Riddle78
Four Thousand Club
Minutes earlier...
A man stood,towering over his seated pilot. The standing man was armoured,head to toe,resembling an ancient knight with a more modern twist. The armour was big and bulky,and flashy to boot,being silver and gold with a blue visor. Hell,the pauldrons alone could probably stop an artillery shell.
The man thumped the pilot's headrest. "How far out are we?" His voice crackled through a speaker,and was obviously distorted through software so it would be impossible to run a vocal match,but it was obvious his voice had the rumbling quality of distant thunder. The pilot checked a screen on the console,and replied curtly, "One and a half clicks. Hitting the jammers." The feline Faunus flicked a few switches,causing a notice to light up amber on the dash. "Now they won't be able to hit the broad side of a barn. Gotta love those automated systems." The armoured man nodded. Such an action would be seemingly impossible with the bulk of his armour,but it happened. A testament to the cleverness of the design. "Good. We'll remind them why it's a bad idea to push people around,today..." And with that,he clomped into the back of the craft.
The aircraft was a marvel of modern engineering. It was a tiltjet design,much like the ships employed by Beacon,but this thing's engines were a fair bit larger than the average model,with larger,external fuel tanks. Careful examination would reveal numerous hatches and pods all over the craft,containing flares. With the push of a button,they could throw off every heat-seeking missile within a kilometer for a good two minutes. The craft was carefully painted,and lacked markings. The belly of the craft was a kaleidoscope of blues and whites,a reflection of the sky above,while the rest of the craft was painted a similar blue,making the jetcraft a deceptively stealthy target.
In the rear hold of the craft,the armoured behemoth looked at his team of seven. They all wore armour,and looked ready to get their hands dirty. "Today we strike a blow against the people who deride us." He clomped to an inlet in the chamber,and stepped into it. The floor under his feet sank an inch,as it was a pressure pad,and the wall behind him opened up,and a mechanical system got to work on the back of his armour. "We'll raze Beacon to the ground. It'll take them a year,at least,to rebuild. During this time,the enemy's ranks will stall,while we grow,and operate with impunity." The machines at his back were now attaching something...Enormous to his back.
His troopers roared in unison. Their armour had an identical colour scheme to his,but bulk and overall design varied from soldier to soldier. Hell,one of them wore what could only be described as a thick Kevlar catsuit. When the machinery stopped,the armoured leader stepped forth,with a massive jetpack on his back. "Today,the Cabal will make its mark." At that moment,the intercom crackled to life,just as explosions could be heard outside. "It's getting dicey out here,Chief! I think they started aiming manually! I'm setting you down here!" The armoured man nodded curtly.
"You heard the woman! Get ready to make your brothers and sisters equal!" A roar of assent thundered through the enclosed space as they began their descent. The armoured giant of a man opened a drawer under the starboard bank of seats,and withdrew a lance. The weapons was beautiful. Graceful. The long,tapering shaft leading to the bodkin point,the intricate handguard and the haft,all concealing a Dust operated propulsion system. It was truly a magnificent weapon.
The hatch opened,letting in the roar of the outside wind. With a wordless howl,he ordered his troopers to disembark. They complied with gusto,and they all leapt from the craft as it buzzed the surface,a mere five feet was all that separated the craft from a fiery crash. The leader himself leapt out,and leaned forward. Just as he began his descent,his pack roared to life,carrying him far,fast.
Now...
The Cabal's footsoldiers moved swiftly through the Academy's halls with all manner of incendiary weapons and explosives,doing the best they can to level the building without harming themselves. The group of seven troopers made amazing progress through the building,crushing all resistance they encountered.
Outside,the lancer jetted around the campus,using little bursts from the jets with every step. His lance was held under his one arm,the other hand empty,as if ready to do something. He observed the chaos around him,seeing his little minions making the perfect smokescreen for his team's efforts. Although,the orbiting jet would honestly be a big giveaway...
A man stood,towering over his seated pilot. The standing man was armoured,head to toe,resembling an ancient knight with a more modern twist. The armour was big and bulky,and flashy to boot,being silver and gold with a blue visor. Hell,the pauldrons alone could probably stop an artillery shell.
The man thumped the pilot's headrest. "How far out are we?" His voice crackled through a speaker,and was obviously distorted through software so it would be impossible to run a vocal match,but it was obvious his voice had the rumbling quality of distant thunder. The pilot checked a screen on the console,and replied curtly, "One and a half clicks. Hitting the jammers." The feline Faunus flicked a few switches,causing a notice to light up amber on the dash. "Now they won't be able to hit the broad side of a barn. Gotta love those automated systems." The armoured man nodded. Such an action would be seemingly impossible with the bulk of his armour,but it happened. A testament to the cleverness of the design. "Good. We'll remind them why it's a bad idea to push people around,today..." And with that,he clomped into the back of the craft.
The aircraft was a marvel of modern engineering. It was a tiltjet design,much like the ships employed by Beacon,but this thing's engines were a fair bit larger than the average model,with larger,external fuel tanks. Careful examination would reveal numerous hatches and pods all over the craft,containing flares. With the push of a button,they could throw off every heat-seeking missile within a kilometer for a good two minutes. The craft was carefully painted,and lacked markings. The belly of the craft was a kaleidoscope of blues and whites,a reflection of the sky above,while the rest of the craft was painted a similar blue,making the jetcraft a deceptively stealthy target.
In the rear hold of the craft,the armoured behemoth looked at his team of seven. They all wore armour,and looked ready to get their hands dirty. "Today we strike a blow against the people who deride us." He clomped to an inlet in the chamber,and stepped into it. The floor under his feet sank an inch,as it was a pressure pad,and the wall behind him opened up,and a mechanical system got to work on the back of his armour. "We'll raze Beacon to the ground. It'll take them a year,at least,to rebuild. During this time,the enemy's ranks will stall,while we grow,and operate with impunity." The machines at his back were now attaching something...Enormous to his back.
His troopers roared in unison. Their armour had an identical colour scheme to his,but bulk and overall design varied from soldier to soldier. Hell,one of them wore what could only be described as a thick Kevlar catsuit. When the machinery stopped,the armoured leader stepped forth,with a massive jetpack on his back. "Today,the Cabal will make its mark." At that moment,the intercom crackled to life,just as explosions could be heard outside. "It's getting dicey out here,Chief! I think they started aiming manually! I'm setting you down here!" The armoured man nodded curtly.
"You heard the woman! Get ready to make your brothers and sisters equal!" A roar of assent thundered through the enclosed space as they began their descent. The armoured giant of a man opened a drawer under the starboard bank of seats,and withdrew a lance. The weapons was beautiful. Graceful. The long,tapering shaft leading to the bodkin point,the intricate handguard and the haft,all concealing a Dust operated propulsion system. It was truly a magnificent weapon.
The hatch opened,letting in the roar of the outside wind. With a wordless howl,he ordered his troopers to disembark. They complied with gusto,and they all leapt from the craft as it buzzed the surface,a mere five feet was all that separated the craft from a fiery crash. The leader himself leapt out,and leaned forward. Just as he began his descent,his pack roared to life,carrying him far,fast.
Now...
The Cabal's footsoldiers moved swiftly through the Academy's halls with all manner of incendiary weapons and explosives,doing the best they can to level the building without harming themselves. The group of seven troopers made amazing progress through the building,crushing all resistance they encountered.
Outside,the lancer jetted around the campus,using little bursts from the jets with every step. His lance was held under his one arm,the other hand empty,as if ready to do something. He observed the chaos around him,seeing his little minions making the perfect smokescreen for his team's efforts. Although,the orbiting jet would honestly be a big giveaway...