OPERATION SEXY MARIO: CONCLUSION

[initiates]

Date & Time: Sept 19th
Location: The UE Holding Compound, and surrounding area.
Characters: Anyone being rescued, doing the rescuing, or doing the distracting.
Summary: There have been some slackers freeloading off the UE for the past couple weeks or so, so let's go drag them home.
Warnings: Likely violence! Let a mod know if we should update this.

Those meant for distraction and those meant for rescue alike are both loaded onto the same stolen highspeed train. It's a great distance to cover, but the train manages in just under two hours, and deposits both groups three miles from the Holding Compound — a desolate and cold area, with rocky, uneven ground, small but jagged hills well-scattered and covered in scraggly trees — and there they part ways.

The diversion is sent away north, to draw United Earth attention and aggression upward, further into the continent, while the rescue team takes a much slower and quieter route to approach the Compound from the south, closest to Exsilium. The rescue team's orders are to wait a full half hour, to be sure that all forces who can be drawn out of the Compound to meet the sudden onslaught from the north will have already left.

The diversion team won't have an easy job of it. The soldiers are heavily armed, and trained to fight to the death before they surrender. They're grouped in organized squadrons, about 20 in each, and seem to outnumber Transports by three to one. Scattered throughout these soldiers are the Masked, the UE's special forces. These soldiers strike with a deadly precision, enhanced speed and strength, and highly advanced weaponry. Also, oddly enough, they seem to have a few smaller members among them, standing about 4 feet tall, and wielding strange powers… Those familiar with the powers of their kidnapped friends may see distinct similarities.

The Compound itself, when the rescue team makes their way in, will be very quiet. All prisoners had been forced into locked rooms (together or separately — whatever was most convenient) before the soldiers had left to face the encroaching threat. There are still personnel left to man the base, of course, and a few of them are armed soldiers — but for the most part it's scientists and researchers. Careful, though. Even scientists and researchers are perfectly capable of sounding the alarm to bring back the armed threats.

Once everyone is out of the Compound, the train will begin running a return trip. It will be kept as long as possible, while the distraction teams sneak back from the battlefield in small groups, but it can't wait forever. Those on the battlefield for the longest, the hardest hitters or the most dedicated fighters, might just have to find another way home. So… any Transports with relocation abilities feel like lending a hand?

Comments

[explodewiththerage]

[He laughs seeing his destructive technique at work. He quickly catches up to one of the troopers and throws a firepowered punch to its face, sending the poor fool flying and tumbling into another one who was firing at one of the other transports.]

Leave the armored car things to me!

[He has a personal vendetta with anything even remotely vehicle looking. But before he can get a chance he feels the familiar chill of ice about to appear around him. He quickly rolls to the side just as the spears turn the ground into a spike plot.]

So the UE have bastards like Gray too huh? Unless... GRAY! YOU BASTARD DID YOU GET CAUGHT BY THESE ASSHOLES BEFORE EVEN SAYING HI??!

[soul_sister]

[Rosette pulls back from the sights of her weapon, looking down at the battlefield. THAT WAS A STRANGE REQUEST, but ... he could clearly handle it too.

Whoever the person is, they don't have Gray's particular grace in forming ice. What comes next is a roar of bonechilling wind, and razor sharp ice pellets on it, sweeping across a wide expanse of the battlefield. It forces the flames spread earlier to gutter out, and Rosette, in mid yell back yelps and ducks back below shelter, holding her arm.]

DON'T JUST GAW- OW!

[explodewiththerage]

GRAY! YOU FROSTY DROOPY EYED ASSHOLE, COME OUT SO I CAN KNOCK SOME SENSE IN YOUR EMPTY HEAD!

[Natsu keeps yelling for a while longer before he feels the magic swirling in the air. No this wasn't like Gray. This was far more powerful and malevolent. With that realization he immediately coated his body with flames just in time for the wind to come howling over the battlefield. He is buffeted by wind and pellets, pushing him back all the way over to Rosette. Thankfully most of the damage is mitigated by the fire his body is enveloped in. Still he's gritting his teeth until he spots Rosette. Natsu clicks his tongue and pushes back to join Rosette behind cover.]

Are you okay?!

[soul_sister]

[She looks up at him as he climbs over into cover, and she makes space immediately, shifting the tripod with her. Her arm is bleeding, but the wound looks superficial, at least.]

Yeah, it didn't go deep. I was pretty lucky there.

Are you okay? You were in the middle of all that!

[The ground shudders and rocks below them as another explosion happens nearby. From where they huddle, though. It's hard to tell if its friend or foe.]

