The Next Avengers Initiative

[Camleen]

*Posting on behalf of @Cyberelite2k *

The Next Avengers ​

Start of a brand new day…

​

Towards the northeastern edges of New York state lies vast forests and mountain ranges. Some of these areas are known for their scenic beauty… hiking trails… fishing… and forgotten military facilities.
Okay maybe the last one not so much, but that's where this story begins.

More accurately in the vicinity of the region of High Peaks Wilderness. There are mostly state parks here, places the public are encouraged to roam peacefully. To commune with nature and all her glory. And there are some areas where the general public is discouraged to go. Like an abandoned military facility, first built in the late 1960's. It would have been a staging point, to fight off (what we thought) would be a Communist invasion of these United States. Fortunately, such things only ever happened in the movies.

The facility lies on some acreage out of the way of the normal flow of visitors. Overgrown with grass and weeds in many parts, rust and damage along the whole of the exterior. And interior. This is where they were to meet for the first time.

The word had gone out. The Avengers… Earth's Mightiest Heroes… pooled their collective resources to recruit a new group of powered beings. Some decisions were easy, many not so much. The heroes all (for the most part) made suggestions as to who they thought could work in a training like environment. Under supervision, of course. S.H.I.E.L.D.offered resources, and Captain America himself helped to put it all together. These heroes reached out to others they had known, others they thought perhaps could carry on where the Avengers couldn't. No one SAID it would be the Avengers B-Team but a lot of people thought it. They are meant to be heroes in the midst of training. Some with vast experience, some without much experience at all.

The sun has been up along the forested horizon for about 3 hours now. The facility stands in the grass field silently, save for the sound of a couple people working inside. Someone is hammering somewhere in the depths of the facility, another dragging what sounds like metal. Outside of the facility there is parked 3 white vans, one of them with the S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia on it. The doors of 2 of the 3 vans are open… exhibiting all sorts of tools, wires, cables, monitors and various other little gadgets.

Agent Claremont

​

A little away from the facility stands 2 more people. The first a tall man (6'2" if you need him) clad in a black and midnight blue suit. He is reading a paper on the clipboard he holds, his face showing the focus he has on it. His brown hair and beard show signs of gray, but dignified nonetheless. Every few moments he glances to his watch, as if expecting something. Which he is, of course.

And about 20 feet away from him stands a young girl. She looks like she could be 16 or so. Her long dark hair drapes across her shoulders to about the middle of her back, faint curls too. Her petite form is clad in a body fitting black S.H.I.E.L.D. field unit uniform, clad from her toes to her neck. She is anxious, her fingers fidgeting as her hands hang at her sides. But her fidgeting is the only real indication of how she feels at all. Her face is a blank, showing little emotion whatsoever. Her half closed eyes just scan the horizon as she stands silently, the boots and lower legs of her uniform having bits of dirt and mud on them. Perhaps she has been exploring the wilderness around the facility. While she is watching the road that leads up to the facility, she is keeping herself aware of everything else around her. The men in the facility, the man standing behind her… the rabbit moving through the tall grass on her right… the mouse she hears skittering across some fallen branches somewhere…
Suddenly her gaze flicks in the direction she hears the rabbit moving, her hands clenching into fists. The man behind her looks up as he sees her movement, and he glances in the direction she looks. He smirks a little, looking back towards her as he speaks in a confident and smooth tone. "All okay, little stray?" Over her shoulder she looks towards him, and then back towards the road as she nods. He watches her a few moments more, and then he looks back towards his clipboard full of notes.

He is to be this group's liaison to S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Claremont. And she… she is only known as the name stitched on the patch on the right side of her chest…. Fang.

 

[DesReploid]

Christian Stone
Mentions: Fang

​

At first, the whole thing seemed like a weird joke. Perhaps one that made more sense to those that had some more experience in the superhero "business".

A little over a week ago Christian saw himself almost toppling over backwards when, after coming back home from his shift, he found that in his small broom closet of a flat he had an unexpected visitor. An instantly recognisable one at that and one that likely didn't often take the time to swing by people's homes. This visitor was none other than the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

Though he had briefly interacted with the web-slinger before, given that his two mentors were relatively close friends with him, but never had Christian imagined finding the hero sitting around in his small living room, waiting for him. He was informed about what, for all intents and purposes, could be called 'The Avengers B-Team' or perhaps even C-Team, given the existence of the Thunderbolts.

SHIELD and some of the Avengers wanted to create a new group of powered individuals and Spider-Man himself had recommended him for that team. Christian was stunned and could not believe that this was serious. His work as a hero had so far been limited to stopping small-time robberies, muggings, drug deals and the like, nothing near what the Avengers usually dealt with, the biggest achievement he had made during his still young superhero career was busting a small drug lab of the Maggia, but even during that Operation he had help from Cloak and Dagger and he still felt in way over his head. After a short talk with Tyrone and Tandy - Themselves formerly members of a secret Avengers group - it turned out that this was not a joke.

Now Christian was getting ready to head out, to what was to be their base of operations. He didn't know whether or not he was expected to show up as Christian or The Stranger, so he simply opted to arrive as Christian rather than as his superhero alter ego. He figured that the punk-rock-band-reject look would seem less intimidating than someone dressed in a long cloak with billowing darkness underneath. Although he was sure that if SHIELD agents were present, they would most likely keep their calm either way.

A glance at the time on his phone told him that, if he took a car, he would most likely be hours too late to the agreed meeting point. But, he had a route already planned that would make it in time, one much faster and much less conventional than just going by car, if everyone there was already aware of his abilities, he might as well use them to make things more convenient for him. Christian looked over at the long dark blue coat and, in one swift and fluid motion, one he had performed many times by now, slung it across his shoulders, pulling up the large hood.

One more deep breath, and then he took a step backwards into a strange, lightless place outside of reality. The Darkforce Dimension was not a welcoming place, but it was one that Christian had, somewhat reluctantly, grown accustomed to. Although, the thought that The Predator was skulking around this vast space always unsettled him, even if the chance of running into the demon that called this place its home was unimaginably low. Hastily Christian went through the steps he practised to reach the abandoned military facility, the sooner he could leave this place again the better, and after a few seconds, he closed his eyes and stepped back out of the extradimensional space and into the High Peaks Wilderness, just barely out of sight of the abandoned military base.

