Riftgate 2 - Surlan's Holocaust 4

TransMat CEO Office
This office makes it clear the CEO of TransMat is a hands-on engineer rather than an administrator. Two walls are completely covered by wall screens showing the TransMat network and constantly changing status indicators. Another wall has a huge pinboard with electronic and optical schematics stapled in place. Jon Master's desk is cluttered with component parts from a mostly disassembled TransMat portal occupying one corner of the room. Informal meetings take place at a low coffee table with four chairs around it.

(Janet Ferrel – Janet's appearance is striking rather than attractive. Her dark hair is cut short suitable for wearing a space combat pilot's helmet. She has a piercing stare that is heightened by the sharp eagle beaked profile of her nose. Her lips are not usually formed into a smile. Janet has an athletes's physique with evident good muscle tone but not over bulky. Her Starguard Space Force uniform is well tailored but worn with casual assurance, the top button left unfastened in the trademark pilot's style.)

(Jon Masters – Jon Masters is a very traditional nerd in appearance, tall and skinny. His dark blond hair is ruffled by a habit of scratching his head when thinking. He wears old fashioned glasses rather than having laser correction or using contact lenses. He's in a smart business suit that fits perfectly although the jacket is unbuttoned. There's a pocket protector and several pens in his shirt pocket. An expensive mini-computer hangs at his waist.)

The usual call for metas has been put out by Janet and Jon, but the meeting point specified is Jon's office rather than the Riftgate room.

Cobalt is enjoying one of the last few weekends he'll have completely free before his senior year of high school starts. As such when the call for heroes goes out Cobalt flies on over to drop by and see if he can be helpful. Since it is an office and the like, he's going to be walking instead of flying through a building. "Really need to get a costume design down and made." He says to himself, looking more like teenaged beach bum than hero... if it weren't for the blue.

Janet is fussing with the coffee maker as heroes and others start to arrive. It's with a grin she looks over to Alex and Jade, "Thank heavens. The coffee maker is on the fizt. Can you get it working?"

Jade, naturally, is on time, since she was in the building anyway. To Janet she says, "no-problem" and has her tool kit out in a moment. Fixing something will occupy at lest part of her mind for a second or two.

Alex is present, bearing a tupperware container and... a beard. It's a change from his old look, though probably not surprising to those who don't know him. He smiles to Janet. "Well, I don't work here anymore... Lemon square?" He opens the tupperware and offers them around.

Jon laughs, "I'm sure I hired you for something a little more complex and demanding than fixing a coffee maker. Not that I'm complaining, Jade. Alex, it's good to see you again. Make my day and tell me you're coming back to work for us."

Jade takes a lemon square even as the coffee maker starts working again. "Mmmm!"

Janet nods to Jade, "Thanks. Take a seat and I'll serve while you tell Jon what we'd be getting ourselves into this time."

Seeing a bunch of people he doesn't really know upon his arrival Cobalt just sort of hangs back upon finding everyone else. "Heard the call, so here I am. Cobalt at your possible service." And hands go into his pocket as the teenager leans against a wall close enough to hear but most definitely not in the way of anything. The repairing of the coffee maker does grab his attention though, especially at how fast it was fixed. Lemon squares however get a polite, "No thank you."

Jade takes a seat by Alex, but away from the coffee maker.

Jon stands and comes over to welcome Cobalt, "Hello. And welcome to TransMat. I'm Jon Master, the CEO. This is Jade Ashcroft, head of research, Alex Winters, the previous head of research, and Janet Farrel my head of Riftgate security."

Jade nods as her name is mentioned.

Alex nods and waves to Cobalt.

Cobalt nods, "Nice to meet you all. Not sure what help I'll be able to be, not a scientist researchy type myself." he smiles though. "Nice to meet you all."

Jon gestures, "Take a seat, Cobalt. We're just about to hear from Jade what the situation is regarding this latest request to use the Riftgate."

Cobalt did repeat himself, must be nervous.

