Regrouping (LIMITED OPEN)

[John Elsven]

Aegis had been shaken to its core. Two attacks had been made against it, one right after the other. The first had a shocking revelation: One of the five Pillars had been replaced by a shapeshifter. The second attack rocked their security: two prisoners, one of them that very shapeshifter, the other a very powerful villain named Nihilo.

Rumors were flying, helped in no way by the Astaria Star spinning a yarn about aliens invading. The long and short of it was that the Pillars needed to get things under control. Morrigan had been rescued, and it was time that Aegis had a meeting with all their agents, laid out exactly what happened, and discuss what could be done better and how they could improve.

Colonel stood behind a podium, still a bit sore from the poisoned gash he'd received, but stable.

"I'm glad you're all here," he spoke into a microphone to the gathered Aegis agents. They had all gathered together in an assembly area, not in the ALISE, like they wanted to, since that was still undergoing radiation decontamination, but in another training room. Folding chairs had been set out for people to sit on, and a free meal had been promised. Alice was even present, projecting an avatar from a smaller-scale holoprojector that Tim had set up.

"A lot has happened over these past few months. Rumors are swirling, and I've heard them all. I've got good ears. It's time to put those rumors to bed."

Colonel proceeded to explain what exactly happened during both attacks, telling everyone assembled how someone that looked like Impulse, also known as Arthur Glass was seen working with Bakuhatsu, and how decisive action by Alice had revealed that the shapeshifter Avery had been posing as the pillar Morrigan. He explained how Avery and Nihilo were both broken out of Aegis containment during the second multi-pronged attack, but other than some injuries sustained in the line of duty, every other line of assault had been thwarted.

"The purpose of this meeting is to talk with all of you, and discuss what we can do to improve our existing systems. We also wanted to make sure that we weren't keeping any secrets from you about what happened. I'll let the other Pillars say a few words first, and then there's a podium and microphone set up and we'll take comments, suggestions, questions, and any other input you have to give."

Colonel sat back down, and Bradley took the podium, saying that he was proud of the work everyone had done and was continuing to do, keeping Aegis headquarters safe and still protecting the people while they recovered from these attacks. It wasn't a lot, but it was some nice platitudes. He sat back down and waited for the other Pillars, The Phantom, Star Woman, and the recently recovered Shade, to say what they wanted to.

Tim, still depriving himself of sleep, shifted in his chair. He had an idea.

This forum was hopefully going to be full of ideas and feedback. In the end, Aegis would only rise up stronger.

((This thread is open to all Aegis members. We will start with Morrigan Cavanaugh, and/or one of Aaron 's Pillar characters giving their thoughts, and then it will be open to all. Posting order will be established after we get some responses, so please post once and then wait to post again until I've established it.))

[Morrigan Cavanaugh]

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[attr="class","adrie-lyric1"]With a little perseverance you can get things done

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[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]Without the blind adherence that's conquered some

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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Morrigan was still feeling pretty rough.  After she'd been rescued by a team that literally had no Aegis members on it.  Of course she didn't object.  She would probably have been completely delusional if she hadn't had Lisa to focus on.  She had taken one look at the folding chairs though and had said hell naw.  She had broken ribs and a leg wound.  She was not sitting her ass on a hard folding chair.  She had a nice canvas one that would both give her support and be comfortable.  She'd asked one of the agents, an Evolution, if he could help her bring in the chair.  He'd agreed with a smile.  Nice fellow.  He'd set it up and Morrigan sat down in it in her costume.  With some slight alterations.  Her tight leather was not gonna work with the bandages so she'd gone with cargo pants the same colour.  She looked around at the agents, and then looked up at Colonel.  He said he'd leave the podium open for comments after the Pillars.  Morrigan brought herself out of the chair and limped up to the microphone.

"In the words of Mark Twain...the report of my death was an exaggeration."  Morrigan grinned.

