Ponderously, the Awesome swung about as the fuel trucks detonated, engulfing the trio of pursuing 100-tonners in a massive fireball and shockwave that knocked the three Atlas' around like they were children's toys, instead of some of the deadliest war machines in the Inner Sphere. Slowly walking backwards through the hole created by Alroy's rather painful-looking bellyflop, Erich fired both his working PPCs into the conflagration, hot-cycling the weapons to fire several times instead of allowing a complete charge and cooldown cycle.<br/><br/>Between the inferno of the research facility being consumed by fire, explosions, and confusion, the electromagnetic discharge of the heavy energy weapons, and the sudden increase in darkness from clouds beginning to roil overhead, the sudden arrival of a rainstorm was a complete surprise, and rather pleasant, the cold water droplets pattering over the 'mechs and vehicles, sending puffs of steam rising as the downpour washed over the overheated 'Mechs as Erich slowly walked his 'mech backwards, dipping his machine's left arm to help Alroy's damaged 'Crab to stand back up. Opening his comms to a general frequency, he turned off his ECM. "Company, Brick. We have two Neutrals assisting us; Do Not, repeat, do not fire on the Raven coming up on my position, or the Orion halfway between the Research Centre and the forest."<br/><br/>Tapping on the secondary monitor, he growled and punched the screen, causing it to light up with a map of the mission 'area', overlaid with IFF pings from the Company's 'mechs. "Harlequin and Puma, hold position at the west edge of the forest, prepare to offer fire support to deter pursuit. Also, if any of those dune buggies show up again, squish them. Snake, you're closest, so check on the Spider and Locust; If the pilots are alive, try to get them out; if not, use that speed of yours to get to the Forest."<br/><br/>Turning his focus to the slowly petering-out battle as He continued to walk his 'mech backwards, the surviving heatsinks easily able to exceed the heat load from the 'mech only having two of its main weapons functional as He fired at anything on the map with a red ping, aiming less for damage and kills and more to deter pursuit. "Kismet, head to the Forest and Link up with Recon; your LRMs will be a lot more useful in the open than playing 'hide and chop' in what's left of the Research base. Newboy, detach from the Objective once he arrives in the forest, grab that Orion, I don't care how, and Bring him with you to my position; you're on rearguard duty. Alroy, wake up and get your 'mech's fat face out of the dirt; Looks like you want an Atlas to bend your Crab over a barrel and play 'jingle your bells', and you're already bent over."<br/><br/>Slowly, his 'Mech took its characteristic combat stance, feet planted, weapons armed, and arms opened slightly to keep the 'mech stable. An imposing sight even with the Awesome being more skeleton and myomer than armour, its right arm hanging loosely at the elbow, and crackling sparks and glowing cherenkov radiation oozing from the gaping wounds in the 'mech's chest, giving the Awesome an unholy, dark appearance in the pre-dawn gloom, only heightened by the cloud of steam settling around its knees and feet as rain ran over the Assault 'mech's body. "To the newcomers; Welcome to the party. Remember to kick Perkins in the balls for me, try not to get pounded by the reinforced Battalion we've kicked around, and fall back out of the city in good order; Raven, you're with me, Orion, once you're done splattering whatever's harassing you and the Marauder, Come on over. As for the Rommel tank, just don't step on it."<br/><br/>He toggled his comms back to its normal frequency instead of the open line, knowing that the risk was worth having some maskirovka goober listening in to the one commline that wasn't used by the military. Wincing, he pressed his hand back to the wound in his side, the bleeding having slowed to a wet trickle, even as the sick burning in his chest and side worsened, the coolant having infiltrated into his body, beginning to filter into the muscle and blood vessels nearest the wound, creating a horrible purple-red swelling as the foreign contaminant ate into his flesh like acid ate into metal.