Quickly the coat was removed and placed in a small sports bag, another set of movements that Chrisitan was sure he could perform with closed eyes by now. A few steps later the building came into view, and as he had expected, the place was full of people walking back and forth, dressed in what he assumed to be SHIELD uniforms. He continued approaching the complex and relatively soon he spotted a young girl, also dressed in a SHIELD uniform, surveying her surroundings like a hawk. Chrisitan couldn't tell if she was anxious to be spotted or if she was just the poor soul tasked with boring look-out duty. Behind her stood a tall bearded man, looking up and down a clipboard, he looked important enough to Christian to hope that he could give him further directions.

"Sorry," he said with an unsure smile on his lips, raising a hand in greeting both to the agent and the young girl, who, Christian had no doubt, had noticed him a long time ago.

"Hey there, my name is Christian Stone... I was told to drop by by... uhm," Christian paused for a second, the silliness of what he was about to say only properly occurred to him at that moment, "By... Spider-Man, believe it or not. I was told there was a SHIELD sanctioned gathering of special children here? I think I'd be one of those special children."

 

[WickedWitch]

Avery Whitmore

​

The air is cool inside the leather backseat of the limo, and while she's not completely sure if the sweat collecting heavily across the entirety of her palm is because of the way she's awkwardly slumped against behind the front passenger seat-that is completely blocking off any of the cool air wafting out of the cars air conditioning or if it's because of the view that turns foreign and unfamiliar as they pull closer to their destination.. It feels a bit surreal as a whole, Ave had always been working towards her ultimate dream to become a hero, but now that a somewhat perfect opportunity was being handed to her, as she wasn't entirely thrilled to be working under S.H.I.E.L.D, she felt that it kind of made her a slight bit nauseous. But she knew she wouldn't back out now, the Doctor had worked really hard to get her into the listing, a handful of meetings with the notorious Tony Stark and lots of paperwork later she was finally enlisted. And she was incredibly grateful for Strange's consistent help, and so she wasn't going to look a helping hand straight into its face. Her train of thought is broken when the car jolts aggressively as it rolls over a particularly large rock sitting in their road, her head lolls away from the window before slamming against the cold glass. She hisses through her teeth, her hand already rubbing circles over the throbbing area. The surroundings gradually change the further the wheels roll, the medium collection of people slowly waning out into barely any more.The car gradually comes to a full stop, her hand stilling against her head as she stares widened out the car.

The sudden realness of the situation crashing harshly into her, Ave is almost tempted to not even move from her sitting position, but with roll of the shoulders and a deep breath.. She steps out, eyes immediately slitting at the harsh rays of sunlight glaring into her exposed eyes, comfort given in the form of her feet cuddled into her favorite pair of black Reebok shoes, sided with a worn pair of blue jeans and topped off in sleeveless black shirt. Her feet slide against the barren dirt ground, she's a bit disconcerted by the sheer height of the agent waiting for - what she suspects is the arrival of the rest of the group, though it seemed someone had already beat her to the chase.. But she would just have to deal with it, taking large strides she falls into place beside the other kid, her hand stuffed into her pockets as she speaks, "Avery Whitmore, I was recommended by Doctor Strange and Tony Stark, pretty sure I got the right time, and place.." She mumbles the last bit under her breath.

---

Winifred Lopez
​

Three weeks earlier

Arguably this whole entire thing was a stupid and incredibly reckless idea, but if Win didn't attempt to at least slide his name though very discreetly into the mix he'd never get anywhere. And he had many places he wanted, no needed to get, and so he went through with it. His mother, though she paid for the rent and gave him money for things he needed, was never around the house for much. And if she ever was, she'd hole her in her office and never come out. So he finds the perfect opportunity when she goes off for another of her business missions, the password for her computer was fairly difficult, but he had spent hours snooping through her office enough to know it. This whole thing felt a little odd, and he couldn't get rid of the heavy doubt that weighed against his conscience, when he had first heard the rumors of a new group of 'Avengers' being recruited to work underneath the supervision of S.H.I.E.L.D, he had merely shrugged his shoulders and went on with his life.. But the longer he let the idea stew the more he felt like this was the perfect opportunity for him to strengthen his skills in a way his current occupation and independence would not allow him. So here he was, flicking through the large plethora of his mother's emails searching for what he needed. He wasn't entirely sure if the email would ever get to the people he wanted it to, but he had held out some hope. So with a stiff roll of his tense shoulders Win goes to work in finding out more information the recruitment site.


Present Day

Arguably, it was an entirely idiotic choice on Wins behalf to go by foot. He had spent days trying to decide the best way to get to the respective meeting time, and seeing as how his pocket change was too short for any type of public transportation and his lack of any other vehicle, foot was the best option. But currently, as his combat boot's drag heavy in the rough gravel and he can practically hear the heat creating waves in the surrounding area around him, he incredibly regrets his decision to walk in favor of keeping his money. Even though his watch had long been discarded into the sports bag slung over his shoulder where his hero gear and equipment had carefully been packed days prior, thankfully though just as his legs feel ready to give out entirely he finally reaches the area. A bit disdainful to find two other people, excluding the large S.H.I.E.L.D agent and a smaller female agent, he was probably late.. Win shuffles uncomfortably where he's stopped a little far off from the other people, running through the list of probable introductions, finally he decides which one would be best. "I'm Winifred Lopez, my mothers Maya Lopez, I was kind of recommended here by her…"

 

[TravisBM]

Allen Kenny

​

Sometimes a hero must always learn an important lesson. A lesson that many struggle with, especially as the years begin to drag onwards and the world seems to need them more. But one man was able to find his answer after a tiring stretch of work throughout the month. Who knew it was as simple as having a nice rocking chair, and a small energetic dog tearing through the fields with boundless energy. Yeah this was surely an answer he wouldn't get tired of watching for a lifetime. And with the rising sun glancing over the roaming plains...it looked like it just might go on this way forever indeed.

