Titans Tower

[ShadowBroker]

Location: Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
Mentions: Sir Les Paul Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper
Interactions: Sir Les Paul The Regal Rper

It was only a matter of time for the aura of desires to fade away, the taste of anger remains on his mouth such as much his previous thoughts are still lingering on his mind. If anything, it unbalanced Huge the fact emotions took the best of him, that his core-self transpired to the surface only to reveal rage. This only proved his solid and principal motivation was one of darkness, a conflict yet to be won. That was Huge's true war, the only war he ever knew of.

But away with the inner thoughts and self-centered position on which Leonard stood by. He recovered whatever debriefs there was of his mind and faced the man's statement - "And you, friend." Friend - the word bounced a tremendous amount of times on every wall of his mind yet *friend* does not seem to apply to this creature. Eliot, he could be considered as one... "I hope whatever it is you search for--you find. A suggestion, though, is not to let your search keep you from seeing the world- It's easy to lose sight of the... Beautiful things-"

To that, Leonard knew exactly what to respond, "Beauty is a subjective perception- for we see as we are, not as it is in reality." as he has read it before-hand. But the clever respond, the logical one - it was cut off all too quickly when the man directed his entire attention towards Marie as if she was the one to stand as example of beauty itself. Regardless if it was truth or not, since that was not in question, Huge's mind would only see on her the reflection of his own sister - just as much he would look at any child. Perhaps it was what the man tried to express, or perhaps it was blunt attempt of a joke. Clearly, it will take time before he fully understood the rhetorical behind it.

Moreover. What came after this -- it began to bring a far worse scenario.

Something happened to Tim, the commander. Leonard could almost see through his trickery and deception, Anatoli was actually using some strange witchcraft in order to cage him. "How-" his mind made a step-back, the ambient itself became bigger than he thought possible. His whole posture became one not of aggression, of hostility; but a defensive stance. His eyes darted from one side of the room to the other as this man approached Marie.

Creepy? It had already trespasser such a feeling, the man seem now not only to try to walk away and conjure malice on Marie, from Leonard's perception. He even took away the Commander's capabilities to stop this from happening, limiting its senses through an unknown force; for as much he could understand. No matter if this was a test of some sort, Leonard would not care whatever risk as to challenge this event. What the man was trying to do, it went against everything he stood by, every rule and oath. Underneath those soft words, his charming personality; he saw a only selfish man. Huge expected that Alphus followed him in order to stop this from happening - he even gave him a quick glare - just to prove Anatoli he was facing against a unified team and not just a rogue Titan.

That's it. No more. Our guest is over the line.

For Anatoli, the silent man would be towering before him. The man was big, but this close and so menacing, it seem he has so became even bigger. His pale eyes always resembling to the equilibrium that never deviates but deep inside, hiding behind the darkness was the oncoming storm. His expressionless face show not indifference, but power - the silence of power, the one that proves superiority not weakness. A few words would slide off his mouth, full of confidence- "Commander said enough." he would attempt to be more physically present, even to pull the man away from the girl's sight-line. Nevertheless he also expected Tim himself to order him to do so instead of just physically interfere directly. Even if Anatoli could stop him the same way he has done to Tim, a question even more important comes from the bottom of every men's fear, the most ruthless of pandemics and agents of death. Time.

For. How. Long?

 

[The Regal Rper]

Location: 6F | Conference Room B
Mentions: Sir Les Paul ShadowBroker Neon Valkyrie

She lost her family? And just like that the fires of distaste Alphus felt for Antanoli was nothing compared to the inferno of guilt he felt over Marie's sufferings.

Hands tightened their grip on his still folded arms but Alphus didn't even turn his head to look at Marie's way. It was like he was ignoring her. His body was as still as a statue as he took every word she said in stride but kept his gaze fixed past Anatoli and staring straight at the wall.

Alphus felt a strange constriction in his chest and a heavy weight bear down on his shoulders.

He wanted to take it away. All the wrong Marie had ever received he wanted it to be rewritten. All the wrongs she and anyone else that found themselves in the power of his family's hands, he wanted them erased.

He wanted to look at her but he couldn't. The guilt was too much.

It made him want to ask her for forgiveness. To beg for it. To promise her he'd take any punishment she had in mind for his family, but to spare his sister and to bare them all on him. Because even if he hadn't started those projects, even if he had never dreamed or intended for anything like this to happen to people like her, Alphus knew deep deep down that Marie had only suffered because of him. Because, it really was his fault and at the end of the day he knew it. Owning up to his parents mistakes, was just a building block to suffering towards a beautiful temple.

It was only when Anatoli began speaking about the Durn's that Alphus returned to the world of the present. Hearing Anatoli was a main supporter in the downfall of ACS didn't strike Alphus as odd but it certainly struck him as slightly surprising. Any acquaintance of his mentor was bound to be important, he knew this and had grown use to it. He'd simply thought Anatoli was the son of some important patron that Sir Tim knew and nothing more. He couldn't recall the last time he'd ever seen or heard of Anatoli before, never seen him in the papers, never seen his face on the news. But if all this was true, then who was this man?

And why couldn't Alphus shake off that feeling of distaste the young guest had stricken with him?

He wasn't sure, but feeling the flames of distaste simmer to a small flame Alphus gave the man more of his attention, feeling the pressure around him fade and his thoughts begin to turn towards their guest than his own tribulations-- that is till he saw the charmer begin to approach Marie. And then that small flame became just a bit bigger.

If Anatoli had already earned his dislike, he had now earned Alphus complete displeasure. He watched the scene unfold, unaware that he'd already broken his own rule of looking at the girl as this villain seemed to charm his way to her like a knight of old English time. Recalling his mentor was still in the room, Alphus was just about to turn and look at Sir Tim with incredulity till his mentor spoke and called Morningstar to attention.

For a brief second Alphus froze...."Morningstar", he muttered. There was an itch there he couldn't reach but he didn't know why. The name was familiar, vaguely familiar. So vague yet so familiar it would've gnawed at him for not knowing something like this but given the circumstances he frankly didn't give a damn. Multiple things struck him as strange.

Tim's slow reaction, the powers that dulled his feelings of distress and relinquished his feelings of great stress as that strange atmosphere faded. The more Alphus considered this strange man with his strange gifts, the more he felt that this man's powers or abilities were in a field he wasn't well known to.

But he didn't have time to ponder. He caught movement in his perspective and when his eyes quickly shifted over he caught Huge's glare and almost immediately knew what his teammate was going to do. The tall man rose faster than he could and moved quicker than Alphus could manage given his second delay, but one small glance at Marie, one hint of guilt flooding into his system for a fraction of a second sent one thought right into his head.

She's suffered enough. Toying with her emotions is completely abhorrent. And just like that Alphus was following Huge's lead. If not to engage then to make sure his teammate didn't take too rash an action against a guest who he believed very well may just deserve whatever Huge had planned.

And as Alphus moved to take position beside Huge, a part of him realized he didn't like Anatoli at all. Not because of the truths he had revealed, but because a strong part of him had a strong distaste for him for a reason he couldn't explain.

He didn't like him. Not one bit.

 

[Neon Valkyrie]

Angel Marie Jansen​

Location: Titans Tower - 14F, Kitchen -> 5F, Conference Room B​

TLDR: Marie is clearly traumatized by the whole experience, but after Anatoli works his magic on her, she springs up from her chair to reassure her team-mates that she's alright. She offers a small, grateful smile to Alphus and Huge.)

As the glamour faded, and Anatoli's power bled from the room, Marie's mind was left reeling. Part of her was expecting to suddenly wake from this nightmare and find herself returned to the morning. Had she really said it? Why had she said it? Free of influence, even her grief-striken mind could put the pieces together. It was the blonde man standing at the head of the table. Her brow creased with grief as her knees slowly drew up to her chest, her hands tucked safely into her lap. She felt sick. She felt violated. Whatever his intentions, and those of their mentor, their forcefulness had left a mark. Her face creased with the immensity of the sadness she felt creeping up on her, but she swallowed the lump and forced her features into rigid lines. She wouldn't let them see her sob, not after this. She couldn't look at them, she wouldn't, she didn't. She didn't see the embers of rage and distrust still smoldering from a thousand painful memories, or the dagger of guilt plunged into a son's chest by his father.

Was this Tim's test? A test of willpower? A test which only Huge had passed, and not without worrisome effect? Marie didn't even realize the profundity of his silence, his stillness. She didn't know that rage didn't have words, only violent actions. Much in the way she didn't realize the control Alphus had exerted in shaping his answer so. Withholding the part that ran in his veins like poison. The part now chiselled deep, remorseful lines into his face. He wasn't just making up for his family, he was trying to cope with what stared back at him from the mirror. If she had known she shared so much, she might have found it harder to hate him.

