The light within the chamber shimmered like the surface of water. A faint blue haze rippled across polished steel walls, mirroring faces that watched their own reflections distort and bend — a reminder, perhaps, of what they had already become. The floor was smooth and white, etched faintly with concentric circles that pulsed with an almost imperceptible rhythm, like a heartbeat. Holographic projectors lined the perimeter, each humming quietly as they waited to birth the trial that would test this new generation of heroes.

At the room’s center stood Commander Mara.

Silver. That was the first impression — a seamless, gleaming plate of armor that caught the light and threw it back coldly. The helmet, smooth and mirrored, concealed her face entirely; yet her presence filled the room with an undeniable gravity. When she moved, it was with an elegance honed by long years of command — deliberate, efficient, and unmistakably human beneath the metal. Every motion carried purpose. Every step echoed authority.

At her side lingered Captain Jonah Redd, his crimson coat standing out boldly against the sterile light. His stance was relaxed, a disarming contrast to Mara’s severity — the kind of warmth that had steadied more than one recruit’s nerves. Beside him, Dr. Theo Brandt adjusted his glasses, his white lab coat immaculate, the faint hum of a diagnostic drone floating at his shoulder. His eyes scanned the assembled recruits with a curious detachment, as though each were a puzzle waiting to be solved.

Before them, the recruits gathered — some standing tall, others uncertain, a spectrum of raw potential and restless energy. The air itself seemed to hold its breath.

When Mara finally spoke, her voice carried through the chamber like tempered steel:
“Welcome, recruits of the Order of the Lake.”
It wasn’t loud — it didn’t need to be. Her tone was measured, clipped just short of harsh, every syllable falling with the weight of command. “Today marks the beginning of your assessment. The purpose of this exercise is not to measure destruction, but discipline — not strength alone, but judgment. Many of you have power. Few among you have control. That distinction will decide whether you stand among us... or not.”

Her visor tilted slightly, the reflection of the recruits flickering across her mask.
“For now, you’ll treat this chamber as your battlefield. You will act as a team. You will be observed.” Her head inclined, just enough to imply the two figures behind her. “Captain Redd will be watching your field coordination. Dr. Brandt will evaluate your composure and adaptability. I will evaluate the rest.”

The silence that followed was brief but heavy, filled with the faint hum of the chamber and the soft breath of anticipation.

Then, Mara’s tone softened — just slightly, like a drawn blade easing back into its sheath.
“You have a few minutes before the simulation begins.” She paused, gaze sweeping the room. “If you have questions... ask them now.”

Murphy
^{Shining Girl}

Murphy didn't quite like the chamber. It all felt sterile. Sure, hero hideouts were more often than not depicted as function over form, but that didn't mean they lacked character. A dank cave would depict the angst and sorrow of a hero. A distant fortress to show how a hero is innately lonely. It was things like that. At the very least, they could of had a nice old wooden table in the room. Polished metal and holograms made it feel like some kind of sterile corporate business. Though, the short hero didn't really think it was that far from the truth.

But judging aesthetics wasn't really something that Murphy wanted to get bogged down into.

For some, they may be nervous. This might very well be their first dive into heroics--albeit a very simulated dive. Unfortunately for them, Murphy was an experienced hero that didn't have a single milligram of anxiety inside of her. Of course, the majority of that experience was things like chasing down purse thieves and rescuing cats stuck in trees, but that was still experience!

"Will there be lunch afterwards?" Murphy asked--a question that made it difficult to determine if it was filled with levity or sincerity, "er-uh, not that it's expected. I just need to figure out my calorie goals for today."

---

---

It was sort of like an orientation wasn’t it?
There were a number of officials there to supervise this sort of initiation, a large stadium-like room for the ensemble of strangers to gather and be watched and measured by those officials. Eleanor felt relatively old amongst the majority of young adults and teens that filled the room, perhaps even being closer in age to the proctor who spoke in that commanding tone at them. But everyone’s journey starts at a different time, maybe theirs started earlier than her own, maybe theirs would end earlier too. Who’s to say?

There were some whispers amongst the many strangers once Commander Mara asked if there would be any questions, but Eleanor would remain silent and watchful. Her fingers would reach up for the hem of her hood to lightly grip it and pull it a bit further down— beneath the shadow of the cowl her eyes would begin to glow with that golden shimmer. When someone finally decided to break the ambience of heavy darkness with a question about lunch, Eleanor pressed her lips inward to stifle the grin that would begin to form upon her face.

Nearly silent was the sigh that hissed out from her nostrils, enjoying that brief yet short-lived break from the tension of the moment. She wondered then, exactly how colorful the cast surrounding her might be? That question alone was enough to allow Red Riding’s mind to wander and assisted all the more in maintaining the silence she so deeply wished to maintain.

Andrew was the oldest recruit there, if his estimates were right, which was hard not to be conscious over. Especially while he was childishly fidgeting with his so-called costume. He made adjustments once his, ah, growth spurt happened, and some places still pinched a little tight. He was just glad he wasn't wearing anything that squeaked.

"How similar will this test be to our work?" He asked, once the floor was opened to questions. "I'm expecting that we won't be out on many stings in basements and bunkers, more street thugs and alley brawls. This..." He vaguely gestured around to the chamber, "seems a little too sterile, doesn't it?"

Andrew also doubted any holograms that they could throw up for them to fight, even if technology was at an all-time high these days. Look, you get old enough and sometimes it's fun to shake your fist at kids in your yard. Hypothetically speaking. Regardless, he wasn't a stranger to the weight of clocking a guy in the nose once he's overstepped his bounds, and whatever fancy light tricks the guild had couldn't replicate that.

