Scene #3287: Cyberian Warfare

Owner	Pose
Higeki	Techno Urbania, Cyberia Sector Factory District, 17:30 hours While the Multiverse has focused on the clashes of wills that is the World Martial Arts Tournament, this particular region of the world-of-worlds has been embroiled in a tense period of almost-conflict. Lights shut off at six o'clock. Large transports bearing the angel-winged logo of the Silver Guard trundle through the streets from dusk until dawn, and the streets are lined with damaged or destroyed civilian vehicles. On the corner of 18th and Cogwheel street, bordering the factory district, three of these enormous armored transports have parked such that they block the intersection completely, facing the looming building occupying most of the block while their back doors face away. Soldiers in bulky silver power armor offload and mill about in loose clusters, sorting through ammunition for enormous hand-cannons that could only be carried by a man wearing such armor. A silver-haired trooper in lighter armor, his helmet held under one arm, chews on a cigar while he stares down at a holographic projection of the grounds floating before him. "Alright, Guards. For this operation we'll be getting Elite Support. Alpha, the expert contingent will be assigned to your unit. Breach the south entrance, you're likely to see the heaviest resistance. Bravo will break in here--" He points, "Through the roof near the center. Your job is to disrupt all enemy production you can get your hands on. Charlie team, with me, will wait until Alpha is engaged and drawing fire. We break in here, north side. Once our job is finished, all teams will egress." The Commander withdraws his hand, "And once all three teams have left, we bring the building down on those fuckers just like they tried to do to the CPC. Any questions?"
Kirika	A hipster-dressed girl with fox ears and tail carrying a sword? Seems like Kirika alright. The kitsune is listening to the briefing, sword sheathed and clutched in hand as she folds her arms. Her tail swishes side to side at a low level, her ears drooping to match the frown on her face. The Black Blade Syndicate's been a massive problem for Techno-Urbania, it's time that the fight had been taken to them. Kirika curses herself for having missed all this, all in the excitement of the WMAT distracting her from this massive gang war. "We are to be the tip of the spear, then. Very well. What are the rules of engagement against the Syndicate? I assume we would best be taking some in alive, correct?"
Setsuko Kaminagi	One of the people in that tournament was the demigod who had originally arrived to help this place against the forces currently threatening its peace. The swordswoman known as Setsuko Kaminagi has had a lot to think about in the past week, a lot of consideration of what her victory will mean for herself, what it says about her capabilities. Ultimately, she has decided that while she knows herself better now than before, it's best not to read deeply into it beyond that - she got here by simply being who she is, and changing that now would be counterproductive. So she has come to look in on the Silver Guard and their street war, a war she had a hand in the start of. It's the kind of check-up she doesn't want to make alone, and so she has requested back-up for this particular investigation... and it seems as if that was the right idea. Her battlesense is more than sufficient to lead her towards the site of the impending raid, without even needing to check the given directions. Just moments after Kirika's arrival, Setsuko touches down as well, listening in silence to the briefing. "I'll take point on Alpha Team. With my endurance and abilities, I'd rather be the target everyone's focused on. I make for a rather difficult-to-ignore distraction." She rests a hand on Zanjintou's grip. "While they're shooting at me, everyone else has a much easier time retaliating."
Kirito	"It'll be Alpha for me as well. Bringing down their defenses means they can't stop the rest of the operation after all." Kirito's here with Kaminagi Setsuko and on her request. He doesn't do a lot of Union work but every now and then when something like this happens... he's here. The young man - fairy? - doesn't look happy to be here though. His face is full of fiercely focused anxiety and he draws forth his black blade, Vox Unitas almost wearily. But there's a fury in the young man's soul. He can see the wreckage, the devastation. This stuff can't go on.
Higeki	The Commander lifts up his helmet and pulls it down over his head-- an open-faced variety that leaves his jaw exposed, purely so he doesn't have to ditch the cigar clamped between his teeth. "That's the plan," he mutters in response to Setsuko, "You Elites can do a lot of damage and generally don't have to rely on the heavy equipment the Guardsmen do. You're a wildcard. An excellent wildcard, I'll add. I saw what you did at CPC Headquarters. Nice piece of work." Holding out a hand, after fastening his helmet's strap, he retrieves a heavy rifle handed to him and checks the magazine, then slings it up onto his shoulder, "Handcuffs look better to the public than body bags, but to be honest I ain't gonna fault any of you for killing. I'm authorized to offer a cash bonus for live arrests, though." Reaching up, he flips down his mirrored visor, cigar shifting with his grin, "An' a bigger reward for their leader if she turns up. Alive or dead, if you see the Black Fox, take her down." Raising a hand, he makes a whirling gesture and then points, "Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. You know your assignments, let's roll out!" In response, the loose clusters of heavily armored troops turn about as once and snap to attention, then whirl in different directions. When the Commander steps off, he points, "This group is Alpha. Sergeant Huskins will be your main POC." At the head of the formation, the silver-armored trooper with red chevrons on his shoulder raises his non-gun-carrying arm in response to his name being called, seven other troops trotting behind him with the tromp of steel and servos.