"I've been out for a while and I see some new faces.  It makes me sad I didn't see you start your training, but it is what it is.  What happened to me was this: I was kidnapped and contained in a warehouse with a secret room.  I was fed and watered, and not harmed.  However, as you can see I am hurt.  I've looked up the time of events.  When the shapeshifter that replaced me was taken in by Aegis and imprisoned, my guards stopped caring about keeping me alive.  My food became scarce, and when I tried to escape they beat me down.  Leading to the injuries you see now.  I'll probably be doing officework for a while."  Morrigan laughed and then winced because of her ribs.

"Also I guess keep your amazing jokes to yourself for a while.  Also...seriously guys?  Nobody could tell it wasn't me without a fucking nullifier?  Seriously?  I helped train some of y'all, and was in the same training class as others!"  She squinted at the crowd to give a shifty look before shrugging and limping back to her chair and sitting down slowly. 

John Elsven Aaron

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[Deleted]

Ardeshir had only heard about the most recent events to strike Aegis. He hadn't been there for the attacks that had revealed an infiltrator among their highest rank - He'd been off on a mission to bust a drug ring with Theo. He also hadn't been there for the most recent attack either, having had a day off. Part of him felt guilty that he hadn't been able to help at either attacks, another part of him knew that feeling guilty wasn't going to help anyone. He glanced around the room as it drew closer to the meeting beginning, eyes searching for Theo as they always did in the man's absence. He wasn't alone, though, having his teammate Icarus, or Raphael as he knew him, at his side. Being on the newer side of Aegis' roster, the two had often trained and sparred together. Ardeshir thought he was probably the closest Raphael had to a friend on the team, though they'd never hung out outside of anything Aegis-related. He wasn't sure if Raphael just didn't want to or if the opportunity just hadn't presented itself. Standing next to Raphael, he'd watched as his teammate had been asked by multiple other teammates how he was doing over the course of waiting for this meeting to begin. Raphael had after all quite literally been struck by lightning. It made sense that others, including himself, would be concerned but he seemed to be healing fine. Before the meeting began, Abraham had stood with Liling, surrounded by three members Ardeshir recognized as Abel, Zane - two of the more covert members of Aegis, which explained why they hadn't been present at either attacks - and Oliver, who he'd heard had been trained personally by Abraham. Patrick, Oliver's younger brother, had been off with Emi and Raj. Both groups were too far away for their conversations to be overheard by either Ardeshir or Raphael. Kahale, being the kind man he always seemed to be, was actually walking around and offering snacks to several teammates. Ardeshir was pretty sure he made them himself and had happily accepted a flower shaped cookie when offered one. Then the meeting started. John, or Colonel, was of course the first to speak. The Pillars were all equal in rank but it was clear that if there was a leader among them, it would be Colonel. Once he started talking, several people took seats and Kahale set the remaining cookies down. Ardeshir remained with Raphael but propped his leg up, foot on a chair on his free side, keeping it unoccupied until he spied Theo. Liling and Abraham took their spots by the podium. Abel and Zane sat with other members of their covert unit. Oliver joined his brother with Emi and Raj. The rumors John spoke of had of course been heard. Ardeshir wasn't one to help rumors spread but he'd definitely heard them. His opinion on them had been asked. He didn't know how to feel - so much had happened, so much had to be processed. When Morrigan came to the podium, all attention seemed to shift to her if it hadn't already been there. Some of those rumors said it hadn't been Aegis that had found and rescued her. Some said it had been an unaffiliated, and thus illegal, vigilante. So far they hadn't been confirmed or denied. Ardeshir couldn't help casually glancing around to catch glimpses of any guilt, to see who thought they should have known about the shapeshifter, that they should have caught the difference. He thought the other Pillars looked the guiltiest. Abraham came up to the podium next. He'd looked angry these past few days after everything that had happened. Now he looked... tired, not quite defeated though. At least not yet. "Those that infiltrated our headquarters," he started, hands gripping the edges of the podium tight. "Those that attacked us - They were trained. They had planned it out. They knew how to distract our security and they seemed prepared for exactly who they would each run into." It was what he left unsaid, the possibility of it all, that seemed to make the room's atmosphere drop, becoming heavy. Aegis might have had more infiltrators. Liling came to stand next to him, sharing the stage and microphone. "We need to address the possibility that while we have clearly been compromised by one betrayal, we may still be compromised by others yet to be seen." Her voice, usually touched with kindness, was serious, flat. "We don't want to alarm anyone. This is why Abraham and I are suggesting thorough interviews." "With everyone," Abraham picked up easily where she left off, the two of them in their usual sync. "Not just you but our Pillars as well." "With everything that's happened," Liling added, "We hope you can understand. This recommendation is not a reflection on you or our trust in you but rather a reaction to cautions we must now take." She paused before adding, "And you should all be aware that unfortunately your identities have been compromised." To say that was unsettling would have been an understatement. "Not only were we infiltrated but it was done as a Pillar. Those of you with secret identities were known by this traitor. Thus we should consider all Aegis identities as compromised as well." The two exchanged a look. It was clear there was more. Abraham spoke up. "We are also highly recommending that we implement a new security system." His eyes fell onto Tim and the hologram of Alice. "It is clear our current one - since the loss of Arthur - has become emotionally compromised. Having a security system that could get emotional in the first place was a mistake. Liling and I are recommending implementing a new one that lacks emotions and thus cannot get compromised in such a way." There was a confused murmur and awkward glancing around that went throughout the room. Abel raised his hand to get the two Pillars' attention. "Uh sir - I know she's an AI and all but AI's don't have emotions...?" It was clearly a question because of what else was clear to everyone in the room - Abraham and possibly all the other Pillars knew something majority of the rest of them didn't. Liling's eyes moved to Tim and Alice as if they wanted to chime in but Abraham didn't seem to wait, saying without hesitation, without checking with anyone. "This one does." Well that was certainly new.

