Tanks for Nuthin' [IC]

[trollthumper]

Most of Lonely Point was a long, sandy scrub, but there were places where it had been tamed. Outside the Lonely Point Naval Base lay an expanse of flattened, compact sand. When the base had been first established, the Army Corps of Engineers had "redistributed" the local dunes to allow for a base that would hold asphalt. The tamped down dirt stretched out for a good half-mile on each side of the road.

Cannonade looked out at the vast expanse as the Jeep proceeded down the road. It had been a few days ago that the AEGIS operative had shown up on a roof he'd frequented during his patrols. "We've been paying attention to your career," he said. "We'd like to bring you in for a... test, if you don't mind. A stress test. Nothing lethal, at your capacities."

"That's not exactly reassuring."

"As far as we can tell, you've taken bullets, blows that would collapse buildings, and explosions to the face, and come out fine. You're a grade-A tank, son. The ordnance here would be pebbles compared to what you've faced before."

"So why do you want me?"

"Two reasons. First, your family history, of which you're no doubt aware by now, has long been of interest to AEGIS. We kept waiting to see when, if ever, the Legionnaire profile would trigger again, and now that it has, we want to see just what you've inherited. Second reason is that the Legionnaire profile represents talents that can easily make a mess out of the modern battlefield -- blows that can rend steel, alter landscapes, and knock down entire platoons at once."

"So it's not a stress test for me," Cannonade had said, "it's for whatever you're putting into the field?"

"Well, both, yes. But we expect you to pull ahead of whatever we put on the field."

To sweeten the pot, the AEGIS operative had offered to replace whatever might get damaged in the exercise -- as well as provide some cash to his family. That had been enough.

Besides, always wanted to see how I'd do against a tank, he thought to himself. The Jeep pulled off-road, traveling over the flattened dunes, and eventually came to rest at an area that had been ringed off and flanked on all sides, by men and equipment alike. Portable transmitter towers were up on all sides, and it looked like a group of AEGIS lab techs was setting up a mobile base of operations. In the distance, AEGIS air transports were lowering storage units to the ground, directed with utmost precision. Cannonade just stood back and took in the sight, wondering when the chaos was going to start.

[KnightDisciple]

Cannonade shouldn't have much trouble spotting one of the observers; he was six and a half feet tall, and looked like a robotic wolf. Though the fact that his "mouth" did not move when he spoke suggested something other than just a robot. That he was speaking with several of the scientists observing the test, and was, in fact, deeply involved in the discussion, indicated he wasn't here as a guard or security.

At least, not exclusively so.

Meanwhile, Fenris was debating a few minor technical points with some of the AEGIS staff while also thinking over how he got here.

'Blueshift didn't seem like the sort for networking, but I've been wrong before. And really, a couple good words from the local police, and a polite, straightforward request, and I'm in? Then again, they've said a few other heroes are showing up. And there's a lot of security. So they're still properly paranoid. Now, why won't these guys spill on the details of what they're rolling out today? It's not like I won't see what's getting presented anyways.'

The armored man shifted his stance a bit, crossing his arms across his chest, and tilting his wolf-like head to one side.

"Just what about this tank makes it so special? I mean, yeah, research marches on, but there's a lot of hype going around, and you guys won't even tell me what paint scheme it has!"

There's no anger in his oddly guttural voice. Just curiosity, from one technical mind to another.

[JackgarPrime]

Back at AEGIS HQ, Victory was looking over the details of the mission he'd be up for today. Looks like equipment testing. He'd been told about some new model of equipment going out to the field. Seems they're bringing in some supers to help test it out. Victory, for his part, was to provide any protection necessary, and perhaps serve as a tester himself, should they need it.

Looking over the mission details, he gets to the list of the supers called in.

"Ah, Ironclad. Yes, she should provide some good data. And I'm always interested in seeing what she's outfitted herself with next."

Flipping the page, he takes a second to recognize the next name, but seems to have some familiarity.

"Cannonade...? Ah, yes....I've gotten some words about him. Should be interesting to see first-hand what he can bring to the table."

