AKA [IC]

[The Cyberiad Council]

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Out Of Character | Roster | Lore Thread | Theme

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December 4th, 2019
Argus was going to drown in bureaucracy if they kept having meetings of this caliber. Hollands looked at the faces around the table; the various directors of Argus discussing harmless minutia. His report was simple, straightforward, and necessary. Reports of internal commodity consumption? Not so much in his mind. Hollands turned his attention to one of the several folders arranged around his personal portion of the table. This was going to be a gamble to suggest, but one that may pay off.

"And that takes us to Mr. Hollands. What do you have for us today?" Director Duncan asked from his seat at the head of the table.

"The standard report," Hollands replied, opening the first folder and passing copies around the table. "Our priority targets have been quiet this week, or furtive at the very least. A.S.E.T. is still focusing their energies on priority target one. Librarian feels he maybe have found a string of memory fragments to pull from. On our other fronts, Site III has had no incidents, The Eternal has reported only a few minor emotional incidents: all resolved without damage, Site II had a brawl between some members of the Scarites and Vundebrawn: no powers used and no deaths, Site I is still bordering on maximum capacity-"

"-Have plans for the expansion been proposed?" Duncan asked.

"Yes," Hollands replied. "We have already contacted the Russian and he thinks he will have some free time on Thursday."

Duncan nodded, "Proceed."

"Three agents unfortunately lost their lives during the attack in Chicago while providing back up to the Regents. I'll be visiting their families this week. In response, we're reevaluating our safe perimeter protocols to develop a new briefing for field agents, but it looks like an accident at this time."

Hollands paused for a moment, which Duncan took as an opportunity to move the meeting along. "And just one more thing," Hollands added, clearing his throat.

All the eyes turned to look at him; it was rare that he ever strayed from the usual meeting flow.

"I have been looking over the recent public opinion poll the marketing department conducted, and I think I know of a viable solution."

Duncan's eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch before returning to unreadable stoicism, "And what would that be?"

Hollands slid the aberrant folder to the director to let him look at the personnel files inside.

"The Argonauts Initiative."

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March 22, 2020
"Are you ready?" Hollands asked the younger man sitting on the other side of his desk.

"Yes, Sir. I've been waiting for this my whole life," James replied.

"Good. They should be arriving soon; have you checked over their files?" Hollands asked for the umpteenth time.

"Checked and double-checked."

Hollands nodded. Standing, he adjusted his tie and grabbed his suit jacket. "Let's make sure we're there to meet them."

---

"Prepare for final approach," The pilot called over the dropship's intercom as the engines on the ends of the wings pivoted down and the aircraft began to slow and hover.

From the windows of the aircraft, the full Headquarters complex was in view. It was built on a the crest of a small hill near the city of Zürich. The main building stood in the center, with six equally impressive buildings forming a ring around it. All of them looked modern and cutting edge, incorporated large sections of glass and steel. Dotting the gentle slope were several landing platforms, some of them currently holding aircraft, all connected by a series of roads and walkways that crisscrossed the area.

The dropship lowered itself closer to the ground, singling out what looked like it may have been the main landing platform. With a slight jolt, the aircraft's wheels touched down. "Thank you for flying Air-Argus," The pilot said as the rear ramp lowered to let the occupants step out into the crisp Swiss air. Waiting at the edge of the platform were two men, one of them taller, and slightly younger. He had reddish-blonde hair and a wide smile plastered on his face. The other man wasn't especially tall, but well-built with hair that looked to be going prematurely gray. He was clean shaven with piercing eyes that seemed to complement his stoic features.

It was the older one in the gray suit that spoke first with a noticeable British accent. "Welcome to Switzerland, Argonauts. I'm Edwin Hollands, director of A.I.D., and this is James Owens, your team's liaison. Some members of your team have already arrived and you will meet them shortly. And for Mr. Szabo and Mr. Reyne: your...equipment is currently being vetted for any potential security risks, but it should be delivered to your care within the hour."

[Skyggeheim]

Early 2015
Location: [REDACTED]

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John's daily walk down memory lane was interrupted as it always was by his faithful alarm clock. It was old, an antique he'd gotten more than a lifetime ago. Closing the dusty journal he'd been perusing, he placed it back into it's drawer, a collection of his belongings from the 1940s, and shut the filing cabinet before walking over to turn off the protesting clock. 7 A.M. Bright and early, not that he'd ever gone to bed. Time to start his duties.

He walked out of the grayscale space that functioned as his bedroom and into an area that looked like some depressing mission control for a defunct space agency.

"How is everyone doing this morning..." John started to ask before noticing the blinking red light on the far end of his terminal.

"A new arrival?"

A puzzled look overcame his face as he walked over and pressed the button before looking over at the mail tube that occupied the lonely rear corner of the room. Sure enough, there was a parcel waiting inside. Many would surely find it odd that Argus would rely on such archaic analog, but besides being reliable, John had an affinity for it.

Excitedly, John hurried over and removed the papers from the plastic capsule before sending up the return tube. "What have we here?" He wondered aloud as he read the reports.

"Poor thing," he muttered. "All alone and now locked somewhere you don't belong. Lets see if we can get you out of here."

After quickly checking the other guests were still within their normal parameters, John walked over to the only entrance or exit to his "home", the elevator. He inserted his key and the doors parted. His key was required again to turn the dial to cell 5, and their newest occupant. It was a long ride, but the elevator started to pick up speed as they fell deeper, past several metric tons of concrete and steel before finally coming to a stop.

The doors opened, and John walked down the featureless hallway, gently knocking at the lone door that stood at the end.

When John strode inside, he saw a darker-skinned girl simply sitting on her bed. The relative brightness of the room forced her eyes away from the light, and so she simply cast her gaze downward, staring at her lacerated - and bare - feet. Her fists slowly clenched and unclenched the metal frame below her mattress, amazed at how chilly to the touch it was. She briefly glanced upwards at the strange man who had entered, and John could catch a glimpse of her scarred face. A long line of scar tissue across her neck, and a three-lined gash that greyed the pupil of her right eye, was a testament to the damage that had killed her millennia prior.

Attached to her temple was a small, black circular device. It seemed to pulse lazily as her mouth moved rapidly, whispering something imperceptible to John's ears. Finally, she spoke.

What came out of her mouth, she was unsure if the man understood. Nobody, other than the one skinny and pale boy who could somehow speak her language perfectly, understood what she was saying. However, the device attached to her temple slowly croaked to life.

"Ha-llo...." It muttered, with a tinge of a Middle Eastern lilt in its voice. She knew that this word was a greeting, but she was still unsure on the semantics of the language they were trying to teach her. Anglish? English? She couldn't remember.

John adjusted the collar on his Hawaiian shirt, this one a calming blue, before clearing his throat.

"I'm John, nice to meet you," he said with a friendly smile as he pulled over the chair in the room to sit a few feet away.

Again, the dead language raced forward from the girl's lips. A short, harsh burst with syllables that grated against the rest of the sentence. It was not a pretty language, but it was effective.

"I...am...Alessia." The device on her temple blurted out.

At least she isn't hostile, John thought to himself.

"It sounds like you're a long way from home, Alessia," John said, leafing through the report that accompanied her arrival.

"And it looks like you've been through a lot. But I don't want you to worry any more; this is a safe place and I'm here to make sure you get everything you need."

At this, the girl looked up at John. The softness in her initial glance had been replaced with a stricken look of pain. Tears welled in her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. She gripped the metal bed-frame so hard her knuckles went white against her skin, and her entire body seemed to shake for a moment.

The grating language once more.

"What...happen...to....me?" croaked her device.

