FourtyTwo

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

Tuesday
19:32
VICE Nightclub, Claremont

The Doors

Lightning Girl was dutifully keeping the peace. Scanning QR codes. Pushing away chancers. Only having to draw electricity once to jab someone back. But everyone played ball.

She was charming, good as ever. Friendly. Chatty, but formal. Professional. The mark of an SDN hero doing their job.

Scan ticket. Check, search, take items for the cloakroom, open barrier, in. Next.

Scan ticket. Check, search, items, open, next, scan, check, search, open, scan, no ticket, no tickets left, sorry, not tonight, think this through, next, scan ticket, search......

How Madcap was getting on she wasn't sure, but the crowd was getting inside, and they would be done soon. Free to go. There were a few more left, a few keen getting out of the rain and inside the nightclub and the small security station that Lightning Girl manned, making sure no trouble was going to happen.

And then there he was.

And all the music inside, the pounding electronica, seemed to almost pulse to a crawl.

Soundtrack: Lord Huron- The Night We Met

It was like a moment that time slowed for her.

"Hey." She simply said, the rest of the spiel dissolving in her head. That was not the way to open that conversation.

It was Quickdraw.

It wasn't even formal. What the fuck, Sophie? You're meant to say "Tickets, please." Not Hey. What the fuck?

Hollywood was so far. Why was he here?

"Uhhh.......here? Y'all scanning?" He brought out his QR code from his phone but she was locked on him.

Holy shit.

She hadn't imagined it, it was actually him.

Quickdraw.

The Texan Sureshot.

The fastest hands in the Lone Star State.

The guy who shot 12 criminals in 3 seconds with two revolvers at a bank heist. In their hands, disarming them. Rounding them up like cattle, on his own.

So maybe he had the fastest hands in the world when it came to marksmanship.

It was why he was in SDN Hollywood.

Brown Stetson, checked shirt, leather vest, a tiny whisper of a beard, but the charm of any cowboy you could dream of. The sort of thing a horsegirl would get weak at the knees imagining, in his late 20s, near her own age. The kind of man any woman like Sophie would have had posters of as a kid. Even the Westerns. His calloused, rough hands, his almost boyish charm despite the experience he had in firearms and being the kind of hero that Hollywood fell over itself for, despite the good ol' days of Westerns being long gone.

She moved the ticketing machine up and it gave a positive beep with the trigger, scanning his QR code on his phone to fill void, as she tried to find words, putting it down.

And not finding any.

"Uhhhh, are you meant to search me? Just a heads up, I'm carrying." He said, this type of thing entirely, if not completely odd. He of course, found the white haired, yellow vest wearing hero cute, but not in the way she did. At least, at first.

Sophie was still lost for words. Shocked he would come here. And she had a job to do, as she started her search, cursory, but not really doing much. Aware of it.

Say something, Soph. He's hot as hell but you can't be awkward like this.

"Right. Of course. You can't.....take those in. As you know." She said, feeling both revolvers, and awkwardly the enormous Bowie knife at his hip, pointing to the secure box, letting him draw, knowing that she could taze the living fuck from him if he did go psycho. Which he wouldn't. Because he was the kind of hero that people like Madcap really looked up to. Shit, Madcap hadn't even clocked him. Best it was that way. This would get so much more awkward.

Where was he?

"Ah yeah. Sorry. I forget." He replied with his usual drawl, as he peeled them all out and put them into the box, the engraved, custom made Smith and Wesson revolvers, chambered in .357, iconic. Carbon black barrels, smoked cherry wood grips, with so much weathering behind them. And the Bowie knife that was the length of her forearm. Holy shit.

Iconic because Quickdraw was one of the main members of SDN Hollywood's team, and if anyone in the world knew heroes in the City of Angels, outside of DTLA, these were the ones SDN paraded the most on social media. Perhaps not as practical as the real crime-fighters of DTLA, nor the straight up veterans of Compton, but showstoppers.

And Quickdraw was stopping her show.

"Thanks. Gonna need to search for any other stuff. Protocol." She patted him down, finding no more knives, or other stuff she could consider damaging. Boots that weren't for dancing yet for ranching, but as she finished the check, he had put his Stetson in the box and was pale blonde, as she was at his eye level, and trying not to come to terms with the fact that she almost had fallen for his charm then and then. Why was he here? This was a big electronica night, surely he would hate this, and he would love country and western? Was it friends, other people, business, something else? Who could tell. It was weird, that was for sure, because he wasn't casual, he was 90% Quickdraw, at a loud night out. She was looking at him just thinking that.

And he noticed her too, the gears clicking who he was looking at. This wasn't just some hero with a cape, anyone could do that, her hands had a gentle buzz about them even behind the rubber gloves she wore, her skin was pins and needles on edge at her neck, her aura was of ozone, a smell felt before seen. And realised the collar. The bee. The bus he saw on the way here with her spewing power from hands. And the stories. Good, bad. The one that moved from Britain. She was cute. At work, but cute. He'd be polite. Hospitable. Nice in response. Try and follow chat.

"Thanks. I get separation anxiety, I apologise, my guns and I....are like one team. Say are you....Lightning Girl? What are you doing here at a place like this?" He recognised her.

Her heart nearly fluttered.

"You recognise me? Oh my God, thank you! I didn't want to make a big deal of it because you're on a night out..." Sophie started, keeping her voice down as best as she could push it....

Don't fucking say "I'm a huge fan", Sophie, don't fucking say it, don't, you'll look like a creep, it will be weird, you have to not let him think you're finding him cute, and that would be really....

"But you're definitely as cool in person as you are on the TV! I guess I'm just helping out subscribers, doing the good work for SDN....so enjoy tonight, and uhh....." Sophie said, as he looked to the box of his belongings, about to go through to the cloakroom for safekeeping from the Head of Security's position from the table to her side, looking back as he didn't move.

He clearly had an eye on her. A hero like her on security work, that was odd, but Lightning Girl? Before the others had arrived, she was one of the premier heroes of the SDN Claremont team, in person, in spite a vest and headset, quite striking. He had a million and one fangirls. And fanboys, for that matter, but he could tell something was spinning in Sophie's heart. Gently. Maybe it was in her mind. He wasn't thinking that way, because he had friends to catch up with in music he didn't like. Lightning Girl didn't know what to think, or how to finish quite what she was saying.

Oh god. Don't do this. Don't fucking do this, Soph. He's gonna think you're weird and he just wants to get through tonight.

But you're Lightning Girl.

She's so much braver than you.

She can do anything.

Including talking to him, you socially awkward freak.

Say you want to talk. Worst he can say is no.

Worst he can do is shoot your head off twelve times in half a second with the revolvers four feet from him.

But you'd shock him first because you're the Silver Queen of Manchester.

Do it.

"Could I drop you a line on Slack? I...kinda would love to see what Hollywood's like....I guess I've never been recognised before. Sorry, you must get this all the time. I'll make sure your guns are looked after. If you get separation anxiety that is!" She tried to clarify, being confident, her voice going from confident, assured, to almost melting. Holy shit, he was so fucking hot without that hat on. Dammit, he was better than the giant billboard. Or the voice. Fuck he could melt her, right now, but she played it off as much as she could. Was there a double entendre in there? She couldn't tell. She couldn't say.

Quickdraw chuckled, nodding, not noticing that Lightning Girl was having an existential crisis, given how loud the music was.
"Sure, when you're done here handling the crowd. Have a good evening, Lightning Girl. My boys are already in VIP. This ain't my kinda show, but, they insisted I come....y'all have a good one. You and your bug faced friend. Let's talk later." He smiled, chuckling as he walked on by, Sophie cranking her neck to look at him and call out politely, though not to draw attention to the others in the queue.

"Have a good evening too!" She called, not wanting to make too much hassle, as she turned to the next clubgoer.

And bleep. Check. In.

Next one. Alien. Kinda looked like that Lana, from Torrance's Mailroom. Some clicks. But positive when checked. And through she went.

And next.

And next.

Quickdraw occupied her mind.

It wasn't like this. He was some big hero. That wasn't how romance worked. It wasn't, this was shitty, stupid, he was here just for a night he didn't want to remember, but he was so fucking....hot. And real. And charming. And once so far from people like her, but he actually looked at her. She thought he did. He would message her. He was charmed by her? Was she charming? Was he charming her? She had no idea. From his perspective, was this candid, was he into her, or was this overthinking?

But she let it go. The pulses nearly bursting her mind as monotony was broken up by another rejection, second to last in queue. Ouch. They didn't kick off when she stared into the punter's soul to make it clear, any wrong move, and Lightning Girl would send him flying across the street into a bin like she did that fucking touchy-feely asshole back home.

Shift was done as the last people went in, and the doors closed, and the night really took off. Not for Madcap and Lightning Girl.

They were done here, and they would head RTB, as Lightning Girl took off her vest once back in security's office, and her headset, looking to Madcap.

"Should we head home? Come on. I can give you a lift." She smiled to her co-deployed hero, drawing a ton of power out of a plug socket, glove back on as she offered him a hand.

---

Tuesday
19:58
SDN Claremont

Cat Out of Bag

The successes were big.

Really big. Shit, James expected there to be a lot more hassle in both cases for the groups.

Civilians saved, fire managed, cats even brought out. What a result. They'd shown incredible bravery, even by hero standards, to save lives and spare any more damage to the area. Both of which were critical, and even if he didn't feel the flames, he had to guess how hard it would have been. The sort of things heroes did.

Then the high speed chase. One involuntary amputation, but James already had partly filled in the KIA form, expecting the call to be of dead suspects and a lot more carnage. The team had been ingenious in stopping the Chevy and no more casualties, crooks, cops, or civilians, had happened, with very little damage left for the cleanup crews. It was literally textbook.

The balloon was back down too. What a win that was. And one happy subscriber, even if Eclipse may have questioned it.

Even the nightclub, one successful dispatch, in spite of antics occurring. A good image from SDN there, and James wondered how Lightning Girl had controlled Madcap. She'd probably let him know later, he guessed.

James put his headset down, and breathed out a long sigh of relief, the message coming through on his phone. Kat.

---

Kat (Claremont Director) [Batt: 99%]

"Big saves today. Claremont is being recognised, great turnaround. Regional director wants to talk."

James gave a gentle whistle, giving the message thought.

Shit. What did that mean?

He'd never been in a position like this. Two days in felt too soon, but was it really that impressive? Then again, half of the east side was being held together by Claremont's mighty nine, (though that went up to 12 depending on who you asked). And while rates were decent, this was something spectacular. The rest of the shift, and the team had gelled faster than he would expect. This wasn't some redemption story, where a plucky bunch of losers came together. This felt more like heroes, even the Phoenix Programme lot coming together and hitting the ground running.

They had a dispatcher to thank for that, but James didn't think himself much. He had good resources, plenty of it, and his KPIs were basically, don't let Claremont burn down. It wasn't Compton, so stopping the major stuff and keeping the minor ticking, was credit to his team. Hat Trick had done incredibly well, and he was lucky to have what Riley left behind. Outside maybe a few situations needing some brains, even then, he had a few aces up his sleeve.

So it all worked well. His mantra worked. Do the work and it pays, literally, and figuratively. He put himself exactly where he needed to be when they needed him, and now, here he was, getting that recognition. He wasn't a hero, but man, he got this game. With push close on the computer, all heroes back to base, he called it there and then and gathered the Kefir bottle and threw it into a bin, trawling across the emptying office. He was never an optimist, shit could always go wrong, always, but for now, it was fine. And that was enough.

James headed over towards the break room, where he found an assortment of the team, all returning in, all in various states of being wet from being outside in the pouring rain. He had many regards to give.

"Kat passes her regards on. All of you did very well today. Really, really well done, you deserve the applause and credit you got from public, and socials are going off nicely like Hat Trick mentioned on Slack. And shoutout to Blackstar and Feno on your first days, welcome to the Claremont team and hitting the ground running. Really, really good work from all of you. We're making a name for ourselves and while it's early days, I think we can make ourselves one of the best shifts in LA County if we keep smashing KPIs like this. That's all you." James started, smiling, trying not to be patronising, but seeming genuinely upbeat. More than his usual self. Why? Well...

"We all ready to celebrate with a beer or two tonight? This credit card isn't gonna spend itself. You have more than earned that." James asked as he waved it with a grin, attendance virtually mandatory, well, not unless they really felt like. After the high of that dispatch, a beer felt like a nice way to celebrate. Lightning Girl smiled, all the mugs put away and the dishwasher switched on, feeling a natural reply.

"Well, obviously! I'll take you there, on account of you being you know, flightless. Can I catch you a second?" She replied on behalf of the team, standing a little in front of them, chuckle on face, as James nodded.

"Alright then. Everyone, get yourselves timed out. We'll meet at The Cowl in 15, it's round the block." James finalised, as Lightning Girl headed the other way from the others, likely punching out, maybe awaiting James, but likely noticing he was staying behind, tidying up the remains of what was left in the kitchen, glad she could chat privately.

She had something to stay, occupying that doorway.

"I almost forgot to mention.....we might have a new guest." She smiled, winking at Asteroid as he walked away and giving him the finger guns, as the cat emerged from behind the door, the teeny, tiny kitten making a squeak, as Sophie nearly cried with joy, the mackerel tabby safe in her soft hands as she picked it up from where she stood, the kitten crawling between her feet. She presented the kitten to James, who got another squeak from the touch of his hands. His eyes nearly popped out of his skull in shock.

"What the......Lightning, you know I can't...."

"Well, I am sure he would love a friend that sits miserable behind a desk all day." She reassured, giving him a teeny rub, the squeak indicating he was not enjoying the bright light. A gorgeous, confused ball of grey and black brought home by Asteroid was now home.

"Shit, we can't look after a cat. It's.....so small! Like how, I need to focus on you and the team, not....."

"Relax. We have already got this. We've got a little box for him made from a bin that we made between dispatches. We thought you needed a furry companion. And look at him!"

"Have you named them?" James wasn't sure of his gender even if Sophie was, the kitten squeaking more.

"Aww.....he is scared. No, not yet. I was thinking 50 Shades of Grey but you can't call this little munchkin that." She giggled, as it all but confirmed it was a boy cat then, as Sophie tried to get out of its way in the light from James's embrace, the tiny ball of fur likely terrified in this new environment.

"Well, we'll need to drink and give him a name......as long as he has food and something to drink tonight in a box, but he has to go to a shelter. We can't do this. It's....." James said, as Lightning Girl sighed, gently sliding the kitten back into her hands, the teeny thing squeaking again as she held them against her chest, keeping him warm.

"Come on, James. Settle down a little." She replied, walking across the office, finding the tiny little bin that had been turned into a makeshift kitten home by James's desk, with a little lid that had in big marker pen, "DO NOT TOUCH, KTITEN INSIDE" written all over it. Sophie was not a cat expert either. But it was best this kitty didn't run around and after such a big night, had a little saucer of water and some tiny bits of someone else's tuna sandwich she had quietly stolen to eat tonight, before they sorted this all out in the morning. The kitten meeped as she gently slid the door of the tipped over wastepaper bin open, and cooed, looking back up at James past her hair.

"Aww....how can you not? Like, I promise. It will be fine. If it isn't, then yeah, fire me for it. I'd die for that kitten." She replied, standing up, taller than him, as he chuckled.

"Yeah, okay, when you put it like that." James chirped back, looking back inside as the kitten meowed again. "Maybe we call him Felix?" Sophie laughed, as James filled in her silence, as if she was enjoying this. Enjoying keeping her mind off what happened earlier, James adding in words.

"Never seen this side of you. One kitten and you're melting like a...." James got there in the end as she tazed him with an instant reply, making him leap across the room, both of them laughing, heading downstairs, where almost everyone had cleared out, and to shy of reception where the timecard machine sat. He was gonna die of a heart attack sometime thanks to her, but, James could take a punt she'd also be throwing so much more electricity his heart would start again. That was a joke. Right?

With a bleep of her credentials away, Sophie led the way, the rain seemingly picking up even more beyond the reception hall.

"I hate flying in the rain." She uttered, looking out at the blattering of it on the window, brushing her hair back, and without asking, picking him up, walking through the automatic doors. "Come on then....." Sophie added, and with more sparks than usual, lept into the sky and made a course for The Cowl Inn.

---

Tuesday
20:16
The Cowl Inn Taproom,
Downtown Claremont

It Comes In Pints

Upon the soft arrival in the alley next door to the fancier part of town, Sophie and James were walking out from where the trash was into the main street, amongst the hubub of the main student area of Claremont. James in his technical raincoat was still soaked, as was Lightning Girl, hair absolutely sodden from the deluge that had rained on down, her cape completely drenched through. But the bar was a warm reprieve, and the heater was on by the door. On a Tuesday, especially rainy like this, it was much quieter, significantly less so than usual, and The Cowl Inn had a tiny strip of neon, with an old-timey metal sign posted above the door. Through which, revealed quite a different establishment than a usual hero or villain dive bar.

The bar was a beautiful place, if you liked your weird, indie, alternative place.

Soundtrack: Friday Pilots Club - Trading Punches

A taproom with massive steel tanks, hiding the actual operations of the Lost Lamplight Brewery, a microbrewery that specialised in brewing up stuff that most civies couldn't drink- truly diabolically strong beers, most of which strangely, weren't that accessible on tap here (bar a couple) due to licencing laws. But the cans behind the bar in the fridge were 80% proof, and enough to send almost any super into a stupor, or at least, slightly tipsy. If pure alcohol, literally, flavoured ethanol, didn't. There were almost seemingly an endless amount of normal IPAs to pick from, as if they had a portal into another dimension to reach into to grab IPA from. You could drink here for a month or two and not get bored, there was that much choice- but that meant as a result, seating was extremely limited.

Even so, the bar was actually half empty, bar one or two students catching up, which meant from the moment the team entered the tiny little bar, probably about perfect in size for the team's number tonight, the short, brunette barwoman putting away a glass she'd been cleaning as part of her boredom killing regime on a Tuesday- they were THE crowd.

A wall could be seen with various beermats and heroes signatures, with various little trinkets and logos joining it, a few tables and chairs against a plywood backed surface that made up the majority of the seating. Spartan, but in its own way, charming. A giant cardboard cutout of Phenomaman for some reason sat next to the bar, sscaled accordingly to his size, as did a Drink Responsibly poster with a picture of Quickdraw on it, one of the SDN Hollywood heroes that Lightning Girl had happened to chance upon back at VICE. Shit. The one she had suddenly grown her little fantasy crush into something real.

And hopefully not added herself to a register. No, it was fine....

There was also, interestingly, a karaoke machine in a corner, that appeared to have a small ocean of dust on it from how few people had the balls to use it. Indie bands had done little sessions in here in that area, but nobody really came to watch a performance when they wanted solid indie beers / ciders and the place was the size of a shoebox.

There wasn't much more to it, the place barely the size of someone's living room in terms of the sitting area, although the kitchen adjacent to the brewery indicated that someone was deep frying fries, right on schedule for the booking. James led the way in, despite being the least silhouetted of all of them, with a rare smile that came from finally being at the end of a heavy, big day.

"Right. Who wants a drink, first one's on SDN!" James said looking backwards, letting others order, Lightning Girl putting her hand out and excitedly smiling at the barlady, hand against bar itself and discharging current into the bar, giving anyone who touched it a small buzz.

"Sorry! Can I get a...."

---

Sitting down with the Intergalactic Witch, James was the casual looking one amongst Hat Trick, Eclipse, Princess and Payback.

James received his pint in due course, as the others had theirs poured from the seemingly endless array of pourers, and a couple of basket of Dirty, Dirty Fries joined it. Drizzled in an endless amount of mayo, pulled pork, melted Monterrey Jack, Stilton and Blue Cheese topped up with a drizzle of Hot Honey, it was *disgusting*. In more words, disgustingly tasty once you got past the clusterfuck of flavour it was. He passed out one large tray of it to the table that he wasn't going to where the other heroes were gathering and filling in the space, before he put it down at his where there was at least some space, before going back for his pint. His rain jacket was thrown on a coatrack nearby, though the rest of his trousers and feet were soaking.

A small sip of beer contacted his stubble whilst the majority ended up as a comfy gulp after a hard day sweating over the mouse and keyboard, as he put the glass down into the mat, shuffling into the tight space between Eclipse and Hat Trick, who were physically imposing.

