New Cottington Sentinels (Superhero Char RP|IC, Open)

[Bingellia]

Meryl Callahan

The small armory sequestered in the Octagon House was designed to make efficient use of the space it had. Racks filled with modern weapons stood back to back in the middle of the room behind a secure door. A long work table and a reloading bench had secured their own space next to a tool cabinet against the wall while two cabinets filled with ammunition and magazines flanked the door.

Callahan sat at the work table as she thoroughly maintained the field-stripped rifle spread across the worked table. Even with the seventh rifle today, each part still received meticulous care from the pseudo-gunsmith of the group as she worked them clean before drying or oiling as appropriate. As she started to reassemble the rifle, Akerman's voice over the intercom broke the silence of the armory.

The cowgirl was in no rush to put the weapon together as she heard the footsteps and faint voices of individuals assembling in the cellar. She could always be briefed after the fact, and it was far better to have a rifle that fired when the trigger was pulled than to be left with an improvised club. It still wasn't long before she was wiping her hands clean as she rose from her worktable and unrolled her sleeves.

Emerging from a hidden entrance in the cellar, Callahan joined the briefing. She took a moment to scan the group of vigilantes already gathered, and seemed quite content that it seemed like it was mostly the usual gang.

"Howdy," she mumbled to Owen as she moved through the group to find a spot in the room she found comfortable enough that minimized the short but anachronistically dressed woman's presence in the meeting she had had willfully arrived late to. Even if she could justify it, she certainly understood the importance of the briefing and felt wrong having been late even if it was only a few minutes.

[Dyelli Beybi]

OOC: I've only responded for Triggs in this post to bring everyone together for the tossing around of ideas.

JJ Triggs

"How do you know my secret identity?" said Mark in a tone of both alarm and caution, while disreetly clenching a fist at his side.

"Oh shit," Triggs actually managed to look embarrassed. That wasn't normal for her. "Was I not supposed to know that? I wasn't stalking you with a different face on, I swear!" Something about the way she said it suggested that even if she hadn't been following him around in a variety of different bodies, it wasn't something she was averse to doing, "I thought you were wearing the helmet because you were ready to spring into action at a moment's notice! But the others probably don't know who you are and I can keep a secret if you'd rather maintain your aura of mystery. Nobody will get it out of me - which I'm sure Agent Smith can verify for you."

That wasn't a lie and Jason almost certainly knew that she had something of a reputation for being able to withstand pain... which wasn't to say that a dedicated captor couldn't break JJ eventually. Everyone broke. But it was an annoyingly long process with her.

Jason Greene
...

"Hey JJ. " The helmet popped free and Evelyn shook her head; continuing on. "Know what's going on? Had to bully a kid into taking my shift over. Want to know that I'm going to get fire for a good reason at least."

Evelyn's grin was small and sarcastic as she glanced at the two others in the room. An armored man with his helmet tucked into his arm; the suit made him look bulky though his exposed face looked lean. She glanced at-
...

"Howdy Ev." He hissed it through teeth curled into a painful smirk. His glasses were askew now; so she could see his gray eyes were watching her with intent. His hands stayed at his side; not venturing towards the handgun she knew he kept tucked into the back of his waistband.

"Agent Greene" She spat the title with contempt even as she sighed internally.

'Hello again Jason.'

JJ looked from Jason, to Evelyn, then back to Jason, then gave that Cheshire-cat grin again, "Well this is awkward!" she declared gleefully, "But don't worry, you won't be losing your job for nothing. We're saving that reporter, Tara Jones, and making an audition tape at the same time... or something like that at any rate. Hey, ever thought of putting on your super suit and promoting Pepsi or something? I'm sure Jerry would have something to say about it, but they'd probably pay better than working tables," she paused before adding, "Maybe I should make a super suit?"

At that point JJ seemed to click to the fact that she was supposed to be showing people to a briefing rather than figuring out how to monetise her status on the Sentinels, "Ah, anyway, if you folks follow me, I'll show you to the briefing," she led the way through the house, down a flight of stairs off a rather large kitchen and into a long, dusty cellar decorated in long racks of wine bottles. They were in no particular order. Some spaces were empty. Some bottles were caked in decades of dust. The rack at the far end, for whatever reason, seemed to be higher turnover, with mostly new bottles, one of which JJ half-lifted from it's resting place. As she did, a section of the back wall slid silently to one side, revealing the crisp blue-lit interior of the Sentinel's HQ where Geraint Akerman was calling for people to brainstorm ideas for infiltrating someone's hideout.

"It's the Châteauneuf-du-somethingorother," JJ told the pair confidentially, "Though there's usually a second door that comes down from up here," she motioned at a bracket in the ceiling, "That's operated by a retina scan... don't need it at the moment though, since we're just about a full house. I can only operate it when I'm me."

[Nova Catania]

Jason noted the odd texture on Mark's gloves during their brief handshake. It was an odd sensation and one Jason would have to figure out the meaning behind. It was obviously a special application, given that the material didn't appear anywhere else on the man's armor. Jason made a note to figure out its purpose at a later date; though he didn't note how direct he would be in those methods.

As Mark shook hands with Jason, Jason's hand must've gotten stuck on the gecko texture. Mark tried to pull his hand back to unstick it.

"Gecko coating, helps me climb up walls." Mark said, finally detaching Jason's hand from his glove.

"Oh shit," Triggs actually managed to look embarrassed. That wasn't normal for her. "Was I not supposed to know that? I wasn't stalking you with a different face on, I swear!" Something about the way she said it suggested that even if she hadn't been following him around in a variety of different bodies, it wasn't something she was averse to doing, "I thought you were wearing the helmet because you were ready to spring into action at a moment's notice! But the others probably don't know who you are and I can keep a secret if you'd rather maintain your aura of mystery. Nobody will get it out of me - which I'm sure Agent Smith can verify for you."

"It's fine" said Mark, sweeping his short, dark hair. "I need to gain you guys' trust anyway so, might just well keep the helmet off." he added.

Mark chuckled at her The Matrix reference as he turned to Jason who was focused on someone coming in the door.

So she showed no concern as her combat booted feet took the steps two at a time. She strode through the door with a brisk air while undoing her helmet. Noticing JJ talking to the two new arrivals. She ignored them for the moment, their signatures still neutral , tugging off her helmet while she spoke.

"Hey JJ. " The helmet popped free and Evelyn shook her head; continuing on. "Know what's going on? Had to bully a kid into taking my shift over. Want to know that I'm going to get fire for a good reason at least."

