Summary:New student Bronco is treated to a Danger Room run alongside Doc McCoy, and Catseye. Quinn? Too sexy for the DR, but watches from on high, blunt in hand! Catseye falls, everyone dies!!!! Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Poor Cat! She's been tasked with a Danger Room scenario in which her primary objective is 0 kills, not good guys, not bad guys, not bystanders — no kills at all allowed. She's just about to start it up when Hank enters the control room up above, with a new student in tow. "Ah, excellent. My minder…Catseye." He indicates the lavender haired LION…down below. From this vantage point the room is /huge/, and barren, but really kind of neat looking. He activates a mic. "Catseye, before we get started, I'd like you to meet a new student - mind if we join you?" Hank grins hugely to the lad next to him, because yeah…FIVE years age difference…HUGE. OR something.
Catseye peers up and waves her tail at Hank. "Hihi! Come down, yes? Have to run stupidscenario AGAIN." She sighs, and stretches out like an overgrown cat. Given that she looks like a lavender lion, with an extra fluffy and curly mane and fluffy tail, a VERY LARGE over grown cat. "If new student needs room, Catseye can put off until tomorrow! Please and thank you?"
Joao looks around at the control room and whistles. "Okay… so you weren't pulling my leg… how on earth did you guys manage to get an actual Holodeck-like tech working? I mean…. has it ever created something that came to life and tried to take over the school like in that Moriarty episode?…"
He then remarks upon the lare lavender NOT PINK lion, "Er, hello!" he says, not sure if the microphone is picking him up as well. "What's the stupid scenario? Is it a tutorial? Do you have to kill thirty giant rats before you're allowed to fight someone, or something like that?"
Yes, as it happens, the mic is live and transmits Joao's words, he can hear them inside the as can Cat. A snort of laughter. "No, I was not pulling your leg and mostly…I built it. Professor Xavier helped, of course, but I was lead." He is clearly quite proud of it too. "We'll be right down, Catseye." He answers the girl before he kills the mic.
You know, it is positively criminal that such a big guy has such hand-eye, his fingers flash across the keyboards, entering a massive password. "Transfer all controls to me, voice activation, engage full security locks and safety protocols." A very warm voice, purrs. ~Confirmed, Doctor McCoy, all controls transfer, safety and security interlocks engaged.~
Hank then opens up the glass up front, and looks down, about nine-meters. "You up for the jump, Bronco?" He challenges the young man.
Catseye's tail lashes with annoyance. "Badmen with guns. Random environment. Catseye has to stop without killing badmen or letting badmen kill civilians." She glares at Hank, "Is DUMB. Tear throats, crack heads, done easy-quick and no civilians hurt. Catseye can then nap." Trying to convince the large predator that not killing people that are trying to kill you is a good idea is a hard sell. "Not saying won't do lesson till get it right, but is STUPID."
"You're a chemist and you build Holodecks. What else can you do, Bones? Next thing you're gonna tell me is that you've got a jazz duets album on the works with Lady Gaga while you're finishing your great American novel."
As he follows Hank into the room, he blinks as Catseye gives him the breakdown of the scenario. He takes a good look at the large carnivore and he weighs his options for a response. "I… can see how that would be a challenge, Catseye. Definitely." If HE were an enormous lion, he'd probably wonder why he couldn't use his perfectly sharp claws for what they were intended.
He turns around and looks at Hank. "Jumping in? You mean having a go? Really?" he grins. "What do I have to do?"
It was easy to sneak around in the lower levels of the mansion. It wasn't as if she were denied access, it was just that she never really felt the need to skulk about, but at least this time she has an excuse. She was bored. Laptop bag hung along her shoulder; she spies Hank and a new fellow leaving the Danger Room controls. Annnnd, with a general malaise that Quinn has, she slips right in behind them.
Not in cadence; but in the room.
Yes, she was in the control room.
Those below could hear the grunt as she settles in, the slight thunk of her feet upon the panel, the long zip of a zipper and a quiet chime of a computer booting up. Then clickity clacking. More clickity clacking..
"What the hell.." Clickity-Clack.. "..OH! Phew. Thought I forgot my password.." And more clickity clack.
Then a loud.. *THUMPTHUMPTHUMP* "This thing on?" From the mic.
"No, not a singer, only a passable dancer, and haven't played any instruments in some time - gave up guitar when I got 'these'." Hank flexes his fingertips, the claws extending a bit. Yeah, guitar…probably not so easy with massive mitts AND thick claws. He grins. "Well..yes, jumping right in is sort of a specialty here, no reason to start boring and dull." He leads the way down to the main floor, and does not in fact notice Quinn's slipping into the control room behind them.
Silly Omega!
Once down, Hank leads Bronco over to the lavender demi-lioness. "Catseye, this is Joao, but he goes by Bronco when in costume. As to skipping the scenario…we might be able to do that, or we might just add some team building elements."
Poor Quinn, she is probably annoyed that Hank has engaged the security locks and safeties — of course she's pretty damn smart, she might JUST be able to override!
