13383/Danger Room: Spyder Byte final assessment

Danger Room: Spyder Byte final assessment
Date of Scene:	26 May 2021
Location:	Danger Room - X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Jeremy has his final Danger Room evaluation of his senior year. Warren upped the game and he got stabbed with a sword.
Cast of Characters:	SpyderByte, Iceman, Rogue, Cannonball, Nightingale, Archangel

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SpyderByte has posed:
It's nearly graduation time and the outgoing seniors all get a final assessment in the Danger Room before they take that final walk in their cap and gown. As the sole member of the New Mutants that is graduating this year, his test is designed to be a comprehensive study in all that he has learned at his time in Xavier's.

Some would think that this would be an interesting session. Jeremy has been a bit of a social outcast his entire life. A coward. Autistic. A shadow. But as the doors open to reveal the young man, there is someone 'different' this time that passes through the door. A little bit Neo, a little bit Darth Maul, a little bit Daft Punk.

The 'uniform' that Spyder Byte has chosen for himself is a large black hood that covers the top of his head, as well as what appears to be a long sleeved pleated black shirt with armor plates along his elbows. He wear black 'stacked' styled pants tucked into black combat boots, fingerless black gloves and a black utility belt with a red 'X' logo on the buckle. His face is unseen from beneath the black hood, that is until a flicker of light can be seen, neon green. Instead of his face, a digital LED mask appears in the image of a sugar skull, a sign of the Los Muertos gang.

As he pauses in the middle of the Danger Room, he gives a glance upwards towards the control booth, shifting the weight of a bag over his shoulders. It's a tactical laptop style, slim and armored.

Iceman has posed:
"Alright, Spyder Byte," Bobby says from the control room. "You know how this works. Things will happen, you'll react to them and make sure you can handle what you come up against. Nice uniform, by the way. It's dope. Fits you very well." He looks around the danger room from his position in the control booth, making sure everything looks ready to go. "Let us know when you're ready to begin."

Rogue has posed:
"He looked good at prom too." Rogue offers, settling next to Bobby in the control room, spinning in her chair for a moment. "Don't go easy on him either..." She says this much and then starts to spin around the other way. "Otherwise this is going to be a very boring day and I really don't want a very boring day so just throw the whole fucking book at him cause he can handle it." Then she grins and leans in to offer up, "Good luck, Spyder Byte. We're all rootin' for ya."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie is standing back in the corner of the control room. He has been one of the ones to work most with the new mutants, and is letting others give them their test, not wanting to be biased. He does smile a bit listening to the two X-men remembering Jeremy when he first got here, and looking at the progress he has made.

Nightingale has posed:
     Word had reached Shannon via the little blinking green icon that had once appeared on her phone all those months ago. Again, it made its appearance, letting her know of her teammate's final assessment. There was no way in hell she was going to miss out on this one. Despite not needing it, she arrives in the control room, wearing her yellow and black 'bumblebees' as a show of support, lugging what might otherwise be mistaken for a box of wine, except it seems to be marked 'Box O'Joe' with familiar, friendly round lettering, a few large boxes of what turns out to be assorted donuts from a familiar American institution of the breakfast arts, and a cheer. "Go get 'em, Jer! You've got this!" Coffee and pastries are shared all around to those present who wished it--and she's not shy about partaking, either.

SpyderByte has posed:
As he stares up at the control booth, Spyder Byte listens to the voices through the intercom. He keeps himself rigid as the room grows dark, then opens up once more into the middle of Hell's Kitchen. Thunder rumbles over head in the air, followed by flashes of quick lightning. The neighborhood is painted in bright neon lights and bonfires of the run down bar district. The air has a chill in it, the environment set into the middle of Fall. The sparse number of trees around have brown and gold leaves, most of which has fallen to the ground and the smell of rain hangs in the air.

The green glow of his mask flickers beneath his hood as he starts down the street, sweeping his eyes left to right. Down the street, a scream can be heard, a woman yelling for help, followed by the laughter of several young men. There is the sight of a woman in a black dress being dragged into an alley and swallowed by shadows as she screams once more for help.

Iceman has posed:
"We'll load the program called 'Seven Sentinels', then. That should be a good workout," says Bobby to Rogue with a big smile on his face. "Or maybe 'Sabretooth On a Rabid Sabretooth'."