Evelyn's grin was small and sarcastic as she glanced at the two others in the room. An armored man with his helmet tucked into his arm; the suit made him look bulky though his exposed face looked lean. She glanced at-

Mark turned to the person who had just showed up. He didn't recognize her, but he still said hi. "Oh, hi there, hello." he said, waving at her.

Then he noticed the way she looked at Jason. "You two know each-" Mark was interrupted before he could finish the question.

Then anger took over. She barely registered the tendril of force that sent him flying. It was weak by her standards. But still more then enough to cause him to hit the opposite wall. She regained her senses with the jolt of him impacting the wall; stopping the second tendril she had prepared subconsciously. Evelyn took a fortifying breath and tried to stamp down the dangerous mix of emotions that were welling up in her chest; stopping the array of responses, questions and insults she wanted to say all at once.

He didn't appear to have that problem. He clutched his sides and gave a wheezing, laughing cough that appeared to hurt him with each breath.

"Howdy Ev." He hissed it through teeth curled into a painful smirk. His glasses were askew now; so she could see his gray eyes were watching her with intent. His hands stayed at his side; not venturing towards the handgun she knew he kept tucked into the back of his waistband.

"Agent Greene" She spat the title with contempt even as she sighed internally.

'Hello again Jason.'

Mark watched in surprise as the new arrival tossed Jason across the room without even laying a hand on him. He felt inclined to put his helmet back on, but decided not to, in order to continue building trust.

'Guess that answers the question' thought Mark.

JJ looked from Jason, to Evelyn, then back to Jason, then gave that Cheshire-cat grin again, "Well this is awkward!" she declared gleefully

Mark nodded in agreement, while his eyebrows went up.

'Note to self: don't piss off the telekenetic. Wait, I wonder if she can hear this thought.' Mark thought to himself, before quickly thinking of something else in case she was listening in to his brain.

"But don't worry, you won't be losing your job for nothing. We're saving that reporter, Tara Jones, and making an audition tape at the same time... or something like that at any rate.

Mark immediately knew who she was talking about. He knew Tara Jones well. She had done a feature on him after his YouTube channel reached 10 million subscribers. And as Nightwolf, she had harassed him a few times after a fight or rescue, trying to get a quote, interview, but most of all, a name.

'Not surprised that lady got kidnapped.' he thought.

Hey, ever thought of putting on your super suit and promoting Pepsi or something? I'm sure Jerry would have something to say about it, but they'd probably pay better than working tables," she paused before adding, "Maybe I should make a super suit?"

"Thought about it, but I realized I don't wanna be a sellout. Besides, I already have some funding." Mark said to Jocelyn on the endorsement subject. "If you want, I can make you a super-suit, I can make everyone a suit." Mark extended the offer to his new colleagues.

At that point JJ seemed to click to the fact that she was supposed to be showing people to a briefing rather than figuring out how to monetise her status on the Sentinels, "Ah, anyway, if you folks follow me, I'll show you to the briefing," she led the way through the house, down a flight of stairs off a rather large kitchen and into a long, dusty cellar decorated in long racks of wine bottles. They were in no particular order. Some spaces were empty. Some bottles were caked in decades of dust. The rack at the far end, for whatever reason, seemed to be higher turnover, with mostly new bottles, one of which JJ half-lifted from it's resting place. As she did, a section of the back wall slid silently to one side, revealing the crisp blue-lit interior of the Sentinel's HQ where Geraint Akerman was calling for people to brainstorm ideas for infiltrating someone's hideout.

"It's the Châteauneuf-du-somethingorother," JJ told the pair confidentially, "Though there's usually a second door that comes down from up here," she motioned at a bracket in the ceiling, "That's operated by a retina scan... don't need it at the moment though, since we're just about a full house. I can only operate it when I'm me."

As the wall slid open, Mark gazed upon the HQ. Not what he was expecting, but still, it would do. He stepped in, and raised his hand.

"I've got an idea on how to save this reporter lady." he said. “Could use some details on the specifics, though, how many hostiles we’re looking at, that kinda stuff.” He added.

[Zaambate Te Ahaa]

Owen smiled, and shook his finger in a pleased manner in Luka's direction. The Comet was precisely the one Owen hoped would volunteer to come along, as, Owen believed, his true greatest power was being unashamed to run like hell while the stronger Sentinals course correct the situation. "Hey, that's alright, Big C. If I had thought sneakin' up on Michael Bay and the Burn-Out Brigada was gonna be a risky business..." He turned around, swinging his legs around in the chair so that now he was backwards in it, and facing the newest comers. "I would have volunteered that guy."

He gestured now to Mark, who had just spoken up. He winked at Mark playfully, but following this, his eyes hung open a little wider than usual, and his shoulders slouched a bit. Own had a rather unique staring problem, and that was that staring was extraordinarily fun for the boy, thanks to his witch eyes. Owen stared into blank space a moment, his smile fading with an exhale that lasted just a little too long, and his vision began to blur, and then blacken. Then, suddenly, for Owen, the world around him took on a different quality.

If you've ever wondered what the human aura looks like, consider the artistic stylings typical of a stop motion presentation done on a chalk board; the aura manifests itself like this, appearing as the rapidly shifting and flashing balls of yarn that one scribbling unrestrainedly with a piece of chalk would make to give such an animation a wild or childish feel. Everybody (almost) had one, especially newcomers, and Owen was curious of new people.

First was Mark because he'd spoken up and immediately drew Owen's attention. Overwhelmingly, it was turquoise on the outside, and smooth and slow moving, until it reached the core of the aura around his diaphragm area. It was obscured, Owen noticed, and made a mental note for himself that the wolf suit contained a healthy amount of iron, but he could tell at the center that the turquoise now fought to reach over tinges of yellow chalk that threatened to become more prominent. He seemed like a nice fella, nervous, eager, the confidence of his voice manifesting in the horizontal nature of the way his aura connected with the rainbow flashing of Kuttlefish beside him, and reached out to the others nearby and who he was addressing, and not interacting at all with Jason's.

Jason's aura looked like a Jason, and it was small. Not weak! Small, by means of aura, does not connotate the power therein as brightness would, but rather their connection to those around them. Jason was not very connected, but Owen could still tell the way his aura tended to turn; a stoic, not a nihilist, and definitely a Jason. It was blue and violet in such a measure that Owen believed they were equal colors, which was standard for a general situation, but very guarded. It almost looked like a badge, or at least the general shape of a shield.

And then he looked back at Comet to crack wise again, who's aura was a perpetual solar flare, and he accidentally flashbanged himself, forcing him to blink, and his vision to return to normal. "Take a load off, fella, the man with the plan is here." He rubbed his eyes and squinted, gesturing back to Mark again with tears in his eyes.

