Day 77 :: Event - Finding a Core

[bastionpc]

[Day 77 is the day for the 'fine Marie' mission, and at first that is what everyone was supposed to do. But once out on the Skyway, the familiar twinkle of a Core can be seen in the distance, off in a direction that's nearly the opposite of where the group needs to go.

So, everyone has a choice to make: do they go after the Core, or keep looking for Marie?]

Links:

Planning
Group A
Group B

((OOC: Everyone can participate in the planning thread, but your character ultimately must choose to go with Group A or Group B. For players with more than one character, we ask that they don't put all of their characters in one group.

And remember, the group going after the Core has until 11:59 PM est on Sunday, June 16th, to obtain the Core.))]

Comments

[hellpyre]

Wha-- Bon! Would you just--!

[Nope. Dragged. And she has no say in it, just a lot of sputtering.]

[notduchess]

.... I have a few area spells. What he doesn't shoot, I'll drop burning rain on.

[ And maybe meteors after. That tower... ]

If you want, I can be the fall back point.

[ Two people to draw monsters attention, and two people who can fight. Duke knows Kroenen is pretty good with those blade things, but two still sounds better. ]

[superdrowningskills]

[That nets them an internal sigh. No, of course they couldn't at least take the half-second it would take for them all to agree to the plan; clearly that would be too long for Bon.

...Regardless, he nods to the two adults before taking off to catch up with the kids. It wouldn't be good to let a couple of teenagers run off on their own in these conditions after all.]

[bastionpc]

[Yes, Duke, that is a good idea. Stay right there and help Kroenen, he will probably need help at some point.

The monsters don't immediately notice Kroenen, so he'll be able to take out a couple of them before they turn and attack him. Also they're not being polite and waiting, Kroenen will get swarmed by Squirts while the Gasfellas swing their hammers wildly.

As for the group approaching the tower, they'll soon find that there is a ladder that goes up the side of the tower and into an open area with a roof. However, the ladder looks like it's been rotting away, so they should be careful on it.]

[hellpyre]

[Of course he couldn't wait, and now they're staring at the rusted ladder, Rin scowling in irritation as she finally yanks her arm away from the other teenager.]

Brilliant plan, Bon. That ladder ain't gonna hold both of us!

[clockworknazi]

[ Kroenen only offers introductions to those worthy of his presence, and so he wastes no time or patience on the vile little things swarming below. He takes a bead on the bigger one's first - CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK - switch target - CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK - slide the spent magazine out, swap it with a fresh one, unload four rounds in one target, four rounds in another, rinse, repeat.
The semi-automatic was entirely spent in less than a minute, the empty magazines tucked in the coat along with the gun, the German switching to his tonfa and nodding to Duke. He left the area adn range fighting up to ladyface - he was going into the front lines.

Reaching into his coat where his breastplate was concealed beneath a leather vest, the officer turns his "key" three rotations, then charges forward at the nearest gasfella, rolling into a smooth dodge away from a hammer before spinning on one leg, centering his balance, rising fluidly and jamming his tonfa into the creature's back. ]

[superdrowningskills]

...I could retrieve the core.

[Look who caught up to you kids. No, but really, he does actually have a plan. He's just not going to say what it is if you don't ask.]

[notduchess]

[ And Duke waits until those guns vanish before starting to cast. ]

Light, stop with beams and start with spears! Holy Rain!

[ So maybe there's some fake cloud cover, and some odd rain starts falling. There's no puddles or anything but-

Well, that definitely was a big spear-like shape of light that came crashing down. It's unfortunately rather random, the falls of these bolts of light, but they're still rather thick through the air, with nice little shocks where they hit.

Duke isn't sure if Meteor Swarm would be a good next bet, or if maybe... Well, gathering some up couldn't hurt Kroenen yes? ]

[hellpyre]

[That was the sound of guns running out of ammo. She had heard it enough times from her sister to know, and to also know in a situation like this, it was bad

Rin looked at Alucard, then to the solider, then back to Alucard. They were already running out of time...]

