Most of the group was sure to leap up in defense of Long Beach. Each of them had a wrong done to them, whether it was murder or theft. However, in the end, some of them were still uneasy about the idea of taking back the streets. Trip brought up a good point that they might be throwing themselves into the fire, where their lives could be easily taken. It was something that Aimee considered, but it was next to nothing to throw her off the path of righteousness. Her brother had stood up against crime, and threw himself into danger on a daily basis. Jake had to be brave or else one wrong move would see his end. If Aimee couldn't embody the strengths that her brother had, would that make her just another coward?

Aimee bit her lip as she absently thought away. It was going to be a hard choice, and even Trip wanted time to think about it. Still, the point remained that they couldn't just stand around and do nothing. Most of the group was still eager to defend their homeland, especially after hearing the possible cons to their ideals. "Fighting crime is dangerous," Aimee stated, agreeing with both Trip and Alan. "However, that never scared off any of the heroes the comics many of us know and love. One may be a work of fiction and the other real life, but there is one similarity between both of them. Anything is possible if we work for it." Aimee explained as a satisfied smile roused on her face.

Then, Ally spoke of training their friends to fight. Some of the group had actual training such as Trip and Ally, but a few of them would
be fresh in the face of taking a stance against someone chucking a few blows. "I haven't trained extensively like Trip, but I know how to defend myself. If I can help in any way, I'll see to it. Like Ally said, we can't do this if we can't defend ourselves." Aimee explained, glancing at Ally, who had directed the attention of the group to her. Hopefully the rest didn't mind being battered around a little bit by a lightweight until they could show signs of self-defense.

---

"If Trip can't teach you, I will," Ally said in response to Zoey's fears. It was like she could see right through her. Zoey may have played Lacrosse for the past 6 years, she might know how to push someone around on the field, but she had never once thrown a punch at another person. She had always thought of herself as pacifist, it wasn't until recently that she realized that words don't always cut it. Especially when the deck is stacked against you.

"If I can help in any way, I'll see to it." Aimee responded. This lifted Zoey's spirits. Aimee's brother had taught her to protect herself, and he was a cop. Even if Trip didn't want to be a part of this...they could still do it. Everyone here could work together.

"Thanks guys" Zoey said quietly "I want to help, I really do. I've been wanting to help for a while now...I just didn't think you guys felt the same way."

She looked down at her feet, ready to admit something to the group "I've been making these drawings, of myself as a superhero, since my Dad died. I've felt really powerless... like what was the point? I just, this means a lot to me. Even if we don't end up fighting crime..Just to know I'm not alone."

Zoey smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.
"Sorry" she said as she laughed.

---

"Don't be" Alan sympathetically addressed Zoey, even if he couldn't fully understand the pain and sorrow that she had to put up against for so long. They had so powerful resolutions for such lowly and common individuals in society. They always say that goodness always comes from the most unexpected of places.

"Well, like Alexander the Great once said: There is nothing impossible for he who will try. If you are so determined to do this, then I have nothing to object to." Alan placed his palm gently on the table. "If what we are fighting for is for the good of the public, then you have my full assistance. I may not be able to go fists and boots, but I can be your eyes and ears."

In other words, being the tactician. From the looks of it, it may seem an easy job. But it wasn't. One could see the difficulties of a physical job, due to its unobscured nature. But the mind work was completely different. It was a lot more complex than simply fighting. But in the end, having a little knowledge is always better than punches and kicks.

"Since I work at home, and have submitted my projects to my company, so I have a lot of leisurely time. If you require any sort of information on something, you can tell me right now, and I'll work on it."

"Alright, so it's settled then?" Ally asked, looking to her friends. Her heart swelled with both happiness and a certain... She wouldn't exactly describe it as sadness. She looked at each and every one of them. Everyone here at the table had something special about them, whether it be first aid, martial arts, or even high intellects. Everything about them was unique.

