June 9th, 2019. Graduates of a private and secretive military program flew with a good bird's eye view of one of the cities involved with their journey's destination, the sangfroid paragon, sanguine marksman and blue-stocking swordswoman were with the mentor that helped raise this Trio since childhood before a tragedy that forced them to flee.
The sangfroid paragon stared at a picturesque and blinding city from their helicopter. "So, this is the beloved yet infamous French city, eh, Generil?" Asked Lyle with a barely visible grin over his face. The sanguine marksman approached his much shorter brother with a beaming grin. "Yep— They're recruiting members for the Gen-Oath that Mentor Dain has been wanting us to take on of theirs all month, right, Embs?" Artus asked as he too stared at pictures of the merveilles city, "The freakin' place is huge, BRO!" Artus opined as he continued staring down at the ravishing city from above.
The blue-stocking swordswoman nodded though she found herself fairly shocked he remembered. "Mhm. Correct Artus, enthralling fact, Generil is the first and what many feel to be the most favored city out of 3 different megalopolises that's been taken over a man named Josue Detayvern, our future leader, Somehow, and honestly I'm curious about how he managed to achieve something like this." Ember replied as she as well stared at the city with her brothers. The mentor that led them to safety during the tragic hour of the incident. "Alright, guys, prepare to jump, we're reaching the drop-off, the guy said past the designated point. Any unauthorized aircraft will be dealt with and I'm also needed back ASAP to investigate what just happened in Florida." Their Mentor, Dain, informed the Trio, Lyle, Ember and Artus while they were still appreciating the beauty below them.
The Trio each looked back at him before they dove out, Lyle and Ember used a parachute as they were 600 feet in the air but Artus loved feeling the wind and freedom that he found in free falling before he violently smacked into the ground. The Trio regrouped after Lyle and Ember landed on the ground safely. The sanguine marksman checked his pockets as he recovered from the drop. "Did either of you bring your walkies or something?" Artus asked his siblings after his eyes dropped after going wide, "We didn't say our final goodbyes, and… mine broke on the graceful drop down here, I think?" Artus finished as he showed his siblings his broken device.
The blue-stocking blade shook her head. "Ha, you mean your pluunge?" Ember remarked, "Also, I didn't bring mine cause we don't have a need for them here, he basically retired us from the military. Years of training as an elite soldier to become mere police, guys." Ember told her brothers with her arms crossed and an ungrateful tone. The sangfroid paragon grabbed his walkie from his bag. "C'mon, Embs, we've all agreed and decided to go with Mentor Dain on this one, but luckily for you Arty, muscle memory can be reliable sometimes, I brought mine." Lyle replied as he held onto his walkie before handing it to his brother, Artus.
As the Trio watched the helicopter they leapt from leaving out of their sight, the sanguine marksman realized the walkie was still in perfect range. "What, you're not going to order us to stay decent and selfless people?" Artus raised before the marksman chuckled to himself. The Trio's former mentor, Dain, chuckled and smiled as he found no surprise that one of the Trio brought their former equipment. "I didn't feel like I needed to tell you guys that anymore, I have zero authority over you now." he said in a genuine tone, "Besides paternal" Dain heard from Artus over the walkie, "Besides Paternal, yeah, listen that thing may have tried to cause a bloodbath during the graduation ceremony but you three still graduated as you would have, I'm proud of you. You're your own adults now, so act like you're the adults we raised when you get there! Stand up straight, maintain respectful eye contact, don't interrupt over your new superiors!" In a calmer manner until towards the end when he held the tone of a father. Lyle requested for Artus to hand over the communication device. "You still technically ordered us." Lyle said with his lowered volume, "Uh, no, no, Nah." The Trio last heard from him before they lost signal. Dain realized the helicopter went out of range but he continued seeing them barely in the distance. "I'm so proud of all of our students." Dain finished in his thoughts.
The sangfroid paragon watched next to his siblings as their mentor flew away. "Thanks for everything, Mentor." Lyle meant to say in his head but said aloud for his siblings to hear it with his face full of high esteem and appreciation. Artus and Ember were shocked. As the Trio started walking off to the entrance of the city, Lyle turned and asked his sister something that's been haunting his thoughts. "What else have you learned about this old place, Embs?" Calm voiced.
Ember grabbed out a few notes from her own bag and answered him enthusiastically, "Where should I even begin, there's so much history behind this place!!" She answered him as he saw the obvious overwhelming excitement in her eyes and heard it in her voice. Ember's a young woman who stands at the height of five-foot-five with a knack for reading, mostly involving history, she strives to be the most intelligent person in any room, has an affinity for speed and swords, her favorite and only kind of music she loves is Classical. She incorporates speed and agility in her combat style, she's the best melee fighter compared to her brothers but she'd much rather brag about her intellect and sometimes she can't help her boasting when she gets into it. Unlike her brothers, she used to have a war with her empathy as a child but she'd say it's gotten better.