Setsuko Kaminagi	'Alive if possible'. Setsuko considers this for a moment, then inclines her head slightly. "I'll do my best to disable rather than kill. I make no promises, but I'll try." She shifts her hand, moving it from Zaninjtou's grip to the point where it connects to her belt - her usual posture when she's preparing for battle, holding the sheath steady for a swift draw. "Except for Black Fox. If she's here, anything less than my full strength will mean losing the fight." She turns, with one last nod to the commander and a brief 'might as well get going' glance to Kirika and Kirito, and trots over towards Huskins with a brisk, steady pace. "Huskins. Setsuko Kaminagi. I don't know if you were watching the tournament, but for tactical purposes, I'm a strong melee fighter, and decent at mid-range. High mobility, high durability. Think of me as a striker and a siege-breaker. I'll follow my instincts for the most part, but if you need me anywhere, give the word and I'm there."
Kirika	"Keep your money, it is irrelevant to me." Kirika says, not with a tone of rudeness but simply telling the commander to not worry about giving her a bounty. While she is a warrior, she will not have unnecessary bloodshed here today if she can help it, and the mere thought of this turning into another slaughter is a very troubling thought indeed. Even as she nods to Alpha, the men she, the Major, and Kirito will be going in with, it's clear the thought is still on her mind. She joins up with Setsuko and the squad, bowing her head in deferrence to the sergeant. "Please, gentlemen, call me Kirika. My abilities may pose a risk to yourselves, so I will be calling out whenever I require room to cast some of my more spread out spells." She cycles through fire, ice, and lightning in short order. "As the Major said, do call upon me if any of you require assistance in the thick of battle. May the Lady be with us today."
Kirito	"That's good to hear. I'm not filling body bags either." And a bonus for not doing so? He's okay with that. Totally okay with that. Though riches isn't quiiiiiiite his reason for coming... why turn it down? Still grim, he teams up with Setsuko and Huskins near the front, looking over the formations and the building they're about to storm...
Higeki	The Commander trots off with his unit. The Bravo team also marches off, disappearing into one of the neighboring buildings, likely to make ready for their entrance through the roof once the chaos begins. The Alpha team with Huskins at the lead slows down for the three warriors to catch up. "I appreciate it, Kaminagi, Kirika. These Blades have a lot of firepower, so your skills are welcome." This guy, though he's just a crackling voice through a speaker mounted to a heavily robotic-looking armor suit, seems a lot more grounded than the Commander. The difference between being the Officer and the Grunt, maybe. "We're thinking this is their headquarters. The drugs seem to be coming from here. So this should bring the Syndicate down for good and give other gangs a reason not to start crap," he explains, "So expect them to fight tooth and nail for it." His helmet turns slightly, "And they know we're here. The Silver Guard-- all this armor an' crap, we're not exactly subtle. We'll blow the door. You three with the swords and magic lead the way. We'll back you up." The pointman's gun goes off, a heavy triple-shot burst of heavy cannonfire that blasts apart the guard post at the fenceline. As it turns out there was nobody inside! This simply galvanizes the unit's approach to the factory doors, pausing and spreading out, presenting shoulders and angled armor while Huskins himself takes a knee. A cannon on his shoulder swings down, then elevates slightly and reports with a blast of smoke. No sooner has the weapon fired that the reinforced doors blast open, with a cascade of smoke. Spent, the Breaching Gun is ejected from his armor mount, clattering while the unit moves again. Inside the lobby there's only a few guys, scattered by the explosion and too busy recovering to put up a fight. But that's not likely to last long. Neither is the relative quiet following the breach.
Setsuko Kaminagi	Setsuko gives Huskins a quick nod, and then as the lead trooper levels his weapons, she drops down into a crouch, ready to launch herself into the fray - but there is no fray to launch into at the gates. Vaguely worrying; she briefly takes a look around, using her superhuman senses to try and spot any signs of ambush. It feels slightly off; they ought to at least have people on the roof. "Watch yourself for flanking maneuvers," she says simply. Then comes breach 2: explosive boogaloo. Once again she's down into a crouch, watching, waiting for the moment the cannon goes off. And then she's through the door while the smoke is still clearing, charging in full-speed and drawing Zanjintou on the way. With her speed, she opts to make for the guard furthest /away/ from the door, charging in with the intent to cut his weapon apart and knock him out with a simple punch, in a fast and flowing pair of movements.
Kirika	"Indeed, Sergeant." Kirika still looks pretty uncomfortable, but that's only because of the unpredictable nature of this whole mission. She moves swiftly in line with the contractors, her sword at the ready as she moves close to the front. Sniffing for a moment, Kirika takes a few whiffs in order to pick up the scents associated with the ingredients to illicit material. In her experience, such drugs and their components have a stench to them hard to miss. As she takes position near the door, Kirika braces for the explosion before the door is blown right off its hinges. It's a loud blast, enough to cause Kirika to jump in place before she remembers what she's doing here. Kinugiri leaves her sheath, and Kirika storms in to charge at the criminal Setsuko doesn't engage. Her blade moves to sever his own weapon into pieces, and her scabbard flips in her hand as the kitsune gets in close, using the wooden sheath as a club to knock him off his feet. Her ears are still ringing despite all of this, such is the pain of having amazing hearing when explosions go off around her.
