International Defenders: Midsummer Gathering(IC)

[Legokiller]

OOC Thread

Defender’s Mansion

The Brass Sage stood outside of her own estate in a midsummer day, shining clearly without any hinderstance of a rolling cloud in the sky. A time of day most heroes aren’t kindle to meet up. Such place would definitely be up on the rooftop in the blackened night of a major city like Silver City before a true meet up in an office. But the crafty summoner and sage of magecraft prefer the humble countryside in her family estate of a classy noble manor with a farmstead. Sure, there’s a secret underground facility below the mansion, but that’s for the tour much later.

The summoner and superheroine known as the Brass Sage, an ebony woman with a voluptuous figure with a flowing black bob hair, and a showy white leotard with silver outlines, with cleavage down to the navel, was on a dangerous mission. One that requires cooperation with others to face an well-organized and tight knit villainess group, and a hard nut to crack. They can beat the strongest of her summons and she narrowly escaped thanks to her bright blue levitation cloak. The Brass Sage knew any wrong step and the reputation of the heroes of the Defenders will be tanish before it can make a name of itself. But the gamble to prevent a great calamity towards the welfare of the region and the globe.

“Brass Sage.” One of the servants of the Mansion, a penguin dressed as a maid, approached the summoner. “It’s time for the first conference of the Defenders. The big guests will be arriving shortly.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Peril.” Brass Sage claimly floated back inside of the estate.

The gathering of heroes and viliginte across the globe would assemble around the white-clothed round table of the conference room. A fitting symbol, for all members who join are equals and have admirable strength. It will only be a matter of time until everyone sat down for the first briefing.

[Dyste]

The Empire of Great Corneria was once one of the most powerful nations in Mystria, but in modern times it was a shell of its former self. Many it its conquered lands either became free or protectorates of Dyste, another nation that splintered off the mainland. This meant that those lands was been mostly peaceful for a while... and with peace came boredom, especially if you were an up-and-coming superhero!

The Silver Dragoon knew this quite well; while she was immensely skilled, there was no challenge for her stopping muggers and jewel thieves, law enforcement could do all of that without her. There needs to be more to do, she thought. But then the invitation came for her. How could she say no?

Arriving in Silverdale under her secret identity, she went to a backalley in the capital to change into her armor, a silver armor with a dragon motif. While the armor appeared a fair bit impractical (her stomach was exposed, the middle part almost looked more like a skirt, and the helm did leave some of her lower jaw exposed), she was confident in its ability to protect her and her identity. She then set out, leaping around to get around faster.

When out on the countryside, she had found her usual tactic of jumping and running across rooftops was far less effective than when in the city. Sure, she could leap from tree to tree, but sometimes there were stretches of land with none of that and she had to... ugh... walk like a normal person. Now she knew how Spider-Bold felt from those Dystan comics she had read.

Finally reaching the estate, she knocked on the door, then hid on a spot above for one of the staff to open the door.

"Beware of the stalking dragon that seeks out evildoers and protects the innocent! For this land is protected by the Lady of the Lance, the Knight of the Night!" She landed by the door, causing a cloud of colored smoke to appear behind her as she formed her weapon out of seemingly nothingness into a glaive, spinning it around and sticking it into the ground, causing a small explosive effect, "THE SILVER DRAGOON!"

She then just saw the person who opened the door for her just staring blankly, and the hallways otherwise nearly empty. "Let me guess... I'm actually the first to arrive, aren't I?" She sighed, picking back up her weapon and causing it to vanish. "Just great... I guess take me to the conference room, and I'll wait for the others." Maybe next time she should be fashionably late, and also work some more on the speech. Maybe a few fireworks as well...

[Rohane Alista]

George Allambur was a slightly nervous man as his plane landed in Silver City. He had never been outside Rohane Alista, not that that meant much when the whole nation underwent absolute chaos. He stepped off the plane with his carry on, did the proper thing by getting his visa approved, and grabbed his checked bag out of the plane before it was even unloaded.

He quickly made his way out of the airport, then brought up the map on his watch. Unfortunately, it was much too far to just teleport himself there- “only for now!” he told himself- so he hailed a taxi to a nearby hotel. He was still a novice, almost entirely unskilled and completely untrained, and even grabbing his bag had been draining. His hope was that this odd email he had received, which somehow has made it through his spam filters, wasn't an elaborate scam. If it was, he was already out a thousand bucks on the flight, so he couldn't really afford to lose more.

As he rested in the taxi, he reflected. A magic storm larger than anything else ever recorded had swept over the nation, causing chaos for a week straight. Still, a nuclear engineer working at a plant didn't get free time during disasters, and he'd worked almost nonstop to ensure no damage was caused to the plant. Luckily everything was safe, and the fog and storm passed.

It was shortly after that George noticed his powers. Getting places just a little too fast, grabbing things just a little too far away, seeming to react just a little too quick, nothing added up. But George was a scientist, and so he came up with hypotheses and tested them, starting from the obvious and likely and slowly working his way to the absurd. Eventually he figured it out- teleportation, happening unconsciously.

He'd taken extended leave from his job, for medical issues he claimed, and went home. His family had long since passed away and he had no friends to speak of, so he merely spent the days practicing at home and wondering what to do now, when he'd received the email.

It was at this point the driver alerted George they were at the destination, and he paid and grabbed his bags, waving the taxi away before shifting as he'd taken to calling it, as far as he could. The other side of the hotel. After a moment's rest, another shift a little farther away, and again, and again.

After almost an hour and a half George was within sight of the manor. He sat, rested, and had a drink before making the final shift to the doorway and knocking. He was panting and sweating, and felt like falling into a bed and slipping into a coma, but he'd done it. Now he really hoped this wasn't a scam as he was lead inside...

[Malgrave]

Erika Montagna felt herself getting over excited as her plane landed in Silver City, in the past few years she had travelled abroad to Kouralia and the eccentric Dornalian Republic for work and relaxation purposes, but the idea of visiting another country to visit a conference for empowered individuals still struck her as something from a science fiction novel, and she had to concentrate as she collected her carry-on luggage so that she didn't frighten any of the nearby civilians by moving at an inhuman rate of speed.

As she stepped inside a pre-ordered cab she felt her mind drift back to the strange email she had received a few days ago. It was entirely possible that the email was some sort of strange scam, or even a plot developed by an evil figure to try and trap good-natured empowered individuals, but she had let an old friend from the SIS analyze the information and they hadn't found any red flags in the emails origin, and so she felt content to spend several hundred Malvians on accommodation and transport arrangements.

