GBG Session 28: Into the Depths of Hel

<Darkling> The APC bumps along as they get closer to the base. Lit's quiet in the front, leaving the pilots to talk before they reach their destination.
Rasia laces her fingers together, looking up at the other three.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm sits with his eyes closed, hands in his lap with fingers laced together.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja reaches into her bag, taking out another one of those strange, badly slapped together mummy dolls. This one has mismatched buttons for eyes and lots of toothpick bits sticking out of the bandages where the mouth would be.
Rasia cocks her head.
Corrin stares at Wilhelm, fists clenched, after the older boy's last comment. With an obvious effort, he breaks off his glare to look around the APC. The mummy doll doesn't even get a blink from him, but he does look to Lahja.
<Rasia> "Start infirmary...move in vents?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Sounds like a blast."
<Rasia> "...Rasia on point."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "It shouldn't come as that much of a surprise, Corrin. I did say her Aesir went out of control before you decided..." Lahja says quietly, but in an increasingly sour tone. Then she nods toward Rasia, happy for the change of topic.
<Corrin> "If they've figured out how you did it before, it will be." Corrin mutters. "Can we get to the lower levels through the vents?" His tone's approaching normal.
<Darkling> Another bump in the road, it won't be long before you're approaching the base through the forest.
<Rasia> "Low-level need fresh air. Will have a vent, maybe."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "This will be my second time sneaking through the base."
Corrin inexplicably looks to Wilhelm at that, then back to the others. "What's the plan if the vents are blocked?"
<Rasia> "Halls."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Hopefully avoiding confrontations. All it takes is one scream and we could be in over our head."
<Darkling> There's the woods now.
<Darkling> Lit gives a look back at the pilots. He's a sweating a bit, and slightly pale.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan might appear calm, if it wasn't for the way he was holding the Israeli's hand so tightly.
Rasia runs her thumb over his knuckles, drawing a deep breath. "Weapons."
<Darkling> "They'll be in the base, hidden. Remember the map and their location."
<Darkling> The APC stops at a guard post outside the base, this is new. The back opens up and two armed guards look inside as another talks to Lit at the front.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
Rasia turns her head, sizing up the guards.
<Darkling> They say nothing, but the looks thy give you aren't friendly.
Corrin looks too, expression sullen.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks to the guards as well. She looks irritable.
<Darkling> The guards must have decided they were alright, because the back closes, and Lit is driving again.
<Darkling> Now you're in the base and the APC is stopped. The back opens again and Lit's there waiting for you, shirt starting to soak with blood where he was shot.
Rasia frowns, rising immediately to touch the wound.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja takes the scissors and spoon out of her hair, pocketing them. She stares at Lit's bloody shirt a bit long as she makes her way out.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Nothing serious was hit I hope."
<Darkling> Since the wound is in his shoulder, unlikely. "I'll be alright guys." He says quietly as an armed escort arrives for them.
Corrin nods, closing his mouth as the escort arrives, whatever he was about to ask forgotten.
<Darkling> "Commander, we're here to take you and the pilots for treatment. Follow us please." The escort takes a stance surrounding them then starts a march through the base.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "As long as punji bullets aren't in style." Lahja mutters before following on.
Rasia trudges behind Lit, looking at the blood on her hand.
<Darkling> Walking through the base it sure looks like security has been ramped up.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Fascinating.
<Rasia> "..." What're they anticipating...
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja twitches. The crackpot theories are already starting.
Corrin looks from side to side as they're marched along, expression flickering between detached and something else.
<Darkling> Finally you're in the medical wing, and filed into a room. Lit sits down on the bed and all but one of the guards leave the room. "The nurse will be along shortly." He says.
Rasia rises, looking to Lit curiously. So quickly?
Corrin watches the guard, taking in the distance between them and the man.
<Darkling> "Calm down guys, relax a bit. It's just a flesh wound."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He half expected to see Freya here.
<Darkling> Maybe her sister is in the base, but not likely around here.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "You should have pulled the trigger sooner, sir." Lahja says flatly.
<Darkling> "You worry too much, I've been shot before." he smirks.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "So have I, I don't imagine it was pleasnt."
<Darkling> The guard adds in "Yeah, your Commander there once killed a pack of wolves with his bare hands, I don't think a bullet is going to stop him."
Rasia stops a giggle, imagining it.
Corrin keeps an eye on the guard. "Really?" he asks, that drawing a response out of him.
<Darkling> "Just a rumor." Lit says, the guard doesn't look like he believes it's a rumor though.
<Rasia> "Rrr." Rasia begins to pace.
<Darkling> A moment later, the door opens, a lithe, young, black haired nurse coming in. The patch on her breast has 'Danika' embroidered into it.
Rasia narrows her eyes, measuring this 'Danika'.
<Darkling> She brings a tray of tool over to the bed. "Take off your shirt," she instructs Lit. "Let's see if we can patch you up."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks to the nurse for a moment. Then she begins pacing, an irritable look on her face.
Corrin glances to the other pilots, standing still.
<Darkling> Lit strips off his shirt, and the bullet prooft vest underneath which was clearly too small for a man his size since the bullet had ample room to miss it and hit flesh instead.
<Darkling> "Well, that isn't too bad. I think we can have you out of here in no time." Danika says, and begins cleaning the area around the wound.
Rasia scratches her nose, looking for an air vent anxiously.
<Darkling> The guard starts to laze by the door, obviously bored of this.
<Corrin> "...He killed a whole pack?" Corrin asks abruptly.
<Darkling> The guard looks up. "Yeah, something like that, back before he joined the military."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm looks to Rasia, a meaningful look meant to get her attention.
 <Darkling> "Do you need any anesthetic?" Danika asks Lit, picking up some long tweezers.
Rasia jerks her head around once she catches it, focusing on the Aryan.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He tilts his head toward the guard before running a hand through his hair.
<Darkling> "No, I should be frnngh" Lit trails off as the tweezers enter the wound.
Rasia creeps across the room, looking for a way to approach the guard outside is peripheral as Corrin occupies him.