Anatoli's words were only half-registered. Something about being all-but-responsible for the downfall of ACS. Her heart squeezed in her chest. He'd only come to see his handiwork, being at least then partly responsible for Alphus and Marie sitting here today. Another lie. Marie swallowed another lump in her throat. Her prince was a charlatan. His words to Huge were respectfully short, but that pause. Marie squeezed her knees tighter to her chest. Only the worst swam into her mind as she awaited her turn.

The half of her that could pay attention right now struggled to understand what she was hearing. A gift? Deserving? Her head rose ever so slightly, cocking to the side as it went. Her eyes were still full of hurt, her form stiffening as he drew near to her. Suddenly Tim was encapsulated in transparent green, apparently unable to intervene. The little blonde cast a nervous glance to Alphus, closest to her field of vision. His look of guilt had become one of apprehension as he stared scrutinously at their guest. Huge bore a look of similar gravity, though that violent rage still glinted in his eyes, his crop of facial hair hiding the quiver in his upper lip. She met Anatoli's stare again. Those eyes, those lying eyes that bore no menace. She could almost feel his good intentions. Probably just another byproduct of his insidious powers, she reminded herself.

Forgive ... Alphus?

It was an odd favour. To forgive someone else? It had no real impact on him ...

Marie hadn't even begun to consider what it might say about him when he closed the gap between them. She looked away, fearful of the drug he gave off, his velvet presence. She was so confused. Stong, gentle fingers slid under her chin and lifted her face once more. She wanted to believe those eyes. She wanted to ...

A half-managed gasp drew into her lungs as the sensation of cold water ran over her. No, ran through her. It was like being thrown into the ocean on a hot summer's day. Time stretched out all around her, and from Anatoli's fingertips Marie could feel ... something. She wasn't sure what it was, or if she could ever describe it. A sense of connectedness, of wholeness. A spray of colour filled the air, pulsing from every living shape in the room. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the waters receeded, and everything returned to normal. Finishing her gasp, Marie blinked a few times. What was their little secret? What had he done to her this time?

As quickly as it began, the moment ended. Time snapped back into place, the green force-field around Tim faded and vanished. Suddenly the blonde man was surrounded. Huge towered over him, while Alphus flanked, murder in their eyes. Peering tensely between the three men, a slight blush rose to her pale cheeks. Were ... were they ... protecting her ... from Anatoli? Pushing herself up quickly once her moment of shock ended, she set a hand gently on the arm of either Titan, hoping to them back from the interloper. "Wait, please, I'm ..." she stammered. "I'm alright, but ..." A look of guilt flashed across her face as she met those big blue eyes again. "But he DID do something to me, I can feel ... I don't know ... something different." It seemed the more she tried to focus on how she felt different, on what he had done, the more she could feel that he meant her no harm, quite the opposite in fact. She wasn't sure HOW she was so sure, but she was. Offering an apologetic smile to the half-angelic man amongst them, she spoke to him this time.

"I ... I'm sorry ... I know what you said but ... I ... I don't keep any secrets from these two ... not anymore ..." She offered either Titan a small, grateful smile. Maybe this could be her family after all ... Redbird.​

Tags: BainOfBridges The Regal Rper Randomfella ShadowBroker ​

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Titan Commander​

Tim Drake​

Location Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
Tags Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper ShadowBroker

He was just having fun. He hurt no one; although the secret little gift he gave Marie might just be less than a secret if the girl kept running her mouth. A shame. No one liked a girl who talked.

But, he was still just having fun. And, now because of his fun, Huge, the gentlemen he was just giving so much attention to, decided to be so disrespectful and droll. Everyone hated a spoilsport.

The same force field that once kept Tim from hearing the exchange Anatoli had with Marie now surrounded Anatoli, but this time, as a form-fitting suit of armor. In doing so, he became the immovable object of the room. Any effort Huge might put into his own physical prowess would ultimately be wasted.

​

Anatoli did not flinch at Huge's attempt to remove him from the sight of Marie. Quite the opposite. He stood still, like a silent statue with a smirk on his face. Once Huge failed, he wrapped his own dainty hand around the wrist of Huge, using the force field around his body as a vice. He may not be as strong as Huge, but he didn't have to be: his force field was far stronger.

"You know, Mister Drake, your boys here are a tad disrespectful," Anatoli said to Tim.

"They're untrained. Unaware of you who are, also. Consider what this appears as to them, Morningstar," Tim retorted, cutting through some of the smarmy attitude that Anatoli presented.

"Really, though, I think it stands a testament to their lack of faith in you. Would you allow anyone into the tower if they were a real threat? Or, is it a matter of intelligence--not faith?" Anatoli responded, dulling the edge that Tim had with an immediate, blunt force. Not to mention, a direct insult to both Huge and Alphus.

By this time, Anatoli had taken the inverted wrist of Huge and pulled it outward, revealing his inner forearm and moreover just proving the singular point that he could overpower him with this force field. Anatoli, much like his father, was a man of pride. When Huge thought he could do anything to Anatoli, it was a matter of principle for Anatoli to prove to Huge that he couldn't.

"It is a matter of experience, Morningstar. Huge is from Bludhaven. He has spent the last few years protecting orphans from the very streets he grew up on. This is new to them. All of them," Tim replied, this time stepping forward and speaking with a more stern tone.

Anatoli let his eyes dart over to Tim before they landed back on Huge. He released him. "Fine, fine. But, since we're on the topic of keeping streets safe, do allow me to explain just who I am to them..." Anatoli said. He then darted his hand into his pocket only to quickly pull out a dull, silver coin with black, deep engravings on it.

"At a time, Los Angeles wsd a terribly unsafe place for anyone but tourists. Hollywood covered up plenty of scandals, laced drugs were abundant, executives thought they could do anything they wanted with anyone they could get their hands on. Gang violence wasn't a major problem--because the crime was so organized. Queue my father, Lucifer Morningstar. He cleaned up Los Angeles. Oh, there's still drugs and crime, but it's no longer needlessly getting people hurt. Victimless crimes. You don't see any rape allegations from Hollywood anymore. You don't nude line-ups of prepubescent actresses being told to 'get fit or get lost', and you don't see people murdered just for the sake of it," Anatoli explained to all of them, the entire time rolling the coin in his hand between his fingers.

Tim eyed the coin. To anyone paying a considerable amount of attention, the only time Tim ever became nervous in the entire interaction between Anatoli and the group was when he pulled out that coin.

"You see, there have been some wannabes trying to clean up cities. Tim worked for one. But, let's face it, is Gotham considered a haven? Oh no... and Bludhaven, well, Huge knows what happens there. But, LA, it's one of the safest cities in America. I've kept it that way. There, you're free to pursue a life without worrying about being shot on the streets. Girls can go out in scantily tight-fitting clothing without much worry about a pervert on a street. Children can play without fear of some big, white van abducting them. All while getting cocaine at a great price on the street, meaning those beach front parties can get wild without anyone getting hurt," he continued to explain. It sank in, also. Anatoli was bringing up real problems that apparently... weren't problems for his home city. His ambiguous morals aside, his goals aligned up quite closely with their own.

"No police corruption, no judges bought out. The District Attorney has no political endorsements--aside from myself, of course. When Alcatraz happened, I pulled in hundreds of favors to keep the city safe from the rampaging Metas. Mind you, we were on a different coast, but the problem was nation wide. I did what masked vigilantes and men in power suits only wish they could. To this day, Los Angeles remains a place people can go to reinvent themselves," He added, only going further into detail. There was an important underlying message here, though. He wasn't just gloating. He wasn't boasting. Between the lines, he was explaining all of the micromanagement it actually took to 'clean up' a city that never happened. All the shortcomings of heroes fell into place here. The reason Gotham was still Gotham and Bludhaven was still worse.

Anatoli smirked as his bright blue eyes wandered onto all of them. "The Devil has always been in the details..."

 

[ShadowBroker]

Location: Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
Mentions: Sir Les Paul Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper
Interactions: Sir Les Paul

Of course, the man would have to use its power to protect itself, but it was not enough with stopping the storm. He attempted to twist and bend the dark clouds above his head. This is what happened by trying to twist his wrist. If it wasn't because his own mental prowess, the man would show a sign of pain. Instead he did more than allow the whole event to happen since he could had used his own reflex in order to remove his arm away from his reach; he proved, this way, that pain was not going to break him.

In fact, as The Commander explained what Huge couldn't with words; he internally understood. The one he is encountering could be crushed with blunt force if not for his own witchcraft. Despite his clear overpowered abilities, he saw on him a great weakness - pride. He believed himself above The Vigilant for his ability allowed him to reduce Leonard. He continued to stare at him only to comprehend - if he was to defeat him, it would be with his unique mind, deceiving him on his own chivalrous and prideful game -- allowing him to win a battle in order to win the war.

