Finding their way

[Mina Harker]

War Room

Mina was surprised at the level of sophistication of Delilah’s facility. The so-called “war room”, with all its technology and focus on the visual, actually had not only a screen-reader installed, but also a braille display. Whoever had designed this place had literally thought of everything.

Mina had an earbud in her ear giving her the data from the live feed, while she listened with the other to what Delilah and Connor were saying. It seemed Rich and Ana-Leigh were doing the best at helping each other against the obstacles, while Andrew and Silver Swan still hadn’t learned to work together well. But EVERYONE was still too focused on what was going on with their own selves for Delilah’s liking. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, she supposed, and it really was asking quite a lot of them to suddenly become a cohesive team.

“Just relax – they’re getting it. Watch.”

She had to agree with Connor.

“They need time, Delilah. They’ve only known each other for days, really.”

 

[Seer]

Danger Room- final phase

<< From the observation booth above, MorningStar, Bishop and Mina observe. Combat data was coming in. A final report for MorningStar and Bishop would be released at the end of the simulation.>>

<< Silver Swan tears through zombies like a hot knife through butter, much to Bishop's delight. Silver Swan had the raw power to repel almost anything thrown at her. But she still didnt play well with others. Particularly Andrew. This worried Delilah but both Bishop and Mina urged her to watch and see.>>

synthesized version of Alison Marble's voice: combat data for phase II analyzed and reported. Now beginning phase III, final simulation.

<< the room changes, shifts and swirls energy and technology can be heard.>>

<< they are now in a dystopian new york city. Times Square to be exact. It looks like a dark, apocolyptic nightmare with ruins and posters featuring MUTANTS that have been captured or exterminated on a wall nearby and worse...on the large electronic billboard at the southern end of Times Square, the logo of MYSTECH broadcasts and glows quite brightly!>>

<< the sound of military alert sirens wail in a terrifying rhythm and soon, Ana-Leigh, Richard, Sharon and Andrew find themselves being confronted by technological foes. Army Eyes - floating orbs that lock on to heat signatures and strike with EXPLOSIVE impact; Hunters- large spider like devices with swiveling camera heads that travel at high speeds and fire energy blasts; various battle vehicles that are self piloted featuring heavy artillery and finally...SENTINELS. A half dozen of them looming large above them.>>

<< The scenario is set to be a RUNNING battle, with The Six being pursued by their foes. They have to work together to cover each other and keep going forward but it wont be easy as there's not only pursuit from behind but also some oncoming assaults from the front.>>

 

[Matrix]

The zombies being mushed by Rich's hammers faded from view and he stood...

<< they are now in a dystopian new york city. Times Square to be exact. It looks like a dark, apocolyptic nightmare with ruins and posters featuring MUTANTS that have been captured or exterminated on a wall nearby and worse...on the large electronic billboard at the southern end of Times Square, the logo of MYSTECH broadcasts and glows quite brightly!>>

<< the sound of military alert sirens wail in a terrifying rhythm and soon, Ana-Leigh, Richard, Sharon and Andrew find themselves being confronted by technological foes. Army Eyes - floating orbs that lock on to heat signatures and strike with EXPLOSIVE impact; Hunters- large spider like devices with swiveling camera heads that travel at high speeds and fire energy blasts; various battle vehicles that are self piloted featuring heavy artillery and finally...SENTINELS. A half dozen of them looming large above them.>>

DAAAAMN!!

Rich jumps up into the air, turning into a small modified banana yellow F-22 Raptor. His voice booms through his 'speakers'.

Move out! I will create a diversion and find you guys later.

Rich lays down suppression fire, destroying two Army Eyes and then zooms away at Mach 1.3...

 

[Titan]

Danger Room

The branch he was holding disappeared mid-swing, and he looked up. The scenery changed to one of devastastation. A city in ruins. Sirens assaulted his ears. And not the beautiful female “lure you to your death but in a good way” kind, either.

An assortment of different mechanized foes were coming for them – giant floating ball things, mechanical spiders, tanks-

Hey, just like home…

- and giant robots.

“Now when are we ever going to face something like this in real life?”

Andrew said it sarcastically, but little did he know how real a threat the sentinels were.

And then everything got completely out of control when Rich turned into an airplane.

Andrew stood frozen for a moment.

“Jesus. Mary. And Joseph.”

But Airplane!Rich was creating a diversion, so he couldn’t let the guy down. He herded the others forward.

