[IC] Titans 2043: Heroes of Tomorrow

[Demon Shinobi]

Red Arrow

Friday, July 30th, 2043
4:30pm - 2 Hours and 30 Minutes Before Training.

Red Arrow sighed as he looked down over the streets of the city, Blüdhaven, which he currently called home. Much like Gotham, the city had taken on a feeling of perpetual night whether the sun was in the sky or not. It could have been attributed to the budding high rises or the industrial smoke and fog that had come to cover the skies in the past decade or so. There was a plethora of abandoned warehouses, night clubs, and many other areas that would make the perfect stages for criminal activity. The young man couldn't help but worry. With the forward movement of time came a sort of degradation of what should have been great cities. Blüdhaven, Gotham, even his old home Star City, should have been much cleaner. But, with the decline of heroes, even the most historic of cities had become overrun with the petty lowlifes following in the footsteps of super villains and criminal masterminds of the past.

"Help!" The hero was yanked out of his thoughts. A cry from a victim of a crime in progress. He took a second to focus himself. "Somebody please!" Another shout from the same person. If his estimation was correct it was roughly two blocks away. There was a struggle and he was sure he could make it.

"C.O.R.A., activate Bolt Cycle." He commanded his operating system through a remote transceiver in his mask. "Send it to my coordinates. I'll need it soon." Red Arrow spoke calmly as he jumped off the ledge of the final roof. The mugger had finally managed to yank a bag away from a relatively young woman.

"Stop!" She cried as the young vigilante drew and fired an arrow. The head drove into a side of the nearest building, and utilizing a wire connected to it Red swung down. He landed in a roll before coming to a halt in a crouched position. He drew another arrow and took aim for just a moment before releasing it. About halfway between it and the intended target the head of the arrow burst releasing a bolas. It wrapped around the legs of the perpetrator prompting him to stumble and drop to the ground. That gave Red Arrow the time needed to run over to him.

"What the hell is this? Who the..." Before the mugger could go any further Red knelt down and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"I'll be taking that." The vigilante spoke, using a modulator to disguise his voice, calmly as he grabbed the purse and quickly returned it to the woman. She began to try and thank her young hero as he began to tie up the petty crook and alerted the authorities.

"Get home safe ma'am." He finally spoke to her as his motorcycle pulled into the alleyway. Without another word Red Arrow pulled the helmet off the hover bike and grin sliding it on over his head. He smiled under the helmet, running his gloved fingers over the sleek body of his bike. With help from John he'd been able to customize it from a basic frame they'd purchased. Retractable wheels, and a "manual" mode, gave it a slight edge over other bikes and hover vehicles currently ruling the streets. Should systems malfunction he could use it as his father and grandfather before him had.

He took a moment to rev the engine before shooting off. He had only gone out to patrol because he knew that he'd had some time to kill before the Bat would arrive at the Titan base. He honestly couldn't wait. Training under John's tutelage had been great and he'd most certainly come far, but with Batman, with the Titans, there was more he could do without fear of hurting his teacher or having to really solely on drones and simulations.

---

Friday, July 30th, 2043
6:30pm - Thirty Minutes Before Training.

Red Arrows engine could be heard for a brief moment as he pulled into the base via a secret entrance into the underground of an old abandoned arcade in the historic district of Neo-Gotham. He whistled cheerfully as he cut it and pulled his helmet off, setting it to rest on the seat. He was all set to train some more today. He knew a few members of the team lived in the base, which meant they were likely here unless they had taken the time to go out like he had.

Still, he turned to grab a small stack of four pizza boxes off the back of the bike. He chuckled still imagining the look on the face of the pizza guy when he went to pick up the order he'd had C.O.R.A. place. "Hey guys! Anybody here?!" He called out as he walked into the main area of the base. "I brought pizza!" He added gleefully holding the pies up above his head.

@Prince of Seraphs@ProPro@Skwint@Pathfinder

[Pathfinder]

Jude Davis

Friday, July 30th, 2043
6:15am- 12 Hours and 45 Minutes Before Training

Jude's day begun like many others, tossing and turning in his bed before giving up and staring up at the ceiling as he mentally prepared himself to face the day. With a groan he pulled himself up, wincing at the pain that blossomed through his limbs as he smoothed the stiffness out of them. Fumbling at the nightstand Jude grabbed the bottle of ibuprofen that he kept there, shaking out two pills and downing them down with stale water before he just sat there... not thinking about anything, really, as he stared down at his feet. He did that for awhile, time kind of losing its meaning for awhile, just him, the rug on the ground, and the sound of his own beating heart until he eventually came back to reality and got to the day.

