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S.C.E.S.S.

United States of America

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a part of S.C.E.S.S., by Paradigm.

None

Paradigm holds sovereignty over United States of America, giving them the ability to make limited changes.

565 readers have been here.

Setting

Default Location for S.C.E.S.S.
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United States of America is a part of S.C.E.S.S..

9 Characters Here

Ghost [8] A soldier with a past.
Fiona Lancaster [7] "I'd die for them - just not yet."
Jace Enheign [7] Combat Operative.
Caitriona Rossa [6] "I'm ready when you are."
Zachary Fleming [6] Ex-Marine under confidential phsychological observation.
"Ghost" [0] A soldier with a past.
Adrian Pierces Olive [0] Classified

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All staff members and personnel on sight please report to the mess hall for 12:00 meal.

The monotonous robotic voice thundered through the SCESS headquarters, echoing around every corner, pouring into the ears of everyone within the complex. The automated announcement system commanded it's orders every six hours, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sleep. It was never late, never early, always in six hour intervals. Ghost, who had been in one of the many armories, immediately ceased what he was doing to heed the automated call. If you were curious, he had been cleaning and maintaining his Smith & Wesson model .500 pistol. It was his pride and joy, the only weapon he ever truly used. Unless the mission called for something more capable he was perfectly fine with only a pistol.

He holstered his weapon on his boot. There probably wasn't a need to go all the way to the armory just to maintain his pistol, but he liked the armory. It was very futuristic looking, like something out of a Mass Effect game. The walls were snow white, and made into a fairly complex geometric pattern with concrete and ceramic plating for looks. The floors were similar to marble aesthetically, but much more sturdy and less likely to fracture. Exactly what they were composed of was unknown. The material itself was highly classified as far as technical specifications go. Funny, something every member of the base came in contact to.. yet still classified. Happyman had an odd sense of humor.

Ghost exited the armory and proceeded down the long, twisted, corridors that made up the headquarters. As similar to a labyrinth as the corridors may have appeared, they were still very easy to navigate. One who was familiar with the SCESS headquarters knew exactly where each one lead. One who wasn't could learn within a week. That's what the entire second week of SCESS Basic consisted of, learning the base inside and out. Not completely, of course, some wings and complexes are classified to new recruits. Rumors have it that there's also an entire sub-level classified to only the most experienced of agents. This is just a rumor, though.

Upon arriving at the mess hall he was greeted by someone. "Good evening sir, identification?" The man asked, holding out a hand in anticipation. Ghost withdrew his ID and handed it to the man who then nodded and gave it back. "Have a good meal."

The man was one of the many SCESS hall monitors. Now, when you hear Hall Monitor, you think of some nerdy kid in middle school with a bunch of pink slips that you're oh so eager to throw into the nearest trash can, right? Well, the SCESS monitors aren't quite the same. See, the SCESS takes security very seriously. Their monitors are strapped with some very, very cutting edge armoring, and carry very, very big guns. And let me just warn you now, they are by no means pushovers. If you piss off one of these guys, they can get you thrown off site faster than you can get on your knees to beg him to spare your own life.

Soon after Ghost entered the cafeteria some fairly large blast doors were sealed. Remember when I said security was taken very seriously? I meant VERY seriously. You had ten minutes to get to mess hall, and that was all, there were no exceptions. They sealed soldiers in, and everyone else out. It was mostly a mental thing, to get soldiers to understand that.. well, it's a long drawn out psychological explanation you probably don't care about. Long story short, they wanted you to realize that you were privileged to work in the SCESS, and you had to obey them 100% no questions asked, as nazi regime as it sounded.

"What'll you have?" a cafeteria worker inquired Ghost. "The usual. The steak, side of beans and broccoli, and a glass of icewater." Not the most appealing meal to some, but to Ghost, nutrition was vital. And top quality food was one of the strong points of the SCESS. They had five star meals. Not that "Meal Ready to Eat" stuff that was distributed in the armed forces. Ghost retrieved his food and sat down at an empty table. He was actually instructed to sit at this table, all of the new recruits to Task-397 were. That's how lunch went at SCESS..you ate at the same table as your squadmates. If you weren't on a squad, you just mingled around wherever.

He looked around, attempting to pick out who his possible squadmates were. Ghost was eager to meet them and get acquainted.

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Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Caitriona Rossa
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#, as written by Esana
When the loudspeaker rang out, Caitriona was already at the door to the cafeteria - no, wait, what do they call them again? Caitriona wondered, the words of the loudspeaker already slipping out of her mind as she handed her ID over to the hall monitor. He was a very tall man in slim, but powerful looking armor with a large gun leaning next to him. She smiled absently at the man as she entered, still pondering about the question - oh, right. Mess hall. That's what it is, Caitriona thought.