Flipping through some more, he comes across a totally unfamiliar name. Turning the holographic profile hovering over his hand towards the agent who brought him the info, Victory addresses him.

"Who's this one? This...Fenris? There's not much here. Kind of an ominous choice of names, though..."

"Well, sir, we don't have a lot on him. I'm not entirely sure why he's been selected, to be honest. Perhaps the higher-ups are going to use this chance to get some information on him?"

"Hmm....seems likely. All right then, I look forward to seeing the results first-hand."

The hologram blips off, and Victory gives a quick nod to the agent, before he blasts out of view, heading to the operation itself.

[Raveled]

Jessica Parker was sitting at her desk, writing a paper on metallurgy and advanced alloying, when the alarm went off. There wasn't any buzzing or beeping or any external sign whatsoever, just a sudden pressure in the back of her head. She touched it with her mind and suddenly saw the AEGIS seal rotating before her eyes. Ten minutes later she was on the Lab's top floor, registering a flight plan with the military base out on Lonely Point. She didn't want the base's AA to think that she was a thread, after all.

Ironclad lifted off from the building, slowly gaining altitude over the city, heading out to sea a ways before swinging back towards the land. She circled the area she was supposed to report to a few times, bleeding off speed and surveying the location. She didn't recognize any of the individuals on the ground, but there were a few that certainly didn't look like AEGIS agents.

She executed a textbook perfect landing a few yards away from a man in a suit of wolf-looking armor. Her helmet folded away and she beamed a smile at the unknown armor user, walking up briskly. "Hello! My name's Jessica Parker, but in the armor I usually go by Ironclad. That's an interesting set-up you've got there."

[trollthumper]

Cannonade scanned the set-up, feeling somewhat out of place amongst all the tech. Power in armor, weapons racks, army transports carrying relay trailers, portable servers... and him, in the middle, with nothing more advanced than a steel helmet and a cell phone. He noticed the battlesuit-clad hero who'd touched down near the man in the wolf suit, however, and was glad to finally recognize something.

"Hey, 'Clad!" he said, walking over. "See you got invited along for the exercise. How've things been? Don't think I've seen you around since that thing on the Solstice." He turned to look at the wolf's head. "Don't think I've seen you around, though. Name's Cannonade. You here to get shot at, too, or you helping to run the field tests?"

[KnightDisciple]

She executed a textbook perfect landing a few yards away from a man in a suit of wolf-looking armor. Her helmet folded away and she beamed a smile at the unknown armor user, walking up briskly. "Hello! My name's Jessica Parker, but in the armor I usually go by Ironclad. That's an interesting set-up you've got there."

Fenris turned to regard the young woman who'd just landed in her power armor. He offered her one large metallic hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Ironclad. You can call me Fenris. And thank you. It took me a bit of time and effort to get it set up, but it's probably my crowning achievement."

He seems happy someone appreciates his work without glancing nervously at the fake teeth on his helmet. It's not like his mouth even opened!

...Yet.

"Hey, 'Clad!" he said, walking over. "See you got invited along for the exercise. How've things been? Don't think I've seen you around since that thing on the Solstice." He turned to look at the wolf's head. "Don't think I've seen you around, though. Name's Cannonade. You here to get shot at, too, or you helping to run the field tests?"

He turned to face the other newcomer, again offering his hand for a shake.

"I'm fairly new in town. Name's Fenris. I'm mostly helping run the field tests, though I guess I'm on a sort of "emergency standby". I probably could let them shoot at me, but I'd prefer to avoid it. They might have me help with testing the armor's strength, though."

He flexed his left hand, popping out a set of claws that glowed bright blue for a moment before they darkened, quickly retracting.

"You volunteered to get shot at, then? I'm guessing you're a bit tougher than first glances might suggest."

He clearly meant no insult; after all, to someone who didn't know him, Cannonade didn't immediately look like the type to bounce cannon shells off his chest.

[JackgarPrime]

With the testers gathered, one last person would be joining them. As they greeted one another, a loud roar could be heard approaching from the distance. As it reaches them, the air and dust kick up and seem to shape around the rapidly-approaching figure.

