The waiting room the teens were being held in was quite unremarkable compared to the rest of the facility. Obviously sitting around waiting for their teacher (Teacher? Chaperone? Professor didn't sound right…) didn't exactly require any cool, high-tech devices or machinery, but come on. It could've at least looked cooler.
Alfred glanced around at his fellow trainees. They all looked some degree of nervous/excited. One boy with auburn hair who looked only slightly younger than Alfred was chatting excitedly with another, taller and blond boy, but the rest seemed to keep to themselves. Alfred grinned and rose from his chair; looks like someone needed to step up and be their group leader.
"I say we get to know each other!" Alfred blurted, not fazed by the heads that turned at his outburst. "Don't worry, I'll start. I'm Alfred, super strong, ya know, pretty classic Hero stuff," he continued, flexing ever so slightly. The others around him seemed unenthused, but chatterbox stepped forward to shake his hand.
"Wow, that's wonderful! I'm Feliciano, oh, but please call me Feli! I can control water! Has anyone else been here before? I have! I've been to a couple events but never as a trainee! I can't wait to get started-"
"You said before you knew someone here," The boy Feli had been speaking with before sighed. He glanced around the room once and straightened his shoulders. "Ludwig..." He held up his arm and let it turn to rock. "I can harden and strengthen my skin."
Alfred frowned and looked Ludwig up and down. The kid was built like a tank and was clearly his biggest competition, at least compared to the rest in this room.
"I ask because my brother's a hero," Ludwig continued. "Anyone else have any connections to the league?"
"My brothers aren't heroes, but they do work with the tech department…" a shorter boy with almost violet eyes hesitantly offered. He looked around expectantly and let out a small 'oh' when he was met with stares. "I'm Emil…" he trailed off before letting his eyes focus on an empty chair. It slowly, but steadily rose from the floor and was shortly set back down, earning a small, proud smile from Emil. "I-I've been working really hard on my power," he finished shyly.
Feliciano fawned over Emil's abilities giddily. Alfred coughed and looked at the remaining members of their class. "Well, some of us get in based just on merit, right Matt?" he said, looking for his brother. "Matt…?"
Matthew suddenly appeared beside him, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, kind of lost track of myself there…" Alfred laughed and slapped his brother on the back.
"No problem, bro! Glad you joined the group!"
Matthew waved weakly at everyone. "Uh...Matt...invisibility…" There were a few nods and grunts in response. Oof, Alfred had his work cut out for him. There will still a few silent party poopers hanging around, watched expectantly by their peers.
One shoulder length blond in the corner raised their hand dismissively and continued to flip through one of the magazines left laying around. "Feliks," they simply responded before stretching their arm across the room and grabbing a cup of water. They winked at Alfred and brought the cup back to their lips. "I'm super flexible."
Alfred kept a cool face and looked back to the last two. A short, japanese boy rose nervously with a slight bow. "Kiku. I control technology," Feliciano flitted over to him with Ludwig in tow and once again talked his new friend's ear off.
The last girl just stared blankly at Alfred and flipped him off. He would work on that later. In the meantime, he looked around at his new potential sidekicks and cleared his throat.
"So I was thinking-"
Alfred was cut off by the door opening behind him. Everyone in the room went silent and stared at the doorway. Even Ice Queen looked to the door with a hint of interest. Feli shook with anticipation and the rest stood a little taller, wanting to make a good first impression. The teens were met with a trio surprisingly well known, higher up heroes.
Halcón, Caméléon, and Bolt. Halcón had his signature, but simple, black, flight capable, and armored suit, while Caméléon and Bolt were in League issued uniforms.
Feli and Ludwig seemed to beam at the sight of what appeared to be their mentors. Halcón clapped his hands together and stepped forward, all smiles for his ragtag team delinquents. His green eyes sparkled as his he surveyed the room. His lopsided smile and mess of hair seemed somewhat...unprofessional, given how high he ranked as a hero. But he was known to be a crowd pleaser and part of a fan favorite duo...
"Hey there! We're so glad to have all of you joining our little super family!"
