Fandom Metahuman Taskforce "Foxhound"

[Jean Otus]

To: United States Armed Forces Joint Command
From: United States Navy Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center
Great Bay Arsenal, NY
10/24/00
Project Proposal
Lt. Col. Brown
Project # : 35124

Since the end of the Second World War, this nation has found itself as the bulwark of world peace and democracy. This function was met throughout the Cold War, thanks to our ability to harness nuclear and economic methods to push back communism and outlast the Soviet Union. After that, we were completely prepared to do the same to China, as we believed it posed the next greatest threat to democracy. However, as has become apparent in recent events, the greatest threat to the peaceful world is not China or any nation, but instead the rogue metahumans which have wreaked havoc across the world. Some, of course, are more interested in using their abilities to combat general human misery and civilian crime, in an expression of a vigilante power fantasy. Many, though, are content to form criminal bands, which then commit crimes and terror on a scale impossible for normal humans. As has become abundantly clear, the conventional arms of the United States military are not equal to the task of keeping these metahumans in check.


There is, however, a solution, which lies in the third group of metahumans, those who pretend as though their abilities do not exist and attempt to live as normal citizens. This group is far more numerous than the other two. It is, therefore, the proposal of this project to draft and train a metahuman taskforce, one capable of handling the growing global threat rogue metahumans pose. This task force, under a joint command of the United States Special Forces officers, will be trained to infiltrate and defeat metahuman threats across the world. Additionally, this unit will serve as a testing ground for the best method by which metahumans can be further integrated into the United States Armed Forces. The new arms race lies in these metahumans, and to harness them will be as revolutionary as splitting the atom a thousand times over.

With the approval of the historic Project #: 35124, codenamed "Project Foxhound", a clandestine draft of young metahumans was created. Using a complex array of surveillance, they sought out young, vulnerable, American citizens with applicable abilities in order to train them into a special operations force capable of intervening in tactical situations and more importantly, crushing rogue metahumans across the globe.

The primary infiltration unit of Foxhound is comprised of six young metahumans, trained and commanded by an expert special ops soldier from the Cold War. They act as a secret arm of the United States government as it exerts its influence across the globe. To the majority of the world, they are little more than a conspiracy theory cooked up by crackpots. Their existence is only known by their commanders, and a handful of members of the Justice League.

 

[Jean Otus]

Great Bay Arsenal
FOXHOUND Meeting Hall
11/30/2015
5:30 pm

The tension was enough to make a man sick.

David Vic stood at a podium as his new "team" was assembled before him. Around them were at least three dozen marines, armed to the teeth, guarding every exit. It was a cramped environment, to say the least of it. The meeting hall was scarcely larger than a public school classroom, with three exits. At a glance, it appeared to be a prison or bunker of some kind, as the whole space was made of steel and concrete. At several positions around the room, cameras had been set up, so that the brass could watch the briefing from afar while shouting down David's earpiece anytime anyone did so much as shiver. Even the army's dogs were treated better than this. He surveyed the team of seven young adults before him with a stony expression.

"The Metahuman Task Force Initiative", as it had been explained to him, was a drafting of young superhumans into the United States Military for use as a covert unit. What he hadn't been told was that refusal of the draft resulted in the draftee being captured, drugged, and inserted into the team by force. It was clear at least one of them had gotten the worst of their extraction, some were even in chains. David's eyes darted between the kids and his notes, trying to determine which of the team still needed a few minutes to fully awaken after being forcibly sedated. All had been stripped of their civilian possessions and outfitted with only a loose set of olive green military fatigues. For a brief moment, he wondered if it were too late to walk away when suddenly his earpiece squawked, and a calm Virginia drawl began speaking to him.

"I can see that you're stalling, Snake. May I remind you that the test we are about to perform is time sensitive?" The voice said in a tone that was both even and pointed. It belonged to Colonel John Brown, the head of the FOXHOUND project. Unfortunately, he was the only man who could order David to do anything. "Snake, I implore you not to keep us waiting any longer. Remember, Snake, you are just as much a part of this as they are."

David winced at the frequent use of his codename. It had been a long time since he had last worn his uniform, and even longer since anyone had used his old Special Forces alias. It seemed the colonel was keen on continuing the relationship they had had some ten years ago, barking orders and treating Snake like a tool, or a value in one of his experiments. Finally, he cleared his throat and addressed the gathered superhumans before him.

"I will not go so far as to demand you be at attention, but I would request that you make your best effort to listen, your life depends on it." His voice was gravely from years of tobacco abuse, and somewhat strained, given the situation he was in. "As I am sure you all know, you have been drafted into the FOXHOUND unit. A group of metahumans organized by the United States armed forces with the purpose of handling metahuman threats which fly beneath the radar of the Justice League. Though you all have just been drafted, given your superhuman abilities, you will now be sent on your first mission." He could hardly believe what he was saying. Ever since it had been explained to him by the colonel that the team would be on a mission with no training, he had been dreading giving the order. Deep in his gut, he feared that seven body bags would be all the first generation of FOXHOUND ever amounted to.

