Operation: Saving Private Jay (For Indigo)

He Warden’s center was much like many of the other areas of the prison. Meaning that it was infested with monitors, cameras, and highly trained guards ready and waiting to be deployed. This prison was no different, and as the monitors picked up the riot that was starting in Jay Zokoro’s cell block, more and more of the prison’s standard guards were being called upon to crush the rising threat! Of course, that was a far more preferable job then the one the young Warden center clerk found themselves in now. Speaking to the Warden of the prison facility was like jumping into a pool of ice cold water and knowing that a shark is swimming around inside. All alone in his office, the arachnid-like creature kept it dark and warm, forcing the Clerk’s eyes to adjust to the pitch black atmosphere, barely seeing an outline of the warden deep inside.

“Sir Warden? The prisoners in Cell block G are starting to riot. We have sent a few more squads of guards down to try and quell the prisoners before anything too dangerous occurs.”

The dark shape shifted about in the darkness. Of course the clerk couldn’t see what the Warden was doing so far deep in its lair, but the creature seemed to be staring at something. The click of it’s fanged maw and deadly mandibles sounded more like the discomforting sound of boney teeth scraping bone. A rush of hissing air came from the shape, seconds before taking form in the light as the Warden stepped forward in his usual, slightly webbed uniform. Those blood red eyes stared dead ahead as the Warden stepped into the heart of the warden center, looking over a few clerk’s shoulders to peer at the riot.

“Interessstiinnng…But far from unexpected. No doubt this is meant as a dissstractionnnn.”

“A distraction, Sir Warden? But…nobody could expect to slip away with the sheer amount of guards that are down there. Not while their power limiters are enabled.”

“The distractionnn isn’t for them.” The arachnid hissed through its translator, it’s head peering closer at the monitors. “It’s for the two Starmage intruders that have been slinking about the prison for some time now.”

The clerks glanced at one another, some even trying to follow the Warden’s gaze to see if he noticed something they didn’t, but so far, the Warden had only eyes for the ongoing riot.

“Prepare the Iron Golems and have them ready for battle…Oh and before our guests get tooooooo comfortable, bring all Anti Air turrets online. Our friends didn’t walk here…and that means there is a fly buzzing around my web!”

Sho could tell when a pitched fight would break out, his keen military instincts could often let him analyse a situation and when danger might erupt at a moment's notice. It was clear that there was a fire in the air that could explode into an inferno, Cesba remarked to the solider that it looked like a riot might be what's needed. The soldier was about to comment on the situation when suddenly Lunar yelled over the communicators with "Alert! I've detected the anti air guns are activating. I will begin evasive moves and dodge until needed elsewhere, they shall not tag me. Integrating with the plane's network!"


Carlson responded with "Roger Lunar hang tight in the air, new plan everyone. We're going with Cesba's suggestion, they want a riot we'll give them one. Light start raising hell, Chon cause what havoc you can. We're grabbing Jay and getting out of here one way or another." with that the brave leader of Starmage, who had been able to effortlessly sneak in from the sewers of the bottom of the Citadel would swiftly draw his katana and KO a nearby guard with the butt of his katana hilt. Elsewhere Chon would emerge from the shadows, kicking one guard in the back of the knee and swiftly snapping his neck before then swiftly disarming another nearby one and punching him in the heart to knock him out. And before long they would get prisoners freed.

The yelling downstairs was proof enough, Sho wasted no time. He didn't even say a word to Cesba or the rest of the team, he promptly turned ethereal and fazed his way towards two guards. He put his hands on their shoulders and promptly unleashed his blitzmotors and fried them to unconsciousness, another guard sprinted forward aiming his rifle. Sho swiftly drew not a gun, but rather a single rifle bullet between his knuckles and using his electrical powers he fired the bullet with the force of a railgun reducing the target to a fine red mist. He then said "Cesba, get Jay out of his cell. I'll handle the guards." 


Meanwhile Light squirmed in his seat, but eventually said "You know what, its time to cause havoc. See you in a bit Lunar!" with that the tall magical bioweapon promptly slid the plane side door open, with no parachute the lad simply lept out the plane with an eager grin upon his features. Then with a loud, resounding crashing noise Light had landed on the Citadel. He was an unmoving crater......for now at least........

Cesba took a deep breath. She jumped out from the vents just as the guards were getting to Jay's cell to unlock it. She let out a hiss and ran the guard through by extending one of her spider arms from her body.

