Deathknell:Infosec

Log Title: Deathknell:Infosec

Characters: Arcee, Imager, Punch, RV, Sit-Com, Tetrahedronhead, Turborat, Typhoon

Location: Silent Grill, Helex, Cybertron

Date: April 15, 2016

TP: Deathknell TP

Summary: With the Autobots in the dark about Silent Grill, Elita One orders the capture of one of the Weird Sisters - Singing muses of the dark that patrol the outer grounds of the ruined city. However capturing one may be just as hard as interrogating one.

As logged by Typhoon.

Silent Grill – Helex

 * The Silent Grill is a ruined part of Helex that none dare go. It contains a tunnel network that is the rumoured home of cultists, their consorts, and things that are far, far worse.

Cybertron may very well be dying...again. Don't look at me like that, its sweeps week and the season finale, so there's a planetary issue! Also the first episode of this saga was put up way early and nobody remembers the situation, but that’s on the network. Where was I?

Cybertron may very well be dying, the misericord of destruction this time is Dead Energon, the stale energon harvested by the Unicron Cultists of Silent Grill. While their plan is apparent now, their motives are unclear. Which is where this team of stalwart Autobots come in to play. Their mission: to recover a functioning cultist, remove her from the Grill, and bring her in for questioning at the hands of the stalwart Elita One.

For some, this is a second trip to the mad underground, to others, the first into the realm of monsters and mystery. The gaping hole of the tunnel that leads to the subterranean city emits a stale, putrid funk akin to rusting metal. Scattered about is the junk and refuse of a million years, and yet it all seems a bit worse for wear than anywhere else....

A chill wind roams the lands.

Imager scowls as she looks at the tunnel. The big Femme had been there before, for her own good. She even came across the energon ghost of her former commander, Cloudchaser, though the thought of it wasn't comforting to return. "Ah...Why do I always get the shift jobs?" There's no bite to her words though, just apprehension, "Heya uh..Cee. You were here before too. Any advice for the new guys?"

Junkions know of scrap, and perhaps tangentially about dead things and resurrecting the dead. So Sit-Com's here to assist. Too bad he doesn't have any Revivify Potions or Holy Waters on him. Or would that be Holy Oil? "I need an old priest and a young priest," the Junkion quips, as he peers into the depths of the tunnel. "Stare into the void, but don't let it stare back."

<> Imager says, "that’s uh....that’s good advice there, Sitcom"

Typhoon has been here before as well, but doesn't look very happy about returning. She has the map she made last time and is ready to lead the group to wherever her commander orders, but that doesn't make her seem any more comfortable about the situation. She has her flared-muzzle Whirlwind Gun out and in her hands, and her gaze sweeps left, right, and back rapidly, like she's waiting for something to jump out of every corner.

Arcee remembers her first and second sojourns into this place all too well, which is why she has her weapons handy. "What's there to know, except it's a lot like walking into a trap. You just need to be careful. Supposedly, it's haunted, but keep your wits about you at all times."

<> Imager says, "hey, what was the name of that Neutral that we bribed to lead us down there last time? The one who ran off with all my enerdrinks?"

<> Arcee says, "Oh, that was probably the rat-mech."

<> Arcee says, "You know, I haven't seen him since then, either."

<> Arcee says, "I hope the cult didn't get him..."

<> Imager says, "ehhh...maybe? but I kinda think that self-interest was like...real important to him, so maybe not"

<> Sit-Com says, "Turborat?"

<> Arcee says, "Thank you, Sit-Com. Yes, that's the mech."

<> Sit-Com says, "I knew it was jiggling around in the back of my processor."

Barely a yalm into the depths, where light dares not go, the tunnel down turns sharply to the right. Already Typhoon's map seems to be having issues, even as it keeps flashing 'RECALCULATING' a hundred million times as the party goes off the charted path. Moments later, the nav software proclaims, 'You are...fused into structure. Please phase out, and back up.' Harr harr.

Lights are needed after much further, which is supplanted by Imager's chest crystal, the mighty Helios Array. A shimmering ball of ever-changing light radiates above the party as they move. Whether the structures around them move, or it is just a trick played by the manifested light is undetermined.

