(no subject)

[straykitty]

Who: Renne, Donnie, Yuki and Aira
What: Routine raid turns cleansing cult installation and salting the earth
Where: A hidden research facility on Larendt
When: Mid-February in between normal Corsair operations
Warnings: Violence, potential mention of human experimentation

With the Isles Above on lockdown, finding a target had been difficult. However, with Renne's network, nothing was impossible, especially when one knew how to access Society archives and knew certain doting n'er do wells would probably look the other way if they saw it was her. The facility she found was a small research installation nestled in the forests of Larendt. They should have ample Ether stones for their purposes, but also shouldn't have been too hard to knock over.

After assembling a crew, she booked a Corsair ship out to the fallen isle of Larendt. The facility was fairly easy to find, as usual the Imperials never really thought to conceal their labs, even if they were within the Corsair's operating zone. The door was reinforced steel, but that wasn't a particularly large issue. Withdrawing her ENC, Renne, gave her team one final look. "Are you all ready?"

Comments

[testygirl]

Aira does think that there is some evil beyond redemption. And since she believes Renne—it's hard not to, with all her intense conviction—then Aira has no interest in sticking her neck out for any of the creeps who work here. Protecting them was never her biggest concern, anyway. Mostly she didn't want Renne to completely lose herself, or for the two others to get caught up in her rampage.

In any case, she's extremely grateful for her teammates, and for Donnie's voice in particular. Who knows if she'd have been able to talk Renne down on her own.

"Yeah." Her own tone has darkened, and she shoots the huddled up workers a disgusted look. "I don't care if you do burn them alive, but it would be safer to deal with them some other way. If there's a chance we can save even one kid, then that's what we have to prioritize. No way am I budging on that."

[nyammy]

"Gnosis, is it...?" She ponders the implications for a moment. "It's not dissimilar to what the enemies in my own world use. Unfortunately, I don't think I can dispel its effects on my own."

Glance to Renne. "Best to make sure they can no longer use it, then."

Which is to say: She approves of your plan. She doesn't comment on the saving of the children; she figures that much is just obvious.

[straykitty]

"Very well. I shall extinguish this and we can set to work."

Which she... kind of does. Taking the ball of flame, she launches it directly at the gathered prisoners, who start screaming in pain as they begin burning. One of the researchers yells "you won't get away with this, failure!" in between pained screams, but the fire is at least contained to the prisoners.

"Now then, shall we go? Or would you prefer I finish these ones off first before we move on?"

Her demeanor is deceptively calm. It could best be described as extremely dangerous.

[purplexing]

That....is not exactly what Donnie had in mind. He chokes off any shout in protest as the flames hit, quickly turning away his eyes, not that the screaming is doing anything for his imagination. But if they can still yell such things...

He clutches his staff tightly, giving a curt shake of his head as he tries to mentally block out the tortured cries. Maybe...maybe they do deserve it.

"After you," he says quietly, stoppering up his unease as best he can. He does pause, glancing at the discarded weapons before stooping down to pick up one of the guns, tucking it into his belt. A 'just in case.'

[testygirl]

Accompanying those awful screams is a fresh, sickening wave of doubt: did she just do the right thing? What would Momo or Takakura have done? She doesn't want to think too hard about that, even though she almost certainly knows the answer. Maybe—probably—she was lying to the group about not caring, and lying to herself. Or maybe she was just scared of what could have happened if she tried to stop Renne by force. And no doubt some part of her was hoping that Renne would hold back after all, and at least execute them in some less cruel way, despite everything.

It's a lot. Her head hurts, her chest hurts, and there's something like the taste of lead in her mouth. The smell in the room almost makes her throw up again, and she needs to get out.

"Do what you want."

Heading for the door, she ends up brushing past Renne rather brusquely. Then she mutters "I'm sorry" to Donnie while passing him. It's a worthless apology, but the words still slip out.

[nyammy]

Humans with bleeding hearts will be the end of her, Nyammy swears.

Not that she hadn't felt bad for a bit there. But hearing of their evil deeds had done a lot to curb that.

"Let's get to it, then." The magical girl walks out with the rest of the group, ready - perhaps more ready than some of them - to finish business here. Rescue some children. Stop some evil.

[straykitty]

Watching the others reaction, Renne sighs a bit. She should have done more to protect them from this. She shouldn't have lost her composure. Well, what's done is done. As the team exits, she slashes one final time with her scythe, bringing the agonized screams of the burning researchers to a sudden end before following the group.

"If this is a cult facility, I know what the other doors are," she says matter-of-factly as she catches up with the team, striding purposefully as she leads them to the door that was on the right.

"If any survive, the children are in here. I will enter alone. I don't believe you all want to see this."

