"Alright, let's get this show started!" Angel spoke to herself, as if to gain some confidence for heading out in battle.
Getting out of the trucks, the sight of the ravaged town greeted the singer's sight. Seeing it for herself was disturbing, instead of at the TV news. Angel shook her head, trying to remain undeterred despite the rubbles and corpses littering the streets. She had to remain calm and focused. Her team needed someone battle ready; SHE needed to be ready for what was coming.
After a while, when everyone gathered into their respective teams, Angel walked up to her own, looking in turn to Siena, Emma, Hazel, Grant, Brent and Gregory.
"Do you guys thought up of some plans on the way here?" Truthfully, Angel had already imagined various possibilities, strategies and planning ahead of time both during the trip and before then. Hell, she even wrote down possible strategic deployments on everyone's profile sheets back when she was reviewing what she knew of her teammates. But she wanted to hear what the others' thoughts were. She desperately wanted someone else to come up with the plans. Not that she wouldn't mind carrying the burden of the responsabilities, but deep inside, Angel wanted someone else, way more stable than her - an Arbiter like Siena, Brent or Grant - to assume the position of leadership. Angel wasn't confident in her own emotional stability to make sound decisions and uphold them.
A frown crossed Emma's face as she surveyed what remained of Wisford.
All this, done by one subnatural? We really are monsters. Emma shifted uncomfortable as Angel began to speak. She felt out of place.
Very out of place. This was a real battlefield, no place for a high school girl. Between Hazel's armor, the helmet, and Hephaestus's 'wishalloy' she felt like a little girl playing dress up. Emma kept her head down as she responded to Angel,
"N-not really. Sorry." the words came out quickly. She knew she wasn't ready.
The battlefield didn't bother Hazel the same way as the others however; it was similar to Ground Zero after all, though she was the one that did most of the killing there. She was more concerned about the coming battle and the horde of enemies she might have to face. With a wide reaching ability like hers, sticking together was just as likely to harm the others as well as those monsters. If she went alone, she might get blindsided once again. There was something in the books she had read over in the library, something she found while reading about armour.
"Trap them in a killzone."She didn't think to explain more, instead she started fiddling with several earplugs she brought along as well as the wishalloy everyone had been given.
Would the alloy help with the earplugs?Another battlefield, though this one more real than any of the ones she remembered. No...not all of them...but this one was worse than what she'd seen with her own eyes. There was no doubt about that. Her mind, however, was preoccupied with thoughts of their abilities. With the others fully capable of doing direct damage, Siena wasn't entirely certain where her place was. She could help them be stronger...or perhaps defend...?
"
We need to distract them, right? If they have vision like we do, I can probably attract them while taking a name." She paused as she considered the names she might take. "
We could set a trap that way. Better still if we can limit how many come at once."
Angel listened to Sienaβs idea, nodding apprehensively at the plan and quickly adding that to what she had already been thinking, see if she could somehow manage to fit the puzzle of stratagems together.
βWhat do you have in mind?β Angel asked, wondering how a trap could work out in the situation they had to face.
"
Well, between all of our abilities, it shouldn't be difficult to attract their attention..." Siena thought for a moment. "
Grant's abilities could almost literally pull the ground out from under them if needed, but if we're speaking practicality, it would be best if we could lead them somewhere where we won't be flanked." Unfortunately, running for a building was out of the question, and the brunette had serious doubts about how long they could maintain anything created artificially for those purposes. "
I'm concerned about their durability though. There's a good chance they won't notice pain, so they might not be hindered by anything short of crippling or outright killing them..." Which in turn meant more energy spent per monster if they didn't function like living creatures.
A soft sigh as Siena considered the situation they were in. "
Honestly, our backs are against the wall here. We could draw them into a building to pose some limit to the number we take on at once, but then our ranged support wouldn't be able to reach us."
Hearing out what her teammate had in mind, Angel figured out that most of it were idea factoring unknown variables. Sienaβs ideas were sound, but AngΓ©lique felt it could be refined, be a bit more specific about the general course of action to take.
The obsidian-haired Aberration stood pensive.
