File: DRAGON JETS.jpg (25 KB, 306x234)

25 KB JPG

On a cloudy, cold Chicago morning, beneath a thick layer of grey that no sunlight can penetrate, two Dragon Jets streak across the sky, leaving trails in their wake. Their target destination lies in the heart of Chicago: Rush University Medical Center, its largest hospital, currently in the midst of a crisis. The manner of this emergency is one that Tundra, the designated squad leader for his team of five, is all-too familiar with: wraiths.

The Wraith-Plague has affected a number of regions around Earthrealm, Edenia and Outworld. Noob Saibot's disease, which rapidly kills its victims and transforms them into wraiths, has been battled in a number of ways, most successfully in Outworld thanks to efforts by Cao to secure magical water for the city of Z'unkahrah, but in Earthrealm the most success has been had with quarantining the victims.

At 0500 hours this morning, a special care division at Rush University Medical Center that was actively treating those afflicted with the Wraith-Plague went silent, and the disease broke free. Now, more than half a thousand patients and staff are in danger, and not just from the recently turned. When enough wraiths gather in one location, the risk of a shadow-portal opening to the Netherrealm, through which Noob Saibot's Army of Darkness could spill through, greatly rises. The New Defenders have barely held back such an incursion before, but all it would take is one single shadow-portal for Chicago to be overwhelmed.

In the back of one of the Dragon Jets in the passenger section, tightly buckled into one of the seats, Tundra tightens his gauntlets and adjusts his mask. Alongside him are Frost and Vapor, and across from them are Takeda and Fox. Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu, some of the best warriors on the team, and Tundra has been chosen to lead this strike force. His team's mission is clear: elimination of as many wraiths as possible. Kaito's team, consisting of himself, Specialist Briggs, Kung Jin, Sam and a squad of elite OWEA Special Forces soldiers are going to work on assisting efforts to evacuate patients. Their team will enter through the lower levels. Tundra's team is going in from the top.

Takeda slams a hand into his fist. "It's been too long since we've kicked some wraith butt," he says with some enthusiasm. "The only thing I hate is the laundry afterwards. You guys got any tips for getting that black blood out of clothing?"

"Yeah, try freezing your enemies so they don't bleed when you shatter them," Frost cockily replies. "Oh, wait, that's right: not all of us can be Lin Kuei."

File: sub_zero_by_keifus-d2y5qsj.jpg (80 KB, 900x1135)

80 KB JPG

>>1014968

Before further clan feuding can continue, Tundra speaks up. "Enough of that. Remember, we're dealing with civilians on site. Take this seriously."

Takeda's smile goes away and he nods, ready to do just that. Tundra is well and familiar with the telepath's methods of making situations easier with his humor, but he knows that when the going gets rough, Takeda won't back out. Like Fox, he's a professional. There's a reason the five of them were chosen for this mission.

The pilot's voice comes over the intercom. "Three minutes to target."

Fox looks up at Tundra. "What's the plan, Tundra? How do you want to approach?"

>We make for the wraith study area; they'll be thickest there
>Once on site, spread out but don't get too far; let's sweep the floors
>Focus on finding anyone alive on the upper levels and rescuing them
>Secure an evacuation route from the upper levels to the lower levels for doctors and patients
>Other/Write-in

>>1014974
>>Once on site, spread out but don't get too far; let's sweep the floors
It would've been nice to have a couple more people for such an important mission but I guess that ain't gonna happen. We'll set up a safe zone on the roof with the dragon wing and make a safe path for any person we come across, while clearing out any sign of a wraith.

>>1014974
>>Once on site, spread out but don't get too far; let's sweep the floors

sup boss?

>>1015017

>It would've been nice to have a couple more people for such an important mission

Well, there are two teams, plus ground support from OWEA, Special Forces, Chicago SWAT and local military. A third of the New Defenders are currently back at base, monitoring the situation; protocol since Episode #3 is that the team can no longer fully deploy in case the mission is a distraction from another attack.

>>1015018

Sup buddy

>>1014974
>Once on site, spread out but don't get too far; let's sweep the floors

File: newhospitalbuilding.gif (270 KB, 1000x665)

270 KB GIF

>>1015017
>>1015018
>>1015062

"Nothing fancy. Don't bunch up and get swarmed, keeping others from helping. Let's stay loose but not too far apart. We're going to sweep the floors. You see a wraith, you take it out."

Fox and the others nod and they busy themselves with last-moment preparations. As the Dragon Jet comes in low over the snowy, windy cityscape, the vehicle shakes but maintains its course.

The large structure looms ahead in the grey, dim light of a January morning. As both Dragon Jets split off for their separate approach vectors, Tundra reflects on how he and Sam had plans to come back to Chicago soon.

'Looks like our plans came true after all,' he muses. 'But we didn't exactly have this kind of mission in mind.'

The Dragon Jet slows as it nears the roof, causing all of them in their seats to shift slightly. Thrusters turn and angle the advanced vehicle to allow it to land atop the structure in a matter of moments. As soon as the VTOL touches down, the harnesses keeping the squad strapped in disengage and they stand up. The exit ramp lowers and a blast of cold air immediately hits them as they charge onto the rooftop.

'Just the way I like it,' he thinks with a smile beneath his blue mask. One look at Frost and he knows she feels the same way.

They waste no time and run up to the nearest door. Vapor raises her hands and conjures a wisp of smoke that reaches to the doorknob, penetrating the keyhole and unlocking it with forceful vibrations. Takeda throws out a metal whip from his arm's harness, not extending the blades but merely to wrap around the doorknob and pull the door open to allow the team to charge right inside, one after another, and down the stairwell to the uppermost level.

>Tundra leads the way; sweep the topmost level
>Hang back and keep an eye on all of your team
>Vapor goes on recon; ghost-mode in the vents
>Establish contact with the ground team
>Other

>>1015107
>Tundra leads the way; sweep the topmost level
>Vapor goes on recon; ghost-mode in the vents
>Establish contact with the ground team
Because of the vents vapor has insane mobility, while we do our own sweep vapor can cover any points we miss and can be deployed to provide back up way faster than anyone else can.

>>1015107
>Tundra leads the way; sweep the topmost level
>Establish contact with the ground team
In a zombie hospital scenario, you don't get lost in the vents.

File: 1e1dbd212a9e6ab5fa871ddac(...).jpg (51 KB, 620x877)

51 KB JPG

>>1015131
>>1015176

Tundra takes the lead as he holds up his wrist communicator. "Kaito, come in Kaito. Strike team is on the upper levels."

Kaito's voice comes in loud and clear. "We've touched down just outside the hospital. It's chaos down here. What's the situation up there?"

The Lin Kuei looks around the patient floor, seeing plenty of signs of damage and an attack, from black and red splatters on the walls to damaged walls and lights sparking out. "No hostiles yet, but they were here. We'll sweep."

"Stay in touch. Kaito out."

Tundra lowers his arm as the team spreads out, arms up and at the ready. Takeda steps over a broken pot and its plant as Fox slowly takes out his kusarigama, holding tightly onto it. Vapor's bright green eyes scan around as Frost sticks close to her fellow cryomancer, all of them waiting for an attack.

Suddenly, movement from up ahead. A dark figure shambles out of a patient's room, then turns to look at them with bleak, white eyes. The former patient, covered in stained bandages and black ooze, raises a hand in their direction and opens its mouth. The scream it emits echoes throughout the floor.

Then, there is more movement, and lots of it. A nearby ceiling panel breaks as something falls through; another wraith picks himself up and lunges at Takeda. From behind a nurse's desk, next to a phone blaring its dial tone, a female wraith leaps up onto the surface of the desk and screams before doing the same to Vapor.

"Contact!" Tundra shouts, conjuring up crionic energy in his hands. "Take them out!"

He charges at the first one and slams a cold fist against its head, knocking it to the ground. Two more wraiths both compete to leave the same room and make for him!

>1d100+10 and an action!

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>1015280
Make an ice falchion and swing it around to maintain space. Rule number one of winning against the numbers game is not to let yourself get surrounded.

Rolled 63 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015280
Freeze the one on the ground and maneuver yourself so that it's harder for the other two wraiths can't attack us at the same time.

Woo, finally my first live after reading through the archives!

why turana, why

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>1015280
Ice kunai barrage!
>>1015303
Nice of you to join us

File: Tundra.png (1.69 MB, 1500x975)

1.69 MB PNG

>>1015295
>>1015303

Putting his hands together, Tundra conjures a large falchion of ice, tightly gripping the hilt as it forms. The kori blade crystalizes in but a mere moment, allowing him to quickly react and swing it across the entire width of the hallway in front of him, keeping the two dark warriors at bay.

The one on the ground is about to get back up, and so he plants a boot on its chest and hovers a hand over it, dropping a freezing beam to keep it in place. He then hops back as the other two move around it, giving him a perfect opportunity to swiftly cut the two wraiths in half. Their bodies fall to the ground whereupon they begin to disintegrate, losing corporeal form and sinking into the carpet.

"No you don't," he says, pointing a hand at the four halves and freezing them to the spot. He looks up as the ceiling in front of him collapses, revealing another wraith attempting to leap down upon him!

>>1015333

With his free hand, he uses his well-trained skill of shaping ice to form several snowflake-shaped shuriken that he whips up at the wraith. The projectiles hit with enough force to cut straight through it, leaving several oozing holes in its chest. It hits the ground in front of him whereupon he freezes it.

He looks back and sees Takeda and Fox working together to slash a group of the wraiths with their long-range bladed whips. Vapor works to destabilize loose individual enemies by hovering around the battlefield and appearing behind them to attack with kicks or a shredding whirlwind of smoke, while Frost uses her area-based ice attacks to stop an oncoming group of several wraiths at once.

Tundra approaches his fellow cryomancer as they look upon the frozen statues blocking their path down the hall. "Oh, the old familiar places, eh?" she asks him as they charge at their frozen foes.

>1d100+10 and an action!

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>1015355
Icy shoulderpad to charge the bulwark.

Rolled 38 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015355
Ice slide through one and roundhouse another!

Rolled 56 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015355
Ice shield

File: frost_from_mortal_kombat_(...).jpg (166 KB, 900x975)

166 KB JPG

>>1015370

Both he and Frost prepare an icy charge at the bulwark, but before he slides forward a wraith suddenly reaches out from a room and grabs at his leg! Tundra falls forward and hits the ground, leaving Frost to charge forward on her own.

He turns around and tries to kick the wraith in the face, but to his surprise the face splits open down the middle, turning into a large verticle mouth that bites down on his foot. Letting out a cry, he tries to shake his leg free as Frost crashes into the statues, shattering some of them.

"Tundra!" she shouts as she notices his plight. As she moves up to help him, one of the wraiths burst out of his prison with a flurry of bright crystals and grabs her from behind, keeping her from assiting him.

>>1015437

Thinking quickly, he attempts to create a slide of ice underneath himself, both to escape the wraith by sliding away and to reach Frost and regroup. But despite his attempt, his enemy's grip does not relent, preventing him from sliding away even as he blasts the cryonic energy at the ground.

The wraith crawls upwards, keeping its large mouth around his leg and now clawing at his other limb.

>>1015438

Having dropped his sword when he tripped and being unable to reach it, Tundra puts his hands together now and forms a shield of ice, a round and thick one that he immediately puts to work. Holding onto it tightly, he bashes the shield over and over against the wraith's mouth until it finally lets go, whereupon he smacks it away. Looking back at Frost as she leans back and brings up her feet, both of which are covered in icicles at the heel, he watches her jam both into the ceiling and then push herself free of her opponent's grip.

Now hanging upside-down from the ceiling, she pummels the wraith with her fists as Tundra grabs his sword. Her punches keep the wraith in place, giving him an opportunity to impale and freeze him before shattering him to pieces.