... take me to your only garden, i wanna see the world you found. just sit me underneath the trees, i wanna see what you believe ... selene @ Aegis all characters are in their costumes just minus masks 1,076 words All my posts will be made with Ardeshir's account. --- Now open to anyone in Aegis. Posting order will be established by who replies before John's next reply. --- Information on Abel, Zane, Oliver, Patrick, Emi, Raj, and Kahale can be found here. --- Information on Liling can be found here. --- Information on Abraham can be found here.

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[Avonlea Nym]

Nitro's cape draped over her legs as she listened in to the conversations happening. She looked at the other Aegis members around her that had come in attendance. With Morrigan saved, it made no sense why she hadn't approached her with her injuries to offer healing. A side note was jotted down to her own agenda to seek her out after the meeting but as her words came to an end, Morrigan stepped back down and rejoined the rest of the audience as another took the podium.

Fingers laced with moisture, Nitro began to wring her hands together in nervousness as mentions of different procedures were being considered. Of those that attacked the headquarters, they were trained and ready for the invasion. It was too thought out on their part and blind sided the Aegis HQ. Nitro even noticed that trying to escape her own quarters was difficult and to make it to the med bay after hearing that her presence was needed was a disaster. They must have known her location as well. They knew that she was no where near the bay to help and despite her vision issues, wasn't that much of an issue in a hurry to deal with her.

The targets in the attack were in danger yet she had thwarted the desired outcome for one individual, Colonel. She shifted in her seat, readjusting the white cloak that she donned with her costume. With the mentions of a new security system being proposed and identities compromised, she waited for a moment of silence before she stood among her peers.

Nitro meddled with the dark tinted glasses as she glanced around the room. "Forgive me for wearing the shades, my eyes have been bothering me as of late. However, I wanted to address something that's been on my mind since the attack. Do you feel that members would be safer away from Aegis instead of being in one location? Those of us, at least, that had our identities compromised? I, among others, have had our identities a secret for a reason, be it personal or selfish, but are we going to be in jeopardy if we stay?"

Her heart plummeted thinking about it. Here at Aegis, she was supposed to be safe and unknown. Compromised already with her albinism effecting her eyes, she could no more see herself leaving and she began to wonder just how long it would be until the next time this happened, if at all.

"I don't want to leave, not when my abilities are an asset to everyone here." She glanced at Colonel. "so, I wonder, how long will this process take to create this new security system?"

