ic No Mercy (IC)

[Geez3r]

The Freedom City Medical Center was seen as a safe haven to many before the announcement earlier today. Its staff was measured in the thousands and had state of the art medical equipment; there was no where in the world where you could get better attention. As violence swept the streets, the hospital was soon filled to the point of breaking. Now if Atlas's threat comes to pass, the hospital could very well turn into a feeding ground with a death toll measured in the thousands.

[quotemyname]

The MAVERIC squeeled to a harsh stop after a 180 degree spin at the doors to the Freedom City Medical Center. "Attention Freedom City Medical Center! This is the Interceptors. We're going to try and evacuate the building before this place becomes too dangerous. Divert as much of the staff as you can to getting people evacuated to the MAVERIC stationed in the Emergency Pavilion!" Colt hung up the radio and hoisted himself out through the door. He quickly flipped himself up onto the roof of the MAVERIC and drew his rifle. He eyed the streets in every direction he could see, ready to play defense, and protect the residents of the hospital.

[Ecalsneerg]

The Pitchoo swung down towards the hospital, landing on the lawn with the walkway already down and Geckoman running out of it.. "Anyone and everyone left out here, get them inside!"

He turned and sniffed the air. "They're coming, if Atlas' broadcast was right." It was the reek of blood. He kept running towards the hospital.

[Electra]

Wander jumped off the Pitchoo and headed after Geckoman, her head swiveling to take in every detail of the scene. The hospital was so big, it would be impossible to defend any one entrance or even one wing. The only hope they had was to fight the monsters in the streets before they could reach the building itself, while the people inside were evacuated. Where to, she had no idea. The line for the emergency room already stretched outside the building itself, entire families waiting to get into the dubious shelter of the hospital before the monsters arrived. She stopped for a moment and stared at them, flashing back for a moment to pictures on the news of hospitals with lines blocks long and people dying on the streets outside. It wasn't going to be like that this time, she reminded herself, but the image was hard to shake.

[Gizmo]

Jack lingered for a moment in the MAVERIC, hunched over the screen in the dashboard. "Vince, talk to me," he pleaded, voice tight with worry.

The AI's image blinked into existence, for once foregoing comical props and set pieces. "Checking the hospital's security cameras and computer systems now," he assured the swordsman. "Okay, here we go: li'l sis was here when things went all Gojira on us. They've got the volunteers working the ER which, no big shock, is pretty full just now." Vince paused and gave the young man a level look. "She's safe, Erik."

Jack set out a relieved breath. "Right. Thanks, man. Now, let's keep it that way." Sliding out of the vehicle, the swashbuckler steeped in front of it, nodding to Colt on the roof. "Alamo time, huh?" he quipped, fishing his lighter out of his pocket and rolling it about in his hand.

[N/A]

Lynn Epstein heard a familiar voice echo inside her head as a familiar face, or rather, a familiar lack of a face, appeared momentarily in front of her. She knew from experience that the sight and the sound were for her and her alone.

Grimalkin, this is The Scarab. I see you are handling the situation at the F.C.M.C. Feel free to use the beacon I gave you if you and your team require the infirmary or the holding cells. And if you require my assistance, feel free to make use of the teleporters. I will be at the Raymond plant, attempting to restore power to the city.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Wander!" Edge swung down from the window, his grapple line pulling back into his grapple gun as he landed on the ground next to her. "Thank goodness you guys got here. I knew you would." He smiled, quickly, but this was no time for even Mark to be cheerful. "Bad day to be visiting the kids in the pediatric ward. Or good, I guess. At least they're not very scared..."

[Electra]

Erin startled badly when Mark rapelled down next to her, but at least it jolted her from the trap of memories. "Hey, we were starting to wonder where you were." Having Edge around boosted their chances of success by a lot. "Come on, I'll give you a lift up to the roof, we can keep an eye on the whole campus that way." She wrapped an arm around his waist and jumped into the air, landing neatly on the hospital's helipad, in a position that gave them a good view of most of the surrounding streets.

[Cyroa]

There was blink as James teleported into the streets. Things were still hectic all over, but at least no one was attempting any dimensional or magical shenanigans during this crisis. It meant he didn't have to worry or focus on that nearly as much. He looked over at Erin and Mark, popping over to them on the roof and grinning. "Together again. Fun times. So anyone got a plan?" James might have quite a few tricks and such available to him but he was no tactician. "Or are we going with the standard and simple, 'blast them all'? It works for me but thought I'd check."

