[IC] Avatar: The Dark Age

[Corsair]

The train sped at a blinding speed, the only sound a low, sharp whistling. It wasn't a large train, only an engine and three cars laden with large, boxy containers holding various supplies. Inside one of the containers were a group of men and women, huddled together in the cramped confines.

"Tracker beacon shows you're nearly at your destination." Came a cool, feminine voice through their earpieces. "Estimate arrival in five minutes. I'll leave the approach up to your discretion. Remember that if you are detected and an alarm is raised there are at least four regional military positions able to supply anything from mecha to aircraft to this position in less than thirty minutes. Move fast."

The train sped along, the whistle growing higher and duller as it began to slow, sliding into the facility's docking station with a click. There was a low hum of conversation a minute or so later, and the sound of machinery, cranes and clamps latching onto containers and lifting them off.

"Good luck."

The container doors were a simple double-affair, leading to a narrow pathway in the roofless traincar. Getting off the train was a simple matter of hopping over the side, ground less than eight feet down on either side. To the left as they faced forward was the station, where a quartet of guards in the typical red and black Future Industries uniform idled around a table, two playing Pai Sho while the other pair kibbitzed. The unloading process seemed to be mostly automated, a crane lifting the containers off the train, setting them down on the loading dock, where a pair of lifting bots - boxes with wheels and limbs - opened and began unloading crates from them, crates labeled various chemicals, festooned with warnings like "Biohazard" "Danger" and "Fragile".

The facility itself was a single large, ugly, box-like structure inside of a compound. Guards and security bots were on the walls, but seemed focused outwards rather than inwards, and they had about one hundred yards of clearance to the right-side wall, with twice that to the front and back. Nearest entrance to the facility proper was a single large loading door that sat open, the bots constantly lifting and carrying boxes inside, presumably into the facility's warehouse. There was a second entrance as well, a small door near the corner, behind the guards, with a security pad beside it.

"I have aerial recon of the facility. You've got two other possible entry points - there's a rooftop entrance if you think you can get up there. It's about thirty feet up or so. There's also a third door on the opposite side of the structure, near the ornipad, I'd guess the VIP entrance."

[Blaze96]

Yutaka thought over the options remaining hidden as best he could. He wanted one of the others to take the lead. Let then be first to the glory, and the bullets, he figured.

"My vote is for the VIP entrance. Less chance of real security in there anyway. If you can get me into their network, I can start getting some doors open for us." He said quietly that only the others would hear. The sooner he was in his element, the happier and better off he would be.

[cerozer0]

It was warm within the storage container. Not a pleasant warm, like what one would feel on a snowy night as they wrapped themselves tightly in a blanket to chase away the frostbite, no, this warm was produced by more than a dozen nervous bodies, all sweating or relaxing at their own rate. In the cramped space, where their shoulders touched and their feet tangled, a cloud of heat had gathered, and it has remained that way for the last five hours. Those who had created this heat varied in size and talents, but they were joined together for one reason; the sake of the mission. Among the crowd was a rather small girl, Kai, and she wasn't exactly doing too well in the hotbox they were currently waiting in.

Her entire body, from neck to toe, was covered by a black material that was much thicker than it looked. A hood was gathered around her shoulders, and a mask surgeons would normally use hung limply around her neck. Gadgets and gizmos clung to her belt and back, and sweat dripped slowly from her brow, mingling with the makeup on her eye before dripping down onto her lap. Her body was hunched slightly, and her breathing was slow and deep, but her face was devoid of of any emotion. Her eyes were shut gently, as if she were peacefully asleep, but no, At times, her eyebrow would twitch, or her tongue would flick around to wet her lips before returning to the abnormally still state. Kai was meditating, relaxing her mind and soul in an attempt to gain some peace before the mission.

The train sped along, whistling in the wind, and the low chatter of people speaking melded with it, forming a low hum which could only be described as white noise. Kai focused on the buzz in her ear, breathing in tune to the beat of her heart, and finally, after what was probably two hours of concentration, she felt her body become lighter, and her mind blanker, and just as she finally felt herself fade a voice broke her white noise. The Voice of The Resistance, a woman Kai had not yet seen in person, spoke lightly through her earpiece, explained their current situation and place, as well as their possible courses of action. Kai listened intently, eyes slowly opening, and before she could shift into a more comfortable position the box shook, throwing off her balance slightly as she realized the train had slowed. They were nearly ready to go. Kai stood, slowly, allowing her back and hips to crack with the satisfaction of standing up, and she glanced at her team, taking note of their appearances, stances, and expressions before she began to count her items.