---

Early 2020, Five Years Later
Zürich, Switzerland

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Alessia woke without an alarm, mostly. Instead, she was slowly risen from slumber by the feeling of soft pressure on her stomach. When she pried her eyes open, she immediately locked her gaze with that of Risha. The owl tilted its head in curiosity, nuzzled its feathers, turned its watchful eyes towards its empty food bowl, and then once again stared inquisitively at Alessia.

"Devilish little creature," Alessia groaned in her native language, and Risha simply chirped in response. She flexed and stretched her sore muscles, which was enough to shoo the owl off her body, before throwing off the covers of her bed. Rising and yawning, she threw on a shirt and sweatpants before padding over to the refrigerator to fetch some raw meat. Plopping it in Risha's bowl and scratching his head after he gave Alessia a thankful chirp, Alessia sat down at the foot of her bed and shuddered. She tried to shake off the night terrors that had kept her tossing and turning all night. Chief among what she remembered was Kairos' face and his hot, stinking breath.

After all these years, he still cuts my throat every night. She said to herself, sighing, and grabbing the tablet that Argus had provided her once they felt like she was ready. Idly scrolling through her messages, she saw a text from John.

Awake?

Smiling as she typed out a response, she clicked send and then immediately stood to go cook some breakfast.

Yes, come by.

"Finally," John grinned. As soon as he got the text he picked up the two metallic cases resting on either side of him and made his way of the stairs of Argus' headquarters to the level of rooms meant for special personnel living on the premises.

His usual bounding steps were weighed down by the cases, but it was a hindrance that was more than well-worth the hassle. Finally he came to Alessia's door. This was a big change for the both of them, less so on John's end, but still one that needed to be marked, one for him to want to remember.

Slinging the strap of the large, rectangular case onto his shoulder, John rapped on the door with his knuckles.

"Yasum...ah...Eh-...Come!" came the reply from inside. Alessia almost immediately cursed herself. Six years of practice, and certain phrases of the English language still eluded her. But how could she be so silly as to forget the simple world 'Enter'? She shook her head in disappointment.

John opened the door and strode in, placing the cases on the floor and smiling like it was Christmas.

"I come bearing gifts!" He announced, looking at the owl as if expecting commendations.

Risha replied by flapping its wings twice and perching itself on John's shoulders as Alessia emerged from the kitchen, in her traditional comfortable outfit of Argus-provided exercise clothing. She smiled at John before looking at the two cases he had placed on the ground. At first, she raised a curious eyebrow. However, she waved dismissively at them, hurriedly walking back the way she came.

"Gifts later, I made break-fast!" She called to John, pronouncing 'breakfast' as she always had: brake-fast.

"Thank goodness, it was a terribly long flight from Greenland," John muttered, reaching up to gently scratch Risha.

As he followed her into the kitchen, John couldn't help but wonder if this was the same feeling the parents in movies had when they dropped their kids off at college. He'd been there when Harvard was founded, but it didn't really strike him as anything special at the time.

"So, are you adjusting well? Hollands told me the others should be arriving today."

"I adjust well enough," Alessia said, offering John a seat before sliding a plate of - admittedly slightly burnt - turkey bacon and scrambled eggs in front of him, "It is...ah...cold. But I like. It sharpens the senses."

She gave John a look filled with an emotion that was still rare with Alessia: confidence. Gone were the days of the broken girl, and in her stead had come a new presence.

"What are the others like?" She asked, between bites of turkey bacon.

"You're asking the one they stuck in Argus' basement, remember?" He said through a grin. Not the one bit put off by any meal, John eagerly picked up a fork and dug in.

"I think one of them was trying some vigilante stuff for a bit, one was a full-secret identity type from France, and one might have been from Florida? If I haven't told you before, watch out for that place. I had a very rough time there with the local wildlife."

"John," Alessia said with a knowing grin, flicking her eyes to Risha - who was still perched on John's shoulder, idly trying to steal a bite of his food, "I talk to animals. I think I will like Flo-rida. Do we go there? They have not told me what I am doing next,"

John laughed a bit, having forgotten who he was talking to.

"I don't know where you'll be going. You could end up anywhere on the globe. From what I know, the team will operate from here, and go wherever the missions are.

"Sounds like it could be exciting to say the least."

Alessia's eyes twinkled. When John thought something was exciting, there was usually a good reason. But, she found her hand unconsciously moving to touch the scars across her face and neck. In a moment of uncertainty, she gave John a questioning look.

"Am I ready, John?" She asked softly, but with serious doubt laced into her voice.

John's exterior fell away for a moment, his age almost visible in his eyes.

"I've been around a very long time, and seen lots of people. Sometimes when difficult change came, they asked me the same thing. And I've tried to give answers to that question. Sometimes I was right, but some days I was a bit off. However, whenever someone takes the time to ask that question, it means they're wise enough to push through just about anything."

He paused for a minute, with a returned smile. "As for you: without a doubt, you can handle this. Speaking of which!" He said, pushing his chair back and walking back towards the cases.

"Before you open, I already know, you shouldn't have." Alessia said, internalizing what he had said and making a mental note. She followed him into the hallway, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall as he cracked the cases open.

"You're right in more ways than one," John said as he undid the latches to the large, rectangular case first.

"I thought these came with you the day you arrived, but Argus didn't want them there in case things turned out for the worse, so I tracked them down to Site III and filled out a mountain of paperwork to get inside and down to the storage vaults," John rambled on.

Once the case was unlatched, John stepped back. "Open it," he said, nodding to the case.

Cracking open the first case cautiously, Alessia broke into a real smile, excitedly looking back to John as she hoisted the armor - as gleaming bright as the first day it was forged - that she had carried in the millennia past, when she was in her truly powerful form.

"You found my armor? I thought this lost to the sands of time!" She exclaimed.

"If this is what I am thinking it is," Alessia said, taking a long pause to crack open the case. She barely opened it an inch before springing back, turning on a dime and wrapping John in a tight hug. When she finally let go and opened the case fully, it revealed a modified cross between a saber and a rapier. As her fingers grazed the wooden hilt, she felt memories flood into her mind. Lifting the weapon, the steel blade glinting in the sunlight washing through the window, she gave John an eager look.

"Shamsi," She whispered, "You would call it 'Sun Blade.'"

After a long moment of staring at the blade, she tucked it into its scabbard and gave John a soft look.

"John," She began, her voice catching in her throat, "This is too much. How can I repay you?"

"Duh, kick some ass for an old man!" He said with a grin.

"But maybe come by and visit. You can probably get access to the facility. We have a few more now, actually, and that makes it a bit harder to get away..." John trailed off, looking at his watch.

Alessia was observant. That much, at least, she had learned by herself. So when John looked at his watch, it wasn't hard for her to connect the necessary dots.

"You can't stay here?" She asked innocently.

"You know I can't stay away for long; if some of them get upset it could bring the place down."

"I guess that's more important than me," Alessia replied teasingly, before biting her lip and taking a long pause, "Thank you...again. John. For everything. Without you...without Argus...I would be gone. Erased."

"No thanks is needed, you kept me company for a long time; and you are just as important, but you don't need me anymore. And now, there's a team that needs you. Not to mention I think Risha would get sick of living underground after a while."

Alessia chuckled and shrugged in agreement.

"I suppose. But still, would be nice to have my friend with me when this all starts," She said, now changing topics, "Any word of that skeleton you hate talking about?"

John furrowed his brow, "No, but I bet he's hiding under a rock somewhere. If you do ever, ever run into him, you call me, understand?"

"Of course," She said, recoiling at his intensity, "Surely he is not that dangerous?"

"He's more than dangerous enough," John warned. He took a deep breath to regain his composure.

"Anyway, can I get a photograph before I go, to help me remember?" He asked, pulling out his phone.

