Private/Closed Bootleg Bros. Ultimate - The Banished Campaign (Act 1)

[comic]

With the marines now armed and ready for blood, Freid had them hold at the elevator, taking positions around it in the event anything came down, a couple of them giving JULIAN curious glances - though their curiosity could have easily been mistaken for nervousness. Lorens collected a discarded plasma pistol as they went along down the other hall.

“This is it,” Lorens said as they reached the door.

“You’re sure? How do you know?” Keyes asked.

“This isn’t the first Banished jail I’ve broken out of... sir.”

The captain gave a nod as he glanced toward the heroes around him. “Might be more than a couple grunts in there. Keep your guard up. Copen, take point.”

Jacob paused, remembering they weren’t soldiers. He couldn’t expect them to follow his orders just like that. “You’re the fastest. If they’re ready, you can draw their fire so the rest of us can storm them,” he added to provide some logic to his election.

Regardless of who actually went in first, upon the motion-sensitive door sliding open, they’d be greeted with a wide rectangular room, large slabs of fur-coated shallow basins lined along the walls and scattered a little haphazardly in the middle. Beds, if one had to guess, and they were too large to be made for any alien other than the brutes. Their barracks reeked of the jiralhanae odor, and at the end of the room, parallel to the door, was another like it, though slightly smaller and les obvious. The room took on a vague L-shape, and around the bend to the right of the room a second door could be found, more ornate than those encountered previously, indicating it held a higher importance.

The only enemies within the room were the two grunts from before who’d fled. They were cowering behind one of the brute basin beds, but not very well, as their triangular packs poked up into the air, shaking as they huddled together, giving away their location.

​

[Players have unlocked the ability to auto the GRUNT CONSCRIPT enemy]​

 

[Psymallard]

Spanish Guy
The mantis creature came up beside David to try and make him feel better. The vagrant simply sneered in contempt and looked away. He needed not anyone's pity- that was part of the problem. They soon made it to the door, where David was reminded that there were still aliens there.

The door opened, and there were grunts- just not waiting to perform an ambush. They were afraid. Taking into account their nature as cowards, and the fact that brutes clearly pushed them around, David decided he wanted to mess with them. There wasn't really any reason to kill these creatures as long as they continued to cower. Though wincing at his wound, the Spaniard mustered up as mean of a shout as he could muster;

"WE CAN SEE YOU! Come out, surrender, and we will consider to not use your skulls as latrines for the foreseeable future!"

 

[comic]

Ripnip was completely and utterly terrified. Now, it had been a good while since he’d been weaned off the tit, and he’d been around plenty of stinky brutes to know the good from the bad from the deplorable, but these putrid little prison breakers?

He’d peeked out of the room just earlier to see the giant mech RIP THE CAPTAIN’S HEAD OFF! WHAT THE FRICK!

Needless to say, Ripnip had nothing left to evacuate.

“WE CAN SEE YOU!” David’s yell came, and Ripnip looked over at the other grunt beside him, Yappin. Yappin shook his head, and Ripnip looked up at his methane tank, the top sticking up over the bed basin they were hiding behind. With dread, Ripnip realized his tank was probably doing the same

“Come out, surrender, and we will consider to not use your skulls as latrines for the foreseeable future!”

“Ohhh maaaan...” Yappin groaned. “Me no wants that! Me wants normal juices in head!”

“You saids it!” Ripnip agreed. “But these stinky humans be just like smaller stinky brutes! They no cares if we deads or not!”

“So what we doin, Ripnip?”

“Hm... me’s thinkin’ now...” Ripnip strained to concentrate, tapping his head sharply with a knuckle. “Me’s gots plan!”

“Yeah!?” Yappin yipped.

“What if we’s...”

“Yeah!?”

“Runs...”

“YEAH!?”

“Away...!”

Yappin stared back for several moments, before he began nodding his head excitedly. “You’s smartest grunt me’s ever met! Where we runnin’s to?”

“...”

“...Where we runnin’s to...?”

Ripnip swallowed nervously. “Man, it get hots in here! Or is that just me pee...”

“Stupids!” Yappin slapped Ripnip. “We gots nowhere to run!”

“Shut up! Me’s got better plan than you! You’s gots no plannin!”​

 

[PaprusTeuton]

Kazaaak

Well that went poorly. David didn't care! He just sneered! What was that for?
That conversation would have to be saved for later, as there were grunts up ahead. They were... having an interesting conversation, and had no plan. Kazaaak decided to try and help.

"I got a plan! You walk out, and drop your guns! Then your heads will keep their normal juices!"
Not the most... okay it was a disgusting thing to say, but the grunts would probably understand. If they didn't, well murder was still an option.

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

Keyes gave his orders, which Copen understood the reasoning for – his speed-focused fighting style was ideal for catching opponents off guard and breaking past defenses. It was what he was used to, albeit not what he had started with. Originally, he'd built his gear to withstand heavy attacks from powerful Adepts, even at the cost of speed. With later breakthroughs, he'd streamlined things into the armor and weapons he used today. He found that he much preferred it, and if the enemies on the other side of the door were ready for their arrival, his strategy was likely to work.

They stepped into the barracks... and the enemies were, in fact, not ready.

Only two grunts remained in the room, hiding poorly behind the beds on account of the tanks on their backs. Copen was about to move ahead and deal with them when David's shout came, calling for the grunts to surrender themselves. He paused, listening to the frenzied discussion they held, which didn't yield much of a result.

In truth, the potential of sparing and possibly even recruiting enemies was rather unfamiliar to Copen. In his world, nearly everyone he'd ever fought was out for blood, and at times nigh impossible to agree with. That'd been his own fault at first, sure, but in his subsequent battles over the following decades, an enemy becoming an ally was an extraordinarily rare event.

Needless to say, given the apparent cowardice of the grunts before them, he decided to entertain that idea.