Of course, there isn't much time to make out the shape before it is on them. With a sudden stop, all the dust blasts away from the figure, and a small shockwave blasts out. Not enough to cause any harm, but it was quite loud.

With the dust cleared, the unmistakable form of Victory hovers just above the ground, looking over the other three. His visor giving him reads on each of the assembled, depending on the information AEGIS already has on them. As the scans finish, Victory plants his feet on the ground, his significant weight causing his feet to make deep impressions. As he walks over to them, each step audible, he keeps his expression looking professional, but not unapproachable.

"Good day. I'm glad to see you were all able to make it here. I know in our line of work it's easy for...distractions...to crop up."

[trollthumper]

"Nice to meet ya, Fenris." Cannonade gave Fenris a tip of the helmet. "Yeah, my role out here ain't really analytical. I'm supposed to be part of the stress test for whatever's being deployed today. And hey, not my first time being shot at, or blown up. All it usually does is screw up my wardrobe."

"Good day. I'm glad to see you were all able to make it here. I know in our line of work it's easy for...distractions...to crop up."

Cannonade gave Victory a quick salute. "No crises so far," he said. "So, what exactly are we facing today?"

"Hopefully, the next major step towards the unmanned battlefield." A man in what might be considered a general's casual wear stepped forward; gray hair ran through at his temples, and he carried a folder thick enough to kill a man. "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Commander Grayston. I will be overseeing today's exercise, and trust that I have your full confidentiality on everything that is to be carried out today. If you have any questions before we proceed, I recommend you get them out now." He looked over to the relay towers. "I also recommend that if you have any installed communication programs set to an outside frequency, you may wish to dampen them now. The firewall will cause some unholy feedback."

[Raveled]

"Hey, 'Clad!" he said, walking over. "See you got invited along for the exercise. How've things been? Don't think I've seen you around since that thing on the Solstice." He turned to look at the wolf's head. "Don't think I've seen you around, though. Name's Cannonade. You here to get shot at, too, or you helping to run the field tests?"

Ironclad gave Cannonade a smile and a small wave. "Yeah, that thing with the, uh, ghost dogs and the crazy sorcerer guy down by the docks, right? Was there ever any fallout from that?"

"Hopefully, the next major step towards the unmanned battlefield." A man in what might be considered a general's casual wear stepped forward; gray hair ran through at his temples, and he carried a folder thick enough to kill a man. "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Commander Grayston. I will be overseeing today's exercise, and trust that I have your full confidentiality on everything that is to be carried out today. If you have any questions before we proceed, I recommend you get them out now." He looked over to the relay towers. "I also recommend that if you have any installed communication programs set to an outside frequency, you may wish to dampen them now. The firewall will cause some unholy feedback."

The heroine fell quiet as the AEGIS technician spoke. She frowned at the mention of and 'unmanned battlefield;' giving guns to robots never worked out well, in her opinion. The mention of a firewall bothered her more, though. She had no idea how a military grade firewall would interfere with her own technopathic abilities. She excused herself from the gathering and walked a little ways off, powering down her weapons systems and dialing her etheric drive back to the minimum, where it was barely taking the weight of the armor off her shoulders. If something did happen and she lost control, at least she wouldn't be able to do too much damage.

[quotemyname]

"Good day. I'm glad to see you were all able to make it here. I know in our line of work it's easy for...distractions...to crop up."

"Didn't call me. Guess that's why." The clipped sentences came from Blueshift, who faded into view behind where Victory was standing. She looked at her surroundings: The people, the other heroes/heroines, the large, open testing area. She flinched, unconsciously taking a few steps away from the rest of the group. "Okay though. Figured it out. Not hard to find. Not with those rockets. Consider dampeners. Heat sig reduction. Possibilities.

Regaining some of her composure, pushed passed him and approached the rest of the group, "Firewall's not a worry. Had to disable it to teleport in, after all. I put it back up. No intrusions, meantime. 'Clad's armor should perform fine. Your's too, Fenris." She stopped near his large wolf-like armor. She picked at a spec of dirt on one of the shoulders. "Go through a wall again?" she asked him, "Polish prevents rust." she wagged a finger at him.

