Child's Play

[NebulaQueen]

But Rivendere told us to stay here, she said. And don't they have guys for this kinda stuff? Big, buff guys for when things go wonkers?

[Shinigori V2]

It only takes a minute for the children to meet up in the main hall of the floor, and Enzo gets a response to his email from Rivendare. "Something's up. We can't access the elevators or stairwells. Protect the transfer room and the database room until power comes back on, but if it comes down to it, DO NOT engage hostiles. Both rooms are equally high priority, but keeping all active Wunderkind in tact is your highest priority."


Optional Boss Start:

Spoiler:

It's a dark, rainy afternoon, not unlike the one our heroes are currently facing. The children are called into the hanger on Basement Level 1 for "Strategic team training."

As they arrive, they see the hangar cleared, other than a few random vehicles- Two small humvees and a Flak Track. All along the walls, lined up shoulder to shoulder in containment bays are D-52's Vinzer class Mecha, giant, humanoid machines used for warfare and, sometimes, construction. For now, though, they are dormant.

Above them is the factory equipment for building the Vinzers, machinery and chains and parts of unfinished mecha hang down from above, but still a good 20 feet over the children's heads. The floor is marked with various zones and places relevant to Vinzer construction.

However, in the middle of the room stands Mother Zelda Sahraz, still as stern as ever. She's an average sized woman with a simple blue dress and grey sweater. She straightens her black hair, seeming to focus on her children- The three boys from her orphanage. "I believe I mentioned I still had a test for you to pass." She says quietly. "Let's see how you do, hmm?"

There's a blinding flash, and for a moment, the children's visuals are scrambled. As vision comes back, Sahraz is in what can probably be assumed to be her true form. She's taller now by a foot, easily, and her hair has turned to a very rich blue color. She wears armored robes now, and hefts a very ornate warmaul over her shoulder. Her comfortable looking slip on shoes have been replaced by hefty armored boots, and, oddly, she's wearing a black blindfold.

The most stunning change, though, is the pair of luminescent wings she's got now. She stretches them, flapping them a single time, before rolling her shoulder and dropping her warmace in front of her with a thud. "On your initiative", the angel Sahraz says, simply.

(Combat is as before; post actions and I will work out what order they happen in! Currently, Janet is with the party, physically, and would need to return to her station to get real time support, and no other NPC is with you.)

[Idran1701]

Yeah, but...are there any around here? Are there any over there?

I'm gonna go over to where all of you are, okay? It won't be very long!

Sam starts his trip back over to the other side of the floor, keeping his eyes open for anyone, Wunderkind or not.

Optional Boss Post

Spoiler:

While he came with his rifle like she asked, this isn't anywhere near what Sam expected to be involved in her test. "...Mother Sahraz? You...what's going on? How come you want us to fight you? I don't wanna fight you...you're nice!"

[ChristianC]

Alexis had collected herself enough to listen in on the discussion.

If this is an attack, we need to be ready to spot them before they're on this floor... if they're coming from the outside, we should put someone on the balconies, two maybe, while a few of us keep watch on the doorways... they might go through the walls as well, but we haven't heard anything like explosions so we can't be sure.

She was making some odd clicking sound with one of her hands, as if she was flipping a lever back and forth nervously, but she wasn't showing any nervousness in her composure or digi-voice.

We're around ten, we should still be able to keep watch on the transfer- and database rooms while we do what I suggested.

Optional Boss Post

Spoiler:

Alexis didn't spare much time gawking at the angelic figure... actually, she kind of did, the transformation catching her completely off-guard for a moment. She had no idea who this person was, But Sam seemed to know her. But as soon as it became clear that they were going to have to fight her, Alexis broke off from the group, skipping up on a crate before catching a hanging chain, using her momentum to swing herself up on a wall which she latched onto like a spider, climbing it using valves and pipes for ledges. Her goal was to get up on the unfinished mech, the best position she could find since her abilities really didn't do much good in close-combat, despite the training she'd been getting with Kid.

[Kelne]

Alright, Emily sent, pulling back towards the group, Better break out the weapons anyway. Just because we're not engaging them doesn't mean they won't engage us. The stairwells were locked off? Okay, granted, it could be done, but that suggested something a bit more sophisticated than just knocking out the power. Oh, let's be fair - anybody able to knock out D-52's power was pretty darn sophisticated to begin with. Emily had one of those bad feelings about the situation.

