[centre][h2]The Consortium Corporate Headquarters: Alverton Building
[/h2]
[h1]Downtown Boston[/h1]
[sub]21st January, 2011.
7:14 am[/sub][/centre]

[b][u]Maxwell[/u][/b]

I couldn’t stop the pitying smirk from spreading across my lips.

No cape was immune to delusions of grandeur, but it seemed so much more common in Thinkers. Still, most of the Consortium’s operatives believed themselves to be beyond the organisations reach. The new ones, anyway. After a few months, even the most stubborn usually realised how tight a leash they were kept on. 

The city below looked so small from the top of the building. Dots scurried below, beginning to start a new day in their endless routine. Pawns in other people’s games. I checked my watch. Quarter past seven. Our operatives were due shortly. With a flutter in my heart, I allowed a small hope that it wouldn’t be just another pointless exercise. Finding the Covenant would make putting up with distasteful company entirely worth it. With a bit of luck, we can wipe out a number of inconveniences in one fell swoop.

Early thought it made be, that thought led me to pouring a glass of brandy. 

[@ProPro][@FancyHats][@hagroden]

[hr]

[centre][h2]Protectorate Headquarters: The Zenith[/h2]
[h1]Above Boston[/h1]
[sub]21st January, 2011.
9:24 am[/sub][/centre]

[b][u]Gestalt[/u][/b]

As my fingers brushed Knight’s cheek, a ripple of static energy passed over both of us, causing my hand to go numb. A faint throb of power pulsed deep inside, as my eyes flared and changed to a pale blue - before returning to their natural brown. A wash of images flicked through my mind like a superfast slideshow. Armour, swords, cages, restrains … vials? Giving me a quick primer of the power and how to use it, a dull-blue sword appeared, hovering in front of me. 

I grinned. 

“Thanks, Knight,” I said, beaming at her. “You certainly have an interesting powerset. Should be fun to see what two Knights can do, huh?”

Septima tapped me lightly on the shoulder. “We should get moving before Praetor yells again.”

Sheepishly looking tos ee if he’d heard, I nodded, and we made our way towards the hanger. 

Nowhere was the sheer size of the protectorate flying pyramid fortress more noticeable than here. Rows upon rows of VTOLs stood ready to be fueled and deployed at a moment's notice. A runway large enough to support 4 simultaneous take offs or landings punctuated the scale of the base. Each of the aircraft were equipped with specialised armour plating to allow them to pass through the electromagnetic shield engulfing the air around the base, too, without the need for a manual deactivation every time a squad needed to be despatched.

The handbook on this place was like a bible, and I’d never bothered to read half the stuff. 

Piling into the VTOL preparing for takeoff, I sat ready to make polite conversation with the people who - very soon - I’d be knocking heads together with.

[@Banana][@PlatinumSkink]