Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart took a deep breath."Supposing Reason doesn't decide to deep six the team, we need to at least practice with our new members. I went head to head with Abaddon and lost. Legacies was able to kill him because he was distracted with beating me to a pulp after I managed to annoy him with my flash vision. If they have three guys like that in there and they have any idea of how to work together as a team they will tear us apart, barring Gravitas kicking their asses. I would put my money on their being an even dozen and their being at least two guys even worse, the lead sorcerer-scientists who are responsible for this atrocity. This isn't something we can fuck around with. They are likely to fucking destroy anything that disturbs them."

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost frowned and spoke again. "I hate to say this, but even with the new members, I don't think we have enough just raw power to take on RCE anytime soon. I mean, when it comes to power, we've got you, Gravitas, Blast and I guess now Warpath. We did have Saibot but who knows what'll happen with him." Deep down, Ghost was resenting the fact that he had ever been assigned to his team. It would likely be the death of him. And then his wife would really be pissed at him.

[LadyTevar]

"Saibot ... won't be back," Argent said softly, shaking her head. "I could feel nothing from him, and I doubt any other empath could do more." Of course, she didn't know that, hadn't seen the report sent to Blackheart and Bowman, and in fact had forgotten about it in all the excitement.

"But look at how we just reacted to a threat," she continued flatly. "We moved and reacted to eliminate the threat, each waiting for Blackheart to give the signal to go. For once, all the parts came together." Without Saibot to divide us her mind added treacherously. "Even Dr Stone was ready to move instantly."

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost put his hand to his head and groaned. "One time does not a team make." He said. "Just cause we managed to all come together this time doesn't mean we will next time. And the next time could be alot more dangerous than two paper pushers with some big toys."

[B4UTRUST]

Bowman glanced over the team and sighed. Fuck. Shit always had to go wrong with this team.
"Not that you'll believe me at this point, and I can't honestly blame you, but I had no clue about this. Reason was here for debrief because that's his job.

"Those other two, damned if I know where they came from. I didn't know about this paperwork or any orders to take Argent into custody. Someone further up the chain then I know wants her for something. Your guess is as good as mine on this one."

[LadyTevar]

"Other than my Empathy and Teleportation... what could they want me for?" Argent had to ask.

[B4UTRUST]

Bowman shook his head.
"I could think of a few things off the top of my head. Empathy, teleportion, shadowmanipulation. How many world-level events could be manipulated with those three things in one person? How hard would it be for you to adjust the minds of high level diplomats so they signed a peace treaty? Or to escalate tensions between two opposing parties so that an all-out war was the result? Or to kidnap a president? Or to kill one?

"I think you underestimate the usefulness of your particular talents. With the right people directing you, you'd be one of the most useful and dangerous operatives in the game. That's what they would want you for..."

[SirNitram]

"Your heritage would suggest there might be more power that the unscrupulous could extract. I won't go into the gory details." Gravitas mused on Argent's question, then turned his mind to Raising Caine.

"The simple matter is, a team like ours shouldn't go up against the brand of heavy they will likely have waiting. But I am doubting we're gonna get the sort of land, sea, and air support this would normally require. Therefore, I am proposing we annihilate the structure and it's environs completely. Room by room would get us killed. Strike it from outside and we have a chance."

[LadyTevar]

"I think you underestimate the usefulness of your particular talents. With the right people directing you, you'd be one of the most useful and dangerous operatives in the game. That's what they would want you for..."

Lei blanched. There was no other way to describe the look on her face, or the slow shake of her head in shocked negation. Petty theft, minor manipulations to keep the cops from taking her in, sure, she'd done that. Smacking Saibot with the biggest hardon he'd ever had, to keep him from slicing her with his sword (which didn't stop him the Second Time), yes, she did that as well, and got mind-linked to him for her trouble.

Political backstabbing, mentally and physically? Controlling diplomats and leaders of the free world? THAT not just scared her, it horrified her, even more than Gravitas' mild comment about her heritage. That was so far from her view of the world, it made her ill to even consider it.

Maybe the little backbiting thief had her scruples after all.

[B4UTRUST]

"Don't look so shocked. What makes you think it hasn't been done before? Or is being done right now? You have a very unique blend of powers. There are groups out there that would, and will, kill for a power set like yours at their disposal."

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost looked at Bowman and then at Argent. He kept his mouth shut. Obviously, what Bowman was describing was why his bosses were looking to get in touch with Argent.

[Dark Silver]

"I should point out, that as the newest of the new guys on this team, that I would not feel comfortable with going into a hot situation without knowing something about how the team could work and compliment each other in the field. And after that debriefing....I'm sorry, but I can't go into a hot zone without knowing I can count on the rest of you to have my back."

Stone was, for all intents and purposes, stone faced, as he moved over towards his armor, looking the arm over for a few minutes.

[Cynical Cat]

Had she really not thought this through, about how easily her powers could be used on the political scene? Interesting. "Tactics on how to deal with Raising Caine is another discussion," said Blackheart. "We're not at the stage where we can even try an attack. Which means the buck gets passed to someone else or it gets put off until we get up to steam. Myself, I want to make sure someone doesn't attempt to 'salvage' some of their research and send a capture/recovery team. I suggest you think about what you can live with over the next few minutes."

[SirNitram]

"You'd be amazed, Blackheart.. You'd be positively amazed.." Gravitas shook his head. If they could launch this inside Ultima, where would they be safe? After a moment of cataloguing the results, he began narrowing it down to 'Places on Earth where the others can survive'. Other solutions seemed.. Well, pointless.