"Thanks." James was among all of them, the most ordinary, NPC of any character. Without an SDN shirt on, he looked like he fit here if this wasn't a hero bar, glasses away given he'd put his contacts in off work, given all the rain outside. He was just anyone else. Normal. An NPC, amongst actual, real heroes. He felt out of place at hero bars, but then again, he reasoned he had an excuse as any to come here. He wasn't the main show, they were, but he was able to help them do this.

And get them pissed. Well. Within reason.

An eclectic bunch, more quiet than maybe Lightning Girl's table, James knew they were still all top tier. From Hat Trick's icy antics and hard work behind the scenes that many would take for granted but he really, really appreciated given it was his own weak point (hero consulting required everything, after all, and he was much better with the tasks at hand rather than socials)- to Princess, who was as ever, in her almost monochrome look, pretty dress as ever being as gentle as ever. Hiding all of the absolute terror she could unleash but hey, a beer maybe would loosen the cogs, though hopefully without maiming someone. And then there was Eclipse and Payback. First two he'd had to manage in the Phoenix Programme. They'd been shy, quiet, and sometimes, difficult. The former due to drugs, the latter due to her anti-hero self, not literally because she was edgy, she was anti this. But they were both doing well. Doing well enough to make James write positively in reports about them. He wasn't like the Americans, who were ruthlessly corporate. Keep your people on side, your people would save you. For heroes, literally.

So he meant what he said as he sat down, the weakest man in this bar.

"Cheers for dealing with all the shit going on lately. Thought this would loosen the team up. For what it's worth, I'd have probably gotten the beers in if Kat hadn't forced me to use the company card." James said more generally, looking to all of them, hoping they'd strike conversation as he did.

"I have no idea what's up with Riley, by the way. Guess I'm in the same boat as you." James sipped down more, looking across. "So cheers to keeping this thing afloat?" James put his glass out, hoping to get a clink.

"Anyway. You got plans for the weekend? Up to anything nice that doesn't involve running into burning buildings or splitting cars in two? Normal stuff? You're all people at the end of the day, this isn't some workplace sitcom that my......yeah." James cut himself off. Fuck. Half a beer in and he was nearly spilling it? Calm the fuck down, you moron, he said to himself internally.

Say fucking something or they will know, windowlicker.

"Like yeah, you have lives. Okay, Phoenix Programme, I get it, prison and remand and all that, bar Hat Trick who is almost certainly watching ice hockey highlights from 2004. But you three have freedom and you can do whatever you want now. And I have no idea what to do in this hot as fuck town, so surely you have something cool going on. Or just chilling out. I know I would after this week." James mused, almost cynical, sipping beer to avoid explaining his feelings.

"There are hills to go walking in and endless traffic to get lost in, and lots of desert. I don't know how you all do it, so I guess that got me...." James asked, almost wondering if he could get an answer. A question that felt perhaps more open, the dispatcher revealing perhaps a more hollowed side to him.

The kind that corporate wanted wherever the work was, chasing dollars, chasing savings, chasing not being fixed to an SDN contract yet following his own tail to keep it that way. A consultant's life was a nomadic one, contract to contract, person to person, moment to moment.

He had no ties to anything, yet because of it, he was open, almost unlike a dispatcher, almost a little more human. Temporary yet an everyman, like the people across the stalls who were also drinking, just here for some reason, even if that reason was this team before him.

"God this is strong...." He muttered, sipping it down, this stuff certainly heavier than most IPAs he'd drunk, until he saw the percentage. 12%. Fuck me, this was like wine.....no wonder, he realised, this was definitely punching past his weight for an easy Tuesday beer.

---

Lightning Girl arrived at the booth, where Feno, Madcap, Blackstar and Asteroid sat.

She had a cool glass of Double Lemon Aid, the lemon flavoured Double Hazy Ale going down a treat as she took the glass into a rubber-gloved hand, carrying it gently without trying to spill any on her already sodden wet costume, remarkably, not having the best balance for someone who was metabolically charged and still had a little bit of juice inside of her.

There they were. The two-black suited heroes, one female, the other male, one dark energy, the other gravity. Cosmic duo. Feno, of course, needed no explaining as she got past him, the big guy charming and goofy as ever, even if he was even more aloof than Phenomaman himself. Clones were a weird business, but she liked him. And Madcap. He was what he was, but after work, they were all beers in hand, and she had at least known he was what he was.

She sat herself down, wet cape draped by one of her legs and to her side as she detached the clasp and put it on a nearby coathanger, as she finally got to enjoy the sip of a well earned post shift, and most importantly, free, beer. It barely tickled her, so it felt like drinking a slightly spicy lemonade, given her metabolism was already working on ejecting the alcohol through her liver. She parked herself next to Feno and Blackstar, keeping the smaller hero from being as much in the shadow of the bigger one. Like an average almost.

"I am starving! I could eat a horse!" She leaned in and grabbed a chip, needing that sweet, sweet filth in her. "Okay, not literally.....sorry, it's a British thing! Anyway, I am so glad today went as well as it did. You all did amazing! So stoked for you...especially you two on your first day! Asteroid, you're like born to do this too, like you're nearly at the top of the leaderboard!" She smiled to the two right next to her then across to the gravity based hero, putting her glass out and keeping it in hand. "Cheers to that!" She added, as casual as ever, hoping to get some clinks in, before sighing, leaning back, taking it in.

"I love this place. It's so original, you know! Like, so many bars are so crappy. They're all stuck up and serve nothing but Coors. But this place? They've got a cool wall of stuff of heroes before us! Good fries! And nobody comes here! Okay, because it's a Tuesday night but still.....I think this is Claremont's premier hero establishment cos of us, you know? I mean.....we're kinda a big deal!" She smiled, trying to big the team up, a little energised, as she took some fries and un-girly-like, wolfed down. "Okay. Sort of. Maybe I got ahead of myself. But it's looking like we're at least stuck together for a bit longer."

She cleared that with a bit more beer, sighing, leaning back, adjusting her cowl with one hand before looking to the others at her table.

"So, Feno, I know you're from probably out of this world. Blackstar, Asteroid, you two both.....seem very cosmic. Would it be fair to say we're kinda the same? I mean, I'm not from another planet, I'm from England, which I know to Americans sounds like it is, but.....yeah, I know, it's kinda crazy we have that in common, cos I guess I got powers from something that wasn't terrestrial? Oh, and Madcap here is just out of this world too, I suppose. In his own way!" She smiled to the group and giving a chuckle on the latter with a smile at Madcap, getting chatty, as she drank more beer down, sighing a gentle bit of relief. Lightning Girl could be like this, the extravert, the social battery that she physically was. But given she was still carrying power, her social skills were still alight, trying to spark conversation.

"Kinda makes me think. I wonder what it would be like to be out of this world you know. Like, literally. High above it all. Look down from space on it all....my lungs gave out by the time I think I cleared 100,000 feet. Feno, have you ever done that?" She piqued interest, the conversation probably having more than enough strands to break off into anyone else, and cascade from there.

DELTΔ HYPER (Anti-Gravity Racing, Cyberpunk/Solarpunk RP)

Round 16 of Formula AG
Sunday 22nd October, 2094
Race Day
Ballycastle Complex, Muller Cay, nr Australia
Great Barrier Reef AGP
0700 AEST

Sunrise at Sea

Cassie Neves

The coral waters were lapping at feet on the little pontoon, one of many that were built to provide accommodation and somewhere to stay, temporarily of course, while the AG circus was in town. On them, biopolymer houses all sat, light enough to be modular built by drones in the space of a day, strong enough to last a Category 4 hurricane if it came to it, and dissolve into ocean water within months, though often, they were then recycled into actual housing through treatment and stabilisation compounds. The pontoons were made of a smooth, but tactile plastic, that felt not all too dissimilar to vinyl laminate.

Cassie woke as the alarm triggered, her modesty covered with black underwear, her uncovered olive skin showing the signs of modification as she called out to her alarm to cancel. People lived like this in the wider region, she reminded herself. She had a luxury stay at least, that she could point to, as she heard her phone chime in with the scheduled call with her agent.

"Accept." She yawned, the coffee machine grinding and whirring alive, immediately rendering her usual brew, from Jeju to Cascais, exactly as her nutritionist accepted in terms of how much caffeine it seemed to prick her with.

"Morning. Is it like....fuck I have no idea of timezones anymore." Cassie should be used to this, as she heard Joao's voice stutter in and interrupt.

"Yes, it is....very late here. Cassie, I have bad news."

"Oh." She added, hearing a seagull go past her window, as she brushed her hair aside, wondering what it was. The money? It had to be.

"Carrera opted to stay with......their current pilot." Oh. That was a surprise.

"Ava? She's good but....really? I thought her and Bea hated each other." Cassie replied, as Joao chuckled, as she leaned back against the worktop, stretching out a little before beginning her usual joints routine.

"Maybe they still do, but, it seems they wanted a South American in the team more badly, and money overrides feelings. Even in Buenos Aires. But, on the plus side, your contract at Zygon is amazing. And your recent performances are turning heads. The team may still be a frontrunner next year. Rumour has it that Southern Cross are putting it all on the line this year. So, let's just keep going. Next contract here, we can renegotiate better terms, right?"

Cassie sighed, breathing out, knowing there was no way to change that deal. No way to be less greedy. No way to put the numbers back in a box. And only one commitment to make.

"Fine. Thanks for the update. Yeah. You aren't getting your percent for me moving then. But you'll get it for the next deal."

"Of course. Sorry to drop this on you. Speak soon." The line cut, as Cassie shut the window, and a yell could be heard.

---

Sunday 22nd October, 2094
Ballycastle Complex, Muller Cay, nr Australia
0800 AEST

Coffee Morning

Max Wedgewood, Kofi Mensah

Max sat there with feet in the lapping waves of the sea, watching on into the horizon, sitting there with Kofi, who he'd struck up a conversation with and was now sharing a coffee with on the dawn of the race. Sitting at the edge of the pontoon at the sunrise. He'd been the only person awake in the morning, and after a short jog around the floating paddock, Kofi was always someone to catch up with. Even if the topic always came back to the future.

"Retirement then? I mean, you've earned it."

"Yeah. I mean, I miss family. And SuperCat isn't going anywhere. I have no idea who's replacing me. But I'm sure they'll have fun trying to get it anywhere. Team needs more money. More than others...." Kofi said, openly, as Max didn't reply, listening to the older pilot, breaking the conversation back.

"You feeling good about Valkyrie?" Kofi asked, as Max chuckled, looking to the horizon, sighing, wondering if he had made the right choice. After all, Carrera had a falling out recently, who knew if he could have gone there. Joined Beatrix. But alas, Valkyrie was his choice. And it seemed only like the team would improve.

So he felt confident enough in himself. Enough to back it, in spite of the chaos so far.

"Yeah. I guess so. New future and all that. I'll have to replace Dorian Hornfleur. Hell of an expectation." Max got there, as both of them chuckled, Max shotgunning down the rest of his flat white with that thought.

"But you wouldn't have gotten there if you weren't good enough. How many other pilots would dream of that seat in Europe? And yet, here you are. The Knight connection helped?"

"Nah, he didn't really. He's Estonian anyway...."

"We all know that's bullshit, brother is FAS through and through. It helped more than you think." The Ghanian replied with a joke, wrapping an arm around him. "Look. The expectations will be higher. But, enjoy. And enjoy it all. Just remember that, no matter how corporate it is. Europe is no joke. They have paperwork for paperwork." Kofi joked with a pearly smile, as Max joined in too, the sigh following as they looked to the horizon.

"Maybe. I don't know. Hard season so far. Just gotta keep it in front of Nordic Call. That's all that matters for the fans." Max chuckled, shaking his head. "Whole continent wants us to beat those Swedish bastards so bad." Both of them laughed, the rivalry always present, and Kofi enjoying what he could while he had the chance in the last few races, enjoying the endless horizon of ocean beyond the floating polymer houses.

---

Sunday 22nd October, 2094
Ballycastle Complex, Muller Cay, nr Australia
1100 AEST

Brain Storm

Peter Thatcher

The man ran into the Silver Apex pit box, from out of the back of the engineering, as if he'd discovered the existence of DNA, or gravity. The Latvian seemed almost flustered, knowing interrupting the boss was a bad idea. But for this, it was worth interrupting.

"Peter, I need you to look at this. It's...." The tablet was open as the black-haired Latvian passed the tablet across, Peter sighing, before looking at it, before the Irishman's eyebrows raised.

"Oh." With it, he followed the tech, Linas Kalējs as his little label indicated from his holgraphic lanyard. It was a short, but brisk, quick walk that didn't need attention. Peter was an insanely busy man, but even he knew what this meant.

The room was soundproofed, as Peter swore, the data projected out, both sitting in chairs next to each other.

"How long?" He asked, looking through it, the contents not exactly seen of quite what they were looking at it. At a guess, it had to be Amy's brain scan.

"It's not critical. Not yet. But she's suffered a significant deterioration in qualifying. The neural link isn't talking to microsectors 24 and 54 of her prefrontal cortex here and here, because it's returning null." Linas had worry for her, looking through her other vitals as Peter took it in, not a neuroscientist, but aware that there wasn't anything more critical.

"But is it clear for now?"

"Yeah. We can't run the link like we want. But it'll do today, we need to tweak it to use a different area. She's going to have memory problems if we keep hammering it." Linas replied, as Peter looked on as he put his hands into his face, sighing.

"We're in deep shit. This can't go on like this." Peter said, as Linas sighed.

"We'll do everything we can. We've got copies of her neural profile. But she has an unauthorised one elsewhere too, like I told you. I told you that we couldn't trust her."

"So we're already screwed. That leaks out, and anyone who finds out....."

"Yes. No news from anyone I know that works in the field around Al-Saqr. They're like ghosts."

"Someone gave it to them. Are we sure the system is sealed?"

"As sure as we can. We ran tests, the only exception was.....here. If she made copies, it's someone with the servers, systems, tools we have. It's idiosyncratic. It can't be worked with. Not unless she dumps her mind out."

Peter looked at the date, the profiles of which were blank.

"She overrode us then. Personal reasons.....I wonder who else is in her head." Peter asked, as Linas looked confused, before swiping in.

"What do you mean? Literally? External influence?" Linas asked, as Peter swiped away from it, putting the tablet down.

"It's no secret I pay you to do what you do in a field that would be cutting edge elsewhere. And may I remind you, bending regulations. We'll need to regenerate what we can. Or worst case, revert to a slate. She'll miss a race and kill me for it. Best case, she won't know. But if she doesn't want to or wants to side-track us....then it might be possibly till season's end. We need to play this carefully." Peter almost spoke as if she was a thing, an object, but then again, memories and brain scans were like that.

What version of Amy was he referring to? The one that won races, and the one that was alive in a shell that resembled less of Amy now than it had five years ago. A thought he shared with nobody but Linas, who had a clear road to do whatever he considered needed. A practical neurolaboratory that zero other simulation tested. A real life example of what human beings could be. And unlocking the ultimate premise of humanity, the soul itself. A heavy task, but he and his team were the best in the world, even if the research plaudits didn't come their way.

"And what about Jenny?"

"She signed up to this of her own accord. Told me whatever it takes to help the team rein in Southern Cross. And given her qualifying, it looks like she's incredibly neuroplastic. Tracks with her work before." Peter added, flicking through to the other pilot of the team, as Linas nodded.

"We'll keep an eye on her. But yes. Wanted to let you know." Linas replied, as Peter stood, walking to the door.

"We'll look after our own. But we need to get to the bottom of this. We cannot afford it now. Not with those Oceanian bastards breathing down our neck. Not here." Peter added, and with it, was out, and away, wanting to put fist through polymer, but instead, reserving his anger for the raceday.

This was a bloody hard season.

---

Round 16 of Formula AG
Sunday 22nd October, 2094
Race Day
Ballycastle Complex, Muller Cay, nr Australia
Great Barrier Reef AGP
1300 AEST

Water Fight

Nora Kelly

The feeling of clambering into a ship never got old, as Nora slid on the coral-themed helmet over her head, the suit and ship painted a beautiful shade of neon green and blue, a blend that reflected seaweed and the sea itself, albeit with enough indent to remain different to the outside itself.

"Radio check."

"Clear."

"You clear on strategy?"

"Take first. Ship's still set to growl?"

"Yiis, Nora. The setup's aggressive. Careful out of three and four."

"Yeah, yeah."

The response seemed almost without thought. The harness clicked in, and her arm took the canopy, the prosthetic leg in a matching yellow opposite to her navy suit, as she exhaled. The Interior Circuit must have been wondering how someone like her was P2 on a grid like this, but all bets were off now. The arseholes in her past were gone. Now there was nothing but aggression. Fight to make a legacy. Fight to get every point on Stirling. And make history.

The books were screaming, and despite everything, Nora was now screaming, yelling internally, and if the Southern Cross telemetry alerts didn't constantly go off when she was warming up, you could just tell from the comms. This was someone who was ready to make hell for anyone in her way.

A future champion had no other choice.

---

"And that completes the line up, and well, Rosie, what can we say about the Great Barrier Reef apart from, what a spectacle this is! A circuit many people thought was a novelty, it provides a range of overtaking opportunities, and well, you'll never find a circuit like it. A short, simple track, and well, who is your money on?"

"Honestly? The way Nora Kelly seems be performing, she seems to be a fan favourite, and while there are none here, virtual AR tech means they're there in the bleachers and screens, cheering on fans despite how far we are from the Australian coast! But, my gut says that Jen Lowry seemed to be imperious yesterday, and as we know, once she qualifies well, she rarely relinquishes. But who can say. There's so much competition even at the end of the season, and I imagine Makara and Stirling will put on a fight."

"Well, as we make our predictions, the ships are all warmed, and we're seeing the crews all head back to their pit boxes, as we get ready, for the Great Barrier Reef AGP...."

The sunshine, the tension. The feeling of going under.

The championship in the balance. All of it, all on the line.

The feeling of sweat trickle in spite of the cooling on max, in the searing sunshine that mixed in coral with saltwater on plastic.

---

Soundtrack: Rise Against- Help Is On The Way (Gladiator Remix)

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

And it was a launch. A great start from Ben Hale and it propelled him past Max and even his team-mate, while further up, Amy already slipped back past Harrison after losing out on Turn 3, fighting with him already, the front shifting little but positions near constantly in trade. While many would have written off the simple layout of Australia as just a fast, repetitive circuit, the ELS opportunities presented by how bumpy the ocean floor was and ability to almost work in 3D for a good 50% of the circuit made overtakes easy, and harder to fight. Making up pace relied on consistency, and remarkably, due to its short size, was one of few that meant backmarkers, including Kovalenko and Mensah were lapped by halfway into the race.

Jenny had peeled away early, fending off a fight from Bea with little issue, which meant that Nora was prime to take back her position. Behind, Paul and Cassie would fight, the gap down to nearly nothing in the delta between them. They were almost inseperable, and inside her ship, Cassie wanted revenge. She was out for blood, she wanted Valkyrie to hurt. She wanted to make a point. They didn't replace their stargirl with a starboy that easy. Outside the ship, she may have been playing up to a standard but was ultimately just half decent, much like Paul- here, Paul was not allowed the possibility. But he was making it so.

And it went on. And on. A few times, a rare break. But a catchup, that didn't change much at all. Well....

Then Dorian broke down at Lap 40, a failure that carted him out of his 9th place position and suddenly, oepned up everything into a massive shitshow between 8th and 12th. In fact, almost all of the times were near enough the same on long lap averages, so overtakes were rampant- held up by a damaged Harrison who had taken a knock in his fight with Amy while the Silver Apex pilot had been lucky to avoid any significant damage whatsoever. Behind was Bellatrix, who was in and out of points fighting with Kais, Han and Ben Hale of all people, ranging from 12th up to 8th, basically, turning it into absolute chaos. While everyone would be obviously watching the fight between 2nd and 3rd, the real fight felt like it was scraping over points, especially given Nova and Nordic Call's new pilot had a chance. And what a chance it was for Bellatrix, who seemed to take like a duck to the submerged, tubular circuit.

Nora kept on fighting, going lap after lap, tangling. Every time that Cassie tried to get in, it was like the two of them spat her back out, and focussed back on their own fight. Cassie might have wanted the momentum to make sure Bea didn't get points, but ELS had a habit of excluding other people from intruding on fights.

But it wasn't enough. Not against Beatrix Ward. Even at home, even the virtual crowd going, she was skating a ship that felt like it was on ice versus whatever Beatrix had decided to bring.

