Fantasy The Rookies- Main Ic Thread

[WeaselThor]

Panorama city District B, Hero Academy. Graduation ceremony, Monday 11:00 A.m.

In the massive Hearth Stadium that often held the Hero Olympics a new public event took place. Every year it was the same event here, yet it never failed to attract public attention, the media, even Gold & Platinum tier heroes were there. Tens of thousands filled the stadium with just as many gathered outside...hopefully none of the recruits had stage fright.

Nigel Hearth A.K.A "Stinger"

Dr. Hearth stood on the left side of the podium finding himself wishing he had his armor. He had ample reason to be nervous, they had just named the stadium after him on account of a huge donation he made to hero academy. All he wanted was to clear up some space for his new research so he gave them 3 of his Carapacite generators for weapons and armor. Now he has to take a day off work and talk in front of thousands. So much for "subtle". As if that wasn't nerve wracking enough beside him hovered none other than Mr.Meteor the #1 ranked platinum hero. He felt so out of his element but nonetheless he swallowed the lump in his throat and began.
"Congratulations are in order. You heroes have just finished your first step in a ladder that can take you to heights never before imagined. The city of panorama now sits in your watchful eyes, i hope that each of you carve your own legacy in this beautiful city. Best of luck heroes...i believe Mr.Meteor has some words for you as well...again congratulations." he turned to Mr.Meteor with a smile hoping to be saved from his terrible speech.


Luke Regis A.K.A Mr.Meteor

As Mr.Meteor listened to the Doctor's speech he nodded from time to time. Eventually he shook the doctors hand and thanked him for passing the mic to him. Turning his glowing green eyes to the crowd he smiled. But he remained sikent for a few more moments before beginning.
"What is a hero? When i started this career that was the very question i asked. It took me years to figure it out but the answer was always so simple. Selfless. That is what a hero is. You give yourself to the people, your strength to your comrades, your dreams to those who need one. You heroes will give everything to this city, some will love you for it, some will resent you, but regardless of how people feel you have a duty. A duty to the people to keep them safe, A duty to the monsters to let them know that they are not supreme, and a duty to yourself so you always know you gave your all. Look to your left and your right. Beside you are those who have taken that same oath. Draw strength from them knowing that you are not alone in this endless battle for survival. They stand with you, as do all of Panorama's heroes. Do us proud, but more importantly do yourself proud." almost as if a period to a sentence his Sigel over his chest began to flash. "Duty Calls, congratulations graduates." he took to the air launching high into the sky before he bursted the sound barrier heading east in a flash of greenish light.


Joseph Vecna A.K.A "Grave"

While he waited for the speeches to end joseph lit a cigarette. He had he had never been this far into the city and scene so many people in one place. Soon enough the Doctor began to rattle off a list of names. One by one the Graduates walked to the stage and grabbed their Certificates and badges. When it was finally his turn he put the cigarette out in his palm before putting the butt in his pocket. By the time he made it to the stage his burn was gone. He took the paperwork from the doctor and thanked him before heading back to his seat. He figured if he waited eventually one of the higher ranked heroes would get called off to do something or another then he could follow and if he was lucky be out of brass rank in a day. And now i play the waiting game. he thought to himself as he lit another cigarette.

Janesomnia D duegxybus SunWukong08 Shotgunpenguin OverconfidentMagi Hollycrest Nuclear Magician Lexielai​

 

[SunWukong08]

Victor watched as the green light Mr. Meteor had left behind slowly faded away, the green tint in his eyes slowly fading away as he thought of the greatness that awaited him, represented by that hero, and smiled his smug smile. As he was called to collect his various academic awards, Victor made sure to create a spectacle, using his ability to speed to the stage smoothly and taking everything he'd earned. Not recognizing any rude behavior he may have exhibited, he rushed right back to his seat and sat down, putting one leg on the other as he stared down at his certificate.

In his heart there was both pride and resentment. At the very least, he deserved to be at the upper ranks of Gold by now. This title of Brass felt like a mockery to him, but nonetheless he wouldn't throw a fit about it. All of those worthless old bags at the Hero Organization would recognize him soon enough.

Suddenly, a foul scent interrupted his pride. He turned to his side and noticed Joseph smoking, a dark cloud of unpleasant carcinogenic gas floating all too close to him. "Ugh..." Victor whispered in disgust. "Could you keep your hooligan practices out of public spaces? No-one wants to smell that, especially not me." He spoke to the large young man next to him, only speaking to him, but not making direct eye contact to both retain his composed image and make clear Joseph his status as nuisance to Victor.

WeaselThor

 

[OverconfidentMagi]

ConspiracyEmilia & Jack Donovan​

The raven twins were, as usual, standing together before being called. To any third party they might seem silent, their attitudes showing deep respect towards the ceremony, but as always had their been a telepath in the audience they would be hearing a constant stream of commentary flowing between the twins.

Hey isn't that Sting? Yes, and it's Stinger. Didn't you read any of the announcements about the ceremony? Or the name of this stadium? Not really, I figured if it was important you'd just tell me. Is Stinger doing the speech important? Hmm, not really. I just remembered brother mentioning him before. Brother is supposed to be here, but I haven't seen him. Well he did say he'd definitely show up, unless something serious came up. I hope he was able to make it. Hmm, yeah. Oh hey, it's Meteor.

