The undercroft

Posted on Fri Jul 12th, 2024 @ 1:36 by Andrew Hallows & Claire Cavendish

Chapter: Besieged
Location: Underground Avalon Base
Timeline: Saturday, 23rd of January, 1993
2258 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Claire stood in front of the doors that were labelled 'Maintenance'. It was a simple placard with the attention to have prying eyes slide over it and think no more of it. The door was locked with a thick key, one of those that seemed like it would belong to a large pirate treasure. She pushed it open and stepped inside, a small platform before a rather steep staircase downstairs. She stood waiting for Andrew to pass her by so she could lock the door behind them. It was only then that she realised that she had forgotten to switch on the light. She quickly reached across the P.E. teacher to hit the switch on the wall. Iridescent light bulbs along the stairway and the hallway below flicked on one after the other.

"This way, please." It sounded rather more ominous than Claire had intended, and the conversation they were having about the Mutant Registration Act had made her decide it was time to let the new member of faculty in on one of the many secrets which Avalon held inside its walls. They made their way down the stairs and the damp air was both tangible and palpable. "We have every reason to believe that, despite the new legislation, MI13 remains uncompromised, and their files on you remain classified. but seeing the recent shift on the political side of things, I think it's prudent for us to introduce you to a couple of things down here."

Andrew had heard the news over the radio, and he still didn't know how he felt about it all. Since, he had come to the institute as a teacher, the other faculty and students would likely have gotten used to the fact that every morning he went for a 3K jog around the facilities and then went through around 30-45 minutes of Hapkido practice in his room. Once the weather got nicer, he would likely still be on the front lawn. He had had a towel around his shoulders and dressed in shorts, sandals and a simple gray tee on when Claire had found him.

Tossing the towel over the chair at his desk he followed after her. Claire would have found that he wasn't much of a talker and that he tended to keep things close to his chest. He followed after her, making light conversation about his plans for the curriculum, and the fact that he was waiting to see if any of the students or faculty would be taking him up on his offer of teaching basic self-defense.

He ducked to the side to allow her to flip the light switch, their difference in height was fairly evident. "Seeing how hard it was for me to even find out what little I did about MI-13, one can only hope that is the case." He wasn't sure where she was taking him, but it had become obvious to him fairly quickly, that there was more to the institute than just a school.

At what was seemingly a dead end hallway Claire picked up her pace to walk out in front of Andrew. She pushed a hand against a palm reader, which had been obscured into a niche in the wall. A confirming bleep followed by the sound of grinding gears and stone against stone. The back wall slid away gave way to a well lit, modern built, hallway. A large double door at the end of it had the letters Hangar above it, a couple of doors left and right indicated other rooms. Locker rooms for men and women, training area, one simply indicated with GWENN. She headed to the one signed Situation Room and opened it with another palm reader.

"Welcome to the Quantum Knight headquarters." The doors gave way to a large round table, in the middle of it a projector unit which was currently dormant. The walls were plastered with computers, televisions and there were a couple of metal lockers breaking up the flashing lights and whirring server racks.

This confirmed what Andrew had thought after only having been at the school for a few days. It was the detective in him, that made him just have a hunch about there being more to the facility. He took note of the rooms they passed as he continued to follow Claire.

"So, this is the hidden side of the Avalon Institute." He walked around the room, taking in what he was seeing, it made him think of various TOCs (Tactical Operations Center) on several of the FOBs (Foward Operating Bases) which he had been to during his time with the military. He still wasn't sure why she was showing this to him.

"This is the Para Bellum of the matter," Claire didn't think to check if he'd understood even half that reference. "There are people and organisations out there that would harm us if given half the chance, and it would seem that half that chance is currently being written into law. We have reason to believe that the Mutant Registration Act will bring them to our doorstep." She turned to him to answer his unasked question, "Which is why we need people with tactical experience to know about this place and the possibilities we have to defend ourselves."

"Ah, yes. Si vis pacem, para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war.)" He now understood why they had offered him a job; he was a combat veteran as well as martially trained. He was tactically trained, which gave him an extra hand when it came to defense. "So not only the Sherwood Rangers, I believe they called themselves, but also the Human Protection League, though of the latter I have only heard whispers of." He looked around once more with a stronger understanding dawning in his eyes. "So, this is the tactical brain center of the school, a tactical operation center if you will."

Claire could likely see the gears begin to whir and spin on his face. "Do you wish me to begin offering martial defense classes for both students and faculty then?" In truth he had already planned on offering things like this for the school, but with everything happening it may push his timetable up to help prepare them.

"Of the Knights, the school is a school, and we endeavour to keep the students as far away from this part of the operation as much as possible." It was a topic that had been a breaking point between several other P.E. teachers. Claire was, at heart, a pacifist, and training kids to fight, even if it was 'fighting the good fight' went against almost everything she believed in.

