Saff's Cleveland Session

<Antioch|GM> ...
<Antioch|GM> It's better, at least, than being woken up by the PRT headquarters sirens.
<Antioch|GM> Her phone buzzes and rattles on her nightstand.
<Antioch|GM> NOTIFICATION: CLEVELAND CRISIS ALERT, ALL-HANDS MEETING.
<Antioch|GM> Fifteen minutes from now, fifth floor of the PRT tower. There are more notifications and alerts on her phone, but this one's clearly the more pressing amongst them. ||
<Saff|Gwyn>  /Fucking Christ,/ Gwyn thinks as she pulls herself out of bed. At least there's time for a quick shower before she has to put her costume on. No time to do her hair. Whatever. That doesn't matter. She starts wiping the sleep from her eyes and tries to check the other notifications on her way to the bathroom. Have things gotten worse in town? ||
<Antioch|GM> Much worse, as it happens.
<Antioch|GM> Rioting, house fires, looting, muggings, outright violence, property damage, vandalism...
<Antioch|GM> There was enough chaos involved in dealing with the Tinkers outside of town, but now the city proper has gone to hell too.
<Antioch|GM> The PRT squads have already been deployed to help out the police, and there's no way that certain parties in town (Caitiff comes to mind) won't take advantage of the chaos. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Great. Just great.
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn showers quickly, gets into her costume, and then heads upstairs. Better to be early than late, and maybe she could ask someone what the hell is going on? Why did things get worse pretty much overnight? What the hell happened while she slept?
<Saff|Gwyn> She stops herself, taking a few deep breaths. Got to stay calm. Can't fly off the handle, even though it still feels like something is drilling into her skull and screaming for her to rip someone limb from limb. Even with all the bullshit going on in town, she's pretty sure Mendez would rip her seven new assholes if she killed someone. ||
<Antioch|GM> As she crosses the skybridge over to the Protectorate building, nervously glancing every which was, a looming shadow causes her to hesitate.
<Antioch|GM> A gigantic Tinkertech castle is hovering over the base. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "What the actual fuck?" Gwyn mutters to herself. She stops to look at it. Have the tinkers stormed the PRT? Or is this an ally? ||
<Antioch|GM> The alarms aren't going off and it doesn't seem to be raining lasers or missiles down on anyone, so hopefully it's the latter.
<Antioch|GM> She's the eighth person in the briefing room when she gets up there. Valiant, Feral, and Sirocco are talking to four capes that she doesn't recognize -- the reinforcements mentioned on her phone, probably. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn walks up to the group and gives a small wave.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Morning." She says, though her voice isn't loud. She doesn't want to look at Sirocco, mostly because she still feels guilty about trying to kill him. Instead she keeps her focus on Valiant. "What's the deal with the... thing outside?" ||
<-- Druza (uid209687@charlton.irccloud.com) has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
<Antioch|GM> A woman in a Tinkertech bodysuit waves her hand. "That's mine."
<Antioch|GM> She pauses, raising her hand to her mouth in mock concern. "I didn't leave the lights on, did I?"
<Antioch|GM> Nobody in the room laughs. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Tough crowd. In any other situation, it'd probably be funny.
<Saff|Gwyn> "I'm Cwn Annwn. I mean. You probably knew that. From... The smoke. I'm the only one who smokes. Not like, cigarettes. Just." Gwyn kind of gestures towards her skin. Again, it's not really funny. Her shadows coalesce onto her skin to hide her from the group, and she frowns. "I'm sorry. I'll just. Valiant, what's the news?" ||
<-- soulpelt|sleep (uid11759@brockwell.irccloud.com) has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
<Antioch|GM> "From what we can tell, an investigator in the HPIA unleashed a lot of blackmail and threats to maximum effect, though we're not certain what about the 'why' of it. The timing couldn't be worse, though, as it ties up our resources and means we're less equipped to deal with our primary focus, the Tinkers. To that end, Avalon, Hammerwatch, Crimson Hand, and
<Antioch|GM> Liar's Dice are here as temporary reinforcements to help us out."