Alessia nodded enthusiastically, leaning her head against John's chest and smiling softly as he snapped a selfie. Once it was done, she once again wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Stay safe out there. Call when you land!" She said after she let go, opening the door for him.

"You too, and don't worry, I will," John said, hating having to head back home alone.

Alessia shut the door behind him. Sighing and pressing her forehead against the frame for a long moment as she thought. John had, in more ways than one, saved her in the six years it took to rehabilitate her from her resurrection. To - once again - say goodbye to him for what felt like an extended amount of time hurt. She let the tears well up in her throat before swallowing hard and stifling the pain. Shaking her head, she swept up the two cases that John had left and carried them to her bedroom. Slowly, she laid out each piece of armor and observed it. Eventually, she began the process of donning it, snapping the veil into place as the final place. Turning, she looked in the mirror. The dark blue of the armor, split down the center by a tan strip to represent Persia between the Tigris and Euphrates, glinted in the sun.

Snapping the scabbard of Shamsi onto her belt and drawing the blade, she lowered it to her side and stared at herself in the mirror. Risha flew upwards and perched himself on her shoulder. Alessia smiled under the veil. In this armor, with her companion by her side and hope in her heart, she felt like the master of her own fate.

"Masir." She whispered to herself before turning and striding out the door to her apartment complex. It was time to show herself.

As she walked through the crisp mid-morning air, her breath fogging in front of her, she felt a low rumble. Soon enough, an aircraft soared overhead before touching down at the landing pad in the facility. She had always been fascinated by these wondrous machines, and six years of living in the modern world had not changed the fact that she was abjectly terrified of them. The first flight she took, from her initial detainment facility to the containment area where she would meet John, she cowered in her restraints the entire time, muttering prayers and screaming at every slight bump or any turbulence. She picked up her pace as the craft landed, standing behind the two men who were already giving an introductory spiel to the students. Unclipping her veil, she crossed her arms and sized them up. Most seemed about her age, some a tinge younger, and some a tinge older.

Though, Risha, if we're being technical, I'm the oldest one in the compound. She spoke mentally to her owl, who simply cooed in response and nuzzled her neck. She smiled and scratched his chin as she waited for the rest of her soon-to-be teammates unload.

[Futrellia]

March 22, 2020
A.I.D. Headquarters
Zürich, Switzerland

---

Silence. It was all I took away from the trip to Switzerland. None of us knew each other and, frankly, I could give two shits about any of 'em. Seattle was my home, I was comfortable there. Though my vigilante career was still in it's infancy, I successfully shut down the Yakuza in the entire state and was now making my way through the rank and file of The Syndicate, the largest criminal drug-running and sex trafficking organization on the West Coast. Hell, I'd found out our state representatives were in on it the same day Argus managed to track me down. Rookie mistakes, I suppose. Looking back, the way I was conducting business and leaving momentos of my work wouldn't have kept me hidden for long. Maybe I was sloppy, maybe Argus is smarter than I believed. Instead of immediately jailing me, which would have most certainly been the end of my career, both as Knight Owl and CEO of Salus, Argus offered me a choice: Become an Argonaut or incarceration. Be an Argonaut, be apart of "something larger" than myself. Like I'd been running through bullets and burying asians for my own health. Heh. Now here I was, my Seattle operations shut down, informing my company that I was going on an extensive vacation period and all of my time now devoted to this new "team" that I had already deduced wouldn't last the next few months. Seems like nothing does, anymore. I could make the most of it, try to fit in with these people, become a "hero of the world". I'll do my part, I'll watch my new "teammates'" backs, but as soon as it tanks, nobody can say I didn't try.

With a slight tug, the Argus dropship landed, the whirring sounds of the blades began to wind down as power systems began their shut-down sequence. "Thank you for flying Air-Argus.". Richard smirked a bit. At least the pilots have somewhat of a sense of humor. The ramp hissed open, the hydraulics whirring to bring the door down, exposing two men, most likely Argus' finest. Richard got up from his seat on the right wall of the dropship, buttoning up his suit jacket. "Welcome to Switzerland, Argonauts. I'm Edwin Hollands, director of A.I.D., and this is James Owens, your team's liaison. Some members of your team have already arrived and you will meet them shortly. And for Mr. Szabo and Mr. Reyne: your...equipment is currently being vetted for any potential security risks, but it should be delivered to your care within the hour."

Richard approached Director Hollands and reached out to shake his hand. "See to it that it does, Mister Hollands." Richard said with a smirk on his face, mainly to put the Director at ease, though Richard was entirely serious. Richard's eyes moved to James Owens, looking him up and down. A liaison. Handler was a more fitting title. He nodded to the man. Best to mind the Ps and Qs while he was here.

[Okayanos]

March 22
Zurich, Switzerland
Fionn Szabo
Avalerion

The flight to Switzerland felt hours longer than it actually was. Being stuck on a plane full of other metas and a monkey was one thing- being stuck on a plane full of other metas and a monkey without his armor was another thing, far worse and more uncomfortable. One wouldn’t be able to imagine a more colorful cast of characters to put in one vehicle- and all of them were probably going to hate each other. A normal plane trip could make the most normal person desire the demise of every other passenger- a plane trip of metas, who are notoriously prone to mental issues, is a time bomb. And because the stuffed shirts in charge of ARGUS couldn’t keep their grubby, meddling hands off of fancy new technology, Fionn was essentially unpowered. A metahuman, with all the volatility and none of the cool superpowers. Bum fucking deal. He tried to keep himself as inoffensive as possible throughout the flight, alternating his attention between the ridiculously tall woman with a tail, the rainbow-haired one, the well-dressed chimpanzee, and the wealthy-looking prick sitting on his own and brooding about something or other.

When the dropship’s pilot announced that they were approaching their landing, Fionn let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in. When the craft touched down and vomited its passengers onto the landing pad, he grabbed his bags of personal belongings- the few that he’d been allowed to bring- and pushed forward towards the English man in the grey suit. Edwin Hollands was the name he heard. Wealthy Brooding Model guy made it to them first, greeting Hollands with a practiced-looking handshake and saying something about his stuff. “Another Builder? Christ.” Fionn thought, brushing back loose strands of ash-white hair.

“I need my suit back as soon as possible.” Fionn spoke, making his way into the conversation between Hollands and the man who would have to be named Reyne. “That, and the weapons, my tools, and a bunch of infrastructure I’m going to need for maintenance, launching, recharging... and a workspace to keep it all.”

[San Har Jasta]

March 22
Chief

Chief was excited. He finally got to do exactly what he dreamed of, be a hero. He didn't know that heroes had to be able to ride in planes. Planes were too high in the air for Chief to handle and the movement made his stomach churn. He picked up a vomit bag, just in case, and learned some new words- queasy and motion sick. Chief didn't know anyone else on the plane but he took the wild guess that they were also metas. The ape was never one to judge appearances of others because he knew he would always be the strangest one in the room, but some of these folks had some weird looks. A tail on a human was the one that stood out the most to the chimp because he thought his simian relatives were the only primates to have tails, but he is always open to learning new things. Chief was a little too intimidated by the quiet on the plane and felt that the only thing coming out of his mouth would be lunch, so he didn't try to befriend any of the metas. He was determined to eventually make all of them his friends and hopefully they could be his new family.

They finally landed and Chief was eager to set foot on stable ground again. He hopped out with the rest of the group and walked around on all fours stretching his arms and legs. "Deep breath in and deep breath out. It will be okay." Chief thought to himself as he tried to relax his upset stomach. Then he realized people were talking. And they were probably important for being a hero so they are exactly who Chief needed to see. He pushed himself up onto his two hind legs, straightened his tie, and waddled over to the group. He overheard one was named Hollands and he seemed the most important to the ape so he will be the first to see Chief's rehearsed greeting. Chief has seen enough movies to know exactly how humans greet and he wanted to perfect this so he could make friends, and all heroes are great with people. Chief stretched his hand up to the man and said "Hello there! My name is Chief, what's yours?" He gave a Chimpy grin as he spoke "How're you today?"