Would it be enough for the younger members present? Could it really prepare them to stare down someone who truly wanted to hurt them and possessed all the flesh and bone needed to do so?

He wasn't sure.

Conner tried not to fidget, but he was not succeeding. He stood near the back, arms loosely crossed, one brow raised. The whole “judgment and discipline” speech wasn’t exactly his vibe. It was a little intense for a guy who called his trident a “magic fork”, but he wasn’t about to start drama on day one.

He glanced around at the others, grinning. “Sooo… question would I get in trouble if I accidentally flood the place?” He asked, his was tone playful but curious.

His foot tapped in time with the pulsing floor, ready to move the second things kicked off.

He'd expected this. Or something like this, at any rate. A trial to weed out the weak from the strong. Even if the 'Order of the Lake' claimed differently, even if they didn't sort their recruits by marketability and allegedly wanted valor over vigor, it wouldn't change the fact that they wouldn't have any need for feeble heroes. It was exactly why the beginning of the recruits' assessment, as the commander had put it, was not a lengthy interview or an essay or a hypothetical trolley discussion... but this, a physical test.

While both of his hands were stuffed into his pockets Cade clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the knuckles in his right pop from an old break. This assessment was something he was prepared for. He'd looked into this guild, and even if the specifics of their recruitment process weren't made public there were plenty of others from different guilds that were. He knew it wouldn't be that much different. Cade was fit, focused, determined. It was going to be a piece of cake.

'You will act as a team.'

Except for that part. That was the kicker, because really? A team? With this mess? Hell, some of them weren't even taking this seriously - did they want to join the guild or not? He had to wonder if they'd flunked out of other guilds or just Awakened like, yesterday. That giant long haired guy seemed to the only stranger with common sense, but then again look at how he was dressed. Like some vintage comic book character!

It was a little irksome, being expected to work together with all of them. Cade was sure his annoyance was showing on his face, so he breathed in deep through his nose, held it in.

"I don't know what you find so funny about this," he said with his exhale, icy eyes sweeping over lunch girl, hooded lady, and beach bum.

It was quite clear that Cade was not here for fun. He stood stiffly to one side of the group, dressed as he usually was nowadays in long pants and coat, none of his skin showing save for his pale face. He flicked his head up lightly, shifting his multi-colored bangs. All the better to look down his nose at the other recruits.

While other questions were asked, practical and stupid ones, Cade glanced at the only person in the room he actually could rely on in a team. Her bright red hair was unmissable, but there was also the fact that she stood not far away from him. When their eyes met, a silent message was communicated to CC. We've got this. There was no way Cade was letting anyone else beat him in this trial, sure that the proctors would be taking individual skill into account far more than stated, and if it was teamwork they wanted then he need not look further than his own family.

Once everyone was finished Cade looked back at the group that would be grading their performances - Hensley, Brandt, and Redd. Figures he vaguely knew the faces of but little else besides what scant information he could find online amid the rumors. He flexed his fingers one more time before drawing his hands from his coat. He flashed them a smile, one tighter and sharper than he'd meant for, and finally asked his own question. "Can we get started already?"

One of the great casualties of her new hands, thought CC, was the tragic inability to crack her knuckles.

A habit that she'd picked up around the start of college, knuckle-cracking had become something that she did idly without much attention, like chewing your nails or tapping your feet. But whatever these new knuckles were made of, they defied any attempts to crack. But despite the lack of the satisfying popping sound or stretch in her knuckles, her habit held strong and she went through the motions anyway. Besides, she never knew what to do with these dumb hot things anyway. She stood casually with weight on one leg with the other out to the side, wearing a white tank top with a huge splotch of cyan paint stain spreading over it, and sweat shorts, as heat rolled off her. Well, at least it was pretty cool in here.

But despite her fidgeting, she was paying close attention to the woman in silver armor who'd just stepped forward. Assessment, huh? Been a while since I've done any trust exercises, she thought, a grin coming to her face.

Still, it was a little inconvenient, wasn't it?

CC could do discipline. If she couldn't she wouldn't have graduated. But the emphasis being hammered in on discipline, judgment, and control turned the grin to a quirked lip, and then to a faint frown as her vision panned over to where her brother stood a little ways away, face darkening with growing irritation. Cade definitely deserved to be here. Hopefully her impulsivity wouldn't jeopardize his own assessment.

Then, of course, he spoke, and the frown was wiped away as she barely stopped herself from bursting out laughing. You stick in the mud, you! Trust Cade to cut off the conversation. She slowly let out the breath that had caught in her throat as laughter, and schooled her face back down into something that looked even slightly respectable. Cade had never been super great in situations like this. So, naturally, socialization would fall to her, and she was just fine with that. Some of these other applicants seemed cool. The one who'd asked about food especially; now that was a girl who knew where her priorities lay! CC looked over at her, smiling brightly and raising her eyebrows in an almost conspiratorial way.

Oh, this was gonna be fun!

Yet even as occupied as she was, she still knew right away as soon as Cade's eyes flicked suddenly over to her. Right. Yeah. Discipline, judgment, and control. She looked back, and she could feel the certainty in that bright blue gaze. She gave him a half smile and a minute nod. Yeah. We've got this. She cut the eye contact off with a wink, then turned her focus back to Mara. And, it would seem, Captain Redd and Dr. Brandt. There was something about the doctor. Something that--yowch! She'd put her hand on her hip out of reflex again. Ugh! She went back to 'cracking' her 'knuckles.'