The world was changing though, and if she continued to turn a blind eye to that shifting world they'd lose people. Good people. Either because they moved to other, more radical, elements of the mutant community or, worse yet, because the ill prepared standing up against the militarised war machine didn't often fare well. So it was just in the early weeks of 1993 that Head Teacher Claire Cavendish heard herself say; "martial arts, self defense, team based tactics. The lot."

He nodded, he could understand keeping the school and the Quantum Knights separate. "I will keep to teaching the students self- defense and martial arts, I likewise am unsure how I feel about teaching children more than that at this time. My curriculum for the students will not change, they will learn Archery, and other sports."

"I will begin offering extra classes in self-defense and martial arts to the faculty as well." He was still thinking of the logistics of all this. "I should be able to begin these extra classes within the week. In regard to team-based tactics, do you wish me to teach all faculty or just the Knights?" It looked to him that he had come to this school when a hornet's nest was teetering on the edge of a wall ready to fall. He was unsure about teaching anyone fighting tactics, but it seemed as though the gloves were needing to come off.

"Team based tactics for everyone in the institute, including the students." Claire's jaw tightened, she wanted to tell him to teach everyone guerrilla style warfare to prepare for the tectonic shift in the way the UK's government was going to treat them and theirs. "Starting Monday." The new law was coming into effect on February first, they had no time to lose. 'See if some of the faculty need additional weapons and tactics training as well. Perhaps it would be good to check in with Phoebe on that one. She's the Knights' team leader."

He nodded, if that is what she wanted, that is what she would get from him. "Well, if we are going to do this. I will need equipment that may not be here currently." He was back in planning mode. "However, I can start with the basics at least and the self-defense aspects. That is until we get the other equipment, I can have a list of what I will need by end of day tomorrow." Claire wanting him to begin on Monday, which was two days away would be tough, but he could do it. He honestly had no idea this is what he was signing on for with the school. It wouldn't have changed his answer either way though, he tended to thrive under stress and anxiety.

"Get that list on my desk and I'll see what we can do." It was going to be short notice and there were probably going to be a couple of suppliers unwilling to work with them now that the government had practically made it legal to discriminate against mutants. Claire stepped towards the door through which they had entered, back into the hallway, "I have one more thing to show you." She motioned towards the large door at the end of the secret hallway. Above it the word Hangar was written.

"Most of the stuff we can order from a Sports Shop, some might be harder to find, however you will have the list tomorrow." He nodded as she led the way to another room. "I am at your beck and call, Miss Cavendish." He knew what the words hanger met, but he also wondered what surprises awaited him in this room.

"Unfortunately, in today's political climate it's not always about how easily one can find these items." When a request was made to put it on a bill addressed to Avalon Institute quite a few stores suddenly ran out of stock, and she wasn't going to put it all on her own account. Which wasn't really a better option anyway due to her name and relative fame. The double doors to the hangar opened with a touch of her palm to the device next to it. A large open room with an unrestricted view of their prototype Concorde, lovingly dubbed Nessie by Cameron. "Mister Hallows, meet Nessie." She motioned at the streamlined, faster than sound, jet that could comfortably transport at least a dozen on top of the 6 cockpit seats. That wasn't even counting the room in the cargo bay that could be used in a pinch to transport even more.

He nodded; he understood what Claire was saying. This wasn't something unknown to him, thankfully unlike some he was able to hide in plain sight as he looked like a normal Homo Sapien. "With that in mind, will I be able to repurpose equipment, to make training and teaching easier?" He asked her this while she was leading him to the doors labeled hanger. He wasn't unaccustomed to repurposing equipment, while in the Middle East he had needed to do that a few times, during his assignment which had left him wounded. When they walked into the hanger, he couldn't help but whistle in awe. "I had read in Popular Science that Concorde had created several prototype/concept planes, but this one is quite fetching."

"That she is." Claire concurred with the assessment of the plane in their under-Loch hangar. "Cameron, our resident mechanic, flies her. She's almost as fast as he is." A bit of a smirk, she was sure that if Cam were to hear her say that he'd have something to counter with. "As for repurposing, anything in the gym and phys. ed. supplies is yours to inventory, maintain, and utilise as you see fit. Anything outside of that be sure to check in with admin."

That was a solid bit of information to file away regarding Cameron, he was a speedster. This would dictate both the training and tactics, that would be helpful for Cameron and how he might work with the others at the school and on the team. He would give himself much of the day Sunday to begin planning out the training subjects he would be covering for each grouping of people at the school. "That was honestly, the answer I was both hoping for and expecting." None of this would be easy but it could be done.

"Alright then, have at it." Claire stepped back into the undercroft hallway, waiting for Andrew to join her. As he stepped out she put out a hand, "Welcome to the Quantum Knights, Revenant."

"Thank you, Tenebris." These next couple of days was going to be very busy for him, had a fair bit of prep to do, both for classes and the extra-curriculars. He shook her hand and then followed her out of the Knight Headquarters.