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meadowlarklogs2019-11-30 12:31 pm
EVENT LOG 007 | AFTERMATH
WHERE: New Beijing, a train, and then New Amsterdam.
WHEN: The tail end of the operation and the two days after: January 26th-28th.
WHAT: Finishing up the operation, hiding out, and going home.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Violence and unstoppable soldiers. More to be updated as necessary.
At the turn of midnight in New Beijing, the true risk to this plan comes to light. There was always a chance, always a point of awareness that Cassius wouldn't be able to buy his foot soldiers enough time. He knew that this could go poorly, so he was prepared for just that. He knew that the Displaced would, potentially, treat the UNA soldiers as personal enemies. They showed this face with their foolhardy desperation during the EMP's effects, and given an opportunity to assault a weaker, unexpecting bunch, they wouldn't hold back.
After all, not killing the soldiers hadn't been a suggestion made by Cassius showing some sign that he had a conscience or was worried about the death of citizens. No, killing the soldiers would make his job harder: and it did.
After scrambling the distress call for forty-five minutes, Cassius' efforts finally fail when the base finally gets the word out for reinforcements. Switching gears, Cassius sends along a word to the Displaced still in the base, letting them know that their time is running short. They need to get moving, and the UNA has wisened up to Cassius' tactics with the fabricated terrorist attacks on the other side of the city. If it were just one thing, the UNA may not have turned back, but their installed software quickly began to recognize many of the tactical patterns that Cassius employed: they weren't that different from the ones executed by radicalized Morningstar agents in other cities.
The lack of traffic in the city means the deployed soldiers return swiftly. Unlike the ones at the base, these soldiers are heavily armed and prepared for the worst. Even though Judas is definitely offline by the time they arrive, their systems remain operational for now. After all, Judas wasn't online as it was, as he was isolated from the world on a localized quantum server. The weight of Judas' impact on the UNA and its systems are still up in the air for anyone to guess. It's hard to tell what they might have been using him for, and just what weight his own additions had made on their current operations. What's clear is that these soldiers can still move, act, and attack, and there are hundreds of them rushing back in a steady stream of military might.
For anyone in the base, it's time to move. Being caught here probably will mean the end of the road for everyone involved.
◉ The soldiers who show up are not beatable. They will be working in formation and predicting most of what's coming their way, and given the numbers sent out, they will be unstoppable. Unsurprisingly, the larger the unit, the stronger their ingrained instincts happen to be. Think of these soldiers as the boss battle you can't even beat for an achievement. It's the one where you're meant to lose, if you engage at all.
◉ We're fine with any degree of Judas Hot Potato that goes on in the final stages of the base, and recommend that you all work that out on our event aftermath post.
◉ As for who finally hands Judas off to Cassius, we have sign ups at the aftermath post, too! The person who wins that doesn't need to be the person with the potato in the end; some creative juggling can go down for that stage, too!
◉ Anyone who dies on the base will need to be dragged out and taken to a medi-unit or they will be permadead. We are not asking for anyone to have their characters killed here! Everyone can get out safely and unharmed if they haul ass. Or even if they don't! Maybe they got lucky.
◉ Cassius will be wiping any records of the interlopers, making it so that their existence can't be traced. He'll be covering the surrounding areas of the base for a three mile radius. After that, everyone is on their own: they'd better have a plan of escape.
While Cassius will be covering the immediate area of the base, everyone will want to make sure that they don't appear suspicious as they hit the streets of New Beijing. The best place to hide? The lower levels of the city. Despite the frequent police raids, someone can move through the lower levels until they're close to their hotel. All they need to do is move up once they're just beneath their temporary residence. Discarding any unwanted goods along the way down there probably wouldn't hurt.
For anyone who's been injured by the soldiers or by their fellow Displaced, they'll want to stop and do some quick first aid on themselves. Hitting a hospital or clinic like this is risky. For the dead, it's not as if anyone has any choice, so their pal better cook up a good story for what happened along the way. The good news in all of this is that injuries and all, none of the hotels are likely to ask too many questions. The drones that do the room service aren't sentient, and the people who work the front desks simply aren't paid enough to care.
