tagpuan:// the reign of greed.

[KungFuCutbug]

[Not wanting to cause further tensions to flare up between the others, Syringe just ducks into the secret base after Omen and Kartono, face flushed red from humiliation and anger. Not even 24 hours had passed since the group had banded together in their divine mission to fell Mission, and things have already begun going disastrously wrong—not the least of which was their own fault. They can only hope the Gods will forgive them for their blunders... because they don't yet know for certain whether they themself can forgive the others for theirs. (Except Kartono. He's done very little in the way of actually hindering their mission, just been more emotional than it would be smart to.)]

[awe921]

Somehow the mess of the grandiose mess of Omen's base is lesser than whatever the hell that situation was. This is straight up not a good time- that kid was going to stay in this shop anyways, and there's no way the passageway's going to be revealed if they settle down on this place for a week or two.

... oh, wait, what the fuck? There are two tables? And one of them is upright?!- ohhh, yeah, they couldn't afford to get a proper long table in here- the kind that meeting rooms high up in those scrapers use. So they just arranged two tables, put them together and achieved a proper long table.

Or well, maybe it was the logistics of fitting a large enough table through the passageway. Omen remembers all the times the tables had bumped against the walls of the stairway while it was being moved in- gods imagine the struggle that a table twice as big would bring.

But regardless, there was an upright table. Omen is aware of how ridiculous fixating on the upright-ness of a table is, especially when his gun (that he doesn't feel like he really deserves to wield at this moment) and other important things to kick-start a base is waiting right there in the safe, but this is a small victory in the Absolute Clusterfuck that today has turned out to be.

> Open the safe, retrieve your gun, and let the others look at anything that may be important within the vault.

[MadameButterflyKnife]

the vault.

Omen successfully retrieves his gun, untouched since the day he had left it. It's in surprisingly good shape. A perfect antique, but still with a deadly touch.
In the vault, the others will find anything they want, or need. There's some tins of long-expired food, maybe for a last stand or fallout that lasted longer than needed, and boxes of various weapons and tools. For these, age never really mattered. They were timeless, like you all will be. They resisted weathering, and well, a tool is a tool. Try as they might, even Mission could never reinvent the wheel, only improve on what already was there. Weapons were deadlier, but they never were not deadly.

Anything high end, tech based, likely is not here. But the basic necessities, the things you need to start the fall of Mission from the bottoms of their platinum-coated towers? Everything you will need remains.

[awe921]

Omen stares at the revolver. The memory of constant drilling with this very revolver daily floods back to him. He had done these drills for... at a minimum, he'd wager several months- at maximum around 2 years. More than enough time to get acquainted with any possible tool. He's upset that he never really got to use it how he intended to- shooting suits dead and breaking the stray drone here and there.

But all that training accounted for something. These months or years have practically ingrained these skills into Omen's nature. No technology that Mission had would erase these skills- at the very best, he'd be sent back a year or a few months back in experience.

There never was a chance for the miracle's cost to take these memories away for him. The memory to draw, aim, fire, reload.



The revolver lifts up, seemingly by itself, and peacefully floats right in front of Omen.



He inspects it- it's a rather simple, but masterfully crafted gun- perfectly crafted iron to spit out perfectly calibrated lead. There are no designs or carvings, because Omen had admittedly hoped that this gun alone, by itself, would have become a symbol of sorts once he had achieved his victory. But we all know how that ended now, don't we?

That downer story asides... Ah. His revolver. Custom-made destruction is back in his hands- no, the cold steel- nonono, he tries to spin the revolver as his ghostly grip...

... okay let's be real, this would have been a lot more grandiose if The Situation didn't happen. It was supposed to be like an unearthed weapon, a symbol of reignited hope. Hell, he'd take his time and count the bullets and everything, and mutter to himself that hey, there's 6 bullets right now or something.

But now it's just his custom revolver he got through what he now remembers was a stupid stroke of luck, through a connection he never expected would come back to him, unfortunate circumstances and lots of nodding along. A gun that expressed tremendous disappointment in its past story, from beginning to ending, only barely buried enough for it to itch rather than sting. And now, its new story has begun with hope that was tainted by failure.

Omen simply holsters it on the other side of his belt, besides his sword- his resentment and his desire to be done with this day growing by the second.