Oop, and Cade was being uptight again, haha. She gave a good-natured roll of her eyes and shot him a quick grin. "Cool off, hotshot." A moment later after collecting her thoughts, she turned to face Mara fully, and finally asked what had been rolling around in her head:

"Hey, you said it was the beginning of our assessment, right? So is this, like, a multi-day event, or...?"

The humming lights of the induction chamber brightened by a fraction, a subtle shift that made the metal floor gleam beneath the recruits’ feet. Commander Mara Hensley stepped forward again—and this time, she reached up and unsealed the catches at her jawline. With a soft hydraulic hiss, the silver helmet came free. She lifted it under one arm.

Her face wasn’t harsh, nor soft—striking in its restraint. Copper-brown skin, lightly freckled across the bridge of her nose. A narrow scar at her left temple, barely visible unless you looked for it. Her hair was a mass of tightly coiled black curls pulled back into a severe knot, elegant despite the practicality. And her eyes... cold, silvery gray, sharp enough to cut steel. Eyes that watched everything.

One of the recruits slightly off-center in the formation seemed particularly taken with the room rather than the woman in front of them. Sarah Oaks tipped her head back just a little, blinking up at the ceiling with open, unguarded wonder, as if the array of projectors and recessed plates were the most magical things she’d seen all week. Her weight shifted from heel to toe and back again, almost like she was unconsciously swaying with some unheard rhythm. She didn’t seem nervous. She didn’t seem anything except... impressed.

Mara’s gaze skimmed across her for only a heartbeat, registering her as one more recruit in the cluster, before moving on. If the commander noticed the way Sarah’s wandering feet always stopped just shy of any exposed conduit or hazard marking, she didn’t show it.

Murphy’s question about lunch broke the silence first. The sound of her voice carried easily in the chamber, bright and unbothered. Mara paused just long enough to make it clear she was choosing her words. “Our facilities include a cafeteria,” she said at last, tone even. “Your assessment will not deprive you of any medically necessary meals.” The faintest hint of something like wryness touched her mouth. “Whether lunch is earned or offered will depend on your performance.”

Behind her, Captain Redd exhaled through his nose, a soft sound that might have been amusement. Dr. Brandt had already started writing, his stylus scratching quickly across the surface of his tablet as he murmured, almost to himself, “Good morale focus... low observable anxiety... appetite intact under pressure...”

Elias Tran, standing toward the rear with a nervous hunch in his shoulders, gave Murphy a tentative smile—an expression that flickered as quickly as it appeared. Kira Voss, arms crossed with the easy self-assurance of someone who lived for competition, snorted under her breath, clearly entertained. Juniper Mallory, lantern hooked at her hip, offered Murphy a gentle, encouraging nod. Rashad Edden simply lifted a brow, amused in the 'I respect the guts' sort of way.

Mara’s eyes shifted, moving toward the red-hooded figure near the center. Eleanor said nothing, but the stillness under that hood made its own statement. No shuffling, no restless fidgeting, just a quiet presence that watched the commander with a steady, unreadable gaze. Mara regarded her for a fraction of a second longer than most. There was no praise in that look, no censure either—only a small dip of her chin that could have been acknowledgment, or nothing at all.

The man who spoke next sounded older than most of the room. Andrew’s voice carried the kind of grounded curiosity that came from someone who'd had time to grow skeptical of shiny toys. His question about the test’s similarity to real work drew Mara’s attention like a magnet. “Your assessment simulates the most common deployments you’ll see in the Order,” she replied. “Street-level threats. Crisis scenes. Unpredictable civilians. Less clean than this room suggests.” The barest breath of dry humor passed through her voice. “This chamber is the staging ground. Not the battlefield.”

Dr. Brandt didn’t look up, but his mouth moved as his stylus did. “Pragmatic... oriented toward real-world parameters... appropriate skepticism of simulation...”

Elias shifted uneasily, nodding as if reassured, Kira rolled her shoulders, eager, Juniper exhaled softly, steadying herself, and Rashad, arms loosely folded, was already analyzing the ceiling rigs.

Conner’s question landed like a stone skipped across the surface of a very still lake. Mara turned her head toward him, those silver-gray eyes taking in the relaxed shoulders, the easy grin, the restless tapping foot. “If you flood the facility,” she said, “Captain Redd will personally hand you a mop.” A beat of silence followed. “And you will continue your assessment. While still holding the mop.”

Redd didn’t flinch. “She’s not joking,” he said, matter-of-fact.

Juniper—a short recruit with round glasses and a messy bun barely held together—let out a small, involuntary sound before clapping a hand over their mouth. Dr. Brandt’s stylus paused, then resumed, his voice a soft thread: “Humor under stress... high kinetic readiness... control thresholds to be evaluated...”

Sarah’s eyes had left the ceiling at some point and drifted, seemingly at random, over the trio at the front. When Brandt muttered, 'control thresholds,' one corner of her mouth twitched, just for a second, before smoothing again. If she’d heard him, she gave no sign beyond that almost-smile.

Cade’s voice came in sharp, clean lines. He didn’t shout, didn’t posture, but the impatience in his words was hard to miss. Mara’s attention snapped to him—not harshly, but like a measuring tape being drawn taut. “Eagerness is an asset,” she said, and there was no softness in her tone now. “Impatience is a liability. You are here to learn which you possess.” There was no sting of humiliation in her delivery, but no cushion either. It was simply fact, laid out like a blade on a table.