Frost lets herself drop from the ceiling and lands alongside him. Around them, the other wraiths that she had frozen begin to become free, the ice around them cracking.

Both spare a look at each other, and then nod.

>1d100+10 and an action!

Rolled 47 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015496
dagger in the eye

Rolled 70 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015496
Ice sword to up our dismemberment quota.

File: a6b6e9e131b1df30b4f44ff54(...).jpg (114 KB, 600x871)

114 KB JPG

>>1015545

Quickly summoning up a dagger, Tundra slams it right into the eye of a wraith as he breaks free. The corpse loses its physical form and begins to melt on the spot, but the cryomancer isn't done yet. Through the kori knife buried in his skull, he channels his cryomancy through it, freezing the doubly dead foe. He then picks up the body and hurls it at two more frozen corpses, shattering all three of them.

>>1015552

Nearby, Frost leaps over the heads of two that clumsily attempt to grab her. She kicks them both from behind with a skillful roundhouse, allowing Tundra to turn around and hack them both in half with one swing. They both then freeze the corpses to the spot with a combined cryonic blast.

Takeda and Fox, both covered in black oil, run up to them. The telepath smirks as he adjusts his yellow, stained headband. "See? What'd I tell you?"

Tundra looks over at Vapor. "Fox, Takeda, you take that hall. Frost, with me. Vapor, recon the vents. I don't want us to miss a single wraith on this floor."

The grey-clad girl nods and vanishes in a cloud of mist, sucked up into the nearby vent.

The two remaining Lin Kuei charge down the hall, searching the rooms for more wraiths, but none appear to be present on this floor. They meet Takeda and Fox on the other side.

"Clear?" Fox asks.

Vapor then wafts down from another vent. "Clear."

Tundra points to the stairwell. "Let's move!"

As soon as they hit the next floor, it becomes apparent why they hadn't run into more wraiths yet: there are civilians on this floor and they are under attack. Makeshift barricades are under assault as wraiths slam against them or attempt to drip through them. Surgeons wield scalpels and other implements in self-defense as people, staff and patients alike, scream and run.

As Tundra kicks down the door, he sees a wraith shove its hand down one man's throat, suffocating him and killing him nearly instantly and painfully.

'This is only starting to get messy,' he thinks, hefting up his sword.

>1d100+10 and an action!

>>1015639
Freeze the barricades that wraiths are trying to seep through. Establish a rally point around the stairwell to rescue the civvies and bring them back to.

Rolled 11 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015639
Put on our ice armor and charge the wraiths closest to the barricades.

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>1015668

File: dc705b7a64d47cc5312476890(...).jpg (31 KB, 564x445)

31 KB JPG

>>1015668
>>1015675

"Reinforce those barricades!" he shouts to Frost. They both point hands at different stacks of furniture in doorways and freeze them solid, turning them from ramshackle stacks into nigh-imprenetrable walls, in some cases freezing wraiths into them. Takeda and Fox move in to finish them off.

>>1015669

"We need to clear a path for these people to get out of here," Tundra orders, looking around and seeing a group of wraiths advancing on a trio of doctors. He puts his hands together and prepares to coat himself in armor when suddenly the wall alongside him breaks! A wraith, recently turned and with ghoulish skin, reaches through the wall and grabs him, pulling him within!

The ghastly creature whips Tundra towards the window, cracking it when his back makes contact. When the wraith leaps on him, the window breaks completely, sending glass falling far below and the wind to come howling within. The Lin Kuei grasps the greasy, oily hands of the wraith as its mouth opens to let out a wail while it tries to both strangle him and force him outside!

>1d100+10 and an action!

Rolled 30 + 10 (1d100 + 10)

>>1015763
Grab his wrists and freeze 'em solid, then kick him backwards.

pls dont be a bad roll

File: 020616-111555168-sm.png (118 KB, 660x338)

118 KB PNG

>>1015796

Grabbing hold of the wraith's wrists, Tundra grits his teeth as he freezes them solid. The figure warps in front of his eyes, its face transforming as he tries desperately to pry it off. The face twists into a new form, that of a masked face with glowing white eyes.

And to his horror, it speaks.

"Zian... ZIAN!"

He shouts as the face of Noob Saibot grows nearer, until a bladed whip is wrapped around the figure's neck. A single pull tears off the head, which hits a nearby wall like a watermelon and splatters like one, too. The neck stump then pours forth a torrent of black, tar-like blood onto Zian's shirt.

Takeda retracts his razor-whip back into his gauntlets. "Oh... Sorry about that." He reaches over and grasps Tundra's hand, pulling him out of the window.

Tundra wipes a hand across his chest, and then slaps some of the black goo onto Takeda's shoulder. "Don't worry about it," he smirks, before heading back out into the fray.

Vapor, forming a gust of swirling mist, knocks over a group of wraiths as she barrels through them. This gives Fox an opening to bring a group of civilians to the stairwell. As Frost works to keep more of the wraiths at bay, Takeda goes to help some of the people trapped behind barricades now that the immediate threat is handled, taking out a pulse blade to cut through the ice and furniture.

Tundra's wrist communicator goes off. It's Sam. He speaks into his arm as he looks around. "Sam? What's happening?"

"We've got some kind of strange readings coming from the center of the building," Sam relays to him. "But we've got a wall of people between us and it! We think it's a shadow-portal. You NEED to get there!"

"We're still dealing with civilians on this level!" he replies.

"Hurry, as fast as you can! We sent a team up, but lost contact with them. It's on the eighth floor of the section you're in. Please Zian, do what you can!"

She suddenly cuts out. "Sam? Hello?" Tundra lowers his arm and looks around at the others, all preoccupied with different things. This level is not yet secure, but every second could count in a situation like this...

>Clear this floor, then head down as a group
>Split the team; two remain here while three go to the lower floor
>Split the team; three remain here while two go to the lower floor
>Order immediately the entire team to head down; cut your losses on this level
>Break away individually and head down to the eighth floor alone
>Other

>>1015905
>>Split the team; two remain here while three go to the lower floor
Voting Tundra, Vapor, and Takeda go the disturbance.

>>1015905
>Split the team; three remain here while two go to the lower floor
Zian and Takeda go down, the rest stay here.

>>1016034
>>1016037

Can I get a tie breaker?

>>1016041
>>1016034

I'll change my vote to his, it's sound.

File: _wallpaper__female_noob_s(...).png (545 KB, 1024x578)

545 KB PNG

>>1016034
>>1016037
>>1016048

It is a difficult decision, but eventually he makes the choice that he needs to. Tundra looks over at Takeda and Vapor. "With me!" he tells them both. Sparing a second look towards Fox and Frost, he orders them to remain here. "We're going to the eighth floor to stop the shadow-portal. Help these people here!"

Frost takes over crowd control fully from Vapor as Takeda tosses a pulse blade to Fox. "We'll be right behind you," Frost says. "As soon as we're done here!"

Tundra gives her an encouraging pat on the shoulder as he, Takeda and Vapor run down the stairs.

"Do you mind?" Vapor asks, and knowing what she means, the older Lin Kuei shakes his head.

Takeda swallows a lump in his throat. "Oh, man, I hate this part..."

Vapor closes her eyes and becomes like a cloud, swallowing them both. Tundra focuses on maintaining his sense of self and body, even as he and Takeda are both transformed by her power into a different state of matter. As smoke, the three of them travel down the stairwell much more quickly, straight to the eighth floor and under the door. She reforms on the other side, as do the two of them alongside her.

Tundra opens his eyes as Takeda leans on the wall for a moment to catch his breath. The two Lin Kuei, however, are more preoccupied with the center of the room; the Wraith-Plague test facility. There, several of the wraiths are forming a circle of their bodies, a strange dark magic swirls between them. The New Defenders are only slightly familiar with how this ritual works; essentially, the wraiths form a circle and merge as one, transforming into a gateway to the shadowy and desolate lands controlled by Noob Saibot.

Overseeing the ritual is a dark woman, clad in black with eyes of bright blue. She turns to face them.

"Sylence," Tundra mutters. "You escaped."

"You didn't think your pitiful science could hold me for long, did you?" she asks, drawing her punching daggers. "When my lord sent his plague to this city, it is because he knew they would bring me, your only living wraith captive, to this place to research a cure. What a foolish mistake that was. It only made it easier for me to organize the lost souls who had already succumb to the darkness."

"So, you could control them even though the protective tank we had you placed in..." Vapor replies. "Good to know. We won't make the same mistake twice."

"You won't get the chance," Sylence replies, holding aloft her weapons. From the ground alongside her, more of her kind arise, forming a protective wall of bodies in front of her.

Takeda comes off the wall, shaking his head. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's kick some ass."

The thee of them strike a fighting pose, and the two sides charge in!

>Current Meter: 1
>1d100 and an action!

>>1015905
>Split the team; two remain here while three go to the lower floor
tundra takeda, frost

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>1016212
ice slid e in, then falchion attack

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>1016212
Put ice walls inbetween the wraiths performing the ritual, make sure they can't reach one another

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>1016212
Ice hadoukens for everyone.

File: mission-status-sick.png (68 KB, 500x500)

68 KB PNG

>>1016236
>>1016272
Holy SHIT.

File: Sylence 2.png (877 KB, 1280x720)

877 KB PNG

>>1016236

As Vapor teleports elsewhere and Takeda leaps into the air, brandishing both of his whips as he does, Tundra slides forward, his ice creating a seamless stream of ice on which to do so. Taking up his mighty falchion blade, he lets out a mighty cry as he swings it as hard and as fast as he can, cutting down no less than six wraiths at the same time. They all fall before him in severed halves, melting on the spot.

Sylence's eyes widen in sudden surprise at the effectiveness of the attack, but she quickly regains her composure. As Takeda lands, slaming his fists onto the ground and cutting two other oily fiends in half from head to groin, she sidesteps his attack and dashes towards the male Lin Kuei instead. All she receives is a boot to the stomach as Tundra turns and brings up his foot, stopping her right in her tracks.

Vapor then appears behind her, striking at her exposed backside with her three-section staff. A quick smack to her legs knocks her onto her stomach, whereupon she quickly melts into the ground to escape the next attack.

>>1016257

Setting aside his focus on her, Tundra instead now focuses on the wraiths performing the ritual, who have yet to be interrupted. Stabbing the head of his falchion into the ground, he walks across the broken floor towards the ritual circle and raises his hands. With his advanced control over shaping ice, he forms several walls between the bodies, erecting them so as to prevent the magic from reaching each other. Takeda walks up behind them then, intent on finishing the job.

"NO!" Sylence cries from the shadows. "How can this be?! I only needed a little more time!" She runs out of the shadows towards him, brandishing her daggers.

"Time's up," he replies, his hands glowing blue.

File: noob_saibot_by_therisings(...).jpg (3.43 MB, 2203x3450)

3.43 MB JPG

>>1016272

He raises a hand and blasts a freezing ball towards her foot, hitting his mark and stopping her once more. His other hand then issues forth a second ball, this time aimed at her other foot. She struggles to escape, but cannot; especially not when Tundra begins vigorously thrusting his hands forwards and backwards, each time blasting another freezing ball. He strikes her legs, knees, waist, chest, arms, shoulders, elbows and hands, until all that remains is her head, struggling to get free. Slowly, he lets his hands drop down, cryonic fog wafting from his fingers as he lets out a long, sharp exhale in equally foggy breath.

"No... NO!" she shouts as she shakes her head back and forth. "I was so close, so close! I CANNOT FAIL HIM AGAIN! I cannot..."

A dark voice speaks from the shadows of the room. "But you have."

Immediately, Takeda, Vapor and especially Tundra are on guard again, each quickly backing up to each other. "I don't see him," Takeda says. "Don't sense him, either!"

"I'm not there, you simpleton," he says. That is when the three of them realize that he is speaking through the other wraiths in the room, even the ones who are mostly destroyed. Slowly, they shamble upwards to a standing position, each speaking with Noob Saibot's voice.

