ic Lets Get It Started

[TheRedGuy]

Aníbal winced as he felt a meaty hand grip his shoulder and a sharp object prick the skin on his neck. Ah yes. Vigilance. You never know where an enemy will come from. He was flushed with embarrassment as the simulation froze. This was the scenario and he failed, abysmally, without so much as getting a shot in. The instructor's reassurance did little to assuage his feelings of frustration. Aníbal excelled as a matter of course, both academically and athletically. Failing a test was not something he was used to, and that he fell for the oldest trick in the book made it worse. Still, Dauntless did not have another meltdown on his hands. What Aníbal felt was merely a restrained anger at himself, not the deep emotional anguish that made Robin freeze during her test. He turned towards the observation area as the instructor called on Riley and suddenly took to the air, hovering around 9 feet above ground. In a second, he flew to the others, landing slowly and theatrically with his arms folded across his chest. All that was missing was a flowing cape.

"Good luck", he replied to Riley's jab, adding just a hint of playful teasing to his voice. There was no malice in the comment, just typical silly boyish posturing. As the Woodsman made his way to the exercise area, Aníbal was immediately given more reassurances by the girls. He shrugged off his setback with the appropriate amount of magnanimity.

"The instructor is right, I've got a lot to learn.", he replied and, lowering his voice, added "But yes, the tests really are lame."

Raina suggested dinner, and Aníbal nodded in agreement, matching her flirting with an easy smile. 

"Sounds like a plan. I'm sure we'll all work up an appetite by the end of this. It feels like they're... how do you say it here... softballing, no? Like the real challenge is only coming, and they're just trying to get under our skin.", he replied, glancing towards Riley, whose simulation was starting up, Of course, if they were having trouble with the easy parts, it didn't bode well for the big test.

Aníbal watched the simulation unfolding below them with some interest. It was certainly the strangest so far, and quite a spectacle. He watched Riley respond to the circumstances, as the Woodsman moved instinctively to cover atop a building. Riley soon made his way to the top, and Aníbal couldn't help but admire the boy's grace and speed. It was a bit of a sore point, seeing Riley follow up his own failure with such a composed, determined performance. El Gran Huracán himself, Lord of the Winds, Master of the Powers of the Air, upstaged by some guy with an axe. He couldn't help but smile at his predicament and almost felt jealous for a moment, but shrugged off such childishness. A lesson in humility was always welcome. There was indeed much to learn, and perhaps he would pick up some useful hints from Riley's disciplined approach. Good luck, amigo, he thought. It looked like the Woodsman would need it.

Edited October 1, 2015 by TheRedGuy

[angrydurf]

As Riley took to the buildings for a higher vantage the view of his fellows followed seamlessly as the simulation moved around him rather than he moving far within the simulation.  The altered bystanders below made a few half-hearted grabs at Riley as he began his ascent but to no avail the agile youth was out of their reach before any concerted effort could be made to drag him down.  As he passed the windows in his climb Riley could just make out through the choking vines more green eyed citizens almost mindlessly pounding on the tempered glass of the hi rise.

Upon reaching his lofty perch he was able to get a better view of the city and it looked all too familiar though not identical, this forest was newer, the undergrowth thick but the leaf fall thin despite the rending of limb and branch as they sprung forth.  The landmarks were subtly different as well the great stand of Oaks he would usually mark the former Liberty Park by was nowhere to be seen the only indication of the park the stark lack of overgrown buildings int he region.  The largest change however was most obvious as a great tree had sprung forth directly beneath the dread feral league compound tearing the building asunder only the stray curve of architecture still tangled in the mighty limbs a sign of what had stood there.

Below a haunting chant from the innumerable thralled citizens below drifted up slowly to his ears;

Stone breaks and roots squeeze,

Vines grow to bend all knees,

All are bound to thorny yoke,

Weeds to strangle, flowers choke,

The age of flesh is done.

The Hour of Bark is Come.

