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

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan smirks confidently.]

You might be surprised to know I have experience avoiding this sort of aerial bombardment.

[oncearanger]

Good, because we might need it soon.

[He points down at a small group of rescuers.]

Can we save them before we go?

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan nods.]

This is your show. I'm just the getaway car.

[oncearanger]

[Billy takes careful aim, hyper-focusing with the help of his visor---huh. That's new. He'll analyze that later.]

Now!

[There's more falling. He deploys the shield above those people, neatly catching most of the explosion. He then turns to Aidan.]

Time to go?

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan nods.]

Hold on tight!

[It's now that Billy might realize he hasn't seen Aidan do his thing, not really. Aidan is moving quite a lot faster than Billy has probably witnessed before. Beyond that, he's using his gloves to skid along walls and adjust for turns, particularly quick turns behind rubble to avoid whatever. He also uses the grappling armbands for more than just ascending. More than once, he uses one simply to pull himself behind a bit of rubble faster. Or to anchor himself for a wide turn. Clearly, Aidan is in his element.]

[oncearanger]

[Billy clung tightly, wincing for the first little while. Those were some close turns----but hey, they were getting there safely, and that was all he wanted.

He laughed lightly, feeling relief when the catacombs were close.]

You're amazing at this. I really, really need boots of my own.

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan is smiling.]

Been doing it as long as I can remember. I could build you some if I had the parts. I'd also give you some lessons. I think it'd take you guys practice to learn.

[oncearanger]

[Billy grins too, almost able to ignore the weight of the situation for a little while.]

I'd really like that. This technology's amazing.

[There's suddenly something flying from both sides---he trusts Aidan will get one, but he has to hold one-handed and reach for his blaster to get the other. It's precarious and he's a little worried, but he manages it, folding it back up and loosely clinging.

He's a little out of breath.]

...well.

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan shoots the other one with a handgun as he darts behind a bit of rubble using his grappler to avoid the shockwave.]

Yeah. Almost there.

[Aidan is breathing significantly heavier than Billy... but that's understandable all things considered.]

[oncearanger]

[Finally. Billy senses safety and sighs.]

Sorry about the burden, by the way.

[cowardwithoutfear]

You're sorry about the burden?

This was your show remember? You saved a lot of people. I'm just the getaway car.

[oncearanger]

And you've been working hard.

[They're touching down, right? When they do, Billy hurriedly jumps off. It's a bit of a drop.]

You got your lamps out, right? They were gone by the time I got up to clear my things.

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan nods.]

Took them first thing after the announcement about the evacuation. Took everything I had actually.

[oncearanger]

I guess it's good that you hadn't acquired much yet?

[He sighs and looks back over his shoulder]

I salvaged what I could, but I've lost my garage.

[cowardwithoutfear]

I'm a nomad. Having more stuff than I can carry feels wrong.

It's replaceable right?

[oncearanger]

I suppose...I tried to save everything priceless to me, but that didn't leave much room for more practical items.

I'm too sentimental.

[cowardwithoutfear]

Fortunate that your roommate is a living space heater than right?

[oncearanger]

In that respect, I'm a living ice box.

[Once they're safely inside, he deactivates the morph, revealing his inappropriate clothing]

I can't retain that power indefinitely. It's better for me to conserve.

[cowardwithoutfear]

I do have sunlamps remember? I figure more people than just you are gonna want to use them for warmth.

[oncearanger]

You need them to live. The rest of us will survive.

[cowardwithoutfear]

[Aidan shakes his head.]

Suit yourself. But if I see you freezing to death well... don't say I didn't warn you.

[oncearanger]

I consider myself warned.

[Of course, Aidan will find later that Billy didn't take this seriously.]