Who: Shikamaru (field leader), Tony Stark (hacker), Mia (healer), Tear (healer), Melaka, Sheik, Kazooie, Freyjadour, Caius, Joshua Bright, Jubei, and Leonhardt
What: MISSION # 4 - Third Floor Revisited
When: March 22nd to 23rd
Where: Abandoned Malnosso Facility
Summary: The site of a previous infiltration is revisited due to strange creature that now infests it.

Twelve volunteers had been selected this time, the largest group assembled for a mission yet. Specialist Davis didn't like it. Sure, the eggheads in management had told him that they didn't pick out anyone too powerful, but the situation was already pretty damn volatile. If these Lucetians decided to stage an escape, they'd be looking at one bloody battle to keep them in. Even if he personally didn't give a damn where they were. They'd probably be more useful on the outside, killing cultists full time.

The scientist staffed with them was still putting the finishing touches on the droids when the volunteers arrived. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed and turned around. Time to deal with the test subjects. Time to send them off to die, he figured. This is a suicide mission for anyone taking it, I don't care how good they're supposed to be.

It took him a minute to find the leader of the group, Shikamaru. He hadn't expected it to be some kid and initially started speaking to Tony Stark, before realizing his mistake. What was with all the animal people too?

"This is Research Building #56. Over a year and a half ago, volunteers from your Region Six- your enclosure, were tasked with an unauthorized infiltration of this building to weed out members of the organization that had been designated traitors by the previous administration. I'm not a politician and I'm not on an ethical committee. So I don't care about what went down then or why. What I do know is that I've lost three of my best teams trying to contain some hellish monster that your people were partly responsible for releasing."

That last portion probably pissed them off, he figured, but he wasn't apologetic and continued. "I know one of you has been in there before. Don't count on it doing much to save your asses. The creature originating from the third floor is now infesting every single level of the building. We have Shifts keeping it in, but the creature is adaptable. We estimate in three days, it will breech the barrier. Your group has forty-eight hours to get in and get out. That's assuming you do get out. No matter how tough or badass you all think you are, going in there cocky drops your chances of survival even lower than it already is."

That, he decided, was enough. He left further explanation to his staff. The scientist followed soon after, explaining that the droids would be accompanying them. He was quite enthusiastic about them and unusually fond of the robots, referring to them all by different pet names chosen by himself (such as 'Sparky' and 'Wires' and so on). He emphasized that they shouldn't be tampered with, urging them to remember the mission and that this was no time to try and steal technology. One final word of warning he imparted on them was to be wary of other droids in the facility. Some of them had been infected by the biological monster, which had apparently found a way to power them by its own life energy, which was more potent than the Shifting that powered the uninfected ones.

A lower ranked officer was the one to see them off. A little starstruck to be working with Lucetians, she hurriedly offered them back packs containing supplies they might need: canteens of water, energy bars, some rations, cutting tools, gas masks, and so on. Resisting the urge to want to reach out and touch Jubei, she smiled awkwardly and led them to a hover platform. (Those who have been on the farm would recognize these as being common there.) After taking the group to the top of the building, the point where they would enter, she saluted and waited for them to disembark. She did so sadly, since she wasn't sure they would actually survive.

---

The original layout of the building can be found here It's a ten story complex once used for a wide variety of purposes. The team will need to make their way down from the roof to the third floor, where the creature will be found. Specialist Davis has given them a special bomb to be planted in the heart of the creature. When detonated, it will drag everything in it back into that creature's home world. This is a place no one will want to go, no matter how much they may hate the place.

Each door requires an ID card to bypass. Although Tony was given an adapter card to swipe at each doorway, it will require determining the constantly fluctuating pass code to bypass. Attempting to destroy the doors will be dangerous, as they are heavily reinforced with an unknown variant of metal harder than titanium. They are more likely to bring the building down on them trying to breach it in that manner. The doors blocking stairwells will be even more tightly locked.

The creature grows in a plant like way, but seems to be composed of a mammal-like flesh. Large bulbous eyes grow out of it, making it aware of its surroundings. The team will be watched at all times, but it will only begin to become aggressive once they reach the seventh floor, unless they are openly hostile to it before then. One of the earlier threats will be large gaping mouths from the ceilings, walls, and floors. A putrid gas reeks from inside it, enough that it can paralyze anyone that happen to get a full dose of it. The teeth can stretch out to try and drag in its paralyzed prey. These teeth are razor sharp and nearly indestructible.

The lower they go, the more every surface will be covered in an oily flesh. Although soft, in some places it can be extremely difficult to penetrate. They may be required to burn it away in order to access door panels. One consistent threat they may face are zombie-like MSF soldiers. They resemble walking corpses (with decay already set in), but partially covered by the creature's flesh, with new eyes and mouths on different parts of the body. Those that are from the most recent mission (on floor 5) will still be in possession of semi-automatic machine guns, although their aim will be clumsy. The zombies are extremely strong and resilient, enough to match your average elite cultist.

Some infected droids may yet be encountered. Although their physical condition is rusted and looking beyond repair, they seem to be able to move anyway despite their deteriorated state. Although they have more power than their normal counterparts, the fleshy tentacles that keeps them locked in place are more fragile than their metal components and can be severed. The six droids accompanying them will be quick to destroy any of the remaining parts of the droids. This is just as well, as the parts are corrupted, rusted, and not even fit for scrap metal at this point.

Deeper below, large tentacles will sometimes pierce through the walls and doors (yes, even that harder than titanium stuff) and start openly attacking the group. At this point they will likely start losing some of the droids to the attacks and may suffer grave or fatal injuries themselves. The tentacles are lined with spikes and micro-quills that inject a quick and deadly poison into the system. Although the poison can be magically eradicated, the volunteers will need to ensure that there are no micro-quills still in the skin, as it will continue to inject poison into the victim otherwise.

On the third floor, the group will finally be near the heart of the creature. Zombified creatures that were once scientists and researchers will be present, now fully covered in the creature's flesh and stronger and faster than those on the previous floors. The tentacles will be more aggressive, the mouths hungrier, the entire area will only grow hotter due to their battle. As they draw in closer, they will begin to hear a loud 'thumping' that will increase in intensity, even causing the area to vibrate. This is because their target, at this point, is quite literally a giant heart, about seven meters tall and now crossing into the two floors below. The heart will pulsate and use the same techniques it had been previously to defend itself, but will otherwise be stationary. Although they can attempt to attack it using whatever means, it will regenerate from all damage in moments. They'll just need to cut it open long enough to plant the bomb inside it.

At that point, the group will need to set the timer to escape. It's still impossible to descend from the third floor, so they will have to go straight up as quickly as they can. The creature will be scrambling at that point and although hostile, less directed than before. The building, however, will be on the verge of collapse and may begin falling down on them in some parts. Speed will be the only thing that sees them to the other side.

If they succeed, Specialist Davis will have a hot meal and hot showers waiting for them, before sending them back to Luceti.




You can use this post for questions and plotting!