"Joaa…this is Catseye, my minder and a dear friend. Lab assistant too."
He blinks up a the booth, surprised to see Quinn. "Oh…yes, it is on…did you need the room, Miss Quire?"
Catseye's tail lashes at the voice of someone she doesn't recognize coming from the control room. That Hank recognizes the voice makes it a little better, but… a deep growl comes from Catseye's throat and she starts to pace a bit, putting herself between Hank and the control room. Ears are flattened, tail is lashing slowly as she paces back and further, eyeing the open window to the control room and debating whether she should make the leap or not. Hank doesn't seem alarmed, so she waits for now.
A dancer? Joao's rain reels for a moment, trying to imagin Hank's bulk doing a Fred Astaire routine and promptly has the equivalent of a blue screen of death and a reboot. He shakes himself to consciusess when he is properly introduced to Catseye, and he is about to say something to her when the … feline in question starts to growl and pace. Having that monkey brain reaction to infra-sounds, such as the alarming growls of large predators, Joao suddenly finds himself, inexplicably, right behind Hank. No, he is really not hiding. He just seems to have found himself being conveniently out of sight of the large cat by virtue of Hank's prodigious shoulder span and large back. Totally not hiding.
He peers over his shoulder, once his heart comes down from his throat after the growl, towards the control room to see if he can catch a glance of this Miss Quire that Bones is speaking to.
A series of clicks were heard, mostly done from her tongue from the control room. Then a fumble of the microphone to bring it closer, then the scraping of the chair so that she could see much better in her reclined state. "Nope!" She calls down.
"But, I'm going to rightfully assume that you locked the controls to the control booth, so I'm going to just wait up here until you're done so that I can access it without you fu.." She grumbles. "..screwing up my plans." She completes. Either way, Quinn does lift up to look down, her brows lowering into a slight angered look, mostly at Catseye and her protective growl. "Oh chill out pussy-cat. Don't nobody want him." And back down again as she continues to type.
"But don't mind me, I'm just going to be your friendly overseer for this duration of your session. Carry-on.." What Quinn was doing on her laptop could have been a guess, but she was back to tippity typing rapidly on the keyboard.
Well aware that Cat is protective, Hank rests a calming hand on her mane. "Easy, Miss Quire is one of us, she won't try to hurt anyone." At least he hopes so, it /has/ happened, but not recently. He turns to where Joao /was/, then quirks a brow to find him right behind him. "Ah, the pink haired young lady in the booth is Quintavia Quire, her codename being Kid Omega." He tries to think of the best way to describe her powerset. "She's the psionic equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife made for a Titan." That's…actually not too horrible!
"Miss Quire, this is Catseye, and Bronco - Bronco is new, care to join us? I was going to goof off a bit, but if you have serious work to do, we can do so another time." He nods. "And yes, I did in fact lock the controls." Because—safety first!
"A pleaure I'm sure," Bronco says weakly, looking a little flushed from embarrassment after being caught hiding behind teacher. He straightens his clothes and tries to appear busy with very important things by… digging into his jeans and grabbing an elastic band, and then proceeding to tie his voluminous mane into a ponytail.
"That description sounds mildly terrifying, Bones," Joao comments, trying to picture just what exactly that power application looks like.
Catseye sits when Hank puts a hand on her mane, and when he tries to be reassuring, she tucks her tail around her front paws. She tilts her head, eyes narrowed, still contemplating the leap up to the control room, but at least she's no longer pacing and growling. Heck, she even looks almost cute sitting like this. "Come down say hi, PsiQuire. Catseye not bite friends." Of course, Quinn's not her friend yet. Minor details.
Quinn doesn't look up from her current task to make introductions. Her name is heard, all that probably could be seen as intelligent motion from Quinn was a lift of her hand, two fingers out, and a wave. Typical.
"I'm not coming down there," Quinn says idly. "Danger Room shits beneath me." She waves her hand again. "I'm above all that." She would laugh, but this.. this was serious business.
"Bronco, Catseye.." She says upon learning their names, and stopping once the catperson speaks to lean up and look down again. "I don't have friends." As most could easily suss out! "Truth be told. Working on an important project, going to try to get it done by nightfall. So carry on. Be background entertainment." And tippity tapping again she goes. "Like I said, Overseer mode. In case Hank gets one of you all near dead. Nurse Anne is on duty and I don't know -how- she does it, woman gives -the- best ice chips."
"Mm-kay." Hank murmurs as Quinn trash talks his baby, bad form, Miss Quire! See if Hank saves you from sheer terror again! Harrumph.
Okay, he totally would still. Darn him and his Big Damn Hero Complex!
"Well, fine. Computer, enable monitoring from the control room." From overhead all can hear that same sultry voice purring. ~Of course, Doctor McCoy, monitoring enabled as instructed.~
And then he looks to the pair of Bronco and Catseye as he says. "Initiate Stormblood 6K sim." The voice answer. ~Sim…engaged in five, four, ready, steady…GO…~
Imagine being in a point high above a vast desert, rocky plateaus all around, and then having that point Zoom in towards a city with an oasis, the city is ancient, sandstone, but there's an immense statue of a stern looking warrior-king with a spear and his hand raised, palm towards the heavens. The palm large enough that it is a suitable arena for a duel!