"You heard them," Copen called out, slowly stepping forward with his pistol in hand. "You've seen the battle outside. There's no point in still resisting."​

 

[Psymallard]

Spanish Swordsman
As the grunts plotted, David waited impatiently. Though it was funny, those grunts were between him and medical treatment. His aching wound wasn't going to wait for cowards' hesitation. He decided to make the choice a little easier on them by firing a warning shot from his spiker, which impacted the wall nearest to them.

"I do not care to wait on those that cause problems for me. I will be making the decision for you in but un momento!"

The swordsman mentally counted to five. If they hadn't complied by then, he would lose his patience and fire at their exposed packs. If they made any sudden movements to flee or fight back, he would fire upon them. He had given them a chance, and it was their choice if they wanted to squander it. Either way, the vagabond would end up marching down the room and closer to the medical supplies that'd make the hole in his shoulder stop hurting like hell.

 

[comic]

The bickering unggoy did not go unheard. First came Kazaaak’s words, demanding they drop their guns and not recieve a bad filling of bodily fluids. There was a pause.

“Uh oh...” Yappin said to Ripnip. “How do we tell ‘em we’s can’t do step one? We’s got no weapons!”

“Huh? Why not?” Ripnip looked to his hip, finding his plasma pistol not there. “Oh... me forgots! We’s dropped ‘em!”

“If we’s can’t do step one, we’s gonna get peepeeheaded!”

“Me no wants that!”

“Me neither!”

Then came Copen’s words, and the two grunts looked at each other. However, David quickly followed, impatient at their yappin’, the two flinching as a spiker round lodged into the wall, glowing with heat.

Both grunts obeyed quickly, lurching out of hiding and falling with frighteningly fast surrender at David’s feet, throwing their arms down. “We’s surrenders!” Yappin cried.

“We’s your humble servants!” Ripnip added. “Please no make us peepeeheads!”

“Yeah! Me no wanna be peepeeheaded! For reals!”

“Usually we just shoot them by now...” Lorens claimed, raising an eyebrow as she looked over at the others.​

 

[Psymallard]

David!
The Spaniard ignored the grunts' groveling as he walked past them. Yet, when Lorens spoke up, David stopped in his tracks. He stood still, thinking for a moment, before he twirled around and smiled (despite his pain).

"Ah, if these two were a couple of those smelly, furry fatasses, I would agree. However, I am keen to save ammunition for the coming threats."

He used this justification to explain his thinking to the others. It wasn't just the others he was trying to convince- though only he knew about that last part. The swordsman turned back around, his smile turning into a scowl from the pain. He hobbled over to the ornate door at the end of the room, attempted to open it, and readied his weapon in the event there were any other aliens that were less enthusiastic about surrendering.

 

[comic]

Neither Keyes or Lorens seemed completely on board with the idea of just... not killing the grunts. While Big Dab had at least been able to provide some form of use to the escapees (and had yet to be introduced to the freshly-freed marines), these two groveling conscripts were useful for two things: a body shield when you had no cover, and an untrustworthy pair of claws waiting for your back to be turned to them.

Yappin poked his head around Kazaaak to look down the hall toward JULIAN’s large form, before he quickly ducked back. “We’s you prisoner now!” he declared enthusiastically to the gathered individuals, voice shrill. “Please don’t kills us!”

“That it?” Keyes nodded to the door David was approaching, and Lorens gave her nod. “I’ll hold here, keep on eye on these...”

He gave the grunts a side-eye as he held the pistol calmly by his side. Ripnip sniffed.

“Don’t kills us!” He squeaked.

Lorens huried after David as he reached the ornate door. Spikes had been embedded around its frame, giving it the very clear impression that this was a high-ranking brute’s room. That, or it was a latrine and the brutes had a sense of humor.

Alas, it would turn out that brute humor was still on the table. When the doors slid open, sensing David’s approach, a cubic room was revealed within, almost as dimly lit as the cell blocks below, with sparing red lights in the corners to illuminate the area.

In one corner of the room there were furs strung up along the ceiling to create a kind of makeshift wall, a more decorated bed seen beyond. A holotable sat in the center of the room, though it was depowered with no clear way of turning it on. Several metal crates were set atop the table with a few others stacked on one side. The corner opposite the bedding had a few more crates haphazardly pushed together, a few pieces of various armors and weapon attachments littering the floor.

A datapad sat atop the topmost crate in the corner.

Lorens made her way to the corner, pushing aside a few shoulder pauldrons and broken rifle scopes to pull the top off of one of the crates. Within were shell casings from human weapons, though it was unclear at the moment why the Banished would waste time collecting those.

Pushing aside that crate, it fell to the floor on its side, spilling shell casings all over as she pulled up another lid. “Bingo...” she muttered, digging through a few used medical supplies before she produced what appeared to be some kind of canister. It looked almost like a squat, miniature version of a fire extinguisher, and lacked the distinct red coloration, bearing a dull gray instead.

Pulling its short nozzle with it, the woman squeezed the trigger on the canister gently. A foam-like substance spit out of the nozzle, sounding and appearing like whipped cream from a can might.

“Alright, show me where it hurts.”​

 

[Psymallard]

A Very Good Fencer
David cast his spiker and shield gauntlet onto the bed, then began to unbutton his off-white shirt as Lorens approached. Once he unbuttoned the shirt a little more than halfway, his hands moved to slip his shoulder out of his top. This proved to be a more painful endeavor than it was worth, as the swordsman drew in a sharp breath- he had to peel the cloth off of the gore. It wasn't a pleasant experience, but he got through it quickly enough with grit teeth.

The mercenary slipped only a shoulder out of the clothing. Despite his thin frame, his musculature was well-defined. David then looked at Lorens and the canister she held. He could guess how it was applied, as similar things existed back in his universe. It was only the design that was alien to him. He stayed quiet as Lorens would patch him up- the mood wasn't right for wisecracks right now.

