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, action or prose

[oncearanger]

(a, early on)

Billy doesn't have anything that can attack the bombs from the skies, so he's been put on the defensive for now. He carries about twenty small spheres that resolve into energy shields when thrown, and he's trying to strategically deploy them to keep any stragglers safe.

He's morphed, of course, and wearing a thin black backpack containing the most important belongings he salvaged. There are so many places he needs to be, but one man on foot isn't fast enough.

He could use a hand. Or he can offer one with a well-timed shield.

(b - later)
Once everyone but the most effective fighters are safe and he's exhausted himself for the day, he huddles in the catacombs, a well-worn black book held in front of his face and a dim handmade light flickering over his head. He shivers as he reads, wearing a thin jacket and shorts---he'd packed his most precious inventions and memories in that bag, no room for warm clothes or blankets!

It's not going to be an easy rest tonight.

(a)

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan is out skating around throwing the shields to the strategic locations that are difficult for other people who can't fly to reach, like buildings and such.]

[He swings off a nearby building that is still standing and lands on his hover boots before clicking his feet together to shut them off as he slides to a stop near Billy.]

Placed. Where's the next one?

[oncearanger]

The hospital. It's the most well-protected, but there are still weak points in the defense!

[He leaps and twists over the rubble as he talks, racing to get close enough to point out his targets.]

Third floor, westmost point. I'll hit the foundation.

[cowardwithoutfear]

Will do.

[Aidan uses his grappling armbands to just pull himself to a third floor window before letting himself in. He swings down next to Billy at the foundation a few minutes later.]

Done.

[oncearanger]

[Billy is struggling to keep going---he still looks graceful doing the dodging, but it's starting to wear him down.]

[He looks up and curses]

Just in time, more!

[He yells and deploys one, rolling and ending up half-buried in rubble. Shrapnel, this one.]

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan ducks behind a loose bit of building that fell.]

Hospital done yet?

[oncearanger]

[He forcibly hauls himself out from under the rubble, wincing beneath the helmet. He's not badly hurt, just a little banged up.]

It's still standing. That'll have to do. Can you see anywhere else I should hit from up there?

b

[andagain]

Keith was exhausted, spending the past several hours rescuing people who hadn't made it yet to safe location. He has his helmet, his dog and a few other important items with him that he was able to grab before leaving but nothing else. Who knows if his apartment would be left in one piece again?

In his tired state, he almost tripped over Billy but not before hitting the side of his leg by accident. Once he recovers his misstep, he's quick to apolygize.]

Oh, excuse me and excuse me again!

[oncearanger]

[Billy looked up and spotted a dog, grinning. It's a sad situation...but at least a few of their beloved pets have lived.]

It's not a problem. I realize we can't really see in these conditions.

[He curled his arms around his knees, shaking his head]

[andagain]

You are right, but I should have paid more attention.

[He sighs, looking up ahead in the dark tunnels. He did the best job he could, but he still couldn't get ahold of some of his friends. Did they escape on time?]

You mind if I sit down here?

[oncearanger]

[Billy shakes his head, quickly patting the ground beside him]

Not at all. There's not much in the way of places to go, is there?

[He sighs and attempts to read again, but that doesn't last long. He instead pulls his jacket a little tighter around himself]

The UE really doesn't beat around the bush, do they? Infect us, then use that as an excuse to destroy us.

[andagain]

No they don't. I've never seen anything like this.

[He sits down beside of him. His dog John sprawls out in front of him to get comfortable.]

It's an underhanded tactic to infect us all, including the young and the weak. But I'm sure the Initiative is working on a cure as we speak.

[oncearanger]

I think they are. I went with the group to change history, to prevent the devastation from being as bad as it could be.

[He rubs at his arms and leans over to give the dog a look.]

What's your dog's name?

(b)

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Cue large man picking Billy up, hoisting him over his shoulders like a rag doll, and again unceremoniously sprawls him between the two sunlamps he has moved nearby.]

[oncearanger]

Wha---hey!

[Billy shakes his head as soon as he's set down, shifting over to one side. He's reluctant to leave...warmth immediately floods through him, and his limbs stop trembling, but it's the principle here.]

You're the one who needs these lamps. I'll be fine.

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan sits down next to him between the lamps.]

You can be a real pain in the ass you know that?

[oncearanger]

Maybe your rear end wouldn't be hurting if you weren't dragging me around.

[All right, he's being childish, but he really wants to make sure his friend's okay. His concern is still focused on Aidan in this cold and dark place.]

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan rolls his eyes.]

I'm fine. You're freezing. And we both know I'm gonna be freezing down here anyway so there's no reason for both of us to.

[He moves so he's leaning against Billy's back between the two lamps. His body heat is lower than normal, but that's still only slightly less feverish from Billy's point of view.]

[oncearanger]

[The warmth flooding in through his back helps, and Billy sags against Aidan against his will. There's a little sigh from his throat.]

But is your skin getting enough light?

b;

[labsmokes]

[ That's really-- not the best place to be reading. Shion pauses, shoulders slightly hunched.]

Bright enough for you?

b;

[oncearanger]

[He closes the book and looks up, shaking his head slightly]

I manage. I have stronger lights that I can power for a little while, but I'm saving them for an emergency. And I don't exactly have a safe place to put a fire.

[labsmokes]

[ She offers the wryest of chuckles. ]

It's too wet to light anything in this place anyway.

[oncearanger]

That's not helping the cold situation much.

[He joins her in a chuckle, shaking his head.]

I have enough backup power on my other lights for a little while, but that's all. I guess it's left to the people with light and fire-related magic.

I never thought I'd say that!

[labsmokes]

Why not? Not a fan of [ here she gestures vaguely— around them ] magic?

[oncearanger]

It doesn't bother me. I suppose it just astounds me, even after being around it for over a year.

My home world didn't have magic---the only one wielding it was an alien invader and my enemy. So to see everyday people using it to help them in their lives is still a little strange.