"Cesba..." Jay said with surprise.

"If I had a quarter for each time you ruined a mission, I would have two quarters. Which isn't a lot but it is odd that it happened twice."

"Did...Did you just..."

"I have been learning memes, Sho gave me access to the internet and I couldn't help but look for things to laugh at." She gave him a shrug. "Now come on, we are getting you out of here!" Cesba would grab him by the arm and start pulling him. Jay would bend down to the guard Cesba just ended and took his key ring.

"Hang on." He ran across the way, to the cage across from him. "A favor for a favor." He unlocked the cage of the creature across from him before taking the key ring back and running. Jay was elated for Starmage to finally get to him, but the time to celebrate was far away. The prison riot was getting out of hand, even with the suppressive devices on the prisoner's necks, they still had fists. "Where is the rest of the team?"

"Sho is around here somewhere, Light is probably having a field day outside...Chon and Ryan must be making their way around the prison as well...Lunar is, hopefully awaiting us outside."

Jay read the keys on the ring, conveniently labeled. "The contraband room. We need to get there. My gear is there. And if there's a way for us to disable these collars, we could really cause chaos." He looked up to Cesba, now running alongside him on her four extended spider legs, slapping aside any guards that were trying to block their path.

"Uhm..." Cesba didn't like the deviation "Carlson? Did you happen to hear?"

Sho was no stranger to killing foes, it came with his soldier background. He took joy in the act unlike Light but would do what needed to be done, he briefly reflected on this fact as he grabbed a guard by the neck and fried him on the inside until in a second it was reduced to a fizzled out corpse. Another guard rushed at him with a knife, after a swift motion Sho disarmed him of the blade and swiftly snapped his neck. Light meanwhile had gotten up from his crash landing and began stomping his way downstairs, backhanding prisoner and guard alike as if it were an everyday thing. He came to one hallway and saw several guards with riot shields, stun batons and more. Light simply smirked and said "Hello, fresh meat."

Carlson and Chon were busy at work too, one of these two warriors alone could make an army a non issue. Hence many of the guards and prisoners that dared to interfere were brought low and driven into the ground by them, Chon wasn't even breaking a sweat in all honesty and Carlson was keen to spare many a foe that faced him. Even if some of them might be missing a hand or two after all this was done. As it stood Sho had just finished dispatching another guard when he heard noises behind him.

The former JSDF member would turn his head and see Cesba heading near him with Jay in tow, after taking a brief moment to admire just how damn graceful his girlfriend was even when moving with her spider arms he was brought back to reality as he realised Jay was now free. Turning himself ethereal to dance past all the guards and inmates Sho would appear behind them saying "Cesba! You got Jay I'm glad to see you both safe, Carlson are you there? We've got the target."


The brave leader of Team Starmage would respond with "Roger Sho. Attention everyone, Light I need you to get those guns destroyed. I don't get how you do it just get it done, everyone else head to the roof ASAP Lunar continue to run evasive moves until we get you free up there!" the game was afoot now, Light began to set about trying to find where those turrets were as the rest of the team decided that now was the time to make good on the escape plan!

No sooner had the Starmage leader’s order’s been confirmed by the other’s than a crackling, squealing electronic blast of sound tore over the comms! Electronic feedback created a technological howl of pain as someone tore into the Team’s private communication channel. Someone with a voice as cold as a nightmare.

“No need for that Light…I’ll have your friends captured and your ship brought down before You destroy even a quarter of the Anti Air guns.”

The voice on the other side of the communicator was strange…it was being run through a translation device, yet there was still a hint of superiority that seemed ingrained in the intruder’s word choice. Like they saw Team Starmage as less than themselves. Or worse, that they had foreseen everything that had come to be. No doubt, this was the Warden that had the prisoner’s as well as the guards frightened to the point of near madness. Even the Warden’s fake voice was off putting, it’s cold word’s like ice running into every member of Starmage’s ears.

“And now, thanks to your captain’s signal…I do believe we have found that nasty little fly…”

The Warden had broken into their communication channel, and was now using it against them. Using the signal Sho had used to contact Lunar, the Warden had triangulated where the ship was in the sky. Already, the hum of the AA gun’s on the roof seemed to carry throughout the prison as they began to charge and fire electro magnetic bolts at the invisible aircraft! But the rest of the team had their own issues, as the prison lockdown system began to go into full effect. Large, heavily fortified doors began to descend in key points and hallways as a savage alarm began to blare over the speakers. The remaining guards seemed to understand, and were quickly in full retreat as a result, fleeing from the Warden’s silent savagery.

