Post by iCaramelBird on Apr 5, 2016 19:16:40 GMT
NathanielCoran | May 19 2015
"I don't care! You let this happen!"
"Me? How is this my fault?"
"It was your no-brained plan that got us in this mess. Everybody knows you don't let the villain see you coming!"
"How was I supposed to know we missed the surveillance? What am I meant to do, run into the cameras?"
"You're supposed to make a call that isn't going to get our teammate killed! It's called being a good leader!"
"You think I wanted this? You think this makes me happy?"
"Fuck this. I've had with you, and I've had it with this team. I quit!"
Sonar didn't need enhanced hearing to eavesdrop on the argument. His teammates were raising their voices loud enough that it was a miracle half the street didn't listen in. The yelling was giving him a headache. It had been like this for at least an hour now.
Cassie was killed in action a week ago. Taken hostage by a villain during an assault, shot through the heart when she wouldn't let the team bargain for her. 'Foolish girl', the scumbag called her. She was more hero than the rest of them could hope to be.
Simon and Ade were giving each other the silent treatment since that night. Avoiding each other, for the most part. Both knew that they made poor decisions that led up to Cassie's capture, and the power struggle for leadership of the team certainly contributed. But it got too much, erupting like a volcano this afternoon. They knew they were wrong, but they were too stricken by grief to admit it.
Ade burst through the door into the room where Sonar was sitting awkwardly, barely trying to make it look like he wasn't listening.
"Look, dude..."
"Johnny. I'm sorry man, I just can't handle that dickbag any longer. I have to get out."
"It doesn't have to be like this. We used to be tight, we used to be a team. Cassie wouldn't want us to argue like this."
"Those days are over. Goodbye, Johnny."
Simon wasn't far behind, stepping into the room as Aderyn left.
"We've had our differences. I don't... I don't know if we'll work as a team anymore. I can't lead you. I thought I was some sort of leader, the guy who could make the hard call, but the other night... I couldn't do it. One of our friends died for it."
"Andy, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do."
"But there was. It should've been me there, on the ground. I missed the surveillance beams, nobody else. My plan fell apart. And Cassie paid for it. I... I still remember the look in her eyes. The tears streaming down her cheeks, the moment the life drained from her face."
"Don't... don't beat yourself up over it..." Sonar was struggling. He was trying to hold it together himself. The four of them... they'd worked together for nearly two years. Not once in that time did they think they'd have to deal with losing one of their own. He remembered the sight of her falling lifeless, burned into his memory like a cattle brand.
"I'm sorry, Johnny. I can't do it. It'll be better for everyone if I leave, run solo for a while."
"What about me? I can't run a team of one."
"You'll find a way. You found us on your own, after all. Hey," Simon reached for a magazine sitting on a coffee table, showing Sonar the panorama on the front page, "Here you go. Heartania, 'The City of Heroes'. You'll fit right in. You always were the blind heroic type."
Sonar bit back tears. He didn't get emotional over just anything, but this was hitting him where it hurt. His team... no, his family... they were falling apart. All over a silly hostage situation.
"Keep in touch, Si."
"Will do. When you land a job, give me a shout. I can't wait to see what you make for yourself. Good luck, Big Ears."
"See you round, Lightning." Johnny smirked. The nicknames were cute, but they didn't help to hide the pain at all. He watched his best friends walk down the street, in opposite directions. This could well be the last time he saw them again.
He squinted to squeeze the tears out of his eyes, and looked down at the magazine in his hands.
The City of Heroes, huh. Well, it's worth a shot. Now... how do I get a plane ticket?
"Me? How is this my fault?"
"It was your no-brained plan that got us in this mess. Everybody knows you don't let the villain see you coming!"
"How was I supposed to know we missed the surveillance? What am I meant to do, run into the cameras?"
"You're supposed to make a call that isn't going to get our teammate killed! It's called being a good leader!"
"You think I wanted this? You think this makes me happy?"
"Fuck this. I've had with you, and I've had it with this team. I quit!"
Sonar didn't need enhanced hearing to eavesdrop on the argument. His teammates were raising their voices loud enough that it was a miracle half the street didn't listen in. The yelling was giving him a headache. It had been like this for at least an hour now.
Cassie was killed in action a week ago. Taken hostage by a villain during an assault, shot through the heart when she wouldn't let the team bargain for her. 'Foolish girl', the scumbag called her. She was more hero than the rest of them could hope to be.
Simon and Ade were giving each other the silent treatment since that night. Avoiding each other, for the most part. Both knew that they made poor decisions that led up to Cassie's capture, and the power struggle for leadership of the team certainly contributed. But it got too much, erupting like a volcano this afternoon. They knew they were wrong, but they were too stricken by grief to admit it.
Ade burst through the door into the room where Sonar was sitting awkwardly, barely trying to make it look like he wasn't listening.
"Look, dude..."
"Johnny. I'm sorry man, I just can't handle that dickbag any longer. I have to get out."
"It doesn't have to be like this. We used to be tight, we used to be a team. Cassie wouldn't want us to argue like this."
"Those days are over. Goodbye, Johnny."
Simon wasn't far behind, stepping into the room as Aderyn left.
"We've had our differences. I don't... I don't know if we'll work as a team anymore. I can't lead you. I thought I was some sort of leader, the guy who could make the hard call, but the other night... I couldn't do it. One of our friends died for it."
"Andy, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do."
"But there was. It should've been me there, on the ground. I missed the surveillance beams, nobody else. My plan fell apart. And Cassie paid for it. I... I still remember the look in her eyes. The tears streaming down her cheeks, the moment the life drained from her face."