She wandered around for a bit, receiving mild glares and odd looks from the other people walking to get their lunch. Caitriona smiled at them and continued her search for the table that she was supposed to sit at. It was supposed to be labelled but... Caitriona shook her head. In a room that large, it really didn't help all that much - not unless the label was the size of an elephant and judging by the lack of elephant-sized signs in her eye's view, it was really unlikely.

Finally though, spotted a table that, at an angle, looked like it had a small, paper-sized sign taped to one end that said Task-397 in large, bold letters.

Caitriona edged herself sideways and stood on tiptoe to get a better look. It was the right table - currently empty. Looking around, Caitriona marked the location in her mind, taking a moment to commit the picture to memory and then turned around and walked the other way, almost running into another soldier. Luckily, the man had been paying attention to where he was going and nimbly stepped to the side, though he gave Caitriona a mild glare.

"My bad," Caitriona returned, before continuing on. She lifted her nose and sniffed, almost dog-like at the aromas around her - it was good food, definitely. Most of the time, scents this - delicious - only came into her nose when she was at an expensive dinner.

For a moment, Caitriona was distracted from her dinner quest by a hissing noise. She glanced towards the sound - the large blast doors were being shut. She had a vague impression of a mouse in its cage as the door was slid down - there certainly were similarities in the two situations. Of course, Caitriona thought as she stepped up to receive a tray, not every mouse has five-star gourmet food served to her that's guaranteed to be good and healthy.

"Do you recommend anything?" She asked as response to the cafeteria worker's question.

The cafeteria worker blinked at her and then sighed. "Seared chicken with apricot sauce, light spices. Side of small fruit salad. Grilled eggplant and mushroom sandwich if you're vegetarian. Comes with some tomato soup. Best drinks are -" The cafeteria worker broke off and looked Caitriona up and down for a moment, judging her. "I'd recommend the iced tea or some mineral water."

After taking a minute to consider - causing irritation in the line behind her - Caitriona said, "I'll take the sandwich. And iced tea, please."

It took less time for the cafeteria worker to serve her and shoo her away than it took for Caitriona to turn around and scan for her table. When she'd figured out the right direction, she headed towards it.

To her mild surprise, there was someone sitting there now - a tall, muscular man with very close cropped black hair, dressed in a combat suit - a more casual - if a combat suit could be called that - one than the hall monitors had been wearing. He looked rather intimidating and his meal matched his looks - very simple and hard - as Caitriona walked close enough to see.

She placed her tray down and sat down. "Hi. I'm Caitriona - Cait. Are you..." She was unsure of what to say - she only knew the leader's name - "Ghost?"

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Ghost had begin to cut his steak into even cubes with the knife and fork provided by the cafeteria workers. They didn't give out flimsy plastic sporks and dull butterknives, they trusted their employees with quality knives. It was a small bit of OCD that compelled the man to evenly cut his steak, but nothing big, nothing that would hold him back on a mission. He wasn't about to stop mid-battle to make sure his shoelaces were symmetrically laced. He plunged the fork into one of the cubes of steak and placed it into his mouth. It was somewhat moist, cooked rare, he liked it that way. No steak sauce though. He wasn't very fond of steak sauce. Just as he swallowed he heard a voice as someone sat down.

"Hi. I'm Caitriona - Cait. Are you... Ghost?"

Ghost smiled. "Yup," he replied in a friendly tone, "I take it you're on my squad?" It was somewhat of a rhetorical question meant to make conversation. It was quite obvious she was on the same squad, so he might as well get to know her. He took a sip from his icewater. It was very cold, just above freezing point, so he didn't exactly dive into it and chug it. Instead it was one of those small sips you'd expect some rich and fancy people take from a wine glass.

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Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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#, as written by Grahf
Jace

ID in hand, Jace knew the drill, the guard allowed him leave to enter the Mess. He wasn't hungry, having had a late lunch, but God's Voice had commanded him to go here. No one knew if he was joking or not when he called the loud-speakers that, he would just look at the questioner funny. He had an odd humor, it was difficult to understand. The main issue came from Jace being smarter than you. It was not an insult, unless your IQ was at some crazy genius level...Jace was smarter than you. And he knew it.

