[Event] If you want to get out alive...

[adminfury]

Those that sleep will awaken to a pitch black room with nothing but the faint red glow of the emergency lighting. This glow seemed to frame the ceiling of the room and gradually pulsate between a dimmer glow to a glow almost bright enough to read by then back down again. Every electronic device in the entire academy, dorms, and general building on the SHIELD grounds would display a black DOS-like screen with bright crimson lettering that read a simple, cryptic message.

SYSTEM ERROR LOCKDOWN MODE INITIALISED NEW MESSAGE

Activating the new message brings up another black screen with a mostly legible message to the students of SHIELD Academy. This ominous message doesn't seem to be salvageable by even the most brilliant of computer programmers. The file is just corrupt and there is nothing that can be done for it. It's a wonder the thing opened at all, to be honest.

the ⬛yste⬛ has bee⬛ compr⬛⬛ised time is short so make haste you have ⬛⬛ ho⬛rs to get out ⬛efore th⬛ purge sub⬛outine demo⬛⬛sh⬛s ⬛⬛e ⬛uil⬛⬛n⬛ to con⬛ain the th⬛⬛⬛t t⬛e cent⬛al c⬛⬛pu⬛e⬛ m⬛st be rea⬛⬛⬛d and reb⬛ot⬛⬛ dea⬛ti⬛ate the l⬛cking mechanis⬛s on yo⬛r door by ḁ̧̼͙͑5̡̙̩͎̭͗̆ͯ̍⬛̱͈̤̦̊͂ͩͦ̓̋n͉ ҉̬g̲̹̟̘̃ͣͤͬ͢y̩͔̓ͯͩͣ͑ͭ͜⬛ 8̘͍̳̤g̴̅ͫ̂⬛̲̞̺̜͉̿ ̢̲̙̗̩̐ͣ̍͊͗̚3̑͐̓͏⬛ ȁ̹̯̘͙͓̔́ͫ̈̃̃͡d͓͇̤͕͎̦͒ͪ̂̏m̷ͥ̃̇ͯ ⬛̠̩̯ ̌̓̂̉̽͏̯1̮͇̯͉͉͚̪͜ṇ̥͐ ̖̰̖͎͙̹ͨ͟ F̷̘̮̺̥̅̀ͯ͊ͣ͆̏Ȗ̩̦̅̈́̄̌R̨͔͎͎̥̱̼̘̈́ͧ̋͗̔̚̚Y̋͞|

Those that didn't sleep would have found the lights had suddenly gone off around 0400. Shortly following the assumed harmless power outage, the usually white glowing strips lining the edges of every room would have faded to a red that indicated a warning. The red lettering on the screens would have followed after that and finally, a good ten minutes into the disquieting silence, the blue message alert appeared. They would have found their doors locked, and the windows all barred by solid adamantium panels.

There is no riddle to be had here, no teacher seems to be present to consult. The students were alone, required to rely on eachother, their own cunning, and their unique abilities.

For those poor souls trapped in the Hazard Room, well... just don't make any sudden movements. The training protocols seem to still be active. Fortunately, they are set on moderate difficulty. You had been looking to hone your skills and blow off a little steam. Well, you just got your wish.

Mod Notes: Treat this post like a mingle-log. OOC plotting can be found here.

Targets and Weaponry: SHIELD bots come in a variety of sizes from no more than a foot in height to nearly four feet and come armed with a plethora of weapons designed to subdue and capture. Weapons designed specifically to counter the abilities of those that live here, just in case they lose control.

Small built-in turrets keep hidden behind sleek panels in the ceilings of most hallways and in the ground outside. These turrets fire wide range of power nullifying munitions as well as good old fashioned taze rounds.

Targeting sensors on all the machines and turrets use facial recognition to identify each student. Their powers and weaknesses are recorded in the main SHIELD database, which it refers to and decides the best course of action.

Comments

Re: Loki | Hallways | OTA

[poundingmochi]

Usagi had been asleep when the defense systems kicked in, and had it not been for Luna she might have slept through the entire ordeal. In stead she had been woken by her feline companion who insisted that it was Usagi's responsibility as a Sailor Soldier to work her way to the seat of the problem and save the students from danger.

As such Usagi found herself, transformed, gracelessly running through the hallways, blasting what turrets she could with her tiara and finding herself all to frequently being zapped on the backside by lasers. If it hadn't been for the girl's boundless energy and the fact that she'd just gotten a decent night's sleep Usagi would have been wiped out by a tazor or tranq long ago, but she was properly motivated and in such conditions could outlast the energizer bunny. "Luna! What Do I do, they're EVERYWHERE?! This dream is too scary, I just want to wake up!"