[The United Federation of Terrans]

Jason Greene and Evelyn "Kraken" Briggs

Jason drew in a half wheezing breath and found that it hurt less now. The pain dulling into an ache. He pulled himself onto slightly unsteady feet; eyeing Ev from behind his still skewed glasses. It was a familiar sight. Her hazel eyes were narrowed in an oddly comforting mix of anger and annoyance, shoulders slightly rolled back and feet spread in a stance that she had once told him helped ground her. Replace the civilian clothing with a tac suit and it would have been right out of memory lane. Though he had only been on the receiving side once. That thought caused his smirk to briefly morph into a frown before his returning; now a full teeth showing smile.

Jason barked out a laugh while he fixed his glasses. " Just like old times. Right Ev?" The tendril that hit him this time was lighter. A light punch on the chest that he recognized as her sign of annoyance. He laughed again. Ev just glared.

JJ looked from Jason, to Evelyn, then back to Jason, then gave that Cheshire-cat grin again, "Well this is awkward!" she declared gleefully, "But don't worry, you won't be losing your job for nothing. We're saving that reporter, Tara Jones, and making an audition tape at the same time... or something like that at any rate. Hey, ever thought of putting on your super suit and promoting Pepsi or something? I'm sure Jerry would have something to say about it, but they'd probably pay better than working tables," she paused before adding, "Maybe I should make a super suit?"

At that point JJ seemed to click to the fact that she was supposed to be showing people to a briefing rather than figuring out how to monetise her status on the Sentinels, "Ah, anyway, if you folks follow me, I'll show you to the briefing," she led the way through the house, down a flight of stairs off a rather large kitchen and into a long, dusty cellar decorated in long racks of wine bottles.

JJ had cut in by then. Unfazed by Ev throwing Jason around the room. The shapeshifter did her best to diffuse the situation; joking and talking about seemingly every subject but the throwing. Then she seemed to realize that they had other places to be. She began herding the pair of new arrivals to the cellar; leaving Evelyn alone for the moment.

Evelyn for her part remained unmoving; her eyes tracked Jason as he took a few unsteady steps before returning to his usual loping gait. The agent didn't appear bothered turning his back on her. He was even still wearing that stupid smile. His hands never strayed towards his favorite weapon hiding spots; but she watched him leave all the same. He only paused briefly on his way out of the room to glance back at her. Smile still full, one of his genuine ones, and he tipped the brim of his ball cap. Then he disappeared through the doorway.

'Cocky motherf-' She bit down on her frustration and resisted the urge to throw him again. If he thought he could come back like nothing was ever wrong......

She huffed and closed her eyes. Falling back on her breathing exercises until she didn't feel the need to murder the CIA agent suddenly in their midst.

Come to think of it; she didn't know why Jason was here at all. He was dressed blandly; a far cry from his usual operator kit. Covert meet-up? Intelligence drop-off? JJ didn't seem bothered by his presence or even surprised. She groaned now in that she would have to ask Grison why her former ........ Evelyn pondered over the variety of titles before she settled on friend, was here.

So she plodded down to the cellar and dragged her feet slightly as she entered the briefing room. Grison was holding his usual post at the head of the room; with the rest of the Sentinels scattered throughout the room. For the most part they were engrossed in the briefing; discussing tactics and strategy with Grison. The new man in armor, Mark, appeared to have thrown himself into the conversation; not seemingly caring about his new status on the team.

'Point for the Wolf Man.' And speaking of new arrivals.....

Jason was sequestered in a corner; apparently not having gone through the process of introducing himself. The man had even managed to find a patch of shadow and light that appeared to make him a murky outline; even with his clothing choices. He leaned into the corner with his arms crossed; sunglasses still on. Evelyn bit back a laugh before she turned her attention to the briefing.

It took a few minutes before she was caught up on the situation.

"Why don't we play part way into his drama? Have the big hero come in to save the reporter; while the rest of the team sneaks in the back."

Evelyn eyes widened by a millimeter as she glanced at Jason's corner. The agent didm't seem to react to any of the sudden attention. His expression remained flat as the briefing continued on and the attention trickled off of him.

[West Bromwich Holme]

Victoria Lopamaua-Holmes
Octagon House

GUEST STARRING
MARISSA CUEVAS as Nadia Pareja

It had been a bit of a drive, but Victoria and Nadia got to Octagon House, having taken Victoria's 1991 Chrysler New Yorker sedan to get there.

Victoria and Nadia had walked around the office until they came up to Owen and Luka who were talking to Mark West.

Nadia walked towards Owen and decided she'd act pleasant, but serious. She walked right up to him, and tapped him on the shoulder, and said "Owen, I've got something important to tell you; well, we, that is, me and Victoria have something to tell you. It involves a few Supes, and is fairly serious.".

Victoria was looking around the room; she saw The Comet and Mark West, and Owen; not people she interacted with that much, but she knew of by name and from photos; she'd only interacted with them briefly due to her day-to-day jobs.

But because Victoria was freelance, she had the time to do this; no more shapeshifting into a Canadian cop, well, at least for today anyway.

[Voxija]

Ivy "Resemblance" Karin

Some interesting things were going on in this meeting. Off-topic things, interpersonal drama, and new villains. Ivy mostly paid attention to the talk about Dirk Vester and how to defeat him. They were mostly bouncing off her idea, which felt good.

Maybe Ivy would volunteer to help defeat this Hollywood bad guy. After all, there were plenty of other shifters in the Sentinels, and Ivy had even helped mentor some of them.

Ivy's mind turned to having to fool her friend about Ivy's imaginary boyfriend. Olivia Parker was getting suspicious. Ivy would just do what she usually did: strong-arm one of the Sentinels into filling that role. Maybe the guy with the armor. Or, Agent Greene, the CIA guy. Most of the Sentinels hated the dude, but Ivy just felt pity for him. Being a government agent was such a morally restrictive role, which was part of why Ivy had become a superhero instead.

[Nova Catania]

Owen smiled, and shook his finger in a pleased manner in Luka's direction. The Comet was precisely the one Owen hoped would volunteer to come along, as, Owen believed, his true greatest power was being unashamed to run like hell while the stronger Sentinals course correct the situation. "Hey, that's alright, Big C. If I had thought sneakin' up on Michael Bay and the Burn-Out Brigada was gonna be a risky business..." He turned around, swinging his legs around in the chair so that now he was backwards in it, and facing the newest comers. "I would have volunteered that guy."

