Suzukaze pays Tao no mind as she continues her charge. As he raises his hands she brings one of her blades across as to remove them from the wrists. Her other blade she swings downward aiming between the neck and shoulder.

"That was, anticlimactic.  I'm guessing Sol got to their generators."  He frowned, then spoke into the headset, "T2M, switch to bravo frequency"  After a pause, "There's no way the Mexican government will want these people to be prisoners of war, it'd legitimize them, make other cartels argue that they are viable political entities, totally destabilize the region, and put a kibosh on our war on drugs.  Comstock, you're team leader, what's the plan?  I can keep her talking while everybody else zergs the bitch, there's going to be somewhere near half a dozen novas with her.  Her threats to destroy the entire city, well, that's going to happen no matter what we do.  Frosty, how far back is the security cordon?  Last time we had a throwdown with a dozen novas involved we destroyed an entire forest."

"I'm low on juice, but I think Zero and I can take out a good chunk of her bodyguard by ourselves.  Also, we've got scientists and and a nova all being held prisoner over here.  Not sure what the radius on Zero's port is, since he doesn't open gates like Grav, but it might not be worth the energy for him to evac... Maybe Slider or Grav, if they're available?"

"Did you doubt I would Imp? Oh ye of little faith." Solitaire says lightly over her headset, but she gets more serious with her next sentence. "I've got plenty of power to spare and wouldn't mind finishing this quickly. But Imp, are you suggesting we not take prisoners?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:40, Sat 27 Mar 2010.

"Ye gods, no, Sol.  Take prisoners yes, not prisoners of war, there's important legal issues surrounding the latter.  We kick their asses, we put them in jail, but we don't make them prisoners of war.  We're ready to go, anybody know where they are?

"Hmmm... Let's see if Grav can make a portal up here. If not, I could port them out slowly, one by one, or we can fight our way out." We seem to be in the Northwest Complex. I can at least fort Prometheus right now." If Phantasm agrees to Zero porting Prometheus right then, Zero does so and returns for the others. (Combat teleport allows two ports per turn.)

"Gotcha, but I didn't think we were taking prisoners of war in the first place, isn't this a police action?"

Solitaire was slightly confused, but decided it didn't matter. All she was doing was rounding people up, it wasn't her problem how they were handled. She looked around the wreckage of the room, there didn't seem to be much left but overloaded and dead generators. Still, she smashed the rest of them just for good measure, then kicked open the door and strode off deeper into the complex.

"No clue where they might be, It'll be like a scavenger hunt. Drinks are on whoever gets there last."

Phantasm finishes unlocking everyone while she contemplates briefly.  "I'm fine with that, you can even 'port in a gate-maker on the trip back, assuming they're around."

"Northwest complex.  Copy that, Zero.  Team: we're going to push the attack.  Knock her out before she can do that again.  No special legal status.  We've got about three minutes.  Frostburn: what's the ETA on Antaeus?"

"Have him look into the Northwest Complex first.  I want a full map.  No escape.  Uh," he paused, running a hand over his head, "Order of battle ... two on one match-ups.  Imp: tell her we're working on it, that's it.  Phantasm: see if you can get a look around.  Solitaire: wait for Gale, damnit."

"Antaeus should be here by now."  Thirty minutes never seemed quite so long before super-speed, teleportation and flight.  "The cordon's holding firm except for the platoons trying to sweep and clear behind you guys and up top.  A few firefights, but we've got at least half the baseline zetas now."

"Phantasm, Zero: Saul has Cloudburst stabilized.  Slider says shes going to drop them off and then come straight to you."

Comstock gave Gravitas a thumbs up and got into position with Impetus and Flare.  "Grav, portal us to the Northwest part of the complex.  Anywhere near Phantasm and Zero."

---

Solitaire tore through doors and walls on her path to the far side of the complex.

