Siege on the North Pole

[cityship]

Of course, the task entrusted to our beloved heroes of the Meatcrew won't be easily accomplished. They're being watched. Small, robotic Arctic foxes, a product of Macrohard, studies the crew as they come through the portal. They watch the set up; they see them go into the realm of the Holiday Spirit, and leave in their flying cars to spread joy in the world. The portal is left open--this is their chance to strike.

This joy, this happiness, this plan? Unacceptable. These creatures are the surveillance for Macrohard. The crew's plan is out, and this corporation is not pleased. The crew's efforts are threatening Macrohard's dominance of the season, but the most effective tactic isn't fighting the crew--oh no. What they'll do instead is go after the Holiday Spirit itself. There is no other option: the threat must be eliminated, once and for all.

Luckily, Macrohard happens to have access to the most technologically advanced weaponry available. The most dangerous mercenaries are on their payroll. Troops of mecha nutcrackers, cybernetic polar bears, and candy cane-wielding arctic ninjas are on route to the North Pole to finish up the job.

[OOC: These are small teams, so try to keep Infiltration Team in one thread, and try to do a LOT of group threads in the others.]

Comments

Infiltration Team

[cityship]

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. While they've spent part of the night with the others, spreading cheer and good will, one group is poking into the Megacorporation behind all this, sneaking through their posh corporate headquarters to find the information they need--and to possibly shut down the social aspect of the Link network for the night to force people outside.

Re: Infiltration Team

[imperious_lex]

Rule #1 in any conflict is 'Know Thy Enemy'. So while everyone else is busy out giving gifts, its no wonder that Lex, and a few others curious individuals, have decided to check out the competition. And perhaps knock out a few cogs in this corporate machine while they were there.

Admittedly, Lex's curiosity was more focused on how one business could have a monopoly on nearly every sector of the global economy. Even in his wildest dreams, LuthorCorp would never grow to that size. Such a thing didn't seem possible. It also didn't seem healthy for the global economy, but that was neither here nor there. And he might be just a bit jealous that someone did manage to pull that off.

For now, though, he let the others more skilled at stealth take point. It was late, and the main office it was fairly devoid of staff, save for the usual night crew. It shouldn't be too hard to break in, especially since Lex was able to provide everyone with a map of the interior and schematics of the security system.

How did he get it?

Well, let's just say that while Macrohard might not have any business competition, they did have quite a few enemies. Most of whom weren't terribly hard to find, and all of whom were more than willing to offer their assistance when Lex approached them.

Re: Infiltration Team

[gangstageek.livejournal.com]

"Kind of takes the fun out of it, knowing everything inside the building," Dark Smoke Puncher commented.

Sometimes the ninja, now wearing a santa hat instead of his usual baseball cap, would appear with the team. Of course he was helping with the infiltration. This company was too fishy not to check out. Besides, just working on the cure for the symptoms didn't stop the PROBLEM at all.

...okay, he was hanging around his brother too much.

Re: Infiltration Team

[halfa-hero.livejournal.com]

"But not knowing might take the life out of us. Who knows whta could be in here?"

Re: Infiltration Team

[imperious_lex]

"It also cuts down on wasting time," which is what they were doing right now.

"So if a couple of you would be so inclined to sneak inside and disable the security system so the rest of us can follow," not everyone there was a ninja, after all, "that would be great."

Re: Infiltration Team

[halfa-hero.livejournal.com]

"Yeah yeah. Let's go DSP." Danny said, going invisible and intangible.

Fight Stage 1

[cityship]

The attack!

Mecha nutcrackers, ninjas wielding sharpened candy canes as kunai, and cybernetic polar bears are on the attack. The crew has been warned of the thread by the Infiltration Team, but can some of them get to the North Pole in time to defend it?

Re: Fight Stage 1

[enter-aeneas.livejournal.com]

Typical, mid-winter arctic weather going on here—minus seventy degrees, the blizzard just picked up to a howling maelstrom, visibility is down to zero, and the ice is absolutely cutting. The sun has yet to rise, and it won’t for another few weeks, at best. The landscape is dark and unforgiving. Nothing lives here—nothing dares to live here.

Aeneas was taking a light nap.

He had never left. Not that he didn’t want to go—unlike the humans, who were embarrassed about clothing and other such material items, Aeneas genuinely wanted to spread the good cheer. It was something he’d been looking forward to ever since the mission was described to them in detail. Of course the background was a little odd, what with the ‘transdimentional fatman spirit in a crystal palace’, but that was, again, irrelevant to the goal. Aeneas wanted to help. He wanted to explore. What were the humans like? How did they spend their time in a slightly…more natural environment?

Alas, this all required traveling by flying car (and other assorted means of floating, really fast transportation), something that made Aeneas’s body involuntarily tremble just thinking about, and so he decided to stay behind.

The alien was partially buried in the snow, and otherwise his long fur (which had undergone an interesting transformation upon entering this habitat that made it almost shimmer like rapidly falling snowflakes) blended in perfectly with its surroundings. Aeneas was invisible and perfectly adapted. If there was a better guard for the interdimentional portal, they had yet to show themselves.