Janet greets Imaginary Girl as she enters, "Hello again. Good to see you. Would you like a coffee. Alex was passing out lemon squares a minute ago too."

"I'm sorry", Imaginary Girl says. "I only dropped by to say that I got your invitation, but I have to tell you that I'm not going to be going on any riftgate missions for a while. I'm too busy doing things on /this/ world. I'll let you know when I'm available, okay?"

Janet nods to Karlie as she arrives, "Just in time for the last of this pot of coffee. How do you take it? Oh, I'm Janet Farrel, head of Riftgate security. You are..?"

Alex leans over to Jade and comments, "Is that Imaginary Girl...?" He checks out her new outfit, more looking at the details out of surprise than trying to ogle.

Cobalt moves to take a seat as requested by Jon but he smiles at the latest batch of arrivals, looking far more relaxed now that some people he knows are here. He blinks at IG's statement though and looks a little crestfallen. Karlie's arrival however perks him up a little bit again and he offers both IG and Karlie a wave.

"Out of curiosity... which Earth're you sending these guys to, today?", Imaginary Girl wonders, glancing at the others... and actually taking a moment to lift a hand to waggle fingers in greeting at Cobalt.

"Someone who don't drink coffee," Karlie responds. "Heard you had something goin' down. If you're looking for everyone you can get must be something big." She glances at Imaginary Girl, showing a slight smirk. "Probably good news that she's decidin' this is beneath her. We didn't hit it off too well. Name's Karlie."

Alex offers IG a lemon square from a tupperware tray. "One for the road?"

Jade tries to speak slowly enough for people to understand her, but it's still rather fast. "There's a parallel Earth, Earth-1462, on which an alien spacecraft crashlanded in Uzbekistan. The nations of that earth fought each other over the ship."

"Which side're we on?" Karlie asks.

"It's not beneath me. I've done riftgate missions before", Imaginary Girl says with a gesture at Janet. "Just ask her. I'm just too busy actually /doing/ things to help people, instead of just standing around, watching, Miss Karlie." She does /not/ sound happy. She glances at Alex, shaking her head at the offer. Turning to Janet, she says, "I wouldn't trust her as far as /I/ could throw her, if I were you. She just stood there while guys were waving around guns and while someone else almost got hit by a taxi, just the other day, didn't even /try/ to help. I think actually doing things to help people is beneath /her/." That said, with a gesture at Karlie, Imaginary Girl turns to walk away.

Jade says, "The war escalated to an all-out nuclear war, which devastated most of the planet. Only a group who had stolen the ship and sheltered in it - possibly that world's version of VIPER - came through with any real tech."

Jon and Janet listen, frowning. Janet comments acidly, "Let me guess. They took over?"

"Then go do things," Karlie says. "Your act's getting boring pretty fast."

Cobalt looks back and forth between IG and Karlie and then facepalms, literally. He rubs his hand over his face and then through his hair as if trying to push all that into the backdrop for the time being, "And I am guessing you need people immune to radiation as well, if there was a nuclear war." He has to look back to Karlie and IG, "Ladies, please. This isn't the time or place?" He asks of them both emploringly.

Jade says, "Yes. They rule the world - or what's left of civilisation anyway. As far as we can make out, most of the population are basically slaves. There is a resistance - but they seem to live in the radioactive wasteland. Not exactly a good life."

Alex nods. "Cobalt is right. Let's continue with the briefing."

Imaginary Girl stops and turns to look at Karlie, eyes narrowed. "Your 'all I do is /talk/' act gets really boring. It just shows how chicken you are to do /real/ work to keep people safe", she says. Then she eyes Cobalt, saying, "I wouldn't get close to /her/ if I were you, Jeremy. She's already show me she'll just let someone get splattered while she watches. She's no hero." Again, she turns and heads away...

"First thing you said that's right. I ain't a hero. Just a citizen." Karlie responds. "Kinda like you, but without th' superiority complex."