[Private to Solitaire: I refreshed myself on Absorption.  With that many successes, it looks like you are two dots of mega-strength richer and suffer no damage from the power-surge.]

---

In the shipping container, Prometheus stood quickly and helped Zero and Phantasm rouse the other scientists quietly.  [Private to Dr. Zero: You can drop Prometheus wherever you like, or just wait a moment for Slider to show.]

---

Suzukaze swung for Tao, cutting him deeply across the forearms as twisted out of the way.  Her second blow sliced cleanly through his clavicle and ribs, spilling blood on the ground.  He hissed in pain and leapt past her, rolling back onto his feet.  "Stop!  I surrender!  Don't do this!"

[Private to Suzukaze: Hit and narrowly hit.  Damage each time.  Anything more and he's a red smear on the floor.]

Gale inwardly cursed as Solitaire stalked deeper into the complex.  She danced for a few minutes debating whether or not to abandon her partner or brave the tunnels.  The message from Comstock gave her no choice.

Taking a deep breath, she dropped into the hole Sol had made, and then tried to follow the sound of the other woman breaking things as she headed to the Northwest complex.  Her wings folded as tightly as they could, and while the tunnels were more spacious than she had expected, they weren't spacious enough for flight.  "I hate tunnels," she muttered as she walked.  The truth was she probably hadn't always hated tunnels, but not being able to fly in here made her feel very trapped.  She pushed the feeling down.  It doesn't matter what I like or dislike, she thought, clenching and unclenching her fists, expecting combat around every corner.  I have to do what the team expects of me.

"Its not as bad as all that." Solitaire called back over her shoulder, having heard Gale's comment. "I'd take out the ceiling for you, but we're a little short on time, you understand." Solitaire kicked down another door as she spoke, took two AK47 rounds to the chest, frowned in displeasure then cuffed the offender lightly in the neck, knocking him cold. Then continued as if nothing had happened.

"Just stick close, we can blow up the tunnel later if it makes you feel better."

Suzukaze stalks around Tao the blood dripping from her blades. She positions them to strike again. She lets out a slight chuckle almost seeming satisfied.

"Surrender... Now that's funny. Maybe if you did that to begin with I wouldn't have done this... You know you can take the Wind from the Assassins, but you can't take the assassin out of the Wind. Tell me who exactly hired my old team and you'll be brought to the best healer we have. I even think your lying, or you try to run again and I swear I'll have your head."

An evil grin forms on her face as she licks her lips letting him know she is serious.

"No, that wasn't everything," Quentin says after having carefully considered the situation. "They've got this whole city rigged to blow. Plastic explosives hooked into the power grid. One of them is electrokinetic, that was the source of that power surge, and they're probably able to detonate any set of the explosives at will as long as they've got a power socket handy." Quentins brow is furrowed in concern, but his black eyes are otherwise unreadable. "They're going to try to hold the whole city hostage."

With a bit of straining and concentration Flare manages to create a dome of fire around the three of them. "I can't make an actual sphere, because it would burn you guys to walk on, but this should be a bit better."
Flare can't quite wrap her mind around that level of cruelty and apathy to the suffering of others.

"We...we don't have nearly the scale of people we'd need for a full city evac, do we? We've got to stop them.  Is there super-science knowledge that would let you guys trace the surge back to its source so we could take him or her out?"

Flare was sweating a bit, and feeling the drain of using so much power.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
I combined wall and elemental shaping to shape the wall, it makes sense, so I'm guessing it works, I assume an extra quantum to do so, and I burned a willpower.

---

"Woah, calm down, please don't make take out the civilians above!"  Imp's voice crackled with concern.  "You want a plane and legal status?  Decisions like that are out of my paygrade, but your requests have been passed on. Specifics would help, what kind of plane do you need?  A big one, or something smaller?  What kind of range will it need to have?  Talk to me, Alegria."  While he talked Imp made hurry up gestures with his hands, hit em hard, hit em fast, don't give em time to set up.

