A Birth day

"You can have a shot if I miss," Angus told Ruby.

"I don't know if Suzanne will show up tonight or not," Robert said. "Marie didn't send me a guest list, you know. Aria, the others will likely be paired, but I don't have a need to pick my team. They know how to pick their own partners for each mission. I would imagine that, unless we need you elsewhere, you could be partnered with Angus or maybe with Ruby. Or--if you see one of the fighters who's been left alone, I would appreciate it if you would go to them and make sure they're not left on their own. You know how to float from one team member to another in a skirmish, so I trust I can ask you do to that if it comes up. As it is, I will be giving Kate to you lot tonight to command your squad. I will be commanding one of the other squads. There is one that seems to have a real knack for falling apart and going rogue. I'm taking that one. Who knows, maybe by the end of the evening, I'll have a whole new teacup collection." That made Angus laugh when Robert talked about mroe teacups. "Marcus and Aria, take the kids and Evan and run them through some training drills yourselves to see what you think of their skills so far. Remember, they've only had about 8 days worth of formal training. Watch Anise in particular. She's got the strongest skills of that bunch, but she's also afraid because of that premonition dream she's had. Can you take them and work them this morning?"

"Consider it done," Marcus said.

Aria nodded as Marcus said the kid's training would be done "Seconded" she said and looked over at Marcus " we should get to it" she said and gave aslight bow to Robert " if you'll excuse me" she said before she moved to the kids talking to them as she waited for Marcus so they could start their trainning.

Ruby chuckled and nodded to Robert " I knowif shes there she's there if not we'll get her next time" she said " besides Marie is the one whose caused this" she said then chuckled at his msntion of a new tea cup " oh, can you make it a pretty pink one, she'd hate that" Ruby said chukaling and watched as Aria lead the kids to a spot to train them with Marcus.

Marcus got up and then he looked at Angus.

"If you need something, you give a shout, yes?" Marcus asked.

"Of course. Thanks," Angus said.

"Let's go in so I can check your ankle. If we get this all arranged and you still can't walk on it, you're staying back. I'll put you in the HQ with Daniella."

"The hell you will," Angus said. "There has to be a spell for me to cast to grow a third leg or something." That made Robert laugh.

"Well, come on. Let's see what we can do." Robert and Angus went inside, and Robert checked Angus's ankle thorougly. He was pleased. He taped it with sports tape and cast more healing spells on it and had Angus try just a few steps. Angus did fine. "Good. Well done. We've got several hours yet before we go on this, so I'll check it again and see what I can do to boost it before we go. In the meantime, don't overstress it. Try taking a few steps every so often today to see if you can get used to using it again." Angus nodded.

The day went very quickly for Angus. He had gotten out his missions wear and had gotten out his weapons and Ruby's and the extra holsters and knife sheaths, and a black belt for the wand holsters and knife sheaths, pistol holsters--all of it. he got out pouches for bubbles, patch kits or anything else she wanted to take. He cleaned the knives and the pistols and readied them. Mid afternoon he called her.

"Ru, come take what holsters and sheaths you want, and get your weapons belt ready," he called. He was readying his own belt. "Knives are cleaned and sharpened. Pistols cleaned and loaded. Extra clips are on the table there. Bubbles are in that cardboard box. Take what you're comfortable with. This isn't the mission to try new toys with. Take what you're used to. Let's get that done and soon change to mission wear. We don't want to feel rushed tonight."

Ruby chuckled at Angus's talk of a third leg and followed them inside she watched as Robert checked Angus's ankle and smiled when he said it was healing well " That's a relief" she said and watched them lay out the equipment they would use. she walked over and took a belt and several throwing knives and a small ankle pistol for safe measure.

Aria watched Anise and corrected her stand slightly while she let Marcus teach the boys. " control your breathing and focus on the task, not the afterthought" she said "Controlling your emotions will help block any other thoughts and feelings that want you to stop" she stood in front of her and focused her mind. " it's a trick my mom taught me, she was a seer herself." she said smiling " when someone is coming for you always protego first then cast the spell. she moved to her side and showed her the move fast-firing protago then Bombardo to blow up a small bucket and sat to one side. swiftness is the key, do not falter in your intent" she looked over to Marcus "In everything" she said softly.

When Marcus felt the kids had had enough. he looked at Aria.

"They're ready," Marcus told her, knowing they were going to be very limited in their skills. They were as good as they were going to get for now. "Alright. You lot go get cleaned up and changed into your black mission wear. Then come back to the living room, and we'll get you all fitted with your weapons. You're good with it?"

"Yeah. We're good," Anise said, determined she was going. She was going to protect Angus at any cost. Marcus knew exactly what was on her mind. He was determined to try to anchor her into the task of getting the followers, but he knew she was going to blow that off. He knew that as sure as he knew his own name.

Angus changed into his mission wear, and he paced a bit, partly because he was tense, and partly because he wanted to test his ankle for himself. It was pretty good, he thought. He had his weapons where he wanted them on his belt. Evan walked in, in his own missions wear, and Angus looked at him. Seeing Evan in missions wear was not something he had been ready for.

"You good with this?" he asked Evan.