"This mission, while appearing simple, will require the best of your abilities to complete." David continued. He paused to press a button on the podium which caused a screen behind him to flicker to life, showing pictures of a map, and several angles of a building complex located in a Jungle. "As you can see, you all will first be inserted just off the shores of Colombia. This complex is an important outpost in a long chain of drug smuggling, and while normally we would allow the local authorities to root this problem out," the pictures changed to that of a manic, bearded man who appeared to be throwing boomerangs and destroying Colombian military equipment, "the presence of a certain enemy agent prevents us from doing so."

"Therefore, FOXHOUND, it is your mission to infiltrate the Colombian jungle complex, capture Captain Boomerang, and dismantle as much of the complex as possible before extraction. Any questions?" As he finished the briefing, muffled sounds of approval could be heard through his earpiece. David fought the urge to grimace as he imagined the smug look on the colonel's face.

Leopard_dragon_Love SomebodyElse Ryse Epiphany Arne Soma Schicksal Nenma Takashi

 

[Nenma Takashi]

The last thing Alesia remembered she was helping Mrs.Calma take care of her garden. Now she was trying to force open heavy eyelids in order to get a better look at the blurry mess in front of her. As her eyes finally conformed to her desire to see what she did begin to see left her with more questions than answers. She felt panic run through her for a moment as she worried that perhaps the cartel she had run off might of come back for revenge. The armed men made her think that was a high possibility, yet when getting a better look at them Alesia realized they looked very different from the men she chased off. The cartel wore casual clothing like jeans and white t-shirts they looked like any person you'd meet in a city. Yet these men wore the same outfit like a uniform from what Alesia had heard from the older members of the island, men from other lands used to make stops on the island to take a brief break from a war that was going on. She had only ever heard of these armies from tales of the past but seeing them now made her wonder why they had captured her.

Attempting to move Alesia found she had her legs and hands cuffed together. That wasn't all her once bright yellow dress and flower print shoes, were now replaced with some sorta dark green jungle colored uniform similar to the armed men. A older man began speaking her words were simply white noise at first to Alesia no doubt a result of whatever knocked her out in the first place. She watched his mouth move yet she couldn't make out the words, finally she began to properly hear him, and her vision began to clear even more. He talked to them about a "metahuman" taskforce. Alesia understood what a taskforce was but she had never heard of a "metahuman" before. The older man continued speaking telling them they would be combating others they were a group that was gathered to fight bad people basically. Alesia smiled ever since fighting off the cartel back on her island she was searching for a means to help more people. Now this was her chance to do so the gods had answered her prays she closed her eyes and thanked the gods.

Opening her eyes Alesia saw what their mission was going to be, they were to go to a place called Colombia and stop another cartel. Alesia felt her resolve strengthen as she was already familiar with taking on cartels, sure it was only one time but it was also what sparked her desire to help others. She wasn't worried about some Captain Boomerang, after all who would be scared of a man who still plays with a child's toy. When the old man finished up his briefing he asked for any questions. Alesia looked around at the group for the first time since waking up, she didn't know what to think but figured if they had been chosen with her, then they must also wanna help people as well. She quickly raised a hand to be the first of them to ask her question. "Yes I would like to ask. What's a metahuman?" Her foreign accent becoming known to all in the room and her lack of knowledge of the situation becoming clear.

 

[Leopard_dragon_Love]

Lukas Ramon groaned lowly, his head hurt. As a matter of fact, everything felt... Weird. His brow furrowed, everything was rather foggy. He was shackled, why was he shackled? Then everything came flooding back to him. It was like being splashed with ice water. Despite the oddly panic and rage inducing memory, whatever they drugged him with made him placid. He tried to focus on really anything. He could tell the room was brightly lit, limiting him further. The more the drug wore off, the faster his mind and heart seemed to race. He could sense other shadows around, but could not do much given his current situation. There were others in the room, but he had no idea how many. The shadows everyone cast told him there was quite a few people in the room, but without the direct contact he could not tell how many. The silence was oppressive. Someone shifted nearby. Making him wish someone would make some sort of noise, but was too afraid to break the silence himself. He suddenly realized that his clothes felt odd, defiantly not his normal attire. There was not much time to dwell on that, though.

A voice spoke out, but what was said did nothing to calm the young musician. He directed a slight glare, formed mostly out of anger over the whole mess he wan in. He remained silent though, remembering the rough treatment he got when he had failed to protect himself in his own home. It would likely end up worse if he managed to do something right now. Would they experiment on him? He had no idea what they could do to him here. Having no desire to keep up respectful pretenses, he lowered his gaze. His back straightened, he was now looking straight ahead, as opposed to trying to locate the speaker. Focusing on the gravely voice was a bit difficult, due to his racing thoughts. He tilted his head to listen better, and froze. Something was missing, the familiar light weight that usually hung from his neck was gone. His cuffed hands jolted to his chest. This only confirmed the bit of dread that churned in his heart. Said organ suddenly sinking down into his stomach. His locket was gone. He let his hands fall back into his lap as a look of complete sadness flowed over his face. The locket had been his way of trying to keep his family close. While he could not see the little images, it still ment a lot to him. The fact it was gone was enough to shatter his prideful mask as his shoulders slumped into a more slouch like position, his eyes drifting lower to the ground. He had missed the very ending of the little speech, but got the gist if it as a whole.

