Turn 6: Hotter the Fire

[Corporal Hicks]

"Roberts, move your squad out. We need to get the hell away from this door and support the others. I think the damn queen or something else big is in there."

A chill ran down Eric's spine as he realized Dirk might be right. "Scouts! Pull back! Fighting retreat to ground level, keep an eye out for contacts!" he shouted. He followed his two men and Dirk as they ran for the stairs. He kept his eyes open for xenos, and his finger on the trigger. He regulated his breathing to stay calm, like he had been taught in therapy.

<Tag Creed/Duncan>
(Roll Awareness/ Gun Combat if applicable)

[Whisky]

Colson's weapons fire had hit something, something pissed off. As the flare fell time seemed to slow, illimunating everything. Every single, god, damn, xeno down there. Hell itself would have been a more welcome show. Has the flare hit the floor time came rushing back with a roar in his ears.

"HELL CRICKETS!" Colson shouted. "And more than I care to sit here and count."

Colson targeted the closest, took aim and fired. Keeping bursts to keep the fire on target. Wishing he hadn't been ordered to leave the pulserifle and it's AP rounds back at base.

"Sarge, Now's a good a time as any to use that 'nade your groping!!"

<Tag Morse
<Aim 1
<Fire Burst x 2 Closest Xeno
<<Move out the way if/when Morse throws a nade

[Morse]

To say that there was a surprised look on Morse's face would be an overwhelming understatement. To say that he appeared fearful would do an equal injustice. But to describe his face as when of absolute dread and horror to see the immense numbers of Xenomorphs climbing up the walls from the stairs below on their way up to his squad would be far more accurate.

As always he wanted to say something, but he couldn't. He could never imagine how the things always seemed to do this. Suddenly amass on a single location and get within feet of you without you ever even knowing. It was horrifying beyond measure and he hadn't the slightest clue what to do about it.

But if there was one thing Morse never did it was hesitate. Not to commence an assault or shred through anything he saw. "Grah Fuck!" He roared as a first response.

Hearing Colson quickly jabber about Morse's grenade, Morse had a agitated panicked response. "No Shit!?" Morse yelled throwing the grenade down the hole. "Fire out! Back up! Back! Back! Back!" Morse ordered, not just to avoid the blast, but also to avoid the Xenomorphs that would likely be choking the hallway any second.

< Tag Colson and Dead Shots

Morse fired a single burst from his Smartgun at the Xenomorphs after this, and he noticed the fire coming from above them as he did, realizing that some of the others were coming down the stairs. Morse was not sure precisely where the grenade would detonate but he had very little time. As he began backing up to prepare for the assault Morse got on the all channel.

"Grenades out stairs! Brace fer noise!" Morse called, though he was just using an abbreviated way of saying fire and explosion when he utilized the word 'noise'

< Tag All

Morse then placed his fingers back on the M56 Smartgun triggers, peered through his targetting eyepiece, andprepared to shred anything that he saw coming out of the hole.

<Roll Grenade
<Roll Single Burst
<Roll Remaining bursts at any Xeno's making it out of the hole

[eyeball]

"HELL CRICKETS! "And more than I care to sit here and count."

"Grenades out stairs! Brace fer noise!"

eyeball had his helmet on it would help protect his ears, he opened his mouth slightly to help with the pressure change coming from the blast of the grenade.

Colsen was backpedaling away from the stairs firing as he went, eyeball was suddenly very glad he had seen Morse ignore the order to leave primary weapons behind and kept his pulse rifle. as the hideous shapes came into view eyeball poured rounds into them, he needed to stay in his position he was very aware that he was securing the exit out of this building if these creatures got passed him they would have everyone trapped inside, now he was worried that something could come up behind him while his attention was focus on the oncoming mass and not the exit door behind him, but morse and wilks would be able to cover him if anything actually came through the door, just from their angle they might not see it until it was right on top of him.

<roll attack, rapid burst fire pulse rifle>
<tag colsen>
<tag Morse>

[MarcusOTerra]

((Sorry for the lacking, going to try and respond as best I can, might be missing something.))

From the top of the stairs, Sal had a view of the scout team pull back from the barricaded door. "Ah, dammit," Was his general reaction to the noise coming from behind the door. As they scouts started toward the stairs he found himself speaking.

"I've got your six, go!" His flamer pointed past the scouts at the dark hall.

As the last of the scouts moved past, Sal followed down, eyes open for whatever was drying the fire of the rest of the marines.

"The hell is going on?" Sal muttered, trying to make sense of what was going over the comms.

<rolls awareness: make sense of the comm chatter>
<Roll awareness: Cover the rear.>

[Quinn]

Quinn had held back with Sam's squad, his attention being paid to coordinating the platoon. Thankfully, either through luck or competence, not much was required on his part. When the tracker sang out, his people did their jobs. Pleased with this, he stayed silent. But when it sang out again, he had a choice to make.

Either continue on mission or abort. It really was as simple as that, with either option presenting their own problems. And as the commander of a field unit, the call was his. So he made it.