As Shannon appears with goodies Drake looks at her and grins, "Thank you." He's quick to grab a snack and readies himself to press the control room's buttons to get things going.

Once things kick off the X-Man keeps quiet to allow himself to focus.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods to Shannon taking a cup of coffee, but keeps his eyes on the reading and the screen where he can see Jeremy's progress. He will watch not only for how well the young man does, but looking for surprises Jeremy will be throwing at them as they throw them at him.

Rogue has posed:
"Seven Sentinels? He'll have them all powered down in five minutes if that..." Rogue comments with a chuckle and then she shrugs. "Whatever you wanna do... maybe we can fiddle with signals or something...throw him off a bit." Then she glances over to Shannon and the treats she brought. "Mmn, too bad this can't be a team test."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just crosses her arms and laughs softly, shaking her head. "Got too much work to do with Dr. McCoy on my other gifts before I'm anywhere near ready for something like this," she murmurs in reply, settling her wings flat against her back with a little ruffle and flick. "Besides, with half the shit I've seen Jeremy do, I'd be surprised if he didn't turn the Danger Room into his personal playground inside of five minutes, and make those Sentinels dance the Macarena."

SpyderByte has posed:
While the group upstairs talks about Sentinels, Spyder Byte tracks the screaming woman as she is dragged into the alley by a pair of men. She begs for her life, her voice ripping through the neighborhood with terror in her voice. Hell's Kitchen is a black hole for young women. A Bermuda's Triangle for lost souls. He starts forward, but not at a run, but at a quick pace as his footsteps echo upon the wet pavement of the sidewalk.

Down the street a digital billboard flickers to life as it patches into a camera feed across the street, revealing the contents of the alley. The woman is pushed up against the wall with a hand on her throat, her hands fists scrambling and trying to peek the strong fingers away. The large man holds a blade in his hand, while the other has a gun to her head.

"Get her pearls, Robbie and shut her up."

"You heard the man, shut the fuck up." The man holding the pistol slaps her across the head with it, causing her to scream out in pain, followed by a muffled sobbing. Her necklace is snatched off with a hard yank and shoved into his jacket.

"Maybe we should have a bit of fun, whatcha think, eh'?" The knife man says with a sneer as he leans in closer.

As the hooded young man stares at the billboard as he makes his way to the alley, he steps into the mouth as his faceplate glows brighter. From behind his mask, a modulated voice can be heard in a mechanical, robotic voice.

<< Let the girl go. >>

As the two men stop and stare at the new figure, they take a few moments, then begin to laugh in hysterics.

"The fuck are you? Get a load of this asshole."

Iceman has posed:
"Figured I'd give him a challenge with this one, see how he does," Bobby says to the rest of the control room. "Bring him somewhere he might need to think outside of the box, do something unusual."

He pours himself some coffee to wash down his pastry as he watches Jeremy, seeing how he conducts himself in the Danger Room.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue nods. "Makes sense..." She offers and then spins in her chair a bit more. "Hell's Kitchen is certainly a place for that. Rules are a bit more..." She wiggles her arms. "Fluid." Then she chuckles and continues watching.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmms and does check to see if there is any trace of Jeremy tapping into the computers controlling the Danger room, or if he is keeping himself to the "on site" computers. Sam knows the bigger network might be tempting but also believes the kid will take the test seriously.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon leans forward, watching as the scenario unfolds. A knowing smile spreads slowly across her face; she'd seen him pull this sort of thing before, just remotely from the other side of a computer screen. Her eyes flick up to the billboard and she chuckles. "Mhm. Five minutes, tops. Those goons will be soiling themselves and running back to their mommies."

SpyderByte has posed:
As far as anyone knows, Jeremy is letting the simulation go on it's own. He's not tapping into any of the networks of the Danger Room itself outside of the parameters set.

As he stares at the two men in the alley, he takes a few steps backwards as the gunman starts to approach, brandishing his pistol towards him threateningly. The man with the knife still holds the sobbing woman against the wall. As rain begins to fall from the sky to slick the ground, another peel of lightning can be heard screaming through the dark clouds.

