Escape from NERVOUS

[Jill Monroe]

<< Spellbinder felt herself being YANKED back from the ceiling...just as she was gearing up for another round of exertion....the sudden shift in force caused her to yell out in pain as her muscles were aching. falling with her back toward the "black void" of the bottom....she began to feel faint...almost welcoming the possibility of falling to her death...but even as she dared to welcome unconsciousness, they were at the bottom, Guardian blunted their landing so no one would sustain injury and Spellbinder crumbled to her knees. This had been one of the most physically exhausting capers EVER...and one in which MAGICK was of little use. She had had to use her body more than ever before...and though she was the physically strongest of the group...it had been a long time since she'd been through this kind of rigorous workout..not since her days with Valiant. there was a look of exhaustion on her face as she slowly stood up and shook her head. Looking over at Morningstar to see how she was feeling>>


<< she heard Alison's words...and knew they were close. close to not only securing the safety and anonymity of several of their team mates but of many mutants and meta humans around the world AND dealing another blow to a division of MysTech. This caper had gone smoothly. no in fighting..no bickering the team was functioning as closely as they could for the first time and they had survived some of the deadliest arsenal that A.I.M could throw at them.>>


<< breathing out slowly>> well people...we're almost there. Guardian and Black Widow...lead the way...the rest of you stay together and keep your eyes open. there's no telling what "last scare" this place has instore for us once we destroy their files and the core of NERVOUS.


<<lifting off the ground, the sound of rushing wind and chimes is heard as she takes to the air just over the the group. with Guardian and Black Widow leading the way. she notices Guardian throwing up a force field around the team to by them time to further recover while they make their last run for NERVOUS' core>>

any indication of just how far below the earth's surface we are now? its INSANELY HOT down here.

<<indeed...it was sweltering warm...a distinct indication that the power supply might be an subterranean volcano....a BAD thing if any of the walls or floor were badly breached>>

[Jacob Black]

:: Prophet was buckling under the pressure of the ceiling coming down on them. He began to grit his teeth and gain a better stance on the floor. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and just when he was about to crack, the floor beneath the Six gave way and caused them to freefall for what seemed like forever. Cameron welcomed the break from the mental stress as Alison augmented her telekinesis to cause them to land lightly on the floor. He smirked to himself. She truly was the Guardian of the team. Quickly rising to the floor he listened to the words of Alison and Morgan as the team began to move along. ::

:: Looking over to Alexis, he walked over to her and extended a hand to pick her up off the floor. Smiling at her and cocking an eyebrow he somewhat laughed. ::

"Hey, since we are the one probably at the most risk here, we need to stick together. Chilvarly isn't completely dead..."

:: Turning back to the group he began to walk ::

"Yeah, keep an eye out. Is it ironic that this whole Nervous thing is MAKING me nervous?"

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Falling to the ground, even with Alison's telekinetic help to soften their landing, Alexis crumbled to the ground, coughing. Pushing her body up with her hands, she looked to the others to see if they were alright...everyone seemed in tact. Tired, but in tact. Standing with the aid of Cameron, Alexis exhaled feeling the rush of heat hit her body. First the extreme cold, now this. Damn, it was like an oven in here. ::

"I'll hold you to that once this is over."

:: With a smile, Alexis began pulling off her gloves and coat that Morgan had provided her, she dropped them to the ground and immediately unzippered the front of her suite a bit lower, exposing her already sweaty chest. Stepping forward, she began to follow the group....Wrapping her hair up in a pony tail as they walked, she kept her eyes pealed for anything suspicious.

"Agreed....Don't you kinda feel like a loner sheep in a pasture surrounded by wolves?"

:: Shaking her head, she let out a nervous laugh as she continued to walk. ::

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh watched as Morgan tried to stop the ceiling. Everyone worked together so wonderfully, just before they were going to die. On some deep level of subconscious, she wished they would ALWAYS get along so nicely. In her mind, however, she knew that was futile, as the notion itself had to be a sign of the coming apocalypse. Nevertheless, she herself got to working on the nearest wall... It was metal... so she assumed she would have some control over its movement... She held out her hand, concentrating with her eyes closed. It wasn't until the wall had neared so close that it now touched her outstretched hand that she realized her powers weren't totally working on it... She had slowed it down, for sure... but she had intended on stopping it... and it was somehow extremely resistant to her powers. She put both hands to the wall, planting her feet and concentrating harder than ever before. Her brow furrowed as her hands sunk in the wall, creating dents the shapes of her handprint. What was alarming was that her feet were sliding backwards despite all her efforts. She was expending physical and magical energy-- so much so that her whole body had taken to tremors. Alexis' energy boost couldnt have come at a better time, and the wall halted momentarily.... Haleigh breathed a heavy sigh of relief... and the floor dropped from beneath her feet.

As shocked as she was to suddenly be falling, she managed to orient herself to land on her feet.... though they fell for far longer than she was comfortable with... and the longer they fell... the more sure Haleigh was that many of them would be crushed on impact... much like jumping from a building... the rather frail human body would SHATTER upon contact... and if Haleigh survived... the very ordeal would still be painful to a crippling level. She braced herself... but was surprised to find it incredibly less violent than she expected. She landed on her feet in a crouch and stood up, looking round to make sure it hadnt been JUST her whod lived.... She smiled, again relieved, as she knew someone mustve eased the landing. Morgan got to her feet, suggesting they move quickly... and as everyone recovered, Haleigh nodded and began to lead them through Nervous.

"We're not that far really. Around negative 10,000 feet MSL, so a couple of miles below sea level. Not far enough to need pressurized suits... definitely not far enough to get heat from the core. We must be near some other heat source to make it so warm. You might've notcied, though, how easy it is to breathe... and you're feeling a little euphoric, no doubt... the air is so dense down here... the partial presssure of oxygen so high. You might feel exhausted... but you're getting WAY better performance out of your bodies here than you would at the surface..."

Haleigh systematically lowered her body temperature to levels that would be HYPOTHERMIC to an average human.... and surveyed the equipment around them. It was becoming easier and easier to see a rather disturbing look in her eyes... a gleam of sorts.... and it was obvious that this place was HEAVEN to her. She desperately wanted to stop and just take it all in... or better yet... set up a tap and drain the intel from it to put in HER databases.... Do we REALLY have to destroy this place?? Thoughts of regret creeped into her head. She looked around at the group and compartmentalized the thoughts quickly. Of COURSE we do... this much intel is a danger in ANYONES hands. A solemn look overtook her face, and though she spoke, her voice was a bit quieter and more reserved than usual.

