To say this week was anything but weird would have been an understatement.
One minute you are minding your own business the next you were disrupted by some random person dressed in Black telling you they were sent to you because of who you really were. Any denial was met with a video photo or something proving their point. You had been advised that nothing was being forced onto you and this was all volunteer.

It was for some a short speech and for others a long one in order to convince them that this was a unique opportunity. Whatever the speech had been used to convince you, here you were.

Things were happening fast the only explanation today was you were going to be sent to Meet with William Naslund and the rest of the Task Force team and once that was done it was going to be up to you to render your final decisions on if you were willing to stay or move on with your life.

Standing next to each other on the SHIELD helicarrier getting ready to board a Jet to take you to your final location, to meet William Naslund.

The jet head towards the Atlantic far from civilian eyes. for use of entrance 3 to the new Task Force base, The water separates and the jet hovers over the opening. In stealth mode

Agent 43 request landing permission. Package Big Red delivery

Permission granted. Please proceed came an automated voice.

The jet entered the opening and followed the tunnel under the Atlantic which lead to the bases under water hangar.

The jet rolled into position and the doors opened,

Well ladies, We’re here.  the agent said. Unbuckling the belt and getting to the jet’s door, He pressed the hatch button and the door opened up leading to a large Hangar. In front of you stood an older gentleman.

Welcome to TASK FORCE, I am William Naslund. I apologies for any inconvenience in the last few hours for the rushing you over here. He said extending a hand to each as they stepped out.

Deedee's first impulse had been denial. Which was met with photos of the blond in compromising positions, and not the fun kind either. In the end, it was her sister that convinced her. The black clad man had provided pictures of Anna, and alluded to the idea that Anna was either going to be, or already was, in big trouble. Criminal trouble. The animal part of her brain shrieked for escape, fight or flight, it felt backed into a corner. But Deedee's human side pushed it back again with some difficulty. To his credit, the man never flinched when she growled, or made any indications of pressuring her as she fought the beast in her mind. In the end, Deedee just meekly went along.

She'd been ushered off to two other girls who seemed in the same position she was in, judging from the body language of both them and the people who were there as well. Apparently to facilitate easy departure but they were there in case things got out of hand. She could smell it.

So she kept herself quiet and kept her posture meek and docile while the animal inside paced in it's cage, noting everything and analyzing it in it's own primal and simple way.

The jet ride was fun. Not. The vibrations, the engine sounds, the pressure of the enclosed air, all set her hackles rising and the beast inside tried to emerge several times. She would nap for a few moments, then snap awake at a nose change or movement of the cabin. A few times she hissed softly under her breath. She sniffed when anyone would pass by, catching scents, and her ears would twitch at every noise.

When the jet landed, she was out as quickly as they let her, sidestepping the gentleman who was there and ignoring the hand held out. Her eyes were wild for a moment, but quickly that faded as she forced herself to relax.

"It didn't really seem like there was much of a choice," she said softly, ears alert and eyes constantly darting back and forth as any animals did when presented with a new area. To others she might seem nervous, maybe even paranoid, but her hyper senses were gathering information. Placing sounds to scents and images, noting everything that she could instinctively.

Then she sighed, running a hand through her hair and letting the strands flow between her fingers. "Deedee Deveroux."

She still didn't take the hand though.

For William’s men, Lois had been a hard target to collect... due to the precautions of her father.  Two security goons accompanied Lois whenever she went outside and dissuaded people from interacting too deeply with their charge.  Lois also carried a tracker, so her father knew where she was at anytime during the day.  And then there was the actual information on Lois’s rumoured capabilities.  William’s men did however make contact, somehow distracting the goons and getting the opportunity to speak with Lois.  Naturally she turned down their initial offer... until evidence of her misdeeds was shown.  That quickly changed her mind.  Daddy would be angry that Lois ditched her bodyguards, but he’d be madder still if she did not bring him back information on who was meddling in their affairs.  Then she sighted the helicarrier and everything changed.

Throughout the trip to the Atlantic  Lois was pleasant and behaved... perhaps a bit chatty even.  It helped to pass the time and settle her nerves.  Lois had quite a lot of questions... who ran this Task force?  What did it do?  Where were they being taken?  How did they get the ‘evidence’... just to name a few.  She was glad when the jet touched down and everyone was free to disembark.  William’s outstretched hand gave her pause, before she shook it very carefully.

Deedee’s (odd seeming) actions and words were noted by Lois,  this William had the goods on most of them... and some powerful friends, if he could borrow Shield aircraft for his own personnel use.  Lois smiled politely, burying her unease for now.  She didn’t want to piss him off.

“Hi, I’m Lois... but you knew that, right?  You guys must have a big government contract to afford all of this.  So...how can we help you and this task force?”

Lois didn’t seem like a dangerous criminal and the little black Hepburn themed dress of hers helped to reinforce that image.

Alison Verault - aka Aurora - wasn't a happy camper.

In her (admittedly quite short) career as a costumed adventurer, she'd been very careful in her efforts to maintain her secret identity.      Very careful.
So, it had been quite a shock when she'd been approached by a guy who looked a smidge like Alec Baldwin and confronted as to  'who she really was.'

Of course, she'd attempted to play dumb, initially:

"Right, I look kind of like that chick on 'Pimp My Pad.' Happens a fair bit, but you'll excuse me, I'm busy, I --  " 

At which point Agent Baldwin had extracted a phone-esque device of some sort, and played her a short video clip.  One that displayed her returning from her very favorite cafe, via super speed flight, on that day when traffic had been utterly abysmal, and she'd really needed that latte.

"Uh - right.    Okay.    This is voluntary, you say?"

She'd had a small list of questions she wanted immediately answered, as well as a display of credentials.  She did know that, for whatever reason, the incidence of people with unusual powers was on the rise.    It made sense that the powers that be would be would have interest in meeting as many as possible, and forming some type of task force, as the agent put it.  Alison didn't envision herself as the task force type, exactly.     Still, it seemed prudent to make the acquaintance of an agency that had plainly taken a strong interest in her, and might have other 'supers' in their employ, to boot.

"You've had some financial issues, Ms. Verault.    Complications related to identity theft, yes?    I do think that - if you did choose to come aboard -  that could be cleaned up for you."     

And that sealed it. Not only for her herself. She needed to get her own life in order again, if she was going to be able to help Jason.

*    *    *

Dressed casually in a white blouse, jeans, and a pair of leather ankle boots, Alison had time to ponder things while aboard the jet. Pondering what lay ahead was unproductive, she decided early on, as she truly had no clue what to expect.      Seeing and boarding the 'helicarrier' had been surreal. Even for someone who could fly without a plane, faster than the naked eye could follow.

So, she pondered other things, while en route.  Such as, how being super-fast was sort of begining to affect her perspective of time.      The jet was fast by airline standards --   yet still slower than flying under her own power, enough so to almost make the trip seem long. And, she pondered her two fellow travelers.    The blonde was still a teen, Alison esimated.     In a word, she seemed uncomfortable.   Which was hardly surprising.    How had they motivated her?    Had she been taken from her family-?

Did she actually hiss? 

It sounded like she might be ill, based on the sniffing.   Ali was tempted to try and break the ice, and speak to her, but finally decided not to intrude. She did, however, decide she would watch over the younger girl, just in case. Turning a brief eye toward the other brunette, in her Heburn style dress, Alison made a loose assessment of 'money, upper class.'    Or, at least someone who aspired, and could fake it.     She listened as the other woman asked various questions - mostly things that she wished to know as well -  and made mental note of any answers.

She needed to get ahold of Jason...and this might have been a good time for that, except that she was on a plane, and her phone was of course in the appropriate mode.   She began to have an uneasy feeling  that she really needed to speak to him before she got embroiled in god knew what.  There was nothing for it, though; it would have to wait.

Entering the sub-Atlanic tunnel was another impactul moment, as had been the helicarrier.    "Holy crap,"  she said under her breath, the only words she'd really uttered during the trip.

