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

[soul_sister]

I'm not sure how well I could manage quiet...

[concealingeyes]

[She can't help grinning.] It blocks sound, too. If you shouted as loud as you could right now, no one would hear us. We've 'vanished' as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

[soul_sister]

[Her eyes widen, looking around with some fair amount of wonder. It was getting harder to pick safe, useful shots... and she was worried, at this point of their spot getting charged on, but like this...

She grins.]

If you want to make use of it. I can show you a little bit of the basics... [She pats the rifle beside her on the tripod.] It's specially designed not to kill anyone, just puts them to sleep, so you don't have to worry about that.

[concealingeyes]

[Her eyes widen. That would... be really useful. They can get rid of them from here without a problem. No one would see through her 'eyes' easily. And this way, she won't be so helpless.

She nods and scoots closer.]

Yeah. I want to learn how to use it. It's all right with you?

[soul_sister]

I wouldn't offer if it wasn't. [She scoots to the side and waves Kido closer.]

This is a steady set up, so you don't have to worry too much about recoil. Go ahead and put it up against your shoulder, and look into the sight, here. You want to get it so it feels comfortable.

[concealingeyes]

[Kido always thought snipers in movies looked so cool. So she tries to both listen to Rosette and keep that calm, focused mental image of a cool gang member on a rooftop. It's not like she's killing them anyway...

She positions herself and shifts until she feels comfortable as she looks down the scope.]

...Ah, okay, this feels good.

[soul_sister]

[The hoodie really rounds it out, actually.

She lays down next to Kido, squinting down across the battlefield. Sniping was never Rosette's particular strong suit. It took far more patience than she'd ever had. But she remembered the missions, the lessons and the movements by heart.]

There's a small cluster around an armored car by the north wall and advancing. Follow them with your scope, keep just a bit ahead, and breath deeply and slowly.

[concealingeyes]

All right...

[She barely whispers it. No one can hear them but her attention needs to stay on task. The Masked ones will be hardest to hit but she follows one anyway. If she can knock that one out, the others will be easier.

If she misses, she alerts them either way but they won't be able to see, only know the general direction of the shot.

Kido waits a minute, until her breathing calms and her heart keeps a steady beat.

Breathe in, aim, breathe out, fire.

Grazed him. Kid swears softly but tries not to panic even as the targets go on alert.] G-Give me another chance-

[soul_sister]

[Through her scope, Kido can see the man hold one floppy arm like it had gone to sleep... there's only a bare second before the shot hits the ground behind them. It causes a loud, bursting explosion, throwing an armored guard back.

It does little but cause confusion, but it keeps them from scanning the ridge for the gunman.]

Hoooo, not bad for a first try. Yeah give it another try.

Watch their movements, try and figure out where they're going to go. If you can do that, you can take on enemies way faster than you.

[concealingeyes]

Got it.

[The confusion makes it harder to figure out but she gets it soon enough: they're investigating it, right? So they'll go that way...

She's not bold enough to try for a headshot or anything fancy like that. In fact she's trying to aim for the broadest section that she can. When she thinks she has a good shot, she fires, nailing one in the back this time.]

Ah- I hit him! Is that all right? It was in the back. You can hit them there right?

[soul_sister]

[The man is covered in white light for a moment, before he falls face first to the ground.]

Nice! [She gives Kido a thumbs up.] Really nice, for a second shot.

Yeah, it's usually a blind spot, though you have to watch with demons. Sometimes they have tails or other defenses back th-

[Her voice is down out for a moment as a heavy ballistics hits the base of the hill, entirely by accident. The roar and shaking earth is almost enough to throw either of them off.]

[concealingeyes]

[Kido shrieks, honestly shocked by the sudden explosion. She's already lying down on the ground but ducks her head and covers it, eyes shut tight as she hopes somehow the ridge won't collapse.

Lifting her head to the sound of crumbling, she takes a deep breath. She might be shaking a little.] ...Tch... after doing something so cool, my appearance got ruined anyway.

[soul_sister]

[Rosette herself had ducked as well, arms over her head protectively. As the ground steadies and the roar subsides, the battle obviously turns below, and she lets out a shaky breath herself.


... Only to thwap Kido in the shoulder.] Don't talk like that! Cool isn't about not being scared. It's about managing to do what you need to even when you're terrified.

[She frowns, looking across the battle lines. They're getting close. Really close.]

Speaking of, we definitely need to fall back.

[concealingeyes]

[Rosette's point actually gets across that way. It's fine to be scared as long as she keeps going.]

...Yeah, you're right. [Kido stands, focusing on keeping them protecting with her eyes.] Where else can we shoot from, though?

[A beat before she adds.] I don't suppose you have another of those guns do you? Two shooters is better than one.

Sorrry! Passed out early last night.

[soul_sister]

I don't know.

[The landscape is sparse around them., few irregularities and less cover...]

... I keep having a dumb idea though. [She shakes her head.]

Just the one... my other guns have real bullets. Keep it for now, the slider on the side will let you increase the range of effect. Pulling it towards you will make a bigger impact.

no problem! I'll probably be sleeping soon myself

[concealingeyes]

[Kido picks up the gun and looks at it for a moment, trying the slider just to make sure she understands it.]

...What's your idea though? Even if it's dumb, stupid things tend to work in situations like this.

[soul_sister]

...





.......




I want to go in myself.

[concealingeyes]

Yeah, it's a really stupid idea.

[She smiles, because she understands completely.] But Chrono needs you. Right? So... who cares if it's stupid. Just yell at him for getting in trouble and get him out yourself.

[soul_sister]

[She ducks her head, never one to be able to deal with embarrassment well, she converts it to bluster, pushing up her sleeves.]

I'm going to shake him until his eyes fall out. Nine days of eating Flynn's cooking. NINE!



...

Kano's in there too, right?

[concealingeyes]

Ah- Yeah... Shintaro will save him. He promised me he would.

[She wants to go. She wants to see him so much. But she can't leave Momo and Mary alone for much longer either.

Ah, it's not fair at all. Kido looks down slightly.]

...If you see him, though, tell him I miss him, so he has to come back. If he doesn't come back soon, then any stupid, reckless thing I do is all his fault.

[soul_sister]

Tell you what. I will find him. And I'll kick him for you, and drag him back here by his ear if he's not already with someone else.

And you can tell him yourself.

[concealingeyes]

[Kido blinks, then smiles brightly.] ...You're really amazing, Rosette. Thanks. I know if you say you can do it, you just can.

Uhm... need your gun back for it?

[soul_sister]

For now, but when we get back to the city. We're gonna practice. You've got some natural talent there.

[concealingeyes]

[She blushes a little, mostly with pride.] If you're saying it, then it must be true. [Kido laughs weakly.] Honestly... I think I'm just so mad that I can do anything right now. That's all it was.

[soul_sister]

[That strike a chord, hard and deep.]

... I understand that feeling entirely.