FourtyTwo

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

Tuesday
21:01
The Cowl Inn
Downtown Claremont

Earth to Sky

(Collab with @Pragia12)

It was dark out now, Fenom was not the best at parties, but the conversation with his lookalike cutout was a highlight of the night. It was always good to find people who could relate to him, and while some would say that he had the personality of cardboard, he thought that he had far more interesting things to say.

Things were winding down as he looked through the window. Alcohol didn’t really have any impact on his superhuman physiology, but the expectation was to drink, so he did. The bright orange of a mango daiquiri reminded him of his tropical island vacation weekend.
___

And the last beer was finished, Lightning Girl waved goodbye to Blackstar and Asteroid. Oh, they were a thing. It wasn't like how maybe they thought her and Eclipse were. No, it was so obvious. It was basically there, and well, as Lightning Girl leaned against the bar, she watched as Asteroid stumbled and Blackstar held onto him, leading him home, before leaping up into the sky.

As she also headed out, she was nearly the last one left, seeing Feno also following her out, having enjoyed a fruitful mango daiquiri, from a time well spent. Feno. Jeez, the guy was a lovely character, and while he had even less about him than Phenomaman did about how people worked, he was nothing but the model hero, if you stripped away perhaps some of the human factor.

A smile cracked on her face, before the drizzle picked up.

“See you tomorrow, Pheno. I’m gonna go enjoy the stars a little bit. You probably travel faster, don’t you?” She said, a little blue after all of what happened earlier and now everyone was gone, putting hand over face to stop the rain from soaking her chin that almost had a static look to it, soaking her more and more as she stood outside, the grey and white hero illuminated by the blue lamplight of neon and streetlighting. She zipped up her little hip pack with her phone away, and cowl attached to face.

Fenom took up most of the doorway, looking up for a moment and considering “Yeah, but it’s harder to know where you’re going when you’re faster.” he says simply. “It would still take a couple days to get there.” he seemed unconvinced she could get to the stars for the night.

Lightning Girl laughed, broken from her little routine, smiling, the man pure innocence. Holy shit. He was just like that. And while every hero looked up to Phenomaman, well….the pre-breakup one, Feno just seemed like a copy that reminded her of the old times.

She wanted to go into the sky away from this, even after it was all said and done. But, Feno was right.

“Then maybe come with me. Maybe slow down. I’ll show you what I enjoy seeing.” Lightning Girl said, sparks flying from her hands, gesturing for him to follow.

Fenom’s brow would raise, it was all too easy for him to say “What is it?” he’d offer as he leaves the entryway, effortlessly floating up a few feet above the cars.

Lightning Girl smiled, looking up at the gaps in cloud. “I like trying to get some perspective. Looking on the city from afar. I can’t go as high as you I’m afraid. My lungs would give out.” She replied, knowing Feno might not fully understand perspective. Of the sentimentality of it all.

If only he knew what lungs were in any way that mattered “Then how do you go to the stars?” he seemed sympathetic, if a bit confused.

Lightning Girl realized maybe he hadn’t quite understood. Nothing like a little bit of awkwardness, but given the day’s events, she was hardly one to talk.

“Not uhh…literally. More just within the atmosphere. The bit I can breathe in. Not sure what would happen to me actually, if I went into space. Never tried.” She noted, putting a hand out to Feno before he offered. “I’d rather not find out tonight though. I wouldn’t be able to work tomorrow if I died because I can’t breathe. Maybe.” Okay, she was broken herself, laughing, at the entire evening’s antics and looking back up again. “Right. I’m not enjoying this rain much….ready?”

He seemed unphased, but his grip was measured when he took her hand, he did know how to manage his strength to some degree. “We will need to try sometime, I breathe alright up there, but as you wish!” he says, a small smile on his face, he thought she was being playful.

There was a gnawing thought in her head. Why ask him to join? Well, as she leapt up, and just clambered, and clambered, and clambered, she felt like that wasn’t the point. Fuck it. May as well not be completely alone on the commute home.

Lightning Girl punched through cloud, and kept going, and going, the static burning behind her into darkness illuminated by starlight outside of the light pollution, the ozone and vapour fading the higher she climbed, as she didn't stop, knowing Feno had no challenge at all keeping up.

She didn’t stop. Maybe she was trying to leave the planet. She felt like if she had earlier, she would have given how she felt. And she hadn’t been kidding to Feno either, she had no idea of what her body would do beyond the atmosphere. Cosmic -derived powers maybe did something to that end? Who knew.

She kept going, and going….

Until it felt cold enough for her to, and the urge stopped. The energy felt steady state. Any more and she'd run out of anything to hold her. This would be nothing to Feno, who was elegant, poised, able to fly into the planets and stars without much thought. But to her, this was everything. And high in the skies, far above clouds and earth, was a certain kind of quiet.

And she could just hold. Stay static, barely thinking, able to enjoy it all for a moment without pushing to hard from her hands and feet. The oxygen was thin. She had no idea how high she was, her watch seemed to freeze with all the water she'd accumulated, turning to ice as she felt the shiver be reacted to by her heart palpitating, like what Eclipse had experienced.

She breathed out, metabolising the air that felt barely 10% of what it was below, and taking a photo of how small LA looked from this high, from between the clouds. It was like a distant dot, the way an airliner might look down, but even further.

A quiet, lonely moment. Yet one not left totally alone.

Lightning Girl was quiet, almost unnervingly so, and Feno was like a spectre holding her hand. She supposed he didn’t have as much of a need for noise, he had almost the same serenity as he was in the thick of the bar.

Lightning Girl looked right and sighed, looking back on it all, wondering how to put it to him. He was innocent. Almost incapable of understanding it at all. Emotions, feelings, all of it. It all came so easy. And yet he almost didn’t know what came on the other side.

“Why do you call me Sparky, Feno?” She interrupted those thoughts with a question, realising she genuinely had never asked it. Never had really come out to query him over it.

He was the only one to call her that, after all. His shrug didn’t help much “You’re sparky.” he said simply “Names are hard to remember.” he never really used names with anyone, even aliases didn’t stick.

She chuckled, smiling as she shook her head, nodding. “I suppose they are.” She replied, as she flicked off her mask, keeping it in hand, knowing Feno wouldn’t remember. Or share. She remembered looking over James’s shoulder once upon a time and well, Feno was an experiment. A product, but, he was still sort of flesh and bone but all charm. And that he wouldn’t give her away. Neither her work self…..or this.

“Well…..I’m Sophie. Behind that mask at least.” She said, knowing even Eclipse didn’t know from earlier, and that was probably for the best. She didn’t know him that well, nor Feno, but the latter at least might not remember. But, she felt in some weird way, up this far, looking from almost 100,000 feet above sea level, like showing her face and name to someone who couldn’t quite share. The cowl was icy, and her hair seemed to follow it, even if given how insanely thin oxygen was up here, it wasn’t affecting her speech.

Of all people, given that knowledge she had, Feno probably wouldn’t spill the beans, she hoped.

“Though…..don’t say that over the comms. That one is me. Sparky is…..well, someone I suppose I play at. I suppose that’s what I wanted you to see.” She chuckled, smiling to him, a co-worker, someone after her two more beers, she was now more tipsy and open toward.

Fenom’s expression would soften some. He understood the significance, but the glassiness in those eyes didn’t really go away. “Sophie.” he started, before stopping himself, something was itching at the back of his mind with a brief flinch “Why play at someone when you can be someone?” he asked, it was, as always, so painfully simple to him. “Is Sparky a bad thing to be?”

Sophie dwelled on that question longer than she would like. Longer than she would want to, by a lot more than her usual self.

“Most of the time I love it. But….sometimes it isn’t easy.” She left the sentence unsaid, thinking to herself about earlier. And all of it. She’d already had one intimate chat for a night. She wasn’t sure how much she could handle another. “I guess it’s part of work. Separating the human me from this.” She replied, sincere, looking over to his gaze, the alien clone the last person she wondered she would be pouring her heart out to. Like Madcap, but hey, at least he….knew some boundaries? Maybe? “It’s important to have boundaries. Like how you went to Hawaii. Enjoyed the sunshine and melon buffets. But it’s not so simple for me.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Okay, even when it looks like it is. Fine. But you’re also adjusting.”

“Its a good thing to be Phenomaman.” he said flatly, almost rotely. There wasn’t nothing going on back there in his mutton-chopped head. To him, it was that simple. “Boundaries get in the way too much.” he said, the last boundary he had an issue with was punched through without much issue.

Sophie chuckled, finding him almost a bit more endearing than Madcap. Okay, sure, maybe didn’t quite understand, but, she had to at least respect that he was still learning certain things. Things that maybe most hadn’t fully understood, and had the grace to know when to maybe not go insane on people.

“Yeah……I mean, I kicked in a door today and failed. You opened up a car. What is a boundary if not…..fixable by heroes.” She shook her head and chuckled, looking out on the distant lights of the city far, far below, the white haired heroine fixing her cowl back on, glad to have a little bit of a deep talk to enjoy this with.

“Well, a door is more of a boundary than a car. Maybe heroes are worse at dealing with boundaries.” It was almost annoying how glib he seemed to be, but Fenom wasn’t one to really know the wisdom of his own words.

Sophie could at least see it, but hey, he was learning that. Or at least, beginning to pick things up, but, well, he did drop a dime like that. She was sure he would pick up more as more time was spent about, as Lightning Girl looked back at the sight of it all, thinking on that in the relatively dry atmosphere out of clouds.

“Yeah. Maybe.” She was perhaps being a little too indirect, at least, by his standard, as she let go of his hand, realising she had to adjust herself to stay up, as Feno was naturally a lot more powerful.

“Shit, sorry! You are…..a lot better at this…..flying thing than I am.” She said, staticing back up to his level, holding passively, wiping the ice from her watch, trying to get it to work again. Fenom was more of a static fixture in the stars, holding himself still. “I might need to head back. Home is that way. Where is home for you, Feno?”

“I live at SDN, have a room in the basement.” he says simply, not seeming to think much of it. “They don’t want me in my own apartment.” It seemed pretty obvious to her why, but to him it was a mystery.

The gears turned for Lightning Girl, realising she hadn’t quite understood it before but it now had become fairly simple. Yeah, that tracked. Damn. This felt a bit morally weird. A hero that was…..well, she had no idea how Feno was here. Almost part of her felt like she wanted to ask, but she felt like that was a conversation for another time. It had been too heavy tonight, and well, she was sure they’d catch up again. The night was getting late and she was feeling the electricity in her body begin to fade a little, dripping away from the transformer she’d earlier peeled power from.

“Ahh, that was your door near the gym. I always wondered. I suppose in LA, it’s cheaper rates than whatever I pay for.” She joked, inside her not wanting to probably state any of the obvious. He laughed with her, seemed to understand it on some level. God (or James) knew how he managed his money, or more likely who managed it for him.

“It is easy to get to work.” he says with a grin. “And I can go where I want.” he explained, they trusted him enough, or more likely they couldn’t really stop him.

Lightning Girl laughed, nodding, getting that. “And the gym is next door. That is a good point. Maybe I’ll have to move closer.” She replied, pointing out in the far distance, just behind a cloud, into what seemed like the middle of nowhere, where her house was, or at least, was beyond a blur this high up at the very edge of LA.

“Because commuting sorta sucks. But, could be worse!” She grinned, sighing as she drifted away, looking over her shoulder, white hair blustering a bit, reflecting on everything. Falling for Quickdraw at the club. The failed dispatch. Tsunami punching James, and her nearly killing Tsunami over it. And then talking to Eclipse. Now this. It felt like a blur.

Probably a sign she needed a bit more power, or at least, to turn off the switch at the plug for this version of her. “I’m gonna head home. I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for joining me.” She smiled, hands to strap as she gently tightened it.He remained up there, looking down to her with a nod “See you tomorrow.” he repeated, his gaze drifting to the city as she fell from the heavens.

She cracked a final smile back to Fenomaman, before tumbling down, her watch-linked phone app giving her a rough direction of where to face and where to fall. It didn't take much energy, and with the mask back on, she closed her eyes, and let go from her hands and feet, and fell. With her arms and legs put out in a tracking position, she could cover the distance, and fall gracefully, her cape fluttering, falling like a dart towards earth. Towards home, no power needed. She could save that to break her fall.