By 9 AM, all the news beats around the city refer to a series of attacks that rocked UN landmarks. While the attacks on the UN government buildings had the mark of Morningstar radicals from New Prague and New Johannesburg, they are not citing them as the individuals most likely to be culpable for these attacks. There is no information about what happened at the UNA HQ, though it seems unlikely that none of that information would have gotten out during the flurry of hasty exits.
Even so, it's likely a good idea that everyone lays low for the final couple of days in New Beijing. That doesn't mean that everyone needs to say cooped up in their hotels. Still, they'll likely want to be cautious while the city is on high alert for suspicious activity.
As for whoever has Judas, they'll get a message late in the evening of the 26th telling them to meet with one of Cassius' resources in the morning. Cassius won't be up for much conversation when the message comes in. Despite all previous communication, any messages sent to him now will be a dead end.
Eventually, it's January 28th and everyone will be headed back to New Amsterdam on a train. It feels as if there's almost a lack of closure, as Judas is most likely gone, the devices that were meant to hold him unable to go through customs. Unlike the previous train, this ride will be an non-stop express from New Beijing to New Amsterdam, and will be largely uneventful. The lack of stops along the way makes it impossible for any temporary havoc to break out. Even the Displaced who didn't pick up express tickets will find that their itinerary has been changed. While the more luxurious seats will remain the same and will offer a bed for anyone looking to rest over the long journey, everyone else's upgrade will treat them to neck pillows and thin blankets to help them stay comfortable.
An event-free ride probably won't mean much for the feelings stewing among the Displaced. Everyone is bound to be feeling something after everything that just happened, so there's still a lot of room for tension now that everyone's been crammed in close quarters on a non-stop train ride. Let's just hope it doesn't get too nasty in there!
◉ El will purchase all of the newcomer Displaced tickets for the way back. All of them will be traveling to New Amsterdam for new job opportunities in the wake of the city's losses, and will be directed to make a statement of intent to move to New Amsterdam permanently.
◉ El won't be purchasing that upgrade, though. If anyone thinks it's Cassius' doing, just blame it on Cassius.
◉ Everyone will be arriving in New Amsterdam around 4 PM with varying amounts of jetlag (or trainlag).
◉ Upon arriving, everyone will begin to see garrish advertisements for both Valentine's Day and Carnival.
Thanks for the great event, Larkers! We have a lot planned to spin out of this one, so we hope that you enjoyed what we cooked up here. Our OOC Aftermath Post is live, which is where we'd like you to direct all of your aftermath questions. We also encourage you to discuss any loose ends for the plot and plan anything else out that's needed!
Otherwise, we intended for this to be more of a low key log while everyone continues to thread out the event. Our next log will be up on December 13th featuring our new arrivals, giving everyone some time between now and then!
diana prince | ota
[Despite all her training, playing backup is not Diana's strong suit. The front line of battle is where she belongs, where she will one day breathe her last breath. Hanging back and patrolling the barricade around the UNA base is not where she wants to be; rather, it is where she feels she needs to be. They'd gotten in easier than expected--it's getting out that will pose a problem. No matter what powers Cassius says he has, she knows he can't keep the UNA distracted for long. Seconds pass, minutes. Nearly an hour goes by, and Diana feels ready to crawl out of her skin from all this waiting. She nervously turns the scrambler mask in her hands, trying to find a way to calm herself as she seeks any sign that they've succeeded or, worse, that they've failed.
Her keen Amazon ears pick up the sound of dozens of boots pounding against concrete just a few blocks away, and she knows the time for waiting is over.
Diana slips the mask over her face as she bypasses the now-deserted gate, checking the lasso at her hip as she goes. She knows the soldiers are right on her heels, but she needs to find the others before she carves an escape path for them; it'll do no good if the gap closes behind her. She wends her way through the base, focusing on what she can hear, praying to the spirits of her gods that she'll find the displaced first.
She doesn't.
