Opening Notes: So while last chapter was a fair bit shorter than I might've preferred, it still turned out alright for the most part so I won't complain too much. That aside, I think this one is gonna be a bit of a two parter if my muse sticks to the damn plan, for once, but we'll see how it turns out I suppose. At any rate, let's get this goin'!

Chapter 5

Toil and Trouble…

Earth Aleph, unknown location

Cauldron Base

August 29th, 2007, 7:12 PM…

Doctor Mother could count the number of times Contessa had ever shown interest in someone outside of their group on one hand with most of her hand to spare. Because to put it simply, for as long as they'd known each other, she knew without a doubt that Fortuna had very little respect for anyone, but that hadn't stopped them from working together for many years already towards the same goal of saving all of humanity. She'd helped Fortuna kill Eden after all, before they'd found a way to make use of the Entity's corpse to give others powers once their formula had been stabilized, mostly.

So having Contessa, the 'boogeyman' according to many that knew even a little of what she was truly capable of, show an interest in anyone, especially outside of Cauldron, was not only out of the ordinary for the young woman, but also vexing for Doctor Mother since Fortuna was being unusually cagey, even by her normal standards. Some of that was likely due to the simple fact even knowing the future could change it, some of it likely a consequence of Contessa's Shard and how long the girl had used it once she'd Triggered when she was a little girl, but whatever the real reason for Fortuna's silence, Doctor Mother found herself wanting to know why Contessa had contacted this Dion Lesage at all, even in passing as she had. The only reason she even knew about the incident was thanks to Eidolon raising a fuss about it.

"You really don't know why Fortuna's reached out to Mr. Lesage?" One of the original members of the Protectorate, and arguably one of the strongest Capes in the world, asked as Zachariah regarded her from behind his full helmet and mask.

"I do not." Doctor Mother replied evenly as she always did, detached and calmness personified in many people's opinions. "I myself am quite curious to know what Fortuna's thinking, what her Path must've revealed about our new potential hero, but you know as well as anyone she rarely tells what she deems unnecessary for others to know. Every word, every seemingly unimportant action she performs, every breath she takes, is all in service to her Path." She understood why Eidolon wasn't happy by that answer, sharing some of the same frustration he was feeling, but there was nothing they could do about it. For one Contessa would see any attempt to interfere in her work coming a mile away, and for another, she was far too valuable of an agent to get in her way even for a moment. That didn't make it any less frustrating however, being kept in the dark.

Case in point, both of them turned to the door as…was that music?

Music that began to grow louder as someone approached their meeting room. Before she could think to ask Eidolon to see what was going on, Contessa entered, her cellphone in one hand and a pair of portable, wireless speakers taped to her shoulders. The bemused looks both of them were giving her only got a playful smirk from the infuriating Thinker as she oh so casually sat down near Doctor Mother's side of the table. It was only once she was fully seated that Contessa turned off her music, completely ignoring the unamused look DM was giving her. "You'll figure it out eventually." Was all she would say regarding the unspoken question writ large on the 'doctor's' face.

"Ugh… ever since this Dion came into the picture, it's all the technicians working the Playroom will talk about, let alone the fact that many of the techs are giant game nerds like he is by all accounts." Eidolon's social awkwardness and anxiety when it came to public interactions made him seem aloof and standoffish, but every now and again, like now, he let his defenses down such as when he was frustrated or upset over something. Both emotions were easy to detect for the only purely human being in Cauldron's upper echelons though, even through Eidolon's helmet. The none too subtle glare he leveled at Contessa was proof enough of that on its own. "...That song, are you saying we're a group of evil villains?"

"Succession of Witches from FF 8, and we might not revel in wholesale destruction like the Slaughterhouse 9, but we're certainly no heroes, David." Contessa retorts without missing a beat. "Not in the traditional sense anyway."

"At least I tr-"

"Children." DM cut in with an exasperated sigh, feeling like she was having to wrangle squabbling kids into compliance. "This bickering will get us nowhere. Contessa…. please explain to Eidolon why you've contacted this… Bahamut."

Looking quite smug with whatever she had up her sleeve, Contessa thankfully nodded to her request before regarding the man in question. "Pavlovian conditioning. I want him to trust me so that when things get bad, he'll have a friend he can rely on. Plus, unlike you, his power won't fade because of a plethora of mental issues you've yet to get help for."