> Acquire the Disappointing Revolver. There are 5 bullets remaining.

[artsyGeek]

Kartono checks the vault, not looking for anything in particular; Just something to arm himself with. Beyond the old food, the various weapons from the past, and the tools of old .. Nothing seems to quite catch his eyes.

... except for a crowbar. It was about as ordinary as you can get, but.. That's fine by him. It's a tool he'd rely on from time to time, both before and after escaping from Mission — Especially afterwards. It helps pull things apart, break something open, and, if the times were desperate enough, can be used as a blunt weapon.

It's practical. And he knows they need a bit of that right now.

>Acquire the crowbar.

[KungFuCutbug]

[Once they've gotten over themself and the two before them who would need weapons (#63(b) can stand on its own, they wager, and if not it can wait its turn) have taken their fill, Syringe hesitantly steps forward and peers into the vault themself to see what remains. They were a weapons peddler, so while they didn't intend to keep any of their own stock, they have a keen eye for inspecting the quality of the weapons that pass through their hands—an eye, they hope to find, that will be quite useful here. They're pleasantly surprised to find a surplus of firearms and other such tools inside; nothing particularly unusual or special, but oftentimes the odd weapons were the least functional ones, and carrying around anything above a certain caliber would give the impression that they were an enemy. These ones, as low-brow as they may be, they know will work for the purpose they need them to.

...Their stunted height prevents them from reaching too far into the vault, so they reach as far as they can and grab the first thing their hand feels, reeling it back to inspect their catch. What they find in their grip ends up being... a carbine, semi-automatic. Huh, how lucky, that's their favorite type of gun. Lighter and more compact than a rifle, yet no less powerful. This particular one, they recognize, is the favored weapon of those shady pseudo-vigilante types who patrol certain districts' perimeters, protecting those within from riffraff, rabble-rousers and others with inflammatory intentions. An insignia they don't recognize is embossed onto the side, resembling two round clouds moving apart and unleashing a rain of three lightning-like arrows below—a symbol they can only assume represents divine intervention, the Gods judging those with wickedness in their hearts. A judgment they, as a Saint, will soon help come to pass.

Yes. This will do nicely.]

> Acquire the Storm Carbine. 30 rounds (bullets) remain.

[Florien]

#63(b) followed the rest into the vault. Poor understanding of security, worries of provoking the wrong rebellion, risks of everyone getting caught or killed, a weapon was needed. #63(b) had been a sniper, once. It could be a sniper still. But to be able to close in on a target would also be a useful ability to have... oh well, a rifle works well at any range. A spray of bullets from a heavier weapon can pin someone down, for a time, but the majority of kills never stopped coming from rifles.

Nonetheless, a sidearm could be useful. And a blade. And a baton. And restraints. Just in case someone needed to be taken alive, of course. And obviously a way to take them less lethally at range, perhaps a... no, this is too much to carry at once. Besides, Omen's got a pistol, better to not take every weapon when everyone can cover each other's weaknesses.

And what a coincidence, there appears to be some of that gear in there that suits it excellently.

>Obtain the Trajkov-V3 .308 Rifle with Infrared Scope, preferably with a flash suppressor (though that's optional), (eight bullets in the clip, one in the chamber, and a backup clip of nine, for a total of eighteen bullets) and a combat or utility knife, and maybe some plastic zip-tie style restraints if they can be found.

You should get flash grenades if you can find any, Syringe. You have a front-line weapon, so you'll need front-line tools.

[KungFuCutbug]

[Syringe turns to #63(b), carefully considering what to say next. Wouldn't want to set it or themself off again, after all...]

"...Hm. A reasonable enough suggestion, for once. None of the others seemed to have procured auxiliary weapons of their own, so the thought hadn't crossed my mind..."

> Peer into the vault again to see if there would happen to be flashbangs or stun grenades within your reach. If they're a little too far to reach from where you're standing, you could climb in to grab them, but you don't want to dirty your suit too much.

[MadameButterflyKnife]

You find flashbangs, and stun grenades, as the first beams of morning light come through the windows of the store. The night has ended, and you have companions, now. It's up to you to figure out what your next goal is; Mission has an office on almost every corner. There's one towering building just north of you, grand opening, newly opened. There's rumors of other gangs of like minded insurgents around the neighborhood; your best bet would be asking around.