The pair went silent, not that they'd been saying anything aloud, to pay attention to that the number one hero had to say. But that interlude only lasted until he'd finished and flown off. Emilia's deep red eyes flicked over to her brother beside her. He'd chuckled at something Mr. Meteor had said.

Did he say something amusing? Only that heroes have to be selfless. Ah, yes... I suppose so. Only someone born incredibly strong can become a hero by being completely selfless.

Emilia let her brother explain.

Being selfless might be fine and all for someone like him, but for the rest of us that's just a one-way trip to an early grave. A completely selfless person would most likely die the first time they encounter a situation they can't handle. ... I see. But wouldn't it make more sense to be a bit selfish in that situation and run away? Hmm? Think about it. You run away, and even if that's bad right then, it lets you fall back, regroup, learn from your mistakes. Ah, I get it. You're saying he's saying we're not allowed to fail. Exactly. But failure is important for people, heroes included, to learn and get stronger. But Meteor is already strong, which is why he is able to say that.

... Are you sure you aren't just saying that to disagree with him because he's stronger than you? Maybe, who knows. Would that be selfish of me? Maybe, who knows.

"Emilia Donovan."

She let go of her brother's hand to walk onto the stage, only pausing to receive her certificate and items from Dr. Hearth before fleeing the focus of the audience. Jack was of course called right after, stepping onto the stage with his signature effortlessly confident demeanor. After Victor's show of using his power a few in the crowd no doubt expected something similar from Jack just based on how he carried himself.

"Yo Sting, how's it hanging?" He spoke informally to the older hero whose rank was incomparable to his own as if it wasn't their first time meeting face to face. The took his own certificate with a momentary flash of a self-satisfied grin. He had earned that much. Then he turned to face the audience, and simply bowed his head to all in attendance before walking off the stage.

"Weren't you going to do the thing with the wings?" Emilia asked her brother aloud when he rejoined her off of the stage. "I decided not to. After watching that pretentious spark plug look like an overexcited kid showing off in front of the grownups I realized it would be best to abort." ...and I spotted brother in the crowd. Raven? He made it in time? Looks like, unless he sent a doppelganger to cover for him.

Emilia smiled. Brother had gotten to see them become heroes. She wondered if he still disliked them choosing to follow in his tracks and become a hero. But we didn't become a hero for you. Jack took her hand as the pair joined the other graduates who'd already been called. "Hey Victor, nice trick on stage there," Jack said in an even tone that made it impossible to tell if he was being genuine or not. Tell me, are you housebroken too? Emilia bit her tongue to keep from letting a laugh slip out.

 

[SunWukong08]

Victor turned toward Jack promptly, raising an eyebrow as he read his expression. He wasn't very fond of Jack after experiences in the past, although he enjoyed the consistent attention. That's all it really was for him, someone clamoring for recognition and attention from their superior.

"Huhu~..."

An all too familiar chuckle escaped Victor's lips, accompanied by a just as familiar grin. His smug attitude almost seemed to emit an aura that covered everyone near him, attempting to tell them clearly just how insignificant they were. "Why, thank you, John was it? Not that the name of some speck is important. A speck is a speck, that's what I say. I suppose I should thank you too. By making clear just how ordinary you are to everyone, you've only made me stick out more! Truly, great work."



Victor chuckled to himself once more, turning away from the twins feeling an emboldened sense of pride, just a bit more than usual. Oh how he loved to put the irrelevant in their place. Of course, he was ready to continue if Jack was. More fun for him.

 

[Nuclear Magician]

Jack tapped a nail against his cheek as he waited for his name to be called. It flickered constantly, nail one moment, crystal the next. ''God this line is slow'' he muttered to himself. ''Might even have time for a nap before I'm up.'' He chuckled to himself. The years of training had disabled him of that particular habit. In truth, they'd broken down most of them. Maybe noe he'd have a chance to build.

'' Jack Hawkins''

Roused from his reverie by the sound of his name he hopped up and made his way to the podium. ''Head up shoulders back'' his father's voice sounded in his head. ''Dignity, poise and smile to camera two''. The memory was from after the accident, a reminder that everyone was judged on the small actions as well as the large.

Finger nails flashing in complex patterns, he stepped up and took the cert and badge smiling and shaking the senior hero' s warmly. Then he moved on, letting the next Brass have their moment.

He took his seat again, a faint grin on his face. He let himself relax a little, shoulders loosening and crystal spreading along his hands, forming and displaying in quick succession.

'' Step one then lads. What's next for you, do ya think. ''

 

[WeaselThor]

Joseph Vecna

Joseph didn't so much as bat an eyelash as victor berated him for smoking. "Nobody cares victor. Least of all me." the words had come out challenging but he didn't sit around and wait for a response. He flicked the cig at Victors feet and made his way towards the stand where heroes were beginning to check their pagers. time to kick some ass. he thought to himself as he headed towards the exit after one of the silver tier heroes.

