[Jack_Spade]

Kynos relied laconically to Captain Dern: "Be careful now, that's a slippery slope you are on", leaving open if he referred to the current ground or the aforementioned course of action.
To steel and Grace he said: "Allow me to make the job a bit easier for you. Fire in the hole"
With that Kynos fired another grenade into the depts of the tunnel. Instead of the expected explosion only shreeks of pain could be heard.
"I alternate my grenade loadout: HE and Pepperpunch. Fun fact: A lot of plants defend against insects by producing Capsaicin.
Now let's get a move on and out of this glibber."

Dern had a dark look on his face: "You brought grenades after I explicitly forbid them and explained why we can't use them?"
Kynos grinned: "And aren't we lucky that I didn't hear you when you talked out of your brass? Semper Fi is for idiots, Semper Paratus is where it's at."

Moving out of the trap proved to be harder than expected: There might have been no flesh forms left, but now the bugs started to send their natural brethren after the team: Cockroaches, mosquito swarms, earth hornets and other nuisance started to attack. At first it was merely annoying until the gunner got stung on the inside of his nose and started to gasp an retch.

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel grins in the darkness at Kynos' comment to the Ares captain and wonders what the frag the officer had thought was going to happen when they hired runners as backup.  He pats Kynos on the back  as the man moves on ahead. 

The attack of the insects is disturbing...........and apparently dangerous.  Gardner, as backup medic, takes a look at Rose and hits her with a shot of something from her medkit, which seems to work for a bit, when suddenly the Ork gunner appears wobbly on her feet.  The medic looks her over and swears. "We need to get her out of here, Jefe.  She has had some sort of reaction to the drug I gave her and the sting of whatever bit her.  Why does it always have to be the heavy ones?"

There is some confusion as Dern orders several of the others to share weapons so that the team can carry the large Ork.  Steel shrugs and sheaths his swords. "No need to use up three or four people when it only takes one." He bends over and picks Rose up, slinging her weight across his shoulder.  "Someone else will have to carry her weapon, though."

He settles the Ork and adds, "Hey, you're a tad on the light side, Rose.  Don't they feed you enough." The comment elicits laughs among the Ares team as Rose is certainly one large Ork.  Although he cannot see it in the darkness, several of the team look at him and smile in gratitude.  Kynos snaps some sort of comment and the group shuffles its marching order a bit and continues its movement to the club.

[Jack_Spade]

"On the light side? What is she, a kind of Jedi? Ah never mind, I'm running low on sarcastic quips. That whole operation really depleted my reserves."

When they finally reached the cellar again, most of the team looked like they had been at the worst picnic ever.
<<Al, Vish, we are back in the cellar with the team. No idea how they got past us but luckily we can ask them later while we roast marshmallows over this hellhole. Speaking of which: We are coming out through the freight elevator, be a dear and tell us if there are any hostiles about.>>

[adamu]

As Al had guessed (and he congratulated himself heartily on the accuracy of his prognostications), the men in the truck were simply working joes. All too eager to escape the maniac with the lit cigarette, they had nonetheless been hesitant to return to their masters empty handed. Al had shrugged and directed them around his hoses to a large tank at the back of the lot, but their apprehension at getting caught in the midst of something fairly horrible was clear as they peered through the thinning white smoke at the burning van surrounded by Ares corpses. So Al had assured them that he would be leaving more than enough to fill their capacity and would certainly be gone within a quarter hour, inviting them to return at that time. The shotgun on his back and the Uzi in the hands of the lurking dwarf made it an easy sell, and he was just waving goodbye to their taillights when Kynos' message came in.

<<Well I reckon ye'd best assume they's hostiles about, keebo sabe, since we ain't yet laid eyes on whoever croaked the boys up here. But Vishie's on the lookout, an' he strikes ol' Al as a sharp one o' his kind. No good'll come o' frettin' 'bout it, nohow. No-account murderin' sons-o'-bitches'll show they backstabbin' faces when they git they gumption up, no sooner an' no later. I mean, come on baby, stop worryin' 'bout what can go wrong, an' get excited 'bout what can go right. Groovy vibes, huh? Ya know it's a proven fact that ninety-seven percent o' whatever ya worry 'bout don't never even ends up happenin'? Jist cogitate on that fer a tick or two. Worry's like a rockin' chair, see? Give ya somethin' ta do but don't git nothin' done. Speakin' o' doin', by the way, I done started the flow afore I answered yer call. Been comin' in at six hunnerd galllons a minute, kids, so git on out quick. Once yer clear gimme a three-count ta stop the backflow, then light 'er up.>>

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel could smell gas fumes by the time the reinforced Ares team made it to the elevator. "There is no way this contraption is going to take all of us in one lift, Boss."