Jade says, "One of the resistance members managed to come here through a portal established by one of the ruling class - which is how we know about this. From the coordinates he gave, I've managed to trace the Earth in question."

Jon nods, "Jade, I certainly sympathize with the plight of the people on Earth-1462, but we're already involved in one interdimensional war with the Shield dimension. What are you proposing here?"

Jade says, "Just a scouting mission, for now. Not least because they *already* know how to come here, so they're already a potential threat to us, like it or not."

Janet nods, as does Jon a moment later. "All right, Jade. That's approved. But try not to start a full scale war. Especially if they can come here. In fact, destruction of their gate ought to be under consideration as one of your aims."

Karlie leans on a wall, letting Imaginary Girl respond or leave at that, providing no further attention to her. "Destruction of a gate, huh?" she asks. "Think I can handle somethin' like that."

Cobalt sighs and shakes his head before he turns his attention back to the meeting at hand, "How would we get back if we destroyed their gate?" He asks, clearly a rift virgin as it were. "Also, I tend to stick out and am not the stealthiest kid around. I'm more of a berserker than a ninja..."

Jade says, "Particularly as they seem to have been using it to steal from us, as I understand it. One more thing - the resistance leader seems to be an alien from the ship - Kagken.""

Alex strokes his beard. "I wonder if our world is the only one that they've been in contact with."

"So this is just a scouting thing?" Karlie asks, glancing at Cobalt. "Or are you hopin' we do somethin' a lot more destructive than scoutin'?"

"Just saying that being stealthy isn't my strong suit." Cobalt says with a shrug, "Might be best if I guarded the portal or something, held back for rescue and support if need be. I can fly -real- fast, especially if I'm not concerned with weather patterns."

Jade says, "This is scouting. We don't want to start a war! But we do need to find out if any action needs to be taken."

Jon nods to Jade, "Well this will be a suitable test of the new upgrades to the Riftgate, Jade. We'll get to see if the gate is as stable in the new configuration as our theories suggest. I'm putting the Riftgate into operational status as of now, so go when your ready."

"I dunno who you are," Karlie says to Jade, "Dunno who you are," she motions to Alex, "But I got the idea Jeremy an' me're better at breaking the hell out of things than sneakin' around. Not t'say I can't. Just a lot better at rippin' a ferromagnetic spacecraft outta the ground and crushing it into a giant ball that's only good for wrecking other s...tuff."

Alex nods to Jon. He sighs, looking over at Jade. "Things are certainly more complicated than when I was here. Watch yourself, ok?"

[To Karlie] Jade says, "We're going to a pretty harsh environment. It may be that brute force will be needed, even though this is a scouting mission."

Cobalt nods, "Alright, I'll do my best just... don't hang me if I get spotted or something please." He grins and stands up. "Never been to another world before, this will be -awesome-." He's getting excited now, it's easy to tell by that grin and the glimmer in the eye, and he's not even staring at something sexy.

"Y'gonna need us to carry anything around?" Karlie asks. "Radiation's not a problem for me. Can't use any communicators or stuff."

Alex looks to Cobalt and Karlie. "Good luck, guys." To Jade, he adds: "I'd have some chili hot chocolate waiting for when you get back."

Janet says, "George has acquired some radiation suits. But don't expect them to survive a fight. He's also got iodine tablets and dosimeters for everyone."

Jade says, "The radiation's not an immediate problem, at least at the site of our gate. You wouldn't want to be out it in for weeks, but it's ok for a few hours."

Jade grins to Alex. "There's a reason to return."

"Radiation doesn't do damage t'me," Karlie says. "So if it's all the same, I'll pass on that stuff."

Alex blinks and feigns being hurt. "I thought /I/ was your reason to retun." He pouts.

Cobalt smiles, "Well, I'm not worried about environment so long as there's oxygen I can breathe. Haven't worked out how to not breathe yet." He then looks towards Alex, "What is chili hot chocolate, and why does that sound... yeah." He shudders a little, "I won't be needing the suit or iodine either. That was one of the tests they did when I was a kid determined that radiation, not a problem." The blue skinned teenager shrugs and then looks towards Alex and Jade with a chuckle, "Sooo where's this gate at?"