[alderwitch]

Robin turned to watch, her appreciation for Riley's grace and ease fading in the face of unease at the change in his features and expressions. It could have been the lingering tension that had her stomach tight and her palms damp. Everyone else's exercise had gone fine. There was no reason to think that Riley's would be problematic or painful, like hers had been. Still, despite telling herself that, she couldn't help the small step she took forward to get a better view as Riley sought a higher vantage point. Tucking her necklace back behind her uniform once more, Robin squeezed her hands into tight fists at her side until the wrappings creaked softly. It didn't help that Riley's poncho obscured a lot of his expression once he moved away. She shifted slightly to Dauntless side to get a better look and spared a brief glance to check on the others. Anibal seemed relaxed. Maybe it was just her lingering upset, then.

[Avenger Assembled]

Riley studied the city, his eyes narrowing as he took in the significantly altered landscape. His lips moved silently in a That's not right before he stalked over to the building's firedoor and pulled his hatchet free. Knowing he was working on borrowed time, Riley ran to the edge of the building's roof and, taking careful aim, fired another lined bolt at the building across the street. He made his way across by zipline this time, balancing himself on his hatchet as he sailed across the street above the hooting crowd, and took a moment to balance himself against a windowsill before moving on. 

In slow, agonizing real time, he made his way from rooftop to rooftop across the city, the exercise dragging on as he headed towards the former site of Freedom Hall by zip-line, rappelling, and sheer human muscle power. The canned sounds of the chanting crowd below echoed outside the testing chamber, but from Riley himself came only the sound of increasingly heavy breathing as he exerted himself, the zip of his grapple line, and the chunk of impervium-tipped bolts embedding themselves in or around concrete. Zip-chunk. Zip-chunk. 

Edited October 2, 2015 by Avenger Assembled

[angrydurf]

To those watching it may have seemed a laborious way to navigate the city but to Riley far more accustomed to such modes of travel over such distance it was clear that the simulation was doing some jump cuts with the actual geometry of downtown as he made it to his destination in record time.  Drawing close to the giant trunk dominating the city center Riley could make out more and more of the enthralled citizens of freedom making their way to the base of the enormous tree wending thier way through the snarled maze of roots.   Among them he could make out a few costumed adventurers of one stripe or another though it seemed none had seen his approach.  

Perched atop Pyramid Plaza the branches of the central tree were just within range of his bow and he could make out heavy fruit already forming and hanging heavy if alien from the strange tree.  With a few moments further observation he could make out what appeared to be perhaps a hole near one branch leading into a hollow interior.

[Avenger Assembled]

For a moment, stressed and fatigued for all that he knew perfectly well this wasn't real, Riley was overwhelmed by the nightmare. Prone on the roof to avoid his silhouette being spotted, he rolled over on his back and pressed his gloved hands against his eyes. His friends couldn't see his face, but they could see his chest rise and fall in a series of quick, hitching breathes that stretched for an uncomfortable half a minute. When he rolled up into a crouch, though, Riley was all business. He edged to the very end of the roof, then further, leaning out far over the distant tree-wrecked street, and fired a grappling line at the tree impaling Freedom Hall. He tied up the line, hitched up his hatchet for a zip line, and began sliding down towards the tree - when his hatchet slipped off the line! 

He hung there in space, grabbing on frantically with one hand for balance while the other automatically clung to his hatchet, dangling far, far above the simulated street below. He didn't cry out, for all that his eyes had gone very wide, and he hooked the hatchet back up, once again sliding down the line all the way towards the tree below - the center of the nightmare that had beset this Freedom City. 

[Electra]

Raina's eyes narrowed as she watched Riley on the rooftop, trying to collect himself. "Something's wrong here," she murmured to Robin. "I think they're trying to screw with his head. When he and I were doing that school assignment, he kept talking about the Forest outside his home, and how it was so dangerous, but he lived in, like, North Bay somewhere. Do you think this is maybe what happened to his world?" She broke off and sucked in a sharp breath when Riley nearly fell, a spell jumping reflexively to her lips, but he managed to recover on his own. "They wouldn't pull a stunt like that, would they?" 