[Jack_Spade]

"Doesn't have to, just the wounded and the rear guard. Just give me hand here." With that Kynos shoved the Ork towards the back of the hydraulic platform, stepped into his hand and pushed open the steel cover that opened towards the street. Stepping further on the Ork's shoulder Kynos had no trouble to heave himself on the street and the still merrily burning mobile command center.
For the moment he couldn't see any attackers, but that wasn't to surprising given the flickering shadows created by the aforementioned fire.
"Clear for the moment. Now everyone, double time before Steel realizes he's been degraded to a stepping stone."

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel laughs good naturedly as he provides the means for the rest to get to the next level.  "We Trolls are used to others walking all over us.  But someone is going to have to help me lift Rose up." He thinks a bit.  "Say, Bossman, I guess that makes me the last one out.  Better toss me that grenade gun of yours so I can use it to set the gas off after all of you are up.  Put a nice explosive one in the snout, would you?"

[adamu]

Al was among the storage tanks at the master pump switch. He was taking an awful chance on these guys. Never worked with any of them before, and if they were sloppy - or just didn't give a shit - and set off the gasoline as soon as they were clear without warning him, the combustion would run back up the flow and take him, Vish, the main tanks, and half the neighborhood out in great blackish-orange ball of glory.

So he was peering through the intervening maze of pipes and chain link fence, half for the Ares boys' assassins, and half for his own co-workers. Once he spotted Kynos come up, he figured their signal couldn't be far off, so he went ahead and stopped the flow. <<Welcome back ta the land o' the livin', keebo amigo. Done shut off the flow, once Steel's up from below, then yer good ta go!>>

[Jack_Spade]

"I can do you one better." With that Kynos flicked the switch, getting the small platform to move upwards. As the thing began to move with enervating slowliness Kynos reluctantly reached down and handed his Ares Alpha to Steel: "Be careful with her, the next shot is HE and we are as of now pumping gasoline inside. It would be a shame if I'd lose that gun - I actually paid for it."

Al's message reached him just as the sounds of myriads of chitinous legs began to make themselves heard from below: <<Last two are coming up. What we need now is transport away from here before someone does something dumb and I get to say "There goes the neighborhood">>

The platform had reached the half way point when the trueforms stormed the cellar below the office. It was about three quarters when they realized where their would-be-victims had gone and a single bug charged for the wounded soldier lying on the platform.

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel takes the offered gun and winks at Kynos. "Got it, Bossman.  Now get everyone else back home, eh?"

He was lower in the cellar than Kynos and had already heard the noise heralding the arrival of more of the bugs and watches as a horde of the things comes into view.  He calmly reaches up and hits the button to stop the lift where he can still see well enough to shoot the grenade when it was time.  >>Al, my friend.  Let me know when to light this thing off.  I will hold these things as long as possible, but try not to delay too long.  Nice knowing you guys if this goes all to drek.<<

He looks around and places the wall so he can grab it when it is time and takes his swords from their sheaths.  A noise from behind him alerts him that Rose has regained consciousness.  He sees her grin as she looks him dead in the eye. "Looks like it is just us.  Give me that Alpha and I will give you some support."  She crawls over to the wall and takes up the rifle, making sure that a round is chambered.

Captain Dern shouts down at her.  "Rose, get your fragging ass up here.  I already got letters to write for Parker, Fitz, and Fraser; don't make me write one for you, too."

The large Ork shakes her head, more at her boss than to clear her fogged mind. "Sorry, Jefe, no can do.  The big guy needs a bit of back up.  And no ideas of joining us as more here would just be in the way.  We will see you guys after we set this stuff off.  Now go, please."

The Ares captain swears but nods.  "You better make sure you get out, you hear me?"  He turns to Kynos.  "Alright, let's move.  I will see that Ares replaces that rifle if....................well, if necessary.  And, thanks again for your help.  You are the good guys."

Down on the lift, Steel looks over at Rose and grins.  "You're cute when you snarl like that." He laughs at her snort and centers himself as the first bug reaches out for the lift, only to be hammered by Rose firing a burst of three rounds into its face, dropping him back into the group following him.  Steel slashes at bug claws and the hands of those turned into hosts.  The carnage is satisfying, but he can see that the number of bugs will soon be too great.  They are using the bodies of the fallen to climb closer to the lift cage, which will not be good for the two defenders. >>Al?  You will let me know, right?  It is getting a bit uncomfortable down here.<<

[adamu]

Al was already looking for anything parked and big enough to carry them all when he heard from Steel. <<Open yer pointy ears, ya poetically challenged Philistine of a trog. Gave the green light seven seconds ago. Light 'er up!>>

He skidded to a stop as he looked around the next corner and found a rusty old deuce-and-a-half flatbed parked outside a warehouse.

But that wasn't all he'd found, he realized, staring down the multiple barrels of a GE Vindicator minigun in the hands of a horned brute that looked like he could give Steel a run for his money in any hot dog eating contest you'd care to name. And he wasn't alone....

[Beta]

Vish wasn't quite sure how he knew that the particlar noise coming over the com from Al meant that the raggedy man had found trouble, but he had no doubt that the particular gargling rasp was one of shock and dismay.