<Antioch|GM> "Howdy," the cape in the massive suit of gunmetal-grey armor says, raising a hand.
<Antioch|GM> "Regardless, we're splitting up our forces into suppressing the in-city chaos while trying to either stymie the efforts of Tinkers that will be taking advantage of the chaos or just eliminating them." ||
<-- JustLurking (uid195947@hathersage.irccloud.com) has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn nods. "Right."
<Saff|Gwyn> Blackmail? Holy fuck. At least all of the dirt on her is already out in the open. Right?
<Saff|Gwyn> "So... I'm assuming this meeting will touch on all of that?" She's still not used to how the Protectorate works. In Blackjack, it was mostly just a matter of running around and doing shit until Wink told you to stop. ||
<-- Camtist (uid157531@brockwell.irccloud.com) has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
<Antioch|GM> "Not to any great length," Valiant replies, shaking his head. "This is more coordinating to deal with the fallout, giving various groups target objectives. The sooner we're actually out there putting a stop to things, the better."
<Antioch|GM> A few other capes come in. Undine, a cape in chain mail with a rapier at his side, some of the Wards, a woman in crystalline armor. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn quickly looks away from Undine and looks down at the floor. "Do you know what my assignment is? Or am I just stuck here again?" ||
<Antioch|GM> "Yeah," Valiant replies. "You're with me, Hammerwatch, and Topaz." He gestures to the cape in the massive armor and the crystal woman in turn.
<Antioch|GM> "We're securing the perimeter of the Tinker zone and tightening the net." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Holy shit with /Valiant?/
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn feels her shadow armor coalesce on her skin once again. She doesn't need these people to know what she's thinking. It dissipates a few seconds later, and she blinks as if nothing happened.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Topaz and Hammerwatch?" She asks, trying to ignore the part where they're deploying her into Tinker goddamn Hell. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Protectorate Critical," Topaz says, forming a spike of crystal in her hand. "Flight, containment crystals."
<Antioch|GM> "Oh, uh," Hammerwatch says, taking her cue. "Department 31. Antigravity blasts and telekinesis." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Protectorate Critical? Shit. They've really brought in the big guns.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Cwn Annwn. Um. Claws?" Gwyn says. ||
<Antioch|GM> "We've discussed your file," Topaz replies. "We'll be relying on your spatial distortions and Hammerwatch's terrain displacement to form a barrier outside the facility we believe to be Longinus's base." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Right." Gwyn nods. They're relying on her? Oh god. That's...
<Saff|Gwyn> /Stop. Breathe. In. Out. Look at Valiant. You can't crumple in front of him./
<Saff|Gwyn> "Keep the Tinkers out. Right. What's even supposed to be in there? Why is everyone going shit crazy bananas over it?" Gwyn asks. She only knows of Longinus because he put Wink out of commission, which led to Mortal Lock taking over and kicking her ass. And if he's not dead... is he after what's in there too?
<Saff|Gwyn> "Do we have a comprehensive list of... um... The tinkers that'll be in there?" Gwyn asks. ||
<-> Turncoat is now known as Turn|Heartless
<Antioch|GM> "From what I'm able to gather, some form of device that's supposed to improve or amplify Tinkertech," Topaz says. "Only Tinkers are after it, and the ones I've been speaking to have been cagey on the details."
<Antioch|GM> "High-Spec, Greaser, G.G., Caitiff, Russian Roulette, Greasemonkey, and some others in addition to that. Mortal Lock may be one of them. I can fill you in on them later, after the meeting." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn sucks in a breath. "That's what I was afraid of."
<Saff|Gwyn> She thinks about that fucking taser thing that he zapped her with, and the idea of being hit with it at full force makes her want to puke. "Are you sure I'm the best person to send in there? If he's there, I mean?" ||
<Antioch|GM> "We'll have your back," she replies, giving a reassuring smile. "I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say you'll have the support of three of the Protectorate's best." ||
--> FossilLord (uid191092@charlton.irccloud.com) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Saff|Gwyn> It's a small reassurance, but she's still quite nervous.