And of course, there's hiding. Waiting until trouble inevitably finds you.

[awe921]

As Omen steps away from the vault, disappointing revolver in hand, he- wait, there should be something on that wall. That wall, facing one of the ends of the table, looked suspiciously empty.

... that's right. A map was hung on that wall. Not just any map- THE map. And not that map, on the obelisk either- it's HIS map. Weathering definitely must have gotten to the map, but he's sure a route or two of plans he never got to realize are still intact. It would have been, to be quite frank, incredibly suspicious to just show up, group and all at the obelisk and then the next day after the local Mission-bought chain has gone up in flames or something.

He remembers throwing it away, amidst the notes

> Look in the vault again. There should be a map amidst the scattered notes. Hopefully... If Omen finds the map, look at any possible plans his past life might have made that they can finish right now.

[Florien]

As everyone gears up, #63(b) gets to thinking about next steps.

If we could do a false-flag operation, cause some chaos at this Mission grand opening, and pin it on a major rebel group, we could kill dozens of birds with a single bullet, disperse a rebel group, and leech newly leaderless rebels off of their ruins, all while reducing attention on ourselves... if it works without a hitch.

The unit then thinks about the idea a bit more. It is a very risky plan, obviously. A secondary plan should be suggested too.

We could also take the opportunity to raid outlying offices, with a rather less elaborate and risky plan. The grand opening will attract a lot of attention and security, leaving the outlying offices nearby relatively undefended. We need a flag, a symbol of our particular movement. It must be simple, such that supporters can easily draw it, to spray-paint it on walls, and such things, yet distinct from the symbols of others. I am open to suggestions for other potential targets, or ideas for our symbol.

[artsyGeek]

"... okay, let's not.. potentially pick fights with other rebel groups. Definitely not a huge fan of the first idea."

He pondered for a moment. Asking folks around doesn't seem too bad of an idea, but.. If they're not careful, it might come off as suspicious. Though, as long as they keep up the facade that they're just visitors or something of that ilk, maybe it will be fine.

... hopefully, at least.

"Maybe we should gather some info from other folks — Fellow rebels or otherwise. From there, maybe we can get a good idea on where to start."

[KungFuCutbug]

[Syringe, searching for a convenient place to store their grenades, gives #63(b) a confused expression.] "I'm also not particularly keen on the first idea. Did you not hear what I mentioned earlier, in response to a similar proposal from you? We're only four people, and most other rebel groups have at least eight members at the absolute minimum, but typically averaging around twenty or thirty. We'd be severely outmatched against any group we'd become enemies with. Your second proposition seems... more reasonable? As does Kartono's, though I'm wondering just how terribly the boy from earlier is going to affect our reputations—that would, in turn, almost certainly affect our chances of success with the other rebel groups."

[Once their inventory is sorted, turn towards the entrance of the passageway, as the thin beams of sunlight from upstairs shine down below.] "...Hm. A new day has already risen." [They give a mildly annoyed huff under their breath, rubbing their eyes with their hand.] "No wonder most of us haven't been thinking straight, myself included. I would've appreciated a chance to get some much-needed beauty rest before setting off on our latest adventure... but I suppose if there's no rest for the wicked, there shan't be any rest for those destined to purge them either. Not until They are satisfied with our work."

[Florien]

Yes, they outnumber us. That's why we'd be launching decap strikes on them, or false flags to get mission to target them, so that they no longer outnumber us or alternately start lacking the capacity to retaliate and infighting among themselves rather than bringing their full force to bear against us. But I do think outlying offices are probably the safer target, yes. We'd need to find something worth targeting though, burning down a building for no reason other than to watch it fall is not much of a rebellion.

Ideally we should locate a classified information center, or somewhere where they store corporate secrets, and raid that. The information we get from that can help us identify more targets in the city, rather than indiscriminately killing our way through the employees.

[KungFuCutbug]

"I believe you may be failing to see the point I'm trying to make. We can't afford to launch decapitation strikes or false flag operations against others. The risk of failure, and the consequences that will come with it, are too great. But given the track record you've come to establish so far, I have a feeling that unless someone were to pry you open and scramble the placement of your wires, you're going to stand stubbornly resolute on any conclusion you come to regardless of its correctness."