“I’m sealing all routes to the roof off now…all but one. I do hope you manage to make it. I’d like to capture you myself, after all…no one respects a commander who won’t lead by example…and you pinkskins did destroy my colony.”

Suddenly, a new hiss tore through the Team’s communication device…this one much more organic, but certainly not human as it held an anger and hatred few would ever have felt before in their life. But when the voice came back, it was still the electronic translator.

“I’ve prepared special gifts for you…please enjoy them…as they will likely be your last.”

The communication devices would suddenly die…leaving the eerie pssssttt noise that filled the halls all the more audible under the alarm. Doors that had been disguised as wall’s began to crack and swing open as a pile of wires tumbled to the floor. At first, it was only one…then three... eight…until it seemed as though every hall was cracking open to reveal a hidden chamber.

The shadowy inhabitants came from behind the team…pushing them to the Warden’s will as they revealed themselves. Monsters made from metal and wire! Armored automatons marching towards the group in a disgustingly perfect formation. Each unit seemed to be at least seven feet tall, each adorned with what looked to be completely lethal weaponry. Swords, clubs, spears, even a few of them had some futuristic looking clawed weapon that seemed to glimmer in the dark. And none of them looked underprepared, as the majority of their bodies were covered in enchanted metals made specifically to take heavy impacts. The guards the team had fought were all small fry! These were the true guards of Gaia’s prisons!

Spoiler:

Cesba, on her four spider legs, would use the front two to shove aside and swipe at guards to get them out of the way. She let out several hisses and such as she plowed through, with Jay underneath her. He looked up at the spider. "Cesba..."

She gives him a nod. "We can pass the room on our way back up. You'd better know where it is because we cannot stop at every floor."

Jay nods. "I do know." He looked at his hands. "I need to get my weapons. They cannot be left here in the prison, they have to be taken with me." Jay  sighed. "This Warden, he will stop at nothing to keep me here and me needing to come back for those will get him that, I can never return here, we can never return here."

Cesba nods. "Then let us--YAGH!" The static in her ears made her shudder. The voice that spoke to her made her feel, like she was in a lucid nightmare. This Warden that Jay spoke of, he knew where they were, he knew how to get to them. He knew not to let them escape. With sudden rumblings that shook the very floors and walls of the prison, lockdown had begun. Even more dreadful, was the Warden's stinging words that revealed a bit about him. The destruction of HomeForest by Starmage...Cesba was among millions of displaced Arachniom and other like kinds. It seemed that their new enemy was as well. The thought never occurred to her where many of them would have ended up, especially in the new worlds created by slamming multiple worlds together...

Jay, again going solo, ran. He found the monster with the X-Ray like vision. Grabbing him, Jay chopped the absolute fuck out of the back of his neck and forced his vision out enough for Jay and all to see through a few floors up, right into the contraband room. He started to make a break, with Cesba following behind.

"He is going to track us with the buds..." Cesba deduced. She knew it was probably in the Warden's plan for them to rather destroy their comms turned trackers in favor of anonymity. "Carlson...We will get to the roof, promise and out!" She took the earpiece out, hopefully losing the Warden's tracking as she stomped it out and followed Jay hastily. But, the two were quickly stopped when a group of automatons moved in on them. Cesba and Jay stood across from them as they closed in. Other prisoners, fearful, backed into their cells for the most part. A few of them still remained, seeming ready to die as well for freedom, just as Jay fired them up to.

Courtenay could honestly just adopt Vaan at this point, after he was all nice and tenderized that is~ So skilled was Courtenay at dismantling the lad that she could use her impressively built upper body to just hold him right above her like a child, this would have been a lot tougher to do so at the start, perhaps that punt to the skull from Isabella did some good in the grand scheme of things~

Carlson loved it when a plan came together, this was just a case of getting the package out of here now. Truth be told everyone else wasn't important here, these prisoners and guards could fight each other and blow the whole place up and so long as Jay was safe and out of there everything else was secondary. Was it heartless? Perhaps, but Carlson was willing to do it to get the job done and his whole team would back him up on that! Now to just get Jay out of here and......