It was time to get some sleep and hope tomorrow would be a better day.

---

Thursday
12:15
Claremont SDN, Claremont

Return to Work

With the taxi dropping him off, James wondered on in, backpack on, waving to Samson as he wondered towards the lift. With a ping, the lift carried him up as he sipped hard from his thermos, drinking coffee, reluctantly, this time at least something Sophie brought home from the UK. Italian coffee. It hit like crack.

Ding.

The doors opened, as James had headed in, early as usual, where Kat was waiting for him as she chatted to Martha, dressed in her usual business attire, white and black striped shirt with black trousers, turning and smiling, the Branch Director cheerful as ever. Cynical she was, sure, sarcastic, but that meant James and her worked well together. It wasn't some scary relationship, given James didn't see her as a "boss", but someone who let him do his work and in turn, happened to luck out with him staying here to look after her A-Team.

So having him back from his day off, recovering from being punched in the face was of course, a pleasure.

"Hey, James. Damn. Didn't ruin your face completely then." Kat joked, as James nodded, both of them shaking hands, the story not quite out as to what specifically happened, but Kat knowing enough. Shapeshifters always did. James didn't lie, but damn, did he make sure the story didn't gain traction.

"Yeah. It's healing better than I thought. I wanted back in rather than feeling sorry. Alan's pills helped." James replied, as Kat smiled, nodding, out here because there was another eason.

"Good, good.....listen, hate to drop this on you on short notice, but Valerie is coming over.

"Oh, fuck."

"She's fine. Listen. We go way back. She's coming over as a favour to me."

"Right?"

"And I may have hurt her feelings in the budget in the process of keeping you. I'll handle it. I wouldn't have you otherwise."

"Well, thanks Kat. Appreciate it. I didn't want to get on her bad side....."

"Yeah, well, you deliver results and I ain't got anyone else. Look sharp."

The team would hear the elevator ding, and what appeared to be a black haired, black and silver business suit wearing, Viking queen of a woman emerge. She looked like she fought bears and won. A luxury, designer leather bag around her side, and she stank of Espresso coffee, vanilla and Chanel, almost to a point where it felt like you could taste the rose and caffeine. She was literally overwhelming every single sense, even taste, given how strong that perfume was.

Valerie Halliday was the Regional Director for SDN's operations in Los Angeles, and a thousand years of being alive, killing literally everyone from Danish people, Greenlandic people, indigenous tribes from coast to coast of North America, the French, Spanish, Mexicans, English, Americans, Germans, Cubans had finally mellowed out into a woman that now seemed about aged into her 40s and about past her bloodlust, with an Americanised accent that stuck.

She seemed to almost shake a loose table as she walked. The joke about legs stopping traffic seemed to die because it looked like Valerie could kick anyone in the office into orbit. It was likely she had.

Kat shapeshifted up, her entire body growing as she hugged the Regional Director, something James found weird. Shit, didn't know they knew each other that well.

"Val, good to have you in. Valerie, this is James Speight, are you...."

"We've met."

"We've met." Valerie answered, looking to Kat as the Claremont Director shrank, back to normal size. James did know her. James knew her well. "Good to see you, Kat. It seems like you are enjoying retirement. I was always surprised you picked Claremont, but hey. A quiet life is respectable." Valerie added, it indicating just how menacing she was given her own form not shifting down. No, she continued to dominate, as every single head and eye would be turned, heels clacking on carpet.

The three walked through the office, and headed immediately to a meeting room.

Ms Halliday had plenty on her hands, and a buzz of her BlackBerry looking phone gave James and Kat respite, but only for a few minutes.

---

Thursday
12:35
Rooftop
Claremont SDN

Another Rooftop

Soundtrack: ABBA- SOS

Lightning Girl's commute in the post-storm, blazing sunshine was one she could smell all that post-rain petrichor in.

A song from James's playlist, that she was playfully singing along to. A white-haired girl and ABBA were a match made in basic bitch heaven.

Especially when she had more juice than a block party in her for the way in.

An easy day before had made it at least easier to deal with her literal up and down of emotions, and James reporting he was okay made her at least rest easier last night. He was back on the mend, back in work even, given every day he didn't work was a day unpaid.

She was unsure why he still lived at hers. A hotel, anywhere else, surely it would be within range? Maybe he just liked company. She didn't know her own brother entirely, but had to guess at least that from how he had been looking, his priorities were work, and keeping everything turning. Classic him. Fucking workaholic.

But then again, so was she, because it was a gloriously lovely sunny day in Thursday in the City of Angels, or rather, the City of Trees and PhDs. Flying low, she could inhale all the pine trees, and it was beautiful. It was the small things really.

And there it was. Work. The usual timing, as the song began to cut, and she noticed a grey-armoured figure on the roof.

She set down by Eclipse.

She floated on electricity, standing upright, before falling down, sitting down right by him.

"This is my schtick. You saw me on the roof thinking you could do it. Admit it. You're a little envious." She chuckled, giving him a little nudge, looking out at the city streets below, people going about their day, knowing that if they were subscribers, they were one phone call away from a hero coming to save their day.

She dipped her hand into his Cheetos packet and chewed away, wiping the dust off her gloves, giving a chef's kiss, smiling back.

"Yum. Thanks. And....cheers for the other night. I wasn't all myself. But, you probably saved me from doing something really stupid." She retorted, smiling to him, looking out. "I appreciate that. Very heroic of you. Bet you fucking hate it, don't you. You wanna be nothing but shadowy rather than that. You would fit in perfectly in Manchester with all of how grey it is and people don't talk as much as me." She poked through his armour almost with that, knowing she'd seen another side to him. Another side that maybe he hadn't quite yet gotten to. Lightning Girl enjoyed the view of the midday sun, cape fluttering a little, bouncing off his suit, as she yawned and clambered up, realising it was about that time.

Not coffee time. Electricity time.

"Best you stay back for a second...just need a top up." She walked across the roof, and with a leap, across to the adjacent block, finding the transformer she usually threw herself against. And in a manner that Eclipse would probably find disturbing, she put her hands to both ends, and was spat away, feet above it, being physically shaken like a cocktail in a bartender's hands.

And Lightning Girl took on power. A power that seemed to pick her up off her feet, and she seemed to almost pulsate, turn white-hot, before releasing, and letting go, dropping onto the floor, her eyes paled out, before the semblance of any colour and grey returned with her pupils back in.

"Better. Sorry. Flying takes it out of me." She replied clicking her neck. She didn't hide what she was. Not after a flight like that. She needed a stab of power. Eclipse had to deal with withdrawals. So did she, but at least they didn't hook her. Maybe they had more in common than they liked to admit, she thought to herself, as she looked to him before walking down, foot up on a grate, cape fluttering in breeze, cowl on, silhouette near perfect. If you had to frame a grey-suited, heroine that filled the suit she had with power and poise, it would be it from Eclipse's point of view.

"I appreciate what you said you'd be willing to do. You don't have to do that for me.....but....thanks. See you at work." Sophie almost appreciated him a little, he was more than what that faceplated helmet would ever allow. What she was was someone vulnerable. Someone who needed help. And as a heroine, well, she couldn't help herself. But she had other things to do, and a work that required saving people.

She dropped down and seemed to take no fall damage, going in before Blackstar met Eclipse on the roof, making sure she was as ever, on time. No gym today, just a bit of pre-work admin.

---

Thursday
12:38
Meeting Room
Claremont SDN

SLACK: RD Meeting

The meeting room was dominated, as Valerie finally put the phone down across from Kat and James who sat at the opposite end of the long meeting table, her jaw bouncing, scowling almost. Even in spite of distance, Valerie made it look like she sat across from them. Fucking hell, she was one batch of steroids from looking like the fucking Hulk.

"Fucking, maggots." Valerie seemed almost, as she leaned in, sitting down in the chair at the end, still enormous despite however. She was still angry after her call.

"Kat, why are we paying this grifter so much money? He don't have eight arms, he can't be that good, so why is he on my budget? Even if Max and Sarah talk good...."

"His numbers are impressive. About the only thing I have holding the Phoenix Programme locally together. And I told Payroll to put him to Central, not East. We talked about this." Kat stated, breathing out. "I told corporate we need him, and Max agreed it. Right now, I cannot hire any dispatchers worth a damn. You gave me that at least, otherwise we look like those jerks in Pasadena." Kat was blunt, and defensive of James, all things considered, stuff he appreciated. Kat was ex-Special Forces, Detachment Delta, from what James understood. As capable with a gun as she was in shapeshifting. Someone who killed people in cold blood, but right now, knew how to tame that to not be overbearing. Especially not in front of her boss, and it seemed, a close work colleague. Defending James was certainly principle she was a good egg.

Valerie, ehh, not so much keen.

"Well, and I appreciate you understand being in the room, James, but, this is a lot of money and it's on my fucking pile right now. Kat, you know he ain't cheap. At least we need him on something......else." Valerie almost barked, as James spoke up.

"Look, if you're committing long term because you need dispatch services, I'm sure I can disc..."

Valerie stared daggers at him, as she put hands to table, not needing much force to spill tea all over his shirt.

"I ain't interested. The other dispatchers find out what I'm paying you, you're gonna get so much worse than a broken nose, that's the fucking point." Valerie retorted, before looking to Kat.

"Well, look at the numbers first. He makes us way more P&L than we had even with Riley. We're doing miracles, so all I'm saying is, take the hit in your budget and you get results that offset the problem." Kat reminded Valerie, the warrior queen not exactly flexing a ton of intellect, but enough to at least listen to someone she had respect and time for.

Whipping to her suit jacket and a pair of extremely expensive designer reading glasses were on. She took the paperwork, and silently, ominously, went through them, before putting them down, listening to Kat, talk away.

"And, he is temporary, so yeah, we all agree, it isn't gonna last because James has better things to do. I'll get him to train the next dispatcher when I get someone who ain't gonna fail assessments....but I ain't got much. Not with this ratio of Phoenix Programme, which, I may remind you, you sent here because Pasadena and DTLA turned up their noses at.....and Madcap. We need to talk about him."

"Fine. Are you happy your P&L looks this good?" Valerie asked, as James did not dare reply. Fuck me. She needed one hard look and she'd break his nose again.

"We happy." Kat chuckled, Valerie cracking a smile at the Pulp Fiction reference, as she breathed out, sighing as Valerie leaned back into her chair.

"Madcap ain't my fuck to give. He's a liability. But out here, he can't fuck up too hard because the DoJ told us it's gonna cost them too much to keep him down. Anyway. That wasn't the reason for my visit. This asspit of LA is so fucking far from DTLA that a quake there ain't even making it here, but I am noticing an uptick in performance beyond Prince fucking Harry, Andrew, Charles, Charming whatever the fuck, and you, Kat, are achieving." Valerie gave a significant tongue in cheek, but seemed to also be a little serious.

"Team's performing well." James replied, pointing to the very obvious. Hoping Kat would jump in. She didn't. Valerie was on it, leaning forwards and mocking. Valerie was rough, rough as a Viking shieldmaiden could be, with zero chill for anyone.

"'Team's performing well' yeah, no shit. Kat hires good people and you send those pricks out to do the dirty work, and they haven't yet fucked up completely. You ain't personally doing it. No offense, you ain't got powers, biggest thing you've moved out of the way's a suitcase." Valerie added, not letting James take any shine off of Kat's achievement. James nodded to Kat, the latter knowing it was a team effort, but, Valerie was ruthless. That dig at moving around as a consultant was particularly brutal.

Kat took the lead. "Thank you. Powers or not, we're acheiving it. But you know that anyway, so, what did you want?" Kat replied, sipping down more coffee, Valerie leaning across. She liked Kat. A fellow warrior. Different. But, Kat knew the meaning of hurt. Of making people suffer. Kat was perhaps kinder, warmer, nicer in her retirement, but Valerie, had a literal millennium of breaking people into tiny pieces and was only just about starting to relish in maybe not doing that. Corporately though, maybe she had a millennium of it to go.

