AN EYE FOR AN EYE - [modplot/log]

[letsgolegion]

Who| Closed to anyone who signed up
What| The mission against the Spectre
Where| Takron-Galtos, the prison planet.
When| During all the Brainiac shenanigans.
Warnings/Notes| Blood, gruesome death, torture, literal Old Testament stuff

The prison is on lockdown but half of the lockdown procedures aren't working, thanks to the Coluan technology threaded through the prison. Yet there's still some hope. Brainiac 5 himself had worked on some of the systems and some of his backup lockouts are keeping the system secure.

Barely.

Of course, that means that none of the prisoners can get out, none of them can escape it as it rampages through the prison. There's nowhere to go, no safe way of evacuating them, and how can someone escape that anyway? The literal wrath of God?

Upon arrival, Legion Liaison Officer Shvaughn Erin gets the Legionnaires all she can on the threat in the prison. What little video they had, where the Spectre is currently at, maps of the prison. Then she takes over rallying the prison guards to work on keeping the prisoners from escaping while the Legion works. The guards are panicking and need a cool head to get them back on track - and a prison break happening while the Legionnaires are fighting the Spectre is the last thing they need.

Comments

Sawtooth

[taumangaria]

A: Cleanup Crew of One

Amidst the chaos of an attempted jailbreak, it's something of an odd sight: a prisoner - disgruntled, yelling his head off, outlined in glowing blue and carrying a trident - walks calmly back to the first open cell and pulls the door mostly shut behind him. He then firmly whacks himself over the head with the trident and collapses into a heap, unconscious. The glow disappears, and the trident quickly transforms back into Sawtooth, who walks out of the cell, firmly shutting and locking the door behind him. It's slow going, true, but it's effective, and nobody seems to have cottoned on yet.

B: Small Fish, Big Pond

Sawtooth hadn't thought too much of it when he'd gotten separated from his fellow Legionnaires - it's a dangerous situation, but as long as he can get a hold on someone in his trident form, he should be okay.

That lasts for all of two minutes before a gang of prisoners who have decided that working together is going to get them a lot further than flying solo happen upon him and surround him. He has no time or space to transform, and while he's pretty sure he can take a few of them, all of them at once is going to be a problem, to say the least.

Um. Help?

C: Two Tanks and a Support (Closed to Shepard and Garrus)

Somehow, an enterprising group of inmates found the time, inspiration, and supplies to set up makeshift barricades down one of the high-security hallways. It would be impressive if it weren't such a pain in the tailpipe; it's also something Sawtooth can't handle on his own. Instead of trying, he's gone back to find help - he's familiar with Shepard, at least, and the other one - Garrus - looks to be one of her friends. Hopefully they have powers better suited to this situation.

"Any ideas?"

[thebioticwoman]

They also have guns. Neither's entirely pleased about loading stun rounds only, but judging by the G-rated trail of carnage of upended furniture and handcuffed former escapees in various states of consciousness, it hasn't held them back any.

Shepard has her knee in the middle of a final prisoner's back, cuffing him while he calls her all manner of unflattering names and she ignores it. She's been insulted by better, frankly.

"We can clean out a hallway, Sawtooth." Shepard's unconcerned. Now that the Spectre's back in its box, a regular old prison riot is downright normal. She and Garrus have extensive experience in taking fortified positions. Almost relaxing, really.

[calibrates_big_guns]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it's just like old times.

As Shepard cuffs the latest takedown, he presses himself up to the bulkhead that leads into the fortified hall, clocking the makeshift barricades for weak points.

"Barricades are shoddy, but they might be able to take a hit or two," Garrus informs Shepard, nonchalantly glancing back at her from over his shoulder. "The way I see it we can try to pick them off, punch through, or advance to each barricade and use their cover against them."

[taumangaria]

On one hand, the reassurance and the immediate discussion of tactics reassure Sawtooth that yes, he has absolutely found the right people for the job. On the other hand, his flight ring is down and his powers are very close-range, which leaves him feeling a little useless.

Or maybe he's just rattled from the fight - not with the Spectre, but with the lance. He hadn't expected it to get to him the way it had.