<Saff|Gwyn> "All right. Thank you." Gwyn wonders if she should have grabbed something to eat before coming here, as her stomach is doing flips. So much can happen at the literal epicenter of Hell. "I can do this." ||
<Antioch|GM> One by one, the rest of the capes arrive. Fleetfoot arrives with Ripcord in tow, Lumina comes in looking disheveled and preoccupied...
<Antioch|GM> Valiant stands at the center of the room, the window looking over the city his backdrop. There are multiple plumes of smoke dotting the horizon.
<Antioch|GM> "The city is in crisis, so I'll keep this fast. All of the squads save for Squad 3 have been deployed to assist the police in peacekeeping efforts. Liar's Dice, Undine, Knuckleball, Switchblade, Embody, and Ripcord, you're our primary strike force. Isolating and capturing priority targets. Avalon will handle your deployment, but your targets will be informed
<Antioch|GM> by Liar's Dice and his ability."
<Antioch|GM> "Sirocco, Crimson Hand, the two of you will lead individual teams for nonlethal riot suppression and crowd control. Crimson Hand, you'll be with Feral and Joyeuse."
<Antioch|GM> "Fleetfoot, you'll be with Sirocco. Topaz, Hammerwatch, Cwn Annwn and I will create a perimeter about the Tinker zone and tighten the net."
<Antioch|GM> "Gigawatt, Vorpal, Indomitable, and Lumina, the four of you will be flexible response, though we're expecting you to be deployed to the Tinker zone as stragglers slip through or attempt to bolt."
<Antioch|GM> "Understood?"
<Antioch|GM> ||
--> soulpelt|sleep (uid11759@brockwell.irccloud.com) has joined #WDCleveland2
--> VereorNox_ (ShinyAndChr@net-msh9pk.pools.vodafone-ip.de) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn nods along. It's all information she already heard from Valiant. Still, she can't help but watch him. He's so strong, and confident, and everything that she's not. Her armor starts to try to solidify, but she catches it and makes it rescind. It's an annoying quirk of hers. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Lumina?" Valiant asks, turning to look at the Ward, whose hand is upraised. "You had something to say?"
<Antioch|GM> "Just in case Avalon didn't catch it... I intercepted a broadcast from whoever owns or... based on his condition owned the large tinker base. He was complaining that his first group didn't finish the job as quick as he wanted. He was talking about his prizes in the base and basically saying come get it before broadcasting the location."
<Antioch|GM> Lumina looks a little worried as she says this. "I just thought it should be known."
<Antioch|GM> "So we can expect a second wave of vultures," Hammerwatch replies. "Lovely."
<Antioch|GM> "I got it from Sentinel's old equipment," she says. "It was supposed to hit any tinker-based radio equipment, so any other tinker in town might know now too. And with the rest of the chaos going on... I kind of expect a rush to claim the prize."
<Antioch|GM> "We'll bear that in mind. The current plan is to keep Longinus's base on complete lockdown from the exterior, but it means we may be dealing with foes inside and out. I'll trust Liar's Dice and his group to intercept the outsiders as they come," Valiant replies.
<Antioch|GM> "The nature of the prize was discussed in vague terms," he continues, "under the circumstances of Forgemaster's defection. Any new information along those lines?"
<Antioch|GM> "He mentioned it was some big project dealing with his dimensional stuff," Lumina replies, shaking her head.
<Antioch|GM> "Understood," Valiant says. "We can't discount the possibility that the Tinkers invading his base will co-opt his technology and teleport elsewhere, ignoring the cordons and perimeters. Stay alert, keep your notifications in mind. We're coordinating with Primus and the People, and it's likely that we'll need a strike force targeting the interior of the base
<Antioch|GM> itself."
<Antioch|GM> "My team will be laying the groundwork towards making that strike a possibility." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> That's... That's her team too. Holy shit.
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn takes a moment to put her head in her hands. Fucking tinkers causing all this shit. However, she has to be ready.
