3367/Scorched Earth

Scorched Earth
Date of Scene:	10 November 2015
Location:	Far Away Galaxy - Kuat
Synopsis:	HK-47 has set his sensors on yet another target and laid a dastardly trap for her.
Cast of Characters:	20, 204, 301, 754, 799, 899, 903

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HK-47 (754) has posed:
    In terms of worlds important to the Galactic Republic of this era, few were more important in terms of infrastructure or production then the planet of Kuat. The primary source point for shipyard standards in the civilized Galaxy, Kuat could arguably be considered the core component of the Galactic Republic's naval production system.

    As a result... anything equivalent to a disaster or emergency on this world was more then just a concern - it was regarded as a priority to rectify as soon as possible.

    Of course, the Republic - still recovering from at least three intensive wars in the last fifty years or so alone - was still rather incapable of answering emergencies on the level of a plateau - one housing a relatively-young resource-depot settlement - suddenly becoming seismically unstable for what seemed to be no reason.

    That being said... the Republic had not quite adjusted to the Warpgate network as easily as some realities had. Namely because the fear of an oppressive Empire had made them almost excessively paranoid of incursion through the gates by enemies. In fact, under normal circumstances, the Republic would not have called for help or involved themselves with any multiversal forces in a vain belief that doing so would limit the chance of incursion.

    Yet, in spite of that paranoia... there's no escort. No response force. Nothing to indicate an actual rescue in progress... unless the effort has already been completed, which seems to be the case as there's no trace of anyone in the town itself.

     if not for that disconcerting fact, the sight of the expansive mesas and plateaus of Kuat - many of them dotted by forests or light grassland at the feet of the towering expanses of stone - might be an enjoyable sight. This would also normally be complimented by the visible outline high up in the sky of the massive artificial planetary ring that served as the Kuat orbital construction facilities... though in Toph's case, this will likely be less 'impressive' as she cannot see past the features of the ground.

    What she may take notice of is what's directly in front of the warpgate - a depot settlement primarily oriented for storage, utterly devoid of life. Further down - past the edge of the plate and down near the actual surface - is a mining center where minerals and resources are being cleared out, likely with the intent being to eventually add a storage area and a foundation support.

     The ground /should/ be relatively stable though... yet it seems to be disrupted by some form of seeping vibration at it's 'roots'. Almost like something just... randomly shook that specific area up around the mining area.

    Not quite a tectonic shift... but there is some form of shifting coming from below the plateau that supports the settlement and caved in the tunnels being carved out beneath it.

     At this point, local radio crackles to life - and a rather nervous-sounding male voice sounds out - "Y-you the relief forces? I picked up the gate going off - I sure as hell /hope/ you're the rescue team! I've got people trapped down here!"

    A shaky sigh issues out before it continues... and complicates matters with the truth of the empty town. "Basically... well, there was some sort of emergency called - everyone was told to hunker down. We thought it was the Sith or something! So we made it to the bunkers at the plateau base - but then some flash-earthquake or whatever wrecked the tunnels!. If it's not stopped, the plateau's going to come down on us all - the bunkers'll be crushed... and us with them!"

    As if to validate his claim, the sounds of several other terrified-sounding people are heard on the other end of the radio.

    And so the first objective is clear - enter the tunnels and find out what could have caused a stable excavation to collapse in such a way that it's threatening the entire plateau.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Seismic disturbances might be unsettling for most people, but then again there are people drawn to those things, like some people who seek out twisters. And the self proclaimed greatest earthbender of all time couldn't help be curious about information ticking in about what's going on in this place. Especially when there are people who needs saving and the Union was informed of this situation. After spending time with the Avatar and then serving in the Union, she can't deny that it's appealing to be the hero, so she wasted no time in getting to Kuat along with the rest of the rescue team.

    The ground itself is interesting enough, though she is curious about the underground complex and the various parts that form it. It's easy to sense that there are people there, though it's hard to tell from far away just what is going on. But the faint vibration isn't lost on her sensitive seismic sense either. There are cave ins, and she can't help but wonder just what caused this. It doesn't seem like a normal earth quake. Perhaps they were unlucky with the mining? Was there an explosion or a similar accident? Either way she reaches up to her ear to respond to the radio message. "We're here to help you, we're from the Union!" As she makes her way to the settlement she listens to the person on the radio, not slowing down as she gets within range and easily taking charge in leading the others with her considering she's the only one who can 'see' underground', then easily enters an earthbending stance and opens up a tunnel. "I can't sense anything threatening in the earth right now, so it's better to get you guys out first!" Hmmm, flash-earthquake? That seems a bit unlikely, doesn't it? If it's one thing Toph recognizes easily enough, it's earthen activity. Avalanches, earthquakes, erosion... this is different. But it's better to focus on getting people to safety first, then she can investigate later. There is a pensive look on her face however, which the others should be able to see easily enough. Since they're here, she likes to consider the situation to be under control.

    But for now she leads the way down into the tunnels, not bothered by the darkness. But soon enough Toph's tunnel joins with the original tunnel, and Toph quickly points out the way. "They are over there!"

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    Coming through the gate with Toph is the red and silver metallic form of IRON MAN -- er... RESCUE. The disapproving face of the suit glances around as Pepper looks through the HUD, getting used to the minute flickers of screens as the projectors give her read outs on the surroundings. Density, oxygen makeup of the air, risk of rain and lightning -- the stuff Potts worries about when her daughter's concerned. The repulsers hum as she hovers in mid-air, and gives a nod. "JARVIS, give me readouts for anyone left alive down there... we'll focus on search and rescue first, and then recovery." she states, more for herself. She's a little jittery, being on another live mission.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka is in position. Which is to say, he's one of the 'victims' here. Using his uncanny ability to NOT look like himself when he's got his hair and his clothing covered, he's wearing a mining helmet and standard uniform. Thick, tough clothes made for heavy and dirty work. He wasn't injured in the collapse of course. His power and his skill saw to that, thanks to forewarning of what would happen. So, he ought to blend right in with the other miners in need of rescue. Until, that is, he decides to reveal himself. Or until someone should happen to see through his disguise. Until then, he's mixed in with the survivors, helping some of the less-fortunate who were wounded in the collapse. Even if they don't recognize him exactly, except perhaps as the new guy who joined the team, they'd have every reason to appreciate his help and his calm presence. For now at least.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Going on a rescue mission with Pepper has to be at least the second hottest thing to occur to Tony Stark's imagination this week. I mean, oh man, she's not only agreed to marry you, Stark, but she's joining you in the superhero business too. You are one lucky guy.

"I am one lucky guy," Tony remarks to himself, off-radio and within the privacy of his own helmet as Mark 42 flashes through the warp gate in Rescue's wake, and his eyes may or may not be focused on his fiancee's shapely back end. He'll never tell.

"Indeed, sir," Jarvis drawls very, very drolly into his ear, and then broadcasts to the both of them, "I am overlaying the life signature scan to the HUD now. Miss Beifong is located /here/," he highlights the spot with a glowing blue dot. "It appears she has already made significant progress into the excavation system."

"Let's go down to goblin-town then," Tony suggests, cutting his repulsors and dropping precipitously to the entrance of Toph's tunnel, the thrusters kicking back on just in time to make a safe but very cool-looking landing. The hulking blue and silver form of Igor lands with somewhat more decorum behind him and tromps heavily after as he makes his way down the dark opening, lighting the way with sweeping beams on the suit.

John-117 (899) has posed:
     Elsewhere, a former member of the Union is attending to his own mission. This world - Kuat - is certainly an interesting one, although such thoughts are generally beyond John. It's something that Cortana might have talked about- but, well... The Chief pushes that from his mind. The massive ring structure gives him more than enough reminder there.

     The Chief is moving through the mining center, cloaked and hooded to hide his distinctive armor. He's still a big figure though but, even in his MJOLNIR suit, John is still able to move quietly. He's breaking into storage sheds and other locations here and there, as if looking for something. He's avoided any combat - if he couldn't, he's taken down anyone with less-than-lethal methods.

     The tectonic shift doesn't bother him as anything more than a slight possible issue. Still, he should get a move on. If only he knew what he was looking for. Maybe he should help?

Ebon Ribbon (903) has posed:
     Ebon Ribbon is not with the victims. Instead, she was in hiding a short ways into the mining facility. Her special talents make her naturally hard to detect, since she absorbs energy like a sponge. Where was she hiding? Well...it was a maintenance closet of all things. She is none too happy about her accomidations, but she is putting up with it to preserve the mission.

