For fear, but also for funsies

COMMON TAGS;

#the geek yaps - personal posts

#the geek writes - fanfics and writing

#the geek draws - art tag

#ask the geek and it may answer - ask tag

#the geek rewatches TAG - my running commentary as I watch Thunderbirds Are Go for the second time

#AU: Captain Scarlet and the Thunderbirds - the tag for the primary universe I write my Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet fanfic in. Basically instead of keeping the two shows and their respective reboots separate, I'm smashing them all together into a single universe that fits my own tastes. E.g. I'm a Blond John, Ginger Gordon diehard but ALSO am just straight up in love with Black-Haired Virgil. It uses the puppet shows as a base (Jeff is still in the picture) but opts for the updated technology, either presented as-is or as part of Brains continually iterating and improving his own work. Heavy with OCs, many of which are Captain Scarlet OCs specifically because that's the show I got into first.

OC related posts will be tagged as '#OC: [character name/title]' e.g #OC: Larkin Carver-Grey or #OC: Captain Sable. If you're looking for a specific OC of mine you can probably find them searching like this on my blog lol. Same with fics, with links and related posts being tagged as 'Fic: [Name of Fic]'.

CURRENT WORKS;

Lines Left Behind - The chronological beginning of the Captain Scarlet and the Thunderbirds AU, where several of my OCs are introduced first joining Spectrum, told mainly from the perspective of Captain Sable. Ongoing. Ao3 | Tumblr

dance in yellow, kiss in lilac - Tosia and John go to a party and finally kiss. Oneshot. Ao3 | Tumblr

Errant Fractionality - Tracy Island has to weather a blowout argument that pulls the future of International Rescue into sharp focus, and Gordon thinks it's a good idea to piss off to Brazil for a week with the guy he has a crush on. Ongoing. Ao3 | Tumblr

Unclipped Wings - Scott discovers and rescues a powerful psychic from an abandoned research facility. The consequences are far greater, and much closer to home, than he ever could have predicted. Ongoing. Ao3 | Tumblr

Encore for an Old Song - The Songbird is in custody, and Colonel White must take their measure. They aren't what he's expecting. Oneshot. Ao3 | Tumblr

I Break My Teeth Upon Your Scales - The Virgil Tracy Skyrim Isekai Torment Nexus. Exactly what it says on the tin, with a hefty seasoning of self-insert shipping. Set post-TAG. Ongoing Ao3 | Tumblr

FANDOMS;

Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, UFO (1970), Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Fallout, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Starfield, Mass Effect, Destiny, Baldur's Gate 3, Critical Role, Lord of the Rings, Fire Emblem, Soul Calibur, Zoids

... I think that's all of them? I think that's all of them. For someone who has a negligible online footprint, I've been privately losing it over my hyperfixations for YEARS. Now I'm playing catch-up.

Grey braced as Sable took the SPJ into the air. With his less extensive flight training, it was his job to go over the instruments and the flight rules for the day. “Circle down to… 10,000 feet, heading 120 degree east. Then the autopilot can take it from there.”

“SIG.” By contrast, he could tell that Sable was no stranger to the pilot’s seat. Even inside the highly advanced SPJ, there was no sign of discomfort or uncertainty. It opened up the question of what their life had been like before joining Spectrum.

“Airspeed steady at 700kph, we can bring her up to mach 2 at 10,000 feet. That makes our ETA… 0930 hours.” Grey sat back in his seat and stretched a little, while Sable raised an eyebrow at the ETA. Even Spectrum’s passenger craft were ridiculous. They also shuffled in their seat a little in preparation for the flight.

“We’ll be making good time then.”

“Mhmm, these are fast aircraft.” Grey glanced over, wondering if it was worth risking a question. He decided it was better than dead silence. “Does it handle differently to what you’re used to?”

He spied a faint eyebrow twitch, but Sable remained stoic otherwise. “It does. Certainly not the kind of speed I’m used to.”

“Were you a military or commercial pilot​?”

Sable was silent for perhaps too long. Long enough that Grey started to give up on receiving an answer. Then they spoke, with no small amount of discomfort. “Air Force.”

Grey raised an eyebrow. A picture was starting to form in his mind. “But not a fighter pilot.” Sable raised a hard eyebrow at him at this assertion and he shrugged. “You said you weren’t used to the speed.”

