Raid

[a_tin_soldier]

The coordinates will take them right outside of a fairly nondescript building - people tend to not want to think about these places, after all.

Unfortunately, this puts them in full view. Though with any luck they'll be done here long before that really matters.

Comments

[what_virus]

Storm Eagle actually seems a little unsure of what to do without someone here to give him orders. He doesn't move to attack, just watching them.

"That's the last of them," says Spider. "Time for us to get out of here."

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Quick nods. "Definitely. I don't want to try taking on that guy."

Metal chuckles, then waves at Storm.

Blues walks over and whacks Metal upside the head, getting ready to use the teleporter he received earlier.

[what_virus]

Colonel thought he'd recognized the voice earlier, and is just curious enough to have a look at the door before they leave. "Storm Eagle."

For the Hunter's part, Storm Eagle looks surprised and almost hopeful at the wave and when he sees Colonel - only to immediately afterwards look briefly terrified, as if hoping his reaction wasn't noticed. He still hasn't made any move to attack, even with targets clearly visible and no humans in the way.

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues pauses at Colonel addressing the other by name. "You know him?" He frowns at behavior from the eagle. "Odd. He could attack us now. Yet he doesn't. And that reaction..."

Metal glares at the eagle warily. "Blues, don't bother trying to talk to him. If he's anything like the chameleon I met..."

[a_tin_soldier]

Colonel nods, speaking quietly. "I attempted to convince him to join us. He felt none of us would survive, and was too afraid of the other Hunters."

The glare from Metal makes Storm Eagle realize how long he's stood here and done nothing. It would look very suspicious and could even get him in bad trouble. He moves back to the amplifier. "Please release the hostages." After a moments hesitation, he adds, "Colonel... It's not like you to endanger humans. The building is teleport shielded. You have no way to escape. Let them go."

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues nods. "In other words, he's trapped with them because of what he was made as. And now he knows there are options... I tried to get the one Metal found to see that things aren't in black and white. He didn't listen."

Metal eyes the Eagle. "Is he an idiot? Does he really think we'd come in here like this with only the hostages as a way of getting out? Besides, we would not have endangered the humans if they weren't going to destroy the ones brought here."

[a_tin_soldier]

"What other way would he know of?" Colonel says quietly. "The PINPoints are Nexus technology, and existence of the place was kept in a need to know basis. I suspect his teammates and superiors did not think he needed to know."

Storm Eagle's behavior is bothering him. It seems unlike the Hunter to be quite that on edge. "It's possible we're being watched," Colonel adds. And since he couldn't see any other Maverick Hunters nearby, that mean Sting Chameleon.

Storm Eagle considers offering to trade himself for at least one of the hostages, but he dismisses it quickly enough. As a hostage, he'd be valueless. His teammates, he knew by now, would not hesitate to kill him if it was necessary to get to Mavericks they were assigned to destroy.

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues smirks. "There are ways to get around the shielding, even within our universe. But I guess that even is need to know." He adds softly, "Poor kid though. Is there anything we could do for him if he is stuck like that?"

Metal stiffens at that. "Could the chameleon be in here now?"

[stealandsurvive]

"It would not surprise me," Colonel says to Metal.

As Colonel's speaking, Marino steps around the group in the doorway. She's rigged together a makeshift bow and arrow from bits of some of the scrapped drones inside. Before Colonel's even finished speaking, she's fired.

After the rather long period of everyone just staring at each other, the sudden movement and attack takes Storm Eagle by surprise. He tries to dodge, but the PINPoint-tipped arrow gets him in the edge of a wing - and he vanishes.

"Can we go now?" says Marino.

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues grins. "I really think I like the way you think. Easier to ask questions once he's out of here."

Metal eyes the area very carefully. "We should get going now if he could be here. I don't want to fight him again."

[a_tin_soldier]

Marino uses a sticky teleporter to get herself out of there, since she used her PINPoint on Storm Eagle. Spider is already gone. Colonel, it seems, intends to be the last to leave - just in case there should be trouble.

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues waits, watching as his younger brothers leave using the devices. He looks to Colonel. "This went better than I'd hoped it would. And it's best we do leave now like the others have. Unless you want to deal with the Maverick hunters further."

He makes his own exit quickly at this point.

[a_tin_soldier]

Colonel wastes no time in leaving as well. There's no further reason to stay.

When they get to the Nexus, the deactivated 'bots are being triaged and some already being taken in for repairs. But no one really seems to know what to do with Storm Eagle. The shocked Hunter is backed up against a wall, being watched closely by several very suspicious 'bots.

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues frowns at the reaction from the ones here. "Settle down and take it easy on him. He didn't come here of his own choice. We brought him here. You don't need to scare him that much."

Quick and metal are watching him warily still. They're hesitant to trust, but they'll follow Blues' example.

((Get on IM. :) ))

[what_virus]

Many of the others here aren't too keen on blind trust either, especially after Double. Word of that still hasn't gotten out to most people, though. But they're not going to hurt him as long as he doesn't try anything suspicious.

Storm Eagle is several levels past terrified. He's been captured. He's almost sure they'll kill him. And if he escapes and goes back now, his teammates will kill him. The only reason he hasn't bolted and flown away is that he has no idea where he is or where he could go.

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues watches the behavior. "Give him some room. He's probably terrified of us. Think about what they've probably heard about us."

He moves towards Storm slowly. "Relax, kid. We didn't bring you here to kill you. Settle down. We want to help you if we can."

[what_virus]

They'll back off, and let Blues deal with this... but they're still watching.

Storm, meanwhile, is watching Blues. "Why, then? You shouldn't have brought me here. They'll be able to track me. Pallette probably already knows where I am."

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

Blues just smirks. "They can track you here all they want, Storm. It's not going to do them any good. By being brought here, you have some choices to make. And the freedom to make them. No one can make you go back if you wish to not go."

"Were you ever told of any of the quirks of the Nexus? I know one of your kind was aware of them... What do you know of it?"

[what_virus]

"What's a Nexus?"

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

"In other words, they've kept you completely and utterly ignorant of the situation at hand. The Nexus is a kind of crossing point of realities. I don't come from the version of your world that you do. I come from another one. And the Nexus is a place of complete safety if you don't consent to being harmed. And no one can drag you back there if you don't wish to go."

[what_virus]

Storm Eagle completely fails to get it, just giving Blues a blankly puzzled look.

At least it's better than panic?

[istopfornothing.livejournal.com]

"Welcome to the Nexus. Where things make no sense and you can meet alternate versions of yourself. But at least it's safe here and no one can come kill you unless you want that. It's also how we got out of a shielded place. Technology from here isn't shielded by your universe. Yet."

[what_virus]

"But... why bring me here?"

[anotherblues]

Blues smiles. "Because everyone deserves a chance at the freedom to choose what they want out of life. And you most likely deserve more of a life than being one of the government's pet robot exterminators."