If Slider arrives before trouble does, Zero helps Phantasm release the prisoners. It examines their bonds to make sure none are booby trapped.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Engineering Roll: 8 successes.
20:23, Today: Dr. Zero failed (no successes) using 2d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 2,5. Reroll 10's, Ingenius Quality.  .
20:23, Today: Dr. Zero rolled 6 successes using 13d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 9,5,5,6,4,1,9,10,4,8,5,7,10. Engineering, 3Mega .

---

"Wait, run that by me again?"  Comstock didn't like what Gravitas had to say.  "Juan's file says he's electrokinetic.  If we take him down, would that do it?"  Time was flying.  They needed to be there now.  He gave Flare a reassuring nod.

Flare's shield formed a tight sphere around the four, Comstock stepping inside as it closed, while Impetus tried to talk Alegría down.  "Don't play dumb!  No smaller than a 747.  Full tank of fuel.  You don't need to know where we're going.  Two and a half minutes.  Get me the assurances of someone with the authority to make guarantees."*

"Phantasm, this is Comstock: tell me some good news.  Can you see them there?  Over."  He looked to Impetus, Flare and Gravitas.  "We can stop them if we take out Juan and the command staff ... right?"

---

Solitaire and Gale ran through the corridors.  The moron with the gun wasn't alone, and soon his squad-mates opened fire.  It was brave ... but not a well thought out decision on their part.

Dispatching them didn't take long.

Just past that squad the corridors opened into a large garage structure.  A descending gate had been rolled into place -- presumably once they'd heard gunfire, the four guys behind the gate had orders to make best use of the delay.  They were trying to weld it shut to buy more time.

---

Slider arrived with a grin and started quietly sneaking scientists out.  Zero's foresight proved invaluable: each of the men had a anklet tracking device on them with some sort of needle.  Enough to silence them if they traveled too far away maybe?

It takes only a minute to remove each of the devices.  Though drugged weary and incoherent, the scientists were free.  Score one for T2M.  Meanwhile, Phantasm gets a clearer picture.  Alegria and Juan are out there, along with about twenty more soldiers and a fair number of the ununiformed cartel minions.  There are also a group of ten men and women in generic kevlar body armor.  They're breathing heavily and incredibly overmuscled.  They've got heavy pipes, gauntlets, reinforced knives, and other brawling aids.

There are about four big-rig trucks in the large garage space, diesel engines rumbling as everyone prepares to abandon the complex.  There's also many pallets of drugs stacked up, more shipping crates, and a bunch of crappy pickup trucks.  A license plate manufactury, a gas station, a machine shop, racks of spare tires ... great operation here.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Phantasm can get a peak outside any number of ways, but I'm assuming she does it in a subtle fashion.

---

---

Tao winced and wheezed.  "I can't help you with your team ... I'm just a messenger.  I have information about the Cartel ... correspondences.  They're ciphered, but I know the key."  He was bleeding badly.  Eruption had made him tougher, but only a little.  "Very valuable.  You can't kill me ... alright?"  His eyes flickered with fear, still looking for escape from the madwoman who'd cornered him.

Imp whispered to Comstock, "She wants a 747 with a full fuel tank" then cued his radio to broadcast, "I've put your request through to someone higher up the chain of command, hopefully they will get back to me pronto." He then clicked off the radio.  "Fuck Juan, Sol can take anything he can throw at us and feed it to him.  I'm guessing she's jonesin' to do so anyways.  Give us the word, big man."

"Well if thats the case then alright..."

She smiles at him. Then all of a sudden the smile changes to rage, and she charges at him with all her speed. She lashes out with one blade across his body. The other swings for his neck.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
18:55, Today: Suzukaze rolled 7 successes using 13d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,7,2,10,3,7,9,7,8,4,7,6,5. Attack on Tao 2.
18:55, Today: Suzukaze rolled 8 successes using 13d10 with the Target Number system with a target of 7 with rolls of 5,10,7,8,10,2,7,6,10,2,4,9,10. Attack on Tao.