Sable’s hands tensed slightly. “I did.” They kept their eyes trained forward. “I worked in intelligence. So no, I didn’t fly a lot of jets.”

“Ah, so it was more…” Grey had to focus to pull up the right craft. Not his scene, after all. “AEWs, UAVs, that sort of thing?”

“Mhmm.”

It wasn’t hard for him to catch that Captain Sable didn’t have much passion for their old line of work. In fact, they looked a little tense just talking about it. With that in mind, Grey decided it was only fair to offer something back. “I was a submariner myself, with the WASP.”

Sable glanced at him again. “Dangerous work.”

“So I’ve been told. Fortunately, all I walked away with was a chronic ear ache and some.. Lingering back trouble.”

“And that wasn’t enough to stop Spectrum from taking you for themselves.”

For a split second, Sable’s tone made Grey hesitate, but he brushed past it as best he could. “Actually, I’m pretty sure they caught wind I was stuck in a desk job and offered me this position instead. They knew I’d bite.”

Sable scoffed. “Lucky you.”

There wasn’t a shred of positivity in those words. In fact, to Grey, they sounded a little bitter. It made him eye them carefully as he risked another question. “What about you? What did you think when you received the offer?”

Again, Sable didn’t answer. For a moment, they didn’t plan on answering at all. Then it occurred to them that, maybe, having a bit of the truth circling amongst the other officers might it easier to be left in peace. “I rejected it, at first.”

Grey’s eyebrows hit the roof. “No kidding? Do you mind if I ask why?”

Sable shrugged their shoulders lightly. “Just looked like more military crap to me.”

“You… Can’t have enjoyed your time in the air force if that’s what you thought.”

This time, at least, the huff that escaped Sable was cynically amused. “Ten years of my life I’ll never get back.”

“I see.” Grey settled into a frown, his mind buzzing with each new piece of information. “So why join Spectrum?”

“Colonel White makes an irritating amount of sense.” Sable responded without hesitation, and Grey couldn’t help but smirk.

“You’re right, he does.”

“It’s not a bad thing, I respect it. I know where I stand with him.”

Grey nodded. “The Colonel has earned the respect of every one of us, in some way or another.” He had to stop talking for a moment when he felt the SPJ increase in speed, as Sable throttled up to prepare for mach 2. He straightened up in his seat. “Ah, 10,000 feet. Configuring autopilot now.”

Grey dialed in their destination while Sable spared a glance to monitor his work and, once the autopilot was set up, they waited for confirmation. When the display finally flashed the okay that they could relax on the controls, they did so with a heavy sigh. They didn’t really relax in their seat, however. Grey couldn’t help but wonder, based on what he’d learned, if Sable was capable of relaxing at all. He eyed them carefully, spying the tension on their shoulders, the unwillingness to even turn to look in his direction. “I… Hope you realise we’re not just soldiers. That is, you’re not stepping back into that kind of life by joining Spectrum.”

“… I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“That’s alright. We have a lot to prove to each other, don’t we?” Grey offered a halfway smile and a nod of understanding. “It’s a big adjustment, joining an organisation like this. It’s a tough choice to make.”

“I did make the choice.” Sable responded too quickly, and it caused them to frown. Grey caught the shift in their expression, and with a sigh they acquiesced to the scrutiny. Just a little. “It just didn’t feel like much of a choice, at the time. I can’t imagine the Colonel shows up on people’s doorsteps very often.”

Once again, Grey felt his eyebrows slam upwards. “He came to see you personally?”

“Once he figured out the usual recruitment lines weren’t going to work on me, yeah.”

Grey exhaled and shook his head. “Colonel White is a determined man. If he thinks that something or,” he glanced over, “Someone is a necessary asset, I don’t know what could stop him.”

Sable hummed in agreement. They knew exactly what that necessity was. “When I’m not needed in the field, I’m going to be working on developments and improvements to your electronic weaponry.”

Grey’s lips parted in realisation. The pieces were starting to fit together. “Now, that makes sense. The Mysteron gun is still experimental technology.”

“I can tell.” Sable deadpanned. “It works, but it’s not exactly practical, is it? It’ll be my job to fix that.”

“You mean you’ve already tested it?”