Kirito	Yeah, Kirito was expecting this to be a pretty nasty fight. Since there's NO element of surprise at all... who knows WHAT might await them when the door goes down? "We'll take the edge off of whatever they're going to throw at us. I'm not going to let anyone die!" Kirito's VERY vehement about this. Although, if push comes to the worst ever shoves, he might betray those words regarding enemies if it saves ally lives. And hate himself for it later. "Huuuap!" Kirito's FAST. Way too fast. Superhumanly fast. He plows straight through the smoke towards an enemy he can HEAR in that racket, aiming to simply TACKLE whoever it is to the ground through sheer speed and the related force and put Vox Unitas through whatever weapon they have in sync with Setsuko's assault!
Higeki	The smoke from the entry hasn't even cleared before three melee fighters break through. Recovering, one gunshot goes off before Setsuko's sword cleaves the handgun apart. Its wielder has barely enough time to squawk in surprise before he's knocked flat on his back by a wild fist, skidding across the floor. He does not stand back up. A comrade, staggered near one of the lobby's pillars, lifts his gun unsteadily only to lose it to Kirika's swordsmanship. Her blow with the scabbard bangs his head against the stone he was leaning on. Like a sack of potatoes, he collapses. The third lobby guard, hauling himself up with one hand holding the side of his head, raises a sub-machine gun at Setsuko, growling a curse. Kirito is quite suddenly all over this guy, the gun clattering from his grip while he's slammed into the wall hard enough to crush the plasterboard inward. When the Black Swordsman steps back, his victim just remains there, out cold. Huskins stomps in, sweeping the lobby with his rifle, then raising it with a whistling noise. Behind him, the other Silver Guards storm in and fan out across the lobby, into cover like an elite unit-- despite their heavy armor, they still congregate behind solid things like the pillars out of habit. "Christ, you three don't fuck around. All non-lethal takedowns too. You're really in it for Bossman's bonus, huh?" There's a laugh, which cuts off when his radio crackles. "Bravo team. Syndicate trucks are making a break for it through the north side gate. We stopped one, but two have already made it out. We'll get air cavalry on it and move in as planned." "Charlie's in position." Huskins lowers his rifle and gestures. From the lobby there's a corridor leading inward with large doors. Two rounds of stairs lead to a second story with wing corridors, and there is an elevator that clearly goes up to higher floors. "You three are the experts, so where are we goin' from here?"
Kirika	"I have seen enough bloodshed in Urbania from this conflict, Sergeant. I will not add more to it if I can help it." Kirika says cooly, sheathing her katana like an afterthought. The ringing's stopped in her ears, and she begins to sniff again for more scents. Drugs; reinforcements coming to investigate the explosion or lying in wait; possible booby traps; Kirika uses all her senses to attempt and scope out these things as she begins heading up the stairways. "They will likely have trapped the elevator, I suppose we walk." She suggests, already on her way upwards.
Setsuko Kaminagi	"Your CO wanted arrests. If I can manage it and it doesn't put anyone at risk but me, I see no reason not to." A slight shrug from Setsuko. The bonus doesn't really factor into it for her, though she's not going to say it out loud. She'll just let them be surprised later when she tells them the bounties are payable to a local charity. In the meanwhile, her blade is returned to its sheath, and for a moment the silver-haired woman closes her eyes. A slow breath, in and out. And then her eyes open. "The Black Fox is here. Above, at least a couple of floors. I can't sense anything further than that, though. The whole building is steeped in battle." The swordswoman seems to consider something for a moment, looking at Kirika briefly, only to say, "Stand clear of the elevator." She walks right over, draws Zanjintou, and in a rapid pair of movements, crosscuts the doors. Immediately, she stands to one side, waiting for an explosion to happen.
Kirito	THAT went better than Kirito expected. He wastes little time chopping the SMG into uselessness with a stylish double slash, but doesn't sheath the weapon. Instead he stands up. "You could say that. I also just don't believe in killing when there's any other options to take." IS the answer to that! Sure of course he wants the reward. And no blood if it can be avoided. He of course, is currently hanging back to see the results of Setsuko's efforts, but he also hops over to a nearby wall hungint for doors. Any doors he checks out, putting his ear against the wall in case there's any loud yelling that might tell him of where most of their targets ARE.
Higeki	Zanijintou has no problem cleaving open elevator doors. There's no explosion, though the doors do fall apart after a pause, clattering forward onto the lobby floor or falling back into the elevator shaft. Slash marks also decorate the back of the shaft, latent energies used to cleave the doors. And some free-hanging cables. Something rumbles overhead, followed by a screechin and at least ten voices all shouting objections. A few seconds later, screeching to a halt on its emergency brakes, the elevator arrives, filled with terrified Black Blade goons. Huskins and two of his compatriots step forward, leveling their cannons at the crew. The Sergeant lifts a hand, placing a single finger to the front of his helmet. In response, the entire crew surrenders their guns-- evidently just glad to be alive rather than elevator shaft pancakes. Unsteadily, one by one, they're escorted out, hands raised, while a fourth Guardsman starts affixing high tech handcuffs. "Clean captures so far," Huskins comments, raising a hand to the side of his helmet. "Bravo's breaking in now. Charlie's already breached. Lots of gunfire on the north side." Lowering his hand, the armored figure snickers, "Guess they didn't get the drop on their ambush like we did. Good work, Kaminagi." He turns, raising two fingers up the stairs, "Elevator's out. Like the fox says, we're walking, ladies." This sparks some joking complaints from the other, unoccupied Guardsmen who form up and start climbing the stairs on both sides. The pointman on the right side mutters, "What /does/ the fox say..?" The trooper behind him smacks his helmet, "Cram it, Jones." And true to Huskins' word, in the distance there's gunfire. The distinct heavy thumps of Silver Guard rifles and the rapid small arms fire favored by the Syndicate, all in the distance. Shouting and surprise, but all far away. What's closer is boots on the second story, approaching from both sides along the wing corridors. Reinforcements that are not so easily cowed since /their/ floor isn't dropping out from under them suddenly.