[Harbertia]

Melora
Zurich - The Landing Pad

The tall tailed Human lowered herself to be at Chief's level. She had never been around anyone like Chief, but given the work of those who raised her his form didn't make her uncomfortable. She smiled as she spoke English with a softly warm French accent; "Mistor, I believe Mr. Edwin Holland has provided his name. I propose instead following up your introduction with words to express your interest in being here." She rose having entirely missed the rehearsed nature of Chief's greetings and trying to help in her own way by self example. Her long tail was being held by it's own strength away from Chief and behind her. She had noted how the previous ones had introduced them selves and opted not to treat their hosts as vallets. "Mistor Owens," she said extending her hand to the man and thus allowing Chief to continue to interact with Mr. Holland, "you may know me by another name though I hope to discard it it soon. I am Melora Altaire' of France. I do hope that such intended change will be no issue to finalize. Also Mistor, you have a wonderful smile." She said with a smile looking down at the redish-blonde haired young man. "Your hair is very Gaelic too, like a dawning sun."

[Valloria]

Alexander Fowler
Argonauts HQ, Switzerland

The flight was pleasant for the most part, save for the flight attendant who admonished him for not buckling his seatbelt. After feigning compliance, he got up for the bathroom and never buckled back in, preferring to recline all the way back and lounge languidly across the plush seating. Despite his flippancy, he was actually excited about this new opportunity. Well, more relieved than excited. After his last term at the Academy, he was unsure whether he'd have a future with Argus at all. But a scotch neat and some Zeppelin through his headphones had allowed him to drift off into a dreamless sleep that lasted most of the flight and avoid dwelling on that. He spent the remainder of the flight investigating each of his peers, starting with discount Batman in the first row. Rich, crazy, crazy, kiss ass, zealot, crazy. Alex was in good company.

The cabin door opened and cool mountain air flowed in. Temperature, 48° Fahrenheit, he noted, grunting softly as he stood. Stepping into the aisle before the occupant of the row across could, he popped the overhead storage and shrugged on the peacoat he'd stuffed into it. Running his fingers through his onyx hair, he wrapped a grey patterned scarf around his neck and made his way through the body of the aircraft. Stepping into the postcard image that was the setting for Argonaut HQ, he adjusted his sunglasses and made his way over to Hollands and Owens. Hollands had been a visiting professor at the Academy in his first year, and James had come up with him at the Academy — one of the man's first jobs with Argus was as Alex's student handler.

Alex gave James a lazy salute and directed a slight nod towards Hollands. He wasn't sure how friendly to be: the man had to know about the incident. And although Hollands' approval was a prerequisite for Alex's presence, he didn't know whether it was actually Hollands' decision or not. Even despite what happened, his tenure at the Academy had allowed him friends in high places. A stunning brunette with serious crazy eyes — eye, he noted, wincing at the claw marks — stood behind the men in suits. Alessia Kassis, his power answered. Curiously, he felt a depth of memory beyond any other. Except...

Before Alex could investigate further, or go over and start hitting on her, Hollands began the usual spiel. He'd heard it a dozen times over the years, the same message with slightly tweaked wording, delivered in the trademark monotone that put him fast to sleep in class. Stark blue eyes and buzz cut who looked like he bought his way on the team gave Hollands a firm handshake and made a snide remark. Alex sidestepped the group huddling around Hollands and made his way to the front entrance. He already knew where his room was, and the codes required to get through the maze of hallways he faced. I guess this is chance two.

[Mercatus]

Marty Sullivan

It was a strange plane ride. A wide variety of interesting tropes were present. A french woman with a tail, some rainbow-haired girl, some rich guy, another dude, and an ape?? For the whole plane ride, Marty never seemed to move. Not once did he move seats, walk about the cabin, or even sleep. He just sat there, which may have unnerved some. Despite there being absolutely no reason whatsoever, Marty always kept his signature favorite pair of Ray Bans on during the fight, and it was rumor back in Albany that no one ever actually saw his eyes, and that he even wore the glasses to bed. This wasn't true entirely, as he didn't wear them to bed, but it was true no one outside of his family or high school friends ever saw his eyes, and even his friends had forgotten what his eyes looked like. How in hell will this crazy bunch work together? he thought to himself. Marty generally assumed Metas were just as competitive as he was, and would probably be as ruthlessly cutthroat as he was. He had met some interesting tropes before, including one guy back in Albany who absolutely felt like he had to make every sentence he said a rap song. It got quite annoying, but it gave Marty and his compatriots valuable information on the ringleaders of a Bloods Chapter that had sprung up in Albany. However, some of these people were much more interesting in different ways.

As the craft slowly landed, Marty was late to get out of his seat. He grabbed his luggage from under his seat, which consisted of a rather large briefcase with his clothing and two of his pistols, and the tactical bag for his Benelli M3. He got up and swiftly exited the craft with his luggage. He was rather tall at 6'2", had a somewhat lanky build, and weighed in at 144 lbs. He took in the cool morning air as a blessing, as it was a wonderful change from the sweltering temperatures of Georgia. When the two men waiting at the platform greeted the strange bunch, he noted that rich guy seemed to flaunt his demeanor, shaking hands with Mr. Holland and examining Mr. Owens. A liaison, huh? I wish him good luck facilitating this bunch. he thought to himself. He noticed the tall french woman with the tail talking to the ape, whose name was apparently "Chief", and then she went over to greet Mr. Owens. He looked to greet anyone who seemed unoccupied, having not said a word in the presence of any of these people whatsoever. She had an owl with her, as well as scars on her face. He decided to go over and greet Alessia. He set his bags aside when he was within conversational distance, and said, "It's a nice morning, isn't it? My name is Marty Sullivan, what's yours?"

[Skyggeheim]

Alessia Kassis
Zurich, Switzerland

---

It didn't take long for someone to approach Alessia. She had, after all, been standing behind Mr. Hollands and Mr. Owens. To the other Argonauts, or soon-to-be Argonauts, she was probably a strange sight. She noticed one of the boys give her a strange look, a taller boy with a mess of black hair, wearing clothes that seemed a little too fancy for the occasion. But, she wasn't one to judge. After all, she barely had a handle on fashion as it was. Argus mainly kept her in exercise clothes, or at the very least functional clothes that weren't altogether too fashionable. If she was being honest, she preferred it that way. Simply less hassle then dressing for the occasion. She could walk from her apartment to the gym, exercise, return and shower, throw on a new pair of the same clothes and be ready for the day.

Not to mention, none of this compares to the regalia of Cyrus' court. She said to herself, wincing slightly as one of the other boys approached her. He was tall, but not necessarily muscular. With sunglasses on, she found it impossible to see the color of his eyes. She stifled the urge to cover her face with her veil, immediately picturing how strange it must look to the boy to see her mangled throat and right eye. He didn't seem to mind, though, simply setting his bags down and speaking.

"It's a nice morning isn't it? My name is Marty Sullivan, what's yours?"

"It is cold, but I am told it is always like this in Swee-zer-land," She replied flatly, struggling with the word "Switzerland". She still had her guard up, after all she hardly knew these people and so she was relatively unwilling to enter into an extended conversation with her new teammates, "I am Alessia."

