Two's Company, Four's a Party(IC)

[Ari]

Nodding an affirmation, Subito began at once "With the power granted me by the Blue Dame, spirit of Puerto Rico, I can survive underwater at immense depths without drowning, being crushed or suffering from the cold, as well as being impervious to the effects of poisons..I don't know why" he admitted sheepishly "Additionally, I am granted increased physical might and endurance along with the capacity to understand all languages spoken, and this banner I can summon makes me effectively bulletproof and allows me to fill others with hope" he looked across the field, adding "And i can hear things dozens of yards away, though I've been trying to downplay it to keep from being interrupted by somebody in another building"

[Vahnyu]

"Hello, Marcus. And I'm Serge. A pleasure." Serge said with a light smile, waving to the senior.

"So I guess I should ask what it is everyone can do... Don't feel obligated to answer if you don't want to. Lord knows I don't like talking about it all the time."

"Nah, it's okay." he responded. "The gist of it is, my body vibrates at high frequencies, which, besides enhancing my physical traits and granting me great speed, the ability to fly, and stick on surfaces, itpowers up my suit, which in turn powers up my vibrational capabilities, which in turn power my suit further more, et cetera. The end result of that loop is that I can withstand pain by dampening impacts, I can lift up to 4.8 tons of weight, and I can convert my strength into sonic energy, which I can channel through my gloves, or my chest phone." Serge explained, tapping the white, slim megaphone that was strapped on his chest.

[Scuffles]

"And I'm a telekinetic!" Kristin said after Serge and Subito explained their abilities. "To be honest I'm still working out what I can do and what my limits are, but I can lift and move things, or apply pressure to crush things, or affect people directly with it. I can also shield myself with it to a degree, like making a barrier out of the air."

She looked curiously at Marcus. "I guess you don't really want to talk about it too much but if we're going to be teaming up together it would probably be helpful if we know what you can do as well?"

[GranspearZX]

Weird. Definitely weird.

Marcus smiled faintly at his first thought of the three after they had described their abilities. It certainly wasn't a level of strange he was unfamiliar with, however, and he was amused to no end by Subito's and Serge's rather bookish explanations. He looked squarely at Kristin when she asked him about his abilities, his smile fading a bit as he took a moment to consider how to answer it.

"Well," he began, heading away from the desk and motioning for the others to follow, "It's... complicated. Short version? Magic."

He waited, looking at all three as he said it. Even in a world where people were born with magnificent abilities, telling someone 'hey, it's magic!' drew an understandable level of skepticism. "Just something I was born with. Don't count on me throwing fireballs or anything though... haven't quite worked up to that yet. Most of it is just me transforming into animal forms... Probably won't be doing much of that today."

[Vahnyu]

"It's... complicated. Short version? Magic."

Serge toyed with the idea, for a bit. "Magic, huh? I had heard that there were people who could do that. Never got the chance to study it, personally..." he said, the initial skeptisism draining away, the more he thought about it. Seeing Marcus' look of anticipation, Serge decided to alleviate some of the senior's... worries. "I mean, yeah, it sounds irrational but, a)magic isn't supposed to be rational in the first place, so that's not saying much, and b)my cells behave in a rather irrational manner, as far as normal cells are concerned. Heh. Just because I can explain my powers with scientific terms, doesn't mean that they are any less peculiar than magic." Pointing at his friend, he continued "Besides, Subito, here, is blessed by the Spirit of Puerto Rico. From where I'm standing, that's plenty of magic, yet I'm not about to dismiss it, or anything."

"So, umm... anyways. Unless we need anything else, I think we should head for the Doom Room. Eh-heh..." Serge said somewhat awkwardly, while he rubbed his arm. "... I mean, no worries. It's not like we can't take our time or anything." he finished weakly.

[Ari]

The stocky teen whistled admiringly in response to Marcus's exposition of his powers and their basic origin, though he had to admit his friend's commentary was reasonable, he didn't want the senior to get the idea that his powers were being insulted. "So you've got shape-shifting powers? Neat! I haven't met any people with magical powers besides myself so far"

He glanced over at Serge and added lightly "My friend is very much into finding out how stuff works, with any luck we'll get a lecture on the workings of the Doom Room when we get there to satisfy him for a bit"

[Scuffles]

Kristin didn't bat an eyelid at being told that Marcus' powers were magic - after all she had just discovered that she could move objects with her mind - but she did tilt her head to the side at how unenthusiastic he seemed about it. She was interested to know more, and the curiosity was plainly evident on her face, but she didn't ask, instead chewing on her lip for a few moments and giving a bit of a shrug.

