In the Shadow of Heroes

Underground

Cigar listened to each person, being without a readable face made it difficult to tell he was actually paying attention to anything they said, but each got the feeling that what they were saying was at least being heard. "Mostly valid questions," he took a deep drag from his cigar.

"Equipment, ammo, and suits will be provided by the company based off of both designs that you have found functional or think will function well with your skills, or will be produced by company scientists who have been provided details about each of you. A test set of equipment will be provided for your first mission, and all surviving agents will undergo a weeks rest period while all equipment is fine tuned to ensure the removal of any issues."

When the matter of living quarters were brought up Cigar chuckled. "Yes we will have rooms provided for you by the company, not a massive space but each room is made with a modular living space, allowing customization of each room through a control panel. Each room has a personal bathroom and kitchen set up, through meals will be provided by the company unless otherwise requested. And if you decide to cook for yourself ingredients will be sourced through company measures to make sure that they meet basic dietary milestones. We need each of you at peak performance at the drop of a pin, which requires a very specialized diet."

"As for lethality you are each expected to use your best judgement on a case by case basis. If we send you into a situation its because it can't be handled through normal means. That being said if facing a Cape or 'traditional' villain your first priority should be to disengage at all costs. If lethal force is the only way to keep your team from being outed during a mission then there are certain acceptable loses. However surrender is also acceptable to heroes, we can pull you out of any prison and erase all data that you were ever there."

"As for specific roles that falls to each of you to figure out, play to your strengths. If that means you each operate as a member of the team then great. If you operate separated from the team best then go with it. The only thing that matters is the mission being accomplished." there was a sort of finality to that, leaving everyone knowing exactly where they stood. They were no doubt important investments to the company, but they weren't the sole thing that needed to be worried about.

"As for questions regarding missions and data collection, your first assignment should clear that up," with a snap the room darkened as a projector screen lowered from behind Cigar, showing a large complex surrounded by a snowy wasteland. "This is the base of one Dr. Simon Moncras, former Soviet scientist who went by the alias 'Comrade Zero', specialized in cryo studies and produced various arms and weapons for the Soviets before they dissolved at the end of the Cold War, after that became an independent arms dealer, moving super weapons into the hands of ordinary gangs and supervillains. Last week he was killed in a battle against Russian superhero team Red Force after attempting to freeze Moscow." a harsh click rang over the room as a slide changed, showing lines of figures in large bulky suits carrying massive weapons.

"His hidden base in the middle of the Russian wildness has gone untouched since his death, through various factions have already gotten close to locating it despite the countermeasures. Its currently being held by an army of Cryomen, humans whose bodies were converted into frozen computers to run the armored suits, functionally turning them into meat computers for combat machines. Your mission is to break into the base and activate the self destruct for the base, or failing that find another way to wipe it off the planet. Secondary objectives for the mission is the acquire any hardware or data files on experiments, blueprints, or anything that might be of use, but the destruction of the base is priority number one."

Saranna - The Reiver that Says Squee

---

"As you wish," Saranna popped up from her seat and twirled into a deep bow. Cigar had literally given her an army and an entire base set up for her to knock down. And the factions Cigar hadn't detailed, well, that fell under her 'best judgement on a case-by-case basis.' She put her hands over her heart then and making them into a heart sign. "That, my Cigar, was everything I wanted to hear. You really did think of me. So sweet."

She had paid Cigar's presentation due attention, cracking up when he said the company would provide ingredients for very specialized diets to keep her (and the others) at peak performance. He wasn't wrong. And going by this, Cigar was as good as his word.

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Kellen

"Very well." he nods. "How many hostiles on site, and what's the status of our transportation?"

He wasn't partial to freezing temperatures, but for a first mission, didn't seem so bad. Then again, he should be more careful about Tempting Fate. He'd need more information on this lot in order to work more effectively. Perhaps he will interview them along the way.

Edited by Jules-Firenze on Jun 29th 2023 at 4:02:17 PM

You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.

Ymir Wolff

"I can appreciate that," Ymir nodded in approval to Cigar's explanations, finding herself more and more inclined to relax about this whole thing. So she wasn't really required to do anything, apart from stay on her toes and complete the assignment. Shouldn't be too difficult. With this in mind, she paid close attention to the mission that Cigar laid out for them.

Her face promptly fell from anticipation to dread.

"...Great. Perfect. Middle of a snowy tundra, of course..." she huffed, palming her face in disbelief before sighing and deciding to explain herself. "Okay. In cold temperatures my powers weaken, 'cause my body wants to go into hibernation. My immune system crashes, I get migraines, I'm half my normal strength, it's a whole thing. Wrapping up warm'll help, but..."