"There's never any time." Eidolon retorted, but DM didn't need a Thinker power to see that David… rather Zachariah due to his parents naming him after a very dear friend that'd passed away shortly before he'd been born, wasn't getting any better.

"Then make some." Contessa stated flatly before her visage softened, much to both of their mutual surprise. "Or better yet, spend some time with the new guy. You might be surprised by what he can teach even old dogs like you if you're willing to keep an open mind."

"...I'll consider it." Eidolon eventually stated before turning his head towards DM once more. "Be it as it may, he's potentially Triumvirate level from what Legend and the techs are already saying. He'll need to be tested further, and even then he'll need extensive training to ensure he can handle himself per our usual standards, but Legend's judgment is normally pretty spot on."

"I've already got a few things in mind to help with that." Contessa chimed in before her smug smirk returned just as she crossed one leg at the knee over the other. "Just don't be surprised when Bahamut has an immediate effect on the gangs all over New York." Just when Eidolon started to speak, she cut him off, and said, "Keep your pants on David, Dion is far more the knight than you realize. He won't let innocent people get in harm's way as much as he's able. There might be a gang war in the not so distant future once he gets going, but the Protectorate will be able to handle it. It's what comes after that I'd be concerned about, but fighting off the gangs will help prepare the rest of the Protectorate's heroes for that as well."

"...Fine, but you better be right about this." He eventually stated.

"When am I ever wrong?" She retorted, smug as either of them had ever heard her. She needlessly drove her confidence home when she played them another song before she got up and started for the door, a portal appearing on command the moment her request was made to Doormaker.

"Some days I wonder why I put up with her." Doctor Mother muttered once the portal had closed behind Contessa.

"The feeling's mutual on that point." Eidolon grumbled, his gaze on the spot where Contessa had since disappeared.

Protectorate HQ, Hero's Playroom

August 31st, 9:12 AM…

Legend's POV…

"You're kidding me, that's how you beat him?!" Daniels exclaimed as Dion shrugs helplessly at the young technician's disbelief while Legend just watched from the sidelines.

"Sephiroth isn't that hard once you know the fight. The original FF 7 might be old, but it was way ahead of its time." Dion replied before glancing to the only other occupant currently in the room. "My apologies if we're boring you, sir."

Legend waves a hand in easy dismissal, saying, "It's alright. I might not be able to follow the conversation, but never apologize for having such a strong passion for what you love, Bahamut."

"I have to ask," Dion began as he turned back to Daniels, "but why is there so many FF monsters in the database? I'm hardly complaining, I just find it curious."

Daniels' face falls at the same time the cheery mood all but evaporates in the same instant. "Because of Hero. Wavelengths was what his power revolved around. Light was his go to, but anything with a wavelength could be manipulated by his Tinker abilities. On top of that, he was a giant video game nerd, bringing in new games for the then new Wards to enjoy between school and work."

"He was the best of us." Legend solemnly states before letting out a weary, sorrowful sigh. "He would've taken a liking to you almost immediately. His loss among those who started the Protectorate like myself will always be felt, no matter how much time might pass."

"From what little I've heard, I can see why that'd be the case, sir." Dion replies quietly, showing a level of deference not entirely surprising after the last few days of getting to know the young dragoon styled hero. "Genial and welcoming to everyone, a strong sense of morality, yet always willing to give people a second chance. I would've liked to have met him as well."

They might've kept going about the kinda person Hero was, but it was then that Chevalier, Jouster, and Astrologer arrived, with the young woman taking one look at Dion before narrowing her eyes to slits. "You're still here?"

"I am." Despite the annoyance and anger being directed his way, Legend would've sworn that he was completely unaffected by Astrologer's reaction to his presence. "And I hope we might get past… whatever this is between us."

"Not gonna happen." She rebuffed, not budging an inch even when Chevalier sighed loudly at the same time Jouster simply shook his head.

"What's your problem with him anyway? It can't just be the whole thing with Silverstrike." Jouster asked before Chevalier could think to speak.

Astrologer, naturally, rounded on him while jabbing a finger towards Dion's general direction, "Because he's entirely too fucking nice! It's obvious he's up to some shady shit, yet everyone's falling all over themselves to suck him off!"