He understood perfectly. They were being sent to their death in the wilderness of Columbia. He had never, ever dreamed that the one thing his family had been most afraid of would actually happen. He didn't even have any sort of training, having lived a rather normal life until now. He swiveled his head toward a female voice. He blinked, he would have answered if he wasn't so afraid of getting shot for speaking out of turn. He never really understood why people with unusual abilities had to have a title. They were still human. He remained silent, outrage and fear battling each other for control. Fear over what was to become of him. Outrage at being sent out to possibly die like a pig for slaughter. He was, by far, not a soldier. He had never even gotten into a fight. He was sure this was going to be the last thing he was ever going to do.

 

[Epiphany]

For Riya, the briefing is a bit of a dream come true. The Indian-American woman wore the same fatigues everyone else did, but unlike at least some of the others, she wasn't chained to a chair. She was even happy to be here. Riya studied the map intently, listened to the briefing and tried to file it all away in memory as best as he could.

When Snake asked for questions, Riya spoke up as well.

"I have several questions, sir. Starting with your name and where you fit in the chain of command. Will you be the one running this mission? What are our communication protocols? Are there any parameters around the use of force we should be aware of? And lastly, for the moment..."

Tilting her head, Riya's ponytail dropped over one shoulder as she said "Who are my teammates, what can they do and why do they not know why they're here?"

 

[SomebodyElse]

Lucille had heard about captain boomerang. He didn't sound too dangerous, but they had no training. How were they supposed to succeed with no training? She looked around at her team and hoped people were going to be more capable than her. She didn't even have any experience using her powers. Besides they didn't even know each other yet. How were they supposed to work together? She had no idea what anyone was capable of.
Would it have hurt to at least train us and let us get to know each other first?
Oh well. She hoped they would atleast succeed. They could atleast get to see eachother in action during the mission. Speaking of which, who would lead this mission? Isn't there a field leader or something?
"Um shouldn't we atleast introduce ourselves and our powers..."

 

[Soma Schicksal]

Geo noticed when he arrived with Lucille that there were some who looked dazed and were locked up. He guessed they didn't want to be apart of this team or were considered a threat that could be used for a better purpose. He overheard a few people's questions and suggestions. To be honest this captain boomerang guy didn't sound tough at all but he wouldn't think little of his new enemy, people are capable of anything. "Yea i agree, getting to at least no each other a bit would be helpful toward the mission sir." Geo responded before awaiting his answer. Hopefully they would get some time to talk to each other, maybe this was the worlds way of making him into a hero and giving him the girl of his dreams...well if he worked hard enough anyway. Geo waved at Lucille hoping she would recognize him.

 

[Arne]

On the opposite of a fair share of the ragtag group they threw him In, Victor at least wasn't chained or sedated - after all, they didn't need anything of the like to keep him in check when considering what they used to convince him to join this sketchy program of theirs. Of course, that didn't do much to prevent him from being as reluctant as he could as he stood amidst the group, especially when considering how he constantly had to struggle to keep himself from directly projecting his mind to at least check what this commander of theirs was planning on doing after a few minutes of silence.

By the time their commanding officer finally started to talk, the far from patient Victor was already pretty much only a step away from an anxiety attack, only managing to keep his attitude somehow composed by sheer unwillingness to test what would happen if he did appear to lose control - something that he wasn't too keen on testing when considering how wary every single one of the guys involved in recruiting him were after realizing he could actually enter their mind. Luckily for him, the info briefed by the commanding officer at least brought some amount of relief, as they apparently weren't planning on throwing them against any actual super human, a fact that pretty much gave him a tier of confidence on keeping at least his own safety - a fact that managed to make him feel at least a bit optimistic about the mission even though he still wasn't that keen on testing a villain who could hurt the flash, even if he wasn't a metahuman.

With that being said, it didn't take long for the tension built inside him to vanish - at least for a while - as the questions started pouring, with the quite absurd "What is a metahuman?" one even managing to earn a few chuckles from him. "Is that for real? I thought government would at least try to explain what's happening to their willing volunteers before throwing orders at us." He said with a clear emphasis in the volunteers part, apparently amused by the absurdity of the situation - though a degree of irritation was detectable in his voice. "Anyway, I'm with the soldier chick on that last one. While I'm pretty sure I could figure out a way to solve the information issue even without any briefing, I still believe we should at least receive some time to familiarize ourselves with eachother if we're going to get thrown into a battlefield together."

 

[Jean Otus]

David resisted the urge to knead the bridge of his nose. It was hard to believe that his patience was already being worn thin by this much interaction with kids. Then again, it was clear that the colonel had somehow pulled together the most disparate group of young Americans for his test group. Either Brown was overconfident in the infallibility of his own plans, or he vastly overestimated David's ability to lead. Looking on the bright side, the group was at least responsive, meaning that they weren't too badly addled by the drugs, and they weren't yet in open rebellion against him. He shuffled through his papers, answering each of the questions in turn while trying to familiarize himself with the names and faces of the people he'd be leading.