At least he *rejoiced* on the idea that he made Marie speak out loud the secret this one has whispered and Alphus to follow his lead even if he utterly lacked of leadership traits - It was both a personal victory and masterstroke on Anatolie's pride. He got the satisfaction not to allow him to have everything his way, on his own terms. This was not a sign of victory for Huge, but if Leonard understood this prideful animal enough; he would know that this is a pebble on his shoe. Needless to add that he took comfort that Marie no longer trust this creature; the reflection of Sura slowly fading away from his mind-sight and giving him ease.

-- Not testing his own luck, he accepted the fact that this creature was no threat, yet. The ideas coming back to him. This rage he feels, it should be fuel - not untamed fire. He remembered his training and his task. He shook his head as he proved not to be interested in further confront the Demon. And yes, he continued to see him as a Demon.

Aside of that, this one began to play with a strange coin. Huge didn't notice Tim's new reaction- merely just because Leonard was strangely intrigued by small simple things out of place. Like a coin in a bathroom, why would it be there? One could ignore this detail but Huge. Anyways, what was important is what this man was having a speech about. How to keep the streets safe, the micromanaging. Though little was explained beside of *Pulling in hundreds of favors* Of course, Leonard wanted nothing more than to do that on Bludhaven -- or would he? The recent burst of rage gave him doubts. More importantly, he had his doubts as to what was the Demon aiming for with this speech.

It is almost tempting for Huge to speak back to Anatoli, but he stayed in silence. He crossed his arms before his chest and tilted his head to a side. The damaged done on his wrist was mere muscular so there was no pain. All in all, Leonard gave the demon a *Go on* look, waiting for the punch line in these teachings since there should be a point -- somewhere.

 

[BainOfBridges]

Steve Carter - Animus
Location: Memorial Hall
Tags: Sir Les Paul Randomfella One Mean Ghost

Steve's eyebrows furrowed as he listened to Johannes' explanation. That was good. A lot better for him. Not only the extra time they were graciously given but guidance itself. In the tone it was delivered and the content provided it seemed to prompt much quicker thought from Steve, and his response this time carried a grain of confidence to it.

"If adapting's the theme- Polymorph." He stated giving his answer with a slight nod of reassurance. If it was reassurance to himself or to the other two of his team, that was less clear. But from what little he'd gathered and could visibly see of the other two's powers adaptability seemed a fitting summary of their collective nature. Steve wondered if that could apply even to him if he put the right mind to it. Language could be a powerful thing, the art of communication however poor on his part. That and... whatever that thing was in his head that the band on his arm was finally keeping silent.

"Three syllables but can be shortened if needed in the heat of the moment to morph. Hell, Morph is fine if you want to shorten it down even further. Sounds a little more appropriate than Rainbow ghost."

"Not that I have anything against ghosts. Or Rainbows." He quickly added, eyes flickering to the other two members of his team in turn.

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Hero Points: 0

Codename: DeadmanRank: Tier 3Cards: NoneLocation: Titan's Tower Memorial Hall

Tags: Sir Les Paul Randomfella BainOfBridges

Dante listened for once, both as Johannes explained the concept in better detail and as the others gave more suggestions. "Gray Zone is fine by me. Personally, I don't like the idea of making the name too closely linked to what we can do, but that's just me. As for Polymorph, that just makes us sound like shapeshifters. Misses the mark" He spoke quickly, getting his point across while burning as little time as possible.

Gray Zone, he thought, was rather fitting for this new age of heroes. After all, following Alcatraz, the line between good and evil had blurred quite considerably. Very rarely were things ever so simply black and white. Frankly, more often than not heroes had to operate in a particularly tricky grey area between the two. Even if this was just for communications, he'd rather have a name that wasn't either stupid or just out of place.

Gray Zone seemed, at least to the Ghost-child, to be a fitting name. It didn't overtly reference any single one of them, and didn't hint at what they could do with their powers. It would work out nicely, especially if members were later added and removed. Names that referenced particular members tended to sound, well, awkward when the mentioned member was no longer with the team for whatever reason.

Yes, as far as he was concerned, Gray Zone was the best fit of the suggested names. Although he liked some of his own suggestions, at this point he just didn't want to run out of time and get stuck with some shit name. Though, had Nighthawk been brought up, he personally would have vetoed it. It, much like Redbird, was just one word-swap away from being another reference to the Bat-family(Nightwing). Not that there was necessarily anything wrong with the Bat-family, it was more like it felt, well, wrong to take such a reference when none of them had any connection to them.

"If neither of you have a problem with Gray Zone, let's go with that before we get stuck with some Skittles commercial outtake of a name.."

 

[Randomfella]

Shane Tift (Shift)

Location: Titan's Tower - Memorial Hall
Tags: One Mean Ghost BainOfBridges Sir Les Paul

Shane gave a slightly awkward expression to Steve's suggestion, it wasn't bad, but didn't exactly send the right message. He nodded slightly as Dante interjected, it seemed they all cared a decent amount about the name, but perhaps he was right, they needed to keep it simple.

"Sounds good to me." Shift responded with a short movement of his shoulders, his tone showing some thought. As he did so, he looked toward Steve, wanting to make sure he wasn't being left out, he knew little about the young man after all. "Grey Zone... Has a bit of a ring to it." He repeated the name, mulling it over, hopefully others wouldn't take it as them working in some grey area of the law. Then again, was that always a bad thing?

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Titan Lieutenant​

Agent Johannes​

Location Titans Tower, Memorial Hall
Tags One Mean Ghost Randomfella BainOfBridges

Ah. There it was. That flicker of compromise and teamwork. Admittedly, it was more along the lines of choosing between two different initiatives, but it was still the emergence of a dynamic within the team. Steve came out with Polymorph--or Morph--which not only was original to him, but made some level of sense. Dante grabbed one of the suggestions he liked and ran with it. Shane seemed to be the deciding factor. Gray Zone. Not terrible.

He could work that.

Johannes chuckled after a short silence that followed Shane hopping board with Dante. "Alright. Good to see we have our ducks in a row. From heron in, we'll be Team Skittles," he told them all. His facial expression was flat. Serious. After Rainbow Ghost, being named after multi-colored candy didn't sound outlandish, either. Was Dante going to be cursing himself?

Nah. "Kidding. Gray Zone it is. Still better than Redbird," Johannes added. The man had jokes.

"No need to get matching hoodies made or anything. Like I said, it's mostly for communications and convenience. Actually, this was just a chance for us to meet and for me to run you through some options. Tim has a visitor, so he tasked me with picking out which special training which group would be going through first. To clarify, you will all go through each type of training and it will replace both of your Friday blocks," Johannes explained to them. It seemed things were wrapping up.

"Option A: Police Training. You will all be working hand-in-hand with police officers, fireman and EMS quite often. You need to understand their perspective. This option will have you learning the regulations a police officer has to go through. You will intern at a police station, shadow some patrols and I do believe private investigators later on. Option B: VR Interactive Training. Virtual reality consoles are illegal to network due to neural mapping technology--on a consumer level. We, however, are not consumers. Our VR training will immerse you in new worlds and scenarios, but most importantly, you can use it if your body is already worn down from real world conditioning. The neural pathways you develop as reflexes will exist in the real world," he continued on, explaining their options. Both made sense, both had merits, but they only chose one; the Redbirds received the other.

"So, before we adjourn, I need you gents to tell me which you want first. After that, you meet me in Classroom A on the Tenth Floor--we're re-purposing it into a traditional classroom setup," he ended-off.

 

[The Regal Rper]

Location: 6F | Conference Room B
Mentions: Sir Les Paul ShadowBroker Neon Valkyrie

Anger dissipated when Marie addressed them. Alphus felt at peace knowing this uncouth rich young man no longer seemed to have the same hold on her as he'd had before. Magic may not be his forte, but even he understood there were somethings you simply did not do for the sake of 'having fun'. Offering Marie a small comforting smile, Alphus turned his attention back to Antanoli, and in doing so his smile slowly began to wane.

In many ways he found being called disrespectful ironic. To him, Antanoli had shown quite a bit of disrespect in some of his actions right here and now. Using his abilities on them as a form of test, Alphus was perfectly fine with, going as far as what he'd done to Marie was absolutely not. Taking a step towards Huge as Antanoli made a show of what he could the young protege thought it best to perhaps step in, offer a word or two to Huge. Get him to calm down and not act any further. All while thinking of this, the dialogue between his mentor and their 'guest' continued, Alphus simply maintained a fix stare on Antanoli the entire time. It wasn't until he heard Antanoli say: "...allow me to explain just who I am to them..." that Alphus stopped trying to figure out why that last name felt so familiar and gave the lout his full attention.