Dressed today in simple civilian clothes; an olive green hoodie and cargo pants, black boots and a pair of sunglasses, after as many years of Active duty as Jace had served no one bothered to try to force a uniform on him. A quick sweep of the room locates the table his team is assigned, and brushing past several others Jace cuts in the food line. Those behind him stare rage at his back, while those that know him do the best they can to soothe tempers. One large man attempts to reach out and seize Jace's shoulder, only to be stopped by his buddies, one muttering something about '...you don't mess with the Doc..'

It was common knowledge; You did not mess with those that prepared your food, or those that sewed you up.

A simple drink was all Jace was after, today he wanted juice. Settled in his selection of some mish-mash of fruit juices in a large cup he turns and nods with a grin at those he cut in line..and wanders off. Taking a rather round-about tour of the Mess, greeting a few people he knew, he eyes the table he was supposed to sit at. By now there was two, a man and a woman. From his notes on the team he knew them both, knew them quite well. It was an advantage in his favor; as a medical specialist he HAD to know about the team, so he was issued detailed files on all it's members.

Satisfied that he had some advantage in the situation Jace finally joins the group. Sitting, silent for the moment, he drinks his juice while looking the others over.

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Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Caitriona Rossa Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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#, as written by Esana
"Yeah," Caitriona said, giving a small smile. "That's right." She blinked at Ghost for a moment and then looked down at her sandwich.

It was very neatly assembled with whole grain bread and layers of mushrooms and eggplants and other mysterious ingredients all with some interestingly colored sauce spilled sparingly throughout the ensemble. Still, Caitriona had a feeling that once she actually picked up the sandwich, it would probably fall apart in her hands. She wondered how best to solve the problem - and then shrugged mentally. Sandwiches were never easy to eat cleanly, and unless she wanted to staple the sides shut, this one would probably end up the same way.

Picking up the sandwich, she took a bite. There was a crunch and then a leafy green vegetable that wouldn't break until Caitriona used her fingers to separate the thing, getting mayonnaise on her hands as she did so. She gave her finger a light lick to clean it and then wiped it on a napkin before finishing her bite and taking a sip of the iced tea. There was very little sugar in it, and all that she could actually taste was tea and the faint, acidic scent of lemon. She took another bite of her sandwich, this time trying to find a place where the leafy green vegetable - spinach, it tasted like - would break evenly.

She continued this way for a moment until a shaved, cold-looking man walked over to them and sat down. He looked them over, silently drinking his juice.

Caitriona blinked at him for a moment, swallowed her bite and then said, in a very light way, "Hi."

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The gym was near empty most mornings and especially as lunchtime drew nearer. As a results Zack was alone for most of his morning workout, which was the way he liked it. It had been a particularly rigorous session and was in the midst of being finished off with a thorough wash. The steady trickle and splash of the water from the shower echoed through the deserted locker room and beneath that stream of hot water, clouded by the steam, stood Zachary Fleming, forehead leant against the cool tiles of the wall. His breathing was slow and steady but deep, the remnants of adrenaline wearing off. It was the after-workout calm that led to him running a little later than usual and losing track of time. The speakers nearby blared out the call to the midday meal and he sighed, raising his palms to the tiles and pushing himself backwards.

A quick dry was all he had time for and gearing up was not a possibility so he threw on a tight-fitting, black T-shirt and some loose tracksuit pants before setting off at a jog for the messhall, wet hair plastered to his face and reaching almost to his dark, blue eyes. They were eyes that showed little, as dark as a lake in the shadows of a mountain range and reflecting the same isolated feeling. Like the calm surface of water in winter, it was difficult to tell if there was life beneath at all.

"Twenty seconds Bud, better move or you're not getting in!" The hall monitor yelled down the hallway at the approaching figure and Zack broke into a run, flashing his ID as he passed into the messhall. The door slammed shut and locked behind him seconds later, something he would perhaps never get used to, and he carried on at a slow walk to the back of the queue, sliding his hand back through his hair to set it in it's usual style of slicked back. He ended up behind a familiar fellow S.C.E.S.S employee and got chatting, his merry exterior never faultering. There was some sort of ruccus up ahead but he paid no mind to it, people in this line of work had a way of getting into disagreements often enough and he couldn't have cared less if it came to blows. He would not be the one who would shoulder the consequences.