“Silver Swan, Artemis! This is your chance – get forward. I’ll hold the rear.”

His eyes found the closest high tech “tank” and let it come at him. He was able to time dodging its laser blasts, then at the last second leapt on top of it. He pulled the top panel off the contraption and slid inside. He over-rode the automatic controls and turned the tank around and gave Silver Swan and Artemis some rear cover fire, trying to hit the other vehicles or at least slow them down.

 

[Bishop]

War Room

Rich and Andrew worked together to protect the females. He’d seen similar when soldiers were presented with females attached to their units. He didn’t know if that was good or bad. But he didn’t like seeing Rich and Andrew teaming up – no matter if that was what Delilah wanted. Rich was a good kid, and Andrew was a bad seed. He didn’t want any of that to rub off on Rich. Ana-Leigh – Artemis – proved to be calm and precise. Both good qualities but her inexperience was worrysome.

Silver Swan had continued to be the A-team that she was. He considered suggesting to Delilah that she and he go into NERVOUS alone, leaving the kids behind. They were the experienced soldiers – and he feared that more than likely the experienced would fall trying to keep the others alive. Delilah was so fragile, more of her “team” dying such a sore subject, that he really didn’t want to breach the subject.

He watched, waiting for the girls to react. Their next moves could determine whether this unit would work at all.

 

[Matrix]

'F-22' Rich tossed flak out, drawing two more Army Eyes into a fireball while he accelerated across the battlefield. Suddenly, an alarm sounds!!

BEEP! BEEP!

Low Fuel. His body's way of saying it was getting hungry. He shot two missiles, destroying two more tanks before rolling back quickly...

...and accelerating back to the group after laying down enough firepower to clear his back for a few seconds. He CRASHED a bit as he landed, rolling over as he transformed back into a very worn out young man, sliding to a stop at Ana's feet. His voice was weak and he reached out to the young pretty mutant.

Low on gas...charge me up Ana. H-Hurry!

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

The zombie filled central park soon pixilated away only to reveal New York City again, but in what could only be described and post apocalyptic times. This time, there were things a hell of a lot more intimidating than zombies. Floating eyes, mechanical spiders, and robot men taller than half of the sky scrapers.

"Holy shit."

Ana said in awe. Rich quickly jumped into action, turning into a fighter plane and causing a diversion by knocking out some of the Army Eyes. Andrew took the rear and began to destroy some of the tanks. That left her and Sharon. Glancing over at the blonde, Ana had an idea....but it would require a little help.

"Care to give me a lift?"

The "big bads" were the sentinels, and they were already starting to lumber in their direction. From what she could tell, they were pretty well reinforced around the feet all the way up onto the torso area--probably where most people would try to attack them as to make them fall or slow them down. However Ana was looking more to hit where the head was connected to the body. But that was a long ways up....unlike Sharon, she couldn't fly, but she COULD climb like a monkey. She just needed a little head start.

However before Sharon could give her a hand, Ana looked up seeing Rich in plane form start to decline in altitude and fall quickly to the ground. The large metal jet came crashing down in front of them; his body instantly turning back into his normal form. He came sliding to a stop by her feet.

Rich: Low on gas! Chart me up Ana. H-hurry!

"Ric--"

Hesitating...she knew that the others were watching. Any hesitation she had could mean someone else dying. She needed to stop thinking with her heart in these situations and become a soldier. Calm and collected, like her father had trained her to be since she was a child. Grabbing his hand, Ana began to "charge" him up like she would an inanimate object, holding onto him for only a few seconds like she did when they were training. He didn't have as drastic as a reaction as before though...maybe his body was getting used to it?

"You good?"

She asked Rich. Seeing him nod and get back on his feet, Ana turned back to Silver Swan ready to put her plan into action.

"Okay, get me up there. [pointing to the sentinels shoulder] I'll take those two, you get the other two. Rich, stay down here with Andrew and finish off those ugly ass spiders."

 

[Matrix]

It was like grabbing a hold of a live wire, except he was not dying. His body went rigid but he did not show any other adverse effects. He could feel the power surge in his body and he felt like he could do ANYTHING.

"You good?"

He nodded to her as he rose. He would have spoken, but he felt like energy would seep from his mouth he was SO full.

Ana began to give instructions and, they made SOME sense. So he nodded and turned to Andrew as the ladies zoomed away.

OK Andrew. Spider-time. I think I have this to be honest. But back me up.