[alderwitch]

"Someone did the research to know my mom's engagement ring was stolen. It had the inscription that my dad wrote on it for her. I've never told anyone about that," Robin's voice was very soft as she stood next to Raina, her gaze fixed on Riley. As he rolled over on his back, Robin's eyes narrowed with concern, she answered Robin quickly. "We don't talk much about that, but I know his world has been screwed up for a while and its serious dangerous. They might be trying to, I dunno, give him terrain he's more used to but I think something's wrong too. He's had some sort of training, I think, to repress his automatic responses. You have to or you panic when people are trying to kill you. Or throw up."

That sounded like personal experience. She nodded once to Raina, the gesture sharp, "I don't like it either."

[angrydurf]

Capote made a quick note when Riley nearly fell though seemed unbothered by the near miss knowing full well the safety protocols had him mere feet off the actual ground.  He was less comforted by the words the woodsmans classmates exchange.  The Assistant Coach was still a bit rattled by Robins reaction to her test and hints that perhaps this too was poking at hidden hurts moments after Riley alighted on the firm footing one of the great trees large branches Dauntless thumbed a button on the tablet and spoke his voice amplified by the simulation as it clearly paused around Riley, "Mr. Quinn if this simulation is too trying we can pause."  he offered congenial concern clear in his tone eyes glancing to Robin and Raina before fixing on Riley once more awaiting an answer.

From his new vantage Riley could make out far better the hollow center of the tree with winding paths therein spiralling around some great central chamber all glowing with a green tinged light.  Below frozen by the paused simulator hundreds of enthralled citizens were making their way into the tree for what purpose was still however unclear.

[Avenger Assembled]

Dauntless' words broke the spell over Riley, who for the first time since the scenario began looked straight up at the simulator window to see his friends there watching him. His friends could see his haunted gaze, see the leonine tension in his frame, but now acutely aware of their eyes on him (especially Robin's) Riley said the only thing he could. In a low, hard whisper that barely carried to the microphones, he said, "No. I can continue." 

He covered his face with his hand as the simulation restarted, willing himself back into the mode that would let him do what had to be done here. When he took his hand away, the calm-faced teenager slowly crept his way across the big branch, sure steps matched by a steady grip on each branch. At the end of the branch, he slowly rappeled down until he reached what looked like an overgrown knothole, an entrance to the tree that would let him enter it without being seen by the Feral crowd below. He took a breath, then another, and wedged his lower body inside, retrieving his grappling arrow before he began working his way inside the body of the tree itself, ready to find his way to the center. 

 

[angrydurf]

Wind rustled leaves and the low thrumming chants of the enthralled once more carried through the simulator as the scene kicked back into motion and Riley could feel the slow sway of the branches below his feet as he lithely crept to the knothole and lowered himself within.  The upper levels of hte hollow were dimly lit with light reflected from deeper within the tree and twisted like the roots and branches below, the musty scent of damp earth and crisp new growth filled the air as the woodsman worked his way toward the light of the central chamber.

Stepping around a final corner Riley stood above a vast chamber in the heart of the tree.  The path he was an spiraled slowly down following the outer wall of the room while overhead the roots or branches within grew together into a vaulted ceiling of sorts.  Below the thralls could be seen making their way to oversize vacuoles where they were whisked off through the tree to who knows where but the already heavy fruits outside took a darker tone at hte revelation of what powered this outrageous overgrowth.  On a raised dais in the center of the room the bulk of hte freedom league lay entrapped in branches and roots or beaten and defeated whilst in the the midst of it all sat upon a leafy throne with vines burrowed into his concrete skin sat Doctor Metropolis!  His powers being sapped and channeled into the tree to boost the powers of the Green Man, the only remnant of the original villain his leering face looming over the throne the rest of him grown into the mass of hte throne and branches of the tree itself. 

