Daycycle 13 [ DEC 26-31 ]

[computerized]

DAYCYCLE 13

[ DEC 26 - 31 ]

[OOC: This Daycycle will run for six ooc days instead of the usual 5 ooc days from Dec 26-31. ]

MORNING

Troubleshooter Team: Alec Hardison & Jason Wilcox

Mission:  There is an INDIGO corridor in R&D that we want you to inspect.  We’ll give you 5000cr each at the end of your mission just for walking from one end to the other.  Here are vouchers to let you walk through it legally.  Make sure you wear these telemetry suits when you go through it.  

All other Troubleshooters:  You are to report to your Service Firm positions for the day, until called on for Troubleshooter duty.

Intel:  The Humanists staged an attack last night and left many citizens temporarily blinded by pepper spray.  There is a 1000cr reward for any participants being handed over for punishment.

A special was attacked yesterday by an anti-Specials group.  Steve Rogers has asked to address all Troubleshooters in regards to this incident.

AFTERNOON

The afternoon is mostly uneventful.  Save for a Vulture pilot who crashes his copter into the Armed Forces mess hall at approximately 1423.  What is initially thought of as a treasonous act is quickly determined to be a Happitime overdose and is hushed up by the highers ups.

EVENING

The evening is launched with a very special and mandatory showing of the Teela O’Malley show.  The show begins by describing the state that humanity was in when The Computer took control.  People were a slave to their whims.  Alpha Complex is held up as a paragon of innovation and cooperation among people and technology.  In fact, many REDs watching the show may not recognize the Utopian society being depicted as anything close to the society they find themselves in.  It ends with a touching montage of citizens swearing their allegiance and thanks to The Computer that brings the legendary host to tears.  

Sleep aid gas is expelled at 2100.

Comments

[a_man_out_of_time]

Talking low was starting to become his second job.

"Part two of the plan is making sure no Special is ever caught out alone. Did you see the encrypted message that went out this morning? Do you trust it?"

Hopefully what Steve was implying was clear. They needed to create a buddy system, one that made sure every Special who couldn't fight was always with one that could. Without an encrypted messaging system, logistics for a plan like that was going to be more than difficult.

[notasoldier]

"The buddy system?" Somehow he had thought the Captain would be thinking bigger. "I saw it. I don't know Hardison, but I met Matt Farrell. He seems like an okay kid. I don't think he has it in him to turn himself over."

"I checked out what I could this morning and it looked legitimate, but I'd need more time to say for sure. I can let you know by this evening." They were approaching the doors and Tony knew that he would have no reason to follow Steve at the end of the hall.

"You know, if we don't do anything that more attacks are going to happen, buddy system or not. They sent us a message. We need to send one back. One that says we can protect ourselves."

[a_man_out_of_time]

Steve nods when Tony says he'll need until the end of the day. That's quick enough for him.

But at Tony's next comment, he can't help but tense a little. "What kind of message did you have in mind?" The apprehension he felt was clear. He wasn't going to support any type of public demonstration that might hurt someone who wasn't involved — and Tony's plans had a tendency to run wild.

[notasoldier]

Tony is close enough to sense Steve tense beside him. He is very careful to keep his eyes straight ahead, however, as they walk. "The first step is finding the party responsible," he says, keeping his voice level. "If we can't find them than we draw them out. They like easy targets, let's give them one."

The hall is less than ten feet away now. "Unless you want fear to drive half of us under the thumb of the local mob."

[a_man_out_of_time]

Steve nods when Tony mentions the first part. Finding the party responsible is a step he can get behind. What he can't get behind, is leaving a Special out as bait. Unless it was one of them.

Steve had considered the ramifications of his speech before giving it. The obvious benefits that it drew attention to him wasn't lost on the Captain. He might be able to use it to appease Tony and prevent another Special from getting hurt at the same time.

"I'm not an easy target, but after this morning, I have a suspicion that I'll be the next one. Let me draw them out. I can be the bait."