``Objects sit in my room....They might be telling me something soon``

Song echoes down the tunnels, coming from anywhere at all. To those that had been here before, this is most likely the work of the Weird Sisters, a trio of singing gaunt Femmes whose purpose is unknown, but seem to walk the tunnels at random. Assuming one could speak normal, it would be a perfect choice for capture. Still you ask me how I feel. I feel lost, Still you ask me how I feel? I feel lost, That's how I feel

"All mechs cover your audios! It's the Sirens!" Sit-Com says.

Arcee frowns. "Remember our objective," she reminds the rest of the team quietly. "We need to capture one of these cultists. Don't let their spook-act fool you. Let's go. Carefully."

She forges ahead into the tunnel, setting her laser-pistol to a very low setting and watching the darkness intently for any signs of movement.

Typhoon glances over sharply and frowns when Arcee mentions the idea of Silent Grill being haunted. Typhoon's tan index finger tightens on the trigger of her Whirlwind Gun, and if it's possible for her to become more hyper-vigilant, she does. She extends the range of the sensors built into her forearms as far as possible, picking up air currents, humidity, pressure-changes - anything that might telegraph a trap before it is sprung.

Typhoon stops when she hears the song, and blanches at Sit-Com's warning. Not knowing if he's kidding or not, she shuts down her audio receptors just in case, and looks to Arcee for how to react. Typhoon sees Arcee speak and move on, but didn't hear what she said. Nonetheless Typhoon follows, but asks for clarification over radio.

<> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "What did you say, Arcee? I turned off my audials."

<> Arcee says, "I just said not to forget about the objective. If we get ambushed by a crowd of cultists, we only really need to grab one of them, and then head out the way we came."

Sit-Com looks around to see if any of his fellow bots have been entranced by the singing, like Odysseus.

<> Weatherbot Typhoon says, "Got it, Arcee! I'll be ready!"

Typhoon's exceptional senses do help indicate some basic direction. The large sea of Dead Energon does radiate just enough energy to allow her detection, therefore she has a steady navpoint to the city proper, though the tunnels seem to be completely reconfigured since the last time.

The tunnel itself opens into a large, dilapidated smelting pool, very similar to the pits at Kaon, though naturally, dating back four eons or more. A scratching sound is heard from one of the cauldrons. Light is cast upon the area, revealing a gaunt faced Femme staring back at the party. Her song continues...

For me, it's more than I can seem to handle. It's the pain, my mind, Is writing on the wall

Another one peers out from a ventilation duct, her hands reaching out towards the factory floor. The third crawls upside down down a wall, the three of them seemingly nonplussed by the intruders, more intent on singing their song than anything further.

Taking a piece of my spark....When you're gone

Sit-Com peers at the cauldron, and at the gaunt femme. "Double double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble," he says, "Need more eye of newt and toe of frog in there?"

Arcee glances around at each of the 'sirens', considering. "Hmm." She has a bad feeling about this situation, mostly because it looks far too simple. She's fairly certain something bad is going to happen if they abduct one of them, but what choice do they have? They NEED to find out how to stop the dark energon, or they might not have a planet to live on for much longer. "Right. Cover me, guys..." She slinks past the cauldron, past the wall-crawler...then heads for the vent shaft, yanks off the cover, and just tries to pull out the third 'siren'. "Come here. We need to talk."

Down one of the round drainage tunnels, behind the Autobots, there was a rumbling sound, faint in the distance but drawing ever closer...

Typhoon doesn't look entranced by the Weird Sisters - just spooked. She leaves her audial sensors off just in case, relying on her sight and the sensor array built into her forearms. When they reach the city and encounter the Sisters directly, Typhoon stops and just stares a moment before pointing at the one crawling upside down down the wall. Typhoon's optics and mouth are wide open, and she turns to make sure others are seeing what she's seeing. When Arcee moves past, Ty lowers her hand and brings up her gun again, moving to back up her commander.

Having been otherwise silent up until now Punch steps up and over to cover Arcee while she has a talk with whoever's in the vent system. Punch is glad his particular brand of espionage never involves sneaking around and climbing through vents.

Usually, walking up and asking does the trick. Punch draws a pair of pistols one he readies to point at the wall dwelling person should they pay too much attention to the extraction the other covering any sudden approach from the three as he stands. He says, "Understood. Covering as best I can."