She pointed to her hands and feet, even tapping the middle of her palm to emphasise the barbs in her skin.

"Wrapping up means shoes and gloves, and shoes and gloves means I can't climb. I'm not saying no to this, but I am saying this is gonna be a hell of a first mission for me. So I hope that complex has some goddamn insulation in there."

Edited by Enirboreh on Jun 29th 2023 at 11:49:52 AM

bork

"If you're in the presence of, say, a heater, would you still be weakened?" Kellen asks. Might as well get a head start on weaknesses.

You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.

Knight to the rescue of a itsy bitsy wolf spider

"Understood." Allisun nodded to the instructions "What if we find weaponry that is too unstable or out of our abilities to destroy?" She'd ask. The mission wasn't to her liking either. Her gift wouldn't work properly, and that might cause issues. She did train for situations like these though. So perhaps it's the Cowls testing the Orders skill. She will have to work hard to show no weakness at all.

Then she'd hear the Spider complaining, and so she'd begin coming closer and with each step the air around Ymir got slightly warmer. Finally Allisun put a hand on Ymir's shoulder from behind, it was warm even in the heat of the underground. "Not to worry, I will keep you warm" She'd say with kind intention.

Since Allisun was at the back of the room far from Cigar her walking closer to him would usually cause the flame to intensify, but considering where they were perhaps there was some power at play that would prevent that. Allisun was keen on observing what would happen out of curiosity to their handlers powers.

Vivian-Good To Go?

The water bottle was getting warmer. She re-opened it and chugged the rest before glancing at Cigar. "So, just to be clear-these Cryomen are dead-dead, right? There's nothing alive in there? Because fighting brainwashed people is a no-go in my book." On the mention of their living quarters, she smiled. "Been a while since I had my own place!"

On hearing Ymir's concern and the knight's reaction, Viv's own eyes brightened (literally) for just a second. Then she glanced around the room, idly looking at the assembled group as if for the first time before looking back at Cigar. "I've actually met Red Force once during some weird alien thing. They're decent folks, but they don't f*ck around. I advise we keep away from them. And now...Who wants food? And maybe a drink? It will keep you warm!"

Edited by Booky on Jul 15th 2023 at 8:24:16 AM

Saranna - Journey to the East (Well, West from Here)

---

"My hero, I think half the adventure is in our finding out," Saranna said. "That secondary part may be more important than our quest giver said." She did not seem to mind bluntly saying that in front of Cigar. "There are unmentioned factions who knows how close to finding this place, so the numbers will be screwed anyway. Plus, where would they come from? Lucky satellite shot that no one has had time to really analyze? Some shady mole? And the Russians are doing something besides fixing a cruise missile on the base's location..."

"And," She had a certain gleam in her eye. "We can fly Pacific to Mongolia and take the Trans-Siberian! And backpack the taiga!" One of them could have come up with something for their Wall Ninja en route, but if Allisun was a walking space heater, then all good. "Or we can get a sled team." Any insights had long since given way to having fun with this.

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Basil

"Snow zombies. Lovely." Most likely these creatures would be nothing but cannon fodder. Basil supposed it made sense to give them an easy mission first to test them, but still. He'd have loved a real challenge to show off his skills.

Outwardly, Basil showed no annoyance. He merely slipped his lucky coin back in his pocket and crossed his arms. "I assume this first mission is meant to showcase how well we work as a unit. I'll be expecting you all to be in top form. As you should expect from me, of course."

Saranna's eagerness brought a smile to his face. "Given they have the resources to pull us out of any prison, I doubt commandeering a plane would be that difficult for them. Hopefully a fast one. I get bored on long flights."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Ymir Wolff

"Like hell you will...!" Ymir snapped back to Allisun, pulling back on instinct before seeming to catch herself and huffing out loud. "Sorry. Usually when people touched me before and said something like that they weren't doing it to be nice. I'll have to figure something out. Or just deal with it. I didn't think about this... damn it. I guess some thermal protection should go into whatever suit I come up with, right...?"

I don't really wanna stick around with the knight in shining armour, either. She's warm, sure, but she's the opposite of sneaky, Ymir thought, eyeing Allisun critically for a moment. I don't trust she'll be climbing up walls and ceilings either. This is a pain... but I can't really say no. I haven't gone to a place this far away before...