"You… don't like me because I'm too nice?" Dion blinked owlishly, having clearly not expected that answer, and he wasn't the only one judging by the astonished looks on Jouster and Chevalier's respective faces.

"No one is that nice without having an ulterior motive." Astrologer stated, sounding absolutely certain of that. Legend didn't say anything, but he understood why she might think so given the abuse she'd been forced to witness before she'd managed to run away from it all. He didn't say a word though, knowing that Chevalier, as team leader, would need to get his people to work together on his own. All Legend would do was make sure Astrologer, or anyone else for that matter, didn't do anything foolish.

"Who hurt you so badly that you'd mistrust someone's genuinely good intentions?" Dion asked, still audibly taken aback by Astrologer's heated rebuttal.

The gathering of energy around Astrologer's black bodysuited form was a telltale sign of her preparing to unleash her fury on the young man. "That's none of y-"

Legend's sudden appearance between her and Dion had her stumbling back and away from him, but a hand on her upper arm stopped Astrologer from falling on her ass altogether. Not that that stopped him from looking down upon her with abject disapproval and disappointment both. "That's enough." He firmly stated, making her shrink in on herself as he let her arm go. "You need to leave. I expect an incident report on my desk within the hour, along with a detailed explanation of your actions, or further disciplinary measures will be taken since I won't tolerate infighting. Do I make myself clear, Astrologer?"

She muttered an affirmative before stalking off without another word.

"I didn't even see him move!" Jouster whispered, tension emanating off of him in waves despite the awestruck note Legend could hear in every word.

"I did, but I can see why he's a Triumvirate Cape if that's his normal." Dion murmured, far more evenly than Jouster, but there was a note of awe in his own voice.

Even Chevalier was momentarily stunned by the man's power and speed, but he was the first to recover as he said, "Barring Astrologer… I assume you've got something in mind for the rest of us, Legend?"

"I do, but I'm also waiting for-" The doors to the control room opened, and allowed another of the Triumvirate to enter, one that had Chevalier and Jouster regarding Eidolon with wide eyes while Dion merely nodded his head respectfully towards the high powered Blaster. "Ah, Eidolon, thank you for coming."

"Of course." Eidolon replied before slowly turning his helmeted head to regard each of them in turn only to stop when he spotted Dion. "Bahamut, I've heard a great many good things about you."

"I've heard the same in regards to yourself, sir." Bahamut replies without missing a beat, his smile audible even after he donned the helmet he'd been given just yesterday. A helmet that, despite being made of a different material than the rest of his armor, otherwise went perfectly with his knightly appearance even if the draconic styled horns looked more like devil horns to the uninformed. Still, all in all, while it was almost a shame to hide Dion's handsome face, Legend was quick to push that idle thought aside before it could get him into trouble with Arthur.

Instead he turned to the technicians stationed at the control consoles, and said, "Simulation 2212 if you would."

"Yes sir." The four man team replied before commands were quickly entered into their respective consoles.

While the Playroom was booted up, Legend addressed the fledgling dragoon as much as the team he'd been assigned to. "Your prowess individually is already well known by this point, Bahamut, but working with a team is required, especially if you wish to remain with our premier lancer team who serve as first responders, especially during Parahuman threats. Whether that's gang related, bank heists, terrorist attacks, or something else, Chevalier's team is the first one on the scene more times than not. Identifying key targets, assessing the situation, and executing a plan of attack, all of these skills will become second nature, or you will be reassigned."

"Understood sir." Dion replied, all business as he slowly readied his lance.

"Good man." No sooner had the words left his mouth did the simulated cityscape Legend had requested had materialized in its entirety. "The scenario is simple this time gentlemen. In order to pass this team building exercise, you need to save the hostages being held within the warehouse district of Brockton Bay. AZN Bad Boys, headed by Lung himself, will be between you and the people you're trying to save. How you approach this situation I leave to your team leader, and your own discretion."

"Alright, let's move." Chevalier said, taking point as they headed for the Playroom proper.

Legend meanwhile turned to Eidolon as they approached the various monitoring screens that showed the Playroom's simulated interior from multiple angles. The area being simulated was near an abandoned trainyard full of seemingly homeless beggars, although many of the residents that were known to live near one of the AZN's main hubs of operation were indeed destitute and without many prospects. Collateral damage, should they ever end up in the Bay, would be a risk, and another challenge for them to overcome. As for their target, a series of warehouses that adjoined the old trainyard's nearby station was where they were bound.