Dr. Neil Hearth

As the graduates came up one at a time. Dr.Hearth smiled and shook each hand. After he had finished the list he pulled out his BlackBerry and began to post his own message on the hero job board. By the time he finished the message the schools headmaster took over and began speaking. Moving out of the way he reviewed his job add.

"Monster nest in district X, Destroy the nest & bring back samples.$50 credits, $+15 credits per intact specimen. Deliver specimens to Herotech R&D."

He let his hand hover a bit as he thought. Normally this was a copper or possibly even a silver rank mission. But nonetheless he had already made up his mind. He marked as a brass rank mission and began looking for the other researchers who were here. It was way past time for him to return to his lab.​

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

YUKI LAKEWOOD​

For what seemed like the fourth time during the entire ceremony Yuki had to remind herself to breath. She fidgeted a little bit as the line slowly moved forward, each student receiving their certificate proving them to be heroes. She turned her eyes to the crowd to distract herself from the long line in front of her, hoping to spot her parents somewhere in the massive sea of people. They had promised to come and had even left one of the managers in charge of running things for the day just so they could come and see her. Finally spotting her father and mother she was a bit embarrassed to see that her father was holding up a large cutely designed sign that said "Congratulations baby girl, we're so proud of you!" alongside a picture of her face. Fortunately enough it proved just the distraction she needed as before Yuki knew it her name was called.

"Yuki Lakewood."

Yuki took a deep breath and stepped up onto the stage. She took her certificate and bowed to her senior "Thank you sir, It's an honor." She then turned to face the crowd and bowed once again before exiting the stage and returning to her seat. She moved her bow and quiver from off of her seat, as carrying a weapon onto the stage would have resulted in some form of trouble, and slipped the quiver onto her back. The bow itself was folded in such a way that it fit neatly into her empty quiver as to cut down unnecessary space. She placed her certificate as well as her hands on her lap and let her shoulders fall. "I can't believe I actually made it." She said to herself as she smiled at the certificate on her lap.

Turning to her other classmates the one she recognized to her side, Jack Hawkins, had asked what everyone was planning now that they were heroes. "I think that my parents would like to celebrate with me when the ceremony is finished. But that's not until later tonight." An idea came to Yuki as she pulled out her smartphone and pulled up the hero job board. Her father made sure to explain exactly how it had worked and even suggested that she try a bronze mission before they celebrated. "It looks like a new job was just posted for bronze heroes..... from Mr. Stinger himself!" It was an exterminate and collection mission in district X and he was offering extra credits for intact samples. "If anyone would like; Mr. Stinger himself has just posted an add on the job board. I plan on accepting it if anyone else would like to come."

 

[Nuclear Magician]

Leaning in over her shoulder to take a look at the screen Jack quirked an eyebrow. 'District X huh? Seems a bit far out for neewbies. A test maybe?' Fingers flickering at his side he leaned back an considered it, eyes darting round the stadium. 'Well, I'm game. I was planning to try and hit the ground running anyway, might as well start straight off. It give any indication of what kinda monsters we're dealing with? Must be something specialized if they want intact specimens. If it were normal run of the mill stuff they'd probably just want us to clear em out. And if it's Stinger putting up the job... some sort of insect maybe?'

His roving eyes picked up camera dotted around ever level of the arena. He could pick out most of the major media outlets, his fathers among them. The man himself wasn't likely to be here. But he could pick out a few of his older siblings dotted around the place. There with their own families, with colleges and friends. Turning back to the stage and the speech. 'So, maybe you peg em with some arrows, I seal em up? Plus any others interested use any restraint skills they got. Try and lock them down quick and fast?" He held up his palm and crystal flowed into life, snapping into the shape of a cage with a vaguely bug like figure in the center, with silhouette heroes surrounding it. The scene held for a few seconds, before wavering then evaporating into a cloud of blueish white smoke. Grimacing, he waved his hand to dispel the mist before leaning back.

 

[OverconfidentMagi]

ConspiracyEmilia & Jack Donovan
​

Jack smiled at the idiot Victor's back. Hey sis, if the spark plug peed onto an open wire which do you think would be shocked more, him or the wire? Emilia chuckled softly. I'd imagine the wire, as it probably isn't used to being peed on, whereas I imagine Victor is quite used to wetting himself in all sorts of locations. Now it was Jack's turn to laugh. But as he wiped tears from the corner of his eyes, he was still staring at his peer's back. They might make fun of him, but Victor was strong. His power was especially annoying for them to deal with. And now that they were all heroes it was doubtful there'd be a chance to fight each other for real. I really wanted to beat him. Don't be like that. And think off all the fighting you'll have ahead of you dealing with monsters and villains. Monsters sound boring, but I hope we get to fight a lot of villains with cool powers.

One of their peers raised the question everyone seemed to be thinking. What now?

Jack smiled. "What are you walking about? We're heroes now, its about time we get to work." Emilia beside him smiled as well. That was well said. Thank you.

Someone else mentioned that Dr. Hearth had just posted a new mission. Strange, why would he be posting a Brass rank mission? Was it meant for these new heroes specifically? The more Emilia pondered it the more likely it seemed. He was telling them to get to work. She smiled at the mental image of the man chasing baby birds out of his lab.