Stepping out of his room with a change of clothes, a towel, and a small bag in hand, Jude made a beeline for the restrooms for his favorite morning ritual. Setting his tools aside Jude stripped down and stepped into the showers, tensing up when the cold water blasted away any remaining grogginess and unwinding when the frigid water began to warm up. Running water was a luxury that he rarely had, with warm water even more so, but now that he had a nearly limitless supply of the stuff it was something he partook in regularly and extensively. For a long time he stood there, head rested against the cool wall as the warm water banished any remaining stiffness as the ibuprofen masked the lingering pain. In this, and many moments like this, Jude found what he could only call inner peace and he drank as much of it as he could.

Friday, July 30th, 2043
8:36am 10 Hours and 24 Minutes Before Training

Jude now found himself sitting at the kitchen table, coffee in hand, a mostly eaten sandwich in the other, and a bored frown plastered on his face as he finished the book spread out in front of him. It was another one of those faux spiritual hippy nonsense that didn't really tell him anything other than how to be pretentious with leaves and rocks. Stuffing the rest of sandwich into his gob, Jude tossed the book into the trash with a grunt, it had been the third book he'd read this week and he had nothing to show for it. Grumbling at his lack of resources or leads, Jude made his way back to his room and rummaged about one of the towers of books he had for something promising, failing that, and settled on a book about chakras. Downing the coffee, Jude went back for another cup before moving the living area and settling into the corner of the massive couch that dominated the room. With his work cut out for him, Jude began to dive into the book with about as enthusiastic as a highschooler opening a textbook in the first period of the day.

Friday, July 30th, 2043
6:30pm - Thirty Minutes Before Training.

The day had been long and hard, an uphill battle from the start. He'd tore through half the book by now and it hadn't given him much either, just a couple of breathing techniques that should help with stress... or whatever. He sank into the couch and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a string of unintelligible curses and gripes from under his breath. He was getting really tired of this whole thing and began to wonder, not for the first time, if he should give up his little quest in finding out whatever the hell happened to him that day. His gaze found itself locking onto the many scars that dotted his right arm, lifting it up and turning it this way and that in an effort to see every scar that covered its surface. An emotion began to bubble up in his chest that he couldn't really pin down, but there was a hint of determination in there. So with a clench of his fist, Jude steeled his resolve and was promptly shook out of his thoughts by the declaration of "Hey guys! Anybody here? I brought pizza!"

Jude pulled himself up, peering over the lip of the couch to look at Red holding up a stack of pizzas like a trophy. "Cool." was all Jude said but the loud growl that emanated from his stomach betrayed his enthusiasm as he stood up fully, stretching out and letting out a series of pops from his spine.

[ProPro]

Accel

The week had passed by with very little to entertain Caremlita. Well, it wasn't really a week. It wasn't even a day. To be precise, it was exactly 4 hours 22 minutes and 17 seconds, but to the young woman it had been an entire week. That was her burden to bare. To have a connection to the Speed Force, but not be chosen by the semi-sentient force of physics as a champion, it meant that every waking moment was like unto Hell. She could count the individual flaps of a humming bird's wings so easily, but couldn't hope to keep up herself. No, she could only gift others with that blessing. Why? Why was she punished like this?

The young girl was thankful that another of the new Titans stayed in the lair with her. It meant that with Jude's presence there was at least something happening at all times. It might have been slow and boring, but it was something apart from herself and her own thoughts. That's what she was thankful for. For a good portion of the day the boy tried to read through a book in an attempt to find out more about the accident that gave him his powers, and she read over his shoulder. Of course, she read significantly quicker than he did, so by the time he had finished turning the page, she was ready for the next. It was quite annoying when a sentence hit the end of the page, so it had to be completed on the next. By the time Jude had gotten around to turning the next one over, she had forgotten what it was that she had read. It was so long ago...

Eventually the Latina gave up on trying to follow the information. It was of a personal nature to the boy anyway, and she really couldn't keep up. Or rather, he and the book couldn't keep up with her, so it all was forgotten in the reality of a few minutes. Instead she had positioned herself at the HQ's computer in hopes that it could keep her entertained. A single touch from her finger, and the already incredible processing power grew exponentially more potent. The young girl loaded up a playlist of movies, any kind really, and hit play. There she sat for the next 2 hours, watching 27 different films played out at speeds that would leave other people wondering if the screen was actually even doing anything at all.