βI agree. Itβs either we rush in there and cause a commotion on an open field with numbers overwhelming us, or be trapped inside the town with machines swarming in on us without snipers covering us.β Her sight turned over to Hazel, who had been quite silent despite being the one firmly proposing the killzone plot.
βMind telling us more about your idea, Hazel?βHazel blinked.
"This is.. a town." She pointed down a road.
"Funnel them down a road. Strong buildings on either side, for shooting. Someone to remain on the road, to fight and hold their attention."It was a simple plan, one she had derived from her reading before. In searching for protection and hence armor, she had read over a few history books and inevitably read a treatise on castles. Of course, there she had read about how castles were made, what each structure was for, and why their shape was the way it was. And of course, she learned of the killzones the architects made when designing a castle. It was invariably a one way road to funnel in the enemy, hemmed in by all sides by walls where archers could shoot at them from cover. A one way street with buildings on either side was in no way scarce in a town like this. Of course, how that translate to their sort of fight remains to be seen.
"Killzone." Hazel repeated.
Hazelβs plan bore much resemblance to what Siena had explained earlier, AngΓ©lique figured. The idea of thinning out the horde by straining them into a single alley. As much as Angel wanted to trust into that plan, she simply couldnβt find the better outcome in this plan.
Firstly, while their main objective is to distract and thin out the army of clockworks, everyone was basically here to prevent Factory from regaining control of the town and sow more destruction that it already had. Luring the machines into a street was just inviting the mass of metallic animals into the very area, making the battle even more difficult considering those creatures could simply just disregard the Support Team and run amok in the town to look for easier preys, like the Healer teams, the roving unit, or worse, civilians.
Secondly, the snipers were to cover their asses with suppressing fire, or shoot down stray clockworks that managed to pass through. If they would go with the funnel tactic, not only the snipers would potentially not get a clear shot at the monsters inside the street, but the cover of the surrounding houses would be problematic should some machines decide to go off in the town and ignore the distraction. Again, that would only make it easier for the clockworks to roam the area and get to the other teams or civilians.
Lastly, Angel wasn't confident enough in their individual firepower to engage Factory's minions on separate fronts. Just seeing the flying giant mechanical snake circling its master overhead, it was clear to the fallen singer that those machines were possibly capable of clearing obstacles. If those metal creatures were able to reach the attackers on the houses by climbing or flying, then it meant those attackers would be forced to fight isolated and on multiple sides.
A funnel trap attack was inconceivable in AngΓ©lique's mind. If they were facing humans, it would have been feasible. But their enemies were monsters, unpredictable and far more capable than simply human soldiers. They have to stay united and take the battle to the open field, outside of town. Now she understood why Kardos had selected their position on the map earlier.
Angel frowned, looking somewhat unsure about the given explanations so far. She turned to the last member of their team who hasnβt spoken up yet. The black-haired Aberration figured Grant was the silent type, from her past experience of teaming up with him at the Flags and Seek event. But he was also praised by a lot of classmates for his wits, and thatβs what Angel hoped he would show today. Hopefully, he could see the flaws of making a trap and speak up about it.
But seeing he wasnβt saying much, AngΓ©lique found little choice but to coax him out of his silent shell and get his input on this planning.
βGrant, what do you think of this plan?β While his teammates were talking among themselves, Grant was instead looking around the chaotic landscape of the once full town, thumbing the hilt of Her knife in his belt. Something that could have caused this was not going to be so easy of an enemy. Especially if it was supposedly a subnatural, like himself and the others.
When his name was said, he blinked and looked over at the girl- what was her name? She seemed familiar. A... Ah, Angel. That girl from the flag football game. He turned toward her when she had asked him this question. Frankly, he hadn't been listening too intently on the plans, but he caught some... a few key words as he inspected the surroundings
He glanced to his other teammates before looking back at her to focus his words on.
"...Well, for one. We don't know exactly what to expect out of the creatures aside from the fact that they are both mechanical and animal-like. Underestimating them by making a set plan could prove our downfall. It's 50/50 if we put our trust into one. Something that caused this devestation is something not to be taken too lightly. Such as funneling them into a road where we can receive no ranged support." He gestured over to the collared girl, indicating her 'Killzone' plan.