"Alright Bahamut, can you jump up to the rooftops from here? Try to stay outta sight as much as possible once you're there." Chevalier ordered, the dragoon quick to obey as he peeled off, jumping effortlessly from the street to the rooftop of a nearby building in a single bound. "Jouster, peel around back, try to find another way into that warehouse. I'll take the front."

"Be careful boss." Jouster said as he slunk away as quietly as he was able, their respective helmet cams giving an unobstructed view of their angles of approach to the two veteran heroes and the technical officers managing the simulation.

"Prep the Oni Lee simulacrum." Eidolon ordered, Legend quick to nod when Daniels glanced towards them for confirmation. "Throw in Mush, and Purity as a third party combatant as well once the team engages the main base." The orders were quickly inputted into the simulation, before he and Eidolon simply watched what would unfold. While Legend was confident Bahamut would acquit himself well, that didn't stop him from crossing his fingers behind his back anyway.

Hero's Playroom, 'Brockton Bay' simulation

A few moments later…

Dion Lesage POV…

Even if he was in a simulated version of Brockton Bay, it was everything he'd expected it would be given what he could recall of the canon story. That was to say, the Bay looked like a bastardized version of Gotham, albeit without the neo gothic architecture. Graffiti covered the walls, gang tags, mostly of the AZN variety, were all too visible on the abandoned train cars he could see from his elevated position, and the stench of unwashed bodies and general hopelessness was atrocious. All in all, even if Leviathan hadn't destroyed most of the Bay yet, something he was determined to stop should the Endbringer make its scheduled appearance a few years from now, Brockton Bay was already a cesspool of gang activity and corruption, and the simulated environment captured that feeling a little too well in his opinion.

"Bahamut, give me a thermal scan." Chevalier's voice cut through his wandering thoughts, his masked visage appearing in the corner of his new helmet's HUD.

"Yes sir." Dion replied, a simple flick of his eyes enough to pull up the vision mode before a blink activated it. Tinker tech was seriously busted it turned out, even something as simple as the advanced, motion activated aspects of his newly created helmet was years beyond anything he'd seen in his old life. Even so, he didn't let such things distract him as he scanned the warehouse they were in the process of closing in on. "I'm reading twenty armed guards, and a number of people laid out on individual beds. I can't tell if any of them are Parahumans though."

"Roger that. Keep your head on a swivel." Chevalier ordered as Dion pulled up the minimap function with the same ease he'd activated his thermal vision mode. Two icons were visible alongside his own, marking their team leader and Jouster's positions for Bahamut's convenience. "Oni Lee is likely lurking around nearby, and even if he isn't, Mush is a dangerous foe all his own."

"The little trash goblin might not look like much, but he's able to cobble together a golem suit outta anything he can get his power on, allowing him to hit harder than you'd expect." Jouster informed him just as he reached a narrow alleyway between their designated location, and the warehouse next to it on the right side. "Worse yet, Mush can just pull additional pieces to replace any damaged bits, so getting to the little bastard's the only way to shut him down."

"Wonderful." Bahamut muttered as he continued his own approach, easily jumping the gap between the rooftop he was on and the targeted warehouse. Even so, despite how convenient and tech loaded his new helmet was, it was, admittedly, a little overwhelming to have so much information in the corners of his vision now. "Here's hoping this goes smo-"

The burst of ash in the vague shape of a human being was the only warning Dion had before the demonic masked visage of Oni Lee took shape in front of him. He had just as long to see the grenade pin flying out from under the teleporting assassin's smart looking black suit and tie before the warehouse rooftop was consumed in the resulting explosion. Somehow, Dion had managed to jump out of the initial fireball, but the explosion itself still left him reeling as the pressure wave slammed into him mid jump. Thrown ass over teakettle, he only just managed to get himself oriented the right way so he didn't end up falling flat on his face on a concrete rooftop, his lance's tip sinking into the roof itself as he skidded across its surface until he managed to slow to a stop. "-ut! Bahamut, come in!"

"Oni Lee's here!" He barked, a slight growl in his words as the man himself appeared several feet away this time, a pair of daggers in black leather clad hands.

