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Post by Bixir on Jan 5, 2024 20:59:07 GMT
(In order to maintain a fair pace, ongoing field missions will have a one-week deadline for each player to post with their character in a given round. Once everyone has posted, the mod will post their response to start the next round. The first time a player does not meet the deadline for a round, they will be skipped and issued a warning. For every time afterwards, their character will be NPC’d for that round. Repeat absences may result in further penalties. Please let the mods know if you expect to be absent for any reason.) They had not been to the Arc before. There wasn’t any particular reason for it; until now, they had not had a reason to come. They respected the institution for what it was, and for the children that it was supporting. They didn’t exactly approve of all of it, but there wasn’t any question as to the sincerity of Robot’s beliefs… either of the robots, in fact. Weird coincidence. It was mid-afternoon. The transit time following this briefing would make it dusk. Ideal conditions for the worst possible outcome. There wasn’t anything to be done about it. They would have to make do with the cards that they were dealt. They had arrived early; the last thing they wanted was to make a poor first impression. Though they were to represent one of the wealthiest multinational conglomerates in the world, that often didn’t mean much to superheroes. More than that, it was plain rude. The meeting was in one of the secondary common rooms, located within a more secure section of the facility. The layout was similar - a built-in kitchen, comfortable seating arrangements of all kinds, and most importantly, a drop-down holo projector for any guest to use for prompt mission briefings. In a way, it wasn’t that different from their own office… though maybe with less feng shui. They should be arriving any minute now. The armored attendant checked their itinerary one last time. Supergirl. Frost. Weld. … Batgirl? Didn’t she…? It didn’t matter. Whoever it was, they would be meeting Batgirl soon. A pair of eyes nearby, somewhere within the room. scrutinized the armored stranger. Sooner than they realized. |
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 9, 2024 17:02:43 GMT
His music arrived before Weld; a soft melody of rock rolled into the secondary common room, not loud enough to be grating, just barely loud enough to be heard. It was not a secret to any Champions that Weld loved music; he had the largest collection of music in the group, whether digital, physical, or vintage; he had everything and was always willing to share it. So, his listening to music was so common it would have been weird if he did NOT listen to it. There was a comforting presence with Weld walking about the place humming to himself as he did chores, pausing to drum out the beat on a piece of furniture or shooting someone a dashing smile.
So, Weld walked in through the door and stopped, quickly glancing at the common room. He had not expected to be one of the first there. The metal teen wore black shorts and a clean tank top with the Metallica logo on the chest. He ran a hand through his silver hair, pulling off the headset simultaneously so it came to rest around his neck instead.
"Hello," he greeted with a friendly smile, waving his hand. He did not want to get too close to the armoured and very much metallic attendant. "I'm Weld. Nice to meetcha. I would shake your hand... but I- don't think that would be a good idea."
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Post by BijuuGuy on Jan 11, 2024 23:31:08 GMT
 Kara's arrival to the Arc was punctual-ish. For the girl that seemingly had it all, there came a lot more time management and juggling the duties she had taken upon herself. Even with super speed, some things simply need their time. Which was why she had been staying at the Champions' headquarters for a good week now. Though it was nothing like a vacation, despite what her teammates impressively claimed it to be. The Champions were still a duty she had to fulfill. One she did with pride, mind you. But there was also a story that Ms. Grant wanted her to follow up on. Particularly on the growing rivalry between Superman and Supergirl. There never actually was one, but the media certainly saw it that way. With both of them being involved in numerous organizations and conducting impressive heroics daily, the question was bound to arise. Supergirl's rise to a household name was not a recent development. Even so, cape media was at an all time high, latching onto any inklings of rumor and speculation that they could. What better way to do that than to compare the, arguably, two most significant alien powerhouses.