Feli clapped, earning a wider grin from Halcón. "You've probably seen us before and know us as heroes, but for now, we're Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert," he said pointing to himself, Caméléon, and Bolt, respectively. Francis winked and Gilbert smirked, both eyeing the new recruits
Ludwig leaned closer to Feliciano. "Is Fa-Antonio the one you know?" he mumbled quietly. Feliciano shook his head slightly.
"Oh, no…! Well...I do know him, but he's not the one I'm related to-"
Feli was interrupted by Gilbert's sudden presence behind himself and Ludwig. Both jumped slightly when he slung his arms around their shoulders. "Hah! Already making friends! Man I miss training!" Feliciano blinked, startled by the piercing crimson eyes that met his. Gilbert cackled before zipping around the other students in the room.
He rejoined Antonio and Francis and continued to laugh. "This is gonna be a fun bunch, I can tell," He hummed glancing around the room once more. Gilbert's eyes landed on Matthew last, causing the latter's visibility to flicker.
Antonio cleared his throat and tried to maintain his smile. "Professionalism, Gilbert…" he pleaded silently. Antonio was saved by further teasing from his 'friend' by Emil's raised hand. "You have a question?" he inquired politely.
Emil's eyes seemed to widen ever so slightly as words seemed to get stuck in his throat. "I-I, um...so is it just you three training us?...because...well...I mean, I-I keep up with a lot of um, hero news….n-not that I'm a crazy fan or anything…! But-"
"Where's Spitfire?" Feliks groaned, finishing Emil's question. "She's like, the main reason I'm here and she's supposed to be your sidekick-"
"Partner!" Antonio interrupted. "Not sidekick! Do NOT let her catch you calling her a sidekick…" he chuckled nervously. Francis smirked next to him and quickly shifted his tall, blond appearance to a familiar looking short, brown haired woman with a distinctive scowl, though his blue eyes remained intact. Numerous students recognized his new appearance from TV.
"Satisfied?" he sneered at Feliks, earning a wide eyed look from the trainees, a snort from Gilbert, and a shudder from Antonio.
"Francis, we've talked about this," Antonio grumbled. Gilbert snickered as Francis changed back to his original appearance.
"Dude, I'm so telling on you."
"Is that so? Then my dear friend, get ready to have a fire under your ass when I tell her who's responsible for the fire extinguisher incident."
"Anyways!" Antonio continued desperately before directing his attention to Emil with a warm smile. "To answer your question, she'll be joining us after she finishes her solo assignment. And I'm sure she'd be happy to know you admire her work."
"Now," Antonio continued to the rest of the group. "Before we answer any more questions, let's begin our tour!"
(-)
Antonio was extremely proud of the fact that he didn't lose a single trainee on his tour. At least not for longer than a minute or two. He was a bit rusty when it came to training; he had never led a group before and hadn't been in a training team for a few years. But he couldn't help but beam with pride as he watched his current class explore the spacious general training room. This really did seem like a good bunch! These kids just keep getting brighter and more powerful with each passing year.
Antonio snapped back into reality when he realized Feliciano was standing in front of him. He smiled at the younger boy and ruffled his hair. "What's it like seeing everything from the other side?"
Feliciano laughed and looked back out at the training center. "It's all so much cooler than how you described it! I'm so excited to get started…" He trailed off and turned to his mentor. "When Lovina gets here...I told one of my friends I knew and you and someone else here...is that ok?...I-I wasn't trying to brag, o-or make a big deal about it…"
"Don't worry about," Antonio said reassuringly. "I'm sure they'd find out anyway. And trust me, neither of us are planning on playing favorites."
"I just wanted to make sure…" Feliciano replied. "Do you know when she'll be back?"
"Soon," Antonio sighed. "She checked in earlier and wasn't very happy. PR appearance aren't her strong suit…"
Feliciano chuckled and started to make his way toward a small group of his peers. "Just checking...Let me know if you hear from her again!" he said before jogging over. Antonio smiled and watched him go before turning to observe his other students.