"Hey guys! Anybody here?!" Before Red Arrow had even finished vocalizing the 'h' sound, Carmelita reacted. The movie, some foreign flick with far too many topless women for her tastes, came to an abrupt halt as she twisted around in the monitor chair. Red had just finished "guys" as she took the sight in. He was holding a stack of pizza boxes, no doubt purchased for the team prior to the evening's training session with the Batman. Before he could vocalize the offer, she was already on her feet and moving toward him. Delicious, tantalizing dinner was so close, but so far away. Just another 30 minutes, and it would be in her hand... The distance was closing in. Red was halfway through "bought." Finally. Finally Carmelita was within arm's reach. Anticipating the terribly slow reaction of her own appendages, she had raised her hand in advance. Now it closed over one of the boxes. Which one, what kind of pizza was it? She didn't care which. In the last 20 years, or rather 2 1/2 months, she had learned not to be picky with her food when it took hours to serve. Finally, at long last she had sustenance in her grasp. Carmelita snagged the box, opened it up, and began to eat the first slice she got her hands on, all right there in the open, still standing.

"-zza!" Red Arrow finished his declaration, and Carmelita was already chowing down. To an ignorant, outside observer, it would have appeared that an incredibly impatient and selfish girl had just grabbed food from his hands before even knowing if any of it was for her. The team knew better though. At least, they should have by now. Hopefully her demeanor wasn't misinterpreted by anybody, but at this point Carmelita really didn't give a damn.

[Lady Seraphina]

Phantasm

Friday, July 30th, 2043

Early in the morning Katty's eyes snapped open. In that instant she was wide awake but she didn't pull the blankets off herself yet. It took her several seconds to remember where she was, why she wasn't sleeping in the old abandoned gym that had become her home for a few months. When her mind caught up with her surroundings she still didn't move. For the next fifteen minutes she watched the wall opposite her gathering the energy she needed to face the coming day. She always got up early but each morning she wished desperately that she didn't have to, that she could just curl up in a ball under the blankets and sleep for an eternity without disturbance, worry or most of all guilt.

Katty's room in the Titan's bunker was small, simple and almost purely functional. After she made her bed the only things in the room to suggest that it was occupied were a few sets of clothes in the dresser and a respectable supply of cosmetics on the vanity in the corner. She grabbed a few necessities from amongst the latter and a towel from the hook on her door and departed the room for the showers, making sure to lock the door behind her. Though she trusted the other Titans to a point she would not have put it past one of them to search her room, after all she'd have done the same to any of them and had to the few that lived in the HQ like her. Most of all though she didn't wish them to find a data storage device that she'd hidden in her living space. It contained all the information she'd gathered on her fellow teammates as well as their mentor the Batman and their former leader including some speculation regarding their civilian identities and motives. She did not regard this as wrong. She felt she had a right to know who she was working with, but if it were found it would lead to discord within the team.

When Katty entered the showers she heard running water, someone else was already awake and beginning their day. She guessed it was Jude as he was the only live-in Titan who rose as early as she did. Some form of chronic pain kept him from getting a decent night's rest so he was usually awake near dawn. She showered before returning to room without speaking to Jude or letting him know she'd been present beyond the sounds of water from her stall. Katty applied a basic coat of makeup and braided her hair in one long rope down her back before she pulled on her clothes and a leather jacket and exiting the HQ. She brought with her the goggles that concealed her identity in her hero outfit just in case something unexpected happened while she was out.

Katty spent most of the day wandering the city. She sat on various sky rails starring out into the horizon for hours as the train ran round and round its loop of Gotham. Not for the first time she wished she had her own vehicle. She liked the speed of the sky trains but it didn't really compare to flying down the highways with the wind in her hair going just a little faster than was wise. Among other activities she dropped by the Gotham Public Archives and as the sun began to sink low she visited an old dive bar on the east end. She took a seat at the counter and ordered a shot of vodka. She sat their staring at it, rebuking anyone who tried to talk to her. Katty stayed like that for nearly an hour before glancing at the clock and realising that it was about time she returned to HQ. The Batman would be arriving shortly after all. She left her glass on the counter still completely full.