Her gaze slid, very briefly, to the fiery-haired woman standing not far from him. Cecilia’s question came a heartbeat later, and Mara watched the way the two of them seemed to orbit each other without needing to stand side by side. “This is the first stage only,” Mara answered. “It begins here. It ends when the program determines you’ve demonstrated the baseline competencies for field authorization.” A pause, just long enough to suggest weight. “Most complete it in a single evening. Most.”

Behind the front line, Elias visibly swallowed while Kira grinned, sharp and ready. Juniper’s hand found the handle of her lantern, fingers steady despite her eyes lowering as Rashad muttered, “First stage... hm.”

Brandt’s voice dropped again, the words like the scratching of a pencil given shape: “Sibling pairing... complementary temperaments... likely to test operational boundaries...”

The chamber answered his muttering with a shift of its own.

The hum in the floor deepened, a bass thrum that vibrated faintly through boots and soles. Overhead, the recessed rigs in the ceiling stirred. Pale light began to gather in the center of the room, not yet forming anything coherent—just a fog of photons, drifting, swirling. A gridline flickered to life along one wall, a faint blue geometry etching itself across metal before starting to crawl upward and around.

Mara didn’t turn. Her eyes remained on the recruits.

“Our simulation is initializing,” she said. “This is your final moment before the assessment begins. Ask what you need to ask now. Once the program stabilizes...” She let the sentence hang for a breath, the hum of machinery filling the gap. “...you will act as a team. You will be evaluated as a team.”

Captain Redd stepped forward half a pace, folding his arms across his chest with the easy familiarity of someone who’d issued the same warning more times than he could count. “And if you fail,” he added, “you fail as a team.”

Dr. Brandt clicked his stylus once, a small, decisive sound, and lowered the tablet to his side. The light in the center thickened, condensing into the vague suggestion of rafters, the ghostly scaffolding of high warehouse beams, the hint of stacked shapes that might soon resolve into crates. Somewhere in that glow, the thin suggestion of red-and-blue police strobes flickered against an unfinished horizon.

The air in the chamber stretched tight, expectation wound like a spring. Mara’s gaze moved across their faces one more time, steady and unblinking.

“Questions,” she said. “Speak now. The next thing that happens is yours to answer.”

When Commander Hensley looked over at him to respond to his question, as rhetorical as it may have been, Cade drew himself up taller. He closed his fists at his side with as she delivered her words. Maybe he was being a little impatient, sure, but it was only so that they could trim the fat from this group and move on. The thought that he and CC might not make it through the first stage didn't cross his mind even once, so the quicker they got it out of the way the better.

As for CC herself, after she met Cade's eyes in turn she just had to make a snappy comment. Though to be honest, he was a little surprised it had taken her this long. He could tell she was playing around even if she hadn't smiled at him, and he sighed once through his nose and gave her a half-smile back, though it was fleeting. "How long have you been waiting to use that one?" he said to her under his breath.

None of the commander's responses came as a surprise to Cade, and though he listened intently regardless he did find his attention drawn more to Dr. Brandt when he realized the man was muttering some of his notes aloud. The doctor's commentary was pretty optimistic to say the least, though Cade could still feel himself preemptively stiffen when Brandt inevitably got to himself and his sister. Ultimately he didn't hear anything disparaging though, and he wasn't wrong either - even when they were little, the twins had made up for each other's weaknesses.

And Cade was definitely going to push the 'operational boundaries.' If all went all they'd be giving him a new record in whatever they were about to do. The longer the pre-show questioning went on the more confident Cade felt, and by the time the room itself reacted and began to manifest the trial the red head was even more ready to get started. His eyes traced the mechanisms in the walls as they moved, his posture shifted so that it would be easier to charge in running when the test kicked off for real. There wasn't much that could throw him off at this point... save for Captain Redd's last minute mention of a key rule.

It turned out that the first of the second round of questions came from Cade, as he let out an incredulous, "what?"

Passing or failing as an entire team?? That meant if even one of these dipshits messed up badly enough they'd ruin it for everyone else!

Blindsided, Cade's eyes widened and he looked over the recruits in the room once more. Other than the lantern he spotted with one, he couldn't tell what their awakened weapons were; and besides the ones he'd already scrutinized there were three women and two men - at least one of each seemed ready for the task ahead, but there was also a space case and someone way too nervous to be here. The glasses girl was harder to get a read on, but judging solely by the rest of the group? Suddenly Cade didn't like his chances so much.

No, no, this was still doable. He could still do this. He would do this. Like hell was he going to fail at this. Even if he had to drag the rest of the group uphill with him, he was passing.

Doing his best to get over his initial bewilderment, Cade's gaze sharpened not on their proctors, but his fellow test takers. He didn't have to worry about CC, but the rest of them were a different story. And so he declared to all of them, his voice hard but determined:

"I'm not letting any of you drag me down - we're all passing, even if I have to carry every single one of you."

It was hard to tell if he was being sincere, but he was serious about making sure the group as a whole succeeded, even if his delivery left a lot to be desired. He did not try for a heroic, encouraging smile or anything like that. His words would have to be enough for now. Since they were technically supposed to work as one big team he even threw out an offer for help, even if it did end up coming out as, "when you start slipping, call out for Sinclair."

Having failed to figure out what to do with his hands, Andrew kept them clasped by the small of his back, standing at attention despite how little the gesture meant in this moment. His fellow examinees weren't taking the test too seriously. But he was used to being the point of authority among younger adults who thought they knew better. Hell, if anything he's basically trained to be a leader-- well, "leader" wasn't the right word. The "rock in the storm"? Maybe just someone to look up to. No, that's too hopeful, nobody knew him or each other.