"I'm heading the gym myself later if you wanna spot me? Need a good workout, been out on duty for a few days." The man, who could be called an acquaintance at best, had been on a mission and was using it as an excuse to be friendly and get to know Zack. How quaint.
"I might be there." He wouldn't, not now that he knew someone would pester him if he turned up. "You have fun out there?"
"Was pretty dull, recon mostly." Which meant classified, he had come to learn. Then again, all missions were. It was simply a pleasantry to ask. Zack liked to keep up appearances by appearing interested but he thought this particular individual to be a nuisance and an idiot. He quite enjoyed talking with the people that would serve their country alongside him; his squadmates, but he had recently... Parted with their company, rather suddenly. Today a new page would be written and he was actually looking forward to it. From what he could tell, there would be some very skilled soldiers in this squad. No pushovers, no gloryseekers and certainoly no idiots.
"Well, maybe I'll catch up with you later," he said to the man, who had obtained his lunch and seemed to be waiting for Zack to say something. "And if not, push a few extra reps for me, yeah?" The man laughed and departed with a thumbs up. Zack had a mental image of the man pushing the extra reps without a spotter and his arms giving out. It made him smile slightly as he ordered his lunch.


With a plate of exquisite food in his hand, Zack always felt a little confused. He had been raised on crap and it was taking some considerable amount of time for him to adjust. The intricacies of delicate flavour and texture that made a dish truly delicious were simply beyond his comprehension, yet he was slowly learning a few basics of culinary appreciation. He was a long way from becoming a food critic but that was hardly an ambition he would choose to follow up. So it was with an amateurs eyes and nose that he glanced over his fish; lightly grilled salmon, and then with a well trained gaze that he saw past the plate to the table he had been ordered to sit at today.

There were three people so far at this table, all apparently in the same situation as he, having never met before. Their body language confirmed it, they were closed off from each other, not yet a team or a squad. But they had to start somewhere, so he strolled over, brushing aside a lock of hair that had fallen across the top of his face as he did.
"Task-397?" he asked in a level voice with only the slightest tinge of an East coast accent, aware that the answer was yes. "Zachary Fleming." May as well get straight to the introductions. "Looks like I'll be working with y'all."

He took a seat at the end of the table beside a tall-looking fellow with black hair and eyes that seemed almost to match who was dressed in full gear. He reached his right hand across his chest, muscles still bulging after his exercise, and offered it to shake.

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Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster
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As the intercom droned on, Fiona stopped hitting the punching bag. Shaking her head she tried to get the strands of hair that had fallen out during her workout. Sighing, she wiped the hair back using the sweat on her forehead to get it to stick. Unwrapping, her hands she stripped the bandages off of her hands, knuckles still red from the beating. This was her stress relief. She threw the bandages into her bag off to the side. It had all of her workout equipment in it and she never left her room without it when she was staying in the base. The woman pulled her hair down from the ponytail holding it and reset it in a low ponytail; her attempts to make herself more presentable. She knew she was meeting up with the rest of the team today so her choice in blowing off steam came at the wrong time. Though she wasn’t the only one in the gym, another person was there besides of herself. And unlike her, he actually went to take care of himself before lunch. Yeah. I probably should have done that too
 Oops.

Grabbing her bag she threw it over her shoulder and headed for the mess hall. Shifting the bag around she pulled out her ID from the side pocket. Her bare feet padded on the cold floor. She knew the issues others had with her not wearing shoes or even socks, but she didn’t care. It was her own health not theirs. She had on long black stretch pants that she wore any time she went to workout and a loose fitting t-shirt; a dark green v-neck with a small left pocket. The shirt covered only half of the massive scar on her right arm, the most major part of it. It wasn’t something she wanted to explain on the first day. In fact, if she never had to, the happier she would be. As far as she was concerned this team was only being thrown together to take out a threat on a short term basis. It would be better not to grow attached to her new teammates and take the risk of losing them.

Knowing that she only had a certain amount of time to get to the mess hall, Fiona quickened her steps until she reached the guard. She showed him her ID, ignoring his piercing gaze and headed into the room glad that the other solider was the one getting yelled at for nearly missing lunch. As she put the badge back into the pocket, she swept her gaze around the room. She found the table easily seeing there were already people there eating. Heading over to the line, she waited trying to decide what she wanted. In the end, she got her favorite meal; spaghetti with melted cheese on top and butter bread. The bread was the best part in her opinion. After workout meals always deserved the best food.

Leaving the line with her meal and normal tap water, hating the mineral water, she headed over to the table where there were now four; three men and another female. Sweet, I’m not the only girl. Not going to be raped. She thought bitterly to herself. Taking in the present people’s appearance she was able to pick out the leader just by the way he was looking (of course all of them kind had the same look in a way), taking in everything. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen the people before, but she’d never spoken to them. Not even the man she’d left behind from the gym. Okay, not like I talk too much of anyone, anyways
 Sighing to herself she sat her plate and cup down at the table before pulling her bag off her shoulder, putting it under the table and then sat down herself. She nodded to those present knowing her time to speak would come soon. The woman began eating as she listened to the other woman talk and then the male from the gym. She twirled her fork around the plate. Her stomach grumbled and she knew she would have to stop skipping breakfast. She ate a few bites before she piped in.

