"Thank you, sir." said the voice in response to Liam's concern. Clerk, despite apparently having no body, had managed to procure a box of 12-guage shells in Stall 2 by the time Vespa got to the range.
Outside in the hall, Fell smiled as he admitted, "It is a little stilted, but you managed to get a metaphor in there." He sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you, Serenity; the rest of the team is going to need some time to get used to you. It looked like you had the Kid practically shaking. So just, I don't know, don't be offended if they can't seem to comprehend you. That is, if you're even capable of taking offense. No offense."
edited 2nd Sep '15 10:19:37 PM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw.Vespa couldn't help but laugh.
"You've got a good eye. Al-SEC. Wouldn't be where I am now without it. Can't say I'm a fan of the hazard markings, but nothing an auto shop couldn't take care of."
Yep, while it's definetly an Al-SEC make, but the yellow and black paint job has been replaced with a gray and rust orange combo.
"Darn thing needs a few touch-ups here and there, but it almost never needs servicing and it can get through a door easily, so I can't complain."
[forum cryptid: it/it's]Having gotten his weapons, Malware decided to head over to the shooting area, and maybe try to practice with the gun before he was sent out in the field. He hoped to get a bullseye or two before it was mission time.
However, that was quickly becoming a pipe dream as shot after shot brushed the side of the target, if it even hit the target at all. He was having a hard time making a bullseye when he was seeing through a camera built into the side of a pair of Star Specs, which, combined with his general lack of experience, led to him being a terrible shooter.
Fell saw an opportunity to make a pun on the word "Terminate," given what he was talking to, but decided against it to spare what he figured was the likely scenario of having to explain himself. He gave an assuaging smile, instead, "Nah, you'll be fine. Alright, I'll let you go now."
edited 2nd Sep '15 10:35:45 PM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw."Right away." Liam could hear a series of mechanical noises follow his request. Shortly thereafter, two boxes of ammunition were pushed out from a compartment in the separating wall to his left. They were cheap target range bullets, unlike the armor-penetrating and hollow-point rounds found in the armory.
Fell entered the range, curious to see his team's skills for himself. Malware had no talent for it, but Anastya was hitting the target like a sharpshooter. "Damn, Miss Mirivac, I don't remember that on your application."
Flesh is a design flaw."Oh you'll see tonight, don't you worry about it. I'll be sure to take off the costume and suit up in my real plate" says Sarah to Forlorn when he asks about what modifications she's got on her body, already making plans to slip down another door into Stygian to get herself suited up and the right enhancements on her arms and legs.
For her part she was content to look as the others practiced their aim.
Vespa made for the second stall and carefully loaded the shotgun, relishing the sounds it made as each shell was clicked into place. She took steady aim and squeezed off a round, her Al-SEC arm taking the brunt of the pushback.
least this thing has a few upsides.
She fired a few more rounds, steadily getting into the rhythm of things.
[forum cryptid: it/it's]With his magazines loaded, Forlorn popped one into the Five-seveN. Grabbing the gun with his left hand, he held his arm out, letting the mechanisms inside adjust themselves for the weight and position automatically. He fired off a round at the center of the target, then spiraled out in a seashell pattern. As he did so, his eye logged the data, then made any necessary calibrations to his arm or his shooting algorithms.
Operation Rotting Priest - Midnight
Several hours later the new squad was escorted through the agency's underground garage into a long, dark gray van with only just enough headroom for Serenity and Mr. Chun in his armor. Alectus Fell stayed behind, promising he would be in everyone's ear and watching their helmet feeds the whole time. The way it drove suggested the van was weighed down with a few hundred extra pounds of armor amidst its walls and windows, though there was no physical driver. Nonetheless, unlike most commercial taxis the vehicle had a steering wheel in case manual override was needed, turning itself as if haunted by some ghost in the machine.
After an hour or so driving along darkened country highways the vehicle pulled off to a one-lane road that took the team past acres of fields, devoid of street lights and totally black to any unaugmented eyes at this hour; then onto a dirt road that wouldn't have allowed two cars to pass one another, before finally pulling over and coming to a stop next to a huge tree. According to their GPS they were just out of view of the Church of the Offspring's compound now, nor were there any other buildings to be seen.
"Nice and remote," came Fell's voice over comms, "I'm sure Zaivous would just hate for his people to have contact with anyone in the real world."
edited 4th Sep '15 12:39:29 PM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw.A mildly infuriated Fishwife strode into the lobby ten minutes after receiving Fell's message. Edgar considered Alectus lucky that he'd attained a nice residence near Stygian's rural branch about six years ago. "'Scuse me, Miss," he said, hairless brow furrowed. "Where could I find Alec? He in Comms? I've got a few words for him that can not wait."
The Type 100 fit in the van securely, but very snugly, especially with the rest of the crew and their equipment. Inside the suit, Bai was mentally preparing himself for the time ahead. The armor he was in was operating at above what he believed to be peak conditioning, due to Stygian's researchers fixing several small issues that were overlooked over at Fenghuang. He was certain of his own capabilities piloting the suit, but there was the issue of everyone around him. Aside from the couple that had admitted they were completely untrained, there were the rest of these trained but completely unfamiliar people.