"This is not a dream, girl, You have to find the source of the problem and save the school before are the students are captured. Quick! Hide in this broom closet, over here, we need to regroup and plan a strategy for finding the killswitch!"

Usagi ducked into the closet, the cat right behind her and shut the door. "Now what do we do, Luna?!" She wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I already told you!" Luna replied "We need to-" she halted. They weren't alone in the closet.

[mischiefandlies]

Loki's conversation with Billy had just ended moments ago, and he'd been about to set off for the computer room on his own. Billy and Sif were trapped in the Hazard Room and that was motivation enough for him to risk his hide on a kamikaze run. A strategically planned kamikaze run, of course. But if those drones got even one good hit in, he was done for. Whatever weapon they wielded was specifically designed to nullify his magic and numbed his muscles. It was frightfully effective.

However, just as he'd been about to make a run for it, someone--two someones invaded his hiding space. The strange girl and her odd outfit with in all its mini-skirted glory didn't seem to be his focus. Nope. He had his own questionable fashion sense. So, he addressed the oddest thing in the room.

"Talking cat? Okay, I suppose that's not exactly the strangest thing I've encountered here." He shrugged it off easily and faced the hysterical girl. Loki lit the room up with a simple lighting spell, casting everything in green light. The door was sealed behind the pair and reinforced with a barrier. The only evidence of this would be the sound of the drones following Usagi attacking but unable to penetrate the door.

"You need to relax for a moment before you give someone a heart attack." He was holding one hand out to the door, maintaining the barrier, the other held out more casually, palm up, with the glowing mass of magic that brightened the room floating above it. "Catch your breath and focus on me and... Salem Saberhagen over there. Block out the chaos outside. It can't hurt you right now." At least, not until it figures out that it's Loki holding back the door and changes weapons. But he won't mention that.

[poundingmochi]

There was so much stimuli all around Usagi should have been panicking, for countless reasons. But the moment she laid eyes on the attractive stranger all else was driven completely out of her mind. A dreamy, glazed expression covered her face and she unwittingly remarked "He's so cute..." in a particularly girly sounding Japanese. She always slipped into her native tongue when she wasn't thinking. And goodness knows she WASN'T thinking right now. Were this a children's cartoon there might have been hearts in the space where her eyes belong.

For Luna's part she was far less distractable. She didn't care for the Salem Saberhagen comment though she didn't know what it meant. Regardless this person displayed powers she didn't understand and that he was not surprised by her gift of speech immediately put him under suspicion. "Who exactly are you, sir, and how can we be certain you are not behind all this? What is this strange power you possess and what is your business at this school?

[mischiefandlies]

Loki's lip quirked up just a bit. The All-Speak was a glorious thing. "Arigatou Gozaimasu." But Salem seemed to be a bit pushy with her questions, not that Loki minded too much. He was used to the suspicion from most, given who he was. It was no different back home, though he knew not why.

"I'm Loki Odinson of Asgard and I can assure you, this is not of my doing. ...so far as I'm aware." His answer was simple but truthful, nevertheless. "This power?" He nodded to the door and raised the hand holding the ball of light to indicate it as well. "Magic. And I'm not being sarcastic. A simple lighting spell and a barrier spell. They're tedious to maintain, as they require a steady flow, but I have magic abound. I could last for days just like this." Well, maybe not quite days, but he could maintain the lighting spell for that much and longer.

"I'm a student here. Fourth year Senior, to be exact. Is there a reason for your drilling, or are you just curious? You know what they say about curiosity and cats..." He gave a light shrug. It was an innocent statement. "As I've introduced myself, it's only polite for the fair lady and her furry companion to give me the same courtesy."

[poundingmochi]

"You speak Japanese?!" Usagi exclaimed, excitedly, not bothering to translate*. She was overjoyed at the fact that she could actually communicate with someone here, and what's more it was a SUPER CUTE guy. "My name is Tsukino Usagi and this is Lu-"

"Usagi!" Luna yelled at her harshly. She had heard of Asgard, and Loki, AND his reputation there. The Asgard realm was known during the Silver Millenium and even on the Moon it was known that Loki was a villain. "We cannot trust this boy. He's an enemy, an enemy of Asgard and the Silver Millenium. I wouldn't be surprised if he was responsible for everything that's happened here. He might even be connected to the Dark Kingdom that destroyed the Moon kingdom!"