[OOC/CW: Folks are free to come in or not - if you do it'll get a bit more graphic in terms of the state of the kids in there so fair warning before we proceed. If she goes alone I'll gloss over it]

[purplexing]

The turtlekin glances at Aira. Maybe they're useless words, but they're still something he latches onto, some odd reassurance that maybe he's not in the wrong for having such conflicting thoughts on the matter. His shoulders hike up sharply at the sudden silence that falls behind them once they've exited, not making him feel much different from when they researchers had been screaming in pain. He wants to be sick, and he wonders how their simple mission had turned so dark, so quickly.

He takes up the rear as they follow Renne's lead, up until they stop at the next door. The warning isn't something he brushes over, not after what just happened. It takes some effort to swallow down the knot of anxiety that feels like it's only tightened in the back of his throat. Donnie's hesitation is evident, torn between wanting to help, wanting to do what's ...right? and the dread of what all could possibly lie beyond. Would he be a coward for staying behind? He feels some desperate need for some kind of mental self-preservation, especially when he knows those edges have been fraying.

It might not have been all that long for his mental deliberation, but to him it seems like far longer. Donnie squeezes his eyes shut for a moment before he slowly lifts his head to look at the others.

"...I'll hang back. And handle things if anyone else comes this way."

He can do that much, at least.

[nyammy]

"I'll be coming with you. We don't know if any threats are inside, and we don't want them taking children as hostages."

Yuki - Nyammy - says this as matter-of-factly as possible. She can deal with threats. And protecting children might be more in her usual line of work than this has been so far.

At the same time.... well. If things are that bad inside, she feels it's almost her duty to see for herself. She's always been the one on her team to shield the meeker members, not one to be shielded.

[testygirl]

If Donnie is receptive to the apology, then it wasn't completely useless. 'Inadequate' was probably the better word to describe it. As for his decision to hang back, that's not a bad call, and she gives him a supportive pat on the shoulder.

For her part? Aira is quite upset with Renne, and herself, and this messed up world, but she can't just let herself shut down. There's more to do, and with another steadying breath, she's ready to see it through.

"That's right. So I'm coming, too. And don't try to stop me." She folds her arms, wearing a rather grim—but determined—expression.

This tag is for those who came inside CW: Child abuse and death

[straykitty]

"Very well." Renne said. "Prepare yourself. You will not like what we see."

After ensuring Donnie was faced away and guarding the path, Renne tried the door. Upon finding it locked, she poured Ether into her Scythe for a moment before bringing it down hard on the lock, punching it out and allowing access to the room.

The scent inside was overwhelming. On the ground were the bodies of about 20 children, several in stages of highly advanced decay. The room itself was absolutely filthy, full of waste and things unrecognizable. On every body there were precise, calculated cuts all over. As they entered, a faint cry rang out. One of the children on the ground was sobbing softly, and two others seemed to stir weakly, all three of them horrifically wounded and malnourished. The other bodies lie still, there is no sense of life to them.

[testygirl]

It's absolutely horrific—that goes without saying. At the sight, all of Aira's own hangups and feelings of self-pity instantly evaporate. Approaching the sobbing child, she manages a soft smile while holding back her tears with an iron will. The corner of her eyes ache from the effort. She crouches next to the boy and speaks tenderly.

"Hey. We're going to get you out of here, okay? You've been so super strong and brave." She offers her hand. "We're gonna go on a really cool flying ship and take you guys somewhere a lot nicer. So everything is going to be alright, I promise."

[nyammy]

Nyammy is in full mama-cat mode at this point. Seeing Aira comforting the crying child, she'll be heading over to the other two, checking their condition. Still alive. That was... that was good.

She tried gently to rouse them, all while casting her senses about, trying to make sure she wasn't missing any other children. She... didn't think she was. Everything else left here weren't children any longer, only corpses.

[straykitty]

The child is tiny, he manages to make some noises of affirmation but doesn't speak, his dull eyes showing the slightest spark of hope as he turns to look at Aira.

The other two children weakly begin moving as Nyammy rouses them, their movements slow and weak due to their advanced state.

Renne steps forward. "They're likely severely malnourished. Let's give them a bit of water, slowly. We can't give them too much or their body might reject it. We'll signal ahead so food can be prepared, the Corsairs are equipped to deal with this condition."

Removing a water skin from her belt, she slowly gives it to one of the children on the ground, who suddenly clings to her neck as tightly as her arms will allow. She looks at the child with a pensive expression before passing the skin over to Nyammy to do the same. The child by Aira seems to be doing a bit better, but he watches the water skin hungrily nonetheless.

[testygirl]

"Right..."