First, to Alesia Saintma, who seemed to be from one of the island territories. "To put it simply Miss Saintma, you all are metahumans. Individuals with abilities no normal human possesses. These abilities are what make you an asset to this team, and to this country." Next, thankfully, was Riya Sarif, a young woman with an excellent background with the airforce, asking some more logical questions.

"To you, Airman Sarif, I am Major David Vic. I will be your commanding officer for as long as you serve on this task force. Above me is Lieutenant Colonel Kasler, and above him the leader of this project, Colonel Brown. As for communications, that will be accomplished via the Codec system. Each of you will receive a small injection in your ear, which will insert a device capable of long distance encrypted transmissions. This device will enable you to communicate with each other as well as your support staff during the mission." He grinned as she mentioned the use of force. "While this is primarily a stealth mission, we will not restrict any use of force, save for the target, who we want to be captured and delivered alive."

The atmosphere in the room began to break down as more of the team asked for a round of introductions. He was about to let them all take their turn, hopefully fostering some team building when the colonel's voice spoke again in his earpiece. "That's quite enough Snake, let's let Medic have her go at them. They can get to know each other on the way to Colombia." David once again regretted coming out of retirement.

"I understand that you all want to introduce yourselves, but I can assure you that you will have plenty of time to do that soon enough. For now, I will turn you over to our chief medical officer before having you board the plane to Colombia." With that, he stepped away from the podium. The light above the door opposite the podium blinked to life and emitted a buzzing noise to announce its opening. Through the door came a sleek steel trolley, pushed by two nurses in white scrubs, muscular enough to amongst the marine guards surrounding the room. Following them was a stern-looking blonde woman in a white lab coat.

 

[Epiphany]

Major David Vic looked pretty stressed, Riya thought. And possibly a bit unprepared too. It made her frown a little, because it's not what she expected from...well, was this an elite special forces operation? Something half-assed? Something in between? Something made her think their CO wasn't any better informed then they were, about some things at least. Still, now she knew the chain of command and had some kind of hypertechnology she hadn't heard of before to get installed. Exciting! Plus, she got to ask the rules of engagement. While Riya would love to be the most professional soldier in the room, the truth was she had barely a year in the Air Force and no one really trusted her off a leash yet. This was her chance to show them all what she could do.

If only her teammates didn't seem to be universally unhappy with the opportunity. She had no idea that this task force recruited people against their will. Riya still wasn't sure how she felt about that, either. An Airman First Class had no business speaking up about their feelings, though, for there was absolutely no one who would give a shit about them. Might as well make the best of this.

At the sight of the steel trolley and the nurses, Riya decided to stand up from her seat and look at her new team. "Might as well get this part over with," she said, with an apologetic shrug of her shoulders. In case it made it easier, she volunteered to be the first to hop onto the trolley.

 

[Nenma Takashi]

Alesia found the more questions everyone else asked the more her's seemed, stupid. She none the less still wanted her's answered, taking a good look at everyone who asked a question. None of which seemed to be any of the other children on the island making her the only one. That made her feel a bit lonely but she figured she could deal with it. After all if this was going to be her team it was only a matter of time until they all became friends, the thought of making new friends and getting to help others put a smile on Alesia's face. Alesia returned her gaze to the older man as he explained what exactly a metahuman was, Alesia nodded her head then smiled. "Thank you very much for the explanation friend." Listening to him answer everyone else's questions Alesia turned to the nurses watching them come in. A guard approached her cautiously and unbound her legs letting her stand. She did so and also made her way to the trolley, "I suppose I am to also got on, no?" She asked the girl who seemed to be in the minority of not in a bad mood cause of this whole experience with Alesia.

 

[Leopard_dragon_Love]

Luke stiffened. "more like track us down so you can find our bodies." he muttered, more to himself. How he going to be of any use, he had no idea. He certainly didn't want to die. Not yet, anyway. He was not eager on getting a shot in the ear. That sounded like it was going to hurt. "is... Is this even legal?" he questioned, his voice low and timid. He half hoped nobody heard, but also wanted to know if this actually was legal. He supposed they could do a draft at any point. However, wasn't going after 'metas' a form of discrimination? Not to mention he couldn't actually see. Just the brightness of the room made him wish he had his white cane. Luke was certain it was not legal, due to the child like voice that had spoke. He hoped it was just someone who sounded young. Even if it was 110% legal though, surly there were hundreds if not thousands of people more willing and capable than him. A musician, an artist. He felt the chains shift, and then a rough prod of a gun barrel on his shoulder. Clenching his jaw, he stood. He knew the universal sign of' move.' He remained, glued to the spot for a moment. His head turned to where the buzz sound had come from. He was grateful he was not completely helpless right now. He could feel the dark pools slipping further from him. He presumed that the people he was lined up with were his 'team mates.' Which ment he should follow them.