"Actually... while we shouldnt get complacent... we dont really have much to worry about. Weve made it through the most challenging part... though not entirely unscathed.... still with our lives. You must appreciate that NO one has ever made it this far before... and it is anticipated by those who designed the security system that no one WOULD still be alive at this point... so the defenses will be relaxed. On top of that... this area... is so high tech... and the info kept here SOOO incredibly priceless... that keeping weapons and defense systems here that could DESTROY this area would be ridiculously stupid. Its like putting a kerosene lamp in a room full of dynamyte. So instead of giving us loaded weapons down here... theyve orchestrated such a deadly gauntlet of destruction on the WAY that they figure no one could possibly survive it... and anyone who DID would most certainly DESERVE to be here. They MIGHT make a last stand... but it will be far below par and hardly a threat to us. We DEFINITELY have the advantage now... as we INTEND to destroy the place and they are fearful of causing inadvertant damage while trying to fend us off."

[MorningStar]

[ MorningStar's hold on her forcefield was broken as she suddenly was plummeting downward. Not really realizing what was going on at first, her instincts took over as she flattened out her body - if she was going to hit the ground, it was best to distribute the force of the impact over as much surface area of her body as possible.

She braced for the impact, but it never came, thanks to Alison. She got to her feet, looking around her at the new surroundings, wondering what was going to happen next. ]

"That may be true, Haleigh, but I can't believe they are just going to let us waltz in there and destroy this place..."

[Harbinger]

the hardest part....will be getting out ALIVE. the threat comes not from anything in this area.....it comes from someone that we've dealt with before. the Super Soldier......is alive, and WHOLE once more and closing in.

::the saw that Alison had siezed earlier was following behind her::

he will try to KILL US...but I have seen that Morgan and myself will battle him......to buy you all time to finish the task at hand....and to escape. Morgan mystically bound a stepping disc up bove on the surface...that will send you all back to Limbo.


::it almost sounded as if Guardian had predicted that Spellbinder and herself would not be leaving NERVOUS.::

::the group moved along...with Spellbinder flying over head, they arrived at a metallic platform that over looked the endless vertical expanse. the CORE of NERVOUS was in view...like a majestic, shimmering star with crystaline tubes leading out from various points of the globe....flowing with a glowing energy....::

do not fall off the edge...you will be vaporized by matter/antimatter fields. :: looking over to her right::

the consoles are over THERE

:: pointing to the right and back away from the edge of the plateau, there were the actual control panels...where the endless information of the WORLD would be at the finger tips of anyone who controlled it.::

with Haleigh's abilities it should be no problem to bypass the many encryption codes and protection fail safes. once you have breached the secuirty you can erase the files containing information on ALL mutants and meta humans on the planet....

:: the control consoles were divided but still made one LONG row..there were many areas to cover...which would retquire those four to go there...leaving Morgan and Alison to fight off the Super Soldier. of course....for Haleigh there would be some emotional backlash...seeing this creature who was once apart of her young life so many years ago.::

when that is done, we must DESTROY NERVOUS totally. go now....time is of the essence.

::as Morgan landed next to Alison........a feeling of DREAD came over the group. the same feeling that MorningStar and Shockwave had feltl when they faced the creature in the forest back in Conneticutt.....the Super Soldier was near....::

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Alexis continued to walk with the group, keeping her mouth shut as everyone spoke their mind about the situation. Frankly, Alexis just wanted to get in and get out. The fact she was a meta human didn't exactly boost her confidence seeing as how she was in a facility that wanted to destroy them. But as she continued to survay the area, a chill shot down her spin. The same chill that she felt when The Six encountered that beast at Alycia's cabin. ::

"Guys...I don't think we're alone.."

[Jessica Hamby]

"WAIT a minute--"

Haleigh paused, turning to face Guardian, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her green eyes. She halted the progress on the platform. Her voice seemed... impatient.

"What do you mean, the disc will transport us to Limbo? As IF we would take flight after destroying Nervous and leave you to your fate down here... I'm NOT leaving ANYONE behind-- not EVEN the two of you. WE made it here TOGETHER... and we will make it out of here TOGETHER. Let me make myself clear.... We will wipe the databases clean... then we'll set up the explosives to destroy the facilities... then we'll assist you-- if necessary-- to neutralize the Super Soldier.... then we'll take our leave of this place. ALL of us. TOGETHER. Capice?"

[Jill Monroe]

this is the way it has to be. Guardian saw this moment from the first time we faced the Super Soldier at Alycia's cabin in the forest. She confided in myself and alycia before we left. I've left all of my access codes and financial documents as well the holdings of Illustra inc and Foxfire's estate with Alycia.

<< heavy, pounding foot falls could be heard.....as Morgan and Alison turned a bit.....the Super Soldier was coming...FAST and DIRECT like a freight train. there was no subtlety about this offensive>>


Alison!! he's coming!

<< she pointed...as the large , massive creature made his way from the seemingly endless expanse and background toward the group>>


<< the two women looked at each other...and turned....taking off toward The Super Soldier with an equal amount of offensive edge....Morgan flying-- hands clenched in fists with halos of magick, Alison sprinting forward along side Morgan with enhanced speed her hands raised...poised for battle.... leaving Black Widow, Shockwave, Prophet and MorningStar to deal with THEIR task as the two witches kept bought the group much needed time. the moment of impact between the two women and the super soldier would be violent and deadly...but the rest of the group HAD To complete their task...for the benefit of the world.>>

[The Shape]

:: like a relentless fireball blazing toward its target, the super soldier closes in on the group only to be met by a counter charge from Spellbinder and Guardian. The two strongest women of the group were going to try to stop him or destroy him. But hadnt they learned from their battle with him that he was stronger than ANYTHING they had faced so far from MysTech's arsenal?::


:: he brings forth a photon based weapon that is capable of changing into ANY form he requires. he begins with a broad double edged axe...swinging it WIDE and mightly at the two women who are charging him::

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh made a sudden, blitzkreig movement that was machine like in speed, snatching Morgan by the arm and jerking her around to face her with an iron grip. She seemed beyond considering the consequences of this action, not caring if Morgan felt threatened or attacked. There was a storm in her eyes, a literal swirling in her irises like a tiny hurricane.

