The Bellators

2:5:3

Over the course of the next several hours, all five heroes of The Shield got to work in preparations, taking not a second lightly but instead drilling themselves with as much as they could in the allocated time they had before the drums of war would roll.

Deeper into the base was a large room with black metal faces, and in the center of the room was a humanoid in matte black casing, standing still as it didn't seem alive, and above it was a blue holographic screen that simply read: '0 J.'

Standing several feet in front of the humanoid was Calypso, no longer wearing her hoodie as instead she only sported a black tank top above her black shorts, wearing more athletic wear as she lifted her right arm up, and then made a downward angled slashing motion, before bringing her hand up with another angled slash, and one more straight down the center. With every slash, a purple streak appeared in front of her, striking the humanoid like a sword, and with every slash the number on the holographic screen changed, first being '4012 J,' then '7452J,' and finally 16546 J,' although there were no damages in the room nor on the dummy.

Initially reluctant with the plan, she had figured to put her focus not on questioning what will happen but instead making sure it happened well. She did understand why what was happening was taking place as decided, it was for the best, including where she would be stationed. This mission called not for her abilities to hide but for her strength to fight, and that needed her to be focused on the task that mattered.

As she stepped back and drew her arm, she took in a deep breath, and in that breath she reflected on her long and debataly tortuous life, confined from before she could walk to after others her age were driving their own pods and able to explore the world without their parents. And when she finally decided to break out of her chains and go out into the world her ashamed parents tried to lock her out of, the first act she did was nearly annihilate a mass of innocent people. In fact, if it had gone any other way, she likely wouldn't have been able to keep living with herself, and her story would have ended as one of a monster.

But it was how that story went, and who had come to not defeat but help her, which altered the course of her life forever. For once she was surrounded by people who didn't want to hide her, but instead wanted to embrace her, and take her on escapades that would show her every corner of what was possible to experience when she was due to live and die behind the same walls and under the same ceiling.

Then over the years of being able to finally develop into an adult who could know concepts like courage and independence, she was able to use what was shunned as a curse but to save lives of people who could see her not as a monster but rather a hero. She was able to be confident in her own, able to act without fear of the world or herself, and be someone that could be who she was without a veil yet still be loved and cherished. So she vowed that she would love and cherish them, and be someone who wouldn't devastate worlds but save them.

Calypso let out the breath, and began another fury of slashes.

In a different area was a massive open room made with a dark metal material, which had a ginormous ring with bearings along the edge, and in the center on a raised platform was a huge capsule that emitted a sky blue glow.

Around the capsule on the metal ring was a sky blue ring that pulsated with a loud whooshing sound of something moving rapidly, and as it moved blue sparks flew off into the walls, quarantining the immense energy being generated.

Moving around the ring, Flynn jogged in his white tracksuit still barefoot with his body low in an ideal running motion, swaying his arms back and forth as afterimages were copied in every step over and over again while he pushed himself forwards, training his body for the fight ahead.

Wrapping around the blue capsule was a holographic screen which read: '8.13E5 M/S,' but steadily rose as the runner's speed continued in his warm up jog. He raised his head up to look at his speed, and then returned his gaze back ahead of himself after the check.