[Heritage]

This whole situation was insane; how could Atlas be behind all this? Atlas was a friend, a hero and a good person, so either this was the work of an impostor or he was being manipulated somehow. To Grim's troubled mind, it was the only thing that made sense.

Before she had a chance to clamber out of the MAVERIC, she was shaken out of this troubled reverie by the 'arrival' of the Scarab in her thoughts.

Grimalkin, this is The Scarab. I see you are handling the situation at the F.C.M.C. Feel free to use the beacon I gave you if you and your team require the infirmary or the holding cells. And if you require my assistance, feel free to make use of the teleporters. I will be at the Raymond plant, attempting to restore power to the city.

"Wow, it's good to see you, Scarab...well, you know what I mean. :roll:

She reached up and gently placed a hand on the small familiar bump resting in the hollow of her neck, just beneath her glamoured costume.

"I've got it here, and I will not hesitate to use it. Good luck to you and whoever else your working with; I'll be in touch. Be safe."

The tiny shapeshifter hopped up on the roof of the team vehicle and looked around, then scanned the roof of the building, where she saw a few familiar figures.

"Okay guys, a few things. One, I could conjure up some stuff to help us, like barricades or something, make the MAVERIC more of strongpoint."

She pointed up to the roofline, and indicated it with a nod

"Two, I think we've got some more supers up there, possibly those crazy but highly competent kids from Young Freedom. I could fly up there, maybe we can share coms with them or at the very least coordinate strategy. Or I could just, y'know, scout around a bit, all 'eyes in the sky' and stuff."

Finally she reached up to her throat and an odd little smile, both nostalgic and proud, crept over her lips.

"And lastly but far from leastly, I was just contacted by my old teammate Scarab, who's over at the power plant trying to get the lights back on; she offered the use of her headquarters if we need them, and I've got a teleport beacon that goes straight to it. She's got an excellent infirmary and holding cells there, and it's all just a blink away."

Grim clapped her hands together and rubbed them eagerly, doing her best to focus on the fight ahead, and not the disturbing unanswered questions that led to it.

"So, what should we do first?"

[Ecalsneerg]

Geckoman pulled himself up onto the roof beside the team. "Idea: we lure the monsters away somehow, and make sure they don't get inside."

He stroked his chin, deep in thought. "If they go after blood, maybe we grab some bags, empty them on ourselves then run... to the team we have situated away from the wards, at which point we fight with no risk to patients."

[Electra]

Erin shook her head, watching the streets. "If they're anything like what we fought on the bridge, we won't need to lure them. Just engaging with them is going to be enough to get them fighting us instead of going for the hospital. The Interceptors," and she managed to say the name without making a face, which made her proud, "are down by the doors to the emergency room. That's a big vulnerable spot on the hospital, but I think we can trust them to cover it. Chris, if you get into the Pitchoo, you can see anything coming at us, and engage with any flying monsters that come along. Edge and Hellion, you can use ranged fire to attack them as soon as we see them, and I'll engage with any that get too close or aren't being affected by other attacks. We'll save the bait idea for if it becomes necessary, but I doubt they have a lot to spare in there."

[quotemyname]

Sliding out of the vehicle, the swashbuckler steeped in front of it, nodding to Colt on the roof. "Alamo time, huh?" he quipped, fishing his lighter out of his pocket and rolling it about in his hand.

"Do y'all have a clue what The Alamo was like'n my world?" Colt smiled as he lit one of his e-cigarettes, "Reckon it was'a far cry more explosive'n the tea party y'all got'n this here dimension." Colt took a drag from his cigarette, then shrugged. "All the same, I got a hankerin' somethin' powerful ta kick some ass. Ya wit' me?" Colt smiled at his teammate.

Suddenly, Grim's mouth was traveling a mile a minute. "Woah there, Grim. Hold yer hoarses!" Colt slowed her down with a hand gesture. "What's that y'all said 'bout the roof?" Colt removed his hat with his left hand, and held his cigarette between the first two fingers of his right. He turned to look straight up at the roof of the hospital. "I reckon I c'n do some damage from up there. Grim, c'n ya git me up there? The sooner the better so I c'n adjust my sights." Colt replaced his hat and his cigarette. "Interceptors, Mount Up!"