<Corrin> "Sir, you alright?" Corrin asks, head jerking around momentarily, then turning back.
<Darkling> He nods, face scrunched up as Danika looks to be digging around freely in his shoulder.
<Rasia> Go for the mouth and nose... Get the throat in the grapple, squeeze until asleep. Simple as that. No need to snap his neck, right?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "We'll let you know if they do anything interesting." Lahja says to the guard as she notes Rasia's creeping, moving on over to take a look at the bullet extraction. "Or if any aliens erupt out of the hole."
<Darkling> "Got it." Danika exclaims, taking the bullet out.
Rasia strikes!
Corrin looks back to the guard. The target. "I guess you're right." He shrugs, measuring the distance between the guard and the door. "Good thing he's okay though. You are okay-"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "That's not very floral." Lahja says with a hint of disappointment. "You should keep it just the same."
<Darkling> "Whu-!" The guard goes down before he can say anything more, clattering to the floor, Danika gives a yelp and backs up to the wall, eyes wide.
Corrin moves to the door, making sure it's closed.
Wilhelm_Faustus cringes a bit. That had to hurt.
<Darkling> Lit is up off the bed in a moment covering Danika's mouth. "It's alright."
<Rasia> But he'll live! Rasia's grown as a person. She strips off his radio and weapons compulsively.
<Darkling> "You're perfectly safe." Lit explains in as calming of a tone as he can. "We're not going to harm you, so please don't raise an alarm."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Sorry. We all mean well here. Take good care of him so he doesn't bleed to death from overexerting himself?" Lahja says with a smile. Probably not very reassuring, but she's trying.
<Rasia> Weapons go to her copilots, the radio stays on her, and Rasia heads for an air vent.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm ruffles Rasia's hair, offering a gentle smile. "Nicely done."
<Darkling> "Get to it guys, you won't have long if they realize what is going on."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja salutes Lit, looking a little uncomfortable for a moment before she goes off to the vent. Then once her back has turned she's all smiles.
<Darkling> Lit slowly takes his hand away from Danika's mouth, then moves to tie the guard up and gag him. "I'll still need you to stitch me up." He says to the nurse.
<Corrin> "We can't just...yes, sir." Corrin heads for the vent. He stops just short of it again after Lit's instructions, mouth opening and closing, then finally just nods. "See you when it's over, sir." With that, he moves.
<Darkling> Lit sits back on the bed when he's done, a line of blood trickling down his chest. "Well, get on then!"
<Rasia> Rasia's already gone, bro.
Corrin is clambering up.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja, too.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "This seems familiar."
<Darkling> The vent clunks as you all move through it. Which way to go?
<Corrin> "You died. I think." Corrin frowns.
<Rasia> Let's see...it should be plenty of downward movement, so let's find a junction first.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Oh."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Let's not forget our supply points before we go too far down." Lahja says quietly, then makes a hush sound.
<Rasia> "--oh." Rasia stops, tapping her lip. There was a drop...not far from here.
Rasia creeps up to another vent, checking for anyone milling about in Lahja's boudoir before pushing the vent off.
<Corrin> "Clear?" Corrin whispers.
<Rasia> "Safe." Rasia drops down first to make room, trying to remember where they stuck it.
Corrin follows as soon as Rasia is out of the way, dropping onto hands and knees before standing.
 <Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja goes down afterward, looking about the room and taking a deep breath.
<Darkling> A rumble is heard, and some dust falls from the ceiling as the lights flicker.
<Rasia> "Rr?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Distraction." Lahja says, her voice barely above a whisper.
<Corrin> "If I was a smug bastard, where..." Corrin starts to say, then looks up. "What..."
Rasia nods, diving under Lahja's bed to pull out a bag. Gear!
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm finally emerges from the vent, dusting himself off. "I think I put on a little weight."
<Darkling> The lights flicker again as another umble is heard. Thsi time they stay off.
<Rasia> "..."
<Darkling> You can hear some shouts and Rasia's radio crackles loudly, telling all units to head to the north quarter, followed by boots running past the door.
<Corrin> "North?" Corrin whispers.
<Darkling> The footsteps fade and the emergency lighting comes on, casting a dim orange glow around the room.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Shit..." Hard to miss the Aryan in the dark, lines glowing blue.
Rasia divvies out whatever's in the drop, pausing to look at Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It would seem evolution does not mean for me to be a hunter of the night."
Corrin stares at Wilhelm, hands full, then just shakes his head.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja takes her share of the gear, quickly putting on the vest. She checks the safety on the gun, making sure it's on before she heads back toward the vent, but doesn't enter it yet.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> With a grunt Wilhelm ignores his rather irritating glow, pulling on his vest and checking over his weapon.
Corrin slips on a slightly too large vest, then looks back to Wilhelm. "Shouldn't be a problem in the vents."
Rasia clambers back up quickly to take point again, shouldering the assault rifle.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Flicking on the safety he follows after the others.
<Darkling> The vents are much darker, except of course when you pass over a hallway and then there's Wilhelm.
Corrin turns a pistol in his hands, checking it quickly. Just like Austin. How long ago was that now? He's last up, shaking off the moment of contemplation.
<Rasia> Now it's a downward trend, but could these three handle a vertical descent?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja climbs up as well, the lack of light seeming to calm her a little.
<Darkling> If you remember the map correctly, it's a good 60 floors down you'll have to drop. Good thing there was some rappelling gear in that bag.
<Rasia> Just a matter of finding a junctio--whoop. Rasia stumbles, grabbing for the far end of the shaft. "Hole."
<Corrin> "How deep?"
<Rasia> "Hope deep enough." Rasia twists around, and crosses over the gap, pointing down. "Go first. I hold rope."
<Corrin> "Got it." Corrin nods, though in the half-light it'd be hard to make out, and moves up.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I'll go first. I've dreamed of making pretty splat marks before. It's not ideal, but it works." Lahja puts on the harness, then she gives the others a thumbs up before she starts on her way down.
