Heroics - Raven Team - THE UNDERGROUND MINIBOSS

[#HBC | Ryker]

For the love of god.

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

Dodge away from the thrown grenade. Take the angle out and away and fire at the shooter who took aim at Starker.

 

[Gecklone]

I notice that Sato has seen me but ignore his attempts to make me attack the enemy soldiers. Instead I join up with them behind the boulder they're using as a cover.

Use the bomb given by Starker, waiting for two seconds and then throwing the grenade towards the enemy soliders.

"I hope this will be enough..."

 

[Sato.]

"Did mister Starker give you that?"

"What does it do?"

"..."
Turn to NineBand
"Regardless, can you help NineBand's situation?"

 

[NineBand]

Glance at Gecklone and give him a quick smile that becomes a wince.

"How'zit goin'? Don't suppose Mr. Starker gave you some Tylenol, too?"

 

[M3D]

==GM==
Ronnie dove away from the incoming grenade, which landed awkwardly on the roof of the jeep in front of him.

Roll: 4

Thanks to the bad toss from the driver of the humvee and a quick reaction from Ronnie, he escaped the small explosion, as the grenade destroyed the back covering of the jeep and kicked up a cloud of dust around it.
====

I notice that Sato has seen me but ignore his attempts to make me attack the enemy soldiers. Instead I join up with them behind the boulder they're using as a cover.

Use the bomb given by Starker, waiting for two seconds and then throwing the grenade towards the enemy soliders.

"I hope this will be enough..."

==GM==
Gecklone throws the grenade towards the soldiers.

Roll: 3

The grenade lands to the left side of the soldiers and detonates almost immediately. The closer of two soldiers was caught in the blast. He was launched backwards by the blast, landed and lay still, either dead or dying from the concussion force.

The other soldier spotted the incoming grenade and ran, getting clear of the detonation. He is now on the opposite side of the rock from the heroes.
====

 

[Sato.]

Tap on Gecklone's shoulder
Motion for him to go around the boulder
Motion that I'll go around the boulder, on the other side

Hold up three fingers,
two,
one

Dash around the boulder, look quickly
If back turned
->grab the soldier under the arms. His upper arms should be held in my antecubital space, a grab tight enough to disable movement
If facing towards me
->give the soldier a thunder enhanced punch to the face. Aim for the temple.

When/if he's knocked out
Search his clothes.

OoC
I really don't know how far in advance I can go with these actions. I'd love to go to the site of the crash and see if the driver is still unconscious etc, but I guess that's too far.

 

[Gecklone]

Nod towards Sato and sneak around the boulder on the other side of Sato.

If back turned
-> give the soldier a heavy blow with the fist, aiming for the temple.

If facing towards me
-> prepare to dodge a bullet and distract him from Sato's attack from behind.

 

[Shane Starker]

"Guhhhhngnh!"

Reel from the impact of the bullets and dive away to cover, catching my breath. Shake my head.

S---. Why do I always smell perfume when I take a nasty hit...?

Shake my head. When Ronnie makes his move, it's time for action. Flip back safety catch and press The Button. Catch goes back over.

As I feel the current seep through the suit, prepare myself. Listen and watch carefully for what details I can make out of Cordova's luck. Then leap up and over the humvee, trying to land as near to the driver as possible. I'll update my action from here, but some quick hits:

If he has a gun, snatch it away and wallop him in the crotch with it.

If he has another grenade, throw a knife at the arm holding it and jump away again.

If he's on his feet, kick him in the kneecap.

Cordova's dealing with the other guy, the remaining person from the original contingent, so he will be occupying said soldier's attention.

OOC: Remember this is after Ronnie makes his move, which was to shoot at the guy who shot at me ASAP. Not sure if he has to put in a new action or what since you only had him dodge away from the 'nade.

 

[Shane Starker]

Oh yeah and if the driver is still somewhat pacified or wounded or slowed from before, just grab him and restrain him I guess. Put a ulak to his throat.

 

[M3D]

Tap on Gecklone's shoulder
Motion for him to go around the boulder
Motion that I'll go around the boulder, on the other side

Hold up three fingers,
two,
one

Dash around the boulder, look quickly
If back turned
->grab the soldier under the arms. His upper arms should be held in my antecubital space, a grab tight enough to disable movement
If facing towards me
->give the soldier a thunder enhanced punch to the face. Aim for the temple.