"Sylence..." he says in unison.

"My lord! I was close, so very close! A moment or so more, and the entire city would have been yours! Not even your nephew could have stopped your army once it poured through!"

"But... my army has not left the Netherrealm," he says, his voice echoing throughout the room. "Because of you. Because you have failed me, again. Time and time again..."

"NO!" she cries. "It is their fault, not mine!"

"Not this time, Sylence," he says. "This time... there will be nothing waiting for you. I am done sparing my time and effort into rescuing a lost cause."

Tundra turns back towards her, seeing her wide blue eyes. "NO! Do not abandon me, my lord! I, I will do better! I WILL! I HAVE STOOD BY YOU, ALL OF THESE YEARS! I ALONE!"

"And you WILL be alone," he says, chuckling darkly. "Trapped in whatever prison they place you in next. All alone..."

"NOOO! PLEASE!"

File: frozen_by_taylorweaved-d6vddc2.jpg (66 KB, 727x1024)

66 KB JPG

>>1016462

He doesn't speak further. The wraiths, one by one, begin to fall apart, melting into the black, contagious sludge that composes them. It drips off the skeletons of its victims, leaving nothing but a pile of oil-covered bones. Sylence watches all of this happen, despairing at the futility of her situation. She struggles to escape her icy prison once more, but is unable. Eventually, she just gives up.

The ritual is ended, the wraiths destroyed. Tundra looks at the sole remaining pure wraith and wonders what to do next when his communicator goes off in alert. It's Cassie, monitoring from the base. "Tundra? What happened? We got some kind of strange reading and then nothing!"

"It's over," he replies. "Noob's attack is ended. Seems like the wraiths have lost their primary controller; they're just falling apart."

"I'll relay it to the others," Cassie replies. "Out."

Tundra lowers his hand and approaches Sylence as Vapor and Takeda look on. He stands in front of her mostly-frozen body, and she looks up at him with defeated, hate-filled eyes.

"Go on, then," she says. "End it. Kill me! I've got nothing left. I can't even feel how cold this ice around me is, so I won't feel whatever you do to end it." He hesitates, slightly taken aback by her words. "DO IT!" she shouts.

>Freeze her fully; preserve her
>Freeze her and shatter her
>Leave her like this for now
>Kill her with your sword
>Call up Kaito
>Get her into a wraith containment unit
>Other/Write-In

>>1016469
>>Call up Kaito
See what the bossman wants to do with her.

>>1016469
>Wraith containment unit.
Possibly as a popsicle, but I'd rather see what her plans are from here since she's sans patron and used to be a decentish person.

>>1016469
>>Call up Kaito
>>Get her into a wraith containment unit

>>1016469
>Get her into a wraith containment unit

Sorry for the break; was talking to my girl. I'm beat for tonight, so we'll resume in the morning!

>>1016957
Thanks for running boss!

Good morning, folks. We'll be continuing in just a bit.

File: KaitoShiraiRyu3.jpg (115 KB, 275x800)

115 KB JPG

>>1016495
>>1016515
>>1016603
>>1016646

Looking over at the nearby Wraith-Plague study area, he takes in the sight of several human-sized containers. "Vapor, Takeda, wheel over one of those containment units."

"Oh, good, back into the glass prison," Sylence says. "You're a true hero, you know that?"

Tundra ignores her as the two of them walk over towards the large cylinder. He brings up his communicator and contacts his captain. "Kaito, come in Kaito. This is Tundra."

"Kaito here. Just got word from Cassie. The entire situation is under control?"

"Mostly. We've got a prisoner back: Sylence."

"Sylence? What's she doing there?"

"You mean you didn't know either? It wasn't part of the briefing?"

Kaito is quiet for a moment. "That would have been good information to know. I've got some words for some high-ranking people when we get back. Is she alive?"

Tundra looks over at her. "As alive as she can be, in her current state. I'm securing her in a wraith containment cell."

"Good. Keep her close and keep an eye on her. We're not handing her off again, not this time. How's your squad?"

"Frost and Fox are up a few levels helping civilians. Takeda and Vapor are here with me; no injuries to report."

"Good work. We'll start working our way up once the majority of the evacuation is complete. Hazmat teams are on standby to begin clearing the sludge. Continue with relief efforts; Kaito out."

Tundra speaks an affirmation of his orders and lowers his communicator. Behind him, he hears Sylence spit at his backside, "Do you remember when you were a little boy, Zian? When the temple was attacked?"

He turns around and looks at her, his blue eyes meeting hers.

"I was there. I had a knife to your mother's throat."

"You're not well, Sylence. You're not yourself."

"I was there when he gave you that scar," she whispers, laughing. "How you cried! You think you've grown since then? Physically, perhaps, but inside you're still just a child! Afraid! Useless without your mommy and daddy!"

>Ignore her
>Freeze her completely
>Freeze her mouth shut
>Talk back
>Other

>>1018400
>>Talk back
"Most people think of me as a lesser version of my father. But what about you Sylence? You used to be a proud warrior of earthrealm, would the you of your last approve of what you do now? Likcking the the boots of a demon, while murdering innocent people? Maybe now that noob has abandoned you, you can finally clear your head enough to remember what you truly want."

>>1018400
"You know, I'd hoped if you went down this road you'd have something a little more unique to say."
"If I were you though, if what you said was true, you were abandoned and thrown to the wolves because of that useless boy- I would take the moment to reflect on myself."
"After all, it may not look it or feel like it, but for now you're free, not beholden to anyone or anything. You can just be yourself, whatever that is now. It's a rare opportunity that many people wait a life time for."

>>1018533
>>1018554

Writing now.

File: Sylence.jpg (122 KB, 222x230)

122 KB JPG

Tundra curls his hand into a fist as he approaches her. She continues to stare up at him, daring him to finish the job. He leans down, but doesn't get too close, and he speaks.

"You know, most people think of me as a lesser version of my father."

"Because you are. Weak and---"

He cuts her off. "Weak and pitiful, weak and pitiful, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I was hoping that if you went down this road you'd have something a little more unique to say. It's like all you wraiths do is harp on the same thing over and over."

He stands up and takes a step back. "You're trying to make me angry, in all the ways I used to get angry and afraid. I'm over that, now. You know what I feel when I look at you? I feel pity, alright, but not for me. You used to be a proud warrior of Earthrealm. Would the old you approve of what you are now? Licking the the boots of a demon, while murdering innocent people?"

"I always murdered innocent people," she says. "Even while I was a soldier. You think Special Forces never did anything corrupt or questionable? I ran plenty of operations all over the world. The difference now is I don't care. I see things the way they truly are. I see how weak you are for caring as you do; caring about life, innocent life. Noob Saibot showed me the true nature of life and death and the meaninglessness of existence."

"Well, since you're so busy seeing things, you should try looking into a mirror and reflect on yourself. Noob's not coming for you, we heard it ourselves. So, the question is, what will you do now? After all, it may not look it or feel like it, but for now you're free, not beholden to anyone or anything. You can just be yourself, whatever that is now. It's a rare opportunity that many people wait a life time for. Maybe you can finally clear your head enough to remember what you truly want."

At that moment, Takeda and Vapor walk up with the containment unit. As they open it and prepare to place Sylence within, the wraith looks up at Tundra.

"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters."

"I don't think you truly believe that," he replies. "You only think you do."

As the three of them place her inside and activate the containment cell, generating a hyper-magnetic field that repulses the matter that constitutes the majority of her being to prevent her from escaping in the meriod number of ways a wraith can, Tundra walks back towards the stairwell. There he intercepts Frost and Fox and gives them an update on the situation.

>Move the team and the prisoners to back up with your team captain
>Help more civilians and staff evacuate
>Keep a guard posted with Sylence
>Begin cleanup procedures
>Other

>>1018597
>>Help more civilians and staff evacuate
>>Keep a guard posted with Sylence
Literally anyone but takeda

>>1018618
>>1018597
This, but with the addendum of "or Frost" since she gets real mad real easy.

File: 4f545fdba4e34f82f2ccb7925(...).jpg (30 KB, 236x354)

30 KB JPG

>>1018618
>>1018622

"The floors above us are clearing out," Fox says. "With the wraiths no longer active, things are proceeding smoothly."

"Almost all of them," Tundra replies, looking back at the cell. "We're going to help the evacuation, but we'll need someone here to guard her."

"I'll do it," Takeda quickly volunteers.

"No, not you," Tundra is just as quick to reply.

"What?" he says, holding up his hands defensively. Everyone looks at him and he again says, "What?"

"Fox, you stay here with her." The other Shirai Ryu nods and moves up to the cell.

Takeda rolls his eyes. "Oh, right. Like I'd try anything. Come on, Tundra."

"Can't ever be too safe," he replies as the four of them head down the stairs. Over the course of the next few hours, Tundra works to clear the various levels of the hospital and coordinate his squad to work with local emergency responders. Many patients need to be transferred to other hospitals or treated for injuries on site, not to mention the danger of contamination through contact with the black oil the wraiths left in their wake.

Once on the ground level, Tundra and his team link back up with the other squad. He approaches Sam, who is tending to several civilians and ensuring they are kept warm with blankets. She is wearing her armor, though she has taken her helmet off to appear more friendly to the frightened people.

"Is everything alright down here?" he asks her.

She looks up, smiling as she sees him. "Most of everyone has been evacuated. Only a few are left, waiting for transport to another facility." She stands up and takes his hand. "What about you? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I've got more wraith blood on me than my own."

The officer looks out over the hustle and bustle of many emergecy teams and local law enforcement units running about, trying to control the situation. "Things were a lot worse here earlier. It's a good thing we stopped it from getting out of hand."

"This isn't quite what we imagined when we talked about coming back to Chicago, is it?" he jokes to her, remembering his thoughts from earlier. She giggles and shakes her head.

"No, definitely not."

>Report to Kaito
>Stay and help with Sam
>Ensure Sylence is properly transported to a Dragon Jet
>Link back up with your squad to help them
>Other

>>1018724
>Link back up with the squad
>Make sure Sylence is properly transported to a Dragon Jet.
No reason we can't do both, probably.

>>1018752
Sounds good

File: 47cf79f7abbf3b07e8d3db616(...).jpg (59 KB, 554x831)

59 KB JPG

>>1018752
>>1018769

"I'll head back to my squad. We'll catch up later?"

She gives him another smile and a wink, which warms his cold heart. He lets go of her hand and walks back to the others, where he oversees Frost and Takeda clearing out dangerous sections of debris to allow easier access to the building. He's about to help when he stops and asks, "Where's Vapor?"

Frost points over her shoulder. "Saw her over there."

Tundra walks past three groups of policemen and fire fighters until he finds Vapor, kneeling over something. "What's wrong?" he asks as he approaches.

She stands up and turns around, holding a cat. "Look. I think this little guy is lost."

'Oh, not this again,' he thinks with a sigh. He remembers well how hard it was to get her to part with the cats on Kaito's boat. "Andela, put the cat down."

"But look, he's so friendly!" she says, petting the all-black feline as it purrs. It opens its eyes, a bright and steely blue color, and looks up at him.

"We have a job to do."

"Well, we're here to help, aren't we? Let me look for its owner."

"And if it doesn't have one, or is a stray?"

"Well... Let me look around, first!" she insists. "Come on, Zian, please?"

He puts a hand over his eyes. 'This is very unprofessional, Andela...'

>Allow her
>Insist on her leaving the cat behind
>Help look for its owner
>Leave her to her own devices and focus on the job at hand
>Other

>>1018827

> We'll look for the owner. You go back to work.

> Baby & pet cat more than Vapor ever would.