Rasia braces herself against the vent walls, anchoring the rope tight with muscle-power.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "How do you plan to get down Rasia?"
<Rasia> "Hard way." She grunts, letting more rope out.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Why not come down with me?"
<Rasia> "--!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja turns out to be fairly competent on the descent, though judging from the quiet sounds she's probably lacking a bit in raw strength. Either way, she's either rushing it or almost slips a few times, but eventually makes it down and gives the rope a little shake after she's out of the harness.
<Rasia> "Corrin next."
Corrin actually cracks a grin. "Got it. I'm coming down." Slipping the harness on, they take a breath, and start the drop.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja gets out of the way as Corrin starts his descent.
<Darkling> You can hear another boom off in the distance. The radio crackles but it's hard to make out in the vent.
Rasia grunts, widening her stance to compensate.
<Corrin> Corrin starts to inch down, but his initial confidence slips away a third of the way down, as does the line. His grip slips and he slips down the shaft, almost uncontrollably. "Whoah!" Corrin yells, scrambling frantically. A click as the safeties kick in, and he has his grip. He's silent as he inches down, more slowly, then all but throws the harness off.
<Corrin> "Down..."
Rasia sighs, leaning forward. "Dropping." And down comes the rope.
<Darkling> The building shakes, emergency lights clicking out.
<Corrin> "Rasia?" Corrin calls, still shaken, squinting up into the blackness.
Rasia scoots forward, looking to Wilhelm. "Float down careful." And she's on her way down, moving through the darkness like the predator she is. Without handhold or foothold at several points, she drops down the last ten feet because wtfn.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He watches quietly, then slips off the edge and begins his slow descent, hands in his pockets as he simply floats down.
Corrin scowls in the growing glow from the descending pilot.
<Rasia> "Moving." Rasia tries to orient herself, picking a tunnel and taking point again.
<Darkling> It's pitch black down here now, a slight breeze coming from behind you.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The glowing Aryan hesitates, looking around.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Isn't that a nice spinning meat chopper, Wilhelm?" Lahja says quietly.
<Rasia> Right. Air should be heading towards the deeper parts of the base. Rasia drags a knuckle across the space in front of her to avoid another fall.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "And here we are without a metal pipe." He finally replies to Lahja.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Do you want to stop it? Just in case they try blowing gas at us?" she asks.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Doubtful. We need to make a right before then anyhow. I can feel it."
<Corrin> "We could use the gun." Corrin suggests.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks in the direction of Corrin's voice as if he'd just uttered blasphemy. Good thing the lights are out.
<Rasia> "Rr." Sure enough, the breeze leads them down an elbow.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "So...who's ready for some bad news?"
Rasia frowwwns, looking over her shoulder.
<Corrin> "What is it?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Bad news is the story of my life."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I can sense the Spear, but there's also a Jotunn."
<Corrin> "...Damnit."
Rasia growls.
<Corrin> "Just another troll, or another..." Corrin trails off.
 <Wilhelm_Faustus> "Definitely a giant." He stops again. "Damn, both give off a similar feeling. One is left and the other is to the right."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Interesting.
<Rasia> "Spear first."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Can you tell if one is moving?" Lahja asks.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Both are stationary. Take...the right."
Corrin pauses, then nods.
<Rasia> To the right we go!
<Lahja_Ilvainen> To the right! With many twitchings.
<Corrin> To the right! "What about the Jotuun?" Corrin asks as they move.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "It's here and not moving. You know everything I do now."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Not moving... I wonder if it's in captivity. Wouldn't that be interesting?"
<Darkling> More dark tunnels glow blue from the aryan, no sounds from far above the base make it down here.
<Rasia> "...hope Lit okay."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "The man is built like a bear. He'll be fine."
<Corrin> "Course he is." Corrin says, less than convincingly. "We'll get this thing, then find him."
<Rasia> "Mn." Rasia moves faster, almost leaving the Aryan's glow.
<Darkling> There's a red glow up ahead coming from a grate.
<Rasia> Ooh. Rasia, polite as ever, moves past and turns about in the tunnel so two people can see in.
Corrin looks by Rasia, blinking in the contrast. "What's that light?"
<Darkling> Beyond the grate is the glowing red of a rune circle written far down below the pilots in a room that looks quite like the cages above.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks down the grate, eyes narrowing as she makes out what she can of the area beyond.
<Darkling> standing the in the middle of the rune circle is an Aesir, easily a half times bigger than yours, skin a deep pulsing red and covered in massive granite coloured plates.
<Rasia> "Bad."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Very."
<Corrin> "What...that's not a Spear!"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Who's going to pilot that thing anyway?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "An educated guess say that is Surtr."
<Corrin> Sutr...like Zwei...Vier...
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "So... what's so bad about Surtr?"
<Rasia> "...Surtr spear?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "He burns the old world away. Fire consumes the planet, wiping it clean for its rebirth."
<Corrin> "Then we get the spear, get Lit, and come back with the Units." Corrin states matter of factly, fists balling.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'm glad you think it'll be easy." He backs up and turns around, heading back the way they came. He doesn't want to look at it longer than he has to.
<Corrin> "We can't just leave it here!" Corrin calls after him.
Rasia pushes Corrin and Lahja along, since now she's at the rear.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Fire can be pretty, too." Lahja says more to herself, lingering to stare until she gets pushed along.
<Corrin> "That thing's going to be prettier in pieces." Corrin mutters as he's pushed along. "What's the plan?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "According to the Poetic Edda, only two humans survive by hiding within Yggdrasil. They then repopulate the new world."
<Corrin> "...Ragnarok?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Mmhm."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Repopulate. Makes me think of those always pregnant cows." Lahja says flatly.
<Corrin> "So how do we stop it? Destroy Sur...Sutr?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "We need to take the Spear to the tree. From there we can stop it."
<Rasia> "Then spear." Rasia sounds a little snippy back there.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Spear." Lahja echoes as she moves along.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The glowing boy stops, twisting around so he can work at kicking out the vent cover preventing further progress.
