Birthday Surprise : Entry : LOG ENCRIPTION 137383739

Shrapnel ripped through the Sandcrab construct. Sharp hot metal tearing apart from the self destruct of the Gatling Drone detonation. The blast force so powerful that the nanite bond gives way and the metal shards meet flesh. Rex gasps as the fragments wound him in a half a dozen places tearing through his left side, arm and leg. The Heads Up Display accounting the damage as nanite assemblers quickly rebuild the Sandcrab armor's damage as if nothing had happened while the symbiot in Rex's parietal lobe block the pain. Not the surprise he was expecting on his birthday!
 
It all started with what seemed like such an easy mission. Ghost's trip to China had lead them to Lou Jian and in turn to Jasper Liu. Jasper was acting strangely, possibly under some kind of mental duress or force against his will. The alley way in Chine Town immediately seemed off when they arrived to see a ball of electricity floating just above the ground. The team as a whole arrived defensively, some flying out of view above, some invisible and others relying on pure speed and stealth.
 
The moment they arrived, as if expecting the New Champions members, three Gatlang Drones popped into existence and spooled up readying to fire. The team attacked. It seemed like the right thing to do. After all Gatling Drones? Duh, obviously must be destroyed. Destroid... That was next.
 
"Downloading instructions from Dr. Destroyer. Instructions acquired."
 
Sandcrab's spatial awareness had already mapped the surrounding buildings, occupants and located Jasper Liu, standing in his room on the third floor of the building at the end of the alley. Apparently the Destroid also had his location, as it ignored Rocket's attacks. Apparently out of phase from this dimension, it directly floated up into Jasper's room and stopped standing in the same space as him. Everyone must have thought the same thing .o0O(If Destroid becomes solid now Liu is dead!)
 
Rex's mind was clear thanks to the symbiot and now he had to act quickly. The team had vanquished the rest of the Drones. From the crater in the street Sandcrab leapt through the third floor window into Jasper Liu's apartment. It was stressful as he called out coordination to his teammates, "Hot potato." As he bled inside his suit his claws reached out, grabbing Liu. He pulled him across the room and out the window and let him drop! Trusting his team would save Liu.
 
XO stepped up to the plate, catching Liu and doing a quick hand off to Ghost, she whisked him away into the dark night sky. Destroid lamely attempted to persue, but was outmatched by Ghosts speed and was given new orders, "Acquiring updated information. New targets acquired."
 
Sandcrab thinks .o0O(If Destroid would have been solid I could have tagged him with a tracker. No birthday wishes today.)