Atticus Forsberg, Frederick Salusbury, Imogen Green and Misha Vedernikov - Atlantean Unification Project Headquarters, Toulouse, France
8th November, 2012
The newest members of the AUP had spent the past week learning all kinds of interesting skills; training practice of their abilities, learning how to fight, how to hold a gun, how to defend themselves... heck, even Annie had taught them how to break through a weak firewall. It wasn't clear if any of them had remembered anything, but at least they knew the basics. It wasn't exactly a breeze to learn what they had learned, but the AUP made sure they knew the simple stuff if they wanted to go out in the field.
Of course, it had only been a week, so it wasn't like they were experts. Freddie had at least learned how to walk so he didn't fall over every step. Now it was more like every half-kilometer or so.
Today was a day like any other, members meeting up in the cafeteria for breakfast. It was lively and if you felt lonely, you only had to sit next to another member and listen in to hear someone's story, or maybe the details of a mission they just went on. Most of the juniors were here wih their 'senior' member, probably either idly chatting or getting briefed on what was going to happen with their training today. The only person missing from the table was Imogen, but it wasn't like anyone was complaining.
"So, we're meant to do a bit of weapon training, apparently," Atticus stared at a piece of paper he was holding, using his finger to underline the words as he read them. "Then you've got the rest of the day off. Easy peasy."
"Y-yeah..." Freddie stared at his fork, playing with his eggs.
"Right, you don't like guns. You didn't finish the training, did you?"
"No, not really," the fawn shook his head, his ears drooping.
"It's not hard, silly man," Misha grabbed him from behind, Frederick almost jumping three feet in the air. "Easy! Point, shoot!"
"Euuugghhhhh..."
The hall suddenly fell silent as Annie, the small, freckled red-head who was bound to her wheelchair wheeled herself into the hall, rolling up to Atticus, Frederick, Misha and their juniors. The crowd slowly fell back into chatter, but anyone who had been in the AUP for more than a month knew that when Annie left her room, it meant something bad was happening.
"Atticus," she said in a hushed tone. "Emil wants to see you guys."
* * *
"There's been an incident in Paris and as far as we believe, an Atlantean has gone rogue and is terrorising the city. I'm sorry that your first assignment will be so sudden, but we believe that you are ready for what is to come," Emil stood, leaning on his desk, with Cooper standing on one side, Annie by him and Devon standing in a corner. "We have to leave as soon as possible, so Cooper will take you to be suited up and take you to the plane."
* * *
Approaching Paris, the plane suddenly took a dive down, Cooper maneuvering his way around the falling meteorites. It wasn't hard to notice another plane dancing with the raining rocks as well.
"Royal Family..." Emil shook his head. "Team! We're exiting here. Get ready to jump."
"Outside the plane?!" Freddie grabbed the chair he was sitting in, his legs skittering against the ground as the plane dipped up and down, side to side. "Jumping?!"
"Oh, grow up," Imogen shook her head. "You know Emil is a gravity manipulator. He won't kill you."
"Are y-you sure?"
"Let's go. Cooper, take the plane somewhere safe. Devon, you stay with Cooper," Emil buttoned up his suit-coat, opening the hatch on the side of the plane and sliding it back, the wind whipping against their skin. Imogen went first as Emilio lifted his hands, jumping outside into his gravity field. Atticus was next, shoving the very reluctant Frederick outside and jumping after him. Misha merely walked off the plane, Emil cringing slightly at the massive weight entering the field. The juniors followed them out, Devon yelling from the inside.
"Let me come, dad! I can help!"
"No, you stay with Cooper. Let's go, everybody."
He swam forward in the air, closed the hatch then dropped the gravity field, everybody falling with it. There was a thump in his field; Devon had jumped just after they had fallen, dropping into his father's bubble. Emil was angry, but it would have to wait. The plane was already gone and they had a job to be done.
The drop felt like a thrill ride, the sudden stop at the bottom catching everybody's stomachs. Frederick dropped as soon as Emil's gravity field was released, falling to his knees and dry reaching on the ground.
"C'mon, little goat man," Misha pulled Frederick to his 'feet'.
"Alright, out main priority is to evacuate any civilians. Next is to find the threat and stop it. Capture, not kill. Misha, Delta, Atticus, Frederick and Agnes, you team up and head left. William, Imogen, Devon," he leaned on the word Devon, his face adding to the disappointed tone, "and myself will search right. Steer clear of the Royal Family; we're unsure of how friendly they'll be in these kinds of situation. Alright, let's go!"
Of course, it had only been a week, so it wasn't like they were experts. Freddie had at least learned how to walk so he didn't fall over every step. Now it was more like every half-kilometer or so.
