View source for Covering Our Assets (Eclipse)

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/01/30
|Location=Infinity University
|Synopsis=While a group of people are out fighting Walpurgisnacht, a group of Eclipse's mages have a different plan: putting themselves first.
|Cast of Characters=47, 5, 98
}}
Grey clouds roll in the skies above Mitakihara, swirling in angry spirals as lightning collects in the distance. Standing on the roof of the highest building in the Infinity University complex, there is a substantial number of people who did not evacuate. And a substantial number of people who seem unconcerned with the plight of others or fighting Walpurgisnacht. All of them, looking out at the storm.

A man in a lab coat stands at the front of them - a man, not a teen - With short white hair, and large rimmed glasses, one of them with an eye inscribed on them. When he speaks, all of the arrayed people listen closely. "Riventon-san, do you feel that power behind the storm? It looks like the information that girl sent out was correct."

Riventon, who is standing to the left and a step behind the Professor, with a few people between them, nods as his eyes are fixed on the distance, too. "Yes, Tomoe-senpai. It's nearly impossible to miss. Maybe the strongest thing I've ever felt, like that." Behind him, Fate Testaross and Helix nod.

"You think they got it handled?" a suspiciously tall man with a tail that ended in a spade shape, flicking nervously left to right, asked the assembled group.

"There's like two dozen there. If they don't, we can come in later and finish things off. But I think we ought to attend to our own priorities before we rush to help a bunch of so-called heroes." another man with a bald head, tattoos up both arms, and a rifle-like magical weapon said, gruffly. 

"Well, the lower departments say preparations are complete." comes a sing-song voice from a woman in a lab coat, with brown hair that rests messily around her shoulders and big circular glasses. "We're going to use the power of the Stacked Space engine to create a field of energy around all of our important holdings. That's going to be channeled through those crystals we set up."

"In Japanese, not ner..." the man with the tail begins before Professor Tomoe ever-so-slightly begins to turn his head. "... ahem. In terms those of us who don't work in the laboratories can understand." he adds, taking an unconscious step away from the Professor, until Tomoe's head turns to face the distance.

Another woman steps up, this one dressed in a black suit with a green tie - to match her long green hair that reaches down almost to her ankles. When she speaks, attentive watchers can see a forked tongue. "It's like a force field." she clarifies. She doesn't need to add 'you idiot' - that part's implicit in her voice.

"It's going to need to be channeled by these." comes a voice from behind the group. Some of the members turn - and of most of those that do, there's a quick implicit bow as the tall masked woman with the red and orange cloak arrives, with some of her lackeys who are carrying a massive case. They open it, and purple crystals within shimmer. "Take these to your designated places." And the group begins to disperse, each member of Eclipse taking a crystal. "They'll bleed off some of your own energy, but don't try to hold back. If what you're defending gets destroyed you're going to have an Employee Improvement Meeting with me." There's a visible shudder that most of the people lining up to take their crystal show when she threatens them.

Riventon turns to Fate and Helix. "They want me here to defend Infinity University with the bigwigs." he says, leaning down and putting a hand on a shoulder each. "I trust you two to handle UMBRA's labs, though." he says before giving them each a shoulder-squeeze, then they get into line.

Professor Tomoe doesn't turn to acknowledge Riventon, but he does add. "We need to keep a lot of power here. If the generator goes, the whole plan goes."

Across the city, as Walpurgisnacht's rampage begins, several buildings large and small - and the entire campus of Infinity University - begin to glow with a purple light - a powerful ward to shield off Walpurgisnacht's attacks. The heroes can deal with the monster - Eclipse will protect its own sizable investments. After all, what good is protecting a city if you've lost such power!