The Gang is Taking Their Whippings
Summer 2021, Week 5
Monday morning
AERI HQ, Victoria Field
DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Andre walked back into Headquarters for the first time in almost a week. Some things had already changed at the facility. Now there was an armed guard on the first (fake) floor, along with a receptionist of some kind? He was a young man, wearing a pretty quick add bowtie, and he seemed to look at Andre for longer than necessary before nodding and welcoming him. With a hit of a button, the elevator in the back opened and Andre stepped in. He exited to the main floor, and found the growing usual group of people moving about. They didn’t seem to notice him, likely because he was in his dressed down uniform, and because he hadn’t said anything. Choosing instead to make his way to the conference room in the back.Isaac Crysentine
Isaac strolled into HQ with a feeling of unease. The last time he was here, well, he wasn't quite himself. Countless people had also died that night. Before his thoughts could get the best of him, Isaac squeezed his eyes shut and let them filter out of his mind. 'No more of this. We move forward, not dwell on the past.' The armed guard and receptionist were slightly off-putting, not gonna lie. "Yo, nice to meet you! You new here?" It was after a few seconds of silence and no response that the man allowed Isaac through. 'Ok, cool.' The elevator was the same as before, and the support staff were milling about in the same droves as before. Isaac quickly dodged the people with tablets and walked into the conference room. Thankfully - maybe - Andre was standing there, already having arrived. "Dude, did you see the new guy at the front? He was kinda funky."Ari Thomas
It's okay.. you're okay.. you got this. Just the heroes and people you look up to all in one room. Who last all saw you lose it.. oh, crap. The feeling of sheer nervousness overtook Ari as he pulled into a parking space. Shutting off the engine, he sits in the seat for a moment to gather what little remained of his nerves. He looks to the building, takes a long breath, and gets out of the car, grabbing the rest of the drinking cups from the trunk in a large box. Upon entering the HQ, he already feels lost, and the armed guard made him feel slightly uneasy. "Heyya. Um.. The Chief called for a meeting? I also left the boxes kinda open to show that it's just drinking glasses." One quick search and a set of instructions later, he takes the big box of smaller boxes to an elevator and presses the button to the floor with the conference room. You got this. You got this.Sloane Whittier
'I should not have had those glasses of wine last night. It is not helping the anxiety in my stomach. Good job, Sloane. Good job.' She pulled the door open to HQ and noted the changes. 'Just one guard? I'll have to say something to the Chief about upping the numbers if we can. We need to protect this place.' She didn't even think to try to announce herself to the receptionist, just gave him a smile and a quiet hello and kept on to the elevators. 'Oh. Elevators. Also not good for post-wine stomach. Note to self: put awaaaaay the wine for a bit.' Once the elevator dinged, she stepped off and looked around. 'Well at least we're still staffed for now.' She smiled and waved and said hi to a few people, but didn't make the usual small chat and continued on to where she knew she'd find the others. Coming into the conference room, she pulled out a chair and sat down, pulling out a tablet from her purse and setting it up. "Ari, it's good to see you here. Welcome. Normally I would've talked to you sooner, but... circumstances. Ya know." She didn't say anything to Isaac, just gave him a quick once over to get a feel for his emotions today. For Andre, she'd talk with him privately. 'Hey there friend. How're you doing? Scars look a little better. Haven't seen you in a few days. You been alright?' [Pather x1 Basic 0EP]Roslyen Van Steele
Showing up late. This was new! Showing up fashionably on time... This was not... That was what Rosey wanted to say, but she was late more often then she wasn't. Though she had a good reason this time... She swore it. The door to AERI HQ opened up with little fanfare to Rosey's disappointment. "One guard? And here... never mind." Giving a soft sigh, she stepped past him holding her chin high as she headed to the elevator, the steady click of her heels on the ground the only noise she made. Once, she walked through those doors in a sweatshirt and matching pants. Today, she walked through as an Amazonian queen. Tall heels that clicked like metal on the tile. Long legs left uncovered and free, as she wore thin shorts that barely stopped at her lower thigh. A corset top with small bits of fur lining the cups, off set with a single cold red rose set between them. The rose, much like her heels and vambraces hidden under long wide sleeves, were steel. The thin silk moved like water around her long arms as she stepped through the doors of the elevator and hit the button to head down. "Good Morning!" she cried out in a happy singsong voice as they opened up to her teammates (friends?).DeAndre Walker (Victory)
Isaac was the first to join him in the conference room. Andre had enough time beforehand to make a cup of coffee and take a seat at the opposite side of the long table from the door. He was into his second sip when his fellow AERI member came in. "Mhm. Guards. Chief is linking up more officers for strictly AERI use. That includes protection of our Headquarters. When we aren't here, the staff needs someone to keep them safe. I'm sure Sloane or the Chief can go over their vetting process and all that. Guy seemed nervous to me when I came in. Imagine working with super beings and all you have is a gun." He smiled as he took another sip and waited for the others. When Ari walked in, Andre gave a pleasant smile and wave. "That he did. Ari, right? We met before but it was all a bit chaotic. It's good to see you again. Then came Sloane. The growingly familiar sense in his mind had him smirk behind his mug's rim. "I'm doing good. I've just been patrolling, trying to get my face back out there to reassure people. It's good to see you too." He knew that she'd feel the borderline truth and hidden feelings deeper behind his words. The occasional pain from his scars. The need to be out there and doing something. The exhaustion from all the nights staying up, training, pushing his body further than it should be going right now. Roslyen was the next member to join them. Her vibrant good morning was almost more powerful than the caffeine. Almost. He returned the good morning and looked around the room. "So it's Luna and the Chief we're waiting on then?"Storyteller
On the ground floor, near the entrance, a light suddenly shines out seemingly from nothing, quickly growing into a ring. The guard swiftly draws his firearm and aims it at the anomaly until the ring grows large enough for the young girl responsible to be seen on the other side. "Jesus Christ." he says before he holsters the weapon once more.Luna
The portal reaches its final diameter at 6 feet before Luna walks through, followed by her older sister, and the portal then closes behind them. Luna waves to the guard and receptionist as they 'enter' the building. "Sorry if that scared you but we had to take a shortcut." she says as they make their way to the elevator to enter the HQ proper.[Tr. - Dimension Skipper: x1 Strenuous, -15 EP (10/25)]
Alexia