Optional Boss Post

Spoiler:

Well, if this is a strategic test, I say we keep our distance, wear her down and only pile in if she corners somebody, Emily sent, taking to the air. She intended to get a decent amount of height and wait for the others to get into position before opening up. She wasn't entirely sure who their trainer was, but she plainly thought she could take anything they could dish out, so there wasn't any point holding back.

[Besyanteo]

Enzo considered their possibilities and nodded in the darkness, heedless of how silly it would be if they didn't all have enhanced vision.

Agreed, Alexis and Emily. You and Sam on the Balcony, I think. You've got the better vision, and he's got a rifle. I'll help you coordinate if it becomes necesary. On that note, Janet shall we break out the weapons? Oh, Darren and Silvie. Don't use any of your ranged tactics unless someone is in imminent danger. A collapsed wall or ceiling or floor could cost human lives, so I'd like to shun explosives of any kind entirely tonight.

Optional Boss Post:

Spoiler:

Enzo was standing, leaning on a cane the others had yet to see so far, looking pretty casual... until Mother Sahraz transformed. He looked at her with confusion while Sam spoke. Enzo's sentiments were much like Sam's, if he'd found the mother somewhat intimidating in her other form to start with. He was obviously nervous as he spoke, but he was also sincere.

"You... you can't ask us to do this." he swallowed hard, despite the gesture being somewhat out of place in his new body "You might as well ask us to beat our biological mothers if we'd known them... We can't do it, super angel woman or not."

[BrainWalker]

"Blocked the stairwells? What the hell?" Max mutters to himself.

If they knocked out the power, they're probably packing some kinda night-vision or infra-red or radar or something. Might be hard to get the drop on any intruders, but we should at least try to be in stealthy lookout mode until a threat presents itself. We're running defense, not offense.

Max scans the area in infra-red, not really sure what he's looking for, but better to be cautious at this point.

Hey, can we get the layout of this floor? I mean, we've been here all day, but like... are there ventilation ducts or maintenance tunnels we should be watching?

You down with OBP? (Yeah, you know me!)

Spoiler:

Max is... a little taken aback. This seems a little hardcore for a training mission. They're seriously fighting an angel? Briefly, Max wonders what sort of colorful commentary Juliet would have for this situation.

Janet, we're probably going to need your support on this. You should probably head back to your station. I don't [i]think a trainer would have a problem with that, but just in case, Sylvie, Lauren, one of you mind having her back?

Max isn't entirely comfortable delegating responsibility, but he's got something else on his mind. He's really not sure why Sam and Enzo were being timid about this... Mother Sahraz certainly didn't seem like she was screwing around. Max gets the impression that she fully intends to test the Hell out of them. He's actually getting pretty pumped! He's in a giant hangar full of vehicles and mecha with an excuse to use them! There's no way they would have sent two pilots down to a hangar for training and not expect them to pilot!

Max is beaming. Its Vinzer time! Max flies up to a nearby Vinzer, keeping watch on his six. No telling what Sahraz is capable of without intel from Janet or Enzo. And even with intel, there's no telling what her battlefield demeanor would be. He lands on the entry platform at chest-level to the giant mech. That's probably where they open up, he thinks. He places his hand on the machine and hopes his pilot interface ability works on mecha, all the while watching for interference from the angel.

[NebulaQueen]

Got it, Enzo! If somebody came out...well, Silvie would just have to take care of them with her fists. But, first she'd have to know where they could be coming from. So, like her brothers and sisters, she tried to scan it herself.

[Besyanteo]

At the request of a map, everyone felt like someone was feeling around their head breifly. A moment later a floor plan was displayed, with each of them displayed on it, with color coded dots. Each of them saw themselves as a White dot, but for the others each of them would see a Green dot with small name labels. The plan was 2D at the moment, though Enzo hoped to compile a 3D one if he had an extra minute to work at it.

[Shinigori V2]

As Enzo lays out the floor plan, he finds he doesn't have time to work out the floor plan in 3d. He's interrupted by a radio transmission from Rivendare, via walky talky...In their heads.