[explodewiththerage]

That's good.

[Natsu poked his head back up for a moment before ducking back in cover when the explosions started.]

Me? Oh yeah. I'm used to fighting ice users. My rival's one and he's a stubborn gloomy asshole. I thought it might have been him. Though now I see the Magic feels way too different.

[soul_sister]

You can--[She ducks back again, her words drowned out by the roar of wind magic howling below. Untouched and unruffled, the magic seemed to have been both focused and fast. Still, she shouts to be heard in the clamor of the aftermath.]

You can SEE magic?

[explodewiththerage]

Well-

[He peeks his head out from cover and throws one fireball towards the suspicious cluster of enemy troops crowding one place.]

Not really see. More like feel and smell. Would've noticed it sooner if not for all the smoke and stuff filling the battlefield.

[soul_sister]

[She stays down a few more moments before shuffling to her tripod again, swinging the sights over the battlefield as they talked. It was getting harder and harder to find a clear shot.]


.......



What DOES it smell like?

[She focuses a moment and pulls back from the scope.] Armored car coming in around from the west.

[explodewiththerage]

[He keeps an eye out for trouble, covering Rosette while she scopes out the surroundings]

Errrr smells like danger whenever it's directed at me. Not sure I can explain it really.

[It's closer to how animals sense things than people but hey as long as it works and keeps him and everyone else safe.]

I see it. Let me show you one of my new moves.

[He grins and jumps on top of the cover.]

This is for all those times you made me sick you four wheeled bastard!

[And with that he punched the air in front of him launching the dragon head grappling hook made of pure flame straight at the vehicle. The fangs sink through the armor like it was butter and with a fierce yank of his arm, Natsu slams the vehicle into a building leaving it resting on its side as the dazed soldiers crawl out.]

[soul_sister]

[The dragon itself takes her breath away. He'd mentioned he could do it, but SEEING it, bright and powerful, coiling across a huge distance, was another thing entirely. It takes a long moment for her to speak.

Naturally, she focuses on the wrong thing.]

How do they make you sick?!

[explodewiththerage]

[He quickly tosses a firebal in the direction of the crash victims sending them running away with their clothes on fire.]

Just by making me ride them. Being a Dragon Slayer makes you motion sick towards anything that's even a little bit like a vehicle.

[soul_sister]

That... [Her own attention is diverted a moment, as she lines up a quick shot at some birdlike creature flying in at their position. It convulses in the air and drops.]

Is the weirdest tradeoff I've ever heard.

[explodewiththerage]

Yeah well

[A bullet pings off of the back of his head and with a roar of annoyance he blasts the perpetrator with his fire breath attack.]

I wasn't there when they decided to make it that way. Then again they didn't have vehicles 400 years ago so I guess no one planned it.

[soul_sister]

[SORRY CAN'T REPLY TO THAT. DID A BULLET JUST BOUNCE OFF OF YOUR HEAD?

WHAT IS THAT SKULL MADE OF?!?]

[explodewiththerage]

[Why yes yes it did. As for what his head is made of, might as well ask Erza. Since she's the only one capable of doing damage with her metal chestplate hugs of doom.]

What?

[He turns his head over his shoulder to look curiously at Rosette.]

[soul_sister]

[She just. Reaches up and knocks on Natsu's forehead curiously.]

[explodewiththerage]

[Feels like normal skin. Only a lot hotter since he does eat fire and spew fire from every pore of his body if need be.]

[soul_sister]

DIDN'T THAT HURT?! What is your head made of?!

[explodewiththerage]

Hurt? Nah not one bit. Hell I took a shotgun blast to the back once and it didn't even tickle.

[He even laughs at the outlandish statement.]

I don't know. It's pretty normal to me. I guess I'm just a lot tougher than the average guy.

[soul_sister]

[She sinks a bit.]

I'm so outmatched out here.

[explodewiththerage]

Hey hey. Now's not the time to get all down on yourself. You have your role. Mine is just to smash and burn these bastards that get in our way.

[soul_sister]

I know! I know... I'm just wondering if I might be better off going in. Leave this to the heavy hitters.

[explodewiththerage]

I can clear a path for ya if you want to go for that.

[He grins confidently, hitting his fists together eagerly.]

[soul_sister]

[She brightens into a beam and hefts her gun to one shoulder.]

I'll count on you.

[explodewiththerage]

Okay. First we need to make sure frosty jerk isn't up anymore. The rest should be piece of cake.

[Going to peek out from cover now and see if he can make out the bastard.]

Okay I'll go first see if he'll attack me. If he doesn't, follow me.