<Darkling> There's another red glow coming from ahead, around a bend.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> If it's another Surtr he's going to lose his shit. Still, he forges on.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Read the Poetic Edda." Lahja says under her breath. Whatever buzz she got out of Surtr and burning everything has faded in favor of irritation. "Lit had a copy a while back."
<Rasia> "Rr..."
<Corrin> "We can't go back for it." Corrin points out. "Not after this."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He turns the corner, slowing as he approaches the source of the glow.
 <Darkling> Another grated vent overseeing a much smaller room that is bright red with the glow. You can't make out what is inside it.
Rasia squiiints. "Spear, sure?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Or a much smaller Surtr." He forces the grate open and climbs out, shielding his eyes with one hand.
<Rasia> Rasia's second, of course.
<Darkling> There's a fifteen foot drop below you Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Wilhelm's natural ability kicks in, twisting in an attempt to grab Rasia before she fell. Of course it wasn't likely to do serious damage to her, it was just a reaction.
<Rasia> "Rah!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Rasia!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He forces a shift in his weight, dropping faster than usual.
<Rasia> Once she realizes what's throwing off her usual dropping patterns, she twists and swings, kicking loose of Wilhelm's grip to land on all fours.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja lingers near the edge, peering down after hearing Rasia and Wilhelm. Not exactly good for confidence.
<Corrin> "What's happening?" Corrin calls, moving forwards. "You two okay?"
<Darkling> The room is really too blindingly red to see anything in.
<Rasia> "Rrr."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "One heck of a defense mechanism." He lands, one hand covering his eyes as the other reaches out, shuffling along as he tries to find the spear.
<Darkling> The room goes black.
Rasia snarls, senses straining the darkness.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Of course, how fitting."
<Corrin> "What is it?"
<Darkling> Bits and fragments of dark red light start to fuse together in the centre of the room, slowly taking the shape of the item you have came her seeking. A long red spear hovers in the room, its dull glow much less intense than before.
Wilhelm_Faustus hesitates before approaching, eyes still partially shielded.
<Rasia> "On guard," she says up to those still in the vent.
<Corrin> "Got it." Corrin calls, watching intently.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja stares down into the room, then on hearing Rasia's words she goes for her gun. Safety off.
<Darkling> This was certainly what you were sensing Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> From Ivy's hands to his. Finally. With this he could- no. This was to save everyone. He reached out, grabbing the spear.
Rasia holds her breath.
<Darkling> The lines along your arm run red, spreading out across your shoulders and down your back.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> A hiss from Lahja, the sight not easing her mood any.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> So much power running through this spear and into him! Amazing! He couldn't help but laugh, weighing the spear in two hands.
Rasia looks around, trying to spot any other entrances to the room before approaching Wilhelm.
Corrin watches silently, belatedly fumbling with and drawing his own gun.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He's still admiring the spear, lost in his own little world right now.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> NERV. Moongeezers. I hate you both so very much. Just what is that thing?
<Rasia> "Wilhelm."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He looks over his shoulder before turning around fully, spear held in one hand wit the tip angled to the floor. "Yes?"
<Rasia> "Leave now." She extends a hand to take the spear.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'll hold onto it for now." He looks around briefly. "Did you see any other exits? They got it in here somehow."
<Darkling> There's a rumble from below you, the ground and building shaking.
<Corrin> "I thought you said that thing was to the left!" Corrin shouts over the quake.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "That came from lower!" Lahja hisses, sounding positively hateful and not even bothering to keep her voice down.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Vaettir, perhaps." He calls up.
<Rasia> "Umh..." Rasia surveys the room again.
<Darkling> There's a door out of this room, or back up into the vent, if you can.
<Corrin> "See anything?"
<Rasia> "Door. But vents safer."
 <Wilhelm_Faustus> "We may not have a choice. We need to reach the Cage next."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Can you jump back up here, Rasia? We can try to make a ladder if not." She doesn't sound too convinced.
<Corrin> "We still have the line."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Stay there. I have an idea." A grin spreads across his lips, a strange sight on the boy and not unlike the one Drei had. He lifted the spear, pointing it up at the vent.
Rasia frowns, but steps aside. "Back up," she commands the other two.
<Corrin> "Wilhelm?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja begins to back away, pushing Corrin as needed.
Corrin is moving.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> While largely invisible, what can best be described as hands form out of the boy's AT Field, grabbing at Lahja before dragging her out of the vent. It's a slow descent, but she is set on her feet soon enough,
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja blinks.
Rasia frowwwns.
<Corrin> "What the hell was that?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Another had reaches into the vent, dragging Corrin out after grabbing onto his leg. It brings him upside down, dangling from some unseen force.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> hand*
<Corrin> "Lah...aaah!" Corrin struggles, trying to reach up.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I don't recommend struggling, this isn't easy."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> His head bops against the floor and the invisible hand lets him go.
Corrin lands with an oomph, and struggles up. "That was you?" he demands.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Yes."
<Corrin> "Thanks for the warning." he snaps.
Rasia shakes her head, heading for the door. Hmm, locked from the outside?
<Darkling> Definitely locked.
<Rasia> "Rrr." Rasia throws her shoulder against it once or twice.
<Darkling> It dents, but it holds in the frame solidly.
Rasia rubs her arm, looking back up to the vents. Seems she's adamant not to use the Lance's power.
<Rasia> Well...let's try this again. She tears into the door, busting open the skin on her knuckles on a few frustrated strikes.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "When all else fails, pump it full of lead." Lahja says, forcing a smile.
<Darkling> From the other side of the door you hear a few shouts. Someone took notice of your attempts to open it from the wrong side.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "You never cease to amaze me."
Rasia takes a step back, marveling at her handiwork.
 Rasia ...licks the blood from her knuckles, too.
<Darkling> Another shout, the clatter of equipment.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'll give it one last push, then."
<Darkling> The door budges in its frame, then seizes in place from the damage Rasia did to it.
<Rasia> "Rr! Vents! Now!"
<Darkling> A round of gunfire and a few dents in the door face your way.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Oh, well that's a twist."