"Follow-me!" says Jade, jumping up.

Karlie follows, hands in her pockets.

Janet comes with you as the group leaves TransMat HQ and crosses over to the research facility. The gate is prepared and standing by to be powered up. George is ready with survival kits for those who want one.

Cobalt will snag a sealed oxygen mask and a tank, for the just in case situations, if such should be available instead of a radiation suit and anti-rad medicines.

Jade gets into one of the radiation suits, and stashes the rest of the kit into her backpack. "Fire-her-up. Let's-send-a-robot-through-first."

Rebound shows up, and suits up with gear, radiation suit, etc.

The technicans activate the gate. The large black ring spins quantum fluctuations across the torus as the wormhole is established. Then it clears to a shimmering curtain through which the ruins of a science laboratory can be seen, roofless and gaping holes in the walls. Piles of rubble block the tracked robot from leaving the area immediately on the other side.

Karlie looks in, "Seems the robot's stuck. What're you testing for in there?"

Landing gracefully near the gate and all, Abigail is in simple fatigues. "So, the Colonel tells me you're exploring through another gate?" she asks as she lands. Eyeing the radiation suits, she inclines her head and asks, "Precaution there? Or do we know there's dangerous energy there?"

Rebound looks through the opened gate for any signs of activity on the other side.

Cobalt watches the gate form and whistles softly, "Wow.. this is wicked." When Abigail lands he smiles and waves, "World is post nuclear war, it's a precaution for those who need it, or so they say."

With a glance at Abigail, Karlie quiets slightly, watching her instead of the other side of the gate for a short time.

A few cockroaches scuttle across the floor of the ruined building. Otherwise there's no sign of any activity.

And then comes the little purple pointed-ear antennae'd purple scaled creatures called Flyne. "Flyne heard about inter-diminsional travel?" Flyne asks, tilting its head a bit, seemingly curious.

Jade says, "THere's radiation, but not to high that it's a concern in less than weeks."

Jade looks at the data from the robot, as far as it's got.

Rebound explains to Abigail: "The world we're traveling to is post-nuclear holocaust. WWIII broke out as countries fought over crashed alien technology. While they were busy, their version of Viper scooped up the alien tech and used it to take over what was left of their world."

"What?" Cobalt asks and then looks over at the sound of the purple alien's arrival, "I'm out." He gives the air tank back and turns to start away. "I won't go anywhere with that monster. Watch your back Karlie." He looks towards Rebound as well, finally spotting that new arrival as well, giving a bit of a nod before he's gone.

A technician reports, "Picking up radar transmissions, Jade. Traversing the sky. Looks to be satellite based, low orbit."

Karlie begins toward the gate. "... heard the crazy woman say something real similar," she mutters in response to Cobalt's warning.

"Radiation, understood." offers Abigail, "I -should- be okay." She mutters something softly as she notices Flyne's arrival and says, "Okay... can Flyne restrain himself from attacking teammates when we're there?" she asks. She eyes Cobalt and mutters darkly... in Mandarin...

"WWIII? What is this? Flyne hasn't heard of it.......YOU." Flyne stops, staring directly at Cobalt, growling a bit. Flyne obviously doesn't like Cobalt much.

Which isn't an issue, since Cobalt takes off with the sound of a sonic boom once he's out of the building.

"Flyne can-..." Flyne trails off, noticing Cobalt left. "Cobalt really doesn't like Flyne." Flyne states, tilting its head to the oppisite direction.

Rebound watches Cobalt depart. "I can remember when we used to be that excitable, back in the New Blood days." He takes a moment to check his gear. "Well, I'm going through. 'One small step' and all that."

Jade frowns at Cobalt's departure. "No danger in the immediate area. But stay on your toes. I wonder what that satellite is doing. Hold a moment."