Luna's older sister follows behind quietly the entire time, not saying a word but her eyes carefully scanning over everything and everyone as they walk to the conference room.[En. - Perception: x1 Basic, -0 EP (15/15)]
Luna
"I know we said not to bring people here before having them go through all the processes.." she immediately starts as they enter the room, ".. but my big sister has kind of been an honorary member of the team from the start. This is Alexia, she's the one who made my equipment." she says, and her sister waves awkwardly in response.Ari Thomas
He cracks a wide smile as everyone starts to come in, barely containing his excitement. I can't believe I'm actually here! Just... okay, Ari. Caaaaalm down. He grins and extends his hand for a handshake. "Yes, sir! I'm glad to be here, Mr. Victory." As everyone starts coming in, he tries his best to match name plates to his gifts, leaving a cardboard box at a spot for everyone that hadn't recieved their glasses yet. Upon Miss Sloane arriving and addressing him, he nods enthusiastically while extending his hand to her for a handshake. "Good to see you, too! Glad to be here, and I, uh, I understand that." He nervously scratches at the back of his neck, though maintaining a wide smile. As Rosey strode in, his face grew a few shades darker in color. Jeez, she looks as amazing as ever. "Oh, a-ah good morning." He replies as he tried not to stare at her. When the sisters came in and Luna explains the situation, he walks over to introduce himself. "Heyya! Glad to meet ya both! Alexia, and that must mean you're Luna, right?" She looks a bit different without the metal suit.Chief Butler
The Chief was almost to HQ when his phone rang. He flicked the green button on the screen and it connected to his SUV's speakers. "Y'ello?"Storyteller
"They're all here, sir. Two of them, well, to be honest with you sir, they showed up out of nowhere. Just spawned in the middle of the room from some dimensional portal. Straight out of a sci fi movie. Then she just smiled at me, sir. It's the little one. Luna. This has to be the weirdest detail I've been on."Chief Butler
He smiled to himself. "That won't be the last time you say that. Thanks, Chad. I'll be there in just a minute." Flicking the red button, he ended the call and then made his way into the garage and down into the conference room. Everyone was chattering and familiarizing themselves as he walked in so he just sipped his coffee, smiled as he made eye contact, and waited for the room to quiet down. "Hello folks. It's good to see you all again. Familiar faces and new faces alike. Isaac, your friend Alex, he won't be making it. He didn't elaborate and I didn't push the issue. As much as I wish we could just ease back into this, we just don't have the luxury so I'm just gonna get to it. Encounters like Bolt, well, I have a feeling that won't be the last we see of them. We're being tested here - by the public, by the government, and by the criminals at large. And this is a test that we can't afford but to pass with flying colors. So I'm opening up today's meeting by saying straight up - if you cannot handle the pressures that this team is going to be facing, I will not judge you, I will not blame you, but I need to know and unfortunately I need to know now. So I'm gonna go refresh my coffee and I'll expect your answers when I get back." With that he turned and headed back up to the bullpen to give them time to think and talk it over.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
“For everything Henry was, it was a teaching moment for me.” Andre started speaking in a reserved tone after a few moments of silence. “I saw what the evil were going to face looks like. What it’ll do. The lengths it’ll go to. I learned how much better I need to be, not just stronger. Better. And I learned the risk.” Looking at each of his friends, new and old, the scar on his neck stretching as he turned his head, he continued. “I can shrug off a bullet and move a car, and I almost died that day. Likely would have if I slipped just a bit. That’s the risk. I also learned im one of the few people who can face an evil like that and beat it. That the people here are the same.” “I’m in for the long haul. With this team, whoever decides to stay.”Isaac Crysentine
Isaac listened intently to his friend, nodding once he had finished. He stood up, and looked everyone in the eye before speaking. "I feel as though I have something to apologize for - no, I definitely have something to apologize for. I can't help but feel like most of what went wrong in Henry was my fault. I lost control of myself before we went and I went a little overboard with some of the fighting too. There were several times I almost died as well, and I came pretty close to it at one point. I realized there is more to do than simply fighting the bad guy, that's not the only thing I can do to entirely save people. "I want to save people, that's ultimately what I want to do. I can't say I've entirely learned from Henry, as it's only been a week, but I recognize that I cannot lose myself like that again and that we prioritize people first. I'm sticking with AERI, and I'll be a real hero. And we'll do it together." Ari Thomas Waiting until there was a lull in talk, he awkwardly continues to stand and begins to fidget with his hands. He thinks of what he wants to say, the hands starting and stopping whatever sentences he sounds out in his mind and aborts. He finally works up the courage to speak up, his hands continuing to sign his words in ASL. "I.. I am willing to admit that I lost it when we were fighting in Henry." The memory of the panic seizes his chest as he recalls the events, the helplessness, the fire.. He shakes his head and slaps his cheeks twice to snap himself out of it. "Augh.. but. But. I want to better myself and protect the people of the city, because that's what heroes are supposed to do. That's what I want to do. I want to be an iron wall of defense for the people that need to be defended. "So my answer is, I will stay. I'll be here to provide support, and make myself better so that I won't make any mistakes in the field."Sloane Whittier
She watched each of them speak with her chin resting in her hand. Putting her arm down to lay down flat on the table, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. "My head's killing me so I don't have a big fancy speech in me right this minute. All I have to say is I'm not gonna be the one to sit back and watch something like that happen in our city again. I can't. So, I'm in. Plus, y'all would be screwed without your walkie talkie."Roslyen Van Steele
Rosy was quiet, not saying a word. She knew she couldn't let other get hurt. Not while she had the power to stop it. As her friends, and newly met allies spoke in turn she listened only to speak up when it felt as if it was her turn. Wrapping her hands on the table softly while she cleared her throat. Quite unlady like. "I.. I am not the best ,and I am more then willing to admit i made mistakes. Both before and in the battle.. yet I am not willing to let my mistakes decide who I am or what I will do. I want to help other and sitting down while I have the power, ability and the will to do sowould just be another mistake. I'm in."Luna
After a few moments in silence the youngest one in the room suddenly notices that eyes are on her now and speaks up. "Hey don't look at me like you even need to ask, I helped establish this place so I already made my commitment there and then. I'm partly responsible for this ship we're sailing, so if it sinks I'm ready to go down with it. We all learned where we stand that night and I'm no different.. I've improved my power enough to go back home, so I wouldn't even be in this dimension right now if I was willing to give up but I'm here. We're all here."Alexia