"I thought I'd just.....swing on by. See a friend. And because everything seems addicted to going to shit in this world, I need some wins.....I came here thinking you'd be able to make some time to show off your success, Kat. And more importantly, give some higher ups need some good news. The kind that the A-Team......and James have made. The SDN DTLA-Hollywood Gala is on tomorrow evening." Valerie started, slurping down the rest of her Espresso, reluctant, but at least admitting it.

She was cold, icy, shitty, but she wasn't a total bitch. You didn't get to Regional Director without making enemies, but it paid dividends to have friends. It wasn't worth putting people on hills to die on, just, a usual ribbing to send a reminder.

"And I need some heroes who ain't a bunch of miserable pricks, including some Phoenix Programme heroes who aren't gonna go feral when I put them in a suit. Not some shiny, fucking nerds from San Fran, or 'community payback' bullshit from Compton who foam at the mouth when they see celebrities. No. No, I want normal heroes from a real fucking place where real fucking people live, to put in front of the Governor of California, and next to DTLA, A-Listers and Hollywood, so he keeps paying us instead of those bastard nerds, at that motherfucking, ass-eating start up from San Diego. I want heroes who will attend and not cause any problems. Can we do that?" Valerie finished, a reply confidently in turn coming from Kat.

"We can do that." It was assured. Kat didn't have any reason, James nodding.

Valerie nodded. "Good. James, if any single one of your team screw up, I will break every bone in their body, then your body....personally. Like I did to Torsten the Black when he tried to date my sister without telling me and I blood eagled him. I cannot understate how important this is. It's a a meet and greet, you show up, you say hi, you look good for cameras, leave. I can't understate this, we nearly had to close Burbank because the bean counters are scared we're gonna start losing public contracts with local government. We lose that, we're donzo in LA. Gimme something I can work with." Valerie did not fuck around.

Holy shit. What pressure was she under? It meant that Kat had to be dealing with this all of the time, but, clearly they were friendly.

The money aspect always got to people. But James knew he was right. He was talked to like shit, but, James knew that Valerie paid him unquestioningly, just wanted value.

"Understood." James replied.

"Excellent. Get this right, Kat here gets to warm up to the idea of an Assistant Regional Director while she cashes checks, and you, you actually might get a job in SDN that doesn't involve sending Madcrap an' Astrabastard to go wipe some fucking toddler's ass. I want an excuse to make you permanent so my financial line don't look so shitty paying money out of SDN. And I like it when my P&L looks crispy. Fuckers in San Jose are so smug...." The Regional Director was not exactly someone who despite her formal looks, spoke with the highest of formality. James had something to throw back.

"It isn't you, but SDN haven't found the right role yet. It's why I'm independent. I've heard it before. When is this happening? What next? No offense, Valerie. It's been said to me a lot. Every Regional Director. Every time. Ends the same. I end up picking up that big heavy suitcase you talk about and walking away." James put it back to her. He didn't like her badmouthing the team, but then again, he was mortal, she was also, a Regional Director and looked like a thousand years of rage were behind her, replaced by corporate retirement. But, James told it how it was. Valerie might run through him, and he was scared. But he was anything if lacking fact that he knew how these things played out.

Valerie's fist almost curled, as James held his line, Valerie breaking in before he added anything?

"Oh, you ever feel bad about what you do? Milking me good when you're helping heroes?" Valerie asked, as Kat wished in that moment, James shut the fuck up. He should have learned from having his face punched. But as a consultant, he was the jester in the room. Able to tell it as it was. Not just suck up profusely. They paid for results, not for sycophants. James could tell just who Valerie was.

He didn't have a superpower. He just knew how sometimes, you had to play a situation. Valerie didn't want weakness. She wanted warriors. Fighters.

A Scandinavian level of directness.

"I spent the last year running around saving SDN about twenty times what you pay me. Look, let's get down to brass tacks, yeah? Half the computers are running like absolute shit, half of the offices' dilap surveys showing half the place is falling to bits means there's gonna be big moves ahead, which means a shit-ton of logistics for some of the heroes we want to onboard, and to do that, cost cutting isn't gonna help, we need to get investment, and we do that by getting customer retention up. Phoenix Programme means you save money because you aren't paying half of them a living wage, and it takes one really big fuck up, at any branch, and the authorities kill any contracts we have with them in it." James stopped for breath.

"I'm here to try and paper any crack that you have, so yeah, I'm working as hard as I can to keep things afloat like I'm inside this thing with as much on the line as you have, because you're right. You could kick me to the kerb and be done with it. Had that happen to me on Tuesday. I don't even get to sit down and have a normal life because I'm fighting wherever you have the worst fire, East Coast, West Coast. You pay me to be a fixer, so I'm fixing whatever it is. So I don't see it as milking you. This is all I have." James half rambled, putting his words back to Valerie, and putting emphasis on it.

Fuck..

It wasn't his first time. But with Valerie, he knew she would only understand direct, straight, no bullshit.

Even so, fuck, that was a bit much. But he meant it. He actually did. This was all he had. The life outside being this....workaholic, it didn't exist.

Valerie laughed, looking at Kat, leaning back as she almost had a twink in her eye. Damn, okay, this is why Kat kept him around. Holy shit, that was funny, and well, bless him, for someone that took a punch to the face from a hero, well, he was a tryer. A fair point, but, she wouldn't have done that if she was in his place. But Valerie, well, she'd entertain that. Fine, let it roll.

"He's funny. I like how brave he is for someone a bit more......mortal." Valerie chuckled, looking over. "Sure. Chief Growth Officer position just opened up and I'm expecting to be promoted. Who's to say I can't change things, given you seem to....have a track record in developing heroes. They couldn't. Now I could. I need people I can trust....who also ain't gouging the shit out of me, so, maybe let's change your tune.....if this goes well. But as for dispatching fucking heroes, you better give me Grade fucking A. Or I'll ask Snakebite to get some Python to eat your dick." Everyone laughed, as the point was made, but in a humerous way.

Before Valerie cleared her throat. Holy shit, she was scary. Jesus. She looked like she could go cage fight Feno, and look classy doing it.

"I mean that. Punch Up's got nothing on Snakebite's anacondas gobbling up your dick if I tell him to. Make sure it don't fuck up." The room turned to shadow again.

Valerie stood as if to break that all, and with it, took the door. "James, me and Kat need to talk. If you would leave." James took the hint.

Walking towards, the brute of a Regional Director sat again, and the voices continued, as he sheepishly made his way over to the break room, breathing out heavy, brushing the sweat from his forehead.

"Who's that?" Lightning Girl asked, sitting at a table and sipping down tea, ready to go, all geared up with her pack in front of her.

"Regional Director. Love of fuck. We need to tidy up, it looks like a shithole." James called, putting cups and mugs away, as Lightning Girl helped at least to try and make tidy, glancing.

"Wait. Shieldmaiden? Oh damn, yeah, she is way bigger than the poster....." Lightning Girl looked back to James, even herself, feeling a little intimidated. Shit. It wasn't often someone scared her, but, Valerie had that effect. It was why she was a Regional Director, and not some heroine being deployed anymore.

When you were immortal, you tended to give less of a shit about people's feelings when they would die by your hand, or simply be outlasted. She wasn't terrifying like Princess, nor perhaps as potent as Fenomaman was. But, she was by most standards, the blend of intellect, charm, vigor and sheer corporatism that moved gears when people like James and Kat couldn't.

Even with what they did tidying, it wasn't fast enough. Valerie hadn't spent long talking to Kat, her steps clacking. On the way out, Valerie craned her neck into the break room, looking around at the state of it, James and Lightning Girl mixed up with clean up.

And Madcap. She didn't have words, as she shot daggers at James, for uncertain reasons. It was a break room. What was wrong with it? It was an unannounced visit. Not their responsibility.

Valerie would though.

It was that Regional Director stare, almost that "I'm mad, but mad disappointed, not angry" energy she had.

And she would cast a glance at every single one of the team. This was Claremont's A-Team?

A fine bunch. But Kat was always a light touch, looking at each hero in particular, thinking on their file. She always looked at fine print. Well, not finanical, but as a hero herself, she was always interested.

The black suited woman with brown hair, with her cowl on and her dark energy. Fear. The other black suited man, with stars on his suit and gravity. Escape. The shorter, armoured looking shadowy figure. Edgy. The obviously Canadian, ice hockey garb wearing Cree. The peacock. Phenomaman's parallel, towering imperfect. Impersonating. The casual looking redhead with her magnetism. Disillusioned. The almost black and white visage of the white-dress wearing shapeshifter. Lost. The muppet in a bug mask. Pretending. And the electricity wielding woman next to James.

More than a word.

She was in all of their heads. She knew every single one of their pain points. And she wasn't even James, she didn't know them like he did, she had this understating, unnerving ability.

The sort of person you would love to have on your side in a fight, because Valerie was like a brick wall against the bad. Who needed more than just good results. She needed a personal reason, after a thousand years, the names all faded when what mattered was those who stayed by her side when it mattered. But against anyone she didn't like, it was terror. Not cosmic, just, the kind that seemed slow and then fast burning. Not even that of the SDN corporate machine, just of a one-woman raid.

Valerie looked back to Kat and continued walking, their voices trailing as they left.

"Kat, we'll talk later, we'll discuss the quarter at the monthly managers...."

The lift doors opened, as James looked around at the assembled bunch, shaking his head. The ding indicating the lift was going down and the doors were shut.

"Regional Director. Don't." James said nothing, leaving them to it, wiping the sweat from his head, wondering just what the fuck he'd done.

---

Thursday
12:44
Dispatcher's Corner
Claremont SDN

An Unusual Shift

@Auragreedia

James returned to his desk, with Raul working away on getting it back up and running after some problems James called in. The IT technician proudly showed off his work, and it looked more Dia de la Muerte than a workstation. But it would do. He took on the advice, nodding in return, not letting himself get in the way. Raul needed simple replies, nothing more, because he had a to-do list on his Slack that was getting longer and longer.

Fucking hell. Work was a pain. But so was paying for food, Sophie's share of rent, and that all needed doing. He wasn't like Americans, work was work, it was a fucking job, but he was rather addicted to it. That made him more like the people in Claremont than he wanted to admit. Every now and then, leaving this behind, taking proper, real time for himself, came to mind. Instead of nearly being killed by Tsunami, and right now, having to tell Valerie what he thought. A suicidal way even by a shapeshifting boss of his right now to start the day, but oh well, James wasn't an ass-sucker. They didn't pay him to do that, not enough, he thought to himself.

Oh yeah, Raul. Right.

"Thanks. No worries mate, I'll not touch a thing if it keeps it online." James said in his usual northern English accent, Felix purring a little as he greeted Raul and James.

"Yeah, I.....I think I was left to look after the kitten. I'll keep it in mind about Samson's. Best the kitten doesn't get overexposed. Lots of people here who are terrifyingly big." James replied, as he sat down, the meowing from the bin below, picking up Felix as he looked confused, unsure, but, increasingly, comfy around Felix. Then Raul's comment about the carnival. Oh, yeah, right. That was today.

"Right. That sounds like a chilled day. I have got...." James looked right.....

At impressive pile of paperwork developed in his absence, before cutting back to Raul, standing adjacent to it.

"That to do. Thanks for passing it on. I'll let you know if there's any issues." James added, nodding as he looked back at Felix, letting Raul go and get on with his busy day of fixing other people's issues.

'Have you tried turning it off and on again'.

'Have you tried turning it off and on again'.

Whatever the spiritual equivalent of that was. Felix meeped and made it clear he wanted attention, James cutting his thoughts about Raul's busy day and cutting back to Felix's lack of any perspective.

To be a cat....

"Why? Why do I have to look after you? I mean...." James said, as the cat squeaked once more, curling in James's lap, as the Brit sighed.

"Ey. You didn't cause any trouble here did you?" A squeak was the only reply, as James gently stroked his teeny little head and body, the mackrel tabby beginning to grow on him, as he got the first bits of his papers together.

And on that note, Felix alerted him to the sound of the hero coming up from behind bit soon afetr, popping down the succulent and planter, letting her chat away and enjoy the little cat in James's hands.

@cosmiccowgirl

Blackstar had big sister energy all about her. James knew that because he was the older sibling.

