2014.02.27 - Mixed Up Random Danger

It's a warehouse!
All right, so it is just a regular looking warehouse, with a large cavernous interior. Rows upon rows of large wooden crates, cardboard boxes, and metal shelving go one in almost every which way, making the interior of the building a veritable labyrinth full of rows that suddenly branch off or become dead ends. In fact, odds are it was probably set up to be exactly that. Of course the fact that maybe half of the large lights hanging on the ceiling don't work, and the other half are either insanely dim or constantly flicker doesn't help with how it gives this warehouse what's probably meant to be a spooky vibe to it.
But if all of that wasn't bad enough, everything is stacked up so high that there's not a lot of room for fliers to maneuver, and the 'gaps' between the stacks' and shelves at best is just barely wide enough for two people standing side by side to make it through.
But hey, it's a warehouse sim in The Danger Room! What's the worst that could happen?
But anyways, as the X-Men taking part in this training session enter, they find themselves at one end of the warehouse, on a loading dock. And as they enter a voice speaks up.
"Your mission tonight, should you choose to accept it, is to make sure the five hostages in this warehouse survive this exercise. It's not going to be easy. there are random powered individuals in here trying to stop, or even kill you, and the whole place is wired to explode. On top of that, I'm not going to tell you how long you have until it explodes, and the computer is set up to place your opposition, and the hostages, randomly in the warehouse. Also, who and what you face will be random as well."
Then a spotlight appears to shine on Josie for a moment or two.
"Oh, and it looks like Josie will be the one calling the shots for your little group as the field commander. Have fun!"
And with that, the voice goes silent.
Josie was as confident as always, eagerly stepping into the Danger Room in her uniform and looking around as she listens to the briefing. She's confident, that is, until the light shines on her and reveals that she's the one in charge. Her eyes widen, "Me?" Apparently, she won't be spending the danger room session in her mostly-safe water form after all. She swallows, but starts thinking quickly, looking around. "We need to start moving. We should, um, stick together, but move fast. We'd cover more ground split up but there's no way to help each other in this maze."
"Everyone has to be ready to take charge, Josie. You'll do fine," Jocelyn tells the girl. Jocelyn had done it a few times, and rarely was it ever planned. Things just sort of worked out that way. The girl is dressed in her X-Suit, geared up and ready for whatever the Danger Room was going to throw at them.
She nods to Josie and glances around. "Flight is going to be a pain in the butt anyway, unless I start blasting random stuff onto the floor, and you never want to do that with the Danger Room. I can see what I can detect in terms of energy signatures and see if we can get an idea of what we're dealing with". And thus Jocelyn begins scanning the area, looking to see what life signs, energies, etc... were around. She was quite interested in the fact the place was wired to blow, and where the power for that little happy fun switch was coming from. Because that might be something to disable sooner rather than later.
Yes, Laura is here, with the others. Yes as she enters, she's wearing her usual all black 'Weapon X' uniform and combat boots. And yes, she sniffs the air.
And yet, as she hears that briefing, and then as Josie gets picked, she blinks... And shrugs.
All though as she hears those instructions from the 'field commander' she does nod ever so slightly.
Otherwise...? She remains totally silent.
But what about the building itself?
Well...
There are energy readings from the lights on the ceiling, and the wires that go to them. The same sort of electric current, at the same voltage, runs through the walls, and even under the floor. Not to mention up the supports to the ceiling.
In addition there are 'warm' spots all over the place. Some of the packing crates read as hot to those that can see or feel them. As if they're physically warm, possibly due to something organic. But there's well over 50 of those scattered all over. There's also random objects all over that read as electrified, or at least have some sort of small internal power source. Some are in crates, and others, like portable radios and laptop computers, are out in the open.
And worse, there's some stuff that might even be giving off some magical energy.
Are there things moving in here? Possibly. Probably. Some give off energy, but it's hard to tell what kind, and they are scattered all over. Heck, those closes at one looks almost like a shadow not too far away as it moves, and it gives off heat, and possibly some magic.
Either way though, as the trio start to move (or even just stand there) the door they entered through up and suddenly shuts with a loud rattling *SLAM!* that echo's through the entire warehouse.
Josie nods to Jocelyn and smiles a bit, "Thanks." She nods again and says, "Anything you can sense, awesome." Figuring there'll be hostages in every direction, she picks one and starts walking, then visibly jumping as the door clangs shut. Rolling her eyes and laughing off her nervousness, she starts forward again. While she never seems to fear for her own safety, being in charge seems to put her way outside her comfort zone. (Which, of course, is likely the point.)
"About fifty or so hot spots around here. Maybe more," Jocelyn says as she scans the room. "Doubt the potential explosion is as strong as a nuke, so I could potentially absorb it. But there would be injuries at a minimum with such a wide area," Jocelyn determines. "I'm picking up on some magical energy too. A wide variety of energies are floating around. Lots of variety here," she adds as she walks along with Josie. The woman bolsters her physical capabilities with some gravimetric energy. "I'll see if I can't pick out the hostages".
