Issue 1 Downtime

((For the Basement Assault Team take the other thread which doesn't exist yet but will soonish))


With Paladin and the rest of the team waiting in an alley Nailah flies up to the roof of a building from where she can see the front of the General's 'Hotel'. Closing her eyes she begins murmuring in Egyptian, slowly going through movements that almost look like a dance but are too slow and have too many pauses as she gathers up energy around herself. Her chanting grows louder and eventually she spreads her arms towards the sky and calls out loudly. "A'nen ii hab'deshret!"

At first nothing happens but then the wind begins to pick up, blowing towards the hotel, bringing with it a dry and foreign smell. And then a wand of sand rushes down through the urban canyon of the streets, enveloping everything in it's path before slamming into the hotel, creating an almost impenetrable cover. Gliding down from the rooftop Nailah join the rest of the group still huddled in the safety of the alley for now. "Time to go! Remember, go straight ahead, keep your back to the wind!" she shouts over the blowing sandstorm before running out of the storm and towards the hotel.

Nick joined the charge, armed with an assault rifle.

Will was not armed.

His eyes shot daggers.

Figuratively, that is.

"Heather, would you be a dear and knock for us?" Rob asks.

"Of course."

In the sky, a tiny red light twinkles.

bear looked up, and then covered her ears.

And that's when the orbiting satellite open fired in a intense beam of red light.

"Well, that's one less job for me." Ronnie said with gritted teeth, trying not to get sand in her mouth. Her mask protected her eyes at least.

"Honestly, why did they build a portal when they could have built one of those?" Croyden asked over the storm, uncollared for the battle. That's not to say Paladin didn't have a way to ensure Croyden behaved. He also did not get a gun.

"Man, the super-geniuses get all the cool toys," Daniel muttered as they charged in, hotknives ready to throw.

"I know what you mean....I feel suddenly inadequate..." Melody smirked, standing next to Daniel, the bomb in her hand fizzling out of existence, no longer needed for the moment.

"Nah, never feel that way, Freckles," Daniel joked, smirking as the air around them grew warmer as he got ready to charge in airborn.

"I'm never going to live that down," she smirked at Daniel, "I may just have to beat it out of you when we get back home."

The orbital cannon rips into the building, brick and glass disintegrating.

And with the front of the Hotel missing (though sections of it slowly begin 'growing' together again) the way into the lobby is wide open and Nailah takes the chance of the guards struggling to see against the sand blowing straight at them to rush at them. A moment later 2 guards are lieing on the ground, unmoving.

Will rushed in afterwards, arms turning into blades, looking for someone to hit.

Nick followed suit, flinging newly-formed debris at some soldiers. The rifle would stay on his back until he needed it.

Melody created two new bombs and squinted against the sandstorm, looking for targets to blast.

"Freckles...?"

Bear launched her grapple, swinging into the hotel.

"Long story, Ronnie! Later!" she said flinging a flashbang atone of the guards starting to stir, and flashing a half serious glare at Daniel.

Daniel smirked, throwing a couple hotknives past his leading teammates, figuring that he couldn't hit anything that would be BAD to destroy.

Nick's debris slams into two guards trying to make their way down the stairs and they go tumbling down.

Another one that has already made it down gets struck by Daniel's knives, his gun clattering to the ground in several pieces along with what must be part of his fingers.

The one blinded by Melody comes to the wise decision that it'd be better to stay down.


As everyone makes their way into the lobby a massive blast of wind from up on the wide stairs suddenly dissipates the sandstorm and potentially knocking anyone caught unaware down. With things clearing up Cyclone comes into view at the top of the stairs.

Croyden did not hesitate to greet Cyclone with a precise telekinetic assault.

Melody staggered slightly at the sudden wind, and flung a bomb towards the new assailant with a grunt of effort.

"Come on!" Captain Britain called as she plowed into some soldiers. "Everybody in before the gap closes!"

Paladin had been doing what Paladin does best as the team made there way into the hotel though he was certainly making more use of conventional firearms rather than his mutant powers. The sudden burst of wind had sent him sliding backwards leaving deep furrows cut into the floor.

He hoped that the body armor and weapons he'd given the team access to would keep them alive long enough to make it to the portal.

Something Nailah hadn't taken advantage of. Not that she seemed to be needing it, dodging and weaving between shots fired by the remaining soldiers as she closes in on one, even with the blast of wind pushing her aside. Grabbing and twisting his weapon upwards she smashes the faceplate of his armor in before her fingers close around his neck. Blood begins to spill and after a moment the soldier goes slack and she tosses him away.

When the burst of wind hit Gideon was just happy he'd been behind cover having just taken the previous occupant out of action at knife point.

At least they aren't robots...

Nick was blown back briefly before he shielded himself from the blast of wind. Afterwards, he dropped the shield and went back to bashing soldiers with flying stuff.

Wow Will thought, as Nailah cut her way through people. Glad I've only been here for a day or two


Will tried to dart through the mess of combat, to see what lay ahead--front-line cannon fodder.

Daniel pushed forward too, but instead of trying to slip thorugh, he chose to cut through. The blades of fire extended from his fingers like claws as he flew forward, letting them slash through the enemies he came across.

Bear secured herself to a wall to avoid the high velocity winds, and began to rain heavy steel balls down upon the soldiers below.

Suddenly, each foot soldier appeared to receive a communication in their helmet. They immediately disengaged, and began to flow out of the area as the giant hole completely reformed itself, trapping the heroes within the confines of the hotel.

"That can't be good..." Nick said, looking around.

Bear would feel an oddly familiar mind, pushing at her mental defenses.

Bear dropped a ball, her hand going to her temple.

"Mental attack.. Mental attack!" she shouted.

"Why is no one ever prepared? We only end up fighting telepaths every other week or so," Rob grumbles, reaching for something in his belt.

"Heartbreaker, stand down."

The crackely message was projected into the mind of everyone present.

A thin jet of fire struck the ground, having just missed Bear's head. "Oh, we've got a bright one here!" Nephilim growled as he swooped past, taking advantage of the general destruction to fire at the group from the air.

Heartbreaker didn't reply except to increase the pressure she put on Bear, the task made much harder by the device Rob had activated.

Bear lost her balance, falling to the ground.