A single moment was all it took. Midnight stood above the seemingly lifeless body of the panther, displeased with what he’d done, but having learned a valuable lesson. No one in the observatory was able to witness what had happened, but there was a video that was able to capture what occurred. In the second following the flash, Midnight had propelled himself into the air, landed on the ceiling, then propelled himself with the amplified vectors of the ceiling collision down and buried the panthers head into the ground with the impact, a blow that was theoretically 4 times as hard as the earlier one he’d dealt to it. He’d requested that the testing stop there, and stated he understood their purpose and that any more would be unnecessary wasted time. As such, they allowed him to exit the chamber and he was directed towards his quarters, where Xavier would give him further instructions.

The room he’d been given was like any other, empty for the most part. There was a bed, nightstand, clothing rack, Holo-crystal on the wall, and a small restroom. Of course, Midnight wouldn’t need any of these things, but figured it was just a formality. Xavier had arrived shortly after and asked him what he thought about the tests. He expressed his disinterest in unnecessary combat, but acknowledged that he was naive to think he could solve every issue that came his way passively. It was clear that if the wildlife was capable of that much, then the rest of the world’s inhabitants must be equally as dangerous, if not moreso.

Xavier: “Well I’m glad we’ve come to an understanding, we just thought it better you find out now, rather than on your first assignment. Speaking of which, we’ve got one for you, if you’re ready to go.”

Midnight: “Sure, as long as it gets me closer to the next ruin.”

Xavier: “That’s what you’re here for. By the way, feel free to access our database before you head out, I’m sure you’ll find a lot of useful information about the world outside the cities there. It’ll be faster than me briefing you on it. You should be in our system now so you’ll have proper access to everything with ease. ”

With that, he left him with directions to the meeting room, and went on his way. He was right, until now the only information he’d had access to was the so-called “world net” and the HIVE facility. There were still a few hours before the meeting, so it was probably a good time to dig around and see what kind of information he could find. It wasn’t too long before he’d realized that the information from the “world net” was mostly media portrayal of events in other cities, and content created from within the city. Simply put, it was just the tip of the iceberg. The creatures he’d faced earlier were called Nightstalkers. Evidently they’re native to the region around the city, and are often found prowling around at night. They hunt in packs, although typically they’re scavengers. The larger creature was called a Paranther. A very unoriginal name, but appropriate given its appearance and ability to paralyze other creatures. Though it can be misleading, since it can strike with lethal levels of lightning if provoked enough. They have a sort of natural relation with Nightstalkers, where in exchange for easy pickings, they maintain the perimeter around their territory for them.

The database was full to the brim with information about all kinds of creatures and monstrosities outside of the cities. Midnight realized that the humanoids weren’t necessarily at the top of the food chain, just smart enough to separate themselves from everything that is. The planet was almost entirely water, with the exception of the main continent, which made up about 15% of the planet’s surface. Underwater exploration and habitation was a thing, but it was very rare as the sea creatures were equally, if not more dangerous than those on land. It appeared as though the major powers of the world were 3 major regions of sorts, and their various settlements.

In the West, The devotees of Aldimir (god of the sciences) dominated the cities and settlements. Among them were three separate, but equal factions: The Techromancers, Gearheads, and the Clunkers. Each progressively less reasonable than the last. Towards the east, the devotees of Arcaeya (goddess of magic) made up the majority of the populace. They also had three separate, but equal, factions: The Matriarchy, The Arcane Republic, and the Cult of the Goddess.

Then there was Verun, Centered in the northern section of the continent. It isn’t explicitly run by devotees of either side, but rather open minded individuals who believe that unity between the two was their intended purpose. Within Verun, there are Two major cities, each with 4 sub-districts, and Amcaster, the pseudo-city where all the research facilities are located.

Lastly, is their current location, known simply as Sector 10, or S10. A massive, underground compound beneath the plateau Amcaster was built upon. The cities and Sub Districts of Verun were all built on natural and manmade plateau’s, specifically to make them easier to defend from the surrounding wildlife, and any potential enemy invasion. There was even a side project to create 2 sub districts on artificial floating islands, but the research for that project was barely past conceptual design.

