Instead of immediately answering, he reached down into his back pocket to pull out his pack of smokes. He gave it a short shake, then jutted his chin out to the right, inviting the beast out toward the submarine's exit.

Conferences always aggravated his itch for the box of vices.

"What do you think about Avatars?"

It was an odd question, uncharacteristically vague for a man of little words. But for seeds to be planted, the groundwork had to be made.

Zev Harcourt

Nothing about Zev's answered veered far from his own perspective. More than anything else, it only confirmed what he'd already thought of the Rocket Beast.

The salty sea air was a well welcomed greeting to their steady arrival. After the time they'd spent confined to that metallic underwater tomb, the sun's warmth had transformed into a heavenly gift, topped off by the promise of tranquility and an escape from responsibility.

Nestling a cigarette between his fingers, Felix lit one end before giving a long, savory pull.

"Have you heard of SPECTRA?"

Zev Harcourt

"The Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Training, and Removal of Avatars," He repeated the acronym from memory, his voice steady.

Dragging in another lungful of smoke, the admin held onto the wisps of relief for several seconds before releasing it back out, his shoulders deflating along the way.

"To keep it brief, it's our answer to the League's Avatars."

Zev Harcourt

"No."

A bitter response burdened by the reality of the situation they'd found themselves in. Even Felix, who had kept himself removed from the situation, felt a certain type of way toward how things ended up.

"Remiel Calcifet managed the program. Before defecting."

Now the program laid in the hands of himself and Belial Stone. Both of whom held no strong ties to Rocket. That was, of course, before the former's promotion upward.

Zev Harcourt

The irony is caught with a hard swallow.

"He is," He replied coolly. Even if the beast's questions weren't meant to be answered, the admin saw it fit to reply nonetheless, allowing his stance to seep through his words.

I'm not him, it bled, and I am no avatar.

"Restructuring from the ground up. To fit how Rocket stands now, not then."

Zev Harcourt

He wasn't dancing around the point. Not intentionally, at least.

The man might be blunt, but he wasn't unaware of his communication style. Short, concise, and without many details -- more than anything, before inviting another into what was about to become his own, he wanted to ensure those around him wouldn't be a hindrance to the speed of which the project would take.

To understand what was left unsaid was a skill that was to be desired.

Fortunately, Zev showcased all he needed to know.

"Correct."

He took in one last drag of the cigarette, one last second of tranquility, before continuing between puffs of steady smoke.

"On both fronts."

Above, the sky burned a deep orange; remembrance of a day looking to conclude itself.

"Right now, what it needs is a solid foundations to work off from. And for that, I need men I can trust." Something Rocket was sorely lacking as of late. "Both to get the job done and get it done right."

Zev Harcourt