     She listens as the heavy steps of the suited-up humans pass by, then waits for the signal from HK.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    As the bunker is entered, one may soon notice several factors that were not readily noticeable before. Some interesting... and some disconcerting.

    For one, while the entrance scaffolds are made of solid metals, and there there /is/ a core structure of metal somewhere in this place... much of the complex's internal walls and tunnels are actually made of disposable plastoid. A material known as 'plasteel' - a blend of synthetic materials with chemically-created alloys to create a cheep, disposable plastic-material that is as hard and stable as steel. It could even be mistaken for steel at a distance... if not for how dead a material it is upon touching it.

    Granted, there are some metal articles - a few tubes for wiring, a light fixture here and there... but all in all, about 80% of the place seems to be made of plastics. Which may entice Toph to wait for Tony and Pepper to catch up to her.

     Another issue... most of the corridors seem to be collapsed in a somewhat... convenient setting. Oh sure, there are forks and turn-offs, but select aspects of the tunnels are collapsed in such a way that, no matter which path one picks, they're traveling down the same route - toward the same destination; the central nexus. However, critical areas like environment control, power-generators and primary communications blister are blocked off by the cave-in, so maybe it was just that the nexus was sturdier?

    Life-sign readings reveal... well, little to nothing. The discernible mass where people are clearly congregated is shielded and insulated - aside from the fact that there's a sizable mass in the ten sealed blocks that represent the emergency bunkers, and that /something/ is moving in there at least... almost nothing else is really obvious.

    If asked about this, the reason becomes somewhat more acceptable - "Ah, yeah - sorry about that! The bunkers were created to shield life-sign detection from orbital search parties if the Sith ever bombed the planet. They're very admirably thorough, so we needed to be careful. They're a bit less effective at short-range though - you should at least be able to locate us, even if the life-signs or the like are a little distorted!"

     ... strangely calm for someone who's trapped. Granted, he sounds strained and such, but his voice isn't stuttering or broken like before - it;s a bit too... structured to fit the distress in his voice.

    It's perhaps one of many future hints that something is wrong.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    Inside the bunkers themselves, though... out of the range of perception from the 'rescuers' for the moment... it's a decidedly grim, if not macabre scene.

    Namely... comparatively few of them are moving. Due in part because comparatively few are /alive/ anymore, most of the miners, workers and civilians from the settlement - over six-hundred people total - lie dead, only a mere eighty-six still breathing now. Less then a sixth of the original count. The majority of them seemed to have died some time ago... from severe poisoning as nine of the ten bunker's ventilation systems had pumped them full of toxic gas and slain them.

     Hisoka is in the bunker where the majority of the living - fifty-three total - are still kept, none of them suspecting his true nature and too terrified to do anything else... and the only reason there is movement from any of the other bunkers is because the other thirty-three living people had been divided up and then tossed in with the body-filled ones. Back outside, amid the vacated settlement at the top of the plateau, there seems to be a wide swath of abandoned technology - repulsorlift parts, optic sensors, tracers, micro-frequency scanners and enough spare parts for one to build their own ship if they wanted to. Other interesting parts include a few local minerals... and some maps regarding the local system and tourist brochures for the planet itself.

     ... and there's also a single body here, shoved beneath some of the crates. He looks human... but he has utterly no hair and his blood - left spilled out around him from a single, precise stab to the chest - is purple. A near human species called a 'Fondorian.'

    One dressed in Republic military regalia. The officer assigned as police chief to this settlement.

    Now... upon actually reaching the central nexus of the underground complex - with an inconspicuous maintenance not far off from the side of the entrance - is the first major note that something is /wrong/.

    Namely that the communication system - the vliewscreens - have come online... and are transmitting what seems to be static.

    ... and then the image comes alive... along with the lockdowns.

    Doors of plasteel snap shut upon entering the nexus, the only open pathway being to the bunker-access section. The comm crackles to life, giving out a now-suspect claim of "Damn it - the cave-in must have damaged the power-breakers! Lockdown's kicking in - I've got the override, though. You'll just have to get me out of here. The bunkers are tripped up - they won't open from the inside. Something's wrong with the automation system, I guess."

    He sounds /really/ offhanded for someone trapped.

John-117 (899) has posed:
     The Chief takes a knee. There's not much to tell, really, he doesn't need a detailed analysis to figure out what's happened - violence and the application of it is why he exists. He looks human, but he isn't. He's an alien. It's not something the Chief really understands, how someone can look so human yet belong to a different species.

     He's not well-versed in Republic military uniforms, but a quick look at his uniform, cross-referenced against some local databases, let's him know. The police chief is dead from a single blow. Whoever was responsible knew what they were doing.

     The Chief rises to his feet, MJOLNIR undersuit creaking slightly beneath his cloak. Hmm. This isn't his fight, not really. Not anymore. It's for the Union to handle, his mission is much more important. However, old notches in his neural topology run deep, and the Chief finds himself toggling the local band.

     "This is Master Chief Sierra-117, responding to distress call as per standing UNSC general orders. Identify yourself." He glances down at the body of the police chief, looking or a nametag or any identification.

     He's putting the pieces together. But whether he'll be fast enough... Hell, who knows if the distressed individual can even hear him. Still, he has to try.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's been a long while since she went out on a mission with her adoptive parents, and she's not complaining. But while they are busy scanning she's already gotten a decent 'look' at the area, and why waste time? It's not like Pepper and Tony can't keep up with her nor see where she's going judging by the earthbending.

    "It's hard to tell how many are injured from here," she tells them as they head on down the tunnel towards where she senses the large amount of people are. "Most of them aren't moving though..." Her tone is more subdued now by the apparent gravity of the situation as she walks onwards, of course having no problems in the darkness. But soon enough they get to the underground complex, and Toph enters, immediately crouching down as she places her hand on the floor. "There are some weird materials in here, it's not like proper metal," the earthbender says with a slight frown. This... was unexpected. "I can't really see too clearly in here." It's something she hates to admit. Who knew this place would be built of such weird materials? It's synthetic, and vibrations carry poorly in this place. It takes a lot of concentration and focus to even make out some of the things in here. "I think they are at the centre of this place," she finally says.

    While Toph isn't exactly walking with Tony and Pepper she doesn't run off either, keeping a hand on the wall as she walks, focusing and heading down the corridors leading to the central complex. It's a bit strange how the guy seems less nervous now, but perhaps he's less stressed when he knows help is coming? Still, she doesn't seem too happy.

    When the doors snap shut however, Toph's eyes widen in surprise as she turns around slightly. "The crud...?!" she curses, then swallows. "Can you guys get it open or something?" Hey, Tony can work on most engineering stuff, right? But just in case it needs to be said... even if it hurts her pride to say it. "I... don't think I can bend these walls, they are synthetic and more like plastic than metal." It's said in a grumble, meant for Tony and Pepper's ears. "I can feel some vibrations though it, but I can't see far." Luckily the group of people aren't far away, so there's that. The sooner they can get out, the better. "Are you guys in the next room?" she asks on the radio, venturing down the hallway to the next room. Most of them seem too quiet... just how many injured are there here?

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    He is one lucky guy, Potts knows. She glances over her shoulder -- as much as she can anyway to make sure that Stark's behind her, and she makes lively after Toph, down into the tunnels.

    "Is it bad that all I can think of when Igor's out is him like a giant... metal... puppy?" Potts inquires, radioing to Tony and Toph. She gives a slight smirk inside of her suit, and follows along after Toph, ready to sheild the girl if needed, protective in her stance, keeping sweeps of the area in her HUD.

    "The material's a composite," she explains as she lands, and walks alongside Toph, "No wonder you can't see." Pepper's outlook turns from light to grim as she examines the hud. Only eighty-six alive? What happened here? It couldn't have all been the seismic activity...

    "I've got a bad feeling about this." she mutters, mostly to herself as she walks alongside the EArthbender -- when the doors snap down! She turns, reaching to bang against one of the doors. "Tony?"

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Why do I feel like I've missed a bunch of optional treasure chests?" Tony muses, on an open channel between Toph and Pepper.

"Sir?" Jarvis inquires.

"You know, you always have to check all the side corridors for hidden treasure before you advance the story. Because you won't be able to go back to that area once you leave it."

"I... see, sir. In this case it would seem that the nexus and primary tunnels were better equipped to withstand the cave-in. I see little reason to check the side passages for... treasure."

"You suck all the fun out of life, Jarvis. How are you coming on that lifesign scan?"

"Working on it, sir. There's definitely... /something/ moving in the emergency bunkers, but I am unable to acquire a headcount."