"This team, Doctor, tends towards working much like a wrecking ball. We've got civilians with no professional training, ex-superheros, military spooks... No pun intended, Ghost... And then Ultima's own finest. When we can keep our heads together, very little stands in our way, unfortunately, this can include property. There's been personality conflicts that lead to, oh, people dropping streets and buildings on people, though."

[Dark Silver]

Stone looked over his shoulder, towards Bowman, the look in his eye almost seemed to ask 'Why did you pull me into this again?"' before looking back to his armor.

"I see Mr...Gravitas is it? I think I remember seeing you on some of CNN's newsfeeds before. I think this team probably needed a good deal of prep work before they were sent out."

He pressed a button on the suit's chest, as the atmosphere seals broke with a barely audible 'hsssssssssssss' much like a snakes, before the armor opened.

"Well, to late for that now, what's the plan, if this debrief is finished with?"

[LadyTevar]

Argent said nothing, still frightened by what some people use her talents to accomplish. Anyone doing that sort of business would make damn sure their talent was under their control, totally and absolutely. She had complained to Blackheart about being a bird in a cage before -- whomever wanted to steal her away would be much worse. Here, she had a semblance of freedom, even 'grounded'.

Here ... she had people she felt she could trust.

[B4UTRUST]

Bowman thought the situation over for a few minutes.
"Blackheart, how certain are we that RCE is as prepared and powerful as we think? If I added another team member to your ranks could you handle scouting out the situation? We really do need more intel before we can state one way or the other whether we need to seriously discuss contacting NORAD to authorize nuclear bombardment."

[Hotfoot]

Hotfoot fumed. Blackheart was right, Bowman was right, everyone had a point, but he was right too. "Yeah, there's bigger problems, but how the hell are we supposed to do a damn thing together if we're always looking over our shoulder at the higher ups?" He cut himself short, not saying the other things he wanted to say for fear of turning this into another brawl of sorts. "You know what? It doesn't fucking matter anymore. I came here to help out with something that I stumbled into. I'm going to stay a while longer, see if I can't help you with whatever this Raising Cain shit is, not because of you," He glared at Bowman as he spoke, "or your bosses, but because I can do more good right now here than I could on my own."

He positioned himself towards the door, ready to head outside at a moment's notice. "Now, are we planning on doing something serious, or what?"

[LadyTevar]

"Collin?" Lei spoke up, rubbing her head where Hotfoot's idealogist, righteous anger gave her a mild headache. "Throwing a fit is not going to help." Some might wonder why she's suddenly on a first-name basis with the boy. "Sit down, please?"

She looked down the table to Blackheart. "Bowman's idea also gets the team out of Millenium City while he and whomever else you rope into it traces the paperwork back to whomever ordered this arrest, Blackheart." Not that she'd mind putting distance between herself and those same individuals.

[SirNitram]

"Well, between us, we have considerable covert capabilities." Gravitas mused. "I could probably give you the layout of mass within the structure. Ghost and Argent can become unseen. Blast could power down the local grid. Then we just need a diversion so that whatever private goons and low-level mook-demons are on investigation duty are looking the other way."

He mused. "If we determine it's a Class V threat, we either have NORAD nuke it, or drop a rock the size of Denver on it. You know, whichever seems easier at the time."

[Dark Silver]

"If it was such a possibly high level threat, why hasn't another, more experienced team been assigned to perform at least recon on the location?"

[B4UTRUST]

"Good question. Sadly, there is no good answer. As far as I'm aware up until the incident with Abaddon there was no connection with RCE. Their public profile is well documented and they've got numerous government contracts. In short, on the surface, they're the good guys.

"As for why no other team has picked it up, I don't know. My guess is though that after reading the case report on the Abaddon incident, most smart people aren't lining up to rush head long into a place where there could be a small army of things like him."

[Dark Silver]

"So your going to let a team whose been recently fragmented, has at least one seriously injured (though still powerful) member and the other whose listed as being coma, and all not even 24 hours off of a mission which showed the team has major fundamental flaws in it's command structure...go out to this place? I'm sorry Agent Bowman, but that sounds like a case of grosse incompetence and neglect on your part to even let them consider it. And I'm not just saying that because I'm the new guy you put into place here."

Stone turned from his armor, and looked to Bowman and Blackheart, "I'm surre Agent Blackheart would agree with me that it's suicide to do that with the problems his team has at the moment."

[SirNitram]

"There's Bowman's reasons; throw on that anyone with government contracts is going to be throwing around a bit of money to corrupt politicos, and it'd cause political trouble." Gravitas nodded gently.

"Then there's the fact that a more experienced team is expensive; they're well equipped, well trained, well-paid professionals. We're not your classic heros, your corporately-endorsed big names. We're the other guys, the guys no one bets on."

A small grin formed. "On the other hand, I figure taking part in a mission to screw over as many beings from the nether-hells as possible is gonna wipe a slate with people who have more authority over me than Ultima does. However we do it, I'm in. Once my bones knit."

[Dark Silver]

"No offense, but after what I just heard in that debriefing, I can see why no one bets on your team. Hell, I wouldn't bet on your team and I'm on it now."

Stone looked to Gravitas, then back to Bowman and Blackheart, "It's...insane. The team at least needs recoup time after what they just went through yesterday. And if I'm going to be sent into pretty much certain death, I'd prefer to make sure W.A.R.path is going to work at peak efficiency....and to test the heavy weapons."