When the gunman raises his weapon towards the head of the young hero, a ringing can be heard from his pocket. A phone. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Keeping the gun trained, he reaches into his pocket to pull it out, then raises it up to his ear to listen.

".. Hello? I'm busy here."

<< Look to your left. >>

The man glances to the left, just in time to get hit with an electric car without a driver behind the wheel. The electric engines barely make a sound these days as it peeled around the corner at a fast velocity. The man goes flying, hitting the pavement a few times with a skid and a sickening crunch.

Leaning down, Spyder Byte picks up the gun and stares at it, then starts back for the alley as the digital billboard down the street cuts out.

<< Let her go. >>

"Holy shit.. Shit... shit.... shit..." The man's eyes are bugged out as he pushes the woman forward, taking a few steps back as he holds the knife in front of him.

Iceman has posed:
"There you go, Spyder Byte," Iceman says as he watches how handily Jeremy takes out the first of the bad guys. "Don't get cocky."

He types away on the controls, checking between them and watching the goings on in the danger room with his own eyes. "I wonder what he's going to do next." A glance is given over to the guy who just got run over, then back to the rest of the action.

Archangel has posed:
Wandering into the control room from the outside, the angelic winged mutant whose moniker reflects the look of his wings as well as his features makes his way inside. He stops short, seeing all those gathered and glances at his watch for a moment before looking to all the other faces. "I really need to sync up my calendar to what is going on in this place. I didn't know anything was scheduled. What's going on?" comments Warren as he peers out the windows into the main danger room itself.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue motions and smiles. "Final test for one of our soon to be graduates, Jeremy Statton." Looking to Warren with a smile, but it's quick to fade as a flash of something clouds her face. She turns back to the monitors quickly. Iceman's compliment and warning to Jeremy gains a nod and then she leans forward a bit. "Dunno. I would almost suggest a knife fight's more dangerous than a gunfight, but... we'll see."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over, and says "AM thinking either a distraction from one of the nearby billboards, or perhaps controlling the lights, to incite vetigo or something along those lines. He will keep his hands clean if possible." He tells the others.

SpyderByte has posed:
A knife fight is definitely more dangerous than a gun fight, in some regards. Except, Jeremy is the one holding the gun right now.

As the hooded figure makes his way forward, the green led face plate glances towards the scared woman who shrinks back away from him. He steps to the side, letting her have the exit as she scurries past him. The man with the knife continues to back peddle as the cloaked figure advances through the dark. Raising the pistol upwards, his head tilts to one side, then gives a loud 'click'. Instead of firing, he had popped the chamber of the weapon free, tilting it upwards so that the bullets fall upon the ground at his feet in a clatter of brass.

<< Bang. >>

Instead of shooting him, the phone in the man's front pocket begins to grow warm, followed by a small detonation as a fireball erupts. The man lets out a loud scream as he clutches at his leg, feeling glass and hard plastic embedded into his skin that tore it's way through the denim. Lithium Ion batteries are a bitch when they erupt and the failsafe actually fails. All he had to do was convince the computer inside to run harder, to push it beyond it's limits.

<< I have contacted the authorities and EMS and they are on their way. Stop being an asshole. >>

He reaches down and grabs the pearls out of the man's pocket, then kicks the knife to the side before he starts back down the alley to the street.

Iceman has posed:
"There's a thing called the Tueller drill, where if someone's got a knife and they're close enough they can get to you before you can draw a gun," Bobby confirms when Rogue mentions that knife fights can be dangerous. As Jeremy handles the guy rather deftly, Drake nods his head approvingly and has another drink from his coffee. Looking towards Warren he grins, "You're just in time. Kid handled himself pretty well, didn't he?"

Archangel has posed:
"Time for the unexpected, Bobby. Toss in a member of the Hand and a blackout. Someone who doesn't have anything electronic on them. I want to see how he handles something when he is at a clear disadvantage and can't rely on his powers," Warren comments, giving Bobby a look. "Ancient Japan should do wonders for that."

Rogue has posed:
"Yeah, he can do damn well for himself for the tools he's got to work with." Rogue offers and then motions to Warren. "Warren's got the best idea we can come up with for a second round. Lots of times where we gotta think on our feet, and odds are against us. I think that's certainly a good test for him." She looks to the monitors then and shrugs. "No warning either..."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the bunch and says "Saw the gun knife thing on a tv show, if your going to try it make sure not a ditch between you and the gun guy." He listens to ideas, and says "It may give him a moment hesitation like going from a busy room to near total science. Last year this time, it would have took him down, but I think he can handle it.

