RPG The Throwaways

[Lilt]

[color="#8B0000"]Esfir left the briefing room, glad to finally be free of that place. Holding her suit and her dossier had really driven home the fact that they were now superheros. It was a little hard to believe for her before, but there was no doubting it now. She hadn't paid much attention to the Big Five, but if the stories were true, they had to be stopped. Esfir didn't agree with Geist Industries' way of handling the situation, like Autumn. But then again, she and Autumn and all of the others might be all that could stand up to the Big Five now.

Esfir clutched her new uniform to her chest and decided to take a look at the dossier on her way to her room.[/color]

[center][img]http://i52.tinypic.com/n4cn7c.gif[/img][/center]

[color="#8B0000"]She couldn't make some of it out, since it seemed to be censored, but it was all the information on herself over the years. The date of her pilot's license awarded to her, the date of her plane flight, everything. However, the new information was what interested her the most. Apparently her code name was [b]Martian[/b] and a picture seemed to be attached of a failed or a possible future costume for herself. She wasn't sure which it was supposed to be. She would have to ask Cassandra Veidt about it later.

Her next surprise was her team position. It wasn't team leader, she wasn't surprised about that. She wasn't leader material. But the position she had received surprised her. She would have to talk to Welsh about it later and make sure it wasn't a mistake. Then it hit her. Welsh. Martian. Could he have given her the code name as an obvious pun on her Russian heritage? Mars was the 'red' planet after all. Esfir shook her head. It would be too silly. Besides, she was a part of Nation's Pride now. The last thing the public would want would be attention drawn to a 'commie' superhero. Esfir headed to her room to change, which she was glad to see it was close by to Autumn's room.

Zipping up the last zipper, Esfir set her dossier down in a safe place and walked out of the room in her new uniform. It was as light and easy to move around in as Welsh had said. She wanted to try it out but remembered she couldn't use her powers.

[b]"I hope they'll give us a chance to test out our powers together as a team before sending us on that first mission. Unless that is our training."[/b] Esfir said to herself, thinking out loud.

There was no point going to the gym anymore, she would have to go later. Then, a smell hit her nose and reminded her she was hungry. Soon, Esfir found herself in the kitchen.

[b]"Hey, this Martian is starving. Take me to your leader so I can get some food okay?"[/b] Esfir said, making a corny joke about her new nickname.

She then caught sight of a half naked Tyler and forgot all about her corny joke.

[b]"What's going on in here?"[/b] Esfir asked, raising an eyebrow.

She walked past Tyler and stood next to Cody who was busy cooking.

[b]"What are you making? It looks like a stew. Do you need any help?" She asked, looking for an apron.[/b][/color] Edited July 16, 2011 by Lilt

[DeLarge]

Slate stepped out of the meeting room, shaking a little as the adrenaline from his encounter with Welsh coursed through his veins. He liked to think he didn't scare easily, but something about Welsh terrified him.

He rested against the wall, taking a few deep breaths as various soldiers marched past, clad in heavy-looking armour and carrying futuristic-looking rifles, shooting him dirty looks as they passed. He tried to return them, but he was still shaky from the events that had just occurred in the meeting room, and they came off more as nervous than angry. Shaking his head, he took off down the corridor, eventually finding a door with his name on a removable plaque.

[i]I wonder how many other people have had their names on this door...[/i], he pondered, before pushing it open, revealing a minimally-decorated room, dark blue carpet and cream walls. He took a few steps in, saw the bed, armchair and desk, a fridge underneath the desk and a door set into the wall, presumably to the ensuite bathroom. It smelt like a hotel room, a mingling scent of cleaning products and the odours of the previous occupants, but Slate didn't mind; he'd stayed in enough cheap hotel rooms in his time, one more was no problem. He dropped the file and his uniform on the bed, and yanked open the fridge. There was a basic supply of milk, juice and some slabs of packaged meat, but most importantly a dozen bottles of ice-cold beer inside. He smiled and grabbed one, popping the cap off and taking a long drink.

[b]"At least they got one thing right,"[/b] he sighed as he pulled it away from his lips and placing the bottle down on the desk. He sat on the edge of the bed and flipped open the file, finding a bundle of pictures of him, sometimes doing nothing incriminating, sometimes using his ability. He threw them onto the desk, slightly unnerved by the amount of intel they had on him, and began reading the pages of hand-written notes about the early stages of his ability, and moving on to neatly-typed pages about possible future application of it, and the capabilities of his uniform.

[b]"Subject's uniform contains metal filaments which, when combined with his ability wll enable him to utilise above-normal physical strength and durability, and it is possible that in future Subject will be able to control his ability in order to levitate himself,"[/b] he read aloud, [b]"Levitation? They think I'll be able to fly?"[/b] He shook his head and took another swig of beer, before spying the shower in the bathroom and realising how much he needed one.

After possibly the longest shower of his life, Slate pulled open the wardrobe to find dozens of garments of exactly the kind he normally wore: long-sleeved shirts, some plain, some checked, tank-tops in black, grey and red, dark jeans and three pairs of boots.

[b]"Now this is just plain creepy,"[/b] he murmured as he grabbed a red tank-top, a pair of black jeans and one of the pairs of boots from the wardrobe and pulled them on.

Exactly the right sizes, he thought, Of course.

He looked at his uniform for a moment, before shaking his head and wandering out of the room, heading down the corridor.

He passed Addley's room and saw him sitting on his bed, reading through his files. He had to admit, even though it wasn't the best situation, he found himself liking Addley; he was headstrong and a little aggressive, but he seemed like his head was screwed on right.

A few minutes later the two of them were heading down the corridor towards the kitchen, where there was a significant amount of noise. Addley ran on ahead of Slate, who rolled his eyes and headed in behind him, only to be greeted by the sight of a half-naked Tyler, surrounded by a few of the others from the group. Cody was stirring something that smelt delicious in a large pot on the stove, accompanied by Autumn and another girl whose name Slate didn't know.

[b]"Hey, bossman!" [/b]shouted Tyler,[b] "Care to join us?"

"Bossman?"[/b] muttered Slate, shaking his head and moving over to the group gathered around the stove, [b]"I wondered how long it would be before you took your shirt off, Tyler."

"Actually, it's 'Vegas' now, apparently. We also have Phoenix, Flare, Night Terror, and over there by the stove are Echo, Critter and Martian. What hilarious names did you end up with?"

"I'm Warp,"[/b] said Addley, [b]"And the bossman over there is Magnus."

"Please stop calling me bossman,"[/b] sighed Slate, [b]"And Magnus is no better. My name's Slate, just call me that, at least when we're here."

"Fine, fine,"[/b] said Tyler, hopping off his chair, [b]"So what was it you stayed behind to talk to Welsh about?"

"Oh...nothing. Nothing,"[/b] Slate replied, before turning to Cody, [b]"That looks fantastic, Cody. I hope you've made enough for everybody, I'm starving."

"That beer probably won't help that," [/b]said the other girl, 'Martian', who continued after she saw the confused look on Slate's face, [b]"I'm Esfir, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Esfir,"[/b] replied Slate, putting the beer in his hand down, slightly guilty.

[b]"So, what about this situation we've gotten ourselves into, huh?"[/b] said Tyler, clearly someone who hated silence, [b]"Pretty strange, right?"

"Yeah, it's kinda weird,"[/b] replied Autumn, [b]"I mean, it makes sense that they'd use us. Plus, I guess once we're done, if they let us go then it'll be fine, right?"

"I'll be honest,"[/b] said Slate, [b]"I don't think it's going to be that easy."

"Come again?"[/b] asked Addley.

[b]"They've put a lot of effort into getting us here. Companies like this, they're all about money - I don't think they'd waste all the money they've put into getting us this far by just letting us go once we're done."

"You don't think they're going to let us go? They're gonna keep us here even after we've done what they needed us to?"

"I don't think they're going to keep us here either. I think that once we're done, they're going to kill us regardless. That way, no financial compensation which, for ten people, would add up to a lot of money, and no need to keep spending money to keep us here. They've already convinced our friends and families that we're national criminals, so there's nothing stopping them from just killing us. Unfortunately, as a group, we're pretty expendable."

"They're just going to...do away with us?"[/b] mumbled Autumn.

[b]"Honestly, we might as well just be called...I don't know...the Throwaways or something. We're definitely not a permanent fixture here,"[/b] said Slate, [b]"I'm sorry, but it's the only outcome I can see."

"Can we stop them?"[/b] asked Derek, [b]"Is there any way we can persuade them not to?"

"These people only understand one method of persuasion,"[/b] said Slate, [b]"So we just have to take our time, be careful, and we can do something. I'm not sure what yet, but we'll think of something."[/b]

By the time Slate had finished saying this, Cody had begun passing out bowls of hot beef stew, and the group began to eat in relative silence.

[i]That was kind of a downer[/i], thought Slate, savouring each mouthful of the stew, [i]But better they know what's going on now than when it actually happens...[/i]

---

The following morning, the group had assembled in the training area, clad in their uniforms and finally free of their power inhibitors, which had been removed by a weaselly-looking man in a white lab coat as they came in. There were, however, dozens of armed guards standing around the training area, and it had been made very clear that any attempt at escape or assault would end messily.

Slate, for one, was glad to be free of the power inhibitors. It comforted him to be able to feel magnetic fields again, and he was itching to get into training. Some of the others looked a little nervous, but a few were clearly in a similar state to him, happy to be fully-equipped with their abilities once more.

[b]"Welcome to the Training Room," [/b]boomed a disembodied voice, and a large holographic screen blinked into life in mid-air, a few feet above them and six feet or so in front of them, showing Welsh sitting in his leather reclining office chair at his desk,[b] "And your first team training session. You will be faced with various obstacles and threats, and you will be required to work as a team, and utilise your abilities to their fullest extents, in order to complete your training. I'd say good luck, but at least one of you really doesn't need it."[/b] The screen blinked out of existence, and the lights in the Training Room dimmed in anticipation of the training session.
[b]
"Here we go,"[/b] murmured Slate, flexing his muscles.

---

OOC: Alright, welcome to the first training session. You have pretty free reign in this section of the RP, feel free to use other characters in your posts as long as you do them justice, work as a team and remember; the Training Room knows how to improvise, so you will have to as well!

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[font="Garamond"]Autumn blinked nervously and reached to push up her glasses as per her usual habit before remembering that they had outfitted her with contact lenses as part of her whole ensemble. They said it would be safer but ironically she was feeling far less safe without them on. Her long dark hair was swept back into a loose pony tail, also 'for safety' but it just made Autumn feel worse without her hair to hide her face behind. As the lights dimmed, the floor below the group began to rumble.

"Don't hold back, everyone!" Shouted Slate as he lowered his stance expertly to combat the shaking and avoid from toppling over. Most of the group seemed to have a good handle on their physical capabilities. Suddenly random segments of the floor shot up dangerously, hitting the ceiling high above them with more than a little force. Autumn's voice felt caught in her throat as she struggled simply to stay on her feet.

"Look out!" Came a cry from behind her. Autumn looked back just in time to see Riona point towards the far wall, from which several large machine guns emerged. Slate was already tackling the first gun, with his hand raised he began pulling it from the wall with ease and disassembling it into its metal components before allowing the pieces to drop on the ground. Brawler remained unconcerned by the hail of bullets - calm, even, as he picked his way across the room in order to see what could be seen. The floor shook again, more violently now and Autumn was caught off guard, distracted by her teammates as they moved so surely.

"Ack!" She bailed face first onto the floor, just in time as her little area skyrocketed up towards the ceiling. She didn't even think about using her power, she simply shut her eyes and covered her head.

"Echo!" she heard a shout and suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist and just like that, she was back on the ground. She peeked through her fingers to see Addley's face looking down at her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, embarrassed at her obvious uselessness in the situation. "That was amazing," she added "I didn't know you could warp with more than one person." She smiled.

"Me either." He laughed.

"Duck!" Called Derek as he unleashed firey projectiles at the guns now popping out from other areas of the room. The lights may have dimmed, but it was more than enough for Flare to be able to work with. Addley patted Autumn on the back and warped away. In only moments, another gun rose from the spot where he had just been standing, a laser sight trained directly on Autumn's forehead. She didn't think for a second. She sharply inhaled and

"AAAHHH!" Her proximity to the machine gun blasted it into pieces. Autumn stood looking at the toppled over machine, catching her breath.

The floor had steadied itself now, there was no telling what the next onslaught would be like...[/font]

[Akieen Cloud]

[font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#000080"]Riona flipped and dodged as the guns made their marks on the floors and walls, holes smoking from the wasted bullets; she sighed as she checked her self over making sure she was still in one piece. Looking around she cursed and slammed her foot into the floor.
"Damn you people! How the **** am I supposed to be able to use my power with no flame?!"
A small invisible window high on the wall opened, Ri catching the small projectile that fell from the air, she smiled as she felt the familiar metal in her hand, the etchings calming her and the coolness of the fluid; all of it seemed to put her in a deep calm as she sighed.
"Now if only I had a cigarette."
Again a window opened and she caught the pack deftly with a large smile.
"That's more like it!"
Taking one from the pristine pack she lit the end and stuffed the pack into the front of her uniform for safe keeping as she inhaled the nicotine.
"Now, let's get to work!"
Flipping open the lighter once again she struck the flint and snapped her fingers, the flame coming to life on the wick of her lighter as well as in the palm of her hand, she looked at the flame, memorized as she usually was by her own power. Snapping the lighter shut she flipped in her free hand a few times looking up as Hood looked at it.
"Is that the symbol from that one game? Zeldo or what ever?"
"Zelda, Night Terror, Legend of Zelda, and yes it is."
He shrugged and looked around uneasy.
"Your not much of a fighter are you?"
"How can you tell?"
"You've had your back to some one else's to entire time we've been in here."
"Yeah, I can't physically harm anyone with my shadows."
"That's cool, I got your back magic man."
With that she closed her eyes and grit her teeth, the flame in her hand growing in strength, heat, and brightness til it illuminated most of the room, she sighed and wiped sweat from her brow with her free hand.
"Gets easier every time. Though I usually have an extinguisher on hand."
She gave Hood a wink and spun around, shoving him behind her, keeping his back to her's as the floor began to tremble once again, this time riot pumps came from the floor, she could smell the chlorinated water before she saw it, her hand shooting out in front of her the flame grew once again as it hit the strong jet of water head on, the room suddenly engulfed in steam.
"Brawler, Magnus, while you got steam to cover you, see if you can find these things and take them out?"
She could hear Slate on her left as he answered.
"Sounds like a good idea, how long can you keep that up?"
"A while, at least 5 minutes before I start to over heat."
"You over heat?"
"Minor detail!"
She heard the foot beats of them running through the steam, the metallic ripping of the pumps and felt the pressure of on her own flame dwindle into nothing as the pumps were disposed of quickly enough. The steam cleared slowly as they all gathered back into the middle of the room, Ri keeping a small, pilot light sized flame in her palm, making sure she was ready for what ever was next for these maniacs to throw at them. [/color][/font]

[Drizzt Do'urden]

Tyler was physically froze for the first part of the onslaught, the cracking of the machine guns while everybody else shouted and leapt into action, it was more than he could process right away.

[i]"Subject's suit creates a slight energy field that enchances the range of subjects powers by 3-5X's, subject still cannot consciously control his powers and therefore still must have visual knowledge of a target."

