The steady hum of machinery in Shadowmind's workshop filled the air as she tinkered with a disassembled plasma emitter, its purple-trimmed components spread across her workbench. She rolled backward, spinning her chair with practiced ease to grab a tool when the pneumatic door hissed open. Her braid whipped around as she turned sharply toward the intruder, already annoyed at the interruption.
"Right, right," Shadowmind muttered, dropping the tool back onto the table as she took in the figure in the doorway. Her brow arched slightly at the unfamiliar face. Probably that new hero the admins had pinged her about earlier, though she couldn't recall whether this newcomer was recently inducted or transferred from another branch. "Katrina Ryker," she introduced herself simply, not bothering with the pleasantries HRM usually demanded of her. "But call me Shadowmind if you want to sound like an idiot, or just 'Ryker' if you've got any sense."
Shadowmind wheeled closer, sizing her newest project up with quick, practiced glances that inventoried frame, stance, and any visible augmentations. "So what's your deal?" Her fingers tapped impatiently against the armrest of her wheelchair. "Powers, specialty, loadout preferences... all that jazz." Her free hand gestured vaguely toward a diagnostic scanner behind her. "And don't waste my time with the inspirational backstory - just tell me what breaks when you use it."
The way Shadowmind said it wasn't unkind, just direct; the same tone she'd use telling someone their shoelaces were untied. Ultimately, she didn't wait for an answer and continued. Experience had taught her that rookies always took forever to articulate basic facts about themselves.
"Before you ask," Shadowmind said dryly, "yes, you'll get proper armor. And no, I don't do capes. They're fucking deathtraps. Heroes die when their gear's more PR than protection. It's a point of contention between me and management." The corner of her mouth twitched upward - not quite a smile, but something adjacent.
"So, unless you're packing something that fries electronics, standard loadout starts with kinetic dampeners and emergency beacon. Then we work from there." Shadowmind's not-quite-smile was almost motherly but that just made her bluntness hit harder. She wasn't here to make friends. She was here to make sure the new meat didn't get themselves killed before they even finished orientation.