Even though she was irritated at the climate problem, she still wanted to go. City streets in mild to chilly weather were one thing, but a tundra was something new. Sure, it was cold, and she'd feel like crap, but she felt that way every winter and she still managed to get by. She could help take out some chump. Especially if she didn't actually have to execute the guy. She'd just pick people off the best she could and do her best to stay warm.

bork

Laurie

She'd done it again, hadn't she? She hadn't thought she said anything wrong to Basil. It was mostly a joke. But it didn't make her feel less guilty.

"Sorry. About the soul thing. It was thoughtless of me. I thought I'd learned to control myself, but it seems I haven't mastered tact. For what it's worth, you are a handsome devil. Regardless of your circumstances."

She listened to the rest of Cigarbreath's spiel. She yawned at most of it. She'd heard this all before and had learned to accept her circumstances. But the mission itself irked her. She'd gotten used to collateral damage or told herself she had, but that wasn't the only issue here.

"Excuse me, but do these frozen grunts still have brains? If you need me to sneak in, I can handle it either way. But if we're considering a more direct approach, I won't be much use if they're brain dead."

Mission Get

A faint grinding came from the winged one as they leaned forward to study the projections.

"Hm. Acceptable targets and acquisition goals... Who knows, perhaps I'll get to enjoy myself on this one. I have no further questions."

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Underground

They were certainly a chatty bunch, but then the newest recruits usually were. "Number of enemies is unknown, the largest recording attack using Cryomen had six hundred, but after the failed attack on Moscow there are likely only fifty to a hundred remaining, most likely of which only thirty or so will be activated at a time, the rest held in a deactivated state."

When the complaints about powers came up Cigar drew in a deep breath, letting out a fog like breath. "The inside is kept to reasonable temperatures, despite his alter ego the departed doctor was not granted inhuman abilities or resistance to cold. Once you breach the walls you should be able to function as normal. Should being the operative word, our information only goes so deep into the operation. As for any technology deemed to dangerous simply leave it in the base and allow the self destruct to remove it. Should anything survive that it can be collected or destroyed via a different method."

"As for the Cryomen's status they are alive only in the bleakest meaning of the word, they have functioning brains and various other organs within the suits, and there is at least one case of a extremely costly and near miraculous medical surgery that returned a single one to... some semblance of life. But no, most of the guards remaining would be some of the oldest and lowest functioning of the Cryomen, a walking casket containing the remains of people to pilot a ghoulish suit. However they are known to have some level of consciousness as they use the human brain as a hub, so you might be able to pull some tricks on them," the man pointed his cigar toward Laurie.

"As for your method of travel, due to the anti-teleportation measures put in place throughout the complex we will be flying you to a town that will be a few hours away and provide transportation to the complex itself. Once the mission is complete and the self destruct has gone off we will pinpoint and teleport you to a location for debriefing.' as the last embers fell from the cigar the man rose and pointed toward a door to the left of him. "In the next room is equipment built by our researchers that should fit with your skills and protect you from the cold. Take note of each piece of equipment and in the after action report all complaints and suggestions will be noted for use on your more complete equipment."

Saranna - But Do We Get First Class Legroom

---

"Obviously, you've never flown Ann," Saranna said to Basil. She tapped her chin with a finger, looking up as if the sky/ceiling ever provided any insight. "Why has no one ever come up with 'Ann Airlines?'" But that didn't stop her from looking up and asking.

"Well," she put her hand over her mouth after Cigar's explanation to 'whisper' loudly enough that it barely qualified as a whisper. "Looks like you get your chance." She shrugged. "Unless he's already named our ride Cigar Continental." Not just a chance for that though. They could see up close, how much 'soul' Dr. Moncras's cryomen method retained. She could hardly measure it like her good doctor could, but she could always try one of the cryomen and find out that way.

Saranna looked when Cigar pointed out the side room, and gave him an "aww thank you!" But she didn't move. She'd brought her cello case after all. She was perfectly happy to leave for the taiga as she was. So, she leaned against the wall while the others shopped. And watched. Their weapon of choice said things.

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Viv-On The Road Again

She got up slowly from the table, putting her bottle down carefully before walking off in the indicated direction. Viv didn't stagger or weave too much, but a careful observer would have noticed that her hands were flat and tense. Glancing back once to see if anyone else was following, the young hero began to examine the offered equipment. ‘’A pair of goggles to help protect her eyes from the snow glare. Heavier boots to prevent slipping. New gloves. And a belt to hold things. You can never have too many pockets.’’ Anyone watching would see her slip a small flask out of her jeans and into one of those "pockets."

