“If it was a secret war with the mole people, I'm not sure I'd be able to face you out of pride.”<br/><br/>Two police cars and a van all roared up to the curb, lights flashing.<br/><br/>“My advice, seatbelts,” he murmured as cops started to pile out, “these guys drive like they're on fire.”<br/><br/>Sabine was loaded into the van by two cops.  One took the wheelchair (folding it up) and the other rather carefully handled lifting her into the seat and buckling her in.<br/><br/>And then the cops signed for the others to climb in.  At least the van was a proper one with seat belts and full seats, and not a paddy wagon.  The Captain got in the front with the driver.<br/><br/>“Hold on tight!” the lady cop at the wheel of the van said with way too much enthusiasm. The sirens started blaring as they speed away from the curb.  Anyone who didn't take the Captain's advice...well, they will be safe but they won't be bored!<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>One (relatively) short drive and a few security checkpoints later, they were all riding a freight elevator down at a speedy pace.<br/><br/>A Marine officer, a lieutenant, was briefing the Captain as they took the ride down.  “The unknown codenamed Hellhound is approaching the easternmost deployment point.”<br/><br/>“So soon?”<br/><br/>“Yes, Captain.”<br/><br/>“Conventional weapons having any effect?”<br/><br/>“It slows down to engage whatever's firing at it, whether it's a rifle or a missile, but I don't think they've even scratched its armor.” The Marine shook his head.  "It's almost like shots stop before they get close, sometimes."<br/><br/>“Right.  I hate to ask this of your men, but I need it delayed for another ten minutes.  If it gets across the Mon...shit...”  He grunted.<br/><br/>“Aye sir, we'll do what we have to.”<br/><br/>The elevator opened, and the Captain walked and talked as the Marine stepped off to the left instead of the right, “I'll be brief for the sake of your understanding and the safety of the people living outside of the urban areas in that monster's path.  We have four experimental mobile weapons that are ready to deploy to a place Hellhound's location.  I need the four of you to man those weapons and disable or destroy Hellhound before it gets across the Monongahela River.”<br/><br/>It was only a few short hallways before he led the pilots to a control room with a large monitor that was showing a massive wall lined with four giant...bipedal combat robots?  They were all hunched over with tall narrow tubes leading down to their backs from the top of the chamber, and each one had hoses and mechanical arms holding it in place.  The machinery involved here alone must be worth more than the tremendous city it's hiding underneath...<br/><br/>Each one was different.  One was kind of slender with an attachment on the shoulder that almost looked like another arm.   Another was a bulky looking monster with arms that almost looked like they belonged on a bodybuilder.  The other two, standing between them, almost looked 'normal' by comparison; not too bulky or skinny.  Of course, what they were could hardly be called 'normal'.  The human mind would probably have trouble grasping such things if they didn't change their definition of normal.<br/><br/>“Where's the Commander?” the Captain asked as he strides toward the center of the room.<br/><br/>“Left.  Ordered you to take command, sir,” a bald man sitting at a computer console declared.<br/><br/>“Very well.  Captain Edward Silvers takes command as ordered.” He turned back to the girls, suddenly speaking severely, “in the next room there are four sets of clips you should put on to your heads and four entry...pods.  They're labeled with your names.  You wanted a secret war, Rozaliya, and here it is, but this hound of hell will have to do in place of mole people.  If there are no important questions that need asked right now, I need you to get to that room and get into the pods, now!”<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">The next full post jumps ahead to EVA combat preparation; you should probably describe your EVAs more properly either in your next post or after EVA combat begins.  You will be deploying to what counts as an undeveloped area, so barring modifications you'll be deploying with eight Nerv Resources.</div></div>