It smoothly coincided with Kara's regular rendezvous' with Clark. Though even those became less frequent as the two Kryptonians were constantly on missions of global importance (despite most of them being classified) or off-world. Bi-weekly meetings became monthly. Which also meant that both made most of the time they got to spend with one another. It was the relatives' meeting that Kara came from when she returned to the Arc. She was mostly aware of what their upcoming mission entailed. Robot, however, insisted that she and her teammates hear from Stark's representative. Which usually involved a suit or a bot that mimicked his voice in an unsettlingly uncanny way. Kara couldn't say she was surprised. On a certain level, she also understood. It didn't matter in the big picture. The Champions had a job, several actually. Which meant that their team was split into two, hopefully resolving multiple developing situations at once. It was what the young heroes were trained to do. What they were expected to do. A responsibility not to be taken lightly.
Kara, for once, arrived in her civilian attire. No flying, no super speed. Simply run-of-the-mill walking. Blue dominated her outfit, styled simply, yet effectively. A trait she had picked up from Cat, after being given a strict order to do so.
She was the second to arrive of the team, by the looks of it. Weld had a late morning, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary. She gave him a smile and a classic friendly wave before turning her attention to the suit of armor in the room. Stark tech was made to be impervious to any sort of interfering types of extrasensory vision and the like, but Kara had been around the block enough to know who this particular suit could possibly belong to.
"Huh, this must be important to Stark to send an actual unit here."
Supergirl was knowledgeable of discretion than perhaps most. Whatever details Robot neglected to tell them or simply didn't know, were soon to be revealed. And the situation was clearly important enough to warrant a proper briefing. Kara took a seat in one of the chairs that felt as comfortable as it looked. Her position didn't exactly relax, but until the others arrived, she could take a breather. |
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Post by azureentity on Jan 12, 2024 6:46:23 GMT
Caitlin had been fiddling with a portable fusion cell that could fit in a suitcase. Her work was interrupted by a notification on her phone, a mission briefing. Her eyes widened as she dropped the screwdriver in her other hand. "A mission. Details to follow at a meeting... sounds interesting." She thought to herself, deciding to clean up her mess and spruce herself up. It took the better part of 2 hours to make sure that nothing would explode before actually dressing up. She waited a few minutes past the time before walking in, being fashionably late meant she wouldn't be the first in to awkwardly wait on everyone else. Thankfully not last, she let out an almost silent sigh of relief as she stepped into the room in her normal outerwear, noticing that Weld and Su- Kara had beat her to the meeting, though there was still someone else according to the dispatch she received. Then there was the robot? Or was it a suit? "Hello..."
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Post by Bixir on Jan 12, 2024 7:57:07 GMT
Her teammates slowly filed in, one after the other, over the course of the past thirty minutes. They did not arrive all at once, though each of their arrivals was carefully noted. Not necessarily by the guest, either. The same pair of eyes studied each of them carefully, taking in their details, and how they carried themselves in the prelude to the briefing. None of them had taken notice - so far - that they were being observed. That was because she had remained hidden, as was her nature. She needed to change that. This was not Gotham. This was a team.
And so, she did. Inexplicably, there was now a girl of average height standing among them. Her entire body was clad in black spandex, resembling bat-like features that anyone even remotely familiar with the culture of Gotham would be able to recognize (to say nothing of the gold outline of a bat on her chest). She continued studying them, saying nothing as she joined the throng that she had - somehow - been the beginning of the gathering. She stared at anyone, but the eyes behind her cowl lingered on Frost, who was late.
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Post by Bixir on Jan 13, 2024 23:10:19 GMT
They picked up on the music even earlier than Weld probably intended. By the time he crossed the threshold, she was ready for him. They knew what he was capable of, and while they felt confident, they weren't about to take any chances, so his distance was appreciated. They held up an armored hand to emphasize that distance. "Thanks."
By contrast, Supergirl's comment (that... was Supergirl, right?) got to them. "This unit has a name." Their tone became fierce, but measured. The armored suit took a proud pose, placing their hands on their hips as they looked around at the young heroes that had gathered around. "My name is Rescue. I'm here on behalf of Stark Industries. Let's keep this short."
Rescue gestured for everyone to gather in close (though not too close - she kept an eye on Weld to make sure there weren't any accidents). While they did so, Rescue prepared holo-projectors on the surface of her suit. The first images she displayed as 3-D holoforms were snapshots of what looked to be industrial warehouses; before and after. "Someone has been committing a string of heists on Stark Industries warehouses along the eastern seaboard. Mister Stark has been indisposed of late, and so he's asked me to pass this along to you. For reasons that elude me, he trusts your group more than S.H.I.E.L.D."
