Back to School (Jacey)

[Warbird]

Somewhere over Los Angeles:

The fenced-off compound had been a blot on the horizon ten seconds ago. Now it loomed close, doubling in size with each passing moment, and as she dropped her air speed down to a more comfortable cruising level, Anna smiled at the sight. Home sweet home.

The Avengers Academy compound had come a long way since its start as HQ for the West Coast team. The mansion, a different and less old-fashioned design than the one in NYC but somehow similar, was reduced to almost a museum piece, dwarfed by the more modern indoor gymnasium/'danger room', plus the block of luxury apartments that served as a home for the students that were here full-time. Between the two buildings, carefully kept out of their shadows...well, it used to be a nice little park, but with so many students turning up from all over, someone decided more training space was needed, so the plants were cut down and a clay-based track circuit was installed. There was already at least one class of students stood by the track, being addressed by Reptil; even at a distance, Anna could see he'd forgotten to get rid of the tail that had grown from his spine after his last shape-shift. Or...dino-shift. What does he call it again?

Dropping altitude sharply, Anna could already make out a formidable, blocky figure marching across to the helipad she was angling towards. As her boots hit the concrete gently, she snapped her feet together and threw up a salute. "Commander Rhodes, sir."

Jim Rhodes - War Machine - returned the salute curtly. "Warbird." His voice, filtered through the helmet of his imposing armour, was all business, as usual. That suited Anna just fine; not viewing the commander as a friend meant not expecting any breaks from him, which had pushed her to excel when she was a rookie here. "Good flight in?" Even as he spoke, Rhodes turned and began to walk away. Noting the unspoken invitation, Anna dropped her hand and fell into line beside him. "Average. Sir, not that I mind coming down here, but - " "Got a new kid who's giving us some trouble, figured she could use a bit of moral support from someone more in her league. And none of the good post-grads were answering my calls..." He inclined his head toward her, to be sure she got the joke - luckily, she was already grinning. "Hah. Well, I don't know how much help a washout like me can offer, but I'll give it a whirl. Who's the cadet in question?"

They stopped halfway across the track as War Machine opened a panel on his forearm; beneath the thick carbon-steel shell was a holographic projector, which hummed into life and shone a flat image of a brunette girl with bright eyes and a gentle face. "Jacey Jameson. Been here a few months now. She's dedicated and shows good moral fibre, but..." He sighed. "She's not a fighter. Not yet, anyway, and I'm starting to think she doesn't wanna be. Which would be fine if we were training embassy workers here, but since this is supposed to be the next wave of Earth's mightiest heroes..."

"I get it." Anna tilted her head, continuing to stare at the hologram. She really doesn't look like she'd hurt a fly...and Jameson? Like, the old newspaper guy? "What kind of powers are we talking about here?"

"She's the new She-Hulk."

Anna blinked, then gaped at War Machine in amazement. "Seriously?" Inwardly, she felt like jumping for joy. We have a She-Hulk! Yessssss! I can die happily now! "Well...just show me where to go, sir."

"She's with Humberto's group. Go say hi." He jerked his head towards the group of students still stood by the side of the track. Snapping to attention once more for a second, Anna turned on her heel and jogged off towards the group. She thought about a quick hop through the air, but using her powers so casually would look like showing off to the cadets, and she didn't want to make a bad impression. Definitely not with a She-Hulk, anyway. A She-Hulk...man, this is gonna rock...

Falling in at Reptil's side, Anna clasped her hands at the small of her back as he finished his lecture on situational awareness, casting her eyes quickly over the cadets, a few of whom looked back with uncertainty. She couldn't see the girl in the front few rows...then Reptil turned to her with a smile. "Anna! This is a surprise, no? What can I do for you?" "Sorry to get in the way, Reptil, but I've been asked to borrow one of your students for a while - a miss Jameson?" Humberto winced, then nodded in understanding - I guess not everyone shares War Machine's opinion - before turning back to the crowd.

"She-Hulk, step forward..."