“Of course.” Sable actually looked at Grey this time, even if it was quizzical. “If I didn’t know how to use it, I wouldn’t have asked for it for today’s mission.”

“Well sure, we’ve all had the training, but only Captain Scarlet has actually fired the real thing.”

Sable scoffed again. “Well, I have actual experience in electronic warfare. I think White’s hope is that the operation of the equipment will become my specialty.”

“That’s… Quite the responsibility. Do you think you’re up for it?”

“Wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“Good answer.”

With the SPJ now in a stable, high-altitude cruise, Grey unbuckled his seatbelt to sit forward and stretch his back a little. He looked at Sable and attempted a more lighthearted smile. “Do you have any initial ideas for the Mysteron gun? A more original name, perhaps?”

“Make it smaller, to start off with.” They replied with a grimace. “It’s so bulky. Not my style, for certain. And the weight of it means it’s impractical for field work. I mean, what if we have to chase a Mysteron?” Strangely, talking about work specifics was cracking through Sable’s demeanour, bit by bit.

“That’s a good point. In its current form, it kinda turns the user into a walking turret. Not ideal for close quarters engagements.” Grey shuffled in his seat to face Sable more fully. “From what I understand, the main bulk of the thing is the central column, but a tonne of shielding is required to prevent the user from being electrocuted.”

“It also makes it impossible to conceal, which doesn’t exactly fit my intelligence background.” Sable wrinkled their nose. “Miniaturising the weapon is one option, but there have to be other, alternative means of delivering the required voltage. I suppose I need some first-hand knowledge to truly judge what we need.”

“I imagine with your briefing, you know as much as the rest of us. Which is frustratingly little, really.”

“A brief can only impart so much. When it comes to information gathering, seeing is believing.” Sable huffed and pinched the bridge of their nose. “I probably shouldn’t be implicitly wishing for us to encounter trouble, but how else are we supposed to learn anything about our enemy?”

“Always on the back foot, that’s where the Mysterons like to keep us.” Grey’s eyes drifted back to the view out of the window. The clouds below were still thick and dour. “I sometimes wonder if we’ll ever understand them.”

Sable joined him in staring at the ominous view. “We can damn well try.”

After landing at the airport, Sable and Grey found a Spectrum Saloon waiting for them to take them to the command centre set up inside Suez’s main administrative building. They swiped their IDs against the intercom and were escorted inside by a Spectrum guard. They entered the room overlooking the second checkpoint across the canal. The guard alerted his XO, who had been speaking with the manager of the building at the time. After thanking the manager for his cooperation, she turned her attention to the new arrivals.

“Captains, good to see you made it.”

“Looks like you’ve given us a head start, Lieutenant.” Grey said.

“Yes, sir.” She gestured outside the window. “The four checkpoints are up and running as ordered and two SSAs are overflying the canal. We’ve had a few issues with tankers not receiving the new legislation regarding the size of the vessels allowed through. There have been numerous complaints from both estuary checkpoints.” She stifled a huff of annoyance and clasped her hands behind her back. “We’ve done all we can to contact the shipping companies and get a complete schedule of the ships that should be coming through.”

Sable stood a little behind Grey, arms folded, observing their surroundings. Their eyes became glued to the view outside and they didn’t look over as they spoke. “We’re aware it’s a tall order. It’s also a necessity.” They finally looked over to Captain Grey. “Is there anywhere specific you want to be?”

Grey stroked his chin for a moment before turning back to the XO. “Lieutenant, are there tug boats available to steer ships that might get stuck?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’d like to supervise a fleet of tug boats. We can potentially use them to block the passage of any rogue ships that come through.”

“Good idea.” Sable affirmed, their attention elsewhere. They walked over to the radar scanner, wanting to understand the equipment they were dealing with. Part of them wished they were in the sky, hands on the controls of a cutting-edge reconnaissance craft, but they had begrudgingly resigned themself to solid ground for their first mission. The imagery of a bird’s eye view in their mind made them look back over to Grey. “Just don’t get tunnel vision. If this place is the target, there’s no guarantee the disruption will come from the canal itself.”

“SIG, Captain.” Grey replied. A member of staff waved him over and he followed them down to the canal where the tug boats were moored. The XO joined Sable at the radar scanner.