Andrew was decided. If seniority wasn't worth much, he'd have to become dependable on pure action and attitude.

He stepped forward... only for Cade to be half a step faster to the punch. He faltered, awkwardly standing there with one foot forward, and could only really listen. One of the two siblings of the group, seemed the most put-together of them, almost professional in how he handled himself. Andrew was familiar with the type. Get a few "wins" under your belt and you think you're unstoppable. That your word is worth more somehow.

Annoying, really, though he tried to stifle that thought. They weren't enemies here.

"Yes..." Andrew followed Cade, dragging his foot back into place. "It's not just a test of individual merit but one of cooperation. They want to be sure we can act as Guild members as well as we can alone."

He whipped his hand from behind himself and made a motion like tossing a ball upwards. Two shapes surges from the synthetic mist surrounding them, as if they had been in the room the entire time, waiting for their call. The shapes settled around him; on his right, the silver visage of the lion-faced mace, while to his left floated the long nicked blade inscribed with runes.

He addressed them all now, his display having caught all their attentions. "No need to worry, Sinclair, everyone. My name is Andrew, though you may call me Mr. Callum, or by my... aehh, superhero name, 'Speak Easy'." He cleared his throat before continuing, "and I'll see to it that all of you have the support you need to succeed with the rest."

CC couldn't help it this time: she burst out laughing at her brother's continued insistence on being the world's biggest killjoy. Before too long she managed to get it under control; she was supposed to be a hero right now and junk, right? But still. He was just...he was just such a drama queen. She slapped her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter and not entirely succeeding. She was getting looks. From the other initiates, definitely, but she also felt the laser precision of Mara's gaze on her as she finally bore down on her laughing enough to stifle it.

Well, for the most part. Still choking back giggles, she broke 'formation,' moving away from where she'd been standing and ambling over to her brother before giving him a gentle punch to the shoulder. "God, you are just the best, you know that, you li'l edgelord?"

Turning back to the group at large, she gave an offhanded salute, wearing a friendly grin as wireframes and holographic fog built around them. "'Sup, all, I'm CC Sinclair. it's our last name, even if the way this guy talks made you think otherwise. You can call me Lævateinn if you want." She reached her hand out, and with the rush of flames and the crash of hammer on anvil, the enormous six and a half foot bulk of Lævateinn dropped into her hand. She slung it casually over her right shoulder with a metallic clatter, letting the stone take the heat. "See? Lævateinn! Don't touch it or it'll burn your hand right off!"

She took in a long, satisfied breath and let it out slowly. She loved talking to people. People were great. The smile remained as she glanced over at 'Speakeasy,' a laugh in her voice as she took in the older man who she should probably be showing respect to. "A'ight, Speakeasy, which do you prefer: Andy or Drew?" Then she panned her gaze over the rest of the room, meeting eyes as she went until coming to rest--with one eyebrow quirked--on a giant Amazon of a woman posted up so close to the wall that CC hadn't seen her up to now. The same easy grin stayed on her face as she finished the thought: "In fact, it's best if you all give me a nickname to call you if you don't want to be gifted one."

With that said, she kept her right hand on Lævateinn's hilt, then reached out and rapped her left knuckles against Cade's head. "Speaking of, now c'mon, Cadester, play nice with the other kids and introduce yourself properly unless you want me to." She winked exaggeratedly and mussed up his hair before he could stop her hand, then settled it back on Lævateinn, putting her weight on her right leg and kicking her hip out. She looked back at everyone, tensing a little as the rapidly solidifying holograph wireframes took on more and more of a solid form and she could feel the assessment looming. "Let's all get along, yeah?"

Murphy
^{Shining Girl}

Murphy gave the invigilators a nod to affirm she had no further questions, especially after knowing that she would get lunch if everything went well. She didn't want to outright say it--just in case someone else had a question. It was pretty simple. Just go through the assessment, do her best in a team, and be a hero. Not too difficult, unless someone overthinks it.

Of course, with being a team came the part and parcel introductions. Murphy watched the others give their introductions. For better or worse, she sized them up. The churlish one introduced himself as Sinclair and announced his intent to carry them. What a daft man! He didn't have the arm span to carry all of them! Maybe if they all hung off him like he was carrying all of the groceries in one trip...

How would she rate him? Well, of course every hero team needed the lancer. Interpersonal drama was always a necessity. A surly man whose arc is that he learns to trust the team? That's a hero staple. He'd get a pass!

The more stoic man introduced himself as Andrew Callum or Speak Easy. In her head? Big man. The muscle. An immovable rock who'd anchor the team with rationality. And the costume? Respect. He'd get a pass too.

Surly Sinclair's sister introduced herself as CC doing hero business as Lævateinn--something that Murphy had a sinking feeling she'd struggle to type if she ever had to write out her name on a keyboard. She introduced herself quite literally as a firebrand. Hot as hell, that's what Murphy thought. She'd pass easily as la passion of the group. Oh, was Surly Sinclair's name Cadester? Murphy permanently seared that into her mind.

The few that hadn't introduced themselves yet still got a piece of her thoughts.

The woman with the riding hood looked like another stoic. She seemed responsible, thus she'd get a pass as the smart guy of the team. But by the way that Murphy noticed she'd purse her lips? She'd be one of the fun smart guys, not the omni-serious ones.

The water-based man made a joke. Wait, wasn't that encroaching on her bit? Oh well, goofball duos were still in vogue. He'd pass too.