<Saff|Gwyn> She doesn't say anything. Instead, she waits for the groups to form. Maybe then she can ask Valiant about breakfast... ||
<Antioch|GM> Everyone splits off into their respective groups, which is her cue to head to the front of the room with Valiant and the other two heavy hitters.
<Antioch|GM> "Need anything before we leave?" Valiant asks. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Glad you asked. I overslept and skipped breakfast," Gwyn says, "even a bagel would be awesome right now."
<Saff|Gwyn> That, and maybe a fucking Xanax. The idea of facing Mortal Lock makes her want to claw her own face off. ||
<Antioch|GM> "We're slated to be out there for the better part of today, so there's some portable stuff packed for us, energy bars and the like. That said, you should probably get some real food in you before we leave. I'll have someone send it up, any preferences?" ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn shakes her head. "I'm not very picky. To be honest I'm so nervous that I'm not even sure I can stomach anything, but I should probably try."
<Saff|Gwyn> Her stomach growls, and she frowns. "I don't need everyone picking me up after I pass out from hunger." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Little bit of everything," he replies, "got it."
<Antioch|GM> "Don't worry," he adds, catching the look on her face. "Seriously, things'll be fine. You're in good hands." ||
<-> soulpelt|sleep is now known as soulpelt|
<Saff|Gwyn> "I know." She says, giving Valiant a small smile. "There's a reason you're our leader."
<Saff|Gwyn> Oh god, she thinks, did that sound too forward? Oh god he probably thinks she's a stalker with a crush on him and....
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn catches herself. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. She then turns to Topaz and and Hammerwatch. "I hope I can be useful to you." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Just leave it to us," Hammerwatch says, thumping his chestplate with a metallic clang. "In exchange, I wouldn't mind whatever's left of your breakfast."
<Antioch|GM> "Actually, Topaz is taking point on this one," Valiant says. "She's got more field experience than me. Spent two years directly under Alexandria." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Holy shit." Gwyn says. "No fuckin way." She turns to Valiant and tries to give him a small smile. She feels like she's super out of her league here.
<Saff|Gwyn> "But yeah. Take some of my breakfast. Really. I haven't been able to stomach much since I got here. Not that the food is bad. I'm just..." A wreck? Falling apart? Instead she just shrugs.
<Saff|Gwyn> "My main concerns are Caitiff and Mortal Lock. They're both bastards that I'd like to see locked away." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Ditto," Hammerwatch says. "High-Spec and G.G. are also up there on my worry list."
<Antioch|GM> "Both Valiant and I have field authority to order escalation in response to lethal force," Topaz says. "It's not the norm for how I operate, but I understand the three of you have to hold back a considerable extent to avoid fatal injuries." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn looks between the others, then nods. "Yeah. I've seen what happens when people go through them. It's not pretty." She swallows, then looks down at her feet.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Are we working with comms units?" Gwyn asks. ||
--> iridium248 (iridium248@net-3mc.sf4.156.175.IP) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Antioch|GM> "Yes," Valiant says. "We can't rely on them overmuch, as the Synod has been recorded to have communications-scramblers, and Longinus has proven able to hijack comms in the past, but we'll have earpieces, and we'll work in groups of two at a minimum." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn looks over at the group. She hopes that she gets paired with Valiant.
<Saff|Gwyn> "All right. Okay. I'll get a few bites of food in, and then I'll be ready." That's a lie. A big one. She's so nervous that she's not sure how to even describe what she's feeling. But they're trusting her with this. And she could (Maybe) even use lethal force.
<Saff|Gwyn> Maybe that'll shut up that animal part of her brain. ||
<-> FossilLord is now known as FL|GM
<Antioch|GM> One of the PRT staff comes into the room, handing her a covered plastic tray of various breakfast foods. Summer sausage links, scrambled eggs, miniature waffles -- one with blueberries, one with chocolate chips -- and a plastic cup of warm syrup, a milk carton, hash browns, two strips of bacon.