[/i]That was the first true indication that Tyler truley possessed something greated than he had thought previously. Bending over he picked up the barrel of the gun Slate had ripped off the wall and twisted it in his hand. Taking aim he launched the projectile with all his might at the awaiting wall, as he watched it struck the gun with enough force and in such a way that it jammed the clip, and in a moment the machine destroyed itself the sensor designed to cease fire apparently malfunctioned with the impact.

[b]"Holy **** now how is that for a..."[/b] Tyler trailed off because it seemed everybody else was engaged in team effort.

[b]"Figures...."[/b] Picking up another heavy pieceof shrapnel, this one more the size of a lead pipe Tyler charged the wall of guns. He smiled as the one he was rushing opened fire and the bullets whizzed by him. As he reached his target a gun he didn't see opened fire on him, the bullets striking his abdomen and sending him sprawling to the ground. The force of the rounds carried him several feet until he struck something solid.

[b]"No luck there 'Vegas'?"[/b] Looking up Tyler saw Carter, or 'Brawler', standing over him looking smug, at least until the rounds began striking him.

[b]"Not dying is great, but these heavy rounds make it slow going."[/b] He shielded himself as he rounds kept bouncing off him, moving him inch by inch away from them.

Raising to his feet he slid behind Carter, unable to stand a headshot like the larger man could.

[b]"I have an idea, follow me."[/b] Just as he said that a thing bank of steam covered everything, the sound of doors closing and reopening shot Tyler's plan down like one of those guns were bound to do him now. As they began firing wildly from their new positions.

Tyler tried concentrating on sound and listened to where he thought a couple were firing form.

[b]"Follow me," [/b]Leaping to his feet he could hear Ri call out to Slate and Carter. He'd have to thank her later for possibly killing him.

Rushing towards where he told himself there was at least one gun he heard it open fire,and heard the rounds whizzing by him and Carter behind him.

[b]"On 3 take the one firing at us to the right, you'll see it when we break through the steam."[/b] A quick three count and Tyler rolled to his left as Carter came from behind, smashing the gun with ease with his bare fists.

Tyler shot the man a thumbs up,and was met with a cold shoulder as the man turned and reentered the fray, leaving Tyler rolling to his feet to rejoin the group. The lead pipelike object his only offense, he sighed as he thought it made him seem a bit of a handicap when compared to the rest.

[i]"Least I learnedsomething aboutmy powers, there truely is a bit of luck envolved." [/i]He thought as he got to his feet, he pushed his powers a bit and learned sound is as good a trigger for his powers as sight was. He began wondering whath elsehecould do as he reenteredthe fighting himself.

[Lilt]

[color="#8B0000"]Esfir ran what she glanced over in her dossier in her head. Besides her reconnaissance position in the team, there weren't too many specific details in there that she didn't already know. She tried to remember what it said about her suit. Hopefully it was something that would help keep her alive. She had managed to dodge the floor from under her, but the bullets from the guns were giving her some trouble.

[i]"Subject: Martian. Suit will allow for quicker control over the subject's own gravity field and will possibly allow subject to..."[/i]

A bullet came to close to Esfir and she would have to save her recollections for later. She squatted down and kicked up, turning off her gravity as she did. The gun opened fire at her in mid-air and she returned her force of gravity back to normal. Doing this, she was able to imitate a moon jump to get around easier. This was pretty risky though, since she couldn't turn quickly and she soon found out how deadly this could be. A bullet hit into her stomach and she fell to the ground.

Grabbing her side expecting to feel blood, there was only pain. The suit had stopped the bullet. It was just a stray shot that had happened to hit her. The machine gun trained on the fallen Martian and would have killed her quickly if it hadn't exploded suddenly along with another close by. It seemed like Esfir had Autumn to thank for that.

Esfir tried to think of something to say to ease the tension, but she could only manage a [b]"Thank you, Autumn."[/b] when she caught her breath. Autumn reached out her hand to help Esfir off the ground, when Esfir suddenly had an idea. Before Autumn grabbed Esfir's hand, Esfir concentrated on using her power.

[i]"...increase the range of 'touch' needed to alter other objects' or persons' gravity. Along with a possibility to..."[/i]

[b]"Let's bounce."[/b] Esfir said, grabbing Autumn's hand.

Both Autumn and Esfir's feet lifted off the ground. Esfir returned her own gravity to herself quickly and kicked off once again. Steam was now covering the ground, so she thought it would be a good idea to get a better view. She had no idea yet what position Autumn would fill on the team, but her part to play was recon and she would try to see how well she could fill that role.

Esfir thought she heard Slate and Ri and headed toward them, taking another bounce with Autumn who was following what Esfir was doing and seemed to get the hang of it. However, as they got closer to Ri and Slate, something else came out of the floor and sprayed Esfir with a thick foam. She had just returned the force of gravity to both herself and Autumn but couldn't see to make the landing. The foam had only hit her, so she hoped that Autumn was okay. Esfir however crashed and rolled to the ground.

She couldn't remember the last line in the dossier about her powers, but she wished she had. She couldn't see anything thanks to that foam. Besides the machine guns, Esfir felt like she was fighting the fire department. First water, then foam, what was next, a loud siren?[/color]

[Shwa]

Derek managed to keep his back to the steel wall on the far side of the training grounds while the steam rose and filtered through the area thanks to Ri's fire adding to the water that spouted from the ground. During the slight fog, the boy could see Autumn and Esfir floating through the air to avoid gunfire and meet towards the others, but the closer they got a weird weapon firing foam launched itself towards the two, hitting Esfir directly as she fell to the ground. Without warning, smaller guns rose from the ground and looked around the training area, targeting anything with a heat signature with the laser sight mounted on top of its metal frame. Several turned towards Ri, as her assault on the water spout stopped, she still had a small flame source tucked in her palm, like before, the machines fired a steady stream of foam blasts towards the two. Quickly thinking, it was Hood who tackled his teammate to the ground as they rolled away from the barrage of foam blasts, from the looks of the power they came out, and the way they took down Esfir, those weapons weren't to be taken light heartedly. There was a strange mechanical noise coming from about Derek's head on the wall, looking up, he could still see one of the machine guns armed and ready for anything that came close, it must have not spotted Derek when the steam filled the training facility.

"We've had enough of bullets for today" raising his arms above his head, the boy shot out a white beam from both his hands that connected to the mounted machine gun, the light energy blasted through the solid metal, only a second passed before it exploded and shattered into pieces. Derek shielded his head as the metal shards flew down, thankfully they were only small pieces. Another sound startteled the boy as one of the foam blasters came right in front of him and armed itself. "Oh sh-" Derek dashed out of the way while the gun fired a round, hitting the steel wall where he once stool. At that close of a range, a small dent was left on the wall from the impact. More guns popped up from the floor and began to fire at will, Derek stayed close to the wall as he ran, jumped and ducked to avoid getting hit, like his team mates. In the distance, Vegas managed to get a hold of Esfir and help her to her feet as they both ran and dodged the foam attacks. Without looking, Derek ran into something small and heavy, knocking the two figures to the ground, shaking his head he noticed it was Cody, the animal changing teen. "Critter!"

"Derek! Or Flare...whichever, these things are everywhere" They both looked around, indeed, their walking grounds were now a active mine field of blasters and escalating floor panels. On the left of the two boys, Magnus could be seen crushing the barrels of the three blasters in front of him, bending and twisting their metal shells as they resisted and struggled to be set free. Once he was finished, the machines fired, only to have their foam fill up until they either exploded or over flooded. Magnus smiled at his work, but it was short lived as a random foam blaster came from behind and shot towards the boy, making a direct hit to his shoulder.

"Magnus!" Critter shouted, both he and Flare sprinted towards his direction to assist. Flare firing his energy beams at several blasters as they popped up, Critter changed suddenly into a cheetah to sprint faster past the field of weapons while Flare covered his hasty dash. Moments later, the animal changing teen lunged into the air and tackled the foam blaster that shot at Magnus, clawing and biting the metal casing until it froze in its place, lifeless. Changing back to his normal human form, Critter finally made it to Magnus and helped dust off the foam that stuck to his body.

"That looked painful" Magnus grunting slightly as he stood, another explosion came from the distance as Flare blasted the last foam cannon in their area before meeting up with the two boys.

"Trust me, it was" Magnus replied, Derek scanned the area through his visor, seeing Ri melt a couple of the foam blasters as Hood provided a distraction as he ran past a couple of them for their sights to target him. A shouting scream could be heard as Echo took down three in one shot, before a foam blast could hit her, Brawler scooped the girl into his arms as they both barrel rolled on the ground before facing the gun once again, echo sending and other sonic blast to the machine as it blew up from the sheer force she delivered. It seemed as if all of their ground enemies were destroyed, or had retreated for the moment. "Let's regroup" Magnus shouted, everyone met in the middle of the training grounds, catching their breaths and taking a small break.

"Well, this sure is one hell of a ******* work out" Riona panted, Hood patted her on the back as she in -hailed and ex-hailed with great force.

"You should probably cut down on the smokes for a bit" Carter commented as he placed Autumn back on the ground, wiping the sweat from the brow on his forehead, Autumn seemed to be shaken up a little, but doing fine for the time being. The girl bent over huffing more, only replying with a middle finger raised in the air to his reply.

"You alright there Esfir? I saw that foam hit ya hard" Derek rubbed the back of his neck to stretch out his muscles.

"The landing was the hardest ,but after the added more force to the foam blasters later, I'm glad the first one wasn't as bad" She smiled.

"We have to be on our toes, Geist isn't someone to be taken lightly." Slate flexed his hands as the tips of his fingers hit the palm of his glove, the shot from the foam blast surprised the boy that he didn't sense the danger coming sooner. "I'm sure this is just to see if we're keeping our guard up or not". Slate was right, silently, small panels behind the floor opened up, this time, Slate sensed the danger as he shouted. "GET DOWN!!!" Not everyone reacted as quickly, several metal coils shot up from the ground with lightning fast speed, grabbing Critter as the coil wrapped around his ankles and lifting his body in the air. Two other coils collided with Brawlers chest, sending the teen flying to the far side of the training facility as Vegas luckily missed getting hit by a coil that came from behind him. Magnus reacted quickly from getting grabbed, deploying a magnetic shield around his body as the metal coils wrapped around squeezing tighter and tighter to get to the teen, he added more energy to keep his shield up and working while Phoenix lit fire into her hands and blasted at the twisting and winding metal. Flare missed with several energy blasts before he was grabbed around the neck by a coil and lifted into the air yelling. Hood held onto echos hand as they did their best to dodge the attacking metal, Esfir floated in the air to avoid the striking claws at the ends of the coils. Flare struggled in the air until he had a clear shot, aiming his hand at the base of the coil and firing his white blast until the metal exploded at the base, falling high from the air and landing on his side on the metal ground.

"Someone get me down from here!!" Critter shouted as his body swayed in the air, the grasp around his ankles held tightly, Flare groaned as he rolled to his side, holding onto his shoulder as he hissed in pain. Looking up through his visor, the boy aimed his arm towards the coil and sot several times, missing at each attempt. Magnus finally pushed off the coils that surrounded his magnetic shield and looked around at the new threat facing the team, he was right not to underestimate Geist and his tactics.

[DeLarge]

The huge coils clanked to the ground as Magnus dropped them, the previously-aggressive machines now inert. He looked up, just in time, as one of the remaining cannons swivelled to face him and a few of the other members of the team, Flare and Echo amongst them, and flipped his hand up. The coils leapt up, snaking into position between the group and the cannon, blocking the barrage of bullets as the cannon fired, and with a second flick of his hand, Magnus sent the coils like twin serpents towards the cannon, tearing it from the ceiling and smashing it to the ground.

[b]"**** this,"[/b] snarled Magnus, and he clenched his fists in front of him, feeling the magnetic fields in the room, his ability to sense them somehow amplified by his new uniform. He felt the energies swirling around him, and he grabbed on to the field and pulled it towards him. He felt a field of magnetic energy gather around him, and he was vaguely able to see his team-mates staring in disbelief. The coils began to stir, as did much of the debris from the cannons, and once he felt the energy reach it's apex, he concentrated it outwards, sending an electro-magnetic pulse through the room.

Chaos.

Machines that were just starting up, about to attack them, failed, sparks exploding from them as they dropped to the floor. Similarly, all the lights in the room went out, and from the cry of shock that came from behind Magnus, so did Flare's new visor. He would have to apologise for that later.

As the emergency power began to kick in, the lights flickering back into life, Magnus dropped to one knee, unable to hold himself up through sheer exhaustion. He'd been able to generate an electro-magnetic pulse before, but only ever on a much smaller scale, knocking out cellphones at most. He'd never been able to knock out all the electronics in a room, let alone one this size, before. He felt vaguely aware of the people around him, his new team-mates checking to see if he was ok, technicians coming in to fix the electronics he'd disabled, and some kind of announcement over the training room's PA system, but it all felt as though it were underwater, or down a long tunnel, somehow distant and muffled. He could feel himself blacking out, but he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

---

He woke, opening his eyes slowly, to a harsh neon striplight and a young woman's face looking down at him. She was incredibly attractive, with pale skin and hair that was so red it was almost unnatural. Her green eyes flicked between Slate's two eyes, and she occasionally shone a light over them.

[b]"Good morning, sleepyhead,"[/b] she said with a smile that revealed perfectly straight, pearly-white teeth, [b]"That was some impressive display you put on back there."[/b]

[b]"Where am I?"[/b] asked Slate, forcing himself up into a seated position, before realising the answer to his own question - he was clearly in some kind of medical centre, and the redhead was obviously a doctor. He shook his head, and reconsidered his question.

[b]"I mean...how long was I out?"[/b] he asked, and she smiled, his train of thought perfectly obvious.

[b]"Just an hour. You pushed yourself to breaking point, you're lucky you didn't do yourself permanent damage,"[/b] she replied, [b]"But on the plus side, besides not knowing your own limits, you're pretty much a perfect physical specimen. Blood pressure's a little high, but whose isn't, right?"[/b] Slate nodded, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. He looked down and silently thanked whoever had brought him here for not dressing him in one of those ridiculous hospital gowns, instead simply removing the jacket of his uniform and placing it on a chair next to the gurney he was on.

[b]"Glad you managed to retain some dignity?"[/b] the doctor asked, seeing his reactions, [b]"Don't worry, nothing serious enough for them to risk ruining one of these fetching uniforms for."[/b]

Slate smiled, and held his hand out.

[b]"Jacob Slate,"[/b] he said, [b]"But I'm sure you already know that, right?"[/b] She laughed, a wonderful, hearty sound that exploded outwards, and shook his hand.

[b]"Elena Ambrose,"[/b] she replied, [b]"But I suppose, for posterity's sake, I should introduce myself as Dr. Ambrose."[/b]

[b]"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Elena Ambrose,"[/b] Slate replied with a smile. She seemed...different to the other personnel he'd encountered, and he wasn't sure whether it was the mild concussion he'd presumably suffered, but she had one of those faces he felt he could trust instantly.

[b]"Nice to see you've met the good doctor, Mr Slate,"[/b] said Welsh as he burst into the ward, [b]"The way you're going, you'll be seeing a lot more of her."[/b] Slate turned to face him, about to make a joke and try brushing him off, but when he locked eyes with Welsh, he saw something in them: an anger, a fury that he hadn't seen before, and every fibre of his being never wanted to see it again.