Midnight caught an overview of all the information in the database, making mental notes of any oddities he’d noticed. Soon enough, it was just about time for the meeting, so he left the quarters and followed the directions to the meeting room. The instructions were fairly short, but the room itself was quite a distance away. It was odd to see the other personnel simply walk by without really acknowledging him, although from the sound of it, they’d been told not to interact with him unless he interacted with them.

Entering the meeting room, a large holodeck could be seen in the center of the room, depicting a location with a 3d model. Along some of the walls, Holo-crystals had displays with a variety of operations, battle plans, and logs. Among those in the room was Xavier, several personnel wearing what looked to be the same uniform as all the others, and another gentleman with a slightly different attire. It seemed more formal rather than militaristic. After looking through the database he could tell that the personnel were most likely the squad leaders for the operation, and the man in the formal attire was likely the director of S10. It was increasingly difficult to determine where Xavier’s authority started and stopped, seeing as the director appeared to be under him as well.

He was welcomed into the room, and the door was shut behind him. As soon as everyone had gathered round, Xavier spoke up:

Xavier: “Now that we’re all here, I believe some introductions are in order. Everyone, this is Midnight. For all intents and purposes, he is your equal, and your ally from this point forward. The only exception is that you can’t order him to do anything, rather, you may advise him on what the best course of action may be.”

Midnight: *Gingerly appears to be smiling and waves gently the others*

Xavier: “Right. Midnight, these are your allies. Ronin is your technical expert and he handles most of the heavy weaponry for your squad. Kira is your magical expert, she’ll handle most of the support for your squad. And this is Liu, don’t let her size fool you, she’s one of the best combatants in her rank, and she’s a magitech specialist.”

The three raise their arms and salute their new comrade. Generally they would be leading their own individual squads, but it appeared as though for this operation, it’d be the four of them acting as a single unit.

Xavier: “At ease. Lastly this is Lieutenant Bastner, he’s currently the acting commander for S10. Captain Lorwick is currently out leading an expedition, and he isn’t due back for a few months.”

Bastner: “Welcome aboard, Midnight. I understand we’re not to give you any direct orders, but at the very least, I’d hope you do not jeopardize the lives of your allies making any decision on your own.”

Xavier: “Relax, he’s well aware of the situation. Now, with that out of the way, let's move on to the task at hand.”

As Xavier waves his hand across the holodeck, it zooms in on a location southwest of their position. On the hologram, a variety of differently sized and colored dots, representing entities, can be seen moving around as if on a timelapse. There were also various lines that seemed to designate specific territories surrounding the groups of entities. As the time progressed the territory lines and their respective dots moved progressively closer towards their location, although they were still roughly 50-75 miles out. On the edge of the map, a large territory line, with a significantly larger dot inside slowly advancing towards their location.

Xavier: “As several of you may already be aware, we’ve been monitoring the surrounding regions heavily for abnormalities since the summoning. Seeing as Midnight is now with us, we can rule out that he’d be the direct cause of any abnormalities.”

Bastner: “That said, we’ve noticed an uptick in activity in the surrounding areas. A multitude of the native wildlife has been spotted getting progressively closer to the cities, and we’ve found several B class entities have been making their way through their territories and headed directly for Amcaster.”

Most creatures fell into one of 9 classifications. In ascending order, there are the E through A classes, S through SSS, and Null. Any creatures that posed no threat, or were deemed friendlies would fall under E class. Neutral entities that posed little to no threat unless provoked fell under D class. C class entities would be the first of the hostile entities, capable of harming or killing, but able to be subdued by 1 or 2 people per creature. Nightstalkers fell under C class. B class would include any hostile entity that required a small coordinated group to take down, and/or had abilities greater than “natural” wildlife. Paranthers were commonly B class. A class creatures were similar to B class, but with a greater intellect, and would require 2 or more squads to be dealt with safely.

All S-SSS class creatures were considered to be very high level threats, with human-like or higher intellects. Ideally, some kind of compromise could be met with such creatures. If not, taking on these classes ranged anywhere from mid-level engagement requiring large scale weaponry and multiple platoons working together, to near war-like levels of engagement, the likes of which usually left the landscape ravaged for years. There were only two documented conflicts involving creatures in this class range.

Lastly, the Null Classification. It’s not entirely certain what the entities in this classification are capable of, as most have been labeled as Mythic to the point of having their existence questioned. There is no exact protocol for engaging any creature in the classification, as it’s thought that resistance would be futile in any scenario.