At least it looked to be that way until his phone began to buzz in his pocket. Almost on cue the dog stopped running, and looked over at it's friend before it's ears dropped a little. However, a nice butterfly caught it's attention and it began running in earnest once more as it locked onto new prey. Sighing as he removed the phone from his pocket he allowed it to go twice more before picking up after seeing the name. "Detective Kenny. How can I aid you today sir?...A job offer? Why would you assume I know how to get into contact with him? Fair enough. Well I shall let him know about it as soon as I can. When would you like me to...today?! Alright i'll see what I can do."

Hanging up the phone he began rocking back and forth in his chair once more. Those people always did know how to get their brand of information didn't they. Though he supposed it was only a matter of time before they became interested in him regardless of all that. He wanted to enjoy the hard vacation he had fought for from the bureau, but it seems like it would need to be cut short in favor of his other line of work. Sighing he got up to head inside, and took a look around at the state it was in. Everything was put together in an orderly fashion just like he left it, and pretty spotless due to his efforts of speed cleaning yesterday. Hopefully it wouldn't get too dusty by the time he needed to return back here. Stretching out some of his bones after sitting in a resting position for so long, he looked up with a smile on his face and a blue spark that flashed across his eyes. "Time to break the record for packing in a single second." He took out a stopwatch and made a mental countdown before hitting it, and was gone in a blur.

He grumbled as he began to lift both bags he needed about it taking him two seconds because of his knee. But everything was packed and ready for transport...at least until he saw a small dog padding up beside him with a small doggy briefcase. "Do you even need that bone?" He asked this and only received a sharp stare of assurance that it was of absolute value. Rolling his eyes he picked up the dog, and placed them within a secure pocket in his jacket for these occasions. "Ready to see our new workspace Champ?" With a agreeable woof he set his sights on the horizon. "Alright then. New York here we come."

What began as a simple trot, broke out into a jog, then into a sprint, and then with a flashing of his belt a super dash. Usually this reserve would be for getting himself back to work, and going back home in a singular bound. Though this occasion called for a bit of a bending in his usual lifestyle as he watched the scenery flash by him as if flash frozen. All save for the dog that insisted on keeping its tongue out, and he still wondered how it didn't bite that thing off everyday. Maybe he was rubbing off on this thing too much. Questions for later of course as they arrived after an only...and hour. Who needs to ride the bullet train these days eh? Brushing himself off, he figured it was probably best for everyone not to have dust kicked up into their faces during his arrival. Instead choosing to stop a little bit away from the exact meeting spot, and make the rest of the journey on foot. Also due to the fact that his squiggly companion was jumping at the opportunity to explore its new unfamiliar surroundings. Couldn't fault the little guy though after all the nature in the area was actually quite beautiful this time of year.

The scene certainly did change as the duo finally found themselves nearing the first signs of human civilization within mother nature. And it seems as though he wasn't the only one arriving around this time either. Seems like the rumors were right about another super group being formed soon. Who knew he was gonna be able to be part of it? Though looking around at the age range of the people here so far...he now understood why he was offered a mentor position. Everyone here had to be at least half of his age, and that was being generous on the numbers. But overestimating someone's level of experience, or age for that matter, in the the hero world was a surefire way of getting yourself hurt or worse. So for now he simply waved at this all in small greeting as everyone was gathering.

"Hello there everyone. Glad to see youth these days getting into the hero business. Hopefully you all have a long career ahead of you all. Please do though in seriousness. I'd like to retire fairly soon." He gave a sly smile as Champ decided to join in by sitting proper and upright, but there is only so much serious air you can gather being a cross eyed dog. "A pleasure to likely teach you all whatever this old man knows left."

​

 

[Ariel]

Emily Hawkins​

A low roar became audible as Kenny started talking, growing in intensity as he spoke. By the time he finished, its source had appeared - an oddly familiar figure of red and gold, rocketing in on pillars of plasma.

It definitely looked like Iron Man as it descended, the wash from its bootjets kicking up a dustcloud. But subtly different as well. The proportions, the way it moved... and the mane of long black hair that tumbled from its helmet.

"Tha fergaat t'say aahm t'awd fer thi' shite," Emily deadpanned as she stepped in front of Kenny. "Aarn Mayden, but tha ken caal me Em'ly."

She looked back at the other team members, then at the SHIELD agents, then back again at the team.

"Be a raaht job taking care a' thee bairns," she said, and stooped down to give Champ a scratch behind his ear. "But tha'll dee awright, eh boy?"

 

[Cyberelite2k]

Richard Whitman
Well it's gonna take some time getting used to this. No daily swordsman training, no pub crawls, no damn goblins hopefully. Well except himself. The mask was sat in his bag which was meant to taunt that bastard. However being in America was new, new rules and stuff.

Looking out of the car window, the knight watched as they drive by trees and...more trees. When he heard about this he made sure to prepare all of his gear. His shield/glider was in the bag ready to go, his armor and costume was repaired properly. The ebony blade was sat in it's sheathe on his lap, he wasn't sure what to feel about it. His dad might've given it to him but he didn't feel like he earnt it. guess he'll have to prove it now.

The car stopped and he got out. His sheathe bouncing against his leg. good to know it was still there. It did kind of comfort him. Knowing his father trusted him. He saw the likely shield representative. And others. Could be interesting, they look interesting he means.

"Hey mate, Richard here, the older Whitman said to come here" he stated calmly calling his shield/glider to him and used it like a surface to lean against. "how many are we expecting?". He looked around, everyone seemed... interesting.​

 

[Cyberelite2k]

Mark Carter
Why did he have to be here. He rather have his mother here. She's safe and would protect him from other people. She might say they're nice but...he needed more information on them for him to be comfortable. He nervously shifted his fingers along the laptop keys in front of him as the van moved along. The night nurse's friends agreed to take him so he wouldn't have a breakdown over strangers again. So he was currently checking on a couple files he found about a couple shield agents. They seemed....nice despite the scary missions. Hopefully they wouldn't harm him...his hobby does anger people.