"First off, we're going to need costumes," Ally said, not exactly watching the volume of her voice. She knew no one would pay attention to a group of teens, let alone a dorky conversation about costumes. "Vigilantism is illegal, we need something that will hide our identities and keep any evidence of our presence at a minimum. Plus we need stuff to hold supplies. And we need protective and practical gear. So that means..." she thought for a split second and began ticking items off her fingers, "...gloves, masks, a suit that covers the full body, boots, and utility belts."

She scratched the back of her head. How quickly could they get these items? How expensive would it all be? How accessable would it be? Ally looked at her friends, wondering how to get these necessities for everyone. "I know eBay has those spandex body suits pretty cheap, and next day shipping won't be too bad," she said, more or less talking to herself out loud, "Plus ski masks or those Robin-like masks can't be that bad either. I'm sure they'll have utility belts as well, but I'm not sure on the prices..." The more she talked, the more she realized how unsure she was about everything.

As she spoke, her eyes unfocused into the distance, most of her mental power visibly not in her sight. After a second of quietness, she laughed and returned focus to her friends, "Sorry, I'm rambling so much. Look, I'll order everything we need when I get home. Then we can meet at my apartment in a couple days when it arrives. We'll sort it out and... I guess go on a patrol? In the meantime, everyone needs to work on their push ups, sit ups, planking, and running. Try not to be sore for the patrol night, but make sure you all improve, alright?" Ally wanted her friends to know this wasn't a joke, that they needed to take this seriously. All of their lives meant the world to them and the fact she was putting their lives in danger, even though it was voluntary, a pit grew in her stomach. All she could do was hope for the best.

It was time. They were going to really do this. She looked at her Ipad, where she had opened a copy of Batman: Earth One. She watched even Batman fail to be a hero. To clumsily jump across Gotham's roofs, and nearly fall to his death. She thought of how funny she'd look in all those drawings she made. She closed her eyes. It was time.

She reached for her phone, not sure who to message. Everyone was supposed to meet at Ally's. She typed out a message [Hey, we ready?]

Ally readied everything they needed- the spandex, the belts, the masks the tools. She waited anxiously for Zoey's arrival. Although the woman had little fighting training, she had improved pretty significantly over the last week. Ally was proud of her friend, though she still had a lingering sense of dread as the night grew later. The darker the sky, the more criminal activity.

[Yes, the door will be unlocked. Just come in.]

Their first night of patrol had come so quickly, Ally couldn't believe it. She wasn't sure exactly which route she wanted to take, but she had decided against going through the most troublesome areas. All they needed to do tonight was stop a petty crime or two here and there, then come home. They needed to get a taste for the life before they jumped straight into it. Ally completely understood this, Trip knew this, but she avoided telling this to Zoey. In the end, if anything happened to her friend- any of them-, Ally would be distraught. She wasn't sure if she could forgive herself and wanted to keep the possibility as far away as possible.

A slight weight was lifted off her shoulders when she remembered Trip's final decision. Another skilled fighter on the team would benefit them greatly, and Ally was extremely grateful. If anything happened to her, she knew Trip would have her back in an instant.

Zoey grabbed her bag stuffed with clothing she had been working on for the group. If working at Jo-Anns had taught her anything, it was that fabric was cheap and sewing was hard. Luckily it hadn't been her first rodeo, and the costume she had stitched together wasn't too shabby, even if the leather wasn't real, and too much movement might tear out a sleeve. At least it had looked good on her the day before.

She shot out one last text to the whole group, some still seemed on the fence when they last spoke [I'm on my way to Ally's. Hope to see you guys there. If not it's cool, we get it! :D]

She jumped into her old Volkswagen Rabbit, a hand me down from her mom on her 16th birthday. It took a few tries to start, but was just as reliable as ever as she pulled out of her parking lot. She barely realized she was driving, she so caught up in her own thinking. Tonight would be crazy...hopefully good. The last week she had felt motivated, she had been practicing with Ally, they figured out that she was pretty decent with a staff. So it sat at Zoey's place waiting for her.

Zoey's heart was beating through her chest as she pulled up to Ally's. She took a deep breath and opened the front door.