And then came time to meet the big cheese. The blonde, whose name was revealed as Deedee, went from seeming nervous and uncomfortable, to what Ali's education in psychology would lead her to describe as paranoid.  She thought about trying to reassure her, yet how could she-?     Who knew what the hell might happen next?

William Naslund proved to be pleasant enough in demeanor -   though that meant absolutely nothing. Ali was less reluctant to take the offered hand, compared to the other two --  not having Deedee's instincts, nor Lois' street smarts, and not really thinking about any risks.

"Alison Verault" she supplied as she did, silently concurring with Lois, that yes, they surely knew that.

"That's one question," she said in regards to what Lois asked.  "And I've a pretty long list of others.  Is there a briefing, in store for us?"

William gave smile to Darwin

  I must apologies to all of you for that. I did not mean to cause you any serious distress, and given the situation I needed to use SHIELD to help.  I am in somewhat of an urgent need for unique individuals.

He moved his hand to the next one getting off the plane After her introduction he simply replied back
Hello Lois. Yes let me get you all to the common room and more comfortable and we can start discussing and I will answer all your questions.


He chuckled as Alison added to Lois’s Question. He waves his arm indication the direction to continue in and continues as they head from the hangar to the common room.
Please ladies, I assure you after this meeting if you do not like what you hear the choice to leave will be yours

He escorted them up the stairs and they headed down the hall into the common room.
On the larger coffee table by the Tan 4 seat couch, was a pot of coffee and a pot of hot water with teabags sugar, milk, and cream next to it.
Please have a seat. As Stated My name is William Naslund and this is Task Force, contrary to what you may have seen and recently encountered with the agents we as a team have no affiliation with S.H.I.E.L.D.. That being Said I use to work for SHIELD hence why you encounters some agents, That was me asking for some help. He said looking around at the trio.

I will be as open with the team as I can, one thing I hated more than anything was being told I was on a need to know basis, That is not who I am, I will straight forward with the team at all times and I expect the same from the team, We are not a criminal organization, but we may be put in a position of breaking a few laws here and there. For example some Breaking and entering, or retrieval of data from agencies, and such.
he added remembering the last time he mentioned this.

Task Force is here to search for all super powered beings and possible evil affiliates like HYDRA. Some missions can go well. Others could be quite disastrous. In brief we are here to do things S.H.I.E.L.D cannot due to politics and policies. I guess the best way to put it is we will be a sort Rogue team.  We should not be fighting someone like Thor or Captain America, but due to how things may operate it may come to pass.
This is why I am trying to assembled people with abilities and people that are used to acting and thinking way outside the box and not holding back when it comes time.

He stopped there looking at the inquisitive faces readying himself for the questions.

Deedee bristled just a hair at first, but his tone set her back at ease. So she waited patently as he spoke to all of them. A place to talk more comfortably sounded great to her, she was still on edge a bit from the jet but the calmness in here was doing wonders as her feral side settled down.

The drinks provided were eyed quickly but she didn't take anything. Although she did a little sniff in that direction, and while the milk smelled tempting it was the sweet cream that made her nose twitch...

But she moved and sat down in the room. Well, perhaps sat isn't quite the right word. Deedee slunk into a seat with a boneless feline grace that she hadn't shown until then, stretching her back in a manner that was reminiscent of a large cat, seemingly with no regard of what it did as she pushed against her already tight shirt, before curling her legs up and against her as she sat sideways, eyes half open as she found the seat quite comfortable. She was tempted to curl up in it, but she fought it back as she realized what she was doing. Those airplane seats weren't that comfortable, and she ached to shift and stretch out properly...

But she made herself listen, and as she did her ear flicked just a touch in disbelief.

"Wait, waitwait... Breaking and entering? Missions? Fighting Thor?" her voice was tinged with shock and disbelief. "I...I think you got the wrong Deveroux. Were you looking for Anna and got us confused?" Granted, Anna was a bit...volitile for things like this most likely. There was a reason her nickname (codename?) was Anamosity. She was 90% attitude on the best of days. Although, that might be why they'd brought her here. Anna would likely be a handful even at good times, and Deedee would be way easier to get along with, and likely as not, more prone to following directions.

Although something else nagged at her, and then it clicked.

"Team? Super powered beings?" Her eyes widened and quickly darted back and forth, looking at the exits to the room as her posture tightened and her muscles tensed. "Is everyone here...special?"

On the way to the conference room, Alison began to question whether this had been a good idea.    Began thinking of ways how she might have gotten out of it...but, that line of thought yielded no stellar ideas, nothing that likely would have worked.   It was a moot point at this time, anyway.

As they seated themselves, she glanced sidelong toward Deedee, noticing her posture, her movements.    Mutant, was the thought that surfaced.    When she'd been educated by the Sovereign 6 project, she'd learned about the so-called x-gene. And all the ways it could change someone, many undocumented, as yet.    She'd then learned first hand, from the ways in which it had changed her...

Her attention was then on Naslund, as he made his pitch to them.     It wasn't the worst, by any means.    It might actually be a pretty good deal.   If there were no strings attached...and that was a freaking big 'IF.'

And then, he began talking about missions becoming disastrous.     And, hello...possibly fighting Captain America?   What, Thor??

Alison's lips parted, to say words she found she did not have.   Her mouth remained gaped that way, for several moments.      Then, her eyes narrowed in resentment, as she began to feel they were being played with.

"Seriously?    Would you like to clarify disastrous, a little better, Mr. Naslund?  Fighting Thor would qualify, in my book."    She gave a single, stunned laugh.   "I mean, those men are heroes.  Why would you want to oppose them?  And, how do you imagine the three of us surviving that?"   

A conference room and related amenities sounded pretty good to Lois, so she followed the others there and claimed a seat (after serving herself a drink and biscuit).  She also tried to get a read on the other girls.  Darwin seemed more than a bit weird with her body language and perhaps the most on edge.  But there was something comforting about not being the only person with worries.  Aurora on the other hand seemed more worldly and assertive.  Lois could see herself liking both girls, IF this task force thing worked out...

She listened to William's speech in full as a range of emotions flickered across her beauteous face.  Lois tried not to jump the gun about certain points... which wasn't easy.  William being an ex employee of SHIELD, the task force's legality, and the team's mission statement... attracted looks of surprise, concern, & something akin to hope.  Lois definitely liked some of the pitch's content as well, but the above three topics elicited the strongest emotions from her.  She played with her biscuit and coffee, trying to mull over a few things.  Fortunately the other girls present asked the same sort of questions that she had, so Lois hung back and waited her turn to pose a question or two.  There was something that she needed to clarify early on.  Lois raised her hand up a few inches and spoke when given leave to do so.

"Mr Naslund, some of us are not 'free' from the control of others.  Are you offering assistance on that front... or are we expected to maintain some sort of dual commitment?  Also I liked what you said about openness, so could I please view what files you have on me?  Call it... an act of good faith."

William looked at the ladies and gave a smile. I did not get any one confused Miss Deveroux, As I said The illegal parts are not a focus. There are situations that we may be needed to do things that legally should not be done. We try to remain vigilant to avoid breaking the law’s but at times things may be necessary to do actions that could be frowned upon.  Task Force will not be going around tapping people like Captain America or Thor’s shoulders and punching them in the face or trying to capture him. He told them
As I Said however, we’re here to do some dirty work at times.

He looked at DeeDee as she asked about being “Special.”

Yes everyone that is or will be on the team will bring their own unique ability. He said not revealing anything about powers. I for example have been known to be agile and can fight.I was trained in various Fire arms and weapons. We have currently on our team a few with Superhuman abilities. And besides you 3 we hopefully have a couple more on their way.

Turning to Allison for her question his face went a little more somber. Again I’m not here to hide anything or sugar coat anything. I try to be as open with the team as I can be. That being said yes what we do can and will be dangerous. Our last mission did not go completely as planned but if you have seen the news on TV you are aware that there was a mass disturbance in Laredo Texas that resulted in a lot of death. The Media put an outbreak of mass hysteria as the reason but between us. This was the work of something much more evil that the team managed to fend off. A dark Dimension being called D’Yspare, We had come to find out he was working for someone much more powerful but the team did get help from Dr. Strange and Ghost Rider, But is cost us a few member I had originally brought on to leave as they were not ready for what was asked.