>>1018827
>Sylence and Noob are both all black with blue eyes
>We can surmise from this that all wraiths they make share the traits
>Wraith plague JUST HAPPENED
>Suddenly this cat
I'm not saying it's an infection vector, but it's statistically like to be an infection vector.

>>1018827
>Be suspicious of cat

File: Takeda-Takahashi-MKX-Port(...).jpg (217 KB, 900x1329)

217 KB JPG

>>1018856
>>1018863

Tundra folds his arms as he looks at the cat, particularly its black coat and blue eyes, which remind him of the wraiths they just dispatched. "I don't like this, Vapor. He could be a vector for the Wraith-Plague; he's too close to the hospital."

"I found him outside," she insists. "And I'm petting him! He's not got any of the sludge. You know that it affects animals faster than people, he'd be dead already if he had the plague."

"I still don't like it. We have a job to do, and rescuing animals isn't one of them."

"Let me at least find someone to hand him off to," she pleads, staring up at him with big, green eyes.

He sighs again. "Fine, fine, do what you need to do."

She gives a small hop and moves off to do just that. Tundra goes back to the others just as the media begins to arrive in large numbers and they move back up into the building to avoid them. As per Kaito's instructions once they link up with him, they return to the cell with Sylence in it and begin moving it towards a clear area for portal transportation back to the island.

Using a charge from a wrist portal generator, the team creates a stable portal back to the island and proceeds to walk through it, pushing the cell with them. Once back in the New Defenders base, half the team splits up to take Sylence to the lab.

Takeda stretches his arms and takes off his skull-mask. "What a day. Hey man, what was up with that thing with Sylence? You don't trust me?"

"Oh, I trust you completely," Tundra assures him. "I trust that you listen to your heart more than your head, though."

"Come on, when have I EVER acted on bad judgment where women are concerned?"

Tundra is still for a moment before saying, "Don't you have laundry to do?"

The Shirai Ryu smirks. "Yeah, catch you later."

>Find Sam
>Find Vapor
>Find Frost
>Find Kaito
>Other

>>1018920
>Kaito
Gotta talk about how sylence is there and what our next move is

>>1018920

Was that a hint that Takeda has been getting some or that he wanks alot?

> Find Kaito

I feel like we should talk to big K about the noob abandoning Sylence thing. See if he senses a plot.

File: Holy Fuck a new pic for Kaito.png (839 KB, 558x800)

839 KB PNG

>>1018926
>>1018928

Not much later, outside the medical bay, Tundra finds Kaito looking in and observing Sylence as her containment unit is wheeled back into position. The Lin Kuei walks up alongside his captain as technicians begin to connect her cell to the bay's power outlets to ensure that the prison's independent battery does not wear out and allow her to escape.

Tundra looks over at Kaito and asks, "How did she get out of here in the first place?"

"When we first caught her, she was tranferred to another facility for testing. A live wraith would be helpful in finding a reverse to the process, that was the thinking."

"Okay. At what point was it decided to bring her to Chicago, and then not brief us on her presence there?"

"That's what I intend to find out," Kaito replies, tapping his fingers on his arm as he crosses them in front of his chest. "Someone, somewhere, screwed up. I don't know who along the line or how far up it goes, but I'm not going to let this one slide."

Tundra nods, happy to hear that. "Another thing: when we stopped the portal, Noob abandonned his support of her and the wraiths under her control died."

The Japanese man gives him a strange look. "Really now?"

"Yeah. We had her at our mercy, and he declared through the other wraiths that he was tired of her failing him. Seems like he's cut his loss and left her with us."

Kaito scratches his chin. "That could mean a number of things..."

"Like?"

"Well, if what you say is true and he's being honest, he doesn't seem to care that we have her, which means there might not be much to learn from her. She's been out of the loop long enough that she might not be able to have much tactical knowledge that could support us in our fight against him. Or..."

"It could be a ruse?"

"I was thinking the same thing," he nods. "We'll have to see. But one thing is for certain: we're not letting her get away again."

"What can I do to help?"

"For now, take it easy. I'll pursue this matter. Thank you for bringing this Noob situation to my attention, Zian."

"Of course." He gives a small bow and turns around to walk away.

>Return to your room and Yukiryu
>Look for Sam
>Shower up and change
>Talk to Vapor
>Other

>>1018980
>Shower up and change
Always brush your teeth after fighting wraiths, gotta make sure there is no sludge anywhere.
>Talk to Vapor
"Where is the cat." Stern look

>>1018980
>Shower and change
>Yukiryu walkies
>Vapor and/or Sam
DO ALL THE THINGS ZIAN!

>>1018998

Supporting for humour.

File: 6ca6d7191069b342c5101c54a(...).jpg (143 KB, 720x886)

143 KB JPG

>>1018998
>>1019000
>>1019005

Walkng back to his room, immediately upon entering there is an excited chirp from a cage in the corner as Yukiryu wakes up. The small white dragon leaps to the bars and wants to be let out, but Tundra shakes his head. "Sorry, little one. Not while I'm covered in his gunk. Just give me a little bit."

He quickly strips his combat uniform, the blue Lin Kuei suit and underarmor, and steps into the bathroom to shower thoroughly and brush his teeth (just to be safe). Afterwards, he dons a more casual attire and collects his suit for later washing, placing it in a secure container to ensure that there is no accidental contamination.

Then, he lets Yukiryu out and the small dragon flies up to his neck to nuzzle it. He smiles as he holds onto the white dragon, petting it gently. "I know, I know, you missed me. I know you hate the cage, but you're just too small to come with me on missions."

Yukiryu chirps sadly and hides its face under a wing. "Hey, come on now," he says soothingly. "You won't always be so small. How about a snack?"

That perks the dragon up. Tundra places his pet on his shoulder and leaves his room, walking down the stairs. As he does so, he encounters Vapor, just walking out of her room.

"Oh, Zian. There you are," she says quickly. "What's up?"

Immediately he asks her, "So, where's the cat?"

"Cat? Oh, of course. I found someone to give it to."

He folds his arms and gives her a stern look. "Andela..."

"No, really!" She puts her hands behind her back and gives him her best and most innocent look.

His foot taps a few times. "If I go into your room, I'm not going to find the cat, am I?"

"Of course not," she says nonchalantly.

>Go into her room
>Get that snack for Yukiryu
>Grill her on who she gave the cat to
>Tell her to report the pet to the higher-ups
>Other

>>1019033

>Grill her as you both go into the room.

>>1019033
>>Grill her on who she gave the cat to
"Alright you gave it to someone.... Who?"

>>1019043
>>1019045

Can I get a tie breaker?

>>1019189

I was trying to mix but I'll support other guy if needed.

>>1019033
>Tell her to report it to the higher ups
I mean maybe she can control it if it is some sort of wraith cat, demons outrank ghosts yeah?

File: 1402802478465.jpg (53 KB, 753x500)

53 KB JPG

>>1019043
>>1019045
>>1019206

"Alright, so who did you give it to?"

"Some... worker," she says, waving her hand. "They looked like they were from a shelter of some kind."

"Uh-huh."

They stand there for several moments until Vapor brings up her hand and coughs into it, despite the fact that she is still wearing her grey mask. "So, on your way somewhere?"

He recognizes her attempt to change the subject, but he hasn't forgotten. He decides to answer her question, "I'm just going to the mess hall, getting a snack for my pet."

"Me too," she replies, then quickly corrects herself. "For me, I mean. Not for a pet."

He blinks and raises a brow. "Right... Do you know what cats like to eat?"

"I told you, I didn't keep it!" she insists. "And even if I did, what do you care? You get a pet dragon."

"There's a difference between a magical, ice-breathing dragon and a cat."

"If you say so," she replies. "Not that it matters, since I didn't bring the cat back to the island."

"Andela..."

She turns and walks away with a small huff before turning into a puff of smoke. Zian can't help but chuckle; she doesn't often get this argumentative, and never with someone she doesn't absolutely trust and feel comfortable around, so at least he knows he's still in her good graces. With Yukiryu chirping in hunger, he walks to the mess hall to get some lunch and a snack.

>Secretly observe Vapor
>Report the presence of the cat to a superior
>Get Sam or Cassie to talk to her about the cat
>Ignore the situation; it's not a big deal
>Other

>>1019279

> Get Cassie to talk to her about the cat.

>>1019279
>Get our dragon snacks
>Observe Vapor
>Bet money on dragon snacks bringing the cat out if she did bring it
>If/when it pops up, remind her everyone can have a pet but they need to have it registered, and probably checked by a vet to make sure it's healthy.

>>1019279
>>Get Sam or Cassie to talk to her about the cat
Cassie

>>1019279
>Get Sam or Cassie to talk to her about the cat
Cats are pricks when they want to be.

File: hqdefault.jpg (22 KB, 480x360)

22 KB JPG

>>1019292
>>1019306
>>1019311
>>1019376

After getting a tray and sitting, occasionally taking bites out of a sandwich and feeding small portions to Yukiryu, Tundra looks up and notices Cassie entering. She sets her sights on him and quickly walks over.

"Yo, Freeze Pop! Heard you brought in Sylence. Nice work."

"Hopefully for the last time."

"Yeah, I hear that. Did she try that thing where she talked about how she was there when, you know?" She points at her own right eye.

"Of course."

"Of course of course," she snickers. "She tried that stuff with me when she talked about my mom. It's so weird that she used to work with her and now she's... Yeah."

"Well, with Noob no longer coming after her, maybe she really can be cured."

"You think so?"

He shrugs. "Hopefully." He's about to take another bite, when he thinks of something and changes the topic. "Say, you haven't seen Andela around, have you?"

"Nah. Why?"

"I think she brought a cat onto base."

"A cat? Like a pussy cat?"

"No, like a lion."

She dips her sunglasses down. "Seriously?"

"No, I---See, this is why I don't do sarcasm. Yes, like a pussy cat."

Cassie smiles. "Oh, alright. Is that a problem?"

"It could be when she picked it up right outside the hospital with the wraith outbreak."

"Oh. Yikes. Yeah, I can see where you're going with this."

"But she likes cats, I don't know why. Maybe she gets it from her mother. But if she's keeping it in her room, I think it could present a problem. What if some shred of the plague is on its fur?"

"Or, maybe it's some kind of freaky wraith cat infiltrator?"

He blinks a few times. "Sure. Or that. Point is, can you talk to her about it?"

"No problem." She gives a small salute and moves to stand, but then shifts her focus back and leans forward. "Oh, by the way. How's things going with Sam?"

"Cassie..."

"I know, I know, you don't like to talk about your relationship. But come on! Are you being romantic? Have you got her a gift? Gonna bang her soon?"

"Cassie!"

She brings a hand up to her mouth and stops herself some laughing. "Chill out, Zian. It was just a joke."

>Dodge the question
>Say things are going fine
>Ask for advice about a gift
>Eat somewhere else
>Other

>>1019547
>Say things are going fine

>>1019547

> Things are going fine.

I'm trying to do something special but suck at scultping.

>>1019547
>Say things are going fine

File: passion-republic-mkx-layo(...).jpg (380 KB, 1200x1200)

380 KB JPG

>>1019560
>>1019576
>>1019638

"Things are fine," he tells her. "We were planning on going to Chicago soon, but, well, you know."

"Hah, right." She leans back. "Hey, Zian, I uh... I wanted to say something."

He takes a bite of his sanwich. "Hm?"

She purses her lips as though in thought and taps her fingers on the table. "Well... I was a little upset when I wasn't chosen to go on the mission this morning."

Tundra pauses in his chewing, wondering where this is going.

Cassie takes off her sunglasses and sets them in her lap. "I guess, I don't know, I thought I would be the first to go, and not the backup team leader. I thought that your spot on the squad would be mine, I guess is what I'm getting at. And when the news came out that it was wraiths, and you were bumped up to squad two's leader, I was kind of angry."