Rescue looked pointedly at the blonde girl dressed like she just stepped out of an office sitcom. Supergirl would be in charge, right? "Can I trust you?"
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 13, 2024 23:56:15 GMT
"You're welcome," Weld replied.
He had been eyeing one of the seats but decided against sitting... for fear he might break it. Instead, he positioned himself standing on the opposite side from where Rescue was, just to be safe. He raised his hand in greeting when Kara first arrived and, not long after that, Caitlin. He did not say anything to them. However, it did not seem polite with small talk then; they had a guest, after all.
Then came Batgirl...
"Jesus!" Weld exclaimed, almost jumping out of his skin; he had not heard or seen her arrive; from one glance to the next, she was standing there. He cleared his throat, cheeks getting a slight tint of silver. "Sorry, sorry..." he said to the others, raising his hands sheepishly.
"It's nice that Mr Stark has such f-faith in us. " he decided to push past... whatever that had just been and focus on the mission, thankful that Garr had NOT been there to see it. It seemed ballzy of someone to go after Mr Stark's assets like that unless they knew he would be unable to stop it. Not that Weld wanted to jump the gun to any conclusions.
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Post by azureentity on Jan 21, 2024 16:02:08 GMT
Frost almost put up her arms in a defensive posture when she saw Batgirl suddenly amongst them, briefly raising her anxiety before letting out a sigh. Though before she could comment on the sudden ninja like entry, her attention was drawn to the woman in the suit now that she could sense a bit of body heat through the metal frame. Her face was in deep concentration as she looked at the warehouses as Rescue outlined her dilemma, figuring that it was definitely someone building something and Stark Industries had all they needed or at least the only one to notice.
"I trust that you have a full list of all of the items that have been stolen? Or at least the ones you know about?" Frost interjected as Rescue's helmet appeared to be looking towards Supergirl. "It'd be nice to know if we're going against tech thieves that might possess exo armor such as yourself or have above normal weapon tech."
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Post by Bixir on Jan 21, 2024 17:44:44 GMT
Batgirl turned towards Weld, reacting as he did. She stared from behind her featureless cowl, unblinking. Had she done something wrong? He did that all the time. She tucked that thought away for later, focusing instead on the mission that lay ahead.
Corporate espionage was nothing new to her. At least one-third of the crimes in Gotham were of a white-collar sort. The rich were often eager to exploit one another's resources for their own gain. But was the culprit also a billionaire tech company? Batgirl stared at Rescue as she mildly pondered these things. Frost was taking point with their guest. Batgirl realized that all three of her teammates for this mission were seasoned heroes. She would need to make sure to keep up.
More importantly, were three personalities like theirs going to accept one of them as the team leader? Batgirl did not know, and she was ont going to ask. As one of the junior members, she needed to keep her head down.
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Post by BijuuGuy on Jan 21, 2024 21:48:50 GMT
As the other members flocked to their briefing, Kara took note of the talents they had at their disposal. Most of them more or less knew each others' dynamics, though there was the added question of Batgirl and frankly, herself. Cassandra was one of the newer ones, but Kara knew her skillset and veritable lineage well enough to know that there was no reason to doubt her. As for Kara herself, well, her path had taken her away from the team for longer than she wanted to admit. At least she had gotten the indication that they were still glad to have her around. And her carrying the experience she did, Kara felt confident enough that at least in this capacity, she'd be useful.
Her reaction to Cassandra's arrival was almost nondescript. Save for a slight jolt going through her body. Super senses be damned, Kara was still not above a fright. A testament to the Bat's effortless talent in stealth. She gazed at the black suit for a moment, before being drawn back to the suit's modulated voice. Introducing themselves as Rescue, the name brought everything together. The placement of her hands on her hips brought about another familiar feeling. Not dissimilar to how Supergirl often introduced herself. Exuding confidence and pride, as a hero of that nature often should.
So it IS her!