Xavier: “Simply put, it would appear as though there is an A class entity headed directly for Amcaster, and its intrusion into the region is causing enough of a disturbance to send Paranthers, among other creatures, fleeing in our direction.”

Bastner: “This is where you three will come in. Your task will be to intersect the A class entity and eliminate it before it reaches the city, along the way you may run into some trouble, how you choose to handle it is up to you. Midnight will be your tag-along. He’s lacking in combat experience, so we look to you three to aid him in his development.”

Xavier: “We’d send another squad with you, but we’re facing similar issues in the rest of the surrounding regions, and with the ongoing expedition, we’re a little short handed at the moment. I’m sure you all understand. Midnight, ideally this experience will help you develop your abilities a bit more, do try to take care of your comrades alright?”

Midnight: *nods*

Bastner: “Right, You’re to prepare to set out by tomorrow evening, as usual keep all your comms private, and this channel stays open at all times. You're operator will be in touch. If there are no questions, you’re all dismissed.”

With that, the three saluted, and went on their way, leaving Midnight, Xavier, and Bastner in the room. It’d occurred to Xavier that perhaps Midnight hadn’t yet established a connection with the remote comms they used there yet. He took a few moments to explain what their system was and how it worked, allowing Midnight to try and establish a connection to the network. It took very little time for the concept to set in and he was able to communicate back and forth with ease. He was then dismissed as Xavier and Bastner needed to talk in private for a bit regarding the ongoing operations.

It didn’t take too long to return back to his quarters. Midnight didn’t need to eat or sleep, and there wasn’t exactly any equipment for him to prepare as he was his own equipment. Unsure of what to do in the mean-time, he idled about in the room, looking through more of the database for anything of interest. There was a surprising amount of equipment that was based on the nanites being developed in the HIVE facility, ranging from modular weapons and medicinal items, to tools and utilities.

It took a moment to realize, but it’d become apparent that there was something watching him, he could sense a presence staring at him. Sure enough, there was a small figure peeking around the doorway, it was Liu. Having noticed, Midnight took a seat and motioned for her to come in and sit with him, as Aya had done with him before. Her curious expression lit up as she entered the room and hurriedly took a seat beside him.

Liu was notably smaller than just about everyone else Midnight had come across, with the exception of Eranor. Upon closer inspection, he realized she was a Demi-Human with cat-like characteristics. She was about 4’10”, 5’ (147-152cm) if you counted her ears. Her long black hair was nearly ⅔ her height in length. One of her eyes was a shimmering silver color, and the other a vibrant blue. Her skin was lightly tanned and her overall figure was slim from head to toe. Despite appearances, he could sense that she was likely stronger than she appeared, but that’d have to be seen later on. Her composure was more on the playful side, but he could tell she was genuinely curious about him. There wasn’t any verbal communication between the two, they seemed to have their own form of communication through gestures and acknowledgement for each other. A bit of a strange sight for any passerby that happened to peek into the room. After a multitude of exchanges having lasted roughly half an hour, Liu tugged at Midnight’s arm, implying that he should accompany her. Having little else to do, he happily obliged and let her lead the way.

They walked for what felt like ages, though since he’d yet to explore the site, everywhere felt like a new area to him. After a while they arrived at a set of Armored doors, similar to those that led to the testing chambers from before. As Liu stepped up, the doors simply parted and made way for the two of them. It appeared as though it led outside, but it was notable that it was, in fact, quite similar to the testing chambers, it simply gave the impression of being outdoors. Within the chamber, there was a staging area with all kinds of equipment, and a panel that allowed them to interact with, and change the environment within the chamber.

Seated in the staging area was Ronin, as well as an impatient looking Kira. Midnight hadn’t gotten a good look at the two during the briefing. Kira was of Elven Descent, and averaged about 5’10” tall. She had short, green hair, pale looking skin, near golden eyes, and was practically Liu’s polar opposite as far as her figure goes. She had a stern, but kind personality, and made sure her comrades were always in good condition.

Ronin on the other hand, was a different kind of beast altogether. A behemoth of a man, he towered over the others around 6’7” tall. He was bald, with dark skin, and had a deep scar down his right eye, which had a white iris as opposed to his left eye which was hazel colored. He appeared to be the epitome of strength, with an incredibly strong build, which matched his equally unwavering will. He was generally calm and collected, but was sometimes susceptible to fits of rage in heated combat.