"Thanks" said Mark, half sarcastically, half genuinely.

He gestured now to Mark, who had just spoken up. He winked at Mark playfully, but following this, his eyes hung open a little wider than usual, and his shoulders slouched a bit. Own had a rather unique staring problem, and that was that staring was extraordinarily fun for the boy, thanks to his witch eyes. Owen stared into blank space a moment, his smile fading with an exhale that lasted just a little too long, and his vision began to blur, and then blacken. Then, suddenly, for Owen, the world around him took on a different quality.

Mark was perplexed by the man's staring at him, as if he was staring into his soul.

'Creepy' he thought

And then he looked back at Comet to crack wise again, who's aura was a perpetual solar flare, and he accidentally flashbanged himself, forcing him to blink, and his vision to return to normal. "Take a load off, fella, the man with the plan is here." He rubbed his eyes and squinted, gesturing back to Mark again with tears in his eyes.

Mark nodded his head to the side, accepting his designation as "the man with the plan".

Inside Mark's head, he was comparing ideas for entry. 'A sneak attack is so cliche anyone would see it coming, but...' Mark had his plan.

"A team of 3 would be the main infiltration force. The rest go around taking out guards, so this Vester guy has nothing to throw at us. If we can-" Mark's phone pinged to interrupt him. "Excuse me." he said, stepping back to check his texts.

It was Lana. "Hi Mark, just texting to let you know that I'll be getting back to the apartment late tonight."

Mark asked her why.

"I have a date tonight at that Italian place on 6th."

Mark became visibly disappointed. Inside his head, he was a mess.

'WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. F-AHHHHHHHH! Why! Who is this guy, and why is he taking her to the Italian restaurant on 6th Street, that place sucks! B-ah, D-wah, ah-eh, ah o-, ughhh.'

Mark put his hand on his forehead, then dragged it down to his chin, creating a strange facial expression before returning to normal. He noticed Ivy, then did a double take after an idea struck that big inventor brain of his.

"Sorry for the staring." he said to her, leaning in, then leaning back out once he was done talking.

"Mark West. Or Nightwolf." he said to her, extending his hand.

[Voxija]

Ivy "Resemblance" Karin

Mark put his hand on his forehead, then dragged it down to his chin, creating a strange facial expression before returning to normal. He noticed Ivy, then did a double take after an idea struck that big inventor brain of his.

"Sorry for the staring." he said to her, leaning in, then leaning back out once he was done talking.

"Mark West. Or Nightwolf." he said to her, extending his hand.

"Karin. Ivy Karin. You could call me Resemblance, because my powers allow me to resemble anyone." Ivy said all that while making sure there was no Russian accent in her voice. Ivy shook Mark's hand.

Mark seemed sad, and Ivy was concerned. "Is there anything wrong? Can I do anything to help?"

[West Bromwich Holme]

Victoria Lopamaua-Holmes
Octagon House

GUEST STARRING
MARISSA CUEVAS as Nadia Pareja


While Nadia was busy trying to get Owen's attention, Victoria walked towards Ivy Karin, who was with Mark West, aka "Nightwolf".

She slowly made her way towards her, and politely interrupted their conversation.

"Hello there, it's Victoria here. Sorry to interrupt". Victoria said to Ivy in a somewhat tough-sounding Californian accent, a NorCal-type accent sounding more prominent. "Haven't seen you in ages. But I've got some important news for you."

"Also, who's your friend?" she then asked.

Victoria didn't recognize the man talking to Ivy. Then again, she'd never really worked much with Ivy or Mark West/Nightwolf before.

She got on well with Ivy; although they both had shapeshifting in common, Victoria's was both limited and unlimited, she had an unlimited repertoire of forms, but she was limited to only 20 at a time to choose from, so had to rotate them, whereas Ivy Karin could seemingly use an unlimited amount. Also, Ivy could shapeshift into anything the same mass as her which wasn't human, whereas Victoria could only shapeshift into female forms the same mass as her; she didn't want to pass as male.

Also, Victoria's form, a tan-skinned Samoan-Canadian-American woman was her default form and that was fixed.

They got on due to having common interests in cars, food and drink and Ivy occasionally used Victoria's fixer abilities, although not that often now. Victoria was considering letting Ivy know about a great car she'd found for her - a 2008 Hyundai Sonata 3.3 V6 Limited in Toronto. With its powerful 234hp V6 engine and stylish looks, it was quite good; Victoria owned one she'd imported from Canada too.
Also, it may have been nearly 15 years old but still looked good even now.

Sure, it was a Canadian car so would have got a cheaper price in New Cottington, but the Sonata had anonymity on its side; a perfect car for superheroes in their civilian identities if ever there was one.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Geraint Akerman

...

Inside Mark's head, he was comparing ideas for entry. 'A sneak attack is so cliche anyone would see it coming, but...' Mark had his plan.

"A team of 3 would be the main infiltration force. The rest go around taking out guards, so this Vester guy has nothing to throw at us. If we can-" Mark's phone pinged to interrupt him. "Excuse me." he said, stepping back to check his texts.

...

"Under normal circumstances I would agree with that, but with the way Vester operates I think we have a safer option. As soon as someone notices one of the cult is missing, Vester will go on alert and once he starts using illusions, none of us will know what is real and what isn't and that makes this far more dangerous than it needs to be," Akerman put in on top of everyone else, raising his voice ever-so-slightly to be heard over the hubub, "Owen, you pick one of the shape shifters and try to lure and overpower one of the cultists. The shifter then takes on their form and replaces them within Vester's organisation - nobody is any the wiser. With Owen's read and the shifter in the building we will be able to get an accurate picture of what we are up against."

For Owen, JJ's aura would flash with sudden excitement. She clearly wanted to be involved in that part of the operation, though there were other shape shifters to pick from and she was a bit volatile...

"We then bring an infiltration specialist into the building. Any takers?" he put to the group,

"That person's mission is to take out Vester. Specifically get a psychic restraint collar around his neck. The shifter will assist them while trying to maintain their cover, just in case we need them later," he continued, "One person, and I need another volunteer, will take on the 'big hero' role that..." he paused, squinting at Jason, before realising who he was, "... that Jason suggested. If we need a distraction they enter and try to draw as much attention as possible. Give Vester what he wants and expects to see and keep his attention fixed on you."

"When Vester is out of the way, the rest of us swoop in and take down the cultists with as little bloodshed as possible. As I mentioned earlier, these are brainwashed stage hands and actors. We don't want casualties," he finished before repeating, "So volunteers for someone to be the 'infiltration specialist' and 'big hero'?"