Hearing of Los Angeles past while interesting, was nothing compared to hearing the name of Antanoli's father. "Lucifer" his voice was barely a whisper but the expression on his face showed all the hints of surprise from just the way his eyebrows took a ride up north. Alphus wasn't one to judge, but...knowing the child of a powerful being like Lucifer was here was...disturbing. Not because of what Antanoli was, but because of the power he imagined the young man had at his disposal. Regardless, he turned to his mentor to see if he had anything to add or say and in doing so caught sight of the look that traveled back down to the item Antanoli had pulled out of his pocket and fiddled with in his hand.

That single look of nervousness he saw on Sir Tim's face sent a shiver up Alphus' spine. A shiver that hit him with a form of anxiety he hadn't felt since he was 16 and still adjusting to everything that had happened. It was like he was 15 all over again, and Antanoli was the big scary guard assigned to keep watch on him in case his powers acted up. Those nerves weren't calmed in the slightest when he said that last sentence and trying to find a reason outside of gloating and boasting, Alphus tried to figure out why Tim was so focused on that coin.

Swallowing spittle through a dry throat, Alphus flicked his eyes from coin to Antanoli then back again. "Antanoli", he started,s eyes flicked from Tim to Coin and back again. "That coin in your hand...you've been playing with it for a while...." he cleared his throat, "If you'd excuse my previous acts and be so kind to inform us....where did you get it?" His eyes honed in on the artifact and Alphus added one more question. "And what do those engravings on it do?"

 

[Neon Valkyrie]

Angel Marie Jansen​

Location: Titans Tower - 5F, Conference Room B​

Marie's look of peace faltered as she caught the small smile from Alphus ... much as she appreciated him rising to her defence, it was still hard to look him in the eye, impossible to return the smile. She still felt a deep conflict over him, team-mate or not, and while she would certainly have his back, friendship would take time. Marie took a sudden step back as the force field sprang up around Anatoli, Huge still looming over him with menacing eyes. She hadn't seen the disappointment in his eyes at her utterance. Regardless, Anatoli didn't seem worried at all, pulling the large, bearded man's forearm prostrate with little apparent effort. Something in his voice had changed, there was a new kind of cockiness, a dark confidence, a killer's confidence. The little blonde swallowed hard as she took a step backward, what could she do? Anatoli produced a coin, which danced between his knuckles as he began to explain his lineage, his legacy.

The name meant nothing to the little blonde. She'd never read the bible, never been exposed to news and current events during her upbringing. For her, hearing the name Lucifer Morningstar was like hearing the name John Smith, it just didn't mean anything to her. What she did, however, understand, was that they had upset the blonde man, and that he had more than enough power to put each of them in their place for such a slight. Why HAD Tim invited Anatoli? Was this some kind of ... superhero lesson in manners? A reminder to them that appearances were often deceiving?

Marie's brow creased. It seemed the situation was perched on the edge of a knife, or perhaps a coin. Alphus broke the tense silence, inquiring as to the nature of the coin that had escaped Marie's scrutiny till now, though she was more confused as to why her team-mate would be inquiring about it. Such a trivial thing, she assumed, could be of little importance to the matter at hand. She'd missed Tim's obvious look of concern at the emergence of the little metal disk. ​

Tags: BainOfBridges The Regal Rper Randomfella ShadowBroker ​

[/QUOTE]

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Titan Commander​

Tim Drake​

Location Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
Tags Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper ShadowBroker

If there had ever been a look of panic on his face, it was on Tim's. At least, for a brief second. The kids took the bait. The kids took the fucking bait with the coin. It may have been his fault to some degree, but this wasn't a time for reflection. Granted, there wasn't a whole lot he could do, either. No. Instead, Tim made the split second decision to regain control over the situation. Anatoli had possession of it for too long.

"The Eye Charon," Tim interjected. Anatoli even looked over at him. "What you see in his hand is myth made real. You three don't seem well-versed in religion, but that's fine: no Holy text was exactly spot on with Angels. However, that coin does something very exact, doesn't it, Anatoli?" Tim continued on, bringing in the amber-haired youth.

Anatoli smirked and started a reply only to be cut off by Tim. "A flip of that coin determines the fate of a soul. You see, it turns out, souls exist. The Devil exists. God exists. Angels exist. Demons exist. Now, how it all connects with the world religions... that's not so clear, so don't get hung up on the details. What I can assure you of is that Hell exists and that coin can damn the soul of a nun to an eternity in torment. Thing is, Anatoli can't control it. No one can. It's pure luck. A flip of the coin--a fifty-fifty chance--that your soul goes on to whatever afterlife it was meant for. Or, it goes straight to Hell," Tim explained. Anatoli was obviously a little frustrated. A glare in his eyes. He didn't quite like the spotlight being stolen from him.

"Where did you get it, Anatoli? It was lost to legend, wars fought over it before it... just disappeared. Why is it in your hands again? Tim asked. Even in turning over the floor to Anatoli, he somehow remained in control. He steered the youth into the exact direction he wanted him to go.

It was a different Tim.

"It was a gift from my father. To be blunt, I am nowhere near as... powerful as he was. Might as well come clean if you want to ruin my fun. I've been told that when all of his wings were intact and he was at his peak, my father could control all of creation. What he could not do is create. Souls are, in fact, part of creation. There is no greater strength than to control the very soul, as I've been told. He didn't like his power, though; nor did he like being the King of Hell. I never really got to meet him, so I don't know. What I do know is that he made this coin so that I had a glimpse of his ability to influence the souls of others. Once it's flipped, it cannot be reversed--even if I were to flip it again," Anatoli then explained. His voice was a little more dead. Annoyed, really.

Anatoli kept his eyes on Tim. They were like slow-moving glaciers with a cold that cut deep. His attitude had changed. Almost enough to make one miss him when he was just having "fun"; this version of him was far more daunting. Tim, however, refused to be daunted again. He saw how even the slightest crack in his will trickled into his team.

"I'm sure you three are curious and honestly quite nervous now that... you know. Trust me, Johannes was not happy either. What you need to understand is your own judgement. All of you have reacted rashly. Poorly. While I cannot speak for his morals or a few of his methods, Anatoli has kept the city of Los Angeles the safest in the United States. You hear the words come out of his mouth and consider it boastful, but tell me... how would you point out such a fact and it sound humble?" Tim explained to them, chastising them in front of Anatoli and keeping him out of the limelight by shifting the focus to them.

For a while, Anatoli and his own thoughts shifted, too. Even if he was just a pawn in making a point, what was the point? For just a moment, the proud son of the Devil listened to Tim Drake like a child during story time.

"One of the new prerequisites I set when inducting the new Titans was an age limit. I recall when Titans were... teenagers. The thing is, you're not the Teen Titans. You're adults. Adults in a dangerous, adult world and you have to act like it. You can't just use brute force to make people behave the way you want. You can't treat every single person like a threat. You can't solve every problem with violence. Even if you could have forced Anatoli down, why? What did he actually do to deserve it? Make you slightly uncomfortable?" Tim continued on, pointing out how their brash behavior was a legitimate problem. Even to Huge, the one most sensitive to it. But, also to Alphus. He was absolutely willing to join in if need be.

There was never a need.

"If you treat people like they're criminals or villains, you give them all the more reason to be. If you treat everyone like an enemy, you will make them so," Tim continued on only to be interrupted by Anatoli.

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh? I did bring out their deepest desires and I'm known to rub many people the wrong way," he asked, genuinely curious and somewhat appalled at the intensity Tim had when making his point.

Tim let his old eyes fall into Anatoli, then raised his eyebrows. There was no animosity in his face. Just calmness. "Am I wrong? Tim asked. It was a simple question.

A question that caused a bit of silence. Anatoli had to stop and think about it. He had to brush aside the sharp tone that Tim was speaking in to actually consider what he said. He was harsh, but was he wrong?

​

"Los Angeles is the city of second chances... if they felt like they had no hope of becoming someone different, they would never take the chance. That's why I keep the League and the White House out as much I can," Anatoli replied. He spoke slowly. There was a new tone of thought in his words. "Is that what you mean?"

Tim would have cracked a smile if he hadn't already determined not to let any emotion show again. "You're not far off. The best way to cure a disease is to prevent it from ever happening--but a second chance can keep it from ever happening again," Tim explained. There was a very fine line between the points Tim and Anatoli made, and both were more human and far more relatable than anything that had been said beforehand. This wasn't about Angels or Demons, souls or even the Son of the Devil. This was about the nature of humanity.

 

[ShadowBroker]

H U G E
T H E - S I L E N T - CHAMPION​

Location: Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
"I admit -- I let myself be guided by anger. I never felt so unsettled before with my own mind.

That raw and strong rage.
It didn't scare me before; it will, soon enough."
​

Tags: Sir Les Paul Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper
​

Huge was far from over from his recent anger, but of course it is clear that he did wrong and he gained no actual treatment of any rate. He had moved to stop the 'Demon' - son of Lucifer - and when he actually tried to achieve to satisfies his anger, the reward was nothing he could had expected.