"Aww. Thanks Blackstar, me too. I appreciate that a lot. Felix here will love those gifts, too. I'll start him slow on the catnip. He is a growing kitten. Best not hit him with the hard stuff yet." And Felix did love that indeed, purring as he pawed Blackstar, giving an meep, rather than a fully formed meow as of yet. It was amazing how things changed. James, without wanting to say it, was beginning to like his presence. He was a little rascal. Super sleepy, but also, just wanted company. He was a lap cat. Felix loved the little scratcher, and enjoyed Blackstar's scritches, before himself yawning and wanting to leave Felix's hands, going back to the basket, curling up in a way that was absolutely adorable. On her next note....

James yawned as he slid the right form across to Blackstar, giving a thumbs up as he turned in the chair, snapping back to reality as he did so.

"When a goon loses an appendage, you fill this one out. If they get killed, use the one on that pile there, and, I'll make sure we have someone from our Wellbeing team reach out. And I'll be here to talk too. Weirdly, it's shorter, as coroners tend to just want to know how to put down the mess they're about to walk into on their forms. We work in one hell of a fucked up business. But, it could be worse." James did not know at all about Blackstar, as he leaned back in the chair, spinning back.

"You could be me, Blackstar. With no fucking powers at all, a regional director that looks like she was about to run me through a meeting room wall, and some heroine that got promoted out of her capacity, punching me in the face. Anyway. Woe is me, and all that shit. We'll work through this paperwork together. Have a good shift out there. You're doing really well." James commented, a genuine compliment, given that he had nothing to lose. Nothing apart from at least making his team get out there and do some good even if he couldn't.

With it, James put his hand back up to the cat and gave Felix a fuzzy stroke, before putting the computer back on, letting Raul's magic do the trick. It held, and ran nicely, better than before, running on literal hopes and dreams of a cyber-spiritual pep talk. The packet of Fisherman's Friends, with the nice post it from Eclipse was a nice touch.

"Aww. You do have a heart after all." He opened the packet, and chewed on a lozenge, the menthol and eucalyptus giving his tongue something to do while he logged in.

The headset back over head, he watched as the team's profiles all clicked in, and their trackers came to life.

The SDN system was, as he described to Valerie, a pile of shit. But, it was make do and mend. No point crying over it.

"Afternoon, team, checking in as we're on the clock. Looks like you're headed off to a carnival. Not much for me to do today, because I have a ton of admin, so this one's your personal bottle episode. Be friendly. Polite. Nice. Show them why you're all heroes. And if you're not social....I don't know. Try and keep some families safe." James replied, sighing.

"Just don't be too weird. James, out."

---

@SonnetNSunbeam

Lightning Girl smiled, adjusting the headset in her ear, zapping out from the plug, watching Madcap watch the TV again, after all of that. It had been a quiet start. Tea sipped down, a packet of Bourbon Biscuits left on the table (chocolatey biscuits with a chocolate/cream centre to them), it was all rather quaint.

Madcap's suit being different was loud enough. He said it was weird, but hey, she wasn't asking questions. The costume was the last thing on her mind about him.

"Yeah, yeah." She looked to the group hearing James talk, the buzz coming through on her watch, as she looked across the room, seeing a certain black-costumed hero come through, as she shotgunned her tea and put it in the dishwasher, leaning against the countertop.

A powered up Lightning Girl was absolutely more social. She was glad she kept her trap shut around Valerie though. Holy shit.

"Asteroid, you want a lift to the carnival? I ain't pooled with you yet." She asked him, offering a hand, knowing while the gravity. "Don't go making yourself weigh loads. Or you are getting tazed." She smiled at him, the charming British heroine adjusting her cape, hearing that cue and the ping to her watch indicating it was go-time.

Dispatch: Heroes of Claremont

Tuesday
20:32
The Cowl Inn Taproom,
Downtown Claremont

A hum comes from deep in her chest, something orchestral. “There are many paths laid before us, we must merely pick one. Not to worry, nothing shall bar us from them all. Afterall, a path in the wood has no end just as it has no walls, the end is never…the end…” The words seem to linger, echo, her eyes tracking something not quite there as she mutters in and out of a plural reference to herself.

@Redking0380

James always wondered if she would ever stop being this airy. This....abstract? Was that how he would describe her? She was detached, almost as if she was alien to reality.

But also, an artist. Creative. That made sense.

"A gallery sounds like a good idea among all of it though. I had you down as an artist, you know. Not sure why, you just seem very creative." There. It was a normal statement back to the one she'd made, and the world would spin around. He liked her, really. Weird, sure, but dutiful. She didn't steal sandwiches. She didn't cause shit. She had a bad rap sheet, but she was weirdly, strangely, fine. The sort of character that was made of knives or grew tall,

”Honestly? Not really, no.” Well, was there? Fuck. Not massively. She gave a ‘it be how it be’ gesture with the hands, taking another sip of her Irish Coffee. ”Besides, if I go hiking in the desert I’m sure some fucking alarm will ring out or…something or another.”

@Thayr

"Oh yeah. Forgot you're on a tag. You're magnetic though, you'd fob that off." James added, sipping more pint down, grabbing a few more chips that were depleting, but left.

Myla. She was a weird creature. If someone thrived on pure spite, it usually meant they were pretty good at living. At pissing someone off. But he almost understood it, beyond that veneer of being annoyed. He'd feel the same. Surrounded by all these heroes, loud as anything. He was lucky he knew Sophie so well. And through it, everything he'd seen. Moulding himself around it.

He never wanted a power like it. It came with responsibility. A reality that Phoenix Programme had to come back to, that doing good was a lot more difficult than doing bad.

Myla in particular. She was here because the prison system sucked donkey balls, and well, a thief in prison was a dangerous thing.

"But you would get sunburnt. Like every ginger ever does. Even you're not immune to that." James chuckled, sipping beer as Thunderstruck was belted out, James leaning back against his chair, for a moment, relaxing. Switching off. Turning off that lever in his head that was always on.

Enjoy it while it lasts, he told himself.

It wasn't turning off completely.

///

@Auragreedia@SonnetNSunbeam@cosmiccowgirl

The signing made Lightning Girl belly laugh, as she giggled, hearing Madcap sing was nearly like nails on chalk but Asteroid had some pipes on him. Shit, he was nearly, nearly pulling this off. She sipped down more beer, feeling it gently thrum against her, as she heard them end, and absolutely didn’t miss what Madcap snuck in there.

Of course she wouldn’t. Her eyes snapped like a falcon catching a tiny sliver of rat in a wide brimmed grey eye, but she did nothing despite everything normally wanting her to tell him, purely, what the actual fuck. Bastard. Really? He knew? Well, it wasn’t exactly a secret, but…to come out with it now? Oh, you fuck.

*I was just beginning to think you were alright.*

And just like every loud American, he was two faced, unhinged, sure, but now, he was just so full of shit, so much of an asswipe, thinking he was…..special. Lightning Girl had her regrets. But they weren’t his to voice, not when she didn’t answer to him, but management. So for now, she had to almost hold it in. And did, turning her mouth towards beer as they ended, before clapping for praise.

“Hah, okay, that was amazing!” She called, amongst the ending of the song, the barlady sighing a little as she was realising she’d be losing her hearing at this rate of the Claremont team carried on hitting that karaoke machine.

She breathed out, putting hands against table, and tried, tried to relax, as James raised his eyebrows over at her, the two looking at each other for a moment, the glance saying a thousand things, because he knew what it meant.

This couldn’t get worse. For her, this was annoying, angry even, but for James, this was a pipebomb for morale. Not about his sister, no, she’d made her choices, and word would get out. Not here though. If they both got angry, then all of this was for nought. All of this good progress. Everything. It was finally actually turning a corner, and like fuck would he let anyone breach that peace. He had to be careful. Let this one play out, James said to himself mentally. And if he keeps pushing it, the others will probably tell him to calm down. He took a sip of his own beer, recoiling a tiny bit from the strength which being honest, was mad.

Lightning Girl breathed out on that note, and cleared the rest of her beer, as everyone sat back down, and for now, nobody was going up to sing, nobody really able to match that performance.

Madcap and Asteroid make their way back to the table, with the former acting none the wiser as he flashes a shit-eating grin at Lightning Girl. Still, there’s something fake to it, but with the top half of his face still covered with his bug-helmet, he’s hard to read.

A silence falls over the bar, no one else taking the chance to karaoke after the previous duo, the barkeep wiping a glass and occasionally checking in with the kitchen staff. It’s only when the bathroom doorknob begins to turn that everyone is on alert–the first thing to break the silence, and out of the bathroom comes…

“Wha’s all that noise?” An obviously drunk Tsunami, one of Lightning Girl’s old teammates, and one of the ones she zapped. Her hair is dishevelled, and she stumbles forward as she points a finger at Lightning Girl specifically. “... Fuck. You. You dumb, bitch! Like, why the fuck’re you here ruining my night?!”

Lightning Girl looked in horror. As if it couldn’t get worse. Madcap didn’t know her, did he? Or…..well, it had gone out on the Slack.

James realised she was in it. Fuck. She’d known. She had turned up. And she was causing a ruckus.

She had been unresponsive lately, but she recovered faster, clearly. And she was out of her face drunk. The single worst combo for a hero whose powers were manipulating water.

“And you brought new friends too,” she squints her eyes as she approaches the table, “a chick with worse hair than yours, some bug-eyed freak, a fuckin’ all black wearing punk that thinks, he’s like, cool or some shit with that cheesey shit on his suit! And, like, Phenomaman of all fuckin’ people! And don’t even get me started on the dorks in the back!”

“You zap me and Meta-man, and then you run off to some bar! Like, oh my god, what the fuck is wrong with you… you stupid, stupid–” Tsunami clenches her fists and any unfinished drinks have their liquid float upward slightly. The barkeep and the few customers shrink in disbelief, choosing to keep quiet. “Like, we weren’t even invited back and then Riley–that dumb fucking Riley—replaces us both with a bunch of… losers! Like, where the fuck is he?!”

James stepped forwards, before Lightning Girl had a chance to even defend herself, as he stood, sighing. “Hey hey, what the fuck! Nobody here is asking for anything to happen, alright!?” James replied, with a firm, authoritative voice, as he stood, Lightning Girl trying to find words of her own, as he put his hand out. “Calm down.. If you’re pissed about Lightning Girl, fine, but she got a disciplinary and went through the process. But right now, there’s a lot of civvies, and heroes who do not want any trouble because you can’t handle yourself. A lot of people who want a good time. So chill, let the beers go, and come sit down with us, or leave..” James was trying to roll for charisma, and maybe, with a more sober, reasonable member of the team, he might get somewhere.

“Who the fuck are you, like, LG’s boytoy or some shit?! Like, shut the fuck up, and stay out of this!” Tsunami shoves James to the side, still continuing her tirade against Lightning Girl. All the liquid of the table begins to spike upward as she comes closer. “I wanted a good time, but then this bitch steals my spotlight, steals my job, then she, like, runs away, and all me and Meta-man are left with is a half-assed, fake apology! Shut the fuck up about having a good time, and maybe teach that bitch how to handle herself on a dispatch next time!”

Madcap watches awkwardly from his corner, still pinned between Asteroid on the wall beside him. He glances at his glass of water and pokes at it as it floats out of his cup.

Lightning Girl moved out of the way, and stood tall, taller than Tsunami, as James tried to keep the peace in between, a physical barrier, as she finally found the words. “I apologised, okay! I fucked up. I didn’t realise you were throwing water, and I’m sorry I cast. I made a mistake.” She said, breathing out a heavy breath, the energy feeling like it was shooting through her already as she almost trembled in her arm with electricity. “I didn’t mean it. But we had to act quickly and I didn’t know what to do. I tried to do what was best. So I’m sorry.” She said with almost a turn in her throat, exhaling hard.

She was threatening James. And well…..James had no powers. If Tsunami went all in even while drunk, he was as good as dead. Even if she didn’t use her powers and just wanted to prove a point, she was likely to hit harder, faster, and move quicker than James could react, if she got one blow on him.

And he was between them both. Sophie could take a hit. But James couldn’t. He was trying to do the right thing, but she fucking hated him when he did this. Trying to protect his bigger sister. Trying to put himself in danger. A natural instinct, but she could more than protect herself, right now, she could absolutely turn Tsunami into powder or shock her at least to back off, but not if he was in the way. Not if he was there. And in a way, she wondered, maybe that was what James was doing. Making her think too.