"That could end up being our killzone. Or leading them into a building. Again, no ranged support, as well as the possibility of the building not being able to hold while we deal with the Metalworks." He continued, using the word Metalworks to describe the creatures as he, once more, gestured to... Siena, indicating her plan.
"Put simply. With the scarce information we have about the Metalworks now, having a set plan at all would be stupid." Grant would finally finish, his eyes keeping their signature tired gaze and tone, stuffing his hands back into his pockets.
Hazel glanced at the boy, reviewing what he said about her plan.
She went over the scenario again and again in her head as they walked, trying to think of what would happen if they did not have a plan and simply went in. Without cover, without a killzone, but with ranged support. They were still outnumbered, and fighting without a plan or any sort of preplanned actions was just as likely to get them killed, especially if they were boxed in by enemies at all sides. Should that happens, they might have to fight uncomfortably close together.
She had no desire to stand near Angel and her screams, nor did she like having obstacles in her way when she was trying to destroy something else. Having enemies escape them was one thing; they were here simply to take attention of the main bulk of the monsters here from the strike team after all. Defending the townsfolk was not their β or herβ primary objective.
Should they wish to fight out in the open, surrounded by enemies, it was not her place to say otherwise. She could only follow the orders imposed on her; she will endevour to keep herself alive at any cost and disregard any orders to the contrary unless it conflicts with the first directive. Even if she had to leave them or fight alone.
"Understood."Having already decided they would not fight with her in a safer location, she continued walking, slowing her pace as she looked around at the surrounding.
AngΓ©lique listened to Grant's remarks about the plan so far, applying the Wishalloy bundle she had been given to her torso, arms and just enough for her legs. Deep down, she was glad he had pointed out some fallacies in the plot. The both of them seemed to have just about the same worries, she figured.
"Not to mention we absolutely cannot afford the machines to slip by inside the town and get to the other teams. Our priority is to distract and destroy the bulk of the army, but we were told last Monday to make sure the enemy never finds our Healers." Angel added to Grant's opinion.
She mumbled a curse underneath her breath. So was there really no other way than simply confronting them up front? The raven-haired Aberration suddenly let out a nervous laugh.
"So we got our back against the wall here. Really, we just go in there, guns blazing and cause a ruckus? If you ask me, it sounds like we've been assigned as the real-life version of the Suicide Squad." AngΓ©lique paused, her expression grave as reality slowly settled in. They were simply canon-fodder, in the end. Nobody would care if they died in this town. Readjusting her shades, Angel's gaze set forward, down the ruined road.
"If we are to go there and simply fight the metal monsters head on, should we agree on a battle formation? At least maximize our group's efficiency instead of throwing ourselves randomly onto the horde. What say y'all?" While the others walked and talked, Gregory fiddled with the last straps of the ballistics vest heβd grabbed. Putting on the Wishalloy pieces underneath it had been a bit annoying, but hopefully the extra protection was worth it. Tapping at the metal trauma plates inserted, he rolled his shoulders and twisted around to make sure it was secured properly before he trudged after the others. A few carabiners dangled from the straps above his shoulder while several lengths of knotted rope and canteens hung from his belt. Aside from the three items given by the guards, it didnβt seem like he had picked up anything more than a crowbar.
βThereβs at least one person that summons disposable minions. Send them out to scout first if theyβve got the range. Gauge how the Metalworks react,β he chimed in while looking around at their surroundings and then towards the destination.
Emma finally decided to chime in, raising her hand slightly indicating that she wanted to speak.
βWellβ¦ they work as long as theyβre in earshot of me. Which brings me to another point, in the Capture the Flagβ¦ game, we worked out a system where we used Brent's phone so I could relay commands to them while I was in relative safety. Since I donβt really have any options if we fight close up it might be a good idea to get some kind of similar setupβ¦β "
I'm inclined to agree with keeping Emma herself out and away from the main battle." The brunette claimed while tracing the outline of her tablet with a fingertip. "
We lose too much manpower if she gets too injured comparatively." There might have been other reasons for that concern, but Siena didn't bring up anything beyond the pure rationality of it. That aside, at least most of the support's main body had ways to defend themselves directly if the worst case scenario rose. "
More importantly, our job is to create enough chaos to attract the majority of the forces. Having the summons attract forces that don't respond to any initial attacks would be a good fallback."