Edited by Booky on Jul 15th 2023 at 8:25:58 AM

Bill had been humming excitedly when Cigar indicated their equipment. This was going to be quite interesting, who knew what sort of things they would find in the lab! If he could manage it, he might try and sneak some research notes past Cowl, he could probably secret them inside an extra fold of his suit. There was a fairly large crate with his codename on it, no doubt what would be inside it. He removed the lid, inside were five dead pigs, preserved in ice. Tendrils of energy emerged from Bills palms and penetrated the corpses, which began to rapidly lose form. Once they had all decomposed, he began to mold a suit from what he had extracted, a green rubbery substances flowed from his hands as it took shape. The extra mass would go towards a later of insulating blubber, thick enough to shield him from the elements.

Ymir Wolff

"Well, let's see what you've got..." Ymir said as she moved into the next room, looking for whatever equipment had her name on it. It wasn't long before she found it, and she huffed slightly: picking up what appeared to be a one-piece suit of... some flexible substance, with accompanying goggles and a mask in an all-black colouration. It was plain, but the thing Ymir seemed perturbed by was that it looked skintight.

"..."

She wordlessly went into a secluded place and swapped out her hobo clothes for this black suit. To her surprise, however, when she put it on it was... comfortable. It was skintight, yes, but it didn't hug her form too tightly. It also wasn't too warm or cold. The only real problem she had with it was that her hands and feet were covered (likely for the sake of maintaining its temperature) so she knew it'd be hard to cling to walls while in it. But if this thing could keep her at the right temperature... she wouldn't be weakened while on this mission aside from that.

"Okay... how's it look?"

She stepped out in view of the others, dressed in the thing. It was plain, form-fitting, but functional. It wasn't perfect and she didn't seem to like the full mask she wore under the goggles with how she kept scratching her head with it on, but it was...

...it was creepy more than anything, actually, since the only thing stopping her from being an outright silhouette were the large round reflective lenses from the goggles over her eyes. It had potential, though, and Ymir recognised that.

"I've got some notes for it already, but I think this is gonna work. Better than my other clothes, anyway..." she said, her voice slightly muffled by the mask she was wearing. She was definitely changing that once she had the chance, but she'd keep it for now due to the climate they were going to be heading into.

Edited by Enirboreh on Jul 4th 2023 at 9:14:21 AM

bork

Basil

"No offense taken, my dear." Basil flashed Laurie a winning smile, clearly not bothered in the slightest by her insinuation. "As I said, it doesn't matter. I worked through the existential dread of brain uploading quite quickly."

Of course, that might have been evidence in and of itself of his inhumanity. He didn't care to dwell on it.

Making for the equipment room, he was curious if they'd actually given him anything; the cold didn't bother him, anyway, so all he was concerned about was maneuverability.

Next to his name card he found a pair of dress shoes, similar to his own, but with soles clearly modified for better traction. There were additionally a pair of protective lenses, which naturally were sized perfectly for his artificial eyes.

Clicking them into place took him only a few moments, and as he adjusted his white balance, he found his visibility quite improved.

"Impressive. You must have some good techies on payroll, hm?"

The only other thing set aside for him was a few spare magazines of .50 Action Express, which he casually pocketed.

As he moved to rejoin the others, he casually drew his handgun and checked it to make sure it was still in good condition. It was a rather large handgun, given what it chambered, made of shining steel, and the barrel was engraved with the name 'Marietta' surrounded by musical notes. Once he confirmed she was ready, he re-holstered her.

Taking in his teammates' equipment, he eyed Ymir with an amused smile. "Color scheme is a bit bleak, but it does certainly have potential. Make it a bit brighter and you could pass for an everyday superhero."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Kellen Espinoza

He went straight for the tech room once Cigar was finished talking. He looked for his own, and found a white overcoat and pants along with a tie, winter boots, a set of goggles, and a pair of gloves. Bulletproof. he noted, feeling the coat. The tie was flexible yet tough, perfect for using as a garrote. The clothes seemed to keep heat inside, so he wouldn't be freezing to death for a long while. The goggles were thin and snapped on easily, providing protection from the snow. Then he moved on to his firearms. He picked out a Glock 17, strapping the white pistol to his sidearm holster, and an HK417, a battle rifle, also white, as he places down his guitar case. "I probably need to replace these." he mutters, before leaving to change into his new clothes.

He side-eyes Bill, who sucks out... something from crates, a green substance coming out. Kellen raises an eyebrow at that one, but doesn't say much.