Y... yes, go! Just grab it so we can go! Bon and I will cover you!

[Turning, she grabbed her secondary sword out, ready to attack anything that got away from Kroenen.]

[superdrowningskills]

[The words are barely out of Rin's mouth before Alucard completely gives the ladder amiss and opts instead to adopt his bat form and just fly up. It might require some explanation later, but they're a bit pressed for time and this is much faster.

He reverts to normal the moment he reaches the top, grabs the core, and takes the fastest route down he knows - the ladder would probably have given way anyhow, so might as well let gravity do all the work. Likely a bit alarming to have someone come tumbling out of the sky and practically onto your heads, but the swordsman seems no worse for the wear, standing there with their prize in hand.]

Shall we retrieve the others?

[kyotoprincess]

[Holy shit did that guy just turn into a bat?

After staring for a moment, Bon snaps out of it and gives Alucard a nod.]

You just keep moving towards the Bastion, we'll get the others.

[But as he say that, he realizes something: they're still up on a wall, and unless Alucard can jump down three stories without getting hurt, he's going to need help getting down.]

I don't think we have another ladder down to the ground inside the walls, can you climb down the rope Okumura made while still carrying the core?

[clockworknazi]

[ Kroenen rarely experiences fear. In fact, many emotions are numbed to him, so that "frustration" is merely explained as an answer to when he cannot control something, or "anger" is when people behave in a manner he deems foolish. He knows what he -should- feel, but rarely lets it take command of him, as he would have before he became the work of art he is today.

A swarm of Squirts and Gasfellas were hardly terrifying to him. Pain is merely a distant memory for him and every weak attack by the little inky-skinned creatures it largely ignored in favor of focusing his bloody whirling dervish of combat an those creatures that could genuinely damage him.

Not hurt, certainly, but there were some things one could not repair in the field. If one of them managed to crush his legs or tear off an arm, he would be a hindrance to the others. So he works quickly and never looks back. Part of working as a unit was trusting the rest of your team to play their parts. He fully expected Duke to handle his part, and so long as he himself was keeping the monsters from chasing down the tower team, Kroenen cared little for his own safety. ]

[hellpyre]

I don't think we got a choice! C'mon!

[Sword in one hand, cloth rope over her shoulder, Rin didn't think twice about grabbing Alucard by the arm and yanking him back over to the wall.

A few Squirts had escaped from Kroenen, charging after the two of them. Rin had no choice but to ignore them and keep running, knowing that the Core was more important than attempting to smack them away.]

[superdrowningskills]

[Alucard didn't have time to respond before he was suddenly being dragged along, and it's all he can do to match pace with Rin; too fast and they both might trip. Still, he does speak up after a moment of running.]

...You can let go here. The drop is not great enough to injure me. Focus on the others.

[bastionpc]

[A couple squirts notice the activity going on up top, and they get up there to see what's going on. That's when they see Alucard running off with the Core, and in response they let out this horrible screeching noise, unlike anything that has been heard from them before.

Suddenly all the monsters in the area (yes, including the scumbags, who had been hanging back from the fight) turn and start climbing up the wall and down the other side, heading towards the Core. They are going after Alucard specifically, and they will not engage anyone else unless attacked first.]

[hellpyre]

[Rin did let go, just in time for the Squirts to let out that terrible noise. It wasn't as bad as Crona's attacks, but it was still painful to her ears. She grimaced, putting hands over her ears until it was over, only to find that they were on the end of yet another ambush.]

Shit... go!

[The command was barked to Alucard as the half-demon put her secondary weapon away and went for the Kurikara, bringing with it her flames. She put herself between the oncoming swarm and Alucard, hopefully giving him enough time to flee.]

You're gonna have'ta go through me if you want that Core!

[While she didn't charge headfirst at them, she would start slashing the second one was close enough to hit.]

