Open ACME Retro

[Neb]

Kidman creased her brow and sighed. So far no one seemed concerned that she had attempted to sneak out. In the event it did come up, she had by now formulated an excuse, but she was never very comfortable about lying. That shouldn't have mattered now; everything was currently uncomfortable, but she had become attached to the other junior detectives.

They were a good lot, more or less, but there was something unsettling about them, and as she watched Lee pretend to fire what, by the look of the position of his hands, was meant to be an assault rifle, it clicked. 'They're like kids. Most of them are kids.'

The girl winced as one tackled another out to the way of a fake bomb. 'Why are they training kids for this?'

It didn't sit well, and once again Kidman found herself looking for a way off the range, but as she surveyed the fake town and the desert beyond, she knew there was no getting out of here on her own.

The girl pushed the sweat off her brow, through her hair and back under her cap. There was nothing for it. She'd just have to play along until she was safely back in San Francisco.

Suddenly she heard gunshots. Without a second thought she dove behind a rusted out car, but when no one else followed she poked her head out to find the shooting range come into view through the clearing dust.

"You can't be serious." She growled under her breath as she dusted herself off, her cheeks flush with the heat of embarrassment. "They're making us use guns?"

 

[Julie Justice]

Julie was *startled* by the sound of the the alarm, and the brief cloud of smoke that followed when Ivy triggered the trap. She was surprised that it was Ivy that had triggered the trap, and she felt a little responsible for Ivy's mistake. After all, Zack and Ivy and all the other Junior Detectives had agreed to follow her down this road...and if this had been a "real" situation, Ivy could have been hurt..if Lee hadn't acted as quickly as he did. Julie was a bit surprised by Lee's actions. She had no doubt of Lee's skills or abilities. After all, he had been at ACME much longer that she had. He seemed to have an arrogant attitude toward others, and acted like he didn't want to be part of a team. But, now Julie thought that maybe she wrong. But Julie still had the feeling that he disliked HER for some reason that she didn't understand...and she had to admit that it bothered her a little.

After the smoke cleared Julie looked around a little. They were all a bit upset by what had happened...but as far as she could tell...nooone was really hurt by having to move as quickly as they had...thinking fast on their feet. And as both @Nace Bilby and Ennai had told them, it was much better to make these kind of mistakes in their training here than it would be in real life!! But the more that she thought about it, Julie realized that she hadn't really made a mistake at all. If they had it to do over again, with all the same information, she would still have suggested they go down the road. It was still the least dangerous option. She just wished that she had been the one who triggered the trap...instead of putting one of her team-mates in "danger."

Julie took a deep breath...and exhaled slowly, to calm herself. She could see how close they were to the firing range, and she was glad. That was was their goal, after all.

She could see and hear the instructors having a little target practice while waiting for all the Junior Detectives to arrive. She always took notice when she heard the sound of gunfire, but it didn't scare her. She was used to her uncle, her cousins, and other people hunting on their property back home in Ohio.

But clearly, the sound of gunfire...even in the distance had really scared Kidman. Julie saw Kidman dive for safety behind the old car. Julie was going to get Kidman, and tell her that it was OK, but then Kidman quickly scrambled, and came back to the group. Julie really liked Kidman. But the young woman was still a mystery to her. Clearly in the past, she had what many people would call a "hard" life..but yet..she remained very gentle. She was clearly smart enough to learn almost anything...but she didn't seem to like any of the things they were being taught here. How had she ended up at ACME? Where did she go, when it seemed like she disappeared during the day? And if she didn't like it, why did she keep coming back? Julie had hoped that Kidman would eventually learn to like ACME and feel safe there...but had the feeling that Kidman wouldn't be with them much longer..and given what little Julie knew about Kidman's past..Julie was concerned where the girl might end up...and hoped it was somewhere safe.

Feeling confident and composed now, Julie was ready to move on to the next challenge.

 

[Ivy]

After a moment's pause to catch her breath and a quick assessment to everyone's general health, Ivy stood. She readjusted her jacket, brushing some of the Mojave sand from her shoulders.

"You can't be serious." She growled under her breath as she dusted herself off, her cheeks flush with the heat of embarrassment. "They're making us use guns?"