<Darkling> Then pounding, as if someone is kicking it from the other side.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja's off toward the vent.
<Corrin> "Come on!"
<Darkling> That's a long way up Lahja.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Yes, yes it is. She stares up at it once she's beneath it.
Rasia glares up at the vent herself, chewing her lip. "Shoulders?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Try not to struggle this time, it's clear we have no time to play."
<Darkling> The room shakes again, and the sound of metal screeching echos from the vent.
<Corrin> "Who's got the rope?" Corrin asks, then glances over to Wilhelm. "Get over here!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The boy sucks in a deep breath through his nostrils, focusing through the spear. Lahja and Corrin both get a helping hand back up toward the vent. Rasia gets one under her so she can simply jump when she's in range, He understood her dislike for all of this.
<Rasia> And it is a bit like seeing a cat struggle with bags on its feet. Unsettled and growling, her leap is awkward, but soon she's clambering up into the vents after the previous two.
Corrin scowls as he's lifted, scrambling into the vent at the edge.
<Darkling> There's a heavier slam against the door followed my muffled voices and feet moving away from it.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja moves back along the way she came, none too pleased. "Let's hope for the best about that noise."
<Corrin> "Let's find Lit. Then we can deal with it."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan watches the door casually, waiting for something.
<Corrin> "Where's Wilhelm?"
<Darkling> The door obliges, exploding inwards right at the Aryan with a gout of flame engulfing the room.
<Rasia> "Wilhelm!"
Rasia throws an arm into the fire, one last grab for him.
<Darkling> The flame billows up into the vent, scorching across Rasia's body, not to mention completely engulfing Wilhelm. The door bounces once before sight of it is lost amongst the flames and you hear it slam against the far side of the room.
<Rasia> The Israeli still grabs for him. If nothing else, she's making a great barrier to protect the less-fireproof pilots.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja glares at the interior of the vent. Just what is Wilhelm thinking?
Corrin tries to make sense of the situation, eyes watering from the sudden smoke. "What..." he coughs. "Rasia?"
<Rasia> "WILHELM!" Flesh starts to sizzle and pop, and Rasia's forced to back off a bit, arm smoking.
<Darkling> Then the air clears, Wilhelm stands unscathed inthe middle of the scorched room, the door behind him is bent out of shape.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He speaks something in the extinct tongue of the Old Norse, bringing the Spear the bare at the doorway.
<Rasia> "Wh...Wilhelm!" To her credit, she tries to go back down.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Stay there Rasia! I'll make this quick." He frowns stepping forward. "You hurt her...and could have hurt the others."
<Darkling> Five armed guards in tactical gear are at the doorway, guns lowered at Wilhelm. "DROP THE SPEAR!" One in the middle yells.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The blue hexagons that had protected him reform their organization, spinning in front of the speartip as they generate energy. "Goodbye."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Irritation quickly gives way to a wide and vicious looking smile on Lahja once the guard starts talking. She takes a deep breath.
<Darkling> They open fire, bullets shattering into pieces under a blue keliedescope in front of Wilhelm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He thrusts his arm forward, energy exploding forth with the spear. It hits the armed guards, then continues past them down the hallway, eventually exploding into a full cross explosion, the arms blasting down adjacent hallways.
<Darkling> Screams are cut short as the guards merely turn into a fine mist.
<Rasia> Rasia clenches her teeth, fighting down the initial surge of...animosity? Instinctive hatred of the Jotunn, why is it triggering now?
Corrin scrambles to raise the handgun he's holding at the gunfire, still half-turned on hands and knees in the vent, stopping short at what sounds echo up after that.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He looks up to the vent, lifting off of the ground and slowly hovering up.
<Darkling> Smoke is billowing out from farther down the vents.
<Rasia> "Fire?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "That would be the explosion."
<Darkling> A loud groan echoes through the vents and everything shakes.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "There was some noise up here before that. Let's not dismiss anything." Lahja says, looking very much elsewhere.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He lands quietly and pulls himself into the vent. He looks over the three, eyes lingering on Rasia. "Your arm..."
<Rasia> "Fine. Go fast now." She guards her arm reflexively.
<Corrin> "Are-" Corrin stops mid-sentence at the quake. "That doesn't sound good."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Rasia..." He frowns, but bites his lip. Fine, escape for now.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja moves along through the vent, trying not to smile. "She's tough. She'll be better in no time."
<Darkling> There's some crackling on the Radio, but it is incomprehensible.
Corrin looks back to the unharmed Wilhelm, brow furrowing, then moves along.
<Darkling> The vent is clogged with smoke, making it hard to see and breathe. Up ahead it seems to be sagging down. a support must have been broken in the quakes or the explosion.
Rasia growls, crawling almost low enough to drag her stomach to avoid the worst of the smoke. "Careful."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Can we continue this way? Looks... questionable."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "We may need to take the hallways at this rate."
<Corrin> "We have to hurry."
<Darkling> With hte weight of the pilots the vent sags further, creaking.
<Rasia> "Rrr."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "There's our confirmation. Next exit?"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Where then, the exit or the Cage?"
<Rasia> "Need Aesir?"
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "The exit, unless we're expecting a fight."
<Darkling> There's a grate up ahead in the vent.
<Rasia> "Exit." Rasia, almost automatically, crawls forward and smashes against the grate.
<Darkling> It crashes to the floor below, a mere 5 feet from the way the vent is hanging.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'll draw their attention away from the three of you."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I still think we need the Aesir."
<Rasia> "Together!" She scowls back at him.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Together, then. To the Cage."
<Rasia> Down she goes. Safer than the vents, even if they're headed to the Cage.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Cage land it is. After you."
<Darkling> The radio cuts in and out in the hallway, you catch a few random words, but nothing meaningful. There's smoke in the hallway as well but much less.
<Rasia> "Rrr..." Cages are... thisaway?
<Wilhelm_Faustus> A hand rests on her shoulder. "That's right, then a left at the second intersection."
<Rasia> Wilhelm gets a sidelong look.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He returns the look. "What?"