He remained rooted to the spot for a moment more until he got another poke. "Get going." A gruff voice commanded. He took a step, then another. He knew it was either go there himself, or be dragged there. The fact they kept him shackled was slightly amusing. He could not do much. After trying to fight them off, which had failed miserably. Trained soldiers against a musician, who really only used is powers to help himself survive. It had not been a fair fight, and he had gone down rather quickly. He was uncertain if he did any damage to anyone, himself. He had been too panicked to pay that much attention. Then being drugged on top of that, and with the brightness of the room. Which he only deduced by his complete inability to actually 'see' anything. Only being able to know where the shadows were located. The shackles did not do anything, really. Other than being uncomfortable. He wondered if they knew he did not need his hands free to use the dark to his advantage. Still, with how out numbered he was sure he was, he dared not even try. It would make a very poor impression on anyone here, if he decided to be uncooperative and throw a fit right now. In the end, he would probably get the shot anyway, or be dead.


He went slowly toward the forming line. He really wished he had something, as he was using the shadows to tell him when to stop. He hoped he did not look like a complete fool. There was some worry, on if he stopped too soon and there was a large gap between him and the actual person in front of him. However, he did not want to reach forward and accidentally touch someone, so he just hopped he wasn't invading somebody's personal bubble.

 

[SomebodyElse]

Lucille waved at the boy. He seemed familiar but she didn't know where she would've met him. "Have we met?" Lucille asked. The seargent drawled their attention with a short speech. Atleast they wouldn't have to kill boomerang. Lucille wasn't prepared to kill somebody so she hoped that force wouldn't be too needed. They were gonna have to get to know eachother later. This Major barely seemed to know what was going on. For now though she just had to wait for things to get started. Not like she had a choice ofcourse.
Wonder who that woman is though. How are we gonna get to the location for the mission...

 

[Jean Otus]

The stern blonde looked on the collection of youths crowding around her trolly with analytical eyes. They passed over each one of them, top to bottom as if observing a specimen in a jar. They were of the age she had been expecting when she was briefed about her role in the project. She hadn't been told how aggressive the draft would be, however, in collecting them. Even under such circumstances, she was fascinated by each one of them, though she kept it hidden. While this was not the first time Marrion Cross had seen a metahuman up close, it was always a new experience observing one. No matter how consistent any single test of metahuman genomics proved, each one was completely unique. Still, she could not spare time to fawn over her new subjects now, not under the eyes of the officers. The mission had to move forward, and so a cold, clinical attitude was needed.

As the group crowded on and around her mobile examination table, Doctor Cross and the two nurses prepared several steel trays, each one laden with syringes, labeled for various vaccinations and one for the Codec device. It was only after all her implements were ready that she felt the need to turn to the gathered group and introduce herself.

"Good Evening, my name is Doctor Cross. I will be the chief medical and scientific consultant on this project, as well as your personal physician for the duration of your stay here." She gestured to the trays. "Before you're exposed to the foreign environment of your mission, we'll be inoculating you against a variety of diseases and parasites, as well as outfitting you with the Codec device." With that little ceremony, she motioned to the nurses, who began the process of swabbing, injecting and bandaging. Despite their size, the two men were highly skilled, and under their keen eyes and careful fingers, the needles barely even pinched.

Marrion handled the Codec injections personally, having the most experience with the device. It required some precision to just piece the inner ear without damaging anything. It was for that reason that entry had to be from a very specific angle, and the needle was specially produced to be as thin as possible while still delivering the device properly. Once inserted, each patient would feel little more than a brief moment of wetness, before the nanotechnology solidified around the bones of the inner ear, creating a built-in radio transmitter that could not be lost or removed. The process would be complete before they even set foot on the plane. Doctor Cross almost smiled at the brilliance of the little device. Instead, she turned to Major Vic, telling him with the slightest twinkle in her eye. "They're mission ready, Major. By your leave." With that, she and the nurses left the briefing room, winding their way back through the facility to the medical center, where she could consider the gravity of the situation in peace.

"Sending children into battle now? Blind, untrained, stolen from their lives. That's a new low, even for us. Isn't it, David?" She muttered to herself, once in the safety of her own office.

Once the doctor had gone, David finally exhaled a breath he didn't remember holding in. That woman brought a strange tension with her wherever she went. Collecting himself, he addressed the group. "With that out of the way, we will now escort you to the hangar. If you all will all follow single file, I doubt we will have any trouble." With that he signaled to the guards, who flanked the group as they made their way down the halls of the facility, finally entering a spacious hangar, where the bay of a large transport aircraft lay open, waiting for the task force. David mounted the ramp first, and the guards moved the rest of the task force aboard with little ceremony, using the butts of their guns whenever they deemed necessary. Once all had been secured, the plane taxied for a short while before taking off. Once they had flown for about fifteen minutes, David felt comfortable dropping the air of stiff professionalism he had maintained while under the watch of the brass. He relaxed his shoulders, looked around at the faces of this fresh group, and sighed.

"You all can talk however you want now. We've got a long way ahead of us. Should probably get to know each other since we'll be working together."
Ryse SomebodyElse Leopard_dragon_Love Epiphany Arne Nenma Takashi

 

[Nenma Takashi]

Alesia had never gotten shots on the island before, yet the very idea of being stabbed by a tiny needle and not being able to get sick was impressive. She could feel for a momet the liquid inside the needles enter her blood, then she didn't feel any different. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it was fair more painless than she had thought. The codec was similar to the shots, after it was over she brought her hand up to her ear. Once again she felt no different which was again strange to her. Her heart began beating quickly as they approached the plane. Not making a sound but clearly amazed by the plane. As they got on board Alesia wasn't sure which was making her heart pound. Flying through the sky in a big metal tube, or that the tube was heading to some very bad men who they would have to fight. She could actually feel her hands begin to shake when the older man spoke and told them they may talk to one another. Alesia used the moment to steel herself and rid herself of worry.

