I'm not runnin'

[defensebonds]

WHO: Participants in Operation Archangel
WHERE: Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Mingling posts will be throughout July; Battle posts will be August 5th
WHAT: Archangel is back on its feet, preparing its members, and striking back where it counts.
WARNINGS: Violence, drug mentions and other such unpleasantness.


Open Prompts -- Month of July
Meet n' Greet
Things are a little different in the ranks of Archangel these days, starting with the most noticeable change: cells. Each cell has their own base, and no cell knows the base of another. Certainly makes things seem a little bit smaller, doesn't it? Of course, that means that, like it or not, you've got people in your team you need to get to know and prepare to trust with your life. Do you think you'll all get along like peas in a pod? Or like cats and dogs? Only way to find out is to strike up a conversation and see where it goes. On the upside, you get to try on your new uniform while you're there.

Training
You've come a long way from your beginning days as an operative -- but that doesn't mean your work is finished. Whether you're a seasoned war veteran or a scrub just getting your feet wet, you still have a lot to learn both about the enemies you'll face and working seamlessly with your new team. Your commanding officer will be on hand to help you every step of the way, and ol' Cap will be making the rounds to check on your progress... and maybe go a round in the ring with you, if you're looking for a sparring partner. Want to get to know your fellow cells? Not a problem; after everyone's gotten a good skill set they've put to the test, the cells will have the chance to intermingle and go head to head.

Investigation
Sure, all this punching and fight clubbing might be the cat's pajamas, but there's work to be done, isn't there? If you're the type to like a bit of digging around in the dirt, you'd better believe you'll have some work ready for you. Want to get some slanderous info about the local "hero" cops? Or maybe discover some weaknesses in the defenses of the cartels they've made deals with? If you can think of it, it probably needs to be done. Grab one of your teammates for a romp, or bump into another cell's operative and team up to cover more ground.


Battle Prompts -- August 5th
Party Poopers: Heiji, Sabriel, Clark, Jo, Hawke, Nysrog, Batgirl, and any member of the Knights of the Red Branch
Who doesn't like a good party? You, apparently. Way to harsh everybody's groove, pal. There's a lot to be done here, from sneaking in to securing the exits, straight on through to throwing caution to the wind and setting off an explosive or two before running into the chaos and rounding up the scattering cops like wayward sheep. Of course, these sheep are armed -- and they have sharks. Yes, dear friend, once things get wild and crazy some dastardly member of the police will let slip the proverbial hounds of war, and you'll have a few land sharks nipping at your heels while you make as many casualty-free arrests as you can and try to avoid ending up as a special feature on the Discovery Channel.

Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dick: Kaidan, Glitch, and Kanaya
Getting the drop on a pair of baddies sure seemed like a good idea, didn't it? Too bad that "getting the drop" ended up as less of an easy arrest and more of a boy-they-sure-do-look-ticked-off sort of scenario. Captain Dee and Captain Randall didn't come to check their product without being prepared for potential difficulties, and they're apparently armed to the teeth -- and we're not talking guns. Are you ready to rumble? Because the exit is blocked so you'd best prepare yourself, compadre.

The Big Kahuna: Kasumi, Shepard, and Motoko
So, here you are: Ready to take on the Big Kahuna himself. Chief Tanner sure doesn't look like the worst thing you've ever seen, does he? Of course, it's a little hard to say that when he leads you on a bit of a chase to some heavy duty equipment he'd been having a look at. Great Gatsby, is that a goddamned mech? Seems like you might have your work cut out for you, after all. There's a hell of a lot of guns on that thing, so you'd best be ready to use the 5 D's: dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.

Wildcard
Alright, so maybe you're doing a little Archangel work that doesn't quite fit the bill you were looking for. That's okay, bub; you do you, in all your majestic glory. Just don't get your ass caught or Captain America will give you such a talking to. Just know, he's not mad -- he's just disappointed.

Comments

Meet n' Greet: Steve's Cell

[defensebonds]

[ Bet you thought you might get the higher class digs being under the leader of Archangel, didn't you? So much for that idea. Your new base is hidden in the depth of an old meat packing warehouse -- namely, where they used to hang the carcasses. While the floor is still a color that's best dubbed questionable, the open area itself is relatively clean and the scent of meat is almost completely gone from the air. Some of the old hooks are now home to punching bags, and there's provisions along one wall in the form of consumables and weaponry, with a line of lockers at the far end; each locker has a name, and contains a uniform. If you're planning on heading out and causing trouble, just don't forget your mask. ]

Meet n' Greet: Steve's Cell

[knifecollecting]

[Jo is leaning against one of the walls and staring dubiously at one of the punching bags.

The setting doesn't bother her, she's definitely been in worse, but she's a little worried. Do they really expect her to spend time hitting punching bags instead of practicing with real people?]