 

[comic]

If Lorens had an opinion on David’s form, she didn’t make it obvious. Instead, she moved toward him and directed the nozzle to his wound. “This’ll sting like hell,” she warned him. “I’ll spray in three, two—”

Evidently Lorens had military medical experience, and applied the same method of ripping out a tooth to pumping in the foam. She hadn’t been lying, either, the foam’s chemical makeup made it sting a lot—though not as much as it would have, his nanobots both softening the blow and reducing the pain threshold.

The foam coated over his wound, slipping into his flesh to fill in the crevices and folds. After the initial sting, the pain would quickly fade as the wound and the flesh around it was numbed. “Biofoam. Just cover it up. The antibiotics accelerate the healing process, but they won’t heal you. We’ll need a proper medical station to get you fully recovered.”

She stepped away and set the biofoam canister down before she began searching the medical box with more detail, eventually setting it aside to search the other boxes, most of it simply more junk.​

 

[Psymallard]

Inigo Montoya?
The biofoam seeped into his wound, and it did hurt like hell. He tensed and grit his teeth, yet gave no further reaction. After a few moments, when the wound numbed, he shrugged his sleeve back on and began to button up his shirt again.

"Gracias, Miss Lorens. I owe you one."

He felt a tingle deep in the wound, which denoted the healing process getting a jumpstart. David retrieved his weapon and shield, then reassumed a more careless demeanor as he went out to the others. He pat Ripnip on the head as he passed the unggoy. The Spaniard gestured to the main room, suggesting they get moving.

"Shall we? There is not much equipment back there; our mutual friend is retrieving the little that is."

Though he didn't think the grunts were dangerous, David would be a fool to trust them. He kept the pair in his peripheral. Though the mercenary was heading towards the elevator, he would not get on yet.

"I am not going up first just so that you all can dick around down here again. I would prefer to not be shot a second time."

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

Both grunts surrendered to the group - at least for now. Copen followed David closely as he approached the next door, head turning slightly to look back at Lorens when she commented her confusion on keeping the unggoy alive. He couldn't fault her or Keyes for it.

"Same here."

The next room did indeed hold the supplies they needed, and was unoccupied. Lorens procured the biofoam, seemingly a medical marvel for field work, applying it to David's wound. Copen focused on the other objects in the room in the meantime. The crates didn't hold much of use, the holotable appeared out of commission – but there was another datapad stashed away atop one of the crate piles.

Copen wasted little time in grabbing it to inspect its contents, at the same time walking back alongside the others once the search was complete. He caught up to David, who remarked he wouldn't be leading the charge this time, to which Copen nodded, stepping into the elevator.

"Noted. I'll take point."​

 

[PaprusTeuton]

Kazaaak

The grunts surrendered. Good! Killing them was going to be annoying. The humans seemed to want them dead, which was an interesting switching of roles. Usually Kazaaak wanted to kill something and a human was convincing him not to.

Are humans just more violent in this world? Or... are they all like the Rebels?

If that was the case, this partnership wouldn't last. Not for another second. But he had to wait and confirm first. David didn't want to go first, so Copen chose to take point. Kazaaak wordlessly followed behind Copen, this time planning to not immediately charge in like the last few times.

 

[comic]

The cowering grunts seemed unsure how to act at David’s seeming indifference. When he passed after what was recovered, the area seemed done with. Lorens collected what she could before following Copen out once he’d retrieved the datapad and began to inspect it. The female marine gestured with her pistol for the grunts to move ahead of.

With the panting of a couple pugs, they obeyed, waddling after David as they kept glancing nervously around.

The datapad Copen had recovered seemed similar to the one from before, though its lack of information was less about the device being damaged. It carried with it a transcript of a conversation between two individuals, likely from recorded audio and put into words.
​

Spoiler: Datapad

<<<IratusStalkerProgram - - -
Request:::WardenGorbak - - -
Reason:::Betrayal - - -
Transcript Initialized>>>

Warden Gorbak: Chieftain.

Chieftain Rubikis: Stand, warden. What is your report?

Warden Gorbak: I have none. I wanted to discuss your... proposal.

Chieftain Rubikis: Come to your senses?

<Pause. Rubikis chuckles. Silence lingers. Rubikis seems to grow impatient>

Chieftain Rubikis: Then speak, warden.

Warden Gorbak: Atriox won’t allow this to succeed. You realize that?

Chieftain Rubikis: Atriox is a runt. His might cannot match mine.

Warden Gorbak: There are many who said the same. Chieftain, we’ve been pack brothers since we were cubs. I don’t wish to see you throw away your life for nothing.

Chieftain Rubikis: It’s not for nothing, warden. Do not use our past against me—know your place. Atriox has failed us, and soon, all will realize it. He brought us to this vile place under the promise of power and freedom! The Nexus was a fluke!

<Another pause.>

Chieftain Rubikis: This small land cannot contain my ambitions, and only Atriox stands in my way. I must be rid of him. It is I who can lead the Banished off of this self-destructive path.

Warden Gorbak: Warmaster Atriox founded the Banished—

Chieftain Rubikis: Every great leader fails eventually, warden. It is time someone greater rose up in his stead. The time is coming, and soon. You called me to discuss this, yet you seem to be against me. Are you against me, Gorbak?

Warden Gorbak: No, Chieftain. I could never betray you.

<A scoff-like snort fills the air>

Chieftain Rubikis: Remember, Gorbak. I am what’s between you and your father.

Warden Gorbak: I have not forgotten... Chieftain.

<A third lingering silence. The projection fades: Rubikis cut the connection>

<<<Transcript Concluded
Relaying:::WarmasterAtriox
Reason:::Interest

>>

When everyone had finally gathered around the elevator (the Guardian had been running around, collecting the various leftover weapons and asking the marines about them), Copen chose to enter the elevator first and take point. The elevator’s size was wide, although the beheaded Brute Captain’s corpse (alongside his strewn skull) was taking up nearly a third of it.

“We can go in two squads,” Keyes interjected as he stepped onto the platform with Copen.

“Sir, let us go with him, wait down here,” Corporal Freid suggested. “We’re expendable. You’re not.”