[The United Federation of Terrans]

Evelyn "Kraken" Briggs

"A team of 3 would be the main infiltration force. The rest go around taking out guards, so this Vester guy has nothing to throw at us. If we can-" Mark's phone pinged to interrupt him. "Excuse me." he said, stepping back to check his texts.

Evelyn gave a snort of amusement. Mark, Nightwolf, Wolfman, whatever his name was; definitely had a blunt approach to things. It probably would have worked while if the building was full of drug dealing gangsters and not a devoted cult of washed up and wannabe actors. Then there was the hostage; not that Evelyn really wanted her to die she wasn't a fan of Mrs. Jones.

Her last piece on Evelyn's use of a bus as makeshift ram was rather unflattering. The footage was also clearly biased; not showing the hulking figure that Evelyn had rammed the vehicle into repeatedly just to subdue them. Needless, to say Evelyn was not a fan and a lesser person would have let that affect the mission. Evelyn luckily had experience with far worse personal considerations. So Jones' safety was not a problem.

She turned her attention back to the briefing. Grison had carried on after a brief pause to explain why they couldn't roam the building thumping heads.

"We then bring an infiltration specialist into the building. Any takers?" he put to the group,

"That person's mission is to take out Vester. Specifically get a psychic restraint collar around his neck. The shifter will assist them while trying to maintain their cover, just in case we need them later," he continued, "One person, and I need another volunteer, will take on the 'big hero' role that..." he paused, squinting at Jason, before realising who he was, "... that Jason suggested. If we need a distraction they enter and try to draw as much attention as possible. Give Vester what he wants and expects to see and keep his attention fixed on you."

"When Vester is out of the way, the rest of us swoop in and take down the cultists with as little bloodshed as possible. As I mentioned earlier, these are brainwashed stage hands and actors. We don't want casualties," he finished before repeating, "So volunteers for someone to be the 'infiltration specialist' and 'big hero'?"

Evelyn visibly tensed slightly at the words "infiltration specialist". She glanced at Jason and- Yep, the agent was watching her out of the corner of his eye. His stance more then familiar to her. He had worked with her when that particular title was one of her many specialities. Hell, Jason had ben her support for some of her hardest missions.

Well he had also been-

Evelyn stopped as she felt a familiar presence stroke against the edge of her telepathic shields. She bit back the groan and swung her gaze to Owen.

"Owen...." There was a hint of warning in her voice. She didn't know how Owen read people; she just knew he did it differently from the way she was "trained". Still didn't mean she couldn't feel it. Or even like it. "You know how I feel about reading-"

"Briggs can take the infiltration route." Evelyn swung her angry gaze once again to Jason's corner. She could see his smirk even in the shadows and she sent another minor tendril of push into the man's gut. She saw him double over and let a satisfied grin curl her lips up before she realized that Grison had turned his attention to both her and the shadowed agent. Biting back the groan of annoyance; Evelyn turned to Grison and sighed before she raised her hand with a slumped shoulder.

"I can sneak in. I'm rusty but it can't be too hard right?" A coughing laugh came from the corner and Evelyn huffed in annoyance. Jason swaggered out of the shadows. He didn't appear bothered by her most recent telekinetic punch and she wondered if he just put on reactions. Jason didn't seem to care though as he swaggered to a stop next to Evelyn and finally took his sunglasses off.

"If ya don't mind boss; I'll take one of my rifles and go set myself in a hidey hole. Nothing deadly mind you. Just a bit of surveillance and looking around." Evelyn wasn't sure why or even how Jason's accent warbled all over the place at will. But he had dialed the twang up full now and she rolled her eyes in annoyance.Jason didn't notice, or didn't care, and he continued on. "I'll even take one of yours with me. Just to keep an eye on me."

[Bingellia]

Meryl Callahan

---

Callahan nodded along as the discussion bounced around the room. The new one, Mark, seemed eager, and his ideas were sound enough once tempered by Akerman. Rookies and Sergeants were seemed to be everywhere. Of course, she felt it was missing something from her police police days. This was a clear cut hostage crisis and going in without active over-watch was a bad idea, even if they were all supers. But she could only trust Ms. Karin to spot for her or vice versa.

And then a face she wasn't quite sure she recognized spoke up, but people talked and the grumbling about a CIA Liaison was impossible to miss. Between his demeanor, the unfamiliarity, and, while she was one to talk, the outfit, it absolutely wasn't hard to guess who the agent was in the room. He was likely great by military and used to high risk situations. The cowgirl wagered he would fit in here, in time, even as she side-eyed the Texan.

"To build on Mister..." Callahan spoke up in her usual accent, pausing as she squinted at Jason as though it would conjure up his name.

"The gentleman's idea," she corrected herself, "I suggest we send a few of us sharpshooters, whether with guns or powers, to buildings around the compound to provide overwatch to the infiltration team. It would do us no good if they got bushwacked after a mistake while the rest of us rush to help them.

She couldn't stop the slight smirk growing on her features as the small woman continued, "And I, of course, offer my rifle for the endeavor."

[Demencia]

Sofia Gilmore
Octagon House, New Cottington

For a team of supposedly professional heroes, there sure was a lot of weird things going on that might make someone think it was an amateur group. Truly a curious bunch, not the sort that Sofia would associate with willingly. She wasn't particularly interested in the personal affairs of the team, gossip wasn't something she was fond of.

Eventually there was an attempt to force the group onto task, and hopefully it would stay there. "Now I can't do anything about the 'hero' part of the idea, but if all you need is a distraction," she said, "I can't think of many things more distracting than hellfire and brimstone showing up at your front door." Of course while Sophia was doing the volunteering, none of that really mattered if the demon refused to go along with the idea, but she didn't mention that part. "I imagine that would draw a lot of attention quickly."

An alert buzzed to her phone and she looked down at it. A popular video game developer was going up for sale, after denying it for years. Sofia stared at the device for a little bit, mulling over the idea before typing out a message suggesting the Gilmore Corporation throw their hat into the ring.

[Nova Catania]

Mark West

"Karin. Ivy Karin. You could call me Resemblance, because my powers allow me to resemble anyone." Ivy said all that while making sure there was no Russian accent in her voice. Ivy shook Mark's hand.

Mark seemed sad, and Ivy was concerned. "Is there anything wrong? Can I do anything to help?"

"Nice to meet you." said Mark. He saw that she had noticed his distraught expression, and offered to help. "Long story short, my roommate Lana is going on a date with another guy, and umm, well, I kind of, sort of, look, I just need, like, a fake girlfriend to, you know, well, you know." he said.