Protecting Sophie from Lightning Girl.

But more likely, he just wanted a peaceful resolution. James didn’t want this to go to shit and he wasn’t a hero, he was a consultant dispatcher with a lot on his mind. Tsunami needed to go, and if the team had questions, he could deal with it. But this was fucked. It couldn’t escalate and he reasoned, if it did, at least

James wanted to make words, but this time, Sophie was first. “But leave him out of this. He was going to see you in hospital but couldn’t find you. He’s looking after all of us and he wants to look after you. If you keep talking shit, we’ll throw you out of here. Me, and my friends. Come on, Tsunami. Think it through.” She added knowing that threat came from her lead, knowing that piece of information wasn’t divulged to the team, not yet at least, not because James had told her that last night. He was standing back up again, as she realised Tsunami was eyeing him down.

The barlady was powerless to help. This was far too small a place to have bouncers or someone to enforce the peace. They’d call SDN if they needed help dealing with trouble.

Right now, SDN were the trouble.

“I think you need to leave, Tsunami. Not here.” James said in one last ditch to try and attempt to make sure nobody would come to blows, as Lightning Girl stared, stared deep into Tsunami’s drunk and wild eyes, the power gently thrumming.

If she laid a finger on him, this time, she was sober enough to know that this time, she knew it would be no accident.

Tsunami scowls at Lightning Girl, face contorted in anger. She stays like that for what feels like minutes before a jet of water is sent at Lightning Girl’s face–and a punch thrown at James’s face–she tries to hold back on it, but with all that booze in her system? Yeah, fuck that, that was a full-powered punch from a super to a civie.

James was thrown on the floor and almost halfway across it with a perfect haymaker, as Lightning Girl sparked, arcing electricity, as it likely gave everybody who was splashed a static shock, which meant almost the entire team. The water brushed on her hair and cowl, as suddenly, static poured out of her feet, legs, hands, arms, hair, everything.

She looked at James, groaning on the floor, blood pouring from his nose, and her eyes turned grey and blank.

The noise of the bar’s music seemed to turn to nothing.

Every single fibre seeming to coalesce, brim, burn, turn red-hot.

The static bounced in her fingers, growling, almost shrieking.

So much so Lightning Girl seemed to gain another foot on Tsunami, gently lifting from wooden floor into air, and her hands almost turned a brilliant white. The electricity pulsed in fingers, to a point where nobody in the team would have ever seen it.

A rage, an incandescent feeling. She hadn’t seen how James was yet. It was almost instant.

Lightning Girl was almost entirely glowing now and sparking across her suited body, to a point where the lights inside the bar physically started to almost recoil and flicker, two bulbs smashing and blowing from the sheer amount she was stealing, without contact, and disrupting, as if her mind itself had decided to take control of the bar’s electricity supply for a second, rather than the right thing to do

The smell of ozone, the taste of cobalt in her mouth, and that fucking heroine that punched her brother was right there, drunk, and taunting.

The white haired, white caped, light grey-suited heroine had so much power that she would turn her into what happened when a rabbit touched an electricity pylon.

It was a look of pure, total, rage.

Words came heavy like tungsten..

“Nobody touches our dispatcher. Nobody hurts civvies. Last chance…..run. Or everything flashes before your eyes.”

Lightning Girl’s voice had dropped two octaves. Gone was the airy, polite, nice tone.

Instead it was just rage that even as she spoke, seemed to almost emit more ozone. It wasn’t bad breath, more like the power was leaking out of her jaw.

Someone who didn’t even need electricity given her musculature would have been enough to tear the fucking bitch limb from limb, let alone manifest her not existing anymore.

With power, it was terror.

At point blank, all she had to do was just release the sinews pulling her back from putting so much electricity through Tsunami that it would hurt them both, probably taze everyone else, but it would definitely, certainly, vapourise Tsunami into ash-like cinders. And both of them would know that. A final fuck you if she did it, proving Tsunami’s point.

Lightning Girl scaled, of course. And to fly, she needed plenty of power. Power that hadn’t left her body. Power that was being burnt like a kerosene fire, and all with one target, rendered in a blue costume that would fry in her water-based guise like steam.

James could have died. James could be dying. She didn’t fucking care. She could get deported for all it was worth.

Nobody laid a finger on her brother.

Someone would have to do something. Knocking into her and stopping her would likely come with a sizeable electric shock.

But James groaned, mumbling a “Wait….”, hoping, praying someone would do something. Even he hadn’t seen her like this, but the closest he remembered seeing, she did proceed to turn them into a pile of ash. It was a sex offender in Camden. It was the single most horrifying thing he’d ever seen her sister do. In a world of heroes, unspeakable horror existed, especially when his sister had the power of a small village crammed into six foot two of her body. Some deserved it. Right now, Lightning Girl did not deserve to lose everything over this. James wanted to beg her to stop. If last time was a mistake, this, this was Tsunami goading her to destroy herself.

And James was terrified.

And he’d get killed if he tried to stop her. He could only reason, and hope she saw him, on the floor, very, very dizzy, bleary and wiping the snot and blood from his broken nose.

… And a shadowy tendril coiling around Lightning Girl’s leg that stops her from escalating the encounter as Tsunami spits at James and storms out the bar. “Well, your new dispatcher is a bitch! Fuck you, fuck your new teammates, this is why you’re stuck in Claremont, and that’s why I’m getting transferred to Hollywood! Fuckin’ nobody!”

The bar door slams closed, but tension continues to linger in the air, the barkeep rises from behind the counter, making sure it is finally over, and the few civilians around breath an uneasy sigh of relief as they try to continue their night. The rest of A-Team, however, is likely not doing much better, especially considering James’s current condition; the mood is ruined.

Lightning Girl’s eyes stay on Tsunami like a hawk, as she says nothing, absolutely nothing, static in air, the tendrils around her legs making her want to swear, but ultimately, realising as James got to his feet despite being spat on, leaning against a chair, exhaling, wiping the crap off his lips and bloodied mouth.

When Tsunami was out of the door, Sophie breathed out, and released her energy back into herself, painfully, as it felt like suckering back in every worst pins and needles you could humanly imagine. The shadow would have likely given Eclipse a bit of a buzz, given just how much power was in her at that very moment.

Sophie looks at Eclipse, and rather than a look of rage, her eyes turn back to her usual grey self, silent, the world feeling like it turned upside down. She felt heavy getting up. Pushing up off the floor, she immediately went to James’s side, as he sat down, heavy, as he leant back.

“FUCK!” She yelled, exasperated, as he gave a thumbs up to her, putting hand to nose, stemming the bleeding a bit, as Sophie seemed almost out of energy, almost out. She was silent, almost completely so as she took her hip pack and immediately drew a tactical first aid kit, her usual, and leant James back, still shocking him a little as she did, trying to elevate his head and applying a disinfectant wipe, holding back all the tears. “Hold your head up, we’re gonna be alright….” She almost whimpered….

Sophie had to do something. Help. Her default setting. There was nothing normal about it. His nose was broke, and while his teeth were luckily all in order, he was bleeding a fair chunk because of said nose. A lot of disinfectant wipes, and she barely could make words, trying to help, heal, at least, fucking stem this. She breathed out as he mumbled something, the white noise coming back into focus, as the rest of the team no doubt looked on, at a bloody dispatcher and a hero that seemed to go from top of the world, crashing straight into the ocean floor.

Looking at him, she checked for any other hurt, his head had a bump but that was fine, and he hadn’t concussed himself. Okay, that was good. So much of her was screaming internally…..chase Tsunami. Fucking turn her to vapour. Turn her into steam.

*It’s not what he wants.*

She realised his nose was out of shape, and with it, put her hand to his nose and turned, and James screamed.

It had to be done. And the noise sent a shock into Sophie, as he twitched, his nose now no longer pouring blood, fixed but painful. Her instinct kicking in, overriding everything else inside her that wanted her to stop. No, she had to look after, protect, fix. No second thought. It was snap instant. He groaned, feeling that return and the pain subside.

“Argh……fuck that hurts! Jesus…..she…..she saw our Slack. Didn’t realise I hadn’t taken her off the list. I’ll be fine. Thanks.” James said, as Sophie exhaled hard cutting back to him after doing what she would do for anyone and having to come back into the reality that she was now doing the first aid she’d done for people who were hurt in incidents to her own brother, holding back tears, holding back the feeling that she wanted to crumble.

“Don’t do anything stupid….but fuck me that was…..stupid of her.” He groaned, hurting, not having much in the way of words outside of direct ones. James peeled up and held the wipe, his energy back after being winded, as she silently peeled away with hers feeling like it had pissed out of her into grounded floor and into the air as ozone, letting the barlady bring over a bag of ice and her first aid kit, wanting everything but to scream again. The lights flickered above her where she hadn’t blown the bulbs on the wall, as she looked to everyone on the team, shaking her head, her emotions physically controlling the electricity, her hair still staticky, her hands still trembling. Looking to Eclipse. Who had stopped her, in a moment where she would have gone ham. She was angry, but grateful. And to the team. Who had seen that.

“I’m so sorry. I…..I wished you didn’t have to see that……I promise, what happened was an accident, I really didn’t mean it. I didn’t……she……..could have killed him then. I…..fuck he……he means the world to me.” She spluttered, her voice meek, nothing like what it was before. It definitely didn’t sound like Lightning Girl. It definitely didn’t sound like the version of her about to turn Tsunami into an evaporated pool of flesh. It sounded like Sophie Speight, afraid, terrified, and so, so far from home. 5,250 miles from home. Halfway across the world to the antipode.

She was alone with no friends and the only feeling she had inside her was wondering if she was just going to hurt everyone she ever touched for him

“I…..I’m……I should leave.” She croaked, trying everything to hold back tears.

And failing.

James put the bag of ice to nose from the barlady as he fumbled up, a little disoriented, wanted her to stop, but it was no use as he put his hand up. Sophie moved to the door and the sound of her crumbling could be heard, as she didn’t want anyone to follow, because she felt like she was about to break. And they couldn’t see that. She wouldn’t want them to.

Madcap watches as Lightning Girl leaves, swirling his empty glass of water and continuing to eat as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Eclipse squeezes past Hat Trick, hands James a few napkins for his bloodied face, and walks out after Lightning Girl. He wipes sweat off his face, and sighs as he feels cool night’s air on his skin. What the fuck was he doing? What the fuck did he just watch? All these questions, and he still finds himself approaching Lightning Girl.

Sophie was in the alley next to the bar and saw him, not interested, trying to leap and with it, static pouring her up. She couldn’t even make out the words. She would hurt him. And the team. And everyone. Ruined a good night.

But it wasn’t enough to leap up and fly, in fact, all the energy in her was gone, and all control, too. She was arcing off every single metal fire escape on the big redbrick blocks as she rose almost at half speed, and suddenly, she fell as she rose above it, barely able to control herself clearing the brick but not soaring, instead falling, electricity sparking all over her and the puddles and water as she slammed into the roof of one of the buildings, crashing with a wash of electricity.

It hurt, but she’d put the rest into not hurting herself at least, so it was like falling down a few steps of stairs by the time she smacked into the concrete.

Sophie didn’t want anyone here in her mental state. She was a threat to anyone. Everyone. All she did was hurt. All she had done was threaten to hurt. Came so far from home and it was for nothing, because she couldn’t manage herself. She couldn’t deal with Tsunami properly. How could she protect James from hurt when she couldn’t protect James from herself? She hadn’t looked after him. He could have died and then what? Lose everything? She’d be like fucking them, a villain, no better. But she couldn’t do nothing. Lightning Girl always did something. And that was a paradox.

Sophie sobbed, crying out of control, and put her head in her hands, leaning back against a duct, almost a wail coming from her. Her tears pouring past her cowl’s eyeholes, static almost uncontrollable across her body, almost convulsing, her hands against her face to stop her from arcing against anything else.

“Tch.” Eclipse clicks his tongue, hurrying after her up the steps. He finds her sobbing by herself on the rooftop, and a quick glance at The Cowl Inn’s door tells him enough: no one else stepped out to check on her besides him. For now, at least.

