[Massive Infiltration Plot] || [Semi-Open]

[great_king_of_evil]

Characters: All the characters who signed up for this infiltration, too many to write them all here. Characters who stay behind and do not infiltrate can tag into the mingle thread.
Setting: The Cafeteria, then the Elevator's Shaft and finally the Administrative Floors. The 29th of July, in the morning.
Format: Action most likely.

Summary: A month ago Ganondorf planned an infiltration to go and pay a visit to Riki's floor-- Given what has happened these last weeks, the 'Evil Alliance' has accepted to allow Enoch and the people he gathered to use the infiltration in order to do their own thing. Namely, retrieve scientific instruments from Jason's laboratory, so as to study the Collar Fluid. The infiltration will begin on the 1st floor, the Cafeteria.

The first thread is a traditional mingle thread, happening before the infiltration and briefing begin; anyone can tag into it. The second thread is a quick briefing before the infiltration starts, where Enoch and Ganondorf will explain to everyone what to do and what to expect in case they don't already know. Then there are the seven group threads, one for each individual team infiltrating.

The OOC post is here for more information. If you have signed-up but didn't pick a group yet, please do so here. While the infiltration takes place, the villains who stayed behind are unleashing a distraction on the tower and those who don't go.

Warnings: Administrative floors, danger, death, horror. Anyone tagging here is probably going to die, or at the very least meet with a terrible fate.

Mingle || Briefing || Meanwhile, in the Cafeteria...

Group 00 (Ganondorf, Sephiroth [OU], Veigar, Ocelot and Jin)
Group 01 (Enoch, Lancer [AU3], Patrick Dawn, Tohko, Raven and Ryoji)
Group 02 (Xion, Fon Master Ion, Yu Narukami, Asch, Luke, Jonouchi Katsuya, Dark Pit and Sheba)
Group 03 (Nesir Aeser, Zett Takajo, Kain Highwind, Solas and Minato Arisato)
Group 04 (Kyoko Sakura, Amelia, Shepard, Homura Akemi, Terra, Sephiroth [AU2] and Labrys)
Group 05 (John Egbert, Rose Lalonde, Naoya Toudou, Dave Strider, Riki [AU3], Sora and Riku [OU])
Group 06 (Zelda, Ruler [AU1] and Saber [AU5])

Comments

[fragileprophet]

[Ion follows behind Asch like a good Fon Master. It's kind of nostalgic, following his orders. Half the time he was listening to Asch's commands he was in the middle of being kidnapped, mind you, but it was a strangely pleasant familiarity, regardless.

Only someone like Ion would actually enjoy the sharply spoken words of the former God General.

At the moment, he didn't really have anything to say. Instead, he simply waits at attention, ready to do what he's told to do next. Of course, Ion can't help his eyes from wandering toward the elevator.]

[invisible_friendship]

[Like a loyal dog Jonouchi actually wasn't too far behind Ion when they arrived. His casual mood was relinquished for the purpose that they go into this infiltration and succeed.

He was ready, but didn't say much.]

[attheclocktower]

[Unlike many of the others, Xion isn't quite nearly as used to seeing this side of Asch. Regardless, she follows him over and slightly past, towards the elevator. One hand firmly on the doorframe, she peers down into the shaft itself for a few seconds before letting go and taking a few steps back.]

We should be careful of anything in the shaft itself.

[She winces a little a little, remembering the horrible tearing, screeching sound of whatever it was having been crushed by the elevator a couple of long weeks ago.]

Um... I have an ability, it's called Float. I should be able to fall safely if I use it. I could probably carry somebody else too.

[Nobody too big and probably not more than one, but it's something]

[ambassadorasshat]

[Luke is also tagging along with Ion, looking slightly surly at being ordered around, but at least he keeps his mouth shut.

Like Xion, he also moves to check out the elevator shaft, looking for anything that might be obviously dangerous and avoided. He's never been in the lower levels before and has no idea what exactly it looks like down there.]