“I disagree, Corporal, so feel free to join me,” Jacob said in reply.

Freid looked about ready to argue, before he nodded. “You heard the man, move it marines!”

Along with Copen and Keyes, the six marines got onto the elevator platform. There was certainly room for one or two more people, but nobody the size of JULIAN.

Strangely, Big Dab was nowhere to be seen.

Ripnip and Yappin continued to grovel near David as Keyes approached the elevator controls, a crimson panel extending up from the farthest end of the platform on a metal stand. He placed his palm on the panel, which winked yellow before the platform began to ascend with its first of (likely) two loads.

The elevator at the bottom had opened up facing south, but at the top, the opening was facing north, revealing a hallway that ran down for a good fifty feet or so at an incline. Several giant crates had been placed here, mostly set up against either wall to form a narrower path down the length of the structure. No enemies were in sight.
​

[[ OST - Cold Temperament ]]​

The hallway eventually came to an end at a sharp right turn up a much more obvious incline to another floor. At the end of the ramp was a level floor, a large holotable in its center covered in dirt and boxes. In fact, a lot of things in this room were covered in dirt, from an empty weapon rack in the room’s corner to a large control console taking up the entire wall to the right of the ramp’s exit. dirt had congregated in the corners and side of the room, while the walking paths had been mostly clear. Only a few large footprints could be barely made out.

The light was fairly dim. The room seemed to be a dead end with no obvious exits, though the wall to the left had an obvious line horizontally along its length. Some tracks seemed to come to a stop at the wall, making it clear that it opened up, likely when manipulated from the control console on the opposite side of the room.

“Feels like there should be someone guardin’ here,” one of the unnamed marines claimed.

“Maybe nobody’s home,” another suggested.

“You did not just say that,” Freid replied. “Now it’s gonna turn out to be an ambush.”​

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

The new datapad held some more insight into the higher Banished ranks – and even some growing animosity amongst them.

Rubikis, the chieftain, grew resentful toward the warmaster and founder of the Banished, Atriox. Thought he was no longer fit for the role. That the Banished would collapse on themselves under his leadership.

That the Nexus was 'a fluke'.

It all but confirmed Copen's earlier suspicion about the Nexus being the cause of the anomalies, wormholes, and this new world. However, whereas he and the rest of the group seemed to all have been brought here against their will, Rubikis' wording made it sound like Atriox had searched for the Nexus himself, bringing his faction with him of his own volition. Was such a thing possible? Could Atriox and the Banished know of the power that the Nexus held?

He couldn't be sure of it, and in any case, that power falling into the wrong hands could spell disaster unlike any seen before.

Chieftain Rubikis didn't seem to entirely believe in it, at least, but warden Gorbak appeared to be more on Atriox's side. If Copen's understanding of the datapad was correct, Gorbak had requested use of this stalker program to record and relay the conversation to the warmaster, warning him of Rubikis' intentions. Whether any further action was taken due to this communication was unknown.

As he thought on the contents of the datapad, Copen ascended alongside Keyes and the marines into the next area. Nothing but dirt and boxes greeted them as they headed through the hallway and into the new room. It felt odd for the place to be this empty, as the marines noted, with Freid reprimanding them for jinxing things.

The skirmisher had called to retreat when the marines were set free, but did that really extend to the rest of the facility?

"Keep your guard up," Copen called, cautiously making his way to the right wall, where the control console was. "I'll try to get that door open."​

 

[Psymallard]

David Kavarr
As the group discussed who was to take the first elevator, David awkwardly basked in the praise of the sycophantic unggoy. Despite his complaining, he was one of the people to go with the first group. With more backup and a group coming right behind them, the Spaniard quietly knew it wasn't as big of a deal as he was making it out to be.

The mercenary was especially encouraged to join the group to not be upshown by Keyes's cheesy selflessness. He rolled his eyes when Keyes suggested he was just as expendable as a footsoldier. Before they went up, David shot the grunts a look and pointed his finger at them.

"Be good."

Kavarr then gave the prisoners a winning smile and a wink. His eyes then darted over to look at the Guardian, as he was the one David trusted most to look over their POWs.

The first squad went up, consisting of the swordsman, Keyes, six marines, and Copen. David had been expecting an ambush yet again, but, to his relief, he was greeted with nothing more than an empty hall. The vagrant rolled his eyes again, but this time at the cyborg Copen's comment.

David first thought of how easily the Banished could have locked them down here if this door couldn't have been opened from this side. He then wondered if someone like JULIAN would even have the strength to smash through it. It would most likely be easier to hack into- and the Spaniard's expression soured as he was reminded of something. He walked into the room, whirled around, and leaned up against the wall adjacent to the "hidden" door, his smile having found its way back to his face.

 

[comic]

GRAKKEN PRISON - ENTRANCE​

(Auto perms granted by Blue)​

When First Squad had ascended, with David’s passive warning to his newfound groupies, the two grunts shook at the knees, their eyes turning in horror to look at JULIAN, who they were being left with. If they weren’t wearing armor, it’s likely pools would have formed at their foot-nubs.

Copen set out to interact with the command wall, but the consoles didn’t respond to his touch. Only one screen displayed a red glow, several words in the alien language he’d seen before lining across its surface.

Keyes moved up alongside him, tapping his chin. “Not good...” he muttered, glancing around. “Says the room is out of power. There should be a source somewhere here...”

The captain wasn’t entirely sure of that claim, he was basing it upon general logic and reasoning. This Banished seemed to separate power to a lot of their rooms, like how all three floors very clearly had their own central commands. It would explain why, if this had been out of power, the other two floors remained in operation.

It was possible the escaping skirmisher had removed the power source during her retreat in an effort to lock them in.

“There’s cables,” Copen said, recalling Jacob’s attention. “They run from the back of the consoles.”

Copen trailed his gaze through the darkness, and as Keyes peered, he could barely, just barely make out the slightly darker shade of black of the cables. Copen’s gaze fell upon an inconsistency in the wall, some sort of pillar embedded into it. A gaping hole was inside, and it was a quick guess that some form of power source was meant to fit inside.