He felt the van stop and he flinched before quickly grabbing his headgear and put it on. Hiding his face behind the pieces of fabric and exoskeleton. He wanted his Face to be hidden in order to keep his nerves in check and stop a potential freakout. The van door was there ready to be open....he can do this. Mark nervously opened the door picking his Duffle bag up and keeping hold of his laptop. It rarely left his side.

Mark looked at the others there and almost immediately rushed to a bush near them to hide only letting one of his drones lift out and act like his eyes. They knew he was there but he was terrified of being face to face with anyone...tho he knew richard from their time both training under tony but he'd rather it be more private to communicate. So out of nerves. He hid. Despite his red gear.​

 

[Camleen]

Agent Claremont
The bearded man feels a small grin pull at the corners of his lips, this his as people start to arrive. Christian is the first to arrive, and as the young man introduces himself a note is made on the clipboard. The Agent glances down as he writes in shorthand. The back to Christian he looks with a welcoming smile. "Good morning, Mr. Stone. Welcome to the program." He doesn't offer his hand to shake, as he has found some people with abilities don't like that sort of thing. "Just hang out for a few, if you'd kindly. We should be getting more arrivals soon, and I'll address all as one." he says with a nod, that same welcoming smile not leaving his face.

And as if on cue, a car pulls up with a young woman getting out then. The Agent looks towards Christian, and then motions to the car as if to silently say 'See?'. Stepping passed Christian now, his eyes rest upon Avery as she introduces herself.

He really hopes it's going to be this easy for everyone.

His hand lightly taps the shoulder of the dark haired girl (Fang) as he passes her, causing her to shoot a glare to him. But he pays it no mind and removes his hand after a moment. Since he wants to, ya know, keep said hand.

"Ms. Whitmore, welcome to our little facility. You are indeed right on time, and right place. I thank you. We're just getting started."

That last part having more meaning than the immediate one.

As Win emerges, once more the Agent jots something down on his clipboard. For anyone curious, it's just a list of those that have arrived thus far. And a little shorthand note to himself how to identify each one. "Mr. Lopez, welcome to the mountains of New York!" He says in a jolly, not as professional tone. "Feel free to join the others" He motions towards those that have already arrived "while we wait for just a few more. If'n they show and all." His tone a hopeful one. "We'll get proper intros done here quick."

Now to the Agent's surprise… Allen walks up towards the little gathering. He knows that it's probably Allen Kenny, based solely on his physical description and approximate age. The Agent isn't terribly older, really. But he thinks it's a good bet he and Allen will be the older more seasoned of this group. But I digress.. he is surprised to see Allen walking up to the group, knowing his talent is enhanced speed. He expected him to just seeming appear out of nowhere. He's really glad he didn't, though. Such surprise entrances are liable to give a person a heart attack. Or set off an attack of a different kind from someone already on edge (looking at you, Fang). "Mr. Kenny, welcome welcome! And to you too, poochy." He kneels down a little, smiling to the small dog. As he stands, he looks back towards Allen "Happy to… have…" He glances around, then towards the surrounding forest, thinking he hears something. But slowly he looks back towards Allen. "…. you aboard. I've seen your record. Pretty impressi--"

And then Iron Maiden makes her Hero Landing™

"Oh God" the Agent says as he stumbles away a couple steps from within the boundary of the sudden kicked up dust and dirt. He holds his hand over his heart, maybe seeming a little more dramatic than he needs to be. And it's kind of funny.

Now the Agent wipes off his brow as he laughs lightly, glancing between Emily and Allen. "Well I was expecting a real sudden entrance like that sooner or later. Welcome aboard, Ms. Hawkins." His gaze does linger on Emily a moment more… for both her familiar seeming armor and her very heavy accent. That's… going to take some time to get used to.

As Richard's car pulls up, the Agent looks in his direction. The younger Whitman… A glance towards the others and then he looks back towards Richard, after making another little note on his clipboard. "Mr. Whitman, welcome welcome! As for how many… we'll be 6 or 7 strong we hope." Looking barely passed Richard he notices additional movement. Someone gets out of the van… and then bolts for the brush. The Agent's head tilts a little to one side… he saw a streak of sustained red… not many were left, and only one of those left wore a red as their main uniform. But if Crimson Cowl doesn't want to approach yet… well he can't force such a thing. When the man is ready, he'll emerge. He's on the list of candidates, after all. And for good reason.

Now he would turn back towards the gathered group, a smile once more upon his lips. "Well here we are, eh?" He tucks his clipboard under his arm, clicking his pen closed he tucks it into his pocket. "All of you were asked here by someone affiliated with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers. And…" he chuckles a moment awkwardly as he looks around, and then back to the group as he continues. "Some of them were supposed to be here, but it seems like they have saving world stuff to attend to. So…" He clears his throat, and then continues. "My name is Kevin Claremont, Agent Kevin Claremont on special assignment with Shield." He pauses. "I am a retired Marine, I served in a number of units… spent time Marine Wing Support Squadron 171…. where I met the current Captain America. And he recommended this assignment for me. I am to be your liaison to Shield command. So why are we here?" He now holds his clipboard behind his back as he walks slowly back and forth. "The current incarnation of the Avengers… well heck they're getting run thin. There are more world threatening events today than there has been in all of human history. It's not that they can't handle things… but there could come time when others will be needed. And the hope is.. that's where we come in." He motions now to all of them. "We are not a Shield unit, persay. We aren't under the command of Shield. But we will work in conjunction with them. And this…" he now motions to the facility that seems in near ruins "Is our base of operations. Such as it is… the power doesn't work yet, some of it is falling apart. But.. its ours. And I'll go into more detail on it soon. Firstly… any questions?"

 

[Camleen]

She was told there would be other people showing up. People she didn't know. People that didn't mean her any harm. People that she was going to be expected to work with. People she was going to have to interact with. She of course wasn't thrilled about this… but she had also been told that it was something she had to get through. She had come to faintly trust those counseling her… which is saying quite a bit.

Since she literally didn't have anyone in this world.

Young Fang wasn't sure what to do when asked by the Agent to join him in waiting for the others to arrive. She felt out of place enough as it was. So, she supposes, falls back on old habits. Keeping herself safe by watching and being aware of everything around her. Stay focused… ignore the banter of the Agent behind her. Ignore the fun chasing opportunities around her.