When/if he's knocked out
Search his clothes.

Nod towards Sato and sneak around the boulder on the other side of Sato.

If back turned
-> give the soldier a heavy blow with the fist, aiming for the temple.

If facing towards me
-> prepare to dodge a bullet and distract him from Sato's attack from behind.

==GM==
Supercell and Gecklone dashed around their respective sides of the rock. The soldier was facing [1-2: at Gecklone, 3-4: at Sato, 5-6: backing away from rock and ready to fire]

Roll: 4 facing Sato.

Sato dashes around the rock and sees the soldier, gun up, facing his direction. He simply reacts and throws a punch towards the soldier's head. Gecklone discovers the soldier facing away and also throws a punch.

Soldier Roll: 6
Sato Roll: 4
Gecklone Roll: 4

The soldier pulls his trigger. Sato's punch lands. Gecklone's punch lands.

The soldier's head is crushed by the combined force of the two blows, instantly killing him. He didn't go down without inflicting some damage of his own. Sato's speed allowed him to close the gap quickly and avoid the muzzle of the rifle, but his leg was grazed by two bullets, leaving a couple gashes in his right thigh.

The electricity from Sato's punch partially transferred through the soldier's head and shocked Gecklone. A painful shock traveled up Gecklone's arm, causing it to go numb and disoriented him for a moment.

Dodge away from the thrown grenade. Take the angle out and away and fire at the shooter who took aim at Starker.

"Guhhhhngnh!"

Reel from the impact of the bullets and dive away to cover, catching my breath. Shake my head.

S---. Why do I always smell perfume when I take a nasty hit...?

Shake my head. When Ronnie makes his move, it's time for action. Flip back safety catch and press The Button. Catch goes back over.

As I feel the current seep through the suit, prepare myself. Listen and watch carefully for what details I can make out of Cordova's luck. Then leap up and over the humvee, trying to land as near to the driver as possible. I'll update my action from here, but some quick hits:

If he has a gun, snatch it away and wallop him in the crotch with it.

If he has another grenade, throw a knife at the arm holding it and jump away again.

If he's on his feet, kick him in the kneecap.

Cordova's dealing with the other guy, the remaining person from the original contingent, so he will be occupying said soldier's attention.

OOC: Remember this is after Ronnie makes his move, which was to shoot at the guy who shot at me ASAP. Not sure if he has to put in a new action or what since you only had him dodge away from the 'nade.

==GM==
Cordova, now on the far right side of the jeep, lets his shots fly in the direction of the soldier who shot at Starker.

Roll: 6 Are you sure you don't have luck-based powers too?

Yet another soldier falls to Cordova, catching a flurry of bullets. As he falls, Cordova's gun runs out of bullets.

Leaping with the boosted power from his suit, Starker flies over the roof of the jeep. Midair, he can see that the driver has pulled another grenade and is getting ready to throw it in Cordova's direction.

Roll: 6 Wow you guys. The dice are making this way too easy.

Starker draws a knife and throws it before he even reaches the ground, catching the driver near the shoulder of his right arm. He drops the grenade in front of him.

KABOOM

Starker lands and rolls away from the blast. Fortunately the body of the driver absorbs most of the blast as he is instantly killed.

Starker and Cordova are now alone, standing next to two wrecked vehicles and four dead bodies in front of The Raven's cave.

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

So both the vehicles are unsalvageable?

 

[M3D]

==GM==
Both took direct hits from grenades. The humvee took a concussive shot to the front wheel from Starker's weapon. The jeep has taken bullets to the front from you killing the last soldier. You can attempt to salvage parts from both to rebuild one of them if you want, but I'm not sure how that benefits you, considering your mission is about to take you into the cave.
====

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

Damn .

 

[Shane Starker]

That's all she wrote for these d---heads.

Flip catch and deactivate The Button, quickly. Flip catch back down. Take off my helmet, putting it into its collapsed form and attaching it to the suit's back. Look over to Cordova.

"How you doin' over there, White Dynamite?"

Click tongue as I listen for more units. When I am satisfied that nothing is happening, aim right arm into the sky and fire my signal flare.