"Hmm, District X? That is an odd place to be sent on just a Brass rank mission." Jack was looking over the shoulder of the person who'd mentioned the mission to read the details. Emilia sighed. It was Yuki, aka the plain Jane archer - did she even have powers? - aka the girl her brother had been crushing on for the past year. Emilia shut her eyes, and a red tint appeared in Jack's own eyes. Emilia? What are you-? Sit back, I'm piloting.

Emilia was seeing through her brother's eyes. He'd actually been looking at the screen. What a loser, he totally could have been peeking down her shirt. She could feel her brother's embarrassment at her thinking that so plainly. Y-you aren't supposed to say that! A guy shouldn't do that... right? She mentally sighed at her idiot brother. Hopeless. She took over his mouth. "If it isn't too much trouble, I'd love to join you on this mission," she said, putting on what she hoped was one of her brother's charming smiles. "I imagine we'll be working together in the future, so this could be good practice."

Emilia opened her own eyes and let her brother jump back into control of his body. He didn't look her way, but from the way he took a step back she could tell her comment had made him suddenly self-conscious. She smirked at having succeeded at making her brother uncomfortable. Wait, the others can't fly. Getting to District X with them is going to take forever. ... so annoying.

 

[Janesomnia]

Among the sea of graduates all talking amongst themselves Jade found herself alone, having an internal monologue with herself. She analyzed her peers as they individually set foot on the podium 'aggravatingly arrogant, ungrateful - fed by silver spoon, young and foolish...' Her running commentary went on however she knew she couldn't speak ill of their powers. Throughout their five years of training she had seen or at least heard of their abilities. It was simply their attitudes and circumstances that made her dislike most of the people she was seated alongside. Because, in all honesty Jade was afraid of seeming useless or unworthy when it came the time to demonstrate her own strength. Not that she'd ever admit to that.

As she was finally called she had no time to take in a final breath before she stood up and made her way to the podium. Having been seated at one of the furthest rows she had time to narrow her eyes at all the brass heroes. She imagined how much she'd hate herself if anyone achieved a copper rank before her. And how she'd try to make their life a living hell. Now that she'd gotten the chance to get this far she wasn't just going to leave the spotlight to whoever wished to take it - she'd fight them for it, second year of training be damned.

Upon reaching the podium she shook all her superiors hands and muttered a reluctant "Thank you." After she'd done this Jade didn't bother turning to look at anyone behind her but simply carried herself over back to her seat as she spotted her family and offered them a shy smile. They'd been very supportive although rightly frightened for the risks this whole thing carried. Either way Jade felt the need to show her gratefulness to her parents above any mentor or superior she could ever find herself upon. After this whole thing was over she'd have to make time to go speak to them.

Her plans quickly changed, however, when she overhead faint talk of a little expedition gathering up to district X. Jade patiently waited for more details to be revealed and she noticed many people hopping onto the idea. She contemplated it for a moment. If they were successful this mission could act as a head start on rising to the next rank but on the other side she wasn't too sure about having to work with people who seemed like a stark contrast to her. In the end she decided to jump into the conversation. "If you're willing to take another person in I should be useful."

 

[Lexielai]

Dr. Alana Redwood

Rank: Pre-Brass (Hero). Unknown (Researcher and Logistics Officer).

Tags: Janesomnia OverconfidentMagi Nuclear Magician Shotgunpenguin WeaselThor SunWukong08

Alana sat with her hands folded across her lap. Around her were the other members of VIP entourage accompanying the new graduates; mostly parents and other relatives who were also heroes, some of who carried adorable signs cheering on the new heroes.

“This is nice, Dr. Hearth,” she said to the man beside her. Her eyes remained locked on the next student, a girl who walked with both confidence and an attitude that suggested she preferred to get this ceremony over and done with. Alana scrolled through her datapad to find her name. Jade Park.

“I would prefer if it weren’t so...crowded though,” Alana commented hesitantly. A notification popped up on her datapad that got her attention: a new job posting from Dr. Hearth. She glanced at her companion from the corner of her eyes. “You know how it is. I just get a little nervous when there are this many people around.”

Recently it had dawned on her how long it had been since the last time she had left headquarters and returned to the outside world. Hell, how long it had been seen she left the lab. Her assistants probably thought she lived there by this point.

The ceremony began drawing to a close as more graduates filed back to their seats with certificates in hand and their heads held high. The people around her cheered and clapped louder than ever. Her ears were filled with the omnipresent reverberation of noise, spinning her mind around in circles and circles. The distant presence of their minds pounded on her door, beating it with a battering ram of emotions and thoughts. They were everywhere, clamoring for attention inside her and outside her. She felt dizzy, like someone had spun her around too fast on a teacup ride. Instinctively she caught herself on the armrest of her chair, breathing heavily.

“Dr. Hearth, I think I need to get some air,” she said, enunciating her words carefully. Her eyes flickered to the nearby crate of equipment for the new graduates. “I’ll be quartermaster for the rookies today,” she decided, thankful for the excuse to get away from the crowd.

Alana stood and gestured towards two junior researchers. “Help me pick this up, please,” she ordered politely. Motioning for them to follow, she walked back up the stairway towards the hallways of the stadium walls, where she would be able to eventually make her way to the rookies and intercept them before they ran off in a rush on their first mission—newly minted brass heroes had a habit of doing that. She didn’t need to look behind her to know that her supervisor was following.