[b]"You pushed yourself too far in there, Slate,"[/b] he said, matter-of-factly, as he dismissed Dr. Ambrose with a wave of his hand, [b]"Maybe I overestimated your leadership qualities."[/b]

[b]"Whatever,"[/b] replied Slate, making sure not to meet Welsh's eyes again, [b]"You attacked us with everything you had, I responded in kind. If you put me in that situation again, I wouldn't do a single thing differently. Well, maybe I'd have given you the finger as I went down, but that's about it."[/b] He braced himself for the fury of Welsh's response, but instead of anger, he heard something entirely unexpected.

Laughter.

Welsh was laughing, his head thrown back.

[b]"Excellent!"[/b] he said, beaming, [b]"Those are exactly the qualities we chose you for - a willingness to push yourself to your limits and beyond, you made a choice you don't regret, and you don't give a **** about what I think. The perfect leader."[/b]

[b]"So glad you approve,"[/b] replied Slate, his words dripping with sarcasm.

[b]"Get yourself ready, you're on the plane to New York in half an hour. Don't let me down, Slate,"[/b] Welsh said with a smirk, then left the medical centre swiftly. Slate sighed and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, swinging it on as he went.

---

The plane was a military-style aircraft, with a large rear section where they all sat, strapped into their harnesses on two parallel benches, and definitely not comfortable. They were jostled as the plane trundled over the runway, and they were subjected to bone-rattling turbulence as they took off. Magnus twisted round and looked out of the window placed between himself and Vegas, intrigued to see some of the surroundings of the place they were essentially imprisoned.

But he was disappointed. They were clearly already too high to see anything, all he saw around him were clouds and blue sky. He sighed, until he saw the runway come back into view - it wasn't too far away, maybe a few hundred yards, and suddenly he saw the headquarters in all their glory.

They were imprisoned in a real, honest-to-goodness [i]skybase[/i].

[b]"What the..."[/b] he murmured, transfixed by the sight in front of him. He turned as the base dropped out of view, a few of the others in the same position as him, amazed by the discovery of their location, and sat, chewing the thoughts over in his head.

[i]The perfect surveillance station...[/i] he thought, [i]And the perfect prison. We've got no hope of escape unless we can get hold of transport, and that won't be easy. Looks like we're stuck, for the time being anyway...[/i]

He ran through more thoughts of a similar tone over the next twenty minutes, until he heard a crackly, distorted voice come over the tannoy, the voice of the pilot.

[b]"Reaching destination in three minutes, switching to stealth mode. Troops are advised to move towards the rear of the craft to disembark,"[/b] he said, smooth as any commercial airline pilot. The group began to unstrap themselves from their harnesses and move towards the back of the plane, where the floor began to lower. Slate stood at the opening, looking down at the dark concrete roof of a large building, just a few feet below them. He looked back at the team, resplendent in their bizarre uniforms, and nodded to them, receiving a number of nods back. He turned back to the opening and leapt out, dropping the three or four feet to the roof of the Federal Reserve Bank building, crouching as he landed. The others dropped around him, some losing their balance and pushing forward into combat rolls, others simply landing and continuing to walk.

[b]"Right, intel tells us that there are twelve Blanks inside the building, one on every other floor down to the vault, where there are three guys attempting to break it,"[/b] said Magnus, immediately taking on his newfound role with vigour, [b]"They've disabled all alarms, so chances are they won't have any idea we're coming, but they're also heavily armed, so exercise caution when engaging them. Martian, Critter and Night Terror, you need to accompany Warp down to the vault, where I need detailed reconaissance about the team down there, I'm talking weapons, equipment, how far they are through the vault door. If they are vulnerable and you see an opportunity, take them out. If you don't see one then report back to me and await further instructions. The rest of us will divide into teams - Flare and Vegas take the top floors, Phoenix and Brawler take the middle floors and Echo, you're with me on the bottom floors, including the lobby. Take out any hostiles and ensure the safety of any hostages. Keep in radio contact at all times, but exercise reasonable restraint, Vegas, I'm looking at you."[/b]

[b]"Yes, bossman!"[/b] replied Vegas with a mock salute.

[b]"And if anyone calls me 'bossman' again, I [i]will[/i] kill them. Now go,"[/b] he ordered, pointing towards the various entrances around the roof. The teams broke off, running in different directions, and Magnus approached Echo.

[b]"You ready?"[/b] he asked, and she replied with an anxious nod, [b]"Don't worry, we're not going to kill anybody. Not until we have to. Just stick with me and use those vocal chords on anyone with a gun, and we'll be just fine, ok?"[/b] She nodded again, and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. Then he took a deep breath and ventured into the dark stairwell of the building, Echo following close behind.

---

OOC: You all know what you're doing. All you need to know about the Blanks is that they're your bog-standard armed gang of bank robbers, and they all wear blank white masks over their faces, hence the name. Enjoy!

[Orcus]

[font="Garamond"][size="3"][b]"Ready team?" [/b]Addley muttered with a grin, extending his right hand to 'Critter', 'Night Terror' and 'Martian'. The three tentatively nodded and grabbed his hand. Addley took a deep breath and shook his limbs in an attempt to loosen up. Night Terror frowned and looked nervously at his teammates.

[b]"That's not very encouraging..." [/b]He mused, although his own nervousness subtly crept into his voice. Addley shot him a dirty look in response.

[b]"I'm just not used to transporting other people, let alone three people," [/b]he replied, cracking his neck and bouncing up and down. [b]"So I apologize in advance if any of you are missing limbs when we get down to the vault," [/b]he added with a light chuckle, though no one seemed too amused by his joke. Addley coughed and straightened himself out.

[b]"Uh, right then. Brace yourselves." [/b]Addley closed his eyes and concentrated, and suddenly the world around them lurched and spun and swirled in on itself abruptly, though only for a second. As soon as they reformed Addley opened his eyes, silently praying that he hadn't actually maimed his teammates. Luckily they had reformed in one piece. Unluckily, the trip had been a bit more than they had expected. Martian teetered back in forth, attempting to regain her balance, while Critter crouched down low and held his head. Night Terror exhaled sharply.

[b]"Well that was novel," [/b]he said as he stumbled back into a wall. Addley grinned and, satisfied with his work, took a look at their surroundings. Prior to leaving for the mission they had been given the blueprints of the bank, which Addley and his team had reviewed thoroughly. Addley had transported them directly into the vault hoping that the robbers hadn't gotten through the bank door prior to their arrival. His hunch had been correct, though he could hear the sound of the drill tunneling through the other side of the door. He took a second to overview the layout in his head. There was a back room to the right and a hallway in front of the vault that's other wall had bars lining the top half of it. This hallway connected to a hallway on the other side of it through a single doorway. This hallway led to an electric door that needed bank clearance to access, and behind that was the stairway to the first floor of the bank. Addley inhaled again and then turned to his team to discuss the situation.

[b]"Alright team, this is the run down. We know there are three Blanks on this floor, but an unknown amount of hostages. We have to assume there's at least one or two though, acting as leverage for the Blanks should the police manage to make their way down here. There is only one entrance to this floor, a stairwell at three o'clock from the vault entrance. Now this works to our advantage; at least one Blank is tending to the vault, another to the hostages, and the final one is most likely watching the stairs. They'll all be focused in one area," [/b]he said confidently. Martian smiled.

[b]"So we'll be able to surprise them from behind!" [/b]Critter, Night Terror and Addley all stifled a laugh despite the seriousness of the situation and the innocence in Martian's voice. She caught on a second later and blushed brightly. Addley extended his hand again, and she sheepishly took it, followed by Critter and Night Terror. They teleported again, this time into the back room of the same floor. From here, they could walk out into the hallway where the vault was roughly 25 feet to the left. Addley turned to his team again--who subsequently were fairing much better than they had on their first warp-- and gave them their instructions.

[b]"Night Terror, use your abilities to cover you and Martian. Martian, you and Night Terror travel along the ceiling of the hallway so you can gather info on the Blanks that we can relay to the others. If you think they're catching on to your presence, create an illusion to lead them to Critter and I. They'll probably only send one, and I think Critter and I can handle that. Go, and be careful." [/b]Night Terror nodded and grabbed a hold of Martian, and they both stepped into the corner of the room and became a massive shadow. Critter laughed.

[b]"Not exactly inconspicuous," [/b]he stated. The shadow transformed into a giant hand with it's middle finger up before shifting back to normal. It then rose up to the ceiling and slithered its way across. Addley smiled slightly. So long as they didn't cover any lights or breath to heavily, there was a good chance the two wouldn't be discovered. Critter turned to Addley quizzically.

[b]"So what do we do now, Warp? Just wait?" [/b]He stated, obviously anxious. Addley grinned nervously again and shrugged.

[b]"We wait till they get back... Then we improv."[/b][/size][/font] Edited July 30, 2011 by Vongola

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[font="Garamond"]The stairwell was pitch black as they made their way down the steps carefully. Echo had one hand on the railing and the other on Magnus' arm so that she would know if he stopped or crouched, rather than plowing into the back of him potentially putting them both at risk. It felt like they had been walking for ages, the constant cyclical motion of the stairs in the dark making them seem like they went on forever. It was the very real explosion of gunfire that quickly reminded Autumn of the job she had to do. Slate stopped, tensing up at the sounds, his mind fleetingly going to the possibility that the hostage situation had just taken a very bad turn for the worse and how that could potentially complicate their own job further. He shook it off though and crouched, waiting for Echo to do the same. They were at the main floor now, from what he could tell, the cracks of light filtering in from the heavy metal door directly in front of them. Slate crept forward towards the door, Echo following suit close behind. They both knelt next to the door frame and Slate turned to Echo in the dim lighting. They made eye-contact and nodded at one another.

A quiet voice crackled over the radio, it was Addley checking in with them. "Hope you guys have made it okay so far... We've begun taking the Blanks out on our floor by splitting them up. Night Terror and Martian will be forcing at least one our way and we'll go from there. Over."

"Roger that, Warp. Be cautious." Magnus replied in almost a whisper back over the walkie radio.

"You too, Boss. Over and out." Came the reply. Magnus could just hear the smirk on Warp's face.

"Ah, dammit, Warp..." Magnus rolled his eyes before looking over at Echo again. "Ready?" He whispered.

"I think so..." She mumbled, biting her lip nervously.

"Good enough. Let's go."

The push bar almost seemed like the loudest sound in the world, compared to the quiet of the staircase, and the light was blinding for a minute. Magnus went first after sticking his head out and noting that at least in the immediate vicinity, there were no Blanks. He put his back to the marble wall and on their right and edged along until he was standing at the main opening. Just around the corner was the lobby, which had many pillars and was an extremely open space. Echo wrung her hands anxiously as he peered around this next corner. There was some shouting, but no shots were fired. He looked back at her and motioned with two fingers for her to come over to him.

She edged her way over now and once she was next to him he put up a hand. Four fingers up. 'Four' Blanks, he was telling her. She couldn't be sure but she thought he was trying to explain that they were at the back of the lobby, which made sense. They'd want to be away from these huge windows at the front so they could take cover if the cops tried to shoot them out and take them by surprise. She nodded. He gestured to the opposite side. She understood. He wanted them to approach from the left and right. Echo nodded again. Magnus peered around the corner again and then immediately sprinted over to the other side. They made eye contact one more time before Magnus crouched low and entered the main lobby under the cover of the nearest pillar. She watched him weave his way down slowly, taking full advantage of the altercation these thugs were clearly embroiled in. Echo gulped nervously, deciding she should probably follow suit. The closer she was in proximity to him, the more likely he would help her if she was in a jam, anyway.

Echo was for once pleased with her height, her shortness actually a benefit in this situation, making her a very small target. She crouched low and peeked out before furiously booking it over to the first pillar. When there was no reaction, she scrambled over to the next pillar, the high ceiling of the lobby made the heated debate now audible to Echo, even from her position.

"We can't kill the hostages, Frank, are you stupid? That is signing our own death sentence."

"Look, all I'm saying is, they've heard our voices. People've been convicted for less than that. Why take the risk? We can kill everyone here and save one for insurance until the cops assure us our passage. Then, we kill that one too."

"We're bank robbers, not murderers."

"Very thin line between the two, I assure you."

She moved again to hide behind a desk, further in and to the right. She knelt for a second, one arm hugging her knees as she tried to stop her heart from racing. She was having difficulty hearing what was going on in the rest of the room now, her pounding heart filling her ears. Echo let her head rise up a little to glimpse over the top of the desk when she was greeted with a white mask.

"What the hell...?" The Blank looked at her, very confused.

"What is it?" Came the call from another.

"I think we forgot a hostage... C'mere, little girl." He raised the barrel of his weapon as if to gesture for her to come with him. Echo's eyes widened in fear and she froze. "Hey kid, come on now. We won't hurt you.. Why are you wearing that weird outfit?" Deep breath in. And, scream.

The closest Blank was immediately knocked unconscious by the scream, a trickle of blood spilling out from his ears. Some nearby glass was now shattered and the Blanks that remained standing covered their ears, wincing. As they recovered from the sound they looked over at her.

"What the **** was that? You mind tellin' us who you are?" Autumn froze up as the three men raised their guns now, barrels pointing directly at her. It didn't matter though, before any of them had the chance to pull the trigger, Magnus used his power and pulled the three large guns out of their grasp and crumpled them up as if they were paper. They were looking even more confused now as what was left of the guns came clattering to the ground. Magnus came flying out from his cover and sucker punched the nearest one in the face.[/font]

[Gavin]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"][indent]Pushing his slipping glasses back up to the bridge of his nose, the young man carefully studied the data and video feed from the training session. A faint smile crept across his lips as he watched them overcome each of the challenges, it was a rough victory certainly, but for their first major trial as a team, especially one with such diverse powers they had done well. The smile faded as the feed from the cameras in the room went dead, the result of Slateâ??s use of an electromagnetic pulse to disable the remaining threats to his team.

Internally Michael disagreed with Mr. Welshâ??s decision to use such a complex and dangerous first training scenario, had anything gone wrong, indeed had Slate not been willing to push himself dangerous close to his physical limitations, the results mightâ??ve been outright disastrous. Removing his once again slipping glasses he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as an unpleasant memory attempted to force its way back up to the surface.

Tea. He needed tea. Strong, hot, sugary tea. Rising from his desk he left his glasses where they were, he could see well enough without them to make a trip to the vending machine in the corridor between the science offices. He gulped down the first mouthful, grimacing at the heat but thankful for the taste of the liquid. He felt a hunger headache press against the side of his head, and glancing at his watch he realised it had been almost four hours since his last meal.

He felt her coming up behind him of course, it was practically impossible to actually sneak up on Michael given his powers, but for the sake of camaraderie he pretended not to notice as she jabbed her fingers into his side attempting to give him a start.

[b]â??Boo!â?[/b]

He allowed a ripple of false surprise to pass through his body, careful to keep the hot liquid in his cup suppressed so it did not fly everywhere with his jolt. He turned, keeping his face a mixture of surprise and frustration as he turned to the would-be prankster. She was grinning, her green eyes alight with mischief.

[b]â??Iâ??ve asked you not to do that Elena, one of these days Iâ??m going to get a nasty scald.â? [/b]

Her grin faded into a pout, then once again morphed into something resembling a sinister smile.

[b]â??Perhaps I want that to happen Dr McKnight, so I can finally have you in my clutches.â?[/b]

He smiled genially and moved closer.
[b]
â??Iâ??ve heard your clutches are not such a bad place to be.â?