He listened to Lois’s question next and his mood did not improve at the remark of not being free.

You let us know what you want and what you need Lois and I assure you, No one will be controlling anyone. As for the files I have on you… He said going to the TV above the fire place.
Jocasta Can you please send the files on our 3 guests to the tablet please

A computerized voice replied Of course Sir.

William reached down beside him looking at the tablet and nodding. Thank you.

He clicked on the screen and offered the Tablet to Lois.

Alison digested what he'd told them, doing her best to put on a reasonable poker face.

A dark Dimension being called D’Yspare, We had come to find out he was working for someone much more powerful...

Her knee jerk reaction would have been  Right!  No, uh uh, not for me!  Been fun, don't call me, I'll call you, see ya around!

Truly, she was tempted to say her goodbyes, here.    She had power, yes.  Even great power, by some standards.    But she was also inexperienced, unprepared, and admittedly way over her head.

Yet, this was an option.  One that she didn't have yesterday.    And one that she was not certain she wanted to close the door on.     That Naslund didn't sugarcoat was a bit more reassuring than if he'd chosen to.

"Lois, I'd like to see my own, once you're done with that, please."       In particular, she wanted to see what they had on Jason.      Whom would be an easy blackmail piece, if they were dirty enough to go that way.

In her opinion, William had managed to clear up quite a few issues.  In fact, she was almost ready to sign on... once a few more things had been fixed or clarified.  Browsing the Tablet, Lois read what had been uncovered about her.  She felt a little sick in her tummy when reading about the deaths that had been attributed to her.  In the hands of the authorities, there seemed ample evidence to send her to prison.  There were inaccuracies of course, but more or less.... they knew enough.  Lois closed her file and passed along the Tablet to Allison.

"I'd need some training William, but otherwise I'm in.  My Father is a powerful man and he's not going to let me go easily.  But if you were to call him and reveal some of what you have on file... he might be persuaded.  I don't want him hurt.  For those of us who sign up... what is the next step?"

She found it hard not to fidget when talking about Daddy.  But her mood was otherwise bright as evidenced by her smile and tone of voice.

"Ok...hang on a sec..." Deedee's eyes were fairly wide by this point.

"An extra dimensional being cost you a few team members, and he works for someone more powerful, and we're the replacements?"

Her posture had become more stiff, like an animal hacked into a corner, as she looked between the other two women there before looking back to William.

"I don't know what it is they do, but I think I'm way out classed here."

The animal inside wanted out, and she didn't realize she was clenching her hand into the seat.

"This is a joke...right?" her voice trailed off as she noted the serious expression on William's face. "I..." her mouth opened and for a moment nothing else came out, before she gave a noise much like a lost kitten before shutting her mouth.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:49, Sat 03 Nov 2018.

William looked ATH them and waited till they were finished with their files.
Just for your knowledge. Those files are only on the hands of myself. And no this not a joke. We had bad intel on our first mission and i will be the one to admit i rushed the team. I was held back longer then anticipated. That won't happen again. as for training i will not force any members who feel they are not ready into the field. I will also be prepping a portion of the hangar into a better training area for everyone. But again as I said I am not forcing anyone. I do have a few more potential members that should be coming. All I ask is give me and the team time to show you exactly what we are doing here you are free to leave at anytime if you don't like it.

Lois wasn’t sure about DeeDee.  The girl seemed skittish and presumably lacked the right incentive to join the Team (William had his work cut out for him to convince her otherwise).  Lois on the other hand was prepared to take a chance to win her freedom from Daddy.  The chance to maybe hone her skills and powers was another fringe benefit.  As for Alison, maybe she was still ‘on the fence’ about this whole thing?

“I certainly wouldn’t mind talking with some of these other people and get their take on the Task force.  Your file is a pretty good approximation of my abilities, William... although will you need me to actually *pause* kill people?  I understand that it’s a dangerous world out there, but maybe we can talk about some guidelines later on.”

Deedee forced herself to stay still while William spoke. "I...I don't want to see my files." They knew who she was, what she did, and her wayward sibling. That was all she needed to know. Details wouldn't be useful, and likely as not she'd just get more nervous if she found out just how much they knew. And more nervous wasn't going to work out well for anyone here, that was for sure.

The stress was getting her. More and more lately she'd taken refuge in her abilities, that was likely as not how they found out about her. She never had been that careful, or even gave it much thought, and things seemed to just get deeper and deeper.

She felt the hairs rising on the back of her neck and the starting tremors deep down, and she knew it wasn't going to be long...

The comment about training and not having to go into the field at least made sense. But then Lois spoke, and the almost casual comment about killing was enough to finally put the trigger just close enough that she knew she was going to shift soon.

"Time is ok. It's good," she rushed the words out. "I'm sorry, but I really need to change into something more comfortable..." her eyes darted back and forth, not really knowing if it was going to be ok to shift right here or not, and not sure what the reactions would be from the other two if she did...

Alison had indeed arrived at a point where she was almost ready to commit.  As she reviewed her files, found a fair bit of detail as to her powers, but minimal info on her brother - mostly just the fact that she had one, some other basic details (well, including his address..) - she was beginning to feel a bit more confident that this organization wasn't intending blackmail, or other such tactics.

Deedee's distress, however, was too intense to ignore, at this point:

"Deedee, I suppose it's none of my business -  but, how old are you?   Does your family have any idea where you are?"

I could probably use my light to help calm her...but, it might be sort of like offering somebody a joint, when they had a big decision to make..

Change into something more comfortable-? Ali wondered what was wrong with the clothes she had on, but her attention snapped to Lois' remark -

She glanced from Lois to Mr. Naslund, wondering how he'd field that one.   More or less like '...and will you want us to work as assassins, Mr. Naslund?'   She truly hoped the answer would be no.   Otherwise, she was in the wrong place. What sort of power did Lois wield, that was potentially lethal?     There were many that could be used that way, she supposed.

"Mr. Naslund, will we have any of this in writing? Will you expect us to sign contracts? Or, is this all under the table?" 

"I don't mind if Dee Dee wants to get changed."

Lois offered the comment in a helpful manner, although she assumed the girl just wanted to go to the bathroom or something.  Lois also gave a visible nod of agreement in regards to Alison's questions about Dee Dee's age and family situation.  None of the Avengers were under-aged... and this looked to be the model on which William's team was being built upon, except a bit less heroic.  Dark Avengers?  At least William seemed genuine about not throwing people into situations without training.

Catching Allison's glance in response to the 'kill' question, Lois felt her cheeks redden a little.  There were special circumstances that couldn't be done justice in just a sentence or two.  Still, she had to try...

"If nobody dies that's a good thing.  But some 'powers' can't be thrown around without hurting people.... and I wanted to know where the line was.  Maybe I should have asked my question in private, but I've been living with a lot of secrets lately... having honesty within this team would be better."

"18. And...I don't know if my father knows. He doesn't care anyway."

Too much. It was too much, and the feral side would not be denied. Not with as much stress as she'd been under. Thinking about her family was the nudge she needed, and she just couldn't wait any longer. At home she'd shifted whenever the urge hit her, and she was spending less and less time in this form...

So she took a quick breath before she gave a small "Sorry..."

And then Deedee morphed.

It was fast, the space of a heartbeat, and Deedee was no more. In her place in the chair sprawled a tawny house cat. She gave a little stretch and flexed her paws as she mewled apologetically.

Well, Mortis did say she wanted less secrets...

Williams Eye widened at the question of killing people even thought Laredo was a disastrous result it was never what this team was about and not something he wanted to happen again.
He looked at them and shook his head.
Killing is to and will be avoided at all cost and should never be an option on your minds, we are not hired thugs or hitmen.

He nodded to Darwin about getting more comfortable as he figured she meant one of her Animal shapes and not a change in cloths. He just hoped after he nodded that she was not going for the... " as an animal morphing person i prefer to be without cloth"  but to actually be an animal instead, and was quite relieved when she changed to a cat.