"It's me. We're being infiltrated by the Tropic of Enkulai. They're after Kid- They're literally in the transfer room right now, consider any you see hostile. Get there and get Kid. Your weapons are in the locker downstairs, so you'll need to use your smarts, or your physical strength, to knock them out."

As he finishes, there's a loud banging from above, as a vent overhead is blown off, landing noisily on the floor about ten feet away from the group.

[Idran1701]

Sam reaches the rest of the group just as Rivendare sends his message, frowning at the contents. We needa hurry, then! How're we gonna get them? I don't think any of us are very good at fighting without weapons except Silvie and Lauren...I know I'm not. He looks out the doorway towards the transfer room and rubs his arms, newly impatient from their "mission" to save their sister.

[NebulaQueen]

"Eep!"

Silvie jumped back, startled, until she glared at the fallen vent with a stern look on her face. Here they were, smashing up their home, trying to kidnap their sister? No, no, she wasn't going to let any of that slide.

Got it! she said to Rivendere. To everyone else, she said, C'mon, lets go! And don't worry Sam, we'll think of something - we're made of metal! That's all ready something we have that they don't!

[Besyanteo]

Enzo was already off at a run to the transfer area. They might be too late to prevent the

More moving people, Kid needs us right now. There's no time for a proper plan... We're robots who can crush cars, they're humans. They're probably not expecting us to use lethal force because they think of us as children. Helpless. Well, we're not. We've been trained for this, Wunderkind. Time to follow through. Aim to kill.

They were going to save Kid, and god help anyone who stood between them and her.

[ChristianC]

Alexis didn't need saying twice, she hurried after, keeping to the shadows as best she could... fighting in close environments like this would be difficult... but she had darkness on her side, if the intruders used nightvision it would be a different matter, but...

Are you sure we should use lethal violence, Enzo?

[Besyanteo]

He didn't respond instantly. A moment later:

No, but I don't see how we can avoid it and I figured if I told everyone to do it then any trouble that came from it later would be all on me. Before this conversation.

It sort of crushed the whatever dramatic effect his little speech might have had, but he wasn't going to straight up lie to them.

If you guys see another way, you've got about 10 seconds before we make it to the room to tell me.

[Shinigori V2]

The group approaches the transfer room, as two more vents are blown off, leaving five total. With a bit of effort, the kids find they can get the door open...And shut. If they were looking to put up a defense, inside the room would probably be a good bet.

[Kelne]

Emily might have been tempted to stay outside and hit them from the rear, but she couldn't swear that there were no vents in the transfer room. There wasn't much point if the enemy could just drop straight into the place.

I say we let them get in the door, then hit hard and don't give them a chance to regroup, she sent, I figure I can knock a few of them over given a bit of a run-up. So saying, she found a good spot with a straight path to the door.

[BrainWalker]

As Max works with the others to get the no-longer-automatic door to the transfer room open, Max is suddenly beset by confusion. Surprisingly, not over the proposed use of deadly force.

So... how would they even get Kid, anyway? She doesn't have a body and they cut the power so The Database server isn't running. What, are they going to steal the entire server? Is it possible to get data off a computer that isn't running? And if it is, could we maybe beat them to it and download Kid into... I dunno... one of us or something?

[Shinigori V2]

As the children work to get the door open, they notice...

...The power in the transfer room is still active.

[Idran1701]

Um...I guess they brought their own generators or something? Sam keeps behind Max, waiting for the doors to pop open. Are there any kinda defenses and stuff the company might have there we have to worry about? I never looked at plans or anything, but I bet there's all kinda security stuff in the building, and especially in the transfer room.

[Kelne]

I think any security is offline, Emily sent, It's just us. We could fit Kid into a flare drive, no problem, but if they get time to pull her out, we're in deep trouble anyway.

[ChristianC]

Can they do that? Do they even know what kind of technology D52 is using? Alexis looked between the children. Sure, they could fit Kid on a flare-drive, but only because they knew how to pass the encryptions, firewalls...

Didn't someone mention that they didn't even understand what had happened to Kid? Maybe they think she's here, in person! Or what if they steal her body, even if Kid's here mr Rivendare is going to have a fit if he realizes they've stolen something so technologically advanced...