----------------------------
2 Days Ago
8:00 P.M.
Navy St. Boxing & Fitness Gym
Long Beach
-----------------------------

For being 'part-time', Trip's trainer job sure took up a lot of time. Since he arrived a few hours ago, he'd taught 2 group sessions and 4 one-on-one sessions. It was almost a relief when Carly, the beautiful young woman who worked the front desk, came over to tell him that someone had called to postpone their lesson. The only problem? His last lesson was almost two hours away. With that in mind, he wandered into the locker room to text Ally.

Hey he wrote Someone cancelled their lesson and I've got 2 hours to kill, wanna come by and get some work in?

To kick your butt? You don't even have to ask, was Ally's reply. At the moment, she was getting in her car after, ready to go home from work. Usually she kept a duffle bag in the trunk in case she ever needed extra work out clothes or to spend the night somewhere. Now she could go to the gym and fight off any stress from her day.

It took the woman about twenty minutes to get there, and when she did, she greeted the beautiful Carly and Trip. It only took her a couple minutes to change, so she popped out of the bathroom within seconds, tying up her hair.

"Better watch out, Trip," Ally chuckled, tightening her ponytail, "I've been working a lot on my legs recently."

Though she knew their sparring wasn't usually too rough, she loved to joke and tease the man. She greatly appreciated him inviting her to his gym. It made her feel special that he cared for her enough to squeeze her into his schedule when others canceled. "What are we starting with?"

"Yeah I'll keep an eye on them" Trip said, pulling on a pair of focus mitts "As long as you been drilling your footwork too, cuz I want to see if you remember the combinations we were working on. We'll do that for a warmup. In the ring."

Trip slipped in between the ropes and took his position at the center of the mat.
"You remember how it goes right? Dodge and reset after each combo. I'm only going through the order once. Mistime a shot, break sequence, or cross your feet and we take it right from the top. Ready? 1-1-2, 1-2-1, 1-3-2, 1-4-5, 1-3-b4, 2-1-1, 1-4-1-2, 1-6-2-5. Now show me what ya got kiddo!"

"Alright," Ally said, shaking out her shoulders. She climbed into the ring with Trip, excited for their session. They rarely got to do this anymore considering how busy they both were, so it was refreshing to partake in their training again.

She listened to the line carefully. The warm up wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, and definitely not the hardest drill he had given her before. She tapped the mitts, testing to make sure she was standing at a good distance before getting into her stance. When he gave the okay, fists began flying. Jab, jab, cross, duck. Jab, cross, jab, dodge. Jab, left hook, cross, parry. This went on for only a minute before the warm up was done.

"I know you got more for me," Ally said, a bit of sweat forming on her forhead. She was glad he started her off easy, as she needed to loosen up more from work. "What's next?"

"Ok, that was good. Speed was up from last time, accuracy pretty damn pinpoint. You're telegraphing your hooks a little bit, so let's work on that before we spar."
He took a few minutes to walk Ally through the motions, demonstrating a smoother technique, then stood across from her again.
"Alright, let's drill it. Jab into hook, cross into hook, then reverse it. Mix it up a little, keep me guessing. And for an added challenge, we're gonna do it distracted, just to test muscle memory. So, how was your day?"

Ally listened carefully to each and every word Trip said, taking it into consideration. He demonstrated his technique and Ally copied, smoothing out her hooks. Of course she didn't master the technique perfectly, but she put a mental note to keep practicing it on her own with each training session.

He went over the new training and Ally nodded, "Alright."

"My day was pretty good," she answered, getting through the first combo forward and beginning backward.

"That's it, keep it going. Just keep throwing shots and I'll try to keep up. Don't stop talking, even if you got nothing to say. Turn the fight into an unconscious task. For example, I came in here today and found myself saddled with the full load of lessons to teach because Martin's sick and Bud's still out of town cornering a student of his who just went pro. Let's see, first up was back to back group lessons, the first was a bunch of kids just starting out, barely 10 if I had to guess average age. Ran them through basic combinations and paired them off on the heavy bags to practice. Right after, the second group was ready to start, they were older, high school aged probably, figured they had enough grasp of things to set them up in sparring gear and watch them work, making corrections where needed. Now you go."