"The HELL it does. im NOT going to turn tail and run out of here knowing that i COULD HAVE done something and didnt. Alison can SEE the future so that WE can DO SOMETHING about it, and SO HELP ME GOD, if i have to DRAG the both of you out of here by your hair, kicking and screaming, I WILL! YOU will NOT resign to die JUST because she thinks thats how its going to be. NOT ON MY WATCH, and that's all there is to it."

Haleigh let go of her arm, as she heard footsteps, turning to watch the approaching shape. Morgan took off running, rushing to meet the soldier before he got close to the group. The slightest tic occured, Haleigh's left eye twitched as a figure from her past came into view. She clenched her jaw as she separated her emotions from her psyche.... this was war... and there was no room for remorse. The lives of the Six were all on the line, and haleigh reacted with a detached judgement. As the Axe neared the two women, it seemed to strike an invisble barrier... and shattered to bits in the direction of the Super Soldier, showering him with shards of metal. haleigh had given Morgan and alison the upper hand of the first blow... and after a split second's hesitation, Haleigh hurried to get to work at the console of Nervous. a few typed commands and she was already in the systems, there seemed to be hardly any real effort on her part.... but for Haleigh, she was in a zone... taking a refuge in doing her part to insure this missions success. Before giving the others the go ahead, she paused once more... considering her gut desire to back up this information and send it to CI for analysis... she took a deep breath, weighing the decision.... and spoke.

"Alright guys, split up. The systems are open.... each of you take a monitor and select a division of intel. Within the divisions are folders that we unfortunately have to manually delete. Its relatively simple, go to the first folder and hit "Control" then "Delete" and it will default to the next folder and you repeat until you clear the division... there are six divisions in all. Between the three of you... it shouldnt take to long. I'm going to oversee and override the clearance requirements each time you all delete a folder. i've already taken care of the folders compiled on the Six, so dont worry about not being able to find your folders... theyre gone."

Haleigh neglected to mention that she would ALSO be scanning the files they were deleted.... but what they didnt know in THIS case wouldnt hurt them and Haleigh really just wanted to see what Nervous had.... or so that was the reason she justified to herself.

[Harbinger]

::Alison heard Haleigh confronting Morgan. it wasnt that she didnt UNDERSTAND Haleigh's stubborn streak.. that was her nature and in this case it was quietly appreciated especially when it came to making sure that "they all made it out together", But Haleigh hadnt encountered the raw power of the Super Soldier the LAST time....she did make one point that was hard to deny Alison can see the future so WE can do something about it!. Everything Alison had done leading to this caper[sending Prophet to get a boost in his power, confiding in Alycia and Morgan about the outcome she foresaw etc] was a direct result of her seeing the final battle between Spellbinder and herself against Super Soldier. But even WORSE was what she HADNT revealed to the rest of the group....a sort of "last scare" that would come AFTER their escape from NERVOUS.::

:: as she and Spellbinder charged for the Super Soldier and he swung his broad, double edged axe, Black Widow attempted to use her power over the axe...a clever and well timed move indeed HOWEVER, the AXE was composed of PHOTON energy....so while it was solid...this object wouldve been more easily controlled by MORNINGSTAR....::


::Black Widow's attack seemed to be lost on the Axe but instead it caused the Soldier HIMSELF to slightly misstep in his movement...he paused for that split second...his eyes fixing on Haleigh from afar....and this was not lost on Guardian and Spellbinder::

NOW Spellbinder!! While he's slightly off balanced!!

::Guardian immediately thrust her hands forward...and BLASTED him with a FULL POWER attack, igniting all the space around him. Spellbinder followed with a massive consussive blast of eldritch force....the THUNDEROUS echo rocked the floating platforms and the air around nervous' infinite expanse...::

[The Shape]

:: The Super Soldier finds himself stumbling slightly...a shift in the energy fields causes him to falter. he immediately fixates his cold, predatory glare on HALEIGH...but soon he is met by a fierce strike from Guardian and Spellbinder...his body jerks and violently staggers as he is thrown back a few feet and hammered to his knees...but he does not FALL.::

:: he stands and comes forward again.....the photon weapon transforms into a large JAVELINE...that he launches at Guardian with such perfect form and so much strength...the javeline pierces the air as it charges madly for the woman....and as Guardian would undoubtedly defend herself.....The Shape seemed to DISAPPEAR where he once stood in that instant::

::clearly he would not be as easy to attack as he was in the forest::

[Harbinger]

::Guardian instintively back pedaled...with a look of surprise on her face::

the creature's thoughts and actions are almost ONE. It makes it hard to .....


:: he hurled the javeline at her and she immediately thrust her hand out in a "stop" gesture.....TKing the Javeline BACK at him but as the weapon slammed into a large machine and caused a small but colorfull explosion, she noticed he as not there::

MORGAN!!! watch your back!


:: she looked up and pointed.....she saw in the nearest probable time thread that the Super Soldier would be leaping mid air to tackle Morgan HEAD ON!::

[Jill Monroe]

<< Spellbinder flew down low looking around for the Super Soldier....there was no sign of him...as the first of many fires caused by the Six in NERVOUS was now under way after Guardian TK'ed the photon javeline back at where he WAS>>


WHERE IS HE!?

<< she looked around ...almost frantic...just as Guardian shouted for her to watch her back...she felt her body being SLAMMED into with such force..it was like being tackled by a mammoth foot ball player and although Morgan stood at 6"1' , and was a physically fit woman, she still had a feminine build>>

OWW!

<< she cried out with pain as she was ambushed by the Super Soldier...he dove into her....attempting to bring her down to ground and CRUSH HER under his body as she hit the ground..and while the initial impact HURT HER and possibly broke a rib or two...Spellbinder gritted her teeth as her eyes turned solid white>>

if i AM to die....YOU will light my path to LIMBO you monster!