Something is clear though, his previous hatred had been replaced by mere annoyance empowered by the slightest reminder of pain on his arm and the disappointment on Tim's voice. He made a metaphorical step back as to visualize it all, basking on his teachings as he learned of the coin - magical coin, bloody-hell.

Huge wasn't a believer. Angels, God and Demons. He had a blur mental idea of why mankind had originally 'create' them, giving birth to religion. But he never gave it an actual physical appearance or weight in the course of the fate of everyone on the Earth. Logically, there was more than wizardly words of power and sturdy beliefs; there has to be. There should be.

Partially, Leonard took the coin's ability with great disbelief. No matter how many books or people come to accept it and agree with its power. He needed scientific proof. However his other part took such a tool of power as a potential threat - either to idolize fear through its physical menace, or for such "magical" properties.

Coin aside - Tim directed, finally, his true thoughts on the matter. Huge couldn't help but to look away. Ashamed, probably. He expected not to give his ruthless movement more of a serious beat than need be. He was, clearly, an introspective individual - capable to learn from his mistakes. But it was on Tim's right to bring the lash on him. For of all the members, he expected to be the less active and potentially rash. But the others? Leonard did only perceived politeness from Marie and support from Alphus, were they to be judged?

His eyes met once more the demon one as he nodded to himself - he wiped away his eagerness to strike him down, easing the pain of his own emotions - recovering the cover of mystery he had from the very beginning. He, calmed, spoke clearly towards the son of Lucifer, "Pardon me-" he requested, his sight-line slightly underneath the man's, his piercing cyan eyes not wanting to look directly to him, "Commander is right."

He looked back towards Tim, his face pale and calmed could give a sign there was more to be said, holding words than better not be declared publicly. Not because he feared Tim's reaction, but because Huge wanted not to prove Anatoli right that this team was actually rash, untrained - poorly qualified for the task.

At last, Leonard's wits came quickly and basked on the whole scenario, no longer stressed by his own heart's desire. He gave no actual commentary about the Coin's power, but moved on towards what The Commander was trying to reach, Despite of how he would like to gave Anatoli a few words as to work through with the situation at hand and clarify his new perspective, he kept a "respectful" silence.​

 

[One Mean Ghost]

​

Hero Points: 0

Codename: DeadmanRank: Tier 3Cards: NoneLocation: Titan's Tower Memorial Hall

Tags: Sir Les Paul Randomfella BainOfBridges

The ghost child's eye noticeably twitched when Johannes called them Team Skittles. He couldn't be serious right? Fucking hubris! Yes, Dante was already cursing his colorful language when Johannes revealed that it was all in jest. Dante couldn't help but snort at himself when he realized he'd bought into that joke hook, line, and sinker.

Crossing his arms over his chest with an amused grin, he listened to the options they had going forward, his grin falling at the mention of police work. Either they could start shadow work, or they could do some virtual training in a virtual world. It wasn't like they could really lose with either option.

"Honestly, I get enough lecturing on police bullshit at home. As much as I'd love to spend time working with my mom, I'd rather do just about anything else" The sarcasm was thick in his voice. Even though his relationship with his mother was on the mend in recent years, that didn't mean he wanted to turn this into 'bring your child to work' day. Of course, there were other precincts they could work at in the city, but there were very few where someone wouldn't know his mother. Yeah, he didn't much care to deal with that about now. Frankly, as far as he was concerned he already knew enough about police work and the whole mindset. Given his father's killer had been left free for over a decade despite evidence against him, he was, understandably, a bit cynical about officers in this area.

"Besides, building up reflexes and muscle memory is never a bad thing. The worst thing you can do in a life or death situation is hesitate" He concluded. Although he didn't directly mention anyone, or even break his gaze of Johannes, his mind mentally flashed towards Shift, who had already hesitated once in training and let Dante deal with Hyperion alone as a result rather than jumping in.

Yeah, that was the real problem with going into shadowing officers first. If they were put in a bad spot, could he trust Shift to act? The simple answer was, at this point, he couldn't trust Shift to watch his back. As long as that was the case, Shift was, to Dante, more of a liability than an asset....

 

[Neon Valkyrie]

Angel Marie Jansen​

Location: Titans Tower - 5F, Conference Room B​

Indeed, Marie wasn't the religious type ... but then, it was safe to say the little blonde wasn't well versed in much of anything. All the same, she could remember something from school, from english class. Charon, the ferryman. Those cultures who believed in him often laid coins on the eyes of the dead that they might pay their way across the river stix. A rush of cold moved down her spine as her imagination began to run away with her. Then Tim mentioned something else, something it took her a few seconds to process. Angels?

Marie blinked. While it was true that she wasn't well versed in the particulars of judeo-christian mythos, she would have to be an idiot to be unfamiliar with Angels, the Devil, God ...

So it was all true, in one form or fashion? Somewhere, far away or just adjacent, the divine existed. There was as much comfort as not in that thought, and the idea that there was always something watching gave her a sudden flush of irrational sheepishness. Her head cocked to one side slightly, Tim's elaboration earning instant confusion from the super-powered teenager. She almost wanted to raise her hand, but their mentor was clearly speaking more to Anatoli than to anyone, as evidenced by his question. A coin whose only real power was the ability to damn the good ... and would only work half the time if that was the intention ... who would go to war for that?

Her eyes grew wide as Anatoli's lineage was finally explained in plain english. So lacking was her biblical knowledge that she was only just learning that Hell was ruled over by an Angel ... who then went on to rule over Los Angeles in his own way. It was impressive to think, then, that Anatoli was half angel. She felt a pang of empathy when he explained he'd known little of his father. He sounded like the subject wasn't a pleasant one, and the cold, cutting stare he cast at Tim suggested the same. Marie just kept quiet, even when Tim put words to their collective emotions. She was dismayed and a little surprised to hear the scolding for Alphus and Huge's defense of her. She cast a defeated glance at either of her team-mates as she silently scolded herself for being so meek, so in need of saving.

Marie's fingers fidgeted in her lap as the girl tried to avoid Tim's stern stare. His disappointment was clear in his tone, and she didn't have an answer to his question, not that an answer was what he sought. She sank lower as Tim elaborated that they were under the same expectations as any adult would be, that brashness and naivetee were to be left at the door. Her arms crossed tightly as Tim questioned them, reminded her of just how uncomfortable she'd felt. She was conflicted, moreso when Anatoli once again spoke up in their defense.

The whole situation had been constructed to push their buttons, and they'd fallen for it. Huge spoke up, agreeing with Tim's appraisal. Marie just kept silent. ​

Tags: The Regal Rper ShadowBroker ​

 

[Randomfella]

Shane Tift (Shift)

Location: Titan's Tower - Memorial Hall
Tags: One Mean Ghost BainOfBridges Sir Les Paul

Shift let out a short huff of a chuckle as Johannes announced the name to be "Team Skittles", he could only imagine what kind of reaction the others would have to that, though to be honest as long as they were doing something to help the name wasn't the most important thing on his mind.

As the notion of training came up, Shane brought his left arm across his chest, resting his chin on his right hand as the arm rested on his other. It wasn't an easy one to choose between, his thought first went to the virtual reality, but in truth he had never been in a real crime scene, that kind of experience could do a lot. His eyebrow perked up as Dante quickly chimed in as usual, a small smirk forming on Shift's lips before the young man even began. Knowing Dante, not that he did completely, the boy would avoid the cops like the plague. Turned out Shane was right, but not for the reason he had suspected. "His mum? An officer?" He could hardly believe it, then again, he was aiming to be a titan.

As he continued, Shift's eyes moved back to face forward. Getting training where failure wouldn't bring real world consiquences was definitely smart. Hell, he wouldn't trust himself to go near a citizen in an emergency, let alone help them. Shane's mind began to drift toward the terrible possibilities, before he finally snapped out of it, bringing his arms down casually, still wanting to look somewhat professional in front of Johannes."Yeah, would be fun to see exactly what we can do, no doubt the training would be invaluable." He commented, his deepened voice one of interest of the idea. "If we're going to end up doing both might as well train together before we put it into practice." He concluded, looking toward Dante and Steve, finally ending his gaze back toward the agent.

 

[The Regal Rper]

Location: 6F | Conference Room B
Mentions: Sir Les Paul ShadowBroker Neon Valkyrie

As strange as it might sound, watching Sir Tim retake control sent a wave of relief back in Alphus.

His mentor was back. And while that filled him with a sense of utter catharsis, he knew what came next before it had even begun. Even despite knowing, it still didn't do much to make him feel any different. Tim was right, they'd been rash. Despite their varying backgrounds, he found no fault in Huge's actions based off what he'd just heard he could understand every reason as to why Huge had acted the way he had. He, himself though, didn't have much of an excuse. He'd allowed emotion to cloud his judgement even if it had been to protect someone who he was sure was unaware of some form of deep rooted disgust or hatred behind that genuine warm smile.

