Fandom San Francisco

[One Mean Ghost]

Dante de la Cruz​

Dante couldn't help a chuckle at Shift's comments about being a cook. Maybe this guy was alright after all, if he could take a ribbing like that and still laugh it off. That was a definite plus. He was starting to think soldier boy had stick shoved up his ass before now...

He blinked as he felt another hand close on his and pull him into a huddle. Staying quiet, he listened to what Kary had to say. For several moments, he just stared silently at her when she finished, his expression unreadable. Truth be told, he was doing something highly unusual for himself: he was thinking about what he was going to say before he just let unfiltered words come spilling forth from his maw.

After several seconds of rather awkward silence, a cocky smirk spread over his lips. "Well then, I guess we just gotta be sure we don't fail then, don't we?" He said matter o' factly as he stretched his arms over his head before resting his palms behind his head. It wasn't Shakespeare, but at least he thought it out...

"Oh, and for the record, I know all about how Basic Training works. My brother is a Master Sergeant in the Marines, after all, and he's told me plenty of stories about it. What I was trying to say is just because someone learns how to do all that stuff, doesn't necessarily mean they're any good at it, or that they can perform under pressure." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked from one to the other. "Something my brother told me, 'You never know how a soldier will actually perform under fire until it happens.' So, really, I just don't think it's smart to ask someone to lead without knowing how they'll react when shit hits the fan, or to just blindly follow someone that's untested, soldier or not" He remarked crossing his arms over his chest.

Sure, he probably had a rather poor first impression. Odds are, they didn't think much of him given how he blew up the day before. However, one didn't stay alive long as a vigilante without a little bit of brains, even if the boy did lack a filter most of the time. He said what he was thinking, for better or for worse. He seemed to be thinking, though, like he was debating whether or not to tell them something. With a sigh, he decided to go for it.

"I'm not just talking out my ass. I'm talking from experience. My first day as a vigilante I almost died because, among other reasons, I got tunnel vision under fire, and I made mistakes. I've had three years and several missions since then to adjust and fix how I handle myself when the chips are down. I haven't had any issues like that since. Maybe you two are in the same boat and figured out how to handle pressure, maybe you two are some of the rare few that just handle it right the first time, or maybe you won't handle it well at all. I have no way of knowing until I see it firsthand. That's not a knock on the two of you, so don't think it is" Dante remarked turning away from them after this rare moment of humility. Why did he feel the need to tell them that? He doubted even Agent Love had that kind of knowledge in her reports, given there weren't any witnesses who survived to talk about that first mission. Maybe Kary revealing that bit about herself made him feel obligated to open up, or maybe he just was trying to actually show he was willing to work as a team. Tough to say, given he didn't really know himself why he said it...

"Like you said... nothing we say leaves this room...." He added quietly.

 

[Randomfella]

Shift would have made a sly comment on Kary grabbing his hand if it wasn't for the combination of nerves building for the excersize, and her tight grip. It seemed she had a point, and she definitely didn't hold back on making it. Shane gave a short nod as she asked for their cooperation, but as she finished up her statement, it began to make his stomach uneasy. "No legal rights?" He repeated what she had stated in his head, it seemed whatever she had done before, it was far more serious than he previously imagined, and in truth he could only feel sorry for her for it. But he knew he would need to put his emotions aside for this, he needed to perform well, and only doubted himself. This test needed to go well.

He listened on as Dante started. "Not again..." He begrudgingly thought as another rant started, another story, Shift would be lying if he didn't admit to not listening to half of it. But as 'Spook' continued, Shift couldn't help but reveal some surprise on his face as Dante admitted to his previous mistakes, he had thought of him as the type to pretend he was perfect, but perhaps that wasn't always the case. "Nothing we say leaves this room." That statement came to his head once more, it almost tempted Shane to admit his own downfall, but he couldn't, he was afraid. He didn't have a hard past, not like they did, but his inability to control his powers frustrated him, what if he made a mistake when they needed him most.

Snapping out of his daze, Shift softly pulled his hand from Kary's grip, placing it on her shoulder, and his other's on Dante's, a cold chill emitting from them as he did so, unintentionally that is. "Understood." He stated, glancing between the both of them, a small yet serious smile covering him. "The better we do, the sooner we can get to the 'real' stuff, so let's show Love all that we're capable of." Taking his hands off of their shoulders, he rested them by his side, facing toward the door. "We'll be relaxing by the best view of San Fran' in no time." He stated in a carefree tone, before glancing over his shoulder at the others, a wide smile expressing itself, trying to hide the insecurity within.

 

[Retro-Grey]

Nathaniel Hart​

Nate stood in the opposing doorway of the locker room, his presence was largely unknown and how he got there wouldn't be announced anytime toon either. For a bit, he listened to the three children bicker amongst themselves, but when he heard enough, he spoke up. His hands found their way to his hips as he let out a sigh. His eyes ached from behind the dark glasses he was wearing. His left hand freed itself from his side and took the shades off, placing them onto his head.