The heroic city spirit strained against his bindings to no avail and the concrete and glass of his body was slowly being replaced  by bark and leaves as the urban landscape was swallowed and converted to nature once more by his own stolen powers.

[Avenger Assembled]

Riley immediately dropped prone, taking advantage of what was fortuitously an excellent sniping position. He studied the situation carefully with his binoculars, eyes passing over the bound League members, Doctor Metropolis, and the obviously empowered Green Man. It was the thralls, disappearing into the bulk of the tree, that made up his mind for him. He curled into a ball to cut down on his silhouette and took advantage of the position to pull the magazine of his crossbow free, pull another from his belt, and slide it into place with a ca-chunk. Laying on his back, his eyes closed, he murmured, "I give you the peace taken from you in life," before he rolled back onto his stomach and sighted down on his target. He was inside a living tree shooting at a master of trees. He had only one option open to him, only one way to even the odds. 

He pulled the trigger. The flashbang arrow came first, a black powder shot that detonated in the Green Man's face to briefly dazzle the all-powerful plant controller, the glowing bolt as it flew catching the attention of everyone down below, making them look up for its source. He pulled the cocking lever on the bow, dropping another bolt into place and pulling back the string. The next arrow zipped down and hit Dr. Metropolis in the eye, the impervium tip penetrating concrete and glass, the binary explosive within triggered by the force of the impact, detonating inside his head with the force of a small hand grenade. Without a twitch, he pulled the cocking lever on the bow, dropping another bolt into place and pulling back the string, ready to fire a smoke-bomb arrow that would give him a chance to escape and free the rest of the League - or even better, catch the Green Man unawares and do the same to him. 

[angrydurf]

Coach Capote watched with interest as Riley crept through the branches and emerged in a handy sniper nest.  This had been well designed it seemed for the teens talents which no one could fault as he stealthily dug in for the battle to come.  The metal man made a few praising notes on the tablet As Riley made his preparations nodding with enthusiasm at the use of hte flashbang to blind and distract the Green Man.  Of course his good cheer was not to last.

As the bolt sunk home the chilling cry of pain from the city spirit rang through the simulator for an instant before being cut short by the crack-boom of the detonating binary explosive.  The observers watched in horror as broken shards of the urban hero flew in all directions the body of Doc metropolis rent to rubble down to his waist before the simulator safety protocols kicked in freezing the simulator at the death of a hero.   Hanging in the air mere yards before them was the still recognizable eye of the Spirit of Freedom City still bound to a chunk of the heroes shattered head.

Dauntless was frozen in shock for a moment longer though shook it of quickly shouting out a verbal emergency shutdown code the simulation flickering out and a final panel of white hard light lowering Riley to the floor safely.  Capote looked first to the other students then to Riley then back to his classmates and let out a slow breath.  "I think perhaps it we ought reconvene at a later date."  he said with forced calm less unsettled than some might be at the rather extreme solution Riley had chosen but clearly shaken none the less.

[TheRedGuy]

Aníbal was outwardly calm, his attention divided between Riley's progress through the simulation and Robin and Raina's concerned discussion of it. The bizarre scenario did seem tailored to Riley's skills and background, though what that background was Aníbal had not completely deciphered from the girls' conversation. The tough young man was from a different world, it seemed, one where this was what Freedom City looked like. It was beyond the scope of Aníbal's knowledge, but few things seemed impossible in this school. Ancient magic, beings from other dimensions... His own abilities seemed almost mundane by comparison.

When Riley nearly fell, Aníbal arched his back out of reflex, ready to swoop in and catch him, but then relaxed his posture when he remembered the simulation was just that, an illusion of depth and height. Surely, he thought, they had some sort of safety precautions active? When Dauntless paused the simulation and offered Riley a break, he glanced at the metal giant. The big guy wasn't so bad after all, merely stuck with a thankless task. He probably wasn't the one who designed these tests, either. Who did? That disembodied voice from earlier?