"A- And I'm here to help and protect my sister.. which if she intends to stay here means helping and protecting all of you as well." she quickly adds on.Luna
"See? You can't get rid of us that easily." she says with a wide grin, looking to the Chief.Chief Butler
The Chief had walked in as Luna finished. Giving her a special smile, as he had a soft spot for his first AERI recruit, he took a sip of his fresh, hot coffee. Standing at the head of the table, he took in the overall look of each person staring back at him. "So I'm guessing that not a one of you backed down then?" Waiting a brief pause to see if anyone contested, he continued on. "Good. About what I'd expect. Keep your reasonings fresh in your mind because you're gonna need something to hold onto." Then the Chief's visage changed. There was a fierceness to his eyes, a rigidness to his body, you could see the person that had earned the title of Chief. Gone was the grandfatherly man that they had known thus far. "Up until now, I have treated this group differently. You weren't my uniformed officers. You didn't have their training. You hadn't been through the mud. You were civilians, clean and naïve. So I was trying to bring you together gradually, give you time to get used to the idea of what we're doing here, give you time to get your head into it. That time has run out, folks. You do not have a spare millisecond of time. This city and this country have decided that you ain't shit because of your performance the night of Bolt's attack. You know what that means? That means they don't trust that you can do what I need you to do. That means they don't trust Evos as a whole. That means we are this goddamn close to being shut down. You were supposed to be a beacon for them. An example of what the supernaturally inclined can do for them. And now? Now you're all tarnished. I get that it was your first excursion. I get that it happened before we'd done any iota of training together. I get that it wasn't fair. Well tough shit. Each and every one of you fucked up that night." His gaze shifted to Isaac. "You never should have been there. I took the risk because I was afraid there weren't enough of you and we'd need every single person we had in the field. That was my mistake. One that cost us lives. One I won't make again." Turning back to the group as a whole. "This isn't a game. This isn't happy happy fun time where you get to run around pretending to be your favorite superhero. This is real," he leaned down and slammed the table with his fist, "fucking," another slam, "LIFE!" He yelled the last word, letting it linger in the air for a moment. "Gone are the days of kid gloves. Gone are the days where you get any slack. Now? Now, you're gonna work harder for me than you have ever worked in your entire lives. You are going to live here. You are going to train your bodies and your minds. You are going to study tactics. You are going to get your goddamn shit together and you are going to show me that you can be what this city needs you to be or by god I will get rid of each and every one of you and put together a new team with people that can. You have 15 minutes and then you're due at the training grounds below. Get ready." He didn't wait for a response, just picked up his coffee cup and strode back out of the room once more.DeAndre Walker (Victory)
He couldn't say he was surprised. Chief Butler reminded Andre of his coaches, his Captain. A nice exterior that didn't get there by being soft. Nor could he say he didn't need to hear it. He did. The others in the room, in his opinion, definitely need to. But for Andre specifically it mattered. He had put so much pressure on himself, by himself. The reassurance--a strange thing to call it--that the City, the Chief, did need him to do better? It was reassuring in a strange sort of way. One he needed. One he was used to. The pain in his scar faded as he stood, cracking his neck to really stretch the tightness out. Clenching the first of his left arm to work out the phantom pains of energy he felt every so often. Breathing in, he felt himself swell, grow, and in his body he felt the power. Power to protect the City with the Chief's guidance. Glancing at Isaac, he sent a signal both of support for what the Chief had said, but that weird tentative understanding they had come to at the hospital. Your ass is chewed. Time to right the wrongs best you can, kid. To everyone else, he looked around, meeting their eyes. "Get changed over and let's show the Chief AERI doesn't show up on time anymore. We're early, and ready to go." Already in his uniform, he walked around the table, stopping only to give Sloane a squeeze on the shoulder. Getting used to what she needed to hear him, he sent a very loud, Glad you chose to stay. Not like I'd give you a choice. Along with a smile at the corner of his mouth before he went down to the Training Grounds.Isaac Crysentine
Isaac sat in his chair, slightly speechless but also understanding and accepting of the fact that this was about to get a lot more intense. The glare Andre gave him sent a chill down his spine but it was one he knew he deserved. 'It's going to be a long road from here on out.' Quietly, he nodded at Andre's words, and intently made his way to change into his uniform and before walking down to the Training Grounds.Ari Thomas
He froze at the chief's sudden change in demeanor. It was like watching a happy and peaceful teddy bear become a very, very angry Kodiak. He takes a deep breath and nods, partially to himself and mostly to acknowledge that shit got real, and he was going to need to work his ass off in order to be the best iron wall of defense he could be. Not wasting any time, he 'suits up' by shifting into his sand form and whisks himself away, following the gathering group to the Training Grounds.[Earth Morpher, Minor x1, -1EP (24/25)]
The Mountain
Let's get to work. He thinks to himself.Sloane Whittier
She couldn't help it, she flinched when he slammed his fist into the table. 'Why must he be so loud. Note to self: Don't. Drink. Wine. Again. Okay, that won't hold, but try.' She resisted the urge to grab her head and just sat there, holding her hands together, listening to the rest of his speech. Her body gave an involuntary shiver when he walked out of the room. She just stared blankly ahead for a moment until she felt the hand on her shoulder. 'Right back at ya, golden boy.' She took a breath, cracked her neck, used the table to push herself up, and followed the others out. 'This is gonna hurt.'Roslyen Van Steele
Sadly, Rosy couldn't agree more... She had failed, more than she thought. Shaking her head as she heard Butler's words, she stayed quite, her brilliant smile having fled from her face. Standing proud, she looked around heading after Ari and Victory. She wasn't afraid. She didn't have time to be afraid. She was one of the older "kids" part of this group. She had to set some kind of example. She smiled, less so this time. and walked towards the Training Grounds.Luna
Luna probably has the calmest expression out of the whole group as the Chief speaks, ironically, having already beat herself up a thousand times over about how that night went. She listens and nods at a few points, then before he can even finish saying 'Get ready' she is already setting her bag down and pulling out her gauntlets.Mecha Loli