Rich stepped forward, reached his hands forward, jumped and transformed...

...into an A-10 Warthog anti-tank plane. He began to lay down suppression fire and fired two AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles, destroying one spider utterly.

The next one was a tougher nut to crack, damaged but not destroyed by the 30 mm uranium-tipped bullets from 'Warthog' Rich. It returned fire but, so far, the maneuverability of this form as allowing him to stay ahead of the remaining metal spiders. In any case, they had forgotten COMPLETELY about Andrew, focusing on the greater threat from above.

 

[Titan]

Danger Room

Andrew sprayed fire at the machines coming at them. And he had to admit, he enjoyed it. He’s joyrided in a tank once before, in his youth, and this thing was much smoother. He really wanted to take it home with him.

“Just like space invaders.”

He could see and hear outside thanks to the tank’s monitors – they must have been built to be manned or unmanned, luckily. He watched Rich – who, let’s not forget, was now a PLANE – bomb the shit out of the round eye things. And then he saw Rich crashing as a plane and lying on the ground as a man.

He pointed the tank at the closest grouping of vehicles and Gerry rigged the controls, before popping out the top and leaping to the ground. He found Rich being tended to by Ana-Leigh.

“Is he going to be alright?”

But then it became clear that Rich was better than alright. Ana-Leigh and Sharon went after the giant robots, leaving he and Rich on the ground.

OK Andrew. Spider-time. I think I have this to be honest. But back me up.

“Oh no, you aren’t going to have all the fun.”

Rich must have had something for planes, because now he was a totally different kind of one. He blew up one spider and drew the fire of the other.

Andrew was at a loss for a moment. He couldn’t turn into a giant gun like Rich or shoot energy arrows or bolts or whatever they were like Ana – and he certainly couldn’t fly like Sharon. But he had to do something to help.

He felt the handle of the blade in his pocket, comforting in its regularity. And then he grabbed it, switched it open, and jumped on top of the spider that was firing at Rich. He plunged the knife into its camera “eye” and dug around, destroying the circuits. The creature began to buck and he jumped to the ground, leaving it for Rich to finish off, now that it couldn’t see to defend itself.

 

[Matrix]

“Oh no, you aren’t going to have all the fun.”

As Rich drew Spider #2's fire, he 'saw' Andrew scramble, cat-like, to the top of the beast and take out it's EYE with a POCKETKNIFE!!!

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!!!!

The monster bucked wildly as it shot up into the air, making the ground safe for Rich to land beside Andrew as he turned back. Pulling the young man back a bit, he had an idea.

He turned himself into a 105 mm Howitzer.

'Drew...do the honors baby!!

 

[Titan]

Danger Room

"Now THIS I know what to do with!"

Andrew grinned like a kid in a candy store as he got behind the cannon (that was Rich?). He tried not to think about that too much. His brain instantly calculated the perfect trajectory as he fired the projectiles into the air, watching them hit home into groups of the spiders and the remaining battle vehicles.

Andrew made whistling and explosion noises as he swiveled the gun.

"Score one for the men."

He raised a hand to high five Rich...then stopped as he realized it was physically impossible. He lowered his hand and cleared his throat.

"Now, how do we help the womenfolk?"

 

[Matrix]

Short work of the baddies on the ground, then Andrew asked the million dollar question.

"Now, how do we help the womenfolk?"

Rich stood up as he transformed back to himself. He thought for a second and then he turned to Andrew.

Can you use that tank ou commandeered again? If so, cool. I think I have a couple more diversions left in me. Step back.

Rich started running towards the robots that the ladies were engaged with. As he ran, his next transformation was unmistakeable...

 

[Titan]

Danger Room

Andrew stopped firing and stepped back as Rich became, well, Rich, again. He had to admit, the whole thing was a bit unsettling.

He thumbed towards where Gun!Rich had just been.

"Does that make us gay now? Cause I like you and all but..."

Rich was being all business, coming up with a plan to save the girls.

Can you use that tank you commandeered again?

Andrew looked back to where the tank was in the middle of a five vehicle pile up and lay on its side, smoking.

"Well..."

But before he could really answer, your man became King Kong.

No, really.

King bloody KONG.

"Dude! I have got to get me a power like yours. You must be really popular with the females."

As Rich went off to climb the Empire State Building (he could only imagine), Andrew looked over the wreckage behind him to find a serviceable vehicle. He chose a bigger armored vehicle this time, and set about hotwiring it.