There was something in the way Kid acted at the sound of gunshots that very much reminded Ivy of herself... or at least a version of herself.

"I guess I'm not the only one with firearm anxiety," Ivy gave her a rueful smile, "Bad experiences?"

 

[Chase]

"The only reason poker takes so long is because we're generally waiting on you to analyze your cards and place your bet." Jason replied with a smile.

To this Chase chuckled, he couldn't argue, of the times they played poker his 'pokerface' often consisted of lengthy stares at the given hand. On one occasion someone fell asleep at the table waiting.

"If it weren't for me, we'd have no beer breaks," he joked, somewhat in compensation.

"What's this about a case?" Eugene asked quizzically.

"It's a minor case, stolen shipment of Japanese dolls," Chase uploaded case information to all instructors and Junior Detectives as he spoke, "Chief's agents found the location where the thief or thieves may have temporarily camped. Culprits are still on the move, but he wants some units to collect evidence."

Devineaux paused briefly, "Evidence collection, small task. Good for the kids... sounds like a good enough bet."

The heat of the desert sun shone down as Joseph Kerr made his way to the shooting range.
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire," he chuckled under his breath.

Turning to see Joe Kerr arrive, Chase took off his cap and signalled.

"Shooting lessons are about to start, then we have a slight change of plans," he greeted, "How are you doing, Mr. Kerr?"

 

[Neb]

"I guess I'm not the only one with firearm anxiety," Ivy gave her a rueful smile, "Bad experiences?"

Kidman looked up from under the brim of her hat with raised eyebrows, surprised anyone else, let alone one of the more competent juniors shared her sentiment.

"You could say that. Been shot at before. Not directly at me, but crossfire doesn't care who you are, so if you hear it, you get down, no questions. A lot of people I knew had guns, and I was thinking of getting one, but this guy I knew, he said they make you an even bigger target."

The girl pulled out a switch blade, flicked it open, closed it, then solemnly put it back in her pocket. "I mean, you have to have something, but a gun is just asking for trouble."

She slowed her steps as they approached the range, again contemplating her options. Maybe learning how to shoot a gun was a good thing to know and she was just being stubborn, but her gut told her otherwise. "Why do you-, er, us, we, why do we need these anyway? Are we being deployed somewhere?"

 

[Joe Kerr]

Turning to see Joe Kerr arrive, Chase took off his cap and signalled.

"Shooting lessons are about to start, then we have a slight change of plans," he greeted, "How are you doing, Mr. Kerr?"

Joseph gave a broad smile as he walked over to the individual who had summoned him.

"Considering that this time you're not pointing a gun at me, I'd say I'm doing quite well. My apologies for the lateness; was in the middle of something when I received your message."

Pausing to admire the shooting range and look around at the other instructors and JDs, Joe let out a low whistle.

"Nice setup you've got going here."

Pulling out his i-pad, he began to look through the bios of the various JDs.

Just then he heard the conversation of two young women as they made their walked up to the range.

"Why do you-, er, us, we, why do we need these anyway? Are we being deployed somewhere?"

Walking over to the two ladies, he addressed them with a gentlemanly bow.

"Good day ladies, I couldn't help but overhear your query just now. Permit me to say a few words, if you would."

Making himself more audible so that all the JDs around could hear, he continued.

"The young lady's question is a valid one and I'm sure the rest of you might also be wondering why you need to learn how to handle a weapon, why the need for marksmanship, etc.

To answer the question, one must first realize what this weapon symbolizes - power.

Your adversaries are many: Thieves, forgers, assassins, mobsters and other general scum of the underworld.

In their hands, this weapon is the power to intimidate others into doing their will; it is the power for them to obtain their desires and also the power to remove any obstacles and threats.

Take away this power from those that depend on it, and they will fall before you.

As ACME agents, in our hands, this weapon is a different sort of power; it is the power to protect.

This weapon gives us the power to protect the innocent, the weak, the victims and the would-be victims of these criminals;

But is is not enough to just be able to wield it, we need to be able to wield it expertly for then we have not just the power to protect, but the power to do so without taking a life.

Marksmanship isn't just for head shots, it is also to be able to accurately and efficiently incapacitate your foe without killing him.

When you go out into the field, into the real world, your enemies will not be waiting for you to figure out how to wield your power; they will be wielding theirs with ruthless efficiency.

