[Nexus] ISF HQ

[Reinholdt]

Some evacuated is better than no evacuated.
"I could probably take out the support myself, but I wouldn't know what to do with the device once I got there. So I won't turn down the offer. Just make sure to send technical support in addition to whatever guns you can provide." He'd just blow up the device, but that might trigger it. Reinholdt really doesn't know.

[UncleWolf]

Vasquez nods to herself when the lights beep in her field of vision, her augmented eyes showing a small viewscreen telling her that all of her team was ready to leave. She gives them the OK to take off. One group to the docks, the rest to the Cemetary.

"Help is on the way, expect them to arrive shortly. Another group is going to try and buy everyone some time for the evacuation."

[Reinholdt]

"Right. Errr... sorry for insulting that other person. Gotta go kill some zombies. Good luck. Hate to talk and run?"
...
"Bye."
Unless Vasquez has something important to add, Reinholdt will hang up.

[UncleWolf]

"It's fine." She says. "Good luck!"

Vasquez cuts the feed and turns to the others in the Comm Room. "Get the battle screens and city maps up NOW! We have Non-Coms to save."

[The Bushranger]

Eileen, meanwhile, returns to PC-dom after thwacking her player repeatedly. And hurries for the command center, or wherever the most of what's going on seems to be going on, at least. Because she wants to know what's going on.

[UncleWolf]

[Combat Communications Center]

Eileen will find the Center a mess of activity and armed guards. Vasquez is talking between a phone and a comm unit on his head. "Yes, I know who Edijar is. Give him assistance and make sure he gets through, NOW!!"

She switches to the ringing phone to await Quinn's response at GLOG.

Maybe Eileen should talk to someone else...

[The Bushranger]

[CCC]

And so Eileen looks around quickly, and the blonde Valkyrie-ish woman quickly collars a secreterial flunkie. "Sitrep. Stat. I know something deathly creepy is going on, so start from there."

Being a divine warrior, the shadowland is probably making her itch.

[UncleWolf]

Eileen is able to find someone running coffee back and forth. She gives Eileen a glare before saying two words. "Ebon Mirror." and heading back to work.

[The Bushranger]

And Eileen throws her hands up in the air.
"Oh right, like that explains everything!" she complains, sighing, and looking for somebody to tell her what she can do about the osbedian reflective surface.

[UncleWolf]

[CCC]

Commander Vasquez winces as she forms a link with Quinn, who'll likely feel a powerful wave of Anger. She then turns to Eileen. "A ****ing evil Exalt is ruining things in the city. What can you do?"

[The Bushranger]

[CCC]

"Divine caster," Eileen says simply. "Of two different spell types. Also, part-time ninja, but those skills are rusty."


Quinn's own emotions are faint confusion at something else, and wincing at the blast of fury. But the connection is indeed made! ~Testing...~

[UncleWolf]

[CCC]

Received.

Vasquez raises her voice. "Link with GLOG confirmed and established!" she then turns back to Eileen. "Good, there's undead out there. Take what resources you can get, and start exterminating them. I'd give you more orders, but I think you'll be able to work better without them. I'll inform the armory ahead of time if you're headed there. They'll get you what you need."

[The Bushranger]

[CCC]

"Understood - and thank you, ma'am."
Eileen draws herself up and salutes, then heads for the Armoury!

~Ah, good. It was more difficult than I had expected,~ Quinn 'says'.

[UncleWolf]

[Armory]

The two guards there nod as she approaches and open the door, letting her pick whatever she needs from the Mortal Coil stash.

Vasquez needed more clerics out there, and she wasn't going to leave any of them hanging.

[CCC]

Good. And I was letting you in. If it was hard, then that means I'm trained right. Do you have any intel we can use?

[The Bushranger]

~Other then...there may be a troupe of Magical Girls assisting in some areas? Not especially,~ Quinn admits.

---

Eileen, for her part, goes looking for a Vorpal, Disrupting mace, if she can find one.


**************

LATER

Eileen, bloody and looking like something resembling 'beaten to a pulp', limps her way back into the Headquarters.


Quinn has been 'on the line' this whole time.

[UncleWolf]

[Anatolij's Long Overdue Training Montage ]

Over the course of several weeks, Anatolij won't be given any instructions. Every morning, he's dragged out of bed to the training ground, still tired, where he's promptly beaten by other Mortal Coil members. They don't wear armor, and use bare fists, but each beating is harsh and without mercy. Every time he's beaten and broken, either Arla or Taul will come to heal him after letting him feel every drop of pain for several minutes.

Then he's dragged to his feet, where they do it again.

After the first week, his muscles harden and he begins ignoring the pain. He then lands his first solid blow on one of them. Sue only chuckles, spits out some blood, and goes back to pummeling him.

After the second week, Anatolij begins holding his own, and once he's able to fight three of them at once, they change the rules. The morning after, he finds them armed with knives.

The Cossack gets none.

Every time he learns and adapts, they change the rules. From unarmed vs unarmed to unarmed vs blades. They even get him against the combat mages and clerics.