At her side, a black rope hung lazily, the two platinum weights clanking together softly as she shifted to check the rope for any damage or curls. The jōhyō was good for a few more missions, though she could use a size adjustment. Twelve feet was just too short for her to handle, but she couldn't worry about that right now. The batons on her back felt secure, and she'd just have to trust that they were full on power for the time being. Her satchel was tightened to her side, and she shifted through it mindlessly, taking note of her jammer, the two electrified nets she brought along, and the extra ammo that would only do well for the pistol holstered on her leg. Everything seemed set, now she just needed some sort of strategy. Gray eyes turned to stare at the people around her again, squinting slightly in the half light as she tried to find her words, but alas, none came. She sighed softly, brushing her hair back behind her ears before closing her eyes to visualize what the Voice had said early.

"You've got two other possible entry points - there's a rooftop entrance if you think you can get up there. It's about thirty feet up or so. There's also a third door on the opposite side of the structure, near the ornipad, I'd guess the VIP entrance."

Thirty feet was a bit high, and without a proper idea on how the facility looked from the outside she couldn't exactly think of a way to get up there. Some help from an earth bender or an airbender could make the trip at easy one in case there was no available leverage. She glanced at the crowd again, hair falling back into place as it usually did, and her mouth moved again in an effort to speak, and again, she failed to converse with even the slightest thing. Her straight face fell slightly, but quickly perked back up as the crowd around her began to stir as well, preparing for the mission at hand. Someone had spoken up about the VIP entrance, saying that he'd be able to get into the network so other doors would be available. Though he noted that that door would probably have less guards, Kai couldn't help but feel like someone would be on the other side of that entrance.

'Might be best to hear other opinions first before speaking...', she thought, pulling up her mask and hood slowly, shadowing her bright hair and thoughtful eyes.

[TheSpoonyJester]

Chui adjusts his mask before double checking each of his augmented limbs one last time. Propulsion enhancements on his feet? Check. Tools in each one of his fingertips? Check. Electrified hands? Of course. Still, even with those enhancements and more waiting just below his skin, he would need to be careful. This was Future Industries after all, and he knew firsthand what happened to intruders. Hell, he used to deal with such intruders himself.

He sighs upon looking up at the massive compound. Whispering into the headset built into his ear, Chui says, "While I certainly appreciate the need for secrecy, perhaps you can finally explain to us what our priority targets are. This is a pretty large compound, and I'm not exactly comfortably jumping in without a clear objective." He looks around to the other members of the team. "And to be quite honest, these folk are scaring me. They haven't said anything on the way over here!" Though he put emphasis on the last word, he made sure that the only ones who could hear him were the Stormcrows themselves.

Looking around, Chui found himself frowning at his lack of familiarity with the layout of the buildings and entrances. This was certainly a much different design than the factory he used to work at, but whether that was due to the change in location or the because the building itself was relatively new, he couldn't tell. Regardless, he couldn't deal with prior knowledge of Future Industries in this unfamiliar setting.

"I'm sorry guys," he says shaking his head. "I don't think I could do much about the actual entrance of this facility. Going in through the roof seems like a sure way of being spotted easily, but from the way the guards are positioned, once we are inside, we will have a much easier time sneaking about."

[UnusualStranger]

Lira was practically dozing as they had placed her in the container. She hadn't bothered to greet or note the others, and they likewise did not seem to be as inclined to do so. It seemed that somehow 'The Voice', as she had pleasantly nicknamed her typical order giver who of course was using likely a voice masking software to make sure that if they were caught that they wouldn't get caught along with them. She didn't mind, it was a typical mission at this point, and she wasn't about to start pressing The Voice now. Though, as they quietly rode along, she began to become aware of the amount of others that were sitting in the container. The amount of people began to spark other lines of thought, which eventually came to a single question which began to slightly irk her.

What exactly is there to take pictures of in here? Anything can be of interest, but this many people means that we are possibly hitting something...too large.