When she returned to the bunker she found that Red Arrow had arrived from Bludhaven and had brought an offering of pizza. She took one of the boxes from him without a thank you and opened it up. A heavenly smell of extreme grease permeated the room the moment the pizza was exposed to air. Katty smiled. The pizza was from an old franchise that had shut down in Gotham some ten years ago due to some health code violations. The only remaining locations were in Bludhaven and though people rather suspected they paid off the health inspectors to stay open not many people minded enough to abstain from the greasy treat.

Katty took a large bite and swallowed. It was as good as she remembered. "Ah," she sighed contentedly "The sound of my arteries clogging. Cheers Red."

[Skwint]

G-Man

Calvin sat in his room on his computer researching the effects that changes in gravity have on the human body. Through his bedroom door he could hear the telltale clinking and scraping of utensils on plates. It seemed as though his parents were eating without him.

Again.

Calvin looked to his trophy shelf and sighed. He had sold most of the trophies he had earned. They didn't really have any meaning to him.

Suddenly the alarm on his phone began to go off. He already knew what the alarm was for without even having to look. It was training time. Finally. It was the one thing he had to look forward to.

After shutting down his computer and grabbing his bag, he was out the door. He didn't bother announcing his departure. He knew his parents wouldn't care.

Everyone else was already at the HQ when Calvin arrived, but that was normal. Red Arrow was the only other Titan who didn't live at the base, but he had a motorcycle while Calvin had to walk, so he was always the last one present.

The others were already chowing down on Red's gift of pizza when Calvin entered. He rushed forward perhaps a bit too eagerly and grabbed his share, quickly gobbling down the first slice to queit is grumbling belly.

Halfway through his third slice Calvin realized he hadn't said a thing to any of his teammates since his arrival. Feeling the need to break the silence, he decided to say something.

"So, any idea as to when the Bat will arrive?"

[Pathfinder]

Jude Davis

Finishing that much-needed stretch, Jude let the book tumble to the couch as he made his own way to dinner. The smell was dragging him in like some type of fly trap and he was taking the bait hook, line, and sinker before he saw something that caught his eye. The sight an Uncle Tino's Pizza box brought forth a lot of old memories to the forefront of Jude's mind, causing him to falter in his movements for a half second. A look crossed his face that spoke of sadness and fond remembrance in equal measures before it was reigned in by his hunger. Grabbing a couple slices for himself, Jude dug in and didn't pay much mind to the lack of conversation in the room, riding out that special brand of quiet that only comes about during good eats, and good eats it was.

It seemed like an eternity before someone said anything else, this nights holder of that title being G-Man. "Soon, probably within the next twenty or so minutes," Jude spoke in between mouthfuls of food as he stood up to move towards the kitchen. "I'm grabbin a water, any of you want anything while I'm there?" he said as he moved, keeping an ear out but not turning to see anyone's reactions.

[Demon Shinobi]

Red Arrow

Friday, July 30th, 2043
6:35pm - 25 Minutes Before Training.

"Glad you all like it." Red Arrow said calmly as he removed one of his gloves and grabbed a slice for himself. He smiled as he looked over his teammates. He'd more or less gotten used to their little idiosyncrasies. "I was honestly a little worried about it. I mean you can never be too sure who's gonna like or not like the food you bring." He chuckled a little bit, thinking he was glad he more or less knew enough about them. Luckily, he knew that it didn't seem any of them were lactose intolerant. Otherwise, this would have been one of the worst gifts of food.

Still, he couldn't help but let his gaze fall to Carmelita. He was used to her dilemma and behavior, but part of him couldn't help but wonder if he could maybe make something to help her. And then there was the more team oriented dilemma. He had been meaning to talk with the bat about it. The team needed a mode of transportation. Anything that could be used for all of them to get around. Although, given their "in training" status he couldn't help but think Batman wouldn't be too open to the idea. Maybe it was best to try and handle things under wraps before he brought it up.

"So guys, it's almost time. We should finish..." Before Red could finish the sentence the lights of the base cut. "Shit..." He grumbled having just finished the slice. If this was the start, their mentor was early. Expect the unexpected. "Guys?" Red Arrow questioned as he pulled his glove back on and turned around. Thanks to his powers he could see almost perfectly in the dark. That is if he had a moment to let his eyes adjust. With the sudden cut he still needed a moment. He would have to rely on his hearing. How would the others react though.