Setsuko Kaminagi	"You go up the stairs," Setsuko says simply, turning towards the elevator. "I'm taking the elevator." She steps into the elevator, looks upward, and makes a quick, sharp punch for the emergency hatch, then flies right up through it. For the time being, she will wait in the elevator shaft, floating right in front of the second-story door. Waiting, listening. Waiting for the moment when the enemy forces are just starting to converge in front of the elevator... and then abruptly smashing through it with all her strength, a sudden and powerful lunge to catch them all by surprise and give her a chance to start laying goons out with both her fist and the flat of her blade - not to mention distracting them from the forces coming up the stairs.
Kirika	Huh. "Fine work, Major Kaminagi." Kirika offers, before she looks in confusion at Jones. Probably some idiot human meme, so she leaves it be for now as she goes back to ascending the stairway, once everyone is ready. If Setsuko wishes to take point once more, Kirika welcomes her to do so, staying close just in case. Her senses can help sniff out trouble before they stumble upon it, and Kirika already can hear a lot of Black Blade goons up ahead cocking and loading their guns in a panicked manner. Firearms are so damn /noisy/ and complicated, Kirika can never understand the appeal behind them herself. Cautiously, she makes her way up the stairs with her sword ready once more, prepared for the onslaught awaiting the group. When the shooting begins, Kirika draws her sword, but only to slice away gunfire hailing her way before she sprints with inhuman speed to meet them head-on. Her sword twists, and Kirika grasps it in a reverse grip as she begins to rely on punches, kicks, and strikes with her tail and scabbard to engage the thugs. The kitsune only reserves her sword for the deflection of blades, bullets, and the disassembly of firearms.
Kirito	Hooooh. The fruits of Setsuko's strategy are immediately apparent. He's not sure how exactly to trump that, but he's not all that interested in doing so either. Things sound crazy down here, but the second floor is quickly narrowed down as a much bigger problem. But he's not so sure about this stairs idea. After a glance up at the ceiling though, they're better than what he briefly considered. So Kirito goes for the stairs, except at ridiculous speeds. Instead of the stairs, he RUNS UP THE WALL where possible to save tim and is fully intent on barging into the second floor to ambush one of the groups up there. MAybe pincer with Setsuko on the other side!
Higeki	"The Elevator?" Huskins pauses, then shrugs, "Suit yourself." At the top of the steps, Black Blade goons charge across, prompting some gunfire from the Silver Guard. Heavy cannon shots that rip huge holes in the walls. Anti-vehicle munitions meant to intimidate. Or evaporate. Small arms fire is returned, guys on either side now peppering the armored Guardsmen. In point, Jones hunkers down, shielding his faceplate while the troops behind him use his armored bulk as cover to return fire. The other stairwell soon becomes the same sort of scene, heavy cannonfire and sub-machineguns roaring back and forth. And then Setsuko's dramatic entrance blasts open the elevator doors on the second story. This sows confusion through the group, suddenly being attacked from two sides, with a melee fighter behind their cover. And then Kirito dives in over the railing and further compounds it. The entire right side collapses, with Silver Guards rushing forward amidst the chaos and bowling over what's left of the line on that side. On the left side, with Black Blades turning to try and support their comrades, the left side Guardsmen charge up as well, following up behind Kirika's initial engagement. Troopers and foxgirl smash through the line, with the Guards switching from gunfighting to melee combat. A good deal of these guys are going to live, though they're no doubt going to spend some time in a hospital first. There's a good two dozen Blades, several frantic moments of combat and no small amount of blood-- but by the end, no actual casualties. A good number of doctor and dentist visits, but no trips to the morgue just yet. Something screeches in the open elevator shaft, like metal on metal. Unbidden by anything, the enormous counterweight suddenly shoots past on the shaft's back wall, slamming to a stop somewhere below.
Setsuko Kaminagi	At some point in the fighting, a bullet finds its way across Setsuko's right arm; there's a visible, deep wound along her bicep from it, bleeding noticeably, but she simply waves off any concern without a word, and switches Zanjintou to her left hand for the moment. She's about ready to turn and start pushing up the stairs more conventionally, when there's a sudden screech of noise from the elevator shaft. Around she turns, looking towards the open shaft with slightly wide eyes. "The counterweight..." A quick upward glance. "Someone may have just taken the express elevator to the top floor. Kirito, come with me. Kirika, keep them covered, push up floor by floor. With you they should be fine. If it's nothing, we'll be back in a minute. If it's what I suspect... we might need the reinforcements soon." And then she's off into the elevator, flying straight up the shaft and looking upwards, trying to spot anyone playing 'cut the cable and ride to the top'.