It was the attention towards the coin however that drew Alphus out of his thoughts and made him focus on the more important issue at hand. So he listened silently, and found himself empathizing yet respecting the foundation Antanoli had built himself from his father's work. To some extent, he sort of knew how that felt. They were two different people entirely, raised in two different cities, and had inherited completely different things, but to some degree Alphus felt that strong feeling of distaste he'd felt for the man, slowly fade away.

Angel, demon, gods or demi-gods, even if he'd once been a member of the church as a child- he found himself not staring at what would be considered an abomination of sin, but a young man who'd been doing right by his father in continuing his work and keeping the city safe. Even if Antanoli had never met his omnipotent father, Alphus felt that maybe even the devil could feel some pride in his child's work.

Bowing his head in a sign of humble acceptance of Tim's admonishing, Alphus remained stonely silent. Knowing his mentor was right. He'd been too quick to judge. Even if Antanoli had brought out parts of himself that he liked to keep locked away he saw their guest, in a new light. One that no longer had him frowning in distaste, but pursing his lips in reflection of his recent actions.

Listening to Huge speak then glancing to Marie only to see her state Alphus slightly frowned. He wanted to say something but Tim was right. They were adults now. In an entirely different world where they needed to act like it. "If we are talking of chances" Alphus began after a good few seconds of silence. "I would like to ask that we start fresh then. With you, Sir Antanoli. It's as Sir Tim said. Huge and I acted too quickly. I cannot blame Huge for his actions given from what I've most recently heard but I can understand the reasoning as to why they may have been too quick of a judgement. I made the same mistake, and so I'd like to ask, would you too like to start this anew?" Side-stepping Huge, Alphus reached out with a hand then waited.

A handshake, and one he waited patiently for to see if it was accepted.

If you'd asked him two minutes ago what he thought of Antanoli he might have politely called him the sort of rich pompous snobs he liked to avoid as a child whenever his own father hosted those business gatherings in their home. But now? He could see just a young man. Not a snob. Not a demon. Just a man who even if he didn't fully find his actions agreeable or at all gentlemanly at times, he was a man Alphus now saw, he could trust. After all, Sir Tim brought him in faith, so why couldn't he let go of impressions and believe in someone who'd done so much good like this one?

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Titan Lieutenant​

Agent Johannes​

Location Titans Tower, Memorial Hall
Tags One Mean Ghost Randomfella BainOfBridges

Dante lead the pack already and Shift followed. For a brief moment, Johannes questioned if the entire team dynamic would go like this. Dante quickly making a decision for the others to follow. He hoped not. A team needed balance. But, it was too early to tell, so this thought faded to the background. While Steve might have swayed Shift, really just waiting was a waste of time. Fate favors the bold.

"Alright. Redbird goes to the SFPD, Grayzone to VIRI. I'll make sure Tim knows. We'll have your weekly schedules drawn out by tomorrow. What do I know is you will all have the same morning block tomorrow at 0900. Like I said, Classroom A on the Tenth Floor. Bring your book. Until then, do whatever you like--preferably that doesn't break anything. Or, anyone for that matter," Johannes told them. It was precisely as he said. One decision and then they moved forward. Free time again, but now they knew their teams and when their first class began.

Wonderful.

Steve, Dante, and Shane are free to roam the Tower.
Note: BainOfBridges I don't know why there was no reply for Steve, but I just skipped it. It was holding up everyone else.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Titan Commander​

Tim Drake​

Location Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
Tags Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper ShadowBroker

Tim saw it. It was their first real moment of clarity. Perhaps in part because of Anatoli and his abilities, but no doubt in part due to their lack of experience. This was a stepping stone in the right direction, but there would be far, far more.

Anatoli, on the other hand, shifted back to his more confidence self. Marie shrank away from the entire situation but there was a clear look on her of understanding. Huge came to his senses. But, for the first time, the boy Alphus was the most interesting one. By a large margin, actually. Anatoli considered his extended hand. He reached out to grab it. Then.. then stopped. Stopped and lifted his finger to wave at Alphus.

"You can shake my hand whenever you visit Lux. Preferably without Daddy Drake," he said before withdrawing his hand in a sly motion. Both of his hands then slid into his fitted slacks. "Oh, and stop calling me Sir. I'm no knight and I'm far from chivalrous," he then added, coloring in the brief pause with his trademark smirk.

Anatoli then stretched his neck back, at a certain point releasing a slightly audible pop followed by a sigh. "The music here is far from loud enough for my taste. I think I'll see my way out. But, before I do go, I'll leave you with a piece of advice from my good ole Uncle Amenadiel. You will fight your dark sides and temptations far more than once in your life. You win once, but that fight is never over. But you see, God works in mysterious ways. Even if you lose, even if you stray, you will always have another fight. A chance to do good, a chance to do evil, a chance to give in, a chance to resist. In short, just because you fuck up once doesn't mean it's over," he told them. For a brief moment, he sounded like a whole different person. Granted, he was literally quoting an angel. But, just as quickly as that came, his real colors shone through.

Anatoli then turned around and with the same flair he entered, he left. Stunning suit and all.

Tim waited just a moment for the young man to leave before he reasserted himself. "Failure is the best teacher, so I would rather you fail now a hundred times over with me here than once in the field where it matters. In that sense, Morningstar is right," he explained. If anything, he intended to make a lesson out of what Anatoli told them.

Meanwhile, Tim had received a message from Johannes about his team and their decision. It seems things wrapped up quite nicely. Now that he had the floor again, he intended to make use of it. "Johannes' team is called Grayzone. Each team will receive turns on specialized training. Grayzone is going into virtual reality chambers. You three are going to spend time at the San Francisco Police Department. Police, firefighters, EMS--they're all just as important as you. I'm going to make sure you know that; and, that you know how difficult their jobs really are," he told them, effectively catching them up with what Johannes had been explaining to his team the entire time.

Tim then returned to the end of the desk and sat down. It was the first time he had done so since Anatoli entered the room. "Your first classes will be tomorrow morning at nine sharp. I've made arrangements to have the tenth floor make room for a handful of classrooms. All six of you will be attending in Classroom A. Bring you book. I'll have the rest of your schedules made later. Until then, you're dismissed," Tim told them all, bringing their rather dramatic introduction to the Titans to an end.

Huge, Marie, and Alphus are free to roam the Tower.

 

[ShadowBroker]

H U G E
T H E - S I L E N T - CHAMPION​

Location: Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A
"Elliot... Francis - I still remember how you made my sister smile

That might be the only reason I consider you a brother."
​

Tags: Sir Les Paul Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper
​

At last it was over, the test meant for failure. Some may say there was a chance for masterful success through patience, but the lack experience and information did only diminished their odds. In other words, if it could be any clearer than now, this test serve only to prepare themselves for such defeat.

But of course, that was not the only thing echoing in his mind.

Alphus, for example, he seem to have tried to make amends alike himself; though for whatever reason Anatolie choose not to accept his inviting hand. Whether or not there was a reason behind the unexpected rejection from the Demon's son remains a mystery to Huge, his unnecessary mockery. "Probably another test?" Leonard would suggest with his inner voice as adviser. It was not until the man left the room that Huge comprehended that there was more to it, a social trait or a suggestive complex message he will, ultimately, lose sight of for a more important matter.

Marie, she said no words. Huge found it relaxing, the silence. But he felt the oddness in such a silence, as she kept it not for comfort but to avoid conflict. Something was beyond need of explanation, among the three of them she was by far the more restrained - in a way. Was that the true, or is it that Huge is being deceived? Everything is subjective, even Leonard's logical mind.

Everything aside, Tim gave the team once more a speech that would direct Huge and perhaps the rest to the right path, the correct one. Training some times does only need a few words in other to build the character instead of the body. Leonard did only accept it, what else could he do? He nodded as he recover what he took to his seat, considering another reaction for the previous encounter, perhaps a more focused one to the task at hand. He shook his shoulders, damped his lips with his tongue as if he wanted to say something, only to realise he was thirsty.

Only one thought remained within him, "You three are going to spend time at the San Francisco Police Department. Police, fi-" a sentence his mind would shatter only to show what most caught his interest, "San Francisco Police Department." - "Police Department." - "Elliot." it was a very short time yet he knew little of Francis, and those words seem like the perfect excuse to think of him, just for a moment if possible. Leonard never liked to talk if not for work, bad guys, strategies... but something changed. Probably the blame is on Anatolie. He had, in a way cripple, his mind; opening Huge's anger -- and once that was out of the way, maybe there was another emotion he cared to share.

"Yes, Commander-" he responded to Tim's dismiss, as he bowed his head and allowed himself to the door. He could use the time to acknowledge the team, learn of them - but he continued to be clouded by the past nonetheless. Both his thirst and need for privacy pushed him to his own personal task ahead, "-Kitchen." he said to himself, almost muttering the word.

