Ex Machina; Infiltration

[animusmods]

Characters: Riki and the infiltration team
Setting: administrative levels
Format: any
Summary: Riki's efforts must be sabotaged. Stealth is the name of the game and time is of the essence.
Warnings: psychological horror

Though the chipped unit does not follow, he sees to it that the team advances the rest of the way. At the end of the lit corridor is a set of double doors, heavy-duty polished metal with small windows set into each one.

Through the windows, a massive machine is visible, connected to thousands of holographic screens that are hard to make out at the speed at which they're being manipulated. The machine sits in the center of the room and is networked to four elaborate terminals stationed along the walls via a complex tangle of panels, wires, and towers. Each of these terminals controls its own set of floating screens; the sheer amount of holographic monitors in the room is disorienting, and really, it's hard to tell what's connected to what.

In the chair in the middle of the enormous set-up is Riki, maneuvering all of the screens with the same ease with which most people breathe. His back is to the doors that lead into the room, and for the moment, he is utterly engrossed in his work.

Comments

[morphballin]

...well, that worked. And opened a door into something worse.

Samus sets her jaw, and aims for the various tentacles, and opens fire, repeatedly. Her base blaster doesn't hit very hard, but it hits fast.

"I'll keep them occupied while I can!"

[crouching_sin]

"Leave me!" He can feel it, something activating his spells, and he stares at the Megidolaon forming in his hand. "Get back!"

He shoots it off, doing his best to avoid hitting people. "Stay away from the gas!"

[warriorscribe]

Enoch turns as Lancer calls, stares out at the writhing tentacles beyond. What had happened to the retrieval unit that had led them down here?

No, wait. As much as he wanted to run...

"We can't all leave! Now there's no doubt he's against us we can't let him take this room back!"

[puppy_lancer]

Lancer's grip on Gae Bolg tightens.

"Then clear everyone out! I'll take care of the room!"

...By blowing it up.

[notachickenhawk]

Tobias yells in thought-speak, hoping to get the attention of some of the retrieval units. <Hey! We need some help down here!> He charges forward, trying to clear some of the tentacles.

[animusnpcs]

Naoya's spells become less random and more targeted--he's aiming at the others in the group now. The tentacles in the hallway are partially occupied with repairing themselves. A few are trying to bash at the elevator on the far end, but it's sealed for the moment.

[slightlyoblivious]

That settles one thing in Yukiko's mind, at least: catching the air on fire will mean also 'catching the machines on fire'. It's a risk she's willing to take at this point. Better to catch the machines so they can't repair themselves.

She whips her head around when Naoya calls out, then mutters another curse under her breath. She knows a Megidolaon when she sees it.

"If you're not getting out of here, take cover," she yells. "You don't want to be close when that spell goes off!"

With that said, Yukiko runs ahead a bit. She's worried about the unit that led them down, but she's more concerned with trying to clear out the hallway.

She doesn't stop to call out her Persona's name; she doesn't need to. Her focus is on clearing a path, and with that, she casts Maragidyne, doing her best to concentrate solely on the metal tendrils in front of them.

[animusnpcs]

The machines, it seems, are quite sensitive to heat; they recoil and melt when the fire strikes them, trying sluggishly to repair themselves but unable to reuse the melted, singed parts. The air looks cleaner as well.

[midgarhorizon]

Reno can see Naoya's struggle, and he pulls his EMR in front of him. "Yeah yeah! Just a sec, and hold still, man, if Cu's goin' to take everything out ya don't need to feel it."

He's got no idea what the thing that has Naoya can do, but he's not about to let the guy suffer either. He's seen too many monsters take out people with things like this...

With a sudden movement, he lashes out at Naoya trying to knock him out.

[warriorscribe]

Wait... "'If Cu's going to'... LANCER, DON'T! We can't damage the machine, either! It's the only link we have to our worlds!"

[no_longer_a_king]

Arturia dashes out after Yukiko when she sees the girl running out, trusting the others to take care of what's already in the room. Someone will need to get the girl out should those things come her way once the fire is through.

She pauses at the sight of the melted machines.

"Yukiko, how fast can you do that again?"

Yukiko has herself a body guard while she charges up again.

[crouching_sin]

"Idiots! Don't blow it up, we need that!" Naoya yells at the group, even as he feels another Megidolaon forming.