Riley continued on, and Aníbal observed his actions with interest. The situation was bizarre, and it was hard to tell what was the appropriate course of action. There was the famous Doctor Metropolis, changed somehow by the influence of something else. Riley took his shots, there was a horrifying, blood-curdling scream... And then, suddenly, an explosion. Aníbal flinched, instinctively moving his body to shield Raina from incoming debris. He pushed her towards Robin, but grabbed her and quickly helped her right herself when the debris stopped in mid-air before reaching them. 

"Sorry", he offered a sheepish smile and gently patted her arm, "I thought it would..."

He cleared his throat and turned towards the macabre fragment of the fallen hero's skull suspended in front. Clearly, despite his strong performance, Riley too had messed up his exercise.

Edited October 3, 2015 by TheRedGuy

[Electra]

Raina screamed in horror as the crossbow bolt flew inerrantly into the trapped hero's eye, like it wasn't even there, like he wasn't even a person. The fact that he was not, actually, a person was still in Raina's brain somewhere, but it seemed quite distant and unimportant compared to the shocking visual input. Then, the explosion... she had just enough time to see Dr. Metropolis' skull begin to fly apart before Anibal crashed into her and shielded her from the rest of the gory sight. She thought she screamed again, thought she sobbed, but everything after the noise of the explosion was muted, distant. 

She clung to Anibal's arm without even seeming to notice, her eyes huge in a milk-white face. "Oh gods, oh goddesses, oh gods," she murmured over and over again, but seemed to be about ready to pull herself together before she saw the chunk of face frozen directly in front of her. Spinning around, she made it about four steps away before bending over and vomiting. 

[alderwitch]

Robin had remained tight and tense as the simulation proceeded, not confident in her own instincts enough to argue with the professor but also not reassured by Riley's assurances. He sounded... wrong. It had all sounded off. Her gaze had remained glued to the unfolding scene, her hands tightened into fists at her sides but she'd not flinched at the first arrow. The second, though, Robin's inhalation had been sharp if lost under the bang of the detonation and Raina's scream. 

Her gaze landed on the chunk of the hero's skull floating in front of them, eyes a little too wide. It was the sound of Raina retching that pulled her into movement as she stepped forward into the room itself and out from behind Dauntless.

"Jeezus, Riley," Robin said, her brow creased in concern and her expression still ashen, "Are you okay?"

 

[Avenger Assembled]

Riley looked around for a moment, reminding himself that the scenario was over, before he fixed his gaze on Robin again. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay," he said, his voice tight and drawn out with emotion. He didn't sound okay - not distressed, really, but the tension in every line of his body showed the energy vibrating in the young man's form like the plucked string of a guitar. His eyes were bottomless as he looked at Robin, and she could see the pain there when he made eye contact. Then he raised his head and looked up at Dauntless. "Was that not right?" he demanded of the stainless steel instructor. "I avoided the Ferals, I made my way through the city, I even figured out who did it. I was about to drop a chlorate bomb and get out under the smoke cloud. I...I know what I'm doing. I'm not stupid," he insisted, his hands tight at his sides. "You wanted to see if I can do what I have to do, and I did it. Was I just supposed to let the Green Man eat Dr. Metropolis?!" 

[angrydurf]

Dauntless seemed less phased by the sheer gore and horror of the murderish behavior though his face was etched with concern both for the other witnesses and for Riley.  He looked to Raina and grimaced though Anibal seemed to have her well enough in hand for the moment.