â??Sources vary on that.â?[/b]

He leaned in, closer again, the distance between their faces measured in a handful of centimetres.

[b]â??Maybe I should find out for myself.â?

â??Perhaps you should.â?[/b]

And then his careful façade broke and they were both laughing. It was simply their strange way. They would flirt endlessly with one another, daring the other to keep going in a romantic game of chicken knowing that no matter how close they came, nothing would ever come of it. They were friends, good friends, in this place perhaps even best friends and that was all.

Michael stepped back, allowing her access to the vending machine and renewing his consumption of his own beverage. Coffee, black, no sugar. He had no idea how she drank the vile brew but judging by the number of cups of it she went through a day, and the fact so far as he could tell she was never tired, there must have been some merit to it.

[b]â??I was just on my way to the canteen, you want to join me?â?[/b]

She pursed her lips together; the tell-tale sign Elena was considering something, before nodding twice and taking another sip of her coffee.

[b]â??Sure, I canâ??t even remember when I ate last. Things have been so hectic since the new team.â?[/b]

The corridors in the medical and science wing were all white, pristine, sterile and utterly labyrinthine if you were unfamiliar with them, Michael and Elena could probably navigate them blinded now theyâ??d been on the base so long. The canteen, or mess, or food dispensary, or whatever each of the different staff segments called it was a large open plan space broken by a mixture of tables, chairs, sofas and the occasional elevated area. The exterior wall was effectively a giant glass panel surface, enabling the diners to have something resembling a view while they ate. It was a comfortable space, a sign that Geist actually did recognise their employees worked better in pleasant conditions.

Food was always available, staff generally did not have set repasts, eating when they found the opportunity to or felt like. You could order pretty much whatever you liked within reason and it would be accommodated, though a daily menu was on offer for those who felt like picking from it. Despite his lean frame Michael was prone to eating large quantities of food, his plate was already stacked with a mixture of two sandwiches and a collection of side salads, added to that his customary large fries and strawberry milk shake and he probably have room for a desert or two. Elena was limiting herself to a single light salad and a bowl of soup. His stomach grumbled looking at it, wondering how she could be filled on so little.

Finding a table near the window he greedily stuffed a sandwich quarter into his mouth and chewed with a mixture of contentment and gratitude, watching the clouds passing by. His pleasant mood was spoiled as the flat edge of her knife struck him across the knuckles.

[b]â??I saw you eyeballing my salad, hands off.â?[/b]

Mouth-full he could only protest his innocence in a handful of loud mumbles.

[b]â??Yes you were, while we were queuing I distinctly noted you looking at my salad.â?[/b]

Swallowing he began massaging his knuckles with his unhurt hand before responding.
[b]
â??I was not. Yes, I looked at your food but I was simply wondering how you can get by eating just that.â?[/b]

She quirked an eyebrow.

[b]â??Yes, I know, we have higher than normal metabolisms and therefore appetites and calorie requirements due to our distinct genetic nature. Still, you canâ??t remember when you last ate and all youâ??re having is something Iâ??d consider a prelude to a snack.â?[/b]

He crossed his arms and shook his head in mild perturbation.

[b]â??You normies are a strange lot.â?[/b]

The knife flashed out again, this time striking his wrist.

[b]â??Ouch! Would you stop doing that?!â?[/b]

Her grin was practically predatory.

[b]â??Not if youâ??re going to call me something as insensitive as [i]normie[/i].â?[/b]

[b]â??Pfft.â?[/b] He point to himself. [b]â??Superhuman.â?[/b] Then to her. [b]â??Normie, deal with it.â?[/b]

Grabbing another sandwich he attempted to chew nonchalauntly, as the expression on her face darkned.

[b]â??Of course in your case Iâ??m will to consider you a [i]supernormie[/i].â?[/b]

She stuck her tongue out at him, drawing a chuckle and the two returned to their meal.

Despite the large quantity difference the pair finished at roughly the same time, Michael satisfiedly rubbing his stomach. He leaning in, noting there was practically nobody else in the canteen before opening his mouth.

[b]â??So whatâ??s your assessment of the team?â?[/b]

Elena paused, noting the serious expression on his face, before responding.

[b]â??Medically theyâ??re fine, all of them in good health that with the right training and dietary regiment can be pushed to peak physical conditioning, which theyâ??re absolutely going to have to be in order to succeed in the mission. Jacob Slate practically gave himself an aneurysm during the exercise today, he strike me as the type who believes limits are made to be broken. Other than that, theyâ??re what we expected.â? [/b]

Michael nodded quietly. He could trust Elena to give him a truthful evaluation. Working with feeds and data reports, along with tissue samples could only tell him so much. If experience had taught him anything, psychology was always the make or break point.

[b]â??Why did you ask?â?[/b]

He shook his head.

[b]â??No real reason, your opinion gives me a more complete collection of data to evaluate the team from. Hopefully when they gets back from their current mission Iâ??ll have a chance to personally assess them.â?

â??DR. MCKNIGHT, PLEASE REPORT TO MR. WELSHâ??S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY. DR. MCKNIGHT TO MR. WELSHâ??S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.â?
[/b]
The PA system announcement interrupted any further conversation between the pair.
[b]
â??I guess Iâ??d better get going. Iâ??ll talk to you later Elena.â?

â??Later Michael.â?[/b]

Whatever this was, it probably wasnâ??t going to be good.
[/indent][/size][/font]

[DeLarge]

The Blank Magnus had just punched flew four or five feet across the lobby, landed hard and skidded even further. Magnus recoiled in shock, staring at his clenched fist - he knew he hadn't thrown the punch with much more force than usual, but the uniform must have seriously amplified his physical strength to allow him to do that.

The second Blank took the shock as an opportunity to rush him. This one had a large Bowie knife in his hand, and he looked like he knew how to use it. Magnus only just managed to back out of the way as the knife sliced the air where his stomach had been just a second ago, but the Blank was quick and changed his movement into a stabbing motion, the blade of the knife grazing Magnus' uniform as he dodged again.

[b]"Get away from him!"[/b] came a surprisingly strident voice, and the Blank turned to see Echo, her chest puffed out, just as she let out a powerful scream. Magnus had to block his ears to stop his eardrums from rupturing, but the Blank wasn't so quick - Magnus saw spots of blood appear on his mask, right where his ears should have been, and as he screamed and reached up to grab them, he was hurled across the lobby, smashing through one of the teller windows and slamming into the wall. He hit the floor with a thud, and Magnus knew he would be unconscious.

[b]"You stupid little *****!"[/b] the third Blank yelled, rushing towards Echo. Magnus managed to turn, his ears still ringing, and thrust a hand out. Echo skidded a few feet backwards without moving her own body at all, and the Blank hit the ground hard, skidding a few feet across the polished stone.

[b]"How did you do that?"[/b] asked Echo.

[b]"I guess Geist put metal filaments in your uniform too. Close one,"[/b] he said with a broad smile, just as he felt a rush of heat fly past the back of his head. He ducked and turned in one swift motion, and saw that the first Blank, the one Echo had put down with her first sonic boom, was on his feet, his hand outstretched. Magnus could smell the air, and it crackled with energy. It took him a second to realise, but as the Blank pulled his hand back, this time aiming towards Echo, he understood, and leapt towards Echo, tackling her to the floor as a bolt of white-hot lightning crackled through the space they had occupied just a split second ago.

[b]"He's a super,"[/b] gasped Magnus, getting to his knees after a quick check to make sure Echo wasn't hurt, [b]"The leader's a ******* super..."[/b]

He stood up to face the leader, who now had his hands by his sides, although Magnus could see the electricity coursing around his fingertips.

[b]"You finally worked it out, huh?"[/b] snarled the white-masked man, [b]"You seem pretty good with your ability, but you're just a kid. You lack focus, and you haven't worked out what these abilities mean yet."

"Oh yeah?"[/b] replied Magnus, [b]"And what's that?"[/b] The Blank reached up and pulled his mask off, revealing a grizzled, darkly-tanned face, belonging to a man in his mid-forties, a mane of scruffy brown hair hanging around his face, and a pair of electric-blue eyes nestled in the deep folds of his face.

[b]"That we're unstoppable,"[/b] he replied, [b]"We're better than human beings, and there's nothing they can do to stop us."[/b]

Magnus took a step forwards, his hands behind his back. Feeling the magnetic field in the room, he felt for any metal lying around on the floor, and eventually latching on to the precise piece he needed.

[b]"We're the next stage of evolution, man,"[/b] the Blank said, raising his hand and letting the electricity crackle around his fingers, [b]"We're gods."

"Well, you might be right about that,"[/b] replied Magnus, [b]"But you sort of forgot one thing."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"'Gods' don't stand around bragging, giving their opponents time to do something like this."[/b] He flicked his hand toward the man, and the Bowie knife that the Blank had dropped earlier flew through the air and slammed into the leader's neck. He dropped to the floor, a cascade of blood pouring down his front. Magnus took a few steps towards the leader, knelt down over him as he gasped through ragged breaths and mouthfuls of blood and looked into his eyes.

[b]"You were right,"[/b] he whispered coldly, [b]"We are the next stage of evolution. But using that power to rob banks and get rich? You're a selfish moron, and you deserve to die."[/b] He stood up, seeing the fear in the man's eyes, and with another flick of his hand, the knife twisted in his neck, and the man let out his final, gasping breath. Magnus, shook his head, before going over to Echo, who had just managed to get back up to her knees. He dropped to his, and put his arm around her.

[b]"Everything ok?"[/b] he asked.

[b]"You...you killed him?"[/b] she stammered.

[b]"I had to. He would have killed both of us if I'd given him the chance. But I'm sorry I had to do it in front of you,"[/b] he replied, squeezing her shoulder. She nodded slowly, and rested her head on his shoulder, a few tears dropping from her eyes onto his jacket. He held this position for a couple of minutes, feeling her deep breathing, and then began to stand up.

[b]"Come on,"[/b] he said, [b]"We should find the hostages and then see if any of the others need any help."[/b] She nodded and he helped her up, guiding her away from the leader's body and towards the back rooms where the hostages were. Edited July 31, 2011 by DeLarge

[Drizzt Do'urden]

Tyler gently pressed the door to the top floor open gently to avoid being heard, [b]"So tell me again why I have to be the one to go first?"[/b] he whispered to derek.

[b]"Because if you're seen you probably won't get shot,"[/b] Derek replied in an equal whisper, Tyler couldn't figure out for sure if the man was serious or joking, either way Tyler had trouble putting his full confidence in his power.

The two slowly made their way down the hallway, Tyler on one side Derek on the other. Checking each room of the upper floor for hostages or any stragglers trying to hide and wait out the storm of thugs.

[b]"Vegas, come check this out."[/b] Looking over his shoulder, Tyler saw Derek with his face pressed to a partially cracked doorway. Unlike the other rooms on this floor he could see light trickeling out.

Tyler made his way slowly and quietly to the door and peered in. Inside he saw a group of people with their limbs tide on the floor, and a man with a blank mask pacing back and forth peering out the windows for signs of law enforcement. He grimmaced when the man kicked a woman who tensed up as he drew close, "I'm not going to kill you *****, but if you don't start acting right I just may kill one of the others. If you don't want that on your consciounce I suggest you shut it." For good measure the man kicked her a second time.

[b]"Why can't it ever be fun when someone tells you to look at something. Its never, oh hey come check out these hot woman having a pillowfight."[/b] Vegas immediately regretted his comment as the blank turned around quickly at the sound of the whisper.

[b]"Can you seriously not be quiet for 5 minutes?" [/b]Derek growled under his breath as the two drew back.

[b]"No harm done Flare, just pop the door open and blast him. I don't mind playing the sidekick in this dynamic duo's first mission."[/b] Tyler's quip apparently missed home as Derek shook his head.

[b]"No comment, and besides the lights are off so there's no guarantee I'll be able to absorb enough from this room to be very reliable."

[/b]Tyler kicked himself for not thinking about Derek's need for light, [b]"Okay plan B then, follow me,"[/b] checking to make sure the man wrote them off as nothing and returned to his view of the city, Tyler gently pushed the door open and duck walked into the room.

A sudden scream radiating through the vents turned the blank's head quicker than Tyler could react. The man quickly turned, and seeing Derek and Tyler raised his firearm and fired without hesitation.

The face the man made as he stared at his firearm was one for the books, Tyler thought, as the smoking bullet hole lay a few inches from his head. [b]"Your weapons are useless, take us to your leader,"[/b] Tyler joked, immitating his best space alien voice, the perp raised his weapon again and fired with the same result.

[b]"Who the **** are you?" [/b]The man asked, pointing his weapon at a hostage to protect himself.

[b]"We are the dynamic duo, I'm Vegas. Pretty much just a bullet shield, and this is Flare. Why don't you put the gun down before he..." [/b]A blast of white light shot past Tyler's periphreal and slamed into the man sending him crashing into the wall, just inches from the window that would've led to a death fall.

[b]"Boy, he must be as lucky as I am. Why'd you go and do that for? He may have dropped the gun."

"I was actually trying to save him, and the rest of us, from having to listen to you talk anymore."[/b] Again, Tyler couldn't tell if Derek was joking or being serious with him.

As the two began untieing hostages, they heard a slight squeal from one of the woman. The man had rose back to his feet, his face slightly burned from Derek's held back attack, with an automatic weapon this time pointed at the woman's head.

[b]"Why on earth didn't you try that weapon out first? You may have killed me with that. Not trying to tell you how to do your job or anything."[/b] As he talked Tyler reached over to the table that held the .45 the man had first been using.

Grabbing the weapon he leveled it at the man, there was only at best a half an inch of exposed flesh but it would have to be enough.

[b]"Drop it super, and don't you even think about trying that little attack again, if I even see a slight glow I'll end her."[/b] The cold barrel pressed harder into the woman's neck making her soft sobs as loud as Echo. Tyler then realized the man was only addressing Derek, he apparently wrote Tyler off as the lesser of the two threats.

Tyler's hand felt cold and clamy as he pulled the hammer back, he could see it in the man's eyes. He was either going to shoot the girl, shoot Derek, or just start spraying bullets and possibly kill them all. He concentrated on his target and pulled the trigger, the bullet erupted from the chamber forcing him to pull to the right off his target.

[i]"Damn,"[/i] Tyler thought, thinking he missed for sure. Instead of inbeding itself in the wall, the bullet changed trajectory midflight and slammed into the man's temple sending him reeling backwards and onto the ground, only a trickle of blood seaping from the wound.

Starring at the barrel and looking up at Derek who was looking at him. Tyler dropped the gun and starred at his hands, he'd avoided being captured and/or murdered by men like the blank all his life but he never tried to really kill anyone. He felt a tear well up as he went to the man and began undoing his belt holster he had for that .45.

With the weapon strapped on Tyler helped Derek free the last of the hostages, he knew that blank was the first of many men he would likely have to kill from here on out. He also decided at that moment he felt useful, as though he could truley be an asset to the team. Afterall, who couldn't use a sniper who couldn't miss his target...even if he couldn't figure out exactally how he did it.

[Ellerby]

[color="#696969"][font="Tahoma"]Cody and Addley remained in the back room of the basement floor, awaiting the return of the reconnaissance duo of Martian and Night Terror. Addley sat near the corner of the room, his arms resting on his knees and his head tilted back against the wall in deep thought while Cody stood near the door of the back room, glancing out the window every few moments to be sure nobody was coming. After about 3 minutes of silent waiting, Cody let out a sigh.