<Antioch|GM> "Man," Hammerwatch complains. "You should send your mess hall budget over to my director. I always say that upping food quality is one of the cheaper options for keeping morale up." ||
--> iridium2481 (iridium248@net-3mc.sf4.156.175.IP) has joined #WDCleveland2
<-- iridium248 (iridium248@net-3mc.sf4.156.175.IP) has quit (Ping timeout: 181 seconds)
<Saff|Gwyn> "Really," Gwyn says, "you can have some. I can't eat all of this." Though, she is eyeing those hash browns and the chocolate chip waffle. She starts taking small bites of a few things. Eggs, potato, bacon.... She's trying to pace herself so that she doesn't feel sick, but also eat quick enough that they can go. It's a delicate balance.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Hey, question Val." She says in between bites of scrambled egg. "If Lock is out there.... Does that mean...?" ||
--> Camtist (uid157531@brockwell.irccloud.com) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Antioch|GM> "Mean what?" Valiant asks, tilting his head. "That Wink is with him? I don't think so, given the shape of his territory right now. Besides, he's not a Tinker."
<Antioch|GM> "We haven't seen him in action as of late," Topaz says. "Indomitable spoke with him not long ago, via phone. He'd been considering the out-of-town Tinkers his enemies, but at this stage it seems unlikely that he'd mobilize to fight them." ||
<-> Faustus is now known as Feastus
<Saff|Gwyn> "Okay. Okay, good." Gwyn says, taking a deep breath. "Lock is already bad enough. Seeing Wink, though?"
<Saff|Gwyn> She brushes some hair off of her face, tucking it under her hood so that it doesn't fall into the syrup, then puts her fork down. "Hammerwatch. You can finish the rest." While she's taken bites of various things, it still doesn't look like she's eaten too much.
<Saff|Gwyn> "I'm ready to go when everyone else is. Now or never, right?" Her gaze stays on Valiant. He'll be her rock through this. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Oh, wow, thanks," Hammerwatch replies, dicing the sausage and bacon into irregular chunks and mixing them into the eggs, scarfing it down impatiently.
<Antioch|GM> "Yeah," Valiant replies. "Avalon? We're set. Could you send us off?"
<Antioch|GM> The Tinker walks over, gesturing at everyone to follow.
<Antioch|GM> "Can do," she replies. "Meet you on the roof." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn tries to catch up to Avalon. Maybe getting in her good book is a good idea.
<Saff|Gwyn> "For the record," Gwyn says, "I thought the joke about the lights was funny."
<Saff|Gwyn> Oh god she sounds so /stupid./  "It's just. Really cool. That you're here. Helping us. Everyone, I mean."
<Saff|Gwyn> Fuck. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Thank you," she says, sounding gratified. She turns her nose up at Valiant. "At least /someone/ liked it."
<Antioch|GM> "Happy to help," she adds. "It's nice to have some crisis deployment to spice up the day-to-day that isn't as stressful as worrying about Behemoth thunderbolting my Citadel out of the sky." ||
--> JustLurking (uid195947@hathersage.irccloud.com) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn's jaw drops. Behemoth. Jesus fucking christ. Wait. Fuck. Now that she's Protectorate... she'll have to fight Endbringers.
<Saff|Gwyn> Holy fuck.
<Saff|Gwyn> It feels like her heart is going to stop for a moment, but then she steadies herself. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.
<Saff|Gwyn> "I'm gonna... Go. Valiant. Or... Something." Gwyn says before walking over to the other hero. She doesn't say anything. She's not sure what she should say. This whole thing is insane. Fuck tinkers. Fuck Behemoth. Fuck it all, really. ||
<Antioch|GM> She nods, turning to chat briefly with Hammerwatch on the nuances of antigravity propulsion. He looks around, clearly out of his depth.
<Antioch|GM> The massive Tinkertech fortress has sort of docked to the building -- hovering just high enough that the ramp rests comfortably on the roof. Everyone steps onto it, heading deeper into the construct.
<Antioch|GM> "Alright," Avalon says, gesturing to a room that looks like a circular elevator. "Hop in, and I'll send you where you need to go."