Her head tilts up faintly and she draws in a discrete deep breath through her nose. Scents… new scents… human… and not… New scents, not those of the Shield workers. Or the nature photographer in the far distance. In her mind, a foggy image forms. A man… wearing civilian clothes… but in possession of something more than 'normal' clothing. Something that gives off an odd scent she had never encountered. Sometimes clothing retains minute qualities of whatever atmosphere it is exposed to… even atmospheres beyond this world. And as Christian emerges… her hazel eyes are already locked on him.

Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

A whisper in the back of her trained and damaged psyche. But she says nothing as the Agent initiates conversation with Christian. But her eyes remain focused on Christian's bag. Christian begins to introduce himself, but Fang's eyes are already diverted away. A car is coming… it's heavy body making plenty of noise coming along the road. She squints as her head tilts a little to one side, her hands clenching into fists. A quick look towards Christian as Avery gets out of the car, and the Agent then moves passed her.

She feels his hand on her shoulder, and she feels her whole body tense. Her gaze snaps to him in warning, but he doesn't seem to notice. Avery gets out of the car, and now Fang's gaze is directed towards her.

Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

The names she says, she's familiar with. Avengers related people, she has read about them. Well more or less she's been briefed on them from Shield. Knowing the history might be a good idea for this particular team. And it occurs to her… all of them probably have some kind of enhancement. Her mind wanders a moment..

Are any of them like her?

To her, the air is suddenly pierced by scent of sweat being carried aloft. She now looks passed Avery and towards Winifred as he emerges along the dirt road. Wow… he must have been walking for days. Taking a few steps forward now (closer to where Avery and the Agent are) she keeps her gaze locked on Winifred. Keeping her gaze fixed on him, she half wonders if he's about to drop dead. She can faintly hear his heart pounding.

Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

Perhaps it is concern that makes her attention linger upon Winifred, who can say. But she doesn't know him, so she wouldn't be able to give a reason why she should care if he drops dead abruptly.

From her spot, she now starts to feel a little anxious. That iddy-biddy voice in the back of her head getting a little louder now. Much of the time when she enters a room… her mind automatically assesses the best way to kill everyone in said room. And that's what is happening now. She tries to block such thoughts from her psyche, but she has had precious little success in doing so these past few months. So when Allen and Champ arrive, her attention is still focused inwards on her own thoughts.

Only glancing towards Allen, she feels a faint frown upon her lips. Her attention for the moment is divided… some of it listening

Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

Some of it on the growing group… and some of it on the sound of something akin to a rocket exhaust.

….Rocket exhaust?

Emily lands spectacularly, and Fang feels her body tense as her gaze shoots towards the woman. She draws up her fists… giving herself a moment to properly read the situation. Her armor is something similar to Tony Stark's, which doesn't mean a whole lot to her. She looks as if she's about to leap right at Emily, a look of intense focus upon her young features. But she doesn't. She slowly starts to relax as the Agent puts on his dumb little show.

Disable armor power distribution network by either direct destruction of power plant or power distribution nodes located along the abdomen. Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

Fang shakes her head and then looks away from the shiny armor, her eyes once more befalling Allen. Well more on Champ. She just watches him, a faint smile upon her lips.

She remembers killing dogs, for some reason. She's not sure she ever actually has, though.

And as Richard arrives, now she's starting to feel a bit more… intimidated. Not in the respect of fearing being outdone by anyone. Just the hesitation of being around so many people she doesn't know. Loud people for the most part. People that she isn't supposed to hurt yet. Or so she's been told. Her eyes focus on Richard, and on his scabbard. A sword of some kind… but he's making no move to use it.

Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

She is staring at his weapon as the van pulls up, as the final expected person finally arrives. Her eyes only moving, she watches as Mark almost immediately makes himself scarce. She narrows her eyes in his direction. Why is he doing that? And why didn't she think about doing that? Keeping herself hidden to watch all of them till she decided she didn't need to murder any of them.

Piercing wound in the area of the third and fourth rib, disabling the heart by destroying the tissue below the aortic arch, pulmonary trunk region and above the thoracic diaphragm.

Quicky she shakes her head, her hair swaying back and forth. She has to keep those thoughts away, especially if she's going to coexist with them. But it's about then that Agent Claremont begins to introduce himself, and half explains why they are here. She takes a few discrete steps away, putting her at the far end of the group. When he mentions it, she looks towards the Facility. She had already been here for a few days, exploring where and when she can. Helping the Agents get things running. She even found a little space she might be able to call her own. Or rather, a space she hopes she would be allowed to have. Otherwise, she seems to not even be listening to the Agent, her gaze far away and in the direction of the facility, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.

 

[DesReploid]

Christian Stone​

The agent in front of him seemed nice enough to Christian, there was some air of friendly authority about him, or perhaps he was just imagining that. Christian just mumbled a silent "Will do" when he was told to wait for the others to arrive. He was excited to see who else would be arriving, he barely had an image of what the other maybe-Heroes would look like.

Christian looked over to the girl standing next to the Agent again, he only spotted the name tag on her chest now, "Fang". She looked rather young to be a SHIELD agent, perhaps she was one of the would-be heroes that were supposed to make up this new team. He inhaled to address her directly, ask for her name, perhaps strike up some form of conversation. Though just as he did, he heard a car roll up behind them and when the agent motioned in the same direction, Christian turned to look at the new arrival instead.

With the fancy limousine that had pulled up behind them, Chrisitan half expected the President, of SHIELD or the United States, to step out of it. Instead of some intimidating SHIELD agent that could look like they were in charge of the whole thing, out of the car came another younger girl, probably somewhere around his age range as well. Hands in her pockets, she approached and introduced herself.

Doctor Strange ... he thought Tyrone had mentioned that name before. If he remembered correctly, Doctor Strange was somehow connected to the time that he and Tandy had run into the Predator. He would have to ask Avery whether or not Doctor Strange happened to have mentioned his two mentors before.

After she introduced herself, Christian let out a quiet introduction to Avery as well, again raising a hand in greeting and trying to put the most friendly smile he possibly could onto his face.