 

[Seer]

Danger Room

Andrew and Rich had successfully taken down the army eyes, hunters and other MysTech machinery, but the biggest threat still loomed: SENTINELS!

Silver Swan had taken two out: one with a sonic attack and one with sheer brute force, impressing those watching from above in the War Room. But four of them still lumbered towards the four new teammates.

Silver Swan had dropped Ana-Leigh on the shoulder of one of the remaining Sentinels, and Rich – now in giant gorilla form – had his own plan in mind while Andrew commandeered a large armored vehicle. Would they be enough? The Sentinels had already assimilated the information from Silver Swan’s initial attacks and had adjusted – they wouldn’t be so easy for her to take down again.

And so, we watch…

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

Silver Swan picked Ana up with easy, flying high into the sky and zooming toward the sentinels. Without slowing down, Silver Swan flew directly above the shoulder of one of the sentinels and dropped Ana successfully onto it; she tuck rolled to a stop and steadied herself. She could hear computer sounds starting to alert to her presents as the sentinel stopped walking. Still in her squatting position, the sentinel seemed to send out an alert to the others that were still active causing them to turn their attention to the one she was on.

"Okay...phase 1 complete."

She got their attention. Two sentinels began an intersect course for her. Placing her hands palm down on the metal, she began to charge the metal plate she was on. She could never think of actually charging the complete sentinel...it was too large, and she didn't even know if she was capable of doing it. But for right now, she needed to juice what she could up as quickly as she could.

Sentinel 1: Danger. Systems compromised.

Sentinel 2: Target located. Mutant; female.

Sentinel 3: Threat level high. Terminate immediately.

Ana's heart was racing as the third sentinel stopped walking and lifted it's arm out toward her and the sentinel she was perched upon. With his palm facing them, a deep red circle began to light up as it's systems charged up.

"Please work, please work, please work..."

She chanted to herself as she continued to charge the sentinels shoulder she was on; it's silvery metallic skin now glowing gold. And then the third sentinel released a bright red laser beam directly at the sentinel she was on. As the beam connected with the sentinel, Ana-Leigh launched herself backwards off the shoulder as a massive concussive EXPLOSION completely enveloped the sentinel she was on. The beam acted as a catalyst to the shoulder plate she was charging. The top portion of the sentinel she was on was completely destroyed, the third sentinel that sent the beam was close enough to the explosion to get hit good enough to become damaged. That in turn caused it malfunction and literally topple into the first sentinel like a domino, both crashing to the city below.

Unfortunately Ana really couldn't enjoy the fruits of her labor. All of this went down in seconds; the explosion, the destruction of all three sentinels, and her falling endlessly to the city below. This was where she put complete trust in her team mates. She needed either Sharon or Rich to catch her before falling to her "death".

 

[Titan]

Danger Room

Andrew felt like he was in one of those old Japanese horror films where the giant robot fought Godzilla on the streets of Tokyo. Except he wasn’t Godzilla.

At first he had felt relieved that they only had the robots to worry about. But then he realized how wrong he was. Two were already down and Ana-Leigh was taking on two more, but that still left two. And he was on the ground. He thought about getting out of the vehicle and kicking the sentinel, but then decided firing photon blasts at it was probably a more useful idea.

He watched them lumber around, then picked his spot on the on nearest to him: the joint at the thing’s knee. It had to be vulnerable there, right? Taking perfect aim, he started firing round after round at the same spot, hoping to penetrate the Sentinel’s heavy armor plating.

Another, unfortunately, at that point noticed Andrew and brought its giant fist down, just missing Andrew’s vehicle but shaking the ground and overturning the tank. He slid out just as the thing’s other hand came down, flattening the vehicle.

Andrew didn’t see what the thing did next, because his eyes were trained on the sight of Ana-Leigh falling to her death.

 

[Matrix]

Rich-Kong moved quickly to the group of Sentinels who were curiously ignoring him, all save one. It fired and he dodged, trying to give Andrew time to find a weak point. He was hammering at the knee, but Rich could see it REPAIRING itself even as it took damage. Finally Andrew got its attention and it lashed out at the tank. Rich jumped on its back, knocking it off-balance and buying Andrew a bit of time to scramble away.

Meanwhile his attention was drawn to an explosion and a small pretty girl falling down and down...

Ana! Only one shot at this.