[b]"How long is this going to take? I want to do something!"[/b] he said, turning to look at Addley. The slightly taller boy opened his eyes and gave Cody a friendly smirk.

[b]"Patience, Critter. Enjoy the rest while you can."[/b] truer words were never spoken and yet Cody was not convinced.

[b]"The thing about rest is... you have to have done something [i]active[/i] to [i]need[/i] the rest."[/b] Cody huffed and stood next to where Warp sat. He slid his back down the wall, slowly sitting down in the same position as his partner.

[b]"I've done nothing so far.[/b]" Cody muttered. Addley placed a comforting hand on Codys shoulder and gripped it tightly.

[b]"Be glad you haven't had to yet."[/b] he said. This comforted Cody, but not as much as he hoped. He still wanted to be useful. Just then, Night Terrors voice rang through the radio.

[b]"Warp, we've managed to elude the stairwell Blank, but the second one caught on to us so I had to send him your way. He may even be coming [i]with[/i] the stairwell Blank. Still no signs of any hostages. Requesting radio silence."[/b] the radio clicked off and Addley murmured a faint "roger" without actually clicking the talk button. He turned to Cody, whose face looked eager to fight.

[b]"Well, now's your time to shine. If there's two of them, I'll take the one furthest away while you get the closer one. If there's just one, I'll leave it to you."[/b] Addley ordered. Cody nodded understandingly and glanced out the window of the door. Sure enough at the end of the hallway he saw a Blank turn the corner, walking briskly down the hallway following a shadowy figure along the floor. Cody quickly ducked his head away from the window, hoping he wasn't seen. He mouthed the words [i]just one[/i] to Warp as well as signaling 1 with his left hand.

Night Terror's shadow apparition seeped under the crack of the back room door and vanished into the darkness of the room. The knob of the door began to jiggle as the Blank attempted to get in. To his surprise, the door was locked.

Cody began to shrink down in size, his uniform shrinking with him. He slowly took the form of a small tarantula, creeping even Addley out. Addley swore Spider-form Critter winked at him and watched as the tiny superhuman crawled underneath the locked door.

Reappearing on the other side of the door, the Blank took no notice of the spider, his attention focused on getting the lock undone. He seemed to be attempting to pick it now but Critter knew it wouldn't be long before the man got fed up and just shot the lock off. Instead of going with his original plan of poisoning the poor fool, Critter skittered between the legs of the man so that he was behind him and changed form again. He'd never attempted changing form straight from one animal into another without first turning human, but somehow his new suit made him feel like he could do it. Not to mention he wouldn't be naked from shape shifting anymore, which was always a plus.

His tarantula form stood on its hind legs, beginning to grow larger. Slowly the extra legs sucked back into his body as the remaining four changed into large hairy gorilla limbs. Halfway through the transformation, Critter was the most disturbing cross between a tarantula and a monkey but within seconds he was a true silver back gorilla. The low rumbling growl of his new gorilla body alarmed the Blank in front of him, who slowly turned his head to look behind him. Before he could even tell what the monster was, Critter grabbed the Blanks face with his enormous gorilla hand and lifted him into the air. The Blank grabbed and scraped at the hairy black primates arms but it was to no avail. He struggled to free himself, his legs flailing in the air like a fish that'd just been caught.

Critter faced away from the back room and -with just one arm- pitched the man down the hallway with all of his might. He was shocked to see the man did not touch the ground of the hallway and slide along the floor like he'd intended. Instead the man flew the full length of the hall through the air and head first into the back concrete wall, killing him instantly.

Gorilla-form Critter dropped to his knees, staring at the bloody mess at the end of the hallway in disbelief. As his knees touched the ground, he was already back in human form and tears welled up in his eyes, but not falling down his cheeks.

Addley quietly opened the door to the back room and stood behind Cody.

[b]"I didn't mean to kill him... I only wanted to toss him back a few feet!"[/b] Cody stood to his feet, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. [b]"I didn't mean to..."[/b]

Addley shook Codys shoulder gently to get him to look him in the eye and told him something that would stick with Cody for the rest of his life.

[b]"He would have killed you without hesitation."[/b] he said. [b]"Don't feel bad."[/b] Cody nodded slowly and walked back into the back room, followed by Addley who closed the door behind them.[/font][/color]

[Akieen Cloud]

[font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#000080"]Ri cursed as she struck her lighter over and over, the unlit cigarette bobbing between her lips as she whispered.
"C'mon baby, c'mon, light for momma..."
She glared over at Carter as he spoke.
"Kinda useless without that thing aren't you?"
"Shut up."
Striking the lighter again she grinned as the flame crept higher lighting the dark stair case dimly, she extended her hand watching as some of the flame lept from the lighter and into her hand, she sighed as warmth spread through her hand. She looked up nodding at Carter and slowly walked in front of him illuminating their path, gritting her teeth around the cigarette as Carter sang softly behind her.
"...Than all the reindeer loved him..."
She looked over her shoulder to see him smirking slightly.
"I understand you can't die, but I'm sure you feel pain."
He held up his hands, his smirk growing as they slowly made their way down the stairs to their destination, she closed her hand slowly around the flame in her hand dimming it as she caught sight of a Blank.
"Looks like a guard. What do you want to do?"
"This."
She watched horrified as he strode forward, quietly sneaking behind the man and smashing his fist into the back of the man's neck knocking him out. Ri trotted down the last few stairs looking down at the laid out man and shaking her head.
"This is lame, I could be sitting in my apartment, eating Chinese, on my RP site and talking to my friends."
Carter looked down at her oddly.
"Your what?"
"Don't worry about it, lets just get this done and over with. I'm bored with this anyway. By the way, have you heard from any of the others, I mean it is really quiet in here and-"
"Phoenix, shut up."
She closed her mouth before she said anything else as they continued on, reaching the end of a hall they both looked around the corner to see 2 more Blanks. Looking at one another he gestured towards her.
"You got a plan?"
"One."
"And?"
"Since you can't die, figured I could just set you one fire and have you run out screaming and scare the **** out of them giving me time to knock them out."
"I don't think I like that plan."
"You'll live remember?"
"I feel pain."
"And? Just roll around a bit, you'll be alright."
"Seriously?"
"I got nothing, you?"
"See the pillars?"
She nodded and waited for him to continue.
"We can sneak around them, catch them from behind and knock them out. Can you handle that loud mouth?"
She frowned at him and nodded, closing her hand and putting the flame out as they split up on opposite sides of the room following the pillars til they were both behind their targets, nodding to one another, she moved. Launching into the air she swung her right leg around catching the man on the side of the head, hearing the satisfying crack of her booted foot against his mask she landed gracefully on her feet and looked over to see Carter with his arm around the other man's head chocking him out. He looked up and let the man drop in a boneless heap to the floor. She nodded and met back up with him in the middle, pulling out her lighter she struck it pleased as it lit the first time, the flame jumping back into her palm.
"That's one floor, lets get the other."
He nodded as the jogged from the room together towards the next floor.[/color][/font]

[Shwa]

With their target neutralize and the rest of the hostages freed, Flare and Vegas searched the perimeter for more Blanks, but so far in their search, nothing came up. Still, they had to be on their toes for anything that could happen out of nowhere. Flare and Vegas returned to the room where they had encountered the armed Blank, his body on the floor lifeless and turning pale now, the lights continued to flicker on and on like a strobe light would in a night club, but the matter of the fact is that their assignment was complete for now, but there still was a pressing issue to be addressed.

"We have them safe, but how do we get them out of the building now?" Flare questioned, looking over at the innocent bystanders who cowered together in the far corner, talking amongst themselves, scared and worried for their lives. Vegas scratched the back of his head for a moment thinking, still a little surprised by his lucky shot, but every has their luck once in a while. For Vegas, it was all the time.

"I dunno, I'm still thinking about that shot I made' He half joked, half serious as his tone remained monotone while he spoke. He was shaken up at the fact he took another persons life, but the idea of saving those who could have been harmed by this same Blank reassured the kid that their mission was for a righteous one, and the outcome couldn't have spoiled their well earned favor of no casualties. Vegas turned towards the window, finally moving from his spot to peer outside, there were cop and SWAT vehicles outside standing by and forming a plan of their own to rescue the hostages inside, all of them clueless that their planning had already been taken up by Geist and his new super powered squad of teenagers. Vegas could feel anothe close next to him, turning to look at the corner of his eye, he could see Flare looking down the window as well. "Hey, here's a funny question...if these guys were to take what money they stole, how do you think they would get out of here with the building blocked off?" Flare wondered the same thing, it seemed pointless to go through the front, he remembered listening to old movies about bank robbers tunneling their way to safety, but that seemed so classic to do nowadays. Finally, the thought hit both of them as they both spoke.

"The Roof!" Flare looked back at the civilians.

"You guys stay here and keep quiet, help will be on the way later" Flare spoke, the woman who was beaten earlier spoke up for the group.

"We will, and thank you so much" She almost cried, but the two had no time to waste. Both boys tuned and sprinted towards the hallway, making a couple sharp turns before finding the stairwell at the far end of the hallway. There was enough light in the facility now for Flare to use to his advantage in case another attack was needed to help them out. Both stopped in front of the door, Vegas slowly wiggled the handle and popped their entrance open, looking around to find no one in sight. they were high up in the building, they had suspected the Blanks hadn't come so far up since they had guards already posted so close to the roof.

"Ok, looks clear. Only one flight to get to the rooftop door, let's make this quick" Vegas whispered, opening the door fully now as he stepped out and began to accend the staircase, Flare close behind him. Once they got to the door, Flare placed his hand on Vegas' shoulder, halting him from continuing.

"Wait a minute, we came from the roof in stealth mode. I didn't see any plane around"

"I'm surprised that thing lets you see anyways" Vegas smirked, but Flare was right. "Let's scan the area, they might have something else in mind for an emergency escape, you never know" With that, both boys walked out onto the rooftop, but like before, it was vacant. Flare's visor scanned the area, using scope to see in the distance and zoom back into its original viewing spot.

"It's not picking up anything heavy, so guess we can safely say they have no means of hiding their..." The boy was cut off as the back of a rifle butt hit the side of his head, throwing the boy onto the ground as his visor popped off and landed several feet away. Vegas turned and saw his team mate down, but his instincs told him to barrel roll towards the opposite way. He did so, just in time as another Blank came from behind and tried to tackle the boy, only to land on his face next to his partner. The two Blanks came from another rooftop entrance and saw the two boys from the other side, sneaking around in the shadows until they came close enough to strike. Flare felt the side of his head for a moment, warm liquid surrounded his wound, and the smell of heavy iron comfirmed he was bleeding. Vegas drew his gun and pointed at the two Blanks, but they didn't seem threatened.

"Now whats a kid in a ridiculous outfit going to do with that thing?" The both laughed, Flare kept still, hearing the echo of their voices in the air as he slowly turned his body towards their direction. Vegas noticed the small movements and stood his ground.

"Not that its going to matter to you two, but the Dynamic Duo always has a plan for such an occasion" He smiled, one of the Blanks cocked their gun and pointed at Vegas, but the sound was enough for Flare to pinpoint their location. Extending his right arm mid air, the boy shot a powerful blast of white energy towards their targets, hitting one of them square in the chest as he flew towards teh heating vent and collided with the steel casing.

"No way, their Supers!!" The Blank left standing drew a knife from his side and charged for Flare, but Vegas stopped his assault and fired two rounds into the mans leg. The Blank yelled in pain as he toppled forward, about to land of Flare, the boy extended both hands this time and shot again, this time with more power. The energy blast collided with the Blank's chest, but the sheer force sent the man hurling into the air, away from the building as he finally dropped from view. The echo of his screams stopped when a large crash could be heard from the bottom of the building, sirens flared in the air as his limbs handled from the roof of a cop car, the police were baffled by the sudden intrusion, and worried now as they armed themselves. Vegas quickly grabbed Flare's visor and placed it on the boy.

"Thanks man, but where did the other one go to?" Flare questioned as he made it to his feet, finally opening his eyes inside the visor to only see one still unconscious.

"Ummm.....we'll talk about that later, come on, let's get back inside" Vegas made his way towards their previous entrance, Flare nodded and began to follow. The boy placed his finger tips on his right ear socket of his visor and began to speak.

"Hey Magnus, we've cleared the top floors, three Blanks down for the count on the top floors" Flare stopped in his tracks when he saw almost a dozen duffel bags next to the doorway that lead to the staircase, seeing rope and other equipment that looked like mountain climbing gear all bunched together. "It looks like they were planning on using ropes to propel themselves down the side of the building once their job was done. We're headed back inside, over" Flare released the button on his earpiece and made his way downstairs to join Vegas.

[P.J. McKrafty]

Carter led the way through the door with Ri at his back looking around from behind him. He briefly prayed that his teammates wouldnâ??t make a habit of using him as a shield. The corridor they entered was filled with offices. All of the walls were glass, containing flat gray cubicles. Carter gestured to the floor and Ri couched down behind him as three forms exited an office at the end of the hallway. They quickly edged towards a copy machine, using it for cover. Two Blanks led a man in a dirty and torn suit closer towards them.

[b]â??Looks like we have a big Goddamnâ??d hero!â?[/b] The Blank taunted, punctuating the statement by bringing the butt of his gun down on the manâ??s back. He went sprawling to the floor with a whimper, and The Blank leveled his gun at the manâ??s head. [b]â??Did you really think you could overpower us?â?[/b]

Carter took this as his cue. [b]â??Can I answer that?â?[/b] He drawled.

The Blank and his cohort both went tense leveling their guns on Carter, the first, a larger man, with a quite fancy looking tactical shotgun and his friend, a small wiry chap, wielding a chrome .44 that would give Clint Eastwood a stiffy. [b]â??Who the **** are you supposed to be!?â?[/b] One of them demanded. The masks made it difficult for Carter to determine which Blank he was dealing with, but he assumed it was the smaller of the two Blanks as he was a tad jumpy.

[b]â??Brawler.â?[/b] Carter shot back putting up his fists in a boxing pose.

The shotgun Blank put a heavy boot on the manâ??s chest and racked a round. [b]â??Well Brawler, if you take another step closer I am going to have to shoot you.â?[/b]

[b]â??Like this?â?[/b] Carter said with a toothy grim taking another step forward.

The Blank was true to his word. He let loose a shell from his shotgun and his jumpy friend let loose two rounds from his .44 as well. The shotgun blast took Carter in the stomach and the other two shots went wide and shattered glass behind him. Carter fell on his ass, grabbing his stomach. He was actually quite surprise how much the vest took out of the shot, turning the pain into nothing more then a punch to the gut.

Carter heard the snicker-snack of the shotgun racking another round. [b]â??Please, get up.â?[/b] The Blank taunted.

[b]â??Gimme a sec.â?[/b] Carter replied with a slight groan, arching his back and launching himself to his feet. He paused and picked a piece of buckshot from his vest and flicked it at the blank.

[b]â??Itâ??s the ******* vest!â?[/b] The smaller one cried. [b]â??Shoot him in the face!â?[/b]

[b]â??WHOA!â?[/b] Carter yelled throwing up his hands palms facing out. [b]â??Hold on. Letâ??s cool our jets. If you shoot me in the head, it is going to put me in a decent amount of pain, and that is going to put me in a much less diplomatic-â?[/b] The shotgun roared again. This time the spray of lead swarmed Carterâ??s face. He buckled to his knees and fell on his hands.

[b]â??STAY DOWN!â?[/b] Growled the shotgun toting thug.