Yeah, that's what you all get. Only in /6K/ resolution - well beyond what the normal human eye can appreciate, but Cat's eyes, well, they're a whole different paradigm! It looks, feels, smells, sounds…every sense…it is /real/.
Ref Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mso1tmdNRyY
Joao, for once, is completely speechless. A the word materializes, changes and zooms around him, he is treated to an experience the likes of which he never thought imaginable. He even gives the rock hand under him a good stomp, to see if -
It feels real.
"Well fu—" slow realization of terror "unny that!" he says, looking around. He walks over to the edge of the palm and looks down through the gap between two fingers. He steps back, suddenly taken by a wave of vertigo. He finds that he is hugging one of the impossibly large phalanxes to keep balance. "…. so… how far down does this *really* go?" Because it can't really go down *that* far. It must be an illusion of distance.
"Far enough." Catseye paces the boundaries of the hand, getting the terrain firmly set in her head. "Fall, it feels real. Won't kill, but hurts like hell." Her whiskers arch forward, "Don't think Bronco can land on his feet, no?" Wait, is she teasing him? The cat has a sense of humor?
Quinn sits upright to put the laptop on the console as Hank loads the program. She does have to admire his work, her head bobbing in agreement, and with overseer mode she can input her own commands as necessary. "Computer, keep running display on current participants vitals. Send alert to Medbay that the danger room is in use and to stand by." It wasn't like they were going on high alert!
'Activated - Alert sent to staff to remain on standby'.
"It's probably been years since I've seen a simulation. Came at a good time. Ripped a few video games to create a big one here for Bobby. He's going to love this."
"Precisely. You get the joy of inertia, the rush of air, and a very unpleasant - but absolutely non-lethal deceleration trauma on impact." Hank looks around, enjoying the view, a breeze rifling through his hair. "So…" He turns to Bronco. "Would you rather basic physical training, or combat simulation?" Nope, not even bothered a tiny bit by the view. "This is probably in part why Miss Quire deems the experience to be beneath her - there's not /actual/ injuries, not while the saftey interlocks are active, and they are."
He grins at Cat's teasing. "So…I have a few scenarios we can try out. First, I could summon foes for us to fight up here, second we can deal with an invasion of the city below by unfriendles…or we can just goof off and run about and interact with the environment, your call." This to Cat and Bronco.
Bronco frowns. It just dawned on him that this meant that he was essentially going to have to display his fighting prowess in front of… well, future peers. Suddenly, he feels rather self-conscious. Although proficient in his martial art, the context is very different. The biggest threat he's had to face so far has been overzealous competitors.
Showing the first signs of indecisiveness he looks over to Catseye and asks "What do *you* feel like?" acting deferential to someone who has been here longer than he has. What could possibly go wrong?
"If not allowed to kill badmen," And that earns Hank a jaundiced look from Catseye, "Then would rather goof around, explore. If allowed rip-shred, could rescue the town." She stretches, raking her claws against the stone and leaving long gashes. "FuzzyHank knows scenario rules, so decide?"
Quinn waits to at least hear an answer, and once one wasn't given, at least one not sufficient enough for her, she grumbles. "Summon a horde, guys! Go to town!" And back to clickity clacking. Their vitals were okay if not a little bit elevated, but there was immediately no cause for concern.
"Well…this is based on an online video game, and there is a lot of violence and killing in the game. So sure, you're allowed to rip-shred, Cat." Hank decides. He grins as Quinn chimes in, her voice audible out of thin air.
"So it seems we're decided." Hank tilts his head so it aims up a bit. "Computer - initiate Garlean invasion scenario." He looks thoughtful. "Go with the tier five assault." His own ranking, so not relevant to the game. Five can either be middling if a ten point scale, hardcore if five, or anything really — it all depends on the scale he chose.
And then off in the distance can be seen several — well, sort of like armored zeppelins, really. Airship, and then close with the city as claxons wail, and defenders man gun emplacements on the walls, though some of them are in robes, and they just hurl fire and lightning in some cases, others raise shields to defend the others and the gunners. The Airships? They FIRE back…swarms of missiles snaking around each other, seeking to breach the defenses.
"… Oh wow." Bronco stares, clearly taken aback by how amazing this technology is. Until he remembers he is part of this simulation. "Er, right then, team. Do we have a strategy, or are we gleefully galloping to the fray here?"
He reaches over and takes off his jacket, it'll get in the way, "I'm good with either, just need to know what the flavor of the day is."
Directly from behind the massive statue the group can hear a HUGE thrumming, and the whirring of several props. The ships down below are large, the one that is rising up from behind the head of the statue? That thing is a whole lot bigger, and it is passing right overhead…no more than twenty to thirt feet from the top of the statue the thing flies, the whole statue plunged into shadow as dozens of panels on the curved underside roll up to reveal gun-ports and several…yeah…those look like bombs!