“Congratulations. All of you,” Alana said, announcing her presence as she reached the rookies. She wore an elegant black dress today with high heels and her colorful hair tied in a bun behind her head. Around her shoulder was a simple black purse, locked by a button shaped as a large circle with an ‘H’ in the center.

“Set that down over there please,” she said to the junior researchers, who promptly placed the equipment crate on the floor. “Thank you. You’re dismissed.”

Alana brushed a loose lock of her gold red hair behind her ear, and smiled. “For those of you who don’t know me, I am Dr. Alana Redwood. I’ll be your logistics officer for the foreseeable future, and your contact for any needs you may have with the R&D division.”

She shuffled through the contents of her purse, pulling out her datapad and deftly selecting the current menu. “Today,” she said, “I’ll be distributing your standard issue equipment.” With a tap on the screen the equipment crate slid open, and from within it rose a panel of foam with small earpieces within the molds.

“These are your comlinks. I’m sure you’re familiar with them from training, but you don’t have to return these ones. They’re yours to keep, and upgraded to provide secure, clear lines of communication from anywhere in the city. Additionally,” she added, and the panel rose to reveal another foam layer containing rows of sleek, rectangular devices, “These are your datapads. Just strap it around your arm or carry it in your hand and press the on button, and on the screen it will display any tactical information you may need in the field. Maps, known monster indexes, criminal profiles, whatever. Now that you’re a hero, it’s all yours.”

Alana waited a moment for them to process her little presentation, and took the time to slip her datapad back inside her purse. Her amber eyes, framed by deep bags, glanced over the rookies. “I assume you’re all gathered together because of Dr. Hearth’s new job posting. Just let me know when you’re taking a job so I can pull it off the job boards, and let me know if anything goes wrong. Good luck. I’ll be around for a few minutes if you have any questions.”

She smiled and stepped back to lean against a nearby wall with her hands folded in front of her. In a way that, she hoped, was non-intrusive but made her seem available to talk to.

 

[SunWukong08]

Victor had heard enough. A job posted for Brass heroes, just after graduation was over? Hearth's intentions were clear, to pull up the weeds and leave only firm growths. And the firmest and most majestic of them all? Victor Vaughn Vermillion!

He stood up to leave as quickly as possible. He couldn't waste this opportunity to seize his destiny while his peers dawdled, pussyfooting around the possibility of going to the mission. Although, as he walked past them, he found himself stopping in his tracks, turning towards them. Devious thoughts filled his head. Sure, he should be getting there as quick as possible, but... this was his chance to have witnesses.

His ego couldn't resist.

"How long are you lot going to discuss it? The job was obviously posted to attract any graduate brave enough to answer the call. The longer you spend bumbling around here, the more time you give to the opportunists. Joseph is already gone, isn't he?"

Victor's phone sounded an audible ding, prompting him to pull it out and look at it. He smirked and held the screen out to his peers. The notification read: 'Good Afternoon, Mr. Vermillion. Special Transport Arriving Now.'

An uppity laugh escaped him as he put his hand on his chest, letting go of the phone and having it levitate right up in everyone's faces, one by one. "Look closely. Without me, it would have taken you all much longer to get to the site. You'd better thank me for being such an important benefactor."

 

[WitworthGold]

Cass waited patiently along side her classmates as Stinger and Meteor made their speeches. Stinger had looked overwhelmed and like he'd rather have been anywhere but there while Meteor looked calm and composed, the very picture of heroism. He was everything that a hero should be; strong yet gentle powerful and yet still completely in control. He was awe inspiring but the sight of him also caused a long ago buried feeling to churn in the pit of her stomach. She dropped her gaze as his speech concluded and took several deep breaths to combat the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes.

It had been some time since she'd shed any tears over her parents passing. They'd died heroes, in service to the greater good, something that not everyone could say. They'd had a beautiful memorial for them and the other fallen; and then life moved on. She'd begun her training soon after and vowed to make them proud. From where she'd been standing then, five years had seemed an eternity and the enormity of the task before her all but insurmountable, but here she was now a graduate ready to take her first steps out into the world.

By the time she'd steeled her nerves against another outburst of emotion they were already calling names and handing out the Certificates, Badges, and Honors to the first wave of students. They were already in the "B's" and it would be long before they reached her name and the others that followed. Shortly after she'd heard her name ring out over the speakers.

"Cassidy Caine"



She thought back to what her mother had said about her own graduation and couldn't help but grin. She'd been so excited that she'd literally glowed as she accepted her certificate, so much so that her parents couldn't even get a picture. "No way in hell I'm not going anywhere near that stage lit up like a glow stick." she muttered to herself as she slid her tough girl mask back into place and crossed the stage to collect her certificate and badge. She thanked Stinger and offered a grin and a nod before she returned to her seat.

From that point on the rest of the ceremony was more or less a blur, punctuated by the occasional show off each of whom was quickly filed away as a tool before she let her attention turn back to watching the crowd. She noticed a couple of her classmates had all turned their attention away from the closing remarks and onto something held by a girl with a quiver strapped onto her back. Her interest piqued she made her way through the crowd just in time to catch the tail end of the conversation. "You can count me in too, I could use a workout after this sideshow."