Erika was quite curious to understand how the individual responsible for arranging this meeting had tracked her down, the containment failure in the lab that caused her to gain her powers was well known in Malgrave but even the increasingly invasive SIS wasn't aware that she had gained the abilities to travel at newfound speeds. In any case, she was quite disappointed about the location of the meeting, it had required the use of a private automobile and as a Malgravean she would've preferred somewhere that could've been accessed reliably by public transport.

After a quick stop at a nearby hotel to drop off her luggage Erika found herself on the road again. A small benefit of hiring a private vehicle was that Erika was able to inform the local driver about the history of her homeland, including a relatively brief background of the ancestors and how they had laid the foundations for the current Malgravean nation before ascending to a higher plane. Of course, she doubted that the local driver would look up the local Ancestral Study Group and become a supporter of the ancient origin theory, but it did distract herself from the nervous energy she had experienced for the past few hours, and she soon found herself outside of the Defender's Mansion.

In typical fashion, Erika was wearing a t-shirt from Adventurer High depicting a comical scene between Amelia and Gracie from the popular "Body Swap" episode and a comfortable looking pair of jeans, and she couldn't help but feel rather underdressed as she was led into the mansion.

[New Dornalia]

Silver City Airport

The solitary figure exiting the airport with the large backpack around her shoulders and the carryon bag walked out onto the sidewalk. If someone cared to notice, they would have seen that the young woman didn't seem overburdened in the slightest with all of her equipment. Part of it was her frame--somewhat short by Dornalian standards, she seemed unusually athletic in build. She had a pair of cat's ears on the top of her head, and wore aviator sunglasses and had her cat's tail in the right spot. She seemed more focused frankly, on keeping an eye at the terrain and the people around her. Her expression would seem hostile, but in reality was more cautious and slightly suspicious than anything else. It was her usual attitude when traveling abroad. The Farm had taught her to be aware of her surroundings. Even in a veritable Sugar Bowl like the nation of Silverdale, one could never know when the next danger was coming. After all, penguins could bite.

The young woman saw a Penguin with a sign saying, "Amelia Obregon," standing next to a cab. Amelia wished they didn't use her full name, but well, such was the custom of airports and so on that the name got used. Nodding, she walked to the penguin, who began to help her move her goods into the cab's trunk. As he struggled to help move the goods into the trunk, the penguin said, "Damn! What do you have in these bags?" The neko shrugged, and effortlessly moved the bags into the trunk herself with a simple, "Travel supplies." The neko thought to herself just how good it was the penguin hadn't asked about the supplies. He might have been quite worried if the truth came out. She then stepped aside, let the penguin close the trunk, and then got inside the backseat. The cab drove onwards, and the woman stared out the window as the cab moved through the city.

Being in cabs like this gave her time to think as to why and how she ended up in this place.

Like the others, she had received an email. An invitation to come to this place, for some big powwow involving supers of all sorts. Defenders of the little guy. She was scared at first. Given the enemies she had made in the past, Amelia had half-expected someone to reveal her identity and let nature take its course. One didn't wage war on the streets without getting noticed, after all--

"Ma'am?"

The driver woke her out of her quiet contemplation. Amelia turned to the driver and said, "Yes?"

"Oh, just wanted to make some conversation. Gonna be a long drive to our destination."

Amelia nodded. It was going to be one of those trips. To be fair, Amelia didn't mind small talk, but her instincts told her to keep a watch on what got said. Doing government work taught her that OPSEC was everyone's responsibility. You didn't say too much about what you did--or if you were a Company woman like she was, you didn't say a damn thing and just told people you did statistics or boring paper pushing. Amelia indulged the penguin by saying with a nod, "Well, I don't mind the length. I'm still a bit jet-lagged from the trip."

"Thought you Dorns had things like spaceships and stuff? Or like, future things to combat jet lag?" the penguin said, puzzled.

Amelia smiled and said simply, "Maybe, but hey. Travel always takes it out of you. All the preparations, the sitting in a seat next to all kinds of characters--that sort of thing."

"Yeah, that's true." The Penguin then asked, "I hate to pry--but what brings you down here anyway? Some of my boys keep saying there's been a lot of people renting cabs and coming into town. It's a bonanza out there, but I never thought we were that popular."

Amelia returned to that interrupted thought from earlier. The email. Amelia wouldn't say anything about it to the Penguin, but she had been invited yes, by the same email which had reached the others. Amelia had been concerned, but in the end her instincts and her skulldiggery confirmed it was legit. And to be fair, she did need to get out of the city to keep the heat off of her, and others had volunteered to take up the slack in her absence.

Still, she did wonder why the International Defenders had picked her of all people to send the message to.

By anyone else's standards, she was not the flashy superhero or shonen anime heroine, or pro wrestling face type that told people to say their prayers and eat their vitamins. She was a soldier. She was a spy, even. Someone who happened to use her augmentations and the accumulated training and knowledge in efficient, ruthless warfighting skills to do the very necessary job the fucking Luxembourgia County Sheriff's Department, the Republican Marshals or the fucking Hammertongs PD should have done in the first place. Stop the vultures preying upon the lower habs, so the people could live in peace--by any means necessary. And as Deputy Director Colby had mentioned at The Farm, one had to assume there were no rules when there was a job to be done, because the opposition sure as hell didn't play by the rules. Justice was delivered at gunpoint, but even she had enough presence of mind to know that a one-woman guerilla war against crime had to have more shades of grey than normally found with a group of do-gooders. So why bring her into this? Amelia would likely find the answer at Defenders' Mansion.

But for now, Amelia was content to merely say to the Penguin, "I'm just coming here for some business, friend. Got some matters to attend to with the management of that estate."

"Aaah," the Penguin said with a nod. "I gotcha. I'll take you to your destination."

Amelia nodded. This was going to be interesting work, for sure.

And as such, when all was said and done, Amelia was outside the mansion, pack and all. Thus, Amelia walked up to the door, and knocked, going, "Hello? I'm Amelia Obregon, I'm here for the email you sent?"

[A m e n r i a]

Nine Tails Headquarters, Amenria, Reign of Hero Kings Earth

A tall, slim, woman stood before an interuniversal gate, activating it, creating a portal that glew deep blue. On the woman's back is her trusted rifle, the Black Widow, and on one hand in a small suitcase. Junghwa has always travelled light, even when going to other universes. As she was about to step into a portal, another woman, this one sitting on a wheelchair because of her lack of legs, appeared behind her.