Carter hacked and wheezed, spitting pellets from his mouth. [b]â??My ******* mouth was open asshole!â?[/b] Carter hoisted himself to his feet with the help of a wall. [b]â??Now.â?[/b] He cracked his knuckles. [b]â??I am going to be a hell of a lot less diplomatic.â?[/b]

The shotgun toting thug snatched up his hostage, jamming the barrel of his gun into the manâ??s back. [b]â??Iâ??ll kill him!â?[/b]

[b]â??No you wonâ??t.â?[/b] Carter said taking a step forward. [b]â??Cause if you do, your friend is dead.â?[/b] Carter said with a sharp tone. He pointed over the manâ??s shoulder. The Blank turned to see his cohort on his knees with Ri, or â??Phoenixâ?? in this instance, standing over him, cradling his head in one arm and holding a fist, alight with flames, mere inches from his face.

[b]â??You see, while I distracted you, this lovely, busty, blonde, was able to get in position.â?[/b] Carter twanged, earning himself a dirty look from Ri. [b]â??So here is what you are going to do. You are going to let go of that gentleman and you are going to drop your gun.â?[/b] Carterâ??s voice dropped to a soft dark tone. [b]â??If you shoot that man however, Pheonix there, will rain down a hellfire upon both of you that will make Satan himself cringe in horror.â?
[/b]
A wry smile grew across Riâ??s face as the flame surrounding her fist grew roughly to the size of a basketball, making the man in her arms squirm.

The Blank looked between the two supers and fidgeted nervously. Carter straightened out walking more confidently towards the hostage. The Blankâ??s head sunk and he let loose of the manâ??s shoulder. The hostage took off like a bat out of hell and hid behind Carter.

[b]â??Good.â?[/b] Carter said putting his hand on the barrel of the shotgun, pulling it loose from the Blankâ??s grip. He then reared his fist back and socked the thug in the face. Cracking his mask and making him go limp. Carter shook his fist and look at Ri who choked out her hostage. [b]â??I hate, and I mean hate, getting shot in the head.â?[/b]

[b]â??I can tell.â?[/b]

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[font="Garamond"]Echo and Magnus stood at the back of the lobby, Echo facing him so she wouldn't have to look at the lifeless and bloody corpse just a few paces behind her on the floor. As their own fight had gone on, they had both noticed what sounded like muffled gunfire coming from both above and below them. Echo had worry etched all over her face and Magnus was sure he felt just as nervous as she did, even if he hid it better. They knew that Vegas and Flare were safe, but what of the others? Their teammates were incredible, but they were still rookies.

"There are probably some hostages within the offices on this floor, but I'm going to assume that the majority of them were moved to other floors with other Blanks too so that they would each have leverage if need be. I'll check in with the others first." Magnus tapped his earpiece on. "Hey everyone, Echo and I have secured the lobby and will be moving to secure the hostages on our floor. I hope you are all safe, please let us know immediately if you require back up. Over." He spoke into his mic carefully but softly, in case any of them were still under cover. Not a moment later, he was relieved to be greeted by a host of affirmations that everyone was still in one piece. He grinned at Echo and she looked like the weight of the world had just been lifted from her shoulders as she heard the voices of her teammates, each accounted for.

Magnus clapped her shoulder genially and they headed through the heavy double doors at the back of the open lobby that lead to the various bank offices.

"I know they're just bank robbers but the way they did this was actually pretty smart, if you think about it... I mean, they had a super in charge, they each took hostages as collateral... I have to say that as fair as heists go, I'm pretty impressed. They weren't stupid." Echo said as they made their way down the hallways, stopping at each door to look in the small windows to check for people.

"You're right. They weren't stupid at all. Honestly if it had just been the police or even maybe the SWAT who dealt with them, they may have actually been successful. Really, it seems like their only disadvantage was that they were mostly normals..." Magnus replied as they stopped at another door. Echo laughed a bit and he turned to look at her.

"You know, it's funny, but I never really thought that I would hear that being normal was a disadvantage... I mean, I always want that. Wanted it, maybe. I don't know." She pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"Haha, I guess you're right. That is sort of a new line of thought to have, huh? After years of being different. I think a lot of us had a tough time with that." She nodded, happy that for once that she knew people she could talk to about these things that had mostly sat undiscussed in the back of her mind for years.

"Wait - did you hear that?" Echo pressed a finger to her lips for a second and turned, sure she had heard something like a sob. Magnus obliged and stayed silent. Echo moved slowly down the hallway as quiet as possible so that she could hear clearly, Magnus in tow. She stopped outside a heavy, windowless metal door. "Here."

She pressed down on the metal handle to open it but was met with resistance. It was a door that required a key, of course - probably a utility closet that wouldn't unlock from the inside. Magnus knocked on the door and immediately several voices called out for help.

"Everyone, my name is Magnus and my teammate Echo is here. The robbers have been stopped. We're going to get you out of here. I need you all the back away from the door, okay?" Some muffled calls of understanding came from within and Magnus lifted his hand after Echo had also moved out of the way. A flick of his wrist pulled the pins out of the hinges on the door. Another flick began to crumple the handle and within a second he tugged his hand back and the entire handle, lock and all came clean out of the door.

"Was that completely necessary?" Echo asked as Magnus delivered a final flick of the hand that moved the door away from the frame, leaning it to rest on the wall next to it.

"Nope," Magnus said "but it was fun." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes theatrically at him before heading into the room to help untie the group of hostages. When they were done, Magnus did a quick check to make sure everyone was okay and then told them to calmly make their way out the front doors with their hands up, just so that the police wouldn't accidentally take them for a threat. They nodded their thank yous, though eyeing Echo and Magnus' outfits with considerable skepticism. When Echo realized this is what they were looking at, she folded her arms over her chest sheepishly, again wishing she was wearing any other outfit.

"Well, we're clear. Let's make our way up the floors to start gathering up the rest of the team." Magnus said as they watched the hostages file down the hallway in a subdued manner.[/font]

[Darth Vectis]

[size="1"]Aimanan had already been on the verge of panic when they had been in the hands of Addley and his warping power, he wasn't sure of how it would affect him and his comment about their limbs being rearranged or coming back only partially complete came close to making him break then. He wasn't made for this line of work, his mind didn't work like the others, dealing with a crowd was hard enough. That heaving wave of emotion that was sometimes so palpable that he was sure he was going to drown in it, other times it was so placid it nearly made him break out in hysterics for some sort of reaction. Now, he was finding they were under more pressure then he thought he was capable of handling, he did his absolute best in keeping his calm, in remaining mindful of his surroundings and focusing on his powers and maintaining his control. He was pleasantly surprised to see how much he didn't need to focus on surrounding him and Martian in the shadows. Her levitation giving them the lift they needed and his shadows were able to grip the ceiling, interacting the other shadows on the ceiling and able to pull them along quietly. He had started to feel more nervous when he began to see how well lit the ceilings were in the lower parts of the bank, the shadows were thinner and started to notice that the ground was a better place to roam in darkness. He was about to say something when he felt them start to lower back to the ground.
[b]
"Do you read minds or something because that was just scary timing."[/b] She gave him a small smile then as their feet touched the ground.
[b]
"Good timing really, seemed like a good idea." [/b]Martian whispered back to him, he let out a small laugh barely audible past their ears. They pressed themselves against the wall then, slowly working their way through as the danger level sky rocket for the both of them with being on the ground. Aimanan knew he was scared, his heart pounding in his ears and his throat was dry as sweat trickled down his forehead. They crept slowly through the hallway, coming to stairway, the time ticking away as they suddenly heard footsteps, Aimanan suddenly pushing Martian into the corner before covering them in thicker shadows. The boots walking by then, their breathing quiet as the sounds faded before they continued moving, both taking note of the one Blank on the stairs. They came to another hallway and started walking again, suddenly caught off guard by the sudden sounds, Martian grabbing Aimanan this time as he threw up the shadow around them. The Blank standing in the hallway now, staring down its length as if he was looking directly as them, Aimanan feeling his breathing trying to become more rapid as the panic crept in again. The Blank slowly starting to walk down the hallway directly toward them, his pace picking up ever so slightly as he seemed to catch something before him. He could see the panic in Martians wide eyes that matched his own, only keeping his features calm looking from years of standing in front of people. His reflex's kicked in with his hand suddenly moving, a shadow apparition appearing just out of the corner of his eye, human only in appearance as it ran off, the guard catching it as he followed it down that direction. He sighed with relief until he realized where it was going, his hand suddenly going up to the com.
[b]
"Warp, we've managed to elude the stairwell Blank, but the second one caught on to us so I had to send him your way. He may even be coming with the stairwell Blank. Still no signs of any hostages. Requesting radio silence."[/b] He felt he had been fairly professional in his radio transmission, accepting that they had heard his transmission, they resumed their reconnaissance. Both of them relaxing now as they couldn't hear anymore footsteps. Feeling calm until they turned a corner, bumping into a Blank right then, an MP5 in his hands with a ski mask over his head. In his eyes they could see the intent, the cold nature that resided deep within.

[i]He's going to kill us, by the 99 names of Allah we have to do something. I don't want to die.[/i] The words echoed through his mind, his fear making it escalate as he could see the weapon start to rise. His mind raced through everything he knew, all of it coming back to the dossier, sections popping into his mind that seemed utterly useless. His arms went up in response to the situation, his eyes staring in wide terror as his hands simply reacted, the gun never getting the chance to let loose the rounds in the clip. The Blank going down then as a large shape erupted from his side, the jaws gaping as they stretched out, the teeth sinking in and tearing at the soft flesh, hot blood squiring from his neck as he fell back with the weight of the giant hound. Aimanan stared with a mixture of horror and confusion as he watched the shadow shred the mans throat, the muzzle dripping blood as the form hit the ground, the hound smashing down on it with all its weight with the audible sound of ribs cracking. The dossier suddenly coming to mind again, except this time, the words meant so much more.
[b]
"Subject shows the possibility, under duress and with the suit enhancement, shadows can take on a defensive strength to interact with living matter to protect the subject."[/b] He whispered to himself as he looked down to the lifeless body, the last part he kept in his head.

[i]Subject could prove dangers with no control over this ability, will be under heavy watch if the ability is shown.[/i] He stayed quiet then as he looked at the hound standing on the body, the muzzle still dripping before the hound turned its head, the empty eyes looking at the shadow wielder before evaporating into nothingness. Aimanan no longer seeing the hounds as they once were, no longer an expression of his desire to be free, but now, he would see them as the wild animals they always wanted to be. He felt Martians hand on his shoulder then, feeling a slight tremble from her.
[b]
"It's alright Night Terror, he would of killed us."[/b] He simply nodded his head then, drawing the shadows up then as they covered his head in a black hood, a curtain of shadow wrapping around him, giving him that comfortable feeling of being back in the circus. Something he knew he would never have again, at least not as innocent as it once was.[/size]

[Gavin]

[indent][font="Tahoma"][size="2"]Time seemed to slow as the words left Welshâ??s mouth, the realisation of what he was saying slowly dawning on Michael as his heartbeat increased to a frantic pace and every bodily sensation became painfully acute. The small pendulum clock on the desk between the two men punctuated the growing lapse of silence between them. After several moments Michael at last seemed to dredge up the strength to speak.

[b]â??Youâ?¦you canâ??t be serious.â?[/b]

An unpleasant, crooked smile broke across Welshâ??s face.

[b]â??I am entirely serious Dr McKnight.â?[/b]

Michael slammed his hands down on the desk, half-frustration, half-desperation to make his employer reconsider.

[b]â??We had an agreement! I would not be asked to join a field team in exchange for my cooperation working with Geistâ??s Advanced Biology Division.â?[/b]

The unpleasant smile because a thoroughly malicious grin, withdrawing his arched fingers from one another Zachary Welsh drew himself up out of his desk and turned to face the window behind him, marvelling at the skyscape passing by.

[b]â??The terms of our agreement were always subject to how Geist believed you best functioned as an asset doctor. Until the present time your expertise as a scientist, as well as the nature of your genetics, were enough that we did not feel Geist would benefit by removing you from a laboratory environment. Indeed doctor, the results of you and your research team has exceeded our most optimistic estimates on the time expended.â? [/b]

Michael found himself swallowing uncomfortably at the realisation the day he had dreaded had not merely been a possibility, but an inevitability. Black memories again began to force their way into his unconscious mind and with savage effort he crushed them back down. He kept his head low, unwilling, perhaps even unable to let Welsh see the sense of defeat breaking across his face. When he found his voice again it was even lower than it had been before, robbed of any fire.

[b]â??And there is nothing I can say or do that would change your mind?â?[/b]

Crossing the distance between them Welsh placed a â??reassuringâ? hand on the other manâ??s shoulder, it took every aspect of Michaelâ??s restraint not to allow his sense of disgust at the gesture to make itself apparent.

[b]â??Iâ??m afraid not.â? [/b]

He chuckled, as though with an afterthought.

[b]â??Of course this is all contingent on the team surviving their current mission. Obviously no field team would mean thereâ??d be nothing to transfer you to.â?[/b]

â?¦The thought was utterly vicious and came absolutely unbidden but Michael found himself unable to banish it. He knew Welshâ??s choice of words were intended to play him, to push him exactly towards the decision he was weighing up, or one like it that he hadnâ??t yet considered. In the years he had worked for Geist Michael had come to everything played out to Geistâ??s advantage, everything as directed by Zachary Welsh was win-win.

In the end the decision was simple, empirical. It was his life, the life he had build for himself here versus the lives of a group of people he had no personal knowledge of, nor connection to. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became. They were just going to die against the Big Five anyway, better that he saved them from that misery than allow them to go through with it.

A nausea formed in the centre of his stomach and Michael did his best to avoid retching in front of Welsh.

[b]â??I understand Mr Welsh. I will introduce myself to the team when they return from their current mission and do my best to integrate into the team dynamic quickly.â?[/b]

The grip on his shoulder tightened.

[b]â??Excellent Michael, I knew we could depend on you.â?[/b]

______

Dun da dun dun.
[/size][/font][/indent]

[DeLarge]

The group gathered back in the lobby of the bank, all of the Blanks either dead or unconscious and the vault door safely locked, complete with all the money inside. Magnus smiled at his team, they had done incredibly well for first-timers. Sure, the mission had been a little sloppy, probably with a few more casualties than was strictly necessary, but they had successfully taken down a dangerous gang and saved a lot of money, along with a large number of hostages. Slate saw that as a victory, no matter how it had been achieved.

[b]"Well, those guys sucked,"[/b] said Vegas with a smirk, dropping the pistol he had acquired onto the ground with a clatter.

[b]"Don't get cocky, Vegas," [/b]Magnus replied, although in the back of his mind he agreed with Vegas - the Blanks had been no match for such a group of superhumans. In fact, he was wondering what Geist were doing sending them into a situation the police could have handled.

[b]"Sorry, boss-"[/b] Vegas was cut off as something in the high ceiling of the bank lobby exploded in a burst of blinding white light, large chunks of concrete falling down and smashing as they hit the polished floor of the room. Magnus shielded his eyes, but still attempted to look up at the source of the explosion. The light was too bright, however, and instead he turned to Flare.

[b]"Flare, what can you see? Switch to heat vision, or something, and tell me what's up there!"[/b] he yelled, and Flare nodded and looked up, his visor whirring as the settings changed.

[b]"It looks like a man, but I don't understand how that's possible..."[/b]

Suddenly it dawned on Magnus.