Jocelyn then scans some more, looking likely locations for hostages, or possibly groupings of people that look like they're guarding a hostage. Those would be the two most likely of areas. Of course she's keeping some awareness of the area around them, because she expects to be attacked at any moment. It was the Danger Room, after all.
And Laura...? Just remains silent. After all, this is a mission. The person calling the shots has issued their orders. At best, she can sniff the air and say, "Lots of people been in here recently. Some vehicles too."
Of course as Josie jumps, that 'shadow' up ahead moves, and even starts to charge at the trio of girls! And as it does so, the glint of a metal blade can be seen, before it physically leaps at them.
As it falls, the fact that it appears to be some sort of human sized, and human shaped, lizard person can be seen, even as it tries to skewer Josie with its blade!
Meanwhile, as Jocelyn 'scans' she might pick up all sorts of things. Like how if the trio go straight ahead, there's a single energy thing. Something that has a sort of human like vibe to it. But standing near it is something /BIG/ and strong magically, and worse next to that there's something else not moving that has its own magical energy...
Josie gets a chance to comment, "Incoming," before the lizard-creature is on them. She doesn't dodge, instead turning to water an instant before the sword would hit her. As it goes through what's now water, that water slips to the side, resolidifying when free of the blade to lash a kick at the creature.
"A few more ahead of us, different types," Jocelyn states even as she angles a blast of energy up and away from the group, originating at the feet of the lizard-creature in an attempt to slam it up against the ceiling and knock it out. Hopefully Josie's kick attempt will distract the creature long enough for Jocelyn's blast to get through.
The woman doesn't have time to really scan for anything else at the moment, not in the middle of battle, so Jocelyn is hoping that they can combine to finish the lizard creature off quickly.
As for Pixie? Well. In an unusual twist of fate, Megan had been almost completely quiet this goaround, following along mutely with orders. (If you knew Pixie, the fact that she wasn't chattering everyone's ear off by this point must mean that there was something wrong with her). When the lizardmen start to show up - Megan narrows her black bug eyes against them as the other two women start to charge in, the young woman holding a hand out to her side... and an evil looking red energy dagger appears in her hand, Megan biting her lower lip as she flutters her wings and starts to hover. "Um..." she says, glancing from lizardmen to women. "...you guys got 'em?"
And as that 'Lizardman' jumps, Laura lets out a feral growl, before...
*SNIKT!*
Her claws come out.
Of course before she can do anything,, there's the kick that causes the lizard creature to stumble, before in turn the lizard is sent flying up, into the air, where it slams into something, and in turn falling down.
Of course it lands practically right on that 'large magical energy reading' up ahead.
That is before said 'big energy' thing bellows, "I'm THE JUGGERNAUT B*TCH!"
And then well.... A rumbling starts to come towards the four girls. A rumbling akin to the boulder that Indiana Jones once had to run from crossed with a thousand (or more) pound man running on his own two feet...
Towards the girls!
The other thing? The human like energy reading? Doesn't move. It stays up ahead, behind the oncoming behemoth. As does the odd magical energy thing near it.
Josie grins, watching the lizard fly into the air, "Yep, we got that one." That grin lasts until the bellow, and Josie looks towards the source of the rumbling. "That one, not so much." She takes probably split second longer than she should, but then asks Jocelyn, "Gravity is an energy, right? Can you take his before he hits us?"
Jocelyn's hand is at her side as soon as she hears that statement and out comes her Asgardian blade. She wasn't actually sure if it'd cut open Juggernaut's armor, honestly. "Can't counteract it quite like that". It was more complex than that, but details would have to wait. "Think I can slow him up though". And Jocelyn reaches out with her abilities, trying to drain the enormous amount of kinetic energy being generated by Juggernaut in an attempt at slowing his momentum, which should make him easier for the team as a whole to deal with. She wasn't actually sure how well this would work. If that didn't work, then it'd be on to Plan B.
The Juggernaut? The /Juggernaut/?
Megan Gwynn pauses a handful of moments, blinking kinda lopsidedly. "Ohmygosh - I've heard about this guy!" she enthuses. Taking a higher flight upwards, she kinda spirals above the battlefield, choosing now to shout suggestions. "IF YOU CAN GET HIS HELMET OFF, I CAN STAB HIM IN THE HEAD!" she calls. "UM, WITH A PSYCHIC DAGGER."
Except it wasn't /really/ the Juggernaut, was it? Aiming towards his back, Pixie tucks her wings in and dives - hoping to land her souldagger right into the back of the construct. Maybe it would disrupt it?
