Sentinels Under Siege

Sim reclined in her room, taking some much needed rest. Sim had poured her everything into running the Sentinels, leaving little to no room for sleep. She could go a long time without sleep if she dedicated a few hours a day to meditation, but she had rarely had time for that. Perhaps the burden was self-imposed, she wasn’t leading the group on her own after all, but she still felt it was her responsibility. For the first time since being spirited away to this strange world she felt she had found her purpose. She had adopted the human’s world, and would protect it with her life.

Heavy eyelids lazily slid down past her jewel-like eyes like black-out curtains closing to keep out the twilight filtering through her room’s single reinforced window. She hadn’t actually intended to sleep when she sat down, but her even her body had its limits and demands. Unusually, no one came knocking at her door. Her teammates had become more acclimated to the new life to some degree, certain individuals more than others, and called on her less for mundane things. In truth, she was proud of every Sentinel. The group was smaller than initial prospects might have implied. Some weren’t prepared to adhere to a moral code, too rooted in the new generation of violent heroes. Others were only in it for the status, but found they were unwilling to do the training. Sim hadn’t been able to spend as much time teaching the art of combat to her fellows as she would have liked, the world always seemed in need of its Sentinels. To Sim, it was just affirmation that forming the group had been the right thing to do. Of course, the real reason no visitors had come this evening was simple: the tower was nearly empty. Almost everyone was off on a mission, or on personal business. A few remained behind to watch the tower, or simply to give themselves time to recuperate like Sim.

Sim hadn’t been asleep long when she was woken by a crashing through the very durable window of her room. The rays of the sinking sun still bounced off water and tall buildings, richocheting off the shards of glass now flying through her room. Even upon awaking, she assessed the situation with lightning speed. The cause of her rest’s disruption was a huge vaguely humanoid construct. Its powerful arm came down upon Sim with no hesitation, her chair reduced to rubble as she barely made her escape. Her adrenaline pumping, fatigue no longer gripped her body. The thing in front of her was a human, but inside a mechanical powersuit. His eyes stared at her behind a pilot’s helmet and the clear glass of the suit’s viewing port. Its blackened metal moved surprisingly quietly, from far off you wouldn’t be able to hear the monstrosity. The sharp weapons on the end of its powerful mechanical arms weren’t merely blades, but fully able to move and grasp objects. Objects like the large rifle in the thing’s left “hand.” From the jetpack-esque bulk on the back of the suit one could probably guess they could fly. Sim didn’t have to guess though; she had seen suits like this before.

The alarm sounded throughout the tower, rousing the few who were actually there. In seconds the tower became a bunker, heavy metal sliding down over every window and door in an attempt to keep attackers out. He raised his weapon and fired. Sim managed to dodge every bullet, but the clean holes in the walls suggested they were prepared to pierce even her bones. No surprise of course, the assailant knew exactly what he was up against. He had come prepared to kill the dragonchild. He was here to take care of the animal that had escaped its cage.

Range was no advantage. He could ready his weapon much faster than she could her powers. Without hesitation Sim leapt at her foe. With a quickness nearly matching her own he countered with his free arms. She kicked off it, leaving a small footprint in the tough metal, she flew towards the ceiling and pushed off with all her strength. Even an opponent quick as hers didn’t have time to react. She came down on him, using her motion to fuel the power of her kick, coming down right on his viewport. Even with all that force, it held its shape. Sim was only rewarded with some hairline cracks. Sim felt it’s blade-like fingers cutting into her ankle, slicing into her tough skin with little effort, as it grabbed her before she could recover from her blow. It through her with herculean force across her room, the door to her bathroom didn’t even seem to slow as she flew straight into her sink, shattering the porcelain of the sink and the glass of the mirror hanging above it. The broken sink shot out water, showering down on Sim as it spouted out onto the metal titan headed towards her to finish its mission. It was at least eight feet tall, super strong, armed to the teeth with weaponry designed to take out a superhuman, and nearly invulnerable….but the most frightening thing about it was its fighting ability. The suit didn’t slow down its pilot it made him faster, and his skill was inhuman. Sim was a master of combat, and it matched her. In fact, it looked like it had beaten her. This was no amateur supervillain organization taking a senator hostage. This was the Indigo Flame. Sim’s team wasn’t ready for opponents like this yet. Sim knew their timing was no coincidence. They had attacked when most members were gone. All they cared about was killing Sim. Anyone else in the tower would just be collateral…

Sim wouldn’t allow that. Just as her defeat seemed immenent, blue lighting crackled from her clawed hand and flowed into the ready supply of water showering her opponent. The water froze as it hit his viewport, expanding the thin cracks…until they shattered. It was all she needed. She leapt forward, throwing a punch straight through the broken glass, scraping her arm on the jagged remnants. She felt the man’s helmet and skull crunch underneath her strike. The suit didn’t fall, but with its pilot unconscious it was motionless, and harmless. She checked his pulse, he was still alive. Good.

