Checking in (set after Halloween event)

[juststeverogers]

In the aftermath of the Nightmare incident in the Nexus, Steve knew the most important thing in the immediate was making sure people were okay. Hell, he'd spent most of his time tending to Amelia's wounds such that by the time he was finished most of the cafe had cleared out. He's glad the rogue got the care she needed but he hasn't seen her since.

In fact, he's not seen most of them since. He waited a bit to see if he'd spot familiar faces in the Nexus, but with things quiet he takes matters into his own hands and sends out a message to several of his friends.

Hey, it's Steve.

I know you were involved in the mess during the Halloween party and I really want to make sure you're alright. I'm sorry I haven't reached out sooner. I wanted to make sure you got the time and care you needed after everything that happened. The coordinates to my apartment are listed at the end of this message.

Please let me know you're okay.

Comments

[rekindledtitan]

Ghost here. Blaze and I are safe, Steve. We've been buried in patrols and strike work since Halloween. I'm sorry we haven't seen you. Are you all right? You weren't taken, were you?

Truth be told, the little bot isn't sure how much to say. Either about the current state of himself and his Guardian, or why it's taken him rather longer than usual to respond. Battlefield delays only account for part of it.

[juststeverogers]

By now Steve has heard from Adia somewhat on what's happened to Ghost, and the little bit she knew about Blaze's ordeals. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the little bot's reply on his Starkphone. It had been long enough that he'd began to worry about them.

Is it anything I can help with? Steve knows he shouldn't press but he wants so badly to see them. If they can't come to him, maybe he can go help them out. Something. Anything.

[rekindledtitan]

Ghost doesn't actually look over his shoulder at Blaze to make sure she's busy. For that matter, he hasn't got a shoulder. But he does send the message while they happen to be getting kicked off a tottering stack of shipping containers.

We're in Old Russia. The Cosmodrome. If you're able to come, I can give you our co-ordinates.

[juststeverogers]

I'm suiting up. Got my shield. Send me the coordinates.

The Cosmodrome, as it turns out, is a derelict fortress of rusting steel with panels falling off every so often along the massive walls. Shells of old cars, more rust than frame by now, lay toppled this way and that. Steve recognizes them as being similar to cars from his time--well, at least the time he's in now. There's even old planes littering the ground. Not for the first time, Steve's startled at how empty everything seems as he looks around.

Old Russia, Ghost had said. Steve wonders just where that might be, even as he takes in the odd tower rising from the walls of the Cosmodrome with the three spherical attachments to the pylon. Steve takes his shield in hand and starts walking toward the wall.

I'm here.

[rekindledtitan]

The wind is sharp, but the towering walls offer a useful shelter, and the snowfall is light. For a minute or two the only sounds on the air are the rattle of rusted panels as the wind whistles through, and a distant bark of gunfire.

There's an entrance to the wall ahead. We're not far inside, you'll hear the noise. I think we have most of the attention for now. Just watch out for snipers: there are a lot of shadows in here.

There is indeed an open doorway ahead, once pressure-sealed and now twisted back on weather-pitted hinges. Beyond that are metal stairs that circle up and through the massive outer wall to a cavernous interior bridged and lined with walkways in better or worse repair. At least the big floodlights above are on, high above.

Guttural shouts echo down from the left. Then the harsh clap and reflected light of a flashbang grenade. Heavy impacts. The high whine of arc rounds being fired.

[juststeverogers]

Steve's careful when he slips inside. Years of training with Natasha (and Peggy Carter) have taught him how to be quiet even on these rickety metal walkways. Ghost's warning gives him a bit of an idea though. Rather than rush in toward the sound of the noise at the ground level, Steve hops up and grabs hold of a twisted remain of a walkway further up and hauls himself up. Heads toward the sounds from up high and under cover of shadow from walking above the hanging lights.

One thing Steve Rogers has learned fighting alongside Blaze-37 is that she's not subtle. Her gauntlets sizzle and crackle with electric energy as she charges into her enemies. Steve watches her from up above and tightens his grip on the railing when he spies a sniper take aim at her underneath him.