“This is an uplink to the scanners on the two SSAs. They’re able to take super high-res photos from above and match the ships to our registry. Once a match has been made, you’ll see the ship number and name appear alongside it on the scanner.” She pointed to a dot on the scanner that was just entering the northern estuary. It had been identified as carrying lumber for a company called Natura Exports. Once a new dot appeared on the scanner, it only took a couple of minutes for it to be identified and the information to appear beside it. A good system. As Captain Sable observed however, they noticed one dot approaching the southern estuary with no identification. They watched, waited a moment, then pointed at it for the XO’s benefit.

“There’s a severe delay happening with this one.”

The XO leaned in and, with permission from the radio operator, pressed a few keys to centre on the unidentified ship. She frowned. “You’re right.” She tapped the operator’s shoulder. “Get on to the southern checkpoint, ask if they have an eye on that ship.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The XO’s microphone swung down. “SSA1 from Checkpoint S2, we’re showing an unidentified ship approaching the southern estuary from reference W8.”

“Confirmed, Checkpoint S2, we’re showing negative results on the electromagnetic scanners, too. We suspect the ship might be shielded.”

Sable’s brow furrowed. Though rare, sometimes a ship’s cargo would require shielding. However, such ships were always expected, always prepped to identify themselves, and always cleared by the necessary authorities. The people manning the canal likely wouldn’t even need the schedule on hand to know a ship like this was arriving. The mic on their cap flipped down and Captain Grey’s epaulets flashed ominously. He stopped short of stepping aboard one of the tug boats and answered the call. “Miss me already, Captain?”

“There’s a ship approaching from the southern estuary that’s showing up negative on standard and electromagnetic scanners. How are your boats looking?”

“Understood. We have three more tugs ready here and three more at the southern estuary. I’m going down there and taking command.”

To Sable’s left, the radar operator looked up from his phone. “The southern checkpoint reports they’ve identified the ship. It’s a Safeway Waste Exports ship, they were scheduled to come through before the embargo. Obviously they didn’t get the memo.”

“Have they established radio contact?” The XO asked.

“No, ma’am, no reply.”

She gave a worried look to Sable, who tipped their head in acknowledgement as they kept speaking on comms. “Grey, how long will it take you to get down there?” Internally, they were trying to gauge how long it would take for themself to get down there from their current position.

“We’re 60 kilometres from the estuary and there’s a 15kmph speed limit, so that’s 4 hours here to there by boat. If I can take an SPV, I can be there in half an hour.”

“Captain Sable,” The XO piped up, “There’s a Spectrum Helijet available on the roof.”

Sable nodded and mouthed a thank you to her before continuing to speak. “Grey, I’m going to take the Helijet down to the southern estuary. If you want my opinion, I’d want you to make sure those tug boats are organised and ready while I try to get closer to that ship, but if you think you’d be more use elsewhere, I won’t argue.”

“SIG. We may need all the tugs to stop this juggernaut. I’ll muster all the hands I can at the southern checkpoint. Grey out.”

“Still no contact with the ship,” the operator spoke up, “And the southern checkpoint reports it’s increasing speed.”

The XO’s eyes widened. “It’s going to ram its way through.”

“Not if we have anything to say about it.” Captain Sable said and, with a not to those present, walked briskly out of the room towards the roof. The helijet was waiting patiently, those in the area having made sure it was ready to be manned at a moment’s notice. With a flash of ID and a few moments for the workers to haul ass out of of the way, Sable sat down at the Helijet’s controls. They didn’t have long, and every second spent on takeoff procedures felt like another second of tempting fate, but soon enough they were lifting off the pad and the Suez stretched in their vision as they took to the sky. Once they were certain of their control, they contacted Grey again. “I’m in the air, Captain. Flying south now.”

“SIG, Captain, I’m in the SPV headed south. ETA, 22 minutes.”

Sable tilted the controls forward to pick up speed and the Suez below swept into a blur. They could see Grey’s SPV on the road as well, picking up speed. From this height, Sable could just about make out the freighter as it approached the southern checkpoint. The ship passed the coastline and a plume of smoke erupted from the checkpoint. Sable’s epaulets flashed again. “This is Checkpoint South! The freighter has smashed through the barrier and is on its way inland at a speed of 40kmph!” Sable could hear the background noise of people rushing to control the damage and put out the fires. Sable was approaching at a speed of 200kmph and the freighter quickly came into view. It was enormous and carried incredible speed and momentum for its size. Any small boat that got in the way was quickly smashed aside. On closer inspection, Sable realised the freighter’s cargo deck was large and flat enough to land on, and with the chaos on comms in their ear, they made a decision.