He sits down beside her, still unsure of what to say, just leans his head back and stares up at the sky. Some stars dot the sky, the grey clouds and storm having cleared since they reached the bar, and when Tsunami had appeared. Right, the two heroes that he and Payback were supposed to replace. Somehow that turned into a whole team, then Tsunami just happened to show up and everything went backwards. It’s funny how A-Team grew since their first few dispatches.

She stares at Eclipse’s shadowy figure, almost out of breath from crying and her outburst, literal and powered, wondering why he’d followed. Why? Nothing logical was in her head. No thoughts made any sense. It almost didn’t matter, as she got herself composed, leaning away from the metal, peeling against bricks, realising.

“Fuck. I’m so sorry. So, so sorry…..” She added, wiping tears, breathing out a long hard breath, Sophie backing herself up, her cape all dirtied from the filth on the roof, as was her suit, looking back at him. “I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t stop apologising. Classic British. But it wasn’t the words of a hero.

“You know that…..fuck……James worked with me a lot back in the UK. He’s close. And when I saw that…..I couldn’t.” She cut herself off, as her emotions overtook, and electricity bounded off her fingers, as she put hand to face, stopping it. “I’m sorry. I need to focus to stop it going out of control. I’m a walking fucking battery, Eclipse! I….I’m just a fucking lightning bolt I have to hold together….and when she hurt him I nearly did so much worse, I can’t…I….I can’t do this!” She almost exclaimed loud but her voice seemed entirely cropped. Like an entire part of her had been deleted as the energy was all but gone.

She let a few tears shed, and exhaled, hands over face, pointed away, clearing the snot and ugly face she had away, sighing hard, out of her head, frankly, out of her body.

“Okay…breathe.” She said almost to herself, exhaling, tears still flowing, as it seemed like with one hard touch of a nearby aerial, the electricity seemed to cease.

She breathed in, her chest puffed out, as she brought herself into control, not wanting to cause any more hurt, before looking him in the eyes, and almost glancing past, not wanting entirely to show herself. The pretty white haired, model heroine, almost a cutting figure of the classic heroes with so much to give, was laid low.

“I don’t know why you bother. I’m…..” She said almost breathless, not wanting sympathy. Wondering if he was just here to laugh at her. She had no energy left to care.

“Let the shadows cover you and breathe. Tsunami would’ve deserved it anyway.” Eclipse listens to her outburst with closed eyes, brows furrowed. What the fuck would anyone say to this even? He doesn’t even know her… “She said she was going to Hollywood?”

Yeah, this’ll do amazingly for comfort. Not. But it’s not like he knew a better way.

Sophie looked at him, not sure if that would help, sighing. “At least she’s not here. I don’t know what I would have done if I saw her after she spat on him. I was….” She put her fingers out, indicating barely a hair’s width. “This close. It’s not worth it. I should do better.” She sighed, shaking her head, looking at Eclipse.

An ex-villain was her reassurance tonight. It had come to this. She didn’t quite know what to make of it. She felt lower than Eclipse. At least he sold drugs. At least he knew what he was. He was a villain who could make what he made, and was here because getting turned into a Pinata by Tex-Mex cartel members was not the top of anyone’s Valentine’s Day gift list.

Okay, her humour was coming back, that she had, looking back at him with that sick, laugh at a funeral thought in her mind, smiling half, gently back a little.

“How did she get into Hollywood….heroes should do better. I should too. But she was pissed out of her face….drunk as anything. Like she wanted to make one last point. Like bait. Knowing I’d be hopeless.” Sophie shook her head, sighing trying to make reason, moving up closer given her voice didn’t carry anymore, her suit rustling along the floor, as she exhaled, closer to him.

With a gentle push of her hand up, she peeled the cowl away, revealing a relatively human face for such a hero, one you could have extrapolated given the cowl went from nose to top of forehead and covered little, but there she was.

Sophie Speight.

Without a mask, she felt liberated, as she looked Eclipse in the eye, allowing her total, absolute vulnerability out. Drying tears against a soft, sunkissed, pale face, the mask’s pressure revealing itself. Sunburnt, pink in corners, given Sophie didn’t react well to sunlight, but fair.

Someone normal. For a body that felt superhuman, athletic, like some biathlete in white cordura, was someone who seemed pretty enough, perhaps enough to go without a mask. She’d gone against that for many reasons, but, like this, she was open. She reasoned it was the best way to be. The mask on, she could relish in that power. The mask off, she had responsibilities to turn off the circuit breakers. Sophie didn’t wield power. Someone else did, as she thought about it all.

“Guess she got her revenge in a way. I always wanted to go there….suppose she had friends in high places. But…..you guys are pretty fun. At least it was until then.” She added, sitting back against brick, not making much in words, slower, quieter, overall, less what he would see.

She brushed her hair back, containing all the static that had messed it up, wiping tears with her gloves, sighing. There was no reveal. Nothing to say about her showing face. It felt organic. Like there wasn’t anything left to hide. Not after that. Not how she was now. She didn’t feel like Lightning Girl right here. No point pretending. That was for her other half.

“Thanks.” She uttered from her soul, unable to think of much.

Eclipse finds himself stunned by her face for a moment when he goes to look back at her. Ah. She looked nice. Probably not what he should be thinking, but… fuck. He purses his lips, flicking a wrist upward and holding out a small blade for her to see.

”I’m not a hero, so I’ll…” He pauses awkwardly, the small blade reflecting a small bit of light. “I’ll take her down for you, give her a scar she’ll never forget. The shadows will answer for what she did.”

He was an assassin back then, and while his official title is that of a hero, he’s still a villain. And if it means he can do his allies a favor, then he’s fine with it. Get rid of someone who could potentially ruin Lightning Girl’s–A-team’s image–it’d be simple, really.

Would that make anything better, though?

Probably not.

Sophie chuckled, shrugging her shoulders, contacting the blade, resting her hand against his, pushing it down.

“No…..you’re a hero, Eclipse…you don’t have to. We can’t go to her level. You don’t need to do that.” She said, whimpering almost, swallowing the lump in her throat, as she realised her hand was still against his. Security. Almost the only thing she could hold onto.

She’d stopped him from relapsing hard. Paid attention with Cheetos at least. Listened. Lightning Girl had done that, because it was what she wanted to be, at least, try for that. He was a dealer and a user, a broken man, broken more, by a broken system. And right now, she needed someone, and of all people, it was him. Someone when she was broken. That was in his own way, nicely, yet a strange karma. The universe was weird, she thought to herself.

“Every part of me held back, I guess, to stop me from killing her. That is the hard part. Doing the right thing because it’s so easy to just let go. And it hurts a lot when I don’t. It’s agony, all that energy, nowhere to go. Nowhere to turn.” She said, sighing- near literal in what she said, his hand still there, the drizzle and rain over, the stars in the night sky beginning to emerge more and more, between the fast-moving clouds in the Claremont night sky, as she found the words. More confident. More sarcastic. More Sophie.

“I appreciate you offering to be a personal hitman for some random English woman in a city far from home. That is quite a lot of trust…..not sure what I do with that, Eclipse.” She softly chuckled, perhaps not realising maybe Eclipse was waiting for a bit more sarcasm. She moved closer to him, enjoying the security he gave, and he would feel just how weak she was compared to usual. Even her aura back in the office, it was projecting, loud, ozone, and right now, it felt like nothing. It felt like the inverse almost.

He freezes, just kind of sets the blade down, lets her rest against him. Is he supposed to do something here? Fuck if he knows, but it’s nice. “You’re my ally,” he pauses, hands awkwardly hovering over her back. “I’d have done it for the dispatcher too, should he have asked...”

“... Not for the bug one, though. And the fake Phenomaman.” He could keep going, really.

“Should Tsunami show her face again, I… won’t kill her,” he drags the ‘won’t’ out as he ponders what to say next, “I’ll stick a piece of gum on her suit.”

Big time hero walking around with gum stuck on them all day–that’s a good one, and an old trick he pulled back in Red Ring to fuck with some of his buddies. Then they did it to him, and he slashed up their cars and laced their shit. Good times.

But it’s probably different to embarrass yourself as a hero; too many eyes on you, documenting every move you make. One mistake, and your whole image is gone.

Sophie laughed, enjoying this side of things, and refreshingly, enjoying not having to put on some image for him. Actually showing at least some humanity. Well, the kind that wasn’t her show. Imagining that. Yeah. That would really be shitty for her. Try using water on that, bitch.

“Okay, yeah, we should do that to her…yeah. That would work. A bit less than putting her on ice.” She chuckled, sniffing with little energy as she cleared tears, exhaling hard, knees brought close, feeling his embrace around her back, as she returned it, bringing herself close into him, putting her head against his neck, embracing him fully, sniffing still, wanting to at least feel somewhat human again after all of this. Of all people, Eclipse. All people. God, she wasn’t sure how it came to this, but she was glad he had his back, the fact she was taller making it a difficult hug, but an embrace she needed.

He would feel just how much electricity pulsed inside of her. Sophie, even in this state, would feel like a heart that wanted to leap out of her skin and into him, an otherworldly energy that almost felt like hearing ringing in your ears, and he would almost certainly feel that anxiety, pressure and panic, as well as a small static shock that was no worse than touching a door after walking on a bit of carpet. The bioelectricity regenerated slow, but when she was like this, it was like a palpitation, like a heartbeat that was jumping up and down, like the two dwarves inside her heart were hitting hammers out of time.

“Thanks, Eclipse. I’d have your back any day too. I’d go nova for any of you. I’m glad you trust me.” She said, trying to force a smile, trying to force herself back to normal, as she leaned out, back against brick again, wiping the last of her tears from her ugly crying away, hand on cowl, still wanting a second to process this.

And she was quiet. Almost empty, taking in the clearing, dark yet light polluted skies.

Eclipse moves a hand over hers, a small recoil as he feels a slight static shock. Her hand is warm in his, and slowly, he moves her hand down and away from her cowl. No need to get that back on, he figures. It’d probably feel like shit wearing a damp cowl, and besides, she looks nicer this way.

Sophie smiled small back at him, and remained silent, staring at oblivion, letting her hand stay, exhaling hard, letting her emotions slowly, silently, crawl back to where they came from and stop overwhelming.

She was glad to have such a friend in a shadowy figure. She hoped the rest of the team would understand. And while Sophie didn’t wear armour, in Eclipse, for a moment, she found someone who she could see who could see what she really was. More than just some heroine in a costume. Someone clinging to this idea so hard, it almost ate her whole.

All she wanted to be, was part of a whole. Stop being an outsider. Feel in place.

And for that, she couldn’t say words, but she just wanted to enjoy that warm embrace after it all.

=====

Asteroid looks over at Blackstar a few moments after Eclipse leaves the building. He's not sure if that's the official end to whatever SDN sanctioned gathering this was supposed to be. “Think they left?” He keeps his voice low.

“...Maybe…” Blackstar was staring from James on the ground with a bloody face to the door Lightning Girl – and Eclipse – had just slipped out of, her glass still in her hand but no longer full. She’d tried to pre-empt getting her fake beer all over herself by casually lifting her cup up under the liquid when Tsunami started making it float all over the place. Unfortunately, she’d gotten distracted by the situation and had failed to catch the falling drink, which had ended up all over her front and lap.

Thank goodness for waterproof suits.

After a moment, Asteroid nudges her with his elbow, inviting her outside- “lets go see.” His skin is hot from contact and the booze.

Blackstar blinked, setting her glass down with a soft clink and giving Fenom a small “excuse me” as she slipped past him and out of the booth, following Asteroid. Her eye lingered on Madcap, too; she’d caught the weird end to the karaoke performance, which she’d been enjoying until that last bit, and she was more than a little confused.

But, in the meantime, the awkward confusion of the bar gave them a good opportunity to slip out, and she followed her coworker wordlessly as he led the way.

She was just glad she’d been able to keep her own head. Not knowing the rest of the team super well probably helped, otherwise she knew seeing Lightning Girl and James in a situation – as well as hearing the rest of the team insulted – would’ve made her… pretty upset, to put it lightly.

The door clinks and Asteroid holds it open at the top. Lightning Girl leaning against Eclipse was so far outside of his expectations that Asteroid freezes. A quiet “uhh”, escapes him, a telltale sign of mechanical failure in his brain. He looked up to Lightning Girl, and to see her so shaken up made him deeply uneasy.