"Not today." He's already jumping down by the time he's opened his mouth, bringing his shield down on it's end and bending the rifle's barrel as though it's a piece of molded plastic with his full weight slamming into it. His left elbow is already snapping back and crushing in what would be the nasal cavity of a human. Sending the sniper toppling over the railing and splattering on the ground below them.

"On your six!" Steve calls out the warning, already scooping up his shield and hopping down himself to take on another opponent to Blaze's right.

This, at least. This Steve can do without any trouble or conversation.

[rekindledtitan]

Steve's seen images of these aliens before: four-armed Fallen, their daggers crackling with the same electrical sparks that fly from their rifles and pistols. The red half-capes of the vandals are dirtied, but the curved spiky black emblems of their house can be seen on the worn cloth. The gang left on the ground shout to each other and at Steve, circling around to try and cover both threats.

"Steve?" Her head's already turned at the fallen sniper, voice carrying the surprise her faceplate masks. Then a pair of dregs open fire to back up the vandal she's facing, and she gets back to work. Counter a desperate whack with his gun, break one arm, fist to the chest. Throw him at one dreg, draw her rifle to- oh. The second is smart enough to jump into cover. Blaze keeps an eye on his position. Turns to thump another springing in from behind. "Watch for the shock blades! What are you doing here?"

"I gave him co-ordinates," Ghost says from her armor's comm system. "I'm glad you made it, Steve. And, um, you might want to know there are more Fallen coming."

"Good. We must be close to something worthwhile."

[juststeverogers]

A reverberating CLANG rings out when Steve throws his shield into the Fallen he'd intercepted midway to charging at Blaze. He catches it and is quick to duck behind it as shots ring out in return fire. Waits for a break in the staccato of the gunfire to charge in closer and swing the shield out in front of him in an arc, using it as a ram to send the Fallen he's facing flying backwards and landing in a heap on the ground.

The captain's already scooping up the dropped rifle and taking aim at the next target. Shooting first. There will be time for questions later. All he needs to know is that they're trying to kill Blaze and Ghost. It's reason enough to consider them his enemies.

"Glad I didn't miss the party. Anything I should know about other than 'shoot anything that shoots at us'?"

[rekindledtitan]

"If you see the air shimmer, hit it. Some of them cloak. And don't squeeze their guns too hard, most of 'em are junk." Blaze keeps shooting as she talks, picking off a pack of shanks that are trying to skitter in between the abandoned shipping containers and loading machinery that serve as cover in here. "If it starts sparking badly just throw it at them."

"We're after a servitor - it's sort of a big round black floating computer. This one is especially big, which I think means it's especially important. I'm not sure if causing a ruckus outside its front door is going to lure it out. Steve, four-o-clock!" A two-armed dreg's vaulting over a toppled forklift and aiming at the human soldier, trying to charge at him while a bigger vandal occupies him in front.

[juststeverogers]

"I see him--!"

Steve will wonder at how familiar Fallen tech is to human guns later. For now, he's ejecting the clip from the rifle he'd grabbed and tucking it into a pocket. His shield's giving him cover from the gunfire in front. The sound of footsteps to his right grow louder and when the two-armed dreg is in reach Steve twists and surges forward. Slams the stock of the rifle into the dreg's face hard enough to shatter the gun.

Like Blaze though, Steve's not at his most effective at range. He charges the Vandal once the dreg is down, shoulder checking the Fallen and knocking it off balance. It's enough to let Steve stop hiding behind his shield for a moment so he can use it to batter the fallen again. Each blow from the edge of his shield crunches and breaks the armor and the third swing buries itself deep into the creature's body.

"Ugh." Steve rips out his shield and scoops up another rifle and gets back to work. On a battlefield at least, he's more than comfortable no matter where he is.

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze grunts approval when she hears the crunch of bone and armor behind her, the hiss of ether vapor from ruptured lines. She can't help sneaking a look back to see for herself. Steve knows his business. Means she can relax and enjoy the violence. But they're short on opponents: no more light troops are sneaking in, no big officers appearing with a fresh pack behind them. A cloaked sniper on the walkways tries a shot at her, twirling away when her return fire grazes them. She talks to Ghost while she and the sniper trade rounds again.