[Cyroa]

James just raised one eyebrow at Chris. "Uh...yeah. Let's put that one on hold. They probably need those blood supplies for the patients. And it's disgusting." He nodded at Erin's plan. "Works for me. I can hop out front too to blast 'em while they're headed in," he said with a shrug. He glanced over the ledge down at the Interceptors before looking up and grinning at Erin. "That is of course if the Intercepting Idiots down there follows common sense. Bets?" The Interceptors were not exactly well liked among Claremont due to their poor behaviors and such. James was perfectly happy to dis them in kind.

[Ecalsneerg]

Chris just raised an eyebrow and pulled a knife from his belt. Then stabbed himself in the arm. "I shrug off automatic weapons fire by healing it. Me? I'm like a little blood waterfall." He yanked it out and watched as the injury healed and smoothed over within a few seconds. "Tah-dah!"

"But I guess if you want, we can go back to hit it until it falls down."

[Heritage]

"I reckon I c'n do some damage from up there. Grim, c'n ya git me up there? The sooner the better so I c'n adjust my sights." Colt replaced his hat and his cigarette. "Interceptors, Mount Up!"

The tiny shapeshifter grimaced. "See, when you say it that way...oh, nevermind." In a flash, she was even tinier, grasping the collar of Colt's leather duster in her small pixie arms, and with a thrum of her gossamer wings she shot upwards, cowboy in tow.

Once she got to the roof, she called out to Young Freedom in her small voice. "Hi guys! Look what I've got: free sniper! You want one?"

She gently lowered her rugged boyfriend and his many guns to the tarpaper and resumed her normal size, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Whoo boy! Uh, name's Grimalkin, or just Grim. I think I might have met some of you before...or maybe not. Huh."

She shook her head.

"Anyways, if you want to coordinate efforts, maybe we can share comlinks, or just adjust our frequencies or something?"

[quotemyname]

"Thanks, honey." Colt smiled as he was deposited on the roof.

"So this here's Young Freedom, eh? I reckon I heard all 'bout y'all. All good things a'course. It's a pleasure ta meet y'all. Gentlemen," Colt removed his had from his head and gave a slight bow, "An' ladies."

Plugging his mouth full of e-cigarette, Colt drew Marlin from his back. Fishing around in his coat pockets for a few moments produced a few cartridges which he held up to the light. "Reckon I been waitin' ta use these," he tossed on to Grim so she could take a look. It looked like a bullet, but instead of the normal construction that would produce a bullet which separated from a shell, it was one solid piece. It also looked to be made out of a strange metal. "Just 'nother gift from home, I reckon. S'like'a bullet, only it causes th' gun ta fire lasers. That'n its got'a battery so ya don't have ta reload none to quick neither."

Colt began loading these strange looking cartridges into his rifle as he turned back to the other team of super heroes on the roof. "I reckon the radio communication wouldn't be none to bad'a idea, now. With y'all permission, I'd like ta use this here roof ta set up'a sniper's post. I promise I won't be gettin' in yer way none. Y'all're a team by yerselves. That mean's y'all probably got yer own way'a doin things an' a plan'n everythin'. Well, I ain't the one in charge, so I won't presume ta change nothin' bout that." Colt approached the edge of the roof, and lay down on one of the duct works that was on the hospital roof. From there he could see just about everything approaching the building for a few miles, and would have a steadier shot. "I reckon fer the sake'a my own conscience, though I gotta ask y'all ta remember: End'a th' day we're all here fer the same reason. All in this tagether. Ain't no sense'n workin' against each other naw is't?

Colt cocked his rifle.

[Electra]

"That's fine," Erin told him, sizing him and the pixie up with a quick look. "It would be good if you'd concentrate on the emergency room area and make sure no monsters get close," she told the cowboy. "That's the biggest vulnerable spot in the hospital, between the number of doors and the number of civilian targets. If your team concentrates its efforts on keeping that side of the hospital clear, we should be able to cover the rest of the building. Can you get up into the air and give us an idea of what's coming?" she asked the pixie.