Once Keyes caught on, a bit slower than Copen, he reached for his pocket only to find his pipe was still missing. A nervous habit—he liked to chew on the tip of it when he got anxious, or needed a moment to think. He never lit it, of course, even if he did smoke, it would have been entirely forbidden on a ship’s bridge, which was where he spent a good deal of his time until recently.

“We need a source of power,” Keyes told the others in the room, for those who hadn’t been paying as much attention to what the captain and Copen were up to. “Something to charge the console so we can get that door open. Any suggestions?”

He briefly considered trying to extract the battery of his plasma pistol, but Keyes had no training or knowledge of field stripping Covenant or Banished weaponry, if such a thing were even possible. And even then, would the battery be compatible?​

 

[Fraseandchico]

JULIAN

For a while, the robotic body holding JULIAN remained silent, unusually, the circuits within whirring as a sign of life. In truth, JULIAN was assessing everything around him, formulating plans and studying.

He was being made to stand back, while another group went ahead. There was no order to it, something JULIAN was rather pleased about - These humans weren't acting so superior now, perhaps his brutal killing of that captain instilled some respect in these fools.
On the other hand, maybe they considered their own superiority and control over him a silent one, so simple it didn't need to be said.

They left him with the two grunts who had surrendered as prisoners, the pair clearly terrified of the SPARK. Chances were, JULIAN summised, they saw how he fought.
He was also left with the Guardian, the one who had fired off a rescue shot earlier. How fun, but the knightly-man should not expect gratitude from the Robot, for JULIAN had no intention of giving it here. Finally, the not-chrysallid was also here, and JULIAN was honestly shocked this thing was still alive.

"Yes, behave - or I'll turn you both into a smear on the wall." He threatened, internally making an approximation of a laugh at the horrified looks on the faces of the Grunts, before looking back at the knight.
"That goes for you, too." The way it was said, perhaps it could be mistaken for a joke by the human, but it was no laughing matter. Then, the AI looked towards the elevator platform. There was an almost immeadiate temptation to follow at the first given opportunity... But that seemed unwise without further information. Instead, he looked back to the captured Grunts, Ripnip and Yappin.

"Actually, I suppose there's a use for you two yet." With a small laugh, one metal fist moved closer to Ripnip...and stopped right in front of him, threatening a punch. "I understand that, given your cowardly disposition and general uselessness, you do not know much. But there's a simple question I'm sure even the dullest minded of you can answer; Did you see any Brutes walk around this facility, carrying these two items," The fist pulled back, before the eye whirred and turned in place before a pair of projected blueprints appeared on the ground with an orange glow. Simplified, the first showed a hexagonal object, 6 sides and shaped to make it more of an oval, covered in smaller hexagonal plating with a small camera on top and two eye looking-objects near the bottom. The second was a large gun, long and colored with a blue that could be mistaken for silver. "In their possession?"

Seemed smart...no, not smart, Logical, to make use of time and options available to him. Chances were, based on everything thus far, his own weapons were taken elsewhere, a different facility entirely, so the Banished could test the technology, but perhaps these two were too curious for their own good and knew where. Of course, there was also the rather likely chance that they took the weapons to a seperate area before taking JULIAN's disabled SPARK to this prison. And the final, even more likely chance, that these two had completely missed anyone carrying JULIAN's own weaponry.

 

[comic]

GRAKKEN PRISON - TRANSFER LEVEL​

As expected, the cowardly grunts flinched and yipped in fear at all the right moments to JULIAN’s flexing of power and authority. It seemed almost as though Ripnip was about to faint on the spot when the robot’s fist nearly met his grunty face.

However, that cowardice turned to groveling on a dime. At JULIAN’s request, the unit depositing a holographic approximation of his missing tool, Yappin piped up quickly. “Oh, yes you’s excellency! We seen dis!”

“Huh?” Ripnip took a moment to look up from his arms that shielded him in his cowering position. “We dids?”

“Maybe you needa looks at it, stupid!” Yappin slapped the back of Ripnip’s head, who barked in reply. The slightly more competent of the two (Yappin, if it wasn’t obvious) turned back to JULIAN, bowing his head when he spoke, sure to lower himself a bit, really leaning into the whole ‘servant’ dynamic he’d found himself in. It probably wasn’t unfamiliar, given the usual company he kept.

“We seens it when the brutes broughts ya in!”

“Oh... oh yeah!” Ripnip added. “The biggest one!”

“Smelliest, too!”

“Like a butt!”

“A bunch of smelly butts!”

“Big smelly butts!”

“He uh-” Yappin tried to get the information back on track, not eager to displease his new robot overlord he had so eagerly accepted. “This brute is very important...”

“Important big smelly butt!”

“Shut up!” Yappin snapped at Ripnip. “He the warden’s brother, you's excellency!”

“Aren’t they all related?” Ripnip pondered.

“Big names ‘round here gets all the good stuffs from prisoners we’s taken in!”​

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

The problem had been identified – now they just needed a solution.

If he had the rest of his gear on him at the moment, Copen would have had a couple ways to attempt to power the console. An Energia Core from the world of the Grave Pillar could likely do the trick, as the crystal was known to fuel all manner of devices. Lola's own A.S. Drive could similarly supply it with the necessary energy, provided there were no compatibility issues.

Though, his armor's power generator was made from a combination of both worlds' technologies...

"Let me try something," Copen told Keyes, stepping closer to the hole in the pillar. "If it doesn't work, I'll see if I can use a pistol's battery."

That last part was a bit of wishful thinking. While he'd been able to take apart the otherworldly Blaster Rifle that was the basis for the Razor Wheel, there was no telling if he could do the same with a plasma pistol, or if it would be enough to get the console online.

Regardless, he held a hand out, placing it within the opening. Gradually, the cyborg's armor shifted, pulling back the outer plating to reveal an inner layer of intricate machinery, a multitude of wires running along the hand. With the wiring exposed, electricity began to stream into the opening, steadily amping up in power.