While Lira had her reservations about what exactly required so many people to come along to this, she was a bit more curious now about the lab as she always was when it came to getting into these structures. Usually they were much more obvious about what they had. Giant labs had typical runoff pipes and trucks transporting hazardous material at a regular rate. Factories tended to have more often than not supplies and ammo coming in, and never going back out like a supply base. This one looked different. All kinds of supplies, but security wasn't quite like the other facilities. It was then that The Voice decided to let her know the situation.

"I have aerial recon of the facility. You've got two other possible entry points - there's a rooftop entrance if you think you can get up there. It's about thirty feet up or so. There's also a third door on the opposite side of the structure, near the ornipad, I'd guess the VIP entrance."

She flexed her fingers with a smile behind the mask she had worn for this mission. Best to keep her identity somewhat hidden for this one, especially since she didn't imagine working with these people for too long. Still, it seemed that some of them were planning on getting in and out of there as fast as possible. Right to some computers right away, which she would be just fine getting to so they could finish up their hunt here. Though, from the looks of things this cargo dock wasn't going to be connected to anything important other than shipping manifests.

"Taking a stroll around the building to be greeted as VIPs? Didn't know you had a pass." Lira replied to what she assumed was a techie itching to get back online. "We'll be avoiding a lot of eyes going around. Might be easier to just get in through the shipping area. The dumb bots won't much care for us catching a ride, and the guards don't seem to care about the amount of stuff coming in. Maybe even get to a quick shipping computer."

Lira had used the tactic before, even once just sitting on top of the box flat as it carried her inside. Guards didn't much care to check the bots, as the containers were usually expected and automated cargo, things that could be exploited to get inside, and then collect what they needed. While the roof was attractive, she figured it would also be watched, meaning it would be better to start on the main floor and choose a direction, rather than start at the top to find everything they wanted was at the bottom.

"Of course, if any of you darlings have an idea for getting in without attracting a battalion to just get some information I would be open to that." Lira finished, checking the whip at her side, and taking quick inventory of the rest of the group. Most were quiet, but that was expected since they had all decided to keep this professional. Bunch of stiffs really. Probably the types who wouldn't even buy a girl a drink. Always the boring ones on missions like this. Shouldn't get my hopes up.

[Corsair]

"Live with it, Operative." The Voice addressed Chui. "I don't know what's in there. What i do know is that this facility is supposed to have a generator capable of producing enough energy to power a few city blocks and is still drawing a massive drain from the Tseng River dam, the kind of energy you don't see used anywhere except particle accelerators and the like. There's also far more supplies being sent here than make sense - this facility is supposed to be three floors, maybe a hundred personnel total. The supplies suggest five times that number, with some very sophisticated laboratory equipment. Also: This is a weather monitoring installation. Figure it out." The Voice fairly dripped with sarcasm. "That's why you're here, to find out what they're doing here. So get on with it, before we lose the night."

[Hexaflexagon]

There was a silence that hung over the train. A silence that had lasted for the last several hours, but like all things was to be broken. It was a silence that was a conglomerate of parts that medley together into a greater symphony. Their was the visible silence that hung oppressively in the air and filled the void whenever a lull in the whispers would occur. But there was also the nervous silence, a silence that could be not exactly heard but rather felt. Felt in the slight tremors of the bodies in the car, every drop of sweat that hit the floor of contain. Their was the silence of the world around them, a silence that had become deeper and deeper as they went further into the lands owned by Future Industries the machines having drained the songs out of the ground and replaced them with cold emptiness. And there was the silence of the metal, unlike rock and earth metal did not sing the connections dulled and muted over the transmissions all that was the slight inaudible hum of remains of earth that were left behind. But overshadowing all of these looming above them all, like the front of a grand storm coming in was the silence of the one that could sense all the others. Xuanzang was a man of many facets: a boisterous giant of war, a traveling hand for hire, disperser of wisdom, but there was times that he was the final silence that held the others together.