[cartesianspidertank]

[ A large blue tank rolled up that speaks with the high pitched voice of a little girl. ]

Hi fellow vigilante!!! I don't think we've met before!!

[ She proffers a three-fingers clawed hand out as if to shake. ]

[knifecollecting]

[Whoa, this is new. Jo can't help but stare for a minute, just trying to learn about what she's looking at.

Eventually she holds her hand out to shake that clawed hand.]

Hey. I'm Jo. What's your name?

[cartesianspidertank]

Tachikoma!!! Lookin' forward to working with you, Jo!!!

We're gonna clean up the streets, yeah???

[kinesia]

[ Jo isn't the only one who'd prefer practicing with someone real. Grey doesn't have a lot of experience with gyms. He's used to something more like a man made obstacle course, with real people who let him practice on them and learn how to be better than them. He doesn't know most of the people here, except for Steve. He thinks it's about time he changed that.

Seeing Jo with nothing to do, he approaches her and steps into her line of vision. Hello. He is tall and thin, but muscular in spite of that. He's also young, and covered in tattoos. He's naked from the waist up, which means he's ready to go. He waves, and then holds out an arm which he turns to show her a tattooed word: 'fight'. Everything about Grey is visual; there's no sound from his steps and he doesn't speak, but there's plenty of life about his eyes. How about it, Jo? Do you want to train? ]

[knifecollecting]

[Jo watches the young man approach with a passive face, expecting either a pick up line or some other kind of question. When he just waves she straightens up, suddenly intrigued.

The arm held out to her confuses her for a moment until she sees the word. How interesting.]

I'm up for it. Go easy on me?

[kinesia]

[ Grey's answering smile is quick and eager, and he gives her a little nod. It's been a long time since he sparred with anyone, and he's keen for the practice. He's keen to get his skills back up to par.

He steps back into space, readying himself, and then he draws out his knife. He holds it up, letting her see, and then lifts his eyebrows. They can spar with the knife, or without it - he leaves that up to her. ]

i'm sorry this is obscenely late

[glowsferatu]

[ In addition to the mask she's already been issued, Jo gets a second one. This time it's a respirator being offered to her by an alarmingly tall grey girl with horns. ]

You'll probably want to wear this. Bleach fumes don't tend to be kind to humans.

[ That won't seem out of nowhere, or anything. ]

no worries!

[knifecollecting]

Uh- [Jo glances between the respirator and the horns with a curious expression.]

Bleach fumes? What are you doing?

[glowsferatu]

Cleaning. I have to get the scent out. [ She pauses, black lips pulling down into a frown, her two large fangs still sticking out between them. ] Can you really not smell that?

[ She forgets what it's like, sometimes, to have a nose that isn't particularly attuned to blood, where even the faintest trace will nag at her hunger. ]

[defensebonds]

[ All right, so it's not the best place -- but it's secure, and it suits their needs, which suits him just fine. It's not easy to find everything they'll need for proper security so beggars can't be choosers, can they? At least the old meat hooks do well for his punching bags.

Once the whole of his team is in and mingling, Steve makes a point of checking up. He's no Nick Fury: his job is not just to lead, but to be a part of the team. He'll be on the front lines with every last one of them, and he wants them to know that he'll be there fighting shoulder to shoulder as a teammate as much as a leader. Once any one member seems good to approach he makes his way over, smiling and offering a friendly raise of his eyebrows. ]

How're you settling in?

[cartesianspidertank]

[ Tachikoma was making a circuit of the room. ]

Pretty roomy, but not much in the way of facilities!! Wireless reception is actually pretty poor too, but I suppose that's probably the point, right??

[defensebonds]

[ You know what takes a bit to get used to? A car-sized tank that sounds like a five-year old with enough enthusiasm to exhaust even Captain America some days. This isn't the first AI he's dealt with, mind you -- he and JARVIS got along pretty handsomely back home -- but it's certainly the oddest. This place is certainly making him work to roll with the punches. ]

Helps keep things secure when we know people can't peek in on us without our say-so. It's all about practicality. Will that interfere with your processes?

[cartesianspidertank]

Naw, I don't require any kind of external network to operate! It just means I can't look up things that aren't stored on my internal databases, and also I can't update my Rumblr!!

[ Tachikoma was curating a blog dedicated to robot themed decor. ]

If you want, I can scan the area for transmission leaks and patch it up!

[cassassin]

Fine. Thanks. [Batgirl's traded out her full-face cowl for the Archangel mask while around the base, as a token gesture. Even if the uniform isn't happening if she can help it. She smiles behind it, and it shows in her eyes.]

What now?