The fight starts in a blur; one moment she's alone, the next she's got her arms up, turning away blows that are stronger than they should be. Her own attacks seem to do next to nothing, though she throws everything she has into them. It only takes her a few moments to realize that she can't win. Whether it's because she's too weak now or they're too strong doesn't even cross her mind before she's ducking around a fleet of hoverjeeps parked nearby, slipping between the rows of cars to buy herself a moment to think. But she hears boots approaching, weapons being drawn and cocked. She also hears a second set of footsteps, distinct from the soldiers', and she swivels to see who's stumbled upon this absolute mess, raising a hand to wave them over to her hiding spot. Her voice is a bare whisper, but steady despite the turn this situation has taken.]
There are three of them about thirty yards away. We can't stay here.
ii. come out of the ashes underneath you [hotel aftermath; tw injuries, blood]
[Diana makes it back to the hotel by the skin of her teeth. The UNA soldiers had not given up the chase until the wee hours of the morning, and she'd had to circle around twice to lose them before finally dragging herself back to the hotel. Luckily, the desk clerk has stepped away for the moment, so there isn't anyone around to see how absolutely exhausted and beat up she looks.
Bruises bloom purple across her arms from the blows she'd blocked, and there's a rod-shaped mark across her cheek from where she hadn't been quick enough to dodge one of the soldiers' baton strikes. Small cuts pepper her palms, and there's a nasty gash just behind her left shoulder. Diana has lamented the loss of her divine powers before today, but never before has she felt the cut of her loss so keenly. She'd been too slow, too weak. She hadn't been enough. Retreat had been the only option, she'd known that going in, but she hadn't expected the rout to be quite so thorough.
For the first time in a long time, Diana feels something it takes her a few seconds to recognize: shame.
She bypasses the lobby, making it to one of the first hallways before she has to lean against the wall. Blood has seeped into the back of her shirt, though she's fairly certain her body has already started to heal; at the very least, she isn't bleeding quite as much as she was just a few hours ago. Still, that doesn't mean it hurts any less.
For just a moment, she thinks, she'll close her eyes. Gather herself, take a breath, then finish going to her room where she can lie down and sleep for a day or three.]
iii. a million voices in the crowd [wildcard]
[ooc; i'm down for anything! feel free to pm me or ping me on plurk at
ii
There’s no mistaking her for drunk or drug-addled, there are too many signs of injury. Bag dropped, his hand comes to her back to support in case she falls and is soon damp with blood. He brings a hand up to check the rate of her pulse even as he reaches out with his mind to check the coherency of her thoughts, and recognises her threefold all at once: catches sight of her face, feels the bond open up between them at skin contact and recognises dimly the signature attached to the swimming thoughts his power finds.
Ah. Displaced.
He should’ve anticipated it, given everything. Now he’s left scrambling to pull in the kind of calm that’ll be useful shared across the empathy bond. It comes, mind disciplined enough that he can call on meditative weight when he needs to lower a blanket of surety down over a troubled mind, but it’s incomplete. Deep sadness wriggles about underneath like a lump in the bed even as he pulls on the trappings of a focus that come with experience in both surgery and sorcery to feed back to her.
Stephen searches out for her name. Finds it, though by now his power is so second nature he can’t be sure whether it’s because he knows it or he’s read it from her. ]
Diana.
[ And as soon as he knows her name, he remembers their recent conversation. Not that there was ever any doubt that this was the UNA.
They can worry about disagreements another time. It was a lie, anyway. He’s turning her carefully to prop her more securely against the wall as he checks her face over for its wounds, and to implore her: ]
Open your eyes.
[ Initial assessments first, then they can get her moving. ]
no subject
She's turned halfway to see who it is when the empathy bond opens between them, and it's like a punch straight to the gut. All the air in her lungs leaves in a harsh breath, and for a moment, she sees double. The connection is so unexpected; she hasn't prepared, none of her defenses are up. Diana keeps a tight leash on her emotions when she knows she's about to come into contact with another displaced, but there's no chance for that now. Everything is laid bare for him in those few moments: her shame, her pain, her sorrow. The moment she feels his grief, she slams down that mental wall; the calm that descends upon her is no calm at all, taut as a bowstring, ready to snap at any moment. But she keeps an iron grip on herself, unwilling to give even an inch if she can help it.
