(Special Thanks to Laivindur for writing the majority of this post!)
As the Dean listened benevolently, there was something about him that told Ben he was not running a kindergarten. One could not help but be in awe, and admire the former soldier, who seemed boring and exciting at the same time. Ben averted his eyes from Steve as there came an agent sorting papers out for the group of teens, to which Steve explained "These contracts will be your safety as much as ours. We value order, responsibility, and loyalty. I am sure all of you agree, and that is what to be expected of you on this project. When signing these contracts, which contains most of what you've already been told, it's official...Secretly." Steve gave his daughter a smart smile when no one else was watching. He thought he was being funny, and good at mixing his stern attitude with modern humor. Whether he was being funny or not however, he continued with a bright tone "You'll get all the details you need on there, Mr Lightbringer. There is going to be pay for each of you, right now it's nothing substantial, 5 grand a month, with checks direct deposited weekly. As well as full health, dental, and vision insurance." Again, Steve was pleased with his humor, and nodded to the gilded member of the group. Ben smiled back to being acknowledged. At the forming heat in his cheeks however, Ben ducked back down into the contract, and said seriously "Thank you, sir."
Turning from the mildly blushing teen, Steve looked at Raven saying "Names for the group, if you all would like one, can be discussed among you, and decided later over pizza." The Dean smiled, certain that many of the teens would appreciate pizza, and a get together in the lounge after the current meeting. Seeing how the girl of many faces proved to be a sweet, smart girl mostly getting creative with her life, Rogers continued to all "For now, you're simply project AA,
Academy Alliance." Ben snorted into the contract he was finished reading. As this was not one of the moments he'd planned to be funny, Steve turned his head in the snort's direction, and asked with his light tone gone "Something funny?" The raven haired teen looked up, putting his contract down, and said innocently "Hm? Uhm, no." Ben shook his head and apologized "No, sir." He gave Margaret a smart glance however, as she'd been one of those who'd heard Ben's joke about them heading towards an AA meeting.
Steve moved on, doing a good job ignoring Ben's obvious, however ebbing, need to laugh, saying "This academy alliance is set to be a group of young, vigorous super teens, whom we hope to bring order and safety to our citizens." He looked at them all to make sure any distractions were gone, then he pointed out "That is you." He pushed himself off of the small counter he was leaning on, and said while the agent from before collected all the copies of the signed contracts. "Put your contracts in your pods, and keep them locked at all times. I am sure you understand the need for secrecy, for ours and yours protection. Like I said, we're keeping a low profile. And that low profile is to be kept until fighting crime and injustice has become as simple for you as brushing your teeth in the morning. We got your backs, but be sure to keep each others' backs as well. In about two hours you'll start your first training session with Captain America-..."
The former soldier had to pause to collect himself, and looking at his beautiful daughter, he continued. "...As your team leader, and guide. Where you will learn to work together as a team, to eliminate any threat SHIELD aims you at." Looking at Spiderman, Spidergirl and some of the other teens who'd shown their extraordinary powers, Steve added importantly "Since, in the most basic sense of what brought all of us together for this endeavor. Is that in the last… 20 or so years. There has been an exponential rise in criminal and terrorist activity by people no police department alone can handle. Now while I'll give more detail about SHIELD and what it is we do in particular. The short and sweet of things is those people are the ones we typically deal with in secret. Not just in apprehending or neutralizing, but rehabilitating and providing a safe means of living.
However even an organization with the means and resources of SHIELD is starting to get spread out too thin for all of these metahuman activities. That is where you're going to come in." Steve reached back to the counter he was leaning against, pulling off of it a small tablet. With a few taps and swipes the screen behind him and the table in front of the group all came to light in a dull but bright blue hue. Virtual images raising up from the table that added and enhanced what was on the screen. Showing various police reports, security camera footage, and other such things of people like them committing crimes, attacking people. "The goal with this group is to be able to create a network for people to raise up and fight off those who are using their enhanced abilities for greed or violence. While its just all of you for now, if the program can prove to be successful. We'll start expanding the program out to more cities internationally, with other young men and women who wish to join up and fight for the common good. All with a expert system design to assist each group and individual."
"As for the gear, up until now SHIELD's M.O. has been to neutralize these threats in as secretive a manner as possible. However day by day, modern technology, and things such as J. Jonah Jameson's little… "News" program are making it more and more difficult to do that. So to counter any public fears about metahumans we're bring each of you into the limelight. For now under secret identity, but in time possibly allowing for freedom to show who you are… assuming of course you're comfortable with that and what it would entail."
With one more swipe the screen and table both turned off. Steve returning the tablet back onto the counter. "Now I know that what we're asking for is a lot, and certainly they're times you're going to wish the worst of me I'm sure." Steve noted with a small smile and a defensive hand wave. "But remember, what you're at right now, is the hopeful beginning of something bigger than maybe even anyone of us could ever comprehend. Something that if it works out, knock on wood, will change the world for the better."
Steve's stoic, professional demeanor slowly started to slip as he cracked another smile. "But all that's in due time. For now I want you guys to relax, get to know each other, and of course enjoy the new facility."
After sharing a short conversation with his daughter, Steve left, leaving the rest up to Margaret to train and bring them all together for a common goal. He had complete faith in her, and after the few hours with the teens, he wasn't too much worried. Most of the teens' inquiries had been settled, and what was left was promised to be dealt with later.
After putting his contract in his pod, Ben joined the rest into the lounge, where all sorts of pizzas awaited the probably hungry teens. Ben sat down in a couch with a piece of pepperoni pizza saying "If this is what he means by common goals, I am definitely in for it! I can eat pizza all day!"
Margaret herself also grabbed a slice, placing it on one of the provided paper plates and dabbing the top of it carefully with a napkin to remove some of the access grease as she leaned against a nearby wall. "Well hopefully not all day, I don't know how good you'll be at the job weighing four times as much and waddling everywhere." She joked, a folded up slice of New York City style pizza dangling out of her hand. "Still, I'm excited about it personally."
"I suppose you would be…" Reed noted, as he was examining the pool table in the room. "By the sound of things, your father has had you well trained for this." He noted, pulling down a pool cue from the wall rack nearby and starting to set up a game of eight ball. Using his own outstretched hands and fingers to not only get the balls out but rack them up perfectly.
"You could say that…" Margaret noted, clearly leaving the topic there as she took a bite of her pizza.