Her Middle-Eastern lilt was apparent, and her eyes were drawn away from the boy, surveying the individuals conversing with Mr. Hollands and Mr. Owens. The pair of them were nice enough, helping accommodate her in these headquarters before the rest of the team arrived, but she knew relatively little about either of them. As a matter of fact, she realized she knew precious little about anyone other than John. The thought of him alone made her heart sink a little. He had been gone for barely 45 minutes and she already missed him. Seeing him was always a pleasure, and he had his own tasks to attend to, but she still wished that they could spend days together as they once had: strengthening her mind and body with rigorous education and training. It was then she felt the most secure, with a good teacher by her side. Now he expected her to navigate other metahumans all alone? To say the least, she was nervous.

Alessia shook off the doubtful thoughts, reaching up to let Risha perch himself on her forearm. She spoke something to the owl in a harsh language that Marty didn't understand, and it turned its head to stare at the boy.

"And this is Risha," she said. At the mention of its name, the owl bowed forward to greet Marty. Then, as if asking to be scratched, it stretched its head outwards and towards Marty.

[The Cyberiad Council]

Hollands gripped Richard's hand, but did not return the smile. "As I said: within the hour." The next to vie for the Director's attention was one of the other Americans.

"Yes, Mr. Szabo. Preparations have been made for your arrival, and I can assure you both that facilities have been made ready to accommodate your tinkering nature. Those will be shown to you at the conclusion of our main business here today."

They were young and headstrong; testing Mr. Hollands patience already. Which, was not necessarily a bad thing, and contributed to their selection.

Before Hollands could collect his thoughts, another hand appeared at the bottom of his field of view. "Oh, of course. Mr. Chief, nice to meet you; I'm quite well. I trust you are adjusting well enough?"

---

"Oh, thank you very much," James replied to the comment about his hair. "And, yes, Melora, I have read your file but it is nice to meet you in person."

The new liaison was honestly a bit overwhelmed. It was one thing to read text on a page telling you the clinical classification of someone's personality and quite another to suddenly have them all giving you the experience first hand.

When Alex drifted by, James and Hollands exchanged a quick, knowing look. "Alright, everybody!" James said, raising his voice so it could be heard over the murmur of voices and multiple conversations.

"As Director Hollands said, I am James Owens and I will be the Liaison for the Argonauts. My jobs will include offering mission support from here, getting you government clearances when required, and monitoring the minutia of paperwork that surrounds your operations. And part of my job starts right now. Thank you for joining us Mr. Hollands, but I feel I can begin their orientation."

Hollands gave a brief, terse nod before turning back towards the main building.

"No doubt," James continued, "You saw the complex's layout as you flew in, but for some added clarification, we have a workshop, where some of you will have stations set up, and our R&D facility that works closely with it. Around the circle from that, we have a cutting-edge medical facility that can treat everything from a paper cut to unique afflictions brought about by meta-genes. Up next we have our barracks and dormitories where your personal quarters will be. Following that, we have a state-of-the-art training facility where you can train your bodies along with your powers. Finally, we have The Hall of Heroes, where we honor those that have fallen in service to the world.

First, we'll begin with the central administration building and give you a look at our mission control before moving on. And, Alessia, you've spent some time here," James said, looking up the hill slightly. "Feel free to point out anything I miss along the way you think might be interesting to our new teammates."

With that, James started up the path to the building at the top of the hill.

[Futrellia]

Richard simply nodded back, releasing his hand as his attention was quickly diverted to the other members of the team. Mr. Reyne took a couple of steps backwards to allow room for the congregation that was growing around Mr. Hollands. His eyes wondered around the members of the team and the assortment of buildings. Everyone seemed entranced with the fact that there was a talking monkey on the team. During his flight here, Richard had plenty of time to ponder the wonders of the simian, but figured his questions would be answered in due time, therefore he moved past it quite easily. His gaze locked onto the woman across from the crowd, speaking with another. Though Richard was not inclined to marvel at anyone, he seemed entranced for a moment. Perhaps it was the scars or her flowing hair, but it seemed to drag Mr. Reyne in, as unusual as that would seem to him. For a brief moment, their eyes met and Richard smiled warmly.

---

The Tour

As one, the team moved towards the central complex as James gave his tour. He was more intrigued with what the workshop and R&D facility had to offer. While Salus had great facilities, a world-spanning organization such as Argus would most certainly have something more over the Corporation. He would find out soon enough. He watched another, a Mr. Szabo, who apparently was also interested in advanced technology. While there was few here that drew his attention, perhaps this Mr. Szabo would be someone Richard had a minute semblance of consensus with, at least on technology and using it to their advantage.

[Mercatus]

Alessia Kassis
Zurich, Switzerland

---

It didn't take long for someone to approach Alessia. She had, after all, been standing behind Mr. Hollands and Mr. Owens. To the other Argonauts, or soon-to-be Argonauts, she was probably a strange sight. She noticed one of the boys give her a strange look, a taller boy with a mess of black hair, wearing clothes that seemed a little too fancy for the occasion. But, she wasn't one to judge. After all, she barely had a handle on fashion as it was. Argus mainly kept her in exercise clothes, or at the very least functional clothes that weren't altogether too fashionable. If she was being honest, she preferred it that way. Simply less hassle then dressing for the occasion. She could walk from her apartment to the gym, exercise, return and shower, throw on a new pair of the same clothes and be ready for the day.

Not to mention, none of this compares to the regalia of Cyrus' court. She said to herself, wincing slightly as one of the other boys approached her. He was tall, but not necessarily muscular. With sunglasses on, she found it impossible to see the color of his eyes. She stifled the urge to cover her face with her veil, immediately picturing how strange it must look to the boy to see her mangled throat and right eye. He didn't seem to mind, though, simply setting his bags down and speaking.

"It's a nice morning isn't it? My name is Marty Sullivan, what's yours?"

"It is cold, but I am told it is always like this in Swee-zer-land," She replied flatly, struggling with the word "Switzerland". She still had her guard up, after all she hardly knew these people and so she was relatively unwilling to enter into an extended conversation with her new teammates, "I am Alessia."

Her Middle-Eastern lilt was apparent, and her eyes were drawn away from the boy, surveying the individuals conversing with Mr. Hollands and Mr. Owens. The pair of them were nice enough, helping accommodate her in these headquarters before the rest of the team arrived, but she knew relatively little about either of them. As a matter of fact, she realized she knew precious little about anyone other than John. The thought of him alone made her heart sink a little. He had been gone for barely 45 minutes and she already missed him. Seeing him was always a pleasure, and he had his own tasks to attend to, but she still wished that they could spend days together as they once had: strengthening her mind and body with rigorous education and training. It was then she felt the most secure, with a good teacher by her side. Now he expected her to navigate other metahumans all alone? To say the least, she was nervous.

Alessia shook off the doubtful thoughts, reaching up to let Risha perch himself on her forearm. She spoke something to the owl in a harsh language that Marty didn't understand, and it turned its head to stare at the boy.

"And this is Risha," she said. At the mention of its name, the owl bowed forward to greet Marty. Then, as if asking to be scratched, it stretched its head outwards and towards Marty.

"It is certainly nice to meet you, Alessia. The cold temperatures are a nice break from the constant heat of Georgia, I must say." said Marty. When Alessia introduced her owl, Risha, Marty held out his hand and ran his fingers lightly through the owl's feathers. "You have a nice bird, Risha seems to be pretty friendly." remarked Marty.

As James gave them a basic appraisal of the compound, Marty listened intently. "I certainly hope I could get my hands on something fancy in R&D, and I am also happy to hear we have a training facility, I've been meaning to bulk up some." said Marty in a somewhat excited tone. Marty followed James up the hill at a rather slow pace, observing the other Metas around him, seeing if he could learn more by their conversation.