He finishes chewing and swallows, setting his food down on the tray in front of him. Cassie looks sheepishly off to one side and sighs. "Buuuut... I heard you did really good, man." She meets his gaze and continues, "I got a look at the report and talked to some of the others. You really shined and did a good job, you led your team and got the mission done when no one else was there to do it."

"Thank you, Sergeant Cage."

She smirks at his professionalism, though she isn't sure if that was a jab or not. "We're all on a team, and sometimes being on a team is knowing when to rely on others to do a job that you could do and not being upset that you weren't the one chosen to do it. We're both leaders, and I think that's an important lesson I haven't fully learned yet."

He watches her expression carefully as it changes while she speaks. She smiles, and frowns, and then takes on a neutral face when she's done, clearly waiting to see what his response will be. When he doesn't immediately give one, she feels inclined to add, "And I don't know if you feel like I do, that we sometimes don't get the kind of recognition we deserve. So, thank you, Zian, for doing your duty being the better soldier today."

>Thank her in turn
>"I'm not the better soldier."
>Remark on her capabilities as a leader as well
>Disagree; things could have gone better
>Other

>>1019699

> Thank her in turn
> I'm not the better soldier
> I'm the better magical ninja.... that was a joke as lin kuei are not ninjas.

>>1019699
>>Thank her in turn
>>"I'm not the better soldier."
Smirk "But I am the better leader."
>>Remark on her capabilities as a leader as well

>>1019699
>"I'm not the better soldier."
>Remark on her capabilities as a leader as well

File: request_cassie_cage_by_ma(...).png (36 KB, 578x984)

36 KB PNG

>>1019707
>>1019711
>>1019712

Finally, he replies, "I'm not the better soldier, Cassie." The blonde watches his lips slowly curl into a smirk, "But I am the better leader."

She lets out a chortle. "Har har."

He lets the joke pass and continues on to say, "You don't have to worry about being a poorer soldier or a poorer leader, because you aren't. Everyone here knows how good you care, and how useful you are to the team. You're one of the first people out of their bed in the morning and when Sam was unsure if she belonged on the team you were the only one to take a direct hand in training her. If that's not the quality of a good leader, I don't know what is."

"Thanks," she says, somewhat embarrassed. "I really appreciate it."

"No, thank you for your words as well," he says. "I'm not here for recognition but I also appreciate it all the same."

"You know, I'm almost jealous of Sam," she says, surprising him. "Keyword: almost."

"Well... There isn't enough of me to go around as it is."

She laughs and pushes her seat back. "I'll catch you around, Blue Moon."

"What?"

"It's an ice cream, you should try it sometime. And I'll look into that cat situation! Later." She walks out of the mess hall, leaving Tundra to smile to himself and resume eating. When he looks down, he sees that more than half of his sandwich has been eaten by a now very-full Yukiryu. "Hey!"

The dragon looks up at him, having taken advantage of his distraction to eat so much. Its blue eyes seem to say, 'Do as you will; I have already won.'

>Go find Sam
>Go find Vapor
>Train
>Take time off in the rec room
>Other

>>1019799
>Take time off in the rec room

>>1019799
>>Take time off in the rec room
Where da broes at?

>>1019799

>>1019982

What did he mean by this?

Anyway, writing

>>1019799
>>Take time off in the rec room
Meant for >>1019982. Could've sworn I copied something.

File: Rec Room.jpg (68 KB, 725x499)

68 KB JPG

>>1019953
>>1019981
>>1020004

After admonishing his dragon with a tickling belly rub, he returns his tray and walks to the rec room for a much-needed break. He can hear some light music and noise coming from within as he approaches it; it seems most of the team is already inside, celebrating today's victory. Tundra walks in and several voices cheer to welcome him; it seems word of his actions in stopping the portal and bringing Sylence in has made its way all around the team.

Takeda, Jin, Frost, Jacqui, Cao, Cassie, Fox and Sam are all present, spread around the room and engaging in a few different conversations and activities.

>Watch a movie
>Play a game
>Simply make conversation
>Spend time with Sam in particular
>Other

>>1020050
>>Watch a movie
Aladdin for the umpteenth time

>>1020050
>Spend time with Sam in particular

>>1020050
>Take time off in the rec room
and chat in general

>>1020140
meant
>Watch a movie

File: Battle_of_Hoth.jpg (262 KB, 1332x680)

262 KB JPG

>>1020077
>>1020146

Zian makes his way to the couch and sits down, putting an arm around Sam's shoulders. She wastes no time in snuggling up against him, feeling his chilled body and wearing a contented smile as she does so. The film is a favorite for some in the room; Empire Strikes Back. As they watch the early portions of the film, Zian finds himself thinking that life wouldn't be too bad on Hoth---they even have their own ice beasts like in Arctika.

Around halfway through the film, Zian looks up when he hears someone enter the room. It is Andela, and she appears to be searching for something. Her eyes are downcast and she doesn't speak up, but whatever she is looking for must be small in nature.

Zian looks back over at Cassie, who is eating from a tub of popcorn. She's quite engrossed in the film and doesn't appear to have noticed Vapor at all.

>Ignore it; keep hanging out
>Get up and talk to Vapor about this cat
>Get Cassie's attention and have her talk to Vapor
>Look for the cat and try to find it before Vapor does
>Other

>>1020205
>Other
Shit eating grin "Whatcha looking for?"

>>1020205
>Look for the cat and try to find it before Vapor does

>>1020205
>Talk to vapor about the cat.
>Go check the wraith containment unit like a paranoid motherfucker.

>>1020219

> Supporting Bully

File: 1428333718803.jpg (85 KB, 599x600)

85 KB JPG

>>1020219
>>1020268
>>1020283

Zian gets Sam to loosen her grip, then stands up and walks over to Andela and gives her a wide grin. "So, whatcha looking for?"

"Nothing," she insists, even while clearly looking for something, even inspecting behind the couch and underneath it.

"Come on. What is it?" he asks again, knowing full well what it is.

"Nothing important!" Vapor insists.

Sam then walks up. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, just lost some... eyeliner. I think I left it in here."

"That green one I gave you for Christmas?" Sam asks.

"No, not that one."

"I didn't know you had any others."

Vapor pauses. "Well, um."

Takeda, walking by but having heard the conversation, puts a hand to his forehead for a moment. "She's looking for a cat."

Vapor shoots up to stand in front of him. "TAKEDA!"

He continues to have his hand held against his temple. "Oh, and she didn't want you to know. And his name is... Mr. Whiskers?"

"Stop reading my mind, Takeda! Or else you don't know what I'll do!"

"Oh, I've got a pretty clear picture in my head," he snickers as he walks off. She moves to follow, but then Tundra grabs her gently by the shoulder.

"So, you lost it?"

"I didn't LOSE the cat. He's just wandered off, and is probably exploring or lost or scared or all three."

"Andela... You told me---"

"I know what I told you! I don't care, it's a cute cat, Zian!"

He's about to rub it in some more, but then Sam steps in at that moment. "Okay, okay. Zian, you said some stuff, Andela, so did you, but I suggest we put this aside before someone like General Cage finds out about this cat. Deal?"

Vapor puts her hands on her hips. "Deal. But I'm not getting rid of it! It's not contaminated!"

Cassie looks over at that moment, and realizes she's missed her chance to talk to Vapor about the cat. She chastises herself and jumps over the back of the couch to walk up to them. "Vapor, hey, listen, about this cat..."

Sam pulls her boyfriend off to the side. "How about they make a team, and we make a team, and look for the cat ourselves?"

>Look with Sam
>Look with Vapor
>Look with Cassie
>All four split up and look individually
>Other/write-in

>>1020325
>Look with Sam

>>1020325
>Look with Sam

>>1020325
>Look with Sam
"Okay gang, lets split up and look for clues."

>>1020325
>Team up with sam
I didn't say it was, just that it was best to have it looked at for that, and any number of things strays might drag in. It wasn't because I didn't want you to have a pet or anything, you know that.

File: military_base_zpsa3128a7c(...).jpg (547 KB, 1024x454)

547 KB JPG

>>1020341
>>1020355
>>1020401
>>1020514

He nods in agreement, then looks back at Andela. Cassie is trying to convince her that she could potentially keep the cat if it was given a clean bill of health, and Tundra is quick to jump in and agree with that as well. "There are procedures to this kind of thing," he insists. "It's not that I don't want you to have a pet."

Her shoulders slump. "I'm just worried that he'll get taken away or the higher-ups will say no."

"Aw, come on," Cassie says, sliding an arm around her shoulder. "I've got a good relationship with a high-ranking general. You'll be fine, and so will Mr. Whiskers. Let's go find him."

As they walk off, Sam giggles. "Mr. Whiskers... It's a cute name."

"If an unimaginative one," he mutters.

>Search the barracks
>Search the mess hall
>Search the medical bay
>Search the SF/OWEA half of the base
>Search outside/the jungle
>Other

>>1020535
>Search the mess hall

>>1020535
>>Search the mess hall
Dam i swear to god if this is a cat infiltrator to free sylence and scope out our base....

File: mess hall.jpg (189 KB, 800x451)

189 KB JPG

>>1020541
>>1020578

Their first area to search is the mess hall. The room is large, and with plenty of spaces for a small cat to hide.

"I wonder if there are any mice on this island," Sam wonders aloud. "If we don't end up finding him, maybe he can hunt."

"I haven't seen any in the base, at least," he replies. "A few lizards, but not rats."

Though they search high and low, they are unable to find any trace of the black cat. Tundra grows increasingly paranoid that it may result in something bad happening, from anything to wraiths attacking or Vapor crying (the worst of the two outcomes).

"I've got nothing over here," Sam calls out as she looks behind the soda machines.

He checks the heaters and the nearby vents. "Nothing here either."

They eventually meet back up in the middle of the room. "Now what?" Sam asks.

>Medical Bay
>The roof
>Supply closet
>Barracks
>Computer servers
>Outside
>Other

>>1020664
>Other
the room with the wraith in it.

>>1020664
>The roof
If not there, then Sylence's holding cell, as >>1020677 says. After all, he was recovered from a wraith attack site.

>>1020688
Seconding.

File: Sylence2.jpg (60 KB, 160x354)

60 KB JPG

>>1020688
>>1020710

"I've got an idea," Tundra says. "Let's go up top."

But less than an hour and a thorough search of the roof later, there is still no sign of the cat. Every helipad and rooftop connection scoured, every dish looked behind, and still nothing. Yukiryu circles around, but spies nothing out of the ordinary before landing back on his shoulder. Sam sighs and leans against the railing, looking out over the ocean. "You think that cat might really have something wrong with it?" she asks as he walks up to do the same.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just being overly suspicious and paranoid."

"You think that perhaps it's all just in your head?"

"Well... the cat should still be checked out by a vet, or some professional. Given a clean bill of health. Yukiryu wasn't, sure, but he hatched from an egg. I was there." The dragon lets out a small chirp as it nuzzles his fingers.

"We could check out the medical bay and Sylence if that would make you feel better," she suggests. He nods and they both take the stairs down into the base and head towards the containment area where the cell is kept.

Sure enough, she is still there, under watchful guard by both camera and two SF soldiers. Tundra approaches the tank and presses a button on its console that allows them to speak. "Sylence."

She looks up at him. "What do you want, Lin Kuei?"

"What do you know about a cat?"

At first, she says nothing, but it becomes clear that this is due to her having no idea what he is talking about, which she quickly relays with a confused expression. "Cat? What cat? Is this some kind of game?"

He takes his finger off the button and looks at Sam. "She could be lying."

"Or maybe she just doesn't know," Sam shrugs. "Could just have been a coincidence, after all."

As they leave the medical bay, Tundra finds himself still uncertain. Sam takes his hand. "Come on, let's find the others. Maybe they've already picked up the trail."