[animusnpcs]

[The cables go down some ways--but somewhere below the cafeteria level they hook into the wall and stop. There are strange devices that seem built to decouple an elevator from its cables--this is where the switchover from residential functions to administrative functions occurs for this elevator shaft, and it will require crossing this cable-less gap.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Ordinarily, Yu wasn't the one used to taking orders - rather give them and make suggestions to others - but this time he makes an exception and falls in line as well. After all, he had a promise to keep; that was what he intended to do.]

Right. [Because who knows what could be in there? ...He peeks as well, before adding:] If anyone needs help down there, I'm pretty sure one of my Personas can carry you as well.

[Piggyback style or otherwise.]

[seekinganswers]

[Sheba peeks down into the elevator shaft - and she frowns when she sees how the cables seem to hook into the wall. That changed things...]

I'm pretty sure all of you weigh less than a ship. [No, she's not explaining that.] I can pick up anyone else who needs it with Psynergy.

[They weren't going to get anywhere if they just stood here staring at it, though...]

Who should go first? Maybe someone who's able to move around on their own, so we can see past where those cables stop? I don't like not being to see further down... [Part of her wants to cast a bolt of lightning down there to light the place up, see if there was anything else they could catch sight of... but another part of her thinks maybe that's a bad idea.]

[bloodyashes]

[His turn to look down into the abyss.]

Anyone got a light?

[There's not much to see in the darkness, and he'd rather that none of them go down without some idea of what's down idea.]

Failing that, anyone who goes down should make sure there's a way for them to get back up.

[pitiedthefool]

...I do.

[A mobile one, in a way. There's a mental switch to the Magician Arcana as he summons Mada, the god of dru- wait is that thing on fire?]

Mada, go.

[The Persona drunkenly wobbles inside the doors, heading down the shaft as its summoner glances down after it.]

[animusnpcs]

[The Persona travels down into the elevator shaft without incident past the point where it can be seen at all by Yu. It illuminates the point where the cables come to an end, hooking into the walls. There's a significant gap there--there's no sign of where the cables will continue or indeed if they continue at all. They'll have to manage that gap somehow, though.]

[alae]

[Dark Pit peers down the gap, before pulling out a large black staff and shooting a ball of energy down. Let's see if there's a bottom.]

[animusnpcs]

[The energy vanishes into the darkness.]

[seekinganswers]

...so, further down than we're going to be able to see from up here.

[The words come after the flickering flames of the Persona and the ball of energy vanish, gone too far down for even their light to carry back up. Sheba studies the darkness for a moment or two before sighing.]

Which means the only way to know what's down there is going to be to go in and look. So which of us is it going to be? [She'll volunteer herself - if no one else volunteers themselves first.] Unless we all want to go together? [...which, if she's being honest, is a bad idea; but even though she's willing to, she doesn't particularly want to go into the darkness alone.]

[ambassadorasshat]

[Well the Mada-thing is kinda cool, at least until it stops being visible. Dark Pit's show is somewhat less cool.]

How far is that? I'm not going down there by myself...

[Unless someone pushes him into the elevator shaft.]

[alae]

[Dark Pit looks suddenly awkward.]

I... can't fly.

[His wings flatten against his back.]

[bloodyashes]

Neither can the rest of us.

[That's about all the feel goods he's going to get out of Asch, though. The redhead is still scrutinizing the drop, specifically looking at the place where the cables connect.

How much do you want to break today, guys?]

...We'll take it slow. That way we can pull back if we have to.

[seekinganswers]

[Sheba turns so that her back is to the open elevator shaft. She takes a step back, then another - almost looking like she's just going to allow herself to fall backwards into it.

Her feet leave the ground, and she enters the shaft, but she doesn't fall. She's floating, and looking quite content, too.]

Speak for yourself, Asch. So, how are we going to do this? Who's going to take who?

[ambassadorasshat]

Can't we can take the elevator down? It'll crush all of us if it descends while we're below it.

[Side-eying your hovering abilities, sorry Sheba.]