She accepted the comlink and data pad with a quick "Thank you." as they were offered and stood waiting for an answer.​

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Yuki Lakewood
​

"I'm afraid that it doesn't say anything about the type of monsters we will be confronting. However I am sure that it is nothing we wouldn't be able to handle." Hawkin's question was a fair one as Yuki wondered if it would matter. Surely Mr. Stinger wouldn't send them on anything that they weren't prepared for. "While I am confident enough in my accuracy to pin a target I'm afraid that Mr. Stinger would not accept it as intact. I will be relying on you to make up for my shortcomings." She then turned to her fellow graduates "It would be easier if we all worked together, I will do my part to support everyone." She bowed her head and turned to another classmate, coincidentally also named Jack. "Perhaps it is a recent den that has sprung up? Newer dens usually have lower ranked monsters so it would make sense if it was one." She paused as Jack flased her a smile and asked if he could join her on the mission. "I agree, working in groups will be good experience for later missions." She states, the meaning of Jack's words going over her head.

As more students began to join in on the mission a surprising appearance by Dr. Redwood has Yuki standing. Her family considered it rude to greet those in high positions while sitting down. "Thank you Dr. Redwood, it's an honor to receive these from you." Taking one of the comlinks she placed it in her ear and adjusted it before also taking one of the datapads. She decided to attach it to the strap of her quiver for quick use if she needed it. "I think that we've decided to accept the request. We'll let you know if we have any questions." Before Yuki could ask if the other's were ready to head out a rather obnoxious voice interrupted her. The voice belonged to Victor Vermillion, a person who Yuki had mixed feelings about. On one hand he was at the top of the class, aced every exam and had the power to match. But on the other hand he seemed to care more about himself than others, including the people he is supposed to be protecting. Still, Yuki had to respect the fact that if he got over himself then he was guaranteed to be a famous hero.

Taking a moment to compose herself Yuki bowed her head to Victor and said "Thank you for your hospitality. I failed to take into account transport to the mission site." Her original plan had called for her driving herself on her motorcycle without even considering how the others would arrive. "As long as we all have time I would like to get all of your contact information. Just in case we ever need to contact each other for any reason." She brought up her phone and held it out for the other's to tap their phones.

 

[SunWukong08]

Victor finished sending his transport a message and slid his phone away in his front pocket. He swiped Yuki's phone and promptly entered his number as he addressed them all once again. "I've told them were on our way out. But-"

He handed the phone back.

"-my resources are telling me there's someone handing out some hero tools by the exit. Seems important enough, so we're headed there first, got it?"

Victor walked off in the direction of the exit, looking back at the rest of the group, taking note of their lagging behind. "Heard me, didn't you? Hurry up, my graciousness only lasts so long."

 

[WitworthGold]

"Hero Tools..." She'd nearly lost it when the words had crossed his lips. It was too rich to pass up, "Is the irony of what he just said lost on everyone?" she spake aloud looking at the assembled grads. She gave them a few moments to respond before she continued on, "... arguably the biggest tool in our graduating class is directing us to a table full of tools, I mean he would know one when he saw it but the irony is overwhelming." she'd paused for a moment to let out a hearty chuckle before she began again this time directly to Victor, "And we all know that when you say 'my resources' you actually mean Mommy and Daddy's resources." Her last remark had come out a bit more scathing than she'd intended but it was true nonetheless. Some part of her had hoped that the potshots to his ego would bring him back to reality before it got him killed but another, slightly larger part, had always wanted to take the wind right out of his sails and wipe the imperious smirk right off of his face.

Though a bit of a mean girl Cass wasn't without a sense of honor, she stood there for a bit with an amused smirk on her face and waited on whatever retort he might have. One of the things her father had made sure to instill in her was a sense of fairness. She didn't have to be an angel but the one thing she would not be was a bully. He'd raised her to fight fair and be able to get as good as she gave. Which was pretty damn good is she did say so herself, she'd always held the opinion that if you couldn't take the heat then shouldn't play with fire, and it had served her well thus far.

​

 

[Nuclear Magician]

Jack plucked one of the ear pieces from the case, popping it in, then grabbed one of the displays. He ran the tests, checking to make sure they would cut out at the wrong time. Never could be too careful about your gear. He nodded at Yuki points. ''Ya, might be a new den. Makes sense for a brass job.... Not sure bout the pinning though. I mean, Could ya shoot em in the legs? Decrease their mobility? Surely if its only a few hole Stinger won't get too worked up?'' He gave her a questioning look. "Off the top of my head, you're probably have the best precision. Certainly better than anything I've got. If you could restrain em we should be able to take care of em."

Finishing with the straps, he grabbed his go bag from beneath his chair. He brought it with him everywhere, just in case. Yet another of those ever present habits they beat into him. "Back in a sec" He returned a few minutes later, dressed in his combat gear, a dark blue and grey uniform, lightly armored and colored to blend.