Sim ran out of her room, careful not to let panic override her combat calm. Taken by surprise, she was only partially in her usual costume. The navy turtleneck bodysuit and purple pants were there, but her jacket lay somewhere in the rubble of her room. Her clothes were torn and ripped from the fight, and blood dripped from shallow cuts on her arm and deeper ones on her ankle. Elsewhere in the tower five more of the Torch’s soldiers were breaking in, even the reinforced tower doing little to stop them. She hoped the still ringing alarm had at least kept her friends from being caught unawares as she rushed to find and help her comrades.


((If you need it for reference's sake, a the powersuit's grid would look something like:
Int: 4
Str: 5
End: 5
Spd:4
Ep:0))

Ace was messing around with bits and pieces of metal and circuitry, he wasn't exactly sure what he was making but it kept him occupied, the recent hopping around the country to recruit sentinels had taken a effect on his sleeping patterns.True it wasn't too late and the night was still quite young but Ace was still wide awake, He was quite sure all of his comrades were fast asleep by now, if he acted fast he could go out for a night of fighting crime. just the thought of this made Ace's fingers tingle in excitement. He loaded the grappling hook around his wrist and put on jeans and a t-shirt, He decided to go against his regular superhero attire, *It would stand out too much in the dark* He thought to himself. Grabbing a hoodie from a hanger and opening the door, he's ready to go down when his phone rings * My phone has been ringing off the hook lately but i never get to it in time and its always a private number* Ace thinks to himself. He picks up the phone "Hello" if the person on the other end said something Ace didn't hear it.

He heard the smashing of glass nearby, if Ace had to judge it would be three maybe four rooms down, then another closer than the last, whatever was happening it was making its way down the halls. Ace made a bee-line for the door, not fast enough though, a giant metal suit came through the window, only stopping to free itself from the heavy metal coming down on it fortunately that was enough for Ace to devise a plan.He shot the grappling hook at a piece of roof about to fall and as the robot charges at him he pulls the rubble free sending parts of the roof down on him. He wasn't sure if it killed it but he wasn't staying around to find out. He charges out of the room and out into the hall towards the other crashes.

Maxiours, or Max as the team came to calling him, grunted as he lifted. It was his third set of twelve with close to 90 tons. It felt good to do physical activity again. Due to his Royal status and what the government's Public Relation team call, his "Champion" image, Max has been on the road doing events and trying to win the public's heart.

It confused the Warrior Prince why they had to win the public's hearts and minds. They were heroes, men and women willing to put their bodies and lives on the line to protect earth. Was because they were young adults? Age didn't matter when it comes to being a hero, thought Max as he grunted his tenth rep.

His father taught him a personal lesson when he was younger. Max was being pushed around when he was younger by some older boys in the Warrior's Academy. As the young child sat crying and rubbing his bloodied nose, his father came and picked him up. "Whats wrong my son?"

As the prince told the warlord of the older boys and how they beat him up, the powerful warrior's arms held the boy tight. With a father's love he huged the young boy that would become a future Sentinel, "Any being in the Universe greatest fear is not that they are inadequate, but they are powerful beyond measure. Do not fear yourself my son, have courage in what you can become and what you are."

As he set the weight on the rack, Max thought of how those words could inspire more people maybe to become heroes. Maybe then teams like the Sentinels and people like Max would not be needed anymore. With a smile and a silent laugh he kinda understood why maybe the PR team gave him that champion image now.

Max stood, wiping himself off with a towel when the alarms went off. Flying to the hallway, Max could see nothing. That was of course, until two of what set the alarm off came crashing through the roof. One grabbed his arm and slammed him through the wall back into the gym.

Max lifted himself out of the rubble and got a good look at his attackers. Powersuits, similar to ones that he had seen used by other alien races for combat stepped through the hole that hsi body conviently made for them. The two launched at him, using jet packs for flight. Max caught on in mid air as he shot to the side with his own flight path to avoid the second powersuit. He needed to keep the two in front of him. Strangely, the armor allowed the pilot to react as superhuman levels despite its massive size. Max slammed the two into each other causing them to come crashing down.