Catseye looks at an airship passing overhead, crouching down, butt-wiggle… "Plan of attack is… attack." And LEAPS, claws hooking into the side of the airship. She climbs up the outer surface, clinging in a way no true lion could, and slips in a gunport. Hank and Bronco are spared the sight of what follows, Quinn… is not. Catseye fights much like the lion she resembles: disembowl. Snap spine. Crush throat. Gruesome enough in an animal, this is directed by a genius level intelligence. She goes through weak points in armor, dodges counter attacks, claws that can slice steel sabotage equipment as well as rending flesh. She takes injuries, yes, but ignores them for now knowing how much damage she can soak up before her healing factor is overwhelmed.
Finally, some true action! And soon to be sounds that she can code her game in peace to. All the screams, the urgs and the ughs.. it'll be like music to her.. what the waat..
Seeing Catseye leap as high as she did gave Quinn pause. And while the others weren't treated to the scene -nor- the look on Quinn's face, they missed the horror and combined hilarity of what happens.
Quinn winces..
Quinn makes an 'ooo' face..
Quinn mouths.. 'Ow' and sucks in a breath as if -she- were the one clawed..
But the true sorrow comes once the equipment was damaged.
Her hand rubs against her forehead, her eyes darting towards the console to watch the vitals of Catseye with a frown. Sure, they won't be killed because of safety protocols, but people -can- have heart attacks or strokes!
The warriors inside are not even close to a match for Catseye, but they ARE wearing strange magitech-plate armor. Most are armed with energy guns and ALL are armed with strange swords laced with crystals. Yeah, definitely, they are not her match but there's a lot more of them. The carnage in the gunner's cubby she invaded - pretty epic, and the details, EVERY detail, is absolutely authentic down to the voided bowels when slain, the taste and texture of the blood, completely real feeling and VERY very easy to immerse in.
Especially when rending flunkies into goo in job lots!
Watching Bronco's reaction closely, Hank grins. "We are going to teach you a very important thing, my young friend…it is a vital combat maneuver here." He looks to one of the engine pods, then back to Joao. "It is called a 'Fastball Special'." He places himself by the edge of the giant hand, then looks to Bronco. "Run at me…you get to be the fastball!"
IF Joao does as asked Hank will scoop the lad up when he gets close, and use Joao's momentum, and Hank's own considerable strength to toss the kid at the engine! Feet first of course. He aims high, by the way, so Joao can potentially deflect off the target, and land on the ship without falling.
Nuts? Yup! But hey…you only live once, right?
"A Fastball…." Joao stares for a moment, but then he shrugs. "Sure thing, Bones!" After all, if he can't trust giant blue furballs, WHO can you trust? The young man runs back a little to get a good distance, and then he begins to run towards Hank, beginning to feel the warmth that comes from channeling energy into his lower body.
And then, he is being tossed. He doesn't have time to verbalize anything as the speed, and the pit in his stomach, take his breath away. He does manage to bounce off and land on the ship. Heart racing, he looks around.
"Okay, I'm not dead-"
And then he narrowly misses an attack. "Okay. YET."
He immediately goes into full fighting mode, his flexible body flowing into an attack stance. The kicks begin, with the full dramatic plasticity of Capoeira, each kick accompanied by a blast of kinetic energy, each kick in quick succession directed towards the onrush of enemie on the airship.
Catseye shakes herself the way a lion or tiger will after getting out of the water. Of course, it's not water. Then she shifts smoothly up to half-form, using her hands to finish disabling any equipment in this gunner's cubby and then open the door. Another thing hands are good for! Then she's loose in the corridors, and she fights for a while in half form, but quickly switches back to lioness. It's not only the form she is best in, heals quickest in, it's also the form that others are the least trained to deal with. Everyone trains to fight other humans, training to fight 400 lbs of fur fangs and fury? A lot less common. First goal is making sure the bombs aren't able to launch… sabotage and fighting to get to the needed points. Then… well, she's got strategies, but will she have time to deploy them?
Having launched Bronco into the fray, Hank wraps his arms around one of the fingers on the statue. "Sorry…" He murmurs, and then with a prodigous effort he /twists/, feets planted akimbo, he turns and wrenches about a half ton chunk of stone finger free, basically tip to knuckle. A few steps back, and then he turns and pivots as he throws the thing at the tail assembly of the airship - the rudder. Yeah, the crunch is not good, and the ship suddenly loses a good portion of its maneuvering ability!
The feline's assault inside continues apace, and she's able to track the feeders for the bombs, of course there's several crew in her way very much opposed to her progressing past them. Unfortunately most of them are simply not trained at all to deal with a huge animal attack - not really, especially one that fights with not merely human, but GENIUS intellect to guide it! She finds herself in a large bay…a bay FULL of more bombs, oh, the potential mayhem. From behind she hears a whirring, and then a huge metallic clang as a small mech steps up, the thing is vaguely along the lines of an Imperial Scout walker, only many more curves, it almos tlooks organic and even has little 'fins' on it. A voice. "Surrender, Cat-thing, or be destroyed!"