"Here's hopin' they're done with what they were doin'. Should've been more than done by now, that's for damn sure."

Rummage through the soldiers' bodies for supplies, identification, clues, weapons, etc.

After I've done that, I want to look into possibly fixing the Humvee using spare parts from the other vehicle. The tires ought to be about the same, and I'm just kinda hoping miscellaneous mechanical parts and good old fashioned elbow grease will be enough for the Humvee turret, since it's one of mah skillz.

While I'm taking check of everything I've got to work with, take back my grenade shell and throwing knife. Slap the shell back on my belt and sheath the knife. Climb up on top of the Humvee after I grabe the nade shell, standing atop the roof and looking about, satisfied. Nod to myself.

"All in all, not a bad afternoon."

Grin. Take a drink of water.

 

[Sato.]

OoC:
Was Gecklone's arm temporarily numb or is it now permanently numb?
Did I actually see the flare or should I wait for resolving?

~~~
Go to the site of the crash.
Check to see the status of the driver.
Should he be still alive in any way, end his life by breaking his neck.

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

"How you doin' over there, White Dynamite?"

"Hungry and slightly warmed up."

Discard the empty SMG and search the bodies for any relevant information.

"Might could've gotten a real work-out when that turret showed up had someone not been here. You didn't break a nail out there, did you?"

After a thorough search. Locate whatever it was they were unloading.

 

[Shane Starker]

"Yeah yeah you're a real f---in' comedian."

 

[M3D]

==GM==
Starker and Cordova search the area. They discover nothing of importance on the bodies of the soldiers. They have no identification or even any markings that might suggest a criminal alignment. As far as Starker and Cordova could tell, they were nameless mercs. The driver of the humvee was carrying a loaded pistol. The two soldiers dead near him each had their own SMG, but both are low on ammo. Cordova can find no trace of the black box the soldiers were unloading earlier.

Checking the vehicles, they find a box with three spots for grenades. Two are missing but there is still a single grenade left inside. A longer-range rifle is found in the back of the humvee, but it only has one clip. There was another pistol under the front seat of the jeep, but it too only has one clip. These soldiers were traveling light. They obviously didn't intend to be here long.

The turret on top of the humvee is completely destroyed. It would take a metal shop to get it back into firing order. It is bent badly and twisted. It's also covered with the guts of the exploded gunner. It wouldn't be pleasant to clean up, even if it looked like it could be fixed.

The humvee will turn over but sounds like the ghosts of a thousand dead dump trucks are rumbling around inside of it. The jeep won't start at all. Upon inspection, they see that the block took a few bullets during the firefight.

OoC:
Was Gecklone's arm temporarily numb or is it now permanently numb?
Did I actually see the flare or should I wait for resolving?

~~~
Go to the site of the crash.
Check to see the status of the driver.
Should he be still alive in any way, end his life by breaking his neck.

==GM==
Gecklone's arm is numb and hard to move for now. I will alert him when it stops feeling so numb.

The front end of the jeep is wrapped around a rock, making it complete immobile. The driver is dead already. He had a pistol on him but no identification. Same lack of ID on the other two dead soldiers. Their guns are half empty, but they each had a few spare clips on them.

The three heroes see Starker's flare go up, summoning them to his location.
====

 

[Shane Starker]

Pop the hood of the Humvee and take a look. Try to find the source of the problem. Take parts from the Jeep to fix/tune up the Humvee motor/engine/etc as much as possible while we wait for the boys.

 

[Sato.]

Look towards the flare
Looks like we're needed...
Grab the gun
Move to the soldier who died from the concussion blast, grab the gun
Move to Gecklone and Nineband

"Thanks for your assistance, Gecklone."
Hand him a gun
Hand the other gun to Nineband
Grab the final gun from the dead soldier at the rock, shove it under my waistband

"My apologies for the shock. It should wear off soon."
Turn to Nineband
"Can you walk? If not, I request Gecklone to carry you. "
Sigh
"I don't want to strain my leg. Above all, I'm glad everyone is still alive. Let's move towards mister Starker and mister Cordova. Quickly, they could be in great danger."

 

[#HBC | Ryker]

So bad at accounts.

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

Retrieve the two pistols and the grenade.