He looked at Lois and gave a reassuring smile. Your secrets are your to keep until you are comfortable enough.As for anything to sign No there is nothing to sign, again I will not force anyone to remain here. I am looking for a team I can rely on to help and trust. To form a team that will trust each other enough to always have each others back no matter what.

"Wow, where does all the rest of her body mass go?"  Alison couldn't help but blurt, after observing the transformation, and noting the size discrepancy between Deedee's natural form (or, what Alison thought was the natural form) and the new one.

"Feeling a bit catty, are we?"  she laughed shortly, remembering childhood fantasies of changing into this or that animal, now meeting someone who could actually do it.

Apparently, she was not the only one with dad issues, based on things the other two had said.    If her own father had known what she was, what she could do, she'd be locked up at some government facility as a test subject, almost without doubt.   This situation was far preferable to that.

F--k you, dad, she thought in blatant rebellion, as thinking of him pretty much cinched that she would do this.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:13, Mon 05 Nov 2018.

Lois was quite surprised by Dee Dee's shifting into cat form and squealed in a delighted manner.  She'd never been allowed a pet after her powers had manifested.  Lois sorely wanted to pet the young cat girl, but held back from doing so.

"Haha... who cares?  If you can hear me Dee Dee, you can be a cat anytime you want.  Nod twice for yes."

William's answer to her question brought Lois back to seriousness.  While she meant what she said, Lois hoped that she would not encounter a situation where she would have to break William's directive.  However getting hung up over such things was counter productive.  Better to focus on the good things instead.  She smiled.

"No killing, understood.  Nobody's ever had my back, so this will be refreshing.  When can we meet the others?  I just want to jump straight in."

Deedee rolled her eyes at the pun, but her posture was more relaxed now that she saw that the other people in the room hadn't freaked out. Plus, things were always much simpler in animal form. Probably because her thought processes were simpler when she was like this (not that she was a genius in any form).

At Lois' comment Deedee nodded twice, emitting a throaty purr at the same time. That was the drawback of being in cat form, she lacked the vocal chords to make human speech. Anna could do it, but Anna was way better at this than Deedee was. Of course, animals also lacked the sheer brain mass and size for complicated thinking, but none of Deedee's intelligence seemed to be gone when she shifted. Another thing she'd never really thought much about.

Oddly enough, the comments about killing didn't bother her in this form. Possibly due to the simpler thinking, and possibly because cats were predators. Her whiskers twitched just a bit as she stretched again, getting comfortable for the first time in the last few hours.

She sniffed the air, marking the scents in her mind more firmly.

William looked at the ladies and they seemed satisfied with all the explanations and what was possibly to come.
We'll follow up with a tour of the faculty in a bit, In the meantime please allow me to introduce the current members on the team that will be working along side with you. Let me start with our Holographic Computer Jocasta.
He said as the hologram appeared in the common room.

She looked real enough and pretty solid for a hologram.

Hello Ladies, please let me know whatever your needs are and whenever I can help you with during your stay. She says to the trio.

Thank you, Jocasta, Please advise the others to join us. He says to her.

(Spiderman, Bloodrager and Darkstar's Comm badge Ping to advise them William was ready for their introduction in the common room.)

Deedee rolled to the side to look toward Jocasta, and took a half hearted sniff in her direction. Which ended up making her roll to her feet, narrow her eyes, and hiss at the woman with no scent.

Deedee sat back and pawed her nose for a moment, then gave a little mewl of apology as her human side caught up and matched the term "hologram" to the figure. Of course she'd have no scent, she wasn't real. Although her eyes told her that the woman was real.

Her fur, which had bristled slightly, went back into position and Deedee licked a paw and smoothed out her fur as if nothing had happened.

"Hello, Jacosta, thank you."

Alison eyed the hologram, supposing the AI behind it would be very advanced.   The prospect of speaking with an AI was rather intriguing.    Of course, it could not help but also bring to mind all those sci-fi stories where an AI went bat shit bonkers, and methodically killed off everyone under its care.

Terrible thought...

'You think too much,' her father had often told her, usually with a sneer.

F--k, you dad, she thought for the second time.

She awaited for the experienced team members to make their entrance, to get an initial impression of what they were like..

Lois had never seen a hologram outside of movies and she didn't interact with it yet.  Like Siri, if she needed directions or a question answered... she'd consult this Jocasta then and only then.  It did bring to mind a question (that she put to William).

"Other than the team, are there other people on site?  It does seem rather quiet around here..."

Heavy footsteps approached as Bloodrager answered the amulet (comm) page. His hair and beard were still damp from the shower, but he was fully dressed in his barbarian fur outfit, even including his magic belt for the occasion. But no sword in evidence; that he understood wasn't considered polite to stomp around with inside the castle when he wasn't berserk.

A six foot-something, heavily muscled man with fire engine red skin, white-on-white eyes, black nails, black hair and a full beard came striding into the room. The ring on his right hand bore a glowing crimson rune (think the Red Lantern Corps from fiction), and the lime-green belt clenched around his furry Speedos was limned with a dim glow of its' own. An open-chested, sleeveless fur vest matching his shorts showed off his muscles abundantly, while somewhat paler boots of bound fur were on his feet.

He paused at the entrance, looking left and right. "Me shall summoned, William? Hello before, Miss Jocasta," he said with a strong Russian accent. His gaze wavered between paying attention to William and looking over the two unfamiliar ladies. He showed no sign of noticing the cat.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:47, Wed 07 Nov 2018.

After leaving William's office via the door, Kevin summoned his "costume."  It was freezing cold, as usual but also clean, fully intact and fit him as well as it had back on that night his powers had first fully manifested.  The shirt was green with a multi-pointed black and white star on it he'd gotten from a wharf shop.  The jeans were basic Levis with a brown belt.  The goggles had been a gift from Andru, who even back then had shown signs of genius.  They had special, polarizing lenses that filtered out bright lights.  In the weeks before his powers manifested, Kevin had become highly light-sensitive.  Andru had ultimately over-engineered them to the point that they protected Kevin from even high-powered flash grenades, but without Andru they'd degraded down to being just really good sunglasses.  Bright lights still bugged him some, but not as much as back then.  His boots were Caterpillers shoplifted from a Boot Barn on a dare.  The brownish overcoat had been his Dad's from when he'd lived up in Boston.  He'd only worn it because that night Florida had been rainy and unseasonably cold even for late fall.

The other memories came with the outfit.  The rival dealers.  The chase.  The rest of it.  There had been uncertainty, of course.  Nothing had specifically happened, exactly.  He hadn't been bitten by a weird bug.  Or fallen into a vat of chemicals or anything.  The power had just... come.  And with them the idea of a whole different world.

As he walked up to the door he saw Bloodrager there before him and had an idea.  He teleported to a nearby bathroom and checked himself in the mirror.  Then he made a sharp blade from his Darkforce and used it to deliver a few cuts to his own face.  He dabbed away a few beads of blood and then headed back to the door.

"Hey, folks, I'm Darkstar, I'll be with you guys in just a sec, okay?" Kevin told the room before turning to Bloodrager and bracing himself for the ensuing healing.  "Hey, 'rager, do me a solid and fix me up.  I cut myself shaving again.  I think this whole razor experiment is at an end and I'm just going back to electrics."

Kevin figured this would be the simplest way to show the ladies what 'rager did without freaking them out by having him actually do it to one of them first.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Wed 07 Nov 2018.

If Bloodrager didn’t have the face and shape of a (really big) man, Lois would have mistaken him for an alien.  He seemed to speak and act so... differently?  She couldn’t even guess at what he might be thinking and that made Lois a little uneasy.  However William had recruited him, so Lois assumed he must be useful and reasonably upstanding.

“I guess that’s our Thor...”.  She murmured to Alison.

As for Darkstar, Lois appreciated someone more informal after all the seriousness of the past hour.  The outfit might have seemed hodge podge, but Lois wasn’t going to project her standards onto team mates just yet.  Maybe the cuts on his face would have concerned her, but Darkstar’s explanation elicited a slight laugh instead.  Lois shot Allison a ‘what about this guy’ look.