"I agree, no time to waste. Evil waits for no one, after all." she says in response to Victory as she follows the others out of the room.Alexia
As if to contrast her younger sister, Alexia looks like a little kid getting scolded by her parents as the Chief speaks. I wasn't even really there and I still kind of feel bad... When Luna starts walking away, Alexia follows close behind her.AERI Training Grounds, Victoria Field
Chief Butler
The Chief was waiting for them alongside an unfamiliar man in SWAT uniform. The two were joking around with each other, but went silent once the full team was there. Their demeanor changed into all business and the Chief spoke up, his voice booming and echoing throughout the room. "Listen up! I've got a treat for you today. I'd like you to meet your new taskmaster, Lieutenant George. He's a good man. You can learn a lot from him, if you pay attention. He will be handling your training going forward. I'll be here watching and evaluating. Expect feedback. None of you are anywhere near perfect yet, but my goal is to get you there as quickly as we can. Anthony, the floor is yours."New Victoria Police
The AERI Team assembled on the training ground floor and found the space radically changed. Beside the elevator sat walls of monitors, what looked like a first aid station, gear lockers, and standing in a file were 12 uniformed SWAT Officers. On each of their shoulders was the NVPD Badge, and on the other a a symbol of two lightning bolts being stopped by a white line barrier that flickered in flames. Above it were the words 'AERI Support Officer' and underneath were the words 'Be A Hero.' One of the officers stepped forward after the whole team had gathered and he got a nod from the Chief. "Good Morning. My name is Lieutenant Anthony George. Most of you I met at the battle of Henry, but I'll forgive you if you don't recognize me. As of today I am the Head of the Support Team for AERI. The Support Team now consists of all Staff at this location--which we've expanded from your last meeting to include guards for the facility, on-duty staff 24 hours, on duty nurses and on call doctors, armorers, and a team of scientist to work with some of the more technologically gifted of you--as well as my AERI SWAT Team which includes myself and 11 others, as well as 6 EMS Paramedics, and 4 Detectives." He stood tall before the beings that were classified as well beyond human and spoke clearly, though respectfully. "Our Mission, the Support Team's mission, is two parts. Ensure the Big Guns are ready to go, and protect the delicates. The first mission means we are here to make sure your gear is good to go. Each of you will spend this week getting your gear assigned. Suits, equipment, all that good stuff so we know what we need each time you go out. So we can operate a smooth a ship. "The second mission is when in the field, take care of the civilians and other normals during situations that may require you all to focus your attentions on bigger threats. We derived this from the hostage rescue. As bad as the battle was, that was the only thing I can say was executed without fault. AERI tackled the enemy evos and gave us the opening to get the hostages out of harms way. From now on, that's our goal." "This may also include us tackling smaller threats to allow you to focus on larger ones. Today, we are going to begin training how to work together. We're going to do this individually, in teams, and as a whole. If its just you and some of us, you need to know how to work with us. Then you need to know how to work in teams of two for patrols. Then a whole unit." "We will break for lunch, and then we are starting what I like to call 'Oh Shit I Fucked Up' First Aid. This will focus on first aid you need to know if your powers hit someone they weren't supposed to." Pointing behind him, he showed the room which was set up in apartment room style buildings for clear, capture, and rescue. "So, Mr. Victory, Ms. Sloane, what are the teams?"Sloane Whittier
She finally looked more alert than she did when they were all surrounding the conference table. The espresso she chugged before coming down here helped, but this is where Sloane shined. Any opportunity to take charge and make shit happen, she could put a game face on for that. She jumped in once the Lieutenant addressed the two of them. "Well, sir, I think we need to test a few different team setups. Have the heavy hitters together, the back up team together, and then do some mixing and matching so we're all comfortable with each other. Not sure what your goal is for today for the teams so I understand if we only break out into the two main groups. For the heavy hitters, that would be Victory, Inferno, Rosy - I'm sorry, I don't know if you have an 'official' name yet, and Geb. The back up team would be myself and Luna. Also, did we have any other recruits that might be getting added soon? Anyone else y'all worked with that night that I should be looking into?"The Mountain
He nods along, a slight smile present on his sandy face. I wonder if I'll have to shout things like 'shields up' before I make barricades and stuff like that. But now is a good time to change my hero name if I can. "I've been thinking, and I.. think I should go by Mountain or Stonewall instead of Geb. It's more recognizable, I think. And having the same name as a god of the earth is not gonna look good for public opinion." His voice in the sandy form is that of a hoarse and airy speech, like wind rushing past a dune of sand. Unbreakable and the man in the skeletal oni mask come to mind as his thoughts move to the people he met that night, and his discussion with the former about the latter. "But for people of interest, I don't think he is willing to join but Unbreakable is someone to keep close. From what I understand so far, he has a similar ability set as Victory, and needs a bit of practice flying around still. And a person to watch out for is a man named Laslow. He appeared to us after the initial fight, and was a dark haired man that wore a black, skeletal Oni mask. I think Lieutenant George can confirm that he was a power absorber that claimed he wanted to help. Inferno and I learned his name after talking with Unbreakable after the battle, and discovered that he is not the helpful person he wanted to seem."Mecha Loli
We have our own SWAT team? This is so coool. she thought as she entered and saw the officers lined up, noticing the AERI patches. No Luna, this is a time to be serious, don't think about how this is playing out like I'm in My Hero.. but with guns. The young girl stood there quietly with her thoughts as she did her best to listen and wait for the training to begin. After a few moments she enables her H.U.D. and begins double checking her gear to make sure everything is ready to go.[Ind. | Techno-User: x1 Basic, -0 EP (25/25)]
Alexia
The older sibling followed Luna to the training grounds, determined to stick with her through all of this no matter where it led. Like her sister she waited and watched, though she didn't double check her equipment because she was completely confident in it, having thoroughly checked it all for malfunctions before leaving Sanctuary. Instead she took in every detail in the room that she could, wanting to know of anything in the room that could be useful to keep in mind.[En. | Perception: x3 Minor, -3 EP (12/15)]