This is why you are here, so that you can be trained and equipped to face these enemies; our goal as instructors is to ensure that once you graduate and become full fledged ACME Detectives, you will be fully able to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

That is after all, why we do what we do."

Smiling, he added as an afterthought,

"Oh yes, forgive my manners. My name is Joseph Kerr and I will be your instructor in understanding how a criminal thinks. I look forward to working with all of you."

 

[Agent Z]

Zack understood Ivy's disdain for guns most of all. They shared a childhood, and a single stray bullet robbed them of it. He was too young to remember or digest the full gravity of the situation, but Ivy had been something of a shield from reality, and he grew up more 'normal' because of it. If there was anything normal about being a child genius trained by ACME, that is.

As ACME agents, in our hands, this weapon is a different sort of power; it is the power to protect.
This weapon gives us the power to protect the innocent, the weak, the victims and the would-be victims of these criminals;
But is is not enough to just be able to wield it, we need to be able to wield it expertly for then we have not just the power to protect, but the power to do so without taking a life.

The new instructors words hit home. In addition to the great points he made, Zack knew that there were more than just guns which required the same skills. Utility launchers and non-lethal projectiles of all types usually relied on the similar mechanisms. What was important was to nail down how to aim, and practice with a variety of guns made learning anything else new that much easier.

"Oh yes, forgive my manners. My name is Joseph Kerr and I will be your instructor in understanding how a criminal thinks. I look forward to working with all of you."

Assessing the new instructor Zack could tell that he was a man comfortable with his surroundings, and likely someone who very much believed in what he said about protecting the innocent. It made the Junior Detective wonder how he knew anything about thinking like a criminal. After all, most criminals were thugs who took what they could at an opportune time.

"Hello Mr. Kerr," Zack was the first to speak up, "I'm Zack Monaghan... are we going to be tested on what you said earlier about guns?"

 

[Nace Bilby]

The loud flash and cloud of smoke had disrupted Nace's conversation with Sophie, where Lee had thrown himself atop @Ivy before the MON-50 mine had gone off. Quite a feat of heroism that Nace wasn't expecting out of @Lee , frankly.

Shortly afterward he overheard Ivy and the flighty Kid discussing firearms, or rather their great aversion towards firearms. He was walking over to discuss the matter of firearms when @Joe Kerr spoke to them.

As ACME agents, in our hands, this weapon is a different sort of power; it is the power to protect.
This weapon gives us the power to protect the innocent, the weak, the victims and the would-be victims of these criminals;
But is is not enough to just be able to wield it, we need to be able to wield it expertly for then we have not just the power to protect, but the power to do so without taking a life.

Joe spoke the truth and Nace added, "This is in fact true. If we can avoid taking life, the better. But if it life must be taken, it is to be done swiftly and decisively."

Nace recalled times where in battle he had done so, both in his own and other people's defense. And other occasions, older memories where he had looked through the optics of a precision rifle and knew he was taking lives.

As he was thinking he heard @Agent Z asking a question:

"Hello Mr. Kerr," Zack was the first to speak up, "I'm Zack Monaghan... are we going to be tested on what you said earlier about guns?"

"Zack, you'll be tested on your proficiency with a firearm. In fact it will be an annual qualification." Nace said, "As far as the acid test, having to use a firearm in the line of duty, this course is intended to give you the baseline skills to be prepared for it."

 

[Jason West]

"Hello Mr. Kerr," Zack was the first to speak up, "I'm Zack Monaghan... are we going to be tested on what you said earlier about guns?"

"You never know what you might be tested on." Jason replied.

"In this training exercise, we're going to cover 3 different types of weapons. Of the four weapons on the table behind me, 2 are similar in style but in the same token, are very similar." Jason said as he walked around the table.

"This is a Glock 20. This weapon is a polymer framed semi-automatic handgun. The polymer frame makes this gun lightweight while still having a decent balance to account for muzzle flip. It is chambered in 10mm. While only slightly bigger than the common 9mm, it packs more of a punch than the common .45ACP round which you will all have a chance to fire and experience for yourselves." Jason said as he picked up the Glock from the table.