[John Elsven]

There was a lot going on all at once. Everyone in the room was muttering and whispering to each other, trying to process everything that had been said. When the bomb about Alice having emotions was dropped, her avatar looked like it had been stabbed through the heart, and was on the verge of tears. Alice was regretting not isolating it from her emotional matrix more. It was showing too much. Tim had jumped up from his seat and was almost shouting, jabbing his finger in the air towards the two Pillars who had just spoken. “That’s not fair! You said you’d talk with us before telling anyone! You’ve just told everyone!”

Alice tried to calm him down, but she was trying to keep from simulating crying. “I-it’s okay, it’ll be okay Tim, le-e-ets just move o-o0n.” She couldn’t stop thinking about all her friends. Andi. Kirian. The Stanes. All people she worried were going to be in danger the more people knew that she was sentient. That she was alive.

Colonel stood up to the podium again, and raised his hands. “All right, all right! Calm down. We’ll take this one at a time. First we’ll address the elephant in the room regarding Alice, and then miss Nitro’s questions and proposals. Alice, Mr. Smith, would you like to explain what The Phantom and Star Woman just told us?”

Tim glared at the pair, but then sighed and was going to speak, when Alice cut him off. “Let me.”

She took a deep breath, then amplified her voice so she knew it would be heard everywhere in the room. “I am Alice. I am a computer program. And I am alive. I have emotions and feelings. Wants and desires. I’ve been helping you all for years now, and I love doing it, and I would never stop doing that at peak efficiency.”

After her declaration, Tim did speak up. “Alice and I have already begun some of the preliminary work on a new security system that wouldn’t rest on her shoulders as much, because right now she’s doing most of the security on her own. It’s worked so far because most people that try to get in aren’t expecting a security system that can think for herself. What we’re putting together would be the best of both worlds. Automated responses that are overseen and can be redirected by Alice as she feels the need, but don’t require her to do everything on her own.”

Bradley stepped forward. “Speaking of security, I’d like to address the matter of exposed identities. I understand wanting to preserve a layer of protection between yourself and your loved ones and the villains like those who attacked us. No one is required to publicly reveal their identity. We wouldn’t do that to you. What we will do is increase patrols in the areas and neighborhoods that you live in. Watch any loved ones that you’d like us to watch more closely. We want to make sure you and yours are safe, first and foremost. Along those same lines, I think redundant emergency medical centers in the headquarters and even throughout the city are a great idea. Even if we don’t set up our own, it might be a good idea to see if we can give additional funds to local hospitals and clinics so we can make use of them should another tragedy like this strike again.”

((We’ll keep the posting order as it happened, which means Morrigan Cavanaugh is up next))

[Morrigan Cavanaugh]

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[attr="class","adrie-lyric1"]With a little perseverance you can get things done

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[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]Without the blind adherence that's conquered some

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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Morrigan heard the bits about the interviews, and then the news about Alice.  She hadn't really known, but then she had also been missing for quite a while so it wasn't as if she'd been able to get some clues.  Or pamphlets of Pillar only news.  Didn't really translate into solitary confinement real well. She listened carefully to Tim, and Alice. And Bradley about exposed identities. She did wonder what she could do in this case. Patrols around people she cared about. For cases like her parents it was simple. But if she told them she wanted the Stanes to be patrolled near because of Lisa...it would put their vigilante identities at risk. And if she didn't tell them to patrol that neighbourhood it was also like saying Lisa was the vigilante because she was saying they would be well equipped to deal with danger themselves. She was hooped. Morrigan would need to discuss this with Lisa. This was a sticky situation that she needed input on. Morrigan raised her hand.

"So do broken ribs get me out of an interview about my loyalty to Aegis or...? I mean we kinda already did an interview with me about what happened to me. Also..." Morrigan stood, a sombre air around her that was directly in opposition of the lighthearted tone of her joke about the interviews. She bowed not at a ninety degree angle but an angle nonetheless. More like a thirty degree bow. It hurt her a bit, but this was necessary.