The sangfroid paragon glanced up towards his brother as he thought about how to reply. "Well, you should start with all of the basics, I guess?" Lyle answered with his usual quieter tone. Lyle, he's a bit of a stoic man who stands at the height of six feet tall, he has a passionate affinity for sport of boxing and incorporates it heavily in his fighting style, besides Ember and Artus, he only respects those who can respect the concepts of loyalty and family as well as folk that shows those two qualities in themselves, even then, his love for his siblings is proof of it all. Lyle only considers having fun and socializing if there's nothing important to do or if one of his siblings are involved.
The sanguine marksman chimed in walking alongside the other two with his hands clasped together resting on the back of his head as joyfully danced. "Yeah, lay on us ya whatcha ma call it the history of this place, Embs." Artus yelled out excitedly as he walked to the entrance of the city. Artus, the largest, loudest and lively of this Trio. He's different from his siblings in numerous and countless ways, he likes to have fun and goof off whenever fun and goofing off can be had, slack off whenever slacking off he feels is necessary and shows his feelings how they are and feels them refusing to hide them. Artus' marksmanship and height makes up for his lack of smarts in books compared to his siblings, Artus isn't the sibling to be underestimated.
The bluestocking blade snapped her fingers as she found herself deciding on her previous question. "Alright, Alright, you morons!" Ember yelled frustratingly, "This city and a couple others nearby were taken over by a wealthy man named Josue, he'll be our new boss, it was originally called "Nicollette" but he renamed it to honor his beloved mother, Genevieve Detayvern, aka the noblewoman of Nicollette, not much else is known about her though, not much is known about Josue other than the French authorities deeply fear him, they failed to stop his swipe of power and failed to end his life countless times, granted they've still got an entire continent under their power, this whole situation is still weird." She finished as she rubbed her cheek. Lyle and Artus both found themselves in a state of awe from the story and shocked at how fast she relayed all of that information and how excited she genuinely was about learning about Josue. Artus shrugged as he imagined what Josue would look like in his thoughts. "Sounds like a badass to me, can't lie." He commented.
The bluestocking blade rested her hand over his forehead as she returned their eyeballing. "Hey, want to know something else, as Art would shout, that's awesome about Josue?" Ember asked her brothers, "YEAH!" Artus yelled out excitedly and curious, "I wasn't really amazed by that stuff, Em, but go on." Lyle admitted as he crossed his arms..
Ember interrupts and continued informing them about her research,
"In the early days of Josue's power over Nicollette, the French government didn't fear him, they were annoyed by him and saw him as a pest, they still decided to sacrifice the town and make an example for others through him." But before she can finish, Lyle interrupts like she had and asks her an honest question. "What's so cool about that?" Causing Ember to be highly annoyed. "If you'd have let me finish, I could've told you!" Ember yelled, with an annoyed expression, "Right, right." Lyle responded just as calm as ever, resting her palm on her forehead as she shook her head. "Nukes were involved or it's at least been stated by a few whistle blowers. Tell you how the authorities had sent strange missiles said to be on par with nukes to blow up the city, they planned on the destruction of the whole city and everyone in it many sources state but he had them vanish into thin air. Poof, gone with a snap of his finger!" Ember finished as a slight grin appeared on her face, wondering about that phenomenon deeper.
The sangfroid paragon thought before replying for a moment. "So, that's why you're trying to join the ranks here?" Lyle asked like he had realized something. The bluestocking blade nodded. "Indeed, I want to know the deep history and secrets that Generil, Alyi and Seyort has to offer about this incredible conqueror's history, one of these soldiers here are bound to hold more. Maybe I can ask Josue himself, about how he took the city over?" Ember avowed and asked rhetorically with a bit more excitement in her voice each time. The Trio has arrived at their destination, the entrance to the city of Generil, the first city in Josue Detayvern's megalopolis trio until he sought more space, more cities, for more genuine folks that would be taking up residence under his care and resources. The two other neighboring cities he has sought power over were originally called Seyort and Alyi, which kept their names as they were no more than extra room, Josue still cared about them as equally as he does the people of Generil though, he just saw no reason in changing their names.
