2013.08.20 - Learning to Work Together

Rachel might have glibly mentioned to Jocelyn that she had the perfect Danger Room program lined up for them, but she neglected to mention that it wasn't quite finished. In the control booth, Rachel puts a few hurried final touches to the simulation and saves it to the Danger Room's computers. That done, she straightens up and looks down to where Jocelyn is waiting. Deciding it's hardly fair if one of them knows the script, Rachel punches in a command to randomise the program and grabs the remote, before stepping quickly out into the corridor and back into the Danger Room proper.
Stepping through the thick circular door, Rachel's clearly taken Kitty's advice that one can't have too many costumes, for she's in a new one of grey and black, topped with a black leather bomber jacket decorated with small, sharp spikes that run across her shoulders and down her arms. "Sorry about the wait." She says lightly as she joins Jocelyn in the center of the space. "OK..." Rachel looks around at the empty room and takes a quick breath. "I figured we'd start with something simple. All we've got to do it get out of the city. There are going to be patrols looking for us, and some of them may be able to detect active mutant powers. So..." Rachel's suddenly wearing the facial marks Jocelyn saw before. "And if we do get spotted, they can call in serious backup." Rachel smiles a bit grimly, and raises the Danger Room remote. "Sure you still want to do this?" She asks, thumb poised over the button that will bring the Danger Room to life.
Really, Jocelyn doesn't have that many costumes. In fact, the only costume she owns is the X-Suit. However, she'd decided to go with a relatively standard look for this mission, if only because unless she actually got hold of a costume, she'd be unlikely to be wearing one on the mission. So she was dressed in a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a grey t-shirt with a familiar swoosh on it. She did have an earpiece for communications, out of habit, though. Also of note was the curved sword that was sheathed at her side.
"Not a problem," Jocelyn says with regards to the wait. She listens to Rachel's description of things. "I do have some powers that are passive and don't turn off. My sight, for example," Jocelyn says. It's a relevant bit of detail, and she wasn't sure if that mutation would be detected or not. But since she can't really turn off her energy sight, it was important to note.
"I'm up for it," the teen says. She hasn't activated any of her powers yet, and likely wouldn't until they were spotted, given Rachel's warning.
Rachel makes a quick nod of understanding. "It won't be as easy for them to pick up as active use." Rachel says. "But the better ones, if they're close..." She looks a little bit uneasy for a moment, then shrugs. "Nothing we can do about it, but good to know." Rachel's expression clears of unease as Jocelyn confirms she doesn't want to back out. "Good." She says, firmly, and presses the button.
Instantly, the Danger Room is plunged into darkness. Until eyes adjust, the blackness seems absolute, but soon enough the thick grey clouds above become visible, reflecting the light of searchlights and distant fires, while a little moon and starlight filters through gaps in the overcast. It's enough to see the immediate surroundings of a shattered city, just about recognisable as New York. The air smells of smoke and pollution, and the chill, sluggish wind brings the faint crackle of distant fires, and the occasional sharp crack of a gunshot.
Rachel looks quickly around herself, not at all thrown by her surroundings, quickly orienting herself. "We need to get off the street." She says, keeping her voice low, and immediately begins moving across the rubble-choked street, to hug close to the shells of the buildings to one side. "We're too exposed in the open." As if on cue, a dark, angular shape flashes past overhead with a scream of turbojets, searchlights flickering from side to side until it banks away, hunting elsewhere. Rachel presses herself into the gap between two broken walls, then relaxes as the aircraft moves away. "They must be having a busy night. If it's not just us they're looking for, so much the better."
Jocelyn moves quickly, not exactly tailing Rachel but taking a different path behind various pieces of debris to make it to the same walls that Rachel makes her way to. Jocelyn looks around the area quietly, taking in the information quickly enough. She'd seen Future Detroit, and this wasn't that different. So the teen slips back into that mentality for the time being. Survival against all odds was the goal.
Of course, one thing Jocelyn was quite good at was recon from a distance, and she looks around with her passive energy sight. "One psionic energy user closing in on us with five humans or mutants who haven't used powers in tow. On foot. Not that far from us". Pause as she looks around. "Jet has a two man crew," she adds. Jocelyn then points at the side street. "The six on foot will cross up with us there if we stay here". Jocelyn's voice is, of course, kept low as she discusses these things with Rachel.