---

Flare had had more that enough of that pushy bitch Alegria and her demands. Out of radio earshot Flare has her own idea of concessions to the terrorist. "If she manages to get the damned plane, I plan to catch it and blow it to kingdom come." Some times it was nice to be one's own demolotion crew.  For the moment though, team safety was paramount in her mind.

Phantasm takes a look around, analyzing the situation.  Should she risk acting now, with the whole city wired to explode?  She'd better run things by the others...
"Yeah 'Stock, Phantasm here, waiting on further orders.  Not sure what to do now, there are twenty soldiers, a bunch of workers, 10 guys on some sort of super-steroids... and Alegria and Juan are both here."

Comstock nodded with conviction.  No time left for Quentin's thinking through every possibility.  "Okay team.  We're doing this.  P, Zero: as soon as we arrive, push the attack.  Solitaire, Gale: make us a distraction.  Frostburn, you reading all of this?  Fuck the plane, we're going to attack, get the General's men prepared.  Over."

Comstock turned to Gravitas and put a hand on the man's shoulder.  "Out of time.  We're doing this.  Get us a portal over there pronto."  He considered recalling Suzukaze and giving her clear orders, but she seemed to enjoy operating on her own.  He reasoned that she'd find the best way to apply her talents to the matter at hand.

Finally, after another second of thought, he turned back to Flare, covering up his microphone.  "Okay, but not so loud and so close to the comms, and if that moment comes I want your GPS locater and comms to mysteriously malfunction in the heat.  Got it?"  He flashed her a thumbs up and stopped covering the microphone, ready to sprint through the portal the second it opened.

---

Tao's head toppled to the floor in a flash of purple.  A look of disbelieving fear was locked in his eyes, and parts of his body flickered in and out of visibility for a few moments as his body attempted to carry out his brain's last abortive instinct.

One more down.

[Private to Suzukaze: If you check his pockets and bag, you'll find everything he said he was carrying and a whole lot more, mostly in portable hard-drives.  Tao wasn't carrying any weapons or explosives or anything of the sort, but he did have a detonator like the other ones you have seen around.  Multiple means of setting off the explosives?]

---

Meanwhile, Frostburn swore to herself.  The soldiers who'd been sent to baby-sit La Mascara for the duration of this apparently lost track of him ten minutes ago and hadn't thought to check in yet.  Zuniga's aides and support staff were barking at her and the rest of the T2M support staff to share more information and planning information under some belief that T2M must have more information than they were letting on.  Fistfights were breaking out as the military and the police tried to maintain order in the wake of the explosions.  And to top it all, one or more of the now reviled nova photographers was streaming video from various parts of the city in a replay of the 2-D Man incident at T2M:A headquarters.  The only blessing there was that the camera feeds from the team's headsets went directly to her console and no one had picked up on Suzukaze's swift and direct approach to justice just then.

If there was a time for the team to pull off a real, visible, and obvious victory, it was now.

The engergy surrounding her blades reduce to nothing as she powers down. Sheathing her blades behind her she gets on the comm...

"Suzukaze to Comstock... Tao is down.  Am I on my own to move or do you want to have someone portal me to your location."

As she is on the comm and waiting for a response she takes the satchel he was carrying and opens it. Placing it next to the body she begins emptying the contents of his pockets into it. When done with the pockets she removes his shoes and clothing to see if anything was hidden on him. She takes alittle caution when she comes across the detonator. When she is done she picks it up and moves over to his head picking it up as well. She looks into it's eyes.

"Your going to make a nice present to your buddies. Maybe I'll make a collection and send it to my old team. Theirs are the ones I truly want."

"Alright, bossman, let's do it.  You take point, we'll follow you through."  Imp focused and coronas of energy formed around his hands, waiting to be unleashed.