Nobody seems to pay Sit-Com much mind at first, though the haughty, knowing looks from the three seem to agree with the Junkion's reference. Matter-of-factly they continue. Weapons are brandished without response, even Arcee's moving forward seems to faze them not. Enough. I know. I really did it this time. Tt's a sign, it's...

Then she snags one of them. Offering no resistance as Arcee pretty much throws her over the shoulder, the Weird Sister is pretty much helpless. The other two Weird Sisters recoil in shock, and in unison, they scream.

Everyone but Typhoon can hear their clarion call, as the very tunnel itself reflects their sounds too far, far into the depths... The Banging, clanking motor sound in the tunnel behind gets louder. A puff of smoke, pushed out from something solid forcing the air out, suddenly bursts into the room in a great cloud that expanded into a ring.

And just on its' tail was an eight wheeled 'tube runner', some which may recognise as Turborat. Late to the party, but it seems here in time. HE locks his breaks, squealing across the floor loudly and coming to a stop as he fishtails across the room. The engine idles loudly, and he pants a single word, even while his worn out wheels start to turn again.

"RUN!"

There was no way he was there already. With the squelch of metal, the tip of an enormous blade pierces the tunnel wall, and with great ease, the metal gives way beneath the weapon. Emerging from the dark depths of Silent Grill is its legendary protector. The Tetrahedronhead!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy_AQEogQdU

Powerfully built, and baring any outer frame at all, the mech is only partially built, his head replaced by a four sided triangle, the seemingly invulnerable, and immortal guardian of Silent Grill charges the party at large.

They have their target, now they need to escape while they can!


 *  Imager says, "SKILL CHALLENGE SYSTEM STARTS NOW!"
 *  Imager says, "4 active players, over three rounds... you need 84 points to survive the encounter as you FLEE like the wretches you are, trying to navigate back to the surface"
 *  Imager says, "You may try to use STR and FRP to slow him, but you'd better stay in motion"


 *  Tetrahedronhead says, "because I'm ready to kill"
 * <OOC> Arcee sorries, guys, I haven't actually earned my 'Wise Party Leader' merit badge...I bought it in a pawn shop
 * <OOC> Tetrahedronhead says, "every round, the player with the lowest roll will be attacked...by ME"
 * <OOC> Imager says, "POSE AT YOUR LEISURE"
 * <OOC> Punch says, "You don't scare me. I wish you did but my courage is too high."
 * <OOC> Turborat is pondering how to help.
 * <OOC> Tetrahedronhead says, "just not too leisurely"


 * <OOC> Imager says, "so you'll pose, then roll a stat of your choice. You need between you all, 84 pts before the end of round 3"

The Flying Winnebago begins to unfold and twist around, transforming into the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful keeper of Da Schwartz: RV.

Turborat revvs his tires again as the giant mech starts appearing, cutting through the walls like butter "Oh oh OH! This way, this way!" he shrieks, the sound almost blending in with his voice as he shifts gears... and ends up going BACKWARDS, back the way he'd come and down the tunnel "Run! this way!"

GAME: Turborat PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

GAME: Turborat FAILS a COURAGE roll of High difficulty. <OOC> Imager says, "there will be a hidden bonus and hidden penalty as always, that may make or break you"

Arcee still has the captured Weird Sister over her shoulder when the Tetrahedronhead thing appears. "Okay, we got what we came here for, let's book it. It's going to be a fighting retreat!" She holds the captive steadily, fully preparing to get hounded by the other two sisters and whatever this multi-faceted head thing is.

GAME: Arcee FAILS an AGILITY roll of Above Average difficulty.


 * <OOC> Imager says, "okay Arcee, do you have a skill or ability you'd like to use for a reroll?"
 * <OOC> Arcee says, "Yeah, Quick Wit"
 * GAME: Arcee PASSES an AGILITY roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * <OOC> Imager says, "13 pts for round 1 so far!"

"Okay, time to go! Move, move, move!" Punch says floating ever-so slightly and moving backwards as fast as he can whilst remaining the back marker for the convoy, using a little of his flight system to keep him from tripping. In the early part of the retreat giving the others time to get moving and his being the focus of the enemy, so they identify him as first target. Not fun for him, true, but the objective's what matters.