The one on the wheelchair spoke, "Hey, Junghwa, where you goin'?" Yoo Junghwa looked back at her. "Another universe. They need a superhero and I have decided to help." "Okay then, be careful, see you!" The wheelchaired one smiled and waved to her friend. Junghwa nodded in response. "Thank you, goodbye."

Defenders Mansion, International Defenders Earth

A portal opened on a wall in the room with the round table. An Asian woman wearing a white shirt under an unzipped black leather jacket and tight, leather shorts walked through. She bowed. "I am Yoo Junghwa, here for the superhero gathering. I hope I'm not too late to offer my assistance."

[Legokiller]

Defender’s Mansion

“Master Brass Sage.” Pearl approached her master. “Our guests have arrived on time. Should I greet-”

The penguin maid was interrupted when the loud conference room alarm sounded off when the security talismans, which detected teleportation and plane shifts, went off. Pearl leaped into the air and landed besides Brass Sage, a crystalize throwing knife drawn from her outfit. Brass Sage, dismayed by the false alarm, stood up and gestured for Pearl to stand down. “Aegis.” She called out.

“Yes my lady.” The eerie feminine voice spoke.

“Chocolate Penguin Ice Cream.”

The Aegis deactivated the alarm has Pearl put her knife away. “I apologize for that mishap Miss Junghwa. The Aegis hasn’t registered friendly teleportation and other phantasms the members of the group as of late. It should be sorted out by the end of the day, so no need to be worried by that incident.” Brass Sage explained.

Pearl nodded as well. “This is just a routine safety measure.”

“Good to know!” shouted another maid from the front door.

The Brass Sage extended her arm out. “I’m Brass Sage by the way, the owner of this lovely homestead.”

The front door opened for the rest of the heroes to face a young cutie android maid with black hair. “Greeting, I am Lila, Brass Sage’s wonderful,delightful maid! My master is expecting you in the conference room. I shall guide you to her.” As Lila turned around, she stepped back at awe and confusion when the Silver Dragoon made her grand appearance.

“Well this is a good start indeed.” The Brass Sage joked when she heard the announcement. “Please come on in!” She boasted loudly.

Lila nodded and gestured from the group to follow her to the conference room. “If you need any drinks and food, feel free to make a request to any of the servants in the mansion.” She smiled. “I’m happy to serve.” She told the heroes as she walked to the conference room, which was a short walk.

[A m e n r i a]

Though she sort of expected a security measure, she was nonetheless surprised by the alarm, quickly drawing her rifle.

Luckily, the Brass Sage realised that she wasn't a hostile and turned off the alarm. As the kind host extended her hand, Junghwa took it and shook it firmly, nodding.

"I suppose our allies will be here soon? I'm curious as to what sort of threat you need me to handle."

[Dyste]

The Silver Dragoon gave the robotic maid a rather casual salute, "Salutations, my mechanical ally! Even if your heart is mechanical, it can still be filled with justice!" She wasn't just quipping as she moved into the conference room, though; she was also thinking about her cover. Given the amount of maids and servants, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to pose as one herself when she needed to take a civilian form. Also, it appeared whomever the Brass Sage was, she was pretty well-off, her darker skin tone making her think she had a particular heritage. Oh, already the foundation for an origin story!

Speaking of the Brass Sage, she proudly greeted herself back after the Silver Dragoon's own bombastic greeting. At the very least, she seemed to have a good amount of confidence in her voice, great for intimidating the bad guys even if her costume seemed more for alluring them. "My gratitude for your invitation, Brass Sage! As the descendant of the legendary hero himself, dragon blood flows through my veins, granting me great power! Together with my ancestor's armor and weapon, I will be a tireless avenger for the sake of this land!" She stopped posing afterwards and took a lower, more quiet tone, "... though I must warn you, while most people won't be looking at your face, some still will be, and if someone finds out what you look like in your civilian form, you might certainly have trouble." She walked away to the conference room with Lila afterwards.

She ordered a bit of food, requesting to try the local cuisine; she needed to integrate into the culture if she was to disguise herself as a resident of Silverdale. She looked over the other heroes as they joined her, something bugging her the entire time, until she couldn't take it any more... "Okay, really, everyone?! You call these superhero costumes? Most of you aren't wearing masks or any way to hide your face. And you," she pointed at Amelia, "Did you just use your real name?! What if someone here was secretly a dastardly villain infiltrating our ranks!? Oh, for the love of Bahamut, some work is going to be needed for all of you. But never fear, for the Silver Dragoon is nothing if not a team player! I will aid anyone who wants some touch-ups to their costumes. Either way, I look forward to working with all of you!" She took a dramatic bow before sitting down to eat her food, like a normal person; there were some tasks even someone like her could do normally, it seemed.

[New Dornalia]

Amelia certainly had quite the entrance. One moment, she was being greeted by a robotic maid--whom she addressed with a polite nod--and then the next moment, being treated to a declaration of intent by a superhero calling herself the Silver Dragoon. The declaration of intent it seemed, was less a declaration of intent than a bombastic speech worthy of say, a Hollywood action film or the Galactic Wrestling Enterprise's War in the Stars shows. Worse yet, Amelia had been called out for a breach of OPSEC she didn't even know she had made.

Still, let it not be said that Amelia wasn't a team player. Far from it, actually. Putting her very large luggage down to the side and sitting down at the table, she requested some food and drink from one of the servants before looking at the others in the room. They were a mixed bunch. One was the "Silver Dragoon," who seemed intent on hamming it up as much as possible. She looked to be some sort of part-elven person, and her accent suggested origins in Mystria--particularly around the Cornerian-Dystean region. At the very least, she talked a big game and you couldn't miss her. Being a Dornalian, she was used to ham, although if she was part dragon as she claimed to be, she didn't look it. There was also a couple of other people as dressed as she was, in casual clothing. One man, who seemed to be tired out, and looking quite like a mild-mannered nerdy sort. The other was a woman with cat ears and a tail--a neko, and judging by the Adventurer High shirt and the stature she had, it was likely she was a Malgravean. As she ate her dish, she took in the setting, the people, and well, wondered how she would do things.

