☆TRACK VIII: I'LL REACH YOU BELOW

[interdimanagers]

Who: All rescuers!
What: The trio is here to give you the deets.
When: The evening of February 18th.
Where: An abandoned subway.
Warnings: Nothing predictable, but you never know.

“Word has it on the wire That you don't who you are. Well, if you could jack into my brain, You'd know exactly what you mean here.” ☆I'LL REACH YOU BELOW The notification is sudden. A several hours in advance, all rescuers will receive a ping over the network from Shep that they are to gather at a specific location late that evening. The location will not be given out until one hour in advance of the meeting, but they are advised to be ready to receive it and move out immediately. When they arrive, the meeting is taking place in an abandoned subway. At first it doesn't seem like there is a way in, but after slipping through the rubble in some collapsed tunnels, you'll find it. Shep, Gold, and Silver are all present, and will spent the first while doing a careful headcount of those that show up, until approximately 15 minutes after the starting time. The results seem to be disappointing. People who were here the first time are missing, that much is obvious just from looking around – the leaders’ unease with it is clear. However, it doesn’t cause them to panic or change the point of the meeting, either. At 11:15 PM on the dot, then Shep will begin the meeting by explaining what they are all there for: information. There have been details that the team has been holding back on giving until now, and Shep will somewhat sheepishly explain that it’s because they didn’t want the risk the change of it being leaked in the event that new recruits were incapable or unwilling to blend and lay low for the time being. Thankfully, he’ll explain, everyone here has more than proven themselves capable of working within Vista’s system. So, they’ve been brought together so they can be fully brought up to speed. Information will be delivered in three parts, by each one of the leaders. Afterwards, questions can be asked, and the rescuers will be allowed to mingle and discuss for a few hours. All the information is concise, and in the end the actual explanation will end up taking a half hour or less. Afterwards, Gold has brought snacks to share, as has become customary. Hopefully you like pastries. “So, if you've got the time, Set up the tone to sync. Tap in the code, I'll reach you below.”

Comments

[avidita]

"I can get everyone behind the scenes and make sure we take care of the target without being seen."

Mammon sounds a bit tired as they give the suggestion. Their little display to Silver hasn't exhausted them, but they're a bit wary. If they go along with this, they'll have to practice in the coming days just to see their limits.

"I'm an illusionist. This is what I'm made for. However... Someone will have to protect me while I'm doing that. If the target focuses on me and does enough damage, that's it. The illusion will come undone, and our whole mess will be out in the open for anyone to see."

[fromearth]

Sparks considers them for a moment. "All right. That makes things a lot easier." Reluctant or not, a volunteer's a volunteer, and this is too helpful a skill to pass up.

"How's your thing work, you got a range, someone gotta be touchin' you, or what?" Protecting someone while in the middle of a fight can be tough, so however their illusions work will play a big part in figuring that bit out.

[avidita]

There's a small ugly snort. "No touching is required, although I'll accept tackling me out of the way of a thrown heavy object." It's combat, and they've gone through worse than being carted around a bit for that.

"My range is smaller since our little travel across time and space, but it should fit you, myself, our target, and your remaining three people if that's what you're still going with. I need everyone in my range of vision when I cast the illusion, just so there's no mistakes. I don't want to take any undue risks considering the situation."

[fromearth]

"What's that for... I don't..." It's not like he wants to touch you, jeez.

"All right. Easy. You can just... keep in the corner of the room, or whatever, while we take 'em out. Keep yourself hidden, ain't like they'll be able to pick you out to mess with you." Either he's missing something or this ability is like... way too useful.

[avidita]

"They will if I'm using most of my power to focus on hiding the rest of the group and ensuring that it doesn't look like a small war happened." A sigh rattles out. Time to explain.

"Listen. I could do an illusion within an illusion in order to hide myself. However that would mean less power being focused on everything else. Understand?"

[fromearth]

"Not really. I got it, though." Even if he doesn't fully get how it works, he's not interested enough to get the full explanation that he suspects would come next.

"Important bit is, you keep well enough away, and we'll keep 'em from getting to you. I ain't worried about them putting up enough of a fight to be an issue."

[avidita]

Encouraging. Still, they suppose it's the best they could ask for. Mammon shrugs.

"If you say so. Let me know who else you pick up on this little mission of yours." A pause. "If there are two competing, you might find it in your best interests to think about taking out a robot from each label. Even if they turn out to not be too different on a construction level, they might still have different but valuable knowledge from one another."

[fromearth]

"I'll send you a memo." Between Sparks' love of sarcasm and paperwork, it's very hard to tell how serious he's being.

Hmm. Sparks does like the idea of getting to tussle with more than one of them. "Huh. Likely they'll up security soon as we take one out. Little easier with a different company, but we ain't likely to have it go smooth twice." This is definitely not him saying he's opposed.

[avidita]

"Just a suggestion." They lean back, arms crossed and Fantasma squinting at Sparks from her usual perch. "Perhaps we'll see how the first round goes, then."

[fromearth]

Don't squint at him, frog, he'll squint back. He still doesn't know what your deal is. "We'll see how the opportunities line up, one way or 'nother. All the better if they give us the chance."

[avidita]

She's a frog, Sparks, calm down. "Do you mean our 'fearless leaders' up there, or our opponents?"

[fromearth]

Spooky murder illusionists don't keep around normal frogs for ominous pets. "Longer I'm here, less these leaders seem to have any say in what any of us do." It's what happens when a ragtag group with differing goals and morals come together. The fewer people who listen to the people in charge, the faster the illusion of their control falls apart.

[avidita]

Now that's an amusing thought. Mammon's lips quirk up faintly. "What, would you lead a little coup?"

[fromearth]

"What? No. God. No." Sparks likes to lead on things, sure, but he's been more the subject of mutiny rather than the participant. His dad's still disappointed with him. "I didn't come here to get lost herding cats."

[avidita]

His immediate refusal has them snicker, but Mammon doesn't push. Not everyone is up to pulling a coup, unlike them. "So, then, you would just run off to do your own thing, ignoring the three of them?"

[fromearth]

"That's... that's not what I meant." Sparks pinches the bridge of his nose. Pulling a coup is more chaos in an already unwieldy group. "I dunno. Maybe. I ain't plannin' on underminin' nobody yet."

[avidita]

"What a pity, I'm sure it would be quite a show." Sparks' exasperation is pretty amusing at this point, and Mammon doesn't have any shame in poking at it. That's what happens when you hang around with people like Bel too much. Still, they let it slide. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we'll concentrate on the immediate problems, such as getting one of these robots."

[fromearth]

"....Right." Mammon is one of those people who just likes to be obtuse, aren't they. Whatever. "That's more'n enough to keep us busy for now. Don't wanna bite off more'n one step at a time."

[avidita]

Only for you, Sparks. Right now, however, they let the conversation be steered back towards business and nod. "And we currently have two to choose from. Someone taking the robots down, and others to gather the supplies our silver bot needs. It's just a matter of getting the best people for each job into place."

[fromearth]

"Well yeah. A heist is all well an' good, but this is... y'know. Kind of what I do. 'Side from the sneaking part." Sparks can't help but sigh. It's exciting to have a familiar plan of action, but it's also highlighting how different things are around here. "This is all loads easier when you got a badge that'll get you in wherever."

[avidita]

"Well, I am here." They gesture to themself. "So long as I'm not tired out from being overworked, anyway, I can get us into most places, so long as it's not their headquarters' front doors. If they're as powerful as we're being warned they are... I don't want to make risks that are too big."