RV has been here all along. His Junkion armor seems to blend well with the dank and decrepit nature of this place. His gentle blue optics widen as the wall right next to him is rent open by the giant blade, and he chastises himself, "On your tombstone it should read, 'Always in the wrong place at the wrong time.'" He ducks down as the blade swings, and rolls forward, "You're not my supervisor!"

GAME: RV PASSES an AGILITY roll of Very High difficulty.

Typhoon's sea-blue optics widen even further, and she screams as Tetrahedronhead comes cutting through the wall. She motions 'go go go' and moves in between Tetrahedronhead and Arcee, trying to act as a Weatherbot shield to give Arcee a chance to get a move-on before following her as quickly as she can. As she backs away, she raises her weapon, and glances in between Arcee and Tetrahedronhead as Typhoon tries to protect her commander as best she can, not realizing Punch is trying to draw Aggro as well.


 * <OOC> Typhoon says, "OK. AGI/6 to try to be a shield for Arcee. =)"

GAME: Typhoon FAILS an AGILITY roll of Above Average difficulty.


 * <OOC> RV says, "Likewise."
 * <OOC> Imager says, "13+16=29 pts on turn one out of 84 pts, you're doing well so far"


 * <OOC> Imager says, "Ty, do you have a skill you can use to declare a reroll?"
 * <OOC> Typhoon says, "Survival?"
 * <OOC> Imager says, "sure"
 * GAME: Typhoon FAILS an AGILITY roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * <OOC> Typhoon says, "Sad trombone!"


 * <OOC> Imager says, "total points now that we have 6 players is 94 needed for victory. 29/94 pts so far, Sit-Com to go"

Sit-Com gets out a vial and tries to splash the Tetrahedron thing. "The power of Primus compels you! The power of Primus compels you!" he shouts, hoping this works, or maybe shorts the thing out.


 * GAME: Sit-Com PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * <OOC> Imager says, "there we go, 6 more pts"

It was as if the Autobots EXPECTED things to go bad! Their retreat is both orderly and quick. With Turborat in motion, leading the initial movement, the Bots are clearly out of the line of fire as Tetrahedronhead bursts through the wall. Punch and Typhoon both form a rearguard behind Arcee, with RV's initial position closer to Tetrahedronhead, RV almost loses his head except for the timely duck and scramble. Perhaps some part of the great neolithic guardian feared Sit-Com's meme-based attack, but as he hefts his greatsword, its a good chance that that was a one time gimmick.

It was Typhoon who let down her guard as Tetrahedron pursued the group, he barrels forward with surprising speed as he moved to wordless impale the Weatherbot.

Seems to be a lot of fighting for a run, but you know those Autobots, they love to die heroically. (nonsense)

With Imager in middle of the pack, the party follows Turborat into some more poor terrain, a series of steam pipes that hiss occasionally as water pools up underfoot, and in some larger pools. Meanwhile, a vault door is noted up ahead, having been cast open for unknown reasons. Perhaps the party is going further underground, perhaps to the surface. One thing is for certain, the layout of the tunnel network seems to change every so often...

>> Tetrahedronhead strikes Typhoon with Slice. <<


 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND TWO START 35/94 pts to victory"

"Hey Turborat? It would benefit us a /lot/ if you could just...please...direct us toward the top-side exit," Arcee calls out, right after noticing the weird headed creature just impaled poor Typhoon. "If you could, please! Let's just keep moving, good work, everyone!" She keeps a very steady hand on her captive as she tries to keep the party going in the proper direction and acting on one accord. Things can turn chaotic down here in an instant, and she wants to be able to succeed in /something/, at least where this crazy cult is concerned. She wants to be able to say everyone got out, more or less, in one piece and the objective was met. To herself, she focuses on THE EXIT. And on KEEPING THE CAPTIVE SECURE. She tries very hard to not think too much about the monstrous things that plow through walls around here. The sooner they get out, the better.