Kira: “Where have you been?! You were supposed to be here over 30 minutes ago-”

Her voice trailed off as she watched the two of them enter. Liu simply gestured over towards Midnight, before proceeding to sit beside Ronin.

Ronin: “It’s about time you showed up.” *petting Liu’s head* “And it looks like you’ve brought the newbie along, eh?”

Kira: “Liu, they specifically told us not to interact with him first, and yet you’ve gone and dragged him all the way here?”

Liu: *shrugs and leans against Ronin*

Kira: *Sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose* “So be it, since you’re already here, newbie, you’re free to join us if you’re interested. We’re just gonna run a quick routine to make sure all our gear is in order. You could call it a warm up I suppose, although if I’m not mistaken you just came out of the observation chamber earlier today didn’t you?”

Midnight: “If you’re referring to the test chambers, then yes. Do you mean to tell me you kill wildlife as a ‘warmup’?”

Kira: “Woah, hold on, we don’t kill anything unless we have to...wait...they didn’t tell you did they?”

Midnight: *Is visibly confused*

Kira: “That’s a bit cruel, none of the creatures we fight in this facility are alive, they’re all replications. They’re a joint project between a set of facilities up top, meant to be as realistic as possible, although they’re not quite as tough as the real ones. They’re for training and educational purposes.”

Ronin: “Now you’ve gone and done it. And you were worried about Liu bringin’ em along, yet you go and tell him they’re not real?”

Kira: “Well it’s true! Besides, what’s the point in lying to him if we’re meant to trust him with our lives?”

Ronin: “Listen, from what I hear, he’s not a fan of killin’ either, but knowing they’re not real in here, won’t help him once we’re out there.” *gestures at his scar* “Once we’re out there, it’s either us, or them. If he hesitates on the field, it could be one of our heads.”

Kira: “...”

Midnight: “I understand your concerns, but rest assured, your lives are my priority. I appreciate your honesty, Kira.”

Ronin: “In time we’ll see, for now let’s get this show on the road. Liu’s here so let’s skip the panthers and stalkers, how about a Tremor drake?”

Kira: “You would cater to her, you big softie. Alright, but only one, it’s just to warm up”

Ronin: “It’s not catering to her, it’s just being realistic, they won’t fight us with her around, so there’s no reason to.”

Kira: “If you say so.” *Turns to face Midnight* “You in or out, newbie?”

Midnight raised his hands to his torso gesturing that he’d sit out for the time being and just watch from the staging area. While they finished their preparations, they briefly explained that Liu was a lost child, and be it by chance or by fate, was raised by a nursing Paranther. It’s not entirely certain how it happened, but the general consensus is that they seem to view her as a Paranther princess of sorts, though it’s a bit more unruly than it sounds. She wasn’t just handed the title, evidently she’d squared off with Paranthers and managed to overpower them on several occasions. The local population of them have acknowledged her, and as such she and her compatriots are free to wander about their territories without worry. Apparently in her spare time she could be found playing among them and their kin, truly a sight to behold.

Shortly after Kira set things up on the panel, the three made their way towards the center of the chamber. There were significantly less trees, and a large sandy patch that replicated a desert. The sound of the chamber entrance locking could be heard, and a faint energy field surrounded the staging area. The ambience in the chamber changed as the skittering and fleeing of smaller organisms seemed to symbolize the approach of a predator.

Kira: “You know the drill, this is a sprint, not a marathon. The faster the better”

Ronin: “Yea, yea. You don’t have to tell me twice.”

As the ground started to tremble, Kira began casting enhancement spells on herself and her squad mates. Shortly after the tremors started, she began to hover overhead of the other two, readying to support them. Ronin had readied some sort of energy rifle, and Liu had what looked like a pair bladed fisticuffs. Within moments, the trembling intensified, and dust was kicking up from the dune-like section of the chamber. Almost like a breaching whale, the Tremor drake burst out of the sandy dunes. It was a four legged creature, with brown/beige colored scales and features. It was around 12ft long and 7ft tall on all fours. Lightly armored, with sharp talons, a whip-like tail, and powerful jaws, this was no easy prey.