Once on the exit, he opened the door and waited for the rest to pass and probably share the elevator; this way he could bring down three birds with one stone -- Redbird. Stones. He couldn't help but to scratch his beard trying to forget what he just thought, only hold with a hand the door and with the other his cellphone hidden in one of the pockets of his coat.​

 

[The Regal Rper]

Location:6F Conference Room | Room B
Mentions: Sir Les Paul Neon Valkyrie ShadowBroker

"Failure is the best teacher, so I would rather you fail now a hundred times over with me here than once in the field where it matters. In that sense, Morningstar is right,"​

He had to admit this brought back memories. Learning through his own mistakes once again never got old, it seemed Alphus realized that perhaps his previous mindset that he was completely prepared had been overconfident thinking. Looking back on this whole meeting now, Alphus could say that he for sure, was not as confident in that way of thinking as he had been a few days ago. But, it was necessary. Needed to prevent more harm than good.

Taking a mental note to one day pay Antanoli a visit, Alphus returned his attention to Tim as their leader gave out their final debriefing, instructions for tomorrow and their dismissal. For a few seconds he pondered why Sir Johannes' team had acquired the name Grayzone. Their team name was associated with Sir Tim to a certain degree so was it possible that Johannes' name had something to do with his past as well? Or was it simply something he chose because it sounded cool?

Alphus shrugged the thought aside. Not important, right now. He glanced Marie's way and wondered how she did. Looking back at her left a sense discomfort he found tough to ignore or get rid of but it wasn't for his sake it was more for hers. Despite the recent events he wondered if he should still keep his distance or try engaging. There was a lot he wondered about this whole situation actually. How was he to approach her? Where did he begin? Should he even bother when he knew nothing he could say or do would change the past?

Exhaling a breath he'd been holding for the past few seconds Alphus looked at Huge and noticed him leaving. Glancing Marie's way one more time he smiled warmly at her, though it may have looked more tame and more cautious than he'd intended. Without much of a word and a bow of his head to Sir Tim, he followed Huge and thanked him for opening the door.

He wasn't entirely sure if he should stay or not. He didn't know if talking to Marie was the right idea right now. Especially now that all distractions had been left to settle their thoughts. "I'll be heading to my room, Huge. I'll see you and Marie tomorrow." It was probably the best action. Take some time to process what had happened and figure out a way to make things less awkward not just between Marie and himself but Huge as well.

Taking the stairs, Alphus headed towards him room.

 

[Neon Valkyrie]

Angel Marie Jansen​

Location: Titans Tower - Girls Dorm, Warcry's Room​

Marie had receded rather far into herself, but Anatoli's parting words echoed. The fight is never over ... There was no ending, no final chapter, no line to be crossed. There was only the endless track, and a torch to be passed, and held high. The little blonde was too despondent to issue any kind of expression, but part of her was impressed one man could be so many people. Tim's voice drew her attention as the door swung shut. She was still rather despondent, but offered a light nod. Failure may have been the best teacher, but Tim generally provided the summary. Despite his consolations, it still didn't feel good. Huge looked like he was swallowing the bitter pill, Alphus too. Marie swallowed hard.

Tim gave them their orders, and finally released them to their own devices. It was hard to know how to feel about working out in the community with Emergency Responders. She swore to herself she would be anything but a burden, once again glancing around at Redwing. Huge looked miles away, a strangely peaceful look on his face, if only for a few second. Alphus was staring at her again. She met his eyes for just a moment before looking away again. However she felt about him, she didn't have the energy to explore them right now, didn't have the energy to clear away the murk.

Huge's voice rumbled from beside her. Apparently he'd returned to the present. He was also the first to rise, holding the door open as he reached it. Alphus offered her a smile, caught only out of the corner of her eye. A flicker of a smile came to her own lips, but he'd already turned his attention to Tim, offering a curt nod on the way out. Marie pushed herself up and rushed out, attempting to avoid eye-contact with Tim. While she'd been introduced abruptly to the feelings that came with failure in her year at school, but Tim was different ... Tim was invested. It was a little strange knowing someone cared.

Marie didn't even think to thank Huge for holding the door until they were standing in front of the elevator. She decided quickly that she'd missed the opportunity, and thanking him for it now would just make her look even stranger. To be honest, she was a little relieved when Alphus veered off toward the stairs, her eyes lingering on the closed door for what seemed like long moments before the elevator dinged and slid open. She knew they would have to talk. That's why she was relieved. Stepping into the elevator, Marie reached out and tapped the button for the hall, and then the button for the girls' dorm. Her floor came first, and she offered a meek smile to Huge, unable to think of anything to say before the doors cut their conversation short.

Her head dropped. Standing there, facing the elevator, alone in the hall, she heaved a sigh and turned to enter her room. She'd only just thrown herself, face-down, on the bed, when the urge to run washed over her. Taking up her gym clothing again, she spent the next hour running in circles, running until the pain in her legs outweighed the things on her mind. Finally she collapsed into bed, feeling a growing hunger in the pit of her stomach, but too tired to do anything about it. She hadn't even bothered changing out of her relatively comfortable gym gear.​

Tags: The Regal Rper ShadowBroker ​

 

[ShadowBroker]

​

H U G E​

T H E - S I L E N T - CHAMPION​

Location: Titans Tower, 5F, C. Room A​

"Even if it was just a message,​

it took the best of me. Each. Single. Cell"​

​

Tags: Sir Les Paul Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper ​

​

• Story
• Phone

• 
  
  Maybe it was, indeed for the best. Huge ignored what injured them in the past, what was this strange experiment of whatever Marie and Alphus shared. However it seem to surpass logical explanation hence his complete neglection.
  
  Alphus headed to his room through the stairs, not capable to bare and look at her for a extend period of time, perhaps. Marie? The young girl seem rather odd beside him, maybe he had given her a very bad first impression by acting rashly.
  
  It is expected from Marie that she will have a subject of conversation, but to have one and to present it was entirely different. Her mind was still troubled, that much he could understand from her facial expressions and her eager to return to her room in such short notice.
  
  But it would be Hippocratic from Huge not to admit the same troubled thoughts lingers inside his head. At the very end that will be the reason he would say nothing in the entirety of his journey back to kitchen. Although he wanted, truly know his teammates better without a third party controlling the information, such is The Commander's role.
  
  _____________________________________________
  
  Once reached destination, once Huge let himself be alone as he adventured through the kitchen, searching for a sector without any presence whatsoever only to pull his cellphone out from his pocket, considering the idea brought to him through the subject's nature. The Police Department. Elliot.
  
  No one can actually be sure how to start a conversation that never really begun, like the first time you ever speak to a person. Both known to you but also so distant. Socialize became more of a burden than the relief he expected this to be. Regardless, he began to type what first came to his mind; so the conversation began to move... somewhere.
  
  _____________________________________________
  
  Afterwards, for what seem for far too much time on the phone. Huge directed himself towards the Male's room, attempting to further meditate what he had encountered so far.
  
  It was pleasant for him to find the room accommodated for him, furniture removed and windows closed. A simple rug beneath the ground with just a pillow. Notes spread everywhere with information of each individual on the whole team. Though he had updates to do- such as the birth of Red-bird, the calamity between Alphus and Marie... and the suppose Demon-Angel's son, Anatolie.
  
  He began to write everything down, repeating the words out-loud over and over, only to have them echoing in his mind. His eyes darting from one note to the other, clinging to grasp everything he knows and needs.
  
  But when it was all done, when there were no more words to pin down in the notes, not any other remarks or feelings. There was only silence.
  
  
• 
  
  He began with a simplicity, even if he knew that probably his friend was mostly busy to speak with him on the phone, a text wouldn't hurt anyone.
  
  
  Lt. Elliot

  me

  Hello, Elliot.

  them

  Leonard. I was not expecting your message. Are you back at Blüdhaven?

  me

  I am not. I have chosen to remain within The Tower, as we agreed.
  
  Of course, Elliot wouldn't be accustomed to Huge's recent interest in chattering. If it was not about need of the police enforcement, tactical request, strategy suggestion or - whatever else could he consider in need of to succeed in each encounter. It was all about priorities, duty. Not actual social conversation.
  
  Francis decided to explore to this new event carefully as he took a sip from his cup of coffee in the office. Removing the paperwork from the desk and his mind.
  
  
  Lt. Elliot

  me

  I am not. I have chosen to remain within The Tower, as we agreed.

  them

  If it is about the children, there has been no incidents...

  them

  As I told you...

  me

  I wanted to chat. With you. About the day.
  
  For a moment he thought the possibility this was not Huge, not he Leonard 'Non-talk' Grimth. But it was discarded constantly by just looking the way Huge types out everything that comes to his mind, without much of a filter between thought and phone.
  