Standing near the other invitees, she turned back toward Victory. "So. Here to help. God bless America. All that. Making sure you're doing a good job. I'm the expert. You're the resources. Put them together. We fixing or breaking?" She nodded at the rest, and folded her arms.

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris shook Victory's hand in greeting, nodding to each of his fellow heroes in turn.

"Again, it's a pleasure to meet all of you."

He turned to Cannonade, the slight smile evident in his voice.

"Well, here's hoping your outfit survives today intact."

He crossed his arms as the nature of the test was further explained.

'Yeah, there's no way this could go wrong, no sir.'

Still, he was here to help. He stood by, waiting to assist either the technicians, or Cannonade on the field, as well as keeping his eyes open for unexpected occurrences.

Like Blueshift showing up out of nowhere, bragging about tearing down the AEGIS Firewalls, and handing out advice like she owned the place. He frowned in his armor, his head shifting to look at the spot she wiped, then back at her.

"I was helping set up equipment. And my alloys can withstand well more dirt than this, though thank you for your concern. "We" are watching at the moment. Cannonade's helping with a test, the rest of us are here to help the techs, or perhaps take part later."

[JackgarPrime]

Victory shook the hands offered to him. And the salute, in one case. He usually doesn't salute other heroes unless they do first. It's something of a precaution he takes. Some heroes get nervous around saluting. Mostly because many value their separation from any sort of military group. But very few object to a handshake.

Of course, some people don't even make that courteous of an introduction. He feels the shift if air molecules behind him as Blueshift appears. The way she speaks seems to be the same way she did the last time he encountered her. He thought it was just the pressure of the situation made her speak like that. But he was wrong. He hid his annoyance, keeping a straight face.

"Perhaps if you were on time, you would know."

Well, at least the other three were polite.

Victory kept his face straight, giving a nod to Grayston, but kept his eyes on Blueshift.

"He's the man to direct your questions to."

Victory straightened up and addressed the whole group again.

"I will likely not be participating directly in our testing today. However, I will be overseeing you all during the testing. Should things get out of hand, which I certainly hope they will not, I'm your backup. And, of course, should we need something to compare your own data to, I tend to make a good comparison test for seeing how hard a hit a piece of gear can handle. Isn't that right, Commander?"

[trollthumper]

"That's correct," Grayston said. "The four of you are skilled at disassembling the machinery of the battlefield, be it schematically or..." He looked at Cannonade. "...manually. Today's field test will involve a mixture of suppression tactics and heavy artillery by way of remote operation. Forces that minimize risk of human casualty where necessary and are capable to incapacitating heavy armaments -- and, when necessary, destroying them as well." Another gaze towards Cannonade. "Before we begin, on that note from Fenris, is your clothing morphic, or...?"

"Street clothes, sorry," Cannonade said. He cracked a smile. "Don't worry, I should make it outta this with my modesty intact."

"Yes, well, like my representative said, anything damaged on your side will be replaced. In any case, today's operation will take place in three waves -- light infantry, heavy artillery, and combined." Grayston gave a signal to the AEGIS technicians, who got to work unlocking some of the storage units. Out of two of the lockers came a group of eight basic androids -- stripped down enough to provide stability without bulk. In their hands, they held strange blasters made of a smooth, black substance not unlike plastic.

"SPARTOI," said Grayston. "Meant to be operated through remote link, but possessing an advanced targeting computer that can prioritize risk and response as well as your basic grunt. Armed with subsonic cannons that allow for incapacitation by playing on the target's inner ear, as well as focused concussive blasts."

"Impressive," Cannonade said. "Don't suppose they can play 'Freebird'?"

"I never asked," said Grayston in a tone that indicated he'd drink bleach before the question ever escaped his lips. He gave a second nod, and the larger storage locker was opened. From out of the shadows emerged two tan legs made of steel and hydraulics, followed by a prominent gun barrel. The thing was tank, but not like any Cannonade had seen; instead of treads, it was propped up on eight hydraulic legs. The major turret was fixed to the front with auxiliary guns on pivots, and a central dome on top reeled around like it was taking account of the surroundings.