The sangfroid paragon tapped his chin as he squinted. "Whoa Ember, that's a pretty big goal, kind of arbitrary also." Lyle voiced as he looked at his older sister. The bluestocking blade shrugged as she closed her eyes with her head down. "Yeah— Well, maybe it is fairly arbitrary but what are some washed up military program students supposed to have for a personal goal after something attacked their career?!" Ember argued. Lyle leaned back in the diner's chair and rested his hands in his pockets. "No clue but I'll be applying all of my time to cold cases and hanging with you two." Lyle asked and replied slightly assertively, "I guess it'll be my arbitrary quest too." He continued.
Ember questioned if they have the chops to get hired, pessimistically, as Lyle engaged in a back and forth with her with optimistic rebuttals. Artus grinned as he rubbed his hands together. "We're here in the city, we'll ace the interview and recruitment process or I owe you the bank account that I don't have right now, Em." The sanguine marksman shouted with an eager tone. The Trio traveled through as Ember tried to find the precise location until her device died. Through the entrance to Generil, the first city of three famous megapolises that was taken over by an uncanny french man named Josue and dedicated it to a noble woman named Genevieve Detayvern. The Trio entered, one hopeful, one enthusiastic and another slightly worried, found themselves lost on where exactly recruitment was being held for the Gen-Oath squadron in this grand and vibrant scenery as citizens hustled past them. Once they entered though, they saw what each except for the enthusiastic sanguine marksman wasn't expecting, the city had beautiful trees, beautiful houses and buildings, the streets were clean and every citizen taking up residence there, were all spotless and healthy looking, and each were minding their business, doing what they likely did regularly. Lyle and Ember were expecting something akin to a dictatorship to be plaguing the cities like how some of their other Mentors have described the megapolis trio in the past. Oppression from the stories that they've heard of Generil, Alyi and Seyort, how it had an evil dictator, it was all lies taught to them.
The city of Generil was so filled with color and diversity that the most diverse cities in America couldn't be compared, the city looked like a Utopia compared to where the Trio was just dropped off from. There were many guards equipped with advanced violet body armor, they utilized weird weaponry, playing the role of police, none of the Trio recognized what the police's body armor was made from, it looked heavy but they moved around so... unrestricted looking, so free in them. The Sanguine marksman tilted his head back and shouted. "This place is awesome, sibs!" Gaining eyes on him as he smiled while he looked around him. The sangfroid paragon found himself admiring the architecture, appreciating how lively and diverse the materials of the businesses & apartments were rather than the same beige like where they came from and the blinding sun that he felt shining on his skin. "Wow!" Lyle mumbled as he was also eyeing the city, stuck feeling wonderstruck on a level that rivaled his brother.
Ember left her brothers and decided to inquire from an officer uniformed in violet and freely patrolling with dangerous gear. The bluestocking blade noticed that the officer slightly trembled a bit at the mention of that position she inquired information about as he answered her question. The officer stood staring at the ground as if he was recollecting what she asked him. "Recruitment is being held at Generil's primary headquarters, it's in the center of the city, was that all that you needed, young lady?" With no acknowledgement of why he didn't want to hear about the job, she squinted slightly after she realized that he could have been questioning if he should inform her. The bluestocking blade proceeded to give a slight grin. "Yep, appreciate you." She replied before walking away, "It was a pleasure helping you." The cop finished before he continued his patrol, the cop gave off such a nice vibe to her, she didn't know how to handle it. Ember hurried back to her brothers who she had seen enter a nearby café called "The Genofazed purlieu" to tell them where the tryouts were being held for the Gen-Oath.
The sanguine marksman devoured his food. Lyle reviewed the horrific incident before they left the military base. "It's been lost on me, Art, what do you think could have been behind the incident in the academy?" Lyle asked with a grim tone, as calm as he always remains. Artus finished swallowing his burger. "If the guess had stakes and the gamble was up to me, I'd go with a guy that mentors Dain and Cowatoot mentioned back when they found me." Artus answered in a serious tone, "This was before we regrouped and escaped from the collapse together?" Lyle asked as seriously as Artus answered his question. Artus let out a massive burp before answering his brother's question. "Yep. I followed up with questions but they kept telling me not to worry about it. Everyone escaped thankfully." Artus answered. He continued drinking the water that he ordered from the cafe like he didn't have a care in the world. The sangfroid paragon felt relieved as he visited that fact in his thoughts. "Who do you think would've been selected to lead the top secret season assignment from the file?" He asked the sanguine marksman. Artus thought about the question, allowing silence momentarily to be seated at their table. Ember hastened inside the café as if it was a medical emergency, Lyle still jumped up with vigilance and asked about a problem in his usually calm but with subtle worry in his question before he stepped back and closed his eyes, gripping his shoulder as he felt sharp pains in it. The sangfroid paragon lifted his hand in the air as his conjured cloud of smoke descended from above and wrapped around him. Artus sat with his stare displaying his eternal worry.