Rebound holds up.

"There's a reason for that Flyne. Now, let's focus on the mission at hand." says Abigail. "Let's try exercising some discipline and restraint if we're exploring through there." She nods and gestures to the gate, "Shall we then? Why -are- we exploring in there by the way if the world's a post holocaust nightmare?"

"Guess I'm one of th' walls," Karlie says with a shrug. She begins through the riftgate.

The technican is examining the data, "Matches an early ROSAT in transmission pattern, Jade. Might be a Skynet bird though, anti missile defense."

Flyne glares at Abigail. "Flyne has its logic; Flyne already shows restraint. Flyne's kind normally kills its enemies rather than just knocking them out." Flyne speaks, bluntly. "Flyne also notes its not affected by radiation; nor does it need oxygen to survive." Flyne notes, changing its tone quite drastically from the previous to a far more calm tone.

"My point exactly, you didn't attack an enemy, you attacked a teammate and you were -wrong- to do so Flyne. SERAF operations will not happen that way again, am I understood?" asks Abigail as she folds arms over her chest and narrows her eyes at Flyne. "If you cannot promise me that you will never do that again, then we will have to re-evaluate the membership of SERAF."

Jade says, "Ok-let's-go. But-look-out-both-for-dangers-and-anyone-or-anything-that-might-spot-*us*."

Karlie has already started or gone through, what with no one halting her.

Rebound nods and steps through, trying to catch up with Karlie.

"Teamates HELP with the task at hand." Flyne mutters. Flyne nods as well, and follows, using its hands as feet as well as its feet.

Jade heads through the gate, checking her omniscanner as she goes.

"Hold it Flyne! You were wrong and you -will- accept that. Am I understood?" asks Abigail.

Karlie speaks, "Five, ten minutes ago was th'time for bulls!@# squabbling. Now's not."

"At that time, there wasn't an issue since the individual it reflects upon wasn't present." offers Abigail, still staring at Flyne.

Rebound echoes Karlie. He says harshly to Abigail and Flyne. "We're on another goddamned planet, surrounded by enemies. Now is not the time!"

Through the Riftgate
The riftgate brings the heroes to a location in the ruins of Colonial Bay City on Drifter's dimension. Rubble blocks the streets around the area. Every building in sight is a blasted shell, skeletonal walls jutting upwards and the western facing surfaces glazed into iridescent ceramic by nuclear fire. Burnt out cars and fire charred human skeletons lay scattered in every direction. Not very far from the riftgate itself the twisted rusting remains of a multi-legged robotic war machine the size of a small battle tank are hanging from a second floor window space.

To the north, about three or four miles away at its nearest point, a force dome bubble can be seen, an opaque hemispherical globe of shimmering energy at least ten miles in diameter. A much smaller force dome that's just a few hundred feet in diameter is visible closer to the riftgate, the hemispherical opaque globe located in the approximate direction of the University Hospital on the heroes' home dimension.

Jade says, "No-life-bigger-than-insects-I-can-detect."

Karlie feels for moving metal, rather than the stationary kind while she moves forward.

Rebound tries clearing a way for the robot to move.

"Then the rest of the team should be made aware that Flyne is as likely to attack teammates as enemies. I will not tolerate that. Flyne, I cannot trust you at my back, which means I will not let you -be- at my back... I will wait here and come through as a reserve force should the need arise, but I will -not- place myself in a situation where that creature can betray -me- as well." suggests Abigail.

Jade says, "Not-far-to-walk that-dome-must-represent-an-enclave-of-the-ruling-class and-it-correpsonds-geographically-to-the-hospital."

The air has an unpleasant smell of damp ash and burnt buildings, a hint of dust making distance vision a little hazy.

"Whatever," Karlie offers in rebuttal. "Anyone does something dumb like that 'round me, I deal with it fast and absolute." She is moving forth, not making a whole lot of noise as she goes.