"What kind of tank is that?"

"The ARACHNE. Tank of the future - full mobility in all terrain, with movement like you'd never imagine. Doesn't even need a full crew - just a remote operator." He turned to the assembled heroes. "Enough chatter, however. We've been doing enough of that for the past few months. Let me know when you want to get the action started."

[quotemyname]

After a few seconds of what looked like abject staring off into space, Blueshift spoke up. "Hand it to AEGIS. Got to on this one. Got all the information on these. Isn't much. Kept hush hush. Keeping things from me isn't easy." She placed her left arm on her hip. Her right arm was working one of the buttons on her visor. She kept pressing it at different intervals making scans and reciting information: "SPARTOI: Sonic weaponry. As mentioned. No surprises. Large non-lethal potential. Like it. ARACHNE: More traditional weaponry. Everything. Tank shells to bean bags. Capable of neutralizing all types of threats. Implications of leaping capabilities. Both by name and hydraulic features."

"Commander," Blueshift turned her head toward the man in charge, "These things 'Three Laws Safe'?"

[Raveled]

Ironclad eyed the stalk-tank warily. At least they hadn't gone for a human-like, bipedal configuration; they'd been sensible and given the thing lots and lots of legs. Still, the idea of a remotely operated infantry/tank battalion opened up some really obvious avenues for attack, which she was uniquely suited to take advantage of. The young woman reached out with her abnormal mind, probing the defenses around the tank's internal computer systems. A few light probes proved that it was as solid as she would've expected from AEGIS, so she backed off on that line of attack. Instead, she looked around and approached one of the technicians. "So just what are these units armed with, anyway?"

[trollthumper]

"The SPARTOI targeting AI is built for compliance with the Three Laws," Grayston said, "though it does have allowances for the First Law. It will aim to incapacitate in most circumstances, but in circumstances that the target cannot be taken down through manipulation of the inner ear, they will aim for incapacitation via sonic pulse. Once the target is unable to react, however -- either through unbalance, surrender, or unconsciousness -- the active combat protocols shut down, and the SPARTOI stand on guard.

"As for arms... well, the SPARTOI have top-of-the-line sonic cannons, AEGIS-issue. The ARACHNE, on the other hand, has a bit more under the hood -- tear gas grenades, two four-barreled impulse trigger .50 caliber machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades... it's a heavy tank, meant for response to whatever mechanical monstrosity SHADOW's boffins want to whip out."

"Well, they say there's no kill like overkill," Cannonade said, his gaze locked on the machine guns mounted on the tank's front roof. "Mind you, 'kill' is kinda the important word there..."

"I know how it looks, but trust me, the ARACHNE is designed for minimal casualties just as much as the SPARTOI," Grayston said. "These guns are capable of shooting an apple out on a man's hand at a hundred yards without even grazing his flesh. They're aimed at targeting hydraulics, onboard computers, and other essential mechanisms. Incapacitation is the goal here, just on a larger scale." He turned to the assembled group. "Well, if we're done with the questions, I suppose it's time to begin. Let me know when you're ready."

A low-pitched whine picked up from the center of the field as the SPARTOI slowly moved; Cannonade could only guess it was their weapons coming online. Okay, I've fought a lot of weird things, he thought. I've fought giant Nazi robots. I've dealt with robo-Rasputin. I can take this. So why do I feel like this is all gonna go horribly wrong?

Oh, right. Because Freedom.

"Ready when you are," he called out.

[JackgarPrime]

Once they were all given the details they needed, Victory nodded to them all again, his jets audibly gearing up.

"Well then. I wish you luck. I'll be watching up above. Although I trust you'll all be just fine."

As he gets the last words out, it seemed as though he was already gone, having blasted into the sky, even as his words could be heard from where he stood. He just went so fast his own words couldn't keep up.