[clockworknazi]

Kroenen swiveled his head around at the screech as he crossed his blades and blocked the blow from a Gasfella's hammer. Dispatching the creature at last, the German turns and runs for the departing mass, dodging through the small mobs to tackle a Scumbag, tonfa piercing its sides. He didn't stay, however. Instead, he rolled, feinted to one side and rushed off after another one, tagging as many monster as he could in order to distract them from Alucard. Getting the core was paramount - even if he had to risk himself and rely on the skills of the others to assist in Alucard's escape. ]

[kyotoprincess]

[Yeah no, not going to happen.

Bon sees the monsters coming, and he'll pull out his gun and start picking them off as they get closer. He's mostly aiming for the ones that get past Rin and Kroenen, so those two can focus on the majority that are coming at them.]

[notduchess]

[ Well-

Duke turns and points at the thickest point of the mob- ]

Ring of light, ensnare! Angel Ring!

[ Its a delaying and disorienting spell, even if that band if light burns the creatures a bit. The spinning hoop contracts around a good number of the monsters, dragging them into the center and spinning them before it bursts.

The knight will draw and move to slash at the ambushers from behind, getting a better look at whether another of those would be needed. Or if Meteors would be a better option. ]

[superdrowningskills]

[Not needing to be told twice, Alucard books it the moment Rin releases his arm. True to his word, he barely pauses upon hitting the ground after he leaped off the wall, and is off like a shot the moment he gets to his feet again. At the speed he's going, it doesn't look like he'll have much trouble outrunning everything.]

[clockworknazi]

[ Snapping his head left and right, Kroenen struggles to see past the swarming creatures sizzling and spinning away due to Duke's spells, the hammers and the viscous vomit of the Scumbags.
Despite his absolute confidence in his own ability, oftentimes numbers outweigh skill.
Tonfa flashing rapidly, dispatching one foul creature after another, the German fails to watch his own back. A hammer blow sends him flying into the wall, crashing into it and crumpling in a heap. For a moment it looks dire, the man twitching involuntarily before falling still. The Gasfella that swatted him approaches, hammer raised...
Tonfa flash again, steel whistling through the air as the blades cross together over Kroenen's head. He snaps them together rapidly, scissoring the metal cruelly in the 'Fella and slowly raising his previously lowered head. The thing dies and Kroenen rises to his feet with obvious difficulty.
The man barely has time to asses the damage before a hammer clips him in the face, making him stumble sideways briefly. He recovers immediately and dispatches the second Gasfella with vicious prejudice. His mask is partially crushed, breath a clicking, wheezing whir. It doesn't stop the officer, determined to see everyone safely away before following them. ]

[hellpyre]

[It wasn't easy to keep an eye on the fight and keep an eye on Alucard at the same time, and more than once Rin got smacked by a Squirt zipping by, or narrowly missed getting a hammer coming down on her. Some of the disgusting spit from the Scumbags even hit her exposed forearm. It burned, and smelled something awful, but she shook it off and kept swinging, launching flames at anything that Kroenen, Duke or Bon didn't hit. She wasn't going to come out of this unscathed, but little injury was better than no Core, or worse.

As soon as she could see that Alucard had gotten past the swarm and was heading for the exit, she called out to the rest of her group.]

He's gonna make it! Let's get the hell outta here!

[kyotoprincess]

[Bon is ok with this running away idea, but he'll keep his high ground and make sure the others get going first. He's close to the exit anyway, and with a ranged weapon he can cover everyone else's retreat.]

Keep going! I got your backs!

[notduchess]

Blade Roll!

[ Once the spell is in motion, Duke is as well. The glowing spinning blade keeps with the knight, keeping the monsters back as Duke moves to make sure Kroenen is not in danger of being smashed again.

Sorry, but for this trip they're buddies. The knight sees some of that damage, and is going to stay close until they have a better time to down a tonic and use a healing spell. ]