[Syringe idly brushes some of their hair out of their face.] "Enough of that, though. I don't want to start another argument. Searching for an outlying Mission office, mostly unattended to thanks to the grand opening of that one just across from here, sounds far more realistically achievable. They shouldn't be too hard to find; Mission has a very distinctive style of architecture for its offices and wings, to differentiate it from the residential and commercial buildings. They're supposed to represent beacons of sanctuary amidst a storm of chaos and fear, but... in my humble opinion, daahling, they're closer to an indelible stain on an otherwise-fine enough art piece."

[...Maybe if they're lucky, the office they find won't be completely unattended, and they'll find—no. No, they can't get their hopes too high up. They can worry about that later. They will be reunited, and Syringe needs not rush it.]

[MadameButterflyKnife]

> Look in the vault again. There should be a map amidst the scattered notes. Hopefully... If Omen finds the map, look at any possible plans his past life might have made that they can finish right now.

There is indeed, a map amidst the scattered notes. Befitting of Omen's more traditionalist stance, you'd decided to take your chances with the physical feel of paper on your hands, and the ink running on it instead of a digital facade leaving lines across a screen. A risk, yes, but one that's paid off for you in your next life, from the looks of it. Where those screens would have become long outdated, glitched out, waiting for an update that never comes until they break down, the paper has stayed pristine, if faded. It's the good type of paper, the kind that resists decay. And the ink, though long dried and faded, can still be read.

It's obviously not the most updated map. There's marked buildings, safe homes that have long since built over, and old "blank" lots that now reach to the skies. But there's one place, one of said information centers that #63(b) had mentioned in passing, that still stands.
It's one of the oldest buildings that Mission still uses, for the simple reason that it works, and that replacing it would be exceptionally more expensive. The Mission style of architecture has always been one of dominance and grandeur, rose windows with the company logo letting light into lobbies of infinite people, blocky buildings with graceful spires. They were almost like castles, for the modern-day royalty.
This building, specifically, was mostly brick, instead of steel and concrete, as most of the more modern buildings were. It still had the design principles, but it was from an older era, updated and refurnished to finish the times. It was one of the few fragments of the past that Mission was willing to keep holding on to.

And it was a perfect target, both then and now.

---

In the cracks of Titania, there is art, peeking through the cracks. Colors that peek through Mission's metallics, chromatic little pieces that bleed through, the closest thing that you can find to the wildflowers that once sprouted from this place, or the feathers of colorful birds, the real kind. The last little hint of chaos in the new order.
If you make your way to that old brick Mission building, you'll find such art. Specifically, a blue haired girl who seems to glow underneath the dispersed light from the haze and smoke, her hands covered in paint and color, and one eye that seems to be a dying star amongst her radiance.

> Alzena.

You stand in Titania, under a morning that has just arrived. The days are consistent here; twelve hours of day, twelve hours of night. Perfectly symmetrical, orderly, just as things should be. Just as things have always been for you, under your routine back when you were nothing more than a mere battery, barely conscious until the day you protected them. A cruel awakening, but one you refuse to back down from.
You feel the energy of this city waking you up, what remains of ghosts fading away back until night comes, the speeding cycles of people hanging on to dear life as they weave through traffic, up and down ramps and buildings, as they make their way to their workplaces, people wearing masks of plastic and metal as they overlook you...it's all so overwhelming.
And behind you is the symbol of your old rulers. Mission LLC. The building is tall enough to cast a wide shadow, one you barely manage to avoid being in.

And maybe it's a gut feeling, but you think someone like you is nearby. Someone who's escaped as you did, and someone who will refuse to let their future here die.

[Florien]

Excellent, we have a plan.

And with everyone heading to the target, so it goes too.

#63(b) waits until the group is gathered again, nearer to the building. Its brethren were always briefed before, despite ostensibly having the capacity to download orders directly. This was ostensibly so everything could be in paper form, which was more secure and could be burned deniably later, but everyone knew it was actually because the servers were being used to mine cryptocurrency. Funny how lack of scarcity had crashed the value of something as useful as a diamond, but anyone could make a new cryptocurrency and call it scarce, even today. But there had been no briefing today, and so it reflexively starts explaining the plans and ideas it's generated.