With any luck, the energy of an Azure Striker-based generator would be enough to power the device. This wasn't something Copen was accustomed to doing – though fortunately, his armor's resources were plentiful enough that a stunt like this would not drain them too much. He was certainly proud of the power source he'd designed.​

 

[comic]

GRAKKEN PRISON - ENTRANCE​

Keyes watched as Copen went to work, eyes widening a hair at the sight of disassembly and exposure, Copen’s mechanical nature more profoundly exposed. The surprise was short-lived, however, as the captain moved toward the console while the iX pumped electrical energy into the battery socket.

It worked, as the screens flickered to life and a holographic panel appeared. There was no telling how long it would remain active, if Copen relented his transference of energy, so Jacob quickly activated the panel and navigated it. In only seconds, the closed wall let out a groan before they began to part, either end falling outward. The top half swung slowly open as the bottom half became a ramp, lowering down until it came to a stop at the ground.

Once it was fully open, Keyes signaled for Copen to stop pumping power into the socket - he’d fulfilled his part in that matter.

Sunlight had streamed in, first from the crack and into beams as the wall was fully opened. The sky was ablaze with orange light, signifying a setting sun. The source of dirt all around the prison entrance became obvious, as the land outside the gateway was a rugged hill of trodden-down dirt paths.

They were at the hill’s crest, overlooking the rest of the prison exterior. The path led down, branching off to lead to a few other box-like metal buildings the Banished had set up. Two watchtowers were at the edge of the prison, right before the massive spiked walls that had been erected around the entire location, boxing in everything.

There were two vehicle-like constructs near the entrance to either side, spherical in shape with mounted rods in their front. Evidently they were piloted defense turrets of some kind, currently unoccupied. In fact, the entire place seemed unoccupied. Not a soul was in sight, as though the palace had been evacuated. Places haphazardly along the prison’s walled-in settlement were more crates, some of which were open, most of those empty. Those that weren’t were filled with electrical equipment, placements, and broken down structural attachments. The location was in the process of being gradually taken down and disassembled, as Dabdab had earlier made claim to.

There was a sudden sign of life, as before anybody had stepped foot out of the prison’s entrance, the heavy clanks of armored feet suddenly rang out from the top of the prison building they were in. Rapid footfalls from multiple entities that disappeared as quickly as they’d been heard. Anybody stepping outside to investigate would find nothing atop the building.

Whatever it had been was fast, and didn’t want to be seen by them. They weren’t alone, that much had been confirmed.

“On me,” Corporal Freid gruffed as he took point, advancing with his plasma pistol raised and readied, the man moving out of the building with the other five marines behind him, each strategically moving at separate points and aiming in different directions. Trained professionals.

Keyes gave his plasma pistol a once-over. Low charge, lower than he’d like if this turned into a firefight, but there’d be more weapons to scavenge from the battlefield if it did become one. He approached the entrance before he paused, glancing back. “Hold position,” he ordered the marines. “Second squad’s unaccounted for.”

What the hell was taking them so long...?​

 

[Psymallard]

Spaniard
David watched, mildly surprised, as Copen exposed his inner wiring. He wasn't unfamiliar with heavily cybernetic beings, but those that kept their human face intact were rare. The swordsman had just assumed he was wearing a suit. Not something to dwell on, though, as the scientist's plan worked and the door had opened to the surface.

David took the first breath of fresh air he'd had in a while- air that still had a note of the ursine musk he'd grown to despise, but not as concentrated as it was in the underground chambers. The mercenary peeked out from behind the wall to see that there was... no one. A couple buildings, but no visual confirmation of life. He had clearly heard something scrambling over the roof, so there was certainly a force waiting to ambush them.

"Tch."

The vagrant looked between the marines and Copen. It would suck for the entire group to be caught in an ambush, but there was no way he was just going to sit here, afraid, when he'd already been cooped up for so long. Someone would have to test the waters, and Spaniard did not like the idea of asking someone else to do so. So, with no one stopping him, he marched ahead with a grimace on his face. The swordsman kept his head on a swivel as he moved towards the larger buildings to the left.

Though David's last ambush experience had not been favorable, the fact that he now bore an energy shield made him feel much more equipped. Also, his previous wound was closing at an impressive rate due to his nanomachines using the compounds within biofoam to speed along the process. Everyone else might find him foolish, but this was his gambit. If they attacked the Spaniard, it would reveal them to be fired upon by all the rest of the group. If they attacked the main group, Kavarr would be in position to counterattack. If they chickened out, David was absolutely content with leaving- he would be sure stick to the walls, clear corners, and peer through buildings until he found the key out of there.

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

Lo and behold, his idea had worked.

At Keyes' signal, the electricity ceased to flow, and Copen casually pulled his hand away as his armor proceeded to envelop it fully once more. He followed after the David and the marines, taking in the sight of the seemingly abandoned complex. Turrets installed by the entrance, a few buildings spread throughout the hill, and crates holding building materials scattered everywhere...

The biome was fairly similar to the one he'd first woken up in, but the sun was now setting. How much time had passed since he'd been captured? It couldn't have been long, but with Lola missing, he hoped the Banished had not hurt her while he was locked up. Copen pushed his mind off of that for now, choosing to focus on completing the group's escape.

Those footsteps overhead hadn't gone unnoticed. The cyborg had glanced up at the top of the building in search of their source, but found nothing. Odds were part of the facility's inhabitants were in hiding, aiming for an ambush right before their prisoners could flee. Copen headed forward right behind the squad of marines, noting the lack of information on the rest of the escapees, though he couldn't focus on that at the moment. David had moved ahead, and while it took him a moment to understand why, Copen cautiously began to move forward as well.

