Marcus paced back and forth, nervously watching the empty road before him. He had driven it many times, and he knew all too well how... disappointing it was. Originally they had been promised so much more. A high tech facility, the middle of New York City, trainers directly from the military's finest special forces... now they had a worn down factory, the hotel across from it, what used to be a small, 50's style diner, and the soon-to-be crumbled hopes of the students weighing heavily on Marcus's busy mind. Sasha had acquired her garage, but he would really, really have preferred to speak with Ichabod about all of this, had he the time.
The demon-man stood in the road in front of the facility, his usual garb exchanged for the closest he could come to a well-tailored suit, obviously uncomfortable in the starched fabric and limelight. A few news stations had been asking for the location of their quarters, and the program had been lucky enough to keep that information away from the vultures for now. But as things stood, it would only be a matter of time before the nation knew how little its government trusted the heroes. It would be up to them, however, to see if that would help their image or cripple the program.
The Apprentices would need to be taught. They would be relying on their mentors for protection, guidance, experience... But little did they know, their teachers would need them to form the backbone of their appearance. If the students didn't show promise, this little experiment was over.
It wasn't all bad; far from it. HQ was actually in a wonderful part of the country, with the rolling fields of New York and surrounding farmlands holding a few Hero fans. If a few strings were pulled, they would most likely be able to use the region surrounding the facilities for training exercises, capture the flag, maybe a bonfire or two. After all, the Apprentices were still kids. They would need free time too. More importantly, the locals were willing to keep a secret or two. Small blessings.
The bus was pulling in. The other Mentors were nowhere to be seen yet despite his messages, the only company the government officials on the bus with the children. Marcus put on his most winning smile, and prayed none of the apprentices would notice as sweat trickled down his craggy brow. Somewhere inside the warehouse, he heard something heavy and metal fall with a cacophonous crash. Probably broken. Marcus didn't move; it was going to be a fun day.