 * GAME: Arcee FAILS a LEADERSHIP roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * <OOC> Arcee says, "Definitely re-rolling that one...gimme a sec"
 * <OOC> Arcee says, "Tactics."
 * GAME: Arcee PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * <OOC> Imager says, "good choice"
 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND TWO IN PROGRESS 41/94 pts to victory"
 * <OOC> Arcee says, "Free round at the Hole in the Wall bar if we make it out of here alive! :)"

Sit-Com continues to try to drive back Tetrahedronhead, and when the rest of the group hightails it, he transforms into junkcycle mode to peel rubber and do a break stand before darting away with the others! Sit-Com folds down into his Junkcycle Mode. Vroom, vroom!

GAME: Sit-Com PASSES an AGILITY roll of Above Average difficulty.

<OOC> Imager says, "ROUND TWO IN PROGRESS 47/94 pts to victory exactly halfway there"

RV falls into formation with the rest of the group. He hears more than he sees the blade slice into the Weatherbot. With a determined look, he spins around on his big, blocky feet. Reaching a hand toward Typhoon, he adopts a sardonic tone, "You know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. You get a little pat on the back, blah, blah, blah, attaboy. You get divorced. Your wife can't remember your last name. Your kids don't want to talk to you. You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself." His fingers close around Typhoon's shoulder as he moves to shove her behind his larger frame, "Trust me, kid, nobody wants to be that guy." He deliberately tries to be a wall between Tetrahedronhead and the rest of the group. A wall that his friends can shoot around.


 * GAME: RV FAILS an AGILITY roll of Extreme difficulty.

It was hard to tell if Turborat heard Arcee or not, as the twisting passage seemed to go UP... and then DOWN and then back again. The only thing that seems to keep the vehicle-formed Transformer from outrunning the others was the occasional debris and sharp turn ahead. "Gotta keep going... go go, dont stop. I know the way, I know the way..." but the way kept CHANGING, and he worked to keep up, finally skidding to a halt.

A long pause, then he turned and went down a new passageway "This way! Its' a safe way!"


 * GAME: Turborat FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.


 * GAME: Turborat PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

<OOC> Imager says, "ROUND TWO IN PROGRESS 55/94 pts to victory"


 * GAME: RV PASSES an AGILITY roll of Extreme difficulty.


 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND TWO IN PROGRESS 65/94 pts to victory"

RV. o O (The Tiny Foxtato believes in me. I CAN DO THE THING!)

Typhoon erks as her shield gambit works a little too well, and she's impaled, Tetrahedronhead's greatsword slicing through Typhoon's thick Weatherbot armor like it was warm butter. Typhoon accepts RV's hand and pushes herself backward off the massive sword and retreats, her thought to offer transport for the captured witch now shifted to that of mere survival. Clutching her weapon across her ravaged abdomen, Typhoon sticks near the floor and walls of the tunnel, using its topography to help her move quickly while staying out of sight of another attack.


 * <OOC> Typhoon says, "OK. DEX/6 to try move quickly using the tunnel layout to her advantage in not being a target"
 * GAME: Typhoon PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Above Average difficulty.

Calmly and with a friendly conversational tone Punch says to Typhoon, still ever so slightly floating as he picks his way backward, "I appreciate your having a stab at things but, please, don't be cut up if I ask you to pick up the pace so I can try for a riposte on the big guy there. See if I can't slice up his advance into more managable portions."

Punch then steps up the amplitude and projects over his shoulder with all the command his vocaliser can muster "Keep moving quickly! I feel a performance coming on that'll bring down the house! So make a move and make it fast!" Punch already has a plan. The others being further away is all he needs to meet the additional objective. "You too.." Punch adds to RV, "... I need room to work."


 * GAME: Punch PASSES a LEADERSHIP roll of High difficulty.

<OOC> Imager says, "ROUND TWO IN PROGRESS 79/94 pts to victory"

There was light at the end of that tunnel, or at least elevation. Tetrahedronhead rushes forwards after Typhoon, the smell of her energon on his blade only forces the inevitable guardian of Silent Grill into some wild frenzy of violence. Punch keeps the troops organized as he warily guards Typhoon's egress. Turborat as before, being the forward scout of the team, apparently one of the few Cybertronians able to navigate the wayward maze of Silent Grill. Soon Arcee passes Imager, Sit-com rolling along beside her, and soon Imager starts to be left behind by the others high speeds. The Femme was certainly infatiguable though. Suddenly steam fills the air before Imager, coating her in her dreaded nemesis, WATER!