>Give up the search altogether
>Find Cassie and Vapor
>Search another area with Sam
>Split up from Sam for more search coverage
>Other

>>1020811
>>Find Cassie and Vapor

>>1020811
>>Search another area with Sam

>>1020811
>Find Cassie and Vapor

>>1020811
>Find Cassie and Vapor

File: 9f2fa7b09b6f90c31a56667f0(...).jpg (6 KB, 236x354)

6 KB JPG

>>1020831
>>1020845
>>1020852

As they walk back towards the barracks, they encounter Vapor and Cassie leaving the other half of the base and headed in the same direction, with one key distinction: a purring black cat in the Lin Kuei girl's arms. "Where did you find him?" Tundra asks as they approach.

"He was sneaking around the training room," Cassie says. "When we found him, he was nearly buried in the wires behind a computer console."

As Vapor strokes his black fur, the cat looks up at him, staring at him with those bright blue eyes. It then opens his mouth and gives a soft, "Meow!" which makes the girls all swoon and want to pet him.

Zian rolls his eyes. Cassie looks back up and says, "We're going to make sure he gets checked out properly. Don't worry."

"Thanks for helping look, Zian," Andela says as she and Cassie walk back to the barracks.

Sam's brows raise as she asks, "So... I guess that situation solved itself, huh?"

"I guess so."

"What now?"

>Date night
>Training
>Relaxing
>Check in with Kaito
>Other

File: AWAKEN MY MASTERS.jpg (403 KB, 825x886)

403 KB JPG

>>1020903
>>Training
Let's ride on that 99 and 100 we got earlier in the thread and go for some SICK GAINS.

>>1020903

Start off

> Relaxing

Inevtiably be dragged into

> Date Night

without noticing.

>>1020903
>Relaxing
Running around the base was a workout in itself.

>>1020903
>Training
Its important to be prepared.

File: 5271308-5327234191-maxre.jpg (47 KB, 1280x720)

47 KB JPG

>>1020952
>>1020968
>>1020925
>>1021019

By now, it is approaching evening, and so Sam and Tundra elect to return to the rec room. After an evening of relaxation, they retire to their rooms, but not before sharing a sweet goodnight kiss.

>One week later...

Over the course of the past week, Tundra had all but forgotten the presence of the cat. Since first going missing and his subsequent checkup by a veterinarian, whereupon he had received a clean bill of health, the young warrior hadn’t even seen the feline as he seldom left Vapor’s room anymore.

Rather, his thoughts were turned now towards training, which he now often did with Sam on a daily basis. Furthermore, the repairs and the additions to the training center were complete, meaning the return of his father with the Dragon Medallion to test the remainder of the team for their increased power potential. One day, after a particularly hard training session with Sam in which they both sparred with Cassie and Cao, Tundra went to the portal center of the base to greet his father.

Sub-Zero returned alone this time, without his mother or the giantess Bestla, as well as the three dragons he had left with last time, which he assured Zian were in healthy condition and had adapted well to their new home in Arctika. The two of them proceeded to the newly-reinforced training room to inspect the Dragon Medallion.

"I understand things are going well for you," Sub-Zero says to his son. "I recently received a report of a successful mission in Chicago, thanks in no small part to you."

"I only did what was expected of me," Tundra replies with a small bow of his head.

"Which means you did great things," the grandmaster smiles, clasping his son's shoulder. Once inside the chamber, the elder cryomancer places the Dragon Medallion into a protective and sealed box, as last time. Only he and Tundra know the code, so as to prevent any incidents from occurring again.

"Unfortunately, I will not remain for long," Sub-Zero says.

"Just for the trials?"

"Not even for them," he replies, which surprises Zian. "I leave the Dragon Medallion in your capable hands, my son. The three dragons require much of my attention. This is a critical stage in their lives, and they must be tamed or made wild. I shall return when the tests are complete."

"Are you certain?"

"I can think of no one in the world who I can trust more than you," Sub-Zero says as they make for the training room exit.

>Check in with Sam
>See how Kaito is doing
>Spend time with Frost
>Head over to the rec room with Cassie
>Other

>>1021084
>>See how Kaito is doing
In the shadow of a incoming war against a woman who shares space in his heart with Mileena. The dude must be feeling pretty shit right now.

>>1021084
>See how Kaito is doing

>>1021084
>See how Kaito is doing

File: TuranaFeels.png (881 KB, 716x704)

881 KB PNG

>>1021144
>>1021162
>>1021180

Not long thereafter, Sub-Zero departs from the island. Tundra waves him off as he steps through the portal back to Arctika. As he heads back towards the living side of the base, he catches a glimpse of Kaito, and he hasn't seen much of him in the past week since their last conversation about Sylence, and they haven't spoken since then either. He catches up to him and notes a distressed look on his face.

"Kaito? Is something wrong?"

The man stops and looks back over at Tundra. "We've received a report from Outworld: Kotal Kahn's armies have begun their attack on Nemsai and the Egyptian Gods."

The younger warrior's eyes narrow. He knows that means Kaito is worried about Turana. Though Tundra has never pried into Kaito's business, he feels compelled to ask, "What do you think will happen?"

"Nemsai faces larger odds then they alone can defeat. But they have territorial advantages, particularly powerful gods on their side, and are relatively self-sufficient. I expect this will not be a short conflict, as they won't surrender to Kotal Kahn and he won't listen to their demands."

"And yet, it's a good thing, isn't it? We need their water, it's the only cure we've found for the Wraith-Plague."

Kaito rubs his chin and shakes his head before walking off. "War is never a good thing. It can be fought for the right reasons, but war is still war."

Tundra watches him go.

>Catch up to him and speak more
>Find Sam
>Find Cao
>Return to the Dragon Medallion
>Other

>>1021354
>Return to the Dragon Medallion

>>1021354
>>Catch up to him and speak more
Tell him something like "I understand you're in a pretty bad way. We rely on your support a lot, so I hope you consider we can support you as well."

>>1021354
>Find Cao
"Dude, you gotta go take care of some shit."

>>1021367
>>1021389
>>1021394

Can I get a tie breaker or some supporters?

>>1021406
Well, in lieu of further votes or supporters, maybe roll a d3?

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>>1021367 1
>>1021389 2
>>1021394 3

>>1021608
Welp, the dice have spoken. I suppose we could use my proposed dialogue as a conversation ender.

File: 1 Dragon_Medallion_.png (295 KB, 456x450)

295 KB PNG

>>1021367
>>1021389
>>1021394
>>1021608

As Kaito rounds the corner, his brow furrowed and shoulders heavy with burden, Tundra remains silent. He would like to say more to the man, about how the team relies on his support and they would be ready to support them at any time, but he holds his tongue for now. There will be time for such words later, when fewer things are upon his troubled mind.

Tundra spends a moment thinking to himself about the matter, and decides he wants to check back on the Dragon Medallion. Though it had only been a few moments, something doesn't feel quite right to him. He isn't sure if it is because of what Kaito had revealed or something else entirely, but he walks briskly back to the training room to check on it.

The medallion is still within the protective case. As he opens it to behold the metal surface of the artifact, Yukiryu pokes its head over his shoulder and stares down at it as well. Tundra can imagine that the dragon is thinking about the time not long after its birth when he and the small dragon fused into an animality, a hybrid form, half man and half dragon. The power was incredible, but he has since been unable to reactivate it.

'Perhaps it is only possible with the Dragon Medallion's power... or some other technique I am unaware of.'

Still, he traces his fingers across the etching of the dragon on its surface, a small tingling sensation hinting at the power contained within.

Suddenly, the door to the chamber opens and Tundra quickly closes the case. He turns around to behold Sam rapidly approaching him, a distressed look on her face much like Kaito's but with a greater sense of urgency in her movement.

"Zian," she says in a hushed tone. "We... We need to talk."

"Sam? Is there something---"

"In my room. We need to talk in my room. Right now." Her tone is deathly serious, and she seems... afraid of something. His confusion doubles when he spies her lip trembling and her hands, curled into fists hard enough to turn her hands nearly white.

>Go to her room
>Ask her what's wrong
>Talk on the way
>Alert the team
>Other

>>1021680
>>Go to her room

>>1021680
>Go to her room
Is your dad coming to the island?

File: _1856239.jpg (8 KB, 190x190)

8 KB JPG

>>1021709
>>1021718

He wordlessly follows her to her room. Though he has questions, he holds them back. She moves at an almost running pace, each step growing more and more nervous. He's never seen her like this before, and it is putting him on edge as well. When they climb the stairs to the second level of the barracks, she stops for a moment.

"Zian, I... I got a call from m-my old roommate, Jessica. Jessie."

"I remember. We met right before Christmas."

"So, I uh, I answered it, but... It wasn't her." She looks back at him, her eyes wide and fearful. "Someone has her. It's her number, her room, MY old room... He's there, right now."

Tundra stares into her eyes, realizing how serious this suddenly is. "We need to---"

She interrupts him again. "He said to get you. Not anyone else. And that if I did, he would know, and Jessica would die. He wants to talk to you, Zian, and nobody else."

That causes him to go completely silent as he tries to figure out who this could be. Noob Saibot? The Deadly Alliance? Some other enemy?

"He's waiting," she says. "I just wanted to let you know what you're dealing with."

Zian nods as they approach her room and enter. She closes the door behind her and points at the nearby computer screen on her desk. On it, a strange and darkened figure can be seen, sitting in a chair in a dimly-lit room.

"Mr. Liang. Please sit down."

His voice is odd---perhaps some kind of device is masking it. Tundra walks over and sits down in front of the computer, staring at the screen while his image is recorded and sent to the other end for this kidnapper to see. Sam lingers behind him, watching and biting her nails in worry.

"I'm aware that Miss Stryker has said what I have instructed her to say and you know the situation at hand. Let me begin by saying that I have your base bugged. I am listening to what is happening there, right now. Some of your teammates are in the recreation room. Some are in the gymnasium. None of them concern me. This business is only going to happen between myself, you, Miss Stryker and Jessica. If you so much as mention a word to anyone else, or attempt to communicate the current situation to your team, she will die. If you do not do as I say, she will die. If you attempt to trick or deceive me, she will die. Before I proceed, do you understand?"

>"I understand."
>Demand to see Jessica
>Threaten him
>Say nothing
>Other

>>1021767
>Other
"Well out with it"

>>1021767
>>"I understand."

File: Sammie and Jessie.jpg (66 KB, 380x250)

66 KB JPG

>>1021780
>>1021798

"I understand. Out with it."

"Here is what is going to happen. You are going to bring me the Dragon Medallion. In exchange, I will tell you where Jessica is."

Tundra immediately resists the urge to stand up as a chill grows up his spine, and as a cryomancer that is quite rare a thing. "If you think that I'm going to---"

"I am aware that your father just left the Dragon Medallion in your hands. You are going to retrieve it and leave the island with Miss Stryker without speaking to a single other person on your team. Once you are off the island, I will instruct you on where to go. You will bring the Dragon Medallion to a designated drop location and then you will receive instructions on where Jessica is."

'This can't be happening,' Tundra thinks desperately. 'He KNOWS the Dragon Medallion is here, and that father left it with me? How? He said the base is bugged... to what extent, and how?! Who has the capability to do so?'

"You do not have long to make your decision, Mr. Liang. By nightfall, if you do not bring the medallion to Chicago, she will die."

"To Jessica's apartment?"

"No. But that is where you will come first. I am aware that your portal generators can create a portal to this location. By the time you arrive, I will no longer be here. But I will have left instructions on where the designated drop point will be. Remember: only you two. If you attempt to speak to anyone else, I will know. I am listening."

Suddenly, the call ends. Sam puts her face in her hands, unsure of what to do. Tundra sits and stares at the screen for a moment in silence, contemplating what he has learned and what he is going to do.

'Who... Who could this be? Black Dragon? Orderrealm? Was that a wraith?'