"I think Serge is probably right, we should head for the Doom room," she piped up. "We're probably already a little late, so why don't we go get to it!?"

[GranspearZX]

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Marcus had never actually been to the combat simulator levels--otherwise known as the Doom Room. Most of his training had been done off-campus up until the incident where he'd nearly been seen using his magic in a more public way than he should have. Just thinking about it made him a lot more quiet, and he realized he hadn't thought much about it--or his mother--since then.

The sublevels weren't nearly as dark and brooding at the name might have implied, but for someone like who had grown used to being outdoors so often, the scent of the unfamiliar made him a little edgy. "I really don't know how this works, myself, so... I guess we're all gonna learn together."

[Ari]

GM

"Quite astute Mr. Irons!" declared a nearby voice, the slight crackle of static signalling its electronic origin "You're as new to this as the other three, but your real experience means you have much less adjustment to undergo. Please step inside the pod and we'll begin"

With a soft whisper of movement, a section of turf dropped down a few inches and slid into a previously concealed slot. From the vacancy arose a neat shimmer that resolved itself into a small elevator-like box. The doors cycled open "Please get in as quickly as you can, it can't remain invisible for longer than 25 minutes"

Once the four were inside, they felt the sensation of their centers of gravity shifting rapidly as they traveled through the tunnel network underneath Claremont Academy. With a soft thrumm it finally halted, opening its doors to reveal a small room filled with small furniture and a large screen covering most of the wall opposite the elevator, with a long, narrow shelf carrying a single black electronic tablet.

"Now then" declared the voice "Please take a seat Mz. Jones, Mr. Explinker and Mr. Sondo. Mr. Irons, please take the tablet with my guidelines for use of the combat simulator and we shall begin the briefing" stated the voice of their headmaster crisply.

[Ari]

GM

The guidelines were very easy to understand, following the general rules of conduct that Marcus might have expected for making sure that such sophisticated equipment was left unharmed even at the power levels Claremont sometimes operated at.

1. Powers must be directed against the constructs generated by the combat simulator as much as possible, any potential harm to the simulator is a chance of harm to the students.

2. Powers must be used at their fullest extent only upon announcement of the simulation prior to entry that the specific safety devices in place for that student have been disabled.

3. If there is the slightest risk that a student's powers are not yet under full control, it is advised to run the program at lower risk settings than the other students, so as to reduce the chance of a flare-up brought upon by stress.

4. All students must keep in mind that while the constructs are holograms, they are being tested on how they perform as if it were a real occurrence. Certain tactics are impermissible, no amount of "But it's just a hologram!"-ing will alter a poor grade.

5. Under no circumstances are students allowed to attack each other intentionally in the simulator.

6. Under no circumstances are students allowed to expose each other to danger without each other's express consent.

7. Students may not damage the simulator in order to give themselves an advantage over the program.

8. Students must perform only the objectives assigned in these beginner simulations, more advanced training will allow for more advanced thinking. You must prove you can walk before I take off the training wheels.

9. Finally, students must remain aware that if any danger becomes apparent, there is no shame in calling for the program to pause. This is hardly even a test, more of a preliminary exam. You may attempt this as many times as you need to to familiarize yourselves with the technology.

Keep your wits about you, and you will perform acceptably.

Summers.

[Ari]

Sitting with a slight whooziness on one of the hard white chairs near the left-hand wall, Subito leaned back experimentally onto the stiffness and uncomfortableness that was the briefing-room's furniture. Glancing over casually at Serge and Kristin he commented "This is like those restaurants that want you gone the moment you're done ordering" settling as best he could, he watched the screen(and Marcus's face) with interest, wondering what the agenda of their trip to the near-legendary Doom Room was. I hope it's something to do with robots he thought excitedly, That would be awesome!

[Scuffles]

Kristin jumped and looked around in surprise as the headmasters voice seemed to come from thin air nearby, then declared "Now that is cool!" as the elevator rose out of the sports field and dropped what appeared to be some kind of invisibility field.

Practically buzzing with excitement she beat her new teammates inside, then stood there bouncing from foot to foot as she waited for them to file in. The nervous energy continued throughout the short ride and it was all that she could do to sit patiently in a chair to wait for Marcus to retrieve the tablet.