He kept more of a distance from the Spaniard, rounding on the right of the left defense turret, keeping his eyes on the rooftops of the nearby buildings. Should more enemies emerge to ambush them as expected, Copen was confident he could use his speed to get to David, the others, or to the cover the closest structures provided. Besides, if he could make use of the nearby turrets, perhaps it would swing a firefight in the rebels' favor.​

 

[PaprusTeuton]

Kazaaak

What was taking them so long was the fact that JULIAN was interrogating the grunts. Kazaaak didn't see much point in this, since the Grunts seemed... stupid, and were spending more time arguing with eachother than actually telling JULIAN anything. They had given some useful intel, though- the "biggest" Brute had been seen carrying the robot's weaponry.

They had to get back on track. The first squad had probably already cleared the top of the elevator. "Hey, JULIAN, we gotta go. I know there's probably some psychological reason why you're doing what you're threatening people the moment you have power over them, but I skipped that class and we can deal with that issue once we're out of prison. So if you would please get over here..."

 

[Fraseandchico]

JULIAN

Fascinating - These two weren't completely useless. The question had a rather low chance of gathering information even with the images. However, the moment they deigned to stop fighting amongst each other, Yappin provided some rather valuable information.

"The warden's brother? The one who smells like a bunch of big smelly butts?" JULIAN parroted back the response with mild glee - That could be fun. "And you say the big names get all the good stuff, hm? Then I suppose I will have to make a bigger name for myself in these parts."
Of course, JULIAN knew full well that wasn't what was meant - However, having recently been allowed to watch a few old world movies, the line felt...clever.

And then, the bug interupted.
"Hey, JULIAN, we gotta go. I know there's probably some psychological reason why you're doing what you're threatening people the moment you have power over them, but I skipped that class and we can deal with that issue once we're out of prison. So if you would please get over here..."
"It's for Information, Bug." JULIAN snapped back at Kazaaak. "I'm not looking to run around like a headless chicken once we're out of here, and we all know there's the chance these two run into a spray of bullets, plasma, whatever, the moment we get into a fight. Look at them."

"I'll be asking for more information later, provided you two survive - Let's head up the elevator. Not a word of this conversation to the others once we reach them."
There was a clear risk that would come with the more technology inclined of the group discovering he was doing this without orders or input from them - Namely if they held the belief he was beholden to their orders, or had worried about robot uprisings in the past. So the instructions were shot to his allies, too, not just the Grunts.
But, they'd waited down here long enough. No screams of agony could be heard, so 76% chances indicated that it was safe. The other 24% was death that was so swift they didn't have a chance to yell, but if that was the case it would likely be a one-off trap.

Still, finally stood up, JULIAN moved his hefty mechanical SPARK to reach the Elevator - As said, it was time to go up.

 

[comic]

GRAKKEN PRISON - EXTERIOR​

David took the lead, making his way down the sloped hill, headed for the two buildings to the left. They seemed promising, both being the largest of the present structures. Copen followed at a distance, with Keyes and the marines advancing as well.

“It’s quiet...” Bisenti commented.

“Don’t even think about it, marine,” Freid snapped.

“Mierda...” another marine muttered, swiveling his weapon this way and that.

Out of the corner of David’s eye, he could see a blur of natural colors darting between the closest building and to the next, but any investigation would yield nothing. The creature was fast, and knew the area far better than he. It was no secret that they were being watched by their enemy, whatever that enemy turned out to be.

The Spaniard reached the first building, roughly at the same time JULIAN, Guardian, and Kazaaak reached the exit to the main building with the grunt prisoners in tow. The building was empty, only dust and dirt resided within. Most of the crates lying around outside had likely come from here.

A distant sound alerted the marines. A trilling shout that echoed off the buildings, making pinpointing the origin difficult. What made the sound wasn’t yet clear, but what was clear was that it sounded predatory. The thought of this being an ambush remained fairly obvious, but it was likely more than that.

A hunt.

“I don’t like this,” Keyes muttered. “Sounds like Skirmishers. Keep your eyes high, they’ll have snipers.”

“Copy,” Freid grunted, signaling to his marines where they should be focused, particularly around the walls and at the watchtowers.

Finding nothing of interest, David continued from the vacant building to the next, its doors closed. They hummed to life and split open when he approached, exposing its interior. The structure was u-shaped, the entrance being alongside the southern arm. Upon entering, David could see a console with wires snaking from behind to lead into the ceiling, or around the bend to the rest of the building.

The console displayed a series of alien characters scrolling across the surface. Its holographic panel sat before it, vacant and inoperational. The next item of interest was another holotable, which some of the cords connected to. Unlike the previous one, this was operational, the surface of the table depicting a three-dimensional map of the island where this prison sat. Dots with alien letters beside them were littered about, denoting some points of interest. Many of the dots were moving, implying that those were Banished forces.

The only other thing of note was down the other arm of the building, sitting in the near-dark was another datapad.​

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

A cry echoed throughout the hill. Animalistic. Alien, even.

The enemy's attack was nigh.

Copen's instinct to keep an eye on the rooftops had been correct, as Keyes claimed the Skirmishers they'd be dealing with would certainly have snipers. When David left the first of the buildings and entered the second, the cyborg moved close to the vacant structure, using it as cover.

No Banished response came, however, so Copen elected to stay a little closer to the Spaniard, approaching the doorway the man had entered through. It put him further away from the turrets he'd considered using, though he figured Keyes, the marines, or the second group could make use of them just as well. He was used to fighting on the frontlines, anyway.

The doors opened when Copen came close, and the white-haired man stood by the entrance as he took a quick look around the room. Near David were a console and a holotable, the latter of which displayed a map with numerous dots on it. He didn't inspect them for long, though, as he quickly went back to monitoring the high ground outside.

"See anything useful?" he called to the Spaniard from his position.​

 

[Psymallard]

David Kavarr
A blur of movement; an untraceable trill.

The Spaniard hurried into the building, as the traces of activity from the aliens were putting him on edge while he was out in the open like that. He saw that Copen had been following him. Not something he preferred, but he wasn't going to tell the scientist what to do. David entered, ensured that there were no others in the room, and then moved to inspect the holotable. There were dots seemingly on the move, converging on a single point. This was not good news. Copen asked him if he found anything.