<< screaming with defiance..she TWISTED her body and turned HIM around so that HE was now on the bottom...and she began HAMMERING his face with punches attacking him with all her rage..NOT PULLING holding...the sound of jaws breaking could be heard as Spellbinder PUMMELED the shape with her super strength. he RETALIATED by locking onto her throat with his hand.....and STRANGLING her>>

<< the two fought ferociously they fell out of the air...and crashed INTO another large structure....the sound was sickening as sparks flew and small explosions errupted from around the structure...and the flew of "energy" from the large glass tube above that structure that lead up to a LARGER path toward the heart of NERVOUS began to fluxuate. the crystaline glass began to CRACK and the dangerous liquid began to seep out. it was clear that this place's structual integrity was going to be compromised more and more by this battle.....but for now....as Guardian began to frantically pull away metal debris searching for Spellbinder...the question was... "WHERE WERE THEY">>

[Jacob Black]

:: Cameron ran to one of the monitors and computer screens as he immediately checked the ear piece he had secretly planted himself before the mission began and spoke the person on the other end. ::

"Alright Vivica, I am about to plug you into the system alright? We can go from there.."

:: Prophet took a computer jack looking like machine from out of his body suit and plugged it into the back wiring like Vivica had told him. They were ready to get to the business of obliterating these files. ::

"Okay, we're connected. I just need you to detect anything that is trying to prevent us from deleting the files so that we can make sure these are gone.."

:: Ferociously he began to delete the files as he began to scour through the many files. Suddenly he was stopped by a discovery from Vivica ::

"Um, Cameron. We have a problem.. Somebody there is scanning the files.. Hold on.. Haleigh is scanning them using some foreign thing. Do you want me to remove her from the system?"

:: Cameron thought for a moment. Why would she be doing this? Probably using this for the advantage of Clandestine no doubt. He really thought she was changing. Vivica was right, she had a computer like mind, she could communicate with computer mainframes with some kind of scary v-chip telepathy. She read the computer like a book or somebody that was talking her. ::

"No.. Keep her on, just make sure to get everything she is scanning. I will tell Morgan and Alison after this is over.. if.. when they get out of here..."

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: The events had unfolded so fast, Alexis didn't even have time to react to The Shape's attack against Spellbinder and Guardian, she just stood, watching in awe. But Haleigh had quickly snapped her out of her daze like state and soon, the meta human ran to her designated computer, and began to fiddle with the buttons. Okay...looking at a file pop up, she did exactly like Haleigh had instructed; and with success, the file dissapeared from the screen. Continuing this process along side of Cameron, Haleigh, Delilah, and Adrian, Alexis could hear the burtal attacks from behind. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she watched as the shap compeltely attacked Spellbinder from behind, making her slam into some monitors. Wincing for her, she couldn't do anything but what she was doing...this was their mission. Seek and destroy. ::

[The Shape]

:: even as the witch Guardian began to bend and pull away metal with her TK, the Super Solider blasts his way loose ....holding a seemingly unconscious Spellbinder in his grip. t was a terrifying sight as he emerged. His red eyes firmly fixed on Guardian as he HURLED Spellbinder at her at FULL FORCE.::


:: he took a moment...to snap his jaws back in place. Spellbinder had broken both jaws and and many other bones in this body but his healing factor compensated for even the amount of damage that HER super strength caused. He once gain began to make his way toward Guardian, now wielding his photon weapon in the form of a machete. no sound, no facial expression, just methodical and relentless::

[MorningStar]

[ MorningStar followed Haleigh's instructions, rushing to one of the panels and going to work on the files.

The sounds of battle could be heard behind her. She feared for Morgan and Alison... ]

Don't look...don't look...

[ She forced herself to not glance over her shoulder. She knew that if she did, she would be unable to keep from going to help them. ]

Control, delete. Control, delete.

[ Working methodically, MorningStar focused on the job at hand. Despite the fact that any first grader in any elementary school could do this, it was one of the most important tasks she'd ever done. And the faster she finished, the faster she could go assist Morgan...she wasn't about to watch her friends die. ]

[Harbinger]

:: Jumping back as the Super Solider blasted himself free, Guardian covered her mouth with dismay as he held the limp Spellbinder::

MORGAN!!

:: she gasped as the Super Soldier FLUNG Morgan AT her..but didnt panic, she extended her hand and caught Morgan with a temporal field and slowed her body down gently before teleblinking Morgan behind her::

She's not dead...she blacked out from lack of AIR...

:: she braced herself as the super soldier advanced....now with a photon machete. he swings mightly and brings the blade down but Guardian dodges...spinning to the side and she begins her own counter attack::

:: in a surprising change of tactics, Guardian starts off with a more PHYSICALLY oriented strike. spinning on her high heel she slams into his chest with a powerfull round house before crouching down and swinging her legs around the OPPOSITE direction to sweep him off his feet. Although not nearly as strong as Morgan PHYSICALLY Guardian improvises by reinforcing the strength of her blows with telekinetic power and slightly increasing her SPEED by warping her own temporal lfield::

The Shape:: the tactic works as The shape staggers back and is felled. but he IMMEDIATELY springs to his feet...and SWINGS OUT in a scythe pattern with the photon machete.::


Guardian: :: Leaning back into a flawless tumble, Guardian reverse tumbles AWAY from the path of the blade. landing crouched down.

The Shape: ::keeping right up with the witch, he runs forward and attempts to SMASH Guardian as he slams his fist down in a pile driver punch.

Guardian: ::looking up to see she has NO room to move...she BLINKS from that spot and reappears in the air....dropping down into an ELBOW DROP on to Super Soldier'shoulder blade and thrusting her hand forward to TRUE FREEZE his hand that is holding the machete to the point it becomes extremely brittle and unable to holdl the blade.. she lands on her feet and flings BOTH hands forward....TKing him across the length of their battle into another mechanical structure with SUCH FORCE.


:: knowing she has a few moments to spare now...she kneels down Morgan's side::

Morgan...WAKE UP!!! I cant stop him alone...i need you!!

::even as she tried to rouse Spellbinder back to consciousness, commotion from the wreckage a few feet away suggested that the super soldier was on the rebound AGAIN and about to break free.::

[Jill Monroe]

<< Spellbinder begins to gasp for air ..coughing as she immediately sits up ...she see's Alison and finally HEARS her screaming at her...and as her vision sharpens she sees the Super Soldier rebounding from what must have been his latest round with Alison....>>

Guardian.....<< cough>> ....get up!!! << she struggles up to her feet with Guardian>>

I'm not done YET!