"So, what do you reckons the battle plan? Twins to scout? Me going in first in amour, draw the heat, give you guys a bit of breathing room? Then maybe you clear us some space? Go room by room.'' He gave them a questioning glance. He had an.... ok, grasp of tactics. But he was still untested. This could be MESSY if they we reckless. He eyed Victor. The guy could handle himself. But would he play for the team when the time came?

 

[OverconfidentMagi]

ConspiracyEmilia & Jack Donovan
​

Jack chuckled at Victor getting cut on Cassidy's sharp-edged commentary. He, like most of the others, knew it best to stay out of her line of fire, but Victor with his collective 2 brain cells didn't have the self-awareness to avoid a bullet between the eyes, let alone a particularly witty girl's tongue. While he was wary of her, Jack didn't harbor any kind of dislike for Cassidy. Beyond him generally liking anyone who knocked Victor's ego down, she reminded him of his sister. But where Emilia was content to only share her comments with him Cassidy just spoke for everyone to hear her. Whether that was her honest thoughts or just a shell around something different didn't much matter to him, it was refreshing either way.

"Test test one two three, can you hear me?"

A tiny voice spoke from his hand, where he was still holding the communicator he'd taken. He put it on and spoke. "Yes Em, I can hear you."

Good, now try contacting Yuki to make sure yours works.

"W-wait, why-" Why do I have to contact her? You can hear me right, I know it works then? A threatening feeling pulsed across the mental connection. Fine, fine I'll do it. He took a breath and selected Yuki, only then realizing he didn't know what he was going to say. "Test one two three, can you hear me?" He felt his sister groan through their link. Shut up. I didn't say anything. He felt her weaken the link to not have to hear everything he said. "Just wanted to make sure everything was working with the coms before we rely on them in the middle of a mission."

Her duty of bullying her brother into action taken care of, Emilia joined some of the others in planning how they were going to approach this mission. In truth she felt any number of the green heroes here would be able to take care of a small monster nest without much trouble on their own. As much as she loathed to even think it for fear of validating his ego, it was likely Victor could walk into the nest through the front door and take care of the whole thing himself. It went without saying that she and her brother could do the same. But it would be good to reinforce their cooperative relationship with these other rookies, no longer as fellow students but as coworkers working towards the same goals.

She stepped closer to where Jack was speaking. "If I may, that plan is a solid baseline, but it leaves too many opportunities for the enemy to escape once we make ourselves known. I suggest in addition to the team attacking the nest directly, we have a second team consisting of either myself or my brother and one or two others capable of ranged attacks." A single wing of black energy formed from Emilia's back, but only long enough for some of the energy making it up to break off and reshape into a black bird. The raven took off from Emilia's hand and flew up to circle above the group. "We can keep watch on all sides of the location like this, and if any monster gets away from the main team the ranged team can clean up. More than exterminating all of the monsters, or rather capturing them, our top priority should be making sure none flee to where more civilians will be put into danger."

The raven flying above faded away. "Of course, that's just an idea. If anyone has their own suggestion we should hear it before moving to the location."

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

YUKI LAKEWOOD​

Taking her phone back from Victor, Yuki held it out for anyone else that wanted to input their information. When no one else made a move to take it she shrugged and put it back into her pocket. She could always get the information on the way to the site. She couldn't help but giggle at Cassidy's comment, even though she knew that she shouldn't. Right now was not the time to get on the bad side of the person giving them a ride, especially someone like Victor. "Thank you for the compliment, but we don't know what kind of monsters we are dealing with. If they are insects like you suspect than pinning them will be all but impossible due to the nature of their bodies. There's also the problem of distance. In an enclosed environment it would be much harder for me to accurately hit a desired target." Yuki was at a disadvantage at close quarters enough as it was, but rushing into a place she had no information on would make it all the more harder for her to be of any help.

A sudden voice in her ear had Yuki cringe as the volume of her communicator was set way higher than she would have liked. Fiddling with the earpiece until she was able to lower the volume she answered back. "Okay, it seems to be working completely fine. We should be able to contact each other from now on." A thought came to her head as she pulled out her phone and brought up Victor's contact number. "If we can just use these communicators I guess I don't need his number." She thought about it for a few seconds but decided to keep it in her phone just in case. Seeing Hawkins excuse himself and return in his combat gear it made Yuki realize that she was still in casual clothes. "Excuse me for a moment, I need to get changed." She returned a few minutes later with her hair in a ponytail, a grey riding jacket that was left open on top of a black t-shirt tucked into dark blue-grey pair of pants which tucked into a pair of brown boots. Her quiver was strapped to her back and her now unfolded bow rested in her right hand.

Yuki listened as Jack's sister Emilia laid out a possible plan for containing the monsters they would be facing. "It's a good plan. If we have the people with more close ranged abilities go in first they can either exterminate and capture the monsters or flush them out. Once out of their lair those who have long ranged abilities like me can either pick them off or attempt to capture them. It covers the weaknesses of both short range and long range powers while minimizing any possible complications," She nodded her head to Emilia and added "A very well thought plan Emilia." Turning to look at their impatient ride she turned to the rest of the group and said "If anyone needs to get changed I would suggest doing it now. Our ride is starting to get impatient."