Gee, that didn't sound bad at all!
Joao finds himself embroiled in a mad melee, though the impact of the hurled stone does shake the whole ship, and several of his foes fall, one sliding off the edge with a heart-wrenching scream of terror, arms and legs pin-wheeling as he falls towards the city below…he MIGHT be close to the water, though. Maybe. Regardless, yeah, plenty of foes, and one nice thing about Capoeira - it is based on movement, constant movement. Another? They hae NEVER encountered it before!
Cateye turns at the first sound from the mech, and runs straight for it. Most assault vehicles are designed to destroy enemies at a certain distance, the trick is to get inside that radius as quick as possible. Not that fighting this thing will be easy, it is bigger, stronger, and its vital parts are protected with armor. However, her claws can cut through armor. It's just a matter of dodging damage… well, dodging ENOUGH damage, long enough, until she can slash through something vital to the machine. She takes damage herself… ribs… yeah, going to be feeling those… but nothing is going to pierce a lung, so pain is no reason to stop.
One of the other benefits of Capoeira is that it allows for several chained attacks- and Joao's field charges with every kick. This is important, because even thouogh he has the benefit of mobility and an unfamiliar martial art, he's still getting mobbed. They're starting to catch on a bit, too, as those swords have come a little too close- one of them sliced his sleeve open!
Fortunately, he has been ramping up his channeling, and he waits until he gets that feeling, where his feet feel like they are glowing (strange way to put it, but he can't think of any other way of putting it)… it's at this point that he could truly unleash the very devastating kicks, but he has other plans.
"HAAA!" With one powerful stomp, there is a brief flash of energy coming from his foot, and a shockwave extends from him, outwards. It isn't a damaging wave per se as much as a *serious* knockback wave. It's great for crowd control. Of course, when your opponents are fighting you on an airship… well.
He really wouldn't do this if it were real life, but since he's in the midst of a fantay game battle and none of these people are actually alive,, he doesn't mind pulling a Man Overboard Stomp.
Ref Pic: One change - the pilot is not riding it like horse, they're enclosed under armor. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3c/68/a7/3c68a792db58cf57a2782f19f451d068.jpg
The mech is indeed well armored, in fact there's some sort of energy barrier to reinforce it, but Cat is nothing if not persistent. One good thing is that none of the troops want anywhere near the fight! The guns and it has are dangerous, no doubt explaining Cat's getting more than a little beat up. And then she darts in close, and her claws rip open a compartment and severs connections to a glowing crystal…and the mech /stops/. From inside she can hear some SERIOUS cursing, and then an armored form drops to the ground. Cat is facting a woman in glossy red armor. The armor makes her look almost insectoid, only instead of claws, she has MASSIVE gauntlets, gauntlets charged with energy. "You know, cat-beast, you're a right pain in the arse!" This stated before she leaps to the attack, her first strike actually creating a small impact grater on the deck plate! Yeah, this armor definitely boosts the woman's strength and speed. LOTS.
The fighters Bronco's facing did indeed start to work as a team, something if they'd been given time might have — hell, almost certainly WOULD have resulted in a less than desireable result for the young hero.
He didn't give them that time.
The stomp generated shockwave sends the horde slithering and sliding on the uncertain footing of the ship's hull, most fall. Only one man does not, by virtue of having seen the way the stomps generate impact and impart extra bonus kinetic energy. Nope! The one fellow dives for a seemingly blank section of the hull and pulls a hatch open, tumbling as the shock wave bounces him off the hatch. THUD. Yeah, that's going to smart. Hatch is still open though!
Hank, having given the airship the finger (literally — the stone thrown was from the middle finger!) makes a running leap for one of the gunnery emplacements. CRUNCH. Yeah, he essentially just rips the whole thing loose and pitches it overboard. The guys? Well, they do the right thing - most flee, one shoots Hank. Ow. Burnt fur. Not fun!
Catseye yanks the glowing crystal out of the mech, it's wired up like a power source, so she doesn't want it to be reconnected easily. She would have done more to mess up the insides, but the woman in red armor makes her presence known. Angry, super strong… yeah, Catseye darts out of the way. She almost looks like a kitten playing can't catch me, except for very grim stakes. And then she proves that she's more than the beast she appears to be, darting in and giving the glowing crystal a swat that sends it right under the armored woman's next blow.
Bronco straightens up and takes a breath. Releasing into a stomp left him completely cold, his legs only registering the merest tingle of channeled energy. But he couldn't argue with the results.
As he trots his way over to the hatch, he notices blood staining his shirt. Huh. So the sword cut more than just the sleeve. He stares at it for a moment, and realizes the adrenaline isn't letting him feel much pain right now. It doesn't look deep. At least, he hopes it isn't deep. The Holode-Danger Room wouldn't let him bleed to death, right?