"Shit…go in loud Jouster! Bahamut, keep Oni off us!" Chevalier ordered just before the sound of metal being caved in reached Dion's ears.

"On it." Dion spun his lance elegantly around himself as he squared off against the teleporter, who only cocked his head slightly to one side before nodding ever so slightly. Whether it was a simple acknowledgment or a respectful gesture, Dion couldn't have said, only that Oni wasted no more time in closing the distance between them, a burst of ash forming right in front of him once more at the same time a knife was jabbed towards his throat. Expecting the assassin's tricks now however, Dion was ready as he leaped away once more, only to throw his lance towards Oni, who had since made another copy of himself, allowing the one he'd targeted to explode in a cloud of ash a few seconds later.

Except Dion was far from done as he spun, using the momentum of his throw to twist himself about so he was able to fire off a blueish white orb of magic where he expected Oni to be. The quiet gasp of alarm was all he got, but while Oni simply teleported away before his attack could find its mark, Dion had made him move as he landed in a crouch moments later only to just as quickly shoot towards his thrown lance, a burst of white light propelling him forward that much more quickly.

It was just as well because Oni teleported behind him, knives flashing over his head as Dion rolled, snatched up his lance, and jabbed it forward just as Oni tried to get ahead of him. Instead of bringing his knives down upon Dion's neck and shoulders, Oni Lee wound up impaled on his lance right through the center of his chest. Instead of another burst of ash, signifying he'd simply cloned himself again, Oni coughed up a stream of blood that poured out from his mask's grinning veneer before his arms and legs went slack, the tension leaving his body as surely as his last breath. Dion let out an explosive breath of relief, the fight ending a whole lot more quickly than he would've expected given how dangerous Oni Lee was supposed to be, but he didn't allow himself to dwell on that since Chevalier and Jouster still needed his help. So he planted his boot on Oni's chest, and pulled his lance free while kicking his body away as best he could before running towards the warehouse once more.

Going through the new hole Oni's grenade had ripped open, Dion was just in time to bring his lance down through a thug's chest from above just as the Bad Boy was about to unload a pistol into Chevalier's back. Ripping his lance free of the newly made corpse, Dion ducked a baseball bat swung at his head, and used his weapon to slash the offender's back open as he stumbled past. "I would've expected you two to have cleaned house by now." He teased lightly.

"It isn't from a lack of trying." Chevalier retorted, his relief palpable as he brought his club up and around, shoving another gang member's shotgun aside before cracking the bastard across his face for good measure. "Oni Lee?"

"Dead." Dion stated, throwing his lance towards a gunner on a catwalk that overlooked the entire warehouse from the far end.

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy." Jouster cheered, his own lance spouting great gouts of fire any time he hit someone with the weapon's tip. "I doubt the real deal will be that easy though."

"Save it for later, Jouster." Chevalier retorted while Dion manifested his draconic wings, giving him that extra oomph to get him up to his thrown lance while also providing a measure of extra protection from errant gunfire from the few gangers that were left by that point. "We need to get these people outta here before Mush tears this place apart."

"I say we just throw Bahamut at him." Jouster replied, earning a quiet snort from Dion for his trouble.

"He jokes, but I can likely hold this Mush off while you get these people to safety." Bahamut stated as he just as quickly hopped the railing, and fell the dozen or so feet back to the ground floor of the warehouse, using one last gunman as a launch pad though not before slashing him across his arm on his way to his next destination.

"Pull back if you have to. You're no good to us dead." Chevalier's blunt retort only got a nod from the dragoon just as strange, fleshy looking tendrils began to pour across the back wall of the warehouse only for whatever they touched to be pulled away. Horrendous, almost deafening screeches of metal being rent apart at the same time great chunks of concrete were similarly pulled up and away were quick to follow, revealing a quickly growing construct that slowly stood to an impressive height of twenty or so feet tall.