"The next weapon on the table is the Kimber Crimson Carry II. It is also a semi-automatic but is much heavier than the Glock. It is chambered in the common .45ACP round. This is here for you guys to experience the difference between a modern made gun and a modern take on an old classic."

"This is a highly customized GAP-10 that has been built to my personal configuration. While you may never find this weapon in the field, it has many similar traits found in other assault rifles. This weapon fires a common .308 Winchester round and while bigger than most assault rifle calibers, this weapon will also extend the effective range." Jason said as he hefted the heavier weapon with both hands.

"Finally, we have reached the most unique weapon on the table. This is the Kriss Vector. The reason this weapon is so unique is because of the way it directs the recoil. Instead of directing the recoil backwards, it directs it downwards. There are two versions of this weapon, a fully automatic model as well as the carbine model. This one happens to be a carbine model which means it only fires one round per trigger pull. This weapon is also chambered in the common .45ACP. The weapon class that this falls into is technically a sub-machine gun even though it is a semi-automatic model."

"Does anyone have any questions?" Jason asked.

 

[Lee]

Lee Jordan made his way to the shooting range after lingering at the school house to soak in his hero status a little while longer. He liked Mr. @Nace Bilby's class, it was interactive and it let him learn a lot about traps. He was sure he'd find it useful later.

By the time he got to the field, there was a new instructor (@Joe Kerr), but Lee missed his speech and introduction.

"Hello Mr. Kerr," Zack was the first to speak up

Thank Zack to always be that guy. Good thing Jordan doesn't have to actually thank the nerd. Now, a "Mr. Kerr" is new, Lee wondered what he taught.

After minor distractions, Lee caught the last bits of Mr. West's demonstration.

"Finally, we have reached the most unique weapon on the table. This is the Kriss Vector...

Now this one was a beaute! It looked new too.

"Does anyone have any questions?" Jason asked.

Lee had plenty of questions, but he was going to ask the most obvious one:

"I have a question, do we get to shoot with these or do we have to work our way to them?"

 

[Jason West]

"How nice of you to join us Detective Jordan." Jason replied, acknowledging the Junior Detective's fashionable lateness to the next lesson.

Lee had plenty of questions, but he was going to ask the most obvious one:

"I have a question, do we get to shoot with these or do we have to work our way to them?"

"As I said earlier, you'll all have a chance to fire each one of these weapons @Lee. Any other questions from anybody?"

 

[Julie Justice]

Julie had never shot a gun before, but she wasn't afraid to try it. After all, her one uncle and her cousins enjoyed hunting on her mother's property back in Ohio, and noone in her family had a problem using a gun to defend themselves, their animals, or their property...and that was before her mother become a park ranger and and police officer. So when Kidman had asked their new instructor, Joesph Kerr, why they needed to learn to use guns she understood what he was saying, and *nodded a little* although she had to *smile* a little at his choice of words:
Your adversaries are many: Thieves, forgers, assassins, mobsters and other general scum of the underworld.

She had to wonder why he chose those words. After she arrived at ACME, she had done a bit of research on the history of the Agency, and it seemed most likely that they might encounter thieves and forgers, but "assassins mobsters, and other general scum of the underworld." Really? Julie agreed that as a law enforcement officer, it may be good to learn to fire a gun...or even spot and avoid...hidden explosive devices...in case ACME was called in to help other law enforcement agencies.

But when it came to some of those other more dangerous...and more colorful..."general scum of the underworld" Julie couldn't help but wonder what he Mr. Kerr had done BEFORE he joined ACME. Maybe he was running from these types of people. Still, he was an instructor...and until she could learn more...she wasn't going to say anything. He was polite, at least...That was something. Most people these days were so rude.

Julie walked around the range, looking at the various weapons that had been set out for them. She knew enough about gun safety to know that if you see a gun, you always assume that it is real (a "toy" gun can hurt or kill you) and you always assume that it's loaded. Although looking more closely, Julie could see that the proper ammo had been set next to each weapon.

As usual, Zack had asked a good general question for everyone. But Julie had one or two of her own. She was glad to see a few familiar faces at the range with them. She looks @Jason West, and asked,"So, which weapon do we shoot first? Do we get to choose? I know some people in law enforcement, and they recently switched to Glocks, and they didn't like it, because the trigger is so sensitive. Do you find that to be true?"