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Riley stifled a yawn as the sliding doors to SDN Claremont opened with their usual clunky motion. Three months since those old things had broken and they still couldn't get a repairman out to fix the problem. The Chief Dispatcher gave his usual quick salute to the reception desk as he strode towards the elevators. Once inside, his quiet demeanor fell away. Keep his coffee thermos in a death grip, he felt himself gently punching his forehead with his free hand. 

[i][color=00aeef]"Jesus... How'd it get to six years?"[/color][/i] The chief dispatcher muttered to no one in particular. To an outside observer, it would seem as though Riley had built a decent career for himself. Since joining SDN a little over six years ago, he'd managed to rise through the ranks and become a chief dispatcher at one of the branches. That being said, the circumstances that head lead to Riley getting this position were far from ideal. Had it been up to Riley, he'd much rather be out on the streets using his powers for good, but life had other plans for him. It usually did.

The elevator dinged at the second floor and Riley shielded his eyes from the flourescent lights overhead. Even on a good day, standing under those just made him feel like more and more of a corporate drone. Taking a sip from his thermos, the thirty-something year old navigated to his desk; currently littered with various small gadgets he worked on between calls. A sticky note on his computer reminded him he had a meeting with James in Hero Development today. Something about finding a new partner for Lightning Girl. Apparently it was becoming "more profitable" to send heroes out in duos. The public LOVED a team effort after all...

As he was about to put on his headphones, Riley's boss Katherine walked up carrying a stack of files. Judging by the Phoenix Program logo on the paper, this was going to mean more work on his end. 

[i][color=00a651]"Good morning, Riley,"[/color][/I] she said. Her cheery demeanor a mask for what she was about to drop on her main dispatcher. Having a former spy and spec ops hero as your boss usually meant she was VERY good at hiding how she really felt.[i][color=00a651]"I know it's Monday, but I'll need you to run through these new candidates for Phoenix Program. The main office downtown thinks they'd be a good fit for our branch. Given your team recently had some dropouts after that incident with the British girl, they fall to you for training."[/color][/I] Riley took the files and casually flipped through them.

[i][color=00aeef]"So the good people downtown think we need new talent?"[/color][/I] Nothing in the files exactly gave Riley a vote of confidence. [i][color=00aeef]We've got a thief, a former Red Ring dealer, and... Lunara?"[/color][/i] 

[i][color=00a651]"Nothing more on that one I'm afraid,"[/color][/I] replied Kat. [i][color=00a651]"Her "arch-nemesis" Solaris brought her down last week and asked that she be placed in Phoenix Program. Poor girl even took a transfer to our branch to keep an eye on her."[/color][/I] Kat chuckled and shook her head. [i][color=00a651]"I still think Phoenix Program's a bad idea, but with crime getting worse, we need all the bodies we can get on the streets. I've taken the liberty of adding these three to your hero pool. Just try them out today and see if you can make any progress."[/color][/I]

[i][color=00aeef]"I'll... see what I can do, boss."[/color][/I] Riley forced that last bit out with resignation. Setting the files on his desk, he turned his attention back to booting up the monitor. Putting villains on the street would have been unheard of even a decade ago. Desperate times really did make people do crazy things. While Kat walked away to address other Dispatchers, Riley placed on his headphones and addressed the new team members. 

[i][color=00aeef]"Morning, Alpha Team. This is your Dispatcher Riley Rider checking in. Since losing Tsunami and Meta-Man last week, we've got new team members joining us. Feel free to say hello and make them feel 'welcome'"[/color][/i]