Ember ignored his question and informed her brothers what she learned about the Gen-Oath. The Trio stopped everything they were doing and rushed to apply for the Gen-oath, their mentor Dain had told them about the day of the attack on "Project A.J.C". Ember led herself and her younger brothers to the correct building. As soon as they stepped inside the building, almost everyone inside was colored in Violet, and had higher military grade firearms equipped than what they ever saw on base and field trips at their military school. The Trio being military bred, Alongside Ember and Artus' abnormal power, they weren't scared at all, almost everyone at their previous home carried them and learned about them, guns were just tools to the Trio by this point, not boogeymen.
The Trio approached a lady behind a desk and asked her for some information about the "Gen-Oath job" they're hiring. The woman stared at them like they were crazy and stuttered as she told them what they needed to know, the Trio, at first, couldn't tell if that was a part of her or they were missing information and Ember had the hardest time. The Trio made their way up the floors to the room where applications were being held, and noticed the way that the woman talked made them expect something different. On the next floor, the Trio met a high ranking member of Josue's forces named "Armand Jules", Armand is known for The role of "The Gen-Advisor" as he introduced himself but they had zero clue what it entailed. The sanguine sharpshooter chuckled nervously. "Hey, both of our names start with an 'AR' I guess we're kind of like the name kin, heh?" Said Artus jokingly as he greeted Armand. The advisor Gave Artus an unamused side eye, Artus cringed up some from the deadliness of it.
The bluestocking blade chuckled before sighing. "Oh, come on, Your name isn't even Artus, It's patrick!" Ember said condescendingly before she chuckled. The sanguine sharpshooter shook his head with disappointment before gripping his nose as he looked up with his eyes closed. "What, lady?!" Artus reacted angrily, "That was the name given to me by the orphanage, I don't claim it one bit." Artus finished in as serious a manner he could speak in. Ember was laughing inside on her own, but she held it in for the sake of looking professional in front of the interviewer.
Armand asked for an interview with each of the Trio alone, Artus entered first as his siblings waited outside and explained all of what he could do. "This is going to be pretty easy, give me a treasured virtue, a single goal you have for yourself and the abilities that you bring to the table?" The advisor stated in a calmer manner.
The sanguine sharpshooter confidently smirked as he nodded. "I can poof up firearms and make myself temporarily deathless, Yeah, that sounds unbelievably epic. I can poof up big guns, small guns, you name a gun and I've got it somehow?" He responded as he sat down, relaxed in a chair, "Ohp, but don't let these guns fool ya, cause my marksmanship with Patrice and Geoffrey is my real superpower!" Artus shouted with a lively voice as he started spinning his materialized pistols. The advisor stared at him blankly and unamused. "What's your purpose for wanting to join the ranks of our cause and a virtue that you value?" Armand asked. Artus heard the advisor's question and immediately ceased goofing around Armand especially noticed. He still had a grin on him but stared at the ceiling contemplating momentarily. " People. Being social. After I save a life worth more than mine, I want to put a smile on somebody's face. I want to see justice prevail, give my loyalty to a worthwhile career, and yeah, and probably find a girlfriend at some point? I just learned what that was I think so I'm sort of looking forward to that." Artus answered as Genuinely as Armand could tell. The advisor still eyed the marksman blankly. "Hmmmmmmm..." Armand sounded as he pondered.
Ember went in as Artus was leaving for her interview. "My powers are basically the same as my little brother's, Artus, replacing materializing guns to blades, to deadly swords!" The bluestocking blade emphasized towards the end.", Ember materialized a variety of swords as a demonstration for the recruiter, "I conditioned my body to reach peak human potential and if that fails me I can temporarily become indestructible. Where my brothers and I came from, I would usually get called weaker than them until the slanderer saw how above them I am with my combined speed and intellect." Ember answered seriously, with a serious tone, "Intellect is by far my greatest power though." Ember finished confidently. "Hmmmm, I suppose that answered the next part of the question." Armand sounded as he pondered about the information.Armand asked the same questions as he did Artus, and Ember answered all of them as honestly as she was capable, including telling him about how she wishes to learn more about the city's history, most of all, Josue.