“Sure... you boys go right ahead.”

Lois hadn’t forgotten Dee Dee, but she was a cat for now... so a conversation would be mostly one sided.

In reply to Darkstar (msg # 28):

Bloodrager looked, well, confused for a few moments, head tilting to the side as he regarded Darkstar. He was mentally checking matrix instances internally, trying to translate the situation into something which made sense to him, but failing. Regardless though, there was a tiny bit of blood (Blood!) on Darkstar's face, so...

"RAAAARRRGHHH!" A flurry of not-very-well aimed punches came at Kevin's head and shoulders, trying to hit and heal the injuries.

Deedee's ears flicked as Lois whispered to Alison. She heard the comment, even if she didn't bother to acknowledge it. After all, it's not like she could have said anything anyway.

So she lounged there as Darkstar appeared, and looked over at the slight smell of blood. Some kind of shaving accident? Well, each to their own.

It was Bloodrager's actions that caused Deedee to react. The sudden shout and the punching had her jumping up with a hiss, before Deedee's feral side decided that this form was not going to cut it.

And as such, the cat didn't land. Instead, a female gorilla hit the ground. Muscled and wild eyed, Deedee stood with one knuckle down on the ground, mouth open in agitation, the other arm raised as she bellowed out toward the barbarian, making a fist and slapping it against her chest in warning. Her eyes narrowed as she braced herself, stepping in front of the two women who she'd been with in a protective gesture as she growled softly.

William gave a chuckled but seeing the Gorilla take shape from a cat was quite a sight to see.
Ok ok, Let's just take a breath here. He smiled.
Before you ladies you have Darkstar and Bloodrager.

He tells them.
looking around to see if Spiderman was planning for a surprise intro.
We do have 2 more with us, Although the Doc is currently locked in his lab, and Spiderman should be around here somewhere.
he states,
Jocasta looks at William.
Sir the other 2 should be arriving momentarily. I've just cleared the jet for landing. she tells him.

OK Jocasta, Please go meet them, I'll should be there shortly.
Williams turns to the group.

Well it seems our last 2 potential members are arriving. Darkstar can you give the ladies a tour and meet back here. We can have everyone meet each other and continue getting to know each other and finish up should there be more questions.
He asks Kevin.

*Taskmistress / Galahad



Welcome to TASK FORCE, I am Jocasta. Thank you for taking the time to come and meet with William. We apologize that he was not able to make the initial flight out and escort you here. William is just finishing up with the group that arrived before you … She said as the hangar doors opened again.

It’s ok Jocasta, I am here. Hello ladies, I was just finishing up with some oft he other members that had arrived earlier. I was not expecting them to have you here so quickly. He say as he approaches them.

After she spoke she stepped out of the vehicle following the man in charge. Dressed in all black ,armored catsuit . Her black hair long and straight though whether it was natural or not it was hard to tell. Her Amber eyes observed the area around her with only mild interest.

As the first of the taskforce veterans (veterans, at least, compared to Ali and her two fellow newbs) made his entrance, Alison's mouth had gaped just a little.     The scarlet behemoth called 'Bloodrager' wasn't anything like what she had expected...albeit she'd hadn't expected anything in particular.   

East European accent, to boot, she noted offhandedly.    Supposing that, maybe, there was a story there beyond simply a man or his family relocating in pursuit of a better life.  He was...different.    Like Lois, Ali was a little uneasy, for similar reasons, but she did her best not to display that, as well as not make assumptions based on appearance.     He certainly looked like he'd be hardcore badass in a fight, though.

"Yes,"  Ali whispered and nodded, in response to Lois' Thor comment.       "You could say."

Darkstar's entrance and more easy going demeanor were more on the reassuring side, but she didn't believe for a second those cuts were from shaving -- not unless he'd been drunk, which didn't seem the case.     She returned Lois' 'what about this guy-?' glance with a faintly arched, inconclusive brow.       She was nonplussed as Darkstar asked 'Rager' to 'fix him up.'

And then wholly stunned, gasping, as it appeared Bloodrager was going to pound Darkstar's head into jelly!      Without thinking, Alison rose from her seat --    super-swift, instantly she was no longer sitting, but levitating a half foot off the floor. Light burned brightly amidst the fingers of her right hand, for a moment.

She wasn't the only one ready to intervene, as Deedee literally went ape!         Trying to shield Lois and I --   aw, what a sweetie!

From her accelerated perspective, events appeared to be moving slowly --  and she had time to realize that Bloodrager wasn't harming Darkstar, but rather somehow healing him.     It was beyond mind-boggling, even compared to a girl becoming an ape.     A cat becoming an ape...

Alison regained her composure and her seat, as Mr. Naslund and Jacosta informed them.  She also spared a glance toward the newest arrival, a dark haired woman in an ebon, armored body suit.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:32, Wed 07 Nov 2018.

Hearing the ape, Bloodrager looked towards the new ladies, and saw a big hairy monster between them and where he was. He also caught a glimpse of something or someone moving very, very fast, with a brilliant glow, before Alison returned to her seat.

He kept pounding on Kevin, but watched the monster carefully. What was it doing here in their castle? Had someone summoned it? Perhaps it was a lunchbeast? Yes, that would be nice, a fresh meal, though the kitchen here was very good in his opinion. When someone who knew how to cook was doing the cooking. His cooking was... not so good, as he'd learned the hard way tasting what others had made. But than, none of the Blood Red Swordsmen units were built to intentionally be mundane craftsmen as such, not even Ring of Sword who at least had the fundamental principles of creation.


He listened to William and Jocasta, still (more casually) thumping on Darkstar unless told not to. Then he asked no one in particular, "Lunchbeast serving?" as if a gorilla in the room was perfectly normal.

Cassandra had been somewhat subdued on her pick-up. No length of time to prepare and put things to rest would have felt long enough at such short notice, and though drawing a sharp deadline had given her little time to reconsider her decision it had only served to delay that confrontation rather than offering resolution.

Maria Hill had been quite insistent on keeping her occupied throughout their portion of the flight together, and with the benefit of hindsight Cassie could only assume it had been because her best efforts at putting on a brave face still left something to be desired. She was altogether glad for the company. It had given her time to force a few of her more wayward pieces into something close to their proper place.

---

She regarded the new arrival with a measured disinterest. There was no reason to assume her meeting would be shared after all, and it was hardly her business to pry.

---

It was only when she came face to face with Jocasta that Cassandra truly began to piece things together. What she found herself walking into was far from some private interview or a tour meant to cater to her as an individual. It was a gathering of prospective candidates.

She couldn’t but feel just a mote concerned on properly regarding her mystery travelling companion. Director Hill had spoken of this meeting as something vaguely akin to a conference trip and Cassandra had dressed accordingly – black blazer atop a white dress shirt and dark pants – but in the company of a figure like this mysterious stranger she couldn’t quite be sure whether she was underdressed or overdressed for the occasion. If nothing else it told her with some certainty that this was far from a wholly military affair. She found it hard to believe any outfit would ever consider such an attire up to code.

Brushing such thoughts aside, she stepped out into the hangar as the outward picture of confidence.

“Director Hill was quite persuasive,” Cassandra returned warmly. She gave him a knowing look. “And I would assume she left it to you to explain the finer details of this arrangement.”

As Bloodrager punched him into health, Kevin noted the reactions of the others in the room and found himself pleased.  Aurora and Darwin were ready to act, but still followed William's direction.  Meanwhile, Mortis did not act, showing she correctly judged the situation as being one that her own abilities would only make worse.

"Okay, Bloodrager, stop.  I'm as all healed up as I'm gonna be right now," Kevin told him.

"Yeah, I probably should have warned you guys, but honestly, that was pretty much something you all had to see to believe," Kevin told the three as he turned to face them.  "So I guess it was lucky I was a little clumsy today."