Rachel takes a quick look at Jocelyn as she arrives near to her and is pleased to see that she's adapted to her surroundings. That puts a question in Rachel's mind, of course, but it's one that can wait for another time. She's rising to move on when Jocelyn speaks, and quickly stills the movement, twisting back around to listen.
"The other five will be baseline humans." Rachel says that with utter assurance, her eyes narrowing as she considers options, but then she looks a bit surprised and shoots Jocelyn a quick grin when she mentions the crew of the jet. "You're good." She tells her, before her expression sobers again. "We need them out of our way." Rachel decides, and motions towards one of the less-collapsed buildings, which appears to be some kind of burned-out store. "Let's get off the street for a minute." Picking her way swiftly but stealthily inside, Rachel gets out of direct sight of the front windows. "We need them out of our way." She decides, before pausing. "I'm betting that I'm stronger than their... tracker. But if this doesn't work we'll have them right on us, so... be ready."
Rachel closes her eyes, her brow furrows a bit, and there's a sudden surge of power from her. It's gone as soon as she opens her eyes again, and in the distance a male voice shouts, "The Hound's got something!" A more authoritative voice replies, "Give him his head, be ready to shoot on sight!" There's the sound of booted feet running now. Rachel doesn't move, just smiling faintly to herself - and if Jocelyn looks she'll see a gaunt, leashed man in some kind of spiked outfit dash across the street - and keep running straight on, away from their position. A moment later, five heavily-armed soldier types sprint across the street in pursuit. As the running footsteps fade into the distance, Rachel glances at Jocelyn. "Home sweet home." She says humorlessly, and rises back up. "Are we clear?"
Following Rachel, though by means of a slightly different path just to throw off anyone who might have escaped their notice, Jocelyn arrives at the same location as Rachel. A nod is given at the mention of them being humans, and she gives Rachel a small smile. "Thanks. Grew up a street rat," Jocelyn offers by way of explanation, even as she crouches down a touch to stay out of sight. It meant that she knew enough to look up as well as around. And down, now that she could sense life signs and energy, but that was besides the point.
Jocelyn watches the psionic energy emit from Rachel, then turns to track the trackers. She doesn't bother to look through the windows, instead trusting her sight to let her watch them through the walls of the building instead. No reason to expose herself if she could avoid it.
"We're clear for now. If I see anything else along the way, I'll pipe up," Jocelyn comments as she stands and gestures to the street. Rachel knew the way, and Jocelyn was perfectly happy to let Rachel direct them. As for the terminology of Hound and trackers, Jocelyn doesn't say anything for now. Interesting, but she could ask about it later if she wanted to.
Rachel passes swiftly back out onto the street, glancing back and nodding to Jocelyn to follow her, just hesitating long enough to add, "Wish you'd been around the first time." It's a bit cryptic, but her meaning can probably be divined quite easily.
The city seems quiet - beyond the occasional gunshot, the odd, distant scream, and every now and then the thrum of powerful jet engines in the distance. Rachel keeps close to cover as she leads the way, though. For her part, it's an effort not to risk the occasional telepathic scan - it's what she'd be doing if this were real, and she were alone - but the whole point of this exercise is learning to work with another, so Rachel trusts Jocelyn to watch not only her back, but their surroundings for threats, as well.
Random chance can interfere with the best laid plans, however, and Rachel's randomising of the scenario throws its first curve ball. Although they're moving into a more densely-populated area, there's still little sign of anyone on the streets, most of those still living here existing in basements, or deep in the more intact buildings. Everything's quiet...
...until the scream of "MUTANT!" that echoes down the street, a shout that's taken up by several more voices in quick succession. Closer still, a dog starts barking, loud and excited, and voices are raised, speaking a foreign language and sounding angry. Up ahead, a man bursts from cover, twisting around to yell something in that same language behind him - accompanied by the signature of a mutant power in use. Behind him, the rubble seems to come alive with people spilling from cellars and other rough dwellings to pursue him, every hand seemingly filled with a makeshift weapon. The first bricks are already flying.
Keeping an eye out for threats is reasonably simple for Jocelyn, as it just involves her looking around and virtually keeping her head in constant motion. Still, it wasn't that difficult. Jocelyn does take a certain meaning from Rachel's statement. She figured this was Rachel's time already; that just confirmed it. Of course, the fact that the city was this quiet meant that the Danger Room was planning something. Jocelyn had been in enough Danger Room sessions to know that quiet was one of the most dangerous feelings you could get about a Danger Room scenario.