"Hello, no offense, but you're not exactly the most charming personality, so I think I'll lead if it's time to go and meet our new friend?"

Do either of the car radios still work? Are any communication devices found? Cell phones, radios, etc. Even another signal flare.

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

"Also, fair warning, two guys were unloading a black crate toward that cave and I can't find it ANYWHERE."

 

[Shane Starker]

"Try not to throw any roundhouses at the guy and I couldn't give less of a f---. Lead on."

"First, we're waitin' on the other boys. Less time those dumb---es spend to their own dumb--- devices, the better. Better for my wallet, anyway."

Take another swig of water.

 

[Shane Starker]

Ruminate on the black crate.

Hey M3D was there a black crate when I rolled up on the scene? Or was it already gone?

"That crate s---, though... that sounds pretty f---in' ominous."

Run through the whole battle in my head. See if there's a man missing. Right now I count five kills from me and Cordova: One shot, one shot by both of us and run over, one killed by Cordova in CQC, one killed by the quakenade, and the last killed by his own nade after getting knifed. That's five. Should there be six?

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

Wait. Are any of the confirmed deads the driver of the jeep that was there originally? Math isn't coming out right because I thought we had six. Plus the box is gone.

 

[Sato.]

While readying to go
Wait...
"We have to move subtly, there are still drug cartels around here. We have to be swift, the quicker we meet mister Starker and mister Cordova, the better."
Actually...
Remove clothes from dead soldier, wear clothes over current outfit
"We're going to be moving around wearing these. I think there's a fair chance that they are wearing this to show alignment to the drug cartels. There is no logical reason to wear black in the heat... They could have stricken a deal with the drug cartels. Regardless, there's nothing to lose."

 

[M3D]

==GM==

• Radio in the jeep is dead. Radio in the humvee still functional.
• Radio in the crashed jeep near Sato is crackling and half-working after the wreck.
• The black box was not on the scene when Starker arrived.
• The driver of the jeep in Square 3 is not among the confirmed dead

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

Apiphany!

"Hello, big problems. The driver isn't among the dead and the box is gone. Time to move."

 

[Shane Starker]

After talking briefly with Cordova, realize the s--- that happened.

Drop my canteen on the ground. Grab the top of the Humvee and swing in through the window.

"Cordova! Secure the weapons! We've got to move NOW GOD DAMN IT!"

Pick up the radio.

F--- me. Please let this work. F--- me, LET IT WORK!

Transmit.

"BLONDIE! LIMEY! BOWSER! GET YOUR GOD DAMN ---ES OVER TO SECTOR THREE! WE'VE GOT ONE HOSTILE LEFT WITH SOME KIND OF BLACK BOX THAT I'D BET CONTAINS A WEAPON, AND THE C---SUCKER HAS A HEAD START!"

"MOVE!"

Drop the radio and reach into the back to grab the rifle. Vault out of the Humvee through the window while slinging the rifle over my back. Draw my helmet off my back, de-collapse, slam it down over my head. Unholster pulse gun.

"Let's MOVE, Cordova!"

Charge to the hole and leap in after a quick glance for enemy contacts and/or a lethal fall. Start heading in.

 

[#HBC | Ryker]

**** me .

 

[#HBC | ZoZo]

@GM, OOC

Check to see if I can hear the transmission, please?

Also, can't I reactivate my dash until it 6s when out of combat (like atm)?

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

One pistol out and in hand, follow Starker through the entrance.

 

[Shane Starker]

Check charge on pulse gun. Then just keep it aimed ahead of me, leading every turn or blind spot, ready to shoot any Xandanbourg or Eschelon or merc or god-knows-what soldier I see. Take care to identify my target using my experience, of course. I ain't shootin' the Raven. But if I see an enemy, especially that driver... he's dead.

 

[NineBand]

Look up at Sato while pushing myself up from the rock.

"I think I can walk alright."

Accept the gun from Sato and gingerly take a few steps forward.

==OOC==
Can I walk alright?

 

[M3D]

@GM, OOC

Check to see if I can hear the transmission, please?

Also, can't I reactivate my dash until it 6s when out of combat (like atm)?

Look up at Sato while pushing myself up from the rock.

"I think I can walk alright."