@Prince of Seraphs@ProPro@Skwint@Pathfinder

[Skwint]

G-Man

Calvin had still been pondering Jude's offer of a beverage when Red's sentence was abruptly interrupted by darkness. After setting his box of pizza down on the floor, Calvin pulled out his phone and activated its flashlight so that he could see.

"But I just changed all the bulbs the other day," he said pointing his light at the ceiling. "Did we blow a fuse or something?"

[Lady Seraphina]

Phantasm

Friday, July 30th, 2043

As was bound to happen anytime someone brought an offering of junk food, the group descended on the pizza. There was several minutes of silence as the Titans stuffed their faces with the greasy treat before one of their number realised that no one had spoken. In an attempt to start a conversation Calvin asked when Batman would be stopping by. They of course had a general time set up for training but Batman seemed to like being early or late to keep them on their toes.

Calvin himself was the member of the Titans that Katty disliked the most. That was because unlike everyone else he had no real reason to be apart of the team. Given the roster they'd acquired it seemed pretty clear that Robin without too many resources had contact anyone with powers who he thought could or would lend assistance. Both Gloria and Jude had checkered pasts, Carmelita was impaired by her powers and Calvin had nothing going for him beyond his meta gene. As a result of some digging Katty knew that Calvin was or at least had been heavily into sports at Hamilton Hill High School. She could only guess he'd used his powers to cheat as it seemed he was always at the forefront of his chosen sport without much apparent effort. From that Katty concluded that like his sports career Calvin had joined the Titans for a rush, for the feeling of winning and being important. Obviously being a hero meant much more than that. Though Katty didn't have anything inherently against Calvin her distrust of him came from his motivation. If he wasn't seriously dedicated to improving the lives of others then he would bail the moment his hero career threatened the status of his own quiet suburban life. He'd desert the Titans the instant it ceased to be fun.

The others Katty regarded with varying degrees of trust based on their skill and the information she'd uncovered regarding their motivations in their herowork. Red Arrow due to being a legacy was the best trained and equipped which made him the most effective in the field. She didn't doubt his motivation as no matter which member of the Green Arrow's team he was related to, they'd all seemed to suffer extremely unpleasant fates from brutal assassination to sudden disappearance to crippling wounds. Whichever tragedy drove him, him wouldn't be swayed petty obstacles. At the same time though his past was exploitable as it was pretty clear he didn't have full control over his emotions and since she could only guess his civilian identity Katty had no way of devising a contingency plan for if Red was ever compromised by family or emotion. She trusted him in the field but not much further.

Carmelita was another problem. No doubt her powers were invaluable to the Titans and her computer skills were sorely needed but her powers left her vulnerable. It was clear from what Katty had observed that the processing speeds of her brain left the world looking as though it were perpetually in slow motion. Such as state was not an enviable one and Katty feared that should the day ever come when someone capable of granting Carmelita full access to the Speed Force entered their lives the half speedster would betray them all for the chance to escape her prison.

Katty didn't much care for Jude but he was objectively the most reliable member of Titans. His powers for whatever reason only functioned when in the service or protecting someone else's well being. He was literally incapable of betraying the Titans with any credible threat beyond the knowledge he held. Katty fully believed he liked his powers and if he wanted to continue using them then he had to stay on the right side of the hero/villain divide. On a personal level she thought he was nice enough though his obsession with the supernatural started to grate on her after awhile. He seemed convinced that his powers were mystical. While Katty didn't deny the possibility given the sheer number of otherworldly beings outside of Earth, the comet that struck him could have been nearly anything. A defunct piece of alien tech that fused to his body, a parasite that granted him abilities when fed, simple space rocks that had mutated his genes. Narrowing the field of study solely to mystical causes seemed to be discounting too many possibilities without evidence. Still it was his hobby.

Outside of her analysis regarding teammate viability, loyalty and competency most of the other Titans were pleasant enough to spend time with. She didn't relish it but Katty had always been able to enjoy a decent laugh with just about anyone.

The moment the lights went out Katty moved into action. She still had her goggles in her pocket from her morning outing and she put them on now, activating the night vision setting as she did so. Training had begun.

Katty was perfectly aware if he could build it into a basic pair of motorcycle goggles then the high tech suit Batman wore must be equipped with night vision. Darkness was after all his preferred environment. Katty felt confident he would target Red first. As the only member of the group he was certain could see in the dark at this moment taking Red out before his senses could adjust would be the best tactical option as with both enhanced sight and hearing Red would be able to keep track of Batman's location much easier than the rest of them.