Trip threw a lazy right hook with the flat edge of the focus mitt up over Ally's head, their signal for her to reset position and roll through the drill again.

"Alright," Ally said, easily dodging the lazy hook. "Okay, so my day wasn't so bad. I had a lot of cleaning to do, lot of chocolate dried up on the floor I had to clean, so that sucked. No rude customers, um, that was good. Uh, needed to make a lot of cones in a short time so I burned my hands a lot. You know we make them fresh every, um, day. My favorite is the one with almonds and dark chocolate. I'll bring you one next time. Plus, uh, some kid came in earlier with her mom. Really cute kid, almost kidnapped her. Uh, that's about it for my day, it was good," she said, finishing up the last combo.

"Alright, great job! Hooks looked a lot crisper that time, so, ready to move on to the main event? I'll get my gloves. Oh, and we're not risking another incident like last month, headgear on and mouth guard in."

Trip walked out of the ring and over to where he and Ally's bags sat. He dropped the focus mitts alongside his bag and fished out his gloves, mouth guard and headgear. His hands were already wrapped, so he only had to pop in the mouth guard and strap his headgear in place before walking back to the ring.
"Really appreciate you coming by the way" his words slightly slurred by the mouth guard "Would've been a boring couple of hours waiting on that last client, so thanks. Ok, same as before, talk through the sparring session. Let your mind wander away from your actions. Let's say 5 minutes at about 50%. You start us off when you're ready."

Ally hopped out of the ring and fished out her own mouth guard, head gear, and switched her 14 oz. gloves for 16 oz. as a better strength training and as a safety precaution. "Yeah, you know I love training with you," Ally said sincerely just before popping her mouthpiece in.

He explained the conditions and she nodded, happy to be getting to the actual sparring. "Alright," Ally said, putting her hands up protectively. She began to move in her stance, not too fast of course, and tested her distance. "So, the past couple days have felt kind of hectic," Ally said, now jabbing. "Everyone wants to do this vigilante thing, but," she threw a cross to a left hook, finding a nice pace, "not everyone knows how to fight. They could get in a lot of danger," she said, throwing a side kick to Trip's head, "if they can't defend themselves. I know a lot of them know some," she threw a jab, right uppercut, and a push kick, "self defense, but is it enough? I know vigilantism, "she threw a jab, right hook, then a left, "wasn't my idea but..." she trailed off, sending another side kick to his body and a cross, "Somehow I feel responsible for everyone," she threw a jab, cross, jab, cross, "You know?"

"I get it" Trip said between breaths, Ally was smaller and faster, he always had a bit of trouble keeping up with her shots. "I've been thinking about it all week, like I said I would" A few jabs to get things going "And I just can't get comfortable with the truth of it all." Left hook, right cross, hands up to block a retaliation "I made my case about the dangers the other day, no need to rehash it, we both know the risks of going through with it. Especially with a group who have very little training." right hook to the body, he completely missed the follow-up uppercut.

"There's no other way to say it, I'm conflicted. I teach 'em to fight and any of you get hurt, it's on me. I don't teach and any of you get hurt, well that's on me too."

At his final sentence, Ally backed up and put her guard down, clearly showing their spar was over, at least momentarily. "Yeah, I understand. Now that this idea has turned into something more tangible... The bottom line is you and I are the most experienced fighters of the group. I know some of them have a bit of self defense knowledge but not many of them have ever sparred or been in a real fight. That's what worries me. Having the knowledge isn't the same as being able to properly apply it and fight. You and me know that's a totally different ball game."

Ally's mind drifted back to a couple street fights she got in. Some were from crime, some were from high tensions with the person. She wondered if any of the others had ever been in these kind of situations, besides her and Trip. She couldn't think of any specific instances they spoke of, and that caused more worries for her.

"Come on, let's do another session, we've got time" Trip said, resetting at the center of the ring. This time, he started the conversation.
"Pretty strange about Aimee huh? She was all for the whole vigilante thing, and then she just up and disappears. I went by their place the other day, and her brother's gone too."