[Khasinkonia]

Carmagnola
Marzu 22, 2020
Nu Scimmia, Na Fìmmina Cu Na Cuda, e Tanti Dimanni

I do not stay awake for aeroplane rides, not in the slightest. I like to rest, as the rumble of machinery usually lulls me to sleep. Like a baby. Although we were, for the most part, elbow to elbow, the size difference between myself and many of the other heroes, combined with my Mama Siciliana batookie meant that I had enough space and enough cushioning to be comfortably seated. With a neck cushion, a thermos of tea, and a packed lunch, I was ready for a bit of a flight. In order to consolidate all of the heroes, I had needed to be sent a bit out of my way to meet up with everyone else, rather than go straight to the base, but it was otherwise not a difficult trip. I had dressed fairly comfortably, but anticipated that Zurich would be significantly colder than Palermo, so I dug some outfits out of my winter closet. For today, I had chosen a set of crimson high rise wide-leg corduroy pants. They had originally fit a bit tight around the hips and thighs since they were from a teen line, but after years of wearing them, and a few sewn tears, they were perfectly comfortable, and still plenty warm. Since I was going from somewhere cold to somewhere hot, I layered my tops. For the bottom layer, I had a nice short-sleeve button down made of cotton fabric that breathed spectacularly. Over it, I had a honey yellow fleece sweatshirt. I kept my wings small because if they were sized for a person, clothing would be a whole lot less comfortable. For shoes, I wore my favourite pair of flats: black on black Tom’s slip ons. As I didn’t own proper gloves, but wanted to be on the safe side in case it was particularly chilly, I wore my red opera gloves under my sweatshirt. Perfectly prepared.

I napped on the plane, and on waking up, we were beginning our descent. I believe it was the pop of my ears that awoke me. As we listened and toured, I sipped my still-warm tea, and took my lunch out of my little backpack when I replaced my neck pillow. It was my favourite easy travel meal, a spinach wrap with pieces of turkey, sausage, lettuce, spinach, and all utterly drenched in a salad dressing I’d fallen in love with ever since I visited New Orleans for a Mardi Gras trip in university. Creole Italian. Lemony, buttery, and chock full of seasoning. Perfect in every way.

As we started up the hill, I commented with intent on starting a discussion, or at least getting an answer to the question.

“Why dey put da hero museum here, so far from da city? Is no like we’re gon’ to be looking at so much history when we’re taking time to train all day.”

[San Har Jasta]

Chief
Switzerland

"Mr. Chief." These words kept going through the chimps mind. "It has such a nice sound to it." Chief thought, he then decided to make Chief his last name. "But to have a last name you need a first name." Chief broke his thought when he saw the one called James start a tour. The ape hurried to catch up, he even had to go on all fours. When he caught up, he went back on his hind legs and pushed up his sunglasses and straightened his tie yet again. He heard James bring up The Hall of Heroes, and Chief knew he had to end up being a part of it one day. He didn't quite understand why they were being honored, only that they were being honored. Chief prepared his signature greeting for their humble tour guide.

"Hello there! My name is Chi- I mean, Mr. Chief. What's yours?" He tried to give a grin but his stammer threw him off so his grin was more of just showing his teeth. "Dammit, I needed a first name before my introduction." His thoughts continued with more swears and curses towards himself- words that he had learned through the years. He then remembered what the nice French lady said about expressing his interest in being here. "I am very excited to be a hero!" Chief said very loudly, hoping his interest was shown well. The ape shoved his hand up hoping for a handshake.

[Okayanos]

Fionn Szabo
Avalerion
Zurich, Switzerland

The colorful cast of characters present followed after James like a herd of sheep- with the exception of the gangly emo kid who had jumped ship as soon as they'd touched down. Fionn would have like to dart ahead like that, but unfortunately, his power makes him more reliant on knowing where all of his things are going to be stored. As a well-dressed ape barrels into the group, nearly bowling Fionn over at the same time. His momentary stumble leaves him toward the back of the group, just within earshot to hear a brightly-colored woman with a heavy Sicilian accent comment on the location of the Hall of Heroes.

"I think it's meant for metahumans to visit. Normal people wouldn't appreciate it the same way." As far as Fionn figured, unpowered folks didn't see metahumans as entirely people- more like the fictional superheroes that had been popular once, or celebrities even. Metas weren't even technically the same species, so why would Homo Sapiens think of them in a humanized way? Speaking of different species, the voice of the chimp- Mr. Chief, apparently- broke free from the low lull of conversation, loudly declaring his excitement for heroism. It's a goal worth of respect, at least. "Why's Alessia been here longer? Is she supposed to be our leader, or something? And when can I get to my suit? If we're going to be training a lot, I'll need it."

[Skyggeheim]

Alessia Kassis
Zurich, Switzerland

---

Alessia nodded enthusiastically at James' request to point out anything he might miss at their headquarters. Admittedly, she had taken the time during her off hours - which were few and far between - to explore the facilities. She was naturally curious, and her desire to take in all the information that she could manage was not sated simply because she had been training to be a hero. As they walked, Alessia made a mental note to point out any sites that James happened to overlook or didn't find important. This, as it turns out, was a bit of an interesting request. The things that Alessia found novel or particularly intriguing were somewhat mundane to those who had been living in the modern world and were accustomed to its commodities. It, relatively quickly, descended into her pointing out regular facets of modern life without a realization that everyone else may already know what these things are.

"That is a vending machine," She pronounced at one point, "You put money in it and it delivers a snack or drink right to you."

"Those are com-pu-ters, they can let you talk to someone who's across the world."

And so on and so forth. At some point, another boy piped up, asking a question about why she had been here for longer than the rest of the team.

"Why's Alessia been here longer? Is she supposed to be our leader, or something? And when can I get to my suit? If we're going to be training a lot, I'll need it."

Alessia turned around at the mention of her name, looking at the lighter-haired and pale boy. She hadn't caught his name in their initial introductions, but from the way he mentioned his suit, she assumed he was one of the team-members who would use their technological prowess to make supremely advanced armor and weapons. A far cry from what her abilities did, and probably incredibly powerful in his own right. Still, the tone he took was slightly worrisome. He seemed a bit...skeptical...of her. She wondered why.

"I am not sure if I'm supposed to be your leader, they did not tell me," She started, turning to walk backwards as she faced the boy, "But I have been here in Swee-zer-land for a number of weeks. My...unique...situation made it appropriate it for me to stay here instead of out in the world."

Naturally, this was a half-truth. She wasn't ready to share the exact circumstances that lead to her being here in Switzerland with the team just yet. That would take time, and a lot more trust than what she currently had in them. At this point, she hoped that they would be content with what she said.

[Harbertia]

Melora
In a way Alissa's demeanor towards facets of modern life reminded Melora of herself not long ago. She didn't know what Alissa's situation was but offered up some words while looking upon Alissa's maimed face, "I have been out in the world for a long time, but for my early years I was kept in safety. I know that the world can be wondrous yet confusing. It's been years since I had my first few weeks out in the world, but if you ever want to talk about it I'll be happy to show you around. I didn't have the benefit of someone as bewildered as I to share the experience with back then. Oh, we can go to the mall- in Bern! I've never been there, but I heard about it- it'll be an adventure for the two of us!"

[The Cyberiad Council]

James Owens
Argonaut Liaison

"Well, we aren't all that far from Zurich. Maybe a mile or so past that treeline that surrounded the complex," James explained to Carmagnola as they began making their way up a flight of stairs towards what was arguably the most interesting room in the main building. "And Fionn is correct, it is mostly meant for heroes who have lost friends and allies; sometimes even siblings, to come and have a memorial to them. But it is open as a museum on Saturdays to allow the public a chance to remember the sacrifices metahumans have made."