"Yeah," Evan said seriously. "Absolutely."

"Stay close, then, to one of us. I am not ready to lose anyone tonight."

"I intend to," Evan said. "Do you think we're ready, under the circumstances?"

"I haven't seen you fight since you started your training, but if Robert didn't think you could fight, you wouldn't be going, regardless. Marcus and Aria would have told you if they didn't think you could hold your own. Let me help you adjust that weapons belt. Ru, can you help the kids get theirs adjusted? Then we need to go to the missions headquarters. It's getting time."

Aria heard Marcus and moved to his side "Yep, shes determined to protect him" she said now stood next to him as he spoke again. "she's not oing to let her go you know, but don't worry I'll watch over her like she was my daughter" she said as she watched her leave to clean up.

Ruby walked in wearing her mission wear tweked for the weather black leather trousrs with a black cotton top and jacket her belt slung low around her hips. her own weapons glinting as she moved over to Angus and Evan " of course" she said smiling " still look hansom in your mission wear" she said to Angus

"I can't blame her, but I"m glad you're going to stay with her. Sam's got the same personality, so I'll try to stay close to the boys if I can, but I need to keep one eye on Angus too. I'm not sure that ankle will hold him all night long," Marcus told her. He changed into his mission wear and readied his weapons. "I'm ready. You?"

"Thanks," Angus smiled. "It's good to see you geared up again. Look out for Evan if you can. I know what Robert's orders are going to be already. He knows us and what we can do. He's going to want us to do what we do best and protect each other. That's the order. He's got the others to go after the followers. He's going to put us first stringers on anyone that looks like they're her top guns, and, of course, on her. I haven't see the others fight, but I figure it this way. He's got access to any auror he can find on the planet. He can pull their dossiers, contact them, make them an offer with insane amounts of money. And he has chosen us. That means we have to have a leg or two up on all those other 40 or 50 that are coming. So, for all our flaws, us first stringers are his best. I'm not willing to leave anyone behind tonight."

The kids came into the living room, dressed in their gear. He stared at them for a moment. His whole family at risk tonight. A wave of fear rolled through him. He had to be insane, a father letting his kids step into this. And yet, he was so damned proud of them.

"God, you guys," he said. "When did you grow up so fast? I am so, so proud of you. No craziness tonight, alright? If it gets bananas, you fall back. Use the flashlights and port back here or to the missions hq. There is absolutely no shame in staying alive. Understand?" They nodded. He walked over to them and wrapped them close in a group hug.

"

Arian nodded to Marcus "If you have to leave the kids I'll watch them" she said and watched as he transphigured his clothes into his mission wear. Pausing for a moment she smiled then walked around him as she unashamedly checked him out from behind. "umm, okay I have to admit it will be distracting having you look like this but, I'll cope" she teased while smirking as she moved to face him again " but same to you, take no chances, because you mister owe me a long date and I intend to collect on that." she told him then moved her jacket to show him her weapons, her wand and some daggers along with a long sword that hung at her side partly hid by her jacket." want to check me ?" she asked

Ruby moved over to Evan and checked and adjusted his weapons before moving to Angus so he could check hers. " we check each other to make sure there are no issues and everyone knows it's done right" she added as she smiled down at Angus."

Marcus smiled, looking at her. "Don't worry. I'll be watching you too, from the front, from behind..." He gave her butt a little playful squeeze. He checked the fit of her belt, and he said. "You sure you want your wand holster at that height? Try something for me." He changed where she had her belt sitting, lowering it by just an inch, and then he got a flat leather strap, made two slits in the back of her wand holster and slid the strap through the slits and then wrapped the strap around her thigh and secured it with a spell to keep the holster from sliding around on her leg. It made it secure and stationary, and, he believed, would help her be able to grab her wand quite a bit faster because it would put her hand in a far more natural position. "Try drawing it a couple times and see what you think. I think, really, this one wee thing that gives Angus a bit of an edge on his wand speed."

Angus checked the kids and adjusted their belts for them until they seemed like they were as natural with it as they were going to get.

"Let's go, Marcus. Aria--you two quit snogging and get with the program. We're going to be late," Angus called them.

"They're snogging? Those two?" Sam got a strange look on his face, as if the concept was absurd to him. That made Angus laugh.

Aria watched as Marcus circled her and then slapped her butt making her chuckle and jump a little she could not help but blush as he moved closer to her mentioning the holster, she looked down at it, she watched as he changed the holster and lowered it slightly. " hum..feels better more secure " she said and drew her wand quickly several times " much better, faster too " she said and smiled at him. Hearing Angus she looked over at them and heard Angus tell them to stop snogging " Hey if we were snogging, you'd know " she said but turning to Marcus she took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply "Stay safe, please " she said softly to him before stepping back and seeing Sams expreshion "you've probably done that with Anise more times than I could count young man" she said with a chuckle as she walked over to them with a steady pace " let finish this " she said.

Ruby stood with Angus and smiled at Marcus and Aria but could not help but chuckle at sams response to how Marcus checked Arias's equipment she looked at Angus and knew he was focused on the mission "Let's get going the sooner this is over the better" she said