As a result, Jocelyn isn't that surprised when all chaos erupts from the city. Jocelyn frowns briefly, and her instinct is to go and rescue. But this time wasn't her own. Mutants had to keep a low profile to survive, and an open fight, even against humans, would result in all of them being captured with that much power flashing about. A glance is given to Rachel, that frown clear on Jocelyn's face, and a single nod is given. She got it. She didn't like it one bit. But the guy would have a better chance getting away from the humans on his own than if they turned this into a light show of mutant powers.
Rachel's response to the situation the Danger Room throws at them is more conflicted. The frightened kid from the camps sees only a way out, as the mob focus on someone else. The X-Man sees a man who needs their help. It's particularly unpleasant that the smart thing to do right now is act like the frightened kid. Rachel catches Jocelyn's glance, and though her expression makes her feelings clear, it's a reluctant shake of the head that's given, and Rachel ducks back into the shadows as the man approaches their position.
It's a perfectly sound tactical call - and it should have worked. Would have, if the Danger Room didn't have another surprise lined up for them. The roar of jets is from behind them now, a deeper rumble than the scream from before, and the aircraft approaches more slowly, though still fast enough. A troop-carrier, with eight individuals on board - one of them a mutant. Searchlights snap on from above even as the jetwash flings rubbish and small bits of debris around, lighting up the running mob. "DISPERSE, CITIZENS!" Comes the boom of a PA system, and ropes snake down from the hovering aircraft, six of them, another armed squad rappelling swiftly down to cut off the fleeing mutant.
They're close. Very close. And even as Rachel is gesturing urgently for them to move, the spiked figure looks up, branded face illuminated by the powerful lights, and points straight at them. Rachel curses. "No choice now. Hard and fast!" She tells Jocelyn - even as a telekinetic bolt streaks out from her outstretched hand to knock the Hound flat. The soldiers scatter, looking for cover as their weapons come up and begin firing.
Jocelyn had much the same thought, and while she agreed with it being the right tactical move, her inner X-Man was screaming at her. She ducks back into the shadows as well. But then she spots that jet, and the woman is waiting...watching..."Eight in there, one mutant...". Then the PA system turns on and the enemies are dropping down, attacking them. Jocelyn reaches out and pulls in some thermal energy, augmenting her physical capacities well above human levels. She then moves forward to take point, and the soldiers start firing on her, a mix of projectile weapons and energy beams. The projectiles literally seem to bounce off the woman while she absorbs the energy bolts as they strike her. The end result is that neither attack has any effect on the woman.
Jocelyn then releases the energy that she's absorbed in a series of kinetic blasts, attempting to knock the human soldiers backwards and, with luck, send them flying out of the fight. She wasn't concerned with their attacks so far, but they might have something more dangerous up their sleeves.
Rachel looks up sharply as Jocelyn places herself firmly in harm's way. For a moment she looks like she wants to try to drag her back, but after a second's thought she realises that Jocelyn, not her, has the right idea here. Her choices are being coloured by the environment - perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. But it's far too late for thoughts like that now.
Instead, what Rachel says is, "Keep them off my back if you can. I need to get the flyer's attention." It seems as if that won't be all that necessary. The jet wash intensifies as the lumbering craft backs off a bit, and the PA system crackles into life once more. "SURRENDER, MUTANTS!" Comes the booming voice - but an underslung heavy machine gun is already traversing, tracking toward Rachel. "Come on." Rachel says under her breath. "Shoot me, don't run..."
And she gets her wish. Bullets stitch across the street toward her, before suddenly being deflected skyward by a telekinetic shield. Rachel grins nastily, reaches up - and telekinetically crushes the blades of one of the craft's turbines into scrap.
Meanwhile, the soldiers are proving accurate, determined, well-trained - and completely unprepared to take on Jocelyn. Three are blasted backwards before they can think to adapt, and of the two remaining? One is hunkered down behind a pile of rubble yelling frantically into a radio, and the other? He lofts a grenade toward the taller red-head.
Three down. Two more. Jocelyn is more concerned about that grenade, though mostly because it could do a lot of local damage. Jocelyn times a small but focused burst of kinetic energy under the grenade as it flies toward her and launches it skyward, up at the craft, and aiming it directly at another of the jet's turbines, intending on letting it blow that part of the jet up instead of the two women.
As for the man on the radio, Jocelyn flies up and over the pile of junk, landing behind him. Then she unleashes a powerful strike, intending on knocking the man out and stealing his radio in the process. It wasn't really all that flashy, but Jocelyn was hoping it would work.