"My name is Alesia t's very nice to meet you all, I hope we may all work well with one another. I've never met others who shared in my ability, so I am curious friends. What are your powers? I myself am blessed with the ability to make other mes who might be of help to us." Alesia was all smiles the tense air around the plane from the fact the kids were on their way to a life or death battle, wasn't even a factor to her any longer. Some might even find it a bit creepy how easily she ignored their impending doom. Acting as if they were simply kids on their way to summer camp.

 

[Epiphany]

Riya rubbed her arm after the last shot went in. The ear thing, it was freaky, she wouldn't lie about that. But it was also over swiftly enough, and not nearly as uncomfortable as her annual exam. The escort to the plane was as unceremonious as it was unnecessarily uncomfortable, especially for the non-voluntary members of the team. For the first time since she'd volunteered for this taskforce, Riya felt a flicker of doubt. This wasn't a side of the military she'd ever seen before. It wasn't a side her brief section on military ethics said should exist either. Ethical breeches should be reported, up the chain of command if possible, to the Department of Defense's hotline if not. But even that hotline only handled unclassified issues. What the hell was this?

As they settled onto the plane and it took off, Riya lapsed into silent contemplation, finally broken when their commanding officer spoke up. Lifting her eyes, she listened to Alesia's rather pleasant introduction and found herself smiling by the end. Reaching out a hand, she offered to shake with the other girl.

"Other yous? Like...duplicates?" The potential with that occupied her attention for a moment before Riya shook off the reverie and answered Alesia's questions. "I'm Riya. Airman Riya Sarif. I actually volunteered to be here. And if we're talking powers, I'm strong, fast and tough. I'll be the muscle for this mission I expect. That said, all of us will live a lot longer if we have a sense of our capabilities. Knowing what we can do will help us plan a strategy for taking our target with as little risk to us as possible." Riya smiled. "Don't get me wrong, I have no issue with getting in a fight. But we're here for Captain Boomerang, and we're here to blow this complex up. Anything more than that is something the regular military can handle, I imagine. Now, any of you good at blowing things up?"

 

[SomebodyElse]

Duplication, and fast and strong. Those seemed like solid abilities. It seemed like abit much for just taking down Boomerang whatever thugs he had.
"I can control metal with my mind, and move at superspeeds.. As for blowing things up...If it's explosive and made of metal.. Perhaps I could, maybe I could bust open a fuel tank with enough force. I think we should be able to communicate with these earpieces. What exactly are we planning to do?"
Was there even a chance they could fail? The adults acted like it was some suicide mission and that this would just be the first in many failed projects.
Hopefully that wouldn't be the case. So much could go wrong but Lucille wanted to be alive after this.

 

[Leopard_dragon_Love]

Luke went through everything, silently. He gave no complaint to the vaccines. He did have an odd thought though. He had not gotten the yearly vaccines for the flu and such yet. He was glad he had not wasted the time doing so, and chose to go do something he enjoyed. He had to touch his ear, curiously, as well after the nanomite shot. He had already forgotten the technical term for it. He felt no deformation or lump. Had he been reading a book about it, he would have thought it cool.

The doctors' mission ready' statement brought him back to reality, reminding him he was not reading a book. He was able to stay with the group with minimal assistance. Luke remained toward the back of the group, following closely. He paused briefly as the passed along the shadow of the airplane. He shook his head, hoping they would not be expected to use a parachute. He would have to be paired with someone, if they were. His heart rose into his throat as the facts of his current situation weighed down on him. The scariest part was his lack of experience. He could not deny it was nice to meet others like him, but he wished it was under different circumstances. He didn't even know how to throw a good punch.

Soon, he was seated in the aircraft. The plane was flying smoothly David told them they could talk. Luke, was honestly feeling a little nauseous. When someone, Alesia, spoke he focused on her voice. He decided to help break the silence, anything from the fear that was making his insides feel like a tangled mess. He did find the tone slightly unnerving. How could someone be so cheerful about this? Someone else spoke before he could get his thoughts straight, so he listened. He did feel marginally better knowing not everyone was forced, as he was. Plus, she had military experience. He made a mentor note to follow what she told him. It just might help him stay alive. Hell, he would listen to anyone who had any sort of experience. "uh, I'm Luke..." he said, uncertainly. Grateful when he realized his voice was not betraying how terrified he was. Due to the fact he was in a group of others like him, he shared his ability as well. "I can control shadow..." he said, it was kind of vague but he was not sure what else to say. He blinked once, "and... Well since we are a team, and all..." he seemed unsure about that part, "I feel it is necessary to tell everyone that I am completely blind... " he waved his hand in front of his face as if to emphasise the fact. He was sure some had already may have known or figured it out. At leashes way nobody would be shocked if he couldn't do something. "as for explosions, I am not sure if I can help there..." he said. "though I can create a few things that might be able to help..." He closed his window, having no use for the view. He lowered his hand past his seat. When it came up, a solid black rose was in his hand. The flower, stem, and thorns were all black. He held it, bringing it into the light to show everyone to see his silly example. He had never been able to show it off to anyone before, and it was a exciting. After a moment it vanished, turning into a dark cloud that retreated from the light to the nearest cover. He lowered his hand, trying to ignore the strain from holding the rose up in the light." not that a flower is very useful..." He muttered to himself nervously. A rose was pretty complex though, and the shadow copy did not just look like one from what they could see. Being proud of his creations, even if he had split it in half, it had all the same components that you would see if you cut a real one in half. Anything living, was difficult. The little demonstration had made him forget how sick he was feeling, though.

