Into the Black

Nick22 · **Reply #1440 on:** April 02, 2014, 10:16:34 PM

using it as cover' good thinking. but after this we'll need to get some shuteye as i hardly got any sleep at all last night, what with tonys condition and all'"Marie said' we could do shifts in that case" Rose said. Someone stands watch for an hour or so..
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marita walked past the ruined machinery..' looking arond..' this place hasnt been used in years..its a dump' she said.

Pterano · **Reply #1441 on:** April 03, 2014, 12:29:41 PM

"Yeah well... I guess... I guess I'll just have to regroup and figure something else out. Maybe I could check enlistment records in that war but... reading about how serious it was, I doubt I'd find anything out on me." the gecko said with resignation. Walking into the building now, he scanned the room with his eyes, but sensed no presences within. Noticing the elevator had power, his face fell a little here and looked at the rat with a "really?" look. "Yes well... I can walk just fine but... elevator would probably be best just to save us time." he informed him with a solemn nod.

Tony entered now behind them, carrying some weapons and a small toolbox-looking chest with him. "All right guys, car's locked, as is the trailer. Oh wow... the power's still on, I see. It used to be on in this building back when I was a Purifier too; that's how I knew about it. Hey Axel..." Tony set the chest down and pushed the call button, the doors opening immediately. "I need to talk to you about something before we get too settled in." the ferret stated, stepping into the elevator now along with Vergil. "Also, pick your weapons." Tony said, showing off the assortment he'd brought with him. The ferret had selected a non-projectile (aka laser) pistol for himself, and had a small, folding SMG as well. He had a concealed knife on him too that had a little surprise in it, in case of emergencies. He figured they'd more heavily arm themselves when they started their initial infiltration.

bushwacked · **Reply #1442 on:** April 03, 2014, 02:33:38 PM

The elevator doors closed behind Axel as he followed the others in. Tapping the button that would take them to the top floor, the lift jerked then started pulling up roughly. The dim yellow light illuminating the compartment flickered. At the mention of weapons, Axel turned to look at what Tony had brought with him. "Good idea," he said, swapping out his Luger for a smaller pistol. "I was almost out."

As he tucked it into his jeans, his arm brushed against Emilena's gun. He blinked. If more people knew, maybe the plan would have more luck in working... and I trust these guys. They wouldn't do anything to risk it... "I... have have something to tell you too..." Axel started, then paused. He looked at Tony. "But, ah... you can go first. What is it?"

Serris · **Reply #1443 on:** April 04, 2014, 04:28:03 PM

Anne swore. "Shit. I could've given you a moziafil tab to keep awake but I left them in the trailer."

Soren nodded as he yawned. "I'll rest for a bit."

"I'll go first." The mare then turned to Marie. "Have you got the phone and fake info and script ready?"

"Wait, so how is this gonna work?"

Anne tapped her horn. "I read the script and use my horn to transmit it into the phone. Doctor Jiang implanted a spoofer module that lets me fake coordinates. If we just transmit it with the computer, it'll show that the area the tip says is an abandoned bakery and they'll be rightfully suspicious. But with my module, I can say that the factory's gone and its an augment repair shop."

Nick22 · **Reply #1444 on:** April 04, 2014, 05:24:13 PM

Yeah' everything's ready' marita said as she handed it over." so we transmit this data, and hope we dont get 50 purifiers checking it out'
_ what can we use as a sort of a bunk, while were here?' rose said, stifling a yawn..

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #1445 on:** April 04, 2014, 09:28:44 PM

Nairda spun in a circle and knocked over a cart of stainless silver kitchen equipment while reciting the complete lyrics of Getting' Jiggy Wit It by Will Smith.

Pterano · **Reply #1446 on:** April 04, 2014, 11:14:39 PM

Tony blinked, rocking his head back a bit here in surprise. "You do?" he asked, not expecting this. "Well all right... I'll go first." he nodded. "I was thinking... I don't know how long we can wait here... if we see any indication that things aren't going well for Lily or just in general... not that we'd be able to see that from here probably but you get my drift... I say we just go in. I can get you right into that base, we head for the reactor, Vergil points out Lily... speaking of which... she still in there?" he asked the gecko.

Vergil closed his eyes, and seemed to be serenely concentrating. "Yes." he replied after a moment, opening his eyes. "She's still inside."