On the third sweep of her gaze over the room she notices something that sets alarm bells off in her mind, a small metallic object attached to Victory's suit. Is that a tracking device or just something that is part of his gear? It's the right size for one, and it's in an unassuming place.. Should I point it out? But what if it is part of his gear? I'd only be interrupting the flow of training for nothing.. What do I do? As her thoughts race she gets nervous enough for it to show slightly in her expression, but for the time being doesn't speak up.Roslyen Van Steele
Sadly some things never change. Roslyn's smile seem to grow every step towards training ground. She loved going all out. She loved feeling every muscle in her body screaming for just another hit. "Its Hippolyta!" She responded to dear Sloane with a sparklingly tone in her voice. How she managed to bounce up and down in her heels many would wonder to themselves yet she did already rolling her shoulders. Waiting for the training session. "Queen of the Amazons, thought it was fitting."Victory
Andre had been walking around taking in the new setup of the training course. Tapping one of the mock walls, he found it was about as strong as an internal apartment wall. Probably a bit weaker to teach us restraint. "You need a name too so we can stop calling you by first name. If reports need to be made, you'll need a cover." He sent to Sloane in a distracted mental voice as he rejoined the group. "Unbreakable is a possibility. I doubt he'd join, but he's a good kid. He's weaker than me from what I can tell, but has the ability to heal a lot faster than I can. Definitely useful, and we saw how beneficial it was to have more than one nigh-bulletproof people in the field." "Sloane hit the teams on the head, Lieutenant. If you wanted to split them further, it's probably best to divide Hippolyta and I, then the manipulators. I think Mountain and Me, Inferno and Hippolyta. That splits the experience too." What Ari had said about Laslow marked the third time he heard about an Evo, or a Hunter, or some force that seemed to be on the same track as Bolt. The fact the team was just finding out about it too said a lot. He'd ask Sloane and Luna about their information gathering process, but trusted both of them to already be taking mental notes on looking into it.Isaac Crysentine
"I can second Laslow, though I was a little off-put by his demeanor and how kurt he was. I can't say I was a fan, but at least out interests aligned in that moment to where he was a huge help. I guess I'd just be careful about him." Isaac remembered his encounter with the man, and how if it wasn't for him he probably wouldn't have been able to help Sloane against Bolt at the very end like that. "So, me and.. Hippolyta? I gotta get used to saying that haha, but lets start the training!" He seemed a little too enthusiastic for the whole thing, though part of him was hoping to gloss over the talking and skip straight to the training to avoid and scoldings.Roslyen Van Steele
Roslyen had little to say on the whole matter. She didn't know who Laslow was, but made a mental note to ask her secretary when she got home. Rolling her shoulders she bounced a bit on her toes before dropping down into a near split. Then a full split. wanting to fully limber up her muscles. She knew victory could hit, and had a slight feeling her wouldn't hold make knowing she could take a hit. "Yeah, its me and you Inferno. Best way I see to play this is rifle and shield. You have good mid range fighting abilities. While in theory I'm a close range fighter. Keep the flames on them, and I'll keep them off you."Victory
“Slow down.” Andre said to his two teammates. “You heard the, Lieutenant. We need to learn how they operate first. How to work together. Sloane, LT, it’s my suggestion we have SWAT here show us how they go through a hostile situation in their course first. Then we split into teams with hostages. Two of us are bad guys. Two good. We work with clearing the area with SWAT and taking down the bad Evos. What do you think?” "We should also talk about the guy supposedly running around with Unbreakable. Police reports from the recent kidnapping ring that was just broken talk about an Evo in a high tech suit that starts with a C, I believe. If anyone knows anything about that, we should look into him. Anyone Unbreakable is working with is worth a checking out."Roslyen Van Steele
With all do respect Victory. While I both understand your idea, and your place as leader of this... Team? But I see a error... Most of our team, doesn't have any combat experience.. Hell most don't have any training, but we want to throw them right into CQB drills? Perhaps we should run drill on how to use our EVO's for both combat and rescue? I mean hell. I served, but I didn't see real combat, and only trained as a non-evo. Its not really the same way as using my abilities is it..." Rosy spoke up with a bit of concern in her voice after having thought for a moment.Mecha Loli
"We no longer have the time to do things slow and steady after what happened that night. Every day that we are not ready is another day that a new Blood Bolt could show up, we can't afford to do this normally anymore. This won't be the normal method of training of new recruits but drastic times call for drastic measures.."Roslyen Van Steele
Rosey would let out a small sigh. Leaning on her left hip slightly. Her right hand was twirling both of her brass knuckles between her fingers. "Yet I do understand that and I'm not avocaticing for us not to have have quicker, more rigoures training methods, But better to spend a day laying down Basic's then having learn mistakes and have them poured into muscle memory. Think like this we have non-evo's in here. If we jump in blind we could have a repeat of bloodbolt right here.. Weather because someone loses control, or gets so nervous they might hurt someone, they do hurt someone."Victory
Pausing for the back and forth, Andre raised a hand slightly. “That’s what I want us to do. I want the SWAT team to bring us through a clearing drill as they do it. And then we attach Evos to see how it works together. What parts need to change. What roles need to be switched up.” Glancing at the Lieutenant he said quickly. “Correct me if I’m wrong but you have a clearer right? That’s a position better suited for an Evo. In my unexperienced opinion. That’s why I want them to show us how they do it too.” “Running an Evo only drill, while I agree it’s important, is not as important as learning how to run with our team here. How hard can I hit a wall without risking SWAT? How hot can Inferno burn.” “I understand the need to train our abilities. That’s what I’ve been doing since I got out of that bed. I know 10% of what I should about my own abilities. But I know 0% of how to work with a trained SWAT team. In my opinion. I’ll defer to Sloane and the LT though.” Holding up his hand one more time, Andre said one last thing. “And I’m not the leader of this team. I’m the face. She’s the leader.” Pointing at Sloane, he let that sink in with the team.Sloane Whittier