<Darkling> There's some shouting coming from that direction. More soldiers likely.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Rasia, how do you feel about a nice tea party later on?" Lahja asks, not sounding too worried about the shouting.
<Rasia> "Tea...party?" Rasia's ear wiggles, and she turns to face new opposition.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ." His grip tightens on the spear, striding forward. What is there to worry about while he possesses it?
<Darkling> A helmet peers around the corner then dodges back around. You hear some scuffling.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Surrender."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Tea parties have food." she chomps at the air a few times, putting on a smile as she stares at Wilhelm's back.
<Darkling> The radio crackles. "Patient has escaped, considered first priority. Intruders are secondary. Shoot to kill."
<Rasia> Patient, intruders? Hmn. Rasia creeps ahead, either unwilling or incapable of grasping the Spear's ability.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja's eyes narrow. "So something is higher priority than us."
<Darkling> Down the hall, a guard flies from the cover of the corner, thrown by some unseen force into the wall with a sick crunch of bones. Whatever threw him, it was strong enough to lodge his body into the wall.
<Darkling> A moment later, gunfire rips through the corridor, but non of it is aimed at you, and you can't see what is going on from here.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I believe they've found the patient."
<Rasia> The Israeli snarls, hunching lower.
<Darkling> A few of the guards back up into your view, still firing at the unseen terror.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan starts forward, intent on seeing this patient for himself.
<Darkling> The ground shakes.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Wilhelm. I don't think that's a good idea."
<Darkling> Everyone stumbles with the quake, letting Wilhelm get a step or two ahead of them as one of the guards explodes into paste, leaving a wonderful smear on the floor.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Geez! What is this patient of theirs? It may not even be human, his fascinating...
<Rasia> Rasia's quick to catch back up, compulsively trying to keep Wilhelm behind her.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> how fascinating*
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Really..." Lahja briefly falls on her ass, then jumps back up to go after him, her tone irritable. "Bad idea. I'm taking the implication that the spear was only someone's secondary objective here. Let's not tempt fate."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "We still need to reach the Cage. If we leave without the Aesir we can't stop Ragnarok."
<Darkling> A blackened arm streaked with red veins comes into view from the corner, and with a twist of the wrist the second guard explodes into another grotesque artwork on the floor.
Rasia bares her teeth, dropping to all fours. A stance she hasn't had in a long while.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Easy..."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja certainly seems worked up at the sight of that, hissing under her breath. She doesn't even seem to care about the splatmarks, focusing on the arm instead. "NERV..."
<Darkling> Another step, and a naked form follows the arm, just as black and streaked with red. It turns to look at you, eyes bright red, lips curling into an all too familiar smile.
<Rasia> "Rrrrrr."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Dammit...Ivy..."
<Darkling> Her head cants to the side then lolls sickly backwards.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja just stares for the longest time, finding herself smiling regardless of the grotesquery.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "No...don't tell me you're it's pilot!" He grips the Spear tightly.
<Darkling> Behind you, the hallway explodes, the massive form of something crushes up through the ground and into the ceiling, rubble flying everywhere.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "I told you so." she manages after a few moments.
<Rasia> Rasia turns her head just long enough, her attention returning to Ivy almost instantly.
<Darkling> The mass stops partway, you can see the slick, oozing flesh of the beast as it moves slightly, and when you look back again, Ivy is gone.
<Rasia> FUCK. Back to the ooze, then.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Dammit!" He rushes ahead to where she'd been standing, looking for her from there. He should have killed her just then.
<Darkling> She's gone Wilhelm, and around the corner is a messy display of gore.
<Darkling> The bulk between the floors surges upwards again, then starts to slowly descend.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja takes the time to stop and smell the gore, staring for a good while and seeming to calm herself. She salutes the spot where Ivy was.
<Rasia> "Cages!"
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Yes, I agree."
<Darkling> The way seems to be clear now. and that oozing mass is still descending.
<Rasia> Go go go.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja twirls as she goes on, quickly, but not quite in such a hurry as the others. Just not quite.
<Darkling> You've made it to the elevator without meeting any guards, just splatters on the walls and floors.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Let me see your arm now."
<Rasia> Begrudgingly, Rasia offers her arm. The burns are maturing nicely, a wet sheen covering most of her arm.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "I'm sorry." He offers to her quietly, touching her palm.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja doesn't seem to notice at all. Hard to tell if she's upset or elated.
<Rasia> "...Rasia okay. Be careful."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "You be careful. What do I do without you?" He runs a hand through her hair before turning his attention to the elevator door.
Rasia pushes the button.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . . oh, right."
<Darkling> The elevator shaft humms to life and an indicator shows it is descending to you.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja twirls away from the elevator entrance, reaching for her gun. Safety off!
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Next time he'll make sure Ivy stays dead.
<Darkling> The base shakes again, the lights flickering.
<Darkling> Then the elevator arrives, doors opening.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Something is certainly on the move." He steps into the elevator, frowning as he considers everything.
<Rasia> Rasia's last in, after the others, pushing Lahja if she has to.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja steps right on in. Definitely looking more on the annoyed side now, though.
<Darkling> The doors close, and the elevator starts to move up.
<Rasia> Up--?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "How are you all feeling now?" Lahja asks as casually as one might ask about the weather.
 Rasia flexes her burnt arm, wincing as the flesh crackles. "Okay."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Fine."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Good."
<Darkling> The lights flicker again as you ascend.
Rasia scowls. If the power goes out while we're in here...
<Darkling> It seems to be getting fairly hot in the elevator.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> ". . ."
<Darkling> Then the lights go out. The elevator lurches, stopping.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...damn."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> At least he acts like a bit of a red nightlight.
Rasia growls, clambering up until she can reach the ceiling hatch.
<Darkling> Along with Wilhelm's glow, the emergency lights come on in the elevator casting an orange glow over everyone.
<Darkling> Then the elevator starts up again. Emergency generators must have kicked in.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja cracks a smile. "It's still getting hot in here."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "So I noticed." He keeps near Rasia to catch her if something happens, though it's unlikely.
