"Thomas, I thought you knew I've got the whole compound rigged. I planted explosives at every critical point prior to this mission, as per clearance with Chief Rillnor. On your mark, this place will come crashing down and take out anyone in it. Everyone, I urge you to get out of here as soon as possible. The sooner everyone is out, the sooner the explosives can detonate and the safer we'll be. Leon said over the intercom.

"Ziltal, calculate and download to me the fastest route to Eileen. Charge and prep the mass negator to envelope Slipstream."

<Route calculated. Download complete. Charging at 20%.>

Ziltal bounded across the warehouse floor. <30%.> He jumped, and kicked an enemy mech, causing him to fall on his back and right into a mine. <50%> Using the explosion, he flipped backwards and landed right in front of Slipstream. <60%>

"Don't worry, I'll get ya out of here." Leon grabbed Slipstream and pulled. "HNGGGH! Damn your heavy!"

<Keep your pants on. 80%. 90%. Mass negator active.> It sounded like a million people all saying "Fop!" at the same time. <Recalculating approximate center of mass for mobility. Also to mention, energy levels prior to most recent mass negator use were at 70% average. They are now approximately 57% and dropping at a rate of .2087498% every second.>

"Here we go..." He continued. This time, Slipstream came up a lot easier. "Everyone, head outside A.S.A.P." He repeated before dashing out with Eileen. "Ziltal, are bombs three through twenty five ready?"

<Affirmative.>

OOC: wow I didn't know slipstream was so damaged it was in two chunks.

Hearing the order to retreat called over the com he looks up from the battle he had been having with the large SUITS. He had suffered major damage to his left arm, but the damage to the other suit was far worse, Two of his 4 arms lay on the ground and both his guns had over heated. The corpses of Mercs and thugs lay scattered around their feat. "Sorry big boy but I gotta go. I'm sure we'll play again some time." With that Lee turns sharply and powers up his boosters, They shoot him off in the direction of the tank. He quickly reaches a speed of 795 MPH.

Unfortunately for all the enemies around him, a sonic boom was created, All the enemies in his wake were thrown back and killed. A wide path was swathed through his foes. He passed one SUITS on his way out and saw it thrown away, it was not destroyed however. Lee was careful not to pass too close to any of his allies.

The loud sound could be heard by all, Lee slowed down as he got closer to the transport. Thankfully his fuel light chose this point to turn on. He had just enough force to leap up to the top of it and climb inside before his suit turned down to emergency power. "Wooo boys, That sure was a fun one." Lee commented to the girl next to him. "Don't worry, you won't be being bothered anymore." Lee leaned back and relaxed, trusting that his team could make it on their own.

OOC: edit: she's not in two chunks. Part of her left arm armor is missing, and her ranged weapon has been smashed out. Apart from that, she's only pretty much dented...

Eileen, despite the beginning numbness settling into her dead-weight arm and the increasing amount of danger about her, couldn't resist a whooping "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" as she was lifted clear off the ground. She replaced the shield on her tail with the larger shield held in her extra arms, and whipped it down so that it would prevent any more attacks from below, before tucking her flexible legs - all four of them - beneath her abdomen, taking on the appearance of a large, black, oddly shaped bomb instead of a sleek spider-like SUITS.

<Comment initiated: Just in the nick of time, eh? End comment>
"Oh shutup, Slipstream. Nobody asked you to make a quip," Eileen retorted, before giving a thumbs up in gratitude to Ziltal who was giving them the lift with her good arm, "Spank ye kindly, Leon," under her half-open visor, she grinned.

<The shield is starting to fail, Ben.>

"Really?! I hadn't noticed!" Ben snarled angrily. His shield, once a solid, near-unbreakable thing, now was starting to look like swiss-cheese.

Phalnax wasn't in much better shape. With it's boosters disabled, it had to limp away on foot, and Phalnax was not designed for speed.

<I'm picking up heat signatures on your left-rear...looks like three humans and a mech.>

Ben sighed. "'I much prefer a dragon.'"

<What?> Phal asked in a question tone.