She'd zoned out a tiny bit, hearing what they were saying, but not quite with it enough to respond. 'Okay, not as with it as I want to be on day one. Pull your shit together, Sloane. Hangover be damned.' Snapping back to attention when he announced her the leader of the team, she sent Andre a quick message. 'Couldn't give a girl some warning? You've been doing a hell of a lot more of the leading, but I'm happy to pick up some slack...' "Listen, you're all getting way ahead of yourselves here. Correct me if I'm wrong, Chief, Lieutenant, but they're not going to just throw us into a situation where we're going to get each other hurt today. I know we're stepping up our game, but this team standing before us with, I'm gonna bet my paycheck they aren't new at this. They want us to get better, they want us to succeed. So they're going to train us and I trust that they know what they're doing where that's concerned." "Now, for those of you who mentioned names of people I should either attempt to recruit or people that need to be on our watch list, if you don't mind shooting me that in an email that'd be great. We all should have gotten notifications with our new encrypted logins this past week. If you didn't, see Luna later. Pretty sure she helped the Chief get it set up while we were on... sabbatical." Gaining more strength and confidence back in her voice, she continued on. "Speaking of which, Luna, we're really thankful that your sister is here with us and I'm personally excited for what that means power wise for you! You'll have to catch us all up later on that development. Alexia, right? I'd love it if you could give us an introduction in a few minutes. And Lieutenant, I'd probably put her in the same category as myself and Luna for now." "Oh and one more thing... Someone reminded me that I need a call sign too. Y'all can't use my name out in the field. I'll go with The Rowan or I guess just Rowan. It's, uh, it's from my favorite book series as a kid. Telepaths, telekintetics, space stuff... No judgement." She swerved and turned back to the task force. "So what's up first, Lieutenant?"New Victoria Police
The Lieutenant and other SWAT members were content to just watch the team discuss. Silently, the Lieutenant was pleased that the team was so open to training, if naive in the way it should be conducted. Attitude is half the battle, and it'll get them far. "Victory was close on the mark as to what I want to tackle today. First, however, we are going to go over the failures at Henry from the gaze of if you had supporting personnel. I understand this will be hard. I don't give a shit. It's hard for me. You all might think it was just you who fucked up, but you don't get that luxury. The NVPD learned a lot that deal on how to deal with Evos, and how unprepared we were. So together, on this team, we are going to go over the mistakes we all made, and how in our new units we will avoid those mistakes next time. Because there will be a next time." "After that, we are going to show you how we operate and clear an open field, a building with rooms, and a large open building. After that we are going to start--key word there--drafting procedures for examination on how we should adjust with the various members of the Response Team. If a heavy hitter is with us what do we do different. If a suppressor like Inferno is with us, what? So on and so forth." "After that, we are going to re-look at Henry and replan our assault based on what we learned. This is how we will start each morning for the next week. Assess a combat situation, learn SWAT tactics, apply Evo adjustments and refine them, reassess a combat situation. Then we break for lunch. Afterwards, we will have a 2 hour class. This will be on things like First Aid, Police Combat Tactics, Emergency response, the like. Then you are each going to go with one of my officers exercise. For some of you that'll actually be a part of the Evening training--looking at you, Victory and Hippolyta. The rest of you expect to have that nice v-cut in your abs by the time I'm done with you. In the evening before dinner, we will work whatever powers you have to its absolute limit. It's. Absolute. Limit. Every day. For five days." "Questions."Roslyen Van Steele
Roslyn stood at attain confidently as everyone seem to speak. Through after Sunday she thought it was odd that victory openly said he wasn't the leader. Through she got it. It was like concert for a smaller band. She was just there to promote the other band. It was there show but she was using her star power to make sure people showed up. He was just the face of this fucked up concert of super humans. As the chief spoke she smiled. This seemed.. Not easy but doable. Something she was looking forward to. When he asked for question she Raised her hand keeping attention till he addressed her. "One sir, while I understand this place is equipped to handle us, is it equipped to handle us at our limits? My low rep lifting his 800 pounds with 6 reps per cycle. I can probably hit over 1000 for one push. I just recently saw victory break over a ton. It's not that I doubt your facilities.. Rather Non of its designed for people like us. If its limits to break. Then... Well I think you see what I'm saying.The Mountain
Ari nods, taking all of this information silently. Doubt. Fear. Oof, this is going to be a long way to go for me. I've only just started to really exercise myself, how can I really compare to people like Andre or Miss Sloane? I can't lift a ton on my own, I just shape earth and.. metal, I guess? What if I can shape myself into metal? Questions for later. His features and expression are slightly masked by the smoothness of his sandy form, a pensive look barely perceptible, but still present on his face. But the feeling accompanied by the look disappears when he hears there will be crash courses for the basics. Relief.New Victoria Police
"You'll be pleased to know Hippolyta that in the southwest corner of this room is a fully equipped gym that Titan himself advised on. Titan, the man who can lift weight that exceeds measurement in tons. I think right now we're capped at 5 tons for the refined machines. But that should be enough I think. We also have normal weights and machines for everyone to use, along with a full Intensity Training Course."Inferno
Isaac raised his hand slowly before speaking before everyone. "Is there by any chance a fireproof or insulated room has been added? I can't exactly push myself to the limit without letting out some heat." The training grounds did look revamped, and Isaac was very excited to finally let loose a little. "Also, I'm ready to start the reviews and everything when everyone else is." The subtle egging along could be felt in his voice but Isaac didn't care.New Victoria Police
"We've set up some rooms for more intense power usage, but we also have outside areas within the gate for the more intense training. It was cheaper and honestly more effective for heat dispersion." The Lieutenant said in reply to Isaac's question.Chief Butler
"Listen up, this place wasn't designed with a basic human in mind. Have some respect for the fact that we have an idea of what we're dealing with here and that we've come prepared. Enough of the questions. It's time to get to work. We've got a classroom sort of set up over there. Go on in and take a seat. Be ready to open your ears and eyes and shut your mouths. Focus on what you can take away from your fuck ups. Let's go, let's go, let's go!"Roslyen Van Steele
Of course Rosylen wasn't happy with the answer she received. She had heard promises like this from government "preparedness" before, but she wasn't a superstar here, Just a member. Nodding her head a small bit she moved over and say down in a chair. Legs crossed and hands seated firmly on her lap. She chose a char in the back not ebcoue she didn't want to be up front and center but didn't want to block anyone.The Mountain
Ari follows the group to the classroom, his lower half swirling in a miniature sand cloud as he moves, picking up dust and dirt as he moves like an impromptu vacuum cleaner. Choosing a chair to the side and opting to stay in his sandy form for now, he sits and waits patiently for the points to be made and tries to learn from them as best he can.Victory