The Femme gags as she staggers, her hands splashing into a pool of the horrid, horrid liquid. "Agghhhh!" She announces eloquently, as the light flickers and goes out for several moments.

SKILL CHALLENGE PENALTY: NOBODY TRIED TO TURN OFF THE WATER FLOW. - 5 pts.

And soon it was RV in the dark, with a lumbering monster before him. The massive armor-less monster shows no mercy in the dark, as it attempts to behead the Junkion immediately, eeriely silent.

>> Tetrahedronhead misses RV with Slash. <<

<OOC> Imager says, "ROUND THREE START 74/94 pts to victory"

"Punch...wh...what are you doing," Arcee asks, sounding stunned as she continues heading in the direction Turborat is taking them. "Typhoon, are you alright?? ...Where's Imager??" She gets her thoughts together, then tries to do a quick 'head count' to make sure the party's all still together.


 * GAME: Arcee PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Above Average difficulty.

"I'm melting, I'm melting!" a falsetto Junkionish voice cries out and cackles. "What a world!"

<<Autobot>> Imager says, "Shut the truck up, Junko"


 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND THREE START 80/94 pts to victory"

<<Autobot>> Sit-Com says, "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too."


 * GAME: Turborat FAILS a COURAGE roll of High difficulty.

Sit-Com notes that Tetrahedron head is getting uncomfortably close again, so he burns a U-ie, fires his net, and then burns another U-ie to get away!

Sit-Com transforms first, to use the net... The motorcycle splits apart and re-forms into the jovial form of Sit-Com. Let the laugh track begin!


 * >> Sit-Com strikes Tetrahedronhead with Net <Low>. <<
 * >> Tetrahedronhead temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<


 * GAME: Sit-Com FAILS a STRENGTH roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * <OOC> Sit-Com says, "that was a 6"
 * <OOC> Imager says, "noted, looks like he can break out of the net fairly easily."
 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND THREE IN PROGRESS 80/94 pts to victory 4 players to go!"

The sword suddenly scrapes the top of RV's shoulders, sparks flying as paint and metal are shaved off. The tall Junkion is standing there headless, his arms flailing for it. His voice echoes from his chest cavity, "Hey, Moe, I'm goin' blind!" Fortunately, that's where his head retracts when he transforms, and it pops up like a turtle from his shell, "Now that's what I call a close... shave?" He looks around as he backs away from whatever Punch has planned, wading into the seem, "Appears we've sprung a leak..." He starts looking around for the source, because this is really going to make navigation scetchy at best.


 * GAME: RV PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of Above Average difficulty.


 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND THREE IN PROGRESS 86/94 pts to victory 4 players to go!"

Turborat was completely and entirely terrified... but perhaps there WAS a little bit of loyalty in him to the Autobots. They had helped him out, and gotten him home.

And they havent paid him yet for this specific trip.

So he slows, his engine knocking painfully loud as black soot pumps out of his exhaust pipes, following the curve of the roof. His scanners sporadically whip about, looking for - "There! that way!" he bolts for the Vault door, transforming. He staggers, trips, and falls over, several peices of armor shattering as he reaches up to grasp at the door closing "HURRRY!"


 * GAME: Turborat FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of High difficulty.
 * <OOC> Turborat hrms. I dont know if 'slinking' would work. Finding Things?
 * <OOC> Turborat says, "I dont remembe.r Last round anyways. Finding Things"
 * GAME: Turborat FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of High difficulty.


 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND THREE IN PROGRESS 86/94 pts to victory 2 people to go, its a photo finish!"

Typhoon follows the walls of the passage, frustrated at how they've seemed to shift since she was here last and her usual go-to skill - navigation - fails her. Her own nemesis - water blocking her path - rears its ugly head, she sees rather than hears Imager get doused as the light suddenly go out in the tunnel. Continuing to use the topography of the tunnels to her advantage, Ty tries to grab Imager and pull her to higher ground, up and away from the dreaded water.
 * <OOC> Typhoon says, "OK. STR/7 to try to grab the bigger femme and drag her up and away from the water"
 * GAME: Typhoon PASSES a STRENGTH roll of High difficulty.
 * <OOC> Imager says, "ROUND THREE IN PROGRESS 93/94 pts to victory PUNCH, ROLL a 1 for Primus' sake!"