Still, right now, she was mostly making guesses. And so, she'd have to speak. With a grin, a raised eyebrow and a "Woah, woah!", Amelia said to the Silver Dragoon, addressing her earlier question, "Easy, mac. Potential breaches of operational security aren't my bag either, sister, but let's take things one step at a time. Besides, you just met me." Moving the conversation in a different direction, she said to all and sundry, "So....did you guys all get the same message I did? Because I came here because someone sent me a message in my email inbox regarding the need for some heroes." Gesturing to her large sacks with her thumb, she said, "I've got my superhero supplies in my bags over there, in case anyone was wondering. Costume included."

[Malgrave]

Erika barely had enough time to properly introduce herself and greet the robotic maid before she found herself gently guided to a conference room inside the spacious manor, of course with her newfound speed she could've used the time to drop off her bags in one of the bedrooms and return to the androids side without causing too much of a disturbance but at this moment she wasn't aware that any rooms in the building had been assigned to her and it would've been incredibly awkward to leave something only to be told that you were expected to commute from a nearby safehouse.

As she settled down the Malgravean also ordered something to eat, before she had her powers she would've ordered a small light salad or something with pasta and a little fish, but since her transformation she found herself increasingly hungry and as she took a seat she quickly ordered some Takoyaki and Unadon, a few dishes she had grown accustomed to from the Dornalian Republic during a brief work excursion. At this time she was able to finally look around and inspect the rest of the individuals that had responded to the strange email, although her initial analysis was cut short as she found herself slightly annoyed by the presumptuous person that referred to themselves as the "Silver Dragon", they were obviously intent on seeing themselves as some sort of overdramatic superhero from an old comic book series, and the fact that they spent a good portion of their introduction insulting the people assembled in the room ground Erika's gears, and the response from a fellow neko in the room indicated that she wasn't the only one in the room that was slightly annoyed.

"Do you feel the need to insult everyone during your first meeting or are we just special?" Erika quipped, rising from the table to bow at everyone assembled in a proper traditional Malgravean greeting, "I'm just an interested scientist that responded to a strange email that I got at work, and I also have my costume in my bag," she said before focusing her attention on the fellow Neko in the room, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Amelia. I am Erika or Celeritas, and I am from Malgrave," she said before adding, "I'm all in favour of Neko solidarity."

[A m e n r i a]

Junghwa was unfazed by the appearance of her teammates. Amenria is very tolerant to other species, so what her teammates are doesn't bother her. What slightly annoys her, however, is the Silver Dragoon's attitude.

She shook her head and sighed. "You're just like Medea...Alternate names? Costumes? We may be celebrities back at home, but we're soldiers, not idols. Leave the branding to the media, all we have to do is get the job done."

Hearing the catfolk's last question, she nodded. "I received a message too. I wonder what's the mission.." She noticed two of her teammates had ordered a meal, and she suddenly realised she hasn't eaten either. "Is it meal time already? May I have a beef steak well done? Thank you very much." She said to the nearest maid.

[New United States of Columbia]

The last guest to arrive made his late arrival deliberate. He wasn’t a big fan of parties or large gatherings. As the suns heat gently wrapped his body in it’s warm embrace, he eyed up the mansion. The various windows appeared to give him the ability to see in all directions, however it also meant anyone who was nearby could easily see them. Looking around he found some woodlands. Easy to run and hide in, should SHTF. More likely, however, it’d allow unwanted somebodies to arrive unannounced and with hostile intentions. He looked at the upper windows, pondering if the meeting would be up there or on the roof. Perhaps in the back, he thought, knowing how the rich and those who could afford it loved their backyard barbecues by the pool. He couldn’t help knowing that, his parents usually did that when he was a teenager, being rich lawyers and military officers after all.

Shrugging, he looked at the mirror of his car, making sure he looked somewhat presentable. He chose to attend this meeting in plain apparel. A camouflage baseball hat, black shirt bearing the Betsy Ross flag, blue jeans, and black EMS boots did the trick. Unlike most other times, he attended with the barest of arms. A small flip knife, pistol, and smartphone were on his person, the pistol in it’s holster and the knife in his left jean pocket while the smartphone was on and currently attempting to hack into the estates security system. He needed all the information he could get. When he got that email and letter, he was suspicious. Not that he didn’t believe in superhero and villains. God no, he couldn’t. He usually “cleaned up” after them, with their big flashy fights in the city, always killing and injuring untold dozens or hundreds, maybe even millions if the big guys showed up. How long would he last before he snapped and took issue with their showy and highly impractical costumes and silly names. Not like he was any better, he thought, with his name and attire: The Last Roman and he began to remember how much he missed his Gladius. He felt vulnerable without it.
Taking a deep breath, he strode forward and approached the large set of double doors. Before he could do so, however, he heard a loud explosion and yell. Instincts firing on all cylinders, in one swift movement, he unholstered his pistol, slammed his massive frame into the door, and immediately aimed down the sights at the nearest target.

“The fuck!?”
He lowered his weapon, staring at the terrified penguin, who had dropped the silver platter and smashed the glass cups and pitcher filled with ruby colored alcohol. What the hell was a dressed up penguin doing here.
No, he thought stop focusing on that. Remember the noise. Someone is in danger and some evil bastard is going to die today.
He noticed the grand staircases. Perhaps it was up there. He raised his pistol again, a gleaming polished Browning High Power, and slowly began to ascend the staircase, careful to try and make as little noise as possible.

When he reached the top of the staircase he crouched, peeked his head around the corner, before quickly retreating. He pulled out the phone and saw he now had access to at least the security cameras.
Perfect!
He began searching room to room, finding more penguins and... robots? These things looked a lot more advanced than what he had back stateside.
The hell did I sign up for? He began to wonder Did I hit my head or get drugged or some shit like that?
He finally found the room he was looking for. It seemed to be a conference room of sorts, filled with strange beings and individuals. Most likely this is where whoever the intruder was was locking up and keeping everyone. They seemed surprisingly calm. Perhaps they were as used to this stuff as he was, when he was in his environment, anyway.
Roughly shoving the phone back in his pocket he ran down the hall, constantly aiming left and right with his Browning in case the man or woman (he didn’t care about the sex of the person, if they were evil, they were dead) who set off the bomb was in them. Finding the doors to the conference room, he slowed to a stop and tested the doorhandle. It opened.

He looked around confused at the inhabitants of the room. They looked roughly as confused back at him, especially the (as he’d learn later) Brass Sage. For once in the past week, he completely dropped his guard, an unwise move.
“What the hell is going on! Who set off the bomb and what was with all that shouting!?