Yet despite the fact Mush had prepared a full suit of debris shaped armor in the time it'd taken them to clear the warehouse of any opposition, Dion merely approached the trash golem without a moment's hesitation before suddenly breaking out into a full sprint. Mush, seeing his rapid approach, tries to bring one concrete and metal constructed fist down upon him, but Bahamut simply lept atop his outstretched arm and ran almost straight up the limb when Mush started to pull it back. Trying to swat him away with his free hand did nothing to slow Bahamut down as he again leapt over the construct's swipe, using it as the perfect excuse to land on the front of the construct's 'face', lance first. Even though it did nothing but leave a gash in the concrete, a 'wound' that was quickly sealed up when a fresh piece of sheet metal slammed over the hole he'd created, Bahamut was far from finished as he jumped, whirled around, and dragged his lance all the way down the golem's back before he rolled across the pavement and right back to his feet.

No sooner had he done that than a beam of light shot down from the heavens, and slammed into Mush's construct like an angry god's wrath. Dion was blown off his feet for the second time that day, rolling aside of a chunk of concrete that would've caved his skull in otherwise. "What happened? Bahamut!"

"Ugh…Mush just got wiped off the map, sir. It wasn't me either." Bahamut groaned as he slowly got to his feet a bit unsteadily, shaking off the disorientation as best he could before frantically looking for the source of the beam attack. He soon enough found it as a figure in a pure white body suit slowly descended upon the smoking crater she'd left to mark where Mush's trash golem had once resided. "New Cape, white bodysuit, seems to have some kind of beam attack."

"Purity, she's E88. Get out of there, she's much stronger and faster than she looks."

"If I do, she'll just nuke you and Jouster next." Dion pointed out as he gripped his lance with one hand, holding its point towards the glowing woman as she whipped her masked head towards him in full.

"Damn it Bahamut, pull back!" Chevalier shouted into his ear.

"Being a hero requires a willingness to lay one's life down for the sake of others." Bahamut retorted with an audible shake of his head. "You and Jouster still have hostages to get out of here, so I'll at least buy you time to see them to safety." Without further ado, he addressed Purity directly, who'd at least been kind enough to wait for him to finish speaking to his comrades. "I don't know why you're here or what you hope to accomplish, but I can't allow you to go any further."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with." Bahamut spread his feet just so and readied his lance just as light began to gather in the palms of Purity's hands. In the next instant, Purity had zipped towards him, a blast of the same energy arcing past his face as Dion darted to the side just as quickly, his lance a blur as he brought its bladed edge across her back while all but dancing around her. She proved just a touch too quick for that though, darting just out of range as she spun and fired, nearly as gracefully in her own way as she fired with her other hand. A quick slap of his lance's shaft pushed her aim off just enough so that the second beam flew over his shoulder instead of taking his head off his neck as he just as quickly spun his lance the other way around his body.

The blade narrowly missed her stomach as she flew back while sucking in her gut at the same time, her bodysuit coming away with a light slash before they were at each other's throats again while off in the distance, two separate warehouses were utterly wiped off the map from both beams that'd failed to hit their intended target. Neither cared to pay the explosions that followed any mind as they clashed again and again, determined to end the other as quickly as possible.

"Yeesh! And I thought Legend was fast!" Bahamut heard Jouster exclaim over the radio as he and Purity continued their little 'dance'. If not for the fact she had to charge up her blasts, he would certainly be toast by now. As it was, her strength and speed were nearly as great as his own, even if, without Priming himself even partially, she was actually stronger than him by a fair margin, a point she proved when he lept back and away of an overhead slam of her fist that left a crater where he'd just been standing.

Slamming his weapon's shaft into her stomach after dodging another punch to the face, Purity let out an explosive breath as Bahamut jumped high into the air and brought it crashing down upon her only for Purity to roll aside at the last moment. Except she fell right into his trap when he simply leapt into the air again, his Double Jump ending with him sinking his lance into her back from on high before she could hope to dodge again. She gave an agonized shriek before falling silent, leaving Dion to pant and wheeze since that was probably the hardest fight he'd been a part of thus far, at least the hardest one where he hadn't used his full power as a Dominant, partially Primed or otherwise.

"Simulation over. Congratulations gentlemen, that was a most impressive showing even if there's still room for improvement." Legend said over the Playroom's intercom as the simulated environment began to dissolve, leaving the arena's interior visible once more. "You did especially well Bahamut, even if sometimes retreat is the better option against a superior enemy force, especially when innocent lives might end up lost in the chaos such a fight all too often causes."

