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[u][b][i]Roughly One Year Ago[/i][/b][/u]

[color=lightslategray][i]"Christina. We need to talk."[/i][/color]

[i]The two were sitting in Powers' office. It looked like usual- the same display of various military-grade weapons, the same clutter of paperwork on the disc, the same teddy bear pin cushion for combat knives. Powers was behind his desk, wearing his usual olive-green camo military jacket, his hands folded on his desk, his facial expressions tense. On the other end of the desk was Christina Lavender, who looked much more relaxed. She was dressed much more casually for the day, in a bomber jacket and khaki shorts, her short red hair tossled, large hoops dangling from her ears, a single pistol strapped to her leg. She sat in the chair opposite Powers, eyeing him.

[color=salmon]"So I figured, or else you wouldn't have called me here."[/color] Her eyes examined his tightened facial features, his taut body language, as the Director of H.E.R.O. lifted a manila folder from the clutter of paperwork sitting at his desk. The folder was labelled "Recruit Applications," and it was full of a variety of forms. Powers sifted through the forms, most of them marked with a red stamp labelled "REJECTED" along with a hand-drawn frowny face in red pen by Christina. After moving past a good number of rejected forms, Powers stopped at one form labelled "ACCEPTED" in a green stamp along with a written note by Christina in her trademark slanted, muddled, inky cursive- "Welcome to HERO! Can't wait for you to join us!" Stapled to the form was an abundance of waivers and other forms to submit, along with a memo on first day information and routines.

Powers put the accepted application down on the table, the document facing Christina. Written next to the NAME section were the words 'Patricia Donnelly.' Powers' eyes moved up to Christina, who couldn't tell if they were sad, disappointed, angry, or some mixture. [color=lightslategray]"Explain this."[/color]

[color=salmon]"Not much to explain. She clearly demonstrated aptitude with her powers, her physicals are fine, and her psych evaluation is...well, we've accepted others with less positive evaluations."[/color]

[color=lightslategray]"Do you know that last name?"[/color]

[color=salmon]"Of course I do. I worked that case-"[/color]

Powers cut her off. [color=lightslategray]"What were you thinking?! She is the daughter of-"[/color]

[color=salmon]"I know, I know, prolific superpower-based serial killer. So what?"[/color]

[color=lightslategray]"What do you mean, so what?"[/color]

[color=salmon]"Her father did some terrible things, that I won't deny. But she's not her father."[/color]

[color=lightslategray]"She's her father's daughter, Christina. Have you even bothered to look at her report? She's had incidents with her powers in the past."[/color]

[color=salmon]"So has anybody that developed powers, they try to use it and get in trouble, that's why they come to us in first place!"[/color]

[color=lightslategray]"Her powers are dangerous, especially so, and she's demonstrated ill intent in using them. She's the daughter of Patrick Donnelly, the Maestro, a man who has remorselessly slaughtered hundreds of-."[/color]

[color=salmon]"What, and you're going to come and tell me the Powers name is all clean? That all of your family comes from pure blood? That you and your children are all flawless humans? Come on, Hugo! Cut the crap! Don't bullshit me!"[/color] Christina nearly yelled, exasperated. 

This seemed to shut Powers up, and he stared at Christina, tons of emotions festering behind his eyes as his eyes locked with hers, a determined fire behind her eyes. She spoke again. [color=salmon]"You can override me if you want, veto my decision. These mail out tomorrow. You have every right to do so. But...your family doesn't determine who you are. Is this girl perfect? No! She's very, very imperfect. As is every person who walks into these doors. But I could tell that when she came here, she was dead-set on changing her family name, her family legacy. That's what matters the most to me."[/color] She continued to watch him defiantly. 

Powers spoke again about a full minute later. [color=lightslategray]"They're going to be on our asses. The press, ICOSA, everybody. You know how they're going to feel about all this."[/color]

[color=salmon]"And?"[/color] Christina asked, allowing a sly smile to slip onto her face. 

After another moment of silence, Powers pushed the manila folder over to Christina across the table, eyes locking with hers once again. [color=lightslategray]"Mail them out as soon as possible."[/color]

Christina smiled. [color=salmon]"Thanks, Director."[/color]

Powers responded with a firm shake of his head. [color=lightslategray]"No, no. Thank [b]you,[/b] Christina."[/color]

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