Archangel has posed:
Warren leans over Bobby and presses a button on the console, "Run program Logan 34126-b. Threat level, medium. Lethality, low. Authorization, Archangel 7723." A computerized voice pipes up in the control room with a monotone "Acknowledged, voice pattern accepted."

Suddenly without warning the lights in the Danger Room go out, dropping the room into total darkness for a minute before the flicker of torchlight starts to brighten up the room. The scene has changed from the urban streets to that of a courtyard within the walls of a old Japanese castle. Firelight flickers off torches spaced evenly around the parameter walls, casting shadows that move with the fire as it burns.

In the courtyard are three figures, each dressed head to toe in black with only the eyes visible as they focus on Jeremy and narrow. One of the figures slowly pulls out a Ninja-to from a scabbard across their back. One notches an arrow in their bow. The third starts to approach cautiously with a naginata leveled at chest height, the threatening end gleaming in the firelight as it points towards Jeremy.

With only the briefest of pause, they attack.

SpyderByte has posed:
Welp. It was nice knowing you all.

When it comes to mutant powers, Jeremy's is unrivaled in the year of twenty twenty-nine. In feudal Japan? He's just an eighteen year old kid in a black hood and a funky digital mask. He feels the connection to his phone disappear, as well as the hum and buzz of Hell's Kitchen's network and connectivity that swims around. All he has now for the first time in years, is his own thoughts.

He freezes up instantly, though whatever look he may have on his face is hidden behind his mask. His shoulders drop as his laptop back slides down his arms, catching the strap with one hand as he finally starts to move, backpeddling himself quickly. The man with the naginata lunges forward and he steps to one side, then swings out his back and clocks the man on the side of the head. His motions are wild, but the bag is fortified in carbon fiber and he has two laptops inside. It's heavy, and it's going to hurt.

Soon as he clanks the bag off the head, he breaks into a run, going in the opposite direction.

Shit-Shit-Shit-Shit.

Iceman has posed:
Bobby starts typing away, getting the machines ready for round two. No sense in giving Jeremy too much time to recover before throwing the next threat his way, "Alright, Warren. We can see what he's got going for him. Ninjas can be quite a handful."

A glance is given to Sam, "Here's hoping he manages this okay."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue watches, leaning forward a bit as she sees Jeremy thunk a ninja in the head and then takes off running...in the opposite direction. "If he's going to think on his feet, he'll need things to think with that aren't his laptops which he'll figure useless." She doesn't push any buttons yet, however, and instead she stands and leans in to watch things a bit more closely. "I'm surprised he hasn't flipped off a camera yet tho.." She smirks at that.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the others and says "I am expecting given a moment to think he will find a way to use his laptops to scare them, or maybe take control of the room. So far he has been good not doing that."

SpyderByte has posed:
The amount of confidence that people have in Jeremy right now is hilarious. He is running for his life, clinging to his laptop bag in one hand. Anyone who has reviewed his combat scores would know that he is woefully well below most normal thresholds. While his IQ is off the charts in analytical and critical thinking, his physical skills are still barely a step above 'kick ball picked last.'

As he barrels through the courtyard, he sweeps his eyes left to right, then slides a bit along his feet as he jerks himself to the left. He is huffing loudly as he goes, wobbling from the weight of his bag in one hand that he is trying to sweep around his shoulder.

The courtyard opens into a market as he looks to duck and bob through a crowd of shopkeeps and customers, causing people to yell loudly in confusion.

THUNK.

An arrow buries itself a few feet from his head, causing him to duck and cover himself with his arms. As he moves through the crowd of people, he looks to keep himself small, bending himself forward to try and not only put distance, but to blend into the crowds. As he passes by a meat stall, he snags a carving knife as he moves, clutching it in his hand as he moves.

Archangel has posed:
Warren glances over to Sam, "If he tries to alter the room, I would call that cheating. You can't alter reality, and this is supposed to be 'real'. Just because it is in the danger room, doesn't give him cart blanche to manipulate the computers."