A top tier performance, all things considered, one that Nora's home advantage and skate-like ship could not manage. But behind, the fight between Cassie Neves and Paul Mulder had also raged on. They'd traded places, hell, even Amy had tried to poke past Ava to get in on the action, but Ava had held her own and proven back to the team Brazil wasn't a fluke. She was part of the team's effort to score points, because while chasing Zygon felt like an impossible task, they were giving it a hell of a go.

Bellatrix finally got into her rhythm. And by some miracle, towards the death, would prove her talent even with a ship that did not belong in points. She would find 9th, following Harrison on a last minute move on Kais, and going to the line to take her first race completed with two points in a backmarker ship. Paul would similarly, win his fight with Cassie, and while catching Nora was not possible, it was yet again, an incredible performance, consistently putting himself in the top four in the last four races.

But all eyes were on the front of the grid.

"P1, Jen, what a result! Kept it clean, made it look easy!"

"Woo! What a result, wow, this circuit is incredible!" A voice of relief. Jen Lowry was proving herself to be the best pickup Silver Apex had made in years, breaking their curse of their second seat, but more than that, putting the ship where it deserved to be when their main pilot wasn't pulling the course. It was a hard ship to pilot, but when party mode was available to build an early lead, Jen seemed imperious in holding pace, and well, due to other factors.

Qualifying Results for Great Barrier Reef

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

---

Cooldown Room

The room felt humid, hot, and tense, as if the pilots themselves were literally cooling off, which, in some sense, they would be.

Nora leant in, watching. "Well.....okay, you got me there. Proper.....yeah." She chuckled, smiling back at Bea, the punkish Australian calming down a little bit back home, Jen watching her initial fight with Bea in interest.

"Look at us know, eh? Told you we'd be fighting at the top someday! And it looks like you got your second podium at last. Proves it wasn't a fluke!" Jen giggled, the footage cutting to her on top of her ship as she got out at the end of the race, as a shoal of fish swam by, hands over head with a cheer and to build momentum before backflipping from the glass canopy of her ship to floor, stealing a Daniel Ogier celebration in the process.

The marshal came in and gave the signal that they all needed, as Jen nodded to Nora to lead out first to what was a rapturous roar from the virtual crowd, followed by Bea, and then finally, her.

On the top step of the podium, Jen could feel the champagne bottle struggle to do anything, given it was under a little bit of pressure at depth, but it didn't make splurging the alcohol at others any more difficult, as she grinned to camera, enjoying what had been a breakout half year at Silver Apex, and under the waves, beginning to finally find her footing in her career. She was of course, completely unaware of the chat Peter had to deal in earlier....

Soundtrack: Metrik and Grafix - Waves

It was of course, inevitable as the ceremony completed and they headed upstairs, back above sea level, that Jen would ditch the main layer of her suit and also, backflip into the sea, perhaps with her best friend, and perhaps, in a rather throwing-back manner to their early SCUBA dive off the coast of East Yorkshire, but in far warmer, far more beautiful surrounds, as the camera switched back to the inevitable questions.

---

Delta Hyper Interviews

Aurora was once again at the Delta Hyper interview booth, mic set up for the pilots, still likely in suits, or at least, down to the undergarment element of it.

"Bellatrix, what a stunning way to make a debut! We know that Nordic Call hasn't had a good time of it lately, and you already look an improvement on your predecessor. You seemed to be in and out of the points, how did it feel fighting with veterans of the sport at such a difficult circuit?"

"Bea, what an epic fight you and Nora gave us. It seems like you're so much smoother out there, you seem to be. It seems you might have upset a local comeback, but, how does it feel to be scoring a podium again, especially next to someone you're best friends with?"

"Paul, an impressive turn of results, but it seems Dorian has had nothing but bad luck! Tell us about your fight with Cassie, how that felt, and how you pushed each other? Cassie's ex-Valkyrie, so I imagine the rivalry felt quite personal?"

"Kais, a valiant effort but it looks like it wasn't enough today. Tell us, what did it feel like, constantly switching and changing positions with the various ships around you?"

---

"Well, it was easy I guess. Just held my own, stayed calm. The fish were very pretty but I didn't get distracted, and yeah, we're putting the pressure on Southern Cross!" Jen chirped, the pixie-haired pilot grinning, posing for pictures as the other interview pressers flooded her for more.

"Honestly, Beatrix just got me there, she's so raw and I love it. And title chances? Well, who knows. I thought it was written off, but I'm excited. Watch your six, Amy!" Nora chuckled, laughing off the intensity a little, the flurry of more interview questions set off by that last statement alone.

"Can't say I'm unhappy, P5 is a solid result for us and the team, and yes, we will keep trying to look forwards up the constructors, rather than down. I'm definitely feeling more at home with the ship, so yeah, no more talk, just gonna keep it locked in and hope to keep doing well." Cassie gave a very PR response, but, after all of it, she had no room to be creative. She was exhausted.

"Very happy with that, feels like I built on the South American tour, no? But yes, ship was far better than simulations showed, and with Amy, Harrison and everyone fighting behind me, I felt like I could just hold my own race." Ava was chirpy, and any race she beat Amy Stirling, was a great one. Speaking of....

"Not my best, but just....." Amy hated excuses. She really had to remember the one. What was it? "Yeah, not there today, once I lost to Harrison at start, Ava slipped in and she defends well. We didn't have the ship for Great Barrier Reef, but massive kudos to Jen, who is pushing hard!"

"Yeah, absolute bummer really, took some damage from fighting with Amy too hard, but, nothing like a good scrap down under! Just gotta keep heads high, we're going into speedy tracks, and that's where we shine. We'll do better." Harrison replied, smile as ever, teethy in spite of consistently low points, rather than race wins.

Ben was next in, the NOVA Racing pilot having had an exceptional race, and almost being in contention for points at one point with how hard he'd pushed. "Well, yeah, it is a shame to lose points, but I think it proves our ship and setup is getting there. Super proud of today, just didn't happen, but next time I'll get there!" The young pilot replied, a grin to hand as Astrid was up next.

"Well, she is quite a talent! I think everyone will hear her name more, she finds tenths and already knows how to fight other pilots. That is good." Astrid cut zero bullshit, but, was actually quite happy, upbeat even, producing more than a single sentence of words. Which was high praise indeed.

"Yeah, 15th sucks but the other teams around us just had so much more in their package today, we had to recover. But we're at Bonneville and I am hyped for that, what a race that is!" Max smiled, media friendly as always, despite being that low in the standings.

"It has been horrendous luck, I am so upset. Nothing the team can do and it just happens, but sadly, you win some, like Hawaii and Monaco, and you lose others. We had to retire the ship and I am sure the engine will be looked at, just yeah, bad luck." Dorian replied, dejected, annoyed he'd lost yet again, another points position. For such ultra-reliable ships, he certainly was having a bad time of it.

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

One to One Wrap Ups

@Pragia12

What a question from the huge, burly clone. What a question. Holy shit. James didn't expect that, but well, he could answer the other aspects first.

"They'll get to know you. You're....well, learning everything here. And we are all going to the bar tonight. So you can maybe get closer to everyone then? I imagine they'll get to know you, they'll understand more about you. Same as you will them. They're a nice bunch." James replied to his first comment, trying to cheer him up, but that second part, man, was that something.

Did he like the team?

"Sure, they're a nice team. Everyone is really good at what they do. Everyone is different. But it makes things interesting. Thanks, Feno. Appreciate your time, but I've got the next person in a moment."

---

@Auragreedia

Eclipse's response was difficult.

James sighed, breathing out, his head almost slumping back, genuinely, honestly, stumped by his last comments, as he shrugged.

"I'll ask management. But be prepared to hear a no, okay? Actually, on that note....there was, a few decades back, this controlled drugs programme in the UK, you familiar with it? Kinda like Portugal's right now." James replied, leaning forwards, putting his hands on the table. He didn't pay attention or crack nerve with Eclipse. He clearly wasn't opening up. He wasn't interested. But he might be in the story he had to tell.

"It meant that if you had a heroin addiction, you took microdoses of it. Small, controlled, batches that were prescribed to you by a Doctor, not by a dealer. Tiny amounts. They switched to Methadone and it instantly got worse, so the junkie problem went out of control, and now, heroin is stronger, cheaper, and more powerful than ever before in the UK. Then coke came in, and it's so cheap, and it beats inflatio. Crazy how it works. We're lucky we didn't get Fentanyl, and.....what you create is nuclear compared to even that. So we need to get you off that drug, before it kills you. And you know I'm right. The addict in you can't tell, but it's smart enough to know if you hit that hard, you'd be dead, so you're controlling it before it overwhelms you. But I think we both know that it's bad for you and that shit is gonna end badly and ends with you sucking dicks from old men for ingredients. I'm thinking we find a method to control it. You don't want to send yourself to hell, Eclipse. I've looked at your history. You're so much more capable than that."

James was talking from a personal experience of a police officer who had told him that story. A bit of humour injected in there too, knowing Eclipse was one dark bastard, quite literally, and it would cut through to a drug addict's fear, albeit among a serious message. His friend watched the war on drugs fail. So, Eclipse was maybe lucky that he wasn't in front of any other dispatcher, but someone who could see to his core. Even if he hated this, and James knew right now, Eclipse had no reason to trust him, he had to try and break that wall down.

"No guarantees they'll say yes and if we do this, it has to be on my terms, and any more than that, I will come down on you. In the meantime, you're doing good work. So keep your head up. I'll let you get back to it."

---

But Madcap's one to one couldn't have gone worse.

Madcap raved, screamed, yelled. Grabbed James, and he stayed silent, all the time through it. Letting him rave, before being dumped down.

He tried to give nothing away. Was it possible he saw the link? Must have. But fuck him, as he reached across the table, hands on desk.

"Calm down, Madcap! I'm trying to protect you! Do that again, and you can kiss this chance goodbye...we're not talking about other heroes, we're talking about you! You think I don't talk to her or any other hero, and get her to write letters of apology, disciplinaries when they mess up like you did, you think it's just you that gets to decide right and wrong, you think I'm singling you out? Why would I do that, think for a second! I don't have any bloody powers, so yeah, I'm doing the best to help you so you can, but you do that again, we're done!" James yelled back before he left, interrupting him, making clear that he wasn't going to be put in a box.

Lightning Girl opened the door, looking in, the shouting match increasing the volume beyond the limits as Madcap stormed out, Sophie ready to step in and protect James if she had to from the commotion and the noise that exceeded that of the noise-cancelling glass.

"Everything alright here? I heard...." She added, Madcap still promptly walking past, the presence of Lightning Girl's height able to maybe dissuade Madcap from trying anything. And besides, he wanted to get away from James. After that match, it made sense.

"We were done." James replied, as Lightning Girl looked at the messy desk, and at Madcap, staring with a calculated, certain look back over her shoulders, not having heard the conversation, but the scuffle. She took the door and shut it behind her, being next in queue.

---

Sophie sat down with him, shutting the door behind, breathing out.

"Fucking hell. He's a liability." James added, as Lightning Girl helped put the desk back in place, pushing it back up to where the others were.

"What did you say to him? Your shirt is all....scruffed."

"Nothing. Tried to kill me. Usual. I know he wouldn't have made it a block before you probably tore the life from his eyes, it's not even the worst I've had after a one to one." He rambled, as Sophie looked him dead in the eye, sighing.

"James." It was one word. One reminder to get back on topic.

"Yeah? Sorry, it's like he thinks I don't treat all heroes equally. He thinks I'm picking on him. Thinks you had special treatment."

"Okay. Then how hard did you go in on him?" She asked, feet up on table, leaning back, chowing down on a packet of Bourbon biscuits.

"Fairly. As fair as I could. Same as I did to you when you fucked up. And you did fuck up badly. I can't deny that. Everyone gets treated the same because if we had favourites, we'd never make this work. Performance helps when people do well. But when there's a problem, especially numbers, shit changes. Your fuck up is dealt with. He's making one." James sighed, shrugging, this one to one weird, given they were brother and sister. And the dynamic was significantly weirder.

"Okay......so.....maybe he hasn't got the right idea of how to be a hero. Maybe that doesn't mean he's bad at it, and his mistakes come from that? Like, two out of three is good, even if one of them, he got his ass handed to him, the other, he.....did his thing. Maybe, he just needs someone to show him how to do it better because he's copying what he can't do himself. Going on his own, he has no reference level. Lunara was good, but, maybe he just needs someone to keep an eye on him who's a little lighter." She replied, James wondering where this was going.

"Go on? The team's got to be resilient. I can't give special treatment. Especially when I have new starters that need it more, and I know that Madcap is a long termer here. Wait....." James realised what she meant, right at the end, the cogs suddenly spinning as Lightning Girl put it into context.

"Well, how about I go for a dispatch with him? Can you do that?"

"Damn. You'd do that?" James asked, a little worried for her sister, especially after his rant.

"I dropped him off the other day and he seemed to take a shine to me. Before he kicks the shit out of you, maybe we try it? If you did the James shit sandwich special, yeah, Madcap was never going to react well to it. If he badmouthed me here, fine. But give us a job, I'll look after him and show him some ropes. And if he has a problem, he can take it up with me." She asserted, Sophie suddenly revealing a side to her that James hadn't seen.

"You doing my one to one Lightning Girl, or are you just....." James asked, chuckling as Sophie shrugged, not really sure if he was right.

"Eh. Maybe. Anyway, I apparently, can't open a fucking door to save my life. Sorry about that. No. So let me try and least make up for it." Sophie shrugged, almost wanting to redeem herself to her brother after earlier, blushing red again after thinking about it.

"It happens. We laughed about it more than anything, and there's a whole form we need to do. Better that than the other chaos that could have gone down. But yeah. Think shit through. Slowly. Not everything can be fixed with electricity and violence." James chuckled, as Lightning Girl shrugged.

"True that. But we owe it to ourselves to try!" She joked, as James put his face into his hands, sighing.

"Yeah.....not this time."

---

@cosmiccowgirl

James knew he'd touched a nerve. So, he didn't prod. No point pushing. She had her control, and that was fine by him.

"I understand. Not trying to poke, just don't want you to be scared in case anything happens, is all. If you have any concerns, I'm happy to hear them, my door....shit, sorry, cubicle is always open." James replied, putting a positive, gentle spin back on things with a small laugh, at the end of her response about her identity.

The compliment was nice, at least.

"Thanks. It's not my first rodeo, but, it isn't easy. Deciding what is priority....who matters the most, and having no powers means I trust you completely to do the job. It's not as hard as what you do, out there, as a hero on the frontline. But if I can make sure you get the right job for your skills, I'll do that. Least someone like me can do, and well, I'm sure there will be more. My job is to look after you as well, Blackstar. Make you the version of you that is the best hero you can be." James added, smiling, leaving that one to one on a high note.

---

@SonnetNSunbeam

Dispatcher for long? James wasn't sure. But well, what a question back that was.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But, looks like it will be for the foreseeable. And in a way, being honest with you, the stability is nice. A team to call my usual....it's better than constantly moving. I don't work here ironically, Asteroid, but I know heroes and I know you'll all make it work, even when the going gets tougher. In our industry, it does." James added, realising he was showing a side of himself he hadn't in any other 1-2-1. Almost a vulnerability, but in a strange way, a trust to the team.

"There might be some harder ones. So just be ready. Keep up the good work, and we'll just have to see what progress looks like." With that, the meeting came to a gentle end, not much said, yet plenty given out.

---

@Thayr

The response was surprisingly honest. And given the redhead across from the other redhead in chinos and a shirt had broken ice, James felt honest enough to let down his walls to Payback.

"I think you already did well at helping people. Even if you didn't like it. I don't like coming into work either. But, it pays the bills, and right now, sounds like it beats anything else for you, prison, especially. It's a part of normality I guess. We do things we don't like. I won't get prison. But I know enough about the US penal system to know it's a shitshow. There's no redemption there....but there is here. Even if it's gonna come slowly." James replied to her last segment, sipping tea down, leaning forwards.

"And I think we might still find a way to find you work after, even if you like being a thief. If stealing is what you are good at, maybe, let's reframe it. In fact.....I think I might have some ideas. Maybe we just need to find you the right.....thing. Yes, the right score." James replied, a smile on his face. Ice had cracked. He had gotten through to her. And an idea formed in his head, realising all of a sudden, what Payback really was. What a thief really was good at. She wasn't Invisgal. No, she was so much more capable, she was a bullet without a target. Someone who could break security, and put her powers to a terrifying use. And that meant not thinking like anyone else, but finding a new purpose.

She just hadn't realised it yet, but James might have seen from that one little talk, meant he was going to find her that target.

"That's something for another time. Thanks for coming in. Appreciate your honesty. And appreciate this isn't what you want. But I respect your reasons. Don't ever let anyone tell you they're not worthwhile ones. Nobody has their shit all sorted out. Not you, me, or Kat, Lightning Girl, anyone. If you're open with me, I'll do anything I can to help you." James sat up, finishing, knowing it was time to move onto the next.

"Thanks, Myla. That is, if you're comfortable with me using that name...I'll let you go, call in the next." James said to her, the last phrase, most likely to resonate.

Did he know everything about all of them? Of course not. But he could tell, there and then, she wanted to be seen more than a stupid hero.

James could see her for who she was without those powers and that addition to stealing.

---

@BigPapaBelial

Jameds nodded, smiling as Hat Trick just kept talking. Holy shit, he had a lot of energy on him. A lot of mindset. And he liked that. His honesty. His passion. But even he couldn't handle it all, perhaps, like how Myla couldn't. So he smiled.

"Fair enough, Hat Trick. The team needs someone to gel around, and so I appreciate you doing that, as part of this role. There's a team behind you so if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask." James smiled, knowing the big man's donut contribution had kept morale up a bit higher, especially after a couple of not so great dispatches.

"They'll need all the support they can get. Claremont's not been doing great. But, we up our social numbers, and billboards, work, and everything else will flood in. It'll give us more resources. More in the way of help. And even for you, I could see a promotion in your future if you can drum up numbers." James teased, alluding strongly, knowing while he didn't have the power, Kat absolutely could.

"Thanks for this. I'll let you get going."

---

@Redking0380

Nothing he could do. James exhaled. She looked like she was having an existential crisis. He felt like he was having an existential crisis. His packet of Fishermans Friends were, an existential crisis. Nothing he could help. He knew that feeling. And didn't dwell on it hard. Princess was unique, a truly, truly eldrich horror among others. The pretty face masked a beast that had so many different forms that it wasn't worth asking where it came from. But, here she was, cheerfully in programme. And doing some good.

"Well, if ever I can help, I'm here to listen. You're doing good so far, so I just want to make sure this all works out. Thanks, Princess. I'll let you get on."

---

Late Afternoon Stint

Back in the chair, James sippped down more tea, and put his music back on in his ear.

Soundtrack: Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro

Typing, clattering, chewing on a packet of Midget Gems that Sophie had brought back from a Tesco in Holyhead, Wales. Part of her usual "grocery" run to get UK based sweets and treats back home. The donuts and snacks from Hat Trick had fuelled him and the team, and he was extremely grateful for it. First beer would be on his personal card though, James thought to himself. That was for later.

Outside, the sun had fully set.

And Claremont's A Team was back on shift, as Lightning Girl leeched some power from the rooftop transformer once again, cackling and floating up, before static flying into a rainy night, no thunder or lightning able to make it really appeal.

The rain had started to ratchet up, and was coming in "waves", sometimes pouring a deluge, sometimes a fine mist. It made visibility poor, but when it rained, it poured.

---

When It Rains, It Pours

The tasks had gone well, as James clattered away, taking back over from Tyler, a few more high profile jobs coming in. He nodded to Tyler, taking control for this one, comms on private.

"Okay, Lightning Girl, Madcap, I need you at VICE Nightclub. VIP night on and they need support with the doors. Head there and they'll give you high vis vests, comms for their end, and you'll be there until 8pm. Keep the peace and show SDN's public face." James added, sending the pin to them both. Lightning Girl had RTB'd, and looked for Madcap, getting ready to carry him there if needs be.

A bit more time elapsed. The shift was continuing.

A small job popped up. He knew who might be able to take this on. After their chat, James decided it was best maybe he didn't throw Eclipse too hard at the fire. He'd been on a lot of heavy calls, so maybe, this might be more his angle, and shadows and teleportation seemed ideal for the task.

"Eclipse, I've got a kid in northern Claremont who's lost his balloon in a tree. Yes, I know, but if you could get there and get it back, that would be great. Subscriber is really high priority. Routine chance to show him why we're the best and score some points." James felt he couldn't sell it well to Eclipse, but that would be like selling sand to a Libyan. Someone had to do it, and today, Eclipse was on that task. Private comms had helped at least shield that from the rest of the team, on that occasion.