Kirika	Bullets streak through Kirika's own skin. She feels the sting of wounds all across her back and arm, leaving nasty wounds in the process. Her healing ability will help her power through the affair, but she has to fight to keep from instinctively breaking someone's neck with a swift high kick. "Good luck." She nods to Setsuko, before she falls in with the Silver Guardsmen, raising two fingers at the Black Blade gunmen still fighting. "Stand back." She warns the PMCs, before suddenly lightning arcs from her fingertips. It's not a lethal amount, just comparable to a really big taser for pacifying multiple suspects. Beats the hell out of having to hack and chop every one of these guys one by one.
Kirito	WHAM BAM CRUNCH! Kirito's actually using the sword very little. Instead his superhuman strength and speed and a few good elbow slams are knocking over Black Blades. Where he can see weapons though he wastes no time cleaving into them with Vox Unitas. This kind of group is not his usual fare, but once they're knocked out of formation and lose cohesion they're easy pickings it seems! "That's almost too easy!" he points out nervously. Though a great clatter from Kirika's area.. he can hear that. And he winces. How well is it going over there? He can only wonder. The elevator's horrific noise though, leads him to the same conclusion as Setsuko. "Good idea!" He cannot fly, but he does LEAP pretty damn well. Straight up the shaft, he executes a series of wall jumps that the designers of Alfheim Online probably didn't expect a Spriggan to be CAPABLE of. UP THEY GO!
Higeki	"Understood!" Huskins barks, bashing the butt of his rifle upside the head of a Bladesman. The unarmored goon drops, and the Sergeant whirls in place, swinging his rifle out with the business end at the ready. Kirika's lightning rips through the remaining troops, however, and they collapse in smoking heaps, twitching, burned in places, but still quite alive. Just as quickly as it started, the maddening battle ends. Silver Guardsmen sling their weapons and set about detaining the Blades with more handcuffs. This is going to keep the entire eight-man unit busy for a few minutes. Huskins pauses, though, raising his hand to his helmet and tapping the side, "Hmm... Is the building causing interference?" He glances aside, "I've lost contact with Charlie after they breached the upper floor. Lots of static on the line with Bravo, too, but they're holding together over there." TOP FLOOR Setsuko does not find someone riding the cables. That's already been and gone. What she does find is a door opening into the building's top level, sliced open cleanly with a number of imprecise cuts, cubes of metal scattered across the tile floor on the other side. Beyond is a corridor, very nicely furnished, like an office for high ranking executives, such as the people who must own this factory. There's a hole in the ceiling as well, large enough that it must have been the Silver Guard breaking in. There's a rumble of gunfire further down, the distinctive heavy cannons of the Silver Guardsmen, and shouting. Something hisses and a blast of smoke and dust washes around that corner along with a metallic clattering. As the dust settles, the source of that noise is clear: The severed, mangled arm of a Silver Guard armorsuit, clutching the mangled remains of the rifle. Whatever is up /here/ is /bad news/.
Kirika	Kirika has the same face of dissatisfaction with how this has gone as before, and with her ragged clothes and multiple bullet wounds she looks like hell. Kirika looks back to consider the Silver Guardsmen, noting their armor and their weaponry...this is more fitting for monsters, not mere men with automatic weapons. Yet, there is no point in bringing this up, all that matters is to pacify the hostille elements as quickly and effectively as possible without bloodshed if such a thing can be helped. Going less-lethal is the best option Kirika can hope for, and she prays she can maintain this restraint. "We keep moving, assist your comrades however we can. Just like before, floor-by-floor." With that, she begins to head for the stairs, motioning for the rest of Alpha to follow her.
Setsuko Kaminagi	Setsuko moves quickly, though not so much so as to outpace Kirito, who has to bounce his way up rather than straight flight. She comes to a stop right at the edge of the elevator door, and steps in just far enough to leave room for the spriggan... and that's about when the arm slides around the corner. The demigod grimaces, and puts both hands on Zanjintou. "...Kirito, be careful. Chell is here. She's a dangerous swordswoman, and her blade is a dangerous sword." Having so said, she slides up to the corner, pausing for a moment to listen, and then quickly steps around and begins a full-speed charge, intending to cover the distance before a counterattack can be mounted. Even now, though, she radios down to the others, speaking in a calm voice. "Bravo is down. They ran into Black Fox. I'm going to try to save them, but the chances are slim that most of them are still alive."
Kirito	Kirito's no fool. Upon spotting the carnage he freezes up just at the same time Setsuko notices it. His face goes stark-white. It's impossible for him to hide his emotions no matter how much he might want to. Clear fright shifts into choked rage, and that quickly gives way to grim determination. "...." He's quiet. No words can describe what he wants to say. He cannot even be sure what it is he wants to say. But he swallows hard nonetheless... and gestures a few times at a menu. His second sword appears in a flash of light. Divination, the crystal-blue longsword equal to Vox Unitas in size, weight, and performance, is drawn smoothly in his offhand. And with an angry growl the boy dashes along with Setsuko. Confronting this Chell is now top priority.