Suddenly the communications were interrupted and the Warden of the prison managed to interact with the group, Carlson instantly muttered out with "You can expect me to kill you should I come across you in person......" if the Warden thought he could terrify Team Starmage they had another thing coming, this group would stare a gun barrel point blank and dare you to pull the trigger among other things. Lunar had listened in and already began making evasive moves, sure enough even the clever tactics of the Warden wouldn't be enough to mow this robot in the sky down!

"I'm afraid you'll be mistaken, your limits have been calculated." Lunar stated plainly, she could process information far faster than any living organism. I.E: Meatbag ever could! Still she needed to get out of range before things got too hot and stated "Carlson I need to pull out! Get at least two of those towers handled!" before suddenly the communicators fizzled out. Still the Warden brought up an interesting point, was he of the same race as Cesba? Perhaps this might be for revenge?

Sho sighed, such was war. If you went about roaring and beating your chest someone would come along and put a bullet in it from what he learned. Case in point it seemed that some elite machines, or was it golems? He couldn't tell but they were already making their way towards causing some serious harm. Sho didn't even bother saying anything, this was war. He quickly drew a rifle bullet from his coat pockets and lined it up in his knuckles. "Firing Railgun Shot!" Sho yelled out as he charged the bullet with electricity and unleashed a powerful bullet towards the guards with enough force to reduce a normal human to a fine red mist!

Just as the Warden had promised, the sky was suddenly filled with bright flashing electrical volts! They filled the air like a horde of synthetic bats, screaming a false cry as they searched the air for Lunar's invisible ship. The Android could run thousands of simulations and scenarios in the time it took for someone to finish a conversation, but the sheer volume of anti air bolts made evasion difficult. The AA guns were firing just about everywhere, using the traced signal the Warden acquired as a starting point and estimating where the ship would have traveled from there. With only Light being near the roof, they were the only one that had a chance at assisting their ship's pilot by disabling the AA guns, but there were so many! And all of them were gunning to shoot down one ship! All while one of the Warden's mechanical guards were pulling themselves onto the roof! Its finger’s looked more like talons as they dragged across the floor, a single, lifeless eye peeking through the helmet’s visor as it lumbered towards the intruder. Wherein a deep, mechanical croak shuddered in its armor as it spoke!

"RETURN TO YOUR CELL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN LETHAL ENFORCEMENT."

–

“RETURN TO YOUR CELL. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN LETHAL ENFORCEMENT.”

The same chant filled the hallways and cell blocks that were once rampant with the screams of prisoners fighting guards. The machinations spoke in one distorted voice, and moved like a hive mind against the swarm of prisoners that were either too stupid or too brave to follow the forceful order. Those prisoners that did not immediately return were quickly moved on. It became clear that the Warden’s guard’s were overqualified in taking down the stragglers as they swatted many of them away or tore through the prisoner rank’s like wet paper. These machines were meant to quell riots in a superhuman prison, and many of the rank and file goons that were locked up in here had neither the time nor the strength to deal with so many so quickly.

The forces facing Cesba and Jay quickly divided as quite a few of the machines went for the surrounding prisoners. What prisoners couldn’t be easily thrown back into a cell were simply dispatched, along with anyone who resisted too much. The tide was turning, the cell block no longer a riot room but a swiftly closing cage! Cesba and Jay were lucky enough not to get too much attention, but they still had two of the machine’s dead eyes locked onto them, each one stomping over with a broadsword clenched in one metallic fist. A two handed weapon being carried as though it weighed as much as a butter knife.

“RETURN TO YOUR CELL.” The closest one ordered, its mechanical reach looking to grab at Cesba’s arachnid legs.

–

Sho was having some difficulties himself, quickly becoming aware of the Warden’s trump card. The door nearest to him suddenly exploded open, sending the actual door off its hinges and slamming against the wall opposite of it. Three of the machines stepped inside, searching for rioters to put down or guards to rescue. Instead, they quickly found Sho and bared their weapons. One with claws, the other two spears. Sho was already loading the bullet into his gauntlet as the clawed guard rushed forward, doubtlessly looking to slice the intruder’s body in two when Sho fired his railgun shot! The bullet was too fast to evade, and cleanly sliced through the machination’s shoulder, blowing its right arm off completely and sending sparks flying from the android! The bullet continued to whizz through the air and actually take a chunk of another android’s head off. The headless droid continued to march a few steps forward, but soon collapsed and burst into a shower of sparks and enchanted flame. The now single-armed android stumbled, but swiped at Sho with its one arm as the unharmed android continued to move in behind it! The hive mind mentality became clear to Sho as the unharmed spear droid was now covering the right side of its ally, essentially protecting its flank as it thrusted its weapon at the intruder with absolute silence.