"Most restaurants in Australia at least let you get your food before they try to kick you out!" she replied to Subito with a grin.

[Vahnyu]

After taking a brief glance at the rules, Serge remarked at his classmates "Well, the guidelines seem rather sensible. Conditioning our performance so that we will be performing judiciously, if ever the need for real combat arises. It is easy to hold back to the point of ineffectiveness, as it is easy to go all out without regards to your surroundings, but achieving that golden balance will take some work, and the simulator is specifically designed to facilitate such senarios. In other words, we will be tested on both our combat abilities, and our character."

Scratching his chin, he delved deeper into the guidelines, making mental notes as he did so. "So... in other words, we will start off with the Beginner's Level, which by no means should we expect to be easy. Depending on our performance, we will also be able to procceed to a higher difficulty, though it doesn't specify if the difficulty will change dynamically(that is, during the course of the simulation, in direct response to our performance, like a rubber-band), or if it will take effect on another session... heh." Serge chuckled slightly, as a thought occured to him. "If this room could be mass produced and tinkered with, it could revolutionize crime fighting, and even warfare, and by revolutionize, I mean solve a few problems, only to give rise to several others... I wouldn't be surprised if this institute had dozens of secrets that could alter our everyday lives on a global scale, completely sealed to all but the most trusted sets of eyes(and for good reasons). Well... I would be surprised, depending on the secrets but the point still stands." he said as an aside, to Kristin and Subito.

[GranspearZX]

Marcus blinked as Kristin dashed ahead. He sighed and shook his head, trying not to laugh as he stepped inside after Subito. After a moment he realized everyone was waiting for him to grab the tablet, so he did, taking a seat next to Subito. He waited for everyone to get settled before he started reading what was on the tablet's screen.

For a while, he didn't say anything. Serge did a fair bit of the talking, and a brief hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. Not that he didn't like Serge, of course, but he was starting to notice a pattern of overthinking. It made him bristle a little bit in anticipation of something bad. He certainly wasn't above overanalyzing things, but he had learned to rein himself in when necessary. He definitely didn't vocalize it; he'd also learned that his inner dialogue often scared people. "I'm sure we'll be fine," was all Marcus said on the matter as a whole, folding his arms across his chest. "One crisis at a time. It's a little early to go off the rails over this... I think we're all good with the rules, then, right?"

[Vahnyu]

"I'm sure we'll be fine. One crisis at a time. It's a little early to go off the rails over this... I think we're all good with the rules, then, right?"

"You're right." Serge said, at the senior's words. "I suppose there's no need for unnescessary worrying." Leaving the guidelines at the table, Serge leaned back, and said to the others "Well, I'm ready... at least as ready as I can be." he finished somewhat meekly. The anticipation he felt for the training simulation had filled him with equal parts of dread and excitement. Well, this is it. This is why I enlisted on the Claremont Academy. After all the lessons, the time has come for me to test what I've learned. he thought, as he looked at Subito and Kristin. ...I just hope I won't hold them back.

[Ari]

GM

With a soft hum the screen in front of the four teens shone to life, revealing the lined, habitually impassive face of their Headmaster. "Now that's out of the way, on to business. This is a prerecorded message unfortunately, paperwork for making clear to the state bureaucrats the validity of our accreditation is time-consuming, so I won't be able to answer questions like I normally would. However, thankfully, the simulator will provide an audio-visual explanation of what's about to happen prior to the start of the program. Seeing as you're all new to the use of the machinery Mr. Cage has agreed to be on hand for the duration of the test in case of the slight possibility of computer error"

Leaning slightly backward(enough at least to see the collar of his turtleneck), Summers' briefing began:

"The testing will be divided into three sections: combat, problem-solving and escape. The simulator will explain in greater detail what you are to do and how, followed by a five-minute period where you may ask whatever questions you wish. Each section will take around ten minutes to complete in full, and as this is preliminary you won't get extra-credit for completing it more quickly than the average, that feature is available in more advanced missions. After completion of the test, you will have as much time as you need to rest fully before attempting the next challenge"

Clearing his throat slightly and taking a small sip of water through a nigh-totally invisible straw, he finished quietly "Do your best. Step into the pod and you will be transported to the simulator"

With a faint 'pop!', the screen went black.