"While I don't really like the idea on straying too far from each other, I agree Emma should stay safe in the back." Angel replied, her gaze shifting towards the X-marked alluring girl.
"Emma, you think you could stay within earshot of the group, at the back? That way, you could probably command your... golems(?) from a safe distance, keep an eye on our back and warn us if anything is heading towards us from behind." Angel recalled the warning they got at the briefing about possible Subnaturals lurking in the area and possibly teaming with Factory.
"While our main target is the metallic horde, keep an eye out for those Mages we've been warned of. Especially Emma, if she is to stay alone at the back."Ah. There was the dreaded topic.
"
Speaking of opposing Mages...if any of them do attack, are we really ready to kill a human?" She should have felt uneasy about it, but Siena was aware of what kept the emotion from growing much further than a hollow pang. "
I mean...we're prepared and likely lethal, but it's different trying to kill a human and trying to kill a monster."
Grant did the same as some of the others and went ahead and applied his Wishalloy onto himself as they walked and talked. The topic of the supposed enemy subnaturals came up and he focused his attention to the others.
"We're already helping to get rid of the target, who is also supposedly a Mage. If they come to us, and they're in the way, it won't matter if we're ready or not. If they're ready, and we're not, that's it for us. We'll be doing ourselves and everyone else a favor by dealing with them." He paused as he looked ahead...
"If they appear." He added after.
Emma sighed. One answer at a time, first Angel.
βIβll do my best to stay back while staying in range. Looks like Iβll be getting a vocal workout tooβ¦β a hollow laugh followed,
βAnd not that it matters much, but Iβve decided to call them Tulpas. Thoughtforms from Buddhist textsβ¦ like I said, it doesnβt matter much.β and then Sienaβs question.
ββ¦ Grantβs right. Iβll do what I have to if we see a Subnatural.β Emmaβs tone was entirely passive, intent on not giving her thoughts away.
Seemed like everyone were quite willing to pull the trigger on another human being, Angel understood. The question Siena asked brought back some memories of the talk Angel and Zoe had last week, about caring for others, pulling the trigger and taking all the blame. Surprisingly, Zoe seemed to be wrong about everyone after all. Even about the caring AngΓ©lique.
βHumans or monsters, it doesnβt matter. If itβs out there to kill us, then I wonβt have any regret taking a Mage down. Better him than you guys.β The singing Aberration confessed, feeling a small hint of uneasiness creeping up. She had taken human lives before, and it still tormented her to this day. Why did it feel so right now? Was it because her concern for her own survival and the othersβ disregarded the nature of the threat, being it human or monster?
"
I see..." Well, she supposed that was the best she could hope for. Siena tried not to acknowledge the startling ease she considered the situation in. That certainly wasn't the
type of person she wanted to be, at the least. The girl wondered briefly if she would have even hesitated if one of their own decided to flee. If one of the faces she was just starting to accept as part of her new daily life would at least make her think twice. Releasing a soft breath, the brunette tried to focus on the path ahead. "
I suppose my next question would be what we think we're lacking most. I can fill in the holes, but I sincerely doubt we won't be noticed once I start."
"I can manipulate nonliving matter, so I could act as offense, defense, or even ranged if need be." Grant mentioned to narrow the list of what they were lacking at the moment.
Angel took a bit of time to think about the question. What had she been writing on her personal notes earlier today. A support; a berserker; an attacker and defender; two jacks-of-all-trades.
βIβve been thinking about it earlier today after the briefing. We seem to be able to bring up a lot of everything to the table with the team we have currently.β Angel paused, trying to puzzle the pieces together with the strategy they were trying to get through with.
βLetβs say Hazel is our primary attacker, since sheβs the one with the most destructive natural power here. Being the one with the potential to bring down a lot of creatures by herself, I was thinking of having a formation centered about her, as to protect her from the monsters while she cleaves them down. Taking that into consideration, her best position would be at the front, or center. Gotta give her some space and a clear front for her to pulverize anything standing against us.β AngΓ©lique commented as she looked towards Hazel, wondering if she would be alright with the suggestion.