No time to ask questions, though. He goes over to the hatch and drops down, landing into a crouch so as to try to minimize the chance of being surprised…
The yanking free of the crystal does cause some energy, not /quite/ lightning, it feels — wet? Wet and burny, so almost like acid, or a strong base. Either way, the crystal is liberated. The Red Warrior snarls. "You are so DEAD, you KILLED MY DAMN MAGITECH, you…FREAK!" Yup, she seems really really REALLY upset right now. Her gauntlets are slammed together, and then they sprout a bunch of truly horrifying looking spikes. Her attacks come fast and furious, but Catseye has a significant, though not overwhelming speed advantage, fortunately she's not in rigid armor, which does make a big difference.
Each strike leaves impact craters in the deck, only now they also punch holes, some of which send spumes of steaming vapor up - the stink is proof that they are not water, however.
And then swatted crystal gets in the path of the woman's descending smitey-spikey-fist. "Oh…no…" She has time to say as realizing hits, and the so does her attack.
The explosion is fairly impressive, especially when the feedback shreds the girl's arm and the left side of her body armor. Yeah, she's…not going to be moving anytime soon. Maybe not ever! The explosion forms a dome of expanding energy that extends several meters, the blue-purple-white energy painfully bright.
When Bronco lands he'd find he had a nice warm dead or unconscious guy to break the fall a bit! Okay, breathing, but yeah, out cold. And that's when the explosion rings out from just down the hall! Well, that proves just too much for the young fella, and off he goes just in time to see the aftermatch, and Cat. He'd also see a sniper - on a balcony above Catseye taking aim from out of her line of sight. That is definitely not a normal gun, WHAT it shoots is uncertain, THAT it shoots is not.
Quinn remains ever watchful, this time now putting her laptop aside to watch the scene. The microphone was soon shut off, not for her benefit, but for theirs. Any distraction from the booth, might actually cause them to get hurt. It seems.. for once, that Quinn actually cares!
"Computer. Monitor brain functions. Also, check to see that BP is in normal parameters. Turn off acknowledgement functions, I have fucking eyes." She pulls up the console keyboard, then begins to type in a few commands. The commands, however.. do not pass. There was a block still on the mainframe!
"Goddamn it Hank.."
She switches the microphone on, then mutters. "Gimme full access Hank."
Catseye leaps away just as the woman brings her fist down, rolling with the force of the explosion. She cheerfully informs the defeated woman, "Only difference between battery and bomb is speed of energy release." Cateye may not be looking the sniper's direction, but she is looking in Bronco, and Bronco sees the sniper. Trusting instincts, she bounds towards Bronco in a series of erratic leaps. Battered, a bit scorched around the edges, but the kitty is still in the game.
One nice thing about having full access, it is easy to give yourself a little advantage, like a virtual HUD to keep track of your students! The feed from the control room, and yes, he has been monitoring it too has him considering Quinn's request before Hank nods. "Computer, grant Quinn Quire admin access, with rescind code zed-zed-nine-plural-zed-alpha, visual confirmation only." On his HUD the confirm flashes, and then Quinn would find herself with admin access, the layered database and code engines truly gorgeous as they welcome her. ~Access granted, Miss Quire.~ The overhead response.
"Well, I see you've been busy-" Bronco grins as he enters the disaster zone… but then he notices the sniper. And now Catseye is running towards him.
He has a split second to decide what to do, but fortunately a chunk of debris that was loosened by the explosion makes his mind up for him. He doesn't wait to explain things but runs forward, as if to meet Catseye, and then tries to leap over her. He's acrobatic enough thanks to his art, so if he doesn't screw things up, he will try to land and then immediately go into a chapa da frente kick, activating his field just as his foot describes the arc. He would be aiming towards the balcony, hoping that the low-grade kinetic field's pushback serves as a catapult for the debris, in the hopes to screw up that shot…
Those were a lot of hopes and dreams right there, and he could fail so badly. Do you believe in fairies? Clap, boys and girls, clap or else Joao is going to get a new windpipe!
Ah.. access granted. Just what Quinn wanted to hear. She shuts off the microphone and begins to type. Granted the level five seems tame in comparison, but Quinn likened them to babies. A few of the parameters however, were changed.
"Computer, access emergency protocols. Editing only. Duration until the end of simulation." She type type types. "Computer, bring up the current adrenaline elevations for subjects." She types again. "Set as base parameters." She leans back and begins to watch, then winces. "Respond."
"Current adrenaline levels for subjects are normal. No emergency countermeasures required."
"Good, now computer, retain alert for Medbay. Give full monitoring access to Crawford, Anne. Respond."
"Accepted. Monitoring access for Crawford, Anne set at normal parameters."
A sound crackles over the intercom, and a soft and what would have been soothing voice was heard. "Quintavia, just what in the hell did you do?"
"It's not -me- Anne! Hank decided to test some newbs! I think you better get your kits together.."
"Why does it feel like you're lying, Quintavia." Anna chirps out.