Then two more. Much, much more serious jobs. Fuck. It had been not too bad up until now, the rainy night being mostly patrols and quiet check ins.

They were both black-scored. The emergency services contact had pegged these as critical priority, and that meant a full response was needed. It wasn't a kaiju, nor a serious heist, but two equally bad situations that were going to be hard to solve.

"Feno, Payback, Blackstar, we've got a high speed pursuit in progress on Interstate 10, suspects headed west in a black Chevy Suburban. Robbery gone wrong, dead civies, will update you in route....recommend you move ASAP. Feno, either you or Blackstar will need to carry Payback."

The other one felt intuitive in terms of who to send, because it was all he had left.

"Asteroid, Hat Trick, Princess, we have a house fire in San Antonio Heights, civvies at risk. Pin sent, need you there, ASAP."

---

Tuesday
19:15
VICE Nightclub, Claremont

Electric Atmosphere

Soundtrack: Bicep- Vale

The nightclub had pounding music that reverbed every time the door opened. A former bank, inclusive of a massive vault turned into the best nightclub in eastern Los Angeles, VICE felt like the place to be if you wanted even a midweek session. A fairly renowned Northern Irish pair of DJs were on the deck, so Sophie didn't even feel like the only British Isles originating person here.

It was a electronica night, and Bicep had decided to grace the world with tunes that didn't feel like they were going to implode Lightning Girl's brain tonight. Her ears were absolutely ringing, but the air felt lit up, and it felt cosy in only the way rave music could. She liked this, of course. But she had a job to do. Make sure the people coming in, standing in a long queue in the rain, super or not, had tickets, had nothing dangerous on them, and weren't intoxicated.

Lightning Girl stood at the front of the queue with a yellow bib over her white-grey suit and a headset for speaking to the Chief of Security, yet she still was taller than most supers and non-supers that were coming in. It seemed strange to put a woman, let alone someone as smile-y as Lightning Girl to be here, a bouncer at this sort of club. But, a mixed detail was always a boon. Women felt awkward being patted down by some burly guy, so, she was there as the friendly face. And having a superhero like her on the cards, well, it made crowd control easier. She was known in this community, after all, she was one of Claremont's easy to show off heroes, a face on a bus there, a billboard which Sophie still hadn't visited, and refused to believe was real, yet.

"Yep, all good." She had patted someone down, searching for drugs, weapons, anything that could cause a bad time.

She was smiling. This was like a long time ago.

She had that memory. Sophie stopped being Sophie when she saw that guy rest a hand on her. She started being a hero. Realising that power. The fact that when he tried to punch her, she didn't flinch. She just sent voltage back and watched him fly into that skip and break half a dozen bones like a ragdoll.

Power changed everything. It made her realise it was terrifying. But man if it wasn't cool.

"Have a good time!" She added as the lanky man headed in, as the next person stepped forwards in the queue, and so far, Madcap hadn't fucked anything up, dealing with the other queue.

"You doing good, Madcap?" She asked, adjusting her cowl, the cape in the cloakroom. This was Lightning Girl in a more "sporting" configuration, practical, still all the hero that anyone coming to VICE would see. And if they were to cause trouble? Well, she had plenty of juice thanks to a recent substation that had flooded her neurons with power. In the rain, her skin may have hurt, like weird pins and needles, but it was a night that wasn't at least as insane as what she heard over the comms next.

Another club-goer came by, unable to show her phone ticket on her device.
"I got this." And so Lightning Girl gave a gentle zap to the port, smiling back, the noise making it clear that she was trying to be helpful. The device rebooted, and the QR code appeared, as she scanned it and the noise came back.

---

Tuesday
19:21
Northern Claremont

A Single Luftballon

Eclipse would find himself outside of a quiet suburban environment, the rainy sky illuminated by the streetlights, and a kid with his parents outside looking up at a tree, before being confronted with a shadowy, armoured up figure. This wasn't Fenomaman. This wasn't even a hero that could fly. Why him?

"Wow, a hero from SDN! Thanks for coming so fast!" The kid exclaimed, still excited to see a real life hero, as were his parents, proud that their son was seeing a hero for the first time. The rain pattered down, but the helium balloon, with "8" written on it, perhaps an indication of why the balloon was up there in the first place, was not moving.

"Could you get the balloon from the tree? It would be so cool if you could!" He squeaked, pointing up, the conifer at least five storeys tall, and a heritage tree that had been stuck in the environment. It felt like such a low stakes job, but then again, James knew the score with stuff like this. The subscriber was a fairly rich and powerful individual, and on his plan, he had to consider even jobs like this. So, Eclipse it was given the wider situation.

---

Tuesday
19:30
Interstate 10
Southern Claremont / Heading twards Central LA

The John Bunnell Special

On the flipside, the gunfire and the high speed chase would be visible on the interstate from the elevated view that Blackstar, Payback and Feno-maman had. Cutting through the "wave" like effect of rainy clouds above the streetlight filled interstate they'd see a car rapidly cutting through dense post-work traffic, as sub-machinegun fire would be blasted backwards towards the police cruisers in pursuit. With gunfire pouring from the Chevy Suburban, stolen, and full of loot from a robbery, they were not stopping for donuts, or anyone. Weaving in and out of traffic on the way down, and unlike the jewel heist from earlier, two people had lost their lives when SDN Ontario hadn't gotten there in time.

The chase was fast, and the driver seemed disinterested in stopping. Spike strips or ramming seemed the only other option, but given how fast they were going, the robbers were making a move to terrify the police into backing down, or even getting ahead. A police chopper couldn't go in this weather, so, heroes it was.

The robbers weren't supers, or villains, that much was clear. Just regular assholes. But there were civies that were in the crossfire around them, the SUV like a gigantic battering ram. The heists, sure, there were people at risk, but this was something else. James got the message he wasn't happy to hear, but, needed to pass on. The police could back down of course, but given the speed, risks, and everything that had so far gone down in this chase, simply following them, even with supers, wasn't an option. They had to shut this down now, before what was a chase turned into a spree and innocent people getting hurt.

The tracker moved, as the target did, making the heroes in flight have to reallocate themselves to follow, and pursue as the cops did below.

"Team, local PD has given you permission to use lethal force. You need to stop that car, by any means needed. Civies got killed in the heist that SDN Ontario couldn't stop. Now they're on our turf, we end this now. Repeat, lethal force, if you need it.....arrest if you can but they're armed to the teeth." James had grit in his voice, like he was chewing on granite.

Situations like this could escalate seriously. More people could get hurt. And of all the things at SDN, one thing was critical. Property could be damaged, collateral happened, of course, within reason. But civilians getting hurt, irrespective of where you came from, what you did.

Another team's failure was not going to be Claremont's.

Moving traffic was tough to manage, but as the black Suburban weaved in and out of traffic, heroes would be under fire if they flew close. But if they didn't, the consequences could be so much worse.

---

Tuesday
19:35
San Antonio Heights

Fire and Water

When Asteroid, Hat Trick and Princess would arrive at the burning house in the hills, the fire department were trying to contain a blazing inferno, in spite of rain, made worse by the fact that all the vegetation behind it was ablaze.

The heat felt like a second sun. It burnt hot, the cladding aflame and starving the oxygen out of the air even from the driveway where the fire truck was parked.

"Thank god you're here! There's civies inside. We can cover you, can you get them out and help put out this fire? There's propane bottles inside, we don't get those removed, it's going to be a hell of a situation!" The fireman asked, respirator over as at this point, no doubt, the heroes. The water was being poured from the nearby hydrant into the hoses they sprayed on the house, keeping it at bay, but this fire was clearly escalating and getting out of hand.

In this instance, ice and fire might have been the obvious approach, but of course, civies were priority and so was stopping this turning into an even bigger blaze. They had to go into the fire, otherwise they'd drown the people they were trying to save, rather counterintuitively.

Heroes were more resilient, more strong. And more than anything, brave. Firemen without powers might have been braver, but without the breathing apparatus and the sheer heat, all three that had been dispatched were going to struggle.

But if ever there was a moment for the two Phoenixes and Hat Trick to make it count, it would be now.

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

Tuesday
15:40
Latibeaudiere Apartments, La Verne

Alternative Locksmithing

Soundtrack: Zorba's Dance

When it came to restoring entry, the heroine realised maybe the front door wasn't the place to start. If she could get inside his room, going in from a point of weakness would be the best.

That meant going up from the roof. Lightning Girl could get there no problem.

"Right. Stay here. I'll get you in your room in no time!" She replied, smiling back to him, white hair spraying everywhere as she stepped away and lept almost forwards and up, up and away.

Lightning Girl had done this sort of thing before. Zap a Codelock, find a window, pick a simple lock, get inside.

She hovered near the window of the apartment, finding nothing, no openings, nothing at all. Damn. Okay.

This wasn't a life saving situation, but an easy win. As hard as that would be, this wasn't fighting crime. Getting shot. Getting stabbed. Burnt. Any of that stuff.

This was a locksmith job.

She went to the roof, and found the roof access, and found that an easy one to peel. A simple zap from her hands killed the mechanism, and she had to really yank to get it open.

"Easy."

The white haired, cape having Brit walked down the stairs, and sighed.

"Oh, fuck. Really? That isn't in the regs!" She sighed, seeing the security pass having door on the other side, designed obviously, to keep intruders that would come in from the roof out, and emergency evacuations in. There was a Codelock to get back in. Some people might try and deduce what the code was. Or maybe hack it. Or maybe, do something even cleverer.

Sophie was of the opinion that anything with electricity was her bitch.

So she zapped it. And nothing.

The electronic mechanism hadn't sprung the door open.

She had shorted it and as a fire door of that design, it was now locked shut to keep any hypothetical fire in. And the mechanical release was now the only way it would work.

From the other side.

"Oh, fuck. Really?!" She yelled, annoyed, angry.

"Lightning Girl, what's..." James interrupted, hearing his sister get frustrated.

"It's fine! I haven't....I am fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Piss off and help someone else!" She replied, going to the door and grunting, and pushing hard. And pushing as the electricity built in her.

And sheered the entire thing off and smacked it against concrete, bouncing it off with a loud *clang*, as the entire mechanism was now completely gone to shit.

The door was off its hinges, her grey suit was dusty from the concrete that had been slapped with the force of a thrown metal plate, but, she was in.

This was a simple locksmithing job. Easy. It would be easy.

"Right." That was it. She was inside the actual apartments now! Okay, now she could get to this guy's door. 402, right?

That was the one, as she walked along the nice carpet of the apartment block, this place clearly more upmarket than where Madcap was living. Sort of place she might like to live.

400, 401, 402. That was it.

Except, the guy's door wasn't based on a keypad, or a Codelock.

It was a normal lock. Still a fairly weird looking thing.

"Right. I've done this before. It's....wow, is that Swedish? Swedish doors? Really? Oh, my fucking word, this day gets better and better."

The door in this fancy apartment complex was one Sophie had recognised before. The Swedes made their fire doors to very high specifications. It was made of solid fucking beech. That steel door she ripped off was probably only a bit stronger than this.

She took her multitool out from her little pouch and tried to push the pins out in the lock. Nothing. The lock was even a high grade. Not some crappy Yale. This was like breaking into a fucking bank vault, she thought to herself. There had to be like twelve fucking pins in that lock.

"Come on, let's.....no, we can't pick that. Okay. Why don't we....try one big kick. Just gotta hit the core of it....come on......please work? Like that worked last time this didn't, right?" She said to herself, hyping herself up, breathing out. She had some skill in lockpicking, but not something like this. She had a bit too much energy in her right now, and while that would normally focus her, it was leaning her towards violence.

That fucking door was going down.

So she took a run up and put her right foot out, one big swinging kick and....

CRACK!

She put her leg through the door.

Literally. The entire thing not splintering, but her entire leg just smashing through it and ripping it off one of the hinges. Her foot was still stuck, like a comedy sketch, her foot and shin on one side, her thigh and the rest of Lightning Girl on the other. The room was now accessible, but, it was an absolute mess.

"Ah, fuck!" She called out into the blind, comms ringing out as James queries what was going on.

This was going from bad to worse.

This was a simple locksmithing job....

Now, how the fuck could she take on some of Claremont's most feared enemies, bank heists, serious crime, talking to kids, being on ads, everything....and this was how she failed?

"What have you done, Lightning Girl?"

"We may need to pay someone out on insurance! Sorry!" Lightning Girl replied, trying to put her hands against the wall and the door, only breaking more of it, but not freeing her leg.

Then the frame moved a bit. And the render cracked.

Oh, oh fuck.

"What? What's going on?" James replied, no cameras giving him no idea of her progress. Lightning Girl was a bit too afraid to answer for now. Becuase footsteps could be heard.

Shit, someone was gonna see this. How was she explaining this mess?

A simple motherfucking, arseclenching, door opening, cunting, pissing locksmithing job!!

And worse than anything, police, another resident, anyone else, it was him.

The owner.

The subscriber had run upstairs, flanked by two friends, klinking a set of keys in their hand.

"Hey, I found the keys!" He seemed excited, but realised quite the mess Sophie had made with the emergency exit door smacked off its hinges and electrically fucked, and most of all, Lightning Girl with her leg firmly stuck in his door that was also, half off a hinge and with a lock that was completely disintegrated and in pieces across the fancy carpet.

Sophie couldn't get her leg out as she waved and awkwardly hopped on her left leg trying not to rip the entire frame out of the wall and rip any more plasterboard out, replying to James, but maybe, just maybe, just talking generally to the universe.

"Yeah, I put my foot in it!"

---

And sitting there, the dispatches passed, and a few failed. The pizza situation had escalated a lot. Fuck. Okay, that one, that was out of hand. He could blag that one. Oh, and the door situation. Insurance had paid out from SDN's end, that was a pricy bill. The car dealer was....not pleased but hey, that wasn't the worst.

And hey, the vlogger was happy. The jewels were secure. And the coffee run was....weirdly acceptable too. Okay.

James could live with this, as he sighed, adjusting his glasses, clicking his hands, putting hand to headset and transmitting.

"Good work. RTB, team, that's our break."

He breathed out, looking at the police report for the heist. Fuck. That could have gone really, really south. Eclipse and Payback had worked well there. And the vlogger had already sent an email. He pinged it to Hat Trick, letting him manage that. That was awesome. What a power pair that was. He tried to vary the team, but it was nice to see an obvious synergy come out.

The early afternoon shift was coming to a close, as the sun began to set on a drizzly day in eastern LA.

---

Tuesday
17:03
Break Room
SDN Claremont

Mid-Shift Break

The kettle whistled as Lightning Girl stuck it off the boil, leaning back against the wall, eyes rolled up, sighing, sat on her cape.

She put her head against the wall, eyes closed, then opening her eyes.

The other Canadian of the team.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Since when were you shit with Codelocks?" Matthieu bantered, mopping the floor with slush, finishing up in the end of the break room and now switching to a drying mop, the vinyl ancient and pretty disgusting, but given another few years thanks to the Quebecois's efforts.

She laughed, shrugging. "Urgh. Even heroes have bad days." She replied, the story getting around the team already, Matthieu finishing up and chuckling, shrugging as he took the mop and bucket out, leaving the team to it. At least Blackstar and Eclipse and Asteroid and even Madcap had done well. Maybe not Feno or Princess. But that sounded like a nightmare. Nobody was fixing that mess.

James shrugged and failed to add anything to Sophie's comment, not wanting to drive it home, looking across to the team, cup of tea in hand as he peeked his hand in. He'd been demolishing a Ploughman's sandwich, at least, best he could make from the ingredients at a Whole Foods. Which was criminally expensive.

"Nice shift, everyone. Just to remind you, one to ones are scheduled in once you're back on shift in the Meeting Room, and you can't opt out. I'll request you one by one. Remember, it's your best chance to talk to me about how it's going so far, and what you want to work on, because I want none of you at the bottom of the leaderboard. In the meantime, Tyler'll dispatch you while I'm chatting to you." James added, Lightning Girl nodding with nothing to add of her own, as she headed across to the power outlet and shoved her hand into the adapter.

"Yes, boss! Group question, can we get more pay?" Sophie played her favourite game with him, the usual one when she was in costume. His brother did not enjoy this. Ut was direct.

"That door cost about $4,000 dollars. So.....don't smack in doors." James replied, cold, sarcastic as ever.

"Holy shit! How do you spend that much money on a door?" She nearly spat out her water, as James chuckled, shrugging back.

"I know. Have a good break, team. Speak to you later." James replied, leaving the room as fast as he had entered it, as Lightning Girl turned a shade of pink.

"I promise, that door was made of like titanium or something." She tried to justify her way out of it.

It was not working.

---

Tuesday
17:35
Meeting Room
Claremont SDN

Mano a Mano

@Thayr

The first one in of all people, was Payback.

A skinny, red-gold, casual looking heroine. Magnetism powered.

"Hey, Payback. Thanks for coming in."

James looked across the table. Pleasantries, KPIs, all sorts had been addressed in each one to one. The sort of thing that normally came, how was your day, all that thing. The big vat of water on the table with a couple of glasses to at least loosen the tension.

But with Payback, James had gotten there a lot faster than he would have with anyone else.

"Look. I know you don't like me. But I'm looking for some cooperation with the team if we're gonna make this work, because I'm here to make you the best hero you can be for SDN, but most importantly, you. Now, so I can help you do that, can you at least be honest with me because," James started, leaning forwards, very mortal in this moment, very particular. Myla would likely see through this. James could. But he had to put on something. And the next part, well, that was at least honest.

"You chose this over prison, yeah? Because you don't want to reoffend. And because you're so bloody good at this, I'm just wondering why if you're gonna be this dour about it when the Phoenix Programme is that chance for you to leave it behind. Go past what happened to you. This is good work. I'm not some company man trying to tell you this is all there is. You decide where you go once your parole's up. So yeah. Tell me what's really pissing you off. Go on. And tell me why the others are different when they've come from poverty, drugs and the hood." James was blunt to her. But she was blunt back. So, he hoped that a bad cop approach might break the ice. One that at the end, seemed to imply something a little warmer, perhaps. He got in before she replied.

"I mean I come from a place with way less sunshine than this, Payback and find all this too loud. But we have to play ball with what we're given. I'm not asking you to be like any of them, capes and all, just....this job involves helping people. Something you're clearly very, very good at, but you seem to think this is all a mess. More you believe it, more it'll happen. Because what's driving that mentality? A hope you'll prove me wrong that it is? Or all of them are needlessly dressed for some crap you're clearly as good as them at doing? Or......are you hoping you prove yourself wrong and you're more than a thief, wherever it is you're going?"

The silence would be deafening. James had no powers. He was no hero. But he could understand Myla. See that there was someone in there who didn't want to be in prison. Hated the idea of this as a reform. But he knew people. Motivations, reasons. That they weren't ever gonna come willingly. But they would if they at least did it for themselves.

---

@Auragreedia

Eclipse came in next. The armour dark, the shadows that seemed to almost appear bad as James turned down the light with the adjustor switch, before sitting down, the same pleasantries, before eventually, cutting to the chase.

His mask still on, knives all over, holy shit, he was all blades and shadows. Umbrakinetic. Made sense.

"Nice work so far today. Maybe a bit overkill on the henchmen." He opened, knowing Eclipse had a rough time of it last night, but had pulled through.

"I guess the only question is, how are you holding up?" He added, tapping his laptop away, pulling up the monitor on his earpiece, which helped track a few vitals, including heartbeat. Checking that they were alive, that sort of thing.

"Because you have all the symptoms of someone in the withdrawal process of taking opiate-class drugs. Doing well considering, mate. So, yeah, be honest with me how you're feeling, and I'll chat to Alan....the Magnificent...." He struggled to say, "To see if I can cook you something up because I don't want you to be any less effective when you're skinning out. I know we'll never replace what you were on, Eclipse. But if you want time, let me know and we can look at something." James added, sipping more tea down.

"I don't see you as a criminal for turning to it. Apart from killing people in cold blood, but shit, that's half of the team. No, I think you're a victim of it. Same as anyone who plugged in Shroud's hardware into themselves. But you're clearly capable of doing a lot of good....even if you went excessive on those crooks, terrified a load of civies but you did get the job done, I will say that. And that I respect. We'll work on that bloodlust later because there wasn't any need for it. So yeah, however I can help, I'll help."