"You guys should never be so naive," Nate said nonchalantly, his eyes were scanning the three in the room moderately. He continued forward as he spoke. Nate wiped his eyes, they were irritated from the intense light that came from being inside. He was slowly growing more and more disinterested with their personal strife. What started as a low hum of disapproval was soon becoming a defining roar of annoyance.

"Shift, Spark, Spook. My name's Nathaniel Hart, you know me as Hyperion from the Braniac Simulation video. But He is only half of the same coin. You three on the other hand, are all open books. I've seen how you've performed. Past tense," Nate rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. The irritation slowly going away. "I'm only here today because Love wanted my take on this band of misfits she's acquired. I'm sure you all have different backgrounds, different ambitions. I get that. You've joined this Initiative to help others; to be heroes; Well you aren't and you need to forget all that. You're agents, part of a team. Whatever those civilians choose to call you when you're on the job is on them. But it won't matter what you are if you can't perform properly."

Nate walked away a bit from the three Titans, his back facing them. His hands pressed on his lower back as he began to arch his spine, "But Love already gave you that speech. Doesn't matter, repetition is a learning tool."

The man began to stretch his arms parallel to his body as he looked around the room. He groaned as his muscles tensed, "Alright, you all can come at me. And if I'm being honest, I have a bit of a hangover."

Nate backed away from the group and began rolling his shoulders, loosening/relaxing his muscles.

Randomfella One Mean Ghost NecroKnight Sir Les Paul

 

[One Mean Ghost]

Dante de la Cruz​

Location: Titan's Tower - Fourth Floor
Tags: Sir Les Paul
Retro-Grey
Randomfella
NecroKnight

Dante's eyes snapped over from the others as Hyperion spoke up. When the holy fuck did this guy get here, and how did he do so unnoticed?! His jaw clenched a little as he mulled that question over, listening as Agent Love's words were repeated from a different mouthpiece. So this was Hyperion... Another of the badasses from that simulation...

"Alright, you all can come at me. And if I'm being honest, I have a bit of a hangover."

Oh hell fucking yes.....

That trademark smirk started to spread over Dante's lips. So now he'd actually get to go toe to toe with one of those from the video. One look at his eyes, and you'd see the excitement. Rather than being nervous, apprehensive, or even scared, this kid was actually excited at the prospect of squaring off against someone who was most likely significantly more skilled.

But that was exactly why he was excited.

Now, for the first time, he'd get the opportunity to see how he measured up. He'd get to experience first hand how far he had to climb to reach his Dad's level... This guy was just the first challenge of the journey as far as Dante was concerned. Sure, he was likely gonna get his ass handed to him, but that didn't put the slightest damper on Dante's spirits.

"Well, we don't exactly have any time to come up with much of a plan, so let's keep this simple..." Dante took a pause to crack his knuckles, feeling the adrenaline already on the rise. "I'll go at him from the front, you two hit him from the back sides. We'll adapt from there as we see what he can do, and what each other can do. Don't forget to communicate..." He trailed off, never taking his eyes off of Hyperion. "If you got any other ideas, speak now or I'm going to start this...."

Was it the best plan in the world? Not really. But given how little they knew about their opponent and each other, it was one of the few viable options. Ultimately, one of them would be in the 'unenviable' position of fighting head on. Dante was more than happy to take that position so he could really see how he stacked up... Not to mention, having the others attacking from behind would put him in a good position to see what they could do too. From there, they could adjust as needed.... If nothing else, he'd see how flexible the other two were....

No doubt if they had any other ideas, they'd need to speak up fast. Dante was more than raring to go...

 

[Randomfella]

Shane Tift (Shift)
Location: Titan's Tower - Fourth Floor
Tags: Sir Les Paul Retro-Grey One Mean Ghost NecroKnight

Shift began to stare at Hyperion as he went on. The way he wanted to have them test their mettle, it reminded the multicoloured young man of a familiar experience when he first started in the military.