Not wanting to be defeated in combat and never being one to take lose lightly Katty sprung into action. Calvin was still unaware of the situation wondering foolishly if they'd blown a fuse. Though a faulty fuse was possible it was always best to assume the worst, if you were wrong things could only improve.

Katty grabbed Red by the shoulders and activated her abilities. To her it always felt like cold water flowing over her skin. It was a very calming state to be in. The slice of pizza Red had been holding fell through his fingers hit the ground with a squish. Katty hadn't bothered to include it in her field and Red would only have had to set it down anyways. Keeping physical contact with the archer Katty dragged him as swiftly as possible to where he'd left his weapons by the door when he'd come in lugging several pizza boxes. "Can you see yet?" She asked him quickly looking around, trying to catch a sight of movement in the dark green of the room. He was nearby, she could almost feel it. The moment Red was functional on his own she was going to make a run for the weapons rack. Batman had an advantage over them in that he knew their strengths and weaknesses but at the same time they knew more about him than the average crook or super villain. If she could grab one of the electrically charged weapons and get a few good blows in she might be able to short out Batman's suit leaving him immobile. She thought momentarily of the taser that was lying in her dresser but lamented that for this situation it was too far away.

[ProPro]

Accel

Unfortunate as it was, even this delicious and amazing pizza could not lift Carmelita's spirits. It was good for the first twenty minutes, but she was just bored by the taste after that. In that twenty minutes she had only gotten two bites out of it. Funny, before the incident that gave her powers, she would have told you that getting bored of pizza was impossible, that it was the god of foods. A great many of her opinions had changed since then.

As everyone gathered round to slowly, ever so slowly devour their food at a crawl, the Latina girl had an opportunity to contemplate her companions. She had undoubtedly put more thought into them than they had put into her. Not that that was any big surprise considering her condition. Of course, while she had far more time to think about the team, she had just as much experience together as they all did. In fact, they were in a better position than she was when it came to judging the other teens. The earliest impressions they had made on one another weren't that long ago, still fresh in the new Titans' minds. All that is, except for the partial speedster. For her those couple months had been years, and she'd long forgotten the little details.

So what was a girl to do, trapped in slow motion with nothing entertaining going on? She made up stories. Played out different scenarios in her head starting the other team members. Sometimes she forgot what was real and what was just played in the television of her mind. Today she had to entertain herself a lot, as the fluctuating perception she had was especially terrible. On a good day, she would perceive the world as four times slower. Today was not a good day, about twenty times slower.

That's why she was the first to notice the lights were going out. To the others it would be instant, and no doubt very confusing. To Carmelita it was a gradual dimming that took a few seconds to complete. Their power was off the grid, so it couldn't be shut off. That meant there was only one possibility. The Batman was here.

Accel reacted first, as was usual. Her intention was to get to Red Arrow and empower him with Speed Force energy his heightened senses let him see almost like normal in the darkness, which meant he was the best recipient of her gift. Only there was a problem. No matter how good Accel's perception and reflexes were, her overall speed was still normal. So with Red sitting on the opposite end of the table, Phantom Girl got to him first. Dammit Katty! Move! MOVE! Don't phase him, we need him to scout, no no no! AAAARGH! She was too late. Now that Phantom Girl had done her thing, Accel couldn't touch Red Arrow.

Time for plan B. So what was plan B? Good question. She'd have to improvise. Well, improvise wasn't a great word for it. Technically she always had the time to think things through. So what now? Darkness had overtaken the room, so she could no longer see. Who was closest to her seat again? G-Man? Jude? Which one was it again? And which would best benefit from her power? Well for the moment rectifying the problem of vision came first. She placed a hand on the table, and vibrated. It began to shake and shake and shake faster and faster, deep on a molecular level. She filled it with enough energy that the entire table was now glowing a bright red hot. It wasn't much light, but it was something for the others to work with.

[Demon Shinobi]

Red Arrow and The Bat

Friday, July 30th, 2043
4:40pm - 20 Minutes Before Training.

Everything happened so fast Red could hardly react. He'd first expected Carmelita to take a shot at juicing him up, but that didn't happen. Katty took hold of him and they were gone. Watching from a distance Terry McGinnis, The Batman, shook his head. It was a good plan in theory, but something like that where you essentially leave your team to fend for themselves should only ever be a last resort.