[Raveled]

"Oh-kay, then." The helmet reappeared and quickly swallowed the young woman's head again, locking her expression behind a blank metal facade. Her sensorium was filled with data as the suit probed the approaching metal soldiers for information. Cannonade seemed capable of testing their, ah, durability, so maybe she could provide them with a different challenge?

Ironclad made a flight-assisted jump, landing behind the line of robo-soldiers. She grabbed the nearest one, crushing its metal arm in her servo-enhanced grip. She pulled it close, moving for a low grab on its torso. If she could get it into the air, she might be able to simply tear it in half -- or at least hold it still while she found the off button.

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris watched Cannonade and Ironclad leap into the fray, occasionally glancing at the bank of diagnostic monitors he had positioned himself near.

"Hm. How much close-combat testing did you put them through? They look like they'd do alright against non-powered humans who don't have cutting-edge gear, but powers and high tech are shockingly wide spread."

He chuckles at his own words.

"Which is ironic coming from me, I suppose, but there you go. What exactly is your...hm. Do you only plan to field them against non-powered individuals, or those who are comparatively "low on the food chain"?"

[quotemyname]

"Hold it!" Blueshift called as Ironclad wrapped up the robot. "Controls accessible..." She dashed forward, and leaped onto the front of the robot. "There!" Raising her right arm, a small electric lance sprung to life on her wrist. She cut into the robot's chest, pulled out some wires, and fell away from the struggle just as the robot began going limp. "Gotta hide these better. Know your way around a circuit board? SPARTOI's cake." She tossed the cables at the feet of the officer. "No permanent damage. Fix later." She turned her head back toward the other robot, and readied herself for whatever it held in store.

[trollthumper]

"Hmm," Grayston noted. "Note to self: Stick more failsafes into the transmitter. And conceal it better."

"Good one!" Cannonade shouted. "Now let's see how strong these tin cans are." He entered the fray with blinding speed, running at one of the stray SPARTOI like a line tackle. At ten yards away, he brought up his fists, and drove one right into the thing's reinforced-but-lithe midsection. When the dust cleared, he saw the thing had barely been dented... but it was reeling on its feet.

"Looks like I sent its circuits spinning," he said. "Stronger than I thought, though. Wonder what kinda alloy they're using..."

"Hm. How much close-combat testing did you put them through? They look like they'd do alright against non-powered humans who don't have cutting-edge gear, but powers and high tech are shockingly wide spread."

"The SPARTOI are intended for crowd control and non-meta clean-up," Grayston said as the SPARTOI readied a counterattack on the field. "We knew that from the start. They're mainly meant to deal with riots and the occasional SHADOW battalion. Part of this test is too see how viable the sonic cannons may be against certain meta-operatives -- Cannonade can probably take the blast like a pro, and Blueshift may be able to dodge it, but the nausea functions may just work."

There was a sound like a microwave being run through a sound system, and the air seemed to tremble slightly before the two upright SPARTOI. The blast narrowly missed Blueshift, but caught Cannonade broadside. It caused him to shake a little, but he managed to stay on his feet.

"...of course, the key word there is 'may,'" Grayston said. "But that's what the ARACHNE is for. Dealing with high-impact targets in a precise and prompt fashion."

[Raveled]

Ironclad held still as the other tech-head fiddled with the robot in her hands. All of a sudden the machine shuddered and died, lights flickering off and the whole structure sagging in her grip. "Fast work," she commented dryly. The heroine gained altitude and hovered a dozen feet or so away from the fight. Laying the robot on the ground and kneeling over it, she rolled one gauntleted hand and a thin piece of metal sprang out of a concealed hatch on her wrist. She plucked the wire and began poking at the machine's innards, humming slightly while she explored its workings.

[JackgarPrime]

As Victory keeps his eye over each of the other heroes brought in, something odd catches his eye. While the other technicians were working as normal on their controls, one of them seemed to just...stop. Somewhat unsettling, Victory zoom his vision in to make sure he wasn't just imagining it.

And, sure enough, that really was what he saw. Until he saw him move again. But not quite the way he should be. Sending a message over his comm, he addresses the man directly.

