Echo Squad (IC)

[GoldenMyth]

Another look was shared between the sniper-negotiator pair, a hidden conversation that pierced through their respective facades, before Swift cut off the contact by squinting at Nikolai with scrutiny. A flustered shade of pink dusted the girl's cheeks, Avery noticed, but she was staring right back at her with barely concealed enthusiasm. The older girl wasn't so much excited for a nickname, but rather the thought of friendship.

To curb the sick churning that was beginning to form in her stomach, she said, "Nikolai... Gotta branch off from the actual name, but it has to be perfect."

"Better than Bossman?" teased Quinn, his eyes watching those all around and his ears trained on the two beside him.

"'Ey, that was spur-of-the-moment. Nika?"

"Was that spur-of-the-moment as well?"

"It's Russian! Like Nikolai! Never mind that. Rosalind?" Quinn stared at her like she suggested to ditch everything and drive off a cliff.

"I was joking 'bout the whole Shakespeare thing. Shooting that down right now." Avery opened her mouth for a retort, but she was interrupted by another idea. "Why not Victory? It's the meaning of the name Nikolai, and isn't specifically masculine nor feminine." It would remain a mystery as to how Moriarty knew the fact from the top of his head.

But Avery had to admit, it didn't sound too bad. "A lot better than the 'Takeout Girl' you gave me," she grumbled, but made no argument against it. They still had many more options if the subject of the discussion disagreed. She shifted her focus back to Nikolai. "Victory? Whaddya think of that?" she lilted, trying her best at the time to look more like a peppy friend than a trained killer.

[CrimsonLady180]

Before the young medic could utter a word being brought back out of her daze it seemed a few other members had join them. It was good since she wanted to be early and she can typically loose track of time when she is running about outside. Ravenna gave her a small apologetic smile, "Sorry, I'm a little out of it after taking everything in. And don't think anyone else noticed," she said referring to the Celeste falling asleep. Strange thinking how there were still a few people still missing, but perhaps they were doing what she feared to do which was running late. If it took awhile she wouldn't mind looking for her other teammates not wanting them to get into trouble for being late. Ravenna began to space out again as her thoughts slowly consumed her regarding everything that went on today and how her parents may react to the news of her advancement.

It was times like this Ravenna wished she could consult her father, but with him constantly disappearing it was hard to guess whether she'd hear from him or not though she didn't want to give up on her father resurfacing. She often wondered what her father was doing, if he was safe, and why he'd leave her mother to watch out for herself though there was a lot her father had been unwilling to explain about his past. It was more like a 'don't ask, don't tell' bases with him. The very thought cause a soft sigh to escape from her with ease as Ravenna continued to keep to herself.

[Gamer's Eden]

"Not interested in this 'second' team. Peterson says he needs me, then he has me." Ryan said to Chandra. He turned to walk away, then stopped and turned his head so they could see his face. "No offense. You should look into Grae Salvatore."

A few minutes later he found Chris sitting in his room, playing chess with himself. Without a word, he watched for a few moments before taking a seat in front of the Commander, studying the board. Peterson had always been a skilled strategist, and there were few that presented a challenge for the man. Ryan was one of those few, though that was because he usually took a more subtle tactic.

"Anderssen vs Kieseritzky, 1851. This game with yourself would be done in 23 moves, following their game."


Chris looked up from his game to see his friend come over and sit down on the other side of the table. Ryan was a good player and he was the only one Chris knew that could send him back peddling. He had an abstract and unconventional strategy that was hard to predict and therefore counter. Still, Chris was confident that he was still in the positive when it came to his win-loss record. He smiled as he listened to his old acquaintance.

“Come on,” Chris said, clearing the board and setting up a new game, “I think it's time you got your ass handed to you again. I'll be white.” He finished setting up the board, placing the pieces into their proper locations, and then moved his first piece.

“So,” he said leaning back into his chair, “what do you think of the gang?”


"I think you've got quite a mixed crew." Ryan said, taking a seat and observing the board before grimacing. "Impulsive hot-headed types, mostly. Only a few of them seem to have any patience whatsoever. In short, they need some broadening of their perspective."

Ryan couldn't understand how they hadn't had those parts of their personalities curbed by now. Having spent his childhood and early teen years had trained those things from him. Being trained to remain calm in the face of battle, the patience to wait in hiding for the right moment to strike, had given him a level-headed view that would've had him leading a team if he didn't prefer being alone.


"To be fair," Chris started, "these guys have the most impressive records I've ever seen. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff they're capable of. Command said we'd get the best of the best, and they weren't lying. But you're right. I mean 'Doesn't play well with others' is practically a requirement for this team. Maybe part of that is age, maybe part of it is the fact that when you're the best at something you feel like you have the right to do whatever the hell you want. I don't know, but whatever the reason, I just hope they have the good sense to follow my orders when I give them." He sighed. He had always wished for command and now he was questioning that desire. He hadn't signed up for this.

