X-Men Mission: Town Called Malice - Log 2
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xp_logsThe X-Men arrive at the compound and find an unexpected greeting from Clan Akkaba.
They had set down the Blackbird in stealth mode a half mile away from the complex, but based on the utter lack of security or even life, they might as well have landed beside the building. There were several potential points of access, but they had settled on a small storage building on the far end, so they could work end to end once reaching the underground.
The door was hanging open and in the middle of the floor were the concrete steps headed down. At the bottom, two formerly stout metal doors hung open, one completely torn from its hinges. As they carefully entered the underground, what had been a kind of entrance room had been turned into a charnel house. A half dozen bodies littered the room, dressed either in robes or in security gear. They'd been torn apart or killed with precision shots or energy attacks from the telltale burns.
"I admit, I wasn't expecting a buffet or something waiting for us, but this wasn't high on my list." Dominion said, looking around, switching between the bodies and the numerous tunnels of concrete and dirt leading away from the entrance.
"There's no one alive in this room but us," Jean said quietly. She didn't know if that was a mercy depending on what had happened to them. "We should probably split up. This place seems huge. I'll keep our minds connected. If anyone encounters trouble, let us know and we'll regroup. Stronger in force. Any questions?"
"What should we do if we come across any of these cult people? Or whatever attacked them?" asked Nica, without her usual confidence. The sight of the bodies had shocked her and she was already unsure of her own judgment these days.
"Take them out," Clarice stated. "Ideally, alive. But if they have info, we need it," she stepped over a body without a glance, moving deeper into the entry space, "I'll stay with Jean in case we need to do a telepathic port out," not her preferred way to do things, but then....this place was creepy.
Tandy opted to walk around bodies instead of over them. She came to one of the openings and looked back at the party. It had already been decided that she would be paired with Dominion, for obvious reasons. It was her first mission since the Dweller incident. "Careful. Whatever happened to them might still be here."
"And if they are..." Jean-Phillipe's expression was closely guarded. "It does not speak well for the situation." Especially given the apparently complete lethality of the event. "There are multiple types of wounds, which means it was likely not any single thing." And if it had been done by a sentient force rather than something else, and it was somehow shielded from Jean's telepathy...well, he did not like the implications that bit of paranoia might lead to.
Kyle lingered near the entrance, as far from the bodies as he could manage with his t-shirt pulled up over his nose and mouth. "It's at least three kinds of death." He said, coughed into his shirt, and then finally stepped forward. "Burns, gunshots and just straight up brutal murder fuckery." He pointed at two of the bodies. "Those two were brought in here to finish dying, the other four died in the room. There's gonna be more too, I can smell blood all down the hallway. Shit too, over whatever weird cult incense they've got going on here. The thing that's fucking me up, who moves the fucking bodies all into one room?" He shook his head. "You want me tracking, Doc? Kinda would prefer a heavy hitter as backup if that's the case, so Spectrum or Bevatron?"
Jean nodded her agreement. "Yes, please track. And take Bevatron. Keep us in the loop. If you find any survivors let Blink and I know," she said. There was no lightness in her voice, just pure concentration on the mission at hand.
"Spectrum, go with Callisto. Any sign of trouble, think first, communicator second if I don't answer. Let's keep the element of surprise as much as we can. Map out the complex quickly and rendezvous back here if you don't find anything." Her hope was that whoever did this was long gone.
But hope was spread thin these days.
"Yes, ma'am!" Nica's reply was eager, her face lighting up at the thought of pairing with Calisto again, before she blushed and added. "I mean, sure, that works well..."
"And if Dagger is with Dominion, that leaves you and me." Sooraya addressed Colossus. "How about we take that hallway? Looks partially collapsed, but we should be able to get through without any trouble. Even if it has completely caved in at some point."
"Da, Dust." he said. "I'll take the lead." he said, shifting to his metal form and turning to stride down the hallway. looking to protect Sooraya with his body and clear a path if needed.
Callisto stooped to run her hands over her ankles, then thighs - those who'd seen her fight knew she was checking her numerous knives. "Remember to check for hatches and side doors," she said. "Places like this, they can be hard to see 'til you're on 'em. And we have to assume anyone in here has a home field advantage."
Kane motioned to Tandy. "At least I get a stable source of light." He joked, earning a sideways look. "Let's get this done sooner rather than later." He said, as they all spread out.