Stepping out in all white, he turns to the others who were finished. "You don't need any protection?" he asks Saranna, who hasn't moved towards the side room, and Viv, who doesn't seem to have much changed aside from new gloves, boots, and goggles. He turns to Ymir in her new outfit. "Basil's right. You'd look like an undercover hero. One of those gritty masked types. Looks fine enough, as long as you can move freely." His thoughts drift to Silas, who would've no doubt been ecstatic to see a bug-themed hero, but he quickly pushes him out of his mind. Gotta focus. he thinks, slinging his HK417 on his shoulder.

"Whenever we're ready." he resolves.

Edited by Jules-Firenze on Jul 5th 2023 at 1:28:39 AM

You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.

Saranna - Protection

---

Saranna's eyes shifted from Bill, whom she'd been studying to Kellen. "Of course," She clasped her hands in front of her and cocked her head, smiling as innocently as she could manage. "I so hoped I could count on you for protection, my hero."

Saranna had no intention of wallflowering this job, but he was the Hero. "And I'm ready when you are." She'd been ready when Cigar finished describing what needed destroying.

Edited by CenturyEye on Jul 5th 2023 at 2:56:24 AM

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives

Allisun

Allisun walked into the side room, with her some of the heat in the room seemed to subside. Inside the side room she'd locate a large wooden shipping crate with a crude burnt in symbol of a circle. Opening it's side the others could be confused when she pulled out a Black monolithic block. She'd kneel infront of it in some sort of ritual, then the crate opened with a slight his and a similar circular design appearing on the opening mechanism.

She'd begin getting into her armour proper, taking out a shield and sword and inspecting them for damage. Then she'd reach into the crate once more and take out a Spas-12. Thought the shotgun looked normal the shells she was loading into it were anything, but considering they came from a brightly yellow crate with warning symbol for dangerous explosives.

Closing the crate she'd stand up and walk back into the room. . . Was her hair always blonde?

Laurie

Laurie skipped into the room, pulling out an insulated suit from the locker with her eyes closed shut. She knew this place like the back of her hand or at least how it was set up. She slipped into her suit, swapping her clothes in plain sight. Perhaps it was scandalous, but if anyone took offense, that was their problem. She snatched her pistol and a little Jester's mask, twirling them around her finger.

She somersaulted and backflipped back towards the meeting room, landing with a flourish. Her suit was dull and grey, but it didn't leave much to the imagination.

"Ta-da! Like what you see? I'd give myself an eight out of ten, but that's being modest."

She'd taken some cords too, useful for infiltration. Her mask wasn't fancy, but it bore a certain elegance. More importantly, it had infra-red lenses, built with form and function. She wished she had something more colorful, but she didn't want to make Cigarbreath upset.

Edited by kkhohoho on Jul 13th 2023 at 4:14:14 AM

Vivian-This Year’s Fashions

She’d carefully and respectfully averted her eyes while Laurie changed. Ok, that was a lie. She had peeped a little, ‘’then’’ averted. Vic had observed her teammates gearing up with interest, hoping to learn a bit about them.

Then Kellen asked why she wasn’t wearing more armor, and something about the question made a little bitter bubble grow in her chest. “Protection is for people who worry about getting hurt,” she half-snapped and stalked out of the room. Because you’re always safe, right Viv? Made of steel.

Edited by Booky on Jul 15th 2023 at 11:46:11 AM

Kellen Espinoza

Kellen wondered why Vivian was triggered by that. Probably a past thing. Hopefully it wouldn't be a problem later. Then Laurie stepped out in her outfit. Of course he didn't look, he's a murderer, but he won't disrespect people. Professionals have standards, after all.

"Not... bad." he mutters. No extra weight, which is good for someone as acrobatic as she seemed, and a pistol? Might be a little underwhelming, but perhaps she wasn't meant to engage in combat often. "You'd look like a spy, but the mask adds... flair?" he notes. Honestly he was a little bored.

You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.

Gear Up Montage

Mari stepped into the armory, looking for their assigned equipment and finding a fairly modestly-sized container. They started looking through it, picking out items in turn.

"Disc detainer, lishi tool... Yes I know they could simply be broken, unlike you I appreciate finesse... Looks like third-party acquisition but it's good quality. Now, what is..."

They left one of those three-lens night vision goggles from the box and spend a moment putting it on.

"Ah now this, this is something you cannot simply brute force. ... I'm sorry what?"

Mari shakes their head and sets the goggles into a disengaged position before wandering off towards the transport.

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.