Denzi was wandering along the streets seemingly aimlessly. The dog ears on her head and a slight bit of a tail stuck out from behind her midcalf length dark blue dress. She stopped curious as she though she had seen a shadow somewhere in an alleyway a block or so ahead of her. Her amber eyes were curious. Denzi finally stopped infront of the shadow and smiled shyly. "Hello. I'm Denzi," she blushed and almost whispered the scentence.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œUm. Hi.â€ Ricochet turned and smiled winningly down at the girl who had approached him. To his credit, he managed not to look surprised at the sight of her tail and ears. He tried to keep his thoughts decent, but being who he was, found it difficult. <br/><br/>A quick check over his shoulder showed that the waitress with whom heâ€™d been in negotiations for a phone number had already lost interest and wandered away, and resigned, he turned his full attention to the young girl. <br/><br/>â€œYou know, you might not want to be walking around lookingâ€¦.like that. Most people in this city donâ€™t look kindly on people like us.â€</span><br/><br/>"I understand that, but it is a bit difficult when you are like me. I mean, yes, I could go full human or wolf, if either would be easier, but this form feels comfortable...almost freeing, you know?" she asked curiously. If no one she knew could understand her, Denzi was unsure that this male could possibly understand her either. She shook her head and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, Denzi's ears and tail slowly disappeared. She blushed a bit and shook her head. "Is there someplace that you know of that I could possibly fit in? I'm fairly new in town as well," Denzi explained to the male.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Ethanâ€™s eyes softened just slightly as he listened. â€œWell, Iâ€™ve never had animal ears,â€ he quipped, â€œbut I suppose thereâ€™s a bit of all of us that just wants to be who we are. Seems like the least we can ask out of life after all the trouble itâ€™s caused us.â€ <br/><br/>â€œFitting in is a manner of opinion,â€ he teased, laughing at her blush, â€œbut there just so happens to be a good place to try. Itâ€™s pretty close actually.â€ <br/><br/>At her curious look, he put one hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around, directing her attention to a prominent, towering spike jutting into the Sloatan skyline. It couldnâ€™t have been more than a few blocks from their location, and cast a long shadow over the surrounding parks and buildings. <br/><br/>â€œSee that? Omega Tower. Itâ€™s not perfect, but heyâ€”give it a try. I have a feeling you wonâ€™t be the strangest thing to walk in those doors.â€</span><br/>She smiled and blushed a bit turning around as he instructed. Laughing at his quips, Denzi relaxed a bit. "Thanks. It looks pleasant," she replied. "Would you like to walk me to the location? Or would you rather I left you alone?" she asked calmly now. Her eyes glanced towards the building. She pondered the many things she had been taught before her move. "What do you do around here?" she asked him trying to make small talk at least to get to know the guy.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œAre you kidding?â€ Ethan grinned widely at her question, throwing a friendly arm around her shoulders as they turned their feet in the direction of the tower. â€œYouâ€™ll never see me turning down the company of a lovely lady.â€ <br/><br/>He laughed as she asked him what he did, contemplating an honest answer. That never sounded like much fun, so he opted to spew nonsense instead. <br/><br/>â€œYou know, the usualâ€”I make trouble, get in fights, save damsels in distress. That sort of thing. And you? What brings you to our lovely city? Donâ€™t tell me: youâ€™re a model. No waitâ€”an actress?â€</span><br/><br/>She blushed at his initial response and grinned at the question. "I hope to be on Broadway one day. I think that was why I came here in the first place. I might end up being a producer or director with the looks I like. But who knows? Maybe one day there will be something out there for me," she giggled a bit as she followed him. She enjoyed his company, but wasn't really sure of him. "What's your name?" she asked.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œBroadway? Really?â€ Ethan laughed in surprise. â€œI should have guessed. Well, keep the dream alive and all that jazz. Sloatan can be a pretty heavy place, but donâ€™t let it bring you down." He winked mischievously, adding, "there are still a few of us charming, dashing, heroic types out there, after all.