Actually, all things considered, how would someone manage to fail Murphy's assessment.

But there was someone who didn't introduce themselves. Someone who didn't look like they wanted to as they receded into themselves (and seemingly into a wall). After quietly moving beside her, Murphy gave a quick pat on the back and a smile of encouragement. Then, she stepped forward in a move to absorb every ounce of attention she could.

"Haha!" She laughed out loud with an odd amount of intent to it, "pleasure to meet you all! I'm..."

Everyone knew the look in her eyes. It was a look of someone who had zero thoughts behind them.

"Shining..." She began.

Oh no.

She immediately rawdogged a front flip and landed in a fanciful position: one foot in front of the other, legs crossed, butt flaring outwards as she bent her torso down, one hand touching her hip while the other held a peace sign above her head, and finishing up her little pose with a held wink.

"Girl!"

She stood in a brief moment of silence. Awkward for some. Not for Murphy. She was just glad she spent 30 minutes before all of this stretching. Such was the life of someone whose body acted before their brain did. It was also apparent that she didn't offer up her government name. In truth, she didn't really figure out how to include that part without killing the vibe.

Oh, right. She had to actually prepare to do heroics.

Not to be outdone by the summoning of Lævateinn, Murphy launched into a second pose as if to summon something in front of her. A triad of flaming rings alongside a long flaming shaft formed in front of her. In a powerful motion, she gripped the triad with one hand and the shaft with the other. In a swift motion, her weapons--a large ring, two chakrams, and a spear--were formed as the flames dispersed from the movement. With them in hand, she...

...

Well, she didn't actually think this far ahead.

Rather unceremoniously, she placed the two chakrams upright on the floor and stepped onto them--something that looked rather strange, but she was now suddenly eye-level with everyone else. It was an act even more deflating by the fact that she wore the ring around her torso like it was a hula hoop.

---

---

What a colorful cast of people to have been roped into an initiation with. Her head remained low as she adjusted the hood over her head and tugged the hem along her cloak to create a sort of artificial vantablack shadow over her face, concealing her face before the show began to start. Actually, it wasn't so much that she was trying to conceal her identity, but more so a ritualistic preparation for her own capabilities to be displayed for the individuals around her. While some would draw their flaming swords and flamboyant chakrams to display their grandiose capabilities, Eleanor felt that her own armaments wouldn't shine too brightly with all the peacocking. She was confident in what the Red Hood was capable of, it was just a matter of waiting for an opportunity to arise.

The proctors scribbling notes before the assessment did strike Eleanor's nerves a bit. It rewarded the outwardly expressive, or perhaps encouraged people to be more visibly expressive with their powers and the mannerisms. Hopefully she wouldn’t be docked points for her introverted behavior and reclusiveness. What mattered most to her would be the performance displayed on the job, so whatever this simulation ended up being was where her focus remained. While the others introduced themselves to one another and made promises of assisting the stragglers if they stumbled during this pseudo-field test, Eleanor would finally break her silence to simply state her own heroic monicker before a burst of raven’s feathers erupted from her hand as the wicker basket which paired with her hood made itself manifest.



Ele did not intend to be facetious or edgy by any means, but it would be difficult to argue against it with her actions thus far. She was the eldest there other than the actual Guild staff running this event, which, yeah that did create a bit of a barrier between her and the other heroes in the room. Thankfully, it seemed as if the simulation was on the brink of beginning so she would once again scan the many individuals that were testing alongside her, measuring them, and mentally noting which ones might lack the mobility that she would be able to provide. The last thing she would do— lest someone interrupt her from doing so, is reach down into her basket of anything and pull out a handful of blueberry granola and bring it up into the swirling shadow that concealed her face, chewing it down in preparation.

The pink-haired girl had opted to remain quiet.

There were so many people to keep track of. So many people who had to rely on each other. To fail as one, together. To her, these personalities? How did they all fit in with one another? Their weapons, their manifested abilities, their haughty opinions – especially the one who spoke the loudest and with the most scorn. That desperation for things to go to plan. She could admire that, at least.

“I would also like to get started.” She chimed in, her tone friendly and with eagerness. “I’m Lee.”

Well, technically her name was Leilani. Leilani Lee.

She had little interest in divulging her last name to her fellow would-be heroes. The name Louris was a known one and the burning of their estate was also news that was still fresh in mind. She didn’t want to be associated with it or have more questions crop up then needed to be answered. Those assessing her talents knew what they knew and they needed to know that information. She was guarded, and remained so, and that would not change in the moment. The important business was less on people asking questions about her, but more about the trials that were to come and how well the team would perform under stress. Cooperation with no knowledge meant they would have to react and coordinate on the go. This meant she had to keep her eyes open. Study her allies. Create quick strategies and execute them swiftly.

There was no option for failure. She refused to even acknowledge such a fate.

“We won’t fail. I believe in everyone.”

"THIS IS SO COOL!"

Clive yelled out in excitement, the energy in him couldn't be contained. He heard about the guild and wondered what kind of place they operated out of him, and he was not disappointed. He couldn't bare to contain himself, jumping into the air and flipping backwards from a standing position with little effort. He was so happy to finally be in the presence of others that wanted to be heroes, even if one of them was less happy than everyone else and the one with the red hood seemed extra unfriendly but, that was not going to stop him from doing what he had planned.

"If you guys are ready then I'm ready. Let's show these guys why we're heroes."