"Running out of targets, Ghost. Which way to the servitor?"

"I've been tracking their readings, and I think there's a tunnel entrance southward. We didn't see it on the first sweep - maybe it's camouflaged."

She nods, getting the better of the sniper with another short burst from her rifle. She turns to Steve and jerks her head down the long machinery-littered floor before she strides that way. She still doesn't know why he's here, but since he is she wants to find him an opponent worth the trip. Show the man a good time. "Want to come jump down a rabbit hole?"

[juststeverogers]

"Well, that's one way to get a daily workout in."

Though a couple of goons and some mild gunfire won't have Steve out of breath that easily. He slings his shield over his back while taking a closer look at one of the downed Fallen. He's fought alien invaders before and these are at least not quite as smelly as the last batch. Significantly less dreadnought sized flying armored monsters, too.

Before he can get too relaxed Blaze is moving again in search of their target. Ah, guess there will be time to talk later. For now the soldier falls into step, grip steady on the rifle he's picked up off the dead. He peers down the crevice Blaze is pointing at with only the mildest bits of hesitation.

"Why?" His tone playful and a little challenging when he meets the Exo's gaze. "You afraid of heights or something?"

Steve takes the jump.

[rekindledtitan]

Behind the faceless visor, she blinks at him... and then her chuckle echoes down after him. She sounds kind of startled by it. A couple of seconds' margin, and she leaps in after him. The hole widens quickly, the walls uneven with embedded debris, concrete, rusted beams After about fifteen feet it bends and slopes the rest of the way down, cutting past steel plates and spitting Steve down onto the metal floor of a room littered with piles of Fallen supply crates.

He can hear the heavy scrape and judder of Blaze sliding down after him well before the Titan thumps neatly down on one knee, the dark tattered cloth at her hip flapping against her thigh. The moment she does there's a low clicking growl from the shadows. The air around them blurs as stealthy hands vault their owners over the tops of crates, sparks glittering along the edges of unseen blades. They're surrounded.

[juststeverogers]

Habitually Steve's shield is at the ready, but there's nothing but supply crates as far as he can see around here. It had been dark in the hole a moment ago but even though they must be deeper still in the bowels of this derelict there's light once more to see by.

When Blaze emerges behind him Steve turns to speak up to the Exo. The clicking growl the moment he's turned away sets everything on high alert. Some of them can cloak. Blaze warned him about it. Wide blue eyes are staring at Blaze and Ghost for a split second before Steve makes his move. He slams all of his weight against the tail end of one of the supply crates, sending it screeching around sharply and catching a pair of cloaked Fallen offguard. Knocking them prone and visible on the ground.

There's your opening, Blaze! They need cover!

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze moves like she was expecting this. She opens fire on the dropped Fallen, a short burst for each before she pivots around. She's in time to catch a slash on her right arm from the cloaked vandal behind her. The crackling blade bites into her armored shoulder, but she swings the butt of her rifle around and down in time to deflect the other one swinging for her midriff. Before the would-be assassin can recover she lunges in with her left hand. Her fingers dig deep into the scavenged plasteel of his armor, his cloak flickering and failing.

The chuckling Titan ignores his lower pair of arms trying to grab at her as she hurls him into an empty-looking part of the room. He knocks into another hidden assassin as he goes; Blaze counts the red dots on her trackers, wheeling around to watch Steve's back as they both fend off another round of assault.

It's not the neatest approach, but now their attackers are nice and disorganized. The two Earth soldiers are in control, and the uncoordinated melee favors them nicely.

[juststeverogers]

Steve doesn't have the benefit of a tracker the way Blaze does but what he does have are lightning fast reflexes and his shield. He's hurling it at the first shimmer he sees, knocking another three Fallen out of stealth that are quickly introduced hastily to Steve's fists in short order. He's skidding on his knees to scoop up the shield, getting it in front of his face just in time to block a blow before striking out with it again.

The shipping container gives another loud CLANG! as Steve hurls another fallen into the container hard enough to dent it slightly. He knows how to use a gun but this is definitely Rogers' preferred method of combat.