Andre choose a seat that wouldn't block anyone's view but put him close enough to address any points and watch the team's reaction at the same time. He did take the time to notice the chairs were reinforced, which was nice. He wasn't heavier than a normal man his size, but if he pushed off a normal chair with too much force it sometimes shattered if his attention slipped.Inferno
Isaac sat in front of Andre somewhat in the middle of the room. He still wanted to learn but wanted to be able to remain as inconspicuous as possible if the subject were somehow changed onto him.Luna
The sisters follow the group into the other room and Luna chooses a chair mostly at random, making sure there was at least one seat next to her but otherwise not really caring where.Alexia
Having followed and sat next to her younger sister, Alexia can't seem to get the object she spotted out of her mind. Do I bring it up now? No, I still feel like I'd be interrupting.. but if it is a tracker, every second counts, right? aaaaaaa, what do I do?Sloane Whittier
She pushed her shoulders back and twisted her neck side to side, stretching just enough to feel the tension. Finishing it with a roll of her shoulders, she straightened herself out and took a deep breath. 'This is going to suck. Okay, "leader", let's get it together.' She entered the classroom and decided to sit down next to Andre, but the girl's broadcasting broke into her light shields. She stopped mid-stride and hurried over to Alexia instead, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "Tracker? What tracker?"Victory
Hearing the conversation and then Sloane calling out to him, the man turned and saw the dedicated conversation taking place. Standing up, he walked over to her and heard the bit about a signal. "What's going on?" Concern showed in his face from just what he heard, but this was way beyond him in terms of understanding exactly what was going on.Luna
"I'm already on it." she says, pulling her hood back over her head. "GPS isn't something you can trace directly but if I intercept the signal I can modify the data to include a virus." Okay Luna, you can do this, just hacking a person willing to put a tracker on the most well known member of AERI. No big deal. She does just as she suggested she should, intercepting the cellular transmission of the tracker and modifying the signal to include new data as it continues. Namely a file labeled 'TSIV.ccc', primed to activate 1 minute after being picked up by the tracking program.[Ind. - Techno-User: x1 Basic, x1 Minor, x1 Normal, -4 EP (21/25)]
Storyteller
A 'Three-Stage Infiltration Virus', as Luna calls it, is hidden within the signal and activated after being picked up and read by a device. In this case it is picked up first by a computer. The virus activates after the minute has passed and begins the process. Having integrated itself into the tracker program along with several other programs it starts to analyze the computer. It finds no known vulnerabilities in the OS or hardware, then proceeds to try and establish a connection to L.O.S.S. though it takes several attempts to find a usable program to bypass the firewall enough to send out a signal. Once successful the virus attempts to use the servers' power to brute force the security of the computer, but after a few seconds the ip is changed and the connection is lost. Reconnecting and trying several times, it fails each time. After three attempts it moves on to more invasive methods, but the computer's security catches the attempted intrusion and activates a failsafe which if not disabled in the next 30 seconds will fry the computer to protect the data within. Luna does not notice at first and the virus attempts to breach the security again, unsuccessful once more.Luna
"Someone put a GPS tracker on your suit. Any idea who could have done it?" she says in response as Victory approaches and the virus works through the first stage of the attack. Then, noticing the virus struggling to establish a connection, Luna attempts to fine tune the algorithms used but time and luck are not on her side. 15 seconds remaining. She uploads and then tries out the new algorithms. They fail to breach the system. 11 seconds remaining. The virus tries again and fails. 8 seconds remaining. Again it tries and fails. 5 seconds remaining. Seeing that the updated algorithms are ineffective she chooses to activate the LoliOS Servers' dual processing mode but she's too late to do anything about the failsafe. 2 seconds remaining.[Ind. - Techno-User: x1 Minor, x1 Normal, -4 EP (17/25)]
[Ind. - Advanced Mind: x1 Normal, -4 EP (13/25)]
Storyteller
Together, the new algorithms and extra processing power tip the scales in her favor, but Luna has no time left to stop the failsafe. A notification box for the failsafe pops up on the computer screen as the virus begins to download whatever it can in the couple of seconds it has left. It pulls the unmasked ip address just before the computer begins to destroy itself, possibly leaving the traces of the virus still on the computer. If the computer is later analyzed, the virus can be found hidden deep in the program files of various applications, especially the tracker program. Traces of an external connection to the system can also be found, but the only identifying data among them is the moniker "L.O.S.S."Luna
"I got something out of it, but whoever this is has some pretty tight security.. Not impenetrable but I only had one shot and I failed to get more than an ip address. You should destroy the tracker, we probably won't get anything more out of it." she says in a tired and somewhat sad tone of voice, pulling the hood back off her head in defeat.Damian Eli's Apartment, Downtown
Damian Eli
Damian was sitting at his computer watching something about two cowboys and a mountain? He wasn't sure. The pain shooting through his body was almost all consuming. But the smell of burning plastic and smoke easily cut though the fog that was his brain. He looked down at his pc and saw the smoke... Somebody had tried to hack him.. neat. Wait. Wait. Wait. Somebody had tried TO HACK HIM oh shit oh fuck. He stood up and ripped the cord out of the wall before limping towards his bedroom and grabbing his three remaining burner phones. He took all of sim cards out and snapped them all before putting the pieces of plastic down the drain and running the garbage disposal. Next he grabbed a garbage bag ans began stuffing his now melted pc into the bag along with his now sim cardless burners. Then he grabbed a hammer from a drawer and just went absolutely apeshit on the bag. Once he was content everything was smashed he double bagged it poured bleach in the bag tied it shut then zip tied it. He waited until dark and got in his car and drove a few miles away until he spotted a fast food joint and threw fhe bag in with their garbage. On his way home he picked up one new burner phone paid with cash and went home took three shots of vodka with a painkiller and went to sleep mp5 in the bed 1911 under thr pillow and his armor just a few feet away.AERI Training Grounds, Victoria Field
Sloane Whittier
She took a step closer to Luna and rubbed a hand comfortingly on her back. "It's okay. You did what you could. Let's see what we can find out from the little bit you got. Chief, Lieutenant. I think we need to deal with this first before we can get to the training."Chief Butler
The concern had been plain on his face as he watched Luna go through her trials. He'd never understand how all that computer mumbo jumbo worked, but he was proud at how hard she'd tried. Ever since that day she walked in with such confidence into his office, she had earned his respect. And now, he worried for her. For her and their team. "Without question. But, can someone explain to me what exactly just happened?"Victory