“SIG, Checkpoint South. I’m going to land on the cargo deck.”

With steady hands and all the assurance in the world, Sable started to bring the helijet round for the best landing possible. At the right speed and angle, a skilled pilot could make the landing with little to no issue, and if there was one thing Riku could take pride in, it was their skill. Down below, some of the smaller ships had wisened up and were trying to move away with the little time they had, no doubt being warned by the checkpoint operators of the danger. It could only help so much. Sable was the picture of calm as they lined up and began their landing procedures. Landing on a moving target was no small feat, but this one was big, with just enough clearance, and with a dull thud and a faint shake forward in their seat, Captain Sable set the Helijet down on the runaway ship. They took a deep breath before speaking up again. “Checkpoint South, landing successful.” They unbuckled themself from the seat and stood up, their mic falling into place. “Grey, I’ve successfully landed on the cargo deck of the freighter. Given this thing is shielded, I’m going to proceed with caution.”

“I can see you! Be careful, Captain, we’re lining up the tugs. You’re gonna feel one almighty crash in, by my estimate, about three minutes.”

They briefly glanced at the Mysteron gun, then shook their head and opened the door. “SIG, I’ll get moving then.”

Sable exited the helijet and their boots hit the metal shutters of the deck. As they climbed down do the walkway, their shoulders flashed once more.

“Captain Sable, I’ve been informed of the situation.” Colonel White’s voice cut through their thoughts. “It is imperative you stop that ship; it’s carrying nuclear waste. You must reach the bridge and cut the engines. The ship should have hazmat suits available. Do not enter the cargo area without one.”

Sable rolled their eyes and scowled. That was going to eat into valuable time. They were already a kilometre inland and approaching the second checkpoint fast, they didn’t have time to put on a hazmat suit and look for a bomb. “SIG, Colonel, I’m already on the cargo pad and looking for a way in. Sable out.” They stopped in front of the door to the bridge and switched their comms to their field partner. “Grey, once I’m inside communication might be spotty. I’m going in.”

The door that led from the walkway to the bridge was windowed and Sable had to duck to remain unnoticed. They could see one man at the helm and three other crew lying either dead or unconscious around him. That was likely their Mysteron duplicate, meaning the bridge was safe to enter. Even Mysterons could be killed by radiation. Based on what Sable knew of duplicates, they guessed he would only have the combat skills of the original helmsman. For a moment, their hand rested on their sidearm, but they dismissed the idea. A last resort, if only for the mess it could make. Then they risked another glance through the window to try and get a good look at the interior. He looked singularly focused on his task, even if the door made a noise to draw his attention, Sable judged they could clear the distance and engage him whilst maintaining some level of surprise. Well, as much surprise as could be maintained after landing a helijet on the ship.

Nonetheless, something had to be done now.

Sable pushed the door open with an unceremonious groan and bolted into the space, across the room, over the bodies on the floor and between the control consoles, intent on ramming straight into the man. Shocked at the sound, the Mysteron released the wheel and spun around, attempting to counter the incoming blow, but Sable’s shoulder slammed into the man’s gut before he could mount any kind of defense. The pair slid over the ship’s wheel as they fell, causing it to spin, and the ship veered harshly to the right. Winded, the Mysteron did not attempt to escape from Sable’s grapple. Instead, he pawed at their face, trying to dig his thumbs into their eyes.

“You’re too late, Earthman.”

Sable’s eyes met his, barely flinching at the hands on their face, and they bared their teeth in a hiss. “Good. No mercy, then.” They pulled the Mysteron back up by the scruff of his shirt, braced on hand over this face and the other against his neck, and slammed his skull against the cold hard floor. One good crack and the man’s eyes rolled back into unconsciousness. Just as Sable was about to relax, the entire ship quaked and threw them across to the far right of the bridge as the bow of the ship scraped the canal’s concrete edge. As they staggered back to their feet and put their eyes back on the Mysteron, their shoulders flashed to herald Grey’s voice. “Sable! What’s happening in there?”