"You did I'm sure as you thought was expected Mr. Quin."  he finely said with steely resolve though is voice gentled slightly as he added, "You will find that this world has different norms and expectations to those you are accustomed."  he finally let out a slow breath, "We will be ending he testing here for today."  he revealed firmly, "Each of you will have a meeting with Mr. Archer and Dr. Marquez and myself to discuss the results of your tests."  he opined not wanting anyone to be singled out, "Until that time I think it best we not discuss any of your testing with other students, some of hte tests are reused."  He lied somewhat poorly and looked mostly at Anibal whos test was really the only one likely to be reused and affected by foreknowledge.

[TheRedGuy]

Aníbal, too, had felt slightly queasy at the sight of Doctor Metropolis' skull fragment. It was only a simulation, yes, but an incredibly lifelike one. You'd see gore and violence in movies and videogames, but the real thing was decidedly unglamorous and ugly to look at. His nose crinkled with disgust. Soon, he felt Raina's grip on his arm loosen and turned towards the girl as she stumbled off. When she vomited, he rushed towards her, grabbing her head firmly but gently and brushing back her hair. He felt a little more queasy. Fortunately, he wasn't easily disgusted, and had been to enough parties to know how to handle the situation.

"It's OK", he said softly, applying gentle pressure to her temples, "It's all turned off now. Don't worry about the mess. "

He put his arm around her and cautiously led her away from the puddle, so the sights and smells don't trigger more retching, and looked around for the instructor, who appeared to be in the midst of an argument with Riley.

"There we go...", he continued, "You just need to... what's the word... freshen up? I'm afraid I don't have anything handy. These uniforms could do with some pockets, no?"

Dauntless then announced the exercises were done for today. Considering the circumstances, it seemed reasonable. Aníbal had wanted to continue, to do the group exercise and prove to whoever designed these filthy little mind tricks that they could do so much better if let loose. However, with Raina out of it and everyone still shocked by the recent blast, it was impossible to carry on. Some other day. Everyone could use a time out.

"Of course", he replied to the instructor, "By the way, does this facility have any bathrooms nearby?"

[Electra]

Raina turned away from the mess she'd made, still shaky enough on her feet to lean against Anibal for support. With the simulation turned off, she could finally look safely at Riley, and when she did, her face was full of horror and recrimination. "You could've started by not killing any superheroes!" she snapped coldly. "Especially not somebody who was waiting for you to help him! He was just hanging there helpless and you... you..." She broke off when her stomach threatened to rebel again, turning to hide her face against Anibal's shoulder. "Can we just get the hell out of here?" 

[alderwitch]

Robin remained very quiet although she didn't look away from Riley, her grey eyes were impossibly sad. It was horrifying, really, but Robin had seen horror before. She understood well the revulsion and recrimination in Raina's voice but at the same time, Robin understood that sometimes everything wasn't always easy. Or nice. Clearly she needed to know more about wherever the hell Riley came from. Her voice was tight, tense as she finally spoke up, "I think the test was designed exactly to see if you would do just what you did," Robin finally spoke, the words thick in her throat, "Just like mine was supposed to feel out how I'd react to my past. And Raina to hers. Super heroes aren't supposed to kill people."

She folded her arms across her waist then, wrapping her hands over her midsection. Robin finally glanced up to Dauntless then, her grey eyes stormy, "These tests are bull sh-" Robin caught herself, choking off the words as she hugged herself tighter. "--garbage. And mean."

Her gaze travelled back to Riley then, "C'mon, we can go talk somewhere."

[Avenger Assembled]

"All right. Okay." Riley stared up at his instructor, his face ashen, then turned to see the horror on his friends' faces. His hands, at his sides, were balled into fists as he turned to Robin and whispered harshly, too low for the others to hear, "Those people were being eaten. Dr. Metropolis was going to be eaten. You think I haven't seen that happen?" Defiant or not, the words seemed to take something out of him - Robin could see him start to crumple before he pushed himself enough to keep going. He couldn't break down now, not in front of the others. "...roof," he murmured again, this time looking Robin straight in the eye. 

