Quintesson Invasion - 9/1/2013 - Capturing Joes

Log Title: Capturing Joes Characters: Lowdown, Sicarius, Temera Location: Los Angeles Date: 9/1/ 2013  TP: Quintesson Invasion Summary: Sicarius, the Quintessons' tactical operative, is searching for humans to bring before his masters for trial. A pair of unfortunate GI Joes on patrol have fallen into his sights. Los Angeles

Conflicting images of Los Angeles flicker across our television and movie screens: Hollywood glamour contrasts with gang violence, year-round sunny skies with smog, fast cars with traffic jams. From what travelers can gather, Los Angeles is a land of style and disaster, movers and shakers and earthquakes. Residents are accustomed to a rhythm that alternates between relaxation and stress, but out-of-towners -- fortunately -- tend to experience much more of the former. The nation's second-largest city (after New York), L.A. is a great place in which to do business or take a vacation. Marvelous restaurants, terrific nightlife, beaches, diverse cultural offerings, Disneyland and easygoing attitudes converge in a vast territory flooded with sunshine and lined with palms. Nearly everyone should see L.A. at least once, though a single trip will hardly be enough to appreciate such a vast area that's jam-packed with things to do.

Los Angeles is definitely not the same place it was a month ago. Even though the resistance has been running patrols near the refugee camp, the Quintesson agents have been getting bolder. They've even started hitting the patrols. Lowdown's been tasked with overwatch, scouting out the area for potential threats. He moves through the shadows, feet barely even crunching in the debris that litters the ruined streets and alleys.

Temera is on patrol, sticking damned close to the camp though, frowning as she watches everything, smelling and trying to sense for heat signatures, to see if she can notice something unfamiliar. She watches as well, frowning concernedly.

Just the faintest blur of movement is all that betrays the Quintesson agent's pressence from conventional prying eyes. Close to camp is usually the best place to grab people. They're more confident, more complacent. Sicarius moves slowly down an alleyway.

Lowdown is about two blocks away from the camp, his Intervention held at a ready position. His visor is set to a minimum filter, along with the earmuffs. He listens carefully for any sound of movement.

Temera keeps watching for potential issues. She still watches for heat traces, smells, or blurs, keeping on her guard. She sights down her weapon barrel, watching...

Sicarius spots a lone person patroling at the end of the alley, moving quickly behind a dented dumpster. He moves slowly, unslinging his rifle, waiting to see if she notices him...

Lowdown moves to a street corner, sweeping up and down both directions, looking for trouble. Spotting none, he continues on his patrol.

Temera keeps holding her rifle, watching for anything still, and trying to step very cautiously and silently. A sudden noise spooks her and she jumps, whirling and pointing her rifle... only to find that the noise was a stray cat jumping down from somewhere. She takes a breath, trying to relax herself just a tiny bit from it.

Sicarius, seeing that his target did not notice him, moves out from behind the dumpster. Moving slowly up behind the woman, there's a sudden whir of hydraulics. The adaptive camoflage can't compensate for the rapid movement, and the orange-plated agent comes into view. Dashing up behind Temera, he tries to wrap one arm around her neck and place her in a figure-four choke hold. >> Sicarius succeeds with its generic combat roll on Temera. <<

Lowdown still has no idea anything's wrong back near the camp. He moves further down the street, sweeping high along the rooftops. He's read numerous reports about the Sharkticons dropping down from rooftops to ambush patrols and rescue operations.

Temera yelps and hisses loudly, trying to fumble for a way to respond, growling. She doesn't squirm initially, though she throws her arms up at the one around her neck, in the standard futile gesture of trying to pull it away. Except that well, other people don't have claws the way she does. And she isn't about to get taken that easily. >> Temera misses Sicarius with Claw. <<

Sicarius feels the overlapping plates on his armor being pried open by something sharp. He drops the choke before those claws can find something vital, but not without retaliation. The right hand splays open as it withdraws, to let her know she's not the only one with claws. >> Sicarius strikes Temera with Claw. <<

Lowdown thought he heard something for a moment, pausing in his tracks. The rifle sweeps back toward the direction of the camp. He drops into a kneeling position, peering through his scope. There's too many buildings in the way to really see anything, though.

