The Avengers Academy didn't just accept anyone. With opposing forces against S.H.I.E.L.D., and thus the Avengers, a careful screening process would occur with each new recruit, to assure they weren't a secret spy sought on bringing down S.H.I.E.L.D. and were serious about the Academy. The Academy didn't often see many new faces, even with the surprising amount of supers and/or mutants out there, not all of them wanted to be the future faces of the Avengers. There were some, however, that wanted to try the whole superhero gig. Of course it was natural some would fail, or just decide they weren't cut out for it, but there was hope that this new year, with new faces, would bring the next great Avengers.
Director Nick Fury was always present to greet the new students. Sometimes, Steve Rogers would join him, however, even with his new status as founder of the Avengers Academy, he was still a busy man. Being that the Academy was constantly in the air, hidden in the clouds and always moving to new locations, it was common sense for the new recruits to be flown in. Currently, the Quinjet was out, darting through the sky to pick up the new recruits, to bring them here where they were always led to the student lounge; a good first impression and a place for nerves to unwind, if they needed unwinding. There weren't too many new faces this time around, it didn't mean there weren't other students aboard the impressive flying Academy, but not every year brought many new faces.
This year, it was different. And that was a feeling not lost on the man of the hour as he smoothed down his black leather trench coat. Retirement hadn’t suited him, managing a bunch of unruly teens with powers beyond their comprehension of even some cosmic beings out there didn’t quite suit him either, but it kept his schedule busy and his reflexes sharp even in what could be considered his ‘old age’. Still, it helped to keep an aspirin or two in his pocket every now and then when the vein in his forehead started to throb too violently, especially after reviewing the profiles of the ‘new’ students flying in on the helicarrier in less than an hour’s time. Many of which had nearly been rendered unreadable by what he could only assume was another of Stark’s fanboy’s. The latter of which hadn’t been much help in rectifying said files without having made a deal that the Academy would ‘consider’ building another dance floor on the premises. As if the music from the first one didn’t irritate him enough already. Just thinking about it had the man rubbing his temple over his eyepatch as he walked up to the array of monitors and the complex computer panel that stretched out across the entire expanse of the monitoring room. A generous portion of the office having been dedicated to the monitoring of what was meant to be the next generation of Avengers.
Only the gods knew exactly how they managed to survive every single year let alone keep New York City safe and about a good quarter of the student population were gods.
Without much care for Stark’s chatter streaming across the screen, Nick Fury reached over and turned a silver dial across the panel, switching the monitors over to an overview of the Quinjet’s blueprint. Another press of the button and the same blueprint came up in the transparent overhead screen in front of him. A few more quick swipes and a section enlarged, white lines becoming the actual live feed of the Quinjet’s hangar. It was no secret, some students needed more close monitoring than others, but at times, there was nothing wrong with monitoring all of them.
It was perhaps a shame that the first and only student currently onboard the hanger was the one that was aware of such active privacy invasion. Hearing the beep on his mobile, Will turned to the tucked away camera and gave an impish grin before he cut off the feed using his phone, instead of static, he redirected it around into a loop of Nick’s favourite video in the world; A pirate music video made for a kid’s show. He made sure to turn the voices up extra chipmunk just for the man, wishing that the security in here was laxed enough that he could’ve have put up a camera feed into Nick’s office just so he could see the look of anger that passed over the man’s face. He was hilarious when about half of his face consisted of eyepatch and the other of throbbing vein. It was a shame having all this technology under the control of a man like Nick, someone who couldn’t appreciate the finer points of such tech, like its ability to stream five hours of annoying kid videos.
Stark sure knew what he was doing around here, Will only wished that the man himself hadn’t made him promise not to mess with any of it, not like he could. It was way way beyond his scope, he couldn’t even imagine all the programs that was built into the code of just the Quinjet itself. The fact that something so complex could be simplified into something simple enough that a man like Nick Fury could control by the simplest of voice commands. Used for something so mundane as a bus ride for all the kids that weren’t blessed with the ability to fly or teleport.
Speaking of which, the map in the overhead screen beeped as the tinted windows along the side slowly started to lighten up in response to the Quinjet’s descent. He barely felt it when it started to dip in the sky, the transition so smooth and quick, he wondered when cloud had given away to the land below him. The humble ant like transfer point, no, that was a real ant, maybe a really big ant. There were still some really big insects down there, he heard that a few of them had commandeered the sewers and the city sewage workers were having a hard time getting pest control in to flood the tunnels with gas.
Getting off topic aside, he wondered who was going to be his newest play pal or pals onboard this massive hunk of metal and wiring.
Nicholas had seen the Quinjet before, considering he had a personal relationship with Captain America and bummed around Tony Stark’s Tower for some time, but he had never been on one (no matter how much he asked, even Cap could see he wanted to get in there and touch everything), and so his excitement level was pretty high when he saw the Quinjet smoothly sweeping down from the clouds. He felt like he couldn’t get on it fast enough and he was going to try to resist touching all the buttons… he had promised Cap he would but he had also crossed his fingers behind his back so he’d see. Of course, he knew everything had to be on lockdown and autopilot so curious little shits like himself couldn’t mess something up, but he still wanted to ogle at it all. He wondered if anyone else was already aboard the Quinjet, or if he would be first. He’d like that, he could do what he wanted without having to accompany small talk along with it.
Not that Nicholas wasn’t incapable of being social. He could be pretty social if the time called for it, actually. As the entrance revealed itself by dropping down the back door, as Nick saw it, he didn’t hesitate to march his grinning self into the Quinjet. He didn’t have any suitcases with him, just a backpack on his back. It wasn’t like he had very many possessions to begin with, and his most important possession was around his neck anyhow. His grin faltered a little when he realized he wasn’t the first person to be on board the Quinjet but he was the second one. Second was as good as first, right? No, no it wasn’t, but that didn’t bother him. This wasn’t a race. He quickly took in the other guy’s appearance. He looked young, with a boyish face and build, and so Nicholas automatically assumed he was at least below sixteen.
He didn’t take a seat at one of the many lining the sides of the Quinjet as the back began to close lift up, instead walking straight through to go and stare at the controls, rocking back on his heels as he did so. Once his eyes skimmed over all the controls, his fingers itching to touch but it would make no difference, he turned to the other being in the Quinjet. He had barely noticed the Quinjet lifting off the ground to disappear back into the clouds, the take off so smooth and quiet. Can people be sexually attracted to means of transportation because if so, I am totally that sexuality. he thought as he fell into one of the seats, sprawling out with an air that he could care less he was taking up two seats rather than one. The backpack wasn’t much of a bother pressed against him, since it wasn’t that full to begin with. “So,” he started, voice teasing as he smiled at the kid, as he saw him, across from him, “come here often?”
Great way to make a friend. Say a cheesy pick-up line. Really, Nick? he thought, almost rolling his eyes at himself, but he resisted, since he didn’t want the kid to think it was at him or something. He settled back for the ride to go and pick up the Academy’s next victim or victims, the ride smooth, quick, and quiet. Nick may or may not be a little in love with the Quinjet. Wait until he saw the helicarrier. He might just burst into tears.