Aira has no idea what she's going to say Renne when this is all over, but it's a damn good thing that the latter prepared and knowledgeable. It occurs to her that Renne must be the reason that the Corsairs are specifically equipped to deal with this. Though, of course, that knowledge came at a horrible price.

She forces herself to be patient, waiting for the two other kids to drink, and then accepting the water skin once Nyammy passes it along. Aira emulates the way Renne helped the first child drink—bringing the skin to the boy's lips and tipping it delicately, carefully and slowly letting the water flow. It takes some extra effort to keep her hands from trembling.

[nyammy]

Nyammy is a little used to getting somebody water like this. She's helped out at Iroha's animal clinic, after all - not much, but enough. The small, malnourished, and injured children remind her of the injured and sick animals she would see there.

She passes on the water quickly, though, intent on making sure all of the children have a turn with it.

"You're doing great," she tells the child. "We'll get you out of here soon, all right?" She doesn't expect a response, she's just trying to make her voice soothing and offer some hope to the child.

[straykitty]

The children drink greedily from the water, but don't seem to be able to speak - when they try they can make some basic vocalizations but otherwise aren't able to produce intelligible sounds. What is fairly immediate, however, is that they both clutch tightly to their saviors, their little bodies trembling with fear.

"We should get them out," Renne says, lifting the child into her arms.

[testygirl]

Aira acknowledges Renne with a nod. There really isn't more to be said.

"Good job," she tells the boy, maintaining an encouraging smile—though still with plenty of strain. "Aaaand up we go!"

She leads him towards the exit, holding his hand with a warm and firm grip. It seems he has the strength to walk, at least, which is the thinnest of silver linings. There's hope that he can make a full recovery, in time. She prays that all of them can.

This is the main continuation

[straykitty]

After an agonizing but in all honesty short amount of time, the trio re-emerges. Two children are holding hands with Aira and Nyammy respectively, whereas one child has her face buried in Renne's shoulder as she carries her out with surprising tenderness.

"Donnie, can you call the ship crew?" she asks, her voice tired but firm. "We need to get this children out before we do what needs to be done."

[purplexing]

Donnie's stepped down a ways to keep a better eye and ear open for anything that might be coming from the other hall. It's always harder being on the waiting end, but he keeps on the alert, checking the chronometer on his ENC every now and then.

He lifts his head, glancing over his shoulder when he hears footsteps from the room, his eyes widening at the sight, both startled and relieved that they'd managed to find anyone. That they'd found any at all is still an unsettling thing in itself, but he's at least given a task so he won't have to dwell upon that for the moment. With a nod, he steps back towards the main entrance as he flips open the cover of his bracer.

"-you there? We've run into something of a complication. Our material acquirement has just turned into an extraction mission."

[straykitty]

"This is the Percheron, raiding party we copy." The voice on the other end crackles a bit but the connection is stable. "Please confirm the situation."

"There are three children and seventeen bodies, similarly sized," Renne responds flatly, speaking loud enough to be heard over the comms.

"Acknowledged," the voice says after a brief pause. "Extraction team will be there in ten. The bodies will be a difficult lift for our resources, please confirm your intention."

Renne backs off. She'll let Donnie make the call here, she's going to try not to dictate things over the wishes of the team. She's not emotionally capable to be making those decisions right now.

[purplexing]

Seventeen... It's not a huge number but it's still a lot of children, too many who should never have been used for such a nefarious purpose. That fact drop nearly sends Donnie reeling, but he keeps from looking back towards that doorway, swallowing as he catches Renne's eye.

"...we can't leave them here. They deserve proper treatment. It's...the least we can do for them," he says, trying to keep his voice steady, even as his throat feels so dry. Seventeen...

He looks back at Renne and the others.

[straykitty]

"There are a number of crates and supply cases available here," Renne supplies dully, speaking more to Donnie than over the comms. "If that's your decision, we can have the bodies laid out by the extraction team and we can build them coffins and return them to the sea after we finish here."

[purplexing]

The turtlekin closes his eyes for a moment, but he nods. He doesn't have to overthink this one, at least.

"It is," he confirms when he looks back at Renne. It's the least they can do. They may not have meant to find these children, but he certainly can't just turn his back and forget about it.

[testygirl]

Aira is in her own kind of a stupor, but she vigorously shakes her head, trying to snap out of it. She would have protested venomously if they'd made a different decision, but she also figured that Donnie would land on the humane choice.

"There's no way we can leave them." She's looking down, jaw clenched. Her grip on the boy's hand is gentle, but she makes a fist with the other, nails digging into her palm.

"I can be in charge of moving and loading bodies," she then says over the comms. Her voice is mostly calm, but still quite bitter. "You heard her. They're small, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Carrying is something her powers are especially useful for. Though it's still going to be a somber, awful process.