[GranspearZX]

Combat. Problem-solving. Escape.

Marcus wasn't too terribly worried about the first and last, but he wasn't always the most efficient person when it came to critical thinking. Most times, he could use his magic to find creative ways around problems, but even then, that didn't always work out in his favor. He really was going to have to trust them... He sighed and stood up, stepping into the pod.

"So... ah... how much have you guys used your abilities? Just for reference... I don't really know if it'll matter or not. And before anyone asks..." He glanced specifically at Kristen with a wry grin, anticipating her being the one to ask him the same, "I've studied magic ever since my shapeshifting started, so... about a year and a half, maybe two. Still got a good ways to go, but... I can use what I do know pretty well." He patted his pocket; he often carried a small box of sidewalk chalk, and it wasn't simply because he was an artist.

He was more interested in knowing if anyone had control issues similar to those he had before he'd started martial arts training. Having one's powers run away with them was a truly terrifying experience, and he wanted to avoid asking something impossible of anyone.

[Scuffles]

Kristin actually stilled to watch the video, staring at the screen intently as she hung on every word.

Is it a bad sign that escape comes after combat? That sure does sound a little ominous! she thought with a bit of a grin, then wordlessly stood up to peel her winter jacket and pants off. Underneath she wore the snug fitting Claremont-issue jumpsuit. Gosh I look like a dork! she thought as she glanced at the three boys. I totally need to get a decent costume sorted out!

She stepped into the pod next to Marcus and grinned at him as he met her eye. "How much have I used my telekinesis? Oh my first time was like 6 weeks ago or something. You might have seen it on TV? Bit of an accident, car floating around for no good reason, me in the middle scared half to death not knowing what was going on? It's OK now though, I have it mostly under control. Mostly."

She gave a nervous little shrug. "I don't really know what I can do that well yet. I guess this is where I find out!"

[Vahnyu]

"I've been using my abilities for quite some time now, actually, although I'm still running adjustments with the suit. I've fought my share of robbers, and even went up against a few low powered villains..." Serge trailed a bit, as he looked somewhat uncomfortable "Unfortunately, my performance was... quite a bit less than stellar than I would have prefered to claim. In fact, the realization that I could be much better prepared to handle those situations is the main reason I enrolled. And, as you may have heard, me and Subito went up against a bona fide super villainess, one named Looking Glass... and yeah, we had assistance from another vigilante, and we still got trounced, for the most part. That we managed to subdue her was some good happenstance. Still, I guess we've learned quite a few tricks since then, but the only way to tell for sure is to test them."

[Ari]

Subito wasn't in-costume either, a fact that occurred to him with a start when Kristin shed her winter wear. Realizing with some embarrassment that in order to be of any use at all in the upcoming testing he would have to be fighting on another's behalf, he quickly removed his own coat and myriad of scarves, quickly smoothing out the Claremont uniform beneath it that he now wore almost to the exclusion of the rest of the (quite varied!) wardrobe his family had insisted he take along with himself.

He grinned at Serge "Don't worry Surge, now we've got two people who can bail us out if the going gets too tough for us" his smile vanished "Come on man, let's not keep the mistakes we made fighting our first ever supervillain too much in mind. If we start doing that it'll turn this into a never-ending slog of "am I good enough?". We're good enough to get better, is for sure" to Kristin he said brightly "Glad to hear you have some practice! I only had a night or two of practice with my powers before I came here"

[Scuffles]

Kristin gaped and looked back and forth between Serge and Subito. "You two were the ones that stopped Looking Glass? Wow! That's pretty awesome!" She stopped cold for a moment, then raised her eyebrow at Serge. "You went up against a for-real super-villain and you won and you think you didn't do a great job? What's up with that? Is your secret identity 'Captain Pessimism' or something?"

She gave a bit of a chuckle. "I'd have been pretty happy just to still be standing at the end, let alone actually take her down! And nobody really got hurt even right? How is that not a good day?"

[GranspearZX]

"Oh wait. That was you?"

He blinked at Kristen several times, recalling the story he'd been watching on the news. Marcus was actually on campus that night; both he and his roommate had seen it. He hadn't been paying much attention, though, as he rarely really looked at the news when he was working on his art projects. Still, he could absolutely relate--short of the cameras, he'd discovered his magical ability in a similar way. Just thinking about it made it uncomfortable.

"I guess the important thing is just to stay calm. This is just a training exercise anyway. No pressure."