"Sorry. Old movie line, The 13th Warrior." Ben answerd. "Old habit to quote movie lines. I don't suppose there's any chance you can get the grenade launcher back online, can you?"

<Negative. The barrell was damaged. You try to fire it now, and the grenade will go off on your right arm. Abagale would not be happy with that. I wouldn't be particuarly fond of it, myself.>.

"Right. Switch my vision to thermal, would you? The mini-guns still work, right?" Ben asked, turning himself to face the attack.

<Yes. However, I don't they they'll have the punch to take down the mech. You'll have to do that close in...which I wouldn't suggest, with the state your armor is in.>

"We'll do what we can. We can-"

<Wait...the men and the mech are moving off....HOLY CRAP! Two enemy SUITS inbound on our position! They're fresh!>

"Frag!" Ben yelled. "So much for that plan. Which way is the tank?"

<I'll put a marker on your H.U.D. for you. I don't think we can outrun them, Ben.>

"Well, we definately can't take them in a stand-up fight. I'll put the shield on the back, that should provide us some protection. Can you get anything out of the boosters?"

<Well...I could give you a small boost. But chances are that after that, the boosters will blow-out. And I know for a fact Abagale hates having to replace the boosters.>

Phalnax turned and ran toward the tank...at a slow pace. The SUITS, fresh and shiny, with boosters, were gaining ground rapidly.

"She'll hate it more if her brother-in-law and her favorite AI don't come back. Deploy rollers and do it!"

For a brief second, Phalnax's speed increase.

Ben flinched as the promised explosion happened.

"Phal! Damage?!"

<Heavy structral damge to the legs, speed decreased 68%. The sheild got blown clean off. The boosters have been completely destroyed. Internal damage, fire-control lost. Response time down 37%. However, the boost worked. The SUITS are no longer gaining on us. However, that will only last as long as momentum is with us.>

"Right." Ben flipped on his neuro-comm. "This is Phalnax. It would be lovely if someone could give me lift."

Rick continued to the transport. "Man this is bad, we are losing SUITS too fast for my taste. We had better get out of here soon, looks like their elites are arriving." Just then he saw another SUITS heading for their transport. "This should be quick." He lunged at the target only to have it vanish before his eyes. Milliseconds later he was blindsided be the very SUITS he was attacking. "What? how did he manage that?" Before he knew what had happened his face was smashed into a wall. Attempting to counter he whipped his wire only to have the enemy dodge it with easy. Rick was finally able to block the SUITS punch but was then hit with a kick. "He is actually faster then me. I am a master at highspeed combat but he is outmatching me in pure speed. This isn't good."

Just then the SUITS dropped its arms. "Where is the girl?"
"Kiss my a..." He was cut off as Strikers arm was bent behind its back.
"Wrong answer."
Rick turned on the comm system. "Guys...we have an elite here. He is even faster then me...aaaa, get the girl out now." A sound of crunching metal echoed as the elite pilot began slowly twisting off his arm.

Thomas and Beowulf managed to reach the retreating tank, and dumped Cham into it. He was about to link up and exit his SUITS, when he get a few emergency calls.

<"This is Phalnax. It would be lovely if someone could give me lift.">

<"Guys...we have an elite here. He is even faster then me...aaaa, get the girl out now.">

Beowulf jumped out from the tank, and landed with a thud on the ground.

Ben and Phalnax were steadily making their way to the tank, but were being hounded by several SUITS. His tactical gauge managed to point out Rick and Striker, who were currently getting their asses handed back to them by a speedy Elite SUITS. He then noticed that Damien was still near the warehouse. Leon hadn't yet destroyed the warehouse, but he would do it soon enough. Thomas turned his communicator on.

<Attention. Any SUITS with the ability to still move, and to move fast, assist Jack and Striker. He's taking on an elite, and it's not ending well. I'll head over and assist Phalanx. If you're heavily damaged, don't leave the tank. You'll be more trouble than it's worth. Just try and attack from long range, if you can."

