LC: Super Scrubs Issue #1

"The test is yet to start." Atrophy replied to Psion's prompt to move in, waiting for Jane Baker to give the green light. He didn't think that preempting the test was part of the test itself, "And what do you make of the situation - down there?" He started to mouth his words coldly at Sable, but thought it better to sound more friendly to his new team and softened his tone at the end. It would take a bit more time to get used to them.

Psion turns his head slowly to look down at Sable, his expression bordering on disdainful. "Some of us do not do so well on our feet," he says in a fairly condescending tone, gesturing briefly to the wheelchair he recently abandoned.

"Now mind your elders and get into position as Atrophy instructed." His voice borders on openly hostile. He's definitely making the case to be on the bottom of the list of potential team leaders, whether intentionally or not. His eyes scan the potential battlefield ahead of them, and he prepares to jump, psychically, into action.

"Careful you don’t end up on your ass, old man." Sable says, rising to the bait. She ignores the cool question.

"And share all my secrets? Don’t think so!" she barbs at the men looking, literally and figuratively, down on the young hero!

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THE TEST: ROUND ONE

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Moments before the second klaxon sounds, signifying the start of the exercise, Commander Jane Baker steps closer to the team.

"Stand ready! This is a live-fire exercise, people! Get your goddamned shit done but try to not get hurt! It's ten times uglier out there on the streets right now, so if you capes can't handle this you should just get back on the ATAP, ASAP!"

Raising her voice as the tension rises, as all the JANUS staff settle into their safe positions and as the alarm warms up, she's shouting by the end.

"These two buses are full of innocent civilians! Little old ladies, well-behaved children, pregnant women, nuns, men who aren't assholes! You super-types are to protect them! The two vehicles need to move through the base and out onto the tarmac! When they do, the exercise will be over! If they all get squashed, incinerated, blown up or cut to pieces, the exercise will be over! DO YOU COPY?!"

Blip Blip BLAAAAAAHMP!

The klaxon rings out -- and the two buses begin to slowly roll.

As the team prepares to move out, the two buses take off unexpectedly, speeding ahead at better than thirty miles an hour. One of the drones near the rear of the base can be seen to move forward, and it looks like there's more activity in the building where foot soldiers of some kind were seen earlier.

Moving at high speed on those strange, spindly legs, Arachknight keeps pace with the buses for a time, then peels off to the north so she can climb up onto an abandoned structure and get a better view of what seems about to become a battlefield...

Sable sneers. She didn’t remember taking a vote, and wondered if the media team was all that keen on a hero named Atrophy leading the revival of justice across the globe.

Didn’t exactly send the right message…

"Oh yeah, great idea! Web up the bus!"

That way, when the goons set it on fire, everyone is trapped inside. Genius… the young hero leaves unsaid. If this all fell the shit, Sable wanted to be far away from the reason why!

Seeing Arachknight swing right, Sable swings left! She runs and then makes a leap, so that she can get atop the first building and scan that side of the training exercise!

Leader? Arachknight's word caused Atrophy to pause for a moment. He looked at the others, from his vantage point. It is true that there was a need for one, if only to make sure a would-be team remained a team, as opposed to operating as individuals all acting of their own accord. Already Sable, Arachknight and Nocturne had advanced, while Psion hung back doing whatever he preferred to do. Did it seem like Atrophy was the only one who had ever operated with a team before, albeit a villainous one at that. As for being a leader, Was he one?

He flew even higher, just so to properly get a complete overview of the testing grounds, and began calling out instructions.

"Psion, if you can, keep us able to communicate with each other. Keep the mental probes to yourself.

Arachknight, web the buses, not to seal them but to stop them advancing.

Everyone, do not let the buses reach the apron! That's too open an area to protect them. Redirect them until we can clear a path. Psion if needs be, hold or push them aside.

Sable and Nocturne, clear that path, go quickly." The voice that utter the commands was still as raspy, but somehow carried over the air to his ... teammates. Atrophy himself eyed the three drones that hovered at the far end of the field of engagement, he had a feeling he'd have to deal with those very soon.

Sable isn't far behind Arachknight in terms of response time, and the dark-haired girl moves athletically until she gets within leaping range of the buildings that the buses are about to pass on their left. Muscles tense and send the girl airborne, landing her deftly on that rooftop as the opposition continues to advance. Another drone whisks forward to close the distance, leaving the third hovering in place near the road leading to the runway.

Whirring and thumping sounds from near the cliff-face north west of the base; something large can be seen moving among the trees there. Some kind of mecha?

As it's go time she begins to move. Atrophy has said she and Sable go either side.. except Arachknight had gone her side. She hesitates a moment, but then when the new orders come she quicks into gear. Clear the path. She can do that. Follow orders and fight. She takes off in a sprint.

Expecting Arachknight to do as asks on the busses she ignores them moving to run past them to take point, or at least keep pace, looking for any threat to take on.

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THE TEST: ROUND TWO

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With Sable, Nocturne and Arachknight in position, and with the two veterans in the rear in the air, the buses continue to move forward, slowing for the turn they are approaching.

The building beneath Kai suddenly shudders and rumbles, making her take a sideways crab-step to maintain her balance. The structure was once a garage or maintenance building of some kind; the front doors are huge. Metal screams as those doors are suddenly smashed open, torn from their hinges by something forcing its way out of the structure.

Arachknight has a front row seat as she watches four mecha-jaguars the size of horses burst out of the building. Metal claws gleam and glowing eyes hum as the mecha-beasts race for the buses -- and Nocturne!