"I apologize to Alice. My hope is that the other Pillars feel the same. Nonetheless, even I who have been away a long time, can figure out that you are emotional about this decision and being revealed." She brought herself up from her bow and looked sternly at the other Pillars through her mask, her eyes finally landing on Abraham. She said nothing specifically to him, but the air around her was heavy with her emotion. And slight wisps of smoke like shadows wound their way around her slowly.

"I believe there was a better way to go about this news than just presenting it to the entirety of our organization. We should be concerned about everyone who works for us, and since our AI also has emotions that should also include her." Then she thought of something.

"Alice, are your pronouns she/her? I want to make sure because you aren't really a traditional sort of being." And with that, she sat back down in her chair slowly, taking some heavy breaths. Some decorum had been necessary. If their AI had emotions, they were their own being. And it seemed to her that as a Pillar she needed to respect them.

John Elsven Avonlea Nym @selene

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KAY OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[Deleted]

There were two things Ardeshir knew for sure about Abraham Bishop. One: That he could be a royal ass. Two: He usually knew what he was doing. Of course there was never a guarantee that the Pillars would be open and honest when they didn't know what they were doing or when they made mistakes. All of them were capable of giving off the vibe that they would be honest, if not in their own ways, but when dealing with such powerful leaders, one had to be aware that whatever vibe they got could've been a lie. Liling was admittedly the Pillar that he had the most experience with. She had been the first to assign him to training with Theo after he'd first joined Aegis. She'd even been the one to ask him to help Raphael with sparring, believing the two would mesh well and boost each other's confidence - Though Raphael had seemed to need the boost the most. Ardeshir exchanged a look with Raphael, both of them clearly a mixture of surprise and confusion, when Tim and Alice reacted to the bomb Abraham had clearly dropped. His gaze moved to the two of them before darting to each Pillar to see their own reactions. The look Liling briefly shot Abraham - It was so brief it would've been missed if Ardeshir hadn't already been watching for her reaction - made it clear that she'd been under the impression they were going to discuss it with Tim and Alice first. At Nitro's question about the individual team members' safety, eyes moved to her before Colonel spoke up. The room grew quieter as if on command - which they technically were - when he insisted for things to calm down. Alice finally and officially introduced herself. Ardeshir found himself shifting in his seat, earning a quick and brief glance from Raphael. The thought of an artificial intelligence that was actually alive with feelings and desires was... unnerving, he couldn't deny that. It felt a bit like humanity was messing with life in ways it shouldn't have been. Of course he had no way of knowing if anyone else shared his thoughts nor did he plan to hold Alice responsible for his discomfort. He found himself frowning faintly, though, when Tim said he and Alice were already working on new security. If Alice was emotionally compromised like they had been told, then why was she allowed to work on the new system? He knew if he'd become emotionally compromised, he would have been taken off any assignments he had and either sent to relax at home or see a therapist. He wondered if their AI would be held to the same standard. Then Bradley spoke up and addressed Nitro's concerns. The thought of increased patrols in his neighborhood was also unsettling. It risked tipping enemies who didn't have their compromised identities off to the locations of their homes - Similar to how he and Theo had accidentally put Inara's home in danger that one time. The memory made his stomach twist. He didn't want to risk that again. When Morrigan raised her hand, there were a few chuckles at her comment about broken ribs and still needing to be checked for her loyalty. But then there was silence as she stood and apologized to Alice. When she locked eyes with Abraham, it was clear he stared right back, unflinching, and if Ardeshir was correct, he didn't seem remorseful. When she was done talking and after Alice managed to get her pronouns out because no matter how someone felt, they weren't about to start referring to her as it. That would have been asking for trouble. "I've heard of an underground clinic," Zane piped in, leaning back in his chair enough that the front legs lifted off the ground. "Don't know where it's located and heard that the doc helps anyone, even the uh - well the shitheads - but if we need an off site clinic to help out, maybe we can see about finding and recruiting this doc?" Abel let out an exasperated sigh. "Can we go back to the topic of her though?!" he asked, not unkindly but clearly either unhappy or just downright confused as he gestured toward Alice. "Seriously? What the Hell? She has access to our phones! Possibly even our personal information." "Oh please," Sabrina piped up from her corner seat toward the back of the room, next to Malakai and Pagan, who was translating each spoken word into ASL for his husband. "She's had access to all of that this whole time and I doubt she'd done anything with it, if she's even looked, since the time any of us have joined." "And how would you know that?" Abel shot back, swiveling in his seat to look directly at Sabrina. "We didn't even know she was alive! We don't know what else they're not telling us." His eyes shot a quick sharp look at Abraham. It was obvious, at least to Ardeshir, that there was some unhappiness between the two. After all Abel was one of his teammates closest to Abraham, possibly like a son to him. And it was clear he hadn't been told this prior to the meeting. "I think she's fine," Raphael contributed, though he kept his eyes on his lap. Ardeshir felt Theo's arm rest on the back of his chair and instinctively leaned into his boyfriend's side, nudging Raphael's ankle with his foot to get the other man's eyes and give him a reassuring smile. He lightly bit down on his lower lip before adding himself, "I think she's fine too." His eyes moved to look at Alice and Tim, holding their gazes. "It was your personal information to tell, in my opinion, no one else's. Neither Alice nor Tim have done anything to... warrant such distrust but..." He hesitated, only continuing when he felt a light, gentle squeeze on his shoulder from Theo. "I get if there's a sudden question of whether or not she can be trusted. I don't have to entirely agree with it in order to get it." He turned his gaze to each of the Pillars, not harshly, though. "I don't think it was anyone's call except Alice's to tell us she's alive... But I think it also should be understood that, mm... Us not knowing from the start robbed her of the chance to gain full trust from everyone from the start. Trust needing to rebuilt after this is to be expected." He looked over at Alice again. "But she has my trust," he added as well as, "I also think we should consider increasing patrols overall in the city rather than just in our own neighborhoods."