 

[SunWukong08]

Victor continued to briskly walk, wanting to engage with Cass but not wanting to waste any more time. He turned and carefully walked backwards so as to make a quick rebuttal.

"Look, Little Miss Sunshine, I'd love to stay and endure all of your pitiful attempts to get my attention, but we've wasted too much time here. You all better get your plans sorted out and hurry along after me."

Victor spun back forward, seriously in a rush at this point. He was growing concerned others were arriving at the scene already.

 

[WitworthGold]

She smirked at his attempt at a comeback, "Your attention is about as important to me as you are to the world at large, however, in the spirit of teamwork I'll do what everyone else does and indulge you...for now and graciously accept your attempt at buying me off." As she was sufficiently finished with him she stepped away for a bit to change into her uniform. She took a moment to look it over before slipping it on. It was a design her mother had been working on before the Swarm attacked. True to her avant garde aesthetic it was the perfect mixture of form, function, and fashion all bundled together into a black suit made of a chemically treated synthetic stretch polymer designed to maximize the wearer's dexterity and freedom of movement while simultaneously providing a highly durable and lightweight armor. For the most part the design was unchanged but when she'd commissioned it he'd had the tailor add in a few additional features like streamlined storage for her gear. She took a few more moments to secure her earpiece and datapad. Communication was key and there was no telling when she'd need some additional info once they got face to face with their prey.

Spoiler

Once she was all dressed and ready she returned to the group and made her way back to the transport and secured a window seat before they could all be claimed. After a moment she called back to the assembled team, "Come on people let's get this circus on the road before there's nothing left to get paid for. We can work on the strategy we'll have to abandon when someone," she paused and looked over toward Victor, "...decides to go rogue." Following her words, she sat back in her claimed seat and, using her data pad, went to work looking up the floor plan and what info she could find about what the type of monster's that typically plagued that area of District X along with the commonly used methods of extermination. She'd never been one to walk into anything blind she she certainly wasn't going to start today.

​

 

[Hollycrest]

​

Throughout the whole graduation excursion, Jude had barely said a word. She’d spent most of her Hero Academy career trying to keep a low profile, so the task hadn’t proved very challenging. As expected, everyone was always on Victor’s case. Meanwhile, she had taken the liberty of walking straight past the rest of the group and taking an aisle seat in the transport. She looked down at her diploma.
“To think...all the crap I had to go through to get this...people accusing me of being a villain, calling me names, acting like I shouldn’t even be here...it was all worth it. I hope...”

On account of her last name, she’d been one of the first to be called to get her diploma. She’d spent the rest of the long, tedious ceremony catching up on sleep she had missed from hours of late nights in Hero school. She leaned across her seat and looked out the window at everyone who was still outside.

 

[SunWukong08]

Victor took his rightful place in the front seat, next to the driver. He happened to be familiar with him. “I must say, Benjamin, I'm quite surprised to see you. Did Mother or Father order you here?"

The aged man adjusted his hat, clearing the rim from his field of vision. "Yes, Mr. Vermillion. Your father wanted you to have a nice ride after your graduation... So you're off on your first mission already? I'd expect nothing less from an extraordinary young man such as yourself." Victor smirked in acknowledgment of the praise. Meanwhile, Benjamin adjusted his rear view, looking at those in the back. He was unfamiliar. "Sir, are you really fine with these, erm... commoners tagging along?"

Victor chuckled lightly. "I suppose I am, Ben-Ol'-Boy. I'm feeling gracious after graduating today, so I'm showing these newbies what greatness looks like." Benjamin nodded. "Noble of you. Well, when you're ready sir. Though, we should hurry. It's been quite some time since the mission you're en route to was posted. I'd imagine many heroes are already there." The boy sighed, clutching the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know. We'll just have to endure it."

He looked at the back, Jude catching his eye more than Cassidy. He hadn't spoken to her today. "Quiet as always, Jude. Although, a bit more than usual today. Nervous? Or are you just too busy enjoying my presence?" He gave an uppity smirk

Hollycrest

 

[Hollycrest]

"Huh?" Jude looked up, seemingly snapping out of some sort of trance. She tended to get so extremely absorbed in minute details that she completely missed what was in front of her face; such as someone directly addressing her by name. In this particular instance, she'd been absorbed in the fact that she was riding in such a nice car. It wasn't something she got to do often. Once she'd figured out that it was Victor who'd been talking to her, she managed a smirk in return, but pursed her lips soon after.

"I'll leave that up to you, Vic." She replied before turning back to the window. Victor was certainly pretentious, but at least as far as she knew he'd never judged her for her parentage. That was more than she could say for a lot of other people. Besides, she was never the type to involve herself in the practice of roasting, no matter how tempting the situation might have seemed to someone who was a little more outspoken.

SunWukong08

 

[SunWukong08]

"Let's call it both, then. Too nervous to say just how much you enjoy being around me!" Victor smirked and gestured at himself, looking smug. He leaned on his chair, still staring at the girl in the back.

"You know Jude, I believe you'll actually provide a fair challenge. You aren't all talk like everyone else, I've seen your abilities. Although, of course, you'll never beat me." His smile grew wider as he awaited her response. He wanted more out of her than she had already said.

Hollycrest