At which Stark asks for, and receives the bullshit answer about shielding and distorted readings. "Well, we'll rip that wall open when we come to it," he decides in a thoughtful tone, his gaze panning around the nexus as he steps in behind Toph. "Probably cheaper than metal," he tosses off an explanation as far as the abundance of plasteel...

And then the doors snap shut. Iron Man wheels around, glaring at the door he walked through just a minute ago, and regardless of how flaky the guy on the other end of the radio sounds, a flashback to being trapped underground on another world causes his eyes to narrow in suspicious annoyance. "Igor!" he snaps. "Get that door open."

The lumbering heavy-lifting suit tromps back to the doorway and jams its fingers into the bottom edge of the obstruction as its specialized lifting mechanisms deploy, bracing it against the floor for maximum leverage. And it starts to apply pressure. This might take a while.

"Heads up, people," Stark snaps, turning back to the sealed complex again, this time with his hands up in a wary ready posture in case he needs to shoot something.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
     There is a noticeable hesitation on the radio when the Master Chief makes his general call... as whatever is on the other side needs a moment to process his identity.

    What were the odds a high-profile target such as this would be here?

    Eventually, there is a somewhat uncertain response. "Uh... hello? H-hello? Is... is someone else up there?! We'e down below - our bunkers are under the mesa! The plateau's gonna collapse on us if someone doesn't do something - and the settlement's going to come down with it!"

     ... no display of concern for the Chief being harmed if the settlement comes down, should he refuse to do anything. In fact, the voice seemed to be assuming he would come down for them... like it had him figured out - or at least based on some old record of him.

    In turn, within the bunkers themselves, the radio proceeds to reply to the 'rescuers' - "Y-yeah! We're in the bunkers, down the doorway - it leads into a chamber with ten doors - each one leads into a bunker!"

    As stated, the next room is a semi-circular room that is slightly sunk further down, a short series of six steps leading down to the center of the room. from there, ten doors are arranged in the walls, each one leading to a bunker.

     ... upon approaching one, though... what sounds like a sudden hissing of steam echoes across the room.

    It's over the com - if the radio is in Toph's ears, it will probably sound like a burst of gas being leaked out from a pipeline. Something she might find worrying since gas is a threat she can't really /see/.

    And one of the doors click open... the one with the majority of the survivors... Hisoka included. And if Toph moves to try and escort them out, Hisoka will be sure to be the closest one.

    At that point, the scene on the screens shifts from static to something else - something that, like the comm, is tinged with the noise of gas rapidly escaping a vent.

     ...

     Only this time it's followed by a deep series of wheezing hacks, in a voice that the three 'rescuers' will recognize rather quickly... especially since one of them, currently with the 'survivors', is the owner of the voice.

    The voice of Toph Beifong, displayed upon the screen in a red-tint as if from a crimson-lens night-vision camera... on her knees against the floor, pale, heaving and seeming to be suffocating on something. If one looks closely, they may even see what seems to be a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.

    And finally... a snide, metallic voice that sounds like the Republic Officer from before, now filtered through a vocal processor... and capped off by a rather trademark insult.

     "I had told you I would save this image for your parental units... /meatbag./"

    And with the airing of that message... the trap is /sprung./

    Among those survivors in the bunker, Hisoka's message to strike is sent. Two more of the bunkers open up as well... revealing a pair of tall, silver forms with glowing yellow eyes, flanking their target so that the Bungee Gum man can perform his task.

    From within the maintenance closet, Ebon's message to close on Toph from behind is clear, the classic pincer-move planned out well in advance.

    And finally... from the ceiling in shielded units, trying to use the sight of their daughter as a distraction from their surroundings, a pair of insulated ceiling plates pop open as two power-sources suddenly charge up... and a pair of electronics-disabling ion grenades drop down to the floor at the feet of Iron Man and Rescue, the forms of two literal 'iron men' - droids - dropping down after the grenades go off, intending to capitalize on the beginning of their three-step plan.

     Divide, disable and exterminate.'

John-117 (899) has posed:
     They didn't respond to a simple order. It's not that unusual to the Chief, after all, these people are civilians and they haven't had the training he had. However, in such a crisis situation, he should still have a name or a rank. If worst comes to worst, he'd need to know who to confirm as dead.

     Something's wrong, here. Some part of th Chief remembers the events on Installation 04, of finding the camera footage of Private Jenkins, seconds before the Flood arrived.

     Whatever's happening, it's happening in those bunkers. If it's a trap, it's never smart to spring it. But sometimes springing the trap is the only thing to do. Not that the Chief knows that, right beneath his feet, the trap is already being sprung.

     It's time to get moving. The Chief breaks into a run, MJOLNIR footsteps heavy as he sacrifices stealth for speed. There's one way down to the tunnels at the bottom of the mesa and its one that his armor should be able to handle. In his mind, he can hear Cortana's voice. "'Should' being the operative word, Chief."

     He leaps, locks his armor, and falls back to the Kuat ground that is suddenly so far below.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka has few fears of the place collapsing on him. For one thing, he has confidence in his own powers and abilities. For another, HK is here more-or-less 'with' him. The robot would be careful not to destroy himself, and Hisoka's read on him is such that he's sure enough he can withstand anything that one can withstand. Well, probably not poison gas or similar... but what's life without a little risk? Boring, that's what.

    Hisoka doesn't reveal himself immediately, not in person. He doesn't NEED to be next to Beifong to attack her. Instead he opens up with his own attacks from hiding. Panels, loose plasteel fixtures and piping all go flying, propelled by bungee gum. Anyone coming in to rescue the miners is at risk of getting hit, and there's every possibility that anything dodged is likewise going to hit one of the people the heroes came in to rescue. That is, however, only the start of his attack. He also snakes out a strand of bungee gum, no doubt invisible to everyone present save possibly for Ebon Ribbon. One thread of bungee gum for every 'invading' hero. With that, he'll try to upend them, to yank them backwards to the ground, or possibly fling one leg up towards the ceiling. Nothing overwhelmingly powerful or difficult to deal with, but something that should add to the distress and discomfort and take away some of the options of anyone opposing his side.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Even if she's curious about what's going on, Toph isn't too comfortable with the situation, especially since her sight is limited with what the place is mostly built out of. So she doesn't stray too far away from Tony and Pepper. This is an unknown situation after all, and only a dunderhead charges headfirst into danger.

    So she doesn't rush into the room, taking her time as she heads on over to one of the nearby doors. Tony and Pepper aren't far behind, after all. So it's probably okay to check out the next room. "The bunkers are over here!" she calls out, her voice echoing down the hallway. And she's about to see whether she can open the door, at least until her ears catch the sound of something. Her eyes widen, and she steps back. "Can you guys hear that too?" she asks over the radio, sounding slightly concerned. As the door opens though she doesn't head in. This feels weird... and it's too quiet in the room. Is there gas around here?

    Just as she's about to call out to Tony and Pepper again something else catches her attention as the static on the monitors shift to something else. It takes a few seconds for her to realise just what the sound is, but the moment she hears a familiar voice, her eyes widen in horror.

    The sound of something dropping from the ceiling, the dull vibrations through the floor, distracts Toph for a moment, and she looks slightly tense as she raises her arms... only to yelp loudly when she suddenly feels something pulling her leg upwards.

    "AAAAAH!"

    She doesn't remain immobile however, her arms moving as she reaches out to anything metallic in the room. Buttons, tools, change...! Anything for her to bend and manipulate! But when she's up in the air it's hard to tell just what's going on around her.

Ebon Ribbon (903) has posed:
     Ebon Ribbon isn't usually one for murder, but she has to admit that this HK-47 knows how to do it in style. She listens to the message on the monitors, then grins as the signal is given. The door to the maitenance room opens, but Ebon doesn't emerge. Instead, five streamers of purple energy that somehow glow with blackness strike out like cobras.

     They slither through the air rapidly, four of them moving to wrap around Toph's arms and legs, adding to the bungee gum in attempting to restrain her. But, Ebon's ribbons have another effect besides gripping. They start syphoning off Toph's energy. A bit painful, like a needle prick, the real threat is the tiredness that starts seeping into Toph's body as the dark unicorn drains Toph's lifeforce. The fifth ribbon? It moves toward Igor and wraps around him, attempting to drain the suit so it cannot open the door.

     Ebon doesn't say a word as she works. The rather sadistic grin on her face can just barely be seen from her spot within the dark maitenance area. She my be proud and usually noisy, but she is here as a supporter. She is happy to let HK-47 have his taunting and gloating.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    The video plays. Potts watches, in abject horror. She feels her blood run cold. She feels her teeth part and then set, pressing against one another. Rescue's hands ball into fists as the head tilts, watching the choking, gasping Toph.

