TERRACE Draft - Remaining Days

[lucetimods]

Who: All Draftees
What: All hell breaks loose
When: From the 27th to the 1st.
Where: TERRACE!
Summary: Information post here
Rating: Varies on thread, please mark explicit material.

This post covers the second to sixth day! Be sure to check the info post on the timeline to know what's up. At 2AM on the 27th, the attack will break out while most people are sleeping. Be sure to use the above info post for any plotting needs you might have. Enjoy!

Some random NPC quotes about the island itself.

Be sure to tag this post appropriately: [canon] character name

Comments

[immamartillo]

[Firo nods along; he didn't truly realize how steep the costs could be of a lack of strategy, but he did find it jarring. He's used to smaller fights, several guys at the most, not big battles like this and some sort of direction would have helped. It's Layton's last statement that really catches his attention, though.]

Escape? Where to?

[reminded]

Why, anywhere. I imagine one could craft a parachute and simply walk off the island... though of course, it would be incredibly risky.

[Better not give Firo any funny ideas.]

[immamartillo]

...Don'tcha think it's a bit too high up for that?

[Firo wouldn't say he's afraid of heights, but even with a parachute he doesn't relish the idea of jumping off the island. Of course, he wouldn't trust any parachute made by himself either.]

Now that I think about it, even if they're not really keepin' an eye on us, the places they send us are always the kind that'd make it hard to escape. It's a flyin' island now, and last time I went on one it was somewhere underground.

[reminded]

[If the parachute fails, then there's always the wings on their backs for a last resort...]

Draft locales have always sounded... exotic. The deep jungle, the open seas... and even outer space. I might even go willingly to the last one.

[immamartillo]

If that's what you wanna call it. I always thought they were inconvenient--who would know how to fight in space?

[He runs his hand through his hair.]

You'd really wanna go to space? What's even out there?

[reminded]

A great deal of nothing, I suppose. [Point taken.] But it's bound to be a unique experience. Perhaps even out of this world. Ohoho.

[immamartillo]

[It takes Firo a moment to get the pun and though he rolls his eyes at it, he chuckles too.]

...Yeah, right.

I guess that's one thing the Malnosso got goin' for 'em--that they can actually do stuff like send people out to space, I mean.

[reminded]

They are quite impressive...

[He trails off as the door to the detention center up ahead slides open. A mechanical drumming of feet flows out of the opening, and Layton grips his pipe as the sound grows stronger with every beat. Droids...]

[immamartillo]

[Firo glances down as if to verify that he still has his knife, then looks to Layton. He takes a step slightly forward and to the side in an effort to partially block Layton.]

You ready? If you get tired, I can cover for you.

[He promised Maiza he'd take care of him, even if the Professor is competent.]

[reminded]

[Well, he did say he'd look out for Firo. What better place to do that than from slightly behind and to the side?]

You don't need to worry about that. I'm ready as I'll ever be.

[The soldiers of like training line up with their guns, however much use those will be against the droids. A single Shift Hunter prowls nearby, eager to get at the Shifter masterminding the mechanical army. And then, without warning, the steady rhythm of marching breaks into a cacophony of sound as the first droids flood out of the entrance.]

[immamartillo]

Yeah? I'm glad to--

[He looks ahead as he hears the droids start to move. Embarrassing as it would be to admit it, he's nervous now that they seem too close; he tries to cover that up with a smile as he looks back at Layton.]

...Damn. Good luck.

[He'll try to stick close by to keep his promise to Maiza, as hard as that may be in the chaos.]

[reminded]

The same to you.

[Layton, on the other hand, is grim and focused. As the droids swarm out of the building and into Malnosso gunfire, he studies their patterns of movement. They are being controlled by someone, after all, and so move as a unit with efficiency and single purpose.]

Firo... let's shift our angle of attack. This way! [Without pausing for a response, Layton hurries off to flank the MSF line of formation. He can think of a better way to use of themselves.] If any droids come our way, you must do your best to engage them until I can get a clear blow in. When I do, you might want to take a step back.

Still the same person, I'm just switching accounts

[foundafamily]

[Strategy isn't Firo's thing. He's used to small scale fights with street thugs, or one one sparring matches with his senior capos. All he has going for him now is his ability with the knife--which he discovered a while ago isn't sufficient to deliver the fatal blow to the droids--and his ability to keep his head in a fight.

Thankfully the latter does come in handy now. He registers what Layton says with a nod and quickly moves into position according to the man's directions. He stands on the balls of his feet, ready to move when the droids come at them.]

Got it! Just tell me when to move!

[If Maiza trusts Layton, then Firo does too.]

=u=b

[reminded]

Right.

[The first wave of droids moves in rank at robotic pace. To hit the MSF formation all at once, Layton has to guess. Bullets ping and ricochet like hail off droid metal. A thrown grenade blasts a chunk out of earth and opposition. The extremities of the droid wave reach the Malnosso forces first while the center takes the brunt of MSF fire, and Firo and Layton, on the edge of formation themselves, are the first to receive their opponent: a single droid.]

A few seconds should be enough, Firo.

[Layton moves to give him room.]

[foundafamily]

[Just one droid? It's better than the groups Firo expected to fight; he wonders if he's starting to see the sense in Layton's strategy.

But he can think on that later, for now he nods and darts toward the droid. Before it can strike at him he moves in close to hook its leg so that it falls on its knees. The droids may not feel pain the same way humans do, but their bodies are shaped similarly and that's enough for Firo's strategy. He uses the hilt of his knife to strike at its neck, concentrating on keeping the droid from advancing since he knows he stands little chance of breaking through to its inner workings.]

[reminded]

[That works perfectly. He quickly angles himself just so.]

Stand back!

[And before the droid can get to its feet, Layton hops in with a double-handed grip on his pipe. Like a baseball batter hitting for distance, he winds up, sucks in a breath, and swings with all his might. The metallic clang of pipe on droid is predictably loud; the spectacle is in the sudden tornado gust of wind that erupts from the pipe as it makes contact. The droid rockets through the air a short distance before crashing into a second droid -- and a third -- and a fourth. The lot of them end up in a tangled heap of metal limbs, wiser to the hazard of advancing on the battlefield in so straight a line.

Layton breathes out and adjusts his hat before looking to Firo.]

You get the idea?

[foundafamily]

[He steps out of Layton's way and watches as he deals with the droid quite handily. He'd thought that perhaps Layton would use his pipe to crack each droid open one at a time, but this is certainly more effective. It also completely floors Firo. Who knew the professor could do something like that? He glances over at Layton--now with a little more respect for the guy.]

...Yeah. How'd you-?

[He shakes his head to cut himself off and steps forward to engage the next droid that comes their way.]

You gotta tell me how you did that once we're done here!

[reminded]

[He smiles at Firo's reaction and readies himself for the next opportunity.]

The answer may disappoint you.

[But for now, he'll just let Firo enjoy the mystery. As the droid formation is scattered by battle, the Shift Hunter is let loose to track down the Shifter in control. It slips between combatants with ease, and soon it disappears into the building. The rest of them will just need to survive until the Hunter can do its job...]