Old building, one of the older ones. Transport is when things are most vulnerable, so most likely, records and other classified information will have pooled there over time. It's probably been heavily upgraded below the surface, but the fact that the old facade is still there means that the building within is too important to have extensive upgrades done by outside contractors. That and it would be expensive, but the fact that Mission is Monopsonic in contractor jobs in the city does mean that there's at least an element of distrust there, since they can drive the price down significantly. Things need to be dealt with. It's probably guarded relatively lightly on the surface. Any information would be stored much farther in, but it might be heavily guarded.


If we can get blueprints, that would be ideal, but most likely, we don't have time.


I think I should scout the place out from across the street, and possibly cause a distraction. Once we're inside, the building can protect us, but it can also trap us if they surround it, so we'll need an exfiltration plan that doesn't involve the front door. We could improvise, we could try to get off via the roof, which could make us vulnerable to gunfire, or we could hope its above a subway or near a wide sewer line and attempt to crack in to one of those and escape underground.

The unit pauses for a short length of time, before a light on the side of its goggles flashes brightly for a moment, and it seems to activate some kind of hunting mode before continuing.

Let's also discuss acceptable-kill targets. I think we should aim to destroy difficult to manufacture equipment, destroy anything we're not able to take, and kill any employees who have a rare or valuable skillset. Executives are better ransomed or killed in a display fashion, and they can't run the company without qualified employees, they should not be killed immediately, if possible. So our targets should be senior programmers, people who know the filing systems, people with access to privileged information, and, if possible, well-trained soldiers, though they're optional if you don't think you can take one. Don't waste bullets, if possible, and be prepared to switch weapons with the dead.

Thoughts?

[KungFuCutbug]

[Daylight has come to Titania. Syringe Amano, the fallen morning star, weaves their way through the morning crowds as usual; nothing particularly out of the ordinary there. Maybe if they're lucky, their normal daytime schedule of finding some place to spread the word of the Gods and set the flames of hope ablaze using the last few sparks Mission couldn't snuff out would be uninterrupted. But that doesn't normally come until a bit later, into the afternoon, so for now they feel confident in setting their priorities elsewhere.

First order of business:] "Shh! Don't speak of that so loudly, daahling, people might be listening." [...chastising #63(b) again, apparently.] "You're quite the overthinker, are you? So many plans and ideas... I wonder if you genuinely believe any of them are actually worth executing, or if you're simply throwing words around like pomegranates to a wall, hoping the seeds of your mental labors will stick. That being said..."

[They pause for a moment, raising a hand to their chest as they look towards the brick building. There... there's that feeling in their chest again. The burning familiarity of someone they have yet to meet but shares a common origin, and perhaps too a common goal; a new ally virtually guaranteed, if they happened to feel it too. And if their intuition is correct, the other is coincidentally loose within the very building they planned to conquer. It seems a new objective has been set.]

"...that being said. Scouting the area from the outside may prove to be a good first step, to ensure that any potential obstacles—enforcers and those who are all too willing to rat out suspicious activity, mostly—are out of our way. How should we go about this?"

[Florien]

There's the distinct feeling #63(b) wanted to comment snidely about multiple things there, in particular the very weird pomegranate metaphor (we're not in the Mediterranean area, surely?) but didn't.

Improvise the escape it is, then. No suggestions, plan accepted as-is.

>Climb up to a roof and look around. What's the situation at the target location, as far as can be seen?

[awe921]

Omen attempts to follow #63(b) up to the roof. His memory should serve him well in navigating these rooftops- he's jumped over them many times and OH GODS DAMMIT IT'S A LADDER.

Omen isn't sure how to hand-le this situation.

[KungFuCutbug]

> Follow #63(b) to the roof... er, wait.

[Syringe turns to their handless companion. Ooh, that's... a bit rough, isn't it. Perhaps they can help.] "Hey, daahling, hold still."

> Pick up Omen in one of your arms, carrying him with you over your shoulder as you ascend the ladder. Now you can follow #63(b) to the roof.

[artsyGeek]

.... well, this sure is a way to start the day. Though, that tends to imply they got some semblance of a rest that night, which.. he can't say is the case. Still, it is now currently morning, and as such, a relatively new day—

Annnnd Syringe is chastising #63(b) again. Surely that's not gonna be a running theme later down the line..?

.. wait.