"EEEEEH?!" Usagi cried. "No Way! Luna just look at him, there's no way he could be a bad guy! Right, Mr. Loki?" she turned to him, a look of intense earnestness and purity on her face. She was far too trusting.


*(O.O.C. Nor will I.)

[mischiefandlies]

[OOC: Lol! It's okay! I usually put hover-text translations over the stuff I use, so if something looks odd (especially if Loki uses any of his verbal spells which are in Futhark runes) just hover over it with your cursor.]

"Children of Asgard are born knowing what we call the All-Speak. It allows us to communicate in your native language without actually learning it." He smiled with charismatic charm. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tsukino." But then the cat was scolding her and he just listened. His brows knit together somewhat when the feline accused him of crimes he had no recollection of committing.

"I'm no enemy of Asgard. I don't know where your information is derived, but it's false. You truly think I would set the school on lockdown, arm the drones with weapons capable of incapacitating a Norse God, and simply hang around in the fray? I have companions in danger, trapped in the Hazard Room. This is not my doing." He was a little irritated with the cat's attitude. He got it enough back home, he didn't need it here as well. The accusations, the looks, and the rejection.

"If you must know, I was sent here to Midgard with my brother and the Lady Sif for our own protection." He turned back towards Usagi, granting her another smile, softer this time. "You've nothing to fear from me."

He shrugged, adding quietly, "It's always Loki's fault. Anything goes wrong, blame Loki. It's easier that way, isn't it?" The question was directed at Luna, but he really didn't expect an answer. It was just fortunate that Usagi was in the room with them or his darker nature would have emerged under the accusations. The darker nature that Billy Kaplan was trying so hard to suppress in Loki.

[poundingmochi]

Luna did not look convinced, but kept still. In truth she knew very little of Asgard save stories, and much time had passed since the Silver Millenium fell.

"See?!" Usagi said accusingly, picking Luna up by her scruff and staring her in the face. Then she turned to face Loki. "Say! If you need help finding your friends we could go with you and help you out! After all, it's my duty as a Sailor Soldier to help people in trouble." She got so excited by the notion she dropped the cat and began bouncing on the balls of her feet, an impish expression on her face. Visions of romance and danger with this mysterious boy wafted through her mind. So transparent was she in her "sneakiness" her mental pictures were nearly visible to anyone within a ten foot radius.

[mischiefandlies]

Loki warily watched the feline, but Usagi's excitement and kindness was just too much for his irritability to handle. It banished his moodiness with ease, bringing back that slightly more carefree nature he'd developed in his time here on Earth.

"Sailor what now?" Loki's grin returned. "You do not strike me as the soldier type. But if you are indeed a fierce warrior, Lady Sif would be thrilled to meet you." She was always so keen on proving she could be both a female and equal to the might of Thor. Though, this little blonde didn't quite strike him as the sword slinging warrior type. "It isn't finding them that is the problem. Two of them are trapped in a room comparable to a bunker. When those doors are sealed, there's no way in or out. My plan is to infiltrate the computer room and shut down the malfunctioning defence system. A reboot, like the message said. If you're still willing to help, I must warn you, it will probably be dangerous."

[poundingmochi]

the word 'danger' meant nothing to Usagi unless she was actually in it. As a concept it was synonymous with excitement which was something she greatly enjoyed. "Ok!" She cried in high pitched Engrish, and then in her native tongue added,"Let's go rescue your friends!"

Luna, still looking a bit battered at having been hoisted and then promptly dropped and forgotten, looked as if she were about to object but then restrained herself. Loki was NOT to be trusted, to be sure, but Usagi had never demonstrated such an eagerness to perform her Sailor duties and Luna was willing to take what she could get at this point. And if there really WERE students trapped it was their mission to save them.

[mischiefandlies]

"Let's!" He agreed and gave the cat a glance before placing a hand on the doorknob. "Stay close. I can cast a barrier of magic to protect you and the... pet, but my reaction time will be much slower if I need to run to your side, first." The feeling's mutual, Luna. Loki dislikes you and your Asgardian attitude towards him.

The Norse deity turned the knob and pushed it open a crack to check the hallway. All he could see was one drone, but he knew there were hidden turrets. "Ready?"

[poundingmochi]

Demonstrating an uncharacteristic seriousness, Usagi nodded, stepping behind Loki and staying, touchably close. She was determined to make a good impression on the attractive young man. "Let's go!" she whispered in response. Ready to spring into action. Luna too, looked ready to move.