Diving bombing after them, Max was hoping to get a punch or two in but he was met with a powersuit punch to the face. The other opened up with a firearm. Normally, rounds bounced off of him to little effect, but these actually felt like mac trucks hitting him. They didn't pierce his skin but he knew that if he didn't stop the attack soon they could cause some serious internal bleeding. As the prince moved, the suit fired rockets, destorying much of the gym around him.

Max tried to circle around, however the other suit was on him again, smashing him into ground. The other came in with almost a curb stomp to Max's back. With the two opponets smashing down on top of him, it reminded the warrior prince a lot of when the older boys back at the academy as all he could do was shield himself from the beating.

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate..."

Max saw opening in their attack, the two were moving back to hopefully finish him off with rounds since their strength was enough to really hurt the prince. Max playing possum shot up into the air, grabbing the two suits as he lifted off. The room was large enough to simulate a sparing session so it gave Max plenty of room to get a the altitude that he needed.

"... but that we are powerful beyond measure."

Dive bombing at full speed, Max slammed the two into the ground the rumble of the impact would shake the whole building by its foundation. As the two suits moved to try to stand up, Max reached to their chest and pulled all his vast superhuman strength, ripping the piece and the power unit to the suit with it away from his attackers. He tossed the two men into lightly, of course light to him was more then enough force to knock the two men out with out killing them. Max floated over to stand over the two men as they began to fade into unconscienous, "I believe the earth term is punk ass bitch."

(sorry about the delay in posting, holidays. Hopefully this extra long post makes up for it.)

Sim ran full steam down the hallway outside her room. Crashes were heard all around, There was no doubt her friends were in danger. There was so much noise even her trained ears had trouble trying to telling the difference between what might be a crash of a torch slamming a teammate through the ground, or simply a powersuit crashing through the wall of the tower. She decided to head towards the most sound, the training room. The amount of noise coming from there, easily heard even from here, made it obvious something was going down. The training room was downstairs in the basement, but naturally she had no time for stairs. The elevators, naturally, weren’t functioning right now but Sim headed straight to the nearest one anyway. Her very brief journey was cut short by the loud sounds of a Torch’s powerful gunshots. Sim dodged based on where the deafening noise started, but even she can’t outrun bullets that cross space in matters of milliseconds. She felt a burning pain as one of the armour-piercing rounds skimmed across her back, slicing through clothing and flesh and leaving a bloody trough straight across just below her shoulder blades. Ignoring the pain, Sim tossed a fist-sized chunk of ice at the powersuit. Electricity crackled in the center of the ice, but when it struck the torch it detonated into a blast of fire. Not enough to put the powerful foe out of commission, but certainly enough to knock him out of the air long enough for Sim to get to one of her allies. She held a hand to her chest, magical energy coursing through her, freezing then cauterizing her wound. She dashed towards the elevator, her clawed fingers stabbed in between the heavy elevator doors, pushing them apart with brute strength. The elevator was at the basement floor. She jumped towards the opposite wall, bracing herself on it and slowing her fall for the few floors she needed to descend. She hit the top of the elevator with a loud thud. She blew on her ungloved hands to alleviate some of the discomfort caused by friction, then without grace or hesitation ripped off the access door of the elevator. She jumped down, wrenching the doors open and coming out into the training section of the tower.

It didn’t take her long to follow the destruction and find the source of all the sounds of battle. She found the other Earth stranger, Maxiours, standing amidst rubble and two defeated torch members. Sim would have to remember to be impressed later. She knew Max had incredible power, but even with his brute strength he would have needed to take his foes by surprise to defeat two powered up Torch soldiers. Sim would have to compliment him on showing skill in the heat of battle once all the other members were safe…because Sim was determined that today would not end in tragedy. With no time to discuss the battle that just took place. Sim spoke to max with an appearance and manner none of her comrades had yet seen. Her clawed hands ungloved, clothes torn, and jewel-like eyes obscured by a blue glow that crackled with magic energies. Her voice was not a yell, but she spoke loudly and her voice carried to all corners of the room. “It’s good to see you’re okay. I’m sorry about this attack, and I’ll explain later once we’re all safe, but there are still enemies in the perimeter and two of our comrades unaccounted for. Come up and aid me in finding them and keeping everyone safe.” Sim was usually polite, but this was no time fore niceties or “asking.” They might be friends, or heroes, but they were also soldiers. Not because they wanted to be, at least in Sim’s case, but because the world needed someone to fight in the name of good; and they had a duty to their comrades. If anyone understood that, Sim thought to herself, it would be Maxiours. Without staying to make sure He was following, Sim headed back to the elevator shaft.