Those fights don't end well for the most part.

It may take a while, but he'll find their unorthodox methods of teaching to be quite effective. After all, the best way to learn, is through having it beaten into your head. Then, once he's fought in power armor, armed, against several of his future teammates, the routine changes again.

This time, they let him sleep in before he's taken to several classrooms where he's taught the weak points of supernatural creatures. Vampires, Werewolves, Exalted, Dragons, Angels, Demons, and Undead, all of it. He's taught the best ways to enter buildings when under fire, how to defend his mind from attacks both magical and psionic.

All this will take a long time, but by the end, there's just one step left. He's taken to a medical tent and his off-hand is cleaned with iodine. "This is the last thing Anatolij. The price you have to pay. You can still turn back if you want." Arla tells him as she readies a sterile knife.

"Then, if you do this, all you must do, is sign the pact so we may retrieve your soul from the underworlds that have agreed to help us." Her brother, Taul, says as he unravels an old scroll.

[Morty]

[Training Montage]

Anatolij closes his eyes and nods. He can't go back now. I'll do it.

[UncleWolf]

There's a bit of a sting when Arla injects the numbing agent into the pinky of his left hand. While it takes effect, she flips the switch on a scalpel, and the edge heats up till it's glowing red. She flicks her wrist, and the finger is removed. He'll find that there's no blood, and the appendage is put into a sealed jar to preserve it.

The two wraps his hand in a bandage anyways and he's offered a pen and the scroll. "This just agrees that in return for protecting our souls, we will aid Hel and Horus in protecting their priests and followers when the time comes."

[Morty]

Anatolij gulps when his finger is removed. Even though it's not painful and bloody, it's still uncomfortable.
Alright... I agree to that. He signs the scroll.

[UncleWolf]

Anatolij will feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up when he signs, as if he's drawing the attention of two powerful beings. Taul smiles as he wraps up the scroll and seals it away. He offers his hand to the Cossack. "Welcome to Mortal Coil."

[Morty]

Anatolij shakes Taul's hand firmly. Thanks. It feels good to be here.

[The Bushranger]

Eileen, meanwhile, has finally been released from the infirmary from recovering for her injuries...and goes looking for somebody what's in charge.

[horngeek]

Meanwhile, Rose heads to the ISF HQ, and requests to see whoever's in charge of training.

[UncleWolf]

Rose is is asked to relinquish her weapons(if she has any) and if she does, will be led to a white room, plain, furnished with only a table and a few chairs.

After a while, two armored figures walk in. One is helmetless, Commander Vasquez of Mortal Coil. Her power armor is fitted tight to her, and light compared to her companion's. He, as best as Rose can tell anyways, is fully armored, his helmet a flat black mask, green eyes glowing. On his shoulder, is Vyrn's symbol, maybe cluing her in that this is Edijar.

"What is your business here?" The first asks calmly and professionally.

[horngeek]

Rose does, in fact, relinquish her weapons, pulling them out of Elsewhere. There are several Orichalcum daiklaves (basically artifact swords) and one Starmetal daiklave, as well as an artifact bow, also made out of Orichalcum.

"My name is Triumphant Rose Guardian, Dawn Caste of the Solar Exalted. As for why I'm here..."

The seemingly 15-year old looks at the commander. "Due to recent events, I thought it would be a good idea for the security forces of the ISF to have a good idea what the strengths and weaknesses of Exalted are in direct combat."

[UncleWolf]

[Meeting Room]

Vasquez smiles. Well, smirks a bit. "We have ways to deal with Exalted, we even stood toe to toe with Ebon Mirror on several occasions, forcing him to retreat. One time, he would have been dead if it weren't for his metal skeleton."

Edijar holds up his hand to stop her from going on. Even though there doesn't seem to be any clear symbol of rank between the two, she stops, giving a bit of a cold look, but not interrupting. "But, admittedly, they lost several soldiers both times. We would appreciate the training if it would let us stand up to them one on one."

[horngeek]

"You'd have to be very lucky to beat an Exalted one on one... but this could certainly help you lose less men."

[UncleWolf]

"The soldiers you will be training can already stand up to them alone for a few moments, generally long enough for others to come to their aide, but your help will be appreciated." Edijar gives a nod to Vasquez.

She gives the kid a glare. "But be warned, any tricks, or any sign of mischief, and we'll take you out. Teenager or not. Exalted or not. Understand?"

Edijar snarls a bit in his suit's helmet at the threat, but it'll go unnoticed as he makes no sound.

[horngeek]

Rose looks at her flatly. "I have no intention of causing harm to people who are trying to protect this city. Also, everyone gets this wrong, but I'm twenty-five, I just haven't physically aged over the past ten years."

[UncleWolf]

Vasquez doesn't seem to listen. "That's what they all say." she says with a bit of a growl before leaving to get the Mortal Coil team ready.

Edijar watches for a moment before turning back to her. "Her threat is real, and temper hot. Don't antagonize her. Also, you won't be given full information on what we have that can deal with your kind. There are some secrets, that stay secrets."