It's been several months since he's been able to cut loose like this and go all out properly.

[rekindledtitan]

With the enemy line in disarray and half the survivors still picking themselves off the floor, the pace of the fight has steadied for Blaze. There's a second of respite after one opponent falls, enough for her to glance at Steve. Take in how he's doing. It's the first time since his return she's gotten to see him fight for real. She's not disappointed. He's still bold, still the no-holds-barred scrapper she remembers from an alleyway. But now he has the mass and the skill to get away with it. He's already adapting to his four-armed opponents, never giving them a chance for a good swing of the blades in their upper hands.

The Exo glances at him more than once as they work their way through the last wave of attacks. At least until two come at her in a pincer formation and she has to bound forward in a hurry. Crackling Light surges through her fist and disintegrates the one she rounds on first. She's trying to cut back on giving free hits...

When things go truly quiet this time she gives the room a last hopeful sweep for stragglers. Ghost appears after a minute, scanning the places where her armor's slashed and smoking, making quick repairs. Pieces of broken blade crunch under her boots as she nods to Steve. She seems quieter than usual, but at least she's herself enough to tease, "Heh. Looks like you can back up your words after all, Rogers."

[juststeverogers]

The quiet after the fight always comes suddenly.

When all Steve can hear is the beating of his own heart and the sound of his own lungs gulping in air in ragged breaths. He pulls his shield out of the armor of one of the Fallen and wipes a bit of grime off of it before turning to look back at Blaze. He's got the same face the bloody whelp of a man did looking up at her from the alleyway but he nearly reaches her eyes when he stands this time and gives an amicable shrug of his shoulders.

"Couldn't let you have all the fun." A quick glance to make sure Ghost is alright and Steve nods around at the mess they've made.

"So. Server..thing."

[rekindledtitan]

Ghost's swooped down to one of the dead Fallen: it looks like he's scanning it, or... doing something with that blue light, at any rate. Catching that look from Steve, he does a little spin to show he's fine, then looks at Blaze and disappears again as she gets moving.

"Right." Blaze heads for a darkened passage. Looks like the only exit, and she's taking the lead this time. "Looks like a big robotic eyeball. When we find it, keep clear of the eye-blasts and aim for the central 'pupil'. It'll use short-range teleports to avoid concentrated fire. And it definitely won't be alone, so stay sharp." The passage is tangled with exposed supports, irregular walls where whole sections have been torn out and stripped of the electronics beneath. There's a red glow from dull emergency lights still active beneath the litter on the floor.

"So what brought you- ah, hell." With a faint click, a web of laser sights has sprung to life, criss-crossing the narrow passage ahead with thin red beams. She can spot the tiny warning lights of mines in among them. "All right, back up a few paces. Should be safe to detonate these, but you'd better get behind me and your shield."

[juststeverogers]

"Eye blasts? What's it shooting and what kind of spread are we talking?"

If it's accompanied by more of the same in terms of resistance Steve's pretty confident about clearing them out just fine. Might get roughed up a bit if he's soloing them, but it's not a real fight unless he's bled a little bit, right? He freezes when Blaze does, eyes narrowing at the dark passage ahead of them.

"Well, if anyone didn't know we were coming already, they will now." Not that the element of surprise is often on Steve's side, but it's nice when it's an option. He backs up several paces and crouches down behind his shield.

[rekindledtitan]

"Exotic particles, primarily. The bolts fly slower than kinetic rounds but they're about the size of a balloon, and you'll need at least a meter clearance to avoid splash damage. Servitors like to pick a good spot to target and pump out a barrage. Once you're out of the way that's a good time to take your own shot."

Blaze glances back, then picks a charge out by its motion sensor and shoots it. The targeted explosion triggers a chain reaction as the shock and shrapnel ripple both ways along the tunnel. Fragments of metal whizz past Blaze and bury themselves in her armor; one squeals across her visor and grinds an annoying scratch in its wake. She waits until the ruckus dies, leaving only the slow creak of stressed metal settling back into place.