Either way, it takes him a moment to gather himself before speaking up. "How can I help?" Do they even know what he can do? He's honestly not sure at this point.

[thebioticwoman]

"Do you feel comfortable having one of us carry you in your other form?" Shepard reads personnel files because of course she does, and she's proud of herself for keeping a straight face while asking a question that's out there even by her standards. "If not, this looks straightforward enough that you can borrow my pistol and we'll treat it as a small unit tactics exercise."

It would be easier and faster if the two professional soldiers just stormed the hallway themselves, but some command instinct stops her from pushing Sawtooth to the side. For all that he's some kind of immensely sophisticated immortal robot, he feels like a new recruit, and you don't build unit cohesion by treating some of your team like burdens. She and Garrus are good enough to pick up the slack, anyway.

Speaking of Garrus, it hasn't even occurred to her that he won't back her inefficient call on this one.

[calibrates_big_guns]

It hasn't occurred to him either, honestly. He's seen her pull off enough miracles that he'll trust any calls she makes without hesitation.

The idea of carrying someone who seems to be moving around just fine on their own is a little strange, mind you, but he's willing to roll with it.

"Other form?"

Someone hasn't sat down and read the personnel files ...

[taumangaria]

He's not a good enough shot to be useful on his own in this situation, and he makes a mental note to take some lessons in marksmanship once they get out of this (because they are getting out of this. He refuses to consider any alternative).

"I am, yes." He transforms, and a moment later there's a blue trident where Sawtooth used to be, balanced perfectly on its point. He has no motion in weapon form with his flight ring nonfunctional, but his balance is perfect. "If either of you has a power that's helpful in this situation, I can boost it." Only to a certain point at the moment, but it's better than nothing.

[thebioticwoman]

"A biotic boost never hurt," says Shepard, as though she's never walked face-first into a cloud of biotics-enhancing but lethally toxic red sand while raiding a drug ring. She's touched a whole lot of things she really shouldn't have and none of them were as mild-mannered as Sawtooth, so Shepard doesn't hesitate to take hold of the talking trident.

"...Huh." That sure feels like...something. "Uh, is it bad manners to hit people with you?" Better to ask now than have to apologize later.

[taumangaria]

"Of course not." This is literally what he was made for; there's no reason not to use him to his fullest extent, though it is a nice change to be asked for once. "But the power boost requires physical contact, so you'll lose it if you throw me."

Speaking of which...well, he hasn't actually synced with anyone since he arrived on Legion World, but there's no better time to start. "Do you trust me?"

[thebioticwoman]

Shepard hesitates a moment, not because she has to think about her answer, but because she's thinking about the question. No one, including her, has ever asked that before doing something normal and un-alarming.

Eh. What about the last few days hasn't been alarming? She trusts her own judgment, which is telling her Sawtooth is okay.

"Yes, but warn me if it's gonna hurt."

[taumangaria]

Wait what. That is not a normal response to that question, at least in Sawtooth's experience.

"It shouldn't?" It's not terribly reassuring, but given that he's never done this with anyone who isn't Cybertronian, he can't be sure. It's pretty accurate for being the first thing out of his mouth.

Um. Might as well give it a try.

"It's- I can provide a power boost. Will you accept it?"

[thebioticwoman]

"Go for it." No hesitation there.

She does brace herself. Pain represents no real deterrent for her, and since Sawtooth's not sure his...whatever it is won't hurt, better prepared than doubled over on the floor.

[taumangaria]

Okay then. It's odd that she trusts him as quickly as she does, but Sawtooth isn't about to examine that too deeply, and he trusts her just the same, more than enough for this to work.

Hopefully.

He reaches for the bond between them that sparked at the first physical contact and leans into it. A blue glow suffuses him and surges over Shepard, bringing with it speed and strength and all the power he can provide, which is a considerable amount despite his size. There is absolutely nothing subtle about this, but subtlety isn't the point.

He's ready when she is.

[thebioticwoman]

No one's ever accused Shepard of being subtle.