Warren turns to watch the situation through the windows of the control room, "Yeah, that's right Jer. Use what is available. If there are no opportunities...make them."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue actually seems to fret a little. "He's a lot out of his comfort zone, are we sure he's got this?" She says this before watching Jer grab that knife and move onwards. By now she's standing and so she moves to lean up against a wall, folding arms over her chest. "I don't think he'll cheat...just hope he finds the solution."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over to the others and says "Yea it might be but he is more looking at proving his abilities, he is not looking to join up with the X-men. So hopfully he will encounter time jumping a lot less often than we will." He looks over towards the screens and says "It is good for him to be prepared, but think he would be more likely to encounter an emp gernade.

SpyderByte has posed:
As Jeremy tries to put distance between himself and the last two combatants, he is using the crowd of the market to dip and dive in and out. At some point during his run he loses his mask, followed by his hood. His jet black hair is sprawled out across his shoulders. The mask is left behind on the ground in one spot, the hood in another.

A piece of clothing is snatched from a stall, throwing it over his person. It's a subdued tone of colors, white and yellow, much like a robe. When he slips over a couple of barrels and back into the crowd, he keeps his head down, his hair covering his face as he waits patiently, just breathing for the moment.

When the archer makes his way through, he tilts his head just slightly to one side as he keeps behind a small family. He waits, watching, and then just as he passes, he steps out behind him, throwing a forward kick into the back of his leg to cause him to stumble forward. The carving knife latches out, driving it into the side of the man's neck as blood spurts out in a wild arc.

That is when the screaming starts.

The man starts yelling loudly in Japanese for a few seconds before he tugs the blade free and drops the body to the ground.

The young Goth gets only a few seconds of self-reward before he finds a sword sticking out of his chest from behind, followed by a loud 'gurk!' as he stumbles forward to his knees, wheezing as the simulation starts to end.

At least he lasted longer than he thought he would. Two on one odds is a challenge, but when they're trained Japanese warriors? He never had a chance.

Archangel has posed:
Warren watches quietly, making a low 'hrmm'ing noise to himself as he watches the brutality with the knife, not that he has room to speak on using lethal force these days. There is that side of him that relishes in the bloodshed.

As Jeremy falls, Warren taps a few things out on the keyboard and the room reverts to it's normal non-active state as the holograms fade.

"Not bad, kid," Warren says as he hits the button that activates the speakers in the room below. "Looks like you need to train a bit more on non-powered combat though."

Nightingale has posed:
     Crap. Jeremy was at a clear disadvantage here, as the scenery changed to ancient... Japan? Crossing her arms over her chest, Shannon steps a little closer to the control room windows, to get a better look at the melee down below. "Come on, make your environment work for you," she mutters, looking rather pleased as he keeps pushing forward, and finding a means to arm himself. He was no warrior in the traditional sense, that she knew very well. Getting him to go with her on morning walks or runs was sometimes a bit of a challenge.

     But he went. He didn't give up. And he wasn't giving up here, either.

     A smile of pride spread slowly across the winged teen's face as she watches the scene below play out, only wincing when Jeremy became a Byte-size shishka-Spyder. "Ooof. Took a second too long there. Still... did better than I would have."

     She smiles, nodding with satisfaction and pride at her teammate's performance.

Rogue has posed:
"I think it was enough. Not all of us are combat savvy..." Rogue offers this much before she lifts her shoulders in a shrug. She then activates the speakers, "Good job, Spyder Byte. I agree with Warren. Little more non-tech combat training will do you some good." Then she steps back, looks around and turns to head out of the control room, off to who knows where at this point.

SpyderByte has posed:
Once the world melts away to leave behind the metal spherical Danger Room, Jeremy is back in his uniform, mask and hood. The rest of that was just a simulation. He pushes himself up to his feet and pats himself down on the ches ta few times, then lets out a heavy breath. He's not dead.

Glancing upwards to the control room, he stares at the booth for a long moment behind the glowing green mask, then lifts up a hand to give them a thumbs up. He's okay! He is totally not panicked behind his mask.

Sliding his phone off the holster on his shoulder, he connects to the signal in the room once more, then pulls up his evaluation and score. He turns and heads for the doors that swish open, shoulders dropping down a bit.