Well, they'd known that there were opponents about, and from what Vish had seen so far, Al seemed like the sort that would find fists with his face and knives with his back -- but somehow live to tell about it.  So the dwarf was not at all surprised that Al had located them, now Vish had to play his part and help the other man live to tell about it.

A little more difficult when he didn't know just what Al had found.  The sound that Al had just made did however remind Vish of the second worst surprise of his life, and it seemed to him that he could draw on that to deal with most situations, provided that the other side didn't have a mage.  Or a dragon, that was always true anyway so not worth worrying about.

Over the coms he snapped out "Al, be ready to run in a three!"  At nearly the same time he asked his spirit "I'm about to cast an illusion, please go inside it and then launch attacks at those facing off against Al" Vish was glad he'd had his spirit out long enough to have gotten familiar with Al's raggedy essence.

[Jack_Spade]

"The FUCK?" Kynos couldn't believe what he was hearing: "Steel, get your ass up here right now as well as your new girlfriend. I've seen last stands and I tell you there is no future in them."
He already regretted handing off his most priced possession - never mind the assurance of the Ares Captain. After all it seemed like the man would be geeked before the evening was done.

He hadn't ended the thought before he heard a noise he definitely didn't want to hear now: The distinctive whine of the electric motor of a multi barreled heavy MG shortly before the operator releases the clutch and starts to saturate the air with around 6000 bullets per minute.
"Down, now!"
Kynos hadn't hit the ground when already hell broke lose for a second time this evening. Tracer rounds showed how a beam of destruction moved from the corner of the next building towards their position, cutting the burning transporter nearly in half and perforating two of the Ares soldiers to slow to react.

'And I idiot gave my rifle away. Well there is nothing for it.' Kynos fished for his taser and began to robb towards the minigun.

[Mercy Merchant]

Steel laughs into his 'link as he beheads another fleshform, sending its head atop the increasingly growing pile of bodies.  >>Sorry, Al.  just a bit busy down here.  Must have missed that.  Team be ready.<<

Steel pointedly ignores Kynos.  After all, the man had to know he knows the risks.  Besides, he has the best chance of surviving what is surely about to come. 

He looks down at the large Ork woman in the lift with him.  She has been chopping into the horde as only a true professional can, conserving her declining ammo stock and making every shot count.  They lock eyes in a rare moment of quiet and she nods, selecting the trigger for the grenade launcher.  Both had known that they were not escaping the blast, not with the bugs charging at them like this.  They could not afford to let any get past them.  A quick smile later and Rose pulls the trigger, sending the HE grenade on a route to impact on the wall near the stream of gas.  The effect is extraordinarily violent, sending a wave of fire through the underground complex, shredding fleshform and trueform bug alike.  The wave of fire raced down the soaked corridors, using the actual material of the tunnel walls and floors to advantage as everything ignited in an expanding flow of fire, cleansing everything in its path.  The gooey mass that coats the tunnels proves especially susceptible to fire and fuels the inferno far beyond the initial expectations of the team.

Unfortunately, the fire also worked back towards those that had created it, and in the nature of fire, it really had no concept of friend or foe.  The cellar burst into flame just as easily as the lower tunnels and the conflagration found its way to the upper level of the club through the trap door in the office and the stairs.  And the freight lift.  Steel threw himself to the floor, wrapping his arms about the Ork and turning his back to the onrushing flame.  He covers the woman's body with his in an attempt to save her life from what was about to come, hoping that his near-virgin armor would protect both of them.

It did.  Sort of.  He had expected the fire to be horrific, but the reality far surpassed his imagination.  The wall of fire roared into the lift before shooting up through the opening above the pair on the floor.  Steel's mighty armor proves effective in preventing damage to the Troll and the Ork beneath him...............almost.  He feels the tremendous heat from the flames as it swirls about them then begins to eat at his armored and lined coat.  Then his clothes.  Then his skin.  Despite the protection he is providing Rose, he feels her squirm and knows that it is not working 100%.  He shift slightly to make a small correction in his coverage of the woman and knows he was successful even as the flames begin to eat at his protective outer layer of skin.  A part of his mind tells him that the rifle below him is now a massive threat as the ammo could cook off.  Swearing, he tells himself that he will replace the rifle if he makes it out of the lift and  he tosses it out of the lift to fall into the flames below.  If it explodes, the noise is lost in his own screams and then blessed unconsciousness.

[adamu]

Al's scarred hands went up - "Whoa there, mi unnaturally-sized amigo, reckon I'll jist do exactly what ya say and when ya say it," he said for the benefit of both his listeners.

And then a second, heavier minigun let loose behind him, the troll started to move, and Al forced himself to hold still until the dwarf gave the signal....

And then as the milliseconds crawled by and he waited for the troll to pull the trigger, the club behind him exploded in a massive flower of flame.