Shortly after her arrival came the next person walking out of the surrounding forest. He looked quite exhausted and Christian wondered if he actually walked all the way here for hours. The thought crossed his mind to offer to take him back home, or at least closer to it, should he want to go back later in the day, but Christian was still unsure how others would react to the Darkforce Dimension.

Until now, he had only teleported Tandy around through the Darkforce, given Tyrone was a conduit himself teleporting him was a bit pointless, and he was always a bit afraid that if he did the universe would collapse in on itself, and when he was first in it when Tyrone got him out of harm's way, and he developed his abilities, it was terrifying and even the first few trips into it were not easy, even if he knew that he was completely safe from the Darkforce's ill effects. Maybe he should wait before offering to be free public transport, at the same time, he really did not want to burden the guy with walking all the way back down to New York again.

The next arrival, to Christian's surprise, was not a tall man in... maybe his forties? Christian's interest spiked severely. He had to learn that people that do hero work often seem to have several decades of wisdom in them, even if they were only in their mid-twenties, he wondered what kind of stories and experiences Allen had to share. Seeing the small dog sitting in Allen's jacket just made Christian grateful again that the last two strays he had picked up were taken in by a shelter two days before now. Otherwise, he might have had a problem with those two still around. He really did not want to have to subject a pair of puppies to the Darkforce.

Christian, much like the Agent and Fang, heard a loud noise cut through the otherwise relatively quiet surroundings. He had heard a similar sound before... a jet engine! ... a jet engine?

He looked upward, just in time to see a gold and red coloured shape heading toward them and to raise his arm to shield his eyes from the dust and dirt that was kicked up by the landing. He looked around to see if anyone had been in any way injured, the first thing he noticed was the young girl, Fang, raising her hands and tensing as if ready to attack. After seeing at least one of them ready for a fight, he extended a small Lightforce dagger in one of his hands, getting ready either to help fight off danger or to try and break up a potential fight, though he dropped it once he saw the tension in Fang slowly subside. Only now did his eyes land on the new arrival.

For a second he thought that the Iron Man himself was paying them a visit, but he quickly noticed the long black mane extending from the back of the helmet. Her introduction was... interesting, mostly because Christian could barely understand a word. Something about her being too old, which made him chuckle a little given that the person who arrived shortly before her is at the very least a good decade older than her. What was her name? Emly? Emily? It was certainly something to get used to, though it shouldn't be too much of a problem. He did have to restrain himself a little not to bark at her if the entrance was really necessary, but he'd like not to antagonise anyone, so he kept his mouth shut.

Christian was still dusting himself off when another car rolled up and out stepped another guy about the same age as Christian. The first thing he really noticed about him was the sword he had sheathed at his side, in a world of guns that could fire faster than you could see a sword seemed like an odd choice of weapon, although he wasn't one to talk. As he introduced himself he pulled up a big metal shield to his side, was he some kind of knight? He also had a pretty strong accent, was that English or Australian? Christian couldn't tell, he'd just have to ask Richard later.

Possibly the most peculiar of all of them came last. Christian only saw how some streaks of red suddenly darted from out of a car behind a bush and then a drone lifted out from the same bush. He didn't know whether or not he should try to keep down his laughter or not, but he tried to do the latter. Though, his attention was quickly caught again by Agent Claremont, who began a proper introduction.

Christian's respect for the agent only grew more when he mentioned his past in the military. Joining the army was something Christian had considered briefly but decided against it. He didn't think he was fit to be a soldier and gunfire used to scare him immensely, a fear that, given what he did as Stranger the past few years, has mostly disappeared. His assumption that Agent Claremont likely has many stories to tell was only further confirmed by this, and it made Christian all the more excited when he was told that they would be working together from this point forward.

Christian had already suspected that the disused bunker they were standing at was supposed to be a base of operations of sorts. He wasn't really clear on whether they were going to live there or if it was just a meeting ground for all of them. Should the former be the case, great! That would just mean he'd have to pay less rent, at least that's what he hoped. Either way, he would probably find some place in there to set up the miniature café that he had spent, for his standards, a small fortune on. Tea and coffee, he found, were great to calm the nerves and given their stressful job, the others would probably appreciate a little bit of Batista work from him.

He didn't really have any questions that he couldn't ask later when everyone was less busy, so instead, he not-so-sneakily sneaked his way out of the small group and slowly made his way over to the bushes the red blur had rolled into. Whoever they were, they were most likely not too dangerous since Agent Claremont seemed calm about them and Christian was too curious who was hiding there to not check.

When he was about halfway, he raised both his hands to, hopefully, appear less threatening. Though he didn't stop walking toward the bush, slowly making his way there. Just as he was about to step through the bushes, he stops.

"Hello there," he lowered his voice a bit, so the others wouldn't be disturbed by him, but whoever was hiding here could still hear him, "I'm Christian... I, uh, what do I look at, the bush or the drone?" He took another few steps closer, it reminded him a little of when he picks up strays from the streets, they're scared, and he somehow has to approach without scaring them away.

"I just wanted to come over to say hi, ask your name and make you feel all included and stuff, can't just leave," Christian turns around and counts the people standing behind him for a second, "an eight of the team sitting in a bush now, can I?"

 

[WickedWitch]

Avery Whitemore ​

She gives a nod in a response to the Agents greeting, shuffling a little so that she has a clearer view of the people they were waiting for, but not without a quick glance at the boy that had arrived before her, the agent, and the other girl besides the said Agent Claremont, before she's turning away, the other collection of people trickling in gradually. A boy named Winifred, an older man addressed by the agent as Mr.Kenny and his dog -who she makes sure to give a hearty little rub and a soft coo of approval, without much surprise the Iron Maiden -who Avery is more than overjoyed at her memorable entrance-, and another boy referred to as the 'Older Whitman' or Richard. And Avery has to say that she's more than a little thrilled at the amount of people closely ranging in her age group; she hadn't been entirely sure if she would be too old or too young. She's more than happy to insert her own discreet greeting, a slight tilt of the lips into a genuine smile and a very halfhearted shrug meant to make up for her not wanting to unpicked her hands to wave.