Flyne stares at Abigail..."Flyne didn't consider Cobalt a teamate because they did nothing for the team. When Cobalt attacked someone that did, Flyne viewed Cobalt as a threat, and dealt with him accordingly. FLYNE WOULD NEVER attack someone that it considered a teamate unless they proved something similar. Be glad Flyne doesn't want to prove your point." Flyne states, obviously angry. And yet apparently restraining itself.

Rebound says to Flyne. "Let's focus on the task at hand." He waves to Abigail. "We'll see you later. After we save the world."

"And yet, you did. It was a SERAF operation, and a SERAF agent tried to arrest a maniac who interferred, and you attacked that SERAF agent in defense of the interfering maniac. That shows poor judgement. I am recommending to SERAF that you be removed from their roster and communciations protocols." says Abigail towards Flyne. "Unless you can accept that you need to improve your behavior and actually become trustworthy. But until then, I will -not- place myself in a situation where you will do the same to me."

Jade thinks. o O (I'm handling this badly. I never was good with people.)

Karlie halts. "Don't know what happened exactly, don't care. This ends here, now." A light hum sounds as everything metal in the area vibrates minutely. "Or if it comes up again while we're here, I end it."

Rebound can clear a path to the street for the robot but there is rubble all over the ruins. Moving one pile of rubble just lets the robot travel another few dozen feet to the next blockage.

Jade says, "Never-mind-the-robot. Just-leave-it-as-our-communications-relay."

Rebound is pondering hoisting the robot on his shoulder when he hears Jade's suggestion. He nods and leaves the machine behind.

"Flyne won't consider someone a 'teamate' just because someone points at them and proclaims them to be as such. They earn Flyne's trust by actually doing things for the team." Flyne states, entering the portal and changing its demenor. "Anyway, Flyne's done now."

"Good." Karlie resumes, the low-pitched hum ceases.

Jade says, "I-suggest-we-move-toward-the-dome-while-staying-under-cover-as-much-as-possible."

"Everyone move to cover. Now." Karlie says, her head turning in a specific direction. "Something big and armed is coming."

(All Terrain Killer Mech – Moving with an eerie and deadly grace over obstacles on six long and multiply articulated legs this killer war machine might strike fear into the hardiest soldier. The squat semi-humanoid torso on top of the long legs has a pair of manipulator arms and twin auto-cannons on a revolving head turret. The war machine is eight feet high, the size of a medium battle tank and as massively armored.)

Rebound takes cover, trying to hide from the giant mech.

Flyne changes its stance to a combat one, standing up. Flyne's green sticky claws and seemingly large calf muscles currently exist. Flyne tries using its smell to scan for such a thing.

Karlie moves to a suitably covered spot from the direction of the whatever it is. "Hide," she tells Flyne, unsure if he understood what she said.

Jade hides, turning off the scanner lest its omissions be detected.

Flyne searches for such a place to hide and drops to its fours again.

The mech's turreted head lifts up into view over a rubble pile, head turning slightly as if seeking out targets. When Flyne moves to stand the head fixes on his location and the auto-cannons roar out firing a stream of high velocity bullets,

The ground next to Flyne explodes in dust and flying dirt as a dozen or more armor piercing rounds strike near him.

Jade thinks, "So much for stealth." She turns her omniscanner back on, looking for weaknesses in the mech, while staying in cover.

"Yeh. Just give me a shot at it if everyone else's not wanting to. I can turn it over and push th'gun into the ground," Karlie says with a shrug.

Jade calls out, "Go for the legs!" - aloud, since not everyone has radio - and prepares to leap from her cover at need!

As the action starts to unfold into a battle, Halo decides its far to late to avoid notice and focuses instead on confrontation. "Anyone have any idea if its manned inside by humans, or just an automation?" Evan as she asks she moves behid any rubble that is near, leaving only her head exposed.

"Doesn't matter. Just disable th'weapons," Karlie responds.