[Rohane Alista]

George was taking a blissful nap after a very relaxing shower, in the room with his name on it. He had, of course, done due diligence and ensured that at least the cameras in his end of the hallway would show only a loop of an undisturbed hall, as well as setting up his jammers- though they were commercial class and unlikely to block anything truly sophisticated, they would certainly work for drones or phones- to ensure no one tried to sneak something into his room, just in case. As a last precaution, he'd set up a small barricade. No sense meeting these people on anything but his own terms.

As he slept, George had a very nice dream, featuring himself saving a stunning lady with distinct cat ears and her eager reward, until a large shake went through the mansion and a loud alarm started blaring. The continuous, grating noise awoke him, and caused him to stumble, half asleep out of his room. He quickly turned back, changed into acceptable street clothing, and headed towards the source of the noise.

George could hear the hullabaloo from quite a ways away, multiple shouting or scolding voices echoing around. As he walked in he took a look around and was rather shocked at the eccentric insanity on obvious display. First and most obvious due to his shouting right as George walked in was a man in odd dress, with some foreign flag George didn't recognize on his shirt. More alarming, he has a pistol in his hand, though at least he didn't seen intent on shooting anyone at the moment.

Next was a woman in typical “cool girl" casual clothing. She seemed uptight. Probably someone to avoid. Maybe avoid the man with the gun, too. Adding to the “avoid at all costs" list was a… woman, probably, in some kind of crazy looking silver armor. He had thought he'd heard her shouting something about alternate names and costumes, but he hoped that he'd imagined it.

Judging by her assured demeanor, quiet leadership, and general proportions, George had to guess the ebony skinned woman in the middle was the Brass Sage. A typical Silverdalean woman, at least according to his rather sparse internet research, George was happy to see at least something semi familiar. Silverdale and Rohane Alista were tentative trade partners, so he'd had some exposure to a few of their citizens before.

Next was a short girl with aviators and cat features. “Ah,” George thought to himself with a small nod. “An almost stereotypical Dornalian Gata. I've read they can be completely insane or the most together people in the room. She seems fine, so I guess I'll talk with her more.”

Finally there was only one person left. Another neko, though this one was fairly clearly not Dornalian. Another person in a t shirt and jeans made George feel a little better about his outfit, and even better when he realized it was an Adventurer High shirt, a good compliment to his Mystria Universalis shirt. She must be a Malgravian to be wearing a shirt like that, which meant she'd either be his best friend or worst enemy. It remained to be seen, but he was hoping for friend.

After deciding he'd be avoiding at least half the group, George spoke up briefly, taking to no one in particular. “Listen, I was having a nice dream after a long flight and tiring journey to the mansion. Can we please not set off the fire alarm?”

[Dyste]

The Silver Dragoon thought she was giving people some friendly advice, but it appeared that perhaps some of them were taking it the wrong way. She wasn't trying to insult them, but rather help them become better superheroes. Maybe she would have a better time talking to them, people seemed to get along with her civilian identity more for whatever reason. But she didn't really have time to change now; people were paying too much attention to her at the time, and her identity was still secret for the time being. "Oh yes, I too received the summons for the need of heroes! While I have been a solo act for a few years now, I have been long awaiting a chance to work alongside my peers!"

She sighed at Erika's annoyance in particular, "Look, I didn't mean it like that. It's just... if you're a superhero, you have to have the image of one. Contrary to what some people think," she looked in Junghwa, "We aren't just soldiers here. We have to set an example to the people on heroic behaviour, they look up to us!" Reaching into her cape, she pulled out some comic books, putting them on the table. They appeared to be Dystan comics for the most part, a lot involving a type of little reptile called a 'kobold' in various superhero costumes, such as Booster Bold, Lanternbold, and Captain Dyste. They looked certainly odd, but the kobolds on the covers seemed cute and charming enough. There even seemed to be a comic about Tyroth, the famous Adventurer-King of Dyste, possibly a comic adaptation of one of his many adventurers in the past? "Being a hero is not just about saving people, but helping those people better themselves!"

She was about to speak more about justice and setting a better example when suddenly a new face appeared, one brandishing a firearm all willy-nilly and talking about an explosion and shouting. For the love of Ramuh, this person was paranoid. "Okay, okay, calm down, my friend. I am not entirely sure, but you might've been spooked by my pyrotechnics from earlier. I love a little show, but sometimes I forget that others aren't as used to doing that. Have no fear, I can teach you all so that when we do our rallying cry we will get the best effect!" If Brass Sage hadn't thought of a such a thing, she would only be happy to help with that as well. "But please put that away. I doubt it would even pierce my armor anyways if you shot me with it."

Lastly to join in was some human fellow, someone she was curious about. While she couldn't teleport herself, her leaping skills allowed her to move almost as swiftly, getting right up close, closer than George ever wanted to get to this (potentially insane) woman. "Greetings, fellow hero! The alarm was unfortunate, yes, but have no fear, we are in no danger for now!" Evidently she didn't realize that George wanted nothing to do with her; another case where perhaps her civilian identity would be more suitable, but she would a least have to wait for the briefing to finish before changing.

[Malgrave]

A small portion of Erika’s brain recognised the addition of a new superhero to the room, and she made a quick internal note to remind them of the importance of efficient timekeeping, but apart from that she didn’t openly respond to his rather aggressive and eccentric entrance to the conference room, as she was far too distracted to notice anything. In true Malgravean fashion, the Neko scientist was working on a small MalTec laptop, a series of complex simulations running on everything from experimental methods of brewing tea to the speed required to outrun a containment failure at a fusion reactor plant, although contrary to national stereotypes she was also munching on some tuna jerky.

Sun Down’s continued energetic personality, and the arrival of yet another superhero changed matters entirely and she briefly took her attention away from her work to evaluate the new situation, from her first glance she immediately guessed that the individual holding a pistol was the one that believed someone had set off a small explosive device and she internally discounted him, the Malgravean had no time for someone that temperamental. It was the other arrival that piqued Erika’s interest, he was wearing a Mystria Universalis shirt and had probably travelled from Rohane Alista, the fact that he was quite good looking was just an added bonus and she made a note to have a private conversation with him in the future.