It took Max a second to register where he was at when he heard someone talking to him. Turning slowly, Max had to regard who was talking to him. It was Sim, leader of the Sentinels and probably the only one that really worried Max in a fight, which by the looks of her, looked like she had been in one.

Many of the features that she may consider alien were on a proud and powerful displace. Her claws added a unique fierceness to her and her eyes shined with a warrior's spirit. Sim's booming voice that filled the room only added to the powerful figure that stood before him.

Her voice was not a yell, but she spoke loudly and her voice carried to all corners of the room. “It’s good to see you’re okay. I’m sorry about this attack, and I’ll explain later once we’re all safe, but there are still enemies in the perimeter and two of our comrades unaccounted for. Come up and aid me in finding them and keeping everyone safe.”

With a nod, Max floated behind Sim as they ran to elevator. Sim didn't say it, but Max felt what she was saying. This needed to end now, and it was their responsibality to make sure no one got hurt in the process. It almost seemed like Sim was a general, leading Max to their final stand. Of course till the saw the one named Sean at the elevators. His presence gave Max a boost in confidence to have an other ally by his side.

Once they got to the elevator, Max floated in and extened his arms to give his allies a lift. He guessed this is when humans would make a joke about an elevator or something, but Max didn't quite understand human humor. Instead he went with, "Lets go."

Ace jogged through the hallway of the building, each step sent an echo ricocheting across the walls. He looked at the doorways into the rooms of his comrades, looking for any clue that they were still alive, Ace had grown up not knowing his parents, the sentinels had become more than his team, they'd become a family to him, he couldn't let that happen. His jog turned into a run, it suddenly dawned on him that he didn't want any of them to be hurt, anything beyond that he didn't want to think about.

Ace heard a racket comming  from further down the hall, when he arrived he saw that Sean had already subdued the giant robot thing that was attacking him, "I don't know who these guys are but i know they aren't good news. Are you ok? " Ace asked after assessing that he was fine, well fine for someone just attacked by a giant robot "Finding the others sounds like the best idea". Almost as if on cue Max came through the elevator doors "Do you have a internal timing system or something?" Ace asked jokingly.He saw Sim, she didn't look good, at all. Ace took his jacket and offered it to Sim, "It looks like you might need this". Ace seemed to be in the best shape of them all "What are we going to do with these guys?"Ace asked the group It had been quiet, they were either all gone or they were going to spring on them "They're going to wake up eventually so i suggest getting rid of them"

Somewhere outside the Sentinels tower, a hidden army lay in wait. The new leader of the torch himself had made the journey to America’s shores. “Commander Hartwin, the initial force is meeting with defeat. Shall we mobilize the rest of our force?” They spoke to each other without moving their mouths, their minds all connected. “Negative.” The soldier was surprised at the lack of an order. “Sir, if we attacked in full force there’s no way they would survive. Why hold off?” Hartwin replied coldly, “We’re no longer dealing with an escaped animal no one will miss. This is a superhero organization. We wipe them out we become “cop killers” in the eyes of all other organized heroes. They’ll try to find us. The last thing our organization needs right now is attention. We’ll return to base as planned. Those still inside are lost. Give the order.” And like that, just as they entered the country an entire army quietly slipped out under everyone’s notice.

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Sim accepted Max’s arm and they quickly made their way up to elevator shaft. It was still a bit of a shameful feeling, relying on others or on machines to fly. Though Sim had gotten used to her grounded state to a degree, sometimes she couldn’t help but feel crippled. They met their teammates shortly after making their way back up. Sim was relieved to know they were safe, but everything they said sounded as if from far away. Sim’s mind was on the torch. All they had done to her, and now they had put her friends in danger. She had put her friends in danger. When Ace offered her his coat she casually dismissed it with a hand. “I’m fine.” She said in a somewhat surly tone. “And I do know who these people are, and it’s my fault they’re here now. These people are the ones responsible for me being unable to return home, as well as for my crippled body.” As if taking her bitter statement as an introduction another armored soldier crashed down in front of the four and raised his weapon. Sim took a stance, but before she could act the soldier simply crashed down facefirst onto the ground before being able to fire off a round. He lay their motionless, as if struck by an invisible blow. Sim knew, dreaded, what had really happened though. She knew enough of the torch to know they wouldn’t be taken alive.