“I’m Fiona.” She stated giving her normal name and not the code name she hated so much due to her gymnastics skills that made her seem to fly. She really wished the name had dropped off or that she would be given a new one, but to no avail. Maybe this time it’ll happen. Yeah


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"Task-397? Zachary Fleming. Looks like I'll be working with y'all."

Ghost turned his attention to the newcomer, Zack, and shook his hand with a firm grip. "Indeed," Ghost picked at his beans a bit with a fork before taking a bite. Needs a little salt, he thought, before taking a salt shaker and sprinkling some on it. There were salt and pepper shakers at each table, as well as a dispenser for sugar packets, kind of like at a restaurant. But it wasn't a restaurant.. obviously.

I'm Fiona.

He then redirected is attention to the other newcomer, "Welcome to the team," it was more directed at everyone than just her, however. He then spoke to the entire table. "You all seem like capable people. People that could hold there own in most situations. I'm glad to have each and every one of you on the team, and that I've the opportunity to work with each and every one of you." He spoke charismatically, like a leader addressing the public. "As you all are aware of, we're now part of Task-397.. Let's have our own little toast shall we? To 397?" It was somewhat of a tradition at SCESS to have a toast with your squad-members at the first lunch of a new task assignment. Something that just kind of gained popularity and stuck over the years. Mostly it was to celebrate while you could, in case you didn't come back in one piece.

Ghost figured that the other three members didn't make it to lunch or were mingling around somewhere amongst the masses. They weren't at the table yet and the doors had already closed, so those were really the only two options. They'd meet up eventually, but until then, he figured they would just have to do without.

5 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Zachary Fleming Character Portrait: Caitriona Rossa Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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#, as written by Grahf
Jace

The greeting received only a pointed look, Jace simply looking at Caitriona with almost a pained expression. He did not bother to explain it. Further responses were thwarted by the arrival of two more team members. The first, a male...was revealed to be the head-case that had been red-flagged in Jace's notes, this one received a quick glance, as the team's medic drank more juice. The files were in conclusive on this one, but ruled that he would be of use. However, his lack of compassion would be noted. It was not uncommon, but ran close to being dangerous in the long run.

The next to step up, and looking rather...fresh from the gym...was Fiona. 'Wings' as her file had nicknamed her. How quaint. A quick mental check allowed Jace to remember; she was to be his back-up, one of the only others here that could patch up the human form with any skill. It would do well to keep her alive, he thought, incase he needed any work done himself. It was always good to have back-up, but spoke to Jace on a personal level; those on high though him incapable. This did not bode well. If they felt a need to provide extra support..then this mission was nasty indeed.

All in all it was a nice team, healthy..for the most part, and rather sane...once again for the most part. They would be fine, though not all would survive. When did they? He would do his best however to keep the red stuff in, and the bad stuff out. Preventative medicine was killing the bad guys before they killed your team. He learned it that way when serving with the Marines, and it stuck with him.

The toast, always the toast. Some traditions seemed like a waste, this was one Jace could do without. He tried ignoring it one mission once, but it became such an issue that he had resolved to put aside his personal feelings on the matter. Jace frowned, lifting his juice, and speaking for the first time. "Three. Nine. Seven." Even tones, not soft spoken, just bland. He put forth nothing in his voice, just pushing out the words as they were needed.

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The man took Zack's hand with a firm grasp and gave it a shake, his gaze shifting to the woman who sat down as he did. Zack also turned his attention to her. It took a moment for the face to register and he remembered the woman from the morning's session in the gym. She had been trying her best to snap the chain holding up a punchbag from what he could tell, and with some pretty impressive strikes. A potential sparring partner? He thought maybe so.

The man whose hand he had shook started speaking and confirmed that he was the leader of this taskforce by welcoming them and proposing a toast in a fashion Zack knew to be tradition, though he had only done it once before. Without a thought of holding back he reached into his bag, which he had discarded rather unceremoniously on the floor beside him, and took out a bottle of sports drink, holding it out alongside his peers.

"Three nine seven," he said with a slight raise of the eyebrows, enjoying the way the words felt comfortable coming out of his mouth. His thoughts on the team so far were limited, he had yet to find out anything about each of them, but he had a strong feeling about each individual. Not good, never quite good, but strong. They all seemed capable, as pointed out by Ghost, and he thought fighting alongside them would prove... Interesting. He did however have doubts about one of them. The man who had given him nothing more than a seemingly cursory glance and who spoke the only three words he had heard with such a lack of emotion that it even made Zack think twice. But it was not that man that interested him from the start, nor even the leader of this outfit that he decided to question first.

