Team Construction

Vix · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Vix** on Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:42 pm

While I'm quite sure that some of the characters' specialties seemed rather self-explanatory in the single word that they were, I feel the need to sort of explain exactly what it entails as far as how their training would go and exactly what position they would play on the team when it came down to it. So, here goes this thing.

Espionage, Hacking, & Recon
Think... James Bond. While it might not seem as though it is, espionage is extremely dangerous. Some might just shrug it off as menial, thinking of how easy it would be to pretend to be someone else in order to get information. But it's hardly quite that simple. Espionage training is rigorous and there is no room for error. Those training in espionage will learn how to become someone else entirely. If their cover is blown in enemy territory... Things end in bloodshed. Sometimes they do anyways - It isn't uncommon for an espionage mission to be one of assassination. For that reason, spies are also taught to kill subtly and cover up their tracks. It isn't uncommon for them to also steal physical means of information in evidence rather than asking around for verbal means. It also involves a lot of recon. That doesn't always mean laying under the sun in an outfit designed to make you look like a bush. What it does involve is a lot of studying. The number of guards, the layout of the area, guard patterns, the number of people carrying weapons, who is there, who they should know. There's a lot of notes to take. It also tends to end up involving hacking. Not every spy can hack and not every hacker can spy. But it does help to be able to get yourself onto the invite list of the man that might be smuggling arms into a third world country. Or bypass security protocols in various parts of a building or home so you can more thoroughly investigate. Unlike recon, hacking can be done remotely or in person. The one thing that all three of these have in common? Anonymity is key.

Hand-to-hand & Marksmanship
Boxing. Jiu Jitsu. Taekwondo. Krav Maga. Muay Thai. Brawing. All of them are forms of hand-to-hand combat and all of them are essential for everyone to learn. No matter whether you're a scientist or a pilot or whatever, it is essential to learn at least the basics of some form of hand-to-hand combat because there won't always be a Specialist to cover their asses. Specialists are what S.H.I.E.L.D. calls those who are trained to be better than everyone else at hand-to-hand or marksmanship. Examples would be Captain Rogers, Special Agent Romanoff, and Special Agent Barton. Specialists aren't people that you want to challenge to a fight of any kind. There will always be a Specialist on every team and are often sent in to protect the "tech guys". Those who specialize in Marksmanship are people you don't want to mess with either. When it comes to aim, they tend to be deadly. Guns, spears, crossbows, knives, bows. Everything becomes a weapon in their hand and they often react faster than most and can kill you before you knew they were holding something.

Mechanics (Quantum and otherwise)
When you work for S.H.I.E.L.D. you tend to fall in love with their neat little gadgets. Engineers and mechanics make it all possible. While Asgard views Midgard's technology as primitive and almost obsolete, it's something well appreciated by humans. It's not exactly something that you'd find it many homes (unless that home belonged to Tony Stark). From machines that fit in the palm of your hand and can analyze the chemical makeup of any material placed before it to phones that project holograms to be touched and manipulated like a computer touch screen, they can make it all. Holographic Engineering is actually a course recently added to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Communications and S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Science and Technology curriculum. It's highly advanced and not many are capable of engineering such things. But many are quite capable of engineering many deadly and often subtle weapons. If you ever wanted a true-to-life Batmobile made, you'd want to ask these guys. Weapons, gadgets, and vehicles are what they do.

Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry
Molecular geneticists are the ones that study genes and DNA at a molecular level. They can take various samples from a person and tell a lot about a person: where they're from, what they like to eat, who their family members are, what health issues they have. They can also identify whether a person is human or not. But with the lack of inhuman subjects open for study, they can't tell exactly what a person is if they aren't human. They know how to make a person tick. Physically. They like finding out how people's bodies work and why they work that way. The biochemists are the doctors of S.H.I.E.L.D. and tend to know quite a bit about various forms of medicine and surgery. When you get shot twenty times, it's nice to have a doctor around instead of having to rely on someone's girl scout first aid training to save your life.

Tanking & Defense
A rather new concept with S.H.I.E.L.D. but with their newest additions, it's something that they have come to appreciate. Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, and Captain America are all prime examples of tanks and defense. Even when it comes to bullets and knives, they recover quickly (if they even manage to get hurt) and can provide themselves as shield and covers for other, more vulnerable, more human members of their team. They have no problem jumping into the line of fire when an automatic is involved, deterring a missile, or taking a hit from a speeding truck.

Investigation
There is always a story behind the story. While everyone on the team pitches in ideas and speculations about what's really going on, an investigation specialist tends to have a keener eye and a wider mind. They will often lose hours of sleep and still function well enough to figure out their cases. They are often well versed in various forms of forensics and some just seem to know what's going on or have previously been in a crime affiliated lifestyle long enough to know what they're looking at.

Torture
It's not a pretty job but sometimes it has to be done. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't deal with petty criminals that get tossed in county jail for a few months. The people that S.H.I.E.L.D. take care of would die before releasing compromising information. A torture specialist is to make their victim wish for the sweet release of death. When they come to that point, then they will talk. Some people talk about torturing others and think they know how to make people talk but those are the people who often don't have the stomach for it or end up going too far and killing their victim before getting them to talk. Torture requires self-control and the ability to detach oneself from whatever form of "good" morals that forbid such things. And a strong stomach. It isn't uncommon for spies to be versed in torture and vice versa.

While your character might specialize in one thing that does not mean that they have little to know working knowledge in another position. It just means that the other people who specialize in that branch are better or perhaps your character has equal talent but prefers to work on another specialty.

Team Construction

a part of “Avengers Apprentice Initiative”, a fictional universe by Vix.

Team Construction

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