Apparently Shin's daytime stealth skills needed work, as he was spotted almost immediately by the man he was investigating. Not loke it mattered, this wss one of those "hiding in plain sight" missions anyway. All Shin had to do was not say anything stupid and everything would go just fine.

When addressed, Shin stared the man down through his visor, the helmet giving him a cyclopian visage. The black helmet and shaded visor betrayed nothing, and even if this person had x-ray vision, Shin's expression revealed just as little. Again, Wenchang introduced himself, and inquired into Shin's alias.

Without bowing, shaking his had or going through any other meaningless rituals, Shin spoke a single word, loud enough to be heard clearly through his helmet, "Oni."

The word hung in the air like an ill omen for a few moments. Both men knew its meaning. A legendary demon or devil of inhuman strength, with an unstoppable rage and insatiable desires for food, alcohol and blood. Shin said nothing more, allowing this Wenchang to make the next move, and reveal more of himself in doing so.

Oni, a powerful demon in Japanese lore. The single way Oni spoke, his movements, or lack thereof, both gave Tom the impression that this was not a lightly made boast. Tom wasn't exactly scared by Oni, perhaps he should have been, he was more in awe in a way. It felt to him like seeing a tiger from a vehicle, you're impressed by it, you want to learn more about it, you want to watch it. You know that it's dangerous, but you don't feel that you're the one in danger.

Tom smiled behind his mask. Oni was clearly Japanese, and had probably lived there. Maybe he was some kind of samurai or ninja hero, either way he wanted to know more. Tom's brain whirred, he had many questions, however he did not know what to ask first. He was expecting one word answers, and he felt comfortable disposing with any social etiquette around Oni. Far from ingratiate him, it would probably be seen as irritating. Better to get to the point thought Tom. The word Oni was still reverberating int the air but Tom spoke anyway.

"Why did they invite you?" Tom didn't have to speak loudly, as the mask did not muffle his voice. Each word was spoken with clinical accuracy, to the point were it sounded like he was talking in scientific terms. Tom supposed that an onlooker may have read the comment as rude, however he was sure Oni would understand that he was asking about his metaphorical 'metal club', what made him strong.

Blast Girl peered past Wenchang at the newcomer. He looked kind of intimidating, but that didn't bother her! They were all heroes here, right? So there was no trouble at all. He introduced himself as 'Oni', and that was something she recognized pretty much instantly. Her older sister had gotten her into anime, and she'd basically learned about the whole oni thing from there. They were basically Japanese ogres(though that was a simplification really), and from what she could tell that fit this guy pretty well. He was probably Japanese with the name and all, too. She flashed him a happy smile and waved to the man. Just because he was being quiet and reserved in his introduction didn't mean she had to be.

"Hi!" she called to him, moving a bit to see him better past Wenchang, "I'm Blast Girl! It's nice to meet you, Oni!"

A small part of her wondered if she'd end up having to talk about the stuff she'd done as a superhero. It wasn't like she thought she had to, doing it without getting asked would just be random bragging! But, well, she was kind of proud of how well she had done protecting people and saving them and all that kind of stuff, and stopping people like Maestro(though apprehending her was another story entirely) and Mister Crystal(that bastard!). So if she got the chance to talk about it, well, Blast Girl would take it.

Samantha quickly span a bench a bench for the giant a muttered a quick "Excuse me" before turning her attention to a conversation behind them she had been tracking. Since plucking up the courage to introduce herself to the metallic giant she had been scanning the get together and a few groups had caught her eye. There were the showoffs, the jokers but one group in particular had caught her eye partially because the man in the biker outfit she had seen earlier.

The group looked interesting to her there was the biker guy from earlier, a man in a blue jumpsuit, a girl wearing goggles and another man in a mask. To be honest they reminded her a bit of the cirque de la criminalité a travelling group of thieves who she'd sent to Rikers shortly before coming here. The reason she had cut her conversation short with the metallic giant however was the tone of conversation between the two masked men, the way one of them spoke was rather matter of fact and the cop in her told her that this could go south rather quickly. Particularly as the girl had interjected herself into the situation and the biker struck as a rather dangerous person.

She maneuvered herself to the side of the situation and mentally prepared herself to step in just in case, the last thing this place needed was a fight to break out.

"Something like that," Sonja replied. She didn't want to be evasive, but she also didn't want to give away too much. Her name couldn't be helped- she had always been open about her true identity, and it was too late when she discovered that knowing a name gave another sorcerer power. Sonja had learned that the hard way, a dark night on the East Side dealing with the cultists who followed the Somnambulist. If nothing else, it made good sense to be vague about the source of her magical power. "Some places got a sort of good juju that can be tapped into. St. Louis is one." Sonja smiled. "I don't need to lecture you on ley lines and huacas, you know how it works."