---

@cosmiccowgirl

Next up, Blackstar. Cosmic energy was a hell of a thing, James knew that personally from his sister's weird interactions. Black suit, like Asteroid, built out, a fighter and able to hold her own with the team. And now, seemingly, a new star on social media with what she'd done with UltraGal.

It was the usual, KPIs, then down to the main bit. More introductions. More bits to go through. But they got to where James wanted to ask some questions.

"First day on the job, Blackstar, and not bad at all so far. Are you feeling okay with it all? I know it's a mixed bunch, heroes, ex-villains. Claremont is a real mixed bag. Normally, you'd have an SDN dispatcher, but you have me for now. But, I'm a Hero Development Consultant, so my job is to make sure you can be the best version of you. So, I'll help you where I can to get you up to the best version of what you can do." James opened, looking at his file, on a laptop, instead of paper. Incredible. It was like he actually put time in to understand his team, digitising what was an SDN floppy disk into an actual PDF.

"Only question I guess I had was, given we do a lot of outreach, can I ask why you were so careful about the face behind the mask? I know, heroes cover their identity, makes sense. But you're particularly protective, and a full face cowl is rare for non-Phoenixes. From what I've seen, it's usually not ideal fighting people. I'm no hero so you tell me otherwise, but anyway. Just saw it from the clips is all." James continued, leaning forwards. She wasn't wearing it now, but he was curious.

"So I guess, who might be watching your step? If it's anyone here, are you comfortable saying, and if it isn't, do I need to make any adjustments? Anything to put onto the system with any old foes?" James added, leaning back against the chair.

"Because based on what I can see, I assume it isn't scarring, I'm sure you're fetching behind the mask. But from any facial recognition tech SDN or LA County use, they're not making out your face if they can't get your eyes and nose in shot. Not yet at least." James finished, knowing it was a tangent, but a worthwhile question to ask. It was the only part that had picked up his ears, the rest, so far, was excellent.

---

@SonnetNSunbeam

Then, Asteroid came through. Damn, they really were a doppelganger to each other, him and Blackstar. And they had been absolutely bouncing off each other from that last dispatch.

Black suit, silver shimmer, gold and red boots. Damn, what a combo. But it fucking worked. Must have been absolutely sweating his balls off in this heat.

The usual, cleared, James came down to it.

"How are you getting on? And I mean, it seems like to me you ran in with the wrong crowd. Came back and suddenly hit the ground running as a hero. It seems easy for you, so, I guess the question is, why do you think it feels like such an easy switch?" He asked, open, genuinely curious. No wrong answers, his body language implying that with James leant back in the seat with his shoulders and arms wide.

"Pyress yesterday, then that success with that vlogger. You're a natural showman. So yeah, I feel like I'm not sure what I can add. But tell me what you think." James left it even more open. But with Asteroid, he felt he had to. There wasn't much to really critique, pull along. Some Phoenixes were like that. Just give them a good cause, a reason to stay out of prison, gainful employment, and they ran themselves. Unlike Myla.

---

@Pragia12

Feno-maman. Massive, burly, alien clone. Dude frankly occupied two seats in his office. He was nearly exactly the same as the legend himself, but something definitely felt off about him. James made a note not to go too deep into him yet.

There wasn't much to do.

"Hello, Feno. I just wanted to check everything was going well for you at SDN Claremont." James went simple with him. Fenomaman was not exactly going to be renowned for his ability to chat. So, eh kept it as blunt as needed.

"How do you like the team so far?"

---

@Redking0380

Princess was in next.

A white dressed, almost alabaster skinned, eldrich horror that was almost as if she was from Arts and Crafts era England in a beautiful white dress. Strange, but then again, James had gotten used to this. At least she wasn't a sentient bit of rock that had a crystal rammed up it.

"Hey, Princess. Thanks for coming in." The 1-2-1 pleasantries were out of the way fast.

"Tough call that one at the pizza parlour. Not much you could do, but, hey, we'll go for the next one. Anyway, I'm aware you seem comfortable shifting from form to form, and what I have on my desk, I've got three forms so far. I guess the only question I have is are you okay as you are in this base form, Princess? I know you'll always pick a form when you get there. But when you're back at the office, are you all comfortable as you, and is there anything I can do to help? Within reason, of course." A delving question. But one that she could answer honestly.

---

@Sadu

Lunara followed. All pleasantries, then cutting straight to it. Dark armour, and just arriving in time for the start of the second shift.

"Hey, Lunara. Nice work last night. And good to have you back." James stated, chewing away at a Fisherman's Friend.

"I won't ask much about the whole relationship with Solaris, that was....grandfathered in. One looks after other, dark follows light. I guess my only question to you is, how do you find it behind the mask? When you go back to dawn, are you taking enough time for yourself?"

---

@BigPapaBelial

Then, Hat Trick.

Large Canadian in armour and with that fucking sick mohawk too. Master of ice, of course. It made him versatile, but for taking hits, there was nobody like him,.

"Hey, Hat Trick. I know this format is weird." James started, knowing it was odd to be 1-to-1'ing the PR rep. Someone with a more silver tongue than even his own. Some more pleasantries.

"How are you finding the team? I know you didn't do well at the dealership, but, you're a do-gooder at heart. But that's the problem of being corporate, I guess." James sipped down his tea, still frothing hot from the refill he got between sessions.

"How do you find that balance between the two? Honestly, open question. I think it's the part I'd struggle with too. The job was to stick to a script, but you were honest. And I can't fault it. But, if you ran into that again, what do you think you'd do?" James asked, knowing that was hard, but well, he was here to get a measure of people. And help based on that.

---

@Auragreedia

Lastly, Madcap.

Madcap.

Mad.....cap.

Madcap.

Where the fuck did he begin?

He checked his notes. Right, he thought to himself, watching as the other hero energetically sat down.

Usual chat first.

Then to the meat of the matter.

"Madcap, I'm.....I'm not going to lie, you're......your heart is in the right place. But, and please take this constructively. I don't think you can tell the difference between doing things because it makes you feel like a hero, and doing the job that a hero does." James started, leaning back, eyeing up the bug mask.

"I'm not a hero either, mate. But the thing you need to ask yourself isn't about how it makes you feel. It's about helping others. That's what being a hero is. And you did well with the coffee order earlier, despite.....the review that was mixed. And at the dorms you took some hits so Lunara could finish the fight. So you're capable of doing it." James started, checking his notes again, running through it. Not needing to. He knew what to say.

This was a shit sandwich. How does a shit sandwich work, James would ask you at home, reader? It works in the following method....

"But do you think hurling that old lady is what she would have wanted? Because it was a nightmare to fix on my end. Madcap, I don't need to remind you that you're a Phoenix. That means if you underperform this, you will go back to prison. And right now, you're nearly at the bottom of the leaderboard. I treat my heroes the same, but that fact alone means I need to be really careful because I don't want you to. And you don't want to either. I can tell." James didn't mince words. But, that was about what his notes said.

"So I'm just asking you to take your time. Think what you're doing through. Being a hero isn't just about the costume, or the mask, or who you are. It's about making sure that you're helping subscribers, so they can do good. Forget what you're wearing. Do good and try not to hurt people we help. Does that sound alright?" James was open, confrontational, but in a strange way, able to read Madcap. Put it into easy words. Big words.

---

In the meantime, Tyler would be up against quite a few big dispatches. He had to make some calls with the heroes he had to hand while James wasn't there, and would no doubt, have to play the game as best as he could. He had some dispatches (minor) to make up, small things that the heroes would likely sort on their own, but, he now had an insight into how the system worked. He would be seeing that in person, and James would come back to do his one to one later. It was no doubt stressful, difficult, and hard to manage, and the team would be dealing with the 18 year old for a little while.

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

@Bagel

They're all pretty interesting, but:

-Luck is insanely hard to render in the gameplay
-Door based teleportation / copycat are fun, but really rely on being deployed with other people. While that happens, both feel tricky to bring in -and still rely on a "core" power (think Prism) to really make this work / play. It also feels a bit light to be honest in door-based teleportation, that's just portals and probably not a main power, per se, but another "option". In something arcane, that would work nicely, but not as a primary.

My only concern is that the shadows theme is still something we already have too as Aura mentions.

Happy for you to PM me and I can help workshop something else. I think trying to avoid something we have. We have two "cosmic" heroes (arguably, already four), as mentioned two / three with light/dark / dark energy styled powers, so I'd like to see any future chars that come in have a slightly different theme. I think there's lots of other stuff to play around with, especially in the more arcane / technology / Batman-style vigilante side of things, which haven't at all been explored at all.

@Ezekiel

I might be tempted if you have an idea / char that you want to play with! PM me and I'm happy to take a look.

DELTΔ HYPER (Anti-Gravity Racing, Cyberpunk/Solarpunk RP)

Round 16 of Formula AG
Saturday 21st October, 2094
Practice
Ballycastle Complex, Muller Cay, nr Australia
Great Barrier Reef AGP
1100 AEST

Hydraulic

The feeling of being harnessed in. Above, a burning sunshine, canopy open, arms out, harness clicked. Below, 30 meters of elevation dip and spiral.

Formula AG was not as vicious as UFC, constant as hockey, team-based as football, flair based like basketball, stats based like baseball. It felt like a fuse of all of them. A body pushed to a limit, analysis, but more than everything, courage when it mattered. A machine could pilot any ship faster than any of them. But when a neural link came into play, it didn't feel like being fast, it felt like being between the blinks of an eye.

The subtle, gentle breathe out.

The screen back at the pit box. A render of Jen's brain, far more than any normal brain scan, if a machine could tell you the overall mood, passive feeling, anything, this would be it.

One of a gladiator.

---

Soundtrack: M83 - Water Deep

The circuit was a relentless one. With a corner going left at the short straight, the track dived into a massive funnel that dived straight into ocean. A massive open straight was flanked by ballistic-grade reinforced glass on either side as a tunnel that sat in amongst the initial research area of the coral regrowth, the long back straight bumpy with broken sight lines that led into a fiendishly hard hairpin, the K-Bend, named as such due to some random engineer that had proposed it stayed away from the enormous lump of coral beyond it that almost seemed to make a living blob of organic mass. The sunshine was strong enough to create sunbursts into the track, but no vison system they had adjusted to it perfectly, beyond the LED-like lighting that illuminated the walls and the reference point to the floor. Uniquely, given it was a tube, it meant that overtakes could be literally taken inverted through MAG tracking that was placed in straights encouraging absolutely rogue behaviour, and as such, Great Barrier Reef was probably the easiest track to overtake and snatch positions on. While normally that would benefit ELS, the bumps and surface being incredibly rough, along with the type of hairpin made low speed stability key.

The hairpin was tight and went left, testing stability and control in each ship, a massive bank that was enough to rival Argentina or any other circuit, spiralling down and then back up towards another right hand hairpin after a long straight, a more open, gentler affair than the last, but still, winding out. Another long, left turn wound the track back around and surfaced at the back of the Cay, before turning again and diving under a small section of water, and like that, spitting back towards the start straight on the opposite side of where all the magical science happened that had started the regrowth of the coral. Simple, fast, winding, almost like a motocross track, but given most of it was about 20 meters below sea level, and the ability to snap a shot of an AG racing ship at full tilt with a shoal of fish in the background beyond glass (without AI or photoshop), made it rather extraordinary.

But for the pilot that had set all purple sectors, it was another demonstration that Jenny Lowry was proving she was no fluke.
"P1, Jen, mega lap, all attack through there."

"Woo!"

She was being hunted by Nora, the local favourite. And Beatrix Ward. Amy was not close at all. But tomorrow would change all of that.

Qualifying Results for Great Barrier Reef:

docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qF6cn…

---

Interviews

The interviews took place within an underwater dome, with fish and coral visible outside, at a stewards viewing point onto the circuit itself, moored slightly offshore from the spit of sand itself.

"Bellatrix, we heard that Nordic Call brought upgrades, and it looks like you've delivered. How are you feeling coming in and instantly making an impact with points?"

"Beatrix, a solid P3 effort, and while stability may not be Carrera's strong suit, do you think you can hang onto another podium?"

"Kais, not the result we'd be hoping for, but it seems like Al-Saqr are looking forward to the speedier circuits of the grid. Are you looking to limit damage at Muller Cay?"

"Paul, it looks like you were breathing down the neck of Cassie Neves's time on that qualifying run? It seems like you're so tight knit, how have you found your laps here today?"

Tactical Breach Wizards: Fireteam Hex (Military, Modern, Fantasy, Action-Thriller)

Day 2: 06:15:42
Polavian Standard Vodka Distillery,
Novy Jork,
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

Moving in, the cardboard box of the warehouse eventually giving way to the actual stores of vodka. Row after row of crates of vodka bottles, all pristine, beautiful, white, ethanol-rich gold, well, on the far side of the door that Borys had opened up.

He picked himself up after checking his surroundings, dusting himself off and checking that the wine bottle hadn’t broken in the fall before walking over to the door, placing a hand on the crash bar and pushing the door open, hoping it wasn’t wired to an alarm. “You said something about entering my dreams, Butterfly?” He shot Oksana a grin, gesturing into the bottling plant as he waited for the rest of the team to enter. “Step right in, don’t be shy.”

Oksana cracked an incredibly rare smirk, the butterfly-tattooed arm of the Polavian resting an arm against hers. "Check you haven't damaged your head. I think you are already there." She crassly remarked, Vityaz in other hand as she walked on through, checking the office, looking around for anything useful, paperwork, reasons for why they were here. But nothing. This was just an admin office, and at this time of morning, nothing was going on. But the frontage beyond it was staggering. Looking on at the world of endless bottles of vodka, stationary on the line.

"Oh....wow." Oksana added, the operation pristine. It went from grim and horrid to modern, cutting edge, even. A vodka factory would seem like an easy place to cut money, but Polavian Standard was world-class. And world class vodka demanded a production that met world demand.

Felix paced forwards, adjusting his hat, the Libolian peeking through the next door as he opened it, Felix moving on the catwalk, moving down stairs and towards the end of the production process. The olive tac-hoodie wearing, gazelle-skull attached operator not taking the time to take it in, but provide overwatch.

He contrasted to Oksana, whose sage green shirt and Ghillie (now rolled off her head and off her arms so it didn't snag) with her stubby green hat was following, long SVU on her back, shorter SMG in hand.

"Up ahead. Looks like we have hostiles." Oksana mentioned, taking a knee behind a leg of machinery, the quiet suggesting no hostiles here yet.

"Any way to route around them? I'd prefer not to take on more PSA." Felix replied, as Oksana, shrugged with a lack of options she could see in the killzone in the corridor ahead of them.

"Negative. Every time I run forwards, they spot me. It's like they're looking into the other side of the plant. Where the distillery is." Oksana replied, Felix using that to inform his tactical brief.

"Splendid. I got lights high, and another cabin ahead. Looks like a party. May as well go aggressive. Hit them before they hit us. Then keep moving to the exit." Felix replied, rifle from point to shoulder, looking over shoulder, keeping to a wall filled with vodka bottles. "Silas, on me, we'll take the high road. Borys, Rowan, Roxie, take the cabin ahead."

Oksana turned to Silas. "One for you then. If you want to see inside, this might help. You'll be able to seer." She offered the medic the binoculars, knowing the two hadn't really interacted, but then again, the Libolian had been so far, a bulwark to the team in how he held them up.

On that note, they split up, and moved forwards, getting ready to spring the trap on the PSA, rather than vice-versa.

---

Felix kept a low profile, 417 poking up as he checked the maga-imbued 7.62 rounds, cradling position on the catwalk, holding low against bottles of vodka that were stationary on the factory line.

"Okay. Clear." Felix added, keeping point ahead of the team's medic, keeping his feet careful on the metal, the place claustraphobic underneath more pumps and machinery.

Looking to Silas, Felix stacked up against the door of the SCADA control office, the large office overlooking the entire bottling operation.

The machinery suddenly erupted into life, as bottles moved along. It was like a series of giant grabs moved along with empty glass bottles at the rate of hundreds a minute, each in cradles, being injected with vodka at the far side where the distillery was set up, then sealed via an automated process that stamped a lid in.

This was incredible. Polavia invested in robotics? Since when? He expected someone to be at the far end of the line, but the bottles instead were being sent into an automated batching system lower down, that was supported by workers that were moving down the stairs, out of sight.

"Okay. This, this is a flashbang that really messes with things." He started, peeling it out, the Holy Flashbang imbued in a brilliant, beautiful purple across its patterned, knurled cross section.

"Switches people in place if they're in zone. Do not look at it when it goes off, or you will switch positions with someone in that room. Lot more people in there than there are us from what I can hear. Doesn't sound like workers." Felix added, pin pulled, clutched tight in hand, ready to hurl hard through a crack in the door once he bust the lock open.

"Can you tell me how many there are inside, you got an angle or can you see what happens if I kick this door in? Then we shotty them up." Felix asked, guessing the vessel that Roxie had offered Silas, if he had chosen to take it, might help. The Libolian switched to the shotgun on the 417, the Masterkey able to live up to that if he kicked this door in, and the KS23 from Silas able to support. Said masterkey would open more than hearts and minds, using regular 00 buckshot over mana-enfused shells for this particular party.

---

Lower down, that was where Rowan, Borys and Oksana could see bottles be transported along, full of vodka, into another cabin where a shift of workers were in the next cabin across from theirs, dutifully pulling them into cardboard boxes, clinking loudly. Civies. A small shift for the morning, but the main noise was PSA soldiers in the cabin, a fairly large facility where the bottles were QA'd and even one of them was yelling as he shotgunned a bottle for himself.

"Okay, sit tight." She said, PP-19 in hand, kneeling and seering, eyes going all off colour, imagining it.

She stood inside and ran. Bullets flew. She could see them all. A guy with a armoured up helmet. Another one with a standard Uley. All carrying AK-74Us. She got filled with rounds, and her dying look was watching Rowan's head get splattered with a shotgun round.

Roxie stopped seeing. And started believing.

"Guy with an armoured helm left, he's got a shotgun." Oksana called out. "Okay. Rowan, think you can cast something to haze them? I can see if it'll work. Perks of sight." Oksana commented, knowing Rowan would be confused. "Tell me your plan and I'll see it. Then we execute it." Oksana added, looking to Borys, tapping him on the shoulder. "Every scenario I see though, this drunk fuck doesn't die though. Recommend we use him as a pointman. And fill him with enough booze to take on a tank." Oksana chuckled, looking to him as she adjusted her hat, checking her mag, before sliding it back in, riffing behind him, ready to kick the door in on Rowan's command (as she called it) and follow Borys.

---

Meanwhile, inside of the block that Upswing would be sitting inside of, yelling could be heard.

Someone had rumbled him.

Who? It was hard to say. But, it looked like things were about to get active.

And that he might have to find a way to quietly get away. He would be good at covering his tracks, of course, but the PSA had a way of finding out where people were. Some thought telepathy, even if that was literally possible, but more often than not, was just solid local intelligence. And now, he had choices to make.

But they were up against an illusionist. So their odds were poor.

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

@Bagel@Ezekiel

Sadly I think it's closed for the moment, but more than happy to let you know if a space opens up in future! Really sorry but I'm gonna let this go another day and see we get on with our new system?

Bagel- As a general comment- they seem very similar to a char in the RP. So while I'm not closed to the character, maybe a slightly different powerset would be better to avoid a clash?

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

Shifting

“Sparky!” he sounded like an enthusiastic child calling to Lightning Girl, who was physically imposing enough to match his Olympian stature. His eyes lock for a moment on her cup of tea and he seems to be thinking for a much longer moment “I forgot to bring you back some Mamaki!” Where he had heard about that was anyone’s guess, as was how he would have even purchased some.

Lightning Girl smiled, shocked. She realised it wasn't THE, Phenomaman, holy shit that would be something, but his clone. And someone who was clearly in the same mould. Even if she didn't understand what the Hawaiian....was it a snack or a plant? - she still smiled with her usual glow. He was a titan, a brick shithouse, but a real hero anyone in her mould might look up to.

"Fenomaman! I heard about you, didn't think you would be assigned to us....well, welcome to the team! I'm sure we'll make a great setup." And it wasn't just him. The other dispatcher had arrived too, Sophie beginning to think James had a point about him.

He ignored the ceaseless scratching in his head. His co-workers were off-limits. Besides, it wasn’t his problem to judge. Yet.

“Good morning, Lighting Girl.”

"Morning, Tyler! Thanks for staying late yesterday, I bet you were hungry to get out!" She smiled, shaking his hand, knowing yesterday with James had gone well. And not knowing anything about his.....other side. Hat Trick, well, more people knew about him. He was always a pleasure to work with. Even after yesterday's awkward dispatch.