It's that same feeling from last night. That feeling of familiarity; Of someone just like them, a rogue Elemental trying to escape from Mission's grasp. It was the one that bonded the four of them together (even if they had their fair share of squabbles in the past.. probably barely a day).

He was about to comment on that. Of a potential ally lurking nearby. But uh.

... clearly he was a bit lost in thought, because it seems like the others have other plan already. "waitshit—" he muttered, before..

>.. Joining the others to the roof.

[MadameButterflyKnife]

> the roof.


You find yourselves climbing a nearby building, to make it to the top of a nearby building. Fulfilling #63(b)'s suspicions, you are in fact, not in any place resembling the Mediterranian Desert. In the distance, you see neon-drenched bridges, chaining together the archipelgo this city is built on, barely visible through the humidity and the smog.

The target location is just barely busy. It's just past the 10-6, but before the 9-5. There won't be many people to get in your way. The entrance is guarded, of course. You can tell the task is important, because you can feel something in the air when you see those Missionary guards. Kartono, you specifically feel the familar power of the mountains and the seas in the mist as you examine them, your skin feeling suffocated by the adrenaline coursing through your veins. It's the same feeling you felt all those years ago, when you and other tikbalang took the hand of those Mission suits, thinking they'd be your defense against the recklessness and chaos of other men.

There's another service entrance, but it's even more heavily guarded, surprisingly. Well, maybe not surprising. Mission's never had too much trust or respect for the locals, the ones who they relied on and on whose back the city laid upon when they did the jobs those high class suits were too afraid to do.
However, if you manage to get through that entrance, it'll certainly be easier to get to what you need. The common worker works inside the walls, as some of you remember, so that they don't have to be seen by the pale eyes of Mission cubicles. They ruined the careful aesthetic of this place.

And from down there, you see the blue haired girl, preoccupied with her own art. Her energy and power permeates into the paint, and the resulting image feels electric in a way not even the streetlights can drown out.

[artsyGeek]

Ah. Now that they're on a rooftop, they've got a much better look the building and its surroundings. It's not quite a bird's eyes view, but it's close enough.

From above, he could see the young girl, whose art is as electrifying as a lightning in a thunderstorm. Maybe she could be an ally; A new member of their ragtag group, if all goes well and they don't astronomically fuck over their chances like how they did last night.
(Gods, that incident is gonna leave a bad mark on them if it got spread around...)

Looking at those Missionaries, however, gave ... a sense of familiarity he never wanted to relive. He remembered when he first met them. They told him, and many others, that they are their protectors. That they are the one keeping them safe from the outside chaos.

Hah, what a load of horseshit that was. They weren't protecting anyone— Nay, they weren't protecting anything. They were only interested in Mission's survival. Nothing more, nothing less.

....

... Cool down, Kartono. Your bitterness may be deserved, but now is not the time to wallow in it.

"Do you lot have any ideas on how to do this?" he whispered to the others. "I'm personally leaning towards a stealthier approach, and try to slip through any cracks they may have, but I'm willing to hear your ideas."

He considered inquiring the young girl, but.. He worries she may not have the information needed to help them here. It'll be in the backburner, for now, but he's not sure whether to do it or not.

[Florien]

I think Syringe and you take point. I fire a diversionary killing shot at someone important but distant, then get off the roof. You use the guards rushing away to get in. Response time will probably be increased because of the event, but we need a way out that isn't the front door nonetheless. I think we can make it, if necessary.

You and Syringe, Syringe is strong, so this helps, break through the front door, You want to get out of view of the street, find a chokepoint in the building, and fortify it. Desks and tables. I'll come in with Omen immediately after... and... and...

It's then that #63(b) notices the girl from its vantage point. The familiarity, and more importantly, the obvious elemental energy, tip it off.

Change of plans, Omen, I'll come with you and grab the girl and bring her in with us. Hostage situation aside if I'm wrong, I'm sure you've noticed she's almost certainly an elemental. We could have her on our side. Besides, she might be able to blow through a wall and get us out of the building, if she's the kind I think she is.

Any objections to this plan, in particular the diversionary kill? I don't think we can just get past the guards through stealth alone... though you're welcome to counter me on that if you think you can.

While it waits for a response, #63(b) is scanning the area. Surely there's something that could be distracting for the guards. Something that explodes, a VIP, something like that.

>Any important looking targets in the area it could snipe as a diversion?