“There was someone at the helm. He wasn’t happy to see me.” Sable said as they leaned down, removed the belt from the man’s uniform, and rolled him onto his front. He wrapped the belt securely around both forearms against his back and tightened it up.

“Are you alright? You need to stop those engines, you’re five minutes max from the tug line!” Grey warned, not that Sable needed it. The metal panels beneath their feet were vibrating from the hull of the ship screeching against the concrete. They hauled themself back towards the wheel. There had to be some kind of emergency break somewhere. Even replying to Grey fell to the wayside as they stepped back over to the main controls where, finally, they spotted it. They spared the outside just a moment’s glance before they braced themselves against a steady surface and slammed down the emergency cutoff. The thrum of the engines came to a sudden halt, leaving only the shriek of the hull against the concrete outside. Through the bridge windows, Sable could see people fleeing from the canal’s edge. Debris floated on the water where the freighter had crashed through several docked ships. Slowly but surely, the ship came close to a halt, still ungrounded but now just drifting sideways.

“That’s it, you’ve done it!” Grey’s voice brought their attention back to the present. “Alright, we’re making our way over, we’ll pull the ship to a safe distance.”

They considered ignoring it, but alas, they didn’t think that kind of juvenile behaviour would work here. They hauled themself up and back across their quarters and pushed the button next to the door. It slid open to reveal none other than Captain Scarlet, the man who would be Spectrum’s poster boy if they indeed had any to post. Behind him, Captain Blue stood with an encouraging smile. The pair of men saw Captain Sable, with no hat and their hair down to their shoulders, glaring daggers at them both. The expression was enough to give Scarlet pause, but he brushed past it and gave them a nod.

“Ah, hey. Some of the senior staff are heading down to the Amber Room to watch the new Angels come in.” He jabbed a thumb down the hall. “We thought… You might like to join us.”

“If you’re not busy, of course.” Blue chimed in, maintaining that friendly smile even as Sable’s expression did not budge an inch away from vague disdain. They looked between the two men for a moment.

“I was about to get some sleep, actually.”

Their response made Scarlet raise an eyebrow, but Blue clocked it for what it was and his palm met his forehead. “Oh. We’re dumb, you flew in on the SPJ.” He tapped Scarlet on the shoulder and nodded towards Sable, his smile becoming apologetic. “Sorry, you must be jetlagged to hell and back.”

“Oh! You’re right. We should let you get some rest.” Scarlet agreed, but something tugged at him to keep talking. “Then I’ll just say, welcome to Cloudbase. I hope you’re settling in alright.”

“Just fine.” Sable responded, deadpan.

“Right, er- if you need anything, we’re just up the hall-”

“I don’t, thank you.” They cut him off, not just with their words, but by pushing the control button and causing the door to slide shut between them. Scarlet and Blue were left to look at each other with shared raised eyebrows.

“Well,” Blue exhaled, “I was expecting a little friction, but that was…”

“They’re jetlagged,” Scarlet reasoned, but he didn’t sound convinced of his own words, “At least, I hope it’s just jetlag.” He sighed and shrugged. “Nothing for it. Come on, don’t want to be late.”

Grey, Teal, Magenta and Ochre were already waiting in the Amber Room with the Angels when Blue and Scarlet arrived. Grey was the first to give them a wave. “Hey, fellas.”

“Afternoon,” Scarlet replied with a smile, “Any sign?”

“Not yet, but they’re not due for another ten minutes.”

“I’m just happy there’s gonna be more newbies on this big floating fish tin.” Teal replied with a smirk. They had one hand on their hip and they were idly twirling their cap around with the other. Their thick brown hair was pulled up in two whimsical little buns that had been tucked neatly under their cap until now. They looked around to survey their colleagues with a grin, then swaggered past Blue and Scarlet to get a better view out of the window. “How many new pilots you getting?”

“Three!” Melody replied as she peered out of the window next to Teal.

“Sweet. Know anything about them yet?”

“We’ve seen their profiles, and know their codenames, but only Destiny has met them face-to-face so far.”

“Did they stick with the musical theme?” Blue asked, amused, and Harmony mirrored it with a giggle.

“They did, but we’re starting to run out of terms ending in Y, so they had to get creative.”