"Nice to meet you all." He turned and looked across the table. "So, Fiona was it? I saw you in the gym, beating on that bag like you'd caught it in bed with your husband. Wanna train sometime? Can't beat a bit of sparring to bring the team together. Unless..." He looked at Ghost on his left. "There are any more pressing matters to attend to first?"

Zack had never been one for group conversation, he preferred to keep talking to a one-to-one basis. People had a way of speaking or acting differently in a group or even with the presence of other people, which was why he favoured the company of a select few to an extensive network of individuals. That, plus Fiona was a team member. Which meant that they would be in contact no matter what. Sparring with her would save him the trouble of spending time with someone he didn't give a damn about. Another image of the man from the lunchline dropping his weight and busting a few ribs. No smile this time, just an inquisitive gaze at Ghost as he awaited a reply.

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Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Zachary Fleming
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There were a few things that a lot of people hated that Fiona did not. The traditional toast was one of them. She liked it only because it gave her a sense of belonging. A sense she hadn’t had growing up. She lifted up her water with a small one sided smile. “Three nine seven.” Without waiting she tipped her drink back not wanting to hold her arm in the air for long periods of time. Her muscles needed a small break so they wouldn’t knot together. She drank the water back letting it parch her throat before setting it back down. She gave a slight nod to the others before directing her attention to Zachary.

The woman managed a small smile at the punching bag comment before nodding her head. “Sure. Though if I had a husband to be caught in bed with another woman I sure wouldn’t have done that to it.” She stated lightly as she nibbled on her food not wanting to be rude but still hungry. The fact that he’d been watching her was a shock. Most of the time the other people in the gym never paid any attention to her unless she was making a spectacle of herself, showing why she had the name Wings. Then again she couldn’t say she hadn’t been watching him either. He was good. Better than she was and she wasn’t afraid to admit it.

Sparring with him would be fun and interesting to say the least. She knew she probably didn’t have a chance in hell of beating him
 but there were better things that winning. She could learn a lot from the man. Of course, if they had a real sparring match she should be able to do her “tricks”. And if that were the case, she wanted to see how he handled them. If he could stop her from doing them, she needed to learn. But she knew she always needed help with her ground work – it was her weakest area.

“Sounds like fun.” She wasn’t sure if she should add his name or not wanting to seem to informal right after meeting. Fiona turned to look at Ghost. Before they came up with any definite plan they needed to know whether or not they had other business. She wasn’t sure if she would be up for a full contact match so soon after her workout and eating. An hour to at least let some of the food digest and maybe a shower to soothe the aching muscles.

5 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Zachary Fleming Character Portrait: Caitriona Rossa Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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#, as written by Esana
The man gave her a look just short of a glare. Caitriona blinked at him and then looked up as two others joined them - another girl, with pretty strawberry-blonde hair and a semi-tall, lean man with blonde hair - a bit longer than most of the other soldiers had. They introduced themselves - Fiona and Zachary, respectively. Caitriona looked at the shaved man, who was, at the moment, the only one who was still nameless to her. But before she could ask anything, Ghost spoke up. She turned her attention back to him, although she wasn't very interested by his idea - a toast - it seemed a little early and a little - a little empty - there was no point in it as far as she could see, nothing to celebrate.

Still, she lifted her glass, saying the numbers lightly and then adding, in a mouthed whisper that only she could hear, "May God bless us." She had refrained from saying a prayer before she ate because she hadn't wished to impose on the others. After all, religion wasn't always the best topic to start on. She drank her glass and then put it down again with a soft clunk noise. She had picked up her sandwich again when Zachary began to speak with Fiona - something about sparring.

Caitriona was mildly interested, but decided to let it rest for a moment. She looked at the shaved man, who's name was still unknown. Not that names really mattered in this line of business, but it was always nice to know "What's your name?" She asked, keeping her voice light and calm. Her sandwich settled comfortably in her hand, she took a semi-medium bite and chewed.

As she waited for his answer, she listened idly to Fiona and Zachary talk. There was not a large difference in size between the two - Fiona was almost as tall as Zachary - but while Fiona looked slender and lithe, Zachary had a more hard muscle build. It would be an interesting fight. She was not a hand-to-hand combat person, but watching people fight was always interesting - and she could always use improvement. She swallowed and took a light sip and looked at Ghost for his answer. If he didn't have anything more to say to them, then maybe she'd ask to tag along - it wasn't as if she had anything else to do.

