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

[khajidont]

[At first, Jaime just stares at Shintaro, nothing short of bewilderment in his gaze. He's not sure what it says about himself that almost immediately afterwards, that spurs him into a much more lengthy burst of laughter.

The worst part of that is that Shintaro's right.]

Not what I was getting at. I just meant that I'm way too bright to be one of the guys sneaking around. [He grins at him, mood much improved by the laugh, even with the foreboding prospect of the mission ahead.] But I am a superhero, so... good guess?

[substitutable]

I didn't realize superheroes really did wear flashy clothes like that. Why do you? Doesn't that make it really difficult to surprise enemies with?

I mean, you just said it yourself...

[khajidont]

Well... I don't do a lot of surprising. It's fine if they see me, honestly. [He shrugs.] You get superheroes who do the whole black-and-grey thing back home too, I'm just not one of them.

[substitutable]

I can tell. If you were going to go for stealth with that, you'd give my sister's planning skills a run for their money.

Do you have superpowers or something?

[khajidont]

Nah, nothing like that. Just tech, but really good tech - which means that if I'm trying to stop a guy from beating someone up, I'm gonna want them to swing at me instead.

[It's happened before, and maybe Jaime should feel a little bad about it, but it's hilarious seeing them realize that if they punched him any harder, they would have broken a few bones.]

Is your sister some sort of strategist?

[substitutable]

Tech that's tech enough to seem magic. I'll just settle for that.

And-- no. Sorry. I was trying to be sarcastic. She can have her moments, but most of the time... don't do it.

[khajidont]

Oh, right. [He waves that comment off.] Everyone's so serious here, I guess I've forgotten how to tell when people are joking.

[...not that they shouldn't be serious in the middle of a war, but still.]

Did she come along on this mission too?

[substitutable]

You're telling me. Although, well, I've met some people with endless humor too, though.

She's here. She's going on the distraction with some of the others, just like you.

[khajidont]

So she's a fighter? She must be your older sister, then.

[substitutable]

Why does she have to be older? Momo's younger than me. She's also not a fighter -- she's just... good at drawing attention. She can't sneak around.

[khajidont]

Becaaaaaause people on our team need to be able to fight? And I mean, I don't really expect anyone younger than you to be able to go out there.

[He looks discomfited at the idea of someone who doesn't know how to fight going along with them.]

This isn't just about distraction, you know. Once we do distract them, they're gonna be trying to kill us.

[substitutable]

I know. Believe me-- I've... seen it. And she saw it, too. But she still wanted to go.

[Shintaro doesn't look any more comfortable with the idea than Jaime does, but he shakes his head.]

I promised Kido I'd take care of her sister. So I'll trust her to take care of mine.

[khajidont]

[Even the thought of letting Milagro go in all of this makes him feel sick.

He could never do that, let her run amok in all of this wretchedness.]

If she's got someone looking out for her... [It's still said with reservation, but it's not like there's anything to be done for it now.]

What does she look like? Just so there's one extra person looking out for her.

[substitutable]

[He sighs, sliding down in his seat a bit. Don't even mention it Jaime. He can almost feel his judging.]

She's got this... orange-ish kind of brown hair. She ties it up at the side like this. [He demonstrates.] If you can find her. She and Kido are pretty good at hiding.

[khajidont]

Thought you just said she wasn't any good at sneaking around, [Jaime points out, but settles in his seat with a nod.]

I'll keep an eye out.

[substitutable]

She attracts a lot of attention. But Kido's good for keeping you hidden.

[He shakes his head.] Thanks. Uh... sorry, I don't know what to call you, but superhero and all you probably don't give away your real name much, do you?

[khajidont]

Oh right.

[Whoops. He's pretty sure that more experienced heroes don't completely forget to introduce themselves. His almost chastising tone is quickly replaced with a sheepish laugh.]

I'm Blue Beetle! Nice to meet you.

[substitutable]

Blue Beetle, huh? That's a pretty weird name, but it's also easy to remember so I'll definitely remember it.

So, what, you're a bug?

[khajidont]

I'm a human, but I look kind of - buggy? And I'm blue. [He reaches up to prod at the antennae behind him, as if to demonstrate his bug-like qualities.]

I didn't actually choose the name, though. I'm the third guy to go by it.

[substitutable]

A superpower that's inherited, then? Well, it's honestly not the worst name. And you have no problem with us using that name, right? Blue Beetle.

[khajidont]

Um... it's kind of hard to explain. The guy who came before me couldn't use any of this tech, but he didn't need it. He was a real hero.

[The admiration in his voice is as clear as day. He may have never met Ted Kord, but he intends to honour him.]

Anyway. I'm cool with the name, but you can shorten it if you want.

[substitutable]

Shorten it?

... Bloobee?

[khajidont]

[That's enough to make him snort out loud.] I -- no, not Bloobee, that just sounds like boobie.

[Jaime Reyes: The Pinnacle of Maturity.]

I mean, most people just shorten it to like, Blue. Or Beetle. Or something.

[...not Bloobee.]

[substitutable]

-- Wow! That's not what I meant!

Fine! You're Blue then! Blue!