Conscious program fully downloaded into secondary, off site vessel. Offshoring new/extraneous data to be processed by the main hub at Alpha site. Accessing personal dossiers for mission relevant individuals. 

“Adrien’s late.” The voice had come from a darkened corner in the back. 

I twisted my head and locked eyes with the young, dark-skinned man wearing a blue t-shirt. How did I not see him? Reminder: re-analyze capabilities of Gerald Sawyer, alias; Rook, Successor of Castle and affiliates. He recognized me. I was staring too long. 

“It’s okay,” the red headed woman in the seat next to me said. “He does that.” As if to assure me my paranoia wasn’t special. Maybe it wasn’t. I don’t much like being watched. I needed to rejoin the conversation. 

“I don’t mind waiting,” I told Dr. Mickey. Talk more, think less. 

“But we do,” the doctor admitted. Every person in the room moved their facial muscles to smile to at least some degree. 

“I’m here!” A familiar voice came from beyond the lecture hall. Soon after, a young Latino man phased through the wall and landed into a seat one row behind the front. His eyes were oddly radiant, a glint of hazel green showing itself from behind his glasses and below his brown hair. Just as quick as I noticed it, it was gone. “Sorry for being late.” 

“Apologize to our newest member,” Dr. Mickey gestured to me. Adrien tilted his head in confusion when I turned to show him a small angle of my face. His hand was suspended in motion as he stopped midway into waving at me. This was expected. “Which is as good a time as any to introduce her. Chroma team; this is Callie Nereus. She’ll be joining our operations for the foreseeable future.” 

“My bad,” Adrien whispered from behind me. “I should’ve realized that’s why you were at the bank.”

“It wasn’t,” I answered back with a smirk. “I just happened to be in the neighborhood.”

“You both realize whispering in a room with only six people doesn’t do much, right?” Dr. Mickey said as his eyes glowered at us over his glasses. “Regardless; it’s weekly progress report time. Alison?”

The redheaded woman next to me uncrossed her legs and sighed. “Big surprise, the students are still itching to get out into the action.” 

“That’s what you’re there for,” the doctor reminded her. 

“I’m itching to get out into the action too,” Alison replied. 

Alison O’Reilly. Alias; Orion. Meta human with advanced reflexes, strength, perception, etc. Recruited by the government for purposes of rehabilitating and training younger meta humans discovered by youth outreach programs. Abilities previously sampled for super soldier serum, low priority. 

“Duly noted, moving on.” The doctor’s voice droned as he went down his list. “Naoto?”

The woman closest to the door had been fiddling with delicate tools for the entire time the room was occupied. Her eyes were a bright, unassuming shade of violet. Head down, silent, the Asian woman was painting along a paper fan. 

“Present,” Naoto announced. 

“I know that,” Dr. Mickey said as he removed his glasses. “Where are we on the entity housing efforts?” 

“Painting a paper fan for a very uppity goat demon,” Naoto explained. 

Naoto Goto. Alias; Fortune. Specialist with a knack for interfacing with extra-dimensional entities and devices artifacts. Previous attempts at duplicating techniques… less than ideal. Low priority. 

“So, it’s Callie?” Adrien asked. “How’d you wind up here?” 

“Oh, um.” I wasn’t used to being interrupted mid thought. “I’m on loan, sorta.” 

“Fair enough,” he shrugged. “How’d you end up at the bank? We didn’t exactly leave a note.” 

I had to think carefully before answering, “I like doing my homework on the people I’m going to be working with. If I’m being honest, it was nice to cut loose. I actually don’t get out often.” 

“With guns like yours, I can imagine,” Adrien replied with a smile. “Happy to be of service.”

“And that’s how I saved the orphanage on Halloween,” the blonde woman right in front of the doctor reported. “I just don’t see the point in having police armed around children at that age.” 

“Kris, that’s great but it was supposed to be a meet and greet with the local precinct,” Dr. Mickey clarified. 

“If the police don’t want to get hurt, they shouldn’t break the law,” Kris declared as she crossed her arms. 

I missed Kristine’s briefing. Alias: Delta. Origins: otherworldly being from pantheon of celestial… beings? 

“Gerald?” The doctor asked. 

“Close,” Gerald answered. 

“Good, Adrien? How many fables does that make today?” The doctor said as he went to a chart on the board. 

“Seven.” That wasn’t what he told Rook at the bank. 

“More than halfway; good.” The doctor crossed off another from the chart. “You can give Callie her tour today.” 

“I’d be more than happy to,” Adrien acknowledged while giving me a thumbs up. 

Suddenly, I got a sinking feeling deep inside. Was it Rook watching me from afar? It wasn’t anything I didn’t plan for. Was it how easy Adrien was making it? Why would that make me uneasy? Was it my paranoia? Why did I tell him I enjoyed cutting loose? 

As many times as I’ve combed over that moment, I can’t understand where that feeling came from. Was I hopeful? Did I know, even then, what I wanted? How did I look into his eyes in that moment and feel something I only ever dared to think about? 

Progress Report: I think too much.