…Then again, said better person might not be sleeping on the job. But who exactly did anyone expect to come up here to this hostile place? Hmm? Robot polar bears?

Apparently, yes.

Something big was coming—Aeneas could feel it rumbling through the snow, through his ears pressed against the ice. He jerked upright, fully alert as he scanned his surroundings.

There was…something. Just a slight ripple in the blizzard, moving amorphously; perhaps it was actually many somethings.

Oh this could not be good.

Aeneas sprang to his feet and immediately reached for his comm ring.

//"Anyone? This is Aeneas, I’m at the portal and there is something coming, I am not sure what it is but THEY HAVE LASERS—"

A blast of energy blew away a nearby snowdrift, sending Aeneas flying.

Re: Fight Stage 1

[is-the-ultimate.livejournal.com]

Shadow had just returned from delivering gifts. It felt good having to do something like that, even if he wasn't thrilled at having to dress up. Hopping out of the car, his comm ring went off - it was Aeneas. Someone was here.

"Great, just great!" Shadow snapped. That must have been what he heard mentioned by the others. Tossing off his costume, Shadow raced outside to see what was out there. Distracted by the searing cold and the slight lack of visibility, Shadow could barely make out what was out there.

Barely missing some of the energy shots, a grin formed on Shadow's face.

"So... that's how you want to play, huh?" Shadow said. Raising his own comm ring, he sent out a message.

Alessa. Sonic. Any one else. We DO have attackers. Better hurry before I put them down myself.

With that, Shadow charged headlong into battle.

Re: Fight Stage 1

[ihasvision.livejournal.com]

"What the figgy pudding?!" Yeah, Shawn had seen the army/

Re: Fight Stage 1

[enter-aeneas.livejournal.com]

Okay, so Aeneas might be a little more helpful if he isn’t unconscious. Though technically he isn’t—just badly stunned. Either way he can’t do much right now.

Truth be told, Aeneas’s main source of shock came from the realization that this was not at all what he’d signed up for; as if he had a choice in the matter, mind you. But you couldn’t blame the guy for not expecting this to happen. Taking into consideration that they were not only at the north pole, in the middle of a raging blizzard, with absolutely insane temperatures and no light whatsoever, but also that so far Aeneas had never once been physically harmed while serving his time on this ship…the creature really hadn’t been taking things seriously up until now. He had no reason to.

Aeneas hefted himself out of the snow, staggering several times before finally gaining his balance and bearings. The initial laser blast had skimmed his side; his fur was pretty badly charred. At least his injuries were superficial. Aaaaaand there were a lot of enemies and so little of them.

This was probably going to end badly.

Now Aeneas was in no position to take charge (especially since he didn’t want to), but he had to do what he had to do. The alien attempted to get the attention of the human male standing nearby—who, similar to himself, probably had absolutely no idea what to do at this point.

“Do you have any means of protecting yourself?” he called, eyes darting to the ensuing battle and the one shorter, definitely not humanoid creature already charging into the fray. Apparently he knew what to do.

Fight Stage 2

[cityship]

The fighting is heated and it only gets worse as Macrohard's Elite Lancer Forces (E.L.F.) parachute in. These pointy-eared, genetically-modified human supersoldiers may lack size, but they make up for it in asskickery.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[starlightace]

Is she the closest thing the fracas has to a ranking officer right now? Nanoha can't tell, but she'll try to take charge since someone has to.

"Don't underestimate them!" Everyone in the area (who isn't resistant to telepathy) may hear her voice resonating in their head and chest. "They're still vulnerable right after they hit the ground, before they get unclipped, so hit them then - don't let them get to the portal!"

"Exceed Shift."

Her staff is enveloped in magenta light, and when it fades the head has turned into the familiar spear shape of its Excelion and Exceed forms - Nanoha quickly looks down at the ground, thinking about the height of the snow drifts... and considering how close they are to the ground, a fall shouldn't be too dangerous with the snow to cushion the impact.

So she flies through the air at the armada of paratroopers, the shimmering light covering the spear's head, and she swings - cutting the parachute strings of any of the E.L.F. troopers she passes while they're vulnerable.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[diana-inthecia.livejournal.com]

Diana is flying effortlessly through the air, aiming to hinder the ELFs before they are able to reach the ground. "I see negotiations won't work with you, will it?"

Heading towards them, she tangled their parachute strings together, effectively tying them together in a bundle and dropping them into the snow banks. "That should hold you for a while," she added before flying up into the air to tangle a few more in the air.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[demon-alessa.livejournal.com]

She had specifically not gotten involved with the foes on the ground: they would be easy, and certainly no challenge. Rather, she had taken refuge near the portal: getting through, after all, was not an option. Specifically though- Alessa had no reason for gift giving, so she had been about the place, although it was harder to see her. She had decided it would make sense to wait, and though she was good at that, she was getting restless. So she waited, and waited.

She grew impatient.