It wasn't Kara's place to divulge identities without permission. She knew of that intimately. In circumstances involving the Champions, however, she had little trouble showing up in civilian gear. Her trust was well-placed and most people she worked with knew not to abuse that trust. Well, save for her actual employers. That was a whole other pot of beans.
The beginning of the brief didn't ring any bells for Kara yet, aside from the fact that Stark's warehouses were appropriately secure. But she listened attentively, adjusting her glasses as she looked at the display. Rescue's pointed comment of Stark's trust made her raise an eyebrow. Kara wondered that herself. As far as she knew, Stark didn't know anyone of the team intimately. Save for probably Robot and Tesla. But those relationships tended to be more professional than anything and honestly, she could barely keep track of who knew who these days. She could think of several possibilities as to why he chose the Champions, to which she had to take into account the machinations of how his thought process worked, so she dropped the speculations almost immediately.
Besides, Kara had Rescue's eyes specifically on her now. The critical question was about to receive a satisfactory answer, when Kara remembered she wasn't in work clothes. Her expression went from animated surprise to mild embarrassment.
"Oh! Gimme a sec, sorry!"
A woosh and a half later, Supergirl in her costumed glory, was now properly present in the exact same location she left a moment ago. With nothing left to adjust with her suit, Kara's game face returned, giving Rescue an affirmative nod.
"We won't let you down."
Her sentence was declarative, as if the outcome seemed predetermined. Whether Rescue was content with that or not, Supergirl couldn't predict.
In the meantime, Frost chimed in with her relevant questions, to which Kara looked at her for a moment and nodded in agreement. She knew Rescue likely had more detailed intel to share, but it looked good to show initiative and prove that the young hero team meant business when it mattered.
"If they were able to break into those warehouses, they have to be well-equipped. Any connections with the stolen tech? Parts of something, maybe?"
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Post by Bixir on Jan 22, 2024 6:10:07 GMT
(As a reminder, please post with your character within a week of the mod post, or inform me within a reasonble amount of time prior that you won't be able to post for the current round in time.)
Rescue paused, looking squarely at where Supergirl had been, and then was again, this time in uniform. She wasn't sure what to make of that. Cape culture was a bit beyond her. These kids seemed serious enough about this; better yet, the metal one aside, they were all women. It was about damn time.
"Whoever is behind it, they're thorough. Scrubbed cameras, too much havoc to tell what they were focused on in their attacks. It could be general supplies that are used in energy development, weapons systems... it could be more than that. The only pattern so far have been old Mandroid models that were going to be decommissioned." Rescue audibly sighed from within her armor. She waved her hand across her chest, dismissively. "But if they're bold enough to go after Stark Industries, why something so mediocre? It doesn't add up." The hand turned into a point, gesturing to the four Champions. "That's where you come in."
"If you're ready, we'll be leaving by Quinjet. We can't all fly." Rescue glanced at Weld and Batgirl, shrugging. It was just a fact. "We're pretty sure we know which warehouse is going to be hit next. It's the only one left that still has that model in stock. The rest have either been scrapped or scooped up by our mystery thieves."
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Post by BijuuGuy on Jan 27, 2024 21:13:38 GMT
Rescue's uncertainty was concerning. Clearly deliberate attacks, the thieves were aiming to do something with the Mandroids. Speaking of, what a terrible name. Kara often wondered what came over the people naming those things. Granted, she didn't have much to say in rebuttal. She was known as Supergirl, after all. And to be frank, a lot of heroes had names that seemed... basic. But that was part of the charm. They were memorable, rolled easy off the tongue. Kara's mind could've gone to many places with such musings, but she continued to focus on Rescue instead.
The brief didn't offer anything else too conclusive, so Kara nodded in agreement at Rescue's suggestion. As a further affirmative reaction, she slowly rose to the air, though only a few inches from the ground. Still, Supergirl was ready to move, though not before glancing over at her teammates with a smile that echoed with a can-do attitude, wanting to ensure that they were equally prepared.
"You guys ready?"