(-)
Alfred checked out the workout equipment and frowned as he watched Feli. "What the hell? How come he gets to be buddy-buddy with a super hero?!"
Matthew shrugged and lifted a smaller weight. "You could be buddy-buddy with one of them if you wanted. They seem really nice…."
Alfred sighed and leaned against one of the machines. "Dude, we're at a disadvantage here. Half these kids have connections! And we came in late because we happened to be dropped in the middle of bum fuck nowhere with a bunch of non-believer assholes-."
Matthew rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You always manage to stand out."
Alfred thought for a moment and nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "You know, I think I can work with this. Everyone loves an underdog, right?!" Alfred set his sights on Kiku and started heading over. "Hey dude! Which one are you again? Haha…."
Matthew watched him go before turning back toward some weights, letting out a startled gasp at the sight of Gilbert sitting on one of the benches. The older hero grinned and stood.
"Sorry, I'm really good at sneaking up on people," he said with a smirk. Matthew watched him for a moment before managing a smile and extending out a hand.
"So am I. Matthew," he responded, standing a little taller. He wasn't the boldest out of the bunch, but he at least wanted to try to not be intimidated by the hero.
Gilbert blinked and stared for a moment before chuckling and taking Matthew's hand with a firm grasp. "I'm keeping an eye on you," he said, shaking Matt's hand. Matthew opened his mouth, mostly in shock, partly to form some kind of reply, but was interrupted by Francis appearing behind Gilbert and grabbing him by the ear.
Gilbert whined and griped as Francis started pulling him away, still holding his ear. "Sorry, cher," he said to Matthew over Gilbert's protests. "Someone has forgotten his manners," he hissed at Gilbert as he dragged him away.
(-)
Natalya was completely unamused by what appeared to be summer camp based on the sheer number of dipshits that surrounded her. She didn't mind the quiet ones so much, but the big personalities were already wearing her down. She shouldn't even be here in the first place, a pity spot in this clusterfuck meant absolutely nothing.
"Excuse me…?"
Natalya's head snapped over to Emil, who jumped a little at her severe expression.
"You, uh...never said what your power is…" he continued after receiving no response. "Or your name, for that matter…"
"Neither is any of your concern," she responded cooly, looking back at the hyperactive toddlers running rampant. She rolled her eyes and scowled when she saw wonderboy hustling over, pulling Kiku along with him.
"Yo!" Alfred called as he approached. He flashed a grin to Emil and Natalya. "If we have some kind of class president or group leader or whatever, vote for me, yeah?!"
Emil hid a grimace. "I'll, uh, think about it…"
Before Natalya could come up with a snarky retort, the group was called together at the center of the training room by their fearless leader. As the trainees gathered, Natalya watched Antonio attempt to resolve some kind of bickering between Francis and Gilbert. So far, the trio seemed, combined, less mature than Alfred.
"Time to give out room assignments!" Antonio began once everyone had come together. Francis handed him a clipboard and returned to Gilbert's side.
"Ludwig and Feliciano, Emil and Matthew, Kiku and Alfred, and Feliks and Natalya."
Everyone turned their heads toward Natalya. "That's a pretty name…" Emil said quietly. Natalya showed no reaction and simply watched her three mentors.
"You've seen the barracks, so we'll lead you back and let you get settled before dinner. You'll each find a handbook in your room; study it. " Antonio continued. "I know most people ignore things like this, but if you wanna do well, you have to understand how this program works."
Each of the students nodded and instinctually began to migrate toward their roommate. Antonio, Francis, and Gilbert began leading them back to their rooms, making sure that their students were beginning to take note of the layout of the base so they could eventually find their own way.
(-)
Each trainee was given downtime to get settled and get to know their roommate. They were instructed to follow the buddy system pretty dutifully; after all, the facility was large and could be confusing, especially with so many restricted zones and security measures. But everything was so pristine and advanced; the sheer amount of resources made available to the League's members, whether it be gear, information systems, or other housing and occupational measures, made the program competitive and top notch.