    Oh god, oh god. She turns to look at the 'now is fine' Toph, and in reflex, opens her palm and blasts one of the monitors.

    Potts, in RESCUE turns, her repulsers lighting up, the suit on high alert. She can feel her pulse racing now, quashing down the thoughts of 'I am an office worker, I shouldn't be here!', turning as the sound of a dropping object registers. There's nothing there, and when she looks down at the object, she realizes too late what it might be. She activates RESCUE's shielding -- but a split second late for herself, using the shields to cover TOny from the ion burst. She's caught in the ion grenade's blast, and she feels the suit grow heavier and heavier as she struggles to keep it up, the weight of the armor dragging her to a kneel.

    "Jarvis? /JARVIS/?"

    "Rebooting. One moment, Miss Potts."

    "/TOPH/!" she cries out, unsure if the radio's working, trying to call out beyond the layers of metal and armor "/TOPH/! TONY!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's hard to bend properly when her movements are restrained, and Toph lets out another gasp as she feels something wrap around her arms and legs. "LET GO OF ME!" Toph half shrieks, struggling against whatever it is trying to restrain her. Young she might be, but the girl is strong for her size. At least against physical attacks. Those of a magical nature are far tougher to deal with. When the pain sets in she gasps, and she lets out another sound of frustration as she struggles against the streamers, her arms and legs quivering. But she have some fight left in her as she uses what she has left... her head.

    Whipping her head back towards where the streamers are coming from, Toph sends the small amounts of metal she does sense in the room flying in that direction. Her expression is one of shock and frustration, and even if the strength is slowly disappearing, she seems unwilling to give up. Pepper is crying out, and there's noise in that direction too.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony is more confused than anything by the home video of Toph, given that he JUST saw her walk through the door over there. After a second confusion turns to anger, and he's well on his way to blind rage when Jarvis suddenly alerts, "Incoming!" and on pure reflex reaction to the spherical objects highlighted suddenly in his field of view, he spins around, arms wide to cover Rescue from the bulk of the explosive impact.

What he wasn't expecting was for Pepper to shield HIM, although he really should have, given that he's the one who designed her suit's specialized force fields. "--Nice catch," he gasps out, impressed if still a little shocked. He kneels for a moment beside her suddenly inert suit, and shouts back, "Give Jarvis a minute to reboot and sit tight, Honey. I got this."

Iron Man stands up and turns to face the two assassin droids that now menace him. Somehow, the glaring visage of the armored mask seems to glare a tiny bit harder. "Okay, now you've pissed me off," he remarks calmly, steps forward and grabs one of the robots by its spindly arm, only to yank HARD and drive a repulsor-assisted right cross into its head, the brief flash of orangish-white energy flaring from a vent near Mark 42's elbow. He keeps moving, turning, all of those kung fu lessons driving his nerves as he swings his momentum around to fling the first droid into the second. He's not unaware that Toph needs help, too. Best to get these punks out of the way efficiently. "Igor, stay on that door!"

HK-47 (754) has posed:
     The way down to the bottom of the mesa thankfully should have enough ledges for the Chief to hop-scotch his way down to ease the descent, if he's careful about it at least.

     'If' being the operative word, as he may be focused more on expedience.

    Upon getting to the ground, the Chief will be treated by the sight of the dark tunnel into the depths of the bunker... and if he goes far enough, he will find one of the locked-down doors of plastoid blocking his path.

    And the sound of something guarding it on the other side.

     ... or is waiting for someone else to enter.

     It becomes obvious at this point the trap is already sprung - someone's expecting the Chief now... and they're waiting for him to try and get through

    The HK-51 droids facing Tony and Pepper are quick to engage, though they decide to split up - one drawing a vibroknife and lunging for the restricted Rescue, it's intent being to stab clean through her chest plate for the arc-reactor located there. The other-

    Is quickly sent skidding across the floor as Stark's attack severely dents it's skull, one of it's eyes flickering as a crack is put in it and then slammed into it's partner before it's lunge is completed. Both droids proceed to stand up again though - this time they change tactics; one throws an adhesive glue-grenade to immobilize while the other activates a carbonite-thrower-thrower to try and bury Tony in supercooled resin.

    They've learned quickly, one resorting to area-of-effect to hamper both while the other goes for immobilization of the more active target. Still, that assumes immense cold from the carbonite will be a good deterrent.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
     In the bunker access room... unperturbed by the concept of bodily harm to the civilians, the HK-51's watch as the plan is executed to what could very well be called /perfection/, their target immobilized by Hisoka and entangled by Ebon Ribbon to siphon away her strength. Soon enough, the lockdown systems seem to normalize filly, emergency lights kicking on throughout the bunker and bathing everything in dim red light.

     ... and as the lights turn scarlet... one of the bunker doors slide open, a form contrasting the other droids stepping out - /stalking/ out more rather - slowly, it's steps paced and methodical.

    The rust red shape blends far easier in the dim crimson light, vermillion eyes stepping out of the darkened recesses of the bunker filled with deceased as he takes step after painstakingly-slow step towards Toph's upside-down body as she is gradually leached of her strength.

     It actually makes the droid regret the fact that the Earth-bender can't actually perceive him outside of hearing his metallic footsteps gradually approach, feeling that he would have very much enjoyed having his oncoming visage be burned into her mind as the center-point of her final moment.

    Ah well. She would be able to perceive him soon enough.

     "Commentary - I have learned rather quickly that attempting an assault alone was the missing component of my assassinations. Normally, I prefer working alone... but one of the fundamental guidelines of my programing as an assassin droid is to adapt to my surroundings... and so I have." The droid glances to Hisoka and to the streamers that keep Toph suspended off the ground, his voice murderously eager and self-satisfied.

     A sound accentuated by a rating *ca-shink* as his vibroblade is drawn, the razor-sharp tip brought up even with Toph's body.

     ...

    In turn... any remaining viewscreens - any that Pepper hadn't already smashed in her rage - come online with a live feed from one of the HK-51's... showing the assassin droid, bathed in red light, brandishing it's blade toward his target, speaking in a lecturing voice that, in spite of being a machine, somehow drips with anticipation.

     "Musing - I have often been asked about my disposition to regard you by your 'meatbag' status... and as such, to celebrate a successful, long-awated exaltation of revenge with the accomplishment of my mission... I shall create an educational video to use in informing any future individuals of this" - he angles the weapon until it's close enough to touch Toph's flank, letting her be able to feel the knife's tip. "By disassembling your external shell, then liberating your liquidious internal components from their flesh-sac container. And for clarity's sake... and because I am through in completing any task I undertake or enjoy... I shall do so one component at a time. Starting with your limbs."

    With this, the homicidal machine draws the vibroknife against one of Toph's kneecaps, the weapon thrumming as the vibration cell activates, the vibrations allowing the weapon to cut like a chainsaw if placed against human flesh.

    If there was ever a time for a miracle... this was it.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    "Such a shame, little Lychee." comes a voice from the room. One Toph should probably recognize. They've met before socially, sort of, and they've fought before as well. Hisoka's mellow, taunting voice should be familiar enough. "I'd wanted to fight you myself you know. But if you're so weak you die to this trap... you're just not worth fighting." he says, stepping forward.

    At that point, the strand of bungee gum holding Toph to the ceiling parts. Were it a physical object it would make a snapping sound, like a rubber band snapping back when cut with a knife. It's not physical though, just energy. There's no sound, only an abrupt release of Toph as gravity reasserts itself, pulling her down to the ground once again. Possibly, pulling her out of the path of Ebon's ribbon as well, letting her get hold of her bending energies once again. For a few moments perhaps... but slim chances are better than none.

    "Ah." Hisoka says, his voice holding some measure of surprise, but not exactly shock or dismay. He glances over the pony ambusher. "Your ribbon... cut mine." he says. Not accusing, not dismayed, just informing. "How surprising. I didn't think that would be possible."

    Only, of course, it hadn't. Hisoka can see the bands of energy. His own wasn't near Ebon Ribbon's. He's banking on the pony not knowing that, however. Not knowing how Hisoka's power works. It's a reasonably safe bet. And ... should it go wrong? Oh well. He's more attached to the possibility of fighting Toph at some future time in a one-on-one match than he is to being HK's friend.

