Team Kraken: Introductions, Part One

Maria Ortez paused in the doorway, then stepped inside. 

The room was one of the small study/conference rooms at the back of the house, with a polished wooden table at its center, comfortable padded chairs around the table, and a large screen on the wall that could be connected to any number of portable devices. The screen was currently blank. 

"Maria!" Cat Montoya motioned her over, distinctive as ever in her battle jacket. "You made it!"

Maria smiled, because it was great to know that someone here was glad to see her. Not that she was expecting a hostile reception, but still...

Cat was a dancer and a gymnast, where Maria preferred swimming and sailing. The two of them sometimes worked out together and sometimes studied together, but they were friendly rather than close. It felt perfectly comfortable to take the seat beside her, though. "Si. I think Mr. Jenkins suggested it."

"He did," said the brown-haired girl across from her. "Welcome aboard. Technically you're still in your probation period with the team, but I'm really hoping this all works out." This girl was light-skinned and blue-eyed, and Maria had a moment of Well of course they put the white girl in charge but she smothered it as the girl continued: "Kim Evely. Tempest."

Gaunt was sitting beside her, silent as usual. Maria thought she knew him as well as anyone did; they had three classes together this year. His real name was Omar al-Rikabi, but everybody called him by his codename because he always looked as if he was starving. He had moderately curly black hair, and dark brown skin with silvery undertones, and he nodded to her as she glanced at him. No expression at all; just a solemn acknowledgement. He was, she realized, the only boy on the team. He was also the only boy in the school who probably wouldn't even notice that.

"Is this-- Oh good, we are meeting." This girl had the same medium-brown hair as Tempest, but cut short against her skull. She was -- surprisingly -- actually shorter than Maria, with a delicate bone structure. Maria didn't recognize her at all, and apparently she didn't recognize Maria either because she stopped two steps into the room, focused on Maria, and said: "Oh. You're new."

Kim -- Tempest -- sighed. "When did you last check your email? This is Maria Ortez -- Cloudburst. She's joining the team at Mr. Jenkins' suggestion. Maria, this is Ally Colvin: Armor. She's our gadgeteer."

"Good to meet you," Maria said, and Ally replied with a brisk "Uh-huh. You too," which Maria decided was actually meant to be friendly. More than anything else, this last girl just seemed supremely distracted. 

"Before we get started," Tempest said, "does everybody else know each other? Do we need any additional introductions?"

"No," said Maria. "No, I'm good."

She wasn't good; this was all new, and kind of stressful. But so far she hadn't seen anybody that she absolutely couldn't get along with, and that was an excellent start.