The Syndicate - 46. Chapter 46 - Ronnie

"Wisconsin?!" Warren leaned forward in his chair and looked at the team incredulously. "You mean to tell me that this Shadowghast, a personification of death nearly a thousand years old, is hiding out somewhere in northern Wisconsin?"

Ronnie looked at his feet sheepishly but thought Crimson Cosmonaut had a point. He had reacted pretty much the same way when Maya first explained it. Such wild, primal evil, only a few hundred miles away in the remote northwoods? It hadn't seemed plausible.

"I thought it was weird too, sir, but it checks out," Maya replied. Ronnie watched as she tapped an image on her tablet, sending a holographic map to float above the conference table. "In 1871, a massive fire killed over two thousand people. First-hand reports mention tornadoes of fire that obliterated everything in their wake."

Warren turned to the Green Man, who slowly nodded. "Such tragedies often leave scars on the land," he spoke softly, just above a whisper. "The Shadowghast could be drawing on residual energy from the disaster in an effort to regain his strength."

"Fair enough. I will certainly defer to your expertise in these matters," Warren looked satisfied. "Are you confident you can pinpoint the location?"

Taran stepped forward this time. "We should send a team to investigate the area, but with the amount of dark energy he's giving off, the hideout won't be hard to find, now that we know what to look for."

"And making our move before the new moon would put us at an advantage," Warren paused for a moment and scanned the room. "Are they ready?"

Ronnie held his breath as Taran looked back at the team. He did his best to look resolute, but could anyone ever truly be prepared for something like this?

"They're ready, sir. I couldn't be prouder."

"Well then, I think it's time they got outfitted. Dismissed!"

There was a flurry of movement as Carmen and Ari reached for each other in excitement. "Finally!" Carmen squealed, practically shoving the group out the door. "Go, go, go!"

Ronnie allowed himself to be dragged away with a grin. "Does this mean what I think it does?!"

After walking to what felt like the complete opposite side of the compound, the team was ushered into a large, gleaming white room. A series of doors were equally spaced along two of the walls, each displaying a touchscreen console.

"Welcome to the Outfitters," Taran announced with a smile, his voice echoing in the ample center space. "It's time to design your official Syndicate uniforms!"

Carmen let out another excited squeal from the back of the group. "I. Am. So. Excited!"

"What do we have to do?" Ronnie asked, eager to get started.

"Approach a station, and give it your name. The computer will take it from there. All the data we've collected during your training will be uploaded and processed by the terminal. From there, the system analyzes your power metrics to design a uniform that offers optimal protection."

"Oh, that doesn't sound cute," Carmen muttered under her breath.

Taran laughed. "There's plenty of room for customization, don't worry. Everyone, step up to a console, and take all the time you need."

The team scattered, each racing to their own console. A touchscreen blinked to life as Ronnie approached a glossy white door.

"PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME," the computer declared with a tinny voice.

"Ronnie Nolan."

"WELCOME, RAMPART. DOWNLOADING ABILITY MATRIX," A series of graphics flashed as a progress bar zipped along the bottom of the screen.

"ABILITY MATRIX OBTAINED. PLEASE STEP INSIDE THE MEASUREMENT CHAMBER." The door opened with a soft hiss.

"Um, alright then…."

The floor of the chamber was made of translucent glass and slowly pulsed with a soft white light. As Ronnie stepped to the center of the room, the door closed behind him. The far wall of the chamber lit up as a large screen activated.

"PLEASE DISROBE FOR ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS" An image appeared on the screen, indicating that he should stand with his arms and legs apart.

"Ah, what now?!" Ronnie exclaimed.

There was a knock on the chamber door. "You still decent?" He knew Taran was grinning from the other side.

"For the moment. This is very weird, by the way."

"Oh, just you wait!"

"Did you want to come in? Is that allowed?"

"No, I wanna be surprised. Keep going!"

Ronnie stripped down to his boxers, placing his clothes on a bench along the wall. He turned back to the middle of the room. "Um, ok?"

"INITIALIZING BODY SCAN. PLEASE REMAIN STILL." The room was suddenly aglow as bright blue and red lasers fired from the walls and ceiling and began scanning up and down Ronnie's body. The ambient light dimmed as the lasers continued to analyze for several minutes. As they worked, a holographic replica of Ronnie's figure slowly formed in the air before him.

"APPLYING POWER DATA"

The lasers snapped off, and the holographic figure began to rotate as different articles of clothing were applied to it. A graph on the wall monitor displayed various data metrics, ebbing and flowing as the system analyzed a series of combinations. When the process finished, the small hologram expanded until it was a life-sized recreation of Ronnie, now wearing the newly designed uniform.

"ANALYSIS COMPLETE."

Ronnie's jaw dropped as he stared at the image in disbelief. "Holy shit!"

"PLEASE CONFIRM THE DESIGN, OR CUSTOMIZE AS DESIRED."

"Honestly, it's perfect. I wouldn't change a thing," Ronnie replied. "Actually, wait!" He approached the hologram, tracing around a section with his finger. "Can you make this part green instead?"

"UNDERSTOOD. INITIALIZING CONSTRUCTION PHASE. PLEASE STAND BY."

Ronnie sat on the bench and sheepishly held his clothes in his lap. There was nothing for him to do but wait and listen to the humming and occasional metallic sound that came from behind the far wall. After what felt like an eternity, the computerized voice rang out again.

"CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE. THANK YOU, RAMPART"

A few moments later, the wall at the far end of the chamber opened to reveal a neatly presented uniform. Ronnie pulled the suit from the display and began to dress. The suit was a matte black with dark green accents, made from carbon fiber weaving and reinforced at the elbows and knees. It was form-fitting over Ronnie's body, and he stretched, marveling at how light and flexible the tough fabric was. He continued to dress, securing bootstraps and slipping on the gloves accented with brushed silver, which matched the pauldrons on his shoulders. Ronnie stepped to a nearby mirror to get a good look at himself, straightening out a silver belt that contained several hidden compartments.

In the middle of Ronnie's chest was a crest of silver and emerald. He stepped closer to the mirror to examine it, smiling as its gem-like surface caught the light. The emblem was shaped like a shield, with the top edge patterned off a castle tower: a symbolic personification of his code name. Ronnie wanted to faint. "This symbol might get printed on t-shirts someday!" He thought to himself with glee.

Something was missing. Ronnie returned to the wardrobe rack to find a dark green domino mask, its metallic sheen glinting in the bright light of the chamber. He placed the mask over his eyes, unsurprised at how it slipped perfectly into place. It was cool and heavy against his skin, and Ronnie found it oddly comforting. With a final look in the mirror, he exited the chamber.

Now that both costumes have been talked about, enjoy some art I did a couple months ago. (and forgive the image compression!)