Ally sighed, slightly making her breathing pattern off. "Yeah, it's odd, maybe it's a witness protection thing. Whatever the case," she said, tossing a kick, "I know she'll be okay."

"I thought the same thing. She's strong though, she'll get through it"
The duo continued sparring for a while, idly talking about nothing as they did so. The specter of the earlier discussion hung over Trip's head the whole time. Finally, he called for a break and walked off to the side, first removing his gloves, and then his headgear and mouth guard.

"You know, you don't have to be a vigilante. I understand why you don't want to do it." Ally let out a long sigh, leaning on the ropes, "If one of them gets hurt, then the responsibility falls on my shoulders. At least I feel like it does. Trip, I would really love it if you helped to teach them beyond what they know." Ally looked at a clock mounted on the wall. They had spent about an hour training together. "I should start heading home now," she said solemnly as she unstrapped the head gear. She ducked between the ropes and stepped out to get her stuff. As the woman walked out the door, she turned to Trip and gave some parting words. "I want you to think about what I said- You don't have to be a vigilante, but without more training they won't make it." With that, the woman exited the gym and returned home, leaving Trip alone with his thoughts.

---

It was nearly midnight when Trip left the gym. After his last client had left, he stayed back to clean up a little and make sure the place was locked up tight. He had walked about 3 blocks when a noise from the next alley froze him in place. Sounds of a struggle. He rounded the corner and took in the scene. A raggedy-dressed, greasy-haired tanned man, standing over a cowering young woman, who looked like she was trying to melt into the side of the dumpster. She was holding on to the straps of her handbag for dear life.

"Please" she squealed "it's all I have!"
"Let go you bitch" he grunted as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a rusty switchblade. As soon as the glint of the cold steel caught Trip's eye, he dropped his bag and bellowed out.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

It worked. The punk let go of the bag to face him, and the woman coiled it up underneath her arm, too petrified to run. He chuckled as he stepped towards Trip, twirling his knife menacingly.

"Little fuckin' hero huh? Why don't ya mind your own business?"

"Walk away man. I don't wanna do this" 'I can't do this. I won't' he thought as his fists came up into stance 'I can't fight back. It'd break everything I believe in about fighters being better than thugs. The fighter's oath: To always use my skills responsibly"

The punk was within range. It was do or die. Fight or flight.

As the crusty, chipped blade soared towards his chest, time seemed to slow down, his innate boxer's instincts taking over. He barely had time to process his actions before his body performed them.

'Sharp pivot. Avoid the blade. Not entirely though' He knew the back of his forearm was cut, not deep, but long. Left wrist to just shy of the elbow. He didn't feel it. Too much adrenaline.

'Grab his hand. Grip tight. Disarming strike.' His right fist collided with the punk's wrist. The force of the strike triggered a pain reflex, and the knife fell to the ground with a dull clatter.

Wide open. Back elbow to chin. Release hand. Step back. Reset stance. The punk was on the ground now, spitting up blood and a dislodged tooth. He wasn't done though. He pulled himself back up and with a harsh yell, began to charge.

Feint left into right hook. He's winded. Finish it. Trip threw a right cross, aimed square at the assailant's face. He felt the bridge of the nose begin to give way and then the punk fell to the ground. Out cold.

"You ok?" Trip asked between breaths as he regained his senses and turned to face the woman. A sudden movement caught his eye as a pair of men came rushing out of the darkness.
"No time! Run!" Trip shouted at her, startling her into action. He stood his ground, wanting to stall them as long as he could. He rolled his shoulders to avoid the first punch that came at him, retaliated with a straight left that went a little wide. A fist collided with his ribs, he reached out and grabbed onto the closer man, pulling him into a clinch so he could bring his knee sharply up into the body. The first man collapsed, but the second was right in there, not giving Trip a moment to take a rest. He ducked a few incoming strikes. Hook into left cross, and immediately followed by an uppercut that took the guy off his feet. He looked like he was out, but the other guy recovered, and was bull-rushing Trip again. He decided to meet him halfway, and broke into a quick stride. At the last minute, Trip leaped sideways and spring boarded himself off the alley wall into a punishing flying punch that sent both men sprawling to the ground. Trip recovered quickly, and got to his feet, hackles still raised, but it was over. All three of his would-be assailants were lying unconscious on the ground. He finally started to catch his breath. And all at once, felt the pain of the last few minutes. His arm was throbbing and burning, covered in a splatter of red so thick you'd think he dipped his arm into a bucket of paint. His ribs ached, and his knuckles were bruised and bleeding. He still hadn't come down from the adrenaline rush, his heart racing, and eyes wide like he was seeing everything for the first time. It started to abate just before the first responders arrived at the scene, right around the time Trip fished out his phone and texted Ally before his judgment got the better of him.