But then the noises came, and now a part of the North Pole became dark, the snow somehow a bit colder. It was odd weather and not at all beneficial due to brightness, but that didn't matter as much as her need to crush, to stretch out her limbs.

The E.L.F.'s decending in this particular part of the Pole would hear a deafening siren, and a moment later the vines would render them apart. The girl was precise, and she came at them relentlessly, the razor sharp tendrils cutting, tearing.

Alessa smiled. This was what she was waiting for.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[lightspeed-attk.livejournal.com]

Sonic found his speed to be quite the advantage in this environment. He was able to fling snowballs at rapid pace and then use them as mid-air footholds to jump and attack the ELFs with. He wasn't the most lethal fighter, far from it, but he was quite effective at knocking them out. "Hey Shadow! Bet I can knock out more before you can!"

Re: Fight Stage 2

[enter-aeneas.livejournal.com]

Since Rtas ‘Vadum had given Aeneas a proper weapon (and he’d gotten the hang of using it), things had become considerably easier. Certainly it was difficult to get used to the large plasma rifle—the creature wasn’t exactly made to carry things that were so heavy, not to mention this gun was definitely created for someone with longer fingers that weren’t webbed—but the results were worth the effort.

Physical combat, though Aeneas’s forte, was really taking its toll on him. Already he’d been badly burned by passing laser blasts, there were jagged cuts on his upper torso from where he’d latched onto his enemies and they got a hold of him as well, and a few minutes before the E.L.F paratroopers started flying in Aeneas realized that he’d dislocated his shoulder. Things obviously could’ve been worse, and they probably would have gotten worse if he’d kept up what he’d been doing.

Nevertheless, the alien was getting tired and he was getting tired quickly. The enemy forces were only increasing in number now, but at least they had more people here that had responded to the original distress call, which helped to keep the bulk of the battle off of Aeneas’s shoulders. He was almost relieved when he saw creatures begin parachuting in—at first he thought they were more of the crew.

Obviously they weren’t, and this presented a problem.

Aeneas was not accustomed to killing. It was…never something he’d considered, even if he had killed in the past. Now obviously he could just knock them out or otherwise incapacitate them, but that required a physical assault that Aeneas was not capable of delivering in his current state.

The creature watch, paralyzed with fear and indecision, as the remaining E.L.F soldiers touched down and immediately rushed for him and the portal. Nanoha’s mental notice, though duly noted, was not enough to snap Aeneas out of his trance. He briefly considered running, but where to? He no longer had places to hide, not this far into the battle.

”Oh Spode, what do I do now?”

Re: Fight Stage 2

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

Shadow Link had been sulking. He wasn't much for the gift giving idea and he wasn't going to go around and have MORE people see him in the ridiculous outfit. So he's been hanging around the North Pole.

And then...the ELFs come. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were going to attack.

Shadow Link really had no reason to hesitate. He had something he could VENT at and he wasn't likely to hold back on someone who looked like him, minus the ridiculous outfit. If anything, it just made it more fun to hit them.

It was rather fun, seeing the reaction on the first one's face when they thought one of Santa's Elves was running at him wildly before a sword appeared to strike him down swiftly. Hopefully there wouldn't be any hesitation in the others so they didn't face their doom so quickly.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[demon-alessa.livejournal.com]

"You're good," he heard Alessa said, but he couldn't see her. When she used her weapons like this, she tended to not be around: she was very busy.


But even she'd been curious to see Shadow Link fught. Then again, there was something about shadows that drew her.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[actuallyahero.livejournal.com]

"Of course I am. The hero was trained to fight and shadows always do the same training as their owners," Shadow Link said and smirked. "And I got an extra advantage."

And he was quite happy to blast away an ELF with a dark blast. He was sticking to the shadows mostly, but that meant he was taking care of any of them that were trying to be sneaky.

Re: Fight Stage 2

[demon-alessa.livejournal.com]

Being sneaky was not going to be an option for Alessa: because they were genetically modified, their signatures felt different, and so she struck mercilessly, pining them to the ground and crushing them. She was certain this would bother the crew, but this was what she was, and the easiest way to dispose of these enemies."


"It's fun to watch too," she said.

Fight Stage 3

[cityship]

Victory! Macrohard's forces are defeated!

...or are they?

One last horrible enemy enters the fray.

Is that ... an evil, robot Santa?

Re: Fight Stage 3

[standaloneshell.livejournal.com]

Finally, the crux of this battle, and yes it's a robot. Just her style.

The Major is all over this.

Re: Fight Stage 3

[starlightace]

"Strike Flame."

A huge burst of magenta energy flies out of the sides of Raising Heart, energy that will cut deep into whatever it comes in contact with, but also energy that makes her a vibrant target.

And that's just what Nanoha's banking on as she soars into the dark winter sky, trying to take the thing's attention away from her comrades, slashing at the robot's side as she flies by.

Re: Fight Stage 3

[ihasvision.livejournal.com]

Shawn? Just shoots at it. He also probably screams in horror, but that's about normal.