"OK, good. So yeah, I was thinking we really can't wait if there's signs of trouble. I think I'll call Soren in a bit to see how his end of things is going, and get a time estimate from them." the ferret stated. "But I highly doubt you just want to wait around here either. So anyway... what were you gonna tell me?" Tony asked as the elevator reached the top floor and with a groan the doors slid open. Tony stepped out into the empty offices now, the windows all around them letting in the eerie light of day through the dusty glass.

Serris · **Reply #1447 on:** April 05, 2014, 12:32:15 AM

Anne sighed as she heard the crash. "Somebody shut that asshole up before he fucks us all over!"

She looked over the script and the cellphone. The phone had already been programmed with the Purifier tip line that was from the TV ultimatium. The laptop had the script ready, a program that altered one's voice and a dialer intended for use with smartphones – such as the ones they had. The data cable was connected to the phone. The laptop's radio antenna was out as well.

The mare cracked her knuckles.

--------

Soren, fuming, stomped over to Nairda and promptly pushed him against the wall. "Nairda," he said. "Quit being an annoying bag of dicks and make yourself useful by finding something like a breakroom that we can rest in."

He then pointed to the stainless steel kitchenware on the ground. "If you fuck this up, I will shove the industrial sized mixing paddle so far up your ass that you won't be able to sit down!"

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #1448 on:** April 05, 2014, 02:36:17 AM

Nairda giggled and blushed as Soren played rough with him. "Soren, take me up ta dinner first!"

He began picking up the kitchenware. "Yo Anne, biatch? Why did you turn down dat sexy hunk Tony, biatch? Dude would done been tha *perfect* boyfriend..." he sighed, imaging himself with Tony...but sadly it could never be.

Serris · **Reply #1449 on:** April 05, 2014, 02:57:58 AM

"Fuck you!" Soren snapped. "If you're too horny to think straight, go find some place private and beat off!" He rubbed his temples. Nairda was going to give him hypertension from the stress.

--------

"Shut the fuck up! I'm trying to work!" Anne shouted. Her train of thought had been interrupted.

She turned to the three women. "Can one of you get Nairda to shut up? I can't concentrate."

(OOC - Bitch is a perfectly acceptable way to refer to a female canid in this universe. In general, the real-life specific terms for male, female and immature animals are perfectly acceptable ways to refer to anthros in this universe. Of course, the Human terms are also acceptable. However, using the wrong species-specific term <referring to a male Golden Retriever as a "bull" instead of a "dog"> is likely to cause offense.)

bushwacked · **Reply #1450 on:** April 05, 2014, 07:54:48 AM

Axel didn't say anything for a moment as they stepped out of the elevator. He walked up to a window and ran an arm across the glass, brushing the dust and grime away. Far below, he could see the base, could see figures milling around inside its walls, looking like they were preparing for something. After a moment, Axel sighed. "Yeah. Maybe you're right. I know how risky it'd be, but... we need to get her out of there as soon as possible. That's the most important thing for me. The reactors... they can come later. But we'll need help rescuing Lily, and..."

Axel turned to face them. "That story I told you before, Vergil. I... I wasn't telling the truth." He glanced at Tony. "When you were being treated back at the clinic, I got a message from someone, asking me to come meet them. It... it was Emilena. She's got a plan to cure Lily." He swallowed and shook his head. "I... I know trusting her again sounds crazy after... you know. And that's part of the reason I was keeping quiet about it. So if something went wrong, I'd be the only one who had to deal with the consequences." Walking away from the window, the floor creaking, Axel sat on an old, dusty desk and rubbed the bandage over his ear, staring at the floor. "I... I can't think of a reason why she'd betray us again. Lupis already has Lily, and Emilena was home free. Coming back gives her nothing. And the stuff she told me..."

He looked up. "Back at the base, when everything went to hell, I found out what's wrong with Lily. She's been... I don't know how you'd describe it... possessed by some kind of creature, and as time goes on it's taking her over. But... it's given Lily the ability to throw her mind to other bodies. At your mansion, Tony, when Emilena vanished - that was Lily, somehow she managed to teleport her away. And when that happened, it created some kind of connection between Emilena and that creature, so she could see the things that it's seen. And she saw that..." Axel swung his gaze to the gecko. "Vergil, remember that huge rhino that you... fried? He's a clone. Lupis has been making new copies of him again, and again. That means they have the technology to make clones, right there, in the base! Emilena knows how to use those cloning... machines, or whatever they are. And she found Lily's backpack in those woods, with some of her lipstick inside. She has Lily's DNA... If I can get rescue Lily, and get Emilena inside that lab... then we can clone her, and Lily can use her mind-throwing ability to take over the clone! She'd be cured!"