[defensebonds]

[ Thus far, he's never seen Batgirl's face -- and before finding himself here, that would have made him far more uneasy than it does now. This is a world of superheroes and closely-guarded identities, however, and he's learned to respect that. Not everyone has their business out in the open like him. ]

For the most part? Training and preparation. We've got some serious work ahead of us, and we can't afford the sort of slip-ups that got our goose cooked the last time.

[cassassin]

Good. [She nods, approving.] We have to do better. I'll... help how I can, with training.

[a beat, as she sizes him up. Even though he's nearly a foot taller than her.]

You might even learn something. [aka she's totally saying she could beat you up, cap]

[kinesia]

[ Grey looks up from the mask in his hands and lights on Steve's face. Even now, it's still strange to see that face so cleanshaven and happy. Sometimes, he thinks of nothing but Curtis when he looks at Steve. The rest of the time, he wonders how he ever saw his burly, angry former leader in this man at all.

For now, he blinks away the thought of that and focuses on the question. His eyes flit around the room, and he nods uncertainly before shrugging. He's settling in okay. Everything about training makes him comfortable. The rest is very new. Case in point, he turns around the mask and lifts it up for Steve to see. His expression is uncertain. You really want everyone to wear these? Grey doesn't really see the point, though he'll do it regardless. In all honesty, there's a side of him that's relieved to be following orders again. ]

[defensebonds]

[ He's surprised at how well he's learning to understand Grey's expressions; the man says quite a lot without uttering a word, even without using his tattoos. Steve's eyes move to the mask before his mouth quirks up at the corner. ]

I know; I wouldn't supply 'em if I didn't think it was necessary. It's only for strike work when people's identities are the most at risk -- the rest of the time, you can keep it off. Sound fair?

[kinesia]

[ It sounds fair enough. Grey is more interested in Steve's face while he says it; calm, friendly. Immediately inclusive. He's a natural leader - as natural as Curtis ever was, and yet his attitude is entirely different. It means that Grey finds it remarkably easy to follow him. He nods acceptance, and lifts a shoulder. Okay. If they have to wear the masks, he'll wear the mask. It's just that Grey has never needed to conceal himself before, not like this. There would never have been a point to that. ]

i've never had a uniform before [ He advises Steve, by way of lettering that appears on his face. He's far more in control of this power now, and the only words that appear are the ones that he means. ] is that to hide us too ?

[glowsferatu]

Well. It's...serviceable, I suppose. [ Kanaya wrinkles her nose as she looks around the room, clinging a bag from a hardware store close to her chest. There's something about it that bothers her. ] But I'm not sure there's even an inch of it that doesn't smell like blood.

[ It's very low-key and subtle, having been cleaned numerous times without being quite thorough enough. Certainly imperceptible to most people, but not a vampire. It's going to drive her batty if she doesn't do anything about it.

She pulls a respirator out of her bag and hands it to him. ]

You'll probably want this.

[defensebonds]

Well, it's not so bad, right? Hang up a few of those little tree things people like to stick in cars nowadays?

[ Alright, maybe not, but he's trying. The smell to him is hardly noticeable, but to be fair, he's a soldier; he's smelled a hell of a lot worse.

When she takes the mask out and hands it to him, he accepts it more out of courtesy than anything else — made evident by the fact that he doesn't look at it until it's in his hands, and he sure as hell doesn't look like he knows what he's doing with it. ]

Uh...huh. Should I see about getting some Pine-Sol?

[glowsferatu]

Well, if I'm the only one who's smelling it, I have my doubts an air freshener will do the trick.

[ But then, it's probably at least a little in everyone else's best interests. She knows not to just bite people willy-nilly, but if it makes her too hungry then it may be more difficult to keep herself in check. Or maybe she's just making excuses to give herself busywork, you can never really tell. ]

I have supplies already. [ She points to the respirator. ] But bleach fumes tend to be poisonous, best to safeguard yourself once I've gotten the process underway.

[kinesia]

[ Grey spends a long time studying the uniform in his locker. This is a strange concept. So is the mask. He never thought he would have need of something like this, and he'd probably reject it altogether if it wasn't Steve's idea. On the one hand he thinks it's supposed to make him anonymous. On the other hand, he wouldn't easily slip into a crowd wearing this.

After a while it gets folded neatly back into his locker and he goes to examine the weapons instead. This is more familiar territory. The knives get the most attention from him; he spends a while checking their weight in his hands, deciding on which ones would fly the fastest. If you happen to be nearby while he's doing this, he'll catch your eye and hold one out. Can you fight with these? Do you want to practice?

Other than that, his version of mingling is more of an exploratory meander around the room, nosing into what other people are doing when he can. His steps are near silent and he doesn't talk. Some of his tattoos are moving, though - shifting and changing, forming new words or disappearing altogether. Generally, the moving ones will ask what you're doing - if you're quick enough to catch it before it fades. ]