"Hey, believe what you want, but this kitty cat is taking and giving a beating, chick may need stitches."
Big Blue notes that Quinn seems to be fully engaged, and his lips curl a bit. "Good." And then as he rushes towards the engine room he essentially linebackers his way through any opposition, until he gets there. Eyes of blue take in the scenery, and he freezes things a moment to enjoy the view, and then he moves towards the engineer, and captures — HIMSELF. Yup! Hank is soon trussed up, and beat to hell (looking - his vitals show just fine to Quinn), before he unfreezes the room once more with the adjusted parameters.
As Cat makes her dodging way towards Bronco, the sniper curses and fires…from the gun leaps a line of energy - purple cored, with white and blue 'lightning' around it - which misses her entirely, and then as the purple fades, the blue and white bits sort of arc about, fun. He gets off two more shots, each one getting closer until Joao gets clipped leaping over Cat into the sweeping kick. OW! Yeah, that…that definitely feels real, luckily it seems to have also only been a grazing hit, mostly cauterized even!
The kick to the debris actually goes better than hoped, no doubt the spike of adrenaline to go with the pain amping Joao's powers. The fallen wreckage spins up at the sniper and though it does not actually hurt HIM, it does a /number/ on the gun! Yeah, not a great day to be a flunky.
And then from overhead, a cold mechanical voice. "Attention invaders…surrender, or your blue furred friend is DEAD!" And yes, the voice even Villain Laughs(tm). "MuahahahahahahahahHHHAHAHAHAHHA!"
A screen activates, showing a battered Hank McCoy, bound to a metallic X suspended over a vat of — something — something the emits some fairly caustic fumes, and of course seethes and roils, like a pissed off witch's cauldron!
Catseye briefly headbutts Bronco's hip in thanks for the save. Then the image of a captured Hank comes on screen and a low, menacing growl comes from her that makes her earlier growl at Quinn seem like a kitten at play by comparison. Her eyes sweep the screen back and forth and then she is off and moving, a purple streak of a feline in full out run, weaving through the wreckage of the ship on a path down to the room where Hank is being held. She was initially trained at a different school, so the idea of surrendering or exchanging herself for Hank isn't considered, not even for a pico second.
The control room, however, starts flashing a red flag next to Catseye's name, with a single word: Feral
The meaning of which becomes clear as she doesn't slow down on encountering the first enemies still on their feet, almost seeming to bounce off them as both fangs and claws are now used and come away red.
"He is having way too much fun with this," Bronco mutters at Catseye headbutts his hip. Still, he felt there was a script needed for this, so he points a finger at the screen and says, in his best Action Hero voice, "You'll never get away with this!"
But that's when the script goes off the rails and Catseye goes off like a shot. "Uh oh-"
Bronco is now running after Catseye, feeling that the chaos button has been pressed and he is being swept along for the ride.. "Sorry, sorry, excuse me,, excuse me-" he says to the fallen goons he meets, jumping over their fallen bodies. They're characters in a game, so he doesn't really feel queasy about their deaths- right now they're just obstacles, and they don't even drop loot!
Quinn breaks out into laughter! She saw -everything- that Hank did and how could she not?! She has a great vantage point! This was a good story to tell! Just when she was about to cut the microphone on to the Danger Room, alarm bells begin to ring.
Her eyes scan the screen and frowns.. the outline of Catseye flashes in a deep red that spells danger all over. She has lost her goddamned mind.
"Computer, access file on this one called Catseye. Search inputted information for calming measures, direct information to Nurse Crawford and have her mobilize immediately!" One could assume, that a nice, raw steak would be in that file, but..
Quinn begins to type, punching in a command that reveals a smaller console. It's where the earbuds were kept, and soon the other was popped into her ear as Quinn continues typing. "Hank. Kitty cat gone. Bye bye. What the fuck did you do? She's fucking feral and heading your way!" Yes, Quinn was getting ready, transfering commands to both of their earbuds, then pops out of her chair to whip off her jacket.
"You got exactly five minutes to calm her down." She doesn't finish the rest however, it was implied.
Hank IS having too much fun with this! He can't help but grin as Bronco goes with the flow and offers up a one-liner in Action Hero Voice, good for him! Hank actually chuckles, of course then Cat goes feral.
And then he's not.
His own monitoring systems register the Feral episode, showing him the warning signs on his invisible v-HUD. The path to the engine room is EASY to find, Hank DID just essentially steamroller his way through a -lot- of goons, some of which were stirring until they get shredded by Cat's charge.
And no, no loot! This is TRAINING! He does however have a number of paid accounts should anyone want to join his Linkshell 'Murder Hobos' on FFXIV…divergant thoughts disavowed, he answers Quinn. ~Thank you, Miss Quire, I will calm things…they'll be here in under a minute, I'm monitoring too. Hopefully she'll get control again…~
When Catseye and Bronco enter the room there's a — thing - half man, half machine, all nasty. "So…foolish ones, have you come to —-GAAK!"