Axel looked desperately between the two of them. "Look, just getting Lily out of there... it's not enough. We have to split her away from that creature, before it's too late, and Emilena's plan is the only hope I have left of doing that..." Reaching behind his back, he unclipped the holster with the tracer gun still inside and held it out for them to see. "She gave me this... If I take it out of this holster, it'll start giving off a signal. Once that happens, Emilena can find me and we... we try to help Lily." Axel gritted his teeth. "So what... what do you guys say?"

Nick22 · **Reply #1451 on:** April 05, 2014, 10:57:40 AM

theres is no way i'm mwessing with that guy" Marie said ' cant we fix him so hes not sounding like a third-rate rapper' Rose asked. ' i think he owes Dr Jiang money, and lots of it, from what ulsa told me' marita sighed. ' i'll go settle him down, i guess.. she said heading towards the wanna-be rapper.

Pterano · **Reply #1452 on:** April 05, 2014, 02:20:41 PM

Tony went silent as Axel began explaining the situation to them, and found out he'd been lied to this whole time since the clinic. But on top of that, there was way more to this than he'd been led to expect. It seemed they couldn't just get Lily out of there now, and had to create a clone of her to get her consciousness back into a normal body. Folding his arms across his chest, the ferret looked down at the floor intently as he listened.

Vergil had an emotionless expression on his face, staring ahead but not looking at anything in particular as new details were outlined. When Axel finished, Tony finally looked up, trying to process all of it. "I just..." he began, shaking his head. "I don't really have any objections. I mean... you're right... what does she have to gain by coming back now? I just... as much as I don't want to trust her... what have we got to lose, at this point?" He shrugged here, still not fully shaking the feeling that he couldn't completely trust her.

"This is gonna require a revision to our plan, then. We're gonna need more time... jesus, why didn't you tell me this sooner?" Tony asked with frustration. "Do you know what would've happened had we set the reactors to blow and you sprang this on me AFTER that?" he demanded. But then he considered... maybe Axel hadn't wanted to say it in front of the others, either. Pausing, Tony composed himself. "All right... at least you told us now... and you probably had your reasons not to say anything beforehand. But we can't go right for those reactors in that case. We're gonna need to move more swiftly and secretively to get Lily to safety AND... get that clone of hers... do you even know how long the cloning process takes?" Tony added here as he thought of it. "Based on that, we can figure out how much time we'll need overall in the base, and go as quickly as possible under the circumstances." he stated, beginning to rethink his plan.

bushwacked · **Reply #1453 on:** April 05, 2014, 07:23:23 PM

"I couldn't say about this sooner," Axel said as he flexed his fingers nervously. "Do you have any idea how much Soren hates Emilena? I've got no idea what he'd do if he saw her again... and I wasn't about to take that chance. She's the only one who'd know how to clone Lily." He bit his lip. "And... no. No, I don't know how long it would take. Not long. If Emilena was here, she could tell us... and it'd be a lot easier to form a plan." He held up the holster and put a hand on the pistol. "So it's alright, then? No arguments against her coming?" Axel looked between the two, then slowly drew the gun out of the protective casing. As soon as he took it out it started transmitting, letting Emilena know exactly where they were.

Axel sighed and put it beside him on the desk. "She said she wouldn't be long, so... I guess while we wait we can start coming up with some kind of strategy." He slid off the desk and padded over to the window again. "Damn it... I was hoping there'd be less of them at the base. You know, if they're planning a mass attack on the city, but..." Shaking his head in frustration, he looked back over his shoulder at Vergil. "You... you said Lily was still there, right? She's not... She's okay?"

-------------------------------------

One floor below, five Purifiers were staring up at the ceiling, listening to the creaks and thumps as people walked around in the office above them.

"I fucking told you I heard something!" one whispered.

"How many up there?"

The short, squat leopard in the middle held up three fingers. He looked at the others and readied his assault rifle. "Let's go."

Pterano · **Reply #1454 on:** April 06, 2014, 01:45:09 AM

"Right... well I don't blame you for holding out... I'd temporarily forgotten just how much Soren hates her. And well... I don't trust her either but... go ahead." He acquiesced, letting Axel pull the gun without any further protest.