5 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Zachary Fleming Character Portrait: Caitriona Rossa Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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#, as written by Grahf
Jace

Tracking the conversations flowing about, while also going over some of his notes in his head, Jace held up a finger at the woman's question. Taking a small sip of his juice, he waits, a pause in the noise, so that he need not raise his voice. Such a pause comes shortly there after, the two chattering about a spar waited for an answer from Ghost, and he himself looked to be chewing..so it was a prime window.

"My name is Jace. I will be providing medical and combat support for this mission. I have extensive practice in both front-line action, and combat-trauma, as I spent time working with the Marines as a Corpsman." he pauses, eyes moving from face to face. "However, you should all have some basic first aid know-how. If this is not the case, you will report directly to me after this meal is over, I will be instructing basic use of emergency gear."

With a nod towards Ghost he continues, "This here is the leader, we all listen to him. He says jump, we are already in the air. However, by Standard Action Regulations I have full medical authority to over-rule an order that is counter inductive to the squad. Bear in mind however that given the grave situation that we all may be facing....that rule may have to go right out the window."

He turned to look at Cait and nodded slightly "While god may not have a hand in things, I certainly will do my best." his smile was hardly what one would call warm. He knew her file, and knew the place religion had in her life. It was not meant to be a shot at her, but a small poke. Jace was an intellectual, he had no place for fantasy and religion in his mind, he liked to tease those who did.

5 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Zachary Fleming Character Portrait: Caitriona Rossa Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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#, as written by Esana
At first, Jace's words just slid over Caitriona, the name and the occupation absorbed, but nothing else. She listened as he listed his history a bit, but didn't bother to store the information under important files in her mind. After all, it was probably something that would never come up again - or at least, not on business anyway. And she didn't really think that this guy was up for making any small talk that didn't have to relate to a mission, so there was no point in storing the data.

Basic first aid... It definitely wasn't one of Caitriona's strong suits. She was a gunman - gunwoman, which meant that she rarely got very close to her target and even more rarely got injured. The times that she had... medics had always been available and willing to help. It was their job, after all.

She watched as he nodded to Ghost in deference, before he continued with a statement that was anything but. It made her smile absently, and she glanced at Ghost to see his reaction. Before she could register it though, Jace turned to look at her, nodding his head slightly. His lips spread in something that might have been classified as a grimace on someone else's face, but on his? Caitriona wasn't quite sure, but she had a feeling that the medic was giving her a smile, a cold one, yes, but still, a smile.

"While God may not have a hand in things, I certainly will do my best."

Her eyebrows rose, arching into fine bows, as she stared at him. From the look on his face and the tone in his voice, it was meant to be a quip on her. As if he knew her beliefs. She locked eyes with him for a moment and then blinked, relaxing herself and lowering her eyes.

Not everyone believed in God - she knew that very well. However, she also knew that God did exist. He might not interfere with life very often, but He cared about His creations and watched over them all the time - always and everything. God would protect her, and after death, He would welcome her into His kingdom. Those who didn't believe lived cold lives, sad lives - lives with no meaning in them. They didn't understand that every life was made by God and that every life is lived for Him. And unfortunately, it was their loss, not God's.

Still, even knowing that, Caitriona felt a bit of a pique under her skin. She felt challenged. Lifting her head, she smiled at Jace, keeping the smile light. "I think I'll take you up on that offer. I'd like some basic first aid training." Her eyes flickered to Fiona and Zachary. "If Fiona and Zachary don't mind, we could go watch their fight, and then afterwards, you could show me how best to take care of minor injuries." She looked at Fiona and Zachary. "Do you guys mind?" And then at Ghost, "Ghost, sir? Do you have anything for us to do?"

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Character Portrait: Toxin (Yumi Ayai)
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Two hours before lunchtime...

"You did well Toxin...silent and clean as always" spoke the voice of a shadowed out man on the viewscreen "Now if you look behind you you will see the file for your next task they will be meeting at lunchtime in the mess....don't be late."

With that the screen went dark and Toxin turn to look behind her. There sat a large file marked 'Task 397'. Slowly she opened the file and started to read it. The first part of it went into detail about the mission and the Doctor and his toxin, second came the list with the codenames and pictures of her team mates.

"Interresting.." she whispered to herself as she closed the folder. She looked at the clock, a little over an hour just enough time to wash the last mission off of her with a nice shower...