[attheclocktower]

[While Xion had been staring horrified as Sheba walked out onto thin air, Luke's question makes her face fall into something a lot colder. Almost detached.]

We can't.

[Her voice is flat.]

The last time we tried we got trapped in there. It didn't go well and we didn't get anywhere.

[And that was only two weeks ago. Suffice to say she doubts that two weeks have changed that. Softening a little, she looks at Luke. He's not the same one she met before, but she still remembers that they'd gotten along okay, even if they rarely saw each other.]

Besides, this elevator mainly goes to the residential floors, right? It's the one we use. So once we get below this floor, it probably won't come down any further.

[pitiedthefool]

She's right.

[Even without experience, Yu knows that much. He looks up the shaft, not really that phased by Sheba's sudden floating in the air.]

Sheba-chan, can you levitate others with your magic? [educated guesses, gooo. though he's not opposed to cutting the cable for rope, either.]

Though I have to warn you all - when those of us who infiltrated last February came down, powers were suddenly nullified after a point in the elevator after we left the admin's rooms.

[Who knows if they'll have that problem again, but it's best to be ready for what likely will happen sooner or later.]

[fragileprophet]

[Ion listens in quiet consideration as the others discuss the possible methods of descending. The general consensus seems to be that they need someone to go down first to make sure it's safe to cross the gap between cables...and nobody seems terribly eager to go first.

He takes a step forward from where he had been stationed so passively.]

Um...I don't mind going down first. That is, if we still haven't decided on an order.

[Better the weakest link be sacrificed, right? He looks embarrassed.]

Although I'm not confident I'd be able to get very far alone.

[Even if he ended up being levitated instead of carried, Ion assumes the caster would still have to stay within range of him.]

[seekinganswers]

[Xion does a good enough job explaining to Luke why simply taking the elevator down isn't feasible - there's no reason for her to jump in there. When Yu addresses her, though, that is reason to speak up. She smiles a bit and nods in answer.]

I can. [The confirmation comes easily.] Lifting people is no problem. I've lifted bigger.

[She looks puzzled at his warning, though, and her brows furrowed.]

They were? I don't remember-- Oh... that must have been after I-- [Died. She fidgets a little in midair and tries to decide on a more euphemistic way of saying it.] ...um, got knocked out. But I got knocked out in Jason's laboratory and that's where we're going, right? So... it should be okay...

[She's lost in her thoughts, trying to think of what it might mean - Jason's security had been pretty tough as it was, and getting past the retrieval units and the monsters had been hard for the survivors even with powers. She hopes their powers will at least be intact when they get there.

Ion speaks up and it draws her out of her thoughts. She looks at the Fon Master curiously - but, who is she to say yes or no? He's taller than she is, and if she's just levitating him, his frailty can't be too much of a liability. They'd just be scouting, after all.] If you can't get down on your own, I can take you, easily. But what about the rest of you?

[invisible_friendship]

It's problematic when the elevator cables end.

[That was his only problem. Climbing wasn't that difficult.]

[ambassadorasshat]

Oh. That sucks.

[He would argue with Xion if Yu hadn't chimed in. People with experience, even he can't really argue with that. So he huffs instead, glancing at Sheba.]

So you can levitate all of us at once?

[He steps to the edge, right in front of where Sheba is hovering.]

How about you keep us from falling where there's nothing to hold onto, and we use the cables to climb down if we have to?

[seekinganswers]

[Sheba nods to Jonouchi - yes, it is, but that's what working out the levitation thing is for. Then her gaze settles on Luke and she shifts a little to roll over in midair before settling her chin on her hands.]

I just said that, yes. I can. But if you'd like a demonstration -

[She smiles pleasantly, and then there's a roar of wind right at Luke's back. If he manages to catch his balance or grab onto something, he should be alright; if he's caught by surprise, though, the wind will blow him right into the open shaft of the elevator.

He'll fall a few feet down before abruptly stopping, cradled by the wind.]

See? I'm holding you just fine.