[b]"Oh, ****,"[/b] he murmured, looking back up at the ceiling.

[b]"You ******* pricks!"[/b] came a booming voice from the ceiling, and a young man, clad in a black one-piece costume, emblazoned with electric-blue lightning bolts came floating down to the floor, his clenched fists glowing from within, as though he was attempting to hold it in.

[b]"Who the hell is that?"[/b] asked Phoenix, still shielding her eyes as she sparked her lighter into life, but the rest of the team already knew.

Starlighter.

The youngest member of the Big Five, but still no pushover in terms of power, and he was pissed off.

[b]"Starlighter!"[/b] shouted Magnus, taking a step forward, [b]"You were running these goons?"[/b] He gestured to the unconscious Blanks with a wave of his arm as he said the last couple of words.

[b]"You think I'm an amateur like these assholes?"[/b] Starlighter shouted in response, aiming his hand at Magnus and letting loose with a concentrated blast of light that hurled him back across the bank, slamming him into the far wall, three or four feet up. He felt the concrete, and at least two of his ribs crack under the impact, and then saw the floor coming up fast, before a burst of pain rushed through his body.

He clambered shakily to his knees, looking up through a daze at the rest of the team - they were trying to attack Starlighter, but with virtually no success. Phoenix blasted him with a wall of flame, but he temporarily blinded her with a flash of light, causing her to lose control of the flame; Echo tried screaming, but he dodged the sonic boom and sliced a long, thin laser beam from his fingertip across her torso, not powerful enough to do any real damage but enough to hurt her considerably; Addley teleported behind him, but he was too quick, and slammed an elbow into the youngster's face the second he materialised; Vegas threw a punch, connecting with Starlighter's chin, but the Big Five member was barely phased, raining a series of blows into Vegas' chest and solar plexus, hard enough to break a few ribs, although Magnus suspected Vegas would be fine; a large male gorilla had suddenly appeared, and was charging at Starlighter, who dodged and used the creature's weight to topple it over, slamming it's chin hard into the floor.

Brawler, meanwhile, had rushed over to Magnus, skidding on his knees the last foot or so, and began helping him to his feet.

[b]"We're not strong enough for this,"[/b] he groaned, [b]"He's gonna kill us..."[/b]

[b]"He'll never let us get away,"[/b] replied Brawler, [b]"He'll chase us down and kill us before we can escape."[/b]

[b]"Not if I can distract him,"[/b] said Magnus, staggering as he went, his breathing heavy and laboured. He stood a few feet in front of the cracked wall, and raised his hand, aiming towards Starlighter. He felt for the magnetic fields around the room, and then shifted his focus to the space below Starlighter, feeling the metal in the ground. He raised his other hand and aimed it towards the high ceiling, feeling more metal there, and focusing his psychic grip on it.

[b]"Magnus, you're too weak,"[/b] said Brawler, rushing to his side, [b]"You've just had the living **** beaten out of you, you can't do this!"

"I HAVE TO!"[/b] Magnus shouted, more through the strain of what he was doing than any anger he was feeling. He focused harder, increasing his grip on the metal in the floor and the ceiling, grateful to his team-mates for providing a distraction.

Suddenly, with a twist of his arms, metal pipes wrenched themselves free of their moorings in the floor, bursting through the concrete and forming a sort of twisted cage around Starlighter. The more experience super looked around, laughed and began to fly upwards, but at that moment metal girders that were supporting sections of the ceiling pulled away from the ceiling and slammed down to the ground in a makeshift lattice around Starlighter, rendering him totally trapped.

For a few minutes, at least.

[b]"GO!" [/b]shouted Magnus, pulling an amazed Brawler along with him as he ran for the stairs, and the rest of the team pursued. They ran as fast as they could up the stairs, nursing their various wounds as they went, until finally Magnus burst through the door to the roof, feeling the cold night air on his face, and seeing the inviting sight of the hovering jet they had come in on, the cargo bay doors open, willing them to come inside. He jogged over, glad that Starlighter hadn't been able to get out of his cage, and used the last of his strength to leap into the jet. He watched for a second to make sure everyone had made it out and onto the jet, then promptly fell asleep in his chair.

---

For the second time in as many days, he awoke in the medical centre. The only difference this time was that there were a lot more people in there, both staff and patients. He sat up in his bed, only to be stopped by a jagged streak of pain running through his abdomen, which, when looking down, he remembered was caused by his broken ribs. He was completely shirtless this time, although his jacket was still in one piece and hanging on the back of the chair next to his bed, and he had bandages wrapped around the lower part of his ribcage. He had a vague, fuzzy feeling in his head which he knew could only have been caused by painkillers, but at that moment he was grateful for them. Reaching up to his forehead, he felt the familiar metal nodules of the power inhibitors that had been placed back on him, and groaned a little.

He laid his head back, and rolled it over to one side. Autumn was in the bed next to him, a large dressing over her stomach, asleep. A pang of guilt rushed through Slate's stomach as he saw her, and he felt that her condition was somehow his fault.

[b]"I can tell you're going to be a peculiar nuisance to me, Mr Slate,"[/b] came a chirpy voice from across the ward, and as he turned his head he saw Elena walking over to him, her high-heels clicking on the vinyl floor as she moved. As she reached his bed, she noticed his concern over Autumn.

[b]"She'll be fine,"[/b] she said softly,[b] "A pretty nasty laser burn, but it wasn't too deep. The beauty of laser burns is they cauterize themselves, so there was no chance of infection. She'll have a scar, but that's kind of a miracle in this case."

"I led her into that,"[/b] murmured Slate.

[b]"You had no idea Starlighter would turn up like that,"[/b] Elena replied, and Slate eyed her quizzically,[b] "No, they didn't tell me what had happened, but people coming in with all sorts of light-based injuries, laser burns and temporary blindness, I put two and two together. I'm not just a pretty face, you know?"[/b] She shot him a devilish grin as she said the last part, and he couldn't help but crack a smile.

[b]"You're pretty perceptive,"[/b] said Slate, [b]"Kind of hoping I'm not too much of an open book, here."

"No, actually, you're pretty much exactly the opposite,"[/b] she replied, studying him,[b] "I can't for the life of me figure out what's going on in that head."[/b] Slate smiled to himself for a moment, and then swung his legs off the bed, dropping to the floor and grabbing his tank-top.

[b]"Nope,"[/b] said Elena, placing her hands on his chest,[b] "No, you're not going anywhere. You've got two broken ribs, Jacob, you're getting back into bed."

"As much as I appreciate a beautiful woman trying to get me into bed, I can't stay here,"[/b] he replied, gently removing her hands from his chest and pulling his tank-top on. She smiled and lowered her head, then nodded slowly and moved out of the way. He silently picked up his boots and his jacket and left the medical centre, limping slightly.

He headed towards his room, feeling the need to shower. For a long time.

---

OOC: Ok, guys, we're dealing with some major fallout from the mission here. For the next few posts, I want you all to show your recovery from Starlighter's attack - we're all back at HQ, power inhibitors are back on, and we've all been beaten pretty badly. In the next couple of days I will post the next stage of the story, until then if you have any questions, as always don't hesitate to PM me, or use the Backstage thread.

[Ellerby]

[color="#696969"][font="Tahoma"]Critter cringed as he awoke in the infirmary, his jaw searing with pain. He opened his eyes finding himself staring at the blank white ceiling of the medical center. He sat upright, lightly rubbing his chin. The pain was menacing and he winced as soon as his jaw moved slightly. A woman with fiery red hair dressed in a white lab coat approached Critter, carrying a clipboard under her right arm. She took out a pen from her front pocket and scribbled something quickly onto the clipboard then looked to Critter. He noticed her name tag read "Dr. E. Ambrose."

[b]"How's your mouth feel?"[/b]she asked, flicking on a small flashlight and looking into Critters mouth. His jaw was dislocated and as such it hung open slightly even though he was pretty sure his mouth was closed. Critter winced in pain as even the touch of the cool steel of the flashlight on his lip caused his mouth to open slightly wider. His teeth felt mismatched and it hurt to even open his mouth, keeping him from replying to her question.

She quickly realized this and added,[b] "Of course it hurts just to talk. If you could just follow me we'll get that fixed up right away."[/b] she grabbed him by the arm and helped him onto his feet. He had no trouble walking, but the pain in his jaw was clearly distracting him from watching where he was going as he bumped into the bed opposite of his. It belonged to Echo, the very vocal young lady who Critter had yet to talk to much aside from polite dinner conversation the other day. She roused in her sleep, but did not wake.

Dr. Ambrose, still holding onto Critters left arm, led him past the other patients towards the back of the infirmary to a large light blue steel door with a small square window. She swiped a transparent plastic card through a mechanical device attached to the door. A green light lit up on the device and Critter heard a lock on the other side unhinge loudly. She placed the card back into her front pocket and reached into her cleavage taking out a small silver key hanging on a silver chain. She unlocked the door knob and swung the steel door open, revealing a very dark room that Critter could barely see. He didn't care, though, all he could think about was the incredible amount of agony in his jaw. Had they not even given him painkillers? He felt his jaw again and as his fingers brushed past his bottom lip he was surprised to find it was completely numb.

[b]"Stop touching it."[/b] Dr. Ambrose suddenly snapped. They both entered the dark room and she let the door shut on its own, auto-locking when it closed. As soon as the door locked, the room lights flickered on and Critter could make out the emptiness of the room he stood in.

[b]"Whad ah' I,"[/b] Critter mumbled slowly and incoherently. [b]"A men'al patien'?"[/b] He stood in the center of what was essentially a room from an asylum, complete with padded white walls and a bright red steel door on the opposite side of him with a small viewing window. Dr. Ambrose laughed at his remark.

[b]"This is for my protection in case anything should go wrong."[/b] she knocked on the steel red door lightly as if to show that Critter wouldn't be able to bust it down in Gorilla form. He doubted that. [b]"You must be wondering why I've done nothing for your jaw when most of the other patients have been nursed to full health."[/b] Critter nodded slowly, not liking where the conversation was heading.

[b]"Your power, animal shape shifting, is truly remarkable Mr. Aneel. While you were away on your mission I was going over everybody's records and something about your power interested me."[/b] she said smartly. [b]I believe that your ability should allow you to heal that jaw of yours on your own."[/b] she stopped to gauge Critters reaction. If it hadn't already been dislocated, his jaw would've dropped.

[b]"When you shape shift, you are essentially disassembling and reassembling your entire body. Your skin, your hair, your bones... everything."[/b] her tone changed from stern and informative to quizzical. [b]"Does it hurt when you change?"[/b] she asked suddenly.

Before Critter could even nod a reply she added, [b]"Nevermind that- you can tell me after your jaw is better. The reason we haven't given you painkillers is because I feared it would impair your ability to shift forms."[/b] Dr. Ambrose turned to the door opposite of the one they'd come through and opened it ajar, looking back at Critter.

[b]"Once I've entered this room and closed the door, change forms into that of a spider. You'll feel a slight tinge of pain where your chin should be but it won't be dislocated as spiders don't have jaw bones. The theory is once you change back to human form from spider, your jaw will have relocated itself."[/b] the Doctor stepped into the other room and closed the door behind her. Critter could see her staring at him through the safety of her small window and she nodded readily at him.

[i]Theory? What if it doesn't work properly?[/i] Critter thought. [i]I guess that's why she's bunkered herself in there. Lovel- GYAHH[/i] the pain of his jaw interrupted his thoughts. [i]Oh well, might as well give it a go... I'm starting to have trouble breathing and my teeth are killing me. Spider, spider, spider...[/i] As Critter concentrated on turning into a spider, he felt his bones bend, break and stretch inside his shrinking body. Fully concentrating on transforming, Critter didn't even realize that as he shifted forms he let out the loudest and most agonizing yell a normal human could manage. It [i]was[/i] incredibly painful but the transformation happened so quickly that before he could pinpoint the source of the pain he was a tiny tarantula and the pain had all but dissipated. Except in his chin area.

He glanced around the room which now seemed like a completely different place. it was the same room but he was seeing it about 8 different times at once all warped in different angles and shaded an odd tint of greenish yellow. He had not yet become accustomed to the sight of a tarantula.

[i]Wow, that actually does feel a whole lot better. Okay, go go human form.[/i] Critter closed his numerous eyes and began changing forms again. As he shifted back to that of a human, he concentrated fully on his jaw clicking into place properly and to his surprise at that exact moment, he felt his jaw clicked right into place. In his human form again, the red door swung open revealing an ecstatic Doctor Ambrose, clapping her hands.

[b]"Remarkable! Truly impressive work, Mr. Aneel!"[/b] she stood in front of him and grabbed him lightly by the chin, lifting it up to examine the underside. To her surprise, Critter winced back in pain. [b]"Interesting, very interesting. It seems like you've fixed your bone... Open wide."[/b] she said, shining a small light into his mouth to examine the damage. [b]"But you've still got a bit of bruising. That should heal up in no time, though. Congratulations, Mr. Aneel! You've landed yourself with very minor self-regenerating powers."[/b] she smiled. Critter relaxed, glad that the ordeal was over with.

[b]"Well, I wouldn't call it regeneration. More... self-stitching.[/b]" it took him saying to out loud to figure out what had really happened. Ambrose rolled her eyes.

[b]"Call it what you please but you did not [i]stitch[/i] your jaw back in place."[/b] she said. Critter had almost completely forgotten that his jaw had been dislocated prior to changing forms. The pain of shape shifting alone was enough to make him forget.

[b]"Damn. I don't suppose I can rely on that in battle?"[/b]

Dr. Ambrose gave him a worried expression. [b]"Well, I'm not sure that I'm qualified to tell you what your limit is. I will say this, though - Do [i]not[/i] try to heal anything major without consulting me first. Minor cuts and scrapes are fine as are[i] apparently[/i] dislocated bones, but if anything is broken -or worse- I implore you to seek real medical attention. Should you try and... - [i]shift heal[/i], I suppose we'll call it - with nobody around and something should go wrong you're up the creak without a paddle. If you're in the medical centre, however--"[/b] Critter quickly nodded understandingly and she stopped herself, satisfied that her point had gotten through. She took the clipboard out from her side and once more began jotting down notes in front of him.

Critter then remembered the question she'd asked before he had 'shift healed.' [b]"Oh, as for your question... about whether or not my power hurts."[/b] the doctor lit up, surprised he'd even remembered the question at all and looked at him curiously. [b]"It does. A lot."[/b] Dr. Ambrose hid her immediate reply by scribbling some more words down onto the clipboard. After a few seconds she glanced back to Critter with an intent look. She tried to stay professional, but he could see sadness swelling in her eyes.

[b]"I'm sorry to hear that. This might as well."[/b] before Critter could reply "What?" Ambrose had stuck a small needle into the side of his neck and he instantly fell forward into her arms unconscious.[/color][/font]

[center][b]~~~[/b][/center]

[font="tahoma"][color="#696969"]Critter awoke an hour later, rubbing his forehead. He instantly felt the familiar nodules of a newly placed power inhibitor and sighed. Dr. Ambrose was nowhere in sight and when Critter glanced down the infirmary towards the room he'd been in he found it be pitch black once again. Critter sat up and stretched his arms, yawning lightly. He rubbed his chin, feeling only a slight tinge of pain but glad that his jaw was no longer [i]dislocated[/i].

[b]"[i]Remarkable![/i]"[/b] Critter impersonated Ambrose' reaction to what had happened and laughed slightly to himself.