Higeki	LOWER FLOOR With the larger group of Black Blades detained and left to squirm on the floor in cuffs, Alpha Team resumes their ascent behind Kirika, with Huskins at the front of the formation. Due to the bulk of their armor, they have to move single file even though the stairwells are fairly wide. Nothing meets them on the third story, though the fourth floor landing holds a surprise. A Black Blade lays prone on the landing, nestled behind a high caliber rifle. A heavy round is fired as soon as he sights Kirika, though the shot goes wide. He adjusts his aim, though abandons shooting the sword-wielding foxgirl in lieu of an easier target. The second round catches Huskins square in the helmet, knocking the bulky trooper back down into the conga line of Silver Guardsmen behind him. Coming to a stop on the third story landing amidst a heap of his peers, the Sergeant lets out a loud "FUCK ME!" -- The round failed to penetrate, ricocheting off the rounded dome of his helmet and leaving a sizable dent. One of the other troopers hauls up the steps enough to level their rifle and fire back in three round bursts, causing the sniper to crouch lower, unable to fire. TOP FLOOR: Rounding the corner finds a scene of expected carnage. All eight members of Bravo team are scattered around what looks like a waiting room, some embedded in the walls on either side, in various states of disrepair. Blood is pretty commonplace in the scene, as is the sparking and leaking lubricants of ruine armor. At least it seems like the armor has done its /job/: As mangled as the Guardsmen seem to be, they seem to be /alive/ at least. Gunshots go off behind the office door on the opposite side, smaller caliber. Seconds later, the Commander smashes through the doors, thrown with great force. He hits the small coffee table occupying the center of the waiting room and comes to a stop, grimacing, a japanese sword embedded in the center of his chest. With a growl, he lifts his right arm, still clutching his pistol, and empties the rest of his magazine in the direction he came from. What occupies the door is ... bizarrely ordinary. A black-haired girl in a boarding school uniform, carrying an empty scabbard. She stalks forward, ignoring the bullets that strike her body. Even when the Commander's gun starts clicking, spent, she ignores him and simply grabs on the the sword, wrenching it free. It's spun once and then slid into the scabbard she carries in a practiced motion. "Kaminagi," Chell growls, eyes shifting when she greets the swordswoman, "Should'a figured you'd throw in with these fuckers. Can't keep your nose outta my business, can you?" Her eyes wander further, "And who's this? Your boyfriend? Is this a date, now?"
Setsuko Kaminagi	"Check that," Setsuko mutters into her radio. "Majority of Bravo still alive, but badly injured. Not combat capable. Commander is badly wounded, though, probably dying." Shifting her arm slightly, testing her limits with the injury in her arm, Setsuko goes from a full-on charge to a more cautious advance, step by step, her guard firmly in place. She starts to sidestep, in fact, planning to circle as she's able to. "You almost sound upset to see me," she replies, looking past her blade at the wielder of Higeki, muscles tense. "Did you think I would prefer tournaments to my duty? You're not that lucky, I'm afraid." Without warning, she's moving full speed, crossing the distance like a shot from a cannon, and leading off with an overhead slash using sheer, overwhelming force. She can't afford to use Zanjintou's full size, so at the very least she's going to have to push her physical strength and speed to the limit to ensure that she and Kirito will gain the advantage here.
Kirika	Considering Kirika is flanked by a lot of dudes in space marine mech armor, it's no surprise they'd be awkward in tight quarters such as these. The kitsune meanwhile is nimble as can be, barely making a sound as she makes her way up to the next floor. The one after is when things go to hell, and she spots a glint of light too late, gasping. The shot goes wide, and Kirika draws her sword on reflex, but she finds worse problems to deal with as she sees Huskins going down with a wound. "Sergeant-!" The sniper finds himself pinned by heavy fire, and she dashes towards the marksman with her sword ready. Making a leap to run along the wall, she leaps again to intercept any bullets aimed for her or the other soldiers, splitting them in two with her katana before she lands, and closes the distance with a teleportation that's borderline instantaneous. She splits the rifle's barrel in half, followed by chopping into the rifle itself and a knee to the face. It'd be so easy to put a little more force into that hit, break the sniper's neck and knock his head at a sickening angle, but she's still holding back.
Kirito	The Commander goes down and Kirito clenches his teeth. Learning Bravo team was still mostly alive was a blessing... but that didn't elive him for long. Still, his dark eyes flicker back and forth over Chell, watching every movement in minute detail. And just watching her's sending shivers down his back. He's finding it hard to talk at all, words choked and stuck in his throat. It's that sword. He does not like that sword at all. Not ONE bit. "With even half that much skill you wouldn't have to fight so brutally!" He barks angrily. But he knows. There's no point reasoning with this person. He takes a wider arc when he dashes off similarly, attempting to flank Chell and cut off her escape to force her into Setsuko's assault... or for Setsuko to drive her into his waiting blades. The boy's going to avoid blows to vitals, but well, he knows Elites can take a beating even when they don't look like it. Even when they're apparently schoolgirls.