Today was a day like any other, members meeting up in the cafeteria for breakfast. It was lively and if you felt lonely, you only had to sit next to another member and listen in to hear someone's story, or maybe the details of a mission they just went on. Most of the juniors were here wih their 'senior' member, probably either idly chatting or getting briefed on what was going to happen with their training today. The only person missing from the table was Imogen, but it wasn't like anyone was complaining.
"So, we're meant to do a bit of weapon training, apparently," Atticus stared at a piece of paper he was holding, using his finger to underline the words as he read them. "Then you've got the rest of the day off. Easy peasy."
"Y-yeah..." Freddie stared at his fork, playing with his eggs.
"Right, you don't like guns. You didn't finish the training, did you?"
"No, not really," the fawn shook his head, his ears drooping.
"It's not hard, silly man," Misha grabbed him from behind, Frederick almost jumping three feet in the air. "Easy! Point, shoot!"
"Euuugghhhhh..."
The hall suddenly fell silent as Annie, the small, freckled red-head who was bound to her wheelchair wheeled herself into the hall, rolling up to Atticus, Frederick, Misha and their juniors. The crowd slowly fell back into chatter, but anyone who had been in the AUP for more than a month knew that when Annie left her room, it meant something bad was happening.
"Atticus," she said in a hushed tone. "Emil wants to see you guys."
* * *
"There's been an incident in Paris and as far as we believe, an Atlantean has gone rogue and is terrorising the city. I'm sorry that your first assignment will be so sudden, but we believe that you are ready for what is to come," Emil stood, leaning on his desk, with Cooper standing on one side, Annie by him and Devon standing in a corner. "We have to leave as soon as possible, so Cooper will take you to be suited up and take you to the plane."
* * *
Approaching Paris, the plane suddenly took a dive down, Cooper maneuvering his way around the falling meteorites. It wasn't hard to notice another plane dancing with the raining rocks as well.
"Royal Family..." Emil shook his head. "Team! We're exiting here. Get ready to jump."
"Outside the plane?!" Freddie grabbed the chair he was sitting in, his legs skittering against the ground as the plane dipped up and down, side to side. "Jumping?!"
"Oh, grow up," Imogen shook her head. "You know Emil is a gravity manipulator. He won't kill you."
"Are y-you sure?"
"Let's go. Cooper, take the plane somewhere safe. Devon, you stay with Cooper," Emil buttoned up his suit-coat, opening the hatch on the side of the plane and sliding it back, the wind whipping against their skin. Imogen went first as Emilio lifted his hands, jumping outside into his gravity field. Atticus was next, shoving the very reluctant Frederick outside and jumping after him. Misha merely walked off the plane, Emil cringing slightly at the massive weight entering the field. The juniors followed them out, Devon yelling from the inside.
"Let me come, dad! I can help!"
"No, you stay with Cooper. Let's go, everybody."
He swam forward in the air, closed the hatch then dropped the gravity field, everybody falling with it. There was a thump in his field; Devon had jumped just after they had fallen, dropping into his father's bubble. Emil was angry, but it would have to wait. The plane was already gone and they had a job to be done.
The drop felt like a thrill ride, the sudden stop at the bottom catching everybody's stomachs. Frederick dropped as soon as Emil's gravity field was released, falling to his knees and dry reaching on the ground.
"C'mon, little goat man," Misha pulled Frederick to his 'feet'.
"Alright, out main priority is to evacuate any civilians. Next is to find the threat and stop it. Capture, not kill. Misha, Delta, Atticus, Frederick and Agnes, you team up and head left. William, Imogen, Devon," he leaned on the word Devon, his face adding to the disappointed tone, "and myself will search right. Steer clear of the Royal Family; we're unsure of how friendly they'll be in these kinds of situation. Alright, let's go!"
Oakley North, The Librarian, Adeline Russo - The Librarian's Home, Under the Vatican, Rome, Italy
8th November, 2012
"Wakey, wakey! Rise and shine!" The Librarian cheered loudly, walking into the breakfast hall. His three 'apprentices' (or padowans as he had called them time to time, even if they had rejected any of these names) had all gathered here together on request from the Librarian. At first, Oakley had pressumed it was a group training session, like they had done a few days ago. This time, however, the Libarian was wearing a thick coat, appropriately dressed for winter. Were they going outside today? "I received some exciting news not too long ago! It turns out that Paris is being terrorised by a meteor-controlling Atlantean!"
"Is that... good?" Oakley made a face. Meteors didn't sound good.