–

The leader of Starmage and his associate would find themselves with company as well. Just as the others were experiencing the mechanical golems, so too would the Warden’s guards begin to march through the lower levels. The prisoner’s Carlson had just freed quickly ran into the first line of guards, and a fight was breaking out. The prisoner’s were being overwhelmed, and both Carlson and Chon would find a very nasty surprise waiting for them. Another golem, very much like the others, but with its hands replaced with two long, metallic wires that looked almost like whips on each arm, making four tendrils in total. The golem stepped right in front of the two Starmage members, its wire like tendrils dragging across the floor until it suddenly threw its arms forward! The tendrils sprung to life, and looked to wrap themselves around Carlson and Chon like snakes! This golem was trying to capture them alive! No doubt for the Warden’s use…

Sho knew war, even from a young age when he traded karate blows with his father in the dojo he learned it. That in war the enemy never moved the way you wanted them to, so he himself resolved to stay on the move as best he could in this situation. There was no need to bother with the other prisoners, this was war. The JSDF solider cursed under his breath as the golems were moving in fast and hard on him, it was time to rely on the clan arts. Sho felt his breath leave his body in a cool exhale as his body would become suddenly mist like and the attack would go right through him, the warden had they done their homework might have learned that Sho was the last in a line of Japanese exorcists that used innate bloodline arts to become ethereal in a sense. To better fight or interact with the spirit on their own plane.

It wasn't enjoyable however, Sho always felt..........murky when he did it. Like it wasn't natural. Still came in handy for avoiding just the right attack at the right time however. Sho would evade the spear droids and materialise behind them and get his hands on their backs before yelling "Fry!" with that he'd use his blitzmotor and electrokinesis to overload their electronics and indeed attempt to fry them! He knew Cesba could take care of herself, Jay too. He needed to take these peons out first before he could aid the retreat.

Meanwhile Carlson and Chon had managed to get close enough on the floors to manage to reconvene somewhat, but both were cut off from more golems trying to show up and managing to restrain them both! However in the struggle Carlson dropped his katana blade, whereupon a blue ghost, clad in samurai armour and bearing a remarkable resemblance to Sho would appear out the blade to grasp it. "UNHAND THE LORD FOUL AUTOMATON!" it yelled out and swiftly struck out the cords. Said sprit was Sho's great, great, great, grandfather known only as Azura. The blade claimed by Carlson before he attended Starmage Academy and swore an oath as his protectorate.

Meanwhile Chon was getting entwined by the ropes, he hissed out as a blue aura enveloped him. He drew on his powers of chi manipulation, the lifeforce of man itself to combat this monster. He could imbue himself with the might of more than just one man by drawing on the powers of life itself, but such an act required his body to unrestricted. Hence he struggled hard here, the robot would require more effort or aid here as Chon already now boasted strength far beyond a normal human as his muscles tensed and sought to free himself!

Prisoners left and right were being thrown, tossed, maimed. Some were flat out murdered. This was exactly what Jay didn't want. With all worlds and portals being combined in the past, subjugation of the highest degree would be brought upon the world, and that was being shown directly with the microcosm of the prison. Jay knew that if he continued to stay here, then he would never be able to try to make any changes. This Overseer as Jay had heard them called, HAD to be stopped. Worlds were seperate for a reason, and he was only learning that more and more as he lived on in this...These combined worlds. Someone like the Warden would never understand.

Cesba would let out a hiss as she was grabbed by one of her spider legs. The other front one raised up to slice at it, hoping the blade would slice through the robotics. She shot webs at Jay to suddenly wrap around him, as in his human stare without any weapons he would be nothing for these things to tear through. Wrapping him completely, she slipped on the man in a backpack-like form as she tries to walk about and slice at the robots. "Be my back eyes!"

"Do I have much of a choice?" Jay responded a bit dryly. But he did shout, and Cesba would turn around to start crawling across the room to continue fighting. Jay lifts his head. "Sho!" He tried to get his attention a bit. "We're wasting our time down here. We need to get up. I already know how this is gonna go, The Warden doesn't intend on us dying down here, if he did then he would have done so already...He wants us to come to him, he wants us on that roof...We need to get Carlson and Chon and move."