Even the barracks were equipped with what could only be described as supercomputers, made available to trainees and lower level interns to continue development outside of the classroom, as well as state of the art sleeping accommodations put in place to maximize recovery after training. Each pair had their own room and bathroom and could customize their spaces to their hearts' content. A common area was made available to each training group with a small kitchen and lounging area, free to use whenever they wanted.
The pairings were surprisingly well placed. Even Feliks was relieved to be put with Natalya, who didn't seem to mind (or rather didn't care about) about how they identified. Each trainee found a hefty manual on their bed, as well as a communication bracelet to be used to facilitate training and scheduling, in addition to regular communication. Numerous students, with Feli having the most trouble, meandered over to Kiku's room for help from the tech manipulator. Alfred hung around his roomie anxiously, trying to insert himself in and assert his place as a helper and leader, occasionally actually aiding in figuring the contraptions out.
Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio hung around to make sure there were no major hiccups. Antonio sighed in relief as he observed his students beginning to bond without much controversy. There was a lot riding on this group being successful; more than most around him knew. Obviously he was training the future and all that sentimental crap. But aside from that, his reputation was kind of at stake. If he couldn't lead a team of newbies, no one would let him rank higher. And Lovi's ass was on the line, and she told him maybe this wasn't the best idea and she was almost always right-
"You hear from hot head yet?"
Antonio's thoughts were interrupted by Gilbert's half hearted question. Antonio sighed when he saw his friend playing fucking Candy Crush on his phone while the future of the entire goddamn world was in their hands-
"Lovina probably won't be back until tomorrow," he muttered, flicking his friend's ear. That made him feel a little better.
Francis stretched and stepped out to stand in front of Antonio while Gilbert grumbled. He flicked his appearance to shift between each of the new trainees; first Feliks, Alfred, Kiku and so on, starting from the top and continuing to loop through.
"Any stand outs?" he grinned and asked as he changed from student to student. Antonio shrugged and leaned back against the wall.
"I know Feli's stronger than he looks-"
"La, la, la," Francis interrupted, landing on Matthew's violet eyes and shaggy blond hair, not unlike his own. "You said no favorites." Francis rolled his eyes at Antonio's sheepish look and turned to sneer at Gilbert, holding Matthew's image.
"And you're going to get you dick flash fried when a certain someone makes her late appearance."
Gilbert rolled his eyes and smirked as Francis morphed back into his original form. "No harm in picking out potential sidekicks," he replied, maintaining his smirk and shrugging. "Maybe I want a side kick I can get close to...training's the best way to do that, right Toni.."
Antonio hummed and kept his eyes on a small group gathering at the opposite end of the hallway. "Doesn't work on me anymore Gil. Nothing wrong with a professional partnership."
Gilbert laughed and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "She's got you so whipped, man," he sighed as he started down the hall. Francis and and Antonio watched him once again zip around the newbies. Antonio sighed tiredly.
"I know he's joking, but I wish he'd be more careful about it," he mumbled quietly. "You know how she gets about the rumors. And I'm not much better…."
Francis smiled a little and shrugged. "There's gossip about all of us. Nobody listens to it. Unless you actually consider Gilbert a human vibrator."
Antonio laughed and smiled once again. "You're right. Gracias…" Francis nodded and watched as Antonio started to make his way down the hall, fiddling with his communicator. Beeps could be heard throughout the hall as the trainees gathered at their dinner call.
for reference:
(country: name: age: power)
Pro Heroes/mentors
Spain: Antonio (hero name Halcón): 26: flight and heightened strength/healing
France: Francis (hero name Caméléon): 27: Shape shifting
Prussia: Gilbert (hero name Bolt): 26: Super speed, some heightened strength
Fem Romano: Lovina (hero name Spitfire): 22: Creates and controls flames
Students
America: Alfred: 19: super strength
Canada: Matthew: 19: Invisibility
Italy: Feliciano: 17: Creates and controls water
Germany: Ludwig: 18: Can harden skin, enhanced strength/healing
Japan: Kiku: 17: can manipulate technology
Emil: Iceland: 17: Telekinesis
Poland: Feliks: 18: Super flexibility
Belarus: Natalya: 19: to be revealed ;)