He looked up and saw Autumn, the girl whose bed he'd bumped into, sitting up and looking straight at him. She looked away the moment he caught her eye, as if she'd not been looking at all. He threw the covers off himself and slipped on his white t-shirt that had been sitting on the table next to him. Walking over to the young girl, Critter smiled.

[b]"Hello! Autumn, right?"[/b] the girl turned to him and nodded hesitantly. He stuck out his hand for her to shake, which she did very nervously. [b]"I'm Critter. Er... Cody. I don't believe we've had a proper conversation."[/b] he said, sticking his hands in his jean pockets. The girl tucked some hair behind her ear only for it to fall back in place.

[b]"There hasn't been much time to talk."[/b] she said. Cody laughed and took a seat at the edge of her bed. He rubbed his chin again, still expecting to feel a wonky jaw.

[b]"How's your mouth feel?"[/b] Autumn asked. Cody chuckled softly to himself.

[b]"You're the second person to ask me that today. It's fine now, thank you."[/b] Cody remembered the fight with Starlighter and recalled Echo being slashed by a laser.

[b]"How's [i]your[/i] battle-wound?"[/b] Cody joked. Echo looked down glumly at her stomach, currently covered by bed sheets.

[b]"It still hurts but it will heal quickly. The Doctor said that I was very fortunate it wasn't deeper."[/b] she spoke calmly and quietly as if she thought carefully about everything she was going to say. Much unlike Cody who had a habit of spewing out the first thing that came to his head.

[b]"I'll say!"[/b] he remarked with a sincerely impressed tone. [b]"You've got to be the only person I know that can say they were hit by a laser beam and lived.[/b] This seemed to cheer the girl up as she smiled brightly and finally made eye contact with Cody, who simply smiled back. Autumn was about to say something, but then held it back and let her breathe go. However after a brief moment of silence, she could hold it in no longer.

[b]"I heard you earlier, you know. Back there."[/b] she nodded in the direction of the backroom.

[b]"Oh, I'm sorry if I woke you. I bumped into your bed on accident shortly after I'd woken up the first time."[/b] Cody said. Autumn merely shook her head.

[b]"That's not what woke me. Don't you know?"[/b] she asked, expecting Cody to immediately know what she was talking about. But he did not.

[b]"Know what? That I'm a loud talker, apparently?"[/b] he joked, but she did not laugh.

[b]"I woke up to your muffled howling and screaming for about 5 seconds straight. And then it stopped as if nothing had happened."[/b] Cody looked legitimately confused. He remembered changing forms but he definitely did not remember yelling or shouting in agony. Autumn then went on in detail about what had happened. Apparently after the first shout had woken her up, she'd run to the back door of the infirmary and watched through the door window opposite of Dr. Ambrose' as Critter changed the second time. It was then that she confirmed it [i]was[/i] him that was screaming and it was simply due to the agony of shape shifting. She also added that nobody else had heard anything.

[b]"It must hurt a lot."[/b] she said. Cody shrugged.

[b]"Honestly, it does. But the brilliant part is the pain is gone as quickly as it comes and I barely remember it was there at all."[/b] Autumn held a worried look. [b]"Don't worry about!"[/b] he added, [b]"You're the one with the laser scar! You should be worried about that."[/b] Cody smiled and got up from the bed, patting the girls knee through the sheets.

[b]"Feel better."[/b] he smiled and left the room leaving Autumn to her thoughts.

[b]"It better not be a scar."[/b] he heard her mutter.[/font][/color]

[Darth Vectis]

[size="1"]All he could hear was the patter of his two own feet, the only thing that was moving faster then him was his fear, raving through his mind at break neck speeds. His breathing heavy and his body covered in sweat as he simply ran, feeling nothing but the blinding panic racing through his mind. He turned a corner, racing down what seemed to be an endless hallway but kept running down regardless. His heart was beating rapidly, Aimanan could only hear it thumping in his head as his eyes shifted every which way as he made another turn, losing his grip on the ground as he skidded and collided with the wall, bracing himself with his hands and pushing off to keep running.
[b]
"Please, someone help!"[/b] He screamed as he slowed for just a few, his lungs still burning but his need to keep going over powering his sense of fatigue. His heart slowed just long enough to hear the thumping that had been pursuing him now, the madness that had been chasing after him, right to the point of exhaustion. He wouldn't stop though, he couldn't if he was to stay alive and he wanted so desperately to stay alive. Running down another set of corridors he did what he could, his legs feeling weak and wobbly as he tried to escape the unseen horror. Keeping his pace he finally heard the thumping fade, until finally it was silent in the endless hallways, his breathing slowing down as he slumped against the wall, a small smile on his face as he finally felt like he could relax. A light laugh coming from his lips as he rose and started to slowly walk around yet another corner, looking down as his body swayed, his head lolling for just a moment before he looked up and the color from his face drained then. A Blank stood at the end of the hallway, his MP5 in his hands casually as he simply stared at Aimanan.
[b]
"Time for you to die, boy." [/b]The Blank said to him, he could hear the raspy sound of his voice that came from years of cigarette use. The Blank drew his weapon slowly, Aimanan seeing the scene happen all over again, except this time the man was much farther, and there would be no hound to save him this time. His body shook then as he could only watch as the Blank finally held his weapon fast, taking aim as his finger glided to the trigger. Aimanan tried to use his powers, tried to throw up some sort of distraction anything that could save his life, but nothing worked, his arms to weak to move and his mind to scattered to concentrate on any coherent shape. He could only wait for the Blank to pull the trigger, to feel his life vanish and drain away. But, the moment never came as he stared at the Blank who never had time to look as the massive shape took him then, smashing him into the wall, Aimanan could hear the bones in the Blanks body break and shatter as the mass became clearer. The monster that came around the corner held the Blank against the wall, clawed hand crushing the form as the reptilian like head looked down the hall toward Aimanan. He could see the serrated teeth in the demon like grin, the creature fathomed from his own deepest nightmares.
[b]
"Run."[/b] Was all he could hear from the lips of the twisted creature, inky blackness leaked from it's gaping jaws. Aimanan tried to run then, stumbling only a few steps before having to stop dead in his tracks. His eyes wide now as he stared at the thing that had been pursuing him from the start, the shape staring at him with ruffled fur and its muzzle pulled back. Those same teeth gleaming at him now with obvious intent, Aimanan had no time to react as the hound lunged at him, screaming as he threw his arms up to protect his face. The world faded as the hound crashed into him, the walls of the medical center coming to life around him as he thrashed in his semi-conscious, screams erupting from his throat, the medical staff running over to secure him as he thrashed harder and harder, pleas coming from him.
[b]
"Someone help! Please make it stop! It's going to kill me!"[/b] He screamed until his eyes opened up to the sound of someone on the medical staff speaking to him, his breathing heavy as he felt the pain in his arm and his legs. Looking around he saw his arm wrapped, his shoulder was sore and both of his legs were elevated as they looked beaten and bruised, he couldn't hear what the doctor was saying, all he could hear was the howl of the hound, and the sound his his screams as the hound had torn him apart. He felt the modular on his head, and for once, prayed they never took it off. [/size]

[OMNOMNOMALY]

[font="Garamond"]She awoke in a moment of panic, disturbed by the screams of Hood only a few beds away from her own. Autumn shook her head, remembering where she was and looked over at him with concern as the doctor and staff flocked to his bedside to try to calm him down. She turned her face upward to stare at the sterile white tiles on the ceiling for a moment, gauging the pain in her abdomen before making any further decisions to move. She sat up after a moment, wincing lightly, and lifted up the blanket and pulled up her top just enough to examine the bandage wrapped around her midriff. A few thin yellowy lines could be made out faintly through it, from where the wound was now oozing as it healed. Autumn felt sorely tempted to unwrap it completely and see just how bad the damage done really was, but thought that she should probably wait until she got out of the medical center to do it, lest she got a talking-to by the doctor.

"Uh, excuse me?" She called out softly as a nurse in scrubs rushed passed her in Hood's direction. "Hello?" She tried again, a little louder, as another nurse walked passed with a chart in hand. Neither so much as even looked over at her. Autumn sighed to herself and reached for her glasses on the side table, putting them on. 'I don't really want to wait... I feel fine, it's probably okay if I go back to my room now, I mean, it's not like they don't know where to find me....' After a moment's hesitation, Autumn threw her covers off and delicately swung her feet over the edge of the bed. When nobody came over to try and stop her, she stood up gingerly and shuffled out of the medical center, arms wrapped tightly around her middle.

After what seemed like hours wandering around the compound, Autumn finally got her bearings and managed to get herself back to the corridor where the bedrooms were. She yawned as she made her way into her room, amazed that she could still feel so exhausted after doing nothing but sleeping for what must have been days since the attack. She didn't bother changing from the hospital grade pyjamas, content to sleep in a bed away from the lights and noise of the infirmary and have some time to be alone. But before she crawled into the covers, she noticed her laptop from her apartment sitting on the corner of her desk. 'How did I not notice this before?' she wondered as she grabbed it and settled into her bed, leaning on the headboard and flipping it open. Not that she expected much in the way of emails, she thought she might have something from her foster mother. The last email that her mother had sent was three weeks ago, long before Autumn's world had turned upside down. Though Autumn didn't feel particularly close to her adopted parents, she yearned to reach out to her mother, trying to find some semblance of normalcy in this new totally surreal world.

She shook her head as if it would erase that idea, and was about to close her laptop and curl up to sleep but "1 new message" popped up on her screen. The sender was blank, yet curiously it hadn't been blocked by her email provider. The subject line read "Hello, Autumn." Her curiosity got the best of her and she clicked on it, opening it up.

[i]"Subject: Hello, Autumn.

Hello Autumn Finley,

We've never met, but my name is Adam, and I know that you have been taken by the company that calls itself "Geist." I am afraid not only for your wellbeing but for the wellbeing of your teammates as well. I know things about Geist and you need to know that they are not as they seem. I can't tell you for sure in what capacity, but I can tell you that they are involved with the Big Five. Yes, the Big Five they have no doubt told you that you and the other 'supers' they have captured are going to have to take down. This is a suicide mission.

Geist is far more sinister than you could even imagine. In the past they have been involved in biological experimentation on children. Twenty two years ago, they developed an Advanced Biology Division, through which most of this experimentation was carried out under.

I know you are scared, and you should be. But I can help you - all of you, make it out of there alive. Now, there is a Vault, which is tantamount to many of Geist's activities. Autumn, I need you to listen very, very carefully to me: this Vault not only holds the key to understanding Geist, but also the key to your freedom and a return to your normal life. Please trust me. If you look for this vault you will realize I am telling the truth. You cannot trust Geist, but I hope you feel as though you can trust me. I have been there before, seen it all before. They must be stopped, and I can stop them, but only with your help.

We can help each other. Please respond quickly.

-Adam."[/i]

Autumn stared at her computer screen in utter disbelief. It was entirely implausible - Geist taking them and training them to fight the Big Five and yet have them fail? It seemed too far fetched, and yet... this Adam knew her full name, and obviously knew that she and the others were supers... It seemed like far too much information to be fake. She shut her laptop and left her hand resting on top of it for a moment, before quickly flipping it open again. She gaped at the words on the screen. Her heart was racing as she read over the email once more.

'This can't possibly be real, and yet... what if it is?' She took off her glasses and shut her eyes, resting her hands over them, thinking. She scrunched her eyes tightly and then opened them, putting her glasses back on. She navigated to the reply button and her fingers flew off the keys, typing her response.

[i]"Re: Hello, Autumn.

Who are you? Why me? How do you know all this? I have so many questions, most notably, how do you know about me? And my team? What are you getting out of all of this..." [/i]

Her finger hovered over the send button for a moment before she clicked it. She slouched back onto a pillow and looked unblinking at the screen, not really seeing it.

Within a few moments, the familiar 'ping!' sounded. It was the reply from Adam.

[i]"Re: Re: Hello, Autumn.

Autumn,

I know it all seems insane - and it is. But it is no more insane than being a part of some team of teenage or young adult - whatever, - "super heroes." I understand your situation better than you think and I'm sorry I can't give you more details about myself. Suffice it to say, Geist knows of me and we didn't part on the best terms. Hence all of my secrecy. Again, apologies. But if you look into some of the things I have told you about, you will see I am telling the truth. What am I getting out of this? A chance to destroy a company that I should've taken care of a long time ago.

I chose you because I know you are scared. More than anything else, you wish you weren't there at Geist. I think you'd do anything to get out. And that is the kind of attitude that is needed. Autumn, I think you'll do this because you care about your teammates.

When you begin your investigation, I'll need some information on your teammates so I can begin to contact them, too..."[/i][/font]

[Akieen Cloud]

[font="Comic Sans MS"][color="#000080"]Ri blinked several times as she tried to clear her vision of the bright spots still clouding her eye sight, she directed her eyes towards Hood and stood shakily frowning as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Ms. Sharp, you shouldn't be moving, your eye sight hasn't fully healed."
"Go chase a car."
She shoved passed the stunned medical staff and made her way over to Hood, pushing the staff out of the way she felt around til her knees hit the bed.
"God dammit."
She grit her teeth and felt around for him more, frowning as he grabbed her hand and clutched it tight.
"Hood, Hood! It's alright. Your safe now. It's alright"
She felt his hand squeeze her's more tightly and cringed slightly, he was stronger than he looked, sitting down on the edge of his bed she reached forward and began to brush her fingers through his bangs, the situation reminding her so many times of the younger kids in the orphanage who had nightmares; she did this to calm them down. She jumped as his hand released her's and latched onto her wrist.
"I kill...I killed him!"
She felt around for his shoulders and pulled him into a gentle hug, not bothering his injuries.
"Shh, you did what you had to Aimanan, it's not your fault."
She listened as he repeated himself over and over, shaking her head she continued to hold him til his ramblings slowed.
"It's alright Aimanan, it's alright."
She sighed as he barely calmed down, frowning and yanking her arm from someones grasp as they pulled her away from him and back towards her own bed, she sighed as she realized they had taken her lighter from her again and growled as her hand twitched, begging to scratch the inhibitors on her head.
"Look, I'm fine, take care of everyone else."
"You nearly went blind Ms. Sharp."
"Yeah? Well, it doesn't effect Derek, why should I be any different. No offense Flare."
He gave her a feeble wave from his own bed.
"None taken."
She closed her eyes, cursing silently as she still saw spots as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"How long do I have to be here? I hate hospitals."
"Your not in a hospital."
"Might as well be. It smells like sterilized walls and linens. I hate it."
She grunted as she was pushed back onto the bed, sitting and putting her hands on her knees as the doctor took a small flash light and shined it into her eyes, she swatted him away with a scowl.
"What the hell, I'm already blind for the time being. Jesus Christ."
"I was checking the dilation of your eyes, they are going to take a few hours, stay here and get some rest."
"Yeah, okay. Like that'll be easy to do."
She listened to his thick accent as he spoke flinching and yelping as something stuck into her upper arm.
"You will be resting, that is a mild sedative, just to relax you."
"Hey, **** you. I don't need....to...relax."
She felt her body get heavy and a yawn escape her as she slumped to the side landing softly on the bed with a light snore, Carter snorting.
"Mild my ass, you just knocked her the **** out!"
The doctor nodded slightly.
"Her eyes need time to heal, a few hours of sleep should do the trick no problem. Now, whose next?"[/color][/font]