"You sensing any other problems, or shall we get out of here?" Jocelyn asks. She does glance at the enemy Hound quickly, just to make sure they don't have an enemy getting right back up.
The jet's remaining engines throttle up to maximum as the crew fight to keep it in the sky, but it's already starting to list out of control. Rachel's about to put the machine out of its misery when another turbine blows out in a mess of flame and shrapnel. The jet wallows drunkenly in the air for a second or two, then rolls over and ploughs into an open space that might once have been a local basketball court.
And explodes.
Rachel throws up a telekinetic shield to protect herself and Jocelyn - she'd just watched the other redhead soak up bullets and energy fire, but she doesn't really want to test her against high-velocity aircraft parts and burning jet fuel this time out. Pushing herself into flight, Rachel is swiftly hovering behind Jocelyn, ready to back her up - except it's not needed. All the soldiers are down, and they're both in one piece. Rachel takes a quick breath as she comes down from the adrenaline rush of combat and cuts her powers, dropping to her feet.
"Checking." She says, risking a quick psi-scan of the surrounding area, one hand pressing against her temple as she does so. "We're OK. No patrols in the immediate area, and the good citizens we met earlier..." Rachel's voice is dripping with scorn as she says that, "Are still running." She looks around at the fallen soldiers, and her power surges for a moment. "None of them will wake up for hours." She says, then drops her hand, the aura of power around her dying. "We should still..."
And the radio in Jocelyn's hand crackles into life. "Say again, Scorpio Squad? Scorpio Squad, be advised Sentinel units are being launched. Be prepared to provide forward control." One of Rachel's hands clenches into a fist, unconsciously. "...get moving." She finally finishes, and jerks her head to Jocelyn, already running. Ahead, a bridge looms out of the semi-darkness. Their way out of the city.
Jocelyn watches the plane go down from the safety of Rachel's shield. She can see it just fine, so she knows just how to stay behind it. The woman then lets Rachel check into if there were any other threats to deal with. When Rachel reports that they're clear, she's about to respond when the radio goes off.
"Yeah. If these Sentinels are the upgrades of the ones I've run into, I'm not too keen on dancing with them," Jocelyn agrees. And the woman starts running towards the bridge, only a step or so behind Rachel by the time the bridge is properly in sight. She doesn't speak further, as they had a very clear and obvious goal. All they had to do was get there before the giant robots of doom showed up.
Simple, right?
 
Simple. If they were just a little closer, anyway...
The throb of powerful engines is the first warning that they aren't quite going to make it. Even though this is the danger room, a thrill of fear runs down Rachel's spine, and she wants to run faster. Instead, she slows. "It's too close." She calls over to her. "It'll cut us down." Rachel sounds grim, but not panicked. "Think you can keep it's attention for a minute?" It's dark, it's dark to see the look in Rachel's eyes, but there's the distinct sense that she doesn't like asking that question. Even so, as soon as the answer is given, Rachel angles off, sprinting away, ducking out of view amongst the shadows of the ruins and the darkness of the night.
Bare moments later, there's a thunderous crash that shakes the ground underfoot as the Sentinel's armoured feet slam into the street, followed by aftershocks as it walks ponderously in pursuit of Jocelyn. Its eyes burn, high above in the darkness, as once more searchlights beam out to illuminate her. There's a hum of power and the Sentinel raises its arm, booming out in a synthesized voice, "HALT, MUTANT! FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE WILL BE MET WITH LETHAL FORCE!"
A single nod is given to Rachel, and nothing is verbalized. Jocelyn turns to face the Sentinel, her abilities still enhancing her physical capacities greatly. As the light shines down upon the woman, she looks right up at the giant robot. Sure, this was a simulation, but that thing was unnerving to deal with when you were completely exposed in the street. She glances around briefly, taking note of where Rachel's lifesign is, which shouldn't be too difficult for her to find. She wasn't sure what Rachel's plan was, but she knew that she had to make herself a distraction. That meant a threat to keep it from just scooping her up and taking her in.
"Sure, I can halt. How about we play a little bit of catch?" Jocelyn asks as she reaches over and grabs an abandoned semi, filled with large, heavy stone statues. Gripping it with both arms, the woman swings it much as much force as she can, letting it fly upwards at the robot's midsection. At the same time, Jocelyn reaches out and attempts to drain energy from the core of the Sentinel to weaken it, especially any shields it might have up, to try and slow it down.