Temera shrieks out as she's clawed, growling and trying to dive for her dropped weapon, wanting to get it back up and start shooting. She swears to herself as she does that. "Can't get captured here..." she mumbles.

Sicarius doesn't give Temera a moment's reprieve. Seeing that she's going for her weapon, he steps in quickly. Servos hiss as a heavy metal boot rises up, moving to stomp down on the weapon. At the same time, he reaches one hand down to grip her by the back of the neck and lift her off the street. >> Sicarius succeeds with its generic combat roll on Temera. <<

Lowdown /definitely/ heard the shriek, catching the sound as it echoes through the empty streets. Swearing to himself, he abandons stealth and breaks out into a run.

Temera growls and squirms as she's neck lifted by something else with claws, knowing she's going to get her neck ripped out with the wrong move. She doesn't falter for more than a moment though from it, trying to make a backwards kick to the jaw and face to force a release if she can. >> Temera misses Sicarius with Kick. <<

A hiss of air escapes from beneath the helmet as that foot comes back. He leans his head to the side, dodging the foot. He suddenly drops to one knee, trying to bring the Joe down onto her stomach where he can drop his weight on her. >> Sicarius strikes Temera with Slam. <<

Lowdown moves as quickly as he can and still sweep the streets ahead. The last thing he needs is to run smack into an ambush on his way to play the hero. It actually takes half a second to register that he's gotten to where he needs to be. He skids, actually having to spin around as he drops to a knee. The rifle comes up, and he takes only a second to sight in on the orange armor... >> Lowdown strikes Sicarius with Snipe . <<

Temera oooofs at that and gets smaacked down into the pavement, hissing and yelping as she impacts. She groans softly, struggling to get herself moved back around to hwere she can do something.

Sicarius's left shoulderplate is punctured by the rifle shot. Hydraulic fluid, mixed with blood, seeps out of the hole. He leans slightly toward Temera to put more weight on her, but shifts his main focus to the sniper. Grabbing his rifle, he quickly unshoulders it. There's a deafening *THUMP* as he fires a railgun shot at Lowdown. >> Sicarius misses Lowdown with Railgun . <<

Lowdown sees the weapon come up and drops quickly to ground. He can't hold back a slight groan as the sonic boom of the weapon reaches him. That hurt his ears, and left him a bit disoriented. With the ringing still in his head, he brings the weapon around again, firing off another shot. >> Lowdown misses Sicarius with Intervention. <<

Temera tries to use the distraction to squirm beneath, trying once again to get her fingers into the plates, this time trying to slash sideways beneath if she can get them in at all. >> Temera strikes Sicarius with Slash. <<

Sicarius lets out a *HUFF* of air as the claws slip beneath the plating around his waist, a slight gurgling noise also escaping. There's a tiny whine of capacitors charging, and Temera might feel a tingle at the back of her neck... right before he discharges an electrical shock. >> Sicarius strikes Temera with Shock Blast . << >> Temera temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<

Lowdown growls as he sees the Quintesson agent release the electrical blast. He moves quickly to his feet, bringing the rifle with him. He shouts, trying to get the operative's attention, "Hey! Over here!" Okay, so it's cliche. Who cares if it works? He fires off another shot from his CheyTac as he closes the distance. >> Lowdown strikes Sicarius with Rifle . <<

Temera cries out again as she gets shocked, dropping for the moment down onto her face, groaning softly and shivering.

Sicarius's chest is struck by the bullet this time, resulting in a larger trickle of vital fluids. The rifle begins to shift and reconfigure, attaching to his arm. There's a hum as energy builds up inside the barrel. There's a visible pulse in the air as fires off a blast of neutron radiation at the sniper. >> Sicarius strikes Lowdown with Neutron Cannon . <<

Lowdown is overcome by injuries, losing consciousness. Lowdown's legendary control is out the window. He lets out a scream as the radiation hits his body, tearing through his systems and causing unspeakable pain. He stumbles and falls to the street, pain wracking his entire body. His vision blurs as his brain starts to shut down, refusing to deal with this situation.

Sicarius stands up straight, taking stock of the situation. One Joe electrocuted, and another irradiated. He reaches down and lifts the woman over his shoulder. He walks down the street, giving the same treatment to the man, and heads off in the direction of the Bellum.