"Who gave me this bunch of apes anyway!?" The instructor continued his rant, eager to instill respect and fear in the new recruits, sure this was just a training camp, but if he didn't make a lasting impression his methods wouldn't be effective. Shane couldn't help but giggle at the reference however, glancing to an overly hairy man to his left. "Do you think I'm a comedian son!?" The instructor marched toward Shane, getting into his face, if he were deaf he could have made out the words from the spit alone. "N-No, I'm sorry." Shane responded, attempting to hide more nervous laughter from escaping. "The first words and the last words out of your stinking holes will be Sir! Do you get me!?" He continued. "Sir. Yes sir!" Shane responded, attempting to straighten himself up. Moving back, the instructor glanced at him, looking the boy up and down. "You think because you're some kind of mutant you deserve special treatment, huh!?" The instructor stated, removing his blazer whilst still staring toward Shane. "I wonder if there's even a spoonful of guts in your whole freakish body, you think you got what it takes to knock me down?" He asked, a smile on his facing expecting the boy to back down, brushing his hands together in self-appreciation. Shane didn't want to do it, but he didn't want to seem like a wuss in-front of the other recruits, surely he could just take a little of what this guy would dish out, people would respect him more that way. Nervously, he stepped forward with a nod, staring toward the instructor. A small bit of shock came over the older man's face, soon to be replaced with a wide smile. Removing his belt he gestured with his hand for Shane to approach.
One and a half months the instructor was in the infirmary, when he tried to take advantage of Shane's messy kick, it seemed the boy had accidentally turned his body to solid iron, shattering the man's hand as he tried to deflect, and carrying on toward his chest.

It was a mistake Shift had no intention of making again, at least he could control his powers more effectively now. Sure, this Hyperion seemed like a skilled fighter, but that was in his suit, something he likely relied on, a strike with as much force as Shane could put out wasn't worth putting down the man's ego. Like the excersize before, his abilities were out of the question in his mind, the ones he could control at least, it was clear to him that he would need to hold back.

Glancing back at Dante, Shift simply nodded. It was surprising that the guy would want to take Hyperion head on, he didn't exactly seem like the type that could take a hit, then again Shane honestly didn't know a great deal about him, it was likely he had some tricks up his sleeves. He definitely seemed focus, like a fire raged inside of him, for a moment Shane could only wonder what he had against Hyperion, though perhaps he took the whole thing far more seriously than Shift gave him credit for.

 

[NecroKnight]

Location: Titan Tower; Fourth Floor
Tags: Randomfella Sir Les Paul Retro-Grey One Mean Ghost

"Hold it...." she spoke, spreading her hands wide - to prevent them for charging in, just yet. Kary in the entire drama had forgotten, that she still possessed one thing, that still worked in their favor. Namely her EM-vision - as it took a few seconds for her to switch into X-Ray. Namely to see, if Hyperion was wearing anything heavy underneath him.

It would been very hilarious to have them charge and have their 'tutor' be armed - like how they were in the VR Video. Kary wasn't sure what they would find, or if he was completely naked. Whatever information she could get, it was good enough for them - be him armed, unarmed or simply in his human form at that.

She would quickly relay what she saw or found. "Okay...ready to go," she added - ready to follow her team into battle. She knew they would likely get trashed, but it didn't mean they couldn't give out a fighting themselves. Thinking about their battle strategy, Kary was certain he likely could take on them, in any fool-hardy charge - but maybe, just maybe. Kary could keep him more busy, with her movement - namely while Waller took away most of her ability to copy-and-repeat tactics - she had learned enough on her own, to do it without a net-access. Like her favorite-style of fighting, namely Capoeira.

---

(Upto you Retro-Grey what Kary sees underneath your suit. I forgot my character had that skill in the first place =3)

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Hero Points: 0

Codename: SpookRank: Tier 3Cards: NoneLocation: Titan's Tower - Fourth Floor

Tags: Sir Les Paul
Retro-Grey
Randomfella
NecroKnight

It seemed like they were all on the same page. At least, they were willing to go along with the idea, if nothing more. "Then let's show him what we can do..." He suddenly shot towards Nate in a full sprint. Whether he was fearless, or just completely and utterly reckless was up for debate. To him, the important thing was that now he had a chance to show what he could do, and he fully intended to seize the moment.

With his left foot forward, his left fist snapped forward towards Nate with nothing held back. His left heel was facing Nate, and before the punch was even fully extended his body began to turn, gathering momentum as his right leg raised.

All at once, he let fly the true attack, a powerful spinning side-kick. In many ways, it was the same technique they had done the day before for the benchmark testing, only with the added spin he added much more power behind the attack. One thing was abundantly clear. Dante wasn't about to hold back.

Nate readied himself as Dante came running. He could see Dante's body turning as the boy threw a punch. Smart move, throw a feint to catch your enemy off-guard. Starting out a fight like that wasn't too bright so Nate made it his job to point that out to the boy before him.

The older man's body dropped to floor in a swift motion right when Spook let his leg fly. Nate spun his body while on the floor, extending his right leg, catching Dante's left ankle and sweeping the boy off his foot.

"You don't need to feint if I've never fought you before, You'd be quicker if attempted to strike me head on. Feigning is gonna slow you down," Nate gave the boy a quick analysis of what he was getting for the experience.

Damn it!

He had hoped the feint would open the man up enough for that kick to land, but instead he found himself falling. His body twisted as he managed to land on all fours. Rather than seem upset, a smirk was spreading over Dante's lips. Perhaps one might call it insanity, but it seemed he was enjoying himself...