Rich-Kong leaped forward impossibly far forward, catching Ana in his foot and tossing her to his hand before tumbling awkwardly to the ground, landing on his back as he sacrificed himself to cushion her fall.

He released her even as she could hear him wheeze, the air driven from his lungs from the fall. He would probably recover in a few seconds, assuming he had that long.

His eyes grew wide and he suddenly tossed Ana several feet away as a blast came in, leaving a steaming crater where Rich-Kong had once been.

 

[Titan]

Danger Room

Andrew wasn’t sure if he’d lost his mind, the room was playing tricks on them again or both. But King Kong had just save Faye Wray right in front of his eyes. KingKing!Rich had cushioned Ana-Leigh’s fall but knocked the wind out of himself – still pretty impressive.

Andrew started clapping and cheering.

“That’s the way to show them who’s boss Rich!”

Then suddenly Rich threw Ana-Leigh and the Sentinel they had forgotten about behind them fired…and Rich was gone. Andrew rushed to Ana-Leigh’s side.

“Hey. Gorgeous. You okay?”

He looked over where Rich had just been.

“This ‘Danger Room’ thing – it’s all pretend, right? We can’t really get hurt in here? I mean, Rich couldn’t really be…?”

Andrew. Calm Andrew. Nothing ever bothered him. Never.

But this.

A rage came over him, and he turned, forgetting the Sentinels, looking upwards to where he knew somewhere Delilah and Connor were watching him. And he began to shout.

“Hey! HEY! Who the hell do you people think you are?! Sitting up there all safe playing God for your own sick amusement! You just got a man killed! FOR NO REASON! How about you show your faces down here, eh? If you think you’re hard enough? We’ll see how YOU do in here. You bastards better start running, cause I am going to come up there and KILL YOU ALL.”

A voice came over the loudspeaker – Alison Marble’s synthesized voice:

“Stage three paused.”

 

[Silver Swan]

The Danger Room

[ Landing, Silver Swan actually looks concerned for Richard. Why didnt he just let HER catch Ana-Leigh! She was the fastest flyer in the room. But what's done is done. She looks at Andrew in astonishment as he lashes out at Delilah and Connor. ]

STOP IT!

[ Silver Swan SHOUTS with more than a little bit of her sonic power to RATTLE Andrew.]

Richard is not dead! I HEAR his heart beat. He's breathing...but very faint and shallow...


[ She kneels down over Richard. Looking at him intently as her Silver eye mask recedes away from her eyes. WHY didnt he let HER catch Ana-Leigh]

<< FLASH!>>

Let me know when you are ready to fly or work out. I'll be ready. And thanks again...FRIEND.

[ He wanted to fly & train with her. Get better, faster and stronger. He was already plenty impressive but considered HER to be a point of reference. He treated her like a FRIEND. It meant something to her. ]

His physical constitution is different than that of Artemis or Andrew's. It's similar to my own ...but different because he's an omnimorph. The rhythms I "hear" from any living thing...are different from him. He SHOULD have a higher degree of durability. Not well nigh invulnerable like me...but should be capable of surviving a fall like this!

 

[Matrix]

[ She kneels down over Richard. Looking at him intentently as her Silver eye mask recedes away from her eyes. WHY didnt he let HER catch Ana-Leigh]

<< FLASH!>>


“
Originally Posted By: Richard in Sharon's apartment, hours earlier

Let me know when you are ready to fly or work out. I'll be ready. And thanks again...FRIEND.
”



[ He wanted to fly & train with her. Get better, faster and stronger. He was already plenty impressive but considered HER to be a point of reference. He treated her like a FRIEND. It meant something to her. ]

His physical constitution is different than that of Artemis or Andrew's. It's similar to my own ...but different because he's an omnimorph. The rhythms I "hear" from any living thing...are different from him. He SHOULD have a higher degree of durability. Not well nigh invulnerable like me...but should be capable of surviving a fall like this!

I'll be fine.

Rich's form began to seem more vital as he breathed in and his vitals began to stabilize. Sharon would notice that his 'body' she was in front of was actually partially hollow and was filling in as she kneeled over him

I turned into Nitrogen and reformed this shell immediately so I could come back somewhere...otherwise my cells might not know where to be. Chill Andrew, I am gonna be OK. If we do not prepare to survive we will never have a chance to win.

Rich sat up and stretched...then stood up slowly, shaking himself. He had never done that before, and he was glad that it worked. But he was NOT glad that it caused so much trouble.