Lunchtime

Toxin had slipped into a black tank top long black shorts and her combat boots. She looked more like some japanese punk rocker then a deadly assassin as she walked into the mess hall. She saw the table for Task 397 was empty as she ordered her japanese noodles and a bottle of green tea. She hated to be the first one to a task table so she waited and watched. She looked over each as they came in and sat down her mind puting codenames with faces. Finally they closed the doors for good so she ventured over to the table where she heard them talking seems she had missed the toast but she spoke up anyway. "To Task 397...you can call me Toxin."

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Ghost silently listened as they all talked. He didn't really have much input beyond what he had already spoken, there wasn't much to say. To be honest he wasn't a social person at all, more of a 'get stuff done' type of guy. He was perfectly fine with sitting quietly and just observing.

"Ghost, sir? Do you have anything for us to do?"

He snapped his attention over to Caitriona. "Yeah, after lunch you all should gear up, get ready to head out. We're going to be going to the briefing room in an hour, then we're going to be flown out on our mission afterwards." They didn't give them much time to prepare, but they didn't want the folks at SCESS to be lazy. As soon as they were assigned a task, they were fed, then debriefed, then shipped away. It generally got better results than waiting a day or two to begin the mission. Faster is better.

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An hour? God damn the efficiency of this organisation.

Zack had been hoping to at least get to talk to some of his new squadmates before they set out to start killing things together. He needed to know how they worked, needed some rapport , some kind of connection. How could they expect a team to function without knowing each other? Well, he knew the answer to that. It was because they were all the best, the very best. So they had no choice but to be in sync. They all knew what they were doing and knew they had to watch each others backs. Still, he was a little annoyed, he would have enjoyed some time for his muscles to recover. Perhaps they'd be heading further afield and he could rest up on the journey. Perhaps not. Either way he would have to be on top of his game.

"Entertainment's off then" Zack said, aiming his words towards Caitriona as he scooped the first bite of salmon onto his fork. "As is the training." He savoured the flakes of fish, excellently cooked as always, and looked at Jace. "So you'll be glueing us back together if we have an accident for now." He swallowed, face distant in thought for a moment. An hour would be time enough for him to gear up and gather his things, no doubt about that, but maybe he'd find a chance to have a chat with Ghost before the briefing. Each leader had their own tactics and strategies. Knowing in advance what to expect was never a disadvantage.

His face cleared and focused as he returned to his meal. Better than yesterday? He didn't care. It was just food.

Zack took this time, as he chewed another mouthful, to examine the people now at the table. An even ratio of Men: Women, a rare occurance in squads. Truthfully, he didn't care about sex any more than he cared about toenail length. All that mattered was whether they could do the job well. Looking at the newcomer, he was unsure. She looked as though she'd leapt straight out of a comic book, but in a strange way that seemed to fit. There were certainly a variety of characters in Task-397 and in his experience that made for a strong group. Clashes of personality seemed likely but hell, he'd prefer that to boredom any day. They were all professional enough to keep it from interfering with work.

Would he get along with these folks better than his old squad? He didn't care. That was politics, which ranked lower than food on his list of priorities.

5 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Fiona Lancaster Character Portrait: Ghost Character Portrait: Zachary Fleming Character Portrait: Toxin (Yumi Ayai) Character Portrait: Jace Enheign
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It seemed that several things could happen at once. The male who hadn’t spoken before finally opened his mouth. So he’s the one I need to continue training under. At least I know what he looks like now. Fiona thought as she continued eating. She took in Jace’s appearance before completely absorbing herself in her food until Toxin came over and the side comment about watching the sparing match if they were got one.

As the new female’s words reached the woman an odd twitch settled. Something wasn’t right. And instantly she had a feeling she and the other woman weren’t going to get along. She had always hated being addressed by mission names or even her nickname. So a woman who liked being called her code name and addressed everyone as the task didn’t bode well with Fiona. As much as she wasn’t a talker, she liked getting to know the people she worked with even if she lost them. Better to have known them for who they were than not.

Once their leader started speaking, she turned her head to glance at Ghost. There went the sparring match. Oh well, she knew her body needed a small reprieve first. She went back to eating knowing as much as everyone else that this could be their last meal. It was good and if it were to be the last at least it wasn’t crappy food. She finished off the spaghetti and leaned back. “If we survive in one piece we’ll get that match.” She commented to Zack. She wanted so desperately to fit in here, to have a family and she didn’t want to lose them so soon. But she couldn’t let anyone know how much she wanted to bond just for the fear of the rejection and the lose she knew she would eventually suffer.

“So do we get to know what we’re doing first?” She asked in Ghost’s direction. It would be nice to know if they were heading straight into the danger or not and their chances of coming back.