"Anywho, figure we'll wait until the other two get here before we dive all the way into this stuff," Kevin told them.  "No sense going over it twice if we don't have to."

Obediently, the big, red barbarian stopped. "Okay. Eats lunchbeast?" he asked, either pointing towards the gorilla if Dee Dee was still in that form, or looking confused if she'd changed and now unsure of where the delicious monster had gone.

The fuck?  Who looks at a gorilla and sees a food animal? Kevin wondered.  Oh well.  Life with Bloodrager.   I better...

"No.  Noo, noo noo," Kevin said, moving between Bloodrager and the gorilla.  "Not a lunchbeast.  Friend.  That's Darwin.  She's a..."

Shit!  What-the-fuck did Andru call those guys?  Druish?  Drowids?  Wait-

"Druid.  Kind of.  She can change into different, um, beasts," Kevin told his reality-challenged team mate.  "But she's a person.  So we're not going to, you know, eat her, even if she sometimes looks.. edible.  Eating people is cannibalism and cannibalism is BAD."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:55, Thu 08 Nov 2018.

Lois was not prepared for 'punch healing', but she didn't intervene.  Dee Dee's gorilla form was less cute than the cat one, but Lois felt safer for it.  Alison was also up and ready for trouble.  Besides, William was present and didn't seem like one who'd tolerate a fight.  When things had settled down, Lois was able to see that the shaving injury had been removed by 'Red Thor'.  Truly there could be no more weirder powers present... right?

"Um, nice demonstration.  But please don't go surprising me... I have an unsafe ability that requires controlling.  Now, can we talk about living arrangements?  This base looks nice and secure, great for crashing in... but do we have the option to live outside too?  Some of us might like the best of both worlds. Dee Dee, do you want to go cat again?"

It was the best topic that Lois could think of at short notice.  She was just keen for the tour to begin (once everyone was here) and to end talk of cannibalism and other oddities.

(Ooc: ok gonna shorten this up for Williams part and the intro’s to avoid a slew of unnecessary posts.)

BIC: William came in behind the last 2 ladies, He excused himself on having to go over the speech again but in a way maybe this could bring up more questions the trio might have over looked.
William explained to Galahad and Taskmistress the reason for the group and why he had brought them here.

He made the introductions of everyone along with the current members. As Lois asked about the living arrangements Williams also explained that the team was free to make arrangements for living on base and away.

Jocasta brought up the layout of the Base onto the TV in the common area as a quick virtual tour and once they were done here they were free to take a first hand tour of the base.  (BTW POSTED THE LAYOUT IN GAME MAPS U)

Once he was done he asked Galahad and TaskMistress if they had any questions along with if anyone else had any new questions.

Taskmistress was cavalier about her joining and her condition. She was a proper mercenary. She also had some commentary about Laredo none of it positive. The fact Harbinger could survive bullets to the skull should have been in the file possessed by the Sniper. In the future that Sniper should be informed in advance they wouldn't want to make the same mistake twice.

Kevin actually chuckled a bit at Taskmistress's comments.  "That should have been in the file, huh?" he asked.  "I was the one who found her after your Sniper dude took his shot.  I saw the blood and brain matter.  She looked dead enough that I tried retrieve her symbiote.  It shocked the shit out of me when she got back up.  Here's the thing.  One of the main tasks for this Task Force is to get the information that goes into those files.  You know, stuff like demons are real.  And they come from Hell, which is also real.  Sure we're gonna try to nail down as much actionable intel as we can, but if you join this group, you need to realize that dealing with weird, unknown stuff is going to be a lot of what we do.  And if you can't handle that, you should go do something safe and predictable, like convoy guard duty in Taliban-held parts of Afghanistan."

"That said, she does raise a good point about money," Darkstar said to William.  "Where does our money come from and how reliable is that source.  If it's coming from SHIELD or something like it, that's an issue.  Whatever Director Hill told you, she answers to the World Security Council and they might want to get some return on the investments she's made into us.  And if she won't do that, they'll replace her with someone who will.  So, yeah, making sure that we're financially independent needs to be a thing we sort out soonish."

Kevin turned to the others.  "Yeah, this isn't SHIELD.  Hell, the Task Force isn't even in its infancy.  It's basically still a fetus.  But if you join up, you get to help determine how that fetus develops.  You get to help decided some of what we do and how we do it."

"I'll have to use rounds next time." she remarked tapping her temple. "Anni make a note to procure higher grade weapons if we confront the Harbinger again." she looked at Darkstar. "Artificial Assistant like Siri but with personality." she grinned.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:48, Thu 08 Nov 2018.

"Blood and brain matter," Kevin reminded Taskmistress as he suddenly realized that she was mostly likely the sniper in question.  "Your ammo worked fine.  It killed Harbinger.  It's just that Harbinger got better.  From death.  Figure with Harbinger you'll be better off using your words instead of your gun.  Your chances aren't super great with them, either.  But killing Harbinger will just mean that Harbinger will kill you back.  And hers will stick better than yours."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Sun 18 Oct 2020.

William looked at Kevin and Taskmistress and interjected. We will have time to talk strategy and plans of actions later.  Let’s keep this as the initial meet and greet and get things settled. He said turning the attention back to the room.

Now as I said I have given you all my speech. Does anyone else have any questions?
And for those that are clear on what is expected do we count you in?
I promised there was nothing holding you here so if you do not feel you have a place here. We’ll bring you back to the Jet and you are free to leave. He told everyone.

Myself, Jocasta or Kevin are available to give you a tour. He said looking at Bloodrage. you can follow who you like Bloodrager or are free to go about your things.

Williams said suddenly wondering if he should let Bloodrager take lead of a tour and watch the outcome....

"I'd like to follow the weird guy. Not the team leader but what was it? Blood Ranger? Yeah I'll hang out with him. Jocasta just upload what I need to know to Anni." she walked over to Captain Punchy.

"Uhhh?" The big, red man was apparently perplexed, and his ring lit up brighter, the light emanating from the entire band now rather than just the rune. Emotion vanished from his expression and he asked Taskmistress impassively, "Formation of adventuring party intending? Where dungeon plans to raided?"

After tilting her head a moment she pointed to William. "Dungeon Master is still designing next campaign this is the time for character building recovery and stocking up on potions amd gear. Want to find the local tavern and grab some grub? We'll be back before the raid" she offered with a smile. There was a faint accent in her voice Eastern European. She offered her arm in a crook shape.

"William Naslund Dungeon Master is? I not shall be known this hence. Thank you, Taskmistress."

The big, red man politely accepted the arm, bending his own to roughly match as he understood the custom to be. He was not sure how the barbarian elements of this unit should engage in the civilized form of gentlemanly behavior, and could only hope that he did not make a faux passe with his/their limited grasp of Earth's ways.

"A tavern sounded delightful."

She looked over to the others. "Our friend and I are going to the Tavern to procure drink , food, and possible merriment. Anyone wishing to join feel free to come along. " she then looked to The Blood Ranger. "I think I know a place you'll love." she remarked as Anni provided her a list of locations that would be suitable.

"Only what Mortis asked -  are we allowed to have a living space off grounds, as well?  Well, and what is our time commitment, here?   Is this going to be like the army, up at sunrise for roll call, and all that?"     She surely hoped not.

"Are we on call, as needed, or are we more or less locked up here?"    she finally decided to ask bluntly.

Lois greeted the two other ladies when William introduced them, taking a liking to Cassie the most (but Taskmistress seemed OK as well).  She also took the time to memorize everyone's codenames and offer her own.  'Mortis' had been a name that her father had invented to hide his little assassination activities and using it for 'good' seemed appropriate for Lois.  In terms of living arrangements, Lois indicated that she desired a base room... but largely intended to live off site.  She foresaw that there would be times when going home wasn't convenient or desirable.

"Alison, Dee Dee, Cassie... any of you want to have a part time room mate?"

Otherwise Lois took a backseat for a little while as Taskmistress and Darkstar talked about the Laredo stuff.  She had to admit that both had good points about what they were saying.  However upon talk of death not sticking, Lois hoped that she wasn't going to be touted as a solution to that.