"Emma can probably cover roles we lack too. Her big armoured Tulpa seem to be just as able deffensively as offensively? It might as well engage some Metalworks or protect Hazel if she's hard-pressed. The pulling one could serve mighty well as a support to line in the fuckers into Hazel's attacks too." the Aberration then remarked about Emma's versatile options.
βGrant and I would probably be best flanking Hazelβs side from a distance, to give her some space but at the same time make sure nothing comes blindsiding her. Grant can potentially pull the earth to both attack and defend whateverβs coming at him.β The singer added as she glanced towards Grant.
βAs for Iβ¦ well Iβm not going to lie to you, Iβm sort of a liability here. My shouts most likely wonβt affect the machines as they do to humans. At best, I can only knock them back a few feet away, but I doubt I wonβt be dealing as much damage as anyone here. I was thinking of positioning myself a bit away from everyone so you guys wonβt get caught up in my sonic blasts.βAngel added with a hint of disappointment in her tone. Really, what was Kardos thinking about putting her on the Support Team instead of someone actually useful?
βMaybe you could fill up that attacker and/or defender role with me on your side, Siena? I donβt know what you have in mind for powers, but I most likely wonβt be of much help to protect one side by myself. You got a powerful enough name to take on that side of the army?β Angel then asked as she looked towards Siena, the images of what kind of destruction Siena was capable from the two training sessions they had together were still fresh in her mind.
Ah...that was right, Angel's power would probably meet with some resistance in the face of metal creatures like that. Something akin to concern welled up in the pit of Siena's stomach, but the brunette did her best to quash it. Now wasn't the time to try and figure out which emotions were left. Still...Angel's shouts had a wide range, and she'd watched them take down Chris's dragon form--well, at least the one without wings--so they at least had
some effect on even thick armor. The Aberration was right though--there were probably things that wouldn't be kicking in when it came to creatures like metalwork beasts.
"
If we're concerned about how dampened your abilities are, I...I think I can provide enough support to make your shouts completely viable attacks. It'll consume less energy on my end than having to directly attack and demolish them alone." Giving herself a moment to think...well, that was completely viable. "
In that case, I won't have such precise control over my targets, but as long as we're not getting in each others' way, it should be okay."
"Oh..." Angel let out in surprise. Truthfully, she had been thinking about that possibility before. However, most of the power she held was based on her stunning capacity, not her destruction potential. It would be a waste for Siena to use her potential on buffing someone who didn't belong here in the first place.
"I'm... not sure about it. I feel like you would be a better asset with using your full powers yourself than simply giving me a boost. I'm not even sure if an upgraded scream would destroy them." Moreover, images of a kneeling Siena after abusing her powers played back in Angel's mind. Her partner probably wouldn't have had that breakdown if she didn't try over-optimizing both their magic at once.
Shifting her gaze back to the brunette's eyes, AngΓ©lique reached the girl's shoulder for a reassuring pat.
"Just... do what you would feel more comfortable with. I don't want to exhaust yourself like that time." Her tone of voice was quieter than before, as if the last part was meant to be heard only between the two of them.
A reassuring hand on her shoulder and soft words reminded Siena of things she'd rather have forgotten. Things about the failsafe she kept tucked neatly away in the inner pocket of her coat, ready to be drawn and used at a moment's notice. A failsafe she prayed she woudln't have to use, because she knew she
couldn't control it. Still, she gave a weak smile and a nod of understanding.
"
I know." Soft, careful words."
I'll be careful."
Grant adjusted his clothes, the Wishalloy protection working its wonders underneath. Hopefully they were effective as they had explained. Either that or he could just avoid getting hurt altogether. He glanced back at the others that he was walking with. Once more, thrust into a team. They were better alive than dead.
For my survival, he added in his mind. A few more steps, before he finally spoke up to them.
"Everyone's got the Wishalloy stuff on?" He asked to his team.
Angel nodded slowly to Siena, a faint crack of a smile appearing on the corner of her lips as her classmate reassured the singer of being careful. When Grant asked about the strange armore material they were give, the obsidian-haired young woman turned to the Arbiter with a grin and raising a thumb up.