"Arcee. If I told you first... it'd spoil the surprise! Just keep moving!" Punch calls behind him happily. Hovering a little higher to be doubly sure not to trip Punch sends his pistols away in a flash of subspace. In their place he has some of his mortar shells in hand. Some quick arranging of the firing pins, a little tear of the backing to the external plate of one of the rounds in particular then Punch wraps the lot together, with the de-plated round in the middle of the bound bundle.


 * GAME: Punch FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of Immense difficulty.
 * <OOC> Punch says, "What?! It's tricky. Insanity for the reroll."
 * <OOC> Imager says, "well that really is insane, sure go for it"
 * GAME: Punch FAILS a TECHNICAL roll of Immense difficulty.
 * <OOC> Turborat says, "I still get paid right?"
 * <OOC> Typhoon LOL @ Rat

<OOC> RV says, "Ah, confused it with the '4 active players' bit. B)"

What was an organized withdrawal ends up becoming something a bit less organized. Punch's demolition skills are unfortunately hit by the Soggies from the steam vents, and is left wanting. Sit-Com attempts to slow the great behemoth with his electronet, but it catches on his blade, and he throws it aside in disdain. Typhoon does help Imager to her feet, the big Femme having unabashed gratefulness on her face for once. It was all for want of a vault wheel. Time and rust had frozen the wheel that Turborat handled, desperate to get it closed before the monster approached.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjX7_et9YPE

The room on the other side was wide, illuminated, and sparse. And there before a small lantern was an old Femme of some sort. As the party sought solace, or perhaps continued to run, it was noted that Tetrahedronhead did not follow. And soon the door was slammed shut, and the hatch tightened...

As Typhoon helped lug Imager along, and that Femme definitely uses the word 'lug' when being carried/assisted. RV found one of the correct gaskets to close off the rest of the steam vents to help allow the two further passage without any more horrid, horrid water.

It's a mad, uncoordinated scramble for the exit. "Go, gogogo guys!" Arcee exclaims, still clinging to the 'prize', her captive, who probably isn't going to be very cooperative once they return to base. The going is...somewhat disgusting, but not as bad as it had been earlier, with that...dark water. She'll have to see if Imager suffered any ill effects from being in that.

Once they're on the opposite side and on their way back to freedom, Arcee rests for a moment, to secure her captive with more fitting electro-restraints. Nothing to hurt her, of course, just to ensure she doesn't try any funny business. "Well. That was something," she comments with a half-grin to the others.

RV smiles as the water ceases, "Now that's more like it..." He pulls out his trusty weapon, the one that everybody wishes that had. He ignites the pilot light on Spaceballs - The Flamethrower! He reaches up to his helmet and taps an imaginary comlink, "I want you to lay down a suppressing fire with the incinerators and fall back by squads to the APC, over." He fires a burst of flame to cover the others' retreat, calling out, "DRAAAAKE, WE ARE LEAVING!" The flamethrower lights up the hallway as he backs through the door with the rest... and then the horror is over.

Typhoon drags Imager out of the dark water and as far as she can haul her... but as soon as they're outside and safe, Typhoon's failsafes refuse to be reset anymore and Typhoon falls forward onto her hands and knees on the ground, energon mixed with oil running freely from the great wound that's pierced right through her body. "Arcee," Ty gasps as her vocalizer starts to falter. "Imager might ne-" Ty collapses forward onto the ground and lays still.


 * >> Tetrahedronhead strikes Arcee with Stomp. <<
 * >> Tetrahedronhead strikes Arcee with Stomp. <<

And then suddenly a blade pierces the wall, and plunges into Arcee's back, out her front and then into the Weird Sister. The blade impales the strange Cultist just as horribly as it did Arcee, causing her to freeze in trauma and turmoil....the blade wedges upwards, using Arcee's form as a fulcrum, bringing the weapon up under the Sister's chin, and then it reverses grip. Energon spills from the two, as the Weird Sister is practically bifurcated by the violence.

The blade then withdraws back into the wall from whence it came. But even Silent Grill....has its mercies.

Arcee looks like she's going to respond to Typhoon, but before she can, she has an enormous blade run through her, and she's too stasis-locked to respond. Her systems in critical shock, she just collapses and bleeds out onto the ground.