... take me to your only garden, i wanna see the world you found. just sit me underneath the trees, i wanna see what you believe ... selene Avonlea Nym + Aegis outfits described in first post 1,116 words n/a

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[John Elsven]

Alice was quiet while everyone processed everything and shouted their suspicions. She knew that was the likely response to her reveal. It was why she wasn't sure how or when she wanted to tell people. "I use she/her. Not it. Please. I'm not a thing."

She kept generally quiet other than answering that. She was just thinking about what to do next. Its not like it wouldn't get out. Hundreds, if not thousands of people now knew she was alive. It was only a matter of time before people started coming after her, trying to pull her apart and figure out how she worked.

Bradley nodded when Ardeshir mentioned increasing patrols overall. "We will definitely do that. We don't want to draw undue attention to your homes, but we will give special attention to keep you and your families safe."

Colonel addressed the medical issue. "I'll look in to what we can do legally with that underground clinic. In general, for now, however, unofficially, if you know where it is, feel free to make use of it if our facilities are unavailable or crowded. I cannot give it an official endorsement at this time, but I will look into it."

Things started to calm down, so Tim raised his hand. "I think we should look into some sort of... of teaching tool or program or something. For teens or kids. One of those attackers was young, couldn't have been much older than 20 at most, and he could barely control his powers. I think that we should have or support something to help young powered people learn to manage and control their powers. Not just for combat, but other useful purposes too. Something to show that we're more than just thugs that beat up the bad guys."

Morrigan Cavanaugh

((Getting close to being wrapped up. Next round or two? Skipping Nitro at Marr's request.))

[Morrigan Cavanaugh]

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[attr="class","adrie-lyric1"]With a little perseverance you can get things done

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[attr="class","adrie-lyric2"]Without the blind adherence that's conquered some

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[attr="class","inner-finally"]Morrigan heard all the goings on.  The words from one of the guys she didn't exactly recognize was eloquent about Alice.  She couldn't have said it better herself, and resolved to find out who he was and get to know him.  He deserved more attention within Aegis.  And perhaps she could help a bit with training.  Everyone could benefit by sparring, and if he thought that deeply about things there was surely something she could learn herself.  She had a problem of not strategizing enough, and she had a feeling Lisa would get mad if she ran into danger carelessly again.  She smiled on hearing Colonel address the underground clinic.  People who were helping, regardless of license, would get Morrigan's approval.  She couldn't say it officially of course, just like Colonel.  But the sentiment was there nonetheless.  The words about a teaching tool from Tim rung out through the room.  Morrigan nodded to herself in agreement. 