John-117 (899) has posed:
     Expedience is the word of choice today. The Chief lands hard, and numerous warning lights flash on his HUD, that familiar chime that beeps to let him know his shields are done or, alternatively, that he'd just done something really stupid. Still, as he pushes himself to his feet and discards his cloak to the wind, he's in enough shape to fight. Of course, a SPARTAN always is.

     Of course, one can't exactly fight a locked down door. It takes him a moment to remember that Cortana isn't there to unlock it. It's strange because, just for a moment, he's not sure /why/ she isn't there. And then he remembers.

     Well, he can't lever it open. He'd be putting his body against the weight of the door and the law of gravity - not the best idea. And, if someone is on the other side, they'd have all the time in the world to shoot him down. It's not a reasonable strategy.

     Still, there might be some way around. An access panel, a maintenance hatch, there'd have to be some way around this door, even if it'll just be a tight fit.

Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
    Rescue is brought back online, and POtts can feel the power surging back up through her body. The HUD lights up like Christmas. She hears the words over the viewscreen, and registers the droids going down thanks to Tony's doings.

    She breathes out.

    She draws upwards. Potts's eyes narrow as she draws upwards and gives an angry, battleweary cry to those who would accost her family, and she powers up all she can to try and blast the door apart.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Silly assassin droids, Tony had to work out icing issues EARLY in his development cycle. No -- it's the sheer GUNK of the stuff that's problematic. "Seal the environment," he snaps to Jarvis as the suit switches to its internal oxygen supply. He forges forward, through the spray of subfreezing carbonite, each step a fight against the mess of glue also sprayed liberally over the floor. Each step a little bit slower, as more of the stuff mounts up on his external armor plating. The theme song from Chariots of Fire starts playing inanely in his head as he struggles against the ever increasing inertial force, until, finally... he's ground to a halt, just a few feet in front of the droid with the carbonite thrower, the suit's joints locking up mid-step with one hand still thrust forward as if still trying to push through the barrier.

There's a beat of silence, for the audience at home to gasp in dismay.

And then a repulsor blast RIPS through the dull grey carbonite layer coating the gauntlet, directly into the droid's midsection!

Cracks begin to appear over the surface of the Iron Man statue as all of the thrusters and flight-stabilizing gyros power on, and then Stark explodes out of his prison with a triumphant, metallic yell. "LET'S GO, SPARKY!"

Ebon Ribbon (903) has posed:
     Ebon Ribbon's grin turns frownish as Hisoka's threads suddenly release Toph. She barely manages to catch Toph around the middle after the sudden movement. Toph still lands on the ground, but Ebon quickly tries to lift her again. Her streamers have plenty of strength to lift a small girl.

     That lifting is interrupted when those flying metallic objects sail toward her. Ebon twirls one of her ribbons to deflect as many as she can, but a few get through. A sharp cry can be heard as the pony in the closet is hit, but her attack doesn't let up. Those ribbons that missed Toph curl back around to attempt snagging her arms again while those around her waist attempt to hold her still.

     "It seems I am more powerful than I thought." comes a silky, dark voice from that maintenance room. She still doesn't reveal herself, though. Shadows are a predator's best friend, and with the red lighting and darkness she feels fairly safe despite Toph's attack. "It does not really matter. The trap has been sprung perfectly. It is nothing personal, little Toph. I will savor your flavor, since you are very likely to die at the mechanical hands of that murderous mechanoid."

     The ribbon around Igor continues its draining of his energy. It would hardly do if the Starks escaped, after all. But, one ribbon can only drain so much. And Tony -is- the leading name in clean energy.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Still struggling, Toph seems too stubborn to give up, even if she's getting weaker and weaker by the second. Her struggles gradually die down as she begins hyperventilating. Adrenaline is basically what allows her to keep on struggling at this point. The sound of the door opening and the approaching foot steps are heard, though it's only when HK-47 speaks up that her head snaps in his direction, her eyes widening in what is obviously horror. "You..." It all makes sense. Luring her to somewhere she has less things to bend, a place she can't 'see' properly. The unfamiliar sound of the vibroblade makes her jerk slightly. "What mission?!" she demands, her voice cracking slightly. She tenses when she feels something against her side, and for once she regrets the fact that she is good at interpreting formal language. Despite the formal words, the message makes her blood run cold. More so when she also recognizes Hisoka's voice.

    If she wasn't more terrified of actually dying right now she would be pissed.

    Instead she lets out a scream and struggles against her binding again, desperately trying to focus her bending on the droid in front of her. He is made of metal, after all.

    But at that very same moment she feels herself falling to the floor. It catches her by surprise, and she gets the air knocked out of her briefly. Though she's already moving. Few people have the focus she has, and thanks to the panic and adrenaline rushing through her very being she summons up whatever strength she has left, and she twists her head roughly to the side, intending to bend HK-47 roughly to the side and right at the unfamiliar female voice before she wildly scampers to her feet. "SAY THAT TO MY FACE ON EVEN GROUND, YOU LILY LIVER!" she shrieks in half-anger, half-panic, yanking her head back to focus on the smaller metallic objects to make them fly at whatever is restraining her.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    No one in the room now knows the full limits of Hisoka's power. Oh, they've possibly seen his fights in the WMAT, know that he can hurl a dozen or so objects around an arena, but they don't know how long he needs to set such a thing up. They don't know how flexible his attacks are, and whether he can control two different sets of objects independently. Such as, say, pinning Toph while also grabbing metal objects about the room.

    To be sure, Hisoka DOES grab a number of metal objects. Not all of what Toph flung at Ebon Ribbon of course. Even if he could, he wouldn't. Best to let the metalbender get some hits in, else she might not manage to get free. But he stops a good bit of the attacks flying Ribbon's way, snaring them with strands of gum which slow, halt, then reverse the motion of the shards. Toph will find herself blasted by her own attacks returned at her. Unless, of course, she finds a way to move. If she can't, she's probably going to die to the Assassin Droid... so perhaps it doesn't matter that Hisoka attacks the point where she was. Hey, his attack could possibly even keep the Assassin Droid off her heels for a few seconds. Damned coincidental, isn't it? But then, the three of them never planned to combine their abilities past that initial ambush. Perhaps it's only natural in the chaos of free-form combat that there's miscommunications and screw-ups...

HK-47 (754) has posed:
     ...

     ... of course. Of /course/ something had to happen. Right at the best part, when the satisfaction of freshly-spilled fleshbag lubricants spilling on the floor was mere moments away... and the threads holding the Earth-bender /crossed each-other and cut themselves!/

    Of course, the droid cannot see energy fields or 'bands' of energy - aware of their existence in theory, perhaps, as he is regarding the meatbag religion of 'The Force', but he is incapable of perceiving the act of betrayal simply because he cannot view that spectrum of reality.

    Of course, the moment he does, the droid backpedals, unwilling to let the bender get anywhere near his metal exoskeleton - but it hardly matters. She has contact with the ground; more then enough to send the droid flying against the wall with the sound of denting materials as the wall is indented with the impact.

     ...
        As a result, the droid's burning red photoreceptors almost seem to highlight a burning, seething hate that seems impossible for any artificial intelligence to possess as HK-47 rights himself, his body scuffed with the smallest of dents in his back-armor from the impact. "Aggravated Acceptance - Have it your way."

    Every sentence is punctuated by what sounds like the droid is grinding his voice in spite of having no teeth or a mouth... and it is soon accented by another sound that will be all-too-familiar to Toph as the droid's arm clacks open, green-dyed cyanogen gas spewing out of the wrist-mounted toxin-emitter in a thick jet towards the Earth-bender.

    He wished to saver her struggles beneath her blade... but eviscerating her as the energy ebbed out of her from the venom would have to suffice. It was better off then her escaping - especially when he was /so close/.

    Likewise, the two HK-51's in the room begin to close in a bit more to Toph, readying themselves for any further 'incidents.'... though Hisoka still has the element of surprise on his side for now, none of the droids having any word but his that Toph's release was a freak accident. The droid's are sanding with their blade's drawn more to entrap Toph rather then attack - they aren't active combatants... yet. And for now they are all but relying on Ebon and Hisoka to keep Toph pinned down.

    So long as she lacks an ally, it seems like a rather one-sided battle.

    

    Outside in the bunker, as the Chief observes the door, there doesn't seem to be a /visible/ method of entry... but there is a workaround.

    The manual hydraulic releases for the doors are sealed behind maintenance wall panels. They're covered by metal panels, meant to be removed by specialized tools.

    They're not strong enough to resist the pull of a SPARTAN, though... and the HK's are expecting the soldier to take the straightforward way of trying to force the door open - they don't know they've been discovered.