With that, Beowulf began to sprint towards Phalnax as fast as he could. While he ran, he activated his plasma shield, and held it up. He managed to block several shots, and even deflected some back at the shooters. When he got in range of Phalanx, he crouched down behind the gladiator-like SUITS. He checked to see if he still had his rollers out. He did, which was good.

"Beowulf, activate the back thrusters."

"But I thought they were only meant for jumping, not sprinting..." the SUITS said in a mocking way.

"Just shut up and do it."

The pack flared to life, and as Beowulf began to move forward, he grabbed Phalanx, and they both began to move. Beowulf was supplying the speed, and Phalanx was the vehicle, the rollers quickly running along the ground toward the tank.

As Jack and Cham were flopped helplessly into the tank, Jack began to hear the emergency calls coming in from everyone. While not good for them, this was good for him. There was a reason he had a sniper rifle, and now was a good time to take advantage of that.

"Cham, zoom in on the SUITS holding Rick and Striker. I'm gonna try and at least distract it." Jack told his own SUITS as he went down on one knee and aimed for the Elite SUITS holding Rick.

"Right, locking on... Target locked. Fire away."

With everything ready, Jack pulled the trigger, the auto-locking from Cham helping to ensure the bullet went cleanly into its target. With a quick and lound whoosh, the high calibur bullet went straight past Rick's head and right into where the eye of the enemy pilot would be with a loud clank. With such a sudden shot, the SUITS pilot let go of Rick's arm in surprise as he and his machine stumbled back a little. Jack kept shooting the enemy to keep it distracted so Rick could get away.

"Rick, go NOW. I don't think I can keep something that fast occupied forever."

He nods and quickly gets out of the way. "Look I doubt even both of us can take this thing. We had better lead it away from the transport." Noticing an overhanging structure Rick used Strikers whip and cut it up thus it fell on the enemy SUITS. The SUITS jumped back avoiding the debris. "Ok lets move quick before it gets back up."

"Sorry Eileen, looks like I've still got some work to do. Ziltal, is there enough power to charge the mass negator to help Striker outrun the elite?"

<Negative. There is barely enough power to keep it on us. That, and it would have little effect. We would slow him down if anything.>

Leon started running back into the building and got back in the rafters where he wouldn't be spotted. "Can we one-shot the elite?"

<Not without taking out our allies.>

"And what if we protect them from the blast?"

<I don't like where this is going. If we act to contain the blast, we will suffice heavy damage. We're currently operating at 97% efficiency. We would drop to 65% in the best case scenario.>

"Arm the explosives." Leon ran across the rafters to above the speeding elite. "Does he know that we're here?"

<No. I advise you don't go with this course of action.>

Leon was in mid fall. "Too late." He timed it just right. Plasma claws were blazing. "Guess what mother fugger?"

"Get the hell off me!" The enemy SUITS yelled back at him, trying to pull him off.

"That won't work." He said, then over the neuro-com. "Guys, I've got him preoccupied. Run!"

"Oh no you don't." The elite tried smacking him into walls, then just chased after the others.

Ziltal ripped out a small chunk of the chestpiece. "Ar dex, sin, and pulsa." As Leon said each, the explosives came out. He placed the center piece in the chest, then grabbed on tight. "Causalties are my specialty" Leon started to cackle, then detonated the explosives.

The elite was pushed backwards in the ground, while Ziltal was sent flying backwards. Leon blacked out, and Ziltal landed on his chest. <Power levels: 13%. Outer layer: 87% destroyed. Second layer: 54% destroyed. Third layer: 24% damaged. Inner layer: Fully operational with 3% damage. Mass negator: Offline. Stealth: Offline. Leon? Are you even awake? *sigh* Initiating SOS protocol.> Over the neurocom, everyone heard Ziltal. <Leon is unconsious. Auto-updating HUD position. Requesting transport. Transferring demolitions commands to Beowulf. Demolitions activate on mark: dee three through twenty five.>

Striker slowly stood up. He also saw the elite getting up. "How can he still be alive after that." He then noticed the elite going to the pieces of his and the others SUITS and absorbing them. Healing itself. Rick quickly grabbed Zital. "BOSS NUKE IT NOW!" he then ran with Jack out of the warehouse