â€ <br/><br/>â€œHow rude of me. My name is Ethan, but the rowdy group of miscreants youâ€™re about to meetâ€”they generally call me Ricochet. You can choose whichever you like best.â€</span><br/>She giggled a bit. Realizing how seldom she had heard someone say that she could possibly do what she dreamed of, Denzi kissed Ethan on the cheek in gratitude and blushed a bit. "Thanks, and I hope so. I guess I shall call you...Ethan. I go by either Denzi or Den, but I am Diamanto Yamuna by those who are unfamiliar with me, but Denzi works well," she giggled noticing that the building was getting closer.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œBe still my heart.â€ Ethan stumbled dramatically, clutching his hands to his chest. â€œI have been touched by an angel. Tell meâ€”when your name is up in lights, youâ€™ll remember me, wonâ€™t you?â€ <br/><br/>Before she could answer, they arrived at the foot of the Omega Tower. Wide, marble steps wound around a tall obsidian fountain depicting Gemini in full battle gear, while beds of tastefully landscaped flowers and trees surrounded the tall, arched entry. <br/><br/>â€œThey spared no expense,â€ Ric smirked at the fountain, â€œthough personally, I think I would have made a much better statue.â€ <br/><br/>â€œBut here we areâ€”Omega Circle, home base. I wanted to call it our â€œsecret baseâ€ but Morgan has a thing against looking childish, apparently. And speak of the devil.â€ <br/><br/>â€œMorgan.â€ Geminiâ€™s enhanced joints creaked just slightly as he approached from the elevator, his steps heavy enough to echo throughout the massive foyer. â€œI thought you were supposed to meet up with your partner on 5th.â€ The warning in his tone was not lost on the other man.<br/><br/>â€œRelax, big guy.â€ Ethan sidled behind Denzi, pushing her forward like a peace offering to Gemini. â€œIâ€™ve been working in the name of the causeâ€”I found someone who wanted to meet you.â€</span><br/><br/>"Hello, sir. I'm Diamanto Yamuna or Denzi whichever you prefer," she blushed looking down a bit. Glancing up again, Denzi reached out her hand in greeting smiling shyly. She didn't know what to do or say aside from that. Maybe, "This is a lovely place. What made you decide on here as your base?" she asked nervously. Knowing Ethan was there, Denzi was able to keep her composure.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">Seeing Denzi, Morgan at once softened his tone, removing his helmet to smile down at her. â€œHello, Denzi.â€ He reached out one massive, robotic-gloved hand to take her smaller one gently. â€œThey call me Gemeni here, but my real name is Morgan Stone. Iâ€™m the field leader of Omega Circle.â€ He smiled at her innocent question, tilting his head towards Ric as he silently questioned what the younger man had told her about their strange home. â€œThis tower was built for us by the government, actually. We needed a place that would serve doubly as our base of operations and our home. Even better, it is a landmark on the city skyline and a centric attraction. It acts as a symbol to the people that we are here among themâ€” watching out for themâ€”close at hand and accessible.â€<br/><br/>â€œGeez. You should turn that into a commercial,â€ Ric commented wryly. <br/><br/>Ignoring the other manâ€™s sarcasm, Gemeni looked back to the girl. â€œAnd that leads to the question: What brings you here? Most of the individuals we bring in areâ€¦ more than average, to put it lightly.â€<br/><br/>â€œI may not have been extraordinarily specific about what exactly we do here, boss.â€ Ethan chimed in. â€œJustâ€¦ for your information.â€</span><br/><br/>Denzi laughed a bit understanding a bit of the comical humor in Ethan's tone. She noticed the man's metal hand and shook it as if it was normal to her. She was not one to judge others considering she had the dog features hidden. "That sounds cool. I am a shapeshifter and I can also be like a medic to those who are injured. I'm more like a dog in the sense of playfulness, but I am a wolf in pack sense," she said calmly. Hoping that would suffice, Denzi waited patiently for Morgan's response.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œA shapeshifter?â€ Morgan raised an eyebrow at the admission. â€œI canâ€™t say weâ€™ve ever have a shapeshifter on our team. It would be a great chance to learn about those who share your abilities.â€ <br/><br/>â€œGeez, sheâ€™s not a lab rat.â€ Ethan grumbled from the background. â€œDonâ€™t sound so creepy.