She leaned back on the bench, scanning the crowd. "There's people here from all over! I even recognize a couple of them," she said excitedly. "There's Cherry Bomb, from Sacramento. The Rad Fiddler, from Atlanta. Vegas' Cardsharp. Pittsburgh sent Joe Magarac. One hell of a gathering. I fell honored just to be here. It's like sitting at the Round Table. Except some of these guys are douchebags. A lot of them, actually. But still." She shrugged. "What can you do?"

Sonja sighed, mentally checked herself. Her excitement was getting away from her, and she was talking the poor girl's ear off. "So, Bella, how about we walk around, see who we can meet? This could be a valuable chance to do some networking, if nothing else."

The first thing this Wenchang did was to ask Shin why he had been invited to this league, and the vampire was already able to tell a few things about the other man from that. He was either a "scout" like Shin himself (he avoided using the word "spy"), or was naturally inquisitive. He also picked up cues easily enough, as he quickly did away with all of his annoying false courtesies. The man was some kind of social fraud, but who wasn't these days?

Shin needed to respond to Wenchang, but didn't feel like showing his hand this early. Playing dumb would be good enough for now. If they thought him a mindless brute, all the better, as they would be surer to lower their guard around him.

"I hurt enough of the right people." Shin growled his evasive answer, rolling his thick shoulders. "And you?"

The child that Wenchang had been speaking to previously butted into the conversation, squealing about something that Shin didn't give a shit about. The demon in leather simply turned his cyclopean gaze to "Blast Girl," staring her down coolly as he awaited Wenchang's response.

Gabriel was late to the meeting at the Hall of Heroes do him having to stop an armed robbery at a bank and he hoped that the other heroes would know what it means to be heroes with incredible gifts. In his time as St Michael, Gabriel had seen several costumed crime fighters who had used their great powers for sinful and selfish behavior. With any luck, this group of heroes would be different and Gabriel prayed to God that it was true. It was good that the meeting hall was in Chicago where he lived and so the place was local which meant that it would be easy for Gabriel to get to the place.

He flew over buildings and people looked up to point in awe at him. Gabriel waved at them as he flew by and seeing the happy faces was a glad sight to him. In the last decades, bad things have happened and the people have become more dark and given into more sinful desires. All he could do was hope that he would help guide people from the darkness and into the light. The hall of Heroes came into view and he dropped down to land in front of the building. He entered the hall and looked around at the gathering of heroes. It was good sized crowd and Gabriel was curious to learn more about the other heroes. His wings glowed a bit and he had his sword sheathed to not seem threatening.

He walked over to the other heroes and listened in on their conversations. He hoped that this whole team of superheroes would work out and not cause great amounts of problems. Gabriel would be sure to try and keep an eye on the more dangerous heroes. With such a diverse team of heroes, there would probably be a big difference in morality.

Just as everyone was mingling about, a portal appeared by the food table and Warp stepped out of it as he ran his fingers through his pink hair.

"Oh thank god there's food. I'm staaaarving," he said as he grabbed a plate and started serving himself with no hesitation. Being an athlete required you to eat more calories than the average person. He didn't bother to introduce himself to anyone. Jayden just started stuffing his face, finding a small table near the food just in case he wanted seconds. It took him a few minutes to actually notice everyone else when he wasn't too busy eating. Jayden almost choked on his food when he noticed everyone's atrocious, color clashing costumes. "Oh my god someone call fashion police. This is so tragic," he said with his mouth full of pizza. These guys were worse than fanboys at a comic con convention in these costumes.

After letting his food settle, he went back for seconds while looking around to see if he recognized anyone. The only people he really knew were the ones that organized this whole thing. The entire time Warp spent with Zenith and Pariah, they never mentioned anything about starting a League. Must have been confidential. At this point, those two were the only ones he trusted. After what he's been through, it was hard to trust anyone. Jayden learned that letting your guard down means having your face on the front page of every magazine and newspaper in the world. Zenith and Pariah overlooked the fact about who his family was and accepted who he was and he was grateful for that. All the more reason to join this team of theirs.

It didn't take long for a few people to approach him and go on about how they loved him on the Olympics and that they didn't know he was a metahuman. Funny thing is, people knew him more as an Olympian and not a hero. Which is how he wanted it to stay. He made sure his hero identity was secret and that no one could track him, especially his crooked family. Before one of the heroes who were talking to him left, Warp pulled her aside immediately. "One second, honey." Warp conjured a portal that went straight to his closet that resided in his penthouse apartment in Atlantic City. He went in the portal about halfway and pulled out a few items, came out of it and closed it. "Here," he said giving the items to the hero. "Add these to your costume. You're clashing and its not cute." He smiled, turned her around and sent her away.

From their vantage point the trio of heroes observed the crowd of costumed heroes and the subtle clues that were revealed about personalities, motivations, relationships and much more. There were some in attendance that were of particular interest. Zenith indicated Neutro, the giant metal protector of the innocent, "He doesn't look to comfortable here." Olympia agreed, "Who would if they were his size? Still, his powers are impressive, he's professional, and he's got a lot of scientific know-how. He'd be a pretty damn solid member of the team." Pariah nodded, "Indeed, he's one of the best candidates here. I'm not as sure about Arachnid next to him." Zenith raised his eyebrow, "And why is that? She's with the NYPD."