Blackstar peeked past him, eyes widening behind the black lenses of her mask. Ooh. Was this Lightning Girl and Eclipse dynamic new or had that been a thing? It was only her first day, but the way Asteroid was acting made her think he hadn’t seen it coming either.

Sophie put the cowl on, seeing them both return, hand away as she didn't have the energy to hide.

“Hey. I kinda thought I'd run but I'm drained. Ended up here.” She chirped, still a little unsettled, both Blackstar and Asteroid now seeing her worst day at work. Maybe worse than the accident. They must have thought something was between them. That was the last of Sophie's care.

“It’s not what it looks like. But I guess I needed a moment and Eclipse found me before I…I don't know. What happened with her was…difficult. Something I wouldn't hide. A mistake. That I apologised for.” She sighed. Unusually lacking at the moment. “Sorry to ruin our night. Fuck. That was stupid.”

Blackstar’s expression softened. Even with her cowl back on, it was easy to tell Lightning Girl had been crying. She could feel instinct kicking in, big sister tendencies that never went dormant making her want to offer a ride home and a stop at a convenience store for ice cream.

“Hey, you didn’t ruin it,” she spoke up, moving to stand next to Asteroid and still lingering by the door. Big sister instincts were insisting on going to hug the other heroine, but Alaine didn’t feel like interrupting whatever closeness she and Eclipse were still sharing. “That other crazy lady ruined it. Or, well, I mean – no, yeah, she ruined it.” She shrugged.

Asteroid nods through Blackstar’s reassurance, chipping in his two cents “it was all on her.”

Besides, Blackstar thought. Wasn’t like she’d behaved any better last time she’d been threatened. At least LG hadn’t killed anyone.

Which was a good point. “You didn’t kill anybody,” Alaine offered, a little quieter than she meant to. Clearing her throat lightly, she went on, as if that was solely a placating observation, “Could’ve been a lot worse.” She wasn’t going to mention the small shock they’d all gotten thanks to the messy drinks. “And the way James shouted, sounded like you fixed his nose, too. So.”

Another small shrug, though this time she paired it with a smile that radiated big sister energy. Lightning Girl might’ve been older than her, but Alaine couldn’t kick the habit.

“Right?” She glanced at Asteroid, nudging his arm gently for a little backup.

Asteroid blinks when Blackstar does- “oh yeah, his nose will be right as rain soon.” A beat, when he feels he should say more- “Everybody makes mistakes, we’ve all- made mistakes. Sometimes, really big ones.” His mouth gets a little dry through the end of his statement. He shifts his gaze from LG to Blackstar- finding it somehow easier to look at her instead “my best friend always says that it’s what we learn after we make a mistake that matters. And- based on your reaction- I don’t think it’s you who needs to grow from that situation anymore.” The last bit is quiet.

Sophie nodded, giving little reply but a gentle acceptance. She couldn't of course, explain the full reason why. That almost made it worse. It looked like a mental breakdown she couldn't entirely show. A side of her even more secret than a mask. But she appreciated the love, that at least the team could understand how much she'd protect the team. A tazer would risk the last time she hit her by accident. A punch too messy. But doing nothing was a paradox.
“Thanks.”

The moment Blackstar and Asteroid arrive, Eclipse instinctually pulls Lightning Girl closer to himself before letting go. Seeing those two was a mood killer, but it was better than what happened at the bar. Frankly, he's had enough of sudden appearances–that was more of his thing, anyway. He stays quiet, just takes in the conversation as best he can, no point in intruding, he's already done his job.

And really, he can't understand why Lightning Girl is taking the blame here. Mistakes happen, Tsunami was a drunk piece of shit, who cares? She zapped two of her teammates however fucking long ago, it's not that big of a deal; most of the Phoenix Program members on A-Team have done far worse, including himself.

"Why are you two here?" Straight to the point. It's an honest question.

”Seems like the same reason as you,” It’s with that admission that Asteroid loops his arm through Blackstar’s. She nodded along in agreement. “I think we’re both just glad she’s not sitting out here alone.” He levels a smile at Blackstar, and lifts his other hand in a wave as he turns to pull them back into the bar.

”See you both inside?” On the way in he pulls Blackstar over to the bar, and orders another double tequila. If she doesn’t move her arm, he doesn’t either.

And she didn’t, more than content to leave her arm casually linked with Asteroid’s, her hand absent-mindedly playing with his sleeve as they head back inside to the bar, only turning to toss Lightning Girl a little wave of her own and a thumbs-up of encouragement.

And Lightning Girl returned that. “Yeah sure. One minute.”

What was that supposed to mean?

Eclipse watches the two leave the rooftop with furrowed brows. They definitely thought this was something else, didn’t they? He clicks his tongue. Fuck. Were Asteroid and Blackstar together too? Was everyone just happening to look for a romantic getaway on the rooftop after the worst bar fight he’s ever seen? Whatever… it’s not that big of a deal.

He looks back at Lightning Girl to see her next move. If she wants to leave, he’s leaving with her. If she wants to stay, then… he’s staying with her.

Sophie swallowed the lump in her stomach, and with a crawl, shoved her hand against an AC unit on the roof, and thrust her hands against a plug. Gently zapping in power, it was enough for her to at least feel alive again as she stood. Enough to fall off this building without going splat. Enough to be back to Lightning Girl.

“Let's go. I'm buying.” Lightning Girl said, standing as she adjusted her gloves, and with a gust of wind, the cape picked up as she stood before Eclipse. “Actually, you can teleport, can't you? I'll see you there.” She remarked, with a smile that seemed almost beyond just a courtesy, the switch complete, but she wasn't ever going to quite be the same. For someone crying minutes ago, walking towards an edge was a terrible idea, but she indicated her electricity was under control, a spray of white static bouncing off a vent, nodding to Eclipse before she gently, elegantly fell into the alley, and headed back to the bar.

---

Tuesday
20:54
The Cowl Inn Taproom,
Downtown Claremont

Soundtrack: Two Door Cinema Club- The World is Watching

And with Lightning Girl walking back in, James was still sat there, blood no longer pissing out of his nose as badly, but in plenty of hurt. While some melodic old indie played, as seemed to be the thread of this pub. Another glass of Intergalactic Witch was slid in front of him, as she sat next to him, looking his face over like the others had after Lightning Girl and others had left then returned back to the bar, the bag of ice still against his swollen face. He looked like shit. But not dead.

"You sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Lightning Girl asked, as James drank down more beer.

"I liked having my fucking face in one place. Hospital isn't fixing this. I'll.....drown my sorrows." James retorted, sighing, as Sophie chuckled before his next comment. Stubborn. As ever. "Fucking nightmare. Are you.....okay?"

"Yeah. You?" Lightning Girl replied, the beer she had significantly stronger. A glass of 70% proof. An entire glass of vodka, with a flavour of pineapple. "Know the feeling getting my arse kicked." She added, James realising her sister had been crying. He wanted to say something. He wanted to tell her it was fine. Every part of him wanted to say something to comment back. He wanted to be formal, by the book, detailed. But read the room enough to know that was stupid, too far the other way.

"I'm fine. Fucking hell. Did you go far? Apart from that." He asked, not making much in the way of words.

"No. Not really. Needed a moment after it all." She was shorter in reply. Shit. She must have been very low on energy.

James could see it in her, as she drank more beer, and looked over at the rest, then back to him. a smile back on face, trying to break past it. "Water and electricity don't mix. Jesus she was drunk." James laughed at Sophie's response, as he sighed, looking around at the others, clambering out from his chair, heading to the restroom, but not before looking to the team first.

"Don't say a word about this to Kat, or anyone else in SDN. Tsunami happens to be a very, very senior government lawyer's daughter, in case you didn't know. We're professionals, so we don't make scenes. Especially not involving her when it could ruin her career, and therefore, yours as well. Much as I would want to do this formally....." James put to all of them, adjusting the icepack, his voice not carrying, just stating now.

"I think you all hate lawyers more than me, and given I'm the only one who got hurt, I'd rather keep my paperwork volume low. I'd also rather keep my sanity high, and most importantly, any bullshit to a minimum. Are we understood?" James looked across the team, likely not expecting James to take that approach, given he'd nearly been concussed and had his nose broken, maybe he could have lost teeth or straight up been sent to the shadow realm (in which Eclipse would be).

"Cool. One more beer's left on our tab for everyone." James added, heading off to the bathroom, Sophie knowing he must have struggled to come to that conclusion. The heroic thing to do would be to say something. Speak out. Report it. Lightning Girl was in the wrong too, she knew that much, but being goaded? Well, it seemed most had fallen on her side, or at least could understand.

Maybe they hadn't quite realised the relationship yet, given the fact maybe a taze would be easier. But when the white light decended, well, Sophie knew she'd protect him.

But it was a night out. Back to it again. And another round followed, as Lightning Girl carried it back to their table, and they went back to their evening.

The team continued to chat, and bit by bit, the bar emptied, and the energy felt like it died out. They all had a way to go. Lightning Girl called James a cab, and, on that note, the team finished their drinks and the conversation, and all got ready to go home. Home after a long, hard day's work, and a big clusterfuck at their social. The vibe had been sky high, and as Lightning Girl looked to Asteroid and Blackstar, taking both of their glasses, she gave a smile. A point of her finger and she jabbed power into each of their phones, one for the road, after a long day, before putting the glasses away. She felt buzzed, but in this moment, at least not remembering as much would make things easier.

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
1500 AEST

As the celebrations faded, the teams would wrap up, ships away, and getting ready to leave. Another successful weekend for some, another soul-searching session for others. Great Barrier Reef was always a showpiece, but up next, was the salt flats. From the salty ocean, to the salted earth.

---

Sunset at Sea

Dorian Hornfleur

Dorian sat looking at the state of the ship, beyond the glass of Valkyrie hospitality, emptied now on Sunday after the race.

"Another fucking engine. Putain de merde." Dorian simply commented to Anais, as she walked in, sitting on the beanbag next to him in Valkyrie's hospitality.

"It isn't the ending you thought it would be?"

"No. Feels like losing places." Dorian sighed, looking over at Paul's ship, wondering why his couldn't work.

"20 fucking years and it's always an engine failure...."

---

The Final Fifth

Sitting down in the sofa, Rory looked to Aurora, the familiar two staying professional in this late-season review.

"So, tell us, what did you think? Amy Stirling, dropping points?"

"I think we all were surprised. She's been so imperious in previous seasons. So unstoppable. But it's like she lost something. I can't even tell. It was like when Hamilton came away in 2022, or 2023. Just this spark seemed to fade. She could find seconds, but then she would lose all of them. It was hard to say."

"And what about the title race? Is it all to play for?" He was giving a wry smile with a chuckle, as the approaching mid-age commentator didn't want to be baited.

"If it's mathematically possible, anything can happen. Nora came back from the brink. People react differently to adversity. Pilots are incredibly resilient. The most mentally tough, physically capable, superhuman people alive. Take their augments, implants, everything away, and you're still left with someone who'll give everything for that feeling."

Cutting to Nora, as she walked through her garage, looking at data, looking at where she'd lost out to Bea. Wanting to never make that mistake.

"And what about the constructors battle for third and fifth? It seems like things are turning fast, who can say for sure where that will be?"

"Well, we all know Al-Saqr and Carerra prefer fast tracks. Their pilots are making the most out of ships that while fragile, are incredibly potent. It will be a showdown."

Ava helped the crew pack up alongside a biped that was helping carrying crates, looking to Leon, smiling, before looking across the box, looking to Bea, unsure if they'd ever fully mend the bridge. But when times were good, times were good.

"And while the constructors may be set, everyone has a point to prove."

---

Outro to Australia

"Well, that's all we have time for. We've had an amazing weekend here at Muller Cay, in the Great Barrier Reef, and we'll see you in Utah, for the FAS round of the Formula AGP season!"

And with it, the ending montage played out.

From the outside, as fish flew by, ships went through the tunnels, the sound a hollow, quiet turn, as the underwater camera drone followed one through a corner, before surfacing, catching ships exiting at the start straight, before pivoting back up to sky, sun, and a white-fade.