â€ <br/><br/>Again, Gemini chose to ignore Ethanâ€”a task at which he considered himself an expert. â€œIf you choose to stay here, youâ€™ll be provided with food and board, along with any specialized training, equipment, and accommodation your condition may require. Youâ€™ll also be considered a part of our familyâ€”as strange and dysfunctional as it is. In return, youâ€™ll be asked only to serve alongside us to keep this city safe. In Omega Circle, we strive to show the world that they need not fear us: we take what we have been givenâ€”what others would call cursesâ€”and turn them into our greatest gifts. That is the true purpose of our Circle.â€ <br/><br/>â€œWhat the professor really means, isâ€”â€œ Ric leaned down, grinning,<br/>â€œâ€”if you want to stay, youâ€™re welcome to our pack.â€</span><br/><br/>Denzi looked between the two males and giggled. "I'd like to, but could you show me around first? I like knowing who and what I'm going to be dealing with first," she smiled. As her tail and ears showed up again, Denzi blushed. "Got any food around here? I don't know how long its been since I last ate," she mentioned.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œOf course,â€ Gemeni smiled, and turned to his teammate. â€œEthan, since you seem so attached, why donâ€™t you show our guest around?â€ <br/><br/>â€œBut I thought I wasâ€”â€œ Ricochet started to protest. <br/><br/>â€œIâ€™d recommend starting in the mess.â€ Morgan cut him off easily, â€œTake your time there. After that, perhaps the observation deck and training rooms? I think Allison is still here somewhere if you canâ€™t handle the task.â€ <br/><br/>â€œI can handle it,â€ Ethan mumbled, glaring over his shoulder at his leader. Even though he knew Morgan wouldnâ€™t be able to see itâ€”he hoped he would feel it. â€œCome on, Denzi. Letâ€™s leave robo-Hitler to his work.â€ <br/><br/>â€œDonâ€™t brainwash her, Ric,â€ Gemeni called over his shoulder on the way down the steps, his helmet snapping back into place with a hiss of pnuematic air.</span><br/><br/>Denzi laughed following Ethan carefully. She was curious of this new place and wanted somewhere she could belong. "Morgan, don't worry about it!" she shouted over her shoulder smiling. She knew they were playing, something she could somehow sense. Denzi always wondered about the dynamics of a normal household. "Dysfunctional is how I was raised," she giggled a bit still following Ethan.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œWell, then you should fit right in.â€ <br/><br/>Ethan lead the way into the spacious silver elevator that lead through the heart of the tower and with the touch of a button, they were propelled several dozen stories into the air. <br/><br/>â€œBehold, one of my favorite locations in this god-forsaken place: the temple of food.â€ Gesturing dramatically outwards as the doors opened, Ethan presented a long white mess hall and spacious, commercial kitchen. The room was modern and mostly featureless, save for the Circleâ€™s silver insignia etched into each long table and a row of windows at the farthest end. <br/><br/>â€œThink you can find something to chow down on in here?â€</span><br/><br/>"Yea, what do you have?" she asked curious now. Denzi figured she could eat almost anything if she set her mind to it. She chuckled at the thought. She hated heights or was it the air pressure up here? She shook her head and smiled walking over to a table with her tail wagging happily.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">â€œHonestly? Just about anything.â€ Ric wandered over to a mammoth commercial refrigerator and pulled the double doors wide. â€œWhat are you hungry for?â€ He reached for a neatly wrapped subâ€”he assumed it was Emberâ€™sâ€”and thought better of it. Instead he pulled out a tub of frosting and went hunting for a spoon, leaving the doors hanging wide for Denzi to inspect. He hopped up on the counter when he found one, happy to be a bystander for now as he went to work on a massive spoonful<br/>of the stuff.</span><br/><br/>Denzi was starstruck as she entered the Mess Hall. Massive refrigerator meant a whole lot of food. "Wow!" she swallowed hard trying to keep from drooling all over the place. "I'll take..." she looked at the meats and veggies, "this one!" she finished as she found a giant pot roast. Denzi got a plate and a fork and fixed herself a hearty meal. She walked over to the sink and grabbed a cup and filled it with water. When she fixed that, Denzi walked over to the table again placing her stuff down. She sat down smiling. "Thanks. I needed this," Denzi said graciously.