<< as she motions for Guardian to move away....Spellbinder takes hold of a MASSIVE metalloid column from one of the piles of wreckage...and RIPS IT away from its foundation....the sound of metal tearing and crackling electricity/energy can be heard violently errupting from the exposed cables and inner working of the mechanical column.....and in an impressive display of her physical strength, Spellbinder hefts the column lifting herself off the ground as she flies toward the Super Soldier>>

die motherfucker!!!

<< she shieks with pure irritation>>

<< she SLAMS the exposed end of the column into the body and face of the Super Soldier...the width othe column is large enough to totally encompass the monstrous creature as he is now BOMBARDED with raw power and energy from NERVOUS itself....his body convulses and shakes VIOLENTLY as he is barbequed, burned, irradiated all at once....his body catches on FIRE as sparks spit out from the column causing strobe like flashes to be seen around the area>>

<< continuing to ram the column into the creature...Spellbinder finally pulls back and spins her body around with the massive column. a low pitched sound of air splitting is heard as the column casts a long shadow even over the other members of the SIX as Spellbinder SLAMS it into the super soldier...broad siding him SO HARD a bone crushing CRACK is heard>>

Guardian....he's AIRBORN....do your thing with him!

[The Shape]

:: Super Soldier's body is once again abused beyond the point any normal human male could survive. He violently convulses and some of the capillaries in his eyes even begin to rupture causing his eyes to "bleed". even as his body seems to lock up he is made airborn by a body breaking SLAM from the metalloid column wielded by Spellbinder. he is knocked violently and dizzyingly high into the air...and as he begins to free fall back down toward the floating platform he prepares to retaliate against Spellbinder first but his plan will not take place::

[Harbinger]

:: Guardian held her gloved hand out ...palm facing forward as a bell tolled and thunder CRASHED in the air::

have a nice ride, ASSHOLE!

:: a glimmering hint of the Alison that had been seen at ALexis' gala was manifesting as she LOCKED onto The Shape's body with her Telekinetic power::


:: she gestured like Prue and sent him flying, REELING across the length of the platform, HIGH over the heads of the reset of the six...but suddenly he stopped as if slammed into an invisible wall. he was flung the OPPOSITE way just as hard....as she gestured again ...and again and again......increasing the speed of the super soldier's body and his molecules....Guardian began to BATTER him as she subjected him to a vicious telekinetic equivalent of a being a ball locked in a pin ball machine. ::

:: up down, diagnal, side ways , zig zagged...slamming into machines, the floor, spun around....Guardian brutalized the super soldier's body and shattered his equilibrium and as he was flung about so viciously...it began to occurr faster and faster....soon the actual sounds of a pin ball machine could be heard as he looked like nothing more than a toy::


:: Spellbinder could be seen smirking with delight. the two witches were DEFINATELY pulling out all the stops to try to detroy this creature::

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh watched over their shoulders, pacing anxiously back and forth as they erased the database. She continued to pilfer through wht they were deleting as she overrode the prompts and authorized each deletion. At some point she realized she had been detected... she zeroed in on what was identifying her and hacked the communications between Cameron and Vivica. She weighed her options, as she concealed the fact that she was listening in on their conversation. At this point, she could HIDE her scanning of the files from Vivica's detection.... but that would make her look suspicious and as if she was guilty. She could STOP filtering through them..... but that would ALSO make her look guilty AND she wouldnt see anything else... so she simply keep scanning them, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong or unethical about what she was doing.

The battle raged in the background, and everyone was making more than satifactory progress. Haleigh glanced round, surveying to make sure nothing was being left to chance.... she backed away from the group, glancing over her shoulder to check on Morgan and Alison.

"You guys keep going, your nearing the end... I'm going up to the observation bay... there's an access terminal that needs attention."

She picked up speed, jumping up the metal stairs two at a time, running across the mezzanine to the door into the bay.... it automatically slid aside for her... and she approached the executive access terminal with haste. She typed commands with remarkable speed, and from this terminal she could access features like the "self-destroy" defense features that protected Nervous from invasion if the upper levels of the facility sustained too much damanged. Haleigh smiled.... this feature would destroy the lab, including all the terminals, but the Harddrives were protected offsite. Cameron, Delilah, and Alexis were deleting the files from the Harddrive... so this self destruct feature would save them time and effort. Haleigh authorized the last few deletions as she prepared the self-destroy. Haleigh entered an override code and stepped back, a shotgun appearing in her hands. She sprayed the terminal with buckshot style rounds, destroying any chance for it to recover or reverse her commands and preventing it from being accessed in any way. Haleigh stepped out of the observation bay, smirking at the pinball sounds. it seemed Alison DID have some kind of sense of humor. the shotgun in her hand turned into a sniper rifle and Haleigh followed the shape with precision. She operated with machinelike speed and reflexes, so the moving target posed no extra difficulty... and after a few minutes of calculation, shot the super soldier in the back of the head with a thumb sized ARMOR-PIERCING round just as he changed direction once more. She lifted the gun back up and looked down at Alison and Morgan. The was a detached coldness in her demeanor and not a wisp of either happiness or sadness about her. She was operating on mere survival instinct.

"If you ladies are done playing around... Its time we shut down this arcade.... the defense sytems are set to self destruct in two minutes time... and its got enough power to wipe this particular geographic location off the MAPS."

[MorningStar]

[ MorningStar finished deleting the files in her section with a final Control - Delete. That was it. She turned, seeing what was left of the Super Soldier, and that Morgan and Alison appeared - at least on the surface - to be allright. Joining Haleigh, she said something that had been nagging at her. ]

"Are we sure we got it all? Are we sure there isn't a backup somewhere?"

[Jacob Black]

:: Cameron looked over at Delilah. In their last encounter he really hadn't gotten to know her at all. She was a gorgeous woman but even without his telepathy he could tell that his boyish charm and swarmy lines wouldn't get him anywhere with her. ::

"I am in communications with a liasion with mine, she has a specialty with this kind of thing and from what she is telling me. We have everything. This is pretty much the brains of the operation. They would need a warehouse the same exact size in order to back up all this information..."

:: He cocked his head over at Haleigh and was almost shocked. He smiled deep down inside because it was those one liners and leaving the group in almost certain destruction that made him love her. ::

"Just like you Davidoff.. you were never one for dramatic goodbyes! Guess that is because you always seem to come back.."