While others stab, get ready to stab, try to drain energy, or do other things, Laura up and runs ahead, towards the Juggernaut, claws at the ready, before she tries to swipe at his helmet...
Now if this was the /real/ Juggernaut, trying to drain his energy probably would cause some sort of mystical feedback loop or the like, due to how he magically can not be stopped. Unfortunately, this is a Danger Room simulation that can't quite do that. Thus it is slowed down, but not that much. Heck, as the kinetic energy is drained, it's still as if this Juggernaur speeds up!
And on top of that, it's as if he isn't being hurt, even by Laura's claws. All right, so maybe the helmet is knocked a little loose by that, but it may very well be that Pixies dagger does more, cause somehow, as it connects, the hologram blurs slightly, and as it self corrects, the helmet is a heck of a lot looser.
And yet despite that, he just keeps coming...
"Helmet, got it. Channel, Pixie, fly and be ready. X-23, help me get that helmet." Then, she's charging right for the Juggernaut as well. Using her parkour skill, she jumps up and rebounds off a crate to get some height, and transforms into water before the Juggernaut hits her. There'll be a splash, but she can keep the bulk of herself together and now clinging to the Juggernaut. Quickly, she flows up and tries to flow into the cracks of the helmet and get it off.
Jocelyn joins Pixie up in the air, her weapon sheathed for the moment. If Laura's claws couldn't do anything, then her blade would be worthless. It'd be Pixie's dagger that had value in this fight. "You concentrate on knocking him out. I'll keep him from hitting you". And Jocelyn mostly preps for whatever Pixie is going to do. Her intention is mostly to defend the others by blocking any punches, kicks, or even headbutts that Juggernaut tries to launch on her teammates by staying above them and catching the strikes from above.
"MAYBE JUGGERNAUT IS JUST A DISTRACTION?" calls Pixie. She didn't want to land on the holographic man, but she swoops in again, this time hoping to land on his shoulders, and jiggle his helmet enough for her to find a slot for her to stick her souldagger into. "I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT THE HOSTAGES?!" why was she yelling? Even if she looks to Jocelyn, sticking her tongue out between her lips. As she does this, she might stick her dagger into the helmet of the hologram - it might not technically be ~real life correct~, but she was hoping to disrupt it enough to fulfill her first goal.
Maybe he is a distraction! But Laura doesn't give up. She tries to latch on and claw at the giant hulk of a magical being...
And yet he does try to take swings at her, and the others. Pixie he has some trouble with, due to where she's attacking. And with how Jocelyn blocks most of the hits, he looks pissed. That is until he manages to grab the 'clawed clone' that is Laura and throws her up into the air like a rag doll!
And where she lands is anyones guess, since it's out of sight.
But as Josie gets close enough, and Pixie smacks with the dagger again, disrupting the hologram, odds are Josie will be able to get a good enough grasp on the helmet for it to just...
*POP!*
Off. Revealing that it's /NOT/ Cain Marko as The Juggernaut, but /INSTEAD/ it's...
Alfred E. Neuman, the infamous face of MAD Magazine!
Meanwhile, from farther away, someone shouts 'Help!"
A cry that gets echoed from one or two other places in the warehouse...
Gah! She can't voice this reaction, but the water of her form flinches back from the revealed face. Not that Josie was expecting a handsome face, but that definitely wasn't what she was expecting. She splashes Alfred in the face and the flows back and off his Juggernaut-sized back, landing on the ground and reforming. She immediately starts to run towards the cry of help. "C'mon... and keep an eye out for Laura or trouble."
The back of Pixie's mind was considering. Every time she had done something with Laura, Laura always had something terrible happen to her. Shrieking, though, as the face was revealed, Pixie moves to stab it in the eye with her souldagger before 'leaping' off - faltering a handful of seconds midair, her wide eyes kinda looking freaked out.
She had seen that face before, somewhere... but...
"It's so..." Hopefully Alfrednaut was down, else Pixie would be easily grabbed. "Ugly!"
Where ever Laura ends up, there's a loud crash. And maybe some fighting.
And as Jocelyn takes off after her, odds are that fighting gets worse.
But back around Josie and Pixie...
As the helmet comes off...
A The Juger-Neuman gets stabbed in the eye...
He falls. And doesn't get back up.
But from back where The Juggernaut came from, there's a shout, "For crying out loud, someone come help me!!!"
Josie is already heading in that direction, assuming it's the same voice as yelled for help before. But she comments to Pixie, "I've seen ugly. He makes ugly look beautiful." She calls back to the voice then, "Coming!" And she runs faster.
Fluttering in place, Megan kinda glances down towards the fallen Juggernaut, her eyes kinda narrowing now after that shock. Tilting her head just so to one side, Pixie kinda flaps down to land on her feet proper, choosing this moment to run after Josie. "I know it's a bit cliche - but I've got a bad feeling about this."
And as Josie and Pixie get to who ever is shouting...?