Vergil closed his eyes, and concentrated again. "I'm not detecting extreme levels of duress, no, so I would say that for now, she's all right." he responded, reopening his eyes with a smile directed at Axel.

"Right well... I say we head down to street level. Get out in the open to meet her." Tony suggested. "Also... Axel I had kind of only given you half the story before." he confessed as he started heading for the elevator. "See I was thinking... I think Rhaegson's gotta die... and I think I should be the one to do it. If he DOESN'T die... this hatred of augments is just gonna continue and sure, there will be others taking up his mantle, but... it'll cripple them if he dies and we can ensure it by making sure it gets done right and not leaving it up to chance in the explosion. So I was thinking at some point during our infiltration... I go straight for his office and take him out. What do you think?" the ferret inquired, looking between the two of them now, but mostly at Axel.

bushwacked · **Reply #1455 on:** April 06, 2014, 07:22:55 PM

Axel picked up the tracker pistol, leaving the holster behind so it could keep transmitting, and tucked it away. "Going straight after... Rhaegson, was it?" he blinked, following Tony as they made their way back through the office. "You'd... I mean, you'd have to be really careful. I don't know how easy it'd be to get to him... But if you get the chance, if you can see an opportunity..." He looked sideways at Tony and nodded. "Kill the son of a bitch."

Reaching the elevator, Axel leaned over and tapped the button... then frowned as the doors didn't open immediately. From below came a low, muffled groan as the lift rose up. He shot Tony a puzzled glance. "Should..." he started to speak, then stopped as the doors creaked open. He turned to face forwards - and a rifle butt shot out of the elevator, connecting against his nose with a crunch and rocking his head back. As Axel stumbled from the impact, a heavily muscled arm darted out and grabbed the front of his hoodie, pulling him forwards and into the group of Purifiers gathered in the elevator, who were all aiming assault rifles at Tony and Vergil. The one who'd pulled Axel in spun him around and wrapped an arm across his throat, holding him as a hostage. The other four stepped out, keeping their weapons steady on the gecko and ferret.

"Drop your fucking weapons!" shouted the leopard who was holding the dazed Axel, looking between Tony and Vergil. He dug a pistol into Axel's temple. "Now. Or the gleamer fucking dies!" Axel tried to say something, but the blood running back into his broken nose made him choke.

Pterano · **Reply #1456 on:** April 06, 2014, 08:25:19 PM

Tony nodded, and then noticed something odd about the elevator. It had gone down a floor. Reaching for his laser pistol, the ferret whipped it out just as Axel's head got cracked by the rifle butt. Firing off a shot, the red beam sliced cleanly through the chest of one of the Purifiers, the fellow giving him a shocked look as he tumbled down dead on the floor of the elevator.

But Axel was quickly pulled in and taken hostage, and while Tony kept his gun trained on the group, he knew he couldn't possibly kill all of them. "Heh..." He glanced at Vergil, who only gave him a single nod. He knew Vergil could take these guys out, but with Axel... it might be too risky at present. "That doesn't sound like a good idea..." the ferret responded. "See we drop our weapons, you kill all of us anyway... so why don't I just shoot as many of you as I can right now. Might take all of you with me for all you know. Bullshit! I know how you assholes work!" He snapped, keeping the pistol trained on the head of one of them. He didn't show it, but his adrenaline was racing, and he was inwardly terrified of this standoff. "You have to give me some sort assurance you aren't gonna retaliate for that jerk I just dropped! Cause right now... me dying fighting back sounds like a better deal than surrender now and get killed in a few minutes anyway. So put your money where your mouth is and show me some goddamn good faith or I swear to god I'll slice this asshole's head from his body!" he shouted, still pointing the pistol threateningly at one of them.

He didn't let on for the moment how worried he was for Axel, or how worried for his own safety he was, but he knew Purifiers were lying, cheating bastards, and their words weren't worth shit. He needed to somehow make them agree not to harm them, or their lives wouldn't be worth a grain of salt if he lowered his own weapon.

"How about this?" Vergil suggested, stepping forward now to try and diffuse the situation. "You let one of us go to avoid any further shooting, and the other one will surrender willingly. Tony, your father's men are starting to arrive." Vergil told the ferret now, giving him a nod.