As for the offer to join Bloodrager and Taskmistress, Lois declined.

"A tavern does sound pretty tempting, but maybe next time?  I have a few things to ask William and stuff to organise."

Turning back to the man in charge, Lois got down to some important things.

"Can I make a phonecall, William?  My father will no doubt be worried and I don't want him causing anybody trouble.  I know he'll settle down once I tell him SHIELD has a file on me.  I was also wondering what sort of training is available to us.  Not getting shot and knowing how to do things in the field would be good... but what about out abilities?"

"My impression is that you'd make a really good roommate.   But, my preference is for having my own space, I must confess."   

Alison was essentially an outgoing introvert.    The personality type that others often mistook for an extrovert, but whom didn't truly feel like one.  She loved to go out, but only when she felt grounded, and prepared for it.   And this wasn't the time.   It really wasn't the time.    She was in over her head, here, and unashamed to admit it.   At least, to herself.

She wanted her last questions answered, wanted to take the tour, get situated, and then go off by herself and think. 

'You think too m...'    F--k *you*, dad!!

She likewise had a phone call to make, and hoped those would not be restricted.  Or eves dropped upon?   Would all their communications, emails and such, be monitored?     It wasn't hard to imagine.

William nodded at the question.Yes we do have all the necessities here but you can Live off site, and yea you are free to make a call. Once we know who is staying amd qho is going you will be given a comm badge for contacting each other. We have a range for weapons training and will set up part of the hangar as a gym/training ground. Some have unique abilities that could be hard to train but we will work with you to develop the specifica you need.

Being lucky enough to avoid the hands-on demonstration of Bloodrager’s talents, Cassandra’s first meeting with the others left her only mildly perturbed, and that was more thanks to the (apparently completely normal) presence of a large female gorilla than any of her other associates-to-be. That wasn’t to say that she was wholly unaffected by her first sight of the others. It went without saying that she gravitated more towards the more ‘normal’ members of the team than the crimson giant or the man who seemed inclined to wear a domino mask unironically. That the others besides seemed similarly new to Task Force only made that predilection all the more natural.

She remained fairly quiet throughout the session, more accruing questions than asking them. Certainly she was suitably courteous when it was her turn to speak, quite content to trade pleasantries and small talk, but for the time being it suited her to let the loud voices talk than seek a confrontation. Better to take a read of the room and hierarchy then let William fill her in on the fine details.

Truthfully very little of this was turning out as she had expected. Whether that was her own fault or a quite deliberate choice by the powers that be remained to be seen.

Making a point of tuning out whatever it was that Bloodrager and Taskmistress were going on about, Cassandra homed in on Lois’ open question.

“I'd have no problem with sharing space if it would help. It’s nothing that I’m not used to.”

"That's ok by me Alison.  Cassie is in... but what about you Dee Dee?"

For those who had come late to the meet & greet, Lois spoke to the Gorilla like it was a normal person.  Lois thought Dee Dee deserved a chance for input (even if Lois suspected she would decline the offer).  Otherwise, Lois was glad for the chance to call Daddy in a bit... and for the training explanation.  Future plans included getting some gear from home transferred to the base (clothes and life's little necessities).

"So what can you do, Cassie?  If you want to demonstrate, we could go find some space.  I can also make that phonecall... without talking over everyone else."

Lois didn't rule out anybody else tagging along either.

"I'm here, I'm here!" Spider-Man as he arrived. "I heard there were new people, I'm not too late am I?" He did notice individuals he hadn't seen before, but would wait before properly introducing himself.

Cassandra couldn’t but let her eyes be drawn to the both literal and metaphorical gorilla in the room. While she had no true frame of reference to prove that it was more than what it seemed, it was obvious from just how casually Lois spoke with the creature that some intelligence of note lay behind those eyes. After perhaps a moment too long she caught herself and dragged her attention back on target.

“I don’t have any unique abilities if that’s what you mean. Not like” - she ran her gaze across the group - “well … any of you really. I’m here for my training, not for who I am.”

If there was any arrogance, any sense of superiority, in that last statement it certainly didn’t find her tone.

“Tony Stark – Iron Man – is ahead of the world when it comes to power armour technology, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t got competition. I’ve been working with the RAF’s own prototype design for some time now and we’ve been making solid progress. Results have promising: promising enough to catch the eye of SHIELD and its sister agencies.”

A little pride couldn’t help but shine through. This was something that Cassandra was deeply invested in, and indeed something that she rarely got to speak about away from the same familiar faces.

“I don’t suppose it’ll be on site for at least a day or two after I officially sign on” - her eyes flicked to William, question implicit in her features, then flicked back - “but I’ll be joining you in the field in the Galahad armour when Task Force has to answer heavier threats. We’re quietly confident it’ll be up to task.”

---

Spider-Man's (un)timely entrance pulled Cassie's attention from Lois for but a moment. Subdued surprise turned to the quirk of a thin smile on her lips.

"Introductions and the virtual tour finished a few minutes ago, so I'd say you're right on time to be fashionably late." A slight nod of the head. "Cassandra Hunt."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:20, Fri 09 Nov 2018.

Deedee calmed down and took a step back when people began talking. Everything in her posture  showed the relaxing of the beast, and she grunted a few times as questions were asked before she realized that she couldn't actually speak.

So she forced herself back into human form, and once more the blond teenager stood where the gorilla was.

"I...I don't mind sharing space. Um...as long as whoever remembers what I do when they wake up sharing a room with whatever I end up as in the morning." She gave a sheepish grin. "Some people wake up beasts, but not the way I do."

Her face fell, and she added quickly, "Not that I'm dangerous or anything, I mean, it's not attitude or anything. It's a literal thing. Really."

She stretched again, rolling her back in a feline manner. "I'll tag along with people, I don't mind."

Edited for color errors
This message was last edited by the player at 15:26, Fri 09 Nov 2018.

"Powered armor?  Wow!  Flying in that sounds like a unique ability to me... I'd probably crash it.  Or get a ticket.  Do you think Tony Stark would actually come here to check it out?  My Dad said he was a lady killer, among other things."

Lois then greeted Spiderman after Cassie did so.  After an internal debate on whether or not to initiate hand to hand contact, Lois settled for a nod as well.

"Hi, Lois London.  Pardon me for saying so... but you don't look as menacing as the newspapers say you are.  Is it really true that you wreck three cars a week?"

Daddy tended to be a bit old fashion when it came to reading material... a regular newspaper reader.  The Bugle was one of his papers of choice.  Lois (by association) was therefore a part time reader too.

"Maybe I'll go with Cassie then as a roommate.  But if you want to bunk next door and visit me whenever, I'd be fine with that Dee Dee.  Assuming its a night when I'm actually on site.  Oh, let me make a call real quick... then we could go somewhere.  Maybe the Rec Room?  Actually, whoever wants to come can meet me there."

Lois dashed outside with phone in hand.

>> Rec Room

William seemed satisfied as the group broke out into smaller groups. He listened about sharing rooms and bunk mates but once they saw the rooms they would realize there would be either no room for double bunking nor any need for it as each could have their own.

Seeing Spiderman arrive he shook his head,Way to make an entrance Spiderman, Cassandra do not sell yourself short, You may not have powers per say but your skill is something to be noted. he said with a smile.

Lois if you need any help with that call you let me know He advised her should her father try to try to "convince" he otherwise.

I am needed in the lab but if anyone needs me You can ask Jocasta to contact me.

<--- To just like clockwork thread.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:58, Fri 09 Nov 2018.

Kevin waited until Lois finished her phone call and returned before continuing with, "Guys, just to be clear, if you want to live off-site, that's fine.  Just make sure to have your communicator on you and active so we can call you if we need to.  And also so you can call us if you need.  I don't have details, but everybody here has lives outside of this team.  But this is a team, which means you have options in terms of allies and backup you didn't have before."

"As far as living arrangements go, you guys can buddy up, especially offsite if you really want to," Kevin told them all.  "But there's twelve unoccupied living spots on-base.  All of which have their own bathrooms.  For the moment they're more "motel room" functional than homey, but they're rent-free and this is NYC."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:47, Fri 09 Nov 2018.

