Burning Bridges

[Apophis]

Seven and the rest of Apo's hand-picked crew waited on the roof of a chapel adjacent the General's palatial hotel, watching the cramped alleyway below from their shadowy perch. Apophis himself soon joined them. The team quickly updated him on the enemy status with a series or predetermined hand signals. He nodded and tapped his earpiece.

"We're in position."

[Apophis]

When the tank was heard, the team waited thirty seconds and silently rappelled into the alley between camera sweeps. The swiftly crossed and one of them put a hand to the wall. A portal appeared, leading only as far as the other side of the wall. They moved in, closing it behind them.

[Stitch]

Stitch followed along with the group nervously. She did her best to do what she was best at. Keep her head down and stay where no one could see you.

Creeping around in alleys gave you that skill at least.

[Nocturne]

A shadow was waiting inside the building for the group.

"Took you long enough," Nocturne said.

[Apophis]

"Have a little faith my dear," he smirked.

[Nocturne]

"Faith doesn't pay dividends," Nocturne says, "Who's the alley rat?"

[Stitch]

Stitch winces away from Nocturne.

[Apophis]

"A medic, nothing more."

[Nocturne]

Nocturne laughs, "Good. I was afraid you brought a little snack."

[Apophis]

"Have you located the portal lab?"

[Nocturne]

"Of course," Nocturne says, "It's protected though. We'll have to make it there on foot."

[Apophis]

"Can you at least get us to the right floor? The more security we can bypass the better."

[Nocturne]

"Of course," Nocturne gestured, opening a portal in the shadows.

[Apophis]

"Excellent," he said with a hint of a grin, ordering his squad into the portal and following.

[Nocturne]

The shadows led right into the floor where the portal was being kept, Nocturne led them through.

[Hellsmith]

"Nnh... but I left you over in...? No matter."

"You lot will just have to... burn."

Quickly the ceiling began to reconfigure, new fixtures forming...

...and then? Then there were no shadows. Harsh, full-spectrum light bathed every inch of the corridor.

[Nocturne]

"Troublesome," Nocturne says, checking her watch, "I think we will need to find a different way of leaving, Apophis."

[Stitch]

Stitch whimpers as the harsh light burns at her skin. The flesh regenerates quickly, but it's still very painful.

[Apophis]

Apo growled as the plan crumbled to dust. His exposed darkforce armor was burning away faster than it could regenerate, but it was nothing his tactical armor and thick hide couldn't handle in the short term. "This is why I brought my own door," he said, "Passage, get us out of here."

The Eater in question felt around and opened a wormhole in the floor.

"Ladies first."

[Nocturne]

"Such gentlemen," Nocturne says, heading through the portal.

[Apophis]

The rest of them dropped through one at a time, the last through tossing up a duffel bag as the portal closed. In a few other spots along their path of entry, devices they had hidden began to blink rapidly. And then...

BOOM!

[Stitch]

"Is...is everyone alright?" Stitch asks meekly.

[Apophis]

"A little sunburned," Seven answered, "I knew I should have brought sunscreen!"

Apophis, meanwhile, tried contacting Domina. "Damn... too much above us to get through."

[Stitch]

Stitch got to work healing Seven and anyone else who might be injured. As long as she was useful they wouldn't leave her behind.

[Apophis]

"I make The General my enemy and get nothing for my trouble..." Apophis said with a growl.

"Fuck!" he roared and punched the wall, sending debris flying.

[Nocturne]

"Not exactly the most profitable way to run a business," Nocturne agrees.

[Apophis]

"This is the last time I let my desire for membership cloud my judgement."

[Narrator]

Above them, something shuddered and shifted, the final tremors of it reverberating down to the tunnels they were now in.

This was, of course, after their explosives had gone off. It didn't feel like this was likely to be the result of the tanks, either. This originated deeper down.

[Apophis]

"Fan out!" he ordered. His squad moved to the edges of the chamber, away from the rumble.