Physically, Jocelyn has assumed a defensive stance, because she expects she's going to be on the receiving end of at least a few energy blasts from the evil robot of doom. She just hopes this is the type of attention Rachel wanted Jocelyn to attract!
 
As Rachel runs, part of her is yelling at her to turn around and go back, and most of her wants to be the one drawing the Sentinel's fire. But she has a plan, and it's a plan that's only going to work if the Sentinel is concentrating on something other than her. She just hopes Jocelyn can hold it's attention.
As it turns out, she needen't have worried on that score. As the semi hurtles toward the Sentinel, it braces itself. "IMPACT ALARM!" It announces, like all Sentinels seeming to enjoy the sound of its own voice. The semi never hits, though. The great machine shifts its aim, letting fly with a powerful energy blast that smashes the vehicle and its cargo. It's suddenly raining broken statue, and the Sentinel itself is pelted with debris, but any damage caused is almost entirely cosmetic. "LETHAL FORCE SELECTED." The Sentinel adjusts its aim and bolt after bolt streaks toward Jocelyn's position, before, "ALARM: ENERGY DRAIN!" The light dims appreciably, and a rumbling noise from the Sentinel suggests its internal systems are struggling, but then it speaks again. "RESERVE POWER ACTIVE." The light brightens, and the Sentinel begins moving forward once more. "THREAT LEVEL ELEVATED. IMMEDIATE TERMINATION!" The energy bolts continue to rain down, and if that fails, the machine seems intent on grinding Jocelyn into paste.
All of which, as much as she doesn't like it, plays right into Rachel's hands. The sharp sound of one of the steel cables supporting the bridge snapping, first at one end, then the other, is lost in the sound of the battle. Supported by Rachel's telekinesis, the heavy steel cable slides from its mountings and rises with her - right behind the Sentinel. With all the dust and debris being kicked up by the Sentinel's attack, Rachel can't even see Jocelyn, so she works fast. Looping the cable, she drops it around the Sentinels neck and draws on her powers.
"ALERT! ALPHA-CLASS MUTANT SIGNATURE!"
Rachel's eyes go blank white and her body seems to catch fire - and she PULLS. With a screech of stressed metal, the cable slices through armour, electrics, hydraulics, and then the spine of the Sentinel itself. The head falls from the shoulders to crash to the ground, and Rachel, fire still licking about her form, follows it down more sedately. "Jocelyn?" Rachel calls. Danger Room or not, there's urgency in her tone.
The energy bolts raining down on Jocelyn are powerful, and she's immediately launching them back up at the Sentinel as she absorbs them. However, there is too much for her to actually absorb, and Jocelyn is taking a fair bit of fire. But her enhanced toughness has her continuing to stand as she fires bolt after bolt back at the Sentinel, slamming it with it's own energy. When it tries to step on her, Jocelyn steps back and attempts to catch the foot. If that plan would have worked or not she'll never know, however, because it's at that moment the Sentinel's attention is back on Rachel, and it's head is being torn off.
"I'm fine," Jocelyn says, heading over towards Rachel. And while she looks like she's taken a few good hits, she's functional. The girl closes her eyes and drops her physical augmentations before she channels her healing energy, and the burns start patching themselves up.
"How about we go hit the mall and get a smoothie or something, maybe catch a movie?" Jocelyn suggests, gesturing to the bridge. It'd be a good way to unwind after battling mutants and robots in the Danger Room. And it'd afford them a chance to chat a bit about things not involving such things.
As the smoke and dust clears and Rachel actually catches sight of Jocelyn - being mentally aware of her presence isn't quite enough - she grins with relief. It's an odd expression, allied to eyes that are still the blank white heat of a blast furnace, but then she blinks and her eyes are green again, and the residual flames twining around her body dissipate away to nothing.
Rachel's grin fades a bit as she gets a good look at Jocelyn, and her brows draw together in concern. "You sure you're..." She gets out, before Jocelyn demonstrates another facet of her abilities, and Rachel just shakes her head, honestly very impressed. "You're pretty tough, aren't you?" She says in a cheerful tone that seems very out of place given the wrecked Sentinel behind her. "Genosha's not going to know what's hit it." Rachel decides, confidence in her tone as her grin returns. "Sounds good." Rachel agrees easily as she steps onto the bridge, fishing around in the pocket of her jacket for the remote and thumbing the off switch. As the simulation dissolves around them and the door opens in front of them, Rachel adds in an amused tone, "But you'd better change first, I'm not explaining the burn marks."
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