    Their mistake.

    Finally, within the nexus, the droids seem confident their plan has succeeded, the one that had fired the carbonite even pausing to admire it's work in a moment of self-apprasing vanity-
         -right before a Repulser blast penetrates through it's chest torso, the HK unit having walked /right up against/ Tony's palm after assuming his target debilitated... and as a result, providing sufficient close-range to let the attack puncture straight through it's armor and pierce it's core.

    The result is that the droid doesn't even get the chance to slump against the wall as it practically detonates on impact, it's ruptured core exploding in a fiery burst of heat and metal shards.

    The other HK-51, stunned at it's brethren's demise, swiftly launches a retaliatory assault on Stark by activating it's Ion-charge thrower, attempting to disable his armor in contrast to it's prior failure - a move that seems to almost be born of panic, if a droid was capable of feeling such.

    It had every right to panic, though. It was now the sole thing standing between a father and his child.

John-117 (899) has posed:
     There.

     The wall panels come free with only a bit of pulling from John. He doesn't drop them to the ground. Rather, he lowers them quietly - just in case someone can hear him. With the releases exposed, it's a simple matter for John to trigger them.

     With that done, he brings his MA5D assault rifle to bear. He'll step through the door as it opens, spraying a quick burst at any target that presents itself.

     Behind the golden visor, John frowns. He's encountered these droids before. He'll need to move, quickly, stopping for just a brief moment to ensure that the door guards have been properly dealt with.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka notes the poison gas with some concern. It might be localized, and might not be as dangerous to him as it would be to the Earthbender, but... well, it's a plausible threat. He can use it.

    "Are you forgetting us?" Hisoka muses aloud, his voice carrying. "Are we going to be accidental victims in your vengeance?" he almost purrs.

    "I'm not sure I want to be in the same room as someone spraying deadly gas." Hisoka says, pitching his voice more or less at Ebon Ribbon. "Are you with me?" he asks. Asks the pony, apparently, not the assassin. He could always try to force the door from the inside. That ought to be interesting. But first... first he has to see if he stands alone or not.

Ebon Ribbon (903) has posed:
     Ebon Ribbon is finding she is enjoying herself. She can't help it. Insiring fear is thrilling to a predator, even if that predator is a pony. But, the plan does seem to be running into kinks. Hisoka's help has been...negligible at best. And now, HK-47 is spraying apparently deadly gas? Ebon Ribbon knows nothing about deadly gas except for the very basic stuff. Such as 'gas tends to spread out'.

     Only the fact that it is visible keeps the pony from saving her own skin then and there. Her streamers keep their grip on Toph, making it quite a bit harder to scamper away from the stabby droid. "He is right, HK. If that gas starts toward me, I will be forced to abandon this mission."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Oh. Fuck. OFF," Iron Man declares in studied exasperation, even as Jarvis triggers an automatic evasive maneuver, yanking him up off his feet and to one side to avoid the splatter of ion fire. The edge of the cone splashes against his side and one arm, and the lights there flicker and dim in a crazy Vegas Strip twinkling as the ion surge disrupts the power conduits there. His other arm, however, is free and clear, and rises in an almost laconic manner as a ring of glowing incendiary darts pops up around his wrist. "You're fired," he quips in a flat approximation of an Austrian accent, and with a *whump* the entire ring of incendiaries launches at once, creating a neat glowing circular pattern in the droid's torso for a split second before they all ignite.

Stark turns and flies across the room for Toph's bunker.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As it is, an earthbender doesn't need to be in direct contact with earth to bend it. What matters is that it's close enough to the bender. Toph is able to sense earth and metal around her even if it's not on the ground, and though it's getting harder to sense it as her energy is drained, she can still sense things in close proximity.

    It sounds like she managed to knock him into the wall however, and Toph defiantly struggles against the Ebon Streamers. Though she can't help but feel herself getting even more panicked as HK-47 speaks again. And especially when she hears a familiar sound that makes her instinctively draw a quick gasp in horror, all before she holds her breath and turn her head around. But it's too late, she feels something blowing around her upper torso and face.

    This is /bad/.

    She doesn't dare scream, call for help, but she acts again, this time focusing on the two HK-51s moving in. Normally it would be easy to bend both of them at the same time, but right now she doubts she has the strength left to run. But fortunately bending doesn't require as much movement. With another move of her head she does her very best to send one of the HK-51s towards HK-47. But within seconds Toph is forced to gasp for breath, and immediately the girl regrets it as she recognizes the effects of the gas as she doubles over, coughing in a desperate attempt to clear her lungs. Maybe it's just wishful thinking at this point, but she can /swear/ she hears the sound of Tony's suit.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
     As the door suddenly releases, the two HK-51's who were awaiting the Master Chief are taken aback as their opponent fires first.

    The releases /out/ of the bunker had been sealed up, with the HK's intending to weld them back open after their targets were dead. This was the reason no such releases were accessible to the 'rescuers' when they were trapped in the nexus - that and they had not given them any time to observe their surroundings with their attack.

    They had not expected the Spartan to be quite so methodical as opposed to blindly forcing through. They did not expect him to access the manual release without the access tools only they had.

    That was why they were left too stunned to respond as the Chief charges in /right in front/ of it, the rifle being point blank to it's skull and shooting clean through it's glowing yellow eyes, downing it almost instantly - he'd remembered their eyes being weak-points in their armored skulls. The rest of his volley cores the disruptor rifle of the other, the micro-explosion sending it flying back against the door to the nexus - which, due to the efforts of Stark's family, is slowly being forced open; a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.

    And John-117 is a single murderous droid away from assisting them.

    In turn... Tony Stark's choice to use incendiaries is perhaps one of the most effective - and fittingly flashy - methods to end the HK... as the rounds, upon igniting, start burning the droud's torso-unit severely.

     And in turn... ignite it's grenade belt.

    The detonation of seven different grenades - incendiary, poison, ice, frag, thermal, sonic, concussion-fashbang - exploding, then igniting it's six wrist-mounted weapons in their then-exposed casing post-firing stance and transforming the HK-51 unit into a short pyrotechnics display of multicolored flames, spouting geysers of sparks and ignited oil fluids with a pluming gout of smokes and embers.

    And soaring out from billowing cloud, as if the explosions are some form of pre-planned fanfare, Iron Man shoots through it and into the bunker room.

    If he were capable of it, HK-47 would likely have snarled in agitation at how everything always seemed to go /wrong/ at the most critical juncture, gleaming ruby lenses almost /pulsating/ with irritation at Hisoka and in turn in the general direction of Ebon Ribbon. "Placation - You will not be affected by the gas so long as you remain outside this chamber and out of my line of fire."

    The droid in turn punctuates this by continuing his advance on Toph - though he breaks off as one of the HK-51's is thrown at him, forcing the assassin droid to re-evaluate his stance. This time he levels his wrist-launcher to ready his own carbonite-launcher, intending to subdue her and let the poison work through her system.

    Of course, before he can fire, the remaining HK-51 - helping it's metal-bended sibling unit back up - is distracted from their guard-duty by the arriving form of Iron Man tearing into the chamber like a bat out of hell... and, in spite of being droids, actually look somewhat intimidated by the way he flew through the explosion of their sibling unit, their half-panicked push to stand back up alerting HK-47 that the tide is turning.

    HK-47 however is far too frustrated and infuriated to care, casting a decidedly-enraged gaze at Hisoka - "Curt Request - Intercept him, blast it!"

    This in turn might also be seen as a slip-up - HK has inadvertently confirmed to Toph that her father has made it to her.

    The trap is fraying apart at the seams.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Yeah, intercept me!" Tony taunts over the chaos and explosions that are his natural habitat. He backthrusts to an abrupt halt as soon as he reaches Toph, hovering and thrusting both palms forward to send a double-barrelled repulsor blast mostly-blind in the general direction of the HK units menacing her. "Hang on, Dad's here," he grunts as he turns back to the girl. "Jarvis, whaddaya make of these streamers?"

"Some form of coalescent energy, sir. I am attempting to calculate the frequency that will disrupt--"

But she's being sprayed with poison freaking gas. "No time!" Stark snaps, wraps his arms around Toph's body and attempts to wrench her free by means of brute force. Of course this does leave him very open to hostile fire, but that's why he's wearing ARMOR.

John-117 (899) has posed:
     Two targets down and they're not getting back up. The Chief sweeps the area with the barrel of his rifle, just to be sure, and then sights down towards the opening door. It's time to see who'll arrive out of the door - the people responsible, or the people caught in the trap. He'll hold his fire until he's sure.

