towerofanimus | (no subject)

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Characters: The Signless, The Ψiioniic, The Condesce, AU Minato, Suzaku, Taiki, and NPCs
Setting: The staff elevator, and below, in areas they are Not Supposed To Be In.
Format: Action is faster, so action?
Summary: *insert Mission Impossible Theme here* Signless is taking a crack team of agents to penetrate the lower levels and get some answers!
Warnings: Death is pretty much guaranteed.

Note: This post is forward-dated and we're not sure how far, to allow it to be played out without causing timeline shenanigans. So I'm sure something will be said when it actually takes place

[Signless, the Ψiioniic and the Condesce are already outside the elevator, waiting for the other three to arrive. The plan is simple, and almost certain to go sideways the moment they get inside, so Signless hasn't bothered to plan too far ahead. They'll get in using Taiki, hack the elevator using Ψiioniic, and then figure out where to go from there. He's brought a sack of ropes - made of sheets he stole from the infirmary - and his sickles, and some medical supplies. He has no idea if any of these items will be useful, but they're all safely inside his sylladex, ready to be deployed.

He's a little antsy, but excited. The weeks in the tower have been frustrating, and he's glad to get some action, to be doing something concrete to help himself and his friends, and all the other prisoners.

He's not pleased about the Condesce deciding to come along, though, and he hovers protectively near his moirail. He had only gone to tell her the day had finally come and he was on his way to try, and she insisted on coming personally. All of the arguments had already been exhausted, and now he's just lapsed into an irritated silence.]

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[Ψiioniic is carefully keeping Signless firmly between him and the Condesce, and just as carefully not looking her way. He doesn't want to risk catching her eye - bad enough that she's here at all. He can only hope she'll be focused on the chance to escape, and therefore deign to ignore him.

If she doesn't, if she decides to play power games with him, he knows Signless will defend him and this could turn ugly fast. They aren't going to be any closer to getting out of here if he ends up killing all of them to end the fighting again.]

[As it stands, it appears Condesce is not the least bit interested in Signless or Ψiioniic. Since the argument she's already had with Signless, the Empress is already far beyond her breaking point of irritation, coupled with the fact that her wrists were still burned from the trip into the nightmare realm. She had made absolutely certain to avoid mentioning it, especially since she had managed to get her weight and muscle strength back to something respectable not long ago.

The bandages and gauze are nicely hidden under a mess of jewelery, though she makes a point to hold her 2x3dent in a way that hides at least one of the injuries. Despite all of that, her shortened temper makes itself known with the occasional expectant glance down the hallway, eyes narrowed in disdain.]

For your sake, they best be competent. I don't expect we'll have a second shot at this.

[ Minato is usually prompt, so he shows up about thirty seconds later, sword in one hand, Evoker in the other, headphones set to low, one of them hanging around his neck, the other one on. His expression is unreadable, but that's nothing new.

This is serious business, yes, but he needs his music. He's short, for a human, even, so he rather doubts he's going to impress anyone, so why try? ]

... We'll just have to do it right the first time.

[ He's oddly calm and composed for what will probably be a suicide mission. He's not even remotely intimidated by the company of adult trolls. In fact, if he knew the Condesce was injured? He'd probably even offer to heal her. Not much fazes him. ]

[Suzaku turned up a couple of seconds after Minato, he nodded politely to everyone though his face turned wary as he saw the Condesce. He had thought she wasn't coming, and he suspected that her presence would only make things more complicated.

He went to stand by Signless and Psiioniic. He looked at Minato and guessed it was the first Minato he had met, and not the one who had came into the fake strange world he had ended up in.

He nodded at the words, one shot at this, practically a suicide mission. It was familliar ground and Suzaku was calm, ready to get started.]

[Last to arrive was Taiki, he was wearing Gyousou's cloak still and approached the adults fearfully. Signless had been kind to him last they had spoke but he didn't really know the others and he was afraid.

He didn't call Sanshi though, she would come if he got into trouble but until then he wanted to do this alone. He was suposed to be an adult and he shouldn't let even this mission scare him. Signless had promised that he would let him go once he had gotten them into the elevator, so he wouldn't ruin their mission if there was blood.