[notasoldier]

"I'm not saying that you didn't paint a target on your back this morning, because you did," Tony said with a hint of annoyance. "But these are people who went after one of the weakest one of us. That's not you."

Unless they had a suicide wish, the people in charge weren't going to move on from a teenage girl to someone who looked and acted like Steve. If Steve's speech hadn't made them think twice then the next step would be to attack again and to attack someone who would piss Steve off.

"We can use you, but not as bait."

[a_man_out_of_time]

There's a lot of things the Cap would being saying to Tony right now if he was anyone else. But they've been through enough together that he'd at least hear the plan before tearing Stark a new one.

Like how there's no way he was going to put another Special's life in actual danger. Or that doing so was a terrible and irresponsible idea.

But they were at the end of the hall.

"I'll see you in the Commissary again for dinner. Tell me then what your plan is."

[ ooc: we can just time skip to dinner if you want ]

[notasoldier]

Tony barely nodded in response before turning down the hallway, he travelled to get to the R&D sector. Dinner seemed an eternity away, but at least it gave him more time to think through the plan. By the time he spotted Steve in the Commissary that evening, he had things mapped out.

There was only one thing they hadn't thought about. The cafeteria was divided by clearance level. Luckily Steve had sat as close to the RED section as possible. Tony took a seat on the RED section and began talking to himself, just loud enough for Steve to hear, but low enough to look insane. Good thing he'd never really cared about his public image.

"First of all, I need to ask. Does the serum work for you here?"

[a_man_out_of_time]

When Steve picked his corner seat closest to the RED section, he kicked himself for not remember the clearance divide. He and Bucky had been promoted together, and once you were ORANGE you had kitchen privileges, so he'd barely remembered that this would be an obstacle.

After his speech this morning however, Steve was making a point of eating in the Commissary. He wanted to be visible to the REDs, and to show that was on their side. That started with not using your special kitchen access.

"Yes and no," he responded, taking out his PDC and placing it in front of him, like he was taking voice notes. Steve did need to care about his public image. "My muscles haven't changed. But the ability to regenerate and heal — I haven't tested them, but I can tell, they aren't working."

[notasoldier]

"So you're just like the rest of us," Tony said, picking at the food on his plate. There might have been a part of him who had wondered if Steve would still be Steve without the serum. He had been here long enough to know that he was.

"Which means you're just as vulnerable as bait as the rest of us. We're all going to be at risk, no matter who it is. But thanks to your status as the Alpha Golden Boy, they're going to be less likely to go for you directly."

[a_man_out_of_time]

The Captain shakes his head, even if Tony can't see it. "I'm not like the rest of you. Even without the serum, I've still been trained to fight. And I'm ready to make the sacrifice when it comes down to it."

Not that he planned on dying on their next mission. The tone of his voice makes that much clear. But Steve did agree with Tony on one thing. He may have painted a target on his back, but if Alpha kept promoting him, he would become a much more dangerous Special to victimize.

"Who do you have in mind Tony?" There's a hint of aggression and frustration than Steve doesn't fully intend, but unless there's a good alternative, he's still dead set on being the bait.

[notasoldier]

"They're bullies. They're going to go after the weakest of us." Tony's buying time, if only because he knows Steve's not going to like his answer. It's the only one that makes sense, though. "The kid makes the most sense. Grayson. He's the youngest, the smallest and the most vulnerable."

He's quick to go on, not allowing Steve time to interrupt. "We'll be there to protect him. Nothing will happen."

[a_man_out_of_time]

"Dick Grayson." The name tumbles out faster than expected, giving away the fact that Steve cares about this particular young man.

He hadn't even considered Dick.

He also doesn't object, at least not right away. The kid had training similar to his own, Steve knew that from personal experience. But putting a minor in harm's way would never sit well with Captain America.

Before he does have a chance to respond, another Orange Troubleshooter plots his tray down across from Steve. Their conversation would be over for now.

[ ooc: I know the ending is a bit abrupt, so I can edit if you don't like it. But I do like the idea that they couldn't finish talking about it, and then they finally do in their other thread together post-Bucky! ]