"Not to mention," Chris continued, "that there's a wide range of problems. On one side of the spectrum I have a 15 year old sniper with a less than pleasant past that I'm worried might go off half cocked. And on the other hand there's a well raised, non-aggressive medic that may not be able to pull the trigger when the time comes. It's a mess... but hey you play the hand you're dealt right? It might not be a perfect group but I think they all have the potential to be great operatives. What we need is time, but from the way Command pushed this whole thing through, I doubt we have much."

"What you need is to get them all on the same page. Right now, each of them is focused on their own capabilities, instead of how to use them to compliment one another's capabilities. They need to bond, and there's no training exercise that will give them the bond they need. The real thing is the only thing that will work. Even you and I," Ryan said, motioning between himself and Chris. "As close of friends as we are, we haven't been in it for real. And when we have, hopefully it will serve to increase the trust between everyone. Or else make them realize that they have to."

It was more than he'd spoken in the entire time they'd been friends combined, but he knew Peterson needed to hear it. As much as he wasn't a leader, or a reader of people in the same way as the negotiator, they had both learned what it would take to form a team. And unless they did something more drastic than shooting apples off people's heads, they would be walking a tightrope.

Wraith moved a piece on the chessboard. "Your move now Commander."

Chris was taken aback by the man sitting across from him. He'd known Ryan longer than he'd known anyone else in his life. They had been friends, or whatever it was that Ryan had instead of friends, since as long as Chris could remember, and never had he spoken anywhere near as long as this conversation. He was man of few words, a 'sure' or a 'no' usually suited his needs. There was something oddly poetic about his silence, the way he could take a complex situation and boil it down to its core elements and then provide a solution in just a handful of words.

Chris knew that Ryan thought he wasn't a commander type, but Chris had always thought he could be. True, Ryan was distant and quiet, not really the traits you'd traditionally see in a leader, but the way he was able to assess a situation and provide a solution in so little words was a remarkable attribute. Which was why Chris was stunned by the amounts of words from his comrade, but they all made sense.

“You're right of course,” Chris said moving a piece, trying to hide his surprise, “we're not a team yet. We're a collection of individuals who are more focused on their own attributes, intentions, and ambitions rather than the good of the team. Nothing is going to change that except real world experience. Soldiers are not trained, they are forged in the heat of combat.” Chris looked up at the clock; they were going to be late.

“We should probably head out. Don't want to keep the troops waiting.”

[jamesbob]

Stephen was surprised when he saw his table was already being filled with other trainees. They sat around the table and started talking to each other while ignoring Hicks. Where the hell is everybody? he thought as he looked around the mess hall looking for familiar faces. Then he saw Celeste and the rest of the gang seated at the other side. Crap, I sat at the wrong table. It would be awkward if he'd just walk from this table to another so he decided to walk outside the mess hall and grab a soda at the broken vending machine.

Nobody really knows why they still haven't fixed the vending machine. Maybe the engineers thought they'd be doing a favor to the other trainees by giving free sodas. By just applying a little pressure at the small lump found behind the machine, you can get a random carbonated beverage. This time, Stephen got a root beer. He looked at his watched and thought commander's probably there already. When he walked inside and found out he was wrong. God, is he planning another crazy exercise again?

He casually sat down near the rest of them, sipping his root beer from time to time.

[CrimsonLady180]

As she waited for more people to arrive and stay out of deep thoughts, Ravenna decided to try playing a little game where she'd make up a song in her head to describe what's around her to keep herself busy. It didn't start off too great, but luckily the arrive of another team member saved her from boredom. Eventually she was going to play the cup game she used to play as a child as a last resort at the rate she was going. "Hello, Stephen. Seems you beat the commander here as well. Do anything fun during our bit of free time?" Ravenna said trying a friendly greeting to drum up some kind of conversation with him. Though it was strange that they were still missing people, but most of all was the commander which was even stranger. She started to wonder what was keeping the others away, but drew her attention back to Stephen to see if he would be willing to answer her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Odessa was sitting in a coffee shop quietly sipping some hot chocolate to pass the time. Suddenly she heard her phone vibrate in her bag for a text message. It was confirmation, she can infiltrate the government facility near by tonight. She want to see if she could get any information to bring back to other Enhanced so they can use it to their advantage. Getting in and getting the info shouldn't be too hard, but it probably will get tough once they realize she's in there. With a little luck she'll be able to pull this off without too many problem, now it was best to by some time until most of the people will be asleep. With only a few guards up and running about should be easy to slip through, at least that's what she'll keep tell herself to get her through this. Odessa continued to sip her hot chocolate in deep thought about what she can dig up on her remained family as well as those who will be working to eliminate the Enhanced in the area.