[Shinigori V2]

The kids get the door open, shuffle in, and get the doors shut again, just as the room outside fills with smoke from some canisters dropped from the vents. The transfer room is much as they remember it; circular with a number of their designated pods around. All of them are open, their contents out in the real world- Even Kid's.

Then they notice her. Sitting behind her transfer capsule, Kid sits...Except, they wouldn't know she's a Wunderkind. She's wearing simple jeans and a green hoodie, and is hugging her knees. "They're here for me." She says, slowly. "Just...Let me go."

[Idran1701]

Though relieved that they haven't yet gotten to Kid, this relief quickly turns to confusion when Kid speaks. "...Let you go? Huh? How come? We're not gonna let them take you, Kid!"

[Shinigori V2]

Kid stands, weakly making her way over. She gestures to herself, choking back a sob. "Look! I'm not LIKE you, okay!? I never was!"

She turns, fighting back tears, despite her mechanical body. "I've never been like anyone in my life...And I never, ever will be."

She collapses onto her knees, burying her face in her hands. "...I just want to go home..."

[NebulaQueen]

This...this wasn't right. Silvie bit her lip and stepped forward, and quietly said, "Do you really want to go back with them?"

[BrainWalker]

What the... Kid? Outside? When did her body get finished? And why does it look... normal? Max blinks his infra-red off and on a couple times just to confirm that it's not actually organic. Why wasn't she transferred with the rest of the kids if her body was finished? What the Hell is going on? As far as Max is concerned, Kid is one of them, and that needs to be addressed, but right now, things aren't adding up and there wasn't a lot of time to get everyone on the same page. With her new, clearly non-combat-oriented android body, coupled with the mysterious circumstances of her arrival, Max is genuinely worried that there might actually be some thread of truth to Kid's words.

Max's eyes dart nervously around Kid's android shell as his mind searches for any reason other than hers as to why they might have built her a normal human body. He speaks with mixed confusion and concern. "What... what exactly is going on here?"

[Idran1701]

While the various mysteries are confusing, right now Sam's own focus is on Kid herself. He takes a seat next to her, giving her a small hug. "You don't hafta be like anyone, Kid. You're still part of our family, remember? An'...how about if this was home?

"Do you know who these people that wanna take you are, Kid? Who are they?"

[Besyanteo]

Enzo sent Silvie a quick request to watch the door, while walking over to Kid. It was... strange. Strange because it was normal. He wasn't sure what to say right away. Luckily, other kids were taking all the good questions right off, which gave him a chance to be quiet and let them do the thinking for a moment.

In the mean time, he looked around for anything heavy and loose that they could prop in the doorway. He didn't expect much, but anything that delayed the invaders further would be good.

[Kelne]

"Look," Emily said angrily, "I don't care if you or they think they're in the right. They do not get to bust in here like a bunch of... ninjas, cutting power, throwing smoke and scaring everybody half to death. What if somebody decides they want Alexis next time? Or Max? They'll think they can just waltz in here and do the same damn thing." She deliberately reined herself in a bit, "We can talk this out, and if you still want to go at the end of it, then we'll support you on it." And oh, she was going to have words for Riverdare if it turned out all this talk about Kid's body not being ready was just a smokescreen to fend off the Tropics. Because lying to people always turned out so well.

"Tonight, though? Tonight, I'm going out there and giving them a piece of my mind." She headed back towards the door, intent on opening it. Sod staying in here, she was going on the offensive. She was through letting these people have their own way.

[ChristianC]

Alexis looked worriedly at Kid, and then at the door. Even if Kid wanted, right now, to go, she hoped she'd 'come to her senses' about it soon enough... she didn't want to keep her in D52 against her will, if she really wanted to leave.

Emily, I'm right behind you. she said calmly over the intercom... although she felt a sudden worry regarding her weapons. They were all downstairs...

[Shinigori V2]

"Wait." Kid says. "Please. Once they have me, they'll leave, and I'll get to go home."

She shrugs Sam off, heading for the door herself. "Trust me, these are my people, I understand them way better than you do."

