If someone with flying capabilities went past right about now.]

o7

[fe_male]

[ His HUD catches sight of the man before he would have spotted him on his own, not amongst the rubble, the buildings that are about to be rubble, the ones that are falling in the process of becoming rubble, as though the amount of rubble produced in the bombing will contribute to some sort of high score amongst the pilots of the UE armies. Tony doesn't actually put things like that entirely past people, just past them enough to make him feel a little more comfortable in calling the notion a joke.

Point being, he's in the air, and he sees a guy on the ground, and that's a bad thing, considering the readings he's getting and the fact that a simple zoom in shows that the guy is using a scarf as a gas mask, honestly. Tony basically just has to help him now. (As though he didn't before. Whatever.) He cuts course, drops power and changes direction instantly, flying over to see scarf-head instead of whatever it was he had been coming up with to do. ] Need a lift?

[deductus]

[The sound of repulsors is audible even among the distant sounds of explosions and he hooks an arm around a light to squint up at whatever is approaching.

...well, that was new.

Sherlock waves an arm.]

If you would. [He sniffs.] They're using chemical warfare and I'd like to leave before breathing becomes difficult.

i have decided your inbox needs me

[motherofnemesis]

[ Max is doing something very similar on the ground, if not in an airtight suit. At least she's starting out a lot less sick than him and had the foresight to jury rig a gas mask before she set to work, directing people to shelter as she can and trying to pull people out from under collapsed buildings.

It's not that she feels obligated, precisely, it's that this is what she's used to doing and if she can't find a way to fight back she can at least find a way to fix. Here and there groups of refugees find their way back to the catacombs led by her, mood lightened. She's back out again for the fifth time that day when she spots him overhead and waves once, a long slow sweep of her arm, not sure if it'll catch his attention at all. Either way, it's time to hit the next section of this block and make sure it's all clear. ]

i admire how you came to answer the call. what a superhero

[fe_male]

[ The wave does indeed catch his attention, given that right now he's scanning specifically to see things like that. He doesn't know if she's hailing him for assistance or just waving because she saw him and they know each other - or because she saw him and he's shiny, who knows - but he decides to drop down and see how she's doing.

He lands with his typical 'I'm going to make sure the ground stays still' methodology, if only because it actually is the fastest and easiest way to land. And it looks cool as hell. Then he straightens and looks over at her. ] How's it looking?

thank you thank you i hope i can live up to its needs

[motherofnemesis]

[ Mostly because she wants to double check that he's doing all right, given that she knows precisely how sick he was not long ago at all. The antibiotic should be doing a good job by now, but it won't necessarily have fixed everything yet. And she wouldn't mind seeing a friendly face around here for a bit.

There's a snort of amused laughter at his landing, even if yeah, it totally looks cool as hell, and then she heads towards him, glances around them. ] Like shit. How long have you been out?

i have faith

[fe_male]

[ He'd consider letting the faceplate up to show her that he's doing okay but there's chemical shit floating around the place, apparently. Also he just might not do it, he doesn't have any particular obligation to show anybody anything.

There's a very mechanical whir that accompanies his shrug as he glances around a little. ] Little while. Can't hold all this down. You got anything you're trying to do in particular?

thank you i will do my best to live up to it

[motherofnemesis]

[ He doesn't have any obligation, no, but she wouldn't mind at all if he showed her anyways, because she's not feeling super confident in the idea that he's doing okay.

There is a moment that she glances up and down the suit, because seeing it actually in use is kind of fantastic, and then she snaps back to the surroundings. ] Nothing in particular. Just moving people as I find them. You?

it'll be fine

[fe_male]

[ Maybe when they get somewhere safe and he doesn't have to worry about the gas. But that's unlikely because the only place like that is basically the catacombs and ah hah ha h a n o.

Although she's more than welcome to continue admiring his suit. ]

Pretty much. Few people caught in rubble, a few others being dumb, but mostly just getting people from A to B a little faster. There really ought to be some sort of drill in place for bombings at this point - UE's pretty happy about doing it whenever they feel like it.

i trust you

[motherofnemesis]

[ It would be the height of hypocrisy if Max tried to force him underground, but since she's good at forcing through that it's probably good that she sees zero reason to even try.

It is a great suit, man. She's so pleased to have met someone who could come up with it. ]

I remember coming in just after one. Could we set up a radio link of some kind? It'd be good to be able to call in an extra hand if I need to. [ And just keep track of him being okay. ]

yeah that's probably some well-placed trust right there

[fe_male]

Radio link's a good idea. JARVIS? [ JARVIS does some JARVIS magic. Woo linky. You wanted a link? There's a link. ] Need a lift anywhere?

it is

[motherofnemesis]

[ Man, she loves JARVIS too. JARVIS is great. She needs to get him more data processors as a present for being great. ] Okay, great. Thanks. I think this area's somewhat clear, I wouldn't mind a lift to wherever else needs help.