Dante pushed himself up, his legs propelling him forward once more to begin a fresh assault. This time, instead of a feint his hands flew freely. It was readily apparent he had devoted quite some time to developing tight, compact punches. There was a reason, after all, that his punch speed was the highest of the new Titans. Even still, there were some areas that needed polish, like his currently-flying left hook...

Nate expected the boy to use the analysis to better himself, but instead a flurry of punches came instead. Raising his hands, Nate readily dodged a punch, parrying the next punch after. It continued like that for a bit, dodging what he wouldn't be able to parry, parrying what he wouldn't be able to dodge.

Nate wasn't impressed with the show and as soon as Dante threw his left hook, which no doubt would've been a haymaker, Nate slipped through the opening and grabbed Dante's left arm.

The older man applied pressure as he put Dante into an Arm-twist. He looked towards the other two and pushed Dante to the floor, letting go of the boy's arm in the process.

"Learn from his example," Nathaniel said to the others, his eyes lingering over Dante a bit before coming up to meet theirs.

You'd think getting his ass utterly handed to him, Dante would be demoralized. On the contrary, even now, that bastard was still grinning like the damn Cheshire Cat...

Perhaps the boy really was mad...

 

[Randomfella]

Shane Tift (Shift)
Location: Titan's Tower - Fourth Floor
Tags: Sir Les Paul Retro-Grey One Mean Ghost NecroKnight

With hardly a warning Dante ran toward Hyperion. Though it was perhaps not a fault of his own, Shift could only blame himself as the young man was quickly put to the ground. Readying himself, Shane was beginning to move toward Dante to help him up, but before he even got close the boy was already throwing himself back up and into the fray. His fast attacks seemed ineffective however, as he was once more pushed to the floor.

Shift glanced at Hyperion as he spoke up, before looking over toward Kary. "We'll go in together." He stated, putting his fists up, before moving his gaze back toward the more senior agent. As his eyes moved however, they couldn't help but notice the smile plastered over Dante's face, his determination was almost creepy. Shift's mind raced as he shuffled toward Hyperion, keeping his stance strong and balanced. He had no fear of the man, sure he was definitely skilled, but his own power was what he feared most, hopefully whatever Love stuck on them the other day worked.

Once Kary was close enough Shane threw a left jab toward Hyperion, planning to follow it with a somewhat standard cross, hook, and uppercut. While he was no agent level fighter, his movements were solid, and his guard held tight, the fear of his abilities put somewhat at ease by the Initiative's restrictions.

 

[NecroKnight]

Location: Titan Tower; Fourth Floor
Tags: Randomfella Sir Les Paul Retro-Grey One Mean Ghost

Kary quickly followed up the attack by striking at Hyperion' legs.

Leaning her body down and hopefully managing to sweep him down. While Shane would pummel in his more top area.

While against a person like Hyperion - if what she saw from his attitude and footage of him in action told anything. He'd likely be like Waller or Love.

Arrogant and liable to kick their ass with a snap.

 

[Retro-Grey]

Nathaniel Hart (Hyperion)
Location:Titan's Tower; Fourth Floor
Tags:@Necroknight Randomfella One Mean Ghost Sir Les Paul

Nate weaved out of the way. The two of them attacking at the same time limited options. Nate soon felt the connection of a fist to his jaw as he cushioned the blow for Kary's kick. Both of them had hit their target. Nate was sloppy.

He let out a breath of air from his nose and mentally scolded himself as he caught Shift's hook and quickly flipped the boy over his own shoulder in a Tai Otoshi. He followed with a strike to the chest that stopped before it even hit Shift's body.

"You're down," Nate let go of the boy and let out a breath of air he didn't know he was keeping in. Love was gonna have his ass for this.

He didn't give any discernible look except one of discomfort, his head had started pounding after the punch, but he didn't let it hinder him. Nate put his hands up to ready himself. He wasn't going to be caught off guard again. He approached Kary and watched her body movements. He began to throw light jabs at Kary, none of the moves were planned to make contact. He was just testing the waters.

 

[NecroKnight]

Location: Titan Tower; Fourth Floor
Tags: Randomfella Sir Les Paul Retro-Grey One Mean Ghost

Kary tried dodging Hyperion' strikes - as evident by her movements, she was experiencing the same trouble, that he was. Namely a rather bad headache - albeit she possessed, a rather nastier one. That came when one tried to translate X-ray images into human thinking. Suffice to say, without a proper machinery to have those images be shuffled through a proper processors - it made her head feel rather fuzzy.

As her mind was trying to put itself back together - after it was forced to translate an x-ray image into human sight and then - trying to reset themselves, back into processing movement and thinking. Suffice to say, one of his jabs hit her in the nose - as she simply took several steps back to reinforce her defenses.

Needless to say, Kary tried to strike back - keeping her hands close in a simple brawl' posture.