Higeki	LOWER FLOORS "I'm okay!" Huskins snaps, "Get off me!" It takes several minutes for the Silver Guardsmen to disentangle themselves, armor scuffed and dented from the tumble but the people inside seemingly fine for the shocking turn of events. Clattering up the stairs, they laugh amongst themselves. The sniper is not so lucky, though. Flattened against the fourth floor landing as he is, pinned by gunfire, there's nothing he can do about the incoming foxgirl except try to defend himself. His rifle shifts, though the barrel is severed in two-- followed by the action. Before he can scramble back or try to surrender, Kirika's knee does it for him, striking hard enough to flip the Black Blade sniper up against the wall behind him. Undeniably unconscious, he slides down in a heap. With the sniper dealt with, the Silver Guard at the top of the steps holds his fire, and the rest of the unit files in around him while he reloads. TOP FLOOR: "No respect at all for the business," Chell closes her eyes with a 'tch' sound, "And I bet you wouldn't walk away if I threw money at you, either. What do you owe these people anyway?" She gestures to the Guardsmen around her. The Commander, for how badly injured he is, seems surprisingly stable. The guy's body is probalby forty percent rawhide leather anyway. "You don't live here. And garnering favors isn't gonna get you anywhere, money's the only rule around here." Her thumb flicks her sword slightly, unseating it from the scabbard, "Money and /power/. And guess what I have?" Setsuko's sudden charge puts Chell on the defensive. She sweeps a foot back, planting it and thrusting her weapon upward. Keeping most of the blade seated in the scabbard, she holds up both hands to brace her weapon against the blow, shoving it aside. Even so, the impact alone cracks the floor beneath her feet as she shoves Zanjintou aside in a motion that re-seats her sword within its scabbard. With a motion like lighting, Chell snaps her sword out in a counterattack, a swift horizontal slice. At the same instant, she kicks off, hurling herself backwards through the door she'd emerged from and into a large, spacious office. A corporate bigwig would reside here, in more normal times. Large windows, an ornate desk, plush carpeting and expensive shelves. Bulletholes mar the view, punched through one of the large plate glass windows. "Fuck off!" is her response to Kirito's criticism. In mid-jump she snaps her sword out again, hurling herself into a single spinning motion. By itself this presents little threat to the Black Swordsman. The violet-colored slash wave that slings off of the sword's edge is much less of a non-threat, cleaving into the floor at a shallow angle. It'll eventually burn out, but not before it's dealt considerable damage to the building and anyone standing in the way.
Setsuko Kaminagi	The benefit to keeping her blade small is that Setsuko can react quickly to that strike. Impossibly so, bringing her sword down and just barely managing to parry aside that incredible quickdraw. "I need neither money, nor favors. It is my doom to forever walk the path of carnage. So I can at least choose causes worth fighting for, people worth defending." She's after Chell in a fast movement, shifting immediately to her right the instant she steps into the office. It's tempting to use this space to pull out Zanjintou's full form, but the floor beneath her is still not something she wants to put at risk. Something that Higeki's wielder disagrees with, apparently. That violet energy slash has her eyes wide, and without thinking, she lunges. Divine blue light flares around the demigod, wrapping her in power, cushioning her, blunting the worst of that wave of energy before it can actually hit her, but there is far too much to outright stop, and it /does/ hit her - a long, deep cut, from her left knee all the way up her body to her right shoulder. "Ghh-!" She skids across the floor, trailing a long streak of blood, and at the end of it stops, just trying to get to her feet again.
Kirito	WHEN SWORDS GLOW PURPLE, BAD THINGS ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN. Any Sword Art Online player learned this very quickly. Those who did not... well.... ow. And Kirito's reflexes are quicker than most. With a fierce kiai that's part surprise and part determination he slants his own blade slightly. BLUE light and swirling icy winds gather swiftly around Vox Unitas. Stepping forward he swings it with tremendous speed with perfect timing, his glowing Vox Unitas intersecting the purple wave--- KRAK-WHOOOOOOOOOSH! A roiling cloud of wind and torn magic erupts on contact, engulfing Kirito and clashing with the slash wave in what can only be described as a feat of uncanny skill activation timing. When the cloud disperses.... he's still standing. Red marks in no particular pattern shimmer all over his body, the color of blood save they glow in a grid-pattern fashion. A fairly significant injury to anyone who knows Alfheim avatars. His eyes are narrowed considerably and anger's showing in them. However, it's clear that this Sword Skill did disperse the slash-wave and countered much of its focused intensity. At least SOME of the building directly behind and around Kirito is probably in much better shape than it would have been. "Like I'm about to do that. I'll break that sword of yours and see you turned in to the authorities!" GREEN light and howling, warmer winds gather around Divination as if part of a practiced dance and he THRUSTS once... but from too far away. Or so it seems, because his body quickly is GONE, drawing a flashing line through the air that intersects with Chell in that one split moment almost faster than the eye can see! The only question is ... does his Sonic Leap thrust connect?!