 

[Soma Schicksal]

Geo smiled as she waved back at him, then she said a question. She seemed to not recognize him too well. Before he could respond to her question they were taken in to get shots and before he knew it they were already over. He didn't mind shots and he never felt them happen either, he didn't even feel the ear-piece and he was pretty uncomfortable with things being stuck in his ear. He soon got over it as he was taken onto a plane and asked to introduce himself. He overheard a bunch of his new teammates abilities and he got pretty excited, he never really got to meet others like him so this was nice. It made it even better knowing that his crush was apart of this group with him let alone that she had abilities like him. "Nice to meet you all, maybe me introducing myself will help you remember me, Lucille." He smiled at her. "I'm Geo Ridges, I go to the same school as you and I was in a few of your classes. And uhh to explain my abilities I can summon spectral weapons that are used for close quarters fighting. I can also warp to my weapons if I throw them or lose them so that I can close distance or get back to my weapon faster. Along with that, I have enhanced speed slightly beyond normal human capabilities." He explained proudly. "I hope we will all make a good team, I'm kinda excited for all this...especially working alongside you Lucille..." He said that last part a little quietly, but she would still be able to hear him.

 

[Arne]

On the opposite of what he expected, Victor strangely didn't really feel all that nervous when he was subjected to the injections and the installation of the codec device. Maybe because the absurdity of the situation finally managed to affect him or perhaps due to the fact that even if he restrained himself he could still peek at the superficial thoughts of those around himself, the boy simply couldn't help but feel a weird calmness as the procedure went by, concentrating in trying to figure out how he was supposed to deal with all of this craziness now that it was actually happening out of the paper instead of being simply an idea created by reading a clause of a very extensive contract. The sheer absurdity of seeing himself as some kind of secret agent of the government a la 007 - if 007 had amazing powers, that is - was just away more impacting now that it was about to happen for real.

By the time he got into the plane, he was still far from being completely used to the idea but - under the influence of those who actually started to introduce himself - the curiosity about what the others thought about it was sufficient to keep him from dozing of again, with the introductions somehow managing to monopolize his fairly fickle attention.

Being able to actually peek at what the people talking were, Victor ccouldn't help but feel surprised by some of the reactions to this whole situation. Taking aside Lucille and Luke, who reacted as you'd expect someone who wasn't very willingly to throw themselves at a suicide mission, and Riya, who reacted with all the composure you'd expect from a member of the military - Well, he could feel some kind of hesitation from her (?), but it was far from enough to warrant violating her privacy and taking a deep peek at her mind - the other two that talked were just away too disturbing. Hell, even thought he knew that they were as nervous as everyone else in the plane it was difficult even for Victor to understand how Alesia - a girl that seemed to be even younger than himself - could be that composed when talking, managing to even sound excited by the whole deal. No need to even get started at Geo, whoose sheer ability to keep his teenager hormones ongoing in this kind of situation was as impressive as his abilities.

"Chill out with the flirting, Romeo. While I can totally understand why you'd be smitten by our resident Metal Girl this ain't the moment." Victor said in a playful way, going as far as directing a wink to Lucille as he talked before he started doing his own introduction. "Anyway, I'm Victor. Victor Mirren, no middle name. I'm a volunteer like Riya, if anyone wishes to know. I'm not military though. They'd probably kick me out in milliseconds if I tried to join." He said, deliberately stopping to check the reactions of the group before actually proceeding with the introduction of his powers. "As for my abilities... Well, I'm basically a psychic. Can lift stuff with my mind, read minds and scam a shitton of money from superstitious people who believe in mediums." He once more made a brief stop, this time actually in loss of what to say to lessen the impact of letting others know they were in a plane with someone who could enter their minds at will - something that had a tendency to make others freak out according to his previous experiences. "I'm also absurdly handsome, but that one should be easier to notice." Naturally, he didn't exactly manage to do well with his attempt.

 

[Nenma Takashi]

Alesia interlocked her fingers listening to everyone else give their introductions, the smile on her face never wavering. Each person seemed to share the same fear that they might not be capable of taking on such a task, while two seemed to of volunteered for the task everyone else was in the same boat as Alesia. Being incredibly athletic, controlling metal, controlling shadows, creating and warping to weapons, and finally being psychic, Alesia chuckled at Victor's last statement. "I would have to agree with you there." She then put her hands together humming softly. "Please friends join me and pray to Atua for our mission to go well, may he watch over us." She held both hands out one to Victor the other to Riya looking at them both, she opened and closed her hands showing she wanted them to hold them. "In my home Atua is more likely to listen when loved ones pray together."