<Antioch|GM> The interior of the room has seating along the walls, much like a round, grey couch. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn looks around, waiting for someone to step in first. She trusts Avalon, but it's still kind of freaky. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Everything is going to be okay. Valiant won't let anything bad happen.
<Saff|Gwyn> Right? ||
<Antioch|GM> Valiant steps in first, and Hammerwatch and Topaz are soon to follow.
<Antioch|GM> "Buckle up," Avalon's voice says cheerfully from the ceiling speakers, despite the fact that there aren't any seatbelts. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn follows the others in, taking a seat next to Valiant. She hopes she's not being creepy, or stalkerish. Still, she looks around the group. She has to trust these people. They have to trust her. Holy hell is that a scary thought.
<Saff|Gwyn> "To tinker hell?" Gwyn says, her voice cracking as she talks. ||
<Antioch|GM> "To Tinker hell!" Hammerwatch replies, and it almost sounds like a cheer. The door swivels closed as she takes her seat.
<Antioch|GM> "Hang onto your breakfast, lunch and dinner, kids," Avalon says, still sounding entertained, "deployment pod launching in ten, nine, eight..." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Wait holy shit she's launching this thing? What the fuck on a /stick?/
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn grips at the seat, her costume, anything or anyone that's near enough so that she doesn't lose her lunch. Breakfast. Whatever.
<Saff|Gwyn> This'll be... Crazy. Actually. Knowing her past few missions, she'll get there and all the tinkers will be sitting around giving it the ol' kumbaya. God damn she wants to /fight./ ||
<Antioch|GM> "... seven, six, five..."
<Antioch|GM> The doors slide open. They're on the ground, and she can see Lake Erie, a forest, a bunch of ruined commercial buildings and houses, both stripped bare, and off in the distance, what she thinks is the old NITRO facility. Longinus's base.
<Antioch|GM> "Just kidding! All acceleration-force for any sub-tropospheric launch is completely nullified with the control gyros I implemented! Have fun!" ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "I didn't understand a goddamn word of that." Gwyn says. Still, she adjusts parts of her costume and pulls her shadow armor up. Better to have it than to not. "What's the plan?" ||
<Antioch|GM> Hammerwatch steps out of the launch tube, fists glowing with dark purple energy. He puts them together, hurling a large bolt of his power into the ground a good few tens of yards in front of them.
<Antioch|GM> The glow suffuses the ground, and she can feel a tremor shifting under her feet. With a gesture, a house-sized clod of earth, stone, and -- is that a sewer pipe? -- asphalt rises into the air.
<Antioch|GM> "Ahh, it feels good to not have to worry about stuff like collateral damage."
<Antioch|GM> There's a massive crater in the ground now.
<Antioch|GM> "Hop on," he says, "and we'll get a bird's-eye view." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Onto that?" She asks, her eyes going wide behind her mask. Still, Gwyn obeys. This is a pretty powerful squad. She almost feels like she doesn't belong... then she remembers what her rends did to Terry. Yeah. No, she does belong here. Still, she wishes that she were being paired with Valiant... ||
<Antioch|GM> She and Hammerwatch ascend on the giant chunk of dirt, but Valiant and Topaz follow close behind, hovering in ghostly and crystalline armor respectively.
<Antioch|GM> For all the chaos going on in town, this side of things is quieter. Creepily so.
<Antioch|GM> "We informed the city that we were ready to act and shut down the substation," Valiant says, gesturing to a set of transformers off in the distance. The woods and road next to it have been overrun by a sprawl of Tinkertech devices. Turrets, workstations, a ramshackle mish-mash of twenty different techs and aesthetics, it seems. "With that, their main power
<Antioch|GM> source here is gone, and we should be able to mop up there relatively quickly, but be on your guard for auxiliary power sources." ||
<-- ThalAI (uid132942@hathersage.irccloud.com) has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
<Saff|Gwyn> "Got it, boss." Gwyn says. Still, it feels... eerie being out here. Even more so considering the aesthetics of their powers. So many people have died for.... this? Whatever it is? She sucks in a breath and looks over at the city in front of her. She remembers when the worst problem was Auswahlen. This...