[quotemyname]

Colt set his hat down on the air duct next to him. "Now I reckon that there's a solid plan, little lady. Speakin'a which, the MAVERIC's parked out front'a th'mergency room as't is. That should giv'em some cover down there." Colt liked his right thumb and touched the end of the barrel of his gun with it.

"Speakin'a which..." Colt pulled a small device out of his pocket and pressed a button on what looked like a small TV remote. Within a few moments, a flying motorcycle ascended to the roof level and landed from the other direction. "That'll be ma way down if'n I need ta drive the MAVERIC outta there."

Colt pulled the collar of his coat closer to his mouth. "Come in, Jack." He spoke into what must have been a communication radio, "Grim'n I're topside. Things're lookin' good far's I c'n tell. Young Freedom's here. They're requestin' that our ground forces cover th'mergency room. Reckon ya c'n handle that? I'll support ya from up here. Over."

[Gizmo]

Jack stepped over to the MAVERIC and pulled a radio out through the open window. "So, when you say 'our ground forces', you mean 'that one guy with the pointy stick', huh?" the fencer drawled. "No sweat, Bill, I got this one. Do me a favour, though," he continued, rubbing a thumb over the stubble on his chin. "Make with the lasers and draw me a line in the sand, around the building, okay?" Rolling his shoulders, Jack clenched and unclenched his free hand, a sudden shock of electricity leaping from nearby powerlines to solidify into a sparking rapier.

[angrydurf]

Phalanx was soaring over the city in search of any more of the monstrous creatures who had sprung up so suddenly all he found was a small band of hoodlums taking advantage of the chaos to loot from a discount electronics store. In moments the thugs learned the error of their ways and he was just turning to fly away when the announcement filled the screens throughout the store. As Atlas's final words rang out he was already shooting up above the the city as the lights winked out below him. He shot through the sky in a blur before catching sight of first the Pitchoo and moments later his teammates at the hospital.

In a blur of blue and gold he raced to join them leaving a rippling contrail in his wake. He came to a stop a few feet off the roof and looked out over the buildings trying to catch sight of atlas's 'pets'. "Good to see you." he said to his friends as he scanned the streets below and further afield as well, "Whats the plan Edge?" as if he ever had one.

[Avenger Assembled]

"We stop every monster before they get here," said Edge simply. "We protect the hospital. If you can keep the sky clear, I can make sure that nothing gets close on the ground. You should probably, uh, listen to Wander, she's got a lot better plans about this than I do. I'm just going to blow up every bad guy I can see, and most of the ones I can't."

[OmegaPlatinum]

The Sparksmith, glowing blue, quickly arrived at the Freedom City Medical Center. He floated in front of the building and looked down each street expecting something ugly. With no sight of them yet, he looked down and spotted the other heroes. He became excited. "The Interceptors. Young Freedom. I'm fighting alongside BOTH the Interceptors AND Young Freedom. This is awesome." He looked back at the hospital, then let out a sigh. "Or at least it would be in better circumstances." He floated down to the heroes around the MAVERIC. He spoke somewhat nervously, not knowing exactly how to introduce himself "Hi! You can call me Sparksmith... I'm here to help."

[Geez3r]

While some staff are trying to move the patients out, many are in need of immediate medical attention and won't survive the transit to any other facility, especially with the traffic in the city seized up the way it is. The staff manages to evacuate 3 buses full of patients out of hospital before the monsters appear on the horizon. Atlas's threat wasn't a trick, they were being attacked by a veritable army. They were divided into 3 major groups; one approaching on ground from the southwest, a faster group approaching from the southeast, and there's a group of fliers approaching from the north. Each one of these groups is accompanied by another larger Kaiju-esque creature, bigger and meaner than any of the ones seen today.

[Dariusprime]

The Interceptors' comms crackled as Fulcrum joins the network. She sounds more than a little stressed but ready to kick some monster butt, "Fulcrum reporting for duty. Looks like things are going to get ugly fast!"

Waving to the heroes on the roof, Fulcrum landed next to Jack of All Blades and Sparksmith. Nodding solemnly to the hero, she looked out to the rising dust clouds as she addressed him, "Good to meet you, Sparksmith. Glad you're here." Pointing to incoming hordes, she asked, "Any particular plan, Jack? Control the ER entrances, judging from the MARVERIC's position?"