They had only met but a few hours ago, and they're now expected to work as an effective and efficient group? Sure, professionals, the best in the business and all that, but to act as a coordinated unit is something that couldn't be bought so easily. Maybe, he figured, this was some kind of trial-by-fire for the group as a whole, to prepare them for something much harder.
Swiveling his helmet and looking about the room, he could see that one of his co-workers looked a little bit shaken as well. Raising his arm and placing two massive fingers on Anastya's shoulder, he calmly whispered to her, "It is fine. We will all make it out of this fine."
edited 4th Sep '15 7:10:36 PM by wikkit
At the fingers, she flinched, all sorts of worst case scenarios playing in rapid succession. Were they attacked? Was the vehicle falling and tipping over, was— As she looked to the side, visibly ventilating before looking back at Chun and his massive hand. She heaved in relief, glad that at least, they are not dying by fire and a few explosions, her eyes returning back to their normal outlook.
"S-Sorry...That was-unbecoming of me. Yes. We will be fine. ", as she looked back. For this, she prepped a simple-combat uniform with a rather sleek black overall, as well as a mask that doubles as a filter with goggles and a filter hanging from the front. She definitely is not used to wearing that, having the crash course to do so just a few hours prior.
всегда верен"It'll be fine if everyone uses their heads," Forlorn added. "Just to reitterate, don't try and be the hero. If it comes down to fighting, leave it to me, Lancelot, Phoenix, and the Benkei. If shit hits the fan, the rest of you do your best to hide, and then contact me and the others, understood? Your weapons are your last resort."
"Considering how his rhetoric falls apart the second you use logic not backed up by the Bible, I can understand why he keeps his followers isolated and deluded," Mal said absentmindedly as he pulled out and turned on Fritz. Within a few seconds, the spybot was up and moving on its own accord — or so it would appear to the others. In reality, he had accessed the bird wirelessly.
"Alright, open the door. Fritz is ready."
For her part, Sarah was feeling quite relaxed just before a mission... clad in what was her armor and battle gear. The suit had been replaced by medium armor covering her torso, neck and head in a helmet... while her arms and legs were left free, though not any less protected. Instead of the synth skin, her arms and legs had been attached with all of her accesories and extra strength for full use of their power on the field and all of that was covered in reinforced plating. Her pistols were kept in the interior holsters within her legs, her twin blades inside her arm plating and her rifle was hanging comfortable from a sling over her shoulder. The rest of her equipment such as extra bullets and grenades were carried on her belt and bandoleers over her armor... indeed, not an inch of skin could be seen of the fully armored bionic woman.
"Well, well... for now we just got to sit tight. We need to wait until our little bird tries to get access to their cameras and security systems so we can know how to go in" says Sarah with a little smile... not that they could see it, but the tone was merry enough.
Outside the compound
Fell's voice came through again, "Just remember, Miss M., you don't need to go anywhere near that compound - you've got two big robots to be your hands, eyes, and ears. Same goes for you, Malware - that bird oughta be your only physical presence over there. Now let's hope it's our golden ticket.
According to the images relayed to Malware's Star Specs, the raven had a good view of the compound from up high as it circled the tree. It didn't take long for it to spot one of the sprawling building's cameras - a simple black hemisphere attached to the underside of a roof overhang. As it flew closer, it spotted nearly a dozen more scattered around the place, their overlapping fields of view covering every conceivable angle.
Fritz also caught sight of more than a few guards, their patrols spread evenly around the grounds, though hardly as comprehensive as the cameras. A sniper was briefly visible on thermals as he stepped into a fourth-floor window to gaze out. He either didn't notice the raven or didn't care. Fritz was surely well within sight of the cameras here, but no alarms seemed to have been set off yet - a sign its own synthskin was working.
Fishwife - Field Agency
The secretary had clearly been watching an episode of some show on her computer when Edgar spoke. She turned in her chair and her eyes briefly went wide as she beheld the hairless man, before she composed herself, "Oh- I'm sorry sir, Mr. Fell is very busy at the moment. Maybe you could return tomorrow?"
A menacing guard clad in black armor, made exceptionally tall by obviously bionic legs, watched him closely from the back of the lobby.
edited 4th Sep '15 9:44:22 PM by StygianEmperor
Flesh is a design flaw.She nods to Forlorn. Fighting is never part of her curriculum vitae, yes-And that is why Forlorn is offering a good advice. Adding to that, leave her robots-Anton and Bogdan to fight. She can't fight. Her robots bench presses cars. She is experienced in trying out methods to jury-rig a busted machinery. Her robot aims with the precision of an electron microscope.
She keeps her hands off her holster instead, nodding again to Forlorn and wherever Fell's voice came from and to Mr. Chun as she fiddled with her remote. At that, the bots-hung in the back and standing there, in silent vigil momentarily gives out a silent glint of the status light flicking on almost visibly.
всегда верен

When the two 'professionals' stepped up to the booth by her booth, she quieted down and the voice in her pocket went silent. From her booth, there is only the sound of cases pinging against the floor and wall, the sound of gunshots, and the associated sounds of clicks and snaps.
From where she is, she can see her target and bullet spread-Mostly in the bullseye region. Perfect. Now, she can only hope she doesn't have to shoot someone, sighing.
всегда верен