Jean had, very much against his own will, arrived to the meeting point. It was behind a building just across Triangle square, where Blast was busy fighting local law enforcement and smiling for the cameras. Sporadic sonic booms reached there, and he could hear the constant fighting from here.

Around twenty minutes earlier, the brat he thought was Lawrence's minion popped up out of nowhere on his house and told him something along the lines of 'The chief wants you in the field with us. Don't make him wait if you like being alive.' Jean would've usually laughed at that, but the... unpleasant experience he lived with Lawrence before had taught him to never, and he meant, never take the man lightly.

Is he even a man? I lean more on the demon-otherworldy abomination side.

Ignoring the voice on his head, product of his meta-ability and absolutely not in any way derived from his slightly questionable mental stability, he rushed for his villain suit. Truth being said, it was one of the first things he purchased when he got his power. Why, would one ask? Well, having a secret identity means hiding your face, for one. Also, villain suits are cool.

That was pretty much the only reason. Yes, Lawrence was mad in his own way, but Jean Gallutneck wasn't far behind.

He didn't even ask the girl what he was being called for. Part of it was because Blast's sonic boom was pretty easy to hear, and he had a functional brain to match the dots and making his own conclusion. The other part was because she disappeared in a cloud of black mist before he even got the chance to think about talking.

I think that's the first time a girl leaves you stranded.

Well, there was also that time with Gina, his highschool crush, but she technically spat his face before running away. And 'Eww' counted as an answer, as far as he was concerned. Not a very pleasant one, but an answer nevertheless.

Wow, you are way more pathetic than i originally thought.

None of that mattered right now. He was where he was supposed to... forced to, actually, but who the hell cared?

Then he saw the others. That was when he started to get way more worried.

"What the fuck."

"Manners, Gallutneck" Lawrence admonished. That was rich coming from someone who mentally cursed like a drunken sailor, anyways.

"Okay, I'll go ahead and ask. Are we seriously going out like this?"

He stared intently at the others. Mika was wearing... A ninja outfit. Black suit, with metal shoulder and knee pads, two katanas without guard strapped to her back, and three daggers held on their respective sheathes on her waist. She was for some reason wearing a red and yellow scarf that Jean thought he recognized from somewhere else. That didn't matter right now.

Christiane wasn't even wearing an outfit. She was just wearing a facial mask and had her hair tied back in a ponytail, her glasses hanging from the neck of her pale blue blouse. She was wearing jeans and tennis shoes. And she was carrying a suitcase, one that gave Jean these weird vibes, like he shouldn't ask what she had in there. That wasn't even a proper disguise! What on earth did that woman plan?! He had only seen her from the security records his tech boy got him from their little visit to his... barracks, in lack of a better word. She looked like a smart type. Was he wrong?

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Most of the time, yes you are. Add this freak to the equation and you have a broth of chaos. If I were you, I'd stop trying to analyze this guy or his subordinates. And I am you, in some sort of way, so, stop.

Ah, shut up, John.

From all of them, only Lawrence looked like he was wearing something proper, though it still wasn't a villain suit. He wore a jet black long coattail, with a red necktie and silver buttons. Some tight black pants and dark brown moccasins, and a black fedora hat to complete the 'elegant gangster' look. He... looked like a crime overlord, Jean had to admit.

To be honest, Lawrence himself was surprised from his minions' wardrobe choices. Where on earth had Mika gotten that ninja suit? No, you know what? He didn't want to know. All he hoped was those katanas were actually prompt. He really, really didn't want her jumping around with wickedly sharp blades. Christiane didn't really need any villain disguise, since she wasn't a frontline fighter.

"What the hell is that. Looks lame" Mika pointed at Jean's own disguise. It was a fashionable black leather jacket, with pants and shoes to match. The real part of his disguise was the couple of heavy-looking metal gauntlets with holes at the tip of their fingers, and the cylindrical helmet he was wearing. They were made out of chromed steel, and he wore them because... they looked cool.

The kiddo's right. You are pretty lame.

"What are you talking about?! You're going around in a cosplay suit! You don't get to strike people as lame!"

"Oh, it isn't cosplay" she said, casually drawing one of her blades out. It unsheathed with a satisfactory shiiiiing and the sunlight reflected on the blade. "See? Real as it gets."

So much for hoping there would be a minimum of safety in this fight.

"Why are you carrying swords around?!"

"Wah, too loud! Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate."

"What for?!"

"Gather chakra" she said, as if it was the most obvious thing. Lawrence held the urge to smack his forehead. "Mikaella, Gallutneck, both of you stop. Everyone brought their weapons?"

"I'm cool" Mika sheathed the sword with a metallic clink that sent shivers running down Lawrence's spine

"I can shoot and shape energy blasts with my fingers. I don't need any weapons" Jean sighed and shrugged. So much for keeping his meta-ability as a secret.

"I want a fill on that later" Lawrence said. "Let us go through our plan once again."

"Wait, there is a plan?" Jean tilted his head to the side.

Everyone turned back to stare at him like he was some kind of stupid. He could literally hear the 'jiiiiiiiitooooo' sound in the air.

"What, did I say something funny."

"What kind of question is that" Mika asked, truly bewildered. "Of course we have a plan. You don't fight without one. Are you dumb?"

Jean's eye twitched at that. "You don't exactly look like making a plan before going to a fight."

Lawrence had to agree with him on that, but he chose not to speak.

"So what's the plan?"

"Here" instead of answering, Mika handed him an... earplug?

"What's this?"

"Intercoms" it was Christiane who answered this time. "I'm afraid I'm not suited for fighting, so I will act as the support from the rear. All the information you have, you pass it to me, and I will devise a strategy based on it."

"That... makes sense, actually~"

A particularly loud boom cut his words.

"I believe it's time to go out" Lawrence said. He drew a handgun from the pocket of his coattail, a standard nine. Jean gulped. Then Lawrence took out the magazine to check the bullets, and Jean noticed they were rubber bullets. At least the guy wasn't aiming to kill.

"Mikaella, you go first. Try to knock him down from behind using your blink. Don't use the blades unless it's absolutely necessary. If you can't take him down on your own, Gallutneck and I will come out and play support. Christiane remains here. In the unlikely case someone comes for her, Mikaella will blink back and protect her."

Lawrence spoke in an authoritarian tone that left no room for protests.

"Am I clear?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well then..." His eyes shone like torches and he fixed his necktie. "Let us begin, shall we?"