"Ah... Yeah..." Red Arrow sighed holding his head as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. "But geez... Couldn't the Bat at least let us finish the pizza?" He questioned soft as he shook his head looking towards his teammate. It was silent for a moment. "Slag it. We gotta get back to the others." He said, though part of him was aware Katty would head off on her own, which she did. She was going for the weapons rack. He understood almost immediately, but acting solo probably wasn't for the best. "Seriously?"

Teamwork. That was the key to the exercise. Points for the "team" had already been lost. Batman moved through the based quickly, making only the slightest noise here and there purposefully to give a small fright to G-Man and perhaps even Jude. Carmelita wouldn't likely notice the slight disturbances given her predicament. Then, he moved. He shot a bolo at the young Latina. Though it would seem like torture, it was a sure fire way to give Jude a chance at fighting back. After all, the point was to train, not to immediately subdue. Their choices based off his actions were imperative to learning.

The glow of the table created by Carmelita was a hindrance for sure. Even in her state she worked to improve the probability of team victory for the others as best as she could. Still, the was only helpful as long as he remained visible. As Jude took a moment to react to what would hopefully be the fall of his teammate, Batman shifted his attention to G-Man. He activated his camouflage mode, acting swiftly, positioning himself behind the young hero. He would toy with him first. A tap on the back, followed by a small push as he took a moment to get behind the boy once more when he likely turned to face the unknown threat.

It was a bit disappointing in all honesty. They'd been training for some time and yet G-Man hadn't anticipated the surprise attack. He'd even questioned the lights going out. Being overly suspicious wasn't always for the best, but remaining as lax as the young man did, oblivious to the potential threats around him, was even more dangerous. Batman would have to drill that, among other lessons, into his and the other's heads.

@Prince of Seraphs@ProPro@Skwint@Pathfinder

[ProPro]

Accel

Carmelita cursed the inaction of some of her teammates. G-Man was still too green, he just didn't get it, so his reflexes were slow. Hell, his realization was slow! Jude didn't seem to be any better in the situation. She twisted round quick as she could to see anything and everything by the glow of the table, but it was too late. Something touched her and she knew that it would be impossible to react quickly enough. Several minutes passed as she submitted to the bondage of a bolas that had struck her from a blind spot, wrapping around her torso and pinning her arms in place. Thankfully her mind was insanely fast, so her balance wasn't thrown and she could activate her powers at speeds beyond normal perception.

The bolas glowed red hot around the young latina, then vibrated itself into a thousand pieces. Accel was free before she was really tied up. A smile would have passed her lips if it weren't a waste of time. Now let's see, where did that bolas originate from? The light of the glowing table wouldn't be enough to spot a master of stealth, and that was made worse by how the suit he wore could camouflage. She was certain she could calculate the weapon's trajectory, but if he were still there then he wouldn't be The Batman, now would he?

Instead Carmelita decided to do what she could to flush out their mentor. A hand slipped into a pouch of marbles, designed for quick and easy release. The little orbs accelerated to insane speeds in her hand, literally jumping from her open palm to the rest of the room and exploding in bright flashes of light! The sudden shift from near darkness to bright light would disorient anybody unprepared, which hopefully included The Batman, but they had a secondary effect that was her true goal: A layer of smoke began to permeate the room. Terrible on the lungs, but great for showing off an invisible force.

[Skwint]

G-Man

Calvin frantically swept his light about the room as he tried to chase the many small noises Batman was making. It was at about this moment that Calvin realized something fishy was going. Then Batman tapped him on the shoulder.

Calvin spun around only to find was no one was there. When he felt the slight push he spun back around only to once again not see anyone. They were being attacked. He began slowly taking steps backwards while sweeping his light across the room only for him to slip on a slice of pizza and fall to the floor.

Quickly picking himself back up, Calvin decided that he should probably track down his teammates. The glowing table certainly helped, but it only revealed Accel's location. Just as he managed to locate Red, Accel's marbles went off. The bright flash blinded Calvin, causing him to stumble backwards as he jammed his face into the crook of his elbow to cover his eyes. As he stumbled his foot found the pizza yet again causing him slip and once again putting him on his back. He wasn't so quick to get back on his feet this time, however, as he waited for his vision to return.