"Whoa." She looks down at herself, the blue glow reminiscent of her normal biotics, but it sure feels different. "That's a hell of a talent you've got."

[calibrates_big_guns]

"Alright then," Garrus says, drawing out the first syllable of 'alright' as though he's not quite sure what to make of all of this.

"I guess you take point and I'll cover?"

[taumangaria]

Praise for his function is about the last thing Sawtooth ever expects to hear, so it comes as a nice surprise. "Thank you." He certainly doesn't feel useless anymore, that's for sure. "Now let's go clear a hallway."

[thebioticwoman]

"This is gonna be a lot easier than I thought." If that sounds a little predatory, well...deeply ethical and cool under pressure though she is, Shepard would not have gotten as far as she has if she didn't enjoy a little mayhem. Or a lot of mayhem.

She gestures for Garrus to take cover against the bulkhead...then rips the first barricade away with a surge of biotics, the ease of it taking her aback. It's one thing to be told you're getting a power boost. It's another to hurl a few hundred kilos of assorted junk like sweeping a table clear.

"...Sprock," says a man in a prison jumpsuit who now has no cover.

"If you stand down now, it'll hurt less," says Shepard.

[calibrates_big_guns]

Shepard's not the only one caught off guard by that. Garrus looks from Shepard, to the spot where the barricade used to be, to Sawtooth, and then back to Shepard.

Then, he actually laughs - the giddy laugh of someone who is anticipating something amazing.

"As much as I want to see this, you should really take that advice."

[thebioticwoman]

The man raises his hands and drops to his knees, wearing the shocked expression Shepard's gotten used to seeing over the years. Usually she has to smash through several lines of defense like a krogan through a daycare to get it, but glowing blue and holding a trident while you toss around furniture with your mind is good for improving your intimidation attempts, apparently. Note to self.

She catches the movement out of the corner of her eye. Something that small flying through the air is always, always bad, and she reflexively throws up a barrier around herself and her kneeling captive.

"Grenade!"

[calibrates_big_guns]

A shimmering dome of blue energy appears, enveloping the makeshift grenade and whipping it into the no man's land in the middle of the hall. It detonates inside the construct with a dull thud - the bubble cracks, but doesn't break.

Glad to know he can actually stop something with it, because between intangible sociopaths and would-be gods that's been hit or miss.

Garrus pokes out from cover, a blue marble forming in the palm of his hand. It zips down the hallway - a low velocity, less-than-lethal projectile - towards the criminal who had lobbed the grenade.

"I've got your back. Take 'em!"

[thebioticwoman]

"Where the hell did you get grenades?" The prisoner is no longer kneeling, because Shepard has him by the collar, partly for intimidation, but mostly for more efficient dragging as she muscles him around the corner and into cover. His buddies don't seem to care about collateral.

It only takes the man a moment to weigh the odds between potential retaliation and immediate terror. "Not grenades. S'a power."

Great. That means they're not going to run out.

"Your cooperation is appreciated." Only Shepard could say that right now and mean it...but it doesn't stop her from shooting him with a stun round from her pistol, and his expression of confusion at her apparent sincerity melts into blank unconsciousness.

She pops her head around the corner again as her personal barrier springs into existence around her, the shimmering biotics combining with Sawtooth's blue light to the point where the glow is enough to read by.

Then, grinning, she charges.

Unless there's a Daxamite hiding back there, this is going to be quick.

Re: Sawtooth

[rushing_by]

A scarlet blur descends on the gang. Several of the prisoners get a reminder of what it's like to be punched in the face, before the blur resolves itself into the form of the Flash.

"So, I have an idea. Call me crazy, but maybe you could not immediately revert to the behavior that got you tossed in here in the first place at the first sign of freedom. Just a suggestion."

[taumangaria]

Sawtooth uses the reprieve to get his wits about him, then turns in a short circle, sweeping the legs out from under one of the prisoners and punching him in the jaw on the way down. He may not be the strongest fighter in terms of hand to hand, but a metal fist is still going to win against a fleshy jaw, and the prisoner goes down hard.

"I think you might be wasting your words."