"Some would call it reckless, potentially throwing your life away like that had this been the real deal, but saving lives is always the priority in our line of work." Eidolon stated next, audibly impressed or so it sounded to Dion anyway. "Why didn't you use your full power though, Bahamut? We know you have a Breaker form of sorts, so why not use it?"

"Because while it might've made the fight easier, my job was to hold Purity's focus on me rather than encouraging her to try and find a weaker opponent if I wasn't able to finish her off first." Bahamut explained, wiping his arm across his forehead once he'd taken his helmet off for the time being. "That…and Priming, even partially, requires precious seconds to pull off, and with how fast Purity proved herself to be, she likely would've interrupted the attempt."

"Hmm, something to work on then." Legend noted at his explanation. "Sometimes you won't have much of a choice, so achieving your most powerful form faster will be critical."

"Aye sir." Dion agreed, sighing with relief that he hadn't made a fool of himself in some fashion despite having held himself back as he had.

"Overall though," Eidolon chimed in next, "I'd say this was a successful exercise. Just keep at it." With that, Dion and the others watched as the man left the control booth without a further word.

"Get cleaned up for now, your first patrol together will be soon enough." Legend stated before he too left them to their own devices.

Not that that stopped Chevalier from giving Dion a slightly annoyed if relieved glare once the two vets were long gone. "Disobeying orders like that could get us all killed, but…you made the right call, Bahamut. Just please don't do something that stupid again, alright?"

"I can't promise you it won't happen, but I'll do my best to follow your lead, Chevalier."

"Lay off Chevie," Jouster cheered as he put his elbow on Dion's shoulder as best he could, leaning against him with a crooked smirk on his face, "our boy just kicked holo-Purity's fine ass up and down the block after beating Oni's ass, and holding his own against Mush on top of it. Sure, it wasn't the real deal or anything, but if he can do that here, I doubt the real ones would fare any better."

"You need to take this more seriously, Jouster…even if I'm reluctantly willing to agree that Bahamut's a lot stronger than I would've guessed." Chevalier admitted before jabbing a finger towards them both, "But I'm serious, we can't have you going off half cocked like that even if, this time, it was the right course of action."

"Che-"

"It's alright Jouster." Dion cut in with a gentle shake of his head, "Chevalier's right in his way. He's just trying to keep us all alive as best he knows how, but real life won't be that easy."

"...Yeah, I know that, but still…I meant what I said Bahamut. You're no good to us dead." Chevalier reiterated, grateful that he was siding with him even if they all knew Dion would likely pull a similar stunt in the future if he deemed it necessary.

"I know, and that's why you're the right man for the job of leading this team." Dion assured him, earning a small, but appreciative smile from Chevalier in response. "Don't worry, I don't intend to die anytime soon if I can help it. If I come up against an opponent I feel I can't contend with, I'll do what I can to get away, but only once everyone else is safe and out of harm's way."

"Ugh…" Chevalier grumbled while Jouster chuckled at the exchange. Dion though merely shrugged helplessly, not about to yield on that particular point. He wouldn't be who he was if he didn't at least try to keep his friends and innocent bystanders out of the line of fire as much as possible. Still, his stomach growling reminded him he'd spent quite a bit of energy holding the line as he had.

Still, he wondered how he was gonna get Astrologer to open up…

End Notes: All in all, I think this one turned out okay. Granted, all of these fights will be MUCH harder if/when he ends up facing off against the real versions of these three, but as far as training exercises go, they were powerful enough to be legitimate threats to our boy without his going partially Primed if not fully Primed into Bahamut himself, which admittedly would've been downright overkill most likely. Still, hope you all enjoyed, and that I didn't fuck up with Eidolon, Doctor Mother, and Contessa, that part…seriously stressed me out. With that said, I actually had a lot of fun writing Contessa as she trolled everyone in that meeting lol.

Real quick before I forget though, but any suggestions for some OC characters to fill out Silverstrike's fellow gang members, Parahuman and otherwise, would be greatly appreciated, as would a proper name for the group even though crystalwatcher suggested one I might use if nothing better comes along lol. That aside, they aren't a particularly big gang or anything, but they'll at least be treated as if they're a legitimate threat, actually using their brains a bit to track our boy down before trying to either ambush him, or to set up a situation that he'll have to respond to. Whatever I end up doing, I'll hopefully be able to establish them as a potential threat to his life. At any rate, see ya folks!