Clive would begin walking in front of everyone, except one would assume that he'd be walking on the ground and that person would be wrong, instead Clive was standing upside down in the air as if he was standing on the ground, little clouds attached to each foot. He turned back to face them, his shirt hanging down, exposing his rippling abs underneath. One placed behind his head, not realizing he was flexing, and his smile big for everyone to take notice. His eyes scanned everyone's face, taking an interest in the few that seemed happiest to greet themselves, but still giving a wide eyed smile to those that were reserved.

"The name's Clive Everbright but, you guys can call me Enma. Ya know like the monkey from that ninja anime. Nice to meet you all."

Finally the simulation completed, leaving the group without the commander, instead replacing her with a sweeping night sky—shining stars scattered above a full moon that bathed the pavement in silver. In front of them stood a dozen police officers and their vehicles, their flashing red and blue lights pulsing like a distant lighthouse signal warning of danger ahead. Behind the gathered officers loomed a single warehouse, its façade drowned in shadow; only the moonlight and the rhythmic blinks of the cruisers dared illuminate its edges. One particular officer—pepper-gray hair, a clean mustache, posture like a man who’d put in thirty years and still wasn’t done—waved the group forward as if he had expected their arrival. Illusion or not, the simulation’s constructs were shockingly solid. Real enough that the air even smelled faintly of warm asphalt and engine oil.

Of all the recruits, the young man named Elias seemed the most nervous, fidgeting quietly with his hands and glancing toward the others in search of something—guidance, confidence, permission. His attention gravitated toward Andrew more than once before he nearly jumped out of his skin at Clive’s introduction. Unlike several of the others, he didn’t conjure his weapon immediately; instead he edged subtly closer to Speak Easy, almost unconsciously treating him like the natural anchor point of the group. Juniper seemed to follow suit, though with far more serenity than nerves. She held her tongue for the moment, but her movements were deliberate as she summoned her eerie silver lantern, its soft glow mirroring the moon overhead.

"Heh." Rashad—older than the youngest recruits but still in his prime, early thirties maybe, brown hair, strong jaw, shoulders built from actual work rather than gym mirrors—stepped up and gave Andrew a light pat with the back of his hand.
"Looks like some of the others are already looking to you, Speak Easy," he remarked with an easy, casual wink.
"That's Elias and Juniper—‘June’—back there. Nervous lad’s got Hrunting. The lass has some… game lantern that heals."
He gestured broadly, introducing the pair to the rest of the group with the confidence of someone used to taking charge when no one else had decided to.

"Tonberry lantern," June corrected gently, offering a warm, kind smile.
"Though Tonberries are known for death, my lantern is… an inverse of that."
She gave a tiny shrug, shoulders rising and falling as if she herself wasn’t entirely sure how one inverted a mythos of doom. Beside her, Elias managed a small, timid wave.

"Then this is—"

"I'm Kira," the woman cut in, stepping forward with sharp confidence, her twin blades already flashing into existence with an eager shimmer. She smirked at the group—giving Clive the quickest wink before settling into a relaxed but unmistakably combative stance.
"Ready and willing to fight and see what this simulation is made of!"
She shifted her weight to one hip, posture loose but predatory, then tipped her chin toward Andrew with a small, knowing nod.

The only recruit who had yet to return to the group was, unsurprisingly, already mingling with the projected police officers—circling them like exhibits in a museum, poking at uniforms and clipboards until the constructs began gently herding her back toward the others. Rashad groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose before resigning himself to the inevitable.
"The distracted one over there is Sarah. Besides being a total space-case, all we know is she refuses to summon her weapon—says it’s too dangerous to draw. So…"
He let the words trail off with meaning as his gaze drifted back toward Andrew.
"Someone’s gonna have to keep an eye on her. Whenever you’re ready, big guy."

---

---

Everyone seemed to be getting along nicely, other than a few rough gears in the machine it seemed as if comradery would be something that came naturally to the growing ensemble. Ele didn't work with others very often, but she thought that the less mobile individuals would be the most suitable subjects to stick to. Her pale glowing eyes set upon a few of the armored silhouettes, but once the mention of Sarah not wanting to draw upon her weapon caught her ears, she instead opted to quietly make her way to that person's side. The effects of her own manifestation would help Ele blend in with whoever already stood close to her, but her vision locked unblinking onto them.

The voices of others teaming up, making their own premeditations, the early sparks and embers that may lead to friendship wasn't something that Ele necessarily pulled away from. It was just in her nature to not take the spotlight, and really just preferred to deflect whatever spotlight that may come upon her elsewhere. Remaining a background character meant that she could aid in whatever multitude of aspects that she could without distractions. Sometimes helping wasn’t about showing up to applause and fanfare, but just being at the right spot at the right time, and that was fully what she intended to do with this demonstration.

A tug at an invisible string at the back of her mind drew her attention toward both the pink-haired girl and the red-haired member of the pairing in their group. She was committed to tailing Sarah from the get-go but some unseen knowledge gleaned upon her as if measuring the two people whilst giving them space to make their little cliques on their own. Inevitably if she would need to offer her mobility to either of them, she would arrive as ordained by Red Hood itself.

Some of the words spoken towards the tail of end preparation did— give Ele some strange vibes, but it wasn’t her business to judge how people handled their awakening. She herself had her own weird relationship with her own, maybe some of the others had a strange feeling as if they were always being watched and hunter too? Probably not, there weren’t a lot of gods being hunted by Big Bad Wolves, but surely someone she would meet later down the line right… surely…

Following his declaration, the big long haired man was the next to speak, then summoned two weapons to his hands. Cade actually wrinkled his nose when Andrew mentioned that they could refer to him as Mr. Callum. Did he think he was a teacher or something? ...wait, maybe he actually was a teacher? Awakening didn't seem to discriminate in the kinds of people it happened to after all. Well, it didn't matter, he wasn't about to call the man mister anything. After all, everyone there stood as equals, allegedly. Though it would only be a matter of time before Cade ended up at the top of the totem pole.