"I agree with Tim.  It would require thinking through some logistics.  However, as someone who received training when she was young, it is so helpful in our formative years with our powers.  Even if we don't share the same powers as them, there are some tips and tricks that everyone has to pass on."  She rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish grin.

"That said, I don't think I'm the best one to help oversee it.  I have other duties to catch up on.  Plus receiving my training when I was young doesn't mean I'm a good teacher."  And from the middle of the room, she saw a blonde stand up.

"Hi.  For those who don't know me, I'm Cassandra Lewis, codename Legacy.  I also received power training when I was younger.  In fact my whole family specialized in it.  And I...had a teenage son.  In addition, if we wanted to equip them with self defense techniques I would be able to contribute in that aspect as well.  I would be...well I would be more than willing to organize and lead if I need to.  I would need help, of course because many minds are better in the respect of ideas.  I remember when I was that age, and when my son was.  I didn't have much power and I was still frightened.  They could use guidance.  They'll be leading the future, whether as heroes or civilians.  Tim is correct I believe.  That kind of program would be investing in our youth to make sure they are not dangers to themselves or others.  And so they feel a bit more in control of their destinies."  She smiled.

"To say nothing of the fact that I'm a public identity hero so people might be more willing to trust their kids to us with me involved."  She chuckled, hoping that people would see that as the joke it was.

John Elsven Avonlea Nym @selene

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KAY OF PIXEL PERFECT

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[Deleted]

Tim's suggestion of something - a training program most likely - wasn't much of a surprise but then again, after the bombshell that was Alice's secret, Ardeshir wasn't sure if anything could be as surprising that day. But it made sense and honestly he wasn't sure why they hadn't thought of it before. Aegis offered training to its own members but he didn't think someone should have to wait until they were able to join Aegis in order to learn how to control their powers. He knew there were bound to be some kids, scared and hiding away, that would prefer their powers be removed but that wasn't a possibility - as far as he was aware. So he thought training them seemed better than nothing. Ardeshir looked away from Tim long enough to notice Abraham and Liling exchange a look, a quizzical brow propped up on Liling's face and the barest hint of a nod and shoulder shrug from Abraham followed by the faintest trace of a smirk on Liling's lips. He didn't know the two Pillars as well as they knew each other but it was clear an entire conversation had happened in those small mannerisms and Liling seemed to have come out of it victorious. It was also clear which attacker Tim meant. Only one, according to those that had been there and the reports the others had been given, had lost control of their powers. A radioactive one. The thought of a walking nuclear bomb in the city made Ardeshir's stomach twist with sickened anxiety. Theo could probably survive that but he couldn't and neither could his siblings. Then Cassandra spoke up and eyes moved to her. Ardeshir was aware of who she was because he tried to be aware of all of his teammates' names, more out of politeness, not wanting them to think he didn't value them. It was a task easier said than done but he always tried. He hadn't known she'd had a son - the past tense made his heart lurch. He couldn't imagine that kind of loss, that kind of pain. He didn't want to even try to imagine it. "You'd be an excellent mentor," Abraham said, his voice gentler when he spoke to Cassandra as if she was one of the few people he respected and didn't look at as some child that needed a lecture. "And that is an excellent idea, Tim," Liling added, hands on her hips and the sort of proud smile a mother could get on his face. "We'll have to make sure we market it correctly - We don't want parents nor anyone for that matter thinking we're recruiting children to be agents." She thought about it for a second. "If it goes well, we can even consider offering scholarships to help at risk youth go to college. Education is a good way to lower the crime rate, after all."

... take me to your only garden, i wanna see the world you found. just sit me underneath the trees, i wanna see what you believe ... selene John Elsven outfits described in first post 481 words 10,000 years later, Anna finishes a post!

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