It helps, a little, that he does nearly exactly the same thing.
Her eyes snap open at the command, and her concentration on keeping her emotions under wraps doesn't need to slip to make it obvious that she doesn't take kindly to being ordered around. There's a sharpness in her gaze, and she focuses it on him; his hands are on her, moving her, and she is slow to move with him, more out of defiance than anything. She forces herself to stand up straighter, to block out the pain she isn't used to feeling, so they're standing eye-to-eye. Her voice, when she speaks, is rough, coming from a place deep in her chest, calm despite the trauma written over her body.]
And you are?
[She's tried to learn the faces of all the displaced, but they're so scattered about New Amsterdam now that it's become difficult. Some of them leave the safehouse as soon as their new ID's are set up, and once they're gone, tracking them down becomes a burden she isn't equipped to bear. But he knows her name, though she can't place his face; she doesn't like that one bit.]
no subject
At the same time as he's doing this, he's removing his hands from where they're clearly not appreciated. Though not too far. Despite the strength emanating from her, she's potentially on the brink of collapse. ]
Doctor Strange.
[ Doctor, in this context, because it's important. He's here to help. Stephen can come later - his surname is a more recognisable marker anyhow. ]
You've been badly injured. [ Obviously. The tone is professional, matter of fact and firm. Intended to move her away from the offensive defense. This isn't a time for belligerence for its own sake. ] Is it far to your room?
[ He can only assume that's what she's doing here, heading back to a safe place. Ideally they'll get her there sooner rather than later. If anyone else happens across them, it'll be difficult to answer their questions. ]
no subject
Then recognition of his name clicks in her mind, and she has to try a little harder to keep her emotions under control.
Tension thrums through her body again, but she at least manages to keep her expression neutral, her breathing even. Emotional pain is an old friend; it's the physical pain she isn't used to, and what has put her temper on a short fuse. For all the battles she's seen, Diana has rarely actually been hurt, and the fact that the UNA soldiers had seemed to have no problem getting through her defenses is a blow to her pride that won't heal as quickly as her physical injuries.]
I'm aware, doctor.
[Her voice still comes out with an edge, and she regrets that. Diana closes her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and making a conscious effort to get a hold of herself. When she opens her eyes, they're clearer than a moment before; by pure force of will, she makes her tone calmer, almost as if she's reassuring him.]
I'm just a few doors down.
[She lifts a hand to gesture down the hallway, trying not to look at the marks on her skin. Dropping her arm, she pushes away from the wall and stands almost steadily on her own feet. Almost.]
no subject
[ He never can help a quip, but it's without any sting. He leaves her to take her own weight, take control of her own limbs, remaining close at hand despite the early aggression. She's not used to this, that much is clear from the bond. The pain strikes more acutely for the unfamiliarity of it. She's not a woman familiar with losing in battle.
More than that, she's not someone used to taking blows.
The transition from sharp mood to more temperate emotional climes is dramatic and immediate, obviously hard won. She's working through her pain as best she can. Difficult as it can be for him not to try to be the loudest most important voice in every room, he does his best to give her space and avoid aggravating her further as they make their way down the short stretch of corridor to her room.
Instead, his focus spills out to the hallway. He narrowly catches a man about to turn the corner and sends him off in the opposite direction with a sudden question for the front desk, the skin of Stephen's throat tinged a barely-visible blue from the otherwise well hidden glow of his chest. It persists and Stephen continues to hover at her side as he waits for her to make the journey, unwilling to insist he take over until she's been given the chance to make the effort herself. ]
i. playing with matches
He's wary of the other Displaced since one picked a fight with him almost immediately before.