And as Avery listens with rapt attention as Agent Claremont spoke, she wonders what was the difference between being with SHIELD and being with SHIELD, but she keeps the thought to herself. She's the taddest bit enthralled by the scenery, and even more excited to start working, she wasn't exactly efficient in most duties that called for handiness but she was a hard worker and a pretty quick learner. There's a swarm of questions that rumble to the forefront of her mind, but her attention is suddenly grasped by a rustling piece of tumbleweed that flutters through the barren desert grounds a few feet away from where they were all gathered. Whatever else is said in the moment is lost to the rushing in her ears and her eyes hyperfixate on the other odd characteristics decorating the rather interesting tumbleweed.

_______________________________________



Winifred Lopez​

Win is fairly sure that he has a very good amount of stamina, in his line of duty and what he wanted for his own future, he needed it, but the combination of the sweltering heat paired with the long walk from the only bus station he could afford that took him only a few miles closer to his actual destination to the meeting place was absolutely terrible on his physical stamina. His lungs ache and his pulse pumps rapidly, but he wills his breaths to come out as even pants, only managing a jerky nod to the Agent before falling into place and a quick glance to the girl beside him. But he's too focused on trying to calm down the heavy thudding of his heart against his ribcage that he doesn't stare for too long. By the time he's calmed the erratic thumping of his heart a small collection of people have already grouped into their secluded meeting area, people who he doesn't have enough or much care at all -perhaps over time it would change- to gather their names. Safe for the two memorable faces, Iron Maiden and Mr.Kenny, including Agent Claremont who's name is important enough for him to retain.

After everyone has joined, and Agent Claremont has begun speaking, he notices a discreetly blaring shade of red hidden behind the few bushes littering the area, and he notes as Christian approaches the shape it appears to be another member of their so-called group.. Win finds his entrance to be one of the more interesting ones, he had assumed that everyone in this line of work had to have some modicum of courage, but perhaps he was wrong. His lips tilt into a humored sneer before he's turning his attention back to the Agent. A bit hesitant, halfway through the act he wonders if he should rethink it, but his hand is already in the air. Hoping to draw the attention of Agent Claremont, before he speaks, "When you say base of operations, does that include housing too?" Silently Win is hoping that they were dormitories in the base, while his mother was informed of his attentions -albeit being the day before he was meant to leave- she would probably be somewhat displeased that he would continue living with her again.

 

[Cyberelite2k]

Richard Whitman​

Heh Mark was always a nervous guy. Though he's definitely improved even coming here. Last time he ended up sending a drone with a monitor screwed on at the top. Best convention experience however. However his attention was taken up by the agent and he smirked at the information. This old place was the new base. Could take a bit of cleaning but he had odd fun with that. He could set up a training area for himself and the rest, his father always said it helped with a few things. Then again that was while they where in the middle of fighting with only their bucklers. Fun times. However he could also use some of the quid he was given to make a games room, could be fun.

He spun his shield briefly. A habit he had apparently. According to miss Braddock he's done it since he was a kid. What can he say he finds it oddly entertaining. "mind if I have a look at the generators agent, id like to see the model in case of any matinence" he commented casually but tiredly. He admittedly didn't sleep enough for this get together. "or where the beds are mate".

 

[Cyberelite2k]

Mark Carter​

The nervous guy listened to the agent from his bush and started to look at the ground. He'd be around these guys a lot....he better buy a lock for his room. The electricity was going to be a bit of trouble. His specialty requires electricity and not having it....made him nervous. He was lucky his mom packed him some portable energy sources....a lot of batteries and energy banks for his phones. One normal, Three tools. He honestly was still extremely nervous. What if they hurt him, he doesn't want that. Some looked scary. Maybe if he hid away in a room. Yeah that'd work. He could set up a little hiding spot and...

He flinched when he heard the voice instinctively covering his head. His mom was concerned by this habit but it was never to her just nee people. She understands and said he doesn't need to be as scared. He lifted his head at the question from the guy. How should he answer.... He lifted his hand from the bush and pointed at his drone slightly tapping the note saying "Mark" on it. Cursive writing...his mom insisted...."you a hero?" he signed out

 

[TravisBM]

Allen Kenny
​

Certainly seems to be the promise of a lively group didn't it? But he supposed that fit with just how he like it regardless of the fact. The interesting new faces, the exciting entrances, and the already working dynamics this party would need to improve upon. Everything was landing into their hopefully proper places a bit smoother than he originally thought. Though his mind did start to wonder about those same impressions now that it seemed that everyone has finally gathered together properly. Unless there were major changes, it looks like this was to be the new family starting from today.

His perception of time began to slow down now that his mind went into, "Detective Mode", as his buddies on the force like to call it. Beginning to give his inner analysis of those that now surrounded him. The kids of the group all seemed to be a bit awkward towards one another. The young girl that seemed to be close to the agent, at least with as much as daggers in eyes could tell, seemed a bit troubled as time went on. Maybe a few sessions to help her with social anxiety would be rather good in the long run. The same could possibly be said for the lad that ducked behind a bush the moment he got here. Thankfully he was able to spot a bit more of his features given that he moved rather slowly, at least to someone with his field of vision. The rest were at least a bit more stable on the surface, so he could get to know what troubles them with a bit more time. But learning good coping techniques was good earlier on in a hero's career. Almost made him begin to miss the nice sunrise he only recently just left behind not that long ago.

However, before he could delve much into his own mental state he was shaken out of it with the red streak of a woman speaking to him. Seems he had another fellow in the age range of being in the older end of hero work. Suppose her, the agent, and himself were gonna have plenty of stories to swap with once they had time to take a break. "Nice to see you too Emily. It's been awhile since i've seen you in action, but then again I was wearing my suit the last chance we had to interact." He gave a polite smile as he tapped his briefcase for emphasis on the suit part of the explanation. She definitely hasn't changed since the last few times, always a woman that said what she meant without mincing words. Suppose that was refreshing in it's own way, and definitely reminded him much of her counterpart well. At least with the few times he was able to see Mr. Stark in person.