     "This is SPARTAN-117," John calls, rifle at his shoulder, "Can you read me in there?"

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Not the best reaction Hisoka could have hoped for. Ideally Ebon Ribbon would have agreed to his course of action, siding with the living over the inorganic. It would have ended their mission, but in that case it would have been HK-47 who turned on them, with their actions excuseable and understandable to their allies.

    Since that's not the case, Hisoka will have to burn a bridge. A very small, tentative bridge. He's not a member of the Confederacy, so betraying HK will not bring him any grief beyond that the Assassin himself can bring to bear. That's fine really, and worth it. He probably COULD stick to the plan, redeem his previous 'error' and quite possibly arrange for the death of the man in the Iron Man armor as well, with his allies' help here... but again, that's one person he'd rather fight one-on-one if possible, at some later time rather than as an incidental clash. His death, to Hisoka, would be as pointless a waste as that of Beifong.

    All this takes place in a mere moment of calculation, as Tony Stark bursts on through into the bunker. Hisoka speaks, a note of urgency in his tone. "As long as we stay out of THIS room? The one we're IN?" he smirks. This is almost too perfect. HK just handed the excuse he needed to abandon the mission.

    As the Iron Man flies in, Hisoka takes in the sight. He's not intimidated. He's been given a Curt Request to intercept him, but that was after he'd also been told that if he wants to live, he'd best not remain in this room. Well, that was how he could interpret it anyways. "You may not care about the poison gas in that suit, but I do." he says to Tony, almost casually offhand. "I'm leaving. If you make a move to stop me, we'll fight, and you'll lose any chance of saving her from the poison." he says. And with that, he casually saunters past Tony Stark.

Ebon Ribbon (903) has posed:
     Ebon Ribbon emerges from the maintenance room when HK says how to avoid the gas. It is the first clear view the others would have had of her so far. If they can see through the gas. She is an Equestrian unicorn pony just over 5 feet tall, with a mane and tail similar in color to the magical ribbons she has been throwing around.

     She moves around behind HK-47, only to blink as she hears a new voice from down the corridor. "It seems we have more company." she says, turning so that she can watch HK and the Starks as well as the door to their bunker. Her streamers are tugged on by Tony, and as he does Ebon grunts against his suit's strength. Then, the ribbons release Toph and wrap around Tony and his suit. Tony would be protected by his suit, but he would find out through its systems what has been happening to Toph. The energy levels of his suit start to drop rapidly as electricity arcs along the ebon streamers.

     Just in case, Ebon is edging closer to the door. She doubts HK will work very hard if at all to protect her from his own weapons.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's impossible for Toph to 'see' what's going on around her now. Sure, she hears movement, another voice she knows from the Union channels, but with her arms restrained she can't exactly use her radio. But she also hears the sound of explosions and irate chatter. Though something HK-47 says confirms something, and the familiar sound, the sense of unique metal...

    Tony!

    It's impossible to call out at the moment, her throat hurting too much from the direct spray of poison. Right now she has no idea on whether he can see anything in the room. But even so, the blind earthbender weakly raises a quivering hand towards him as she lets out a raspy breath, her lungs desperate for clean air.

    Even if she had the strength to fight against being grabbed, Toph is not about to fight when Tony grabs her. Instead she struggles against the energy binding her with the little strength she has left, though she is unable to grab onto Mark 42 at the moment. Instead she lets her head fall against the suit's chest, coughing. Her head is starting to spin, and she's really feeling drained and lethargic.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    Of course the downed HK - tossed back from it's exploding rifle - does't get back up. It never gets the chance before before the Chief puts rounds in it's skull, following one of the oldest rules of combat; never let the enemy get back up to shoot you in the back.

    Something the HK's could likely admire... if they weren't so busy dying.

     In the bunker access room, the two HK-51's attempt to level their weapons at Stark - only for the twin Repulsor-blasts to send one of them flying back against the wall and the other being toppled over by the force of it's companion being torn from it's flank.

    HK-47 thus commits his final mistake - he is too focused on Stark robbing him of his kill to deny Hisoka's retort - and in that instant... gives Hisoka all the fuel he needs to claim he made the right choice.

    After all, HK's own logic centers can actually understand the reasoning - meatbags, when in danger, will always pick themselves over the mission. Hisoka exemplifies this perfectly.

     ...

     That does not keep the feeling of absolute fury at the betrayal of the mission from consuming the droid's processor core as Hisoka simply /walks past/ Stark and begins making his way out.

    Of course, Ebon ought to be able to see from her spot where Master Chief is now helping break the barrier that keeps them trapped. The advantage is lost- four of the six HK-51's are destroyed and still didn't even killed the /primary/ target, let alone the rest.

    And in turn... this motivates the homicidal droid to react.

     The HK reaches for it's grenade belt and pulls two items - tossing one of them to the downed HK-51's.

    Something that looks suspiciously like a /detonator switch/ that is swiftly triggered. Something which, due to the fact hat Ebon /hasn't/ run on him, he takes the brief courtesy to explain his final fail-safe.

     "Command - Release them" the droid retorts, sounding a mix of disappointed, embittered and infuriated that he will be unable to kill them directly at this rate... but killing them at /all/ is now the priority. "The adhesive will trap them long enough. By the time they are free... they will be unable to avoid being /crushed/ as this bunker collapses on them. When the generator in turn explodes from the ceiling collapsing atop it and rupturing it's core, this entire area shall become an immolated crater."

     The seismic disturbances... they never found out what caused it. And now the droid is about to bring it all down on their heads using that.

    Turning and beginning it's own sprint, HK-47 gestures for Ebon to follow her as he lobs the adhesive at Stark and Toph to try and glue them to the ground - and as he flees, he utters a low, almost riding threat against Hisoka; "Chastising Vow - /Never/ again shall I entrust the most important component of any assassination to a /meatbag/" the droid all but snarls out... and perhaps the fact that HK cannot say anything to stop Hisoka is tantamount to the biggest truth of all.

    This place was rigged all along and he'd invited them in all the same. If he could have leveled the complex this whole time, he could have from the start. Instead... he dragged out and planned this elaborate trap not just to intimidate Toph... but to stroke his own electronic ego and have gloating rights. Using them as tools to that end.

    And only now, backed into a corner, was he going with what should practically have been his first resort had he not wanted to badly to /savor/ the kill above completing it.

    The droid thus flees after informing Ebon of doing the same - a courtesy he doesn't extend to Hisoka, who is probably either already gone or, unknown to him, ensured the Starks will survive even this final 'scorched earth' protocol.

    Even if he doesn't, the Master Chief may be able to do it himself.

    Whatever the case... HK-47 knows he's lost. But he doesn't intend to just hand off victory while he can /help it./

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony Stark lets out a grunt of discomfort as he FEELS the energy drain, through his suit and into the miniature reactor in his chest. He wobbles in midair, arms clutching convulsively tighter around Toph's coughing form lest he drop her -- though never so tight as to hurt her. It's an unpleasantly surprising sensation.

Then again, the damn thing can generate something on the order of 12 gigawatts at full output. After a few seconds, the arc compensates for the additional drain, and the flight repulsors of the suit stabilize.

The glue grenade splatters against his back as he swivels around, re-orientating on the exit, but being /in flight/ at the time there's nothing for it to make him adhere to. It gums up several vents and causes some of the supporting thrusters to cough and makes for a rougher than usual flight, but he's still perfectly capable of launching himself away from this accursed room and the poison gas and whatever is about to explode, which is exactly what he does, ricocheting off the doorframe with a yelp of complaint. Fortunately, Toph remains safely enclosed in his arms.

Ebon Ribbon (903) has posed:
     Ebon blinks in surprise as the robot says to release them. Of course, then is plan is explained and she is all too happy to release them! "You did all of that and went to all this trouble?!" Ebon exclaims as she gallops out of the room, possibly overtaking HK since she has four legs and he has two. "I admire the use of style and the attempt to savor your victory, but you should ensure you have a victory to savor!"

     As she rushes out, her ribbons disappear, leaving Tony and Toph free of at least her grip. Then, she yelps and ducks quickly as the Iron Man goes bouncing around through the corridor. Once he has passed, she huffs before rushing down whatever escape route HK had planned. Hopefully that does not involve tangling with the SPARTAN. Still, he would likely have a shot as the pony flees. "If this is typical of your operations, HK, I will not be joining you on any additional missions!" the prissy pony whines as she runs for it.