She beckons him over. He hesitates for a second before joining his comrade behind the jeep. He even uses human levels of speed. It's true he had a bit of a loosened tongue at the boutique but Faith hadn't taken kindly to his intervening. Diana's is a warmer welcome than Faith had given him. And it is Diana. He recognizes the voice. )
And six or seven are behind me. ( Does she recognize his voice? ) They're stronger than the soldiers first left behind. They catalogued my every move, anticipating what I'd do next before I made them.
no subject
I've noticed.
[There's a wry hint to her voice, but it does little to make her sound less grave. This is a bad situation all around, and her mind is already churning through possible solutions. Her body, for all its superhuman strength, can't stand up to more punishment like this. It's a hard truth to accept, but once she acknowledges it, things become just a little clearer. When she speaks, her voice is low, sober, almost as if she's speaking to herself.]
We can't go forward, and we can't go back. Where does that leave us, Klaus?
no subject
no subject
I feel like you'd better come up with a different idea, or I'm going to throw this jeep at those soldiers in about five seconds.
[Well, more like flip; she isn't certain she could throw it at her current strength.]
no subject
( They are between two. )
Who knows, it could give us a standing chance. You show me yours.
no subject
Try to keep up.
[With what can be called nothing less than a battlecry, she heaves the jeep over, managing to get some distance on the flip; it hurtles straight towards the soldiers that were following her. Perhaps not with as much speed or height as if she'd been full strength, but certainly more than any average human could get.]
no subject
One second he's by Diana's jeep and the next he's got his hands under one nearby. He waits for shadows to indicate there are soldiers approaching from his side before forcing his hands upward and sending his car careening in their direction. There are no dent marks from his strength, but the tumbling car, the crashing and the broken glass - that's all him. It crunches against the closed doorway, jamming the door from the other side.
He slaps his hands together, as if he's dusting them off as he looks back. )
And now, Diana?
no subject
Though it irks me to say, now we run.
[Because based on how these soldiers have taken her attacks thus far, she's fairly certain that the jeeps won't keep them busy for long. So, she darts off in the direction of the closest fence, glancing behind only briefly to see if he'll follow.]
no subject
But his feat of strength is all him.
He doesn't have to be told twice at least, as Diana makes it to the fence, Klaus does to - but in a flash. Is he showing off, or is he saving himself? Can't it be a little of both? He flings himself at the fence, climbing once he grasps chain link. )
no subject
She hears him approaching, sees him hit the fence just about the same time she does. It takes her bare moments to scale and get over the fence, and she leaps to the ground on the other side without missing a beat. They'd caused enough of a distraction, she thinks, to give the others enough time to escape.]
i.
her presence had been requested by a patron, and she was not one to turn down those who had the ability to help her weave a new story. ]
It would be quite cowardly to hide. [ her lips curl up in a grin that could gut a guy. ] Though I don't plan on doing it for long. We should, however, bide our time for a proper surprise.
[ she's dressed in a dark turtleneck and a pair of faux leather pants. there's a pair of not-so-mortal-made looking boots on her feet, and a tacky jacket with a high fur collar that brushes against her cheeks. in anticipation of a fight, her hair is pulled up into a messy bun, as if a betrayal of her divinity was measured in how much her hair gets in her face.
it doesn't look like she has any weapons, but also she's Loki. ]
no subject
Diana's lips press into a thin line as Loki speaks, and she casts a wry gaze over to her. She's right, of course; for people like her, like them, it is a coward's choice. They're made of tougher stuff than anyone else in this godsforsaken world, and it's irresponsible of them not to use that when they can. She shrugs off her jacket, the same faux leather as her own pants, and drops it carelessly beside the jeep's tire so she has a better range of motion for what's to come. Her shirt is plain, black short-sleeved, perfect for fighting--and hiding bloodstains. She runs a hand through her hair, a little longer than chin-length now; it doesn't seem to fall into her face when she fights no matter how long it is.
A proper surprise. She mouths the phrase to herself, almost incredulous. But yes, what else could she expect? A little mischief and a touch of chaos might serve them well right now, actually.]
Dare I ask if you have any ideas?
[Of course she does. She's Loki.]
no subject
We wait until they pass, then we surprise them from behind.