He offered an encouraging smile, glancing between Serge and Subito. "Super-villain, huh? ...hm." Marcus decided it best not to compare notes. It really wasn't a competition, though the fact that he'd helped rout an entire army immediately surfaced. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked up at the ceiling. "No sense in dwelling on past mistakes. I've definitely made some... nearly got myself and my friends hurt more than once. You live and you learn, though, right?"

[Ari]

GM

The trip down to the fourth level of the Academy's sub-basement took noticeably longer than the journey down to the first. The twists, sudden jerks as the pod rapidly made its way and the sense speed were much less detectable however. It could be they were moving more slowly for whatever reason, or else they were hurtling downwards at an incredible velocity.

Whatever the case, their arrival was heralded by a soft feeling of temporary weightlessness before the gentle sound of the pod's floor touching against something else of unyielding metal. The doors slid open, revealing the circular metal room covered with a regular pattern of lines dividing it into large squares. This place was referred to by the faculty almost exclusively as 'the simulator', but had gotten a new name after only a few months: the Doom Room.

A different voice each of the students could place as coming from the enthusiastic teacher Alan Archer "Okay kids! In a few minutes the 'Room is gonna start up properly, and it'll give you the run-down on what to expect. I'd suggest keeping off the floor of the thing if you don't feel comfortable with it yet, no rush or pressure today!" it was almost possible to see the warm smile on Archer's face as he spoke, in stark contrast to Summer's icy impassiveness "First thing's I'd suggest ya do is get into costume if it's something you have to put on first, gives ya a little familiarity to help keep things from seeming too weird, and you'll probably want that when you see robots coming out of thin air!"

With that, the lights previously shedding a sterile gleam over the simulator shut off with a sharp click, and with a faint hum the Doom Room was awakened.

[GranspearZX]

Marcus took several steps out of the pod, shuddering involuntarily at the disorienting nature of the pod. He looked around the mostly bare room, one eyebrow slightly raised. It reminded him vaguely of the Lab and the tour he'd taken... and having to test his bear form in extreme weather. Other than the annoying vision problems from sandstorms and blizzards, he didn't really feel anything. It was definitely good to know. Weightlessness, on the other hand, he could do without.

"Right then. Show time." Marcus held up one hand in front of his face, middle and index fingers extended and hovering near the bridge of his nose. A dark green circle of light formed at his feet, slowly working its way up his body, changing his clothing from his everyday wear to his blue and gold Claremont uniform--almost. The beast-like mask definitely wasn't standard issue. With his back turned to the rest of the group, the Beast Rune was in full view, its edges giving off a faint red pulse through his shirt.

[Vahnyu]

Serge was already in costume, except for the mask that hanged from his back. As soon as mister Archer said that they should put in their costumes, Serge opted to pull his mask on. Sure, no one here to geopardize my identity, but the mask sure helps me get into the right mindset. Besides, for the Net-Dive harness to actually work, it must be in contact with my brain. And you never know when you'll need to make a dive into a computer mainframe, now, do you? he thought, as he once again prepared himself mentaly.

Checking his body, especially his joints, to see if they could move easily, and thus, not hinder him, Net Fly announced "I'm ready, guys, and gal. Whenever you are. Let's start this show." All the while, he was thinking about what Kristin had said earlier.

"You went up against a for-real super-villain and you won and you think you didn't do a great job? What's up with that? Is your secret identity 'Captain Pessimism' or something? I'd have been pretty happy just to still be standing at the end, let alone actually take her down! And nobody really got hurt even right? How is that not a good day?"

A grim, yet sad smile formed behind his mask. Serge hadn't said anything, back then, but not because Kristin's views made him realize he was obsessing over nothing(He wasn't. Not over nothing, and not even just something, but everything). The truth of the fact was, Serge realised that Kristin hadn't really failed in her life or in her superheroics, not the kind of failure that comes with a great cost, and the helpnessness that borns. As such, there was no way for him to make her understand his point of view, without her experiencing such a thing. And I hope she never has to. he thought sincerely

However, that belonged to the past. Even Marcus agreed on that point, and Serge had no doubt the senior had seen and experienced much worse things than him. Now, in front of him and his teammates, waited a new series of challenges, that would demand his full attention. Bracing himself, Net Fly was ready to tackle whatever lied ahead... well, maybe not every 'whatever', but still...