“I think you need to get your ears tested, Comrade. You shouldn’t really be confusing an overdramatic pyrotechnic display with an explosion, and our earlier disagreement wasn’t that loud,” she said, the neko’s smile turning to a frown as she tapped the side of her head before typing a few things on her laptop, “I am quite surprised. In Malgrave it is considered to be quite rude to try and break into a hosts computer system, at least without offering a challenge,” she said before typing in a few more commands, “I worked at MalTec....and another technology organisation for a few years so the hacker in question is quite unfortunate, although the fact that they attempted to hack into the network through some sort of smartphone device doesn’t exactly hint towards an overtly complex system...and done.”

Erika simply tapped her head and a holographic image emerged from the MalTec device that displayed a list of information on the origin of the attempted intrusion into Brass Sage’s computer system, if the hacker had used their own personal smartphone it would also reveal those details to everyone in the room but if they didn't it would just broadcast details of the individual/corporation that registered the phone.

"I hope that I won't have to intercept more of these intrusions in the future," Erika said before she turned her attention on the other neko in the room, the scientist offering her bag of jerky as an offering of sorts,"You want some? It's Aurora Tuna Jerky."

[Legokiller]

Defender’s Mansion

The storm of confusion was not over for the International Defenders towards the false alarm from the Aegis. Brass Sage only sighed from the madness. “Not any old fire alarm.” Brass Sage clarified. “Instead, the Aegis detected a being who used teleportation through extradimensional means to enter the mansion. The Aegis, like many security boundary fields across Silverdale, are created to detect and alert any magical anomalies that are deemed to trespass by the works of magus criminals. This kind of magicraft is typically found in private to high level facilities around the nation for the police and local guards to respond to arcane thieves who use teleport spells. Now there are counter barriers to prevent teleportation and extradimensional rift into say the Winter Palace, where the president dwells, but such spells can be expensive.”

Brass Sage then looked at Alexander and George. “Be at ease my friends. No mage casted an explosion spell, or any bomb defused here. It’s only a false alarm.”

Lila and Pearl started to take orders for each member, Brass Sage took great interest in the Silver Dragoon. “Ah, a dragonkin who taken the mantle of the Silver Dragoon. Surely, this would be most helpful for our cause.” It’s possible that the Silver Dragoon’s dragonblood was a mere bluff and only an act. But on the flip side, the chance of her being a dragon elf or half-dragon could be a worthy ally.

After the Silver Dragoon examined her costume and her body for “who has the best costume out of the group”, Brass Sage was amused by her given evaluation. “Oh the charms of a proud Silverdalean ain’t the only thing that one has to keep an eye on, as my summons are very charming to witness. Although, I did consider a domino mask but that would be a paper-thin disguise. While a full facial mask would work, one helpful being I summon gives illusions and make up spells to aid with this issue. As you said, my identity would cause a headache and great amount of trouble.”

Eirika, and Alexander in a lesser extend, would have notice the computer system of the Aegis was a form of magitek, connected with the varieties systems of talismans, the boundary field, security alarm, security cameras, and strange systems and protocols. The mansion's surface security cameras were perhaps easier to break, but the subterranean levels were higher level to hack inside and see what's inside. This includes humorous names Guardian Housemaid and Cutie Conjuration Call...Naturally, Brass Sage was suspicious by this activity by the Last Roman and Eirika, but the Brass Sage loosen up.

"Why thank you Erika. I haven't figured there would be a wizard hacker with a smartphone around these parts as of late, but this development is quite worrisome." Brass Sage coughed as she needed to clarify something for everyone. "Now I wish to remind everyone here that we're allies, not potential foes, so there is no need to be at odds."

When everyone finished their orders, Lila bowed and smiled. “As you’re all members of the International Defenders, the service will be free of charge. It will be out approximately a half an hour.” With that, Lila left the room to prepare the meals.

Pearl chuckled from the comments of Amelia without a secret identity. “Well she is a bold kitten and willing to take the risk without a secret identity. Or a simple case of carelessness and recklessness.” Pearl coughed. “Sorry for that comment. I shall bring out the tea and water.”

“A soldier is only tied to their duty and loyalty of the nation. Which President Fluffykins and the Silverdalean Army won’t even dare go up against the threat without their reputation ruined from such action. Especially when our villain is the former president Cynthia Luvgood herself, whom is beloved by the public.” Brass Sage answered boldly.

[A m e n r i a]

To Brass Sage, Junghwa shook her head again. "The armoured one is right, to an extent. An Amenrian soldier's duty is not bound by borders, for we are servants of God. I may not follow the state religion, but that doesn't mean I can't do good in my own way. At least I'm no atheist. We are here to serve and protect, inspire and care. My only disagreements with Silver Dragoon are how we should achieve this. That being said, would you please brief us on our mission?"

[Dyste]

The Silver Dragoon gasped dramatically when she heard that the villain in question was a former president, "The dastardly fiend! Using the power of politics and public approval to move forward her nefarious goals! She must have used the facade of a benevolent ruler to hide her true plans... I would say it was brilliant if it was not also evil!"

She knew all too well about the power of ruling a nation and how it could be used to sway the opinions of people aganst the heroes, "My homeland was once ruled over a tyrannical despot itself. He conquered every land in sight, hoping to make everything under his heel. But my ancestor, the original Silver Dragoon, stood up against this emperor and freed my homeland from his villainy! ... oh, and I guess some adventurers from Dyste helped too. But what was most effective about his plan to gain the approval of the people was the propaganda the empire fed the masses about those that opposed them. Many were convinced they were the bigger threat than the emperor was, so they would see the empire as their saviour."

She leaped back toward her original seat, "And that, my friends, is why I agree with the Brass Sage. If this Cynthia is so beloved by the public, it isn't merely an issue of kicking down the door and fighting her. We might win, but it would be considered unjust by the people, and we would be seen as the true villains." So often she had read comics where the heroes were seen as villains by civilians for whatever reason, and it never ended well. "So can you tell us anything about this former president we might need to know?"

[New United States of Columbia]

Alexander eyed the group with a fair amount of confusion. How had they not heard the explosion? Soon, however, after he listened to their various complaints about him, he learned what it was. He turned his eyes onto the Silver Dragoon and began shouting so loud (damn near screaming) he could be heard throughout the mansion.
“PYROTECHNICS!!! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!? What better way to blow our cover! he began, stomping forward before pointing an accusatory finger at the supposedly dragonkin woman “You are going to cause us nothing but trouble! You don’t think others didn’t hear that? I’m pretty sure they heard you in SCOTLAND!”
He suddenly rounded onto the Brass Sage, eyes filled with fire.
“And you are not helping! This estate is ridiculous! We are vulnerable here! Tree lines our foes can sneak up in, a clear sky and this ostentatious house are easy to see from a plane or satellite! You have no defenses to speak of and we have zero secure exits! There is nowhere to bunker down in should our foe be numerically superior to us and willing to throw lives away, and may I bring up how IDIOTIC your attire is! You are barely clothed at all! You are a giant ‘look at me’ sign in brown neon and are just BEGGING for somebody to walk up and shoot or stab you! Do you expect me to seriously take orders from you?”
He stopped and stared down the Brass Sage, as if demanding an answer or counter to his protests and questions. As he awaited her response he strode over to the curtains, dragged them shut, and took a seat, keeping his eyes fixed on the Sage.