Champ was certainly enjoying the attention he was receiving. Seems that brining him along to have a team mascot wasn't such a bad idea. Here's hoping that no one started giving him more treats than needed. Just thinking about having to exercise with that dog at their current level was enough to make him tired. Almost as if reading his mind, the small dog went back to his side looking up with an expectant look. Almost as if it knew whatever bothered him usually led to him being spoiled in recompense. Giving a slight smile all he could do was stoop down and pet their head. Though treats would need to wait as Agent Claremont began speaking aloud to gather everyone's attention. Looks like orientation was beginning now. He had to admit, he was likely just as nervous as the others though that was probably just being near Shield in the first place.

Thankfully the speech wasn't anything he hadn't heard of before. It was actually similar to what he had heard for the past few years now from different agents. All trying their best to at least get him to consider joining up with the Avengers, or at least becoming affiliated with a team to tackle bigger issues. He couldn't lie and say that wouldn't have made his career easier, but it was also a bit safer in keeping his identity hidden by not becoming part of them. After all, speedsters were quite a rare breed in their own right and he'd prefer not to be dragged different ways by different factions. So the most he's ever done was team up with the odd hero throughout his time, and that was enough to build a good portfolio with them. Enough to get personal recommendations on numerous occasions for some of the harder jobs that needed handling. Their resident Iron Maiden could attest to that, but as he said it's been awhile since their last meeting. Wouldn't be out of the ordinary if she's forgotten him quite a bit.

That aside, the wrap up to the meeting was quick enough to the point that it was finally question time. It was likely best to not ask any questions himself at the start, and instead let the younger folk have that honor. A large part of the business was knowing which questions to ask, who to ask them to, and exactly the manners one should keep when asking such questions. It was a small little test he did admit but a necessary one to gauge exactly the experience each of them had. The agent was certainly selected for this position for a reason, and he was slowly agreeing with the decision-making behind the choice. Though that didn't stop the fact of having to clean their own base from being a bit unsavory. True to did offer them more room to make it their own in better definition, but this was gonna take at least....twenty minutes of dusting to get this place clean. Maybe if he knee acted up he could potentially get out of the more busy work. Right on cue, said knee was smashed into by a proud pup that had waited its time like a jaded cop and was now demanding its pension.

He gave a roll of his eyes before pulling out a dog treat, and held it just barely out of his reach whenever Champ would snap at it. Slowly leading them down the road to the facility that was now to be called their home base for the current future. Looks like that teaching license was finally gonna be getting some usage after all these years.

 

[DesReploid]

Christian Stone​

It took some effort for Christian to contain a snicker when he saw the name tag on the drone, part of him wanted to snarkily ask whether the boy's or the drone's name was Mark, but he decided that he should probably not tease someone he had just met and who seemed to be very anxious as well that much.

For a second Christian wondered if Mark was mute and couldn't respond to him verbally because of that. He was more than just surprised to actually get his suspicion confirmed when Mark seemed to try to say something through hand gestures. It wasn't wild flailing, it had a system and purpose to it, so Christian assumed that it was sign language.

"Oh... You, you're mute?" A nervous smile sneaked onto Christian's face as he spoke, "I'm really sorry. I, uh, I don't know sign at all, sadly." Christian hoped that he hadn't in any way angered or annoyed Mark.

Though rather quickly, Mark pulled out a tablet, swiftly wrote something down on it and then turned it around so Christian could read it:

"You a hero?"

Christian actually had to stop for a second and think about how to answer that question. He had never directly called himself a hero, but he figured that to some people he might seem like one.

"Well... I'm not with SHIELD, that much I know." He started, not knowing where to go from there, "I suppose that makes me a hero of some kind?" He thought about that for a second, it didn't seem quite right.

"But, I don't really like that word," Christian thought out loud, as he spoke he ever so slowly approached the bush Mark was hiding behind again, "It sounds so big, you know? ...Hero... has so much weight behind it. I wouldn't call myself a hero. Not by a long shot, really." He finally reached the bush Mark attempted to hide behind.

"You don't mind do you?" Without really asking for an answer he dropped down on the other side of the bush from Mark. He figured that Mark wouldn't be too comfortable if he would come over to his side, but maybe this was still alright with the other's anxiety.

"I stop kids from doing dumb stuff occasionally. You know, excessive underage drinking, consuming other substances they definitely shouldn't be. Sometimes a stop a mugging or a robbery here or there. The most I do is when my mentors, Cloak and Dagger they call themselves, find a drug lab, they'll usually have me tag along to help bust it down. But I don't really do anything other than that." He wasn't lying, the most he ever did was bust a drug lab whenever Cloak and Dagger would let him tag along. Stopping dumb teenagers from being dumb teenagers and fighting off muggers and robbers was mainly because he used to do these things.

He knew a lot of the locations where idiot children would gather to ruin their livers or to put almost dull kitchen knives against people's throat for money, he also still knew a lot of people he could talk to to figure out where the places were he didn't know about. He also happened to used to know a pretty high percent of the people he now hands over to the police. At least his unhealthy behaviour was good for something in the end.

"Some tabloid got pictures of me doing my work and put it out on their webpage. They called me The Stranger!" Christian made a dramatic Ooo-ing noise as if his name was the most mysterious and scary thing on the planet, "The writer must really have phoned that one in, honestly. Probably got asked to think up a name for the new vigilante in town and thought to themselves: 'Well, they're a stranger. So let's call them Stranger!' and called it a day." He was only half-joking, the name wasn't terrible and he couldn't come up with anything better, so he was in no position to complain.

"Now, the few people that actually know about me only know about me by the name The Stranger, so I guess that's locked in now. Not like I could've written a letter to the editor and asked for a name cha..." Christian stopped himself for a second, an epiphany had hit him just at that moment. "...I could have written a letter to the editor and asked for a name change, couldn't I?" He said, still half-joking.

"And what do they call you, Mark? The... the Bloody Mas- No, that's stupid. The Red Hood maybe?" Christian tried to guess what Mark's alter ego's name could be, hoping that maybe through conversation Mark would slowly come to trust him more.

"If you want I could get you a coffee or a tea or something like that. Maybe it'll help steady your nerves? I'm a barista by day, so I promise it'll be good."