Out of necessity for the mission, his traditional wanders garb of light browns had been replaced with something a little bit more appropriate. Black on top of more black, his body from the boots on his feet, to the mask that hung on his face blending into the darkness. The mask did not stand out. Rather being a gas mask traditionally worn by firebenders when they worked in the smelting plants; it being used to protect their lungs for the toxic fumes that were admitted during the smelting process. (This idea being astonishingly recent idea; workers in the past used to be bedridden with dangerous and deadly respiratory diseases until someone finally made the connection.) The idea being that something so common, would not stand out as much as say... something more flashy. The only thing not black being the conical hat he wore atop his head: traditonal wear of the farmers wide brimmed and strurdy. Though no amount of black clothing could really hide his giant frame: he was about as wide as the broad side of a barn and about as tall as one too. Having been one of the first to entire the container, he naturally had been pushed and prodded towards the back of it. His body made an unnatural curve as he hunched over to avoid hitting his head atop the ceiling as he stood. He moved very little expect for the muted swaying, back and forth, with the ebb and flow of the train. This process continued for what seemed an entirety.

Soon though the silence was broken as the quiet hum of voices sprang into existence. One voice was all it took and soon the hum had risen into a small crescendo of voices. It was the first time Xuan had become acutely aware of the others in the car with them. He had "seen" them of course: he had sensed through the cold touch of the metal floor of the floor to his feet their relative size and shape. But that was nothing without the voice, the voice provided the emotional context, the connection needed for Xuan to remeber the person. He had forgotten what people "look" like before; but he had never forgotten a voice. And his companions all had distinct vocal tones, distinct syntax that weither they knew it our not used in speech.The blind giant was able to pick up on these small details very quickly and, use it to differentiate between voices and people. Exemplifying this would be the voice speaking into the earpiece in his left ear. The Voice was what some called her, the cool and feminine personification of the entire resistant movement as a whole. Though listening to it felt odd: an inharmonious dissonance that could not be placed still bothering Xuan, it had the other characteristic. The selective almost monotone coolness, the occasional spikes of sarcasm, the rise and fall of volume, all of it was distinct to the disembodied voice.

As the train gradually came a stop; his team members began discussing plans of infiltration. He listened to these suggestions as he went over a once over of the minimal equipment he had on him. The main piece was his walking stick: looking as if somebody had just plainly ripped an entire branch off a tree, the implenet had more in similair appearance to a club than an actually walking stick. The size of the stick being a testament to the user's strength, who was able to swing it about with one arm without much effort. Beside that all he had was a small rucksack the contents inside including: a book without a name, a pot without a flower and a rocker without a purpose. The three useless items having seemingly no inherit value at the moment. The soulless eyes of the mask looking ahead emotionless, when he had gotten onto the train he had be wearing the mask and, some may say that that was for the best forgoing the bandana underneath their was no need to disturb his associates with the burns and, in the end it would only lead to questions. As he did adjusted some straps that felt loose he listented to the plans that the others proposed. They all had their benefits, but at the same time VIP entrance or going in through the cargobay, the roof as well all had high proababliets of being spotted. But Xuan had an idea that might just get them in without any such problem.

He cleared his throat before speaking, "One does not attack the armadillo lion in its mouth; you go around and pull its tail." Xuan explained using an old Earth Kingdom proverb about stealth tacticts. Realizing soon after that he may very well be the only one from the Earth Kingdom in the room he added to explain more clearly. "I can make us a tunnel. No guards, no bots, no locked doors, only earth." After speaking he made his way to the door of the car and opened it, a moment later he had vanished without a sight. They could deiced outside of the train and on the ground, but soon the bots would come to unload the car and it would be rather awkward if they were still inside.

[MrOmega]

Off in the corner of the box, a tall individual was sitting in a meditative pose, spending half the trip sleeping and the other half actually meditating. Gen was hoping to try and reach a spiritual epiphany to find guidance for the mission, but nothing came. He felt a little more relaxed when the Voice spoke to the group, giving them a basic idea of what to do. He rose from his position, revealing his black robe in its entirety. He had to admit it wasn't ideal for the situation, but it was all he had on him upon meeting the group, and whatever they offered didn't fit him.

He heard the first few ideas, deciding to offer feedback. "We can always split into groups." He said, his already quiet voice muffled by the gas mask he wore. "Still, I wouldn't get us too far apart. if we are going to go through beneath the facility, it would require great caution and planning. We won't know what's waiting for us on the other side, and they may have methods of detecting earthbending. Still, you'd be going in blind, so we'd need someone in on the ground floor to let you know what we're dealing with. So I second Yutaka's decision of going in through the VIP entrance." He wasn't going to be much use no matter what route they took, at least if they were going to stick to stealth. Still, he'd rather keep things simple.