[Lady Seraphina]

Phantasm

Friday, July 30th, 2043

While the Batman was preoccupied with her teammates Phantasm made a beeline for the weapons rack. By her estimation Jude and Red were Batman's biggest threats. G-Man was too unguarded to be able to adapt to a situation this quickly and Accel's condition lent itself much better to support. In a direct confrontation her perception left her at a disadvantage. That left Red who was already trained for this sort of environment and assault and Jude who's strength must surely have kicked in at the peril of his teammates. As she was isolated it stood to reason for Phantasm that Batman would deal with the larger group first. It was would be a waste of his surprise attack if he targeted her leaving the others time to organise themselves. She had time to reach her goal, even if it was limited.

Arriving at the weapons rack in seconds thanks to her night vision googles. Phantasm scanned it searching for something specific. Spotting them at the bottom she wasted no time to claiming her weapon of choice. They were essentially electrified brass knuckles. A band that stretched over the knuckles and curled around the hands. The underside was insulated to prevent shocks to the user. Phantasm slid them over her hands, amped up the voltage as high as it would go and turned toward her teammates.

Her timing couldn't have been any worse. Just as she looked at them Accel set of something akin to a flash grenade. Despite her night vision Phantasm was still rendered momentarily blind by the intense and sudden change in light levels. She blinked in rapid succession trying to clear her vision. When finally she could see again G-Man was on the floor. Not that she'd expected him to remain upright even this long but it meant one less obstacle for Batman to deal with. The flash grenade had another effect though. It had filled the room with a light smoke. Looking into it Phantasm knew that this must have been Accel's goal all along. In the smoke was a Batman shaped void.

Knowing her opportunity wouldn't last long Phantasm broke into a run, her padded boots making no noise. She leapt over the table they'd very recently been eating pizza off of and aimed two electrified punches in quick succession at Batman. The first one connected with a satisfying grunt of pain but he spun quickly knocking her second blow aside. Knowing a counter was only a moment away Phantasm activated her ability and dove through the Bat. Landing on the other side in a crouch she quickly spun in an attempt to sweep his legs out from under him with her own. He leapt nimbly over her predictable attack but she'd expected as much. For a moment he was off balance, this was the time to strike.

[Demon Shinobi]

Red Arrow and The Bat

Friday, July 30th, 2043
4:45pm - 15 Minutes "Before" Training.

Accel reacted much better than Batman could have possibly anticipated. Maybe that was what happened when you basically had all the time in the world to contemplate your next move. He could only imagine how formidable she would be if she had that mind and the speed to back it up. Soon there was a flash. The Bat let out a grunt a pain as he tried to cover his eyes and turn away from the flash. Then came the smoke. He could practically smell it as it covered the room and left him exposed. Like this, he could barely help himself. Though, lucking that didn't matter.

G-Man could hardly handle himself. He was at a loss, tripping over himself like a fool. Red Arrow had made his way to join the group and help take on the bat. He'd been paying a bit more attention though. He wasn't caught off guard. He was more accustomed to having to expect such obstacles in the battlefield. Still, Phantom girl was already on the move.

Batman felt a powerful surge flow throw him for a brief moment as the first strike hit him, only to manage to lift his arm knocking the next punch to the side. He shuddered feeling the girl jump through him. Katty was a natural. More than that honestly. If there was a "best" all around member it was probably her, though Red came in at a close second. Carmelita could possibly be considered in the running were it not for her predicament. Still, having recovered from the flash he turned his head to look in the direction of his attacker before leaping to avoid the sweep.

The big bad bat had only narrowly avoided being taken down only to receive a boxing glove arrow to the chest sending him back. "Shit..." Red grumbled as the bat flew back. That was supposed to be a taser arrow. Digital link with his new quiver and the tech that loaded his arrows with the arsenal of trick heads must have somehow been knocked out of calibration. It happened from time to time. The sadness that came with relying on things he'd yet to properly finish working on. Batman had warned him about this numerous times before. "Phantom Girl, don't give him a second to catch his breath." He said quickly moving toward Accel. Just one touch would be enough to help him take out the bat with Katty.

And yet, their trainer was already on his feet awaiting another attack from the team, a plan in mind, the stage set. He'd spent time placing a number of miniature devices around the base to close off the teams movements. It was a bit underhanded for a training exercise, but in the field enemies would do much worse. Much, much worse. And he wasn't about to let them off easy.