He turned and stalked out of the room, shame and anger tugging at his fine-boned features, and all but ran not for the elevator but for the marked emergency stairs he'd seen nearby. Pushing open the metal fire door, he bolted up the concrete steps, taking them two at a time as he ran back to the surface. 

[angrydurf]

Dauntless looked down at Raina with clear concern and nodded to Anibal, "Across the hall on the left."  he said succinctly and offered a nod of encouragement for the young man to see to the upset young lady before turning to Riley to try and offer some explanation and sighing at Robins anger the usually good natured metal giant was dour and grim as he watched Riley take his leave and looked to Robin earnestly, "You're free to go as well Ms. Chevalier."  he intoned quietly, "The tests may not have been as thoroughly vetted as they ought,"  he offered weakly though clearly trying to assuage the worst of her rightful outrage at the manipulations.  He looked to her with gentle eyes, "Please make sure Riley knows as well that I or Dr. Marquez are always available if he needs to talk, and-"  he shrugged, "For what it is worth I am sorry this has been, trying, I understand the difficulties adjusting to places so different from what we are accustomed too."

[alderwitch]

She took a halting step forward, her hand lifting up only to let it fall to her side as Riley turned. She didn't know if the boy saw her small, tight nod in return but she offered it all the same. Robin's shoulders remained tense and tight, clearly outlined under the thin fabric of her school uniform. At Dauntless' gentle statements, she paused with angry words on the tip of her tongue. It was with visible effort that she took a slow, steadying breath. 

"You know, there have been a lot of folks in my life with the best of intentions," Robin replied, the words even and measured. She didn't look up at the assistant coach who was clearly trying to do his best in a rotten situation. No, her grey eyes remained on the door to the room, "A whole lot but in the end, good intentions don't really make the wrongs right in the world. That takes action."

She gave a short, sharp nod once and added, "Yeah, sure, I'll mention it. For whatever good it might do."

And with that, Robin was out the door, following after Riley. 

[TheRedGuy]

Aníbal didn't involve himself in the heated exchange that erupted. It was a rough day for everyone involved, people were tired, cranky, scared, upset, probably all at once. Arguing wouldn't help matters one bit. Raina buried her face in his shoulder after shouting at Riley. He gave Riley a sympathetic, if somewhat puzzled look. The young man was clearly no cold-blooded killer, but his actions were indeed bafflingly violent. Aníbal didn't know what to think about the boy quite yet, but he resolved that an accident during a stupid training session wasn't going to put a gulf between them. Soon, Riley and Robin were leaving. The instructor had answered his question about the location of a lavatory nearby, and appeared to quietly encourage him to see to Raina, which was what Aníbal had in mind. Despite the grim circumstances, he quite enjoyed the feeling of her body pressed against his and her breath on his skin. Granted, there was a faint, lingering smell of vomit that made the situation significantly less romantic...

"Slow, deep breaths", he murmured into her ear, "Just relax."

Slowly, he walked to the exit with her or his arm and turned to Dauntless, looking the big man straight in the eye.

"Hopefully next time we'll meet things will go better, sir. Maybe we'll have a proper exercise, not these stupid mind games. Tell Dr. Archer or whoever designed this we are not guinea pigs.", he said. There was anger in his voice, but it was not directed at the instructor, who was clearly a good sort stuck with a thankless task. He nodded a farewell and walked out of the room, going across the hall as instructed until the two of them reached the locker rooms near the Danger Room. He took her inside, not really paying attention to which one it was, but by the general cleanliness and lack of powerful odors he figured it was probably the girls' locker room. There was no one present, for now. Adjoining the locker room area was a lavatory.  Stepping inside, he turned on a faucet at one of the sinks and gave Raina some space to freshen up and recover from the shocks of the day.

"Well, this was a bad day", he remarked with an awkward smile, leaning on the wall with his arms folded across his chest. "You should drink some Gatorade or something like that, it's good for getting your energy back after you... you know. Speaking from personal experience."

Edited October 5, 2015 by TheRedGuy