The Liaison's attention was suddenly grabbed by Chief bolting up on all fours. "I'm glad to hear that, Chief!" James replied, maxing the chimp's excitement as he shook his hand. "I was glad when Hollands suggested you."

When they reached the sliding double glass doors that signaled they had arrived at their destination, James pulled his Argus badge from his waist and held it near a scanner. A green light lit up on the panel followed by a quiet beep, and the frosted glass parted to reveal a bustling room full of activity. James led the Argonauts out onto a balcony as to not interrupt the activities that were going on below. Several large monitors occupied the far wall, some showing maps with moving blips, other were camera footage and numerous other informative readouts. rows of computer terminals filled the floor, with Argus agents shouting things at each other, and running back and forth.

"This is Argus' primary mission control. I'll be here or in my office offering you all logistical support when you're on mission. From here we track all our dropships, active heroes, known villain locations; practically everything."

James let them take everything in for a bit before deciding it was probably time to meet the others.

"Well, if there is nothing else, I'll ask you all to follow me so you can sign your team's Charter and make everything official."

Reaching up to an earpiece, James continued, "Security, will you please page Mr. Fowler and have him report to conference room 2-C? Thank you."

With that, James waved for everyone to follow and led them across the building to an area with glass walls that looked into meeting rooms. One of the rather large rooms had some people already gathered, and said room was their destination. James held the door open and let everyone file in and find a seat before himself sitting at the end of the table, opposite Hollands at the far end. A stack of papers sat in front of them with "Argonauts" printed in bold at the top. Next to the packet was a pen, waiting to be used.

"Welcome back everyone, I hoped you enjoyed your tour. Argonauts, these are your other members, some of which will make up the Bravo element of the Argonauts, but that is for you to settle amongst yourself, though I would hope you would seek guidance on the matter from either James or myself. In front of you is your team's Charter; it outlines your sanctioning within the parameters of the Accords and details your cooperation, yet independence from Argus. It further goes on to explain compensation for your duties, as well as your security clearances within the organization. It also is your signed consent to allow Argus to monitor your hero activities, and all things done under your assumed aliases. It also brings together all the individuals here, sans Mr. Owens and myself, as official members of the Argonauts. Any questions before you sign?" Hollands asked.

[Nagakawa]

Zurich, Switzerland
Argus HQ
22/03/2020

The first thing Kenny did when they'd touched down at the Argus HQ was to check if his bicycle was alright. It didn't hold a particularly large amount of sentimental value to him, aside from it being his late father's (though Kenny had spent some time covering up the Lamborghini decals his father had pasted all over the frame with South Park stickers), but he figured that if he were to head off to a whole new country on a whole new work scheme, it would perhaps be best to have a mode of transportation with him.

Air here's a bit fresher, he thought to himself. The other people in the plane didn't seem particularly interested in talking to him, at least not by his reckoning, so he'd spent the majority of the flight there plugged in, alternating between listening to music and reading one of the ebooks he'd downloaded onto his phone. Oddly enough, despite being rather well-travelled himself, the touchdown at Argus HQ was surprisingly cathartic.

I have good memories of such landings. Mostly, at least.

Pushing his bike in one hand and dragging his suitcase in the other, Kenny followed the Argus personnel and the other passengers as they deplaned and went into the building.

...

Oi, Ji, his older brother texted him. For some reason, KakaoTalk was a little laggy. Telegram and WhatsApp on the other hand seemed more or less okay at the moment. When you gonna be back?

That's right. Chun-kang had never spent much time interacting with Grandpa and Grandma, or for that matter, with the little imp Chun-hu. Of course he would be desperate for Kenny to return.

Hard to say, Kenny wrote back. I've yet to read the full contract.

Dumbass, was all Chun-kang replied.

...

They'd waited in the conference room for quite a bit. Accustomed to life in the army, or at least knowledgeable of its many intricacies, Kenny knew that sitting around and waiting for things to happen was one of those things that one could never quite escape wherever one went. Still, as he sat silently in the room with the other members of what was to become Bravo Team, the suspense made every second stretch out like particles being spaghettified in a black hole. He'd grown tired of texting his two obnoxious brothers, and opted instead to plug in again and survey the other people waiting in the room.

♪ So where were the Spiders when the fly tried to break our balls? ♬

Interesting selection of people we have here, Kenny mused, tapping his foot to the casual, brisk beat of Ziggy Stardust and drumming his finger on the table restlessly. He had grown rather weary of reading the document lying on the table in front of him, and turned his attention to the others in the room.

There was an android-looking young lady who looked ready to slice heads off any moment (how fearsome). A fiery-haired girl with the most intense green eyes. And a young French guy who was quite beautiful. Definitely of aristocratic breed, judging by the way he carried himself. Most intriguing.

♬ Just a beer light to guide us...♩

A stack of papers sat ominously on the table. Whatever they were for, Kenny spent quite a bit of time trying to guess. Most likely contracts... but there were quite a lot more papers than the conference room could hold people, by his judgement. Could the contracts, perhaps, be- gasp -more than two pages long?

♩So we bitched about his fans, and should we crush his sweet hands??? ♬

"Welcome back, everyone. I hope you enjoyed your tour."

There was a tour? Kenny quickly yanked his earphones out of his ears as a sign of courtesy to the new people who had entered the room, sensing that there was at least one of them who was going to explain what was going to happen. Tour or otherwise, seeing as he was going to be here for a while, the place would eventually become familiar anyway.

Trying his best not to stare at the very sentient-looking ape who had accompanied the new group that had entered the conference room, Kenny sat up straight and leaned his weight slightly against one arm rested on the table. The man in charge of the first group proceeded to explain the intricacies of the terms of their current employment, opening the floor for questions and clarifications, as was standard practice for most briefings, to his knowledge.

Best to get to know the workings of the place as far as possible. Since young, Kenny had always had a fear of his questions being mocked as stupid, but over time, he'd learned that it was better to ask up front than make assumptions based on incomplete knowledge and possibly embarrass oneself deeper.

Then again, from what little he'd gathered, everything was more or less hunky dory at this point. Perhaps he'd wait for some others to ask, before thinking of better questions to ask...

[Valloria]

Nicholas Fowler
Argonaut HQ, Switzerland

"Mr. Fowler, please come with us," a muffled voice spoke after three raps on his door. "You're needed in Administration for document review." Nick raised his head, looking at himself in the mirror above the bathroom sink. He sighed, and in that moment he finally realized that this was his life now. While he was in the Academy, he'd expected to be made a full member of A.S.E.T. following his graduation. But then Denver happened. He'd been torn till this point between thinking he deserved the assignment, that others had done worse than him, and thinking he deserved to rot in prison. He wasn't fully on the road to acceptance of his new station, but maybe this atmosphere would be a new start. He tried to solidify the thought before doubt set in.

"Coming!" Nick shouted at the door to the hallway, shaking himself from his thoughts and grabbing his coat. Pushing the release, the door hissed as it slid open. Two guards stood outside the door, one with a coat insignia introducing him as a captain. Insignia looked grizzled and experienced, which a quick investigation checked out. The man was a semi-retired agent, Mel Canister, and was present for many of the previous decades' battles. He was highly decorated, but a kid on the way made a safer job with good benefits the way to go. The other was young and looked slightly nervous when faced with a real live superhero. Flynn Catorces, 24. Nick nodded gravely at the captain and shot a lazy salute at his fellow.

"You're Hades, right? From the Academy?" the junior officer he'd recognized as Catorces asked.

"That's correct," Nick said, wary for a moment.

"I've read the reports. Number three ranked up and comer, number one in intel, two in management, and number six in melee? It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Ah, that was just the Academy, I'm nothing too special. The pleasure's all mine," Nick said, relaxing. He shook the young man's hand as they breezed through the halls towards Conference 2-C. Captain Canister informed Owens through his wrist mic of their impending arrival, and the doors opened before they even reached sensor range.