[She-Hulk]

PE was Jacey's least favorite class. Normally she liked being outside when there was fresh air and sunlight, but being in Avengers Academy....PE often meant combat training. Her mother Jennifer had already taught her daughter how to fight but still Jacey was a pacifist even as She-Hulk. She was well aware of what her powers could do and what could happen if her strength wasn't in check.

Like her father Jacey wanted to be normal or at least pretend to be. How attractive was green skin and super strength to the male population anyway? But still her mother loved having powers and being an Avenger so she was determined to make Jacey love it too. It was the reason Jacey boarded a plane and was shipped off to a superhero school in California every year.

Today's PE class was no different than every year. Jacey ran laps (outside her Hulk form), she fought other students (outside Hulk form unless teachers demanded), but something different was happening today, the class had a visitor.

"Who so you think that woman is talking to War Machine?" One female student asked behind Jacey, to be honest she was curious herself. "She's Warbird or something but she's Ms Marvel's daughter!" Some replied in a rushed voice.
"No way why is she here then?!" Jacey was beginning to wonder the same thing.

Her eyes were trained on the woman who was having a conversation with Reptil. Then she saw his eyes dart to hers and Jacey had to refrain from gulping.
"She-Hulk step forward" Reptil said a bit of reluctance in his voice. Jacey's eyes widened a bit the eyes of the group were on her. Brown waves of hair fell to her face to sheild her from the stares. She walked toward the two trying not to move to slow to keep them waiting too long.

"She-Hulk ya mind?" Reptil asked a bit of tiredness in his voice. The two often had a conversation about Jacey needing to stay in her Hulk form during this particular class.
"Right sorry" Jacey apologized quickly a bit embarressed before changing. She became taller,muscular and green...everywhere. If all eyes weren't on Jacey before they were on her now.

[Warbird]

A moment after Reptil spoke, the crowd parted, with most of the pupils looking inwards - and a small, unassuming girl stepped forwards, with the same face Anna had been shown by War Machine. She's prettier in the flesh, she mused, admiring the girl's misty eyes and full lips with a slight flicker of envy, then looking her attire up and down - purple and white, just like her mom. Nice! Even so, she didn't look like someone who could gorilla-press a train. In fact, as Anna realised when her eyes crept back across the class, Jacey seemed to be the odd one out; the only one not actively using their powers even at rest. One boy had crystalline growths moulded like armour over most of his body; another's head was surrounded by a halo of flame. And yet Jacey was neither big nor green.

Anna took a breath as she turned back to Humberto - but he seemed to have read her mind. "She-Hulk, ya mind...?" There was a note of exasperation to his voice, which hinted this wasn't exactly a one-off slip. Anna had heard of a fair few superhumans that were uncomfortable with their abilities - it was practically the whole reason the Xavier Institute was formed - but she couldn't honestly say she knew how it felt, having been born with her powers naturally occurring and never having a reason to be ashamed of them. But, isn't that true of this girl too? Or was she born normal and got gamma'd-up somehow...

Any further thoughts of Anna's faded as Jacey crunched her eyes shut in concentration - and her body changed. Anna was prepared for the green skin, but not the difference in size and shape; those thin arms trebled in width as toughened muscles expanded under the skin, her exposed stomach sucked in and tightened against ripped abs, and she grew up and up and up, so that Anna went from looking down her nose at the girl to tilting her head back a shade to make eye contact with those blazing green irises. As a big, goofy grin crept over her face, Anna couldn't help but whisper, "Awesome."

"What was that?" Shaking her head, Anna coughed and fought down a blush as she looked back to Humberto. "Nothing. We're just gonna go for a walk for now - you'll get your student back before the lesson's finished." "So long as she's still in one piece." "No promises." Anna smirked, then turned away from Humberto and, slapping Jacey invitingly on the bicep - christ, that feels like rock - started to walk away from the class. "It's Jacey, right? Co-workers call me Warbird, friends call me Anna. How long have you been here?"