Lyle went up last, after his siblings but didn't want to sit, this didn't bother Armand much, he continued as usual. The recruiter raised a brow. "What are the abilities that you can use to help our cause, as well as protect the citizens of this welcoming and proud city?" Armand asked in a serious manner like he did with Lyle's siblings. The sangfroid paragon folded his arms and spoke with his usual monotone voice. "I can generate smoke and teleport, to protect and serve the city as part of my duties and unwavering loyalty!" without saying another word, he continued to stare at him. Armand sat forward with his arms folded. "Opinion on the concept of heroism?" The advisor questioned. Lyle replied with his monotonous tone as usual. "Heroism is a superpower if most of the world doesn't possess it." Before he went into the specifics of his powers deeper after the advisor found curiosity regarding it, "I can summon and control my own cloud of smoke, I use it to teleport small distances mostly but I can also fill a room with it like a smoke bomb." Lyle answered Confidently and calmly, honestly as well. The recruiter and advisor glanced away after deeply breathing out. "Everyone can summon something these days, ugh, the world seems to be overcrowded with magic and wizardry." Armand asked as if he were angry, "Alright, that's all the questions we have here." Armand stated, he then called Artus and Ember back into the room with he and Lyle to give the Trio his decision quicker than they expected.
Lyle stood with a calm face on him as he flipped a coin and waited on Armand to speak, Ember stood wondering about Josue, Artus sat in the only chair with his feet on the table and smiling without a reason as Armand gave the Trio a deep stare with blank eyes as if he were in deep thought, pondering their future, taking everything they've answered into consideration.
The advisor couldn't escape a feeling of doubt. "All of you got the job, you'll be working hopefully as dedicated and dutiful members of our Gen-Oath team stationed here in our magnificent city, your full responsibilities and duties will be explained later but you'll start patrolling tomorrow." Armand informed them without stuttering a word.
Lyle and Artus celebrated and high fived while Ember was confused and asked "Wait, I've read that there are only 4 spots open for the job, shouldn't you wait until maybe other candidates come in?" In a confused and lost tone, Artus stressfully shushed his sister, "Don't argue with this wise man's decision, Embs!!" Artus assertively commented. Armand gave a weird smile and answered. "The job of a member of the Gen-Oath division is far more difficult, dangerous and overall work that surpasses Generil's own police force or military unit, you'll be called for jobs within the city or jobs assisting Josue's personal guard outside of the cities, which mostly consist of reckless assignments to put it mildly. You'll be called in to deal with unpredictable otherworldly threats that'll wander into the cities. Expected to be capable of taking on cases within the city's police department when the chief of police calls on you such as homicide, robbery, domestic, and plenty others. Clearly, you haven't read enough of the details we posted online. I highly doubt anyone more qualified than you three will walk through that door within a month's time, so I'm considering this score extremely lucky." He explained with a tone that told the Trio that he was befogged. Lyle and Artus turned and stared at Ember, who was the one that promised to research the job for the Trio after their mentor Dain informed and suggested the idea originally.
The bluestocking blade glanced away viewing her laptop momentarily. "Perhaps, something else mayhaps have grabbed my attention, Alright?!" Ember started with a similarly flustered tone, after realizing what was going on, the deeper into that excuse, the more aggressive she became as well. Artus chuckled. "History dork." He shouted with a strained voice. Ember stared daggers into his soul when she heard him. The advisor rubbed his chin with his drowsy eyes on the sibling he saw the most potential in. "Ugh, barely anyone is going to sign up for the mess that is the Gen-Oath— from the way that Josue described the idea in his articles and various interviews, it's just far too complicated and too much work for a single individual, for most individuals so I don't expect much of anyone else, so good luck to you, youth." Armand continued after being interrupted by the bluestocking sword woman's eyes lighting up and outburst. Ember's voice annoyed him. "Josue Designed the Gen-oath team?" She asked rhetorically, "Are we really going to be reporting to or working alongside him directly?!" She asked more enthusiastically than usual. The advisor found himself shocked by her expression. "Indeed, possibly, like I said before, perhaps on certain assignments he directly selects you for… you might find yourself filling in for someone on his personal task force as well, you're heavily required to earn plenty of trust first." Armand answered blandly but clear.
Ember's eyes showed her excitement while the rest of her remained cool and collected, barely deep inside, she was excited. Armand informed the Trio, to which they had no knowledge of thanks to someone, how they'll be given free housing, personal gear and an idea of the sort of reputation they'd earn. Artus immediately thought and mentioned superheroes, comic books, the only outside entertainment he was able to have at their military school but rarely. The R&D department was closed that day for some reason so they'll have to temporarily work on Generil's police force that whole day, and so they did. The Trio made their way to the police station Armand told them to go to, proved their validity with a badge and geared up for a day as ordinary officers.