Hisoka (799) has posed:
    Hisoka's slow saunter only lasted long enough for him to leave the room. Once clear, he made haste to get himself scarce. Sticking around in the presence of an angry and homicidal robot, not to mention the uncertain gratitude of Stark and his adopted child, really isn't his style.

    Once he's clear, he finds the route Toph bended into the facility and escapes, bounding up the accessway in great powered bounces. And then, once clear of the undeground, he makes himself scarce, changing his face and his disguise at the first opportunity. Perhaps the heroes and villains both will pass him on their own way out, as he takes the guise of a rescue worker. Perhaps not... maybe he'll just keep fleeing. Always hard to predict the actions of The Magician.

    He does hope, however, that they all make it out alive. It would be a shame for them to die, really. But then, once again... if they can't escape, probably they're not worth worrying about.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    When the ribbons let go of her limbs, the blind girl grabs on to the Iron Man armour with what little strength she has left, still struggling with breathing as another coughing fit hits her. Whatever is going on she has no clue about, nor does she dare try bending now with Tony holding her. But then again, Tony is one of the few people she has complete trust in.

    Though the ride is a bit rough, she's unable to complain. It's not like she gets the worst of it anyway, and all she knows is that they're moving away from danger. There's one hell of a noise going on however, people yelling. There's little point in telling Tony that she's having problems breathing, as he can most likely tell already. He might as well be able to tell she's exhausted too, the adrenaline dropping now. At least she's still awake, even if she's struggling to keep her eyes open as much as she is struggling to breathe.

John-117 (899) has posed:
     Waiting. Waiting. As still as a statue, the Chief remains absolutely still. His finger doesn't sit on the trigger, no, he has too much knowledge of trigger discipline to do that. He waits, for either someone to allow him to lower his guard, or for a target that he can put a few rounds into.

     Hisoka is the first. However, dressed as a civilian - and never having encountered the Elite before - John just lets him go. The pony, too. He knows about them, but has no reason to believe that Ebon's had anything to do with it. She gallops out past him, as well. He's expecting HK robots, after all.

     That, or someone who is stupid or mad enough to fire at him first.

     And then Tony Stark comes flying out, clipping the edge of the door and ricocheting off it. "Major Stark?" asks the Chief, lowering his rifle. It looks like Iron Man's been in one hell of a battle. "What's the situation?"

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    To their credit, the last two HK's - both of which were largely left in heap by the end from Tony's repulsor blasts - try 'valiantly' to shoot down Iron Man and his daughter before he can escape...

    though a series of well-placed salvoes to the cranial processor from the intervening Spartan will likely dispute their final efforts to try and take their opponents down with them, precise volleys downing them even as they peruse their fleeing targets.

    In all the chaos though... much of the remaining heavy lifting, so to speak, has already been done by Rescue - namely in that a vast majority of the panicked civilians that had flooded out of the bunkers already have fallen in line with the soon-to-be Ms. Stark - a throng Hisoka could find himself blending in easily with when everyone's outside waiting rescue evac - as she proceeds to tear down any barrier that would prevent her family from escaping safely.

    In turn, any stragglers - any remaining civilians left in the bunkers who were either too injured or too terrified to try and join Rescue in the chaos - are likely soon enough freed by the Master Chief and led out to safety from the bunkers filled with corpses; a sight that will likely serve as testament to just what these droids are capable of.

    However, it is likely while the Chief is ensuring the evacuation of these civilians along with Stark and Toph - that HK-47 charges out in close pursuit of Ebon, at the very least unwilling to leave without /some/ form of backup, even if she didn't trust him.
    As Ebon chastises the droid's faults during their escape... perhaps the most telling indication of how complete a failure HK considers this is when he actually does not offer up a denial to her commentary.

    After all... she was in fact correct. To deny that would be as illogical as most meatbags were when it came to making competent survival choices.

    As Ebon had claimed, HK-47 had spent more time ensuring he could savor his victory then he had at making sure he would /have/ a victory to savor in the first place.

     ...

    But he was improving.

    Against Noble Six and Han Solo - targets he knew second-hand at the first encounter - he had managed to give them a potent attempt.

    Against targets he had faced more then once like Toph Beifong... he had almost /succeeded/. He had adapted to her quickly after observing her once. He had nearly exterminated her on the second attempt.

    When the third strike came for her - and /one day/ it would - he would not fail to see the spark ebb from her fleshbag corpse, his blade buried in her center-chassis.

    As such, when Ebon makes her comment about his operations, the droid gives a simple, grim response - "Grim Acknowledgement - Duly noted. Next time... I shall not bother with theatrics until /after/ victory is secured. Of that... I can assure you."

    And so... as HK-47 and Ebon clear the base...

    The rumbling of the cavern rather abruptly begins to turn into a sharp, harsh rending of the Earth itself, the entire bunker beginning to cave in on anyone still inside as the structure's walls suddenly begin to collapse, immense sonic vibrations - the result of the discharging of sonic emitters and well-placed sonic mines - shake apart the earth and shatter the stone that keeps the plateau over the bunker stable.

     ... the result is that the entire plateau begins to collapse in on itself into the mesa as the ground hold it upright caves and implodes.

    Anyone not already out will have to be /hauled/ out quickly - and depending on how much damage or clogging the glue-grenade inflicted on Tony's thrusters, the Chief may have to haul him out. If not, Tony should be able to focus on Toph while the rest focus on getting what remains of the settlement's population to safety.

    No easy feat considering the entire mesa is coming down. But if there was every any group that could pull off miracles... it would be the group that just stared down the mechanical personification of homicidal psychosis.

HK-47 (754) has posed:
    In the end, it isn't quite 'easy'... but it is certainly less strenuous then escaping the psychotic, sociopathic assassin droid and his deathtrap.

    Between Rescue, the Chief and Tony, what inhabitants of the settlement survived the nightmare manage to make it high up enough on the adjacent plateau's cliffs and hills to watch as the one the depot had been built on crumbles and sinks like a collapsing tower of sand. Soon enough, the massive clouds of debris being kicked up in the aftermath are the only indication of where the towering pillar of stone and earth had once exited, now only distinguishable as a mass of splintered rock amid an immense sinkhole.

    Shortly after that, buried somewhere beneath all that dirt and stone, the bunker's core ruptures from the pressure and the sinkhole explodes much like a volcano being born, if only for a brief time. The superheated rock and sand from the rupturing core thus turn the sinkhole into a burning, smoldering crater of immolated stone and flash-formed glass, the smoke and the heat causing an immense, charred pit of flame that is likely visible for miles to come.

    And for each who played a major role in this affair, they take many different paths leaving this patch of scorched earth behind them.

    The Stark family - once again pursued and targeted, this time by a ruthless machine who's key failure was it's egotism in wanting to utterly outmaneuver them - is offered complementary passage off Kuat and that they will pay for any and all costs, medical or maintenance, the family may need covered in the wake of this assault. As well as an offer that father, mother and daughter will all be welcome to visit Kuat again sometime for their role in not just saving some of their people, but also uncovering a method in which saboteurs could try to collapse their mesa cities.

    The wandering Spartan, if he were to look through what he collected from the settlement, would find he had enough valuable salvage to trade in for a functional one-man ship and leave the shipyard world behind... and his status among the survivors of the slaughter, who regard him as a nomadic hero who came to help save them from a hellish death, will all but /ensure/ that he is, out of gratitude for his role, allowed passage off-world, his AWOL status with the Union be dammed.

    The whimsical magician, after having abandoned the assassin droid and escaped from the collapsing bunkers, would find it rather easy to blend in with the civilians who await rescue back to Kuat's orbiting ring-station cities, and just as easy to receive free treatment under the guise of a vicim before he could catch escape through one of the warpgates or a transport.

    The unicorn enchanter, after escaping back to the nearest warpgate, may find solace in the fact that she was able to pinpoint and confirm what happened when one savored enacting the kill so much they never guaranteed the kill occurred - which in turn would likely prevent her from making that same misstep herself. And as a result, she will likely be able to muse or even laugh on how much even the best-laid plans can go astray if you let yourself think springing the trap perfectly means the trap itself is foolproof, the assassin droid's failure likely something she could at least study for the sake of learning what to avoid.

    And, finally... fleeing Kuat aboard a nondescript vessel after masquerading as a protocol droid for it's crew to 'purchase'... the rust-red hunter-killer unit muses over it's most recent failure to kill even a single Union target... and yet, takes at least some modicum of reassurance in the fact that he had never been this close before.

    He was on the right track. Having other elites assist him had definitely evened the odds more then his subordinate droids alone had.

    He just needed some... refinements.

    ... and then... things would finally start moving forward again.