<Saff|Gwyn> This truly is hell.
<Saff|Gwyn> "So Hammerwatch and I are going to secure the perimeter, yeah?" She asks. "What's protocol if someone tries to stop us?" ||
<-- iridium2481 (iridium248@net-3mc.sf4.156.175.IP) has quit (Quit: http://www.kiwiirc.com/ - A hand crafted IRC client)
--> iridium248 (iridium248@net-3mc.sf4.156.175.IP) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Antioch|GM> "The four of us will strike here, taking out centralized operations for the majority of the independent Tinkers in a quick attack," Topaz says, "and then we'll break into mobile groups of two to secure the perimeter."
<Antioch|GM> "I'll work with Hammerwatch, taking the more urban areas, while you'll work with Valiant to secure the wooded areas -- your power will work better overall with forest cover. Both of us are capable of granting flight, to an extent, though my methods are more cumbersome, and this should maximize the mobility of both our groups."
<Antioch|GM> "If an enemy force engages, call for backup and skirmish. We'll coordinate our positioning such that our maximum backup response time is five minutes." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn's heart skips a beat. Good. She gets to be with Valiant.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Got it. Ready, boss." She says. ||
<-> Feastus is now known as Faustus
<Antioch|GM> "So we take out that mess first, then?" Hammerwatch says, piloting the massive chunk of dirt they're both standing on towards the transformer substation.
<Antioch|GM> "Go ahead and get Cwn flight-ready," he adds, stomping on the floating clod, "I'm gonna be using this in a second."
<Antioch|GM> Valiant nods, conjuring a suit of ghostly armor, floating into place over her body. She can feel it solidify, offering support. It's a far cry from their first meeting, when one of his spectral knights stabbed her in the calf. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Wait. Flying?
<Saff|Gwyn> Gwyn looks a little startled in her new armor, but she trusts that the others will keep her safe.
<Saff|Gwyn> "Let's go, then. I can do this." The last statement is more for her reassurance than theirs. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Alright," Hammerwatch says, and the aura surrounding the chunk of dirt they're standing on darkens -- and it plummets far faster than it has a right to under the forces of normal gravity, crashing into the entire Tinker camp with a thunderous kaboom, Hammerwatch crouched and riding atop it still.
<Antioch|GM> Gwyn hovers in the air, held upright by Valiant's armor, watching the dust settle.
<Antioch|GM> "Well," Topaz says flatly. "I didn't give dispensation to use lethal force. But that was a job done fast."
<Antioch|GM> ||
<Saff|Gwyn> Man. Gwyn's a little annoyed that she didn't get to do it. Fucking Hammerwatch stealing her thunder.
<Saff|Gwyn> "So. Perimeter, then?" She turns to Valiant, her heart racing in the armor. She never thought about... flying before. It's a little unsettling, especially since she's seen Feral skydive out of one of these things. ||
<Antioch|GM> "Right," Valiant says. He points over to the wooded area near the NITRO base. "We'll secure and trap that area, while Hammerwatch and Topaz handle the exterior. When they're done, Hammerwatch will maintain an aerial blockade as well."
<Antioch|GM> After a while, Hammerwatch hovers back up to rejoin them, on a substantially smaller chunk of debris.
<Antioch|GM> "Shall we?" he asks. ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Yeah. Yeah." Gwyn says, nodding. "I'm ready. I'm going to make you proud, Val!"
<Saff|Gwyn> He's the reason she's here. The reason that Mortal Lock and Wink didn't kill her. He's shown her mercy, and kept her safe....
<Saff|Gwyn> Still, she can't help but be nervous. What if Lock /was/ in there? ||
<-> Faustus is now known as Faustus|Rip
<-> ColdGold is now known as ColdGold|GM
<Antioch|GM> Together, they fly over towards the old NITRO base, and the woods surrounding it, touching down where the branches are thinner.