"Don't... don't beat yourself up over it..." Sonar was struggling. He was trying to hold it together himself. The four of them... they'd worked together for nearly two years. Not once in that time did they think they'd have to deal with losing one of their own. He remembered the sight of her falling lifeless, burned into his memory like a cattle brand.
"I'm sorry, Johnny. I can't do it. It'll be better for everyone if I leave, run solo for a while."
"What about me? I can't run a team of one."
"You'll find a way. You found us on your own, after all. Hey," Simon reached for a magazine sitting on a coffee table, showing Sonar the panorama on the front page, "Here you go. Heartania, 'The City of Heroes'. You'll fit right in. You always were the blind heroic type."
Sonar bit back tears. He didn't get emotional over just anything, but this was hitting him where it hurt. His team... no, his family... they were falling apart. All over a silly hostage situation.
"Keep in touch, Si."
"Will do. When you land a job, give me a shout. I can't wait to see what you make for yourself. Good luck, Big Ears."
"See you round, Lightning." Johnny smirked. The nicknames were cute, but they didn't help to hide the pain at all. He watched his best friends walk down the street, in opposite directions. This could well be the last time he saw them again.
He squinted to squeeze the tears out of his eyes, and looked down at the magazine in his hands.
The City of Heroes, huh. Well, it's worth a shot. Now... how do I get a plane ticket?
- Sonar -
Sonar took a deep breath. It was happening again, only this time with someone else's team. Some brutal murderer was holding a hero hostage, for no reason other than causing chaos.
This time, however, he wouldn't let them die. This time he'd make sure the day was saved.
"Alright Starlass, what's the plan?"
Starlass held up a finger, gesturing for him to wait. She was thinking hard. It was a real puzzle, but it needed to be solved.
Time was running out. Time to cobble it together.
"Okay. First things first, we need to prevent Reaver from escaping. Number one method she'll try to use is the VTOL. The speed and cloaking capability mean that as soon as that thing is in the air, they're as good as gone, so we can't let that happen. This is going to be the end of this, or so help me..." she cleared her throat.
"Knight. I assume you've got something in that suit of yours that can shut down an aircraft. EMP, Static Pulse, hell even an anti-air rocket if we need it. No matter what, make sure that Reaver has no escape. Once you're absolutely sure that the VTOL is disabled, move in and deal with Reaver's associates. The girls are all incredibly powerful, but the large Japanese one isn't a superhuman as far as we know, so she's probably your best target. The man in red is a wild card, we have no intel on him whatsoever, so don't engage until he shows his hand. I don't want us to run into someone who we can't handle."
"Frequency, Sonar. You guys are going to move in to secure the hostages. All three of them. Reaver is playing the Broker from the book - I doubt she plans on letting Jason go, and she could end up killing him as well as Felix and the Broker as soon as they're all in the trap. As soon as the hostages change hands, move in and make sure she can't hurt anybody long enough for them to get out. Just keep her occupied, whatever way you know how. But whatever you do, don't show too early. I'll give you a signal, that's when you attack."
"I'll be nearby, watching closely. At the moment that it seems most opportune, I'll set off a distraction that should cover you for enough time to close the gap. She was smart to pick such an open area for the exchange, but there are a few ways I can take advantage of the location. Once I've got you guys close, I'll immediately join Knight to help dispatch her allies."
"The Broker will probably naturally stall for us, so that's good, but we need to strike as late as possible. I don't want you two to have to hold off someone as lethal as Reaver for any longer than you have to, so we're banking on the Fixer arriving just in time. Hopefully, he'll be just as punctual as he usually is with these things."
"Everybody know their role in this?"
This time, however, he wouldn't let them die. This time he'd make sure the day was saved.
"Alright Starlass, what's the plan?"
Starlass held up a finger, gesturing for him to wait. She was thinking hard. It was a real puzzle, but it needed to be solved.
Time was running out. Time to cobble it together.
"Okay. First things first, we need to prevent Reaver from escaping. Number one method she'll try to use is the VTOL. The speed and cloaking capability mean that as soon as that thing is in the air, they're as good as gone, so we can't let that happen. This is going to be the end of this, or so help me..." she cleared her throat.
"Knight. I assume you've got something in that suit of yours that can shut down an aircraft. EMP, Static Pulse, hell even an anti-air rocket if we need it. No matter what, make sure that Reaver has no escape. Once you're absolutely sure that the VTOL is disabled, move in and deal with Reaver's associates. The girls are all incredibly powerful, but the large Japanese one isn't a superhuman as far as we know, so she's probably your best target. The man in red is a wild card, we have no intel on him whatsoever, so don't engage until he shows his hand. I don't want us to run into someone who we can't handle."
"Frequency, Sonar. You guys are going to move in to secure the hostages. All three of them. Reaver is playing the Broker from the book - I doubt she plans on letting Jason go, and she could end up killing him as well as Felix and the Broker as soon as they're all in the trap. As soon as the hostages change hands, move in and make sure she can't hurt anybody long enough for them to get out. Just keep her occupied, whatever way you know how. But whatever you do, don't show too early. I'll give you a signal, that's when you attack."
"I'll be nearby, watching closely. At the moment that it seems most opportune, I'll set off a distraction that should cover you for enough time to close the gap. She was smart to pick such an open area for the exchange, but there are a few ways I can take advantage of the location. Once I've got you guys close, I'll immediately join Knight to help dispatch her allies."
"The Broker will probably naturally stall for us, so that's good, but we need to strike as late as possible. I don't want you two to have to hold off someone as lethal as Reaver for any longer than you have to, so we're banking on the Fixer arriving just in time. Hopefully, he'll be just as punctual as he usually is with these things."
"Everybody know their role in this?"