"Unfortunately, dear Oakley, for the people of Paris, this is a terrible misfortune," the Librarian hung his head, looking depressed for a few seconds. "For us though, this is a great oppourtunity for us to have a glimpse of our competition! The Royal Family, the Atlantean Unification Project and this secret 'Syndicate' that I've heard so little about are apparently all heading their themselves. We don't have to really interfere, I only want to go observe the situation. If you want to have some fun though, feel free to intervene. And if you feel confident, you may try and join an organisation. Only if you feel confident though. It's only been a week."
Adeline strolled in the room, dressed in a singlet top and a pair of skinny jeans. Was she coming too? Wouldn't she get cold in just that?
"I trust you'll need warmer clothing," with a snap of his fingers, coats appeared over the three's clothing (leather for the boys and a nice peacoat for Oakley), "and there is something I do want you to have." Oakley expected a click of his fingers, but instead he pulled out something from his coat pocket. Something that made a '*****' sound. Was that jewelery? "These are called 'Atlantean Crystals'. They help us control and focus our abilities. They're only small ones, but they will make a noticable different, definitely in a pinch."
He handed Oakley a heart pendant on a thin chain, a ring to Nathaniel and a thicker chain to James. Oakley took a moment to inspect the necklace; most of it was a silver pendant, but in the centre was a blue rock, about half the size of a dime and the about same shade of blue as the thing that formed on her arm when the armour grew up it. It was beautiful indeed.
"These are rare and very precious, so please do not lose them. And I do expect them back, as unfortunately they do not belong to me. I suspect you three will need them a lot more right now, though," he nodded and grabbed Nathaniel's and James' shoulders, like he did when he was about to teleport. Oakley nodded and placed a hand on James' arm. Otto used a single finger to touch her father's back.
"All set! Let's head off!"
* * *
Like most times they travelled, the landing was the worst part. Oakley always felt queasy but managed to keep it in her stomach this time.
"Behold, Paris!" The Librarian cheered, yelling over the sounds of falling meteorites, screaming people and other ambient disaster noises. "Oh no, look at that poor Eiffel Tower. Such a shame. You know, I was here when they built this wonder of the world. I was actually one of the key des--"
"Sir."
"Right, well," he sighed. "Try not to split up. And please don't die. That would be a shame. Alright, off you trot."
"Is that... good?" Oakley made a face. Meteors didn't sound good.
"Unfortunately, dear Oakley, for the people of Paris, this is a terrible misfortune," the Librarian hung his head, looking depressed for a few seconds. "For us though, this is a great oppourtunity for us to have a glimpse of our competition! The Royal Family, the Atlantean Unification Project and this secret 'Syndicate' that I've heard so little about are apparently all heading their themselves. We don't have to really interfere, I only want to go observe the situation. If you want to have some fun though, feel free to intervene. And if you feel confident, you may try and join an organisation. Only if you feel confident though. It's only been a week."
Adeline strolled in the room, dressed in a singlet top and a pair of skinny jeans. Was she coming too? Wouldn't she get cold in just that?
"I trust you'll need warmer clothing," with a snap of his fingers, coats appeared over the three's clothing (leather for the boys and a nice peacoat for Oakley), "and there is something I do want you to have." Oakley expected a click of his fingers, but instead he pulled out something from his coat pocket. Something that made a '*****' sound. Was that jewelery? "These are called 'Atlantean Crystals'. They help us control and focus our abilities. They're only small ones, but they will make a noticable different, definitely in a pinch."
He handed Oakley a heart pendant on a thin chain, a ring to Nathaniel and a thicker chain to James. Oakley took a moment to inspect the necklace; most of it was a silver pendant, but in the centre was a blue rock, about half the size of a dime and the about same shade of blue as the thing that formed on her arm when the armour grew up it. It was beautiful indeed.
"These are rare and very precious, so please do not lose them. And I do expect them back, as unfortunately they do not belong to me. I suspect you three will need them a lot more right now, though," he nodded and grabbed Nathaniel's and James' shoulders, like he did when he was about to teleport. Oakley nodded and placed a hand on James' arm. Otto used a single finger to touch her father's back.
"All set! Let's head off!"
* * *
Like most times they travelled, the landing was the worst part. Oakley always felt queasy but managed to keep it in her stomach this time.
"Behold, Paris!" The Librarian cheered, yelling over the sounds of falling meteorites, screaming people and other ambient disaster noises. "Oh no, look at that poor Eiffel Tower. Such a shame. You know, I was here when they built this wonder of the world. I was actually one of the key des--"
"Sir."
"Right, well," he sighed. "Try not to split up. And please don't die. That would be a shame. Alright, off you trot."