With a smile and a orange juice im hand he chuckles gently, "good morning team A. How are we all recovering from yesterdays work day?" His chiseled scarred up face split by a smile.

"Yeah, all good!" She heard Hat Trick come in, the burly, big hockey player showing his friendly side. You would have thought someone as much of a thug on ice as he was would be, he couldn't be friendlier. Typical Canadians. Then that contrasted with Asteroid's more dry sense.

"I'm alright, gotta stop on the way home for more fish flakes for Ducky though." After it comes out he grimaces a bit, realizing just how lame it makes him sound. Perfect ammunition for a bit of bullying, but hey whatever. He has a pet gold fish, sue him.

Lightning Girl smiled at Asteroid and Blackstar, giggling. "Never took you for someone with a fish tank, Asteroid...." She shrugged, sipping down more of her tea, adjusting her strap on her mask, firing electricity at her phone that she slung out of her hip pack, before shoving her hand back into the adapted socket.

"You lot all like star-gazing or something with those comments on suits?" She giggled, not a little guilty of the fact both Asteroid and Blackstar were rather cosmic. "Sometime, I'll have to tell you about how I got my powers. But you lot have got more in common with me than you think..." She smiled, sipping tea down more while staying on power, seeing Payback also add her two cents.

”Tell me it won’t be another double. That’s really all I want.”

Payback was quiet as ever, but Lightning Girl, was not. The darkness contrasted by colour. It was strange for two people that some might have said had similar powers, they literally repelled each other. Because when Lightning Girl walked over, it seemed to actually shove Payback away. And then Lightning Girl back. She replied nonchalantly, before going back to power, the mug put away in the washing machine.

"Eh, probably not a double shift. Otherwise I'm gonna be parking myself at the nearest power station for how much caffiene I need. Also, do you mind turning your power down? I'm literally pushing you away, I think. Don't reverse polarity too much unless you can't take the power though, Payback!" Lightning Girl smiled to Payback, knowing this was far, far too many words for her to take. And probably annoying her. What was Payback's problem? Did she hate this programme? How loud heroes were? Why couldn't she embrace this all? Lightning Girl could not make sense of it.

Hat Trick had at least come up with some clever idea for batteries. Sponsorship. A strange thing to say the least, but corporate stuff helped SDN pay the bills and it was easy work.

That all continued as James peeked his head around the door, breaking the conversation thread, the clock nearly to 1pm. This was a hell of a break room. But, A-Team had reinforcements and he had finished his hour's prep work, and was ready to get dispatching.

"Afternoon, all. Fenom, Blackstar, nice to have you joining us." James simply introduced, the grey shirt replaced with a burgundy polo, that looked just about sharp enough with his designer glasses and chinos that made him look more business casual. The kettle had hot water in it, so he poured that in, avoiding the various powers of the team. Being powerless meant any one of them could kill him. He topped up the mug with an Earl Grey teabag in it, and stirred it, looking across to them all.

"Now I Won't harp on about it, but the area we're covering has grown a lot more. We'll be all busy today. But hopefully nothing as mental as yesterday." James said to the entire group, tea in hand, leaning against the wall. "I know yesterday sucked. But let's make today better. Have a good shift team. After the break, I'll need each of you with me for a 1-2-1." James added, leaving the room, and to it, the quiet awkwardness of it all.

Lightning Girl had her watch beeping at her as the clock struck 1pm, and they were on shift.

---

Tuesday
13:02
Claremont SDN

Shift Start- Tuesday

Soundtrack: Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

James sat down at the desk, and exhaled.

Earphone in.

Cup hit coaster.

Keys were slapped, getting logins, applications open, and a gentle start up. James seemed anti-social, but he was in the zone and before Tyler would arrive at the desk across from him, getting it all ready.

Stapler clapped into paperwork.

Slurp of tea.

It wasn't his usual. But James hadn't gotten to where he was without being good at this. Mistakes got made, shit went wrong, but, that was part and parcel. Hero work wasn't about perfection. It was about dealing with everything and trying not to die.

He plucked his earphone out, looing to Tyler, seeing him finish getting set.

"Okay, Tyler. Let's get to it. You've got the minor dispatches. I'll keep an eye on the big stuff. Chat to me when you want to go through your paperwork." James reiterated, as he offered his pack of biscuits around the cubicle.

And proceeded to get into it, assigning the first few.

The early afternoon shift started nicely.

So far, no drama. It had been significantly quieter than last early afternoon had been.

With a team this big, Claremont was now expected to cover La Verne and Montclair completely, making the area they had enormous. Taking on elements outside of LA County was not on James's radar when he started this, but with 10 heroes at his disposal, the A-Team was doing the work.

The rain began. It was a gentle drizzle, not some epic thunderstorm, Lightning Girl would have loved that, he thought to himself. It was just a gentle patter, the sky as grey as he remembered Manchester being.

So, when a flurry of dispatches hit, it was a much more serious deal, as James put mug down.

"Shit, this might sketch, Tyler. Bear with. I might need you to help with some camera work." He added, bringing up each dispatch, patching into calls, in a method that was insanely intense.

This would hurt most people's heads. But he was wired up with caffeine and a raspberry lozenge clattering around his teeth.

He made his picks.

---

Assignments

"Eclipse, Payback, I've got a jewel store robbery. Civies at risk. Pin sent, need you there, now." James clattered keys, knowing that one was top of his priority queue.

"Asteroid, Blackstar, I need you to help a subscriber with her vlogging channel. Pin sent."

"Solaris, I've got a dojo asking for help with karate combat training. Details following, pin sent."

The next one was weird. He was running out of heroes, but he had to work with the limited info he had that it was alien, it was weird, and that meant he only had two he could think of. Pizza making was easy, right?

"Feno, Princess, I've got a pizza shop having issues with production. Pin sent, lend them a hand."

Onto the next.

"Hat Trick, I've got a car dealership in need of some marketing help. Pin is sent, should be your street." Another one out.

He had Lightning Girl and Madcap left. He hoped like hell he didn't have to send Madcap alone, not after yesterday afternoon's fuck up. The job came up and he realised it was wiser maybe to maybe not put Madcap on this job in particular.

"Okay, Lightning Girl, I need you to help someone get back into a house they just got locked out of."

And then, the last one landed. He was glad he had Madcap in reserve. This one he couldn't fuck up, right?

"Okay, Madcap, it's a subscriber with a.....what the hell is that order. I'll tell you what, she keeps changing her mind, I think it's best I send you to her to get her order."

---

Jewel in the Crown

The other dispatch would be rather more alarming. A jewellery store heist that was in progress, and while the cops had been called, SDN was a hell of a lot faster.

Inside, Queen Bitch and her goons were smashing up glass cabinets, and throwing jewels into bags, a few members of the crew armed with M4s, the villain-in-chief dressed in gaudy high end clothing and a pink balaclava. And upon seeing the heroes arrive, threw a loose pile of glitter out of the front door.

The glitter was however, as they would discover, *explosive*. Which would make them rethink their approach.

"Okay team, let's be careful. You'll need to stop them but let's not turn a robbery into a significant insurance claim. Civilians first, then all gang members, then the jewels. Ideally all of them. Definitely the former." James spoke with authority, knowing that with lives on the line, it always felt nervous. It could be heard. Civilians being hurt was the absolute worst case scenario, and while those two weren't normally heroes, they had an opportunity to save the day.

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 4

---

Hey, I'm....

Upon arriving, they'd find the vlogger, a 20-something that was on a corner within Claremont's city centre, and no doubt, not a priority versus all the other crime. But it was a fun day out, as the vlogger waved to them. They weren't American, they seemed to be a tourist- it was hard to say where, but maybe from Japan or Korea?

"Hey hey, I'm UltraGal! Can you help me with some filming? It's so cool working with supers, I was thinking, like, we explore Claremont, you show me all the best spots from the eyes of a super?"

James heard the audio come in, as he chuckled. How did that work? Well, it had to mean they needed to be cool on filming, and on camera. Asteroid and Blackstar would be ideal for that, it felt, but they'd need to get highly creative with what exactly the vlogger wanted.

"Your approach, Asteroid and Blackstar. Go show them some star power, your approach on what you show them. But let's get some positive feedback."

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 3

---

Karate Kid(s)

Meanwhile, Solaris would arrive at the dojo, and the missing teacher being substituted by Solaris might not have felt very heroic, but, it was an SDN subscriber that certainly appreciated a hero coming in to cover the day.

"Ah, just who we were looking for! Solaris, come with me!" The receptionist ushered, as they went through the next door, a paper door sliding open to reveal it.

An entire class of kids looked in awe at the heroine in front of them walking in, as James chuckled, thinking about the prospect.

"Karate might not be your thing, Solaris, but I'm sure you can show them how to fight." He added, knowing Solaris hadn't needed to yesterday, but perhaps she could show a different kind of power.

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 2

---

A Slice of the Action

So far, so typical. Yet when Fenom-man and Princess would turn up to the pizza place, it would be anything but, walking inside of the incredibly inconspicuous "Frankie's Pizza" in Montclair.

"In here! Oh man it's chaos! The machines are broken, the pact I made with the N'Seth has gone to shit!" The owner behind the counter yelled, as opening the door seemed to open....

A portal to an alien hellscape, but still the kitchen of a pizza takeaway operation. It was about as hot as hell, with conveyors out of control in a room that felt straight up not on Earth anymore, it felt like even the atmosphere was on fire. It required vigour to try and at least manage just how many bases were being sent across the conveyor. This wasn't a pizza store anymore. This was something totally weird, with the clicking noises of the aliens operating the stations more hostile than friendly. Was this a labour dispute, or something else? Either way, the portal which was a tiny window to the front was shut, and until pizzas were made, it wouldn't be opened.

James's heart sank. Fuck. This was way, way more out of packet than he could imagine. This would need to be near perfect if they had any chance of getting it right. Getting reinforcements wasn't possible.

It was likely a mistake on James's end, but when a pizza parlour needed support, he did not expect an interdimensional, alien-like hellscape to be the kitchen.

Maybe it was best Feno and Princess were there, because even if this fucked up, which it was likely to do so, they'd probably not get hurt as a result.

"Okay, let's do our best. Try and figure out how to do some orders, or get them to do orders. Honestly, I....genuinely don't have a clue." James was not being helpful. He hoped they might make sense of it, even if they couldn't help.

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 5

---

The Auto-Motive

On the other hand, Hat Trick had an easier one, arriving at the car dealership, and the greaseball of an owner was there to greet him.

"Hey, Hat Trick! Just the guy we need! Okay, we need help selling cars. Can you come up with something catchy and star in our advert?"

James looked through the feed, realising this was "Benjamin Dover's Range Rovers" when he panned the camera up. And spat out his tea, laughing, realising he was still on transmit.

"Ah, oh fuck, I'm so.....oh never mind. Fuck that broke me! Sorry, Hat Trick, yeah, this is a simple ad read. Okay, this one is all you. Go ice this performance." James smiled, clicking fingers, looking across to Tyler.

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 2

---

Re-Entry

Lightning Girl would turn up to to the apartment, the scared looking student outside, looking up at the room that they could no longer get access to. The drizzle was turning into full rain now, and she could feel herself shorting out. On any exposed skin, like her neck and back of her head, she was literally feeling pins and needles spike.

"Shit, thank god you're here! I got locked out and can't get back inside. Like there's a key for the door, a key for the elevator, a key for my room, my phone is dying, I can't...."

"It's okay. Breathe. Let me have a look." Lightning Girl replied, reassuring as ever, realising this problem would require some smarts as well as her usual abilities.

She put a hand on her chin, looking up at the tall apartment, and looking across at other methods in. She would have to break in. But try not to break anything on that way in.

"S.....Lightning Girl, you got an idea of what to do?" James asked, as she chuckled, optimistic, chirpy, living her life as ever. Filled with enough electricity to power a house would do that. Her reply seemed to follow.

"I have many ideas. I got this one, dispatch. I'll be faster than a locksmith!"

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 2

---

An Insane Coffee Order

Madcap was not James's first choice at the moment. But at least it wasn't leading old ladies across the road. Holy shit. This was a dumb dispatch, but the subscribers was infamous for their choices.

When Madcap would turn up to their very, very expensive house, they'd find a Prada-wearing, wealthy influencer lounging on their chaise, doing the square root of absolutely nothing.

"What took you so long! So, I need a large macha, with extra froth, two pumps of Maple Syrup, one pump of Cherry, WITH OATMILK, AND BAILEY'S, AND, a raspberry flapjack, AND a pain au chocolat with sugar sprinkles and a raisin bake, but the pain au chocolate from Barzo's cos' ew, I'm not...."

Madcap would likely be sighing. James was too from the feed.

"Madcap....we'll sort this. I've made some notes for you, but let's go get this order."

SUCCESSES REQUIRED - 1

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

Monday
18:45
Vanderstenk Labs, Claremont

Lightning Girl, Princess and Hat Trick (Team 1)

As Princess battered Xylotam, he was clearly weakened, the hit from the hulking form of her quite something. Holy shit, Lightning Girl thought to herself. That was before Hat Trick intervened. And spoke to him, in his native tongue. Xylotam replied, half understanding it, desperate, panicking, terrified.

"I want out of here. I wanna....I wanna go home!" The noise sounded broken, but Hat Trick and Princess, might, might have just understood it. To Lightning Girl, it sounded like garbled vowels thrown at a wave of consonants. Not even human, really, because Xylotam wasn't.

The big rock figure seemed curious as Hat Trick approached, while Lightning Girl spat one massive bolt from the side.

Hat Trick would no doubt be pissed, as the bolt recoiled across Xylotam and particularly made the crystal frazzle. Distracting and holding him in place enough.

And with it, Lightning Girl ran around the back, the stone golem shocked, as Lightning Girl realised the gentleman of the group wasn't gonna do this. She'd climbed before and the running gag was that the rockface had a "crack" in the wall. It took little to a reader's imagination to understand what on Xylotam, this crack this meant.....

So she launched herself at Xylotam's lower back, and pulled down at the crystal and gave it everything, a massive almighty electrically fused punch, and suddenly the massive stone construct yelling, and with it, freezing in spot.

The British heroine stood up, dusting herself off, holding the crystal, her electricity interacting with it, really, really fucking weird.

It made her glow purple for just a second.

"Ooooo.." She added, sliding it across the floor, not wanting to fuck with that all. That felt like sentience. That felt like someone was in there with her brain. Lightning Girl had heard Xylotam inside her for a moment! Screaming!

She didn't want that so proceeded to fuck off that mythic horror right away, crystal out of hands. So eviction it was, as the purple crystal sat on the floor, four haz-mat clad Vanderstenkers running in with lots of pokey-sticky things to contain it again. Was the crystal where he was? Or the body part of it? The golem was stuck in place, mid expression, as if trapped in what it had said, implying it was crystal.

They were not researchers. They were heroes. And it was disaster averted if there was a lab leak, as Lightning Girl turned to the other two, dusting her fingerless gloves off. Vanderstenk were not arbiters of morality. But they did pay SDN, and as heroes, that was what they were there to do.

"Nice one on distracting him." Lightning Girl hadn't realised that Hat Trick was trying to talk him down.

It sank in a bit more as she looked the frozen rock. Maybe, they could have done this more civil. Politely. So she thought that maybe Hat Trick might be a little pissed at her for that, as she looked at the crystal. "Sorry.....I uhh.....bad memory of another one a few weeks back just got me. Didn't think you could speak to him." She said, realising what he was trying to do. Understanding. Halfway to a thought.

"But! I think Xylotam is in that crystal! I heard him in my head when I pulled it out. I think they tried to see what would happen if they got a drinking buddy. And uhh.....maybe they'll realise it when we send them the report? We do have to do some paperwork on a Red Grade incident." She tried to patch up a situation, shrugging, knowing that it wasn't the most heroic thing to do, but saving lives outside was much more important than the risk that could have come from it. Maybe Hat Trick would be mad that she overrode him, but in some way, she knew being a hero was never perfectly black and white. You just did the best you could.

And she could not afford another Meta-Man and Tsunami situation. Not again. No more fuck ups. She had to get this right. Hat Trick and Princess might not have been happy, but for her sake, for her own conviction in herself, that had to happen.

"Right. Shall we go back to base? Princess, mind shifting back so I can carry you?" The British heroine asked, the size of Princess a bit too much for Lightning Girl to handle at this point,

"James, situation at Vanderstenk Labs is uhh, clear. Golem thing is no longer a flight risk."

"Copy that, good work. Sounds like you handled that without any serious collateral damage."

Lightning Girl looked at the car alarm going off, then craned her neck up at Princess. Well, she could speak for herself, not for her colleague, who....

"Uhhhh......"

---

Monday
18:45
Claremont College Dorms, Claremont

Lunara and Madcap (Team 2)

Team 2 had finished up. Watching on the CCTV, James opened his mouth. Holy fuck, Lunara opened a can of whoop ass on them. Maybe she could have talked them down, but with that many students, and only two of them until cops arrived on scene, now really one given Madcap had been destroyed by....Kevin, it made sense she went all in. And terrified the shit out of. Okay, that James admitted, was worth it. Not policy, sure, but if they had been taught a lesson, it was taught by a villain who knew how to hustle. 100 boxers or a gorilla? 20 students versus one Lunara seemed unfair when she had her lunar power to hand.

She reached up to click her earpiece, and simply said "Subjects were uncooperative. 'Reasonable' Force has been applied, might want to call an ambulance or two." She looked down at Madcap... and added "And wake up the company therapist."

"Copy that Lunara, well contained. Damn. They didn't really listen, did they?"

Jamed would say that was a success. Not a critical one or how he saw it going, but the situation was contained and the terrified students weren't gonna be terrorised anymore. Lunara had just chosen to beat the crap out of everyone. Madcap was pretty hurt though, his invincible posture a bit dented.

"Help Madcap to RTB, would you, Lunara? I think we're nearly done. He doesn't look so great. And I think he might need cheering up that you both did good."

---

Monday
18:45
Shipton Railyard, North Pomona

Eclipse, Payback and Asteroid (Team 3)

"We all in one piece? Eclipse- that fire was real close to ya- you good?" He looks back at Eclipse as he's blindly digging around Pyress's arms for some sort of release for the fuel valve. When his fingers catch on it, he yanks the hose off. He then zip ties her arms together behind her back, waiting for some sort of transport to pick her up.

"And not a drop spilled."

Team 3 had also, just sorted out the situation. Pyress was in custody, stripped out of her armour and with a punk red mohican and a lot of leather gear beneath the SWAT-team's worth of armour she'd brought to the heist, was being taken out of the action along with two very sight-damaged goons that had tried to drive the train out of sight. James was a little more impressed, despite Eclipse's fuck up, they'd salvaged it nicely.

"Nice work, Team 3. We're done there. Close call with Eclipse though. I'll go through it tomorrow." James replied, looking on as the acid was safe, all perps were arrested, and that was a good day of work.

---

Monday
18:59
Claremont SDN

End of Watch

The team had returned in, with one last minor job for the night- a final patrol of the college campus after the break ins, the bars, and the train station to make sure all was alright at each. Which it was. James called it there.

"All teams, RTB and call it in. We're done for tonight." James could see the sight of another dispatcher coming in, grabbing a seat and immediately grabbing his headset, another team of heroes ready for the night shift. B-Team. From 7pm till 6am. They were just getting told they had a long night, until Ontario SDN would pick up the slack for the morning.

He breathed a sigh of relief, as he got out of his chair, checking his phone for notifications, seeing outside the sight of heroes returning.

They all came back in, as James made sure to head down to the break room, actually seeing the team for the first time. Before they scattered, he addressed them all, knowing they were done, and had no need for big words.

Even for Madcap. He was looking fairly broken. Hurt, and right now, hitting him with paperwork over the old lady was the worst. That was tomorrow's problem. Even James had empathy there.

Then there was Lunara, who had kicked a lot of ass. Looking all noble in her black and grey silhouetted armour, her and Solaris, her counterpart, doing a solid for him today. Efficient. Lunara was scary, but, Solaris was more than he could ask for.

Eclipse, who had started the day well, not ending it great. He was looking worse for wear, but, it was nothing a hero couldn't restore for tomorrow, though the singed marks on his armour implied he'd gotten a bit more than he could chew with that flamethrower.