As time passed soon the issue of a corrupt politician brought him out of his rambled mumbling and he sat straight up, eyes and ears focused on them as they discussed...
“Fluffykins?”
He cocked his head to the side, looking simultaneously confused and annoyed.
“Who the hell names their kid that?”
He realized now that, if he wished to leave alive, he’d do good to stay quiet so he did. As he listened to the others comments, he began to realize maybe the Dragoon wasn’t as foolish and he initially assumed. She at least grasped the barebone basics of tactics and strategy. As he turned his attention to the other members of the group, he turned his attention to the Amrenian. He liked her. She was a realist, one who knew the situation they were in and the problems with the world. They might be able to hit it off, he secretly hoped.

[New Dornalia]

Amelia was, quite simply put, just trying to keep up with everything which was going on, as she calmly accepted Erika's offer of tuna jerky with a nod and a simple, "Thanks, amigo" as she sized up the newcomers.

First came the woman teleporting in willy nilly--well, apparently teleporting in, that's what the alarm allegedly seemed to be about. Amelia wasn't familiar with the newcomer. The newcomer seemed to be a supersoldier like she was. She seemed to fit the Dornalian archetype of one--unusually beautiful, athletic female, with a big gun, using exotic tools to get in and out of places and carrying herself with a calm, collected manner. Her presence had set off some alarms, but Sage seemed to have things in line. That being said, Amelia noted her religiosity--well, apparent religiosity anyway. That might make for an interesting set of interactions, at least.

Then there was the new guy, wearing a Mystria Universalis t-shirt who seemed quite upset at having his nap interrupted. He seemed alright, although Amelia did wonder about his power--he had to have been called here for a reason, after all. Amelia could understand his annoyance at the situation--the place looked like quite a riot of colors and activity, and one which a guy who just back from a nap would not want to be greeted with. Especially when one of the sights was a guy with the American Flag on his shirt--an old pre-Apocalypse flag at that, the "Betsy Ross" pattern from the Revolutionary days--holding a Browning Hi-Power shouting about this and that and yes, even dropping the odd f-bomb. Amelia winced at that last part. He also seemed quite aggressive, even if he did have a point about the Brass Sage's clothing. Amelia quietly moved closer to her bags, raising an eyebrow and wondering if she had to break out the gear just now.

Amelia of course had other things to focus on. Pearl joked about Amelia's suicidal bravery in going without a secret identity. She just let loose a shit eating smile, and nodded in acknowledgement, even though she was quite annoyed inside. Unlike most heroes, Amelia flipped that equation over--why bring out La Caballera when it didn't seem necessary to do so? Right now, everyone--well, except the Silver Dragoon with her comic books and "Sniper Wolf" with the large rifle--seemed to be in civvies. It didn't seem right to go whole hog at the moment.

And then, Brass Sage described their threat du jour--a corrupt politician named Cynthia Luvgood who, given the way Silverdale and Mystria worked, likely had a lot of magic power, none of it likely to have any pleasant effects. At the mention of their opponent, something clicked in Amelia's mind. Luvgood sounded like some of the corrupt aldermen she had dealt with in Luxembourgia. People who turned their positions into feudal lordships. Exploiters of the constituents that they tranquilized with bread and circuses. Amelia seemed to turn red for a minute, and her face grew strained. She turned to Erika and excused herself, going, "One second." Picking up her bags, she sighed as she ducked into a side bathroom.....

...and then reappeared with a mighty door slam, in her full regalia, putting her bags off to the side and motioning for the staff to take them to a spare room. To all and sundry, she stood in her Working Uniform, as she called it. A matte-black M1 Helmet, with the aviators doffed, and a bandanna around her neck. It also stood out for being something which looked like a black SWAT uniform that had been subjected to loving, if unskilled repair by legions of amateurs. There was a tactical vest with magazines, marked with a faded, frayed badge that read "Policia Federal", with leather patches on the elbows and any number of badges, including what would look like the Virgin of Guadalupe flanked by two nekos to the side, trampling over demons and other blasphemies. There was also a silver, bowtie looking badge that--well, if someone in the room was a gearhead, they'd recognize it as being disturbingly like a brand known for trucks and muscle cars. Over her shoulder was a rifle with brown furniture which looked like something out of a 1960s serial, but with its own share of wear and tear.

The woman seemed to glare, as she put her sunglasses back on to complete the transformation. She eyed the people around the room, with a nod. Finally, with a voice that expressed annoyance and fury, she walked into the midst of the crowd and said to all and sundry, just as Alexander was finished ranting at Brass Sage, "I suppose it's time to get into character if we're done shouting at people and acting like a lunatic." The last part was said to Alexander, with a raised eyebrow along with the tone. She then continued with a simple, scanning the room, "And yes, I do have a superhero identity. It's known as La Caballera. Grade-A Kentucky Derby horseplop aside, let's get to business. We've got a corrupt politician and she needs to be dealt with."

Waiting until the others had finished asking Brass Sage some questions, Amelia chimed in with her own take on the situation, as she chewed on the tuna jerky, nodding at how good it was. The jerky seemed to moderate her tone a bit, as she became merely inquisitive, albeit emotionally so.

"Now, Silver brings up a point. We go in there guns blazing, we get unnecessary amounts of heat on us and I don't fancy being the victim of blowback. Further, it sounds like we're doing this off the books, so we can expect the authorities to throw us under the bus if this goes wrong. That's fine, I'm okay with doing shit off the books, and I'm game for a campaign of winning hearts and minds if anyone else is." With a pause, Amelia asked Brass Sage, transforming her tone into inquisitiveness, "So, if we wanna play a game of winning hearts and minds, we need to figure out what our opponent's like. What's Luvgood got that makes people wanna snuggle her instead of kick her ass? And just how dangerous is she? That'd be a place to start."