'What am I doing?' he asked himself.

Mark quickly turned his attention back to the planning.

"Under normal circumstances I would agree with that, but with the way Vester operates I think we have a safer option. As soon as someone notices one of the cult is missing, Vester will go on alert and once he starts using illusions, none of us will know what is real and what isn't and that makes this far more dangerous than it needs to be," Akerman put in on top of everyone else, raising his voice ever-so-slightly to be heard over the hubub

"Fair enough." said Mark, rather unhappily.

'Still think it's a good idea' thought Mark.

"We then bring an infiltration specialist into the building. Any takers?" he put to the group,

"That person's mission is to take out Vester. Specifically get a psychic restraint collar around his neck. The shifter will assist them while trying to maintain their cover, just in case we need them later," he continued, "One person, and I need another volunteer, will take on the 'big hero' role that..." he paused, squinting at Jason, before realising who he was, "... that Jason suggested. If we need a distraction they enter and try to draw as much attention as possible. Give Vester what he wants and expects to see and keep his attention fixed on you."

"When Vester is out of the way, the rest of us swoop in and take down the cultists with as little bloodshed as possible. As I mentioned earlier, these are brainwashed stage hands and actors. We don't want casualties," he finished before repeating, "So volunteers for someone to be the 'infiltration specialist' and 'big hero'?"

"I'll do it!" said Mark strongly, stepping forward. "Infiltration, stealth, that's my thing." he said confidently.

[Zaambate Te Ahaa]

"Hey, nevermind me, I'll look over this way for a bit." Owen chuckled a little, mouth closed, but suppressed the urge to laugh fully. He saw how Jason was faring under Evelyn's scrutiny, and he wanted no part of it, so instead he sighed, and repeated his earlier observation of 'we have fun here.' In truth, he was having fun, and the idea that he were solely recon (and a little clean up on guard duty) gave him the security in his assured continuation that allowed him to think clearly. Owen started scrutinizing for his part, and that was something he wasn't terribly fond of.

They were all adults, and they knew full well it was all business, and nothing personal, but something in him was at constant guard not to, for lack of any more appropriate way to put it, hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone feel left out. He preferred volunteers (especially sturdy ones, like Luka), but thankfully Jason seemed to make it just a little bit easier for him. If indeed Briggs went for the infiltration route later in the plan, that narrowed it down to three. J.J. was Owen's first choice, for her enthusiasm, but neither Victoria nor Ivy were his second or last. Ivy had the experience, and for Owen's plans at a decrease in life insurance premiums that sounded most appropriate.

But Owen was an absolute sucker, and he didn't feel like his part was particularly risky, and the closest thing he'd gotten to a volunteer was the flash. He smiled knowingly, and pointed a single finger in JJ's direction. "I saw that." He wagged his finger slightly. "Ms. Cuttlefish, if I can get you in that building, can you behave yourself?" To be fair, Owen barely saw it, and that was the problem with shapeshifters.

A super's aura, as said, is much brighter than those around them, and regularly hanging around four shapeshifters gave Owen a comprehensive idea on how to discern them from other supers. Their auras were bright, but the light itself that they radiated was rainbow, and it moved a bit like the ripples on a pond in a slight wind, each wave a different color of the rainbow. It was entertaining at first, but seeking any further than that was annoying, like trying to find a needle in one of four cans of paint. Their feelings were there, beneath the light, inside the paint, but JJ's emotional outburst, which was perceptible to no one but 'ol witch-eyes Horrowitz shone through as clear as daylight. More accurately, like the brief beam one sees of a lighthouse beam before it turns aside. Owen raised up an eyebrow, now bored of his own metaphors.

[Voxija]

Ivy "Resemblance" Karin

"Nice to meet you." said Mark. He saw that she had noticed his distraught expression, and offered to help. "Long story short, my roommate Lana is going on a date with another guy, and umm, well, I kind of, sort of, look, I just need, like, a fake girlfriend to, you know, well, you know." he said.

'What am I doing?' he asked himself.

Mark quickly turned his attention back to the planning.

Ivy almost laughed. Mark wanted almost exactly to do what Ivy also wanted to do. This was the sort of thing that only happened in movies. But then again, they all had superpowers, so... That kind of thinking was probably what allowed Vester's cult. Ivy wanted to say that she needed a fake boyfriend, too, but Mark was engrossed in mission planning. Good for him. Sometimes, this team was too unprofessional. Ivy will talk to Mark after this meeting. If Ivy wasn't willing to help someone in need, she wouldn't have become a superhero.

[Khasinkonia]

April Showers
The Wine Cellar

Though a bit tardy on account of having to tidy up from her most recent endeavours in the kitchen—April had been attempting to make hand-pies with a variety of fillings to pass the morning—she did just barely catch the initial briefing. Perhaps it was wise to have left her apron to be spot-cleaned later one after all.

Callahan was not alone in dressing anachronistically, as April Showers, her pseudonym that she used for work with the Sentinels, dressed like a prim young Edwardian woman. While not opposed to the costume, April herself, when she was just being Sally, preferred to wear light-wash jeans and a nice-but-not-too-nice blouse—something easy but stylish all the same as long as she had her hair done nicely.

After thinking for a time as to how she might help, April’s hand shot up as if she were in a classroom.

“Do we know if Mr. Vester’s illusion powers are dynamic? If he has to control them manually, I could throw rain, snow, or something to that effect at an inconsistent pattern to overstimulate him such that the folks on the inside might be able to tell what’s illusion and what isn’t by what is and isn’t wet. Would that be of any use, do we know?”

[Dyelli Beybi]

JJ Triggs

...

But Owen was an absolute sucker, and he didn't feel like his part was particularly risky, and the closest thing he'd gotten to a volunteer was the flash. He smiled knowingly, and pointed a single finger in JJ's direction. "I saw that." He wagged his finger slightly. "Ms. Cuttlefish, if I can get you in that building, can you behave yourself?" To be fair, Owen barely saw it, and that was the problem with shapeshifters.

A super's aura, as said, is much brighter than those around them, and regularly hanging around four shapeshifters gave Owen a comprehensive idea on how to discern them from other supers. Their auras were bright, but the light itself that they radiated was rainbow, and it moved a bit like the ripples on a pond in a slight wind, each wave a different color of the rainbow. It was entertaining at first, but seeking any further than that was annoying, like trying to find a needle in one of four cans of paint. Their feelings were there, beneath the light, inside the paint, but JJ's emotional outburst, which was perceptible to no one but 'ol witch-eyes Horrowitz shone through as clear as daylight. More accurately, like the brief beam one sees of a lighthouse beam before it turns aside. Owen raised up an eyebrow, now bored of his own metaphors.