The guy's body is covered by black armor. And there's a giant red bat symbol on his chest. But his face... No, his whole /HEAD/ looks kind of like a giant white skull... Or maybe a skull that's crossed with armor?!?
"In the name of The Horde, you will set me free!" is said by the guy tied to the chair. That is while next to him, on a pedestal, there's something that looks like a vase, but it's glowing an eerie green.
"Set me free before that thing blows!"
Josie blinks, and says, "
Josie blinks, and says, "You can't be Batman, do you work with him?" This question is asked even as she runs over, but she stays back enough to let Pixie (the one with the knife) cut him loose. Her eyes go to the green thing. "Yeah, let's hurry."
"Okaaaaaay," says Megan, kinda skidding to a stop as she sees... well... it was some kinda video game character, she was pretty certain of that. "...who let Jubilee into the controls?" she asks. With a bit of a sigh, Megan kinda gives Josie a glance. Megan kinda pauses a little bit, kinda biting on her lower lip as she looks down to the ground. "It's not that kinda dagger, um...! Can you maybe get him moving? I'll see if I can't handle the bomb," she says. "Bomb... vase... video game thing..."
How do they turn these things off in video games? They break them, of course!
So Megan lifts up a foot to give it a kick.
Elsewhere in the warehouse, sounds of fighting continue. Heck... Is that an /EXPLOSION/?
Oh well...
Even if the rope is so much as touched, it'll break, and the 'hostage' will be free.
And yet, as the vase is kicked...
It shatters.
Glowing green fragments go flying everywhere.
And where they hit the ground...
*Boom!*
*BOOM!*
*Boom!*
It's not enough to destroy the place, but people might want to duck for cover, because it is a decent sized explosion that causes shelves to collapse, crates to shatter, debris to go flying, and a hole to be exposed in the roof of the building! So anyone who's out in the open as the pieces of that thing his the ground...
Josie blinks, "Oh.." She grabs for the rope to try pulling them, but they vanish. So she pushes the 'hostage' away from where the vase is as Pixie kicks it. Then explosions start happening, and she once again transforms into water, this time instinctively, as the explosions start going off. Uh-oh.
THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
"Aaaaaaaa!" That was the high-pitched sound of a Welsh mutant screaming for her life.
"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHI'MSOSORRY-AAAAAA!" she screams out, winging /right/ for the door - even if her guilt takes over, and she reaches to take the hostage's arm, to kinda tug him along. Ducking as a piece of shelf whizzes overhead, Megan kinda bites her lower lip. Yeah, she was trying to drag herself and the hostage outside. She felt it was more dangerous inside!
And as Josie turns to water...
And the explosions continue...
And Pixie flies for her life...
And the hostage is dragged along...
And the door is opened...
The sim freezes.
And the voice from earlier speaks up.
"Well guys... That's an interesting way to end this. I'll give you props for defeating Jugger-Not. And rescuing who you did is great, but blowing the place up...?"
Josie resolidifies as the simulation freezes and wrinkles her nose, and says, "It's my fault. I should've said not to touch that thing. I'm sorry."
Megan was still breathing heavily, her wings kinda shivering as if she may take off at any moment.
Kinda leaning forward, she kinda pushes her hand against her heart, giving Josie a quick little look and frowning. "Sorry," she murmurs, before kinda straightening up a bit. "It's not her fault, I was kinda being... dumb," says Pixie.
Meanwhile, from somewhere else in the warehouse, a loud growl can be heard...
Before out wanders Laura Kinney...
And she looks pissed...
Even as an insaely long piece of toilet paper trails from her left shoe.
That is before she glances at the other.
"My bad."
Josie shakes her head to Megan, "No, I shoulda said no. I was in charge." But then she grins and says, "But you knew about the helmet, that was awesome." She looks to Laura then and waves, "You got thrown across the warehouse, not your fault. What'd you end up fighting?" This last is asked as she looks at the toilet paper.
Likewise, Megan's eyes were drawn to the toilet paper. A beat, and a pursing of her lips, and she shakes her head, focusing back in on Josie. "I guess," she says with a bit of a shrug. "I don't think we've met before - you can turn to water? That's really amazing!" she chirps. Although her eyes do shift back towards Laura. She couldn't help but glance down at the TP trail.
There's just a silent look aimed at Josie, and then Pixie. One that sort of says 'Don't ask'.
Or at least it does at best.
At worst, it's sort of like Laura's ready to stab one to death, rip someone to shreds, and a whole lot more if she has to say who, or what ever it is that she faced.
And while Laura doesn't look pleased, not has she noticed her TP trail, if one were to have insanely awesome vision, they /MIGHT/ see the remains of a giant pink point that at one point may have had a long mane of pink hair. Emphasis on 'remains' and 'may have had' considering the mess that Laura left way back there.
"Friendship is magic."
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