Then, the familiar feeling of warm knuckles on his shoulder, his head, a hand in his hair. Contrary to what the rest of the group might have assumed he'd do when subjected to such teasing, Cade only rolled his eyes and leaned away slightly. If he was bothered at all by the fingers of molten rock touching him, he was remarkably good at not showing it - which only implied that he was not, in fact, bothered.

Physically, at least.

"CC," he said, the two letters drawn out slightly, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

She was really using him as a springboard today. If she was anyone else he would not have tolerated it, but being Cade's twin sister came with the perk of having to do something serious to draw any ire out of him. As it stood he just shoved his hands back into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. She always managed to do this, cut through tension (that often times her brother had created in the first place) and fit in. She would make a great hero.

The thought made his chest tighten, but he forced the feeling to pass with one deep breath. He'd make sure he was just as well suited for it, no matter how hard he had to work or how long he had to fake it 'til he made it. On that note, CC was right and he should probably introduce himself properly. He clenched his jaw briefly, but the expression on his face looked more like a pout than anything with real bite in it. He ran his tongue over his teeth, slowly shedding his stubbornness until he turned back to the rest of the group, his expression back to showing that he was not very impressed with any of them.

"It's Cade. Cade Sinclair. CC's big brother."

He cut a quick, sideways look at CC, his eyes squinting just slightly. It was as good as sticking his tongue out at her without actually doing it.

"And I'm serious. You run into trouble during the test, you call out for one of us."

There. That was better. And now that the floodgates were open, most of the others jumped into their own introductions.

First there was Shining Girl. It was a better hero name than Speak Easy, and since it was the only name she provided it looked like that's what Cade would end up calling her. But beyond the name, the dumb pose, and the girl's general vibe of friendly ditz, she followed the trend and summoned up her weapons. It was that which drew Cade's attention because... what. Not only did she have the most equipment of any of them, but he had no idea what the hoop or dinner plates were for - especially when she balanced and stood on top of the latter. He found his gaze flicking back to the short woman every now and then throughout the rest of the intros just out of pure curiosity.

The next woman also neglected to provide anything other than a moniker, but her introduction was only a little less bewildering as she summoned an old school picnic basket into existence and started snacking. At least it was easier to connect the dots as to what Red Riding's Awakening had led to, but it didn't inspire any confidence in Cade. Were they actually going to fail this assessment?

No, no, no. Not on his watch.

Lee's intro was short and simple, which Cade could appreciate. She certainly had a lot more optimism than he did at the moment if she could say that she believed in everyone with such confidence right after the last two introductions. Her gaze was heavier than he expected, assessing, but with little else to go off of Cade couldn't place any more faith in her than he did in the other strangers.

Her calm, steady confidence contrasted the next would be hero, who ended up being one of the people that definitely wasn't taking this seriously. After the back flip (was he trying to show up Shining Girl's front flip??) Cade looked over at Clive's outburst, getting an eyeful of abs first. Out of habit he looked up to search for a face but only ended up looking at the guy's crotch since he was upside down. Cade shifted his gaze down to find Clive's actual face, a spark of annoyance in his icy eyes rather than any embarrassment.

The final introductions came as the simulation's set up finished. Rashad, Elias, June, Kira, and finally Sarah. All of them more or less cemented Cade's first impressions of them, but he filed away all of the information they offered up. If he was going to made sure this ragtag group all passed, he'd have to keep some of what he was learning in mind. Of course it looked like there was someone else that everyone had decided was team leader. Cade muttered something disparaging under his breath while he cast his eyes up at the false sky. A moment later he looked ahead at the scene in front of them all, brushing past the other examinees to approach the line of cops outside of the warehouse.

Recently Cade had been at odds with law enforcement, but it wasn't like he was actually a criminal. Besides, these were fake cops. Holograms. No matter how real they seemed. And if he was going to be a professional hero then step one was cooperating with them. Taking initiative. Gathering informa—

Ah, there was one more introduction, the real last member of the group: that woman who somehow appeared mousy even when she was bigger than most of the other examinees. Now she was even larger still, and Cade looked up at her with surprise when she stated her name. Her transformation was even more extreme than CC's who so far had been the only person Cade had seen that had changed so much from her Awakening. Of course, CC did not have the luxury of turning hers off. A shadow crossed Cade's features as he regarded Clara, brief but unsubtle. "I can protect people," she'd said. There was an unspoken question in his stare, skeptical and accusatory at once. Can you? it seemed to ask.

He turned away from her, half-snapping the words of her inner monologue. "Gee, I'd hope so - you're half horse." Then, not much softer, he said something more constructive. "We'll see what's going on first, then make an opening for you to run in and grab anyone that needs help if we need to."

Now back to step one. The realism of the simulation was crazy; Cade could hear, see, and smell everything he'd expect to as if he was really on the street. He could even feel the slight dampness of the air on what little of his skin was exposed. It stood to reason then that the holograms would be as realistic as possible. They should be able to respond if spoken to.

Moving to stand in front of the officer in charge, Cade spoke up for the rest of the group, completely ignoring the fact that a lot of said group had elected Andrew as their representative. "What's the situation?"