Watching the techno-head back and forth that occurred before him, Andre could do nothing but frown. One, this was well above his head. He just figured out how his phone worked. Second, from what he could understand, someone was tracking him. His first question was, Why? Andre had no heroic ideas that he was unbeatable. The scar on his neck reminded him about that every day. But he wasn’t a pushover. Absent someone with enough power, or a high caliber bullet, he was a tough nut to crack without taking a few licks in the fight. “I’m not sure who could have stuck this on. I change uniforms daily and usually turn them in to get treated by the services the SWAT Team uses and cleared. Last time I…” He trailed off. The last time he turned this uniform in was…when? His other two he had just gotten back, but this one didn’t go with them since he was on patrol that day. The day he picked Satsuka up from the bar and saw Tiana. The day he went for drinks with Damian. And as he recalled that, his mind went to all three of them. More than them, it went to the few crooks he ran into that night. “Shit. It could have been any number of people while I was on patrol.”New Victoria Police
The Lieutenant spoke up as soon as Andre finished talking. “That’s what I was afraid of. We need to install something here to make sure it doesn’t happen again. As far as the City operates, this location is pseudo-secret. Yeah it’ll likely get out, hard not to. But bugs inside that can transmit? We can’t have that. Chief, we need to get whatever we need to make sure the inside of this building is as secure as a Military SCIF. Detectors as they walk in. Blockers surrounding the building. No information besides on very secured channels coming in and out.”Sloane Whittier
"If we're setting all of that up, I want Luna involved. She's not our youngest member for no reason. She can help vet whatever systems you put in place and offer improvements. We aren't good to anyone if we can't even protect ourselves and anyone that comes into this building."Luna
"The IP belongs to an apartment in the Holywell subdivision, in Downtown. It's not guaranteed to be the person responsible, but they definitely have to be close for them to have been using that address. And I was meaning to ask about doing that, if you can get us the resources my sister and I can have this place locked down like a technological fortress!"New Victoria Police
"We'll get you the resources. As far as I know, our blank check got a bit larger after everything. As much blowback as we got for Henry, the fact is it could have been so much worse, and the people in power realize that and are scared. What if its their house next time sort of scared. And scared, for our purposes, is good right now. It means we can get up to speed faster. Get me a list, I'll run through SWAT's stores and see what we already have, and give the rest to the Chief for approval." Clapping his hands, the Lieutenant let out a cruel smile. "And with that, ladies and gentlemen, its time to get to fucking work. Cop a squat and listen up. But take the briefest of moments to remember what it was like before you hated every waking moment of your life and couldn't feel anything but pain. Because that's what's about to happen."Storyteller
What followed was seven days of what even the finest military members would call “difficult.” Each member of the team woke up at 0600. They got ready and had breakfast within thirty minutes and were in group training until 1000. This group training consisted of video dissection, tactic explanation, and a harsh critique of each mistake they made. Too much power use here. Too little innovation here. No one was spared. Sloane was told how prepared code words could allow her to instantly give commands. Isaac was informed how concentrated power usage could disable opponents instead of scarring them for life. Luna, Roslyen, Andre, even Geb. Each had their movements picked apart by SWAT members concerning their opinions versus normal humans. And experts were brought in to talk about the challenges against Evos. An example was for Geb when one expert said simply “Leaving the man’s mouth and nose, and a limited amount of space for his chest, would have allowed him to live while accomplishing the rest.” Yes the Lieutenant began each day by saying “This is armchair quarterbacking to improve the future interactions, not yesterdays.” But it still had a dual result. From there, each member of the team underwent their own specific training with experts from all sorts of fields. After a few hours training with instructors, they would go to their various training rooms and push their powers to the absolute limit. The ground shuddered as Andre and Rosy dropped their weights. Shimmering lights came as Luna was forced to rapidly summon and unsummon as quickly as she could, or as Issac was tasked with making large-weak flames or powerful small blasts. The shifting of sand or earth as Ari twisted matter, or as Sloane moved heavier and heavier objects with her mind. Sloane, Luna, and Alexia all ended the day with headaches for different reasons. Sloane because she'd be shoved in a room with 50 people all thinking loudly as she wrote down as much as she could hear, Alexia and Luna because they were given problem after problem from math, science, mechanical expert level tests to train their ability to shift from problem to problem. Issac and Ari ended the day as sore as Rosy and Andre, albeit lifting weights not of an inhumane caliber. Everyone would run 3 miles a day, as for even the "support" team it was decided that conditioning was the biggest limiter if they went to the field. Basic hand to hand combat was taught to all those who didn't know it already, with promises that this physical training wasn't going to be ending any time soon. All told, after a grueling 112 hours, minus the 6 hours they were given for sleep and 2 for other needs per day, the AERI team collectively collapsed in their bed, done with life, done with training, and unable to feel anything in their body. They were spent, but they were greater than when they first went in thinking they could fix the world all by themselves. Alexia learned Basic Hand to Hand Combat, Basic Mechanical Engineering for the things in this 'other world' that would help her conduct repairs to Earth equipment, and a bit of Spanish she picked up from her instructor as he commented in his native language every time she made a mistake when trying to repair a vehicle. Ari learned Basic Hand to Hand as well as Basic First Aid, as well as a bit of Chemistry to understand the earth better. Andre advanced his knowledge of first aid to Intermediate Levels. Isaac learned basic first aid and hand to hand combat, as well as a bit of physics to learn how heat effects things like faces. Luna advanced in her basic hand to hand skills and first aid, as well as a bit of French to spite her sister and know a cooler language than her. Sloane learned basic hand to hand and first aid, as well as Basic Profiling Skills. Rosey learned advance first aid skills at the same level as Andre, as well as some basic physics. Each of the team also felt their power grow more controlled and refined. But to get to a higher level, they'd need to keep pushing themselves.
Type
Record, Historical
Medium
Digital Recording, Text
Authoring Date
July 19, 2021
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