"The Devils know how to target charges without bringing their own lair down," she remarks, surveying the haze of smoke and dust in the air before she leads them in. "Gotta give them that. Good thing we don't need to be subtle."

"I'm detecting a concentrated ether source nearby," Ghost pipes up so they can both hear. "That's what the Fallen feed on, and servitors produce it. I'd say we're getting close."

[juststeverogers]

Several pieces of twisted metal go whistling past and more than a couple pling! off of Steve's shield before flying harmlessly off to one side or the other. Slowly Steve gets back to his feet, taking in the dust and smoke thick in the air.

"I'm impressed that didn't cause a cave-in." The soldier comments with a shake of his head before starting down cautiously through the dark passageway. Steve sees the flashes of purple light flickering at the turn in the passage before he sees anything outright. It's a giant mechanical eye, just like Blaze and Ghost described. Hovering a good four feet above the ground. He's struck by how unnaturally it moves, twitching it's 'gaze' back and forth erratically. Several of the Fallen are already swarming toward Steve's position and he retreats back safely into the darkness to wait for them.

They must assume their charges did the trick by how swiftly they file in. Steve waits until a group of them have passed him by before jumping out and slamming his shield into the back of one of the creature's heads. Between he and Blaze, the four creatures that have wandered in won't be around for long.

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze's attention is focused on the servitor as it pulls back and lets the dregs in. It's a big one, at least twice the diameter of the low-level models. Whatever its name and significance, the lesser Fallen are all too eager to throw themselves into the firing line for it, rushing in with hopes of finishing off a wounded Guardian or two. She can almost appreciate the gamble they're willing to take. Maybe their captain does too - or maybe it's the cold tactical sacrifice of the sacred machine behind them.

They learn their mistake when Blaze looms out of the haze to one side and Steve leaps from the shadows. Got you. The first in her reach gets a crushing blow to the face- but the second throws itself under her backhanded blow and rolls to its feet with a startled growl. They're untrained and shabbily armed, but they substitute a certain mad courage. that won't save this one when Blaze charges after it again- but it does have time to throw a sparking grenade beneath her feet. Blaze steps right on it.

There's a muffled bang, a dull crack; the surprised Titan's thrown forward onto the unfortunate dreg. Its howl of pain rings loud in her helm pickups as its armor shatters. Blaze swears - and does it again when she feels a blade being jammed frantically into her waist, the charge on it biting into her circuits. "Light-damni-ow!"

[juststeverogers]

The blast leaves Steve's ears ringing--it's a damn good thing he heals as fast as he does or he'd be deaf and blind by now for how many blasts he's been entirely too close to over the years. He's slow to turn, too slow to react to the startled pained cries Blaze is giving. He's pinned to the wall of the cave in short order by two of the Fallen.

"Blaze! Steve!!"

The red dots are flashing in all directions in front of them. The servitor hums louder as it charges up the kinetic cannon. Steve sees a flash of purple light and jerks with all his might. It doesn't free him completely, but it does put the Fallen to his left directly in the line of fire instead of him. Steveand the remaining Fallen go flying back and crunch into the wall opposite, both crashing to the ground in a smoldering heap.

That was too close.

[rekindledtitan]

Blaze doesn't hear her own painful grunt as she rolls off the dreg and gets her feet under her. Given the jolting, grinding feel when her weight comes down on that foot, that ought to be incredibly painful. But she doesn't feel it. Just the surging, empty feel of overloaded circuits on that side, alternately tingling cold and burning as individual subcircuits try to come back. She lurches around and pitches a grenade down the hall. It bounces onto the rubble before that robotic eyeball, detonating with a thundercrack and a flash of brilliant white light. Blaze has her head ducked away, but the left edge of her vision still turns fuzzy.

Doesn't matter. Neither does the fact the servitor's shell isn't even cracked. She can hear its disconcerted electronic mutters: the fire has stopped as it turns, dazed and blinded. IT gives her time to drop on one knee by Steve and his opponent. A plasteel fist closes around the Fallen's skull; lifts and rams it into the floor with shattering force. Then she turns to Steve. "Are you all right?"