I'm in.

---------------------
Now.
---------------------
The night had come. Even now, Trip couldn't believe he was doing this. It went against all of his better judgment, but yet he was strangely excited about it. He'd gathered up a few things to use as a disguise and packed them securely inside his gym bag. He saw a couple of familiar cars already there when he parked. Fashionably late as always. He grabbed his bag and proceeded to the door.

As Ally waited for the others, she finally got the nerve to put on her costume. She had done this many times, whether it be for a Halloween party or a super hero convention, but this time it was different. This time slightly layered Kevlar pressed against her skin as she dawned her deep red, spandex costume. This time metal rings wrapped around her fingers as she slipped on her black gloves. This time, her utility belt held zip-ties and real first aid kits. This time she wasn't going out to take pictures with other dressed up strangers. This time she was going to actually do something- she was going to actually protect people.

Ally stepped out of her bedroom, clipping the utility belt around her waist as Zoey walked in. "Good, you're here," Ally greeted. "I wasn't sure if you were missing any of these," she said, gesturing to the various gadgets, belts and masks. Well, the gadgets weren't exactly gadgets, but zip-ties, cheap firework "smoke bombs," matches, and a couple miniature first-aid kits. "Get whatever you need, I have plenty to spare."

Ally herself picked up a couple masks, placing one into her belt and the other on her face. They weren't expensive in any way and were simply plastic masks without any eye lenses for better visibility. Ally wished she could get something better, but this was still their first night. "Trip should be here soon, then we can figure out where to start," she told Zoey, "You can put your costu-... suit on in the bathroom."

Alvina was so excited to finally be making a difference. She was lucky enough to come from another city that was safer, and to have supportive parents. She thought it was awful that she was so incredibly thankful that her parents were just alive. She didn't want any more children to lose their parents. She also specifically wanted to help girls who were being assaulted by men. She knew she was always so scared when men followed her down the street or stood outside of her work, waiting for her to get off her shift, and she wanted to do whatever she could to protect other girls from that. She wasn't bothering to worry about the dangers of what they would face because she felt it wasn't much different than what any average citizen faced. They'd just be drawing the crime to them more. She believed they could handle it.

She didn't bother replying to Ally's text since she didn't live too far away. She headed to Ally's place and knocked on the door before stepping inside.

"Hey, guys," she smiled, "Can you believe we're really doing this?"

---

So it was settled. That we were all gonna do this. Hopefully, it would end well for all of us. Hopefully...

XXX

"Alright..."

Preparation's completed. Or so...

It wasn't anything very significant anyway. Alan already had most of the gadgets that he needed: a laptop, an iPad, an iPhone, a mobile WiFi router and a bunch of wires for connections. Hardware stuff, he already had all of it at his house. Software, just a little bit of online orderings and he's good to go. He might need a gun for self-defense, so he bought a PPK, since it was light and has low recoil, perfect for a man like Alan.

Departing his house, Alan devised in mind the quick route to Ally's house, where the group was supposed to rendezvous there.

Let's see...

There were many routes there, despite not very far from his house. Generally, there were three main routes, the one through the beach, the one through downtown and the one passing through the railway station.

The beach, as he knew it, were full of thugs and bandits who were eyeing on tourists, and it was an open space, so it wasn't a good choice, especially when he was carrying so many expensive things inside of him. Furthermore, the beach route was longer than the other two, so that was crossed out obviously.