“Nice to know Destiny’s still built different.” Magenta responded as he came up to the window as well. “I take it she’s on the comms ready to bring them in?”

“I see them!” Ochre called out suddenly, drawing everyone’s attention to the view. The Angel Interceptors were only specks in the distance but were approaching fast.

“Here they come!” Harmony bounced on her feet. “Sonata, Toccata, and Requiem Angel!”

“Requiem?” Scarlet clicked his tongue. “Hell of a name.”

The jets were on a circling approach to line up with the runway, but looked like they were coming in way too fast. The three arrowhead silhouettes banked and caught the sunlight, gleaming brilliant angel white. As they approached, coloured smoke suddenly burst from their tails. Three colours swirled in the air behind each aircraft – pink, green, orange. In such a close formation, it created a perfect rainbow-like ribbon, The Angels swooped in parallel to the deck, draping the ribbon across the view from the Amber Room and, seconds later, the roaring sound of their engines filled the air. Ochre whistled. “Would you look at that?”

“Now this is more like it!” Teal smirked at the display. “Something tells me these guys know how to have fun.”

Up in their quarters, Riku bolted upright from the sound of rumbling engines. They looked out of the window to see the rainbow streaks outside, remembered what Captain Scarlet said, and they groaned. They fell back into bed and curled one of the pillows around their ears. “Fucking jets.”

The Angels circled round and began to climb. They broke formation and the ribbons split into three, creating three rainbow petals as the Angels performed a loop and threaded themselves back into formation. Blue shot the Angels beside him a smirk. “Can you ladies do that?”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, Adam.” Symphony matched his smirk.

“I bet we could,” Harmony interjected, “With some practice.”

“Eyes up, guys, they’re coming in for real now.” Teal pointed out the window. With practiced skill, the first of the jets slowed to approach Cloudbase at a steep angle. The jet connected with the launch ramp perfectly and the entire assembly lowered. Heads turned to the amber glass doors that would soon reveal the first of the new Angels. Everyone detached from the windows and spread around the room to await their arrival. Magenta reclaimed his spot on the sofa, looking over the top as he knelt backwards on it like a prat. Teal perched next to him, leaning their knee against the arm of the sofa but staying stood up. The others gathered more openly in front of the doors as the outline of the chair descended. The amber doors slid open and the first of the new Angels unbuckled and bounced up from the chair. She immediately stopped dead at the gathering.

“Whoa. Talk about a welcoming committee.”

The first of the Angels probably stood at about 5 feet tall, short and stocky, with light brown skin and round deep brown eyes. She wore a sleek hijab tucked securely into her Angel fight suit, in the same gleaming white and gold trim. Melody approached the new arrival first. “Welcome to Cloudbase! Good to have you with us.”

“That was one hell of a display.” Ochre chimed in as the new Angel looked around at all the faces with a wide grin.

“Let me guess…” Melody looked over her with a smile. “Sonata?”

She looked back and blinked. “Ah- wow, how could you tell?”

“Lucky guess.”

Sonata Angel giggled and nodded, then returned to looking around with an awkward but bubbly smile. “Ah, hi! The others will be down in a minute, I don’t want to steal too much attention before they get here. I’ll never hear the end of it, otherwise.”

“I think you have the entire base’s attention, buddy.” Teal jabbed a thumb out of the window, where the rainbow colours had by now mostly dissipated.

“Ha, maybe!” Sonata placed her hands on her hips and grinned. “But that was Requiem’s idea, we just agreed it was a good one.”

“I guess she’s going to have to earn a few points with Colonel White after that stunt.” Grey responded jokingly, only for a couple of the Angels to share a knowing glance between them. The other two jets pulled in and the chairs descended together. On the left, the Angel takes off her helmet to reveal a woman with a glossy dark brunette bob, fair skinned and a little taller than Sonata. She looked around at the welcoming committee and tilted her head.

“Huh. Hey, everyone.”

“That must make you Toccata.” Rhapsody spoke up, making the new face shrug.

“Guilty.”

As everyone was briefly distracted by Toccata, the final Angel had a moment to unbuckle and de-helmet before walking out and surveying the room, but soon the attention shifted to the new voice.

“Damn, I think all you guys are missing is a red carpet!”