:: He smiled at her. This was the first non argumentative moment they had since she returned in her new body. Looking at Alison and Morgan. ::

"Shouldn't we make sure this creature is dead though? Somehow I don't think a bullet is going to take care of him..."

[MorningStar]

"I think the massive explosion will take care of anything that's left of him...which reminds me, shouldn't we be making tracks out of here?"

[Jessica Hamby]

"Oh, it's not JUST a bullet... its a small nuclear bomb." Haleigh said, her eyes leveling on the super soldier before she glanced back at Cameron, decending from the mezzanine steps to rejoin her group. "and you have to remember that this is a government black ops facility... the self-destruct feature is designed to remove all evidence that it EVER existed."

Haleigh looked over at Delilah, her gun returning to a pistol-handled shotgun, which she pumped to load once more out of habit. "Trust me... its hard enough to put something like this together... and on top of that... our government believes in grouping its assets together to make them easier to protect. If they keep it all in TWO places, they'll have to split their resources to protect both... but in ONE place... they can concentrate their efforts and put up one hell of a fight."

[The Shape]

:: the shape had been totally brutalized by the two witches, Morgan's vicious counter attack followed by Alison's prolonged telekinetic/temporal attack were more than enough to have destroyed any lesser a creature...but even as the Super Soldier began to hemorrage internally and from his eyes and nose, he still did not die. Soon, an usual armor piercing shell was launched into the back of his head....a deadly accurate shot by the Black Widow but its immediate effects were seemingly minimal until Black Widow pointed out that it was a nuclear detonation device::

:: Alison let the shape fall HARD....landing at just the edge of the suspended platform over looking the nucleus of NERVOUS that was surrounding by matter/anti matter energy. he twitched violently but did not get up ...in fact he soon STOPPED moving...seemingly dead or inert for the moment. The Six were preparring to escape NERVOUS as time was now growing terribly short::

[Jill Monroe]

<< swooping down low and landing gracefully, a rushing wind could be heard and felt as Spellbinder spoke abruptly....>>

LISTEN!!

<< the sound of building up, rising up ....as the the whole expanse around them in all directions began to tremble....and the hue of the area began to rise from the natural colors to a hot red shade....>>

the core of NERVOUS itself....it seems to be growing unstable...and brimming....its defenses have been breached and its going to PURGE ITSELF!!

<< she directed the team to head back to where they had first landed when arriving in NERVOUS>>

we have to move!!

<< an alarm began to sound>>


NERVOUS: Well.....how rude! you've broken through our master computers encryption codes and security systems! No doubt made possible by Black Widow.....thats gratitude for you.

<<an obvious dig at Haleigh's connections to mystech/a.i.m via the government and her own agency Clandestine>>

<< just as the automatron voice system began to react to the gross breach of security...the virus unleashed by Black Widow began to ravage the computer's core...and the voice began to warp and change frequency...growing staticy as the mainframes began to spark and crackle..and consels exploded in cascading succession.....the crystaline tubes all around them began to RUPTURE and release the deadly flowing liquid energy which was now flowing on the the floors of the floating platforms and falling down to others...making the path of The Six's mad dash much more difficult>>

STAY ALERT everyone!! and keep moving!!!! we're almost at the check point!!

<< Morgan took to the air and began to fly over the group>>

<< they assumed that the Super Solider had been finished...that he would suffer the fate of NERVOUS.....and in their haste to escape with their lives...they had all but forgotten him.....an oversite they would come to regret....very shortly...as explosions, tremors and other meltdowns began to happen rapidly all around them....the scene soon became reminiscent of a technological HELL...with the temperature rising around them...making the air thick and harding to breathe>>

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: Hearing that obnoxious voice over the loud speaker once again, Alexis cringed. But as his voice began to warp and change frequencies, the brunette couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.[/b]

"Buh bye Mr. Moviephone."

Letting out a light laugh, Alexis became serious once again. This entire place was going to blow in less than two minutes, and they had yet another obstacle in front of them....well actually, surrounding them. Although Morgan wasn't directly effected by the liquid energy's path (seeing as how she was flying), Alexis took it upon herself to sprint up to the head of the group. This was, after all, her specialty. Holding her hand out in front of her, the liquid energy parted down the center, much like Moses parting the Red Sea. Beautiful electric blue liquid towered on all sides of the group, leaving them a direct path to the escape. But as the ruptured tubing continued to spew out the liquid energy, the strain began to take effect on Alexis. This Hive had so much energy in it, that not even Alexis' could overtake it. ::

"Keep moving! I can't hold it for much longer!"

:: Shouting to the others, she continued to run like a bat out of hell, down the straight away, following Morgan. ::

[Harbinger]

::running in perfect form, despite wearing stilletto heels, Alison felt the extreme heat even through her insulated, black leather body contouring suit. the entire core of Nervous was on the very of exploding and NERVOUS itself was shaking violently as meltdowns and explosions occurred in cascading effect all around them and on the various floating platforms::

::seeing that Shockwave was bravely attempting to hold back MASSIVE amounts of liquid energy to provide the group a path toward the check point, Guardian decided to help her out. She used her power over time to warp the temporal fields around the entire group...and soon EVERYONE was moving at extremely high speeds...leaving an image blur as they streaked down the path to the check point...she then altered the temporal field BEHIND them so that once the liquid reached the area...it would be SLOWED to the pace of a snail as it was warped in time.::

this will buy us even MORE time.

::the group was now in an area that was relatively calm compared to the areas closer to the core but the alarm was still sounding and the system wide failure would soon encompass all of NERVOUS and the Hive.::

::there was still something else...something very wrong and even as Alison began directing Black Widow, MorningStar , Shockwaveand Prophet through the bound disc....she turned. Morgan was bringing up the rear while flying...and she turned the other way...a feeling of dread washed over her and the expression was betrayed on her usually emotionless face. her cobalt blue eyes focused on a shadow enshrouded alcolve near by....::

[Jill Monroe]

<< landing down near Guardian and the disc.....everyone else had passed through>>

Alison, what is it? what's wrong??

<< she looked directly at her dear friend, knowing that she "saw" something....something that must be coming FAST.>>

we have to get out of here ...