[Malgrave]

Erika nodded at the description, the Neko couldn't figure out if she was more offended that Brass Sage thought that her technological display had malicious intent or that her attempt to pry into the network could be seen by anyone, although she supposed that the Rohanian could have a few tricks up his sleeves if he had computer access.

"As I said it's rather rude to hack into someone's systems without offering them some sort of challenge," she said, grimacing as she heard the foreign supersoldier start to shout and rant at everyone in the room, even if Silver Dragon and Brass Sage seemed to be the focus of his quite dramatic temper tantrum.

"Isn't it quite ironic for someone to complain about the noise while screaming at the top of their lungs, Comrade?" Erika said in a rather confident tone, "It would take an incredible feat for our earlier conversation to be heard in Scotland without the use of technology or magic, and the Dornalians in that region are rather laidback people so I imagine they'd simply tell us to turn down the volume," she said before adding, "You should also really mind your language in the future. I mean being slightly annoyed isn't really justification to lower yourself to barbarity and it lessens their impact in situations when they are required."

After a few moments, the situation eventually returned to normal (or as close to normal as this organisation would ever reach) and Erika found herself becoming interested in the tale of the corrupt politician, she wasn't that knowledgeable about Silverdalean politics but she understood the pain and anger associated with having a corrupt politician.

"In Malgrave we've also experienced a corrupt Prime Minister. It's a shameful chapter in our history, and the preserved body of Alan Liepzig reminds everyone the dishonour associated with betraying the Malgravean people and the ancestors," Erika said, the disdain clear in her voice when mentioned the former Prime Minister's name, of course at that point the Dornalian had to make one of the most Dornaian entrances possible, and she couldn't help but lightly fangirl at the badass Neko and she imagined that she would quickly become quite a popular figure in her homeland.

"I haven't been on the wrong side of the law before, and I don't really fancy being hunted down by the SIS or any local intelligence service," Erika said with a frown, "I also don't see how someone can win a heart and mind but I suppose that could be a Dornalian phrase? In any case, we need some more information on this Luvgood."

[Rohane Alista]

George, meanwhile, took the generally uncouth yelling as his chance to sneak into the most hidden corner of the room, take a seat, and bring his laptop out of his bag. He was severely regretting his decision to come right now, being in a room filled with freaks and being forced to wear clothes on top of it all. There was a strong desire that they stop complaining about their hosts dress, too. It wasn't her fault they were all prudes

He was at prime discomfort between the judgemental Malgravean hacker and the shouty… anarchist dude, if you could ignore the flashy armor freak long enough, so he relaxed the best way he knew how.

George proceeded to pop in a headphone, turn on electrorock, and boot up the game on his shirt, Mystria Universalis. He didn't have a game going currently, but when wants to play to feel better it was always a good choice to pick Rohane, so he did. He proceeded to set up to unify the continent and tuned out the others the best he could while still listening.

He didn't pay attention to their target. What did it matter? He came to learn how to use his powers, and if he had to take down some Dornalian style super villain, that was what he had to do.

He still found it hard to ignore La… Cabaret? Whatever she called herself, she solidified herself well into the “freaky" category with her getup and attitude. Grudge was swiftly realizing there would be some significant cultural problems with a team this eccentric and continued to regret his decision.

George quickly realized he left his gaming mouse upstairs, however, and decided to grab it quickly before he got too involved. Concentrating, he lifted his right hand, shut his eyes, and sent his hand up to his room, where it scrambled about until it felt the mouse and pulled it back. “It can be pretty convenient,” George thought to himself, “to be able to teleport individual parts.”

[A m e n r i a]

After a lengthy argument between superheroes which led nowhere, Junghwa decided to step in and call the shots. "Alright, we have a target and an assasination mission. With a team of metas like us, this won't be much of a challenge, so let's start with devising a plan."

[New United States of Columbia]

Alexander nodded after Junghwa made her comment. He glared at Erika. Dumb broad honestly thought her hacking skills would be useful. Like their foes and the evil that ruled the top, middle, and bottom rungs of society wouldn’t have firewalls or automatically counter-hack when they attempted it, or automatically track them and find the source of the hack, or even simply go off-grid completely like he did. More likely if they went “off-grid” it’d solely be removing anything with a wi-fi connection. He glared at the woman as he informed her of this and how, in his opinion, her tech skills would mean nothing to their foes.
“If you think you can just hack their systems and not have SWAT or Black Ops on your ass in minutes of that happening, or agents sent to spy on you and commit psychological warfare on ya before whacking you, you’re a damn fool of the highest calibre, Ms. Erika."
Turning his attention to the giant light reflector or “Silver Dragoon” as she called herself, who made an intelligent observation (to his surprise considering how she acted so far). Satisfying as it would be to personally destroy evil by watching it’s head explode after blasting it apart with a shotgun, it was not the most frequent or sane of ways to eliminate a threat. Sniping, poisoning, reputation ruining before discreetly “whacking” them, those were more often then not what he did to remove threats he found. Of course, to do this, a lot of recon and note taking was needed. What was the target’s schedule? How do they unwind? Do they frequently go to large gatherings and, if so, are they a wall flower, the center of attention, or something in-between? Do they travel with other frequently? Where and what do they eat? How do they like their meals? What’s their morning and evening ritual? How often do they watch TV, read, or surf the web? Where do they work? All this and more was needed. Having done this for years Tobias, naturally, felt he was quite good at it. This was tiresome and often boring work but necessary if you wished to fight crime and live to tell the tale.
“You’re right.” he said, looking Dragoon in the eyes “and, naturally, only humans will be able to do the reconnaissance we need. To be blunt your idea of a super heroine identity is obnoxiously loud, boisterous, and stands out like a stain on a white carpet.”
He then looked at La Caballer.
“And even then we need to be The Men in Black, basically. Blend in and able to monitor without drawing attention to ourselves. So no guns, blades, explosives, anything that automatically can be assumed harm or kill, no armor, no obvious cop or tough look, and no obvious tailing or monitoring.”
Finally, figuring the meeting was over (mostly wishing it was so he could gather intel in the form of sharing stories) he casually examined the Brass Sage as he offered to do the job.
“I’ve done this before, so, if we’re done chit chatting, I volunteer for sit and wait duty. Not like I’ve anything else to do besides unpack a few... dozen things.”
His face turned a bit red as he slowly realized he’d have an awkward time explaining what he had in his car without sounding like an absolute lunatic.