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Post by DornKoon on Jan 28, 2024 10:21:33 GMT
Weld furrowed his brow slightly, glancing at the rest of the team. Rescue's explanation made him curious, and he felt he was missing something. If these attackers had caused so much destruction, it was impossible to get a clear idea of what they were looking for, and this was mainly transports for things that would be scrapped anyway. What could be so special about these "manbots" that made them attractive? Was it because the company did not view them as valuable and there was less security? Or was there something else about them? What if the bots were just some red herring for the real goal?
Still, he did not like the idea of working on hunches alone, so it was best to keep his thoughts to himself for the moment.
He looked at Supergirl when she turned to look at them.
"As ready as I could be." He replied with another one of his bright smiles.
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Post by azureentity on Jan 29, 2024 15:52:34 GMT
Frost looked deep in thought, someone gathering up mandroids... energy weapons? It didn't really spell anyone out in particular, but it could have just been some lucky thieves who knew what they were looking for, even ex-employees. It was laughable that Stark didn't employ stronger security for something that sounds dangerous, not even like attack drones? She knew Stark was a little eccentric but not that eccentric.
"I'm ready." Frost said as double checked her emergency heater.
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Post by Bixir on Feb 3, 2024 18:57:28 GMT
Batgirl did not visibly respond. She had remained a stoic shadow throughout this briefing. She had nothing to contribute that had not already been covered by her senior teammates, and many of these details were simply over her head. She was not technologically proficient like Supergirl and Frost were. She probably never would be. It was but one of many obstacles that she would need to learn to overcome. Just another test. Just like this mission. She stared at Rescue, waiting for the next step. They were going to be using a Quinjet for transportation. She understood... in part. Beneath Batgirl's cowl, her brow furrowed in concentration. What was a Quin?
Rescue led the team out onto one of the Arc's rooftop helipads. While Quinjets weren't strictly speaking helicopters, they hadn't needed runways for takeoff for at least a decade. It was a sleek thing, shinier and more sophisticated than most airplanes in the known world. For the Arc, it remained a cut above, if only just. Rescue didn't care one way or another, though her boss certainly did. Something about male ego. Rescue wasted no time in consigning herself to the cockpit. There didn't appear to be anyone else onboard. It was just going to be them. While everyone settled into their chairs, the intercom crackled. "We're heading to Delaware. We'll be there in thirty, tops."The trip aboard the Quinjet was without fanfare. There wasn't much to talk about in the span of the short flight, and the briefing had covered everything that there was to cover. They didn't get accosted along the way, or even see anything out of the ordinary. By all accounts, it was a regular Friday night. As the Quinjet drew closer, the warehouse came into view. It was impossible to miss among the flat landscape of the Diamond State: a stiff industrial block, sticking out like a sore thumb against the green and brown. At this distance, it was also evident to see the security personnel present, ranging from armed guards to security drones to the occasional Mandroid. They had come a long way since their original model; nowadays, they more closely resembled the drones from the M.R.D. Rescue doubted these kids knew the first thing about them. That was the world of suits, not capes. There were at least a couple different platforms where Rescue would have been able to touch down within the facility itself. Instead, the Quinjet landed just outside the front entrance. Guards and their attache quickly approached, arms ready. They only stood down when Rescue exited first, who gave them a stern dressing-down. She waited for everyone to pile out, holding her hands at her hips. If she weren't in her suit, she might even be tapping her foot. "I hate to cut this short, but I need to get going. You're only my second stop tonight." She pointed at a man dressed in S.H.I.E.L.D. fatigues. He stood at odds with the armored men around him, who were wearing individual uniforms, and were armed to the teeth. "Michael here's in charge. Michael, help. Help, Michael."Michael nodded at the group in greeting. He studied each of them closely, remaining stoic. Rescue looked at Supergirl one last time. "Remember. I'm trusting you." Before any of them could say any more, Rescue hurried back inside the Quinjet and promptly took off for parts unknown. The roar of the engines prompted many of the soldiers to cup their ears. Michael simply stood there, arms crossed while he watched the Quinjet leave with unwearied eyes. Those eyes settled on Supergirl with a familiar expression. Skepticism. "Well, may as well show you around." He motioned for them to follow, then deftly vaulted over the security gate. It was going to be a long night. |
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