[ a back-attack is very dishonorable but oh so very Loki. at this point they're at a disadvantage, and she isn't one much for anything but the tactics. they're in this to ensure that there's a proper retreat, not to fight head-on in some show of nobility. she watches Diana shrug off her jacket before her eyes go over to her face. ]
We'll not be able to defeat them, but I'm sure between the two of us there's enough tricks up our sleeves to ensure a proper distraction.
no subject
She doesn't like the idea of a sneak attack, and it shows briefly on her face. But she swallows her pride, and nods. They don't have many options, and though Diana's preferred method of combat is to take things head-on, she knows it isn't the smart move. Antiope will forgive her, she's certain.
Still, she sends up a silent prayer to Athena anyway.]
I'm certain we will.
[She checks the lasso at her hip, then loosens it from the loop of leather that holds it there. If they're going to be a distraction, she needs every tool at her disposal. She doesn't plan to die here, but one never knows what the Moirai have in store.]
I'd judge we have only a few moments. Best prepare yourself.
[Because she's definitely noticed Loki doesn't have any weapons, and it's made her curious. She's never seen this particular god fight, and is curious to know what method of combat she prefers.]
no subject
it's in these moments she misses Thor. ]
Once the last footstep falls, I'll head in. Give me thirty seconds before you follow-up.
[ her lips twist into a smile. finally, a battle. some good fucking fighting. ]
Toodles.
[ there's no footsteps for five seconds and Loki shifts to roll onto the heels of her boots. she breathes out quietly, and then her coat begins to glimmer before beginning to turn invisible. it's like watching a trick of the light, a glare of a mirror and then Loki disappears like she wasn't there at all. she leaves behind the barest shuffle of her feet, and the shift of movement from behind their hiding place. she was heading to the opposite side to cause commotion. momentary confusion. ]
no subject
Then Loki vanishes, and Diana leans very, very hard on that newfound trust for about half a second before thoroughly convincing herself that this is all a part of the plan.
Diana tilts her head, closing her eyes until she can see just slits of dim light from the base's perimeter. She thinks she hears the subtle sound of her footsteps as she heads around the jeep, but it's difficult to tell with the commotion all around. Still, she counts the seconds down in her head, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.]
no subject
it's at seventeen seconds.
the noise dims to the quiet footsteps of the soldiers, before the uproar comes. the soldiers don't usually speak, but the shuffle of feet and the click of weapons is apparent. the attention shifts as the soldiers scramble for formation.
it was going on twenty-six seconds, at least.
Loki knows that usually this would be a piece of cake for her—Diana as the added frosting. without her sorcery, her abilities and her illusions, she had to improvise with her toys. they could stir the pot, make a good distraction, but she doubted that it would cause much damage (or, rather, if it would be in their benefit).
then twenty-nine seconds hits.
(Loki can prove herself punctual.) ]
no subject
Fourteen seconds.
Boots scuff on concrete, and her breath threatens to quicken. She forces it to stop. She trusts Loki to set the trap; it's up to her to help spring it.
Twenty-one seconds.
She can no longer tell exactly where Loki is, which likely means the soldiers can't either. Diana crouches, sliding her hands beneath the undercarriage of the jeep she's been waiting behind. The metal dents beneath her fingers as she grips it. She takes one more breath before the moment arrives.
When thirty seconds have gone by, Diana wastes no time. She lifts with all her might, sending the jeep careening towards the group of soldiers with a great battle cry.]
no subject
she comes into view periodically, using her Seven League boots to crawl up impossible surfaces adjacent to the mess of soldiers to keep them scattered. the goal of this wasn't to kill them—it wasn't to win—it was to allow space and cause enough chaos to let anyone in the vicinity leave.
when Diana flips the jeep, Loki springs up against the nearest pile of storage blocks, takes a leap, and runs across the jeep as it takes its soar through the air. it's a very surreal scene, enough that the soldiers have to take a moment to regroup.
she lands counter Diana in a low crouch, shaking out her jacket behind her. ]
I hope that's just your opener.
[ she says, straightening the furry collar of her jacket. ]
(no subject)