"I'll try to," she answered, with a cheeky grin, "Though we should try to knock out someone fun," she gave a short laugh, "Hey, this is excellent! I'm going to get to practice my acting by acting like an actor who isn't acting. If we take down some B-list actor, then you guys can feed me information on their character from 'Us Weekly'. See, never say I didn't come up with good ideas!"

---

Geraint Akerman

Evelyn "Kraken" Briggs
...

"If ya don't mind boss; I'll take one of my rifles and go set myself in a hidey hole. Nothing deadly mind you. Just a bit of surveillance and looking around." Evelyn wasn't sure why or even how Jason's accent warbled all over the place at will. But he had dialed the twang up full now and she rolled her eyes in annoyance.Jason didn't notice, or didn't care, and he continued on. "I'll even take one of yours with me. Just to keep an eye on me."

Meryl Callahan

---

....
She couldn't stop the slight smirk growing on her features as the small woman continued, "And I, of course, offer my rifle for the endeavor."

"Alright, Callahan and Mister Greene, you are on overwatch," Akerman nodded, "Obviously only take a shot if you think someone is going to get killed."

April Showers
The Wine Cellar

...

“Do we know if Mr. Vester’s illusion powers are dynamic? If he has to control them manually, I could throw rain, snow, or something to that effect at an inconsistent pattern to overstimulate him such that the folks on the inside might be able to tell what’s illusion and what isn’t by what is and isn’t wet. Would that be of any use, do we know?”

"I'm not sure exactly what you mean by dynamic but they are just illusions, but very strong ones. Your abilities will defnintely be useful. If there is a fire, for instance, and you try to put it out. If it goes out it was a real fire. If it doesn't it's probably not real," Akerman volunteered. He was't quite sure what April meant, but hoped he was getting the gist of it, "From what I understand the illusions are pretty powerful. You might, for instance, feel the heat of the fire I mentioned before, but were you to put your hand in it, the illusion will dissipate... or burn you if it is actually a real fire."

He shrugged. Things would get complicated if they got that far.

"Okay so this is the plan, we all move on the studio and take up position out of eyeline. Callahan and Mister Greene will take up positions and advise on the movement of targets. JJ and Owen will then try to knock out someone with access to the building and Owen will try to get a good read off their belongings. JJ will replace the person, go inside and check the place out and locate Vester. She will then let Nightwolf into the building and try to neutralise Vester," he paused, looked at Triggs for a moment before adding, "Non-lethally neutralise. Sedate him, don't jam that spike through his spinal chord."

JJ gave him a look of wide-eyed innocence, "Never dream of it," she said. Owen would probably see that was a lie.

"If the opportunity presents itself, Jones might be able to help. She's stuck in an illusionary ring of fire somewhere inside. Don't leave her standing there, even if you think that might be funny -" that was probably also aimed at Triggs "- If all goes according to plan, the rest of us can then enter the premises and neutralise the cultists. If one of you is able to cut the power after taking Vester down that would make things easier," Ackerman continued, "If it doesn't go quite as planned... we'll improvise, but the goal should be to get to Vester and knock him out as quickly as possible. Does anyone have any questions?" he finished, "Otherwise, get suited up and ready to roll!"

[Nova Catania]

"Okay so this is the plan, we all move on the studio and take up position out of eyeline. Callahan and Mister Greene will take up positions and advise on the movement of targets. JJ and Owen will then try to knock out someone with access to the building and Owen will try to get a good read off their belongings. JJ will replace the person, go inside and check the place out and locate Vester. She will then let Nightwolf into the building and try to neutralise Vester," he paused, looked at Triggs for a moment before adding, "Non-lethally neutralise. Sedate him, don't jam that spike through his spinal chord."

Mark nodded as his role was explained.

Does anyone have any questions?" he finished, "Otherwise, get suited up and ready to roll!"

"I'm ready!" said Mark as he put his helmet on. He was eager to prove himself today.

[West Bromwich Holme]

Victoria Lopamaua-Holmes
Octagon House

Victoria walked towards Geraint Akerman, and approached him.

"Hello", she said.

As it were, she didn't often interact with him, so her interactions were slightly stiff and formal. But to her, that was due to having other commitments. She was a member yet also a freelancer.

"So, what's going on? Haven't had much chance to do much Sentinel work due to my other jobs", Victoria said, somewhat tersely but formally.

In her mind, she was thinking "EMAIL... MUST RESPOND TO EMAILS... GOT A CLIENT WHO NEEDS A REPLY SOON!"

[The United Federation of Terrans]

Jason Green

[ "Otherwise, get suited up and ready to roll!"

Jason cast a glance at Nightwolf and wondered how stealthy a man in a full suit of armor could be. Then he gave a shrug of his shoulders and kicked off from where he had been standing. He knew his role and he didn't need to hear any of the questions from the rest of the team. There was enough time later for Jason to get a feel for the members. For now, it was time for him to retrieve some of his equipment from the truck.

Jason made sure to tip his hat in Ev's direction as he exited the room. Laughing when he felt the invisible force rip the hat off his head.

'Maybe things won't be so bad here.'

That thought accompanied him on his journey back to his truck.

********

Jason had taken the time to haul his equipment inside the house's foyer before arming up; not wanting to do it in the open or in the middle of the Sentinel's briefing room. He was sure they had an equipment room somewhere but he hadn't wanted to interrupt the briefing by asking that. So he clomped back into the briefing room in his equipment for the day.

He had left the insanely expensive and next generation MAV-19 armor in its case. Not wanting to bring it out for what should be a simple overwatch job. Instead he wore the same clothes he had arrived; with the addition of dark colored conventional body armor thrown over his hoodie. Grey tactical kneepads covered his joints and hard knuckled gloves protected his hands. The red ball cap and sunglasses were still there. Though now a tan colored shemagh wrapped its way around his neck; ready to be pulled up around his face at a moment's notice. A small backpack stuffed with equipment and ammo protruded slightly from his back.

The agent carried a Mk.14 slung across his back. The tan rifle bore a large number of modifications; the most obvious was the large suppressor shrouding the barrel, and the long/short range optic combination that dominated the top rail. His Glock sat in a thigh holster; the black Kydex standing out against his jeans. A .44 magnum sat snuggly in a belly holster; a stark contrast to the array of pouches and magazines strapped across his vest front.

By human standards he was well armed. By the standards of some of the supes in the room; he was barely a threat.