"Right!" Tony breathed, gripping his pistol tightly and relieved to hear that. "So what do you guys say? Let one of us go... and I'll put down my weapon." he said, not budging.

aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) · **Reply #1457 on:** April 06, 2014, 09:07:46 PM

Emilena jumped when the scanner suddenly flashed positive. She had guessed the correct side of the base they would attempt to break through. Setting off at a brisk run, she headed for the run-down industrial area surrounding the Purifier base.

She didn't relish meeting the others again. Hopefully Axel didn't screw something up and she was about to walk into some angry mafia goons...

Crawling up behind a large abandoned generator, she peeked at the coordinates of the transmitting pistol. She only saw two people she'd never seen before. Well, crap, what exactly do I do about...

After they spoke to othes, she realized there was a currently a standoff going on. Axel was being held hostage. Her first impulse was to draw her pistol and snipe the hostage-taker, but that hadn't turned out too well for the teammate last time she did that.

Slinking back down the generator, she began circling around. She'd have more options if she could get behind the hostage-taker.

------------------------------------

Nairda giggled. "So, like, when is dis Purifier gonna show up, you know what tha fuck I be saying?" he asked. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! "Cause maybe they didn't take tha bait, you know cuz they have way mo' blingin thangs ta do than bother one anonymous 'came git me' message fo' realz. Such as preparin ta fire a giant laser dat kills dem all up in one fell tha fuck swoop. And what tha fuck shiznit exactly was our crazy asses hopin ta git from tha hostage anyway, biatch? We already have they location, they plan, they base layout, n' they strength up in numbers."

This entire monologue was very poorly rapped to the tune of Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio.

bushwacked · **Reply #1458 on:** April 06, 2014, 09:21:38 PM

The leopard's eyes shone for a second when Vergil mentioned Tony's name. "Tony Stracci... I thought I recognised you. Fucking traitor." His mouth twitched. "And your father's men are coming? You don't say..." He drilled his gun harder against the side of Axel's head. "Stracci, if I wanted to kill you right here, right now, why the hell wouldn't I have done it already? No. It's not going to be that quick. Not for you. I'm sure we're all gonna want to know why you thought you'd attack us. So these are your options."

He tightened his arm around Axel's neck, cutting off the rat's air supply. Axel thrashed, his mouth opening as he desperately tried to suck in a breath, but the leopard's grip was starting to crush in his windpipe, making it impossible. The leopard dragged Axel forwards, out of the lift. "Option A. Both of you drop your weapons, we take you in and you live a little longer. Or option B, watch your friend choke out, my men open fire on you, and you die now." He grinned. Axel's struggles had started to become weaker, his chokes becoming ragged. "Better hurry, Stracci. Looks like you don't have much longer." The leopard stared Tony in the eye. "So what's it going to be?"

Pterano · **Reply #1459 on:** April 06, 2014, 10:24:48 PM

Tony ignored the comment about his father's men gathering. "All right, listen! Knock it off! Cut the crap!" he yelled. "You know damn well you touch one hair on my body and my father will crush your organization and you know he's fully capable of doing so. We have men everywhere... EVERYWHERE... even in your little base, all right? So unless Rhaegson wants to wake up with his balls in his mouth and his entrails hanging out, you'll cut the shit, stop strangling him, and take me to Rhaegson, all right?" Tony started lowering his pistol slowly, but not all the way, watching as Axel was throttled. "Lay off him, cause if I see him pass out, you aren't getting shit, and I'm gonna opt for option B, cause it's sure as shit better than getting tortured to death by you cunts, got it?" he asked, his pistol pointing more at the groin now of the Purifier who had his rifle trained on him.

"I need assurances. No harm comes to me... or these two either. Cause if it does and my father finds out... you're all dead anyway, got it? I'm NOT dropping this weapon till you lay off, and if you don't... well we'll see how many of us are standing at the end of this, capice?" he asked again. He knew he couldn't just give in to this crap. If he did... he could be used against his father... and that was the last thing he wanted. He could NOT compromise his family... even if it meant his own death. The way he saw it, there were no real options anyway, because of the Purifiers' threat against the city. Either they stopped them now, or they didn't stop them at all.

Vergil suddenly sensed the same presence he'd sensed back in the bushes the last time a standoff had occurred. He knew it wasn't hostile, and figured it might be this Emilena they had been talking about before. Good! If they could buy a few more minutes... then maybe... at least he knew Axel would pass out first before dying. It took several minutes for the brain to die from oxygen deprivation after losing consciousness, so they had time. He maintained his non-threatening posture, getting ready to spring into action the minute the tables turned.