Halo says, "Maybe for YOU it does't matter. Some of us have tricks that require a living entity to effect. otherwise, yes, I'll focus on just its weapons.""

Jade says, "No-life-signs-unless well-shielded!"

Jade dashes out of hiding, springs acrobatically off a couple of ruined walls and tries to land atop the turret of the mech.

In the mean time, Halo looks for some type of radio-transmission device that she could target in case there is one that is accessible, "I don't suppose we'll want to disable that thing from calling for back up?"

"Prob'ly won't have backup," Karlie says. "Could y'just disable it f'now?"

Jade lands on the turret, but nearly slips. So she grabs onto a canon to steady herself as she pulls out her tools, intent on disabling anything exposed enough.

Halo sees the radio antena pokin out and decides her best action is to take it out. She steps out from the cover, calling up the energy she has always been so reluctant to use (in favor of less aggressive attacks). Well, it s a machine, I'm going to have to assume it's lifeless.

Yellow-blue energy forms in Halo's hands, becoming a disc-like halo-ring. She throws her hands forward in and send the ring hurtling at the metal beast.

The radio aerial is sheered off fluch to the hull by Halo's blast.

Halo smiles at her handiwork, "Unless that thing has a back up communications array, or has already called in a report, maybe we will be alone here with just this one."

Jade whips the foil blanket out of the survival kit and dangles it over the mech's optical sensors, tying it in place it she can manage.

Halo decides that Karlie is probably right in trying to disable it. She fires off another volley, this time at the general area where its "legs" attach.

This time three discs, yellow-blue energy forms in Halo's hands.She thows these simultaneously careenig to the metal beast agian.

The discs thrown by Halo skid and slide off the slick skin of the Mech with no visible effect.

The Mecha killing machine scans the area in front with radar pulses from the phase array aerial, turning to lock its cannons on the visible figure of Halo. With a snarling roar the cannons open up firing at her.

The cannon fire hits Halo drawing blood and tossing her back against the rubble.

Halo hits hard, seeming to be rocked like a ragdoll. but interestingly, her body seems to instantly heal, her flesh closing around the injury sites leaving her only bruised, albeit badly.

Deciding not to take chances on the thing being able to break free of her locking it up, Karlie floats over top of it, grabbing it by the guns and keeping them pointed upward, if not bent into unusability.

Halo moans in painas the other heroes take action. "Oh, that hurt. I HATE Killer attacks...actually, I think I hate killer robot-tank-bug-like-thingies."

Rebound stretches his arm and grabs for the autocannon of the ATK Mech wreckage nearby. He springs into the air, trying to land on top of the vehicle. Once he's atop it, he tries to blast through the vehicle's top armor, on the bet that it's the thinnest.

Rebound lands on top of the tank, briefly he flashes a nervous smile to Jade. "Hey, is this the 9:15 to Sandy Bottom Island?" he jokes just before he focuses on blasting the tank.

The Mech staggers as a couple of the auto cannon bullets penetrate and punch into the Mech. The rest scream off in wild ricochets.

Rebound says, "Armor's tougher here than I thought."

Jade nods. "I'd-love-a-sample-of-it."

"Thing's pretty strong. Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast," Karlie says, her hands resting on the thing.

Jade jumps off the mech, trying to kick the radar aerial on the way to the ground.

Jade kicks the aerial apart but in consequence lands less gracefully on the ground than she normally would.

Blinded in all senses, the Mech is no longer a significant threat if the heroes retreat from it while it blindly fires off the rest of its ammo and flails wildly with manipulator arms until the energy cells are depleted.

Karlie prefers not letting it fire off in any direction, and bends the guns to disable them. Then she focuses on changing the mech into a wrecking ball. Or at the least, a sphere she can later make use of.

Rebound calls down to Jade. "Is the cavalry coming?"

As Karlie works, there is a loud, low-pitched humming noise.

Jade retreats so she can rest, and pulls out her scanner to see if any others are approaching.

"Think I'll fashion a big shield for th'next one," Karlie muses.