 

[Epiphany]

Riya listened to each introduction and, inch by inch, began to relax. They might have something like a good crew after all. The assignment was non-trivial and certainly more than she'd ever tried to tackle. This was her first real mission! And if most of her team mates were reluctant, they also had promise. Maybe they could pull this off. Maybe there was something to the notion of using metahumans to accomplish missions that would otherwise cause American casualties.

As the powers came out, she gave it some thought before leaning forward slightly as the plane shifted and bobbed during flight. "So, here's a thought. We've got shadow and telepathy. Let's see if we can lure someone out and get a read of his mind then, see if he knows anything about explosives or weak points in the facility. A shadow could easily pull someone off patrol and, if it can vanish, he'll be left with nothing to confirm so he'll write it off as a trick of the eye rather than a distraction."

"If we're willing to tip someone off to our presence, maybe Geo could leave a weapon out for a patrol to find. When they bring it back into the base, teleport inside right to it and let us in, once it's clear. Alternatively, if Alesia here can copy herself, maybe I can toss her up to the top of a wall and she can make a string of herself down the rest of us can climb up to get inside, assuming there isn't rope or a ladder handy."

"I'm open to suggestions. You guys know what you can do better than I do. Once we're inside, my thought is we use Victor here as our lookout. Luke can provide us with cover, as much as he can anyway. If a fight breaks out, we rely on Lucille here to throw their guns off while Geo and I pound anyone that gets in our way. Alesia can arm herselves up with their dropped weapons for that matter and tip the numbers in our favor. As for Boomerang, I'm good with taking the first shot at him, if you guys can make sure he doesn't run for it."

"Thoughts?"

When Alesia offered her hand to pray, however, Riya stiffened slightly and forced a smile. "Thanks for the thought. If you want to pray to whoever you want to for our success, by all means. If everyone else is comfortable with that. I have my own prayer to offer to God but I'm happy to do that myself."

Of all the things to come up on a mission, prayer was not something she'd expected to encounter. The other girl's earnest good cheer was welcome, given the otherwise serious atmosphere and the less than ideal recruiting situation. Riya didn't want to stifle it. And yet only one thought ran through her mind, something taught to her from infancy, the profession of faith that formed the bedrock of her own beliefs, whenever she took a second out of her day to actually think about what she believed. There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God.

And so she waited for the reactions of others.

 

[Leopard_dragon_Love]

Luke remained silent during the introductions, trying to memorize names with each voice. It might take him a couple times before he got them all memorized, especially when learning them so quickly. Riyas suggestions were all pretty good to him. "creating something to draw someone near would be easy." he said. "I wouldn't really have to create something, per say. Just move the shadow enough to make someone have to check it out. It would make it less likely for the guard to talk about it. I would not mind the stealthier option, but I have no experience in this at all...." He admitted, rubbing his face with his hands. He was still trying to digest it.

"Though, I must say that I do not envy you, Victor." he would hate to able to see into people's minds. Who knew what you would see. Hear? Either way, the mind could be a scary place when it got going. Alesia spoke again, she seemed so cheerful. It was unnerving, but at the same time nice that at least one person was able to remain a happy outlook. He wondered how she did it.

Then she asked if everyone would pray. Luke was not religious, by any means. It wasn't that he couldn't believe in anything, but he just wasn't sure what suited him. After so many people tried to force their religion on him, he stopped listening. However, if there was any time to go ahead and give it a shot, it was now. Plus, he felt it would be rude to refuse. He hesitated, unfamiliar with her praying customs. He couldn't see the extended hands, so he just kind of sat there waiting to be told what to do. "who is Atua?" he asked, curious about the unfamiliar religion. He was not intending to be rude, but he honestly had no clue. Besides, if he was to join in this it would probably be nice to know who they were praying to.

 

[SomebodyElse]

The boy's name was Geo ridges. He seemed nice, apparently he went to the same school she did. He said he looked forward to working with her.
She blushed. He seemed really nice so Lucille didn't mind working with him either. He could summon weapons and warp to them, aswell as being fast. That was honestly a cool power.Then victor interrupted him and winked at Lucille. Lucille flushed with embarassment. She shouldn't let boys get into her head. They had a mission to do. Victor was able to read minds..She would have to watch what she was thinking. Wait was he reading her mind right now?

Lucille listened to what Riya had to say. Pulling the enemies guns away from them was something she could definitely do.
"I can do that. And I'll pray to my God too."
They all had their Gods to pray to and if they didn't they all wanted to atleast live through this.
She had a solid group of people to work with. At the very least they could work together.

 

[Soma Schicksal]

Geo chuckled at Victors comment. "Heh yah, I know I know. Can't help it, kinda seen her around a lot and this is one of the firsts we had to talk. I'm just trying to be friendly though." He smiled. "Hmm and those all seem like good enough plans to me Riya." He paused at the White haired girls words about a her home and praying to some sort of god of hers? He was confused but didn't wanna hurt her feelings. "Umm...I suppose I wouldn't mind if that really means something to you to praise your god." He said to the girl.