He looked around and tried not to look as scared as he felt.]

[Signless nodded as the last of his team arrived. For a moment, he just looked at them, letting his pride at their determination well up inside his wind tube, and the adrenaline of a dangerous, suicidal mission fill him with that heady, exciting feeling.

Then he strode to stand in front of the elevator doors, and drew himself up to his full - not terribly impressive - height.]

All right, we're all here and in a minute we're going in. But before we do, I want to quickly go over our goals here, and the plan - such as it is. Taiki, you're the first key. You'll get into the elevator and open it from the inside, letting the rest of us in.

After that, Psiioniic - he indicates his yellow-blood friend beside him - will be in charge of hacking the elevator, if necessary, so we can operate it. In the unlikely event that he can't do it, I have ropes for all of us to rappel down the elevator shaft.

[Continuing to point as he names people - he wants everyone to know who everyone else is] Suzaku, Minato, and the Condesce and I will be the main strike team, while Taiki and Psiioniic grubsit the elevator.

Our goal here is primarily information gathering, it is not to start a war. We want to find out as much as we can about the tower operations and the people who run it. We will use non-lethal force as much as possible, and if we find a leader, we will take them hostage, interrogate them, and try to get them to understand that we are not taking this lying down, and that we are not just experimental subjects, but living, breathing, feeling people, like they presumably are.

If we find an exit, that's a bonus. Personally, I won't be leaving the tower until everyone can leave, but I won't look down on any of you who want to escape. If such an opportunity should arise, you should take it. I hope you'll then come back to help the rest of us, with whatever additional resources you can gather on the outside.

[He draws a breath and lets it out] This mission is, almost certainly, going to end in death for everyone who goes. Hopefully, that death will be as impermanent as it tends to be around here, but for all we know, there could be further sanction brought against us. I will ask one last time whether you're sure you want to do this, and then we'll begin. There's no shame in backing out now, for any of you, and no matter what, I personally will fight to the last fucking cell of my body to get you out, whether you join in this mission today or not.

[His eyes fall individually on each of them, ending on the Condesce] Are you all ready to go?

Edited 2011-12-18 17:55 (UTC)

[Ψiioniic doesn't know the two human newcomers, but if Signless trusted them, that was good enough for Ψiioniic. Although the Condesce's presence did try to strain that credulity, he tells himself that she had doubtlessly forced her way onto the mission. And who knows, maybe her arrogance will come in handy if they actually found the leader of their captors.]

I followed you into death once before, SS, and never regretted it for a second. No matter how hard they tried to make me. [He flicks a glance at the Condesce despite himself, then away again quickly.] I'm with you all the way. We can do thith.

[Suzaku listened to the speach and nodded, he wasn't planning to escape, he didn't think it would be possible but unless there was a definate way he could return with help.]

I'm still with you Signless [He nodded and fought down the habit of bringing his arm across his chest. He was ready.]

[ For his part, Minato has to say he admires Signless. He's given plenty of similar leader speeches himself, so he knows how hard it can be to be in that position. He brings his sword down to his side casually, but his expression is serious. ]

... I'm not afraid of dying or of repercussions. I won't be going anywhere.

[ Though after that, he turns to Suzaku, lowering his voice a bit. ]

About before--I'm sorry. ... I wasn't myself, though that's no excuse.

[ That's... all he has to say on it. Whether or not that apology is accepted... that's Suzaku's choice. After that, he'll say no more on the matter, because he has nothing against Suzaku personally. ]

[Anyone watching the Empress will notice her rolling her eyes after Psiioniic made his comment about Signless, though if she's at all angered by the display, it doesn't show. After all, she knows better than anyone the result of her conditioning, being further down the timeline than most. Since that realization, it seems that most displays of defiance roll seamlessly off her back.

She doesn't answer Signless right away, keen tyrian eyes focused down at the end of the hall, as if she expected someone to assault them at any moment. Or that they, perhaps, were being followed.]

Proceed.

[Is all she says, shifting the weapon in her hand to a more favorable position, long talons sliding across the metal.]

[Taiki nodded as well, even though he was really scared he knew he could actually help here. He so often was useless but this was something he could do, no one else here could get into the elevator. He wasn't going to abandon them when he could help. He had spoken to Signless and knew he would only use violence as a last resort.