"Good to go on my end, sir." she didn't put as much emphasis on the last word, but Angel hoped the joke would shift the leading role of this group to Grant, rather than herself. Truthfully, with everyone tossing plans and ideas here and there, she had forgotten about her worries and unwillingly went on with the flow, her leading nature taking over again without realizing it, and spoke a bit too much despite not wanting to take the lead.
Ah, right, the Wishalloy. She'd been holding off on applying the largest section of it--mostly to see if it would do anything bizarre when applied. So far, nothing seemed to be going wrong, so... "
Ah, I should get the last of it on." Not much of a hassle, really. Even keeping it in place wasn't entirely difficult with her coat doing most of the work for her. Untested as it was, the girl couldn't deny that she wanted to take on a name more than capable of taking hits, but at the cost of time or potency for what she
wanted to do...? It didn't seem quite worth it. Instead, the brunette gave a quick nod of affirmation as she waited for the fabric to complete its magic. "
Should be good to go."
Wishalloy was a pain in the ass to apply, especially considering how he effectively had to strip to his underwear before putting the strange material on his body. It was also a bit of a shame that it couldnβt be Overclocked, meaning that he still had to keep his body armor onβ¦but, on the bright side? Two layers of protection was better than one. The rest of the group had already left by the time Brent finished gearing himself up again, from helmet to boots to his assortment of weaponry placed all around his body. It still rattled, but the weight was more or less distributed around his body. He could do this. He could get used to this. He couldβ¦
β¦take a deep breath of the burning wind and drink in the destruction wrecked all around him. His amethyst eyes lingered on the stains that couldnβt be washed away, the debris of clockwork and the remnants of humanity. This wasnβt the worst end.
But this could be much better. The silence was deafening, even as combat raged farther away. Brent turned to the truck that was already driving away, and picked up his pace, jogging over to the rest of his friends? Teammates? Inmates.
βYoho, sorry for lagging behind. Whatcha all discussing?β he called, the same smile as always standing in stark contrast to the bleak atmosphere.
"Took you long enough. Probably brought a bit too much gear with you, no?" Angel commented as the late arrival chimed in.
"We just finished planning out our battle strategy. Nothing too fancy. We agreed on formations and decided we'll do our best to distract and destroy the machines by bringing the fight straight to them while you sniper guys cover our asses from afar." Looking at her surroundings, AngΓ©lique felt uneasiness becoming ever more present as they walked further in town. Hopefully, the early attack force managed to effectively contain the horde of metal freaks and didn't let anything leak in the city. Last thing they wanted right now was to be caught in an ambush in the middle of the town and crush their morale even further.
"We'll escort you to just a bit before reaching the outskirts of town. At least to make sure you two don't run in into an ambush before we get to the clearing outside of town." the fallen idol explained further.
"Which makes me think..."The oldest student of the group took the phone she had been given from the briefing earlier today, as a mean to communicate between every member of her class. Thinking about an ambush, it made her feel some worry for the others. Would they be fine if something just showed up and attacked them? Not that she didn't trust in her classmates' abilities, but the bulk of the powerhouses were at the front, leaving those with little offensive abilities at the back. If anything came up from the rear, they were fucked quite badly.
Extending the antenna from the phone, AngΓ©lique pressed the 'push-to-talk' button and took a deep breath.
"Testing testing. One two three. Angelic here, you guys hear me?" She paused, waiting to hear if the phone worked as intended. When she got confirmation, she resumed
"I wanted to tell you guys, even if we are all split-up in different groups, we are still a team. Communication is key here. So please, if you spot anything out of the ordinary: a stray Factory's minion, an unknown Mage or whatever, warn the other groups, even if you are not to engage them. Let's keep ourselves updated, so we can adapt if things go wrong."Angel paused again, letting a soft sigh as she felt uncomfortable about this whole setup. Why was she taking the lead again, despite trying to rely more on Grant's? Could it be that, deep inside, she still yearned to prove herself as a worthy leader, or at least someone who cares deeply about her fellow teammates?
"Y'all stay safe and be careful, alright? Support Team nearing objective. Angel out."