Requiem Angel was a very tall young man, way taller than his partners, as one could tell by the way he swaggered into the centre of the room in just a few strides. With warm dark skin and slightly lighter brown eyes than the others, he ran a hand through his short black curls to bring some life back to them after being crammed into his helmet. He looked around with a bright crooked grin. “Alright, most important question.” He nodded out the window. “Did it look good?”

A second passed before his audience realised he was talking about the stunt outside, and it prompted Teal to laugh. “Hell yeah, dude, it looked cool.”

“Very impressive.” Harmony agreed.

“Yeah, it looked… Good.” Magenta said, a little quieter, tilting his head and looking the man over. Requiem pumped his fist back in victory.

“Yes! Bring it in, team!” He turned to Sonata, both hands up and balled into fists, and with a laugh she met his double fist bump with enthusiasm. He turned on his heel to Toccata awaiting the same.

“Is this seriously how you’re introducing us?” She shot back at him, but the words were only teasing through her crooked grin as she returned the double fist bump with the same enthusiasm.

“They’re Angels, alright.” Grey said just as the Amber Room doors opened to let in Destiny, back from directing them in from the tower. She immediately made a beeline for the three newcomers and her hands clasped together.

“An amazing display, everyone!” She grinned with no small amount of pride. “I feel like I want to have a go myself.”

Requiem nudged Toccata at that. “See? Good company we’re in.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Toccata nudged him back and looked around with a pout. “Okay, stupid but necessary question. Can we call each other by our actual names, or…”

“Sure, we’re off-duty. If you’re comfortable with sharing, of course.” Blue replied.

“It’s also good if you want to be all emotional and dramatic.” Rhapsody responded with a smirk directed at Blue and Scarlet. It earned a wave of chuckles from several officers.

“Oh yeah, I kinda forgot I don’t know any of your actual names.” Teal mused, drawing an incredulous look from Magenta.

“How’d you forget?”

“I dunno, I guess I’m used to the idea of us all sounding like collectable action figures.”

After another round of laughs, introductions were made. Sonata had to give herself a minute to get her giggles out of her system before responding. “I’m Hazeema.”

“You can call me Davi.” Requiem offered, that smile pretty much soldered to his face.

Toccata did her best to follow along with the names of all the colour officers as well as her fellow Angels before realising, as the person who kicked this off, she should probably do the same. “Oh, I’m Mai.”

A couple of the others glanced over to Teal, who had just been listening to everyone, and they smirked. “You don’t wanna keep the mystique?”

“Mystique isn’t the word I’d use for you, so far.” Magenta responded, earning him a raised eyebrow.

“Watch it, Patrick.” They shot back with a smirk. “Name’s Calais, don’t wear it out.”

Magenta mirrored the smirk and then looked around to see if there was anyone else he was unfamiliar with. As he watched everyone settle into the available seating, he noticed something. “Huh. We’re missing a couple of faces here.”

“Captain Indigo politely excused themself from this little gathering,” Grey responded, “Introverted type, it sounds like.”

Ochre glanced over to Scarlet. “Didn’t you say you were going to check on Captain Sable?”

“We did, yes. They’re…” Though he maintained a neutral tone, Scarlet’s pause and the way his brows furrowed a little betrayed a greater concern. “They’re still a little jetlagged from their journey. Can’t say I blame them.”

“They were a little short with us in the briefing earlier.” Grey admitted, making Teal speak up now that the topic was on the table.

“They walked straight off before anyone could interact with them, They did the same to me and Indigo after we arrived.”

At this, Magenta pointed between Teal and Grey in vindication. “Ah! What did I tell you earlier, Rick?” He nudged Ochre’s arm with his elbow. “They brushed us off completely while picking up their groceries.”

Ochre nudged his partner right back. “Give them time. We don’t know what they’re feeling right now, and we don’t have the right to until they say something.”

“You think something’s bothering them?” Scarlet asked.

“Maybe. Like I said, best not to push the matter. It’s not even been a day, yet.”

“Well yeah, but what if they’re like this on missions?” Blue pointed out. “Communication is a lifeline out in the field.”

Grey shook his head. “To be fair, they seemed very professional during the briefing.”

“Yeah, they were pretty on the ball, so I’m not too worried about them on the job.” Teal said, then looked at Grey with a wide smile. “I just hope you’re well prepared for the long, long silence on your upcoming flight with them, Brad.”