<Rasia> ... Back down. Kind of humorous, how she's so quick to jump.
<Darkling> The ascent is a little slower now, but you should be back up top soon enough.
Corrin follows the lead of the others, lost in his own thoughts again. Or maybe it's just brain damage.
<Darkling> The elevator stops. Seems you've arrived at your destination.
Rasia stops her pacing, attention centering on the door.
Corrin 's head jerks up, still distracted.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Do you suppose Lit is alright?" Lahja asks. Only mildly concerned.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Yes."
<Corrin> "Yes." Corrin says at the same time, tone flat but with no trace of doubt.
<Rasia> "Must be." Rasia growls.
<Darkling> The doors open... and the base is in a panic.
<Rasia> Oh dear.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Sure, why not?
<Darkling> People are running everywhere, there's a few fires in view already, smoke, some blood, screams
<Rasia> "Aesir!" Taking charge again, Rasia.
Corrin glares past the doorway, grip tightening slightly around the gun he's clutching like a liferaft. So much for the leash. He nods.
<Darkling> No one even notices you in the panic.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> The Aryan is close behind the Israeli, Spear sweeping from side to side for threats.
<Darkling> You manage to reach the cages, there is less turmoil here and almost no one in sight.
<Rasia> A happy smile at seeing Unit 01. ...hmm, how do we launch without any support?
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks at all the people as she moves along, smiling and imagining them with various injuries.
<Darkling> you don't have to imagine Lahja, most of them are injured.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Hello, Loki."
<Darkling> The plugs seem at the ready. Lit must have prepped them for you somehow.
Corrin just moves wordlessly for his Unit's plug.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> He moves to the plug and climbs in.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> All the more reason to smile. Lahja suits up and then she's off to the plug.
<Darkling> There's a viewscreen open already, you can see Lit working in the command center alone.
<Rasia> "Lit!" Rasia nearly grabs at the screen, stress drawing her face taught.
Corrin slumps into the seat, the gun slipping from his hands. He doesn't say anything, instead just staring at the screen.
<Darkling> "Oh thank the heavens." He sounds and looks quite relieved.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> A few deep breaths later and Lahja stops smiling. "Sir."
<Rasia> "Safe! Be safe!" Her teeth clench and click, Unit 01 writhing in agitation bleeding off its pilot.
<Darkling> "I'll get you all powered up and ready to launch." He works at the controls.
<Darkling> The Aesir come to life.
<Darkling> The spear dematerializes in your hand Wilhelm, forming in Loki's.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...well..."
<Darkling> "There we go." The harnesses release on the Aesir.
<Darkling> In the viewscreen you can see someone walking up behind Lit, thin grey beard and an eyepatch.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Behind you."
Corrin reaches for the grips, teeth showing in an almost rictus grin that fades again a moment later. "Sir, behind you!"
<Rasia> It's a testament to Rasia's paranoia that she almost doesn't recognize the eyepatch.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Loki steps free of the unlocked restraints, head swinging around to take in the Cage.
<Darkling> Lit turns and the connection goes out leaving snow in its place.
<Rasia> 01 squirms, slender neck and snaggled jaw slithering free to start. "Out."
<Darkling> Glass smashes somewhere in the cages, falling to the floor far below. The window of the command room was just shot out.
<Rasia> One can almost watch Rasia's stomach do a backflip and knot into itself.
<Darkling> Lit comes tumbling backwards out of the window, landing twenty feet down on some scaffolding.
<Rasia> "Lit!" Woe to anything that gets in the Aesir's path, shredding scaffold and ripping chunks of paneling off in mere passing. Two taloned hands form a cup, Unit 01's pointed snout getting as close as it dares.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Lahja looks upset for a moment. Then sighs, wiping it away.
Corrin stares in disbelief, a belated tug wrenching one of Zwei's arms free. "Lit? Sir?" he whispers into the com as though the Director could hear him.
<Darkling> Lit is moving, but not much. That kind of fall will hurt even the toughest. Above in the window you can see his attacker, the Commander.
<Rasia> The Unit bellows, a cry of anger and confusion. "WHY." Smashing its face right up against the window, it glares at the Commander with all three eyes on that side, just barely visible through its eyeplate.
<Darkling> The Commander doesn't flinch, even as the wall and glass around him falls to bits in the face of the Aesir. He stares balefully into one of the eyes with his own, drawing out a gun in silence.
<Rasia> Rasia's hands tremble, so fully aware of how trivial it would be to snap the Aesir's neck to one side and crush the Commander in an instant. What could the gun possibly do?
<Darkling> He takes a step forward, towards the Aesir.
Corrin snarls something incoherent, then wrenches another limb free with a tug. Inside, Corrin is almost calm, having passed through shock some time ago, as Zwei tears itself free. The Commander's NERV. He's just hurt Lit. He's the enemy. Corrin knows what to do. Stepping out, Zwei reaches for a shoulder pylon. Can't use the gun. Could hurt Lit too. A hammer throw.
<Rasia> "WHY." Another roar.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Wilhelm. Can you move Lit out of harm's way like you moved us?" Lahja asks.
<Darkling> "Move." He commands.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Rather than bother answering he focuses on moving Lit with his AT Field. Careful...careful...
<Rasia> "Never!"
Corrin steps out, still coldly calculating. He doesn't notice the tremor in his movements as he draws the arm holding the hammer back back, teeth grinding at the Commander's order. He's ordering them. He's ordering them, after everything he's done, NERV's done.
<Darkling> Lit's body starts to lift up off the scaffolding. "MOVE!" The Commander shouts.
<Rasia> "Why?"
<Darkling> The gun fires impotently at one of her Aesir's eye.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> In contrast Vier is oddly still. Lahja is in there breathing deeply, but looking almost unconcerned. "Why."
<Rasia> The beast barely moves, save to breathe. "Why hurt Lit?"
<Darkling> When bullets fail he steps up and his metal fist slams against the field.
<Rasia> Probably not much luck there, either. "Stop!"