"Sergeant, it can't be the Queen. Too heavy to make it up the stairs and she'd never leave the hive unless she had to. Likely something else. Have someone seal the door and continue on mission. Send Giosso and one other to the computer, everyone else reinforce against the enemy!"

[maxvale76]

Samantha held back with Boothe and was more than ready to use her Flamethrower to create a wall of flame between the retreating marines and any Xenos if needed. Hearing Quinn's order about Giosso falling back to the computer; she directed the silent Louis to serve as his protector.

"No stopping for anything; don't be heroes; don't think; and most of all; don't stop. Watch your assess and stay frosty!"; she said to the two of them before moving with Boothe to back up Morse's squad; exchanging quick glances with her new squad-mate and pleased that he hadn't shown the slightest sign of falling apart in a bad situation...at least so far...

<Tag Giosoo and Louis>

[Pale Rider]

Silence suddenly reigns supreme after the explosion of the grenade. The silence is suddenly shattered by a sound that can best be described as a bull elephant trumpet that has been mixed with a steam whistle. A quick glance through the first floor doorway reveals a massive number of xenos charging with the T-rex size queen leading the charge. Best quess is the Marines have 8 minutes to get set for the onslaught.

Another teakettle screech answers the larger roar! The xenos below suddenly boil out of the lower stairs skirting the Deadshots as the race up the stairwell to the top floor. As if driven to reach whatever was behind the locked door.

<Action>

OOC: 24 HOURS EQUALS 2 MINUTES. IF NOT ENOUGH TIME PM ME!

[Morse]

As the Xenomorphs poured upward the hole, Morse added to the song of dozens of rounds pelting into them every few seconds. In his mind it was just a hole, but really it was a stairwell that led someone where dark and terrible such that these evil creatures were being spawned from them. It was a terrifying sight to behold, but there was only one thing to do. Shoot all of them as they appeared.

It was odd to Morse though that they seemed to be ignoring his squad. They were just climbing straight upward, fielding the rounds that hit them in their sides, and if they did not fall, the climb just continued. In an odd way Morse felt like they suddenly had the upper hand on the creatures in a way they never really had before. They had them caught in a nice field of fire and there was no way for them to get out of it. And he let himself believe for just a moment that they were winning.

”Keep fire on. Aint no lettin’ up on these fuckers.” Morse ordered to his squad, just as he suddenly heard the mighty roar that came from behind them. It was something he was vaguely familiar with, but not in a good way. It was something horrible that he recalled and did not know exactly what it was.

For a moment he turned around to check the door behind him, and what he saw was terrible. He adjusted the magnification on the M56 Smartgun to see an army of Xenomorphs, being led by one of the largest ones he’d ever seen charging their way.

”Oh Fuck!” He yelled seeing them. He turned to see his squad still firing, then back outside, then back to his squad, then back outside all within a single second. But he knew that this was the time they needed to get out. The compound was extremely close quarters and they barely beat the last swarm when they were out in the open.

”Quinn! Quinn! We got a massive fuckin’ army commin’ right here! I mean fuckin’ huge, with a Queen up front! We gotta bail the fuck out, cus I think we got five minutes ‘fore there all over us!” Morse called out aggravated and panicked since he didn’t have a clue as to how they were getting out. He knew the M56 Smartgun had the range to start fighting them, but he did not think he could handle it all himself.

< Tag Quinn

Morse then was not sure if Sam’s Smartgunner had actually brought his Smartgun since Quinn ordered more unconventional weapons for that mission. ”Sam! Send yer gunner down! We gotta slow up these fuckers that are screamin’ in!” Morse asked, knowing that the Smartgun was the only weapon that likely had the range to handle and power to do anything about them efficiently.

<Tag Sam

But before any response would come, he continued to assist his squad in firing on the Xenomorphs coming from below.

< Roll Smartgun

[Whisky]

As the grenade blew it rattled his teeth and for a moment in the silence that followed he dared think "Is that it? One grenade did them in?" Another shriek cut through the scilence, this time from what sounded like outside.

"AH WHAT THE HELL NOW?!" He dared not turn around, not while there were could be something in front of him, others had the way behind him covered anyway. Then with a building hiss the xeno's came pouring out the hole once again. Colson's eyes went wide, it was hard to see one bug against the next, it was a swarm. For a brief moment terror threaten to overwhelm him as he struggled to comprehend what he saw.

”Keep fire on. Aint no lettin’ up on these fuckers.” Morse ordered to his squad,

Training came to play as he responded without thinking. Bringing his gun back up he continued to fire on the xeno's. But they ignored him and his squad and rushed headlong upstairs. Morse suddenly stopped firing, why'd he stop firing!?

”Oh Fuck!” He yelled seeing them.

What the hell is happening?! Colson was asking himself instead he shouted, "Morse!? Talk to me damn it, why the hell are you not shooting? I can't kill this lot off with this FUCKING PEASHOOTER!" with an edge of panic starting to creep into his voice.

<Tag Morse
<Roll guncombat -aimed bursts

[Corporal Hicks]

Panic shook through Eric's body, and he felt freezing bursts shooting up his limbs to his neck. He shivered then spoke urgently into the comm. "We need to get the APC gun up and running! I'll take the buggy over to it. My scouts will come with me unless someone else can drive the APC better."
<Tag Anyone>

Roberts continued down the stairs, keeping an eye out for xenos. As soon as he got to the ground floor he would sprint out the main doors and get in the buggy.