Sam speaks up, her voice nearly cracking. "I can't let Jessie die, Zian, I... I don't know what to do."

>Assure her that everything will be all right
>Go with her to retrieve the Dragon Medallion
>Tell her to suit up and get ready for a mission
>Say nothing; communicate only in silence
>Other

>>1021835
>Say nothing; communicate only in silence

>>1021835
>>Assure her that everything will be all right
>>other
While going to pick up a portal generator see if we can "bump" into Takeda.

>>1021849
Changing vote to this.

>>1021849
Agreed.

What muggle is able to bug one of the most advanced bases in reality, especially if it exists on an island literally between realms?

>>1021894
One who sends a cat to do it. I knew that shithead was in on it.

File: trade__mkx_takeda_by_shwo(...).png (639 KB, 900x1260)

639 KB PNG

>>1021849
>>1021855

Tundra is quick to stand up and wrap his arms around her. "It's going to be alright," he assures her. He leans down to her ear and whispers, "Get the portal device. I'll handle everything else."

Already, an idea is forming in his mind. She looks into his eyes and nods before leaving the room.

Tundra is left alone in her room, looking around.

'Bugs... Bugs... Where could they be? How many could there possibly be? What is their range?'

His eyes scan all over the room, but he sees nothing. 'It can't be cameras... That many bugs, in that many places, it can't be cameras...'

On his shoulder, Yukiryu makes a strange sound. He looks at the dragon, and gently places him in his jacket pocket before leaving the room.

'It can't be cameras... But even if it is, there is one person here who can listen without hearing, and I need him to listen right now.'

He makes straight for Takeda's usual hangout, the rec room. Sure enough, he is inside with Cao, Vapor and... her cat.

Her cat who looks up and stares at him as he enters. As soon as he makes eye contact, the creature looks away. Takeda then looks up and smiles at Tundra. "Hey man, wanna join us? We're watching anime."

Cao shakes his head. "I don't get this show. Why doesn't the JoJo man just kill the bad guy?"

Takeda takes a drink. "Pay attention to the plot, Cao, come on. This show is deep."

Tundra is still for a moment. The young man turns his attention back to the television, even as Tundra tries to get his attention by thinking as hard as he can. He needs to get Takeda's attention somehow, but without it being picked up by a bug or something else.

>Sit down and pretend to watch the show, and get Takeda's attention somehow
>Linger back and wait for Takeda to break away and then subtly intercept him
>Drop this plan; it's too risky
>Accidentally mute the TV and then think as hard as you can at him
>Other

>>1021937

I'm going to hit the hay for tonight. We'll be resuming in the morning!

>>1021937
>Other
"Deep like that hole in your head you keep poking with your fingers. Seriously, is there no cooler way to use your powers?"
If that doesn't catch Takeda's attention, I'm not sure what will.

>>1021937
>Drop this plan; it's too risky

Shit. We can always pull a Joseph Joestar and claim the briefcase will explode if the wrong code is tried, once we're there.

Last post from me for the night. Good luck guys.

>>1021937
>Other
In front of field of view start acting smug. As smug as takeda would if he just banged hot triplets, but refuse to tell him anything.

>>1022287
Also, Takeda needs to scan the cat. Its clearly a trojan horse.

Hey there, folks. We'll be resuming in about two to three hours; I have some stuff I need to take care of, like food and some packages.

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>1021983
>>1022004
>>1022287


And I'm back! Writing the next update now.

>>1023326
Wait what I didn't know this is still going on. I didn't get to vote yet

>>1023352

Well, what's your vote?

>>1023326

> Other: Tell him to read our mind silently. Point at our damn head while covering his mouth. Surely he's not that stupid right?

>>1022287
I'm gonna have to go with this plan.

>>1023368
Hints that obvious may give it away. Then again, it's unclear just how much this dope knows about our team's capabilities.

>>1022287
>>1023368
>>1023370

Can I get a 1d100?

Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>1023407

Rolled 9 (1d100)

Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>1023407

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>1023407
Fudge test

File: tumblr_noytmdXrdz1slvquwo1_500.gif (1.58 MB, 500x210)

1.58 MB GIF

>>1023410
>>1023412
>>1023413

Thinking quickly, Tundra walks around a nearby pillar, out of sight from everyone except Takeda. Putting on his best and most smug face, he smiles at the Shirai Ryu like a child who successfully stole from the cookie jar. A subtle clearing of his throat and shuffling of his feet is enough to draw Takeda's attention, who as soon as he looks up at him, notices his face. "What's up, Zian?"

'Damnit, don't say anything,' Zian thinks. He points at his head. 'Read my mind, come on!'

He then puts his hand to his head, because he thinks he has something there. "What? What are you doing?"

The cryomancer feels like strangling him. He decides to mouth, 'READ MY MIND!' to him.

Finally, Takeda puts his finger and thumb in his mind-reading position and scans Tundra's mind.

'TAKEDA! Do not say a SINGLE thing. NOT ANOTHER WORD. There is an emergency going on. ACT NORMALLY. Look back at the TV, but keep listening! Do it!'

He blinks a few times, his smile slowly vanishing, and then looks at the television. He keeps his hand where it is.

'Now listen very carefully to me. The base is bugged. Someone has kidnapped Sam's old roommate and is attempting to extort the Dragon Medallion out of me. If they hear me talking to someone about this, she is going to die. Nod if you understand.'

Though it appears his attention is on the show, Takeda nods subtly.

'You are the only telepath on the team. We need your help because you are the only person we can speak to without speaking. I'm going to leave the room now, and you're going to follow me, but wait a while! Make it seem natural. Make an excuse to the others, something, anything. Meet Sam and I in her room, BUT DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE!'

Tundra then clears his throat. "Yeah, I need to go. I've got a... a thing to take care of. I'll see you guys later."

"Bye," Vapor says with a small wave as he makes for the exit.

Right before he leaves, he gives Takeda one last look, and it is a knowing look they share. He walks out the doors and into the hall.

>Retrieve the Dragon Medallion
>Do not retrieve the Medallion
>Find something that resembles the medallion
>Rig a tracking device and put it on the medallion
>Other

>>1023463
>Retrieve the Dragon Medallion

>>1023463

> Lookalike

Dude it tech savvy, he will out tech our tech.

>>1023463
>Retrieve the Dragon Medallion

File: c64b8d9cf7014710be3cc4c8e(...).jpg (22 KB, 564x311)

22 KB JPG

>>1023476
>>1023485

From here, he proceeds immediately to the training room and enters the code on the case. It opens, allowing him to pick up the medallion.

'I can't let this fall into enemy hands...' he thinks. 'My father would be beyond disappointed. There must be a way to save Jessica and not relinquish the medallion...'

He secures it on his person and quickly makes his way back to the barracks and up to Sam's room. She is inside, along with Takeda, and she has secured a personal portal device. They are not speaking whatsoever, and upon entering, they both look at him. He talks, but only to Sam. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah... Do you have the Medallion?"

He takes it out and holds it up. They both look at Takeda, who is reading their minds. As whoever is listening would expect only the two of them to be speaking, he keeps his mouth shut, allowing Tundra to say to her, "I'm betting whoever this is probably has your apartment bugged, too. While we're there, let's be careful."

"Right," she says, and hands him the portal device, trusting him to come up with a plan. He looks over at Takeda and thinks, 'Whoever this is expects us in her apartment. In case it is bugged even further, we're not going straight there. We'll go to a place where we can talk and come up with a plan.'

Takeda nods, and Tundra adjusts the setting on the device to a pre-set location: just outside Sam's apartment building, where Cassie originally picked her up. After creating the portal in front of them, they step through into the cold alleyway.

"Okay, we should be able to talk here," Tundra says, but softly. "Let's figure out our next step..."

>Sam and Tundra go up into the apartment
>All three go up into the apartment
>Only one will go in there
>Maintain no communication; only talk through instant messaging or mind-reading
>Other

>>1023605
>Sam and Tundra go up into the apartment

>>1023605
>Sam and Tundra go up into the apartment
have sam hold the medallion, so she can share her invulnerability with the hostage.

File: chitown.jpg (51 KB, 1280x720)

51 KB JPG

>>1023619
>>1023702

"Stay here," he whispers to Takeda. "We'll be in touch."

The Sharai Ryu nods as Tundra and Sam enter the building and climb the stairs. "I still have my old key," Sam says as they approach the door. He gently grabs her shoulder, turns her around and hands her the medallion.

"Just in case you can protect her," he says. She nods and takes it, sliding it into her pocket as she unlocks and opens her apartment door.

It is clean inside, with no signs of a struggle. The lights are off and there isn't any noise.

"Look around," he whispers as they cautiously walk inside, expecting a trap. Slowly, they enter and begin to search for any clues.

HIs eyes narrow as he looks around. 'No damaged furniture, no signs of a fight... Either she wasn't taken from here, or we're dealing with a professional.'

"Zian," she whispers, taking a magnet and a piece of paper off of the fridge. "Look."

She hands him the paper and he looks at it. It is a map, a printed image of Lincoln Park Zoo, which a specific area near the large cats section circled and labeled "Drop Zone" in bright lettering.

"I suppose we know where he wants us to go next," he replies.

"What now?"

"I don't know... He doesn't include instructions on how he will contact us, or what's going to happen when we drop the medallion. Presumably, he has some kind of eye on that area, and he'll either tell us where she is or release her..."

>Send Takeda in to scout around and read minds
>Go to the zoo; all three
>Only one of us will go to the zoo, the others will standby elsewhere
>Attempt to call Jessica's phone
>Other

>>1023742
>Only one of us will go to the zoo, the others will standby elsewhere
But this kidnapper can fuck right off if he expects a dead drop of the Dragon Medallion.

>>1023742
>Only one of us will go to the zoo, the others will standby elsewhere

>>1023742
>Only one of us will go to the zoo, the others will standby elsewhere

File: zoosign.jpg (2.59 MB, 4320x2432)

2.59 MB JPG

>>1023771
>>1023793
>>1023855

After a thorough search of the apartment, they leave and lock the door behind them and head downstairs. Once out in the alley, they rejoin Takeda and brief him on the situation.

"I'll go to the zoo and make a drop," Tundra says. "It won't be the medallion, but it'll be a drop. I want the two of you standing by for backup."

"I could do my thing and see if I can find our man," Takeda suggests. "Just scan as many people as possible."

"We don't know how he's seeing the area. You'd need to be in disguise."

"Easily done," he replies. "I'm in the Shirai Ryu, if I don't want to be seen, I'm telling you that I WON'T be seen."

Tundra scratches his chin. "Alright... Sam, can you secure a vehicle?"

"Yeah. I'll call my dad, he has connections in the city. I'll get us a car."

"Keep the medallion on you. No matter what, I'm not letting it fall into enemy hands."

"But what if something goes wrong?"

He places a hand on her shoulder and looks her deeply in the eyes. "I promise you this, Sam: I won't let them hurt her."

Less than an hour later, the three of them are driving towards the zoo. Tundra stares out the windows of the loaned vehicle, thinking hard about what their next move is going to be.

Sam, the driver, remains silent. He can tell how worried she is, but she is holding up well. Takeda meanwhile has his mind on other things.

"So, this Jessica... is she single?"

Sam almost slams on the breaks. "Takeda, NOT now."

"Just a question," he says nonchalantly.

They park a distance away from the zoo itself and Tundra and Takeda both get out. Sam will remain with the car to ensure a ready getaway just in case.

"I'll be in touch," Tundra promises her before leaning in through the window to kiss her. She drives off, leaving him and Takeda alone. "Do your thing," Zian tells him. "Don't be spotted."

Takeda smiles and zips up his jacket. "Please. I was running operations in cities long before you ever were, Zian. Trust me."

They split up and Zian wastes no time in heading to the zoo.