Information instantly flowed into Nick's mind: powersets, past identities, personnel files, happy and sad memories, etc. He allowed it all to flow by, only latching onto what he needed. Here he was: bureaucracy time. The girl from before, the one with the weird memory, sat across the table from him. Before he could dig any deeper, the door slowly shut and his power with it. Athenium-plated conference room, he thought. Athenium wasn't his kryptonite, not quite. He could still use his power, but only on events that had happened within the room, at least while the door was closed. The material was like putting clamps on the threads of the web of Athenian particles that characterized his powers. He resolved to find Alessia after this exercise in bureaucracy and figure out what was so special about this girl's past.

Signing and initialing on dotted line after dotted line, Nicholas remained quiet through the stunted chatter and awkward silences of his peers. As soon as he was done, he dropped the pen and leaned back in his seat, clasping his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. He'd read the document with his power well beforehand; the tarmac speech by Hollands and Owens had allowed the leap. He knew the schedule as well, refraining from asking to leave as there would be further remarks by Owens when Legal Hour was through. Bored after less than a minute, he decided to see what he could get out of Alessia at the present moment.

"Where are you from?"

[Union Princes]

Robespierre

The Argus HQ was truly an exquisite building complex for a man like Claude to reside in. It was far bigger and more spacious than some of the many estates he has been to during his family’s tour of France. The best part of all, no snobs or paparazzi following him and judging his every move. Argus does know how to respect their people’s privacy which he can appreciate. Claude can finally listen to Chopin in peace. It helps pass the time while he waits in the conference room with the rest of his future compatriots.

They were, so far, a unique brand of individuals he hadn't encountered before. The first one was a girl with bright technicolor hair that vaguely reminds him of the liberals that he sees on TV. The cybernetics exposed on her skin was quite eye-catching. The girl next to her was equally fascinating. Her hair was as red if not more crimson than the Irish or the Scots in Great Britain. Her green eyes complemented well with her hair color. Almost like she jumped out of a comic book movie.

The other gentlemen jamming out to his own genre of music was of East Asian descent. It was difficult to tell if he was a Korean or Japanese. If Claude could see how the gentleman’s name was spelled, it would be easier for him to discern. And lastly, another redhead was a bit more enigmatic but Claude has high hopes that he will learn more about her.

When the door opened, the Frenchman was mildly surprised there were even more metahumans that were of even greater variety.

“Bonjour, mes amies.” Claude greeted the newcomers, “I look forward to working with you.”

When given the contract by Mr. Owens, he quickly read through before signing his name in gratuitous cursive. "Tres bien!" Claude chuckled.

[Okayanos]

Fionn Szabo
Avalerion
Zurich, Switzerland - Conference Room 2-C

In a perfect world, the government wouldn't have to poke its greedy fingers into the world of superheroics. In that world, Fionn wouldn't have to sit in a depressing conference room and sign a paper that sold his life away to faceless suits higher up in the bureaucracy. Unfortunately, this is not that world, and Fionn needs the sanctioning to avoid being made a villain himself. He reads through the soulless legal documents, skipping over the words he doesn't understand and assuming that they're the parts that are written to give the Argus higher-ups even more ability to interfere with the Argonauts' hopefully good work. Fionn signs his name on dotted lines, and thinks of his suit as he does. From the moment he'd stepped into the conference room and seen an even greater gathering of outwardly-weird metas flaunting their superhuman nature, he'd felt naked without the shell of metal wrapped around him.

As for the B-team themselves, Fionn's feelings on them are much the same as those about the A-team. A couple of people stood out to him more than the others.The first was a tough-looking girl with a metal arm that looked like she'd be ready and willing to punch his teeth down his throat, and a tall redhead with no visible quirks- that meant she either had a power that didn't turn her into a freak, or she was like him and was reliant on some kind of outside assistance just to keep up with the more gifted heroes. The other B-team members, the two boys, were very similar-looking and equally forgettable. Both young boys with medium-length black hair, one dressed in an expensive looking suit and speaking in what sounded like french, the other normal and clearly Asian, too young to be associated with the former Japanese hero team that had met a brutal end against Yaldabaoth. Fionn didn't notice anyone else noteworthy in the room, until a slightly familiar face walked in.

Another young boy with medium-length black hair and a face that looked like it belonged on a boyband album, except this one, he'd seen before. Another one of the students from ye olde metahuman academy- specifically, another one of the top scoring students. Fionn couldn't help but make a face at how the Emo Lad was drawn towards the woman with the scars on her face, the same way Tail Girl had been. Apparently he was missing something that made the scarred girl so much more interesting than everything else around them. Fionn dropped his pen on the table after giving the contract one last look-through to make sure he'd signed everything, rested his head in his hands, closed his eyes, and thought of the mech suit. All of this would be worth it once he got back to that.

[Sadakoyama]

Quandary hovered around the outside edges of the group as they crowded around the document, studying all the ways they subtly competed for attention. Most of the boys were trying to outdo each other with ostentatious displays of wealth, and the girls were all wonderfully beautiful and weird; a robot arm, a prehensile tail, rainbow hair and insect deely-boppers. A woman with a fetching and mysterious scar was pulling people in like a magnet. And, there was a chimpanzee. She felt a little foolish around them all; she was dressed in a plain grey skirt suit from a discount department store that she had been so proud of yesterday; it was the nicest thing she had ever worn that she hadn't stolen.

She stuck her hand in the pocket of the jacket; felt the cool metal and warm plastic of the bracelet. THE Bracelet. This could all just... go away. She could have a chance at a normal life, whatever that was. A job where they remembered she worked there. A lover that wouldn't be frightened finding her in their bed in the morning. Getting seated in a restaurant.

**** it, she thought, letting go of the thing.

She slid unnoticed around one of fancy boys as he turned away from the document and signed the thing without reading it. She had literally nothing to lose and besides; if this went south she could just walk away again. Toss the new ID cards they gave her over her shoulder and just fade into the background; find a new name and a new city. She'd done it before.

But maybe... maybe she could be a hero.

Deep breath. "Hey! Who brought the monkey!?"

[San Har Jasta]

(First name undecided) Chief
Swizerland

Chief was very busy thinking about his first name. "You dipshit, you need a first name to sign this paper so you can be a hero!" Chief thought very angrily towards himself. He could ask the others what a good first name is, but they seem to hate everything except the one girl with the scars, so how much help could they be? Chief would need to think of his name by himself. Something that said hero, a name that was heroic yet simple, a name that his old zookeepers would be proud of. He missed them a lot. They were his best friends and they always knew how to help Chief for whatever he needed, even if he never got a chance to talk to them. His sad thoughts broke when he heard a girl say "Hey! Who brought the monkey!?"

He knew this was about him, so he looked up at her. "The "monkey" has name, ma'am. And he is an ape! Do you see a tail on my ass!?" Chief exclaimed while pointing at his ass. He then realized the stupidity of yelling at a future teammate. Chief pushed up his sunglasses and straightened his tie out of nerves for the third time in the past hour.

"I am terribly sorry. My name is Chief, first name pending." He said in a more subdued tone as he walked over to her. He stuck out his hand, hoping a handshake could help make things right. "If there is anything I could possibly do to make up for my outburst, please tell me what it could be. I don't like when people mix up their primates, there's a lot of bad blood there."

[Sadakoyama]

Quandary
Argonaut HQ, Switzerland

Quandary took the apes hand in hers; it was surprisingly soft and strong. "No, I'm sorry. Most of the time I have to be an asshole just for people to see me. I know my primates, spent a lot of time hanging out in zoos. Maybe not as much as you. Nice to meet you, Pending."