  
  Lt. Elliot

  me

  I wanted to chat. With you. About the day.

  them

  Well, tell me about your day.

  me

  I encountered Lucifer's son.

  them

  Uh-huh. And what did you do?
  
  The conversation continued to trail off through the events Huge found not-important enough to reach a deep interaction. Although Francis couldn't grasp everything said by Huge even if he kept some details out of Elliot's eyes to maintain his own natural mystery essence.
  
  However Leonard did try not to give away all the information, feeling this conversation to go out of control, Elliot rejoiced with this ignoring the fact Huge was being vague at some points. It felt like if Sura's brother began to open his eyes. At least for a short while.
  
  
  Lt. Elliot

  me

  And used its powers to corrupt my mind from within which what seem to be witchcraft powers of some sort.

  them

  And what made you see? Or feel?

  me

  Bad stuff.

  them

  What do you mean?

  them

  Leonard?

  me

  I am requested elsewhere - We shall speak another time.
  
  Leonard couldn't bare to rewind what he seen, not even with words written in a note or his phone. He felt concern that whatever awakened it would return if he so allowed it to corrupt his mind.
  
  Francis did only aid him - He knew not to push forward into Huge's troubles, to avoid stress. He grinned to himself as he type out a last answer of his own, not expecting to have a reply of any sort.
  
  
  Leonard Gri...

  them

  I am requested elsewhere - We shall speak another time.

  me

  Of course, whenever you want to.

  them

  Thank you, for everything.
  
  

​

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Location Titans Tower, 10F, Classroom A
Tags Neon Valkyrie The Regal Rper ShadowBroker One Mean Ghost BainOfBridges Randomfella

What did it really mean to be a hero? What did it really mean to be a Titan?

Well, it was Johannes teaching this class, so he decided to take it as far back as he could. The word hero meant "protector" or "defender" in Greek and was in all honestly, derived from Heracles. There was some trivial pre-Greek origins, but for this purpose, the Greek origins were sufficient. Quite honestly, Johannes primary focus was on Heracles, but not so much the focus one might find in an advanced literature class. No. These kids weren't here to learn about his trials or the structure of Greek literature.

Instead, what he did was outline what a hero was. In virtually all Greek mythology, the origin of heroes, these individuals were great men of incredible fighting abilities, often with some form of superhuman abilities. One of the only references to real literature actually came in here: the definition of a classical hero was a 'warrior that lives and dies in the pursuit of honor.' This transitioned Johannes into even older heroes, like Beowulf. At a time, heroes were literally just extraordinary men that fought wars or monsters, then took home spoils for their country.

Then Johannes cut through the bullshit. Heroes historically were just super-powered individuals doing one of two things: acting as a mercenary for their country or God or going on adventures for things they didn't need to solve problems that most often could have more easily been solved by marrying a different girl. That's it. Heroes in history were just glorified mercenaries, treasure hunters, or grudge-holders. This was the real core of the first lesson: heroes have never really been 'better' than ordinary men in any sense except their abilities.

Johannes explained that normalizing themselves was the real goal of these early lessons and he would venture back to the idea from time to time. Heroes inspired people. When people thought of Superman flying through the air, it gave them security. In that regard, classic Superman did something neither Wonder Woman or Batman ever did. He did explain that there was a period where Superman was alienated and treated as a domestic threat, but his legacy overall inspired countless children alike in a way no other hero really did. The thing was, Superman was a one-shot. Not everyone could be him or like him. Sometimes it was better to embrace being human and find the crowd you connect with.

This transitioned into what the Titan Initiative was about and what being a Titan really meant. It had nothing to do with mythology and everything to do with reality. In the generations before them, Johannes explained, heroes just came to be of their own volition. It wasn't again until the dawn of Superman, however, that metahumans and empowered people really came to the surface. History showed that these people existed in the shadows of culture of thousands of years and surfaced and receded either due to genetics or some other reason periodically. But in recent years, it was Superman and later the Justice League that really made them public icons.

Then came the generations after. It just didn't work. Johannes explained that he would really go into detail about this in a later class as this lecture was running short, but fact was, the later iterations of the League stopped working. This is where Titans came in. The Teen Titans originally was a group of young, teenage heroes and sidekicks sent to group up and train themselves under guidance and it worked well enough that they later become the second most famous group of heroes ever: the Titans. The Titans Initiative was an attempt to recreate that, but now with an actual idea of what a hero needed to be.

Heroes needed to be more than just people with superpowers "doing good" or "fighting for honor"--they needed to be held to standards. Just as cops needed to be held to standards. Just as firefighters needed to abide by codes, local and state. Just as EMT's and paramedics needed to go through training and follow the procedures to keep care going from the ambulance to the hospital. Heroes needed structure. This was the goal of the Titans. To create a structured system for training the next generation of heroes--because the world needed them.

And that was that. Their first class. It was simple. No homework, but it did clear up a lot of questions. And, it felt like a class, too. Johannes wasn't as dull of a teacher as one might expect. He had a fairly decent level of rhetoric when going back as far as Greek myth and tying it in to how they perceived heroism in the current day.

Then of course there was the homework. It was a short excerpt written by Amanda Waller about none other than Batman. Part of the past. An example of what being a hero was really, really about.

​

Lastly, they were dismissed for lunch. Team Redbird was to regroup in the Classroom for an introduction to what they would be doing with the SFPD. Team Grayzone was going to be fitted for VIRI helmets and an introduction to the technology which was located back on the Fifth Floor in the VIRI chamber.

 

[Neon Valkyrie]

Angel Marie Jansen​

Location: Titans Tower - Girls Dorm, Warcry's Room​

Marie's eyes slid open in the darkness. She spent what felt like hours trying to decide if she was really awake, or just between dreams, but eventually a barrage of unpleasant sensations pushed her to the edge of the bed. Her muscles ached, her eyes were throbbing and dry. Her empty stomach was squeezing bile up into her throat. Even her hair hurt, having spent the night tied up into a tight ponytail. Something between a groan and a yawn escaped from her as she stretched up to her feet, and she stumbled toward the bathroom, fumbling along the wall until she found the doorway. The intensity of the incandesent light caught her off-guard, searing her corneas in the few fractions of a second before she could clamp them shut. She managed to brush the acrid taste out of her mouth, but more impressive was separating the little nylon hair-band from her tangled tresses. Once free from the form-fitting fabric of her gym outfit, she took a moment to examine the purple lines where they'd cut into her before moving into the shower.

It took fists full of conditioner to unravel her hair, and dozens of minutes sitting against the wall, letting the hot water cascade down onto her to make her feel human again. She stepped back out into her room wrapped in a towel, drawing a brush through the last of her tangles. The clock next to the bed showed 6:23AM. She slapped the control for the windows, watching the shutters slide away. The dawning sky was still dark, with only the first traces of pink and orange brushing the distant clouds. Sitting back down onto the bed, she pulled over her bag and began to rifle through her clothes. She hated her clothes. She settled on a pair of faded blue skinny jeans with shredded knees, and a slouchy black sweater. She made her way down to the kitchen for a quiet breakfast, and then found her way to the assigned classroom. She was still playing around with the functions of her WTBand when Johannes came in, prompting her to straighten up in her chair and offer a quiet nod. The rest of Redbird joined a short time later, and class began.

The subject matter was tedious; the etymology of a hero, representations in classic literature, how the term had evolved and what it now stood for. Johannes seemed to find the task of delivering the information as tedious as Marie found the task of absorbing it, but she listened dilligently. There came a breaking point, she could hear the change in the tall, dark-haired man's voice. What was his deal anyway? Was it a lack of faith in them? She tried to hide a sigh, and her brow furrowed.

So a hero used to be anyone who accomplished great deeds, no matter what they were ... but the point of them being there, of their studies and trials, was to give them a higher ideal to strive for. An idea of a hero that could stand, untarnished, to inspire people to do better, to be better. So then it was kind of like what Anatoli said ... the ability to affect the larger system was more powerful than any gift they could have. The ability to inspire someone into doing good was ten times more useful, more effective, than beating them into submission a million times. She had to be better than her vengeance.

She swallowed hard and cast a sidelong glance at Alphus, who was equally absorbed in the lesson. Were her reasons for becoming a Titan, then, insufficient? Psychologically, did she want to stop bad people from taking advantage of the weak, or did she just want to take out her frustrations on anyone who could stand in for her captors? Lost deep in thought, the abrupt ending of the class brought her back to reality. They were issued their homework, a short document detailing an encounter between Batman and a member of the Royal Flush Gang. Marie glanced at it before folding it up and slipping it into her pack. Her team-mates were packing up their things when she rose, turning to face them, clutching awkwardly at the strap of her bag.

Clearing her throat, she tried for force a smile once she was sure she had their attention. "We ... should eat together ... as a team ...", she paused, her eyes landing on Alphus. "... All of us ..."​

Tags: The Regal Rper ShadowBroker Sir Les Paul ​