"Great point --  location is everything, as they say in real estate.  Well, far from everything, but I'm definitely not complaining."   

Alison was glad Lois found the company she was seeking (Lois and Cassie struck her as having a certain parity, in terms of poise and class), and that the others were getting a better handle on Deedee's changes of form.       Just to avoid any regrettable incidents...such as being snacked upon by a big, red, hungry dude.

The crimson and blue uniform of Spider-Man, did catch her eye, however.

Hot damn!  Is it...Spider-man?       

She thought about it briefly, then smiled faintly and approached the wall-crawling hero, who was a little shorter than she might have imagined:

"I've a young cousin who's a humongous fan of yours.   Collects your images and exploits on a blog called '#1 Spider-Fan.'  It may be crass of me to ask, but, if I could get an autographed picture, he'd go completely ape.     Not like Deedee goes ape, but, you know."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:37, Fri 09 Nov 2018.

Taking her new companion's arm she headed out of the base and into the city. "I can't wait to learn all about you cleric." she said with a friendly smile.


To: out and about

In reply to William Naslund (msg # 63):

"An entrance is an entrance, right?" He asked before his attention was diverted to one of the others. "An autograph?" He asked, a little bit surprised considering that he was still so early in his career. "Yeah, I can do that no problem."

"I'll leave you guys to talk,"

Deedee morphed again, not self conscious this time at all, and a large wolfhound loped out of the room with a happy little bark as she followed the scent toward the rec room.

"Super awesome,"  she enthused to Spider-man and his willingness.

"You'll completely make the weekend of a really great kid.  I'll catch you sometime when we're outside.  I'll get a picture, you can electronically sign it, on my phone. If I did it in here, I'd never be able to explain where it was taken."

She supposed that she needn't wait for a tour, since Mr. Naslund had said Jacosta, among others, could provide that at any time.    And, she did need to call Jason, before things really started to roll.

"Jacosta, can you tell me where my quarters are?    There's a phone call I really need to get to."   

That info provided, Alison thanked the system (its aspect was human like enough that it seemed appropriate), told the others she'd see them soonish, and headed off toward that area.

<------- Bedrooms      Now leaving this thread with none of the people it's named after.  ;) 
This message was last edited by the player at 23:33, Sun 11 Nov 2018.

"And then there were three," Kevin snarked as Aurora left.

"That was nice," he told Spider-man.  "Clearly fame hath its rewards.  Maybe I need to get into crime-fighting.  I think I'll start by fighting barratry.  So, the next anybody hear's anything about a captain or crew mishandling a ship to steal its cargo, you let me know and I'll be on it."

He turned to Cassandra.  "Well, I figure we've got a few minutes before we start getting reports about a riot at a New Jersey Medieval Times, so any particular question you want to ask or sights you want to see?  Granted this place isn't a helicarrier, which, Thank God, 'cause that's probably one of the sillier ideas for a mobile base ever.  Still, it's functional if not exactly homey."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:07, Mon 12 Nov 2018.

"Well, it outweighs the fact that every criminal in New York tries to kill me, and I'd appreciate the extra help." Spider-Man said to Darkstar.  "But it is enough to know that I'm helping the city get a little bit safer every day."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:30, Tue 13 Nov 2018.

"Not every criminal in New York City has tried to kill you," Darkstar told Spider-man.  "I mean, I haven't tried to kill you and I'm a criminal.  That Starbucks run I made today?  Done with Crime Money.  Specifically for the not exactly glamorous crime of running cigarettes from a low-tax state to New York."

"The way I look at it, there's the Avengers, Defenders, that Punisher guy, you and, oh yeah, the well-trained, well-equipped NYPD.  Figure crime is being well and truly fought at this point," Darkstar said to Spider-man.  "I'm not a cop.  I'm not willing to pretend that a few fluke abilities make me equal to a cop.  Maybe you don't see that as what you're doing, but a lot of cops do.  It's why some of them try to arrest you."

"That said, if you want help with something specific, let me know," Darkstar concluded indicating his communicator.  "We are on the same time, after all."

Kevin stayed long enough to listen to and acknowledge their replies and then said, "I think I'll check on the other two in the Rec room."

<===== To the Rec Room
This message was last edited by the player at 15:50, Wed 14 Nov 2018.

In reply to Darkstar (msg # 72):

"Hey, cops don't try to arrest me... Anymore." The very first few weeks of him in his costume, that was true, so he had to resort being out of a situation as fast as he entered it. It took him a good while before he could earn the trust of the NYPD officers that actually saw him in action. "Hopefully I can get some patrolling in today..." He said to himself, once he found himself on his own.

Cassandra had found herself uncharacteristically quiet. That wasn’t to say that she had a tendency to be loud – she didn’t need to hear her own voice – yet as the group had dwindled so too had her presence. She supposed that part of that had to be a matter of just who she had been left with. It was difficult to want to engage with a shameless criminal, even if he seemed to hold some sort of standing within the organisation. It would be altogether easier to save her questions for someone more … professional.

She stirred in Darkstar’s absence.

“If you don’t mind me asking, Spider-Man, how much time do you normally spend on-site here?” Cassie put forward. “It sounds as though things might be fairly quiet around here some of the time.”
This message was last edited by the player at 05:20, Thu 15 Nov 2018.

Spider-Man blinked, thinking for a few moments before he says, "I can't speak for everyone else, but I stay here when I'm not out in the city." It was more convenient for him, since he didn't want to even think about having to beg for his former college dorm room back.

His answer earned a gentle nod that quickly tapered off. That was good to know. Reassuring.

“This is all a bit of a culture shock,” Cassie said by way of an explanation. “I only learned I would be coming here today, and while testing has been light enough of late, Pendragon has been one of my more intense postings. Once you get on-site it can be a bit like leaving the rest of the world behind.” An odd little smile. “Some of us didn’t get off-site aside from exercises between leave.”

It had been normal – that sort of crunch culture. Living between breakthroughs and breakdowns on scarcely more than adrenaline and blitz spirit. Unhealthy certainly, dangerous even, but such was the nature of working on the metaphorical frontlines. An answer had to be found, and the sooner the better. None of them could dispute that.

“New country, new schedule … it’s going to take some getting used to. It's just nice to know that I can expect to see someone else around the base off the clock.”

"I think that you might like it here, there's always something happening in New York," Spider-Man commented. And that's even if we don't count going on an assignment. Though, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. It's been my home even before this new group."

William and Ck exited the lab and noticed Spiderman and Galahad in discussion.
Ah Spiderman, Cassandra, perfect, may I introduce Clockwork Knight.

He went into a brief description of CK and Doc’s project and how Ck was interested in remaining with the team. So it looked like there was going to be a lot to do moving forward. William was happy everyone was remaining on board But now how to work out a few things to ensure he would have a team that would back each other and work with each other and not just people out to prove themselves.

Anyone with a comm unit who is in the base gets the following message:

"All right, listen up.  One of our newbies has just dropped some truly disturbing intel that you all need to hear," Kevin said.  "So I'd like everyone to drop anything not actively about to explode and haul butt to Tec/Comm room.  Doc, this means you, too.  It's sciency.  You'll love it."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:19, Wed 21 Nov 2018.

From Just like Clockwork?

The metal being known as the Clockwork Knight entered the room slow and rhythmically. "Greetings, I look forward to serving along side you all. I hope my form is not too disturbing or unnatural for anyone". It said plainly.

After saying this and waiting a moment for responses CK started to move to the Tec Room.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:55, Wed 21 Nov 2018.

"Oh hey, good meeting you," Spider-Man said, then turning his attention to Darkstar. He then responded to the communicator, saying, "Really? Alright, I'll meet you there," as he made his way to join the others in the Tec/Comm room.

William heard the comms.

Ok let's get to the comms room and see what Darkstar has. He says not clear on what was so important.

He let Spiderman and Cass go first and lead Clockwork Knight....

=======> To Tec/Comm Room.