[The Shape]

::The Super soldier busts into view....having lunged out from the shadows and smoke from the approaching meltdown and explosion. his face mangled and dripping with blood. his stature immediately dwarfs the two witches as he cold cocks Morgan across the jaw SO HARD she's stunned and dazed as she hits the ground with a thud and slides a few paces away....laying dangerously close to a puddle of that liquid energy.......::

:: there's no time for them to react as he wastes no time as he bears down on Alison swings his other arm under and forward...SLAMMING his photon weapon, now in the form of a javeline THROUGH Guardian's abdomen....the photon javeline punctures through her back....as he PUSHES it in forcefully.::


::the Shape stands , seemingly triumphant , silent and without emotion as he clenches his fists and continues to breath hard and heavy. the place is falling, MELTING down and will soon explode, permanantly changing the subterranean geographcy of the arctic circle::

[Jacob Black]

:: Cameron had passed through the disc when he felt an intense amount of pain in his abdomen which seemed to be poking out of his back. Something was terribly wrong as he picked himself up from the ground and instantly knew what was wrong. ::

"Alison! Morgan! The Super Soldier! He got them! I have to go back! I can't let them down again!"

:: Pushing himself back through the disc he was back in the place to see it melting around him and Morgan lying on the ground dangerously close to liquid energy. He put a protective force field around her body as he went over to the Super Soldier and his sister who was now impaled with the photon weapon. ::

"Get away from her you BOTCHED Science Project!"

:: Prophet lashed out with his mind repeatedly with the force of a freight train behind him each time. The telekinetic lashes not only blasted the Soldier back and back further but with his new aspect the invisible force seemed to be razor sharp as the force cut deep into him, much like when he used his ability to peel Alexis' skin off in the Citadle. He had lost it and his powers were being used much beyond his means of normal capabilities. ::

"STAY AWAY FROM THEM!"

:: The Super Soldier was strong but everybody knew that adrenaline was the strongest thing in the world and for somebody already capable of amazing feats, it was a deadly combination. The Super Soldier was hurled into a pool of the melting compound that was spreading around like wildfire. Cameron wouldn't leave until he saw the Soldier dead. Thinking for a moment, Prophet used the Shape's own Photon Weapon against him as he telekinetically reshaped it into the form of a Battle Axe and sent it to crush right into the head of the Super Soldier. He was out for blood. He looked over to his sister. Was she alright? ::

[Pam De Beaufort]

:: As Alexis and the others ran into the alcove and were ushered through the disc by Guardian, she immediatly put her hand to her head and stumbled out onto the snowy expanse. The energy within that room was outrageous, and her body was on overload. Collapsing to the floor in a heap, Alexis was passed out; her bodies way of telling her to calm the fuck down. She was out for the count...she was now laying on the snow covered expanse of the arctic...unaware that Guardian and Spellbinder had been attacked and badly hurt by the Super Soldier and were unable to get through the disc. ::

[Jill Monroe]

<< Spellbinder was trembling with fatigue and EXTREME physical exhaustion....having had exerted her strength to its utmost levels more so than ever before tonight...the super soldier's rush may have proven to be the straw that broke the camel's back. she lay on the floor, stunned, dazed and slipping into unconsciousness....but even through her blurred vision...she saw the horrifying site of Guardian being impaled by the photon javeline.....she tried to yell...but her jaw was broken..the shooting pain caused her to wince...as tears began to fall down her bruised cheek....she had been through so much tonight....and done so much....she couldnt fall NOW...not when Guardian needed her....>>


<< she tried to get up...but she just COULDNT...as her eyes widened with extreme agitiation and disorientation.....thunder rumbled in the air, although it was muffled by the explosions and crashing all around.>>

<< as she succumbed to the relentless feeling of physical faituge...and lay to the floor....a force field surrounded her. Prophet had come BACK through the disc to try to save them from the Super Soldier!>>

<< a valiant effort indeed. as Morgan's icy violet eyes fluttered... she lay on her side..unable to speak and unable to hardly move. she didnt faint....but tears did stream down her battle worn face>>

<<Prophet's powers had definately been enhanced due to Alison's foresight and the spell performed by Erika.....but he too had exerted himself quite a bit during this caper. although he was stronger now, the super soldier had proven that he was pretty much indestructible. having survived being severed in half by a stepping disc, blasted apart by Guardian, incinerated by lightning bolts and laser blasts from shockwave and morningstar....basically this creature had taken MORE than any human or even most SUPER human men could have taken and yet here he was...having subdued Spellbinder, maimed and possibly KILLED Guardian, Shockwave was now unconscious above ground on the snowy expanse...and now the group was faced with the possibility that they WOULD lose the two witches in the collapse of NERVOUS...just as Guardian had foresaw!>>


<< time was growing short...all the way around. and even the SUPER SOLDIER, who had a nuclear device implanted in his head, would soon test just how "indestructible" he is>>

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah glanced behind her and realized that Alison and Morgan weren't following...and then Cameron revealed why. She looked down at the unconcious Alexis then back behind her, deliberating. She knew that Morgan would tell her to help the others get to safety - to leave her behind if she fell. But she wasn't Morgan.

She looked up into the face of Haleigh - a silent communication of what she intended - and jumped back through the portal.

She saw Prophet, for once losing his cool - raining down pure malice onto the Super Soldier. And then her gaze moved to the fallen Alison, and then to Morgan struggling to get up off the ground. Both clearly NOT allright.

MorningStar drew up the remaining photon energy in the room, left over from the Super Soldier's weapons, and thrust her hands out in front of her, he eyes focused on the Super Soldier where he still struggled in the molten pool Prophet had put him in. A grid encased what was left of his body, pulsating, glowing. Hopefully it would keep him there until Haleigh's machinations went into effect and his ass was blown to hell - and until those of them that remained could escape.

She ran to where Morgan lay first and crouching next to her began to try to help her up. ]

"Morgan! Morgan, can you stand?"

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh rushed through the disc, pivoting on her heel to wait for everyone else to follow.... but things fell apart so quickly, Haleigh hardly knew who to attend to first. Cameron went down, then turned back for Morgan and alison. Alexis fainted and didnt recover. Moringstar locked eyes with her, and Haleigh knew what she was going to do... leaving Haleigh with Alexis in the frozen tundra.