The train station...it was not a bad choice, due to the tighter security there. But since it was always crowded could hamper the security's vision, thus, allowing robbers and pickpockets to act freely. But there were roads that connected the train station to downtown, and many had shopping malls and hotels that also had there own respective security.

Downtown...again, it was not a bad choice, but security were loose. However, it was the shortest route, since Ally's home was nearby. But the chance of actually getting there without getting into trouble was much higher.

Alan made his mind almost immediately. The train station route was his best bet. There were many possible approaches to downtown, and his most viable was taking shortcuts through the shopping malls and buildings, where their respective security guards might be of help to him.

XXX

The trip was miraculously uneventful. Whether that was due to luck or Alan's proper planning was not known, perhaps somewhere in between. Still, he was fairly late, due to the fact that he was walking instead of driving. An old schooled kind of guy, but it gave him enough exercises he needed to compensate his sedentary lifestyle.

"My apologies." Alan said as he walked in, taking off his shoes, placed his backpack full of computer equipment onto the table, and unpacked it. Noticing that he wasn't bringing or wearing any sort of costume or uniform, and some were looking at him a bit for it, Alan simply replied.

"What, this is my costume. I don't need combat effective clothing. This is my most comfortable attire. Now let's get to work"

"Well, I guess I'll start." Trip said, leaning over to grab his gym bag and making his way inside the bathroom to get outfitted. His 'costume' was pretty simplistic: an all-black ensemble of a compression shirt and matching pants, lightweight boots, and a band of fabric fashioned into a bandanna with two barely noticeable eye-slits. His arm was still wrapped up in bandages from the cut he'd sustained in the fight the other night, and it still burned in pain, so to keep his arms safe, he'd bought a pair of hexpad sleeves and elbow pads. His hands were the only complex bit of the outfit. He wore simple black gloves, to prevent fingerprints, underneath hand wraps and 4oz MMA gloves with the logos and brand name scraped away. Once he was all ready, he pulled the 'mask' down over his eyes into place and stepped out of the bathroom.

"So is this anything like what you had in mind?" he asked Ally.

@1Hawkeyes

Ally smiled as Alvina walked in. "No, it's a bit hard to believe," Ally chuckled, half excited, half nervous. More lives and safety now fell in her hands. "If you don't have a suit, I have these here," Ally said, pointing to the couch of spandex, masks, and gadgets. Ally wasn't sure if Alvina brought a suit, but she was sure to buy a blue one in about Alvina's size just in case.

Alan then entered. Ally figured he had his costume stored away in his large backpack, but realized her assumption was wrong when he clarified. Ally couldn't help but laugh at the man. It was just so... him to not want a costume, she couldn't help but feel amused, "Alright, that sounds good." He began to unpack his computers. "How are we going to communicate? Do you have walkie-talkies or something?" Ally asked, as they hadn't talked much about this. The only thing she did ask him was to look for less troublesome routes as they couldn't go against anything hardcore on their first night. They needed a few days to get into the rhythm before they could move on to tougher crimes than simple muggings and robberies.

Then Trip finally entered and quickly went into the bathroom to change. He came out in a very admittedly cool costume, despite its simplicity. Ally let out a low, teasing whistle as he asked if she had his costume in mind. "Yeah, it's totally you, Trip. It looks good for someone who didn't want to do this before," Ally said, unable to help but smile. She was glad to have him on the team as well. Although the others were currently training, Trip's skills were on a different level. She was glad to have him joining the cause as well.

"I can't wait to see your costume, Zoey," Ally added, smiling warmly at her friend. This was true, she really couldn't wait. Ally knew how excited Zoey was for this night, and Ally was excited to see all of the hard work she put into making the costume. "Go ahead and use the bathroom or my room- either is fine."

Alvina was so excited it really jazzed Zoey up, and Alan was already setting equipment up, this was happening. When Trip came out all she could say was "Wow, you look so awesome.."

At Ally's queue Zoey started walking toward the bedroom. "Um yeah, I'll be right back!". Trip looked so cool in his outfit...like a real vigilante. In comparison...her's was so showy. Green...really Zoey...you're gunna stick out like a sore thumb.