---

The teams would all head home. There were dilemmas to fix. Decisions.

From the first snow in Lulea, to the beginnings of the Southern Hemisphere summer in Buenos Aires, the chilly autumn vibes in Aachen, across to the usual sunshine of Abu Dhabi, all teams were getting ready for the last four races.

Engineers were busy.

Designers hard at work.

Liveries being reprinted.

The circus getting ready.

---

Post Humans

Being plugged in again.

Feeling it.

Seeing all of it.

Touching into the void.

She exhaled, looking through the clouded sandstorm, as it lifted, the rocks revealing an infinite red and yellow.

"The mortal coil holds us back. It has been a while." She said, the haircover revealing her almost polycolour locks, Layla looking beyond at the enormous horizon.

Wadi Rum. The desert of home. A place she wished she could race again. But not like this.

"Why are you here?" Layla asked, as the other figure sat, looking on at the sands.

"Because it takes everything. The perfect lap means sacrificing everything. And I thought you looked bored while they poked at you." Amy sarked back, brushing her white hair out of the way, inviting Layla to sit.

"It wasn't for the sake of humanity? For any of it?" Layla asked, as Amy shook her head. A resounding no.

"It's when you feel you are one with everything. It takes you away. It's the most human you can be. To find out what your limits are. And.....it's terrifying." She said, looking at sand, trickling with a feint sheen to it in the render. "And yet, infinite. You feel like you can touch the stars. You're scared but....able to go beyond anything."

"And you failed to think of anything larger. And lost points in races anyway for someone who's literally thinking you're playing transhumanism. You risk everything and deny it all. Why?"

"You are here, aren't you?" Amy asked, as Layla shook her head, looking at the sands, then back. Realising.

"You mean, you're here. I'm not in your head. This is my render. And you’re not a glitch." Layla replied, as Amy chuckled, shaking her head.

"How do you think this all happened?" Amy retorted, waving her hand at it all as Layla could see it all. "The entire pathing to here."

For Layla, it was unfurling. Unravelling, as she replied back. Seeing it clearly.

"You used them. Knowing it would end up coming to me. A social engineering trick.....because you needed them to do it, knowing everything about them. Knowing how they'd act. Knowing Ava's weakness. Knowing Bea would find you. Knowing Kais wouldn't help himself. Knowing you'd get to me. But you didn't expect the bump in Canada to force it to work faster." She replied, as Amy nodded.

"I didn't expect it to start killing me either."

"It's……neural remapping. Like when...."

"A neural link is damaged and strained, it creates new bonds to anything, like how a bird nests with anything it can capture. With no limits..."

"It replaces the mind with machine and extrapolates, turns generative. Until the mind starts to defeat itself because it can’t manage artificial." Layla replied, finishing her sentence. "We're not a hive mind. I know it because I sat on it for a while. It’s why I’m here. But you have a body to return to."

"Not quite. Well. You want one thing. I want another, but once you start interfacing, you know a machine usually gets to the same answers in a quantum computer, two places at once, yet the same. The machine is creeping inside you too now, isn't it, Layla? To be transhuman, you need to let it in." Amy stated what Layla knew to be plainly obvious, as the Jordanian replied.

"Sure. Yet I want to help humanity. I want to go to the stars, turn off, turn on, and save our species from the cradle we can escape. You want to win more races in a stupid series in which actual people don't deserve cheaters like you….like us. Like Jen. She shouldn't play with it….or are they wondering how they replace you?" Layla cut hard, knowing in this sense, sometimes it wasn’t the literal, maybe the physical too.

“Perhaps.” Amy remarked, knowing it was a valid point. But Amy had her own. “You say you want to be like sand down there. Yet you're trapped on this rock…..and here. You’re imaginative, but you’re stuck." Amy came back, as Layla looked on, even wondering what the fuck they meant.

"They've....respected my wishes. More than they can say for you. How many copies of you are there? Is that it, or are you just here trying to get me to find you a way home? Which are you, Amy? Or is it even Amy anymore?"

Amy had a rare crack, as she shook her head. "Enough to know that we’re both matter. We’re so much more the same." Amy took her hand, and well, Layla felt the cold.

And her wash away.

And as she looked out into the horizon, Layla started to understand more and more of how reality wasn't exactly a construct that mattered too much anymore.

Not like this.

---

"Kais."

The voice called.

"Kais." The voice called again. When Kais would wake up, he would see it in his vision.

Layla was there. And the feel against his shoulder would have felt real. But Layla was nothing but a hallucination. Dressed in an racing undersuit, augments all on display, like the last time Layla and Kais saw each other.

She was back.

From a holographic projector on one of Kais's devices, at least, trying to play at some physical presence.

"Not quite alive. But getting there. You look like you aren't sleeping as much lately." She replied, her voice garbling a little, before restoring.

---

The interviews took place at each HQ, a hologram of Aurora opposite the locally set up camera, set in an environment of the pilots choosing. They had creative control, but Aurora still led on questions.

First up, Bea, back in Buenos Aires.

"So a breakout first season for you, and it seems like you've become the number one pilot at Carrera. What does it feel like to have that responsibility, to lead and direct the team? You seem to back yourself to stay with the team when many other teams would have been interested, what do you think it is about Carrera that has made it so effective since you came in?"

Next, Bellatrix, in Lulea.

"An impressive start from you Trix! Many people would have not expected you to come into Formula AG, especially with the competitive field you were in, so what do you think it was that made it work so well for you?

Aachen, next, with Paul.

"Paul, it feels like you've hit your stride! With such consistency, how does it feel to be putting a team like Valkyrie so high up the grid? How do you feel about the future of the team, and in particular, the next steps with the 2095 chassis?"

Lastly, Kais, at Al-Saqr's HQ.

"Kais, it seems like watching you on track is always entertaining, and your honest, direct approach is gaining lots of fans, as a breath of fresh air in the sport. Hamid seems to take a different approach, and seems rather playful with crews and teams from what we can tell. Do you think there's a way for both styles in Formula AG?"

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

Day 2: 06:19:51
Polavian Standard Vodka Distillery,
Novy Jork,
Capital Province,
Republic of Polavia

But with a grin he look at the holy glad ang, "well long time since I've seen one of those. Let's go." He tests the door now as Felix stacks beside him, "Clear..." and edges the door open enough that Felix and get the flashbang inside, "Let's make some noise yeah?"
[/quote]

Prepped up, Felix nodded, giving a silent, but simple response. "It's a crowd pleaser. Set. Upper team, moving in." Pin peeled, the knurled purple left his hand and bounced off the metal cabin wall, before settling, Felix making sure to shut the door and point his head away. Once, he'd been flipped with someone inside by catching the light. And well, that wouldn't be much for for either of them. The light flashed bright white and pink, like something from a certain film series when the ark was opened up in front of the bodies.

The men inside screamed, as all of them stumbled, one falling over, utterly confused where he was. Blind and literally flipped in position in the sorting cabin.

A Holy Flashbang had the effect of inverting positions, a classic Kalan trick that their Riot Priests would use.

So, the goons inside would be flipped, and it made Felix and Silas entering, with shotguns, basically able to shoot them like fish in a barrel.

Except two versions of Felix entered. One going right, another left. It was a mindfuck, inside a mindfuck. If he was a lion right now, this would be why Felix was disgustingly capable in getting through doors.

One, two, three, four.

By the time they were done, Felix having taken the two on the left with the Masterkey, the room was a much grimmer shade of red as the bottles now went by covered in blood, the Libolian flicking new buckshot into the shotgun, stepping over bodies, trying to PID them. "More PSA. Uniforms track with what they had ten years ago." Felix added, as more gunfire could be heard, not at them, but from below.

---

“Give it a minute, then tell me if shooting me in the chest works or not.”

"I'm a seer. Not someone who tells you the obvious, because right now, you're two, maybe three vodka bottles away from unable to organise a piss up here if you want to stay as a pointman." Roxie poked back, looking back to the other witch for ideas, rather than problems.

She listened to Rowan, seeing the witch try to seer herself. It wasn't as effective. It wasn't going to work. But, she was creative. That she had to say.

She grinned as she had a thought. “Well who said we had to use the door? What if we went through the wall instead of the door? I still have some acid left. They might notice that before we got through. I could freeze the wall and then channel a lightning bolt into the wall causing it to shatter inward.” She turned to Borys with a smile. “There might be some collateral damage though. You wouldn’t hold that against me, right?” She made a blow up motion with her hands to indicate shattered bottles.

Oksana's eyes rolled up into her head again, as she held onto the railing, before phasing back in.

"Okay, this is what I saw...."

--

The vision was clear. The frozen metal suddenly shattered as Borys charged through after the lightning bolt, shotgun man drawing fire onto him, as Roxie aimed for top of thorax, 9mm shredding the unarmoured neck of the Altyn-wearing nerd, the breach so unexpected that the PSA militants inside were drawn out, any fire on Borys, and luckily, that meaning Rowan and Oksana had clean ability to shred the others, with clean, tactical fire. Within seconds, bullet casings were on floor, as she shrugged.

"Huh. Just like I thought it would."

This wasn't a vision.

Reality played out rather nicely, the version of it Roxie could imagine at least, this particular breach, this particular version, perfect to inch.

As the chaos stopped, Oksana picked up the Saiga-12K, and threw it towards a pissed Borys, it bouncing off him given the knock, as she put hand to face. "I'm so fucking stupid." She said to herself, realising in every version of reality, Borys wasn't gonna see that coming. But she wasn't exactly seeing in that moment, she was too busy seeing something else.

They'd made noise and the fire alarm went off, and well, the machinery was at a halt.

---

"We've stirred the hornet's nest. Let's capitalise on shock and awe, we need to punch out of the distillery and find transport. Weapons hot." Felix called into comms, the breached room left behind, wanting to make progress. Sooner they got through, the better.

With it, Silas and Felix kept the high road, staying on the gantries as bullets flew, bottles smashing as Felix slid into cover, switched to the 417, icing a few more PSA militants that came in, regular fire working, as he bolted from point to point, still not feeling like he could switch. Nor wanted to. For now, at this range, a rifle was perfect. A lion was not fitting through those doors, after all.

Downstairs, Oksana's team had cleared out, and were now in the production area- the bottling plant's various conveyor belts, and more PSA militants were filling in area.

"Contacts front!" She called, as bullets smashed bottles, Oksana diving into cover and grabbing one, throwing it and using it as a nice distraction to get an enemy in cover covered in shards of glass, before aiming at their exposed leg, enough of an opening for her to relocate and reload, before waiting and picking them through the sheet metal. Clambering over the production line, Oksana found cover behind another machine panel, as the machines suddenly whirred back into life, the conveyor belts continuing.

"Ah, fuck! We need to shut it down, we can't cross safely.....ah fuck it." Roxie sighed, taking out another militant that moved in, wondering just what on earth they were doing here. She knew nothing on drugs, but why put psychoactive substances in these? There was no way they had anything ready based on the trains and looks of things, so it must have been a discussion. An armoured recon that was met by the force of a load of armed wizards and witches.

"Me and Silas are approaching a control room, we might be able to shut it down! We've got eyes on hostiles massing, they're bringing shields!" Felix called out, from on high, the gantries now being busy with hostiles, as they fought through the halogen illuminated factory, still headed towards the main element itself- the distillery, on the far side of the cabins and conveyors they were at.

Oksana saw that coming, and dodged as one of them sprayed at her with an SMG behind a tactical police shield, Oksana bareling into cover and firing at the legs, dropping the enemy into a killshot, before backing down, her vision getting absolutely shitty.

---

"Rowan, see if you can use your acid on the shield goons, blyat! Borys, if now was a time to get shitfaced, it would help!"

Oksana was disgusted by saying those words. But, for the latter, it as perfection.

---

Felix meanwhile, stuck close with Silas, the shapeshifter dumping mags and switching to one of his last three, aware he had to be careful, aware he couldn't be burning through this much. He switched to the Masterkey on turning a corner past a machine, blasting an enemy to the abdomen then head as he fell forwards, pushing him out of the way to get back into cover, as more gunfire rang out, Felix and Silas having to go through a conventional gunfight, but, Felix happy if Silas could pull something off here on the higher gantries.

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…

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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?"