And Princess, quiet as she had been, at least, had put herself to work. A shapeshifter was a handy thing to have. Even if the report had to include her throwing a full sized electric car at a rock being.

Asteroid had come in clutch. A strange first shift, but by the second, he'd really kicked some ass and come in clutch, as did...

Payback, who seemed to still have her resting bitch face, not playing at costumes or anything at all, just looking perpetually annoyed. And currently, literally repulsing Lightning Girl away through her innate magnetism.

Hat Trick rounded the group, and well, James appreciated that too. A man for many seasons. Charisma and violence. Hockey player special.

To them, James was just anyone else in the office. He didn't wear an SDN shirt, sure, but he also wasn't in the line of fire. Not in any danger. Making calls behind it and knowing that with everything he sent them to, they'd be putting their lives on the line for the citizens (and companies) of Claremont and it's neighbours.

"Thanks for tonight. Appreciate that wasn't ideal, but you stepped up today and I know SDN doesn't do you enough service for what you achieved. But you all did great. We'll go again tomorrow, and you can set your alarm clocks later. We'll start at 1pm." James said to the crew, with little else to say. He had to keep spirits high, and in the midst of crap, you ended it with a nice note.

Lightning Girl nodding in response, as she didn't have much to say. Headed to the clock out machine, no timecards, but an old-school RFID chip did its work. For all the tech....

The machine bleeped, as she checked off, shift complete, leaving it behind, looking to everyone else left behind, that hadn't driven or flown in.

"See you all tomorrow afternoon. Unless, anyone wants a lift?" She literally pointed to her rubber-gloved hands, willing to pick anyone up that couldn't fly or otherwise rapidly disappear and reappear at will- quite literally or metaphorically, if needed. Even Hat Trick.

----

As James let Lightning Girl chat to the others, he got a phone call back from the number he'd dialled earlier. A small favour. But one he wanted to sort.

"They still there?" James asked, as murmuring could be heard over the line.

"Sweet. Alright. I'll be over in ten."

---

Monday
18:59
Sophie's House, Devore Heights

Becoming Sophie

Soundtrack: The Chemical Brothers- Wide Open (By The Light Of The Moon Remix)

The night was stunning, as the fluttering of Lightning Girl's cape clattered against her back, the static pouring from behind, as she flew across the sky, above the scattered clouds, turning over mid-flight to enjoy the stars, before pitching back down, spotting her home like a hawk spotting prey.

She let herself drift, gently letting go of her powered flight, and used the last reserve to stop her from hitting stony rock at 50mph, gently setting herself down in the back garden patio of her bungalow.

The music stopped pouring from her ear, as it came from her phone, as she let it play, and got inside, static bouncing on the doorhandle.

It was rather downbeat compared to her usual style.

Sophie in the meantime had peeled her mask off, breathing out. Halfway to.....her.

She looked out of the window, the house on the hill in Devore Heights a long, long, long way away from DTLA. The skyscrapers so far they weren't even really visible beyond the hills and lights.

Thinking about it all. The day had gone well. But why did she feel so much guilt? Come on, Sophie, she told herself. They were fine. Definitely fine. And the team were okay. They just.....was it her? Too loud? Too much? For Americans? Maybe. But she was powered up. That made it okay, right? Or they were just criminals, just crooks? No sense of humour. No want to do this. Maybe that. She couldn't think straight. Was Xylotam's....uhhh, de-eggplanting the right thing? Fuck knows.

Her phone buzzed, as she saw the list of missed messages she hadn't even gone through, with another coming in.

The ball had been rearranged for Friday.

"Operational Reasons" it said. Because Pasadena had a lot of issues, that still, she wasn't hearing about. Red Ring infiltrating the place? Something worse? She didn't want to think on it. Work was occupying enough of her mind.

Her therapist had told her to stop worrying about it, but Sophie knew you couldn't fix the girl who couldn't be normal in this skin or the other one.

But, maybe something good could come from this. The ball being rearranged, she refocussed herself, meant she could maybe go.

"Well, shit. Damn, I am gonna need a little cover for that night...." She replied, smiling, going over to her wardrobe, seeing the gleaming silvery dress that sat in there, as she threw the suit she was half out of across the room from her remaining leg, and put on some more casual clothes, sliding into a cardigan and a pair of tights, gloves thrown off as well. One last step.

She headed back outside, and she put her hand to the metal handrail at the back door, into the crappy, rocky garden that made up the back of the house, with the hills in the background full of empty nothing.

The metal handrail was her usual point to call it a day. Lightning Girl no more.

She just held tight. For a solid minute, until she could feel all of the electricity just pour out of her. It took so much concentration. So much to do. It wasn't a big event, it just....vanished.

But it left. And immediately, she felt all that giddiness, all that energy, the fucks she gave, heroism, all of it, leave. Like the skin she wore that Lightning Girl was made of, all of it, every excess electron zapped with not a single sound into the grounding point.

And Sophie was back fully. Looking out at the dark sky, sighing, taking in the stars she could see beyond the massive haze of light pollution at the very edge of LA.

Normal.

Human.

Able to touch stuff and not watch it pulsate.

Able to feel vulnerable. Hide. Disappear. Be just another white haired pretty girl on the corner of LA.

It was strange how much a mask changed her, disappeared the parts of her she wanted to. But instead of wanting to run away to Sophie, Lightning Girl was someone she hoped would be enough in time. Sophie was normal, comfortable, but Lightning Girl, she was ambitious, wanted it more. Wanted it all. Sophie liked her because it was that push she should have had, the persona of someone who was better.

But that couldn't be her, not all day. Not unless she wanted to shock more people again. And burn herself out.

Not after a day like that. She left that thought, as she got to work on food and enjoying what little she had left of her evening.

---

Monday
19:24
Pomona General Hospital, Pomona

Hospital Visit

As he sat up, Brick, otherwise known as Meta-Man, sat with an IV in his wrist and plenty of burn bandages across his arms. For someone who could manipulate items, getting caught in a duct that then got blasted by Lightning Girl was not one he'd have ideally had planned.

"Hey. Been a fucking while. What brings you here?"

James sighed, shrugging as he put down the packet of Sour Patch Kids and the modest bottle of Jack Daniels on the bedside table, wondering if this was even a good idea. But he'd gone this far, walking into his private room at Pomona General.

"Visiting two people on my roster who are in hospital. Br.....Tsunami's been moved. But they said you were here, so yeah. Thought I'd say hello, given I work with you. You know, courtesy." The off-grey shirt and chinos having Manchester accented redhead started, sitting down in the chair opposite, as the Compton-born super sat up, shaking his head.

"Here to check when I go back to work? Or...."

"I know. For what it's worth, this isn't about you returning to work. That's all to talk about when you're ready. I'm here because I decided I would check in because I care for the team I now have, given Riley's been moved. And because even though you haven't heard it from her personally yet, she apologised." James sighed, looking him over.

"You know what she did? She fucking put a bolt through me; I thought I saw God!" Brick coughed, as he sat up in his gown, holding a hand to the railing. "Come the fuck on, you couldn't lift fucking a wheel of cheese! You know she don't give a fuck, she only cares 'bout looking good, and you're just another idiot making sure I don't push charges on your British friend. What's between us, is between us." Brick replied, as James nodded.

"I'm not here because of SDN. I'm here 'cos it's right. Like I said." James grit his teeth.

"So you done feeling good, Prince fuckin' Harry? Gonna go back and fuck Meghan in the Hollywood Hills after?" James almost laughed, if it wasn't so fucking done with the comparison.

"You're like the sixth person to say it. So yeah, fuck you. I'm not here to feel good. I'm here because I don't want you to leave this hospital and make bad decisions. Leave the Programme and choose something else because that would be easy right now and get your ass handed to you when you do. And because it's my job to look after all the heroes in it. Whether or not that's you, or Eclipse, or Lightning Girl, or anyone else that's on my watch." James said, checking him over. "And because when I found out, I felt responsible about what Sophie did too. That's why it comes back to me."

Brick went quiet, realising for a second who this might just be.

"Oh. Oh, you know her like *that?*" Brick started, guessing romance, before James put an end to that notion.

"She's my sister." James sighed, putting hands in face, a half-face palm. "Look, I thought to tell you that because you probably didn't know Riley's been moved teams, so I'm looking after the A-Team for now. Direct. And that it doesn't change anything, but yeah, I'm not gonna defend her, and I want you to know nothing changes. But I don't want you doing something stupid when you come back."

Brick was quiet for a moment, as James sighed, watching as he sat up.

"You here to clean up her mess? Damn." Barrack laughed, as he turned a grin. "Shit, you're brave comin' in here. Maybe you do got some balls." Barrack could have gone either way. James reasoned he'd go one.

"Yeah sure, drink some whiskey and run through me if you want. No, not quite. It's because I'm running around this fucking country. And she happens to work here, so yeah, you make it make sense." James said, realising Barrack wouldn't get that. "And because seeing the people that get hurt matters to me, even if corporate might not send someone. They looking after you here?" James asked, no visible Doctor in sight this late in the evening, given only a resident was in.
"Oh I'm.....fine. Would be better if I wasn't in fucking hospital. But I get you. You've got nowhere better to be, huh?" Barrack laughed, as James chuckled, shaking his head.

"I do fancy going home, but, I thought I'd swing by. If there is anything you need, just call. I know you're across the city from home. But thought I'd give you the update because it's the right thing to do. You should know, and I trust you with that. But don't tell the team, or I'll know who it came from. Then you two can go kill each other for what it's worth to me, cos she'd fucking murder me first." James was clever in what he knew he'd done. A sacrificial bit of trust. Maybe not the most moral, and Sophie would skin him if it came out. But right now, he needed Barrack to be off his back. And that trust had come, for as long as James knew he would need it for.

"I gotchu. Look, I 'ppreciate you coming, but don't sit there lookin' all sorry for me. I'll be fine." Brick replied, as James walked towards the door, turning back, to say goodbye as Barrack spoke first.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"They got you here on a Phoenix Programme from your Royal Family? Because you are fucking definitely Prince Harry."

James sighed, as the scene cut.

---

Monday
19:52
Somewhere on Highway 210

Commuting Home

The drive was late into night, as James stayed on the freeway, the Honda Civic not exactly as fast as most of the heroes return, and not something most would have considered a modestly paid dispatcher consultant would drive here. But it would do.

The phone rang on the passenger seat, not on his windscreen where it worked as a GPS.

Work phone. Not personal. He didn't normally take calls out of work. Not unless it was an emergency. But it was Kat, so, it had to be, as it connected to the Civic's bluetooth.

"Hey, Katherine." He seemed almost monotone, not sure at this point, what fuck up had hit now.

"Hey James, nothing to worry about. You free, still driving home?"

"Yeah. Free as I can be."

"Wanted to call and say thank you."

"No worries. It's what you pay me for. How's it going?"

"Sit rep in Pasadena calmed down. But Riley's away for a while. Sorry. It isn't gonna be temporary. And with everything, you're the best person I have to look after the A-Team." Kat added, as annoyed to be up this late, as he now likely was.

"Fine. Wasn't expecting anything different."

"Wait, you thought that...."

"Yeah, I prepared. Appreciate you trusting me, but I know SDN enough to know that you wouldn't trust anyone else with some of them. It's all good. I'll be in at 10:30. I spoke with Regional and Growth. Sounds like they like you a lot, Kat to let me not do their projects. Riley's got some big shoes to fill, but you know. I'll help out. Because I think you're not completely difficult to work with." James chuckled in a banter-y manner, under Kat's skin, even though the Director always got the last laugh.

"You just fucking wait till I shapeshift into one of your heroes and scare the shit out of you."

"I look forward to it. With Lightning Girl, you know that I'm now..."

"Yeah, I know. Best to keep it to yourself. They find out, there's gonna be a mess. They might guess it, but fuck 'em. Keep it to yourself for now. We'll cross that bridge when we're there." Kat said, with James not mentioning the fact that Meta-Man now knew. For a greater good? He told himself that. He wasn't a hero. He had to keep the heroes from fucking killing each other.

"Fuck 'em?" James replied, out of turn for a consultant, but on a good rep with Kat. Wondering what she meant.

"Madcap threw an old lady through a glass pane. I saw that report. Holy fucking shit. Yeah, fuck 'em sometimes. Bigger fires to fight generally." Kat added, as she chuckled, as James interrupted in the midst.

"Then, he proceeded to get his ass handed to him by....Kalvin, no, Kevin the Destroyer?"

They both laughed, as James sighed, still in shock.

"Yeah, he's.....a character. I'd put half them in prison if I could. Madcap being sad doesn't help us, but, you ain't his councillor. Guy still did a lot of illegal shit. We're trying to rehabilitate, but this isn't a programme that survives unless we have something good to show for it." Kat replied, as James changed lanes, speeding up, finally back on the interstate.

"But you don't have a choice and corporate like it when you get cheap labour. And you haven't got a pool of therapists so....your dispatchers keep these pricks from the wall."

"You fucking reading my mind, James?"

"No, that's HR's job. No, I'm just aware the American penal system is a fucking joke, Kat, and you have given serious contracts to criminals with powers that border on unnatural..."

"Unnatural? Look, it's the best we can do with what we're given. Same as usual. World ain't full of Sophies or Tylers. Claremont isn't a Tier 1 branch. We ain't getting the best here. So it's better they do some good. And they did today, James."

"I know, they did tonight. Went a lot better than I thought. But, it isn't easy, who knows about tomorrow. Payback is silent as fuck. Eclipse is.....well, okay, he has a right to be pissed, but I get this feeling he ain't happy. Asteroid is ticking over. Princess is fucking terrifying. Hat Trick and Solaris give me hope we have some proper heroes here. Mind you, I swear Solaris and Lunara are the same person. Weirdly."

"Well, you get what you get. So let's make the most of it. Yeah?" Kat asked, as James nodded, as if to nobody in particular.

"Appreciate you checking in. But I'm nearly home."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll help you with the reports Riley left. But I might need you to pick up some slack. Tyler could help."

"Sure. We'll sort it. Alright. Good evening."

"See ya, bye." The call cut. The consultant sighed.

Nearly home.

Fucking hell, what a day. He'd filled in his timesheet before he left, and it was good pay, but sometimes, he wondered why the fuck he did this. He should just go to the Sierra Nevada and fuck this off. But he'd already spent weeks travelling before Claremont came up. And his US visa wasn't exactly easy to travel on abroad. So, he was stuck. Stuck in a rock and a hard place.

---

Monday
18:59
Sophie's House, Devore Heights

At Home with the Speights

James lit up the house with red brake lights, before cutting the engine, exhaling hard. He stepped out, and locked up, heading through the door as the keys clinked against the door, and it opened. All a blur.

"Hey." His voice called, the lights on, and one person home.

"Hi." Hers replied, a tired whimper.

It was barely an exchange. Sophie was burnt out, on the sofa, and had already eaten, tidied and cleaned up around the bungalow. So James got himself to work.

A quick air fryer meal. Fries and chicken, squiring a bottle of sweet chili out of the fridge. Sophie was in the lounge, mindlessly watching TV, and James ploughed through the food, forgetting of course to eat at all during his second break, because of how manic shit had been. He normally was a lot more healthy than this, based on the Kefir in the bin, but today was an excuse.

Once that was wolfed away, James was in the next room, crashing on the sofa and sitting against the back, looking across to a regular, everyday, Sophie Speight. Younger sister. And currently, his landlord. Who let him stay for a nominal fee.

"Fun day, right Soph?" James added, crashing in the sofa at the end, Sophie wrapped up in a static-making blanket, watching some rom-com on Netflix, head against a pillow, feet against a table. Work wasn't far from her mind.

"Always fun. You sure about all of this with you looking after us? James, surely this is gonna go to shit. Worse than I said last night. They'll figure it out." She cut straight to it while barely sitting up resting her mane of white hair against the leather.

"Maybe. Like my boss just told me, we'll deal with it when we get there. But I'm nearly out of fucks to give, Sophie." James replied, tired, visibly so, as Sophie chuckled, shaking her head.

"The team really that difficult?" She asked, as James nodded, breathing out, as she offered some Doritos to him, and he took a handful.

"Eh. You know who. And, oh, it is that difficult when you don't taze the wrong people so we don't lose them."

"Hey!" Sophie knew James was teasing, but he took it on seriously anyway.

"Sorry....but speaking about that, I saw Meta Man in Pomona General."

"And?"

"He's looking shook up."

"Guessing he wants to put a brick through my head. Fuck. Not the first person who did today."

"I talked to him. He seems pissed, but, he's....well, the normal. No fucking worse. Might come around."

"Hah. Yeah, no worse." Sophie answered, offering out some Doritos, as James took a handful, leaning back against the sofa.

"Yeah. And yeah, Brick Frog did try earlier and look how it worked for him...." James added, the two chuckling before it faded into silence, the red particles still visible in Sophie's hair. They were looking at what she was watching, then back across at his sister. Parks and Rec was one of her favourite comfort shows.

"If you wanted a workplace comedy where the hot boss lady is trying to hook up with the hot accountant....have you been watching around SDN lately?" James asked, the rough allegory to rumours that always came about, with a certain dispatcher over in Torrance.

"Very meta of you." She replied, as he chuckled, Sophie definitely down on energy before bed. She had to be for reasons James had long since understood.

"Very." He added, words not being exchanged, the two near silent as they watched some more mindless sitcom, killing time before bed. For their years of being further away, it was strange to be close again, and yet, killing time with TV and quiet.

---

Tuesday
10:55
Sophie's House, Devore Heights

Becoming Lightning Girl

The morning didn't start with James, like the first time at her leased house had started yesterday.

It started with the person who had that lease herself, the alarm on her phone wobbling.

Sophie rolled out of bed, the body one that could be mistaken for an athlete's before the suit was thrown on. A four pack that was nearly there if the cafeteria was hiding that progress behind pastries and high sugar content, a comment extendable to her chest. All that bullshit about electric toners reducing weight, she wondered. Nah, 10,000 volts did fuck all, she thought to herself, as she heard James snore, chuckling. She had arms and legs that weren't some pencil, but made of mass that let her be a human battery. Muscle, corded, the kind that meant she went toe to toe with most strongwomen. Elegant, yet poised, a weapon behind it all. If she was caught outside of work, some might even mistake her for a rugby player.

She wasn't Solaris, let alone Blonde Blazer's grade, but hardly someone who just manifested some bullshit power behind something else. Nah. Lightning Girl had worked for this. She was still in more casual garb, a black sports bra and underwear, yawning in the corridor to the bathroom as she dragged herself through the morning. A massive Lichtenburg scar ran across her leg to her shoulder, turning bronze in places, like braids of a river across her chest and out at her neck where the mouth of it spewed, carving across her side and back. Most of it was mark-free, but those scars seemed to hold a tight vein over what she saw in the mirror in the corridor.

It created power no mortal could contain, a shock that should have killed her there and then. And it was nothing anyone ever saw of her, bar herself, her doctors, and James.

And the few times she'd had bad hookups who saw Sophie beyond Lightning Girl's outfit.

Shower with plenty of shampoo to get rid of the brickish dirt she'd lazily fallen asleep on, brush teeth, a gentle patter of skin conditioner and UPF-50 containing cream to keep her skin glowing, and as usual, a casual static shock from the shavers plug to wake her up. She was still yawning given it was nowhere near enough beyond a sharp kick, as she walked out, the morning light breaking in through the window, as she wore a casual t-shirt in case the mailman decided to knock. She peeled out the overnight oats from the fridge, and proceeded to absolutely demolish it like she didn't really care, barefoot, as human as anyone would be this time of the morning.

It was mundane, but then again, as much as James would be in a morning like this.

Every calorie was taken in despite the majority of her energy to beat her powered down state coming from the wire that she had resting on her side bobbling into her as she ate, sticking out of bare wiring powering the house. It wasn't elegant, but ehh, fuck it, she was at home. Her rules. She needed to commute. Sophie covered the wires before James accidentally got shocked, and considered the next part of her routine. Getting into work.

Suit thrown near the door, Sophie tucked her hair back into a bun and did up the elastic, clicking her hands before opening the suit's zipped and elasticated back up and sliding her t-shirt off and stepping inside, the suit in need of a wash probably soon. One foot in first and then a tight pull up, then the other, like a wetsuit, with the zipper yoinked up and then hidden inside. It did well to protect her from small cuts / marks, but being made of ballistic cordura meant it was sweaty as fuck, especially in the day. A peel of a zip up her collar that helped her breathe inside this thing and it tucked away, the collar popped, the Manchester Bee there as always, the yellow stitching popping on the collar, the mirror reflecting someone who went from civilian to hero. The cape on the hangar across from it followed, peeled over onto two highly magnetic clips in a harness on her shoulders that she could turn and lock, physically connecting them to her costume, the hip bag joining as she stashed it beneath her cape, resting on the top of her lower back and side. The mask was last, kept in her hands as she headed out. Earpods, now, put into her ears.