She tossed her bag onto Ally's bed. It almost felt like a second home, she stared down into her bag and removed the costume. She had taken a bunch of motocross gear and modified it, allowing for some pretty good mobility and some built in padding...for what it was worth. The jacket and mask she had made herself, it was some kind of fake leather that had costed almost her whole days salary, but it was worth it. It looked awesome including the 0's patched onto the front left breast, and the larger equivalent on the center of her back. She pulled herself into the clothing, probably the tightest thing she had ever worn, but it felt good. She looked into Ally's mirror and fastened the mask over her eyes. She looked one last time in the mirror and took a breath, "you've got this girl!" she said to herself as she walked out. She entered the room, worried, cutting off the conversation "Do I look okay?"

All of her friends were suited up and so was she. Ally moved to the couch and checked her utility belt. Miniature first aid kit, three different colored high powered laser pens, an extra mask, zip-ties, and a sturdy ropelike cord. Overall she felt confident with her tools and hoped they would be enough to aid them in any kind of situation.

Zoey exited the bedroom and Ally smiled, "You look great! The costume came out really nice!" Ally was happy to see Zoey, and the others for that matter, finally suited up and ready for battle.

Ally took the earpiece from Alan and placed it into her ear. "You'll send me the route and keep us updated on trouble, right?" she confirmed, adjusting the piece. For this first night, he wasn't going to be sending them on very dangerous missions, mainly petty crimes and whatever they spotted out on the street.

After his confirmation, Ally stood by the door, facing her friends. "Alright, this is our first night out. I want everyone to stick together no matter what, and to stay careful and be alert. Tonight we are going to travel from roof to roof. It will keep us safer by hiding us and giving us an arial view. If we see something we can drop down and stop it," Ally paused, taking in a deep breath, "This is your last chance. Anyone want to drop out now is the time to do it." No one opted out, and Ally nodded, "Alright, let's go."

With that, Ally let the way outside of her apartment. Most people were asleep, giving them little trouble of being spotted. She let the group to a staircase that led to the roof and climbed up. She stood on top of the roof, looking down the roughly thirty-five foot drop. Heights were definitely her biggest fear, though she would never admit that to the others. Her breathing became slightly more rapid as she walked to the edge. It was time for their first jump. It was about a five foot gap with a foot drop, something that nearly everyone should effortlessly be able to clear without a large running start. Ally knew this, and yet her fears began to swell in her chest. At this point it was clear she was nervous, but she didn't want to outright show the others. Right now she was the leader and needed to be strong.

Ally took a deep breath, trying her best to ignore the height as she told the others, "I'll go first, you guys can follow after." With that, she took a few steps back, allowing herself to have room for a bit of a running start. Hesitation was evident in her whole posture, even though she tried her best to keep it hidden. After what felt like forever, she finally took off, boots hitting the roof as she sprinted. At the edge, she jumped, her heart stopping as she flew through the air. She landed on the other side, easily clearing it and going an extra few feet than needed.

"Alright, it's a safe jump!" Ally confirmed, voice slightly shaking from her scare. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, but she still had the fear in her. Ally once more stood near the edge, ready to catch any friend that didn't make it far enough.

Ally soared through the air over the two buildings, it almost looked like film. She landed safely. This had been one of the few parts of crime fighting in Long Beach that Zoey wasn't afraid of. Her time as a lacrosse keeper had made her quick on her feet, and lunging and jumping had been one of the few things she felt she excelled in. With staff in hand she ran toward the edge and leaped across, using the staff to maintain her balance as she landed on the other side. She might not have looked down, but the adrenaline was still pumping through her, she put the butt of the staff down on the ground and expelled to the group "Easy Peasey!"

@1Hawkeyes

Trip went next, breaking into a sprint then throwing himself across the gap. He stumbled a little as he landed, but caught himself and straightened up, his blood pumping in his ears, adrenaline already sky-high.

"That wasn't too bad" he muttered, mostly to himself. A thought hit his head and he whipped around to face Ally.

"You made sure they know the right way to throw a punch right? Can't have our first night end with half the team nursing broken hands."