>Recon the area
>Get in contact with Sam and learn where she is
>Head to the big cat section
>Pick up a decoy from the gift shop
>Other

>>1023883

> Get Decoy

Btw I fucking love zoos and this one is supposed to be amazing.

>>1023883
>Recon the area

>>1023883
>Pick up a decoy from the gift shop

File: DCB1620744C84077BE88F756E(...).gif (131 KB, 500x333)

131 KB GIF

>>1023887
>>1023889

Once inside, he makes his way to a gift shop and secures a small bag and a toy as a decoy. It is small enough to sneak out without anyone noticing, and once outside he places it inside the bag. It is a plastic polar bear, large enough to make the bag look like it has something else inside of it.

He walks through the evening zoo as the lights and decorations, still up from New Years and Christmas, begin to light up. Nearly every tree, bush, fence and statue become illuminated by a complex series of strung-up lights and ornaments, bathing the zoo in red, green, blue, yellow and more colors. Though he passes by many civilians, he feels on edge and that an enemy could be lurking around every corner.

In the heart of the zoo, he stops and looks at a sign. He finds an arrow pointing towards the big cat section, and takes out the picture taken from the apartment fridge.

>Observe the area for a while
>Make the drop
>Go there, but make no drop
>Get in contact with Sam or Takeda
>Other

>>1023937

> Go there no drop

>>1023937
>Go there, but make no drop
He only said to be there, not to make a dead drop.

>>1023937
>Go there, but make no drop

File: 1454184452106.jpg (100 KB, 736x1322)

100 KB JPG

>>1023961
>>1023972
>>1023978

He makes for the large cats, and finds a bench to sit on. After checking the map to ensure he is in the right spot, he folds it up and places it aside and waits.

'I'm not making any drop,' he thinks to himself. 'After all, I only have a decoy. Let's see what happens.'

For a while, he merely sits and waits. Many people pass by, but no one stops to look at him or make any other indication that they are here to pick something up. He begins to grow slightly anxious and wonders what this is truly all about. 'I hope Takeda is having more luck than I am. What could be taking these people?'

As if to answer his question, his ears pick up a sound of a bladed weapon cutting through the air and growing close. His eyes widen and he leaps from the bench, rolling across the snowy ground as a shuriken hits the bench where he was sitting. He's up in an instant, hands ready to fight, but he sees no foe.

At least, until he looks up. Three black-clad figures with orange markings on their uniforms and masked faces lurk on the edge of a nearby building, weapons in hand. Tundra's eyes widen instantly as he looks at them, recognizing them almost at once.

'Tengu Clan warriors!'

The three warriors leap from the rooftop, descending upon him. It seems they are not here for a dead drop, but instead seek to make him drop dead!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>1024065
ice shuriken the front man

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>1024065
Throw one of them to the cats.

File: Tengu.jpg (34 KB, 581x480)

34 KB JPG

>>1024070

Thanks to reflexes honed from years of training, Tundra immediately reacts by conjuring a set of ice shuriken in his hand and whipping it at the lead man. Two bury themselves in his chest while a third slices deeply into his neck; he hits the ground and falls onto his back, gurgling up blood. The other two land and look at their fallen friend for but a moment before charging at Tundra.

>>1024081

The first one, wielding metal claws on each hand, leaps at him and attempts to slash him to pieces with two fierce swipes. Tundra dodges, however, by rolling back and bringing up both feet, planting them firmly on the warrior's midsection and kicking him overhead and over the fence of the one of the lion enclosures. As Tundra hops back up onto his feet, he hears the sounds of a man being torn about by lions.

The third warrior wields a chain weapon and whips it at his legs. He dodges it by leaping back, but the Tengu warrior strikes again, this time from a higher angle as he attempts to bring the spiked chain down upon him!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>1024126
Catch the chain around your forearm, get a good grip, and yank on that sumbitch.

>>1024137
Making sure our arm is properly protected, now that I see the "spiked" part.

File: Wu Lae and the tengu clan.png (251 KB, 500x319)

251 KB PNG

>>1024137
>>1024143

Seeing the chain come down, aimed at his head, Tundra encases his forearm completely in ice and raises it upwards. The chain strikes it and wraps around it, enabling the cryomancer to reach up and grab the chain. With one good yank, he all but tears his opponent's weapon out of his hands, pulling him over and setting him off-balance. He then turns around the wraps the chain around the man's neck, and with another good pull, snaps it cleanly and quickly. He drops the body as civilians flee the area.

"Your skills are impressive, Lin Kuei!" a man shouts. Tundra turns around and sees four more Tengu warriors approaching, each armed with different weapons. In the center of them is a larger man, wearing a combination of scale mail, black wrappings, an orange striped black jumpsuit and a metal helm with a t-shaped visor through which he gazes at the young warrior. "But now you die."

"Is this how you conduct all of your extortions, Tengu scum? Attempting to murder the man who has what you want?"

"My master seeks your demise. This was all but a ruse to get you out in the open, with no backup. Once you are dead, I will present the Dragon Medallion to him, and the Tengu Clan will finally reign supreme over you Lin Kuei dogs!"

"One question," Tundra says as he summons a sword of ice. "What's your name, so I know what to carve into your icy tomb?"

"I am Wu Lae! The one who will kill you!"

Tundra smirks. 'And here, because of that helmet, I was going to call him Boba Fett,' he recalls the movie he watched not too long ago.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>1024188
Summon a large field of ice spikes on the ground in front of us, in case any of them get the bright idea of charging us head on.

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>1024188
Boot to the head

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>1024188
ice ball Wu and charge into him with the Lin-kuai shoulder check

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>1024188
Ice wall this guy into the sky and when he comes down give him a huge uppercut

File: wu_lae__the_tengu_leader_(...).png (240 KB, 1000x800)

240 KB PNG

>>1024207

Putting his hands together, Tundra blasts the ground in front of him in order to create a series of icy spikes. This forces the Tengu to split apart and move around it while Wu Lae lingers beyond it. They charge around the obstacle, two on one side and two on the other, intending to flank him.

>>1024237

The first one reaches Tundra and receives a boot to the head, laying him flat out on the ground. The second one attacks his backside but he turns and blocks it with his sword before pushing his blade off to one side to bring his foot up and kick him in the head, too. The third attempts to leap at his legs while the fourth goes for his head. Tundra leaps up and kicks out with both feet, nailing both warriors in the head and putting them down.

When he lands, he looks across his ice spikes with a smirk. He's about to say something to Wu Lae, but his speech is cut short.

>>1024240

The Tengu warrior, brandishing a large scythe, dashes forward and deftly cuts through his spikes to attack Tundra head-on. He shoulder-slams into the younger fighter and knocks him back against an exhibit fence, causing him to drop his sword, then uses his scythe to pin him up against it.

"I will destroy you!" he says, bringing back his helm-covered head and smashing it against Tundra's forehead. "You will fall by my hand, Son of Sub-Zero!"

Tundra spits into the visor of his mask. "Talk is cheap."

>>1024256

Aiming his hands at the ground, he blasts cryonic energy at it to create a wall. This wall quickly builds upwards, taking Wu Lae with it! The warrior loses his balance on the ice and falls forward, right into Tundra's rising uppercut. This knocks him through the ice wall, sending him sliding and rolling across the ground!

Tundra pulls himself free and tosses the scythe to the side and approaches Wu Lae as he gets back up.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>1024304
Start taking off limbs from these guys, preferably legs.

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>1024304
Aim for the knees. Let's see the little shit hop around on one good leg.

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>1024304
Smack him in the face with the wooden part of the scythe. Getting beat by your own weapon is pretty pathetic.

File: 1469639659403.jpg (407 KB, 869x873)

407 KB JPG

>>1024339
Guess I'm the pathetic one instead

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>1024304
freeze a knee, then try and shatter it

File: wu_lae_by_edenianknight-d(...).png (405 KB, 750x750)

405 KB PNG

>>1024322

One of the warriors Tundra had kicked in the head struggles to get up to his feet. Conjuring up a kori blade, the cryomancer turns and seemlessly hacks off a leg and puts him back down again as he approaches Wu Lae.

>>1024323

With the man back up on his feet, Tundra strikes at him with his sword. He is immediately set on the defensive, dodging each swing or blocking it with his guantlets. Tundra swings and strikes with his sword, small chips of ice breaking off whenever Wu Lae manages to block it, as they battle their way across the square. When the Tengu warrior accidentally trips over one of his own men, the Lin Kuei sees his chance and manages to slice his knee, drawing blood upon his frozen blade!

>>1024339

Wu Lae shouts in pain, but then notices he is right next to his scythe! He reaches for it and picks it up, swinging it at Tundra and managing to cut him across his chest. The cryomancer falls back as Wu Lae jumps up to his feet and brings the weapon down on him, letting the heavy head guide the fall!

Tundra barely manages to get his sword up to block, but the head of the scythe reaches far enough to stab him in the shoulder. He lets out a pained grunt as Wu Lae cackles, certain in his victory!

>>1024400

As they push against each other, Tundra's sword begins to crack before it shatters completely! The scythe sinks deeper into his shoulder, pinning him to the ground!

"Now, you die!" Wu Lae declares, taking out a knife and preparing to stab it into the youth's neck!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 41 (1d100)

>>1024421
FREEZE BITCH

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>1024421
Ice spit in his face.

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>1024421
Ice spike a tree and kick his ass into it. This has gone long enough

Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>1024421
kick him in his dumb mask, pull out the scythe and stab him with it.

File: Tengu02.png (444 KB, 640x373)

444 KB PNG

>>1024431
>>1024438
>>1024468
>>1024483

Tundra opens his eyes and spits up at his foe, but rather than spittle, it is ice! This small but effective projectile hits his helm and freezes instantly, blinding him! Tundra is then able to bring up a leg and kick him off, planting his boot firmly upon Wu Lae's chest and sending him back.

He pulls the scythe out as Wu Lae struggles to get up to his feet. "You will pay for that, you insolent little---"

Suddenly, he is hit by a car and sent flying into a nearby stand. Tundra blinks a few times as Sam opens the passenger side door. "Get in, hurry!"

Tundra wastes little time in climbing in. Sam quickly drives off through the zoo.

"How did you get the car in here?" he asks her.

"I'd rather not say..." she replies.

Takeda then pokes his head in from the backseat. "Hey buddy! While you were fighting those ninja rejects, I mind-probed one and got the address of where they took Jessica!" He clasps hands with him. "Who were those guys, anyway?"

"The Tengu Clan. You fought them before, in Outworld, so I'm told."

"Wait, I did? When?"

Tundra pauses. "Were they not the clan of warriors hired to assassinate Lady Yanake, and stopped by Kaito and the Shirai Ryu, you included?"

Takeda runs a hand through his hair. "Fuck, were they? I can hardly remember those mooks..."

"They have been rivals with the Lin Kuei for many years now, based in Arctika like us. It makes sense now why they have sought the Dragon Medallion and my death, but Wu Lae spoke of another master..."

As Sam drives out of the zoo, she looks at his shoulder. "Zian, you're bleeding!"

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Where are we going?"

"An old warehouse near Lake Michigan. I've already got the address thanks to Takeda. I just hope Jessie is alright..."

>1d100!

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>1024514

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>1024514

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>1024514

File: w02433.jpg (69 KB, 1100x677)

69 KB JPG

>>1024524
>>1024529
>>1024606

It doesn't take long to reach the warehouse, located on the waterfront. They exit the car and quickly spread out, searching for enemies.

"I don't see anyone," Tundra relays. The building is quiet and old, with no lights to be seen in its windows. "This could be a trap..."

"I pulled it straight from their heads," Takeda insists. "I'm telling you, they don't know we're coming."

"We'll see."

>Go in through the front
>Go in through the roof
>Split up and enter in three different ways
>Stay and observe for a while
>Other

>>1024708
>>Go in through the roof

>>1024708
>Go in through the roof