Higeki	Between Kirito deflecting the slash wave and Setsuko intercepting the remainder, Chell's attack fizzles out before it can leave the room. She hadn't even fired it off with the intention of causing damage to the building itself-- just damage to Kirito. Thrusting out her legs, the girl catches herself in a landing roll that ends with her on her feet, sword sliding into the scabbard once more. "You're not human, huh?" She comments at the sparks whirling around Kirito from his depleted HP pool, "Like I care. You're gonna have to try harder than that to beat me." Her fingers flex around the weapon's hilt, readied. The swordswoman jerks slightly when Kirito thrusts, but catches herself when he falls short. It's only when he moves so fast that she realizes she's been had. The Black Swordsman's weapon finds purchase, impaling her straight through the midsection with a satisfying crimson spray. Such an injury would drop any normal person, and even many elites wouldn't be feeling too hot. With the speed of the blow she slides back several yards, though stays on her feet, head slumped forward. "...Heh..." With blood leaking from her mouth, Chell snaps her face upward, still impaled and staring Kirito right in the face with wide crimson eyes. A grin spreads across her face, "Was that supposed to /hurt/?!" There's a click of her sword and she wrenches it from the scabbard in a quick-draw upward slice. The grin breaks into a laugh as she twists her blade around and slashes it back down, swirling with violet light that bursts from the blade into a fan of spinning slashers that scatter in front of her, digging across the floor and slicing up along the walls. She's clearly /injured/, but something's keeping her from noticing or caring about it. Could it be the sword?
Setsuko Kaminagi	Over where she lies, for a second or two Setsuko simply stops moving. She takes a breath, a second, a third. She pushes the pain away, lets her regeneration start, recovers just enough. Just enough that she can move to her satisfaction. And then she carefully floats off the ground. Silently, she drifts over, towards Chell, clutching Zanjintou entirely in her left hand again. She's long since come to suspect that Higeki enhances everything about the Black Fox, including her resistance to pain. So there's a simple solution here. One that, for the best chance, will need an element of surprise. Which is why Setsuko waits until that downward slash, and then brings Zanjintou down as well, straight for Chell's wrist while her arm is extended. "HAA!"
Kirito	Despite calling himself ready for it, Kirito's NOT at all ready for the sensation of his blade burying itself through flesh and muscle and other things or the sound of dripping blood as a result. Oh, he's done it before. Against zombies. And has tried to forget ALL about that experience, bury it deep. What he intended as a dashing slash has instead become impalement, leaving him momentarily wide-eyed and uncertain. Just long enough. And the blood. This close, a bloodied opponent strikes a nerve in him that puts him right into a deep, primal panic of sorts. There's just NOT enough time to kick off and back off like his instincts scream. The upward slash deeply gouges through his outfit and avatar, drawing a crison line from one end of his body to another. Thankfully he, too, feels no real pain at this. Just a light stingy buzz from the loss of HP warning! "Gahk--!" Empowered by the abundance of moonlight and starlight, translucent black fairy wings shimmer into existence and vibrate up to full speed. he wrenches the blade free just in time to avoid most of the second strike and its follow-ups. The slash waves merely graze along his arm and leg as he wrenches around and weaves between them in a mad panicked dance, retreating away to the office's edge and breathing hard! "What ARE you?!"
Higeki	Snikt! "FUCK!" Not exactly the result a certain swordswoman was hoping for. The curse that Chell snaps out is not one of pain or fear, but rather of annoyance when the Zanjintou neatly severs her hand at the wrist. There's a bit of a panic in her eyes, but it's not due to pain. More like 'My hand was cut off and it doesn't hurt, what he hell' surprise. Bleeding, she recoils back more out of shock than anything else, still clutching the scabbard in her left hand. The sword, still hissing with violet light, clatters to the floor and comes to a rest. The sinister violet glow around it sputters, then fades, dying out. Beside it, the girl's severed hand twitches but remains unremarkable. It eventually stops as well. Bringing her right arm in, Chell tucks it under her left, teeth bared. Her grip on the scabbard tightens while she evaluates her options, eyes traveling between Kirito and Setsuko, filled with rage. Even if she can get the sword back, how is she gonna use a two-handed weapon with one hand?! It can be replaced. Inconsequential. Retire from this disadvantage. Her eyes dart briefly to the scabbard, than the discarded blade. After a moment, Chell's fighting stance relaxes and she raises her remaining hand. Still clutching the scabbard, she raises her middle finger and spouts a blood-flecked, "Fuck off, the both of you." And then Chell leaps backwards, drawing her arms and legs in when she slams into the damaged office window. Glass shatters and the girl sails through and down.
Setsuko Kaminagi	By this point, Setsuko knows that Chell isn't going to be killed by even something as brutal as a several-story fall, if she's holding Higeki; her concern, now that she's not, isn't so much that the sword's wielder won't survive, as it is that she /will/. That's what brings the demigod up to the edge, right up to the broken window, watching the girl's fall the whole way down with a faint grimace. She has her opinions on what's transpired - both in the sense of 'the events that just happened' and 'what has happened to Chell in a general sense' - but she's not going to state them for a moment. "...We need to clear the way for rescue services to get to Bravo Team," she finally says, turning to face Kirito. Granted, it's true, but the main reason she says it is to give Kirito focus, to give him something to do. She recognizes that growing look in his eye.