"You there. At station 3. Status report."

Cautiously, Victory inches down to the ground. he doesn't get anywhere near touching it, but he's getting ready to move if he has to.

[quotemyname]

While Victory was looking toward the ground, Blueshift was looking toward the sky. She fiddled with the gadgets on her belt, and brought a device up to her visor and headset, augmenting and boosting it's capabilities.

"Got something. Weather balloon. Strange transmission. Sit tight. Be right back." Except she didn't go anywhere. Then, her body slumped to her knees, and teetered over onto the ground, like she'd just passed out.

---

In reality, Blueshift's consciousness had just migrated to the weather balloon's computer systems. Inside, she floated for a short time getting her bearings. It was a strange feeling, being without a body, but it didn't take her long to get acquainted. She noticed the two normal channels going to separate weather stations linked to the balloon. She also found a third channel. It looked like a long dark hallway. With a silent shrug, she floated through the computer system's back door.

Thailand.

China.

California.

Iceland.

Belarus.

The Taj Mahal itself.

Russia.

Cuba.

Rhode Island.

Rhode Island?!

She spent what seemed like an eternity floating through the endless cyberspace. Multiple times, she was met with extremely high security firewalls. Forever and a day later she came upon one firewall in particular. As soon as she tried to overcome it's security, it started fighting back. The firewall itself, looking like it shared mosaic elements of every "lethal biofeedback" firewall from every cyberpunk fiction conceivable, attempted to fry her with a surge of fire. Thankfully, Blueshift was fast enough to move to a different channel and avoid the attack.

Technological hacking circles of this level weren't the largest circles. Everybody tended to know everybody. Blueshift only knew of a handful of people in the world that were better than she was without any help. A quick search through the internet from one of the stations in the Rhode Island school she was currently in confirmed her suspicions.

Doctor Otaku.

Silently, Blueshift set her jaw. She couldn't beat him right now. She'd need time, and she'd need help. She'd have to upload some programs from a device on her suit. For now, what she needed was a tactical retreat. On her way out, she covered her tracks. She made it seem like a simple script kiddie had been mucking about in cyberspace. It would be harmless to the untrained eye...

---

The sun was so bright it nearly blinded her after the darkness of cyberspace. Not half a second after her body went limp, she seized up. Blueshift gasped for air, forgetting that she'd been breathing all along. "Trouble." She blurted out. "Hackers. Firewalls. Million proxy servers. Global network. Doc Otaku." She sat, legs folded on the ground next to her, and looked up at the others gathered around her. Determination spread across her face. She removed the device from her visor, and began fiddling with it's controls. "Going back in. I can beat him."

[trollthumper]

"You there. At station 3. Status report."

Cautiously, Victory inches down to the ground. he doesn't get anywhere near touching it, but he's getting ready to move if he has to.

He didn't respond. He was focused entirely on the task ahead, his fingers flying with inhuman speed over his keyboard. The person next to him noticed. "Steve, I believe Subject V said --" He looked over at his ally. "Steve?" He then looked down to see a blinking thumbdrive has been installed in one of the computer's USB ports. "Commander! We have --"

Quick as lightning, "Steve" reached out with his free hand and clasped it over his colleague's mouth. He kept typing at inhuman speed with his free hand.

The sun was so bright it nearly blinded her after the darkness of cyberspace. Not half a second after her body went limp, she seized up. Blueshift gasped for air, forgetting that she'd been breathing all along. "Trouble." She blurted out. "Hackers. Firewalls. Million proxy servers. Global network. Doc Otaku." She sat, legs folded on the ground next to her, and looked up at the others gathered around her. Determination spread across her face. She removed the device from her visor, and began fiddling with it's controls. "Going back in. I can beat him."

"What?" Cannonade said, busy trading blows with one of the still upright SPARTOI. "How the hell'd he find this place? And what would he --"

Before he even finished his sentence, Cannonade looked up the field to the ARACHNE. It was some ways away, but even with the fray of battle distracting him, he could see that it was starting to twitch.

"Everyone down!" Cannonade yelled. "He's in the tank!"