Still, Reno's idea isn't a bad one, though the first blow bounces off of his shield and back into Reno's face. Any subsequent blows should be enough to take him out, though. He's not exactly the physical powerhouse of the group.

[sageprincess]

Seeing the reaction to Yukiko's spell, Zelda switches from raw light to fire herself, continuing to blast at the tentacles down the hall. She stays rooted in her place at Asch's back, however. She's not about to abandon this after all they went through to get here.

[animusnpcs]

The tentacles recoil and die off--eventually the ones trying to tear through the elevator turn to try and deal with the residents in the hallway. There are still several in the hallway, but it's a decidedly thinner group.

[slightlyoblivious]

"Right now, I'm good to go. I don't have infinite magic power, but I'm good for enough to get us out of here."

She doesn't hesitate this second time, but she's still careful on her aim as she casts a second Maragidyne. Once the spell's cast, she calls out over her shoulder: "Hey, Minato-kun! Agidyne any monsters that are still in there! Fire magic hurts them!"

[warriorscribe]

Reno's hit didn't connect somehow. Naoya has to be stopped before he kills the holding group... He runs for Naoya from behind, aiming a blow to the head to knock him out quickly whether he turns or not. Hopefully not so powerful it will cause longer lasting harm...

[morphballin]

Fire is clearly more useful than Samus' comparative pea-shooter right now, so she follows Arturia's lead, taking up a defensive position near Zelda.

Kick the tires and light the fires, big daddy.

[midgarhorizon]

"Zo doesn't need it! Remember Dax's research!" Reno's yelling back, using both javelin and EMR now. Naoya's shield surprises him a little, but it makes sense if something's controlling him it wouldn't want him taken out. Trying to take out one of their own... it feels just like last time. Both weapons come down on Naoya.

"Destroy the machine! Riki wants it, we're not goin' to let him have it. It might be the only way we get outta this."

[no_longer_a_king]

"Then do it. Some of us will need to stay here in case Riki returns, but those who are too injured to fight need to get out of here."

She cuts down any tentacles who get too close to Yukiko that the younger woman doesn't manage to take out. It's oddly cathartic watching them burn and she takes satisfaction in each one she cuts down herself.

"Fire!" she calls back into the room, "Use fire to destroy these beasts!"

[bloodyashes]

Asch sees Zelda's spell go off, and immediately switches strategies himself, from the falling thunderbolts to fire artes. He's going to have to wade into the melee soon himself - there's only a brief pause while he pulls his sword free. He only takes a step or two away from her, just enough to give himself some room to swing the blade.

It's his free hand that gathers the fonons first, and then a sword strike to spread them - "Devil's Inferno!" The fiery shockwave that follows from where his sword touches the ground doesn't go far, but it's powerful on what it does hit, and leaves some energy in the air that can be promptly repurprosed to the next attack.

With any luck, that should hold them back a bit.

[animusnpcs]

As more of the tentacles are destroyed, the battered elevator doors slide open. It seems the chipped retrieval unit took refuge within, which was why the tentacles were so interested in the elevator.

[no_longer_a_king]

"Yukiko, help me take point!" Arturia called, running toward the chipped unit there before any tentacles got to him/her.

[warriorscribe]

"No - he does need it, he still uses it even now! He may be able to open barriers between worlds but this helps him control it! Can we really trust he'll be able to put our souls in their proper bodies without?"

It wasn't worth the risk. It was clear what lack of finesse could do - Ruana's new revivals were all the evidence he needed of that.

[notachickenhawk]

Tobias demorphs rapidly, trying to stay away from the tentacles. There's no way he's going to fit anywhere in morph.

<We need to go! Now! Forget the machine, the retrieval units can get it!>

[keybearer]

Having seen the effects of the flames thus far, Riku knows well what move to make. With a flick of his wrist, he wills his Keyblade into his grip. Another swish of his hand, and flames spiral up from the tip. He pulls his arm back, bends his knees, and hurls his Keyblade at the nearest tentacles. Here's hoping a Fire Raid will cut at least some of them down to size.

"I say we keep away from the machine for now! Enoch's right, we don't want to mess things up for Zo!"

Tobias raises a good point, of course. The longer they stall, the greater the potential danger. Upon catching his Keyblade again, he shouts to the others. "And, guys! If any of you need healing, I need to know ASAP."