[Idran1701]

"...Nuh uh." Sam stands, shaking his head firmly. "If they wanted to have you back, they coulda asked or something. They broke in, an'...an' what if they hurt someone here already, like a guard or someone? What if you're wrong? An'...an' how come you even wanna leave anyway? Everyone here likes you, we don't want you t'go or anything. You don't hafta go, Kid. You can stay here, and..."

Sam trails off, putting things together in his head. "...Kid? Did...did you call them or something? An'...that's how they knew what to do, an' where you are, an'...everything? Were things that bad here?" He doesn't sound angry, or judging, just...confused. And hopeful that he's wrong.

[Kelne]

"That's really not the point, Kid," Emily said, pausing before opening the door, "They've come in here as thieves in the night. We don't know anything about them, so if we let you go, we might never see or even hear from you again. And we have to live with that if we get it wrong. Now, if they're really on the level, they can come back in the morning like civilised people and we can go from there. And we won't be putting up with any of that red tape rot from Riverdare." She let a bit of her anger colour her voice. This was politics at work, she was sure, and she didn't want Kid or anyone else caught up in it.

"You're out of the database now, so that excuse won't fly, and none of us are going back in until we get this resolved."

[BrainWalker]

Max has seen it before, but it's always kind of scary when Emily gets pissed. And in this case, kind of inspiring.

Time to get serious.

"I'm with Emmy on this. If you want to leave, Kid, we're going to let you leave as a person not as... contraband. That's respect we're offering you, which your 'countrymen' don't seem to be. Right now, we have a right to defend our home, our workplace, and the people who live and work here from violent, armed intrusion, and that's what we intend to do."

Max looks at Emmy and gives her an understanding nod. "Resolution can come later."

[NebulaQueen]

"Hey, hey, wait a minute. Kid!"

She pointed at her, and said, "Remember that movie you did, Espionaut 3: Return of the Sky Manglers? And how the spies from Ricadia were trying to steal stuff in disguise for their Mangleration Device? How do you know this isn't the same thing?!"

Spoiler:

This is all just practice, right?, she said to the others. So what are we worried about! C'mon, it's not like anyone's really gonna get hurt.

Okay, so it was...it couldn't be a real angel. But on the other hand, they also fought zombies and got training form a time-travelling robot, so pretty much anything was possible. But, she could ask Sam and the others about it later. For now, she circled around, trying to find a good spot to blindside her.

[Shinigori V2]

Kid makes a horrible face, looking at Sylvie. "Someone...actually..saw that movie...? Ugh."

As she says that, the sound of the door being forced open is heard, as Emmy works from the inside, and the soldiers outside all open it at the same time. As the doors open, Emily is shoved to the side, despite her robotic body, as four soldiers rush in, guns at the ready, securing the room. One shouts in a foreign language that the kid's automatic translators decode after a moment-

"There she is. Commander Aesborn, we've located her!"

There's an acknowledgement from the hall, as the smoke from the smoke bombs begin to clear. The soldiers are all dressed in black armor, light enough to provide some protection, but not a tremendous amount. Their helmets have full face masks, made in the image of skulls with glowing red eyes, making their faces impossible to see. Their armaments are very much standard issue- Any video game connoisseur would recognize these guys as "Trash mobs".

Then, the commander enters. A long black military coat with a number of medals pinned to it makes up the entirety of his armor. He's got slicked back, short black hair, and a very stern face. He looks around the room, as Kid scrambles to her feet, running up to him. He catches her eagerly, before holding her back at arms length, and scowling. He shoves her to the side, shouting at his men. "They didn't make her like the rest. She's worthless to us. Grab another! One of the boys, preferably."

Kid looks up, heartbroken, before just lowering her head again, sobbing quietly.

[Idran1701]

Watching Kid's reaction, Sam doesn't even wait for the commander to finish giving his order before leaping at him, scowling. As bad a situation Kid was already in, and now this? He's not taking anyone at all, Sam's going to make sure of that.

[Shinigori V2]

Sam leaps at Aesborn, who lifts a hand quickly, before backhanding all several hundred pounds of Sam out of the way. "Not that one. I want one that's functioning right."

[NebulaQueen]

"Whoa!"

Okay, this guy was intense. They couldn't just charge at him, but maybe, maybe if they had a distraction.

"Hey you!" She pointed at the general, and said, "Baron von Assborn! I got your working model right here!"