Liu broke into a full sprint the moment it’d left the sand, moving at inhumane speeds. Ronin Immediately opened fire, aiming for any soft spots, namely its eyes and mouth. Kira had begun casting terrain altering magic, to harden the sandy dunes surrounding it and prevent it from fleeing into the ground. Visibly distraught, the drake began barreling towards Ronin, oblivious to the fact that Liu had already climbed onto its back. As it flailed towards Ronin, Liu clawed her way to its head, and blinded it with a series of slashes to its eyes, causing it to buck wildly as it let out an angered roar. Ronin began to dash towards the drake once it was blinded, with a flick of his wrist, his rifle appeared to collapse in on itself and shifted into a type of war-hammer.

In all the confusion, Kira had casted entanglement beneath the drake, causing vines to break out from the hardened earth and wrapping themselves around the drake’s body and limbs, immobilizing it. As Ronin closed in on the drake, Liu leaped off its head towards him, and as she came into contact with him, he grabbed her and spun using her momentum to launch her high up into the air. Using the rest of that momentum, he swung his hammer at the drake’s head, striking it on the side of its head, shattering pieces of its natural body armor. He followed it up with two more swings, one to the opposing side of its head, and the last striking the top, breaking off chunks of its armor, stepping back once he’d finished.

In the air, Kira had created a series of barriers, which Liu had promptly used as springboards to position herself, before dive-bombing straight down. As she dove she’d put her hands together, converting her claws into a spear, and spiraling downward seconds after Ronin had backed up. She plunged the spear square into the skull of the drake, piercing it and pinning its head to the ground in the process. A moment passed before the dust had settled, and all was mostly silent.

Their “warm-up” seemed like less of a fight, and more like a performance. It was apparent they’d either done this a multitude of times before, or they had very good synergy working together. Whatever the case may be, everything seemed to be in order and they made their way back to the staging area shortly after the energy field had gone down. They drilled Midnight on the idea that none of the replications were nearly as tough as the real deals, and that he shouldn’t expect combat on the field to flow as smoothly as that. Ultimately it was better to avoid unnecessary conflict, and should there be any, to end it as quickly as possible.

After getting their things in order, they deposited the equipment into a sort of case along the walls of the staging area. It would be inspected once more then sent directly to their deployment bay for the following evening. Kira and Ronin excused themselves, reminding Liu to get a good night's rest. Once gone, Liu just seemed to stare curiously at Midnight. There was a strange sense of familiarity, though Midnight wasn’t sure what it could be. Exiting the chamber, Liu following suit, he headed back to his quarters to continue looking through the database for more information. Since Liu had accompanied him, he displayed what he was looking through using holo-crystal on the wall, and sat beside her on the couch.

As he continued looking through the database, Midnight felt something press up against his arm. Be it from fatigue or boredom, Liu had fallen asleep. He softened up his nanites and laid her head on his lap. She stirred lightly before settling, Midnight patted her head gently, unable to shake the intense feeling of familiarity. It was as if he’d known her for over a decade, despite having barely been awakened a few weeks ago. After a moment, he dismissed the screen and shut off the lights to continue his research silently as Liu slept. Maybe in time he’d figure out what kind of connection she has to him, though for the time being there were more pressing matters at hand. After looking through the database for a few hours, he entered into a trance-like state, to “sleep” the rest of the night away.

A faint sound could be heard in the early hours of the morning. Something akin to a thudding, somewhat far away. Midnight quickly awoke from his trance, immediately taking in his current surroundings. The faraway thudding was replaced by a light tapping sound. Looking down, he realized it was just Liu, poking at his body, which was still in a relatively soft, but sturdy state. Noticing he was now awake, she motioned for him to come along. He quickly stood and the two of them made their way through the maze-like hallways. Judging by the direction, they were heading to the deployment bay they were assigned.

After walking for several minutes, they entered a large elevator, and ascended several levels. Once the doors finally reopened, a large loading bay was revealed with a slew of equipment, vehicles, large containers, personnel, and a few living creatures from the look of it. On the far side of the bay, Kira and Ronin were conversing on a bench, with the equipment from the previous day beside them. Liu quickly made her way over to them, Midnight was taking his time, looking around the bay.

Ronin: “There she is,” *Patting Liu’s head as she arrived* “Get enough sleep?”