Accept the gun from Sato and gingerly take a few steps forward.

==OOC==
Can I walk alright?

==GM==
You can walk OK. You are just banged up. Very bruised.

Over the radio in the crashed jeep, Gecklone, Supercell and NineBand hear yelling from a familiar voice:

"BLONDIE! LIMEY! BOWSER! GET YOUR GOD DAMN ---ES OVER TO SECTOR THREE! WE'VE GOT ONE HOSTILE LEFT WITH SOME KIND OF BLACK BOX THAT I'D BET CONTAINS A WEAPON, AND THE C---SUCKER HAS A HEAD START!"

"MOVE!"

Check charge on pulse gun. Then just keep it aimed ahead of me, leading every turn or blind spot, ready to shoot any Xandanbourg or Eschelon or merc or god-knows-what soldier I see. Take care to identify my target using my experience, of course. I ain't shootin' the Raven. But if I see an enemy, especially that driver... he's dead.

Starker and Cordova grab their weapons and rush into the cave mouth, determined to catch the soldier they guessed had entered the cave mouth with a mysterious box. The heat of the dessert almost instantly dissipates as they run into the underground tunnel. The walls are dry, packed earth with the occasional rocky surface jutting out. It's dark. Only the faint glow from Starker's armor lights their way.

They turn a corner and suddenly feel a strange sensation, as if they had passed through a waterfall but hadn't gotten wet. The air seemed to resist their movement for just a moment and they could feel something, like liquid but mostly intangible, flowing around them. Moving fast, they passed right through the exotic energy quickly and kept moving. They could see a faint light ahead.

Slowing now for caution, Starker gained the total calm that comes from experiencing battle thousands of times. They say it takes a man 10,000 hours of something to become a master, to do it automatically, unthinkingly. Starker had passed that milestone so long ago for life & death situations that he couldn't remember it. As they approached the end of the tunnel, they could see into the lit chamber ahead. They didn't just see the black box Cordova had described being lifted out of the jeep. They saw 8 of them, tipped over and empty, as if the contents had been hastily removed.

Cordova's body control allowed him to move almost imperceptibly through the tunnel. He was silent, more than a mouse, more like a dustmite. He held his breath so not even the softest exhale could betray him. They approached the cave mouth together, crouching low in case a hail of bullets was waiting for them on the other side. Starker signaled. He would go left. Cordova would go right. Safeties off.

Starker and Cordova slipped into the room like assassins, ready to kill any soldier waiting on the other side. Near as they could tell, there was only one.

A metallic fist the size of a jackhammer slammed into Starker as he entered the room, knocking him backwards and into Cordova's back.

A massive battlesuit suddenly hummed to life.

Looks like this, only black all over with a few small red lights

Raising an arm, the battlesuit fired a quick burst from a gun mounted on its wrist. Cordova and Starker tumbled out of the way just in time.
====

WHELP... had intend for you all to face this as a team. Guess you're gonna need some lucky rolls to help you until the rest of the team arrives.

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

"Keep it together Cordova, it's just a two-ton chum-chum."

Describe the layout of the area including rough size. Analyze the mech with particular care for what it's made of. I'm talking size, speed, weaponry, intelligence (is there a pilot), etc.

 

[Shane Starker]

Do the same. Add an extra details or layers of info Starker would get from his POV.

More things to do:

• Also, use my mechanical/tech expertise to try to locate weak points. Fuel cells, hydraulic lines, everything there would be.

• Also, what's the caliber of my nice new merc sniper rifle? Please tell me it's a fiddy.

• Also SPECIAL SKILL USE NUMBER TWO: Use my expertise on mech/tech AND combat AND bad guy mentality in particular to make this prediction:

The tiny size of that window/porthole would imply that it couldn't be made as strong as most of the mech, which is the reason for its size. It may be a weak point. This further implies that the porthole was necessary for vision, and limited visibility would harm the operator's vision. (GM: Check this if you have to, I dunno, or just tell me if I'm right hey that'd be neat)

• Pulse gun ready. Body ready for battle.

"S--- just never ends, does it Cordova?"

 

[Ronnie Cordova]

Grin.

"I've got a new idea, 'Boss Man.' You go that way,"

Point at the mech.

"And I'll go home."