Soundtrack: Nothing But Thieves- Welcome to the DCC

Door opened, Sophie didn't leave using the front but the back. She checked the phone in her iconic fluro yellow hip pack, as well as her zip ties, and usual hero's kit. SDN pass, check, Flying Licence, check, Hero ID, check, first aid kit, check, GPS, check.

Time to go be a hero. The grey sky did not give her credence to stop, the drizzle visible already on the horizon from the hills above.

It's easier if she flew, she thought to herself. Plus a lot faster too and zero traffic for her. Commuting was seven minutes, not 40.

With an effortless thought, lept into the sky, focussing all of it into the static trail that sizzled quietly in the traffic noise behind her, and turned, earpod in one ear, eyes forward for the rest, as the cape billowed over her back and upper legs, and she nonchalantly headed west. Mask slid over face, power pouring from feet, she put her hands back and used it to point her back up again, and gain lift, below a granite sky.

And with her earpods in, the cloudy sky didn't really stop her, piercing the water that painfully hurt against her neck and back of her head, like a million needles being thrown at her.

Sophie pierced the cloud to beat the drizzle and emerged.

To an infinite sky, blue, with a giant white carpet draped across the Pomona Valley, Lightning Girl leaving a static and steam as she flew out of that cloud, like she had emerged from a bleakness into endless optimism. The soundtrack.....well, sometimes it had a choice of timing.

Cloudbreak, with a grey figure emerging from the grey blanket.

"Sunlit upland....a new planet........enjoy the feeling, let it happen........if you're dreaming, you can have it........if you believe it, it can happen..." She sang to nobody in particular, a lot louder than she realised she had. Was it the excess juice? Sure, let's call it that. But that lyric stuck to her. It was like the hope she had inside her manifest true. Here, at the end of the land of opportunity was a place to make dreams real.

She caught the sight of the skyscrapers in DTLA, far, far away, the sight of commercial jets, and the blue sky at 10,000 feet above ground. The sun at this altitude already beginning to burn her skin, but warmed her fast versus the drizzle below and her cordura wicked away water droplets at her speed that had gathered in the cloud. It was waterproof too, that was handy. Although her hair was sodden.

For most, human flight would be beyond incredible. Truly incredible. A lot of heroes even would be deadly envious.

For Lightning Girl, it was Tuesday.

She had to pinch herself every now and then it was the case.

But, you kinda used it day to day, it was just a thing. It was just how you hyped yourself up. Believed you were this. Sophie realised it was the difference between her and some of the guys on the Phoenix Programme. Being a hero took a state of mind, a trust that you were powerful, so anything that came, you would stand your ground and fight. Not run, not hide. You were the main character. And instead of being selfish, you did it so other people could take you in.

So it wasn't long until she had the chance to turn herself over and look at her watch for her GPS, freefalling and applying the brakes, pouring through cloudbase and rain, freefalling through and as ever....emerging into Claremont, the end of the morning once again, this time, a new start to a shift. And right below, the office. And the big helipad-like structure behind the building.

Superhero landing, albeit in line with Health and Safety guidance, onto the pad at the back of work, already smashed in thanks to some fat bastard last week breaking the concrete after hitting it like a truck. It was only a short walk inside, where she was watching the new day shift get back out, after a small morning break. She was adjusting to the new routine, starting at 1pm, not 9am. This was something else. But hey, it was a routine for a reason.

James, would meanwhile, be probably waking up now and be heading to his car, and enjoying a rather quiet commute.

Sophie meanwhile, didn't head for the lifts. That was for plebs. She hit the stairs. Going down, into the basement, not up. No need to get dressed in the rec room, she was already here, hero good to go. Her pass out of her hip pack, she flicked against the gym room, a wave to a couple of heroes heading back up the stairs. Sophie was beginning to vanish. Bit by bit, she was embracing that person that gave hope.

---

Tuesday
11:42
Basement Gym
Claremont SDN

Setting Preload

Headed into the gym, Lightning Girl stretched out, mask over her hair rather than her face, while nobody was in. Cape thrown down on a bench. The song shifting.

Soundtrack: Purple Disco Machine, ÁSDÍS - Beat Of Your Heart

The music thrummed in her ear. More of the usual. That kinda electronic music that hit someone electric.

The stereotype that heroes were just this super strong, super powerful, invincible thing without work was a fun myth, because most of the time that scaled up from work behind the scenes, making the gym beneath the SDN Claremont office a routine. For Lightning Girl, that was definitely was the case. Fuck the people who were just naturally strong or roided up or taking augments. That was fucking cheap.

Heroes weren't born. They were mostly made. And electricity pulsing inside her needed to be made to put to work. Put to tearing apart fibres so they would give her gains faster than most got them, even if she wasn't the best at lifting or carrying things, they worked. So she could do more of this work. Be better.

Stronger, more resilient, fuck more shit up, for the people she worked for, but sort of, for own self confidence. Carry more charge. Throw more bolts. Take more bullets. As it was fun to suffer for an hour carrying big heavy weights. It was kinda in vogue these days, and given her metabolism and powers, power followed work.

After all, it was kinda fucking cool being able to pick up a car onto its side, the first time she did it. What next? Well, without being some fucking freak. Maybe she didn't want to look like the Regional Director, who looked more shredded than prime Arnie, but, with great power came great capacity to load weights in the gym. Flambae wasn't sitting there eating bamboo, dude was jacked for a reason.

Someone weak had been here before. So she loaded up the weights to get to her usual. A moth with her powers might try that. But she was going back to her usual hit. Supers did not fuck around. And Lightning Girl wasn't exactly playing. Sophie was gone when weights were in view. The girl that wore that costume was the one that got to use this.

And after a short warm up, stretching, the deadlift sat strained under steel blocks. She slid her hands underneath, and casually picked it up. And started churning. Pumping. James couldn't dare carry something like this.

But as she threw it over her head, the blood and electricity pumped.

One.

The feeling that hit when the comet fragment splatted a bolt out of its purple embrace and threw Sophie against a tree.

Two.

Waking up, and unleashing hell on that hospital ward's ECG machine.

Three.

The size of the fucking burn mark. She sent two people flying. Including her dad.

Four.

Barely being in control of this. Feeling low. Depressed. And then high. On cloud nine when she shoved her hand into a plug socket. Feeling her head physically rattle.

Five.

And then control. Calm. Easy. Breathing. And blasting a pine tree. Until it collapsed.

Six.

Finding her hair was turning white. Paling off. Literally scarred by how much current was in her. Watching the red flecks fall away. And white replace.

Seven.

Getting rubber gloves and learning how to stop electrocuting everyone. James with a smile. A terrified one passing them to her.

Eight.

James bailing her out of the local police station for shoplifting. Again. The chat on the towerblock.

Nine.

The first time putting her powers to good. Stopping that drunk guy from touching that girl in the line to the club and throwing him across the road into a bin. That had no rubbish inside it.

Ten.

The suit. The grey that felt baggy then, and now, seemed to push against her abdomen and her chest, right now, filled in. By the hero she wanted to be. And in the place she was heading towards. The top of the game.

Eleven.

Flying for the first time. And then falling into the Manchester Ship Canal.

Twelve.

Throwing a bolt into Brick Frog's fucking face.

She exerted, holding it tall, looking at that white and grey, from her laced up boots to her white and since last night, blue-tipped hair, all in flow. Hair gently brushing out, collar kept high, suit creaking under her arms at full chat. No spotter, all risk. All feeling, as she roared, passing it down to floor with as best of a squat as she could make.

Wiping the sweat from her unmasked forehead, she cranked up the volume a little on her phone, getting in the leg press and heaping on more pounds. Didn't get thighs that could stop traffic without the work. She then peeled out the three phase power cable and left it against the weight, casually pounding away as almost a reward, for every push, it would pulse her with electricity, and so she kept going, and going.

Till her legs hurt, not spasming, but just feeling like she couldn't hold weight anymore. Gym before work was risky, but she'd recover up before she had to go out. That was why she had a fuckload of electricity, about an office cooler's worth of water, and enough Sour Patch Kids that James had been pinching to fill a black hole for post-workout. Who needed Creatine anyway?

She consumed all of those from the locker she had emptied out down here, wiping her face with a towel and spraying a metric fuck ton of rosewood-smelling eau de toilette over herself to cover for the sweaty, ozone-y smell that now emanating from her. It masked well enough, but would cover until she got spraying lightning at some poor fuckers, then, it would be a gentle burning smell. Paired well enough to stop people thinking she stank like highschool American Football locker room.

Doing this made her feel alive for the day, and since James and her had worked on it in London as something to exploit from her previously diminutive self (especially as she was now 6"2, a spurt directly attributed to her power). This was a positive, healthy routine to have, she reminded herself. The kind that a hero had to have if they were gonna go kick some ass, and like she thought to herself earlier, part of why she could do what she did, stretching one last time to loosen her joints.

Breathing in. Oh, she was Lightning Girl alright. In that mirror, there she was. No Sophie Speight. No shy girl. Nobody that was weak, quiet, uncertain. No, she was the glow in dark, sparks in pitch. And working to her dream. Every pump had been in service. And even if Claremont was now, in a few more days, she had a Gala she could go to and make some friends at. That was her dream. Maybe not someone else's....

And breathing out. Because she could hear someone else come in. Mask came down back between her nose and to her hair, from the bridge of her nose to the top of her forehead. She wiped herself off, took the cable away, and tucked it into the corner. God's favourite princess? The best little girl scout? Something like that like she always was, cutting the music off. Taking the phone and sliding through settings, giving a cool pose in the midst of the room, cape back on, flexing muscles, arm folded under her chest, grin on face, camera flash capturing her daily gym photo, electricity crackling off her hand. She sent a message in Slack to the rest of the A-Team while she was at it.

“Anyone need a spotter at the gym? Gonna be here another 15!”

Other heroes would be here soon enough, ready for the shift to come, or to hit the gym and join her there, either talkative or just in their own routine. So the next visitor surprised her….

—

New Hire

Collab with @cosmiccowgirl

Great, she was lost. She should’ve known it would happen her very first day…

Alaine turned in a small circle in the middle of the hallway intersection, looking up and down the halls uncertainly and twiddling with her new employee badge in one hand. At least nobody was in the immediate area to see her looking absolutely stupid and un-hero-like.

Was she a hero? No. Yes – trying to be. She didn’t look very much like it at the moment, turning one way then the other in indecision while in full uniform. Might look a little less ridiculous if she wasn’t suited up like someone who should know where they were going, but, oh well.

After another moment of helplessness, she finally picked a direction and started walking. She’d assume the closer she got to the right place the more people she’d start seeing… so the lack of fellow SDN employees suggested she wasn’t going the right way. Not sure what else to do but keep going, Alaine at least slowed her pace a little to focus a bit better on her surroundings in hopes of spotting some indication of where to go.

She thought she heard something up ahead. Moving in that direction, a plaque on the wall read “GYM”. Alaine pushed through the doors, stepping partially in before catching sound of a voice and spotting someone on the other side of the room.

Aw shoot, someone was in there. Her instinct had her immediately turning on her heel before she realized no, wait, that was exactly what she needed. Someone to point her in the right direction.

Taking a breath and straightening up, she tried to fall into character. Blackstar still felt like a character, not quite her yet. She hadn’t had a moniker when she was playing vigilante, before John found her. That had just been her with a mask on, making questionable choices.

Now it was still her with a mask on – just a professional mask, and a star-pattern emblazoned on her chest and a shiny new ID badge in her hand with an intimidating name she didn’t know how to embody.

Her high ponytail, swept together to only hold the undyed portion of her hair free of her suit, bobbed as she made herself step further into the gym. Her uniform’s black boots were quiet on the floor, since she’d taught herself to move without much noise. Which always made it a little harder to speak up… especially since she was currently wearing the bottom half of her two-piece mask. The optional bottom half, as John had called it. He’d also suggested she forgo that part today, but she’d just felt… uneasy.

Better safe than sorry.

The black lens inset in the eyeholes of the top part of her mask hid her blue-grey eyes from view and gave her, she thought, a somewhat intimidating appearance, especially paired with the lower half that completely hid the lower portion of her face. From inside, the material of the mask’s eyes offered no obstruction to her sight whatsoever – some kind of tech John had gotten his hands on for her.

“Um – excuse me.” Alaine – Blackstar – cleared her throat and spoke up as she approached the other woman in the gym. She cringed a little inwardly, doubting that she sounded very hero-y at the moment but persevering anyway. “Sorry to bother, miss…”

No, wait, she recognized her. Lightning Girl, right? It had better be, otherwise she was gonna be super embarrassed.

“Lightning Girl?” She hazarded it anyway. “Again, sorry to bother. It’s my first day, I’m… a little lost.”

Understatement of the century. It was just a stupid office building. And yet, she knew she’d be less lost in the Amazon Jungle.

“I was wondering if you could point me to…” Awww, dangit. She didn’t really even remember where the heck she was meant to go. She’d been too antsy and hadn’t retained the doggone information when the secretary told her. “...wherever the newbies are supposed to go?”

“Yep, that's me! I think you're with us.” Lightning Girl replied, noticing Blackstar walking in, a smile on the chirpy British hero's face as she remembered to put a glove back on, given she had so much current in her at the moment. “You're Blackstar, right? Welcome to the A Team. Best hero team this side of LA.” She added with a smile, Blackstar professional yet having the same first day awkward that Sophie herself had gone through.

“I think James is sorting out your induction upstairs? You know, the usual admin. Just go…ah it's ok, I'll lead you there.” She interrupted herself, opening the door and letting Blackstar go first. And within a few minutes, Alaine would get a feel for a bit of the office. The stairs up to the admin level, then the floor where SDN Dispatch was based. Blackstar had such a cool costume. Even Lightning Girl had nothing on this. Damn.

“So this is where the magic happens. Dispatchers here in the office, and James works in that corner there. Break Room is there, obviously with a great vending machine so yeah, welcome!” She started, with her cheerful approach, liking that in spite of the mask, Blackstar was more talkative.

“This might be it. I'll finish up downstairs but just ask if you need anything. It's a maze, you'll get to know it better soon!” She remained polite but not too much so, just aware she had to finish putting things away downstairs!

Oh wow, Lightning Girl knew her title already. Well duh. She was a big hero. Right? She was as far as Alaine was concerned, obviously she’d probably been briefed about who was joining… A-Team, she said?

Even if she hadn’t been told, the black star on Alaine’s chest probably made guessing a name easy.

She smiled back automatically before realizing Lightning Girl wouldn’t be able to see, thanks to the lower portion of her mask; she hadn’t considered that it’d be hard to communicate non-verbal things without plainly-visible facial expressions, but oh well. That was the price to pay for a safely-hidden secret identity.

Because if someone knew her identity, they could find her family.

If they could find her family, they could hurt her family.

If they– oh wait, Lightning Girl was still talking.

Alaine blinked, hurriedly refocusing as this getting lost in thought thing was what had probably made her miss the secretary’s directions in the first place.

“Oh, thanks,” she said swiftly, hurrying to step through the door that was being held open for her. She was keenly aware of how awkward it looked.

James. She noted the name. Even though the secretary had told her that, probably. She needed to remember that. Not that she planned on addressing the guy any more than was necessary because she definitely didn’t want to be annoying but if there was an emergency or something she’d need to know. Also it would be rude just to call him, like, “Dispatcher” or something.

Thank goodness Lightning Girl elected to lead the way herself though. Verbal directions were pretty much useless to Alaine, especially if they included numbers. And, almost embarrassingly, it didn’t take long at all for her to show the new hero to the correct location.

James Corner, Break Room. Alaine noted those things as well, wondering if she had to pay for the vending machine or if it was one of those ID-badge-scanning ones. She was kind of getting hungry, actually. She hadn’t had breakfast. Well, she’d had a glass of orange juice. That counted. Right?

“Oh, thanks,” she said again, as Lightning Girl seemed preparing to leave again; once more painfully aware of her own awkwardness and the fact she’d said that exact phrase already, Alaine cleared her throat lightly and dipped her head to the other woman, admiring the while and blue hair. Kind of made her want to show her own red-dyed hair, but that would be a dead giveaway for anyone who saw her without the uniform. “Thank you, I mean, I really appreciate it. And it was nice meeting you!”

She debated removing that lower half of her mask, just to offer the other woman a genuine smile, but decided against it. Her body language would just have to do.

Extending a gloved hand for a parting shake, she prayed to God that if her cosmic energy decided to act up, the one person who wouldn’t be seriously injured by a dark matter blade to the palm would be Lightning Girl. But she felt calm – as far as cosmic energy went – and it had been a long time since she’d slipped up.

“I look forward to working with you. I hope I can live up to the standard you set.” Because, intentionally or not, the electrically-inclined superheroine definitely set a standard.

“I’m sure you will!” Lightning Girl shook hands with Blackstar once again, smiling, the SDN office having plenty more to offer, as she pointed across. “The team’s a nice bunch. Well, Eclipse and Payback are….quiet, Princess….” Lightning Girl whispered….”does some really crazy shapeshifting stuff, Asteroid is…..like your doppelganger, Hat Trick’s the big native Canadian dude over there who covers stuff in ice, and then there’s Solaris, who’s that big lady in shining armour. Oh yeah, and Madcap, who is…..a character.” She brought her voice back up to normal, walking away,

“There’s plenty of lockers downstairs, but yeah, be right back!” She added, the light grey suited heroine jogging back downstairs, avoiding a few admin workers carrying paperwork, apologising and in a bit of a hurry to fix her mess.

James took his headset off, as he peeked over the corner desk, seeing the black-clad heroine arrive, right on time.

“Blackstar? Ah, perfect, great. I’m James Speight, co…..dispatcher of the A-Team. Got an induction to go through with you. Welcome to the team. ” James added, the other British voice in the office, the redhaired consultant shorter and today, wearing a North Face gilet with an off white-blue striped shirt beneath it, a pair of grey chinos and smart shoes joining that arrangement. He offered his hand out, and with it, led Blackstar to his corner of the office, with a chair across for him.

A new hire needed to do paperwork. This was not the part of being a hero anyone imagined, but one of the three Ds of SDN was Documentation!

And with it, Blackstar had 30 minutes worth of risk assessments, paperwork, and all sorts of other documents to sign. Payroll details, emergency contacts, that sort of thing. This was not likely to be the morning that Blackstar was hoping for. But it was the best James could squeeze before the shift started. The bits she couldn’t fill in about personal information were fine, but everything else needed to be done. SDN was a business after all, and like any good employer, James had to make sure they had a duty of care, within….well, some sort of reason.

American employment law was weird, but man, he’d learned a lot these past few months.

“Alright, that should sort us for now. Normally, I’d get you to do a full day of this, but, we’re in need right now and the Branch Director wanted me to find a way to get you in the fray, so we’ll do the rest over downtime between dispatches. Here’s a earpiece, and a standard SDN transponder. Helps me to track you and talk to you when you’re in the field.” James added, looking up Blackstar’s general want to hide her face, cover up who she was. Most heroes and villains did. But Blackstar absolutely did not want to be known.

“It’s worth saying this isn’t normally how SDN works, but, I’ll try and get things sorted around here. I looked at your record. Impressive, and while there’s gaps….you’ll fit right in.” James replied, knowing there was no point harping on, she’d been interviewed, and he knew her profile already. Just a reminder and a warm one to set the scene.

“So, in terms of what we do, I’ll call out the dispatch, and I’ll send you the co-ordinates, and you help our subscribers with whatever it is they called in. We get started in about 10 minutes, so I’ll let you meet the team, they should all be over there. You’ll be fine.” James reassured her, knowing that a hero needing reassurance must have been odd- but this was a lot for a first day.

---

Tuesday
12:52
Break Room
Claremont SDN

Team Regroup

Lightning Girl ran back up, and was back in the break room, and now a bit more cleaned up after washing her face and reapplying lots of factor 50, already running to the kettle for her second brew of the day. The team would come in, bring in their late breakfasts / early lunches, and be ready for a 1pm start. Mask back on, of course.

"How are we all today?" Lightning Girl asked the group, all gathered up in the break room, just about ready for another early afternoon of dispatches and work.