They had set down the Blackbird in stealth mode a half mile away from the complex, but based on the utter lack of security or even life, they might as well have landed beside the building. There were several potential points of access, but they had settled on a small storage building on the far end, so they could work end to end once reaching the underground.
The door was hanging open and in the middle of the floor were the concrete steps headed down. At the bottom, two formerly stout metal doors hung open, one completely torn from its hinges. As they carefully entered the underground, what had been a kind of entrance room had been turned into a charnel house. A half dozen bodies littered the room, dressed either in robes or in security gear. They'd been torn apart or killed with precision shots or energy attacks from the telltale burns.
"I admit, I wasn't expecting a buffet or something waiting for us, but this wasn't high on my list." Dominion said, looking around, switching between the bodies and the numerous tunnels of concrete and dirt leading away from the entrance.
"There's no one alive in this room but us," Jean said quietly. She didn't know if that was a mercy depending on what had happened to them. "We should probably split up. This place seems huge. I'll keep our minds connected. If anyone encounters trouble, let us know and we'll regroup. Stronger in force. Any questions?"
"What should we do if we come across any of these cult people? Or whatever attacked them?" asked Nica, without her usual confidence. The sight of the bodies had shocked her and she was already unsure of her own judgment these days.
"Take them out," Clarice stated. "Ideally, alive. But if they have info, we need it," she stepped over a body without a glance, moving deeper into the entry space, "I'll stay with Jean in case we need to do a telepathic port out," not her preferred way to do things, but then....this place was creepy.
Tandy opted to walk around bodies instead of over them. She came to one of the openings and looked back at the party. It had already been decided that she would be paired with Dominion, for obvious reasons. It was her first mission since the Dweller incident. "Careful. Whatever happened to them might still be here."
"And if they are..." Jean-Phillipe's expression was closely guarded. "It does not speak well for the situation." Especially given the apparently complete lethality of the event. "There are multiple types of wounds, which means it was likely not any single thing." And if it had been done by a sentient force rather than something else, and it was somehow shielded from Jean's telepathy...well, he did not like the implications that bit of paranoia might lead to.
Kyle lingered near the entrance, as far from the bodies as he could manage with his t-shirt pulled up over his nose and mouth. "It's at least three kinds of death." He said, coughed into his shirt, and then finally stepped forward. "Burns, gunshots and just straight up brutal murder fuckery." He pointed at two of the bodies. "Those two were brought in here to finish dying, the other four died in the room. There's gonna be more too, I can smell blood all down the hallway. Shit too, over whatever weird cult incense they've got going on here. The thing that's fucking me up, who moves the fucking bodies all into one room?" He shook his head. "You want me tracking, Doc? Kinda would prefer a heavy hitter as backup if that's the case, so Spectrum or Bevatron?"
Jean nodded her agreement. "Yes, please track. And take Bevatron. Keep us in the loop. If you find any survivors let Blink and I know," she said. There was no lightness in her voice, just pure concentration on the mission at hand.
"Spectrum, go with Callisto. Any sign of trouble, think first, communicator second if I don't answer. Let's keep the element of surprise as much as we can. Map out the complex quickly and rendezvous back here if you don't find anything." Her hope was that whoever did this was long gone.
But hope was spread thin these days.
"Yes, ma'am!" Nica's reply was eager, her face lighting up at the thought of pairing with Calisto again, before she blushed and added. "I mean, sure, that works well..."
"And if Dagger is with Dominion, that leaves you and me." Sooraya addressed Colossus. "How about we take that hallway? Looks partially collapsed, but we should be able to get through without any trouble. Even if it has completely caved in at some point."
"Da, Dust." he said. "I'll take the lead." he said, shifting to his metal form and turning to stride down the hallway. looking to protect Sooraya with his body and clear a path if needed.
Callisto stooped to run her hands over her ankles, then thighs - those who'd seen her fight knew she was checking her numerous knives. "Remember to check for hatches and side doors," she said. "Places like this, they can be hard to see 'til you're on 'em. And we have to assume anyone in here has a home field advantage."
Kane motioned to Tandy. "At least I get a stable source of light." He joked, earning a sideways look. "Let's get this done sooner rather than later." He said, as they all spread out.