Haleigh made a step towards Alexis and stopped, then turned back towards the disc and stopped... she turned to look at Alexis' slumped form once more... it was clear she was debating what to do. She quickly pulled off her snow parka and draped it over Alexis to help her keep warm before dashing back into the disc. She hurried to Cameron and alison, kneeling beside Alison, her hand resting on the tip of the photon spear. It soon disappeared as Prophet used it against the soldier. Hales looked up at Cameron, frowning. She stood up to him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him down level with her face, commanding his attention.

"CAMERON! Pull yourself together man! Go help Delilah with Morgan, I'll get Alison... we've gotta get them OUT of here... i can't detonate the bomb until we are back on the surface... its destructive power is ATOMIC... there wont be anything LEFT down here... none of us can be around when it detonates! NOW GO!"

Haleigh gestured towards Morgan and gave Prophet a surprisingly powerful one-handed shove in that direction. She then knelt back down and checked alison's pulse... it was weak... she slide her arms under Ali's neck and knees and lifted her from the floor with ease, carrying her towards the disc, turning back to make SURE Cameron, Delilah, and Morgan were following. Hales eyes leveled on the super soldier. He was one tough cookie.... but Haleigh was about to spell his end... once and for all.

[Jill Monroe]

<<a tear streamed down her bruised face as Morgan pointed to her jawline....trying to indicate she COULDNT talk , as Delilah was helping her. as Delilah got a look at her face directly she could see just how HARD the super soldier had hit her...it was a very nasty site to behold. her legs felt like GRANITE....every muscle and bone in her body ached. as she struggled with pain to her feet...she buckled a few times....but it was clear to delilah that Morgan was going to struggle to the point of UNCONSCIOUSNESS if she had to>>


<< the two women struggled toward the disc...with help from Prophet. Morgan seemed more detatched from her surroundings than before...almost as if she were on auto pilot.>>

<< they ALL make it into the disc and are now back 100's of meters above ground....with Haleigh coming through carrying a maimed and near death alison. leaving the battered super soldier TRAPPED and on the verge of a truly large scale destruction>>

<< Even as Cameron and Delilah try to stead her, Morgan cant help but fall to the ground...as she can no longer stand....and as the winds and snow whistle and whip all around them. the area ALL AROUND them begins to tremble and shake violently...as if an earthquake is taking place. Haleigh could detect a massive surge of heat coming towards the surface....several ERUPTIONS would soon change the landscape of the arctic as the HIVE and NERVOUS were going into meltdown...but it HAD to be done.. Haleigh had only to DETONATE the device attached to the super soldier's head...and it would ALL be over in a technological blitzkreig>>

<< somehow that disc would have to be CLOSED to help LESSEN the amount of volcanic and nuclear BACKLASH that would reach the surface....and the group had to get to LIMBO at the moment of the detonation....But Morgan was fading fast...ready to fall into a COMA [unlike alexis who was merely temporarily unconscious.>>

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah fell to the ground as Morgan's body became dead weight. They needed to act quickly. ]

"Luckily Morgan planned ahead enough to bind a stepping disc for us to limbo...but we need to close that one first. And Morgan is in no condition to do it alone...Cameron - can you bolster her enough to get it done? And then I'm afraid you'll need to carry her through the next disc...she's far too weak to walk."

[ Delilah propped Morgan up, letting her lean against her, and holding her head in her arms. ]

[Jessica Hamby]

Haleigh could feel the heat mounting... and coupled with the shaking of the ground, she knew something big was going to happen... she could smell volcanic gases wafting in the air, and she brought up the rear, hurrying the group through the disc and above ground once more. Alexis still lay in the snow, unmoving. Haleigh knelt down next to Delilah, lowering Alison to the ground to check her condition. A strange sinking sensation filled her chest cavity as she realized Alisons condition was worsening. She got her first look at the wounds... an entry gash in her back and an exit one in her abdomen.... the spear had gone completely THROUGH Alison's body... and Haleigh realized she was COVERED in an alarming amount of Ali's blood. With Morgan in poor condition, the team had lost their resident healer, and Haleigh knew all they could do was stifle the bleeding and keep her from going into shock. Haleigh bandaged and wrapped the wounds tightly with first aid supplies... something to help but not solve the problem, and then wrapped Alison's body in a 'space blanket': a thin sheet of what looked and crinkled like very very thin and shiny aluminum, but had heat trapping properties that were unsurpassable and not affected by the sub zero temperatures. Alison's breaths were only wisps of steam in the cold air, and Haleigh knew they had little time to get out of here.

"Alison, damn it... I promised you I'd get you out of here, and SO HELP ME GOD, I will.... but you have to keep fighting... don't you dare give up on me now."

Haleigh turned to see the exchange between Delilah and Cameron.... but Cam seemed frozen by worry for his sister and the exhaustion of recents events left him incoherent. Haleigh glanced back into the disc... the ground was beginning to tremble beneath them subtly, and Haleigh shook her head.

"Theres no time for that." She said simply, and then quite suddenly hit Morgan on the back of her head with the USP pistol that appeared in her hand. "Sorry Morg..." The disc snapped shut and Haleigh detonated the treat she left for the super soldier. The ground gave a violent but brief shudder that knocked EVERYONE standing off balance, followed by a loud rumbling. A new disc opened ten feet away and Haleigh lifted Alison from the snow once more. Alexis, now laying on a metal framed stretcher, was lifted into the air mentally by Haleigh and began drifting towards the disc to limbo. Everything happened so quickly that Haleigh hadnt realized Delilah was staring at her in disbelief until she turned to ask if she needed help carrying Morgan. Haleigh's countenance took on a most innocent look.

"What?? I'll give her painkillers if she wakes up with a headache, okay? It was the quickest and easiest way to close the disc... she didnt have to exert any more effort and I didnt even hit her that hard... she was barely conscious anyway. She wont even remember. We gotta get OUT of here NOW... I can tell i breached some kind of earth wall down there... i can feel the VOLCANO catalyzing now. Do you need help with her?"

[MorningStar]

[ Delilah had been staring openmouthed at Haleigh's unorthodox measures. She closed her mouth. Hell, it had worked.

She scooped Morgan up and proceeded to move towards the new disc. ]

"No, I've got her. But YOU can tell her how we closed the disc when she asks...and good luck with that."