[fe_male]

[ JARVIS is perfect. Tony lands next to her, holds an arm out to indicate she should come over so he can give her the lift she's asking for. ] Which area is that? Or should we just fly up and see for ourselves?

[khajidont]

[Typically, being airborne has the added benefit of being able to see all the going-ons from a fair distance, a bird's eye view lending him the opportunity to get a good handle on the situation. Now, with gas and smoke obscuring his vision even in the skies, that's not the case. This is more or less inconsequential, Jaime figures, considering that there are very few other people who have decided that the best course of action when people are dropping bombs on them is to get closer to the bombs.

Which is why he's surprised when the Scarab warns him that he's either going to have to stop or swerve in order to avoid a mid-air collision. He does the aerial version of screeching to a stop in front of him.] Whoa! Hey. Didn't know there was anyone else hanging out up here.

sorry for the delaaaay

[fe_male]

[ Tony similarly does a whole immediate-halt thing, arms out in front to come to a stop. He's seen one or two others flying around, but it really hasn't been that many - the vast majority of the vigilantes crawling out of the woodworks have stayed on the ground.

Also, hey man. Tony lives on the edge. He basically has to get closer to the bombs. Basically. ]

Well, we had to even the aerial score somehow. You doing advance warning or redirecting?

no prob!

[khajidont]

Little bit of both. If the area's mostly clear, I warn them, if not... [He shrugs, figuring that it's pretty self-evident. Truth be told, deflecting the bombs makes him nervous at best, unsure as to whether or not he can effectively deflect them to a place where there's nobody that could be hurt by the blast. With a moment to breathe between blasts, he takes the chance to eye Tony's suit curiously and asks,] How 'bout you?

[fe_male]

Little bit of both. Me and JARVIS can redirect some, inform people of others, tell them where to go via their tablet devices. Helping people who are stuck under rubble and fallen buildings. [ He hovers there, then, glancing around in the air, and surveys the current situation. ] Anything pressing more than most?

[khajidont]

Oh. Using the tablets. That's a good idea. [Better than what he was doing, which was swooping over civilians yelling directions. The semi-translucent wings on his back flutter a little as he gains a bit more altitude, staring up at the skies for an answer to Tony's question.]

Aircraft spotted, [the Scarab says, zooming in on a far-off aircraft, still moving too quickly to be planning on dropping a bomb in their immediately vicinity.] Yeah, I see it, [he murmurs back at it, then turns to Tony.] Looks like another aircraft's heading this way. You see it?

[fe_male]

[ Well, he's simplifying it. Tablets works on transports, and whichever exiles happen to have tech close enough to be on a similar enough frequency. Most of the exiles have hodgepodge tech or - if they're awesome - something Tony's made, although that's a very very small number of them. ]

I didn't think anyone could see them, they're all cloaked. Is this one not? Because that's pretty stupid of them, actually. Or cocky. Probably both, the two tend to go together. Where is it?

Hope this is okay :)

[acts_of_claudia]

[Claudia had been watching this strange suit for a day as it flew around everywhere helping people. Then she happened to catch one of his messages. Well, now, there's a person in that suit. This she can work with.

She makes quick work of isolating his transmissions and tracking them back. Not long after two words flash briefly in a corner of his display]

Knock Knock.

[She laughs, coughing a little as she dictates]

Hey, d'ya need a hand?

yo

[fe_male]

[ Well that's. Surprising. He's not accustomed to people doing that, didn't actually realize there was a hole in his system large enough to get to his HUD without his knowledge - or JARVIS telling him there was a potential breach - but he supposes his more or less open comm was probably a decent way to get in touch. He's trying to help people, after all, and being incommunicado isn't exactly a good way to do that.

He assumes since text was the medium given, that text is the medium worth replying in. ] Should probably not offer open-ended assistance like that to strange men in suits of armor.

[acts_of_claudia]

[Claudia Donovan is like that really obnoxious squirrel that keeps getting into your house. Leave the smallest hole open somewhere and she'll find it and come scurrying right back in to chew on your wires. She hums to herself as she types right back]

I've made stranger offers in my life, believe me. Is this where I'm supposed to say that I'm over the age of 18 and someone knows where I am?

Frack that.

So, strange man in a suit of armor, what can the strange girl who just hacked into said suit of armor do to help? I'd say my fingers were at your service but that's an innuendo too far even for me.

[fe_male]

also that you just called a friend and they're expecting you soon, make sure you mention that

not for me. as long as you're in a secure location already, you wanna ping individual tablets and at least make sure the transports are okay? that doesn't work so well for the exiles but most of them have some sort of tech on them

[acts_of_claudia]

Oh yeah how could I ever forget that one!

Can do. I'll reach out to any tech I can find and see what info I can snag about everyone. If anyone's stuck somewhere or needs a hand want me to shoot it your way?