"No."

The swordsman exited the building the same way he came, passing by the cyborg as he considered this new development. They needed to get out of there. He briskly walked towards the front entrance, activating the point-defense shield. He motioned for Copen to follow. He suggested,

"Come, open the front gate. I will cover you."

If the cyborg came with him, David would stand between him and the buildings, shield and weapon raised at the tops of the aforementioned structures.

 

[comic]

“Report.”

Mae Kraa’s feathered head shifted to face the holographic form that displayed before her. Several of the jiralhanae around her gave her a wider berth as the T’vaoan clicked her tongue. The holograph took the shape of another jiralhanae, one by the name of Tiber, though he was commonly called ‘The Warden.’

“Mae Kraa,” the Warden rumbled, staring down at her. The crimson hologram projected his mannerisms well, from the arching eyes to the quiver of annoyance at the twitching of his jowels. “I’m told you have placed Grakken under a restricted banner... why is this?”

“New prisoners have escaped, Warden,” Mae Kraa cooed, her head cocking thirty degrees. “More trouble than they are worth. Scouts say they have breached surface—position Revered Splendor and glass them.”

The Warden narrowed his eyes before a great paw came up to stroke his chin, his thick and braided beard complimenting him. “Is the automaton still operational?”

The T’vaoan snapped her jaws. “Not important.”

“Is. It.”

“...Scouts say yes.”

“My brother tells me Pavium requested its transfer to him for study,” Tiber claimed, staring down at the skirmisher. “I’m also told the small human is cybernetic. It will need to be dissected as well.”

Mae Kraa’s toe claws tapped impatiently on the ground, clicking with each tap.

“That is two valuable finds, in a day where such things are growing scarce. I will not request Voridus to position his flagship for such a trivial matter. Have your scouts delay them and fortify the Apex. I will send my brother to take control from there.”

“What of Isolated Pit?” Mae Kraa hissed, clearly annoyed at how things were going.

“Take what we have deemed of value,” the Warden said. “Dispose of what’s left.”

The hologram flickered before it disappeared, and Mae Kraa’s shoulders hunched. This day was taking a sharp turn in the wrong direction and she was powerless to steer it back on track. She could not expect brutes to comprehend the true intricacies needed in a situation like this. The last time something like this had happened, the Redfield Uprising had occurred. It had been small in scope, relative to the size of the Banished, but it had been a war of atrition for the outer provinces. An annoying one.

Pockets of resistance remained, and there was no telling how dangerous these new entities could prove to be. Smarter to respond to their escape with extreme and absolute prejudice.

And then there was the Warden’s brother... the brute of brutes. He lacked any brain, relying purely on raw muscle and firepower. If Tiber’s aim was to preserve the mechanical ones, then sending in his brother was counter-productive. The idiot would just vaporize them under a hail of siege fire, or something to that effect.

Although, the more she thought about it, the more she understood the Warden’s strategy. If the prisoners couldn’t be overcome by the time they got to the Apex, then they would outlive their value to the Banished. Clever. Very clever, especially for a brute.

She would work on clearing the Isolated Pit of valuables. Disposing of what was left would be a simple matter, including scrap and prisoners alike. The incinerator would be indiscriminate to whatever she put in there.

“Once I leave, you will join scouting party,” Mae Kraa informed one of the brutes beside her, a jump pack on his back, and the backs of those around him. “Likelihood of your death is high.”

“We are jiralhanae!” The jump major chuckled. “Little humans are not worrisome.”

Mae Kraa didn’t argue. Not because she agreed, but because it would be pointless. There were more than just humans among the jailbreakers. The small armored one, for example, interested her the most. How it could manipulate the dispensing plasma of their weapons...

The Warden and Pavium could have their technology. Mae Kraa would bide her time and wait for the overlooked one, if glassing wasn’t an option.

—————————

The marines didn’t fan out by much, keeping to the edges of the path near the walls of the buildings for those brief spots of potential cover. The watchtowers were unoccupied and remained so, as were the walls. Brief glimpses of color could still be seen at the edges of people’s vision, but the skirmishers kept just out of reach, always moving and somehow disappearing before they could be properly found.

Keyes kept his eyes peeled. The Banished weren’t attacking them, not yet, so that could only mean this was a scouting party, or something like it. They were reporting and watching, not engaging.

“Me gonna... hides over here!” Yappin suddenly spoke up, quickly waddling away and keeping his head lowered, as though if he couldn’t see anybody looking back at him, nobody could reject his decision.

“Me gonna do it too!” Ripnip declared, hurriedly waddling after him, both making their way to the primary building where the holotable resided.

Yet still, the skirmishers did not strike.

His hand tightly gripped the plasma pistol. Jacob looked left and right as he moved not far behind Copen, who moved not far behind David. He developed a feeling that, once those gates were open, the skirmishers wouldn’t stay hidden. Considering the treetops he could see over the top of the wall, there was a nearby forest. That, however, wouldn’t bode any better than plains in escaping skirmishers or jackals. They thrived among the trees.
​

 

[ArmedBlue]

Copen
​

"I see."

The Spaniard claimed there was nothing of use, and Copen wasn't about to waste time searching for himself. No enemies had sprung out yet, which could mean the Banished were simply trying to keep the group contained, likely waiting for backup. It was probably best to engage on their terms, not the foe's.

Fortunately, David seemed to come to a similar conclusion, motioning for the cyborg to follow as he left the building and suggesting he opened the front gate. Copen had no objections, of course, staying close to the man as they moved toward the nearby exit.

"On it."

It didn't take long for the two to reach it, and Copen took note of a large console by the gate that appeared to control it. Should no enemy forces appear to stop them, the Luminous Avenger iX would approach the device, grabbing onto the grip bar in the center before turning it counter-clockwise. The bar would have a lot more resistance than expected, however, which would prompt him to use both hands and the armor's thrusters to provide enough force to turn the handle horizontally and push it in.​