"Yes. But she her files states that she has issues dealing with anger. And I found out she has a history of being involved in gangs," Pariah narrowed his eyes at that. Zenith knew his friend had no love at all for gangs. Zenith said, "That may be so. But she turned herself around. She got a fresh start. And people can change, Eric." Pariah said nothing and simply grunted in reply. Zenith shook his head but left it at that.

He noticed a strange man in a motorcycle outfit, "How about him? Anyone know what's his deal?" Olympia spoke up, "Ketsuryu Shinobu. He calls himself Oni. He's a nightmare to anyone he deems unjust. He's got quite the bloody reputation in Japan, been a warrior since the time of the Samurai, or so my friends in the Shinto pantheon tell me. He's also muscle for the Giovanni Vampire clan. They're a nasty group even amongst Vampires, Necromancers and Dominators, and I don't know why he's here." Pariah said, "I'm the one who invited him."

Zenith raised his eyebrows, "And why'd you'd do that?" In all their years of partnership, Zenith knew that Pariah never did anything without a reason, or six. The man had plans upon plans. Pariah said, "The Giovannis have a crime network that expands all over the Old World and has it's tendrils here. They're a brutal group among the Supernatural world and the Mundane Underworld. We're going to have to deal with them sooner or later. I plan to burn their whole operation, down to the roots. And despite his bloodthirsty nature, Oni is a self-styled honorable warrior. No doubt he's a spy but we can use him against the Giovannis in any number of ways."

Olympia whistled, "Damn, Eric. What'd they ever do to you." Pariah simply said, "Nothing. This isn't personal. Just business." Zenith spoke up, "Well in any case, we can't really trust him. Keep an eye on him Eric, he could be a useful resource but he's also a snake in the grass. If he gets to be a problem, I'll trust you to take care of it. Preferably non-lethally." Pariah nodded, "Of course." Olympia chuckled, "Of course if he's too much for you could always call me." Pariah said nothing and Olympia sighed her head in mock-regret.

She noticed a man in a suit with a mask standing near Oni, "Who's that? I don't recognize him as one of the magical types." Pariah shook his head, "No, he's a metahuman. Wenchang. My contacts in Shanghai identify him as Tom Li. He was an information broker and a good one until he got worked over by a gang. Apparently he manifested his powers after that and retreated from public life for awhile before becoming a Vigilante. No one really knows why but I've heard he's quite the nihilist. He has access to a pocket dimension."

Zenith rubbed his chin, "Interesting. He might be useful and he seems slightly more trustworthy than that Oni, he's one to look out for. I think I know the girl next to him. Blast Girl, she's a metahuman in Los Angles, street-level vigilante. She has personal gravity control and she's proven herself against the Maestro and Mr. Crystal." Olympia chuckled, "She's a little young for this work and a little eager. But for a street-level hero, she's done pretty well." Pariah grunted, 'Maestro and Crystal are jokes. She's cocky and inexperienced. We already have a real gravity-controller, Graviton is much more useful then her. Who knows what would happen if she went up against serious villains like Permafrost or Shredder. Or even the Harlequin."

Zenith sighed, "It's not the power, Eric. It's how you use it. You of all people should know that. She's got real potential and I'm not willing to write her off just yet. Let's give her the chance to prove herself. And you just elected yourself to be her instructor." Pariah glared at Zenith who simply smiled, before he shook his head and returned to silence. Zenith continued speaking, "Speaking of street-level, I see Eclipse. She's got an interesting power set to say the least and she's an outspoken Metahuman activist. She's got a good reputation but she seems a little out of her depth. Hopefully she can rise to the challenge." Pariah spoke again, "She used to be quite affluent before she ran away and got off the grid. We don't know how she'll work in a team."

Pariah indicated Hi-Voltage, "He's a well established hero in his country, he's taken down some heavy-duty villains with professionalism. Zenith and I have worked with him before. He's somewhat aloof from the public eye however." Olympia snickered, "Coming from you, that's pretty rich. My buddies in the Round Table say he's solid. He's got a chip in his shoulder for Obsidian in particular, they say it has to do with Obsidian's rampage in London but no one knows for sure." Pariah nodded, "My sources say the same. It just so happens there's been rumors that Obsidian has been sighted in the States."

Olympia cocked her head, "You think he's here to get some revenge." Pariah nodded, "Almost undoubtedly. It's likely he means to use the League as a means to confront him." Zenith interjected, "He's a solid hero and we could use another good electrokinetic like Lightning Rod. But we need to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't lose his way. I'll ask Strix to watch him." Olympia nodded her head at Strix who was sitting by himself, "Speaking of crazy, there he is. I'm