Liu: *Nods and points back at Midnight*

Ronin: “Hey, newbie, we’re over here!” *Waving towards Midnight*

Upon hearing Ronin’s booming voice, Midnight quickly made his way over to the bench. It looked almost identical to the staging area from the chamber, along the wall there were cases with their gear from the previous day, as well as a variety of supplies available to them should they need to restock, anything from munitions and medical supplies to rations and a few snacks. Kira appeared to be going over mission details, as Ronin was giving Liu a bout of head pats, which she seemed to enjoy thoroughly. Kira then spoke up as she swiped away the holo-screen she was looking at;

Kira: “Alright, now that we’re all here, I’ll give you all our current timeline.”

She snaps her fingers, and a 3D projection of a map, along with a diagram of an aircraft are displayed from a projector on the floor.

Kira: “We’ll be heading out on a hummingbird to get us within 10 miles of the intersection point. In case you’re unaware, the hummingbird is a hyper-low altitude, subsonic aircraft. It’s a marvel of magitech that can travel around 12 miles per minute, while being silent enough that only a faint hum can be heard from it as it soars by. Once we arrive, we’re to make our way to our destination, secure the vicinity, and if our target maintains its current course, we’ll be waiting to ambush it as it approaches our location.”

Ronin: “What, they couldn’t spare us the 10 mile trek and just drop us off at the intersection point?”

Kira: “Intel claims they still can’t figure out what the creature is, and due to the lack of information, combined with fragility of the hummingbird, they don’t want it getting too close. If the creature maintains its current speed, which is a dismal mile per hour, we’ll be about 20 miles from it once we exit the hummingbird, and if all goes to schedule, we’ll have about 13 hours once we’ve set up camp until it arrives at said camp. That is, of course, assuming it doesn’t suddenly change its behavior.”

Ronin: “Fair enough, I take it we’ll be heading out shortly then?”

Kira: “We sure are, the hummingbird is being prepped though. So, we’ve got about 15 minutes till we load up.”

Ronin: “They sure know how to keep us waiting” *continues petting Liu*

Kira: “Yeah…” *looks over to Midnight*

Midnight: *Waves gently*

Kira: “You know, since we’ve got a bit of time, we could use it to get a little better acquainted with the newbie.”

Ronin: “What, are you planning on interviewing him? He hasn’t exactly existed for very long you know.”

Kira: “Of course not, I mean we should tell him a bit about ourselves. He hardly knows us and he’s already going on a mission with us.”

Ronin: “Ladies first” *Gesturing smugly at Kira*

Kira: *Turning to Midnight* “Let me properly introduce myself, My name’s Elaine Kira. I’m 113 years old, and the third daughter to the Kira family from The Matriarchy. I hope we can all get along and work well together.”

Midnight: “A pleasure to make your acquaintance” *bowing slightly*

Ronin: “You’d hardly recognize her if you knew her a few years back.”

Kira: “Zip it, you’re up”

Ronin: “Alright, alright, don’t blow a fuse. The name’s Whar Ronin. Unlike her highness, my background is nothing fancy. I’m 37, straight out of Gearhead territory, though I never got any body modifications. I spent some time in the militia there, before I heard about what Verun was planning to do, so I volunteered and here I am. I may not look it, but I’m a bit of an advocate for peace, just within a realistic scope. I’ve seen a fair bit of fighting in my time, and if we can actually unify the nations and bring about an era of peace, then I’m all for it.”

Midnight: “I see, It’s good to properly meet you. And did you refer to Kira as ‘Her Highness’?”

Kira: “Let’s save that discussion for another time, okay? It’s not really important. I’m here as a volunteer just like the rest. We’re all fighting for the same goal. In any case, we talked a bit about Liu yesterday as well” *gently patting Liu’s head*

Ronin: “Yea, there’s not much we do know about her, although she’s stuck around despite being told she was free to choose where and what she wanted to do. We do know that she’s definitely not from Bhar though.”

Midnight: “How can you be so sure?”

Kira: “According to medical, although she’s very similar to various types of demi-humans inhabiting Bhar, her genetic make-up is completely different to theirs. They won’t give us many specifics, although it seems Xavier had forbidden any kind of experimentation with her. Something about her makes her an excellent Magitech user though.”

Liu smiled at the compliment. It may be possible that she has some connection to him after all, but with so little information, they’d just have to wait and see. A light ring was heard by the bench indicating that preparations were complete. It was time to head out.