Basement, Warsoul HQ
In the hangar-sized basement over fifty people in Warsoul and Firstlight suits. In the rings at the center were people sparring with Wynter. She was constantly winning match after match, something that a few days ago would have never been a thought in anyone's head. Wynter's movements were fluid, her attacks switched between light and heavy, they were precise, and even with the armors fully activated each of her partners was clutching different parts of their bodies. Just outside of the rings others were watching breakdowns of her movements from the analysis computers. Some of them were even mimicking the movements trying to learn them.
Katelyn who had just entered the basement was smiling as she watched. She had been leading these people for a year, and even when their friends or families died in front of them they still fought on. When other's lost hope and gave up, they pushed on, and for the first time in a long time, they seemed happy. They were diligently training and learning, they were relaxed and joking with each other, it was an all-around good mood.
Katelyn made her way to the rigs where a few newcomers to the Warsoul group were going through the Physical Assessment.
"So, you're the newbies. We'll get right into this I still have to head out in a bit. All right first tap that symbol on your chest and clench your cheeks this is gonna hurt."
The few rookies did as told and pushed in on the symbol on the chest of the Warsoul Suits. Fortunately for them, they were already set up in the rigs so they didn't experience Katelyn's crawl of shame as Wynter called it. They did however still have to deal with the pain that came with putting on the suits. One of the rookies howled so loud he drew the attention of the entire basement. Another had veins on his face bulging to the point it seemed they would break through his skin. The last one remained silent through it all, her hands were tightly wrapped around the rig supports on either side but, aside from the almost unnoticeable sound of metal bending, she was fine.
Over the next few minutes, each rookie recovered.
"Alright now you can start the physical, the computers will run you through everything so just follow along it'll tell you when to stop," Katelyn looked at the rookies one last time stopping on the strange one for a bit longer before looking across the room, "Wyn, come on we're headed out in five," she waved Wynter over.
Wynter who was in the middle of a spar was distracted by Katelyn's voice for a moment, which her opponent took advantage of landing a heavy blow on the center of her chest.
"Oh no."
"Well whose filling in for Mannerson?"
"Brave man... Too brave."
"Someone go grab get the doc."
Various things, mostly words of pity were shouted by the surrounding spectators when they saw the hit land on Wynter. She had been training with them for about a week at this point and although she was usually treated like the little sister of the group. They also knew that was only half the time and certain things could trigger her more womanly instincts, and landing a hit on her in a spar meant suffering.
Mannerson watched as Wynter turned back to him, her face absent of the usual warm smile or child-like curiosity. Time slowed for him and he had enough time to analyze the situation, his incoming injuries, and how royally he screwed up. This accelerated perception stopped as the first punch landed on his stomach.
From the outside the ring the spectators watched as Wynter landed several fast hits on his stomach, followed by a knee strike keeping him upright, a heavy strike on his chest pushing him into the cage around the ring which he rebounded off of back into yet another heavy strike at his chest knocking him to the ring mat.
Wynter and Katelyn were walking side by side through the Savior base just outside of Excelsior HQ. With the addition of the Warsoul suits came the ability to clear out more space and defend their territory much better. With the additional space the surroundings of the HQ started to seem more like a community, and one from before the gate no less. Wynter and Katelyn walked across the base under the envious stares of children, hopeful gazes of adults, and the well wishes of elders.
At the end of the base, they found a tall wall made from debris and guarded by a few people wearing the Firstlight suits.
"I thought you were the only one wearing that suit," Wynter said.
"I'm the only one wearing it out for clean-up jobs like this. But a lot of the people who couldn't fight but still wanted to contribute decided to wear this one for guard duty," Katelyn quickly answered Wynter before her questions really started and continued her approach to the base of the debris walls.
"Hey boss, you headed out," one of the guards asked.
"Clean up duty, we should be moving up another four blocks this way."
"Boss you gotta slow down, we can't cover four blocks that way if the others can't even clear four blocks around the rest of the base," another guard complained.
"Alright, so what can you handle?"
"The other teams do two blocks, three would be the most we can do on our side."
"Alright, two blocks this way then we're going scouting. Send a team behind us in an hour to hold the line," Katelyn said quickly crossing the debris wall with Wynter.
"Hey, Wynter, make sure the boss only clears two blocks and remind her she said she would only do two later when she chews us out for losing ground," one guard said before both women disappeared beyond the wall.
"You pinned your hopes for less work on Wynter, you know she's more likely to forget than the boss right?"
"Yeah," the guard said sighing in defeat, "But it was worth a shot, she might remember one day right."