Jason remembered the fact as he gave a sarcastic salute to Grison upon his return. He made his way back to his corner to wait for their depart-

Jason stopped as he almost collided with a woman dressed like she was going to a ball with King George.

"Oh begging your pardon miss?........ Jason knew her name. Her costume was too unique and the dossier was specific on that part. But he didn't want to annoy everyone with showing that he knew the summary of their life. So he left the question open ended as he stuck out a hand.



Evelyn "Kraken" Briggs"

Evelyn admitted she felt relieved that Nighwolf had been given the stealth mission. She might have been one in her past life; but she hadn't practiced her skillset in the years since then. So she made sure that the new arrival understood she wasn't bitter.

"Best of luck." She reinforced it with a telekinetic pat on the man's shoulder given the distance between them. Then she went off to pull on her uniform. It was a simple thing; a variation of her Specter Team uniform. A dark blue jumpsuit with ballistic gel inserts covering her torso and running down her arms. A harness was thrown over the jumpsuit for small things Evelyn might need to stow for the mission. A synthetic dark blue balaclava covered her features while slightly tinted goggles hid her eyes from general view. A simplified octopus adorned her back; the best she could do at branding without going overboard.

She returned in short order; being used to donning the uniform in far more urgent conditions. Her mask was pulled up to her forehead along with her goggles for now; leaving her features openly amused as she took in the newly arrived Jason almost plow over April.

Evelyn gave a shake of her head before she fell into a seat beside a random sentinel member; which happened to be Luka in this case.

"Luka." Evelyn said it with a glance at the Comet; keeping her attention on Jason as she debated sending another telekinetic tendril to mess with the agent.

[Dyelli Beybi]

Geraint Akerman

Victoria Lopamaua-Holmes
Octagon House

Victoria walked towards Geraint Akerman, and approached him.

"Hello", she said.

As it were, she didn't often interact with him, so her interactions were slightly stiff and formal. But to her, that was due to having other commitments. She was a member yet also a freelancer.

"So, what's going on? Haven't had much chance to do much Sentinel work due to my other jobs", Victoria said, somewhat tersely but formally.
...

Geraint blinked in surprise. Who else had missed the briefing? Hopefully the others had been paying attention, "We're going to the film studio belonging to Dirk Vester, a rogue supe who has kidnapped a reporter. If you're coming with us, suit up and join the main party. Your job will be to non-lethally take down any of his cult members who want to put up a fight once the infiltration team has, hopefully, taken Vester out of the picture."

He paused, "All clear?" he asked, "If so I'll go and get dressed then bring a van out front."

---

JJ Triggs

"I'm ready!" said Mark as he put his helmet on. He was eager to prove himself today.

Triggs vanished, reappearing a few minutes later wearing a rather baggy hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. They were not the most flattering, or the most heroic looking, though her job was to turn into someone else and would, presumably, steal their clothes in the process. She gave a quick glance around the people in the wine cellar. Some of them definitely weren't ready to go yet and Ackerman seemed to be explaining his plan to someone again. She sidled across to Mark, "So, we were talking about uniforms before. I want something glamorous, something you could give an action figure to wear... and it would need to be something I could get out of quickly if I was taking someone else's form..." she paused, but not long enough to give Mark a chance to actually respond to her, before gleefully declaring "Catsuit!"

[West Bromwich Holme]

Geraint Akerman

Victoria Lopamaua-Holmes
Octagon House

Victoria walked towards Geraint Akerman, and approached him.

"Hello", she said.

As it were, she didn't often interact with him, so her interactions were slightly stiff and formal. But to her, that was due to having other commitments. She was a member yet also a freelancer.

"So, what's going on? Haven't had much chance to do much Sentinel work due to my other jobs", Victoria said, somewhat tersely but formally.
...

Geraint blinked in surprise. Who else had missed the briefing? Hopefully the others had been paying attention, "We're going to the film studio belonging to Dirk Vester, a rogue supe who has kidnapped a reporter. If you're coming with us, suit up and join the main party. Your job will be to non-lethally take down any of his cult members who want to put up a fight once the infiltration team has, hopefully, taken Vester out of the picture."

He paused, "All clear?" he asked, "If so I'll go and get dressed then bring a van out front."

---

Victoria Lopamaua-Holmes
Octagon House

"Yes, I now understand about this." Victoria said. "Sorry for missing the meeting, unfortunately still have commitments and when the meeting was on, I was travelling back from a meeting I'd already had; there was this guy in New Cottington who agreed to meet me to test-drive and sell my old 2014 Ford Explorer XLT SUV which I was selling off for around $24,000. I'd sold it online, they agreed to meet within the week".

Victoria had to get to Kansas City (the Missouri side) to find a supe about something, although why she was going was classified.

"I'm sorry I can't come to this assignment, but y'know, I've got to see a supe now", she said, her accent shifting to Californian, SoCal in tone. "A supe in Kansas City, the Missouri not Kansas side, who apparently needs me to come to her, but should I get her to come here? She's 27, and never really used her supe powers. What's your thoughts?"

Victoria had to ask the question, felt it was important enough.

[Nova Catania]

Mark West

"Best of luck." She reinforced it with a telekinetic pat on the man's shoulder given the distance between them.

"Thanks." said Mark to Evelyn. Then, he felt a pat on his shoulder, despite no-one being next to him. "What the-?" Mark said, looking at his shoulder, then to Evelyn. "Was that you?" asked Mark feeling more amused than frightened.

Triggs vanished, reappearing a few minutes later wearing a rather baggy hoodie and tracksuit bottoms. They were not the most flattering, or the most heroic looking, though her job was to turn into someone else and would, presumably, steal their clothes in the process. She gave a quick glance around the people in the wine cellar. Some of them definitely weren't ready to go yet and Ackerman seemed to be explaining his plan to someone again. She sidled across to Mark, "So, we were talking about uniforms before. I want something glamorous, something you could give an action figure to wear... and it would need to be something I could get out of quickly if I was taking someone else's form..." she paused, but not long enough to give Mark a chance to actually respond to her, before gleefully declaring "Catsuit!"

Mark went back to mission prep then Jocelyn snuck up on him and started talking. He respectfully waited for his chance to say something. Quickly repressing the mental images that came to his mind when he heard the word 'catsuit', he refocused on the conversation at hand. He took off his helmet, because he considered it rude to have a conversation with the helmet on.

"Listen, I'm an engineer, not a fashion designer." he said to her. Then he noticed Evelyn's uniform. "Something like that, however, I can engineer" he said, pointing at Evelyn's suit.