<Darkling> "Damn you!" He turns, walking over to a console and starts working at something.
<Darkling> At this point, Wilhelm has Lit suspended neatly in the air.
Corrin steps forwards again, striding forwards towards Rasia and the window. "Doesn't matter why. It did. We should tear that thing apart." Corrin says, flat tone slipping to one of sheer venom as Zwei slams its arm into the command room to the right of the confrontation. A moment later, a glowing field flickers to life, blocking the far side off.
<Rasia> Unit 01 watches him intently. Really, the man has to be given pretty significant credit for sticking to his guns in the face of a girl he knows for a fact is willing to rip apart her living family members.
<Rasia> Of course, Corrin's intervention earns a sidelong glare from the Aesir's other set of eyes, a talon resting on its faceplate.
<Darkling> The Commander continues to work on the console, and gas starts spraying into the cages.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Time to go."
<Rasia> One last gnash of the teeth at the Commander, and Rasia shoves Corrin's Unit. "Leaving. Now."
<Darkling> Lit gasps in mid-air and grabs his throat by reflex.
<Rasia> "Hurry!"
Corrin looks to Rasia with one of Zwei's eyes, head not moving. At the gasp, he looks to Lit and the field flickers and dies. "Leaving." he echoes.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Damn. He lowers Lit into his free hand and starts moving. "It would be easier to shut it off."
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "How?"
Corrin 's gaze flickers back to the shattered window at that.
<Darkling> From the window of the control room you can see the Commander staring the Aesir down, pure hatred in his one eye.
<Rasia> Rasia spares him one final look, and roars. Looks like Rasia's doing the honors, the Unit's arm shooting out to try and smash up the controls. If the Commander gets in the way, well... He wasn't her father. Not ever.
Corrin mirrors the look with almost as much spite. This man was NERV. This man did this to Lit, to Ivy, to him. To all of them. One jointed arm is still held up as Rasia moves.
<Darkling> The arm takes up more than the control room, leaving a vacant hole in the base, and effectively shutting the gas off.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "Thus Ragnarok is upon us as the wolf Fenrir slays the All-Father, Odin."
<Darkling> An explosion in the distance rocks the base followed by a mournful groan.
<Rasia> Solemnly, Rasia removes her arm from the center, unable to avoid glancing down at her Unit's palm for blood. "...out."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> In silent agreement Loki lifts the Spear, working on making an exit for the Aesir out of the base.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Toodles, moon geezer." Vier finally breaks its lack of movement by lifting up a hand to wave very delicately. She looks right at what's left of the command center with contempt.
<Corrin> "Make sense." Corrin says automatically to Wilhelm into the com in the aftermath of the...disabling. Getting out sets him off though. "Wait! What about Sutr!" And its Pilot, he doesn't add.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "This is not the time or place."
<Darkling> The ceiling where the spear point folds and warps out of shape, leaving an opening Aesir sized for exit.
<Corrin> "And when is?" Corrin snarls. "When everyone's dead? Ivy's still down there."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Loki heads out first considering he has a passenger. "Considering all you've done is stare, I wouldn't want you in battle with me right now."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "She'll find us anyhow, at Yggdrasil."
<Rasia> Unit 01 grabs the other two Aesir, one in each talon, and #jumps#. It's an impossible leap. One that even feels like they're accelerating throughout it.
<Darkling> Eventually, the Aesir clear the surface into the snow fields beyond the dome.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Thank you, Rasia." Beats anything that cheap amusement park had to offer.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "We need to load Lit into someone's plug, I doubt Loki and I can keep him very warm."
<Corrin> "Let go." he says into the com as the LCL is churned by the leap. "Let go!" He moves, headless of the damage the talon does, as they reach the snow fields.
<Rasia> "...my plug." Rasia does let go, once the other two Aesir are on the snow.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Are you sure, Rasia? You're often on the front lines, so yours is more likely to get shot at and damaged."
<Rasia> "--mgh." True...
<Darkling> The ground rumbles. Doesn't sound like you'll have long to decide.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> "Your call, Rasia."
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "We need to make this quick."
<Rasia> "My dad. My protect-shun." Unit 01 slumps forward, ejecting its plug enough to reveal the hatch.
<Lahja_Ilvainen> Thumbs up from Lahja.
Corrin takes a step back towards the outline of the dome as the others begin to talk, then stops and turns back to the others. "I'll keep the shots off." Corrin says, not looking at the dome.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Loki kneels next to her, hand held close to the hatch. This was too delicate for his AT Field, climbing out of his own plug and stuffing Lit into Rasia's. The cold air was refreshing anyhow.
<Rasia> Rasia's there to take him, careful not to spill the LCL. The big bear of a man is settled in near the back of her plug as it winds back in. If nothing else, she'll be the first thing to die if there's a plug breach.
<Darkling> Lit is barely conscious of what is going on, but at least they don't have to support all of his weight on their own.
<Darkling> The ground rumbles.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> What now, Loki? The Aesir started away from the dome at top speed, giving the boy time to think and commune with his Aesir.
<Darkling> The Berlin dome falls into the earth.
<Rasia> Rasia's jaw falls, even as Unit 01 follows the silent imperative to retreat.
Corrin looks down, hammer in hand. Troll. Jotun. Or even... Corrin raises the ceramic shield, only to lower it again sharply at the sight in his peripheral vision. A beat, and he follows on Rasia's heels.
Lahja_Ilvainen> "Silja." Lahja spits it out as if it were a dire insult as Vier follows along on the retreat.
<Darkling> Out of the dust cloud rises a massive form, reaching high into the sky to tower over everything.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> Loki stops to turn and look.
<Wilhelm_Faustus> "...shit."
<Corrin> "Jotuun." Corrin mutters, grip tightening. A look to the feral Unit nearby.
<Rasia> "Prey." Rasia leans forward in her saddle.
<Darkling> It head of the Jotun turns to the Aesir, maw splitting wide into segments revealing row upon row of massive fangs dripping with saliva and venom. The World Serpent lets out a roar and advances.
<Darkling> =======END=======