That prompted when Catseye no doubt interrupts his Villain Monologue sequence with claws and fangs.
Top on the list of methods to calm Catseye down: Telepathic intervention. Otherwise, remove from hostile environment, allow her to seek out a small safe spot and wait. Do not get between her and food or water. Do not run, that seems to trigger a 'prey' response'. Do not get between her and anyone she has decided to protect. Children, a short list of individuals including Hank and Emma Frost, and other felines are noted as likely to trigger a protective response. If tranquilization is needed, 52 milligrams of medetomidine followed by 6 milligrams of ketamine. That dose seems WAY too high, but is flagged as needed due to a healing factor.
Catseye indeed does greet the villain with claws and fangs. Even feral, she has a sense for weak spots, attacking connections between flesh and meat. There are two main differences in her feral state: One, she holds nothing back, doing horrific damage. Two…. she holds nothing back, TAKING horrific damage.
Bronco… just stand there, at the entrance to the room. His cousin Alexandra used to volunteer at the Instituto Natura, and he has seen wild cats in their natural environment,, sometimes at their fiercest.
Those look like kitten compared to this. But he knows just what NOT to do, which is ANYTHING, and what he should do: Stay very still.
After all, they are all hardlight contructs, right? Unless Hank is in actual danger, he shouldn't interfere…
He winces, watching Catseye give the villain the Itchy and Scratchy treatment. In the midst of flying viscerae and the hemoglobin fountains, Bronco looks up at Hank, wets his tongue, and says:
"…. is this going to be on the test?"
Quinn never saw the list. And if there was one produced, it would be set to the nurses on standby. Quinn was already pulling cigarettes and a few rolled blunts out of her pocket, slamming them on the console, her shoulders rolling as she gets ready to exit out of the control booth.
She readies herself by slapping her hands together, drawing them apart to reveal a pink psionic field, that field which expands and shapes itself into a bazooka. So what?! Quinn -is- scared, she has every right to be of a BIG, FERAL, cat!
But what she sees all together gives her a moment to think, her jaw dropping, then snapping closed.., the bazooka now one handed which soon drops to her side at a lazy hang.
"Huh." She moves to the seat and sits down, squeezing her hand to 'disappear' away the bazooka. "..Hank. Is this chick your girlfriend?"
When it becomes apparent that Cat is full on ape-shit (cat-shit??) berserk, Hank sighs very softly. He KNOWS what will calm Cat, and since he's not a telepath, and he doesn't have the needed tranqs on hand…
Hank's voice is very clear. "Computer — end simulation." And everyone on the floor would have the distinct pleasure of watching the gore-splosion fade, and then the room about the gore, and the ship around the ROOM! And they were all there, that day, with Arthur—oh, sorry, this isn't Excalibur, neither the classic movie, nor the team with a flagsuited Brit!
The injuries from the scenario are actually fairly minor — minor, not /gone/. Cat is in the sorriest shape with several cracked ribs, some broken claws, minor cuts, scrapes, burns and contusions - in short for her 'Good Workout!', Bronco is less beat up - he has some minor cuts, a few bruises he didn't even remember getting, and that energy burn along his side.
To his great shame, Hank is barely hurt at all - just the one mostly faded gunshot to his chest.
When Quinn comms him her question, he blinks up at the control room. "She's ACE, Quinn…not interested in -either- or any gender sexually, so no, not my girlfriend."
Bronco blinks, and looks at Quinn. "Wait. People date the teachers here?" Just before he can ask if he has been inducted into some sort of crazy Ubreakable Kimmi Schmidt-type compound cult but with a better budget, the simulation ends and everything is restored to normal.
Which is a terribly relative term where these protagonists are concerned.
Catseye rumbles as the simulation vanishes. She isn't really PLEASED that the bad guy is gone, but the rumble is better than her earlier growl. She pads over to Hank, sniffing him, making sure he isn't seriously injured and head butting his hip, then gives Bronco the same treatment. Two friends, minor injuries, check.
Next she prowls around them in a slow circle, looking outward not inward. It's rather the opposite of stalking them, rather she's on guard, making sure there are no remaining threats. Her mouth hangs open as she inhales, tasting the air. Empty room. No threats. Check.
FLOP! It's a lion sized version of the pet cat flopping on the floor between them and the doorway. Her eyes half lid, and a weak purr, by her standards at least, starts.
Quinn slowly settles back in her chair, letting out a breath of air as the simulation ends. Phew!
In fact, she was so on edge, that she reaches forward to one of her blunts, then quickly lights it, inhaling the smoke and blowing it out like it was a breath of fresh air. Her eyes go half lided before she lurches up, pressing a button to the Medbay!
"Stand down Anne."
"What?! We're all rea.."
"She's calm! Hank's got it! But prepare some bandages and some food, yeah?"
Whatever Anne had said, Quinn missed. She totally put her on mute. Now it was watching them below while she smoked, then a sigh could be heard over the microphone. She was now blasting loudly.
"I'mma go take a nap you guys, that shit wore me out."