(Roll Awareness/Gun Combat if applicable)

[eyeball]

Eyeball stood next to morse and continued to fire into the mass of creatures that were rushing from the lower floors up to the top floors.
Morses smart gun was shredding them added to that his own pulse rifle and the spray from Colsen shotgun they were ripping them apart, but had they got them all? Combat was always confusing but this was near madness, the confines of the room the screams of the creatures and the blast of gun fire made an almost deafening carcouphoney of sound.

Morse stopped firing eyeball clearly saw the suppression of the creatures stop they surged forwards and up the stairs Colsen called out before he could begging for more fire support from the squad leader.
Eyeball risked a sideways glance at Morse and saw him looking back out the door behind him, at that moment all the hairs on his neck stood up and that cold chill ran across his skin, Morses first words were no comfort

oh fuck

.

Time had slowed down what had felt like minuets since Morse had stopped shooting was really only seconds his smart gun returned to the killing at hand, spraying the black wave of claws and teeth as it tried to surge up the stairs.

Morse called out for the other smart gunner to come down and assist slowing what ever was outside behind them. Eyeball quickly spoke up " Morse I think some May have got past and up the stairs tell him to assume unfriendly as he descends "

Another roar came from outside and Eyeballs flight or fight primal response made its presence known, that noise cut right through to the bone, thank god for marine corp drill instructors,eyeballs defaulted to the trained response, focus on the job at hand, support the squad, kill what had to be killed now, deal with the next scary shit next!

<tag Morse>
<roll firing>
<reload as needed>

[Dirk Pitt]

After the grenade Dirk saw the things coming out of the first floor lower stairs. Fort a split second he thought that they were all dead. That it was hopeless. But that feeling gave way to the rage that came with any of the supposedly unwindable situations that they had all been through. There was a way to live through this and he would find it.

Damn, he thought. They were cut off and rapidly losing avenues of escape. A quick glance at Roberts and he knew what the man was thinking.

"Hold fast. We're cut off from the exit and I don't wast to throw you or your scouts away. On me, and fast." He shouted to his old friend.
<Tag Roberts>

Moving back up the stairs he came to the door that he had deemed to dangerous to open before. Now things were different. What was coming had to be worse than whatever was behind the door.

"Lets go Marines! We are falling back and breaching the room. I'll go in first. Roberts, you and your scouts on my ass and kill whatever comes at us. Morse, your squad needs to cover our withdraw. I want a wall of fire between our withdraw and those things. Sam, Get the doc and the LT up here ASAP. We are leaving Marines. Move out."
<Tag Mose, Sam and Roberts>

Dirk raced to the door and got his M41A ready. Opening the door he said a small prayer and went in, hopefully followed by the rest of the Marines.

(Roll awareness)

[MarcusOTerra]

The screeches were signals. They were a mother calling to her kin. Whales had songs but bugs spoke in shrieks of binary that no human ear would ever understand. That's what Booth remembered from a documentary about certain breeds of ants and other 'hive' insects discovered on some worlds.

Nothing like this, though. When he heard the noise on the stairs though, he turned and saw that a mass of angry bugs, looking for a way up.

"BUGS RISING!" he roared and brought his flamer up, and realized that much of the space the flames would consume was currently being occupied by the Marines. Bad plan.

How did they know they had been here? How had they gotten here so quickly, RIGHT at this point. DId the bombing do more harm than good. They'd made themselves known right when... they had opened the door.

"Lieutenant. Anyone!" Sal shouted into the mic, "They showed up when we popped that door. What's in there is what they want!"

In all the Chaos it was hard to tell who was going for the door and who was holding back the swarm. "Boss," He looked to Sam, "I'm going for that door." He growled. He thought he saw someone at the door, as he ran up to it.

<Moving for the top floor barricaded door>

[maxvale76]

A million thoughts raced thru Samantha's mind as the pure confusion and chaos of combat crashed over her. A half-dozen different situations and orders and observations came flying at her in mere seconds. One thing was clear; there was no way Giosso and Louis were going to any computer terminal....

"Giosso and Louis; when you get to the bottom of the steps; consider yourselves part of Morse's squad and hold those bugs back any way you can. Mark; if you can get in contact with anyone out there for some kind of support; ground, air, space; whatever; try it!"; she told her smartgunner and Commstech. "Morse; my smartgunner and commtech are on their way to you; please try not to shoot them!"; she said over the platton frequency; not really joking considering Morse's tendencies.

<Tag Giosso and Louis and Morse>

"Boothe; let Dirk and everyone else go first; we've got the flamers to put a wall of flame between the bugs and us!"' she said in response to Dirk's orders and Sal's comments.

<Tag Booth and Pitt>

Flicking the comms off for a second; she readier her flamer and shot a look at the tall medic and said; "Whatever happens; keep moving and roasting"; she said.

If Quinn and the rest of the marines move past towards the room; she will backpedal after them; keeping her flamer ready to go....

<Tag Boothe>