This place was cruel, and used violence and death as toys. They had to be told to stop, they had to know that people wern't going to let them get away with this.] I... erm I'm still with you Signless. [And since they couldn't do anything until he opened the elevator he silently took off his cloak and handed it to Signless]

Erm... sorry... can you bring this in with you? [Then he took a big step away from everyone, to give himself room, a gust of wind blew and instead of the little boy there stood a black beast with a horn. Taiki walked towards the elevator, hoping that it worked, half expecting it not to. After all he knew that sometimes his powers didn't work when they should here.

Amazingly though it did, he burst through into the elevator, he changed back into human form so he could find the button to open the doors. He pressed it and quickly changed back into beast form until he could retrieve his cloak off Signless]

[Signless' eyes still lingered on the Condesce for a moment too long. Why would she come with them? He knew that she had gone far and wide, often the first troll to set foot on a world she intended to conquer, but that was different, wasn't it? She was an Empress, not a threshecutioner or cavalreaper, destined for the front lines.

Still pondering it, he turned away and took Taiki's cloak, then watched Taiki transform. He held his breath as the hoofbeast walked towards the door, and then let it out as he stepped through the metal. That had, of course, been one of the most dicey parts of the plan.

He handed the cloak to Taiki once the doors were open, and nodded to Psiioniic]

Great job, kid. Now, work your magic, Psi.

I'm on it. [Ψiioniic nods in respect to Taiki and pushes past him into the elevator. A moment's work and he has the cover plate off the control panel, peering into its innards.

He mutters to himself as he works, probing the wiring with little crackles of blue and red electricity. It doesn't take him long to reach his conclusion, but he keeps prodding at it, hoping like hell that he's wrong.

Finally he swallows and looks up, glancing around and then straight at Signless. Though he tries to keep his emotions hidden, the dramatically increased lisp gives him away when he speaks.] I'm going to have to hook myself in directly. Through the biowire ports. These wireth should be compatible, but it'th going to be ugly. There'th no other way to get through the thecurity.

[Suzaku stood with the others while Psiioniic worked on the control pannel. He kept a look out, watching for anyone, especially the strange people with the red colars, to make sure no one came close enough to see what they were doing.

His head turned sharply back towards the lift when Psiioniic spoke, his eyes widening] No... [He remembered Psiioniic's reaction to the wires in their room... But if there was no other way to operate it...] Are you sure it's the only way Psi?

[Signless' expression goes rigid at this announcement]

You have to hook yourself in? Psi, don't do it. There's got to be another way!

Do you think if there wath the thlightest chance of doing it any other way, that I'd be thuggesting this? [Ψiioniic is scared and it shows - he doesn't usually snap at Signless like that. Immediately he looks regretful.]

Sorry, SS. But yeth, I have to do thith if we want to get anywhere. So... jutht watch my back.

[Reaching into the open face plate, he extracts several of the key cables and uses his powers to sever them. Quickly he jams the exposed ends into the ports on his body, mostly the ones at the base of his neck. Red and blue crackles flicker around him and over the surface of the elevator, and his eyes flash almost too fast to follow.

But after a few tense minutes, he speaks again, his voice flat like a computer generated speech.] It's working. Everyone in.

[Condesce had been a breath away from snapping at the others herself. It would figure that they would be wigglers about something so simple. But since Psiioniic had done the deed before she could, she was left with the vaguely frustrated feeling stirring in her stomach.

Once it was announced that the elevator was safe for entry, the Empress had no qualms about moving Signless aside with her trident arm to step in first. It made her feel a little better.

She imagined that once she had a guard or two to stab, that would also help.]

[Once Signless let the cloak drop onto Taiki he transformed back into a human letting the cloak fall over him and wrapping it around him before he stood up. As the others stood watching Psiioniic work Taiki snuck behind them to where his clothes had fell and got dressed.

He didn't understand what was going on but recognised the fear, he watched in a quiet horror as Psiioniic put the wires in himself. He followed the others in quietly, staying as far away from the female troll , Condesce Signless had called her, who smelt so strongly of blood.]

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