<Antioch|GM> Valiant creates two more ghost knights. "I'll cut down some of these trees and make chokepoints, while you fill in the gaps with your power, alright?"
<Antioch|GM> It's silent. Cold, though the fur of her costume keeps it from being too unbearable. ||
--> Druza (uid209687@charlton.irccloud.com) has joined #WDCleveland2
<Saff|Gwyn> "Got it." Gwyn says. She can't help but look at him, even while she fills in the spaces. It's nice, using her power... still, it'd be nicer sinking her claws into someone... Shit. She did that to Valiant when they first met. That's...
<Saff|Gwyn> "Just. I'm sorry, by the way," Gwyn says, "about your leg. When we fought that time. Really." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Don't worry about it," he says, reassuringly. "TGK healed it completely. Water under the bridge." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "I feel bad, though." She says. Her claws swipe through the air, and it feels... nice. "I like you. I mean... Like. In a colleague. Boss way." ||
<-- Camtist (uid157531@brockwell.irccloud.com) has quit (Quit: Connection closed for inactivity)
<Antioch|GM> "Seriously, don't let it weigh on you. No hard feelings. I don't want it to be a thing you have to worry about, that stresses you out."
<Antioch|GM> His ghosts spread out, cutting trees down and making them fall down in a specific direction, clearing paths here and there, blocking others. ||
<-> soulpelt| is now known as soulpelt|sleep
<Saff|Gwyn> "I am worried, though." Gwyn says, stopping her slashing to look over at him. "I don't think a run in with Mortal Lock will be a friendly one. ||
<Antioch|GM> "I mean," he says, shrugging, "it won't be. He's a villain. There's bad blood. We'll deal with him. All of us will." ||
<-> You are now known as Nick
<Saff|Gwyn> "I don't want any of us getting hurt, I guess." Gwyn kicks at the dirt and starts clawing at the air again. "I don't know what I'm trying to say. I still... I'm still having a bit of  a hard time I think. In the Protectorate." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Give it time, it's a rocky transition. It took a lot of getting used to for me as well," he admits. ||
<Antioch|GM> ((Will be slow. Getting a late dinner.))
<Saff|Gwyn> "But you're like..." Gwyn sighs, "You're not like me. You're confident... And cool, And you didn't... Do the things I did. Or look the way I do."
<Saff|Gwyn> She stops swiping for a moment to turn to him, taking her mask off for the briefest moment to wipe the sweat that's starting to bead under it. "I feel like everyone here has this... untouchable aura to them. And I'm just... me." ||
<Antioch|GM> "Trust me, I know where you're coming from." He sighs.
<Antioch|GM> "Look, when I joined the Protectorate, people stared. Kept me at arm's length, or maybe I did them. Couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't staring at me, they were staring at the kid with the triple-digit kill count."
<Antioch|GM> He shakes his head. "Took a long time to shake that feeling."
<Antioch|GM> "I'll tell you more, later." He fells another tree. "After we finish the job." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Wait, you?" Gwyn's jaw drops, and she puts her mask back on. She hates wearing the thing. Everyone already knows what she looks like anyway. "Right. Back to business."
<Saff|Gwyn> She continues going after the trees, but she can feel her heart flutter in her chest. /God damnit, Gwyn. Not now. Don't do this./ ||
<Antioch|GM> Her comms crackle to life. "Topaz and Hammerwatch, engaging three unknown Tinkers. Flight and high-yield munitions in heavy armor, modular plant-based minions with ranged capabilities, and cryogenics-focused Shaker devices." ||
<Saff|Gwyn> "Shit." Gwyn mumbles. "Guess we're going in for backup?"
<Saff|Gwyn> She turns to Valiant, hoping for some sort of response. She wants to fight. She wants to kick /ass./ ||
<Antioch|GM> "Yeah," Valiant replies, echoing her thoughts. "Let's go kick some Tinker ass."
<Antioch|GM> |||
<Antioch|GM> ((Pause for now, resume this weekend or next week?))
<Saff|Gwyn> ((aye aye))