Sim raced up to the collapsed soldier and overturned him. She reared back a hand and sent it crashing through the glass plate of his helmet, grabbing the pilot by the neck and shaking him. As she feared, he was dead. Not only was this a day of senseless death, but they would get no information about the sudden attack either. Sim’s hand tightened around the man’s neck as a guttural growl escaped her throat. She threw the heavy steel corpse across the hallway, denting the wall it hit as Sim screamed in rage and frustration. It sounded as if she screamed in a voice not her own, a deep roar shaking any within earshot. As if to punctuate, the armored suit, as well as all the others, self-destructed without warning leaving only a burnt corpse. Sim’s clawed hand lashed out, slowly carving five vertical lines into the steel wall beside her. After a few deep breaths to calm herself, she spoke. Everyone deserved to know their most recent foe after all. “These are foot soldiers of a secret organization called the Indigo torch. They brought me to your world to steal my power, and it’s because of me they are here now. She turned and faced her friends, standing straight and calm once again. “This obviously won’t stop while I’m still alive…or while the torch continues to exist. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to rebuild the tower without my help. I must find them and end this or else I put you all in danger.” She turned and began walking towards her room. She would begin packing right away. She knew where one Torch base was. That was a starting point, at least.

Max took Sim in his arms and though he could tell that she didn't quite welcome it, he did. She alone was the only other "alien" amongst the group. Maybe cause of that Max felt a connection to her. Of course it could also be that she was the commander of their team and as a good soldier, the Warrior Prince had an undying loyalty to her. Max made sure to set her down gently as they came to the ground floor.

The armored suit seemed to smash into the area before them as soon as they touched down. Max instinctively put himself before anyone else in the group. Was it because he knew that his body could take most of the attack? However, just however, was it cause maybe Max considered these humans, these earthlings, his family or his closest thing to it? Confused as he was, Max still jumped in front of everyone, ready to take what could be the deadly round to any of this companions. However the man dropped before any attack could be given, seemingly dead.

Sim pushed past him to examine the body, and exploded with anger that the pilot was dead. She stormed off to her room explaining how some organization called the Indigo Torch was to blame and how this was her problem to solve. Max only followed as Sean chased after her. Max entered the room and gently took one hand of Sim's as she packed, only to get her attention and for her to look at him. When she looked at him, in Max's eyes she would see the same look she gave him, not minutes ago. It was a look that didn't needed question, but one of just need. Need that they needed their leader right now, and also the need that the leader needed to know that her soldiers, or at least three that stood with her right now, would not let her fight this alone.

Max moved his hand from Sim's and moved the bag away to let her know that she would have to at least deal with him before she left.

Sim dismissed the coat with an I'm Fine, She didn't look fine but Ace knew better than to argue with Sim, especially now. It seemed that she blamed herself for all of this, untrue but she might be quite shook up from the recent events. As Sim was talking another soldier flew through the window, Ace aimed his wrist at the sound but Max jumped in front of everyone, it drew a smile from Ace's lips, even in this situation. Sim let out a scream of frustration when she found that the soldier was dead, then proceeding to throw the the body across the room into a wall, then Ace could hear it explode, along with all the others. She explained the people attacking them were the IndigoTorch, apparently she had quite the history with them, they were the reason she was in this world, they wanted to steal her powers, Ace could only assume this is their attempt at getting her back.

She also declared that it wouldn't stop while she was alive, as she said this she walked back towards her room, she was leaving but got intercepted by Sean and Max. It was quite clear this wasn't just Sim's fight anymore, Sean finished his speech with a smirk and Ace continued it, "Like Sean said, your not doing this alone, we're helping you, and when we're through with this i'm sure we could help you find a way home" Ace continued "These Assholes made a bad decision messing with you in the first place, now they have the sentinels on them."

((Sorry for not posting, got hospitilized for strep and a death in the family back to back so posting unfortunately got knocked down in priority. Here's something, anyway.))

Sim put her hand to her head, calming the throbbing headache anger had caused, and spoke in her normal lilting voice. "I speak and act out of anger friends in battle. The fact that we're all standing now means you're all more ready than I thought." She paused. "Even so, you have to understand this is the tip of the iceberg. The Indigo Torch isn't just something I can't take on alone, it isn't something the sentinels can take on alone. Now is the time for regrouping and finding allies. Not for rash attacks." She folded her arms, regaining a dignified composure so quickly and completely it was hard to believe what she had been only moments ago. She turned her gem-like gaze to Sean and smiled full with a mouth full of dagger-like teeth. “And for the record Sean, I’ve escaped their base once alone. Gone back, defeated their leader, retaken my birthright, and escaped again. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating me. I may be just a babe by my own standards, but don’t forget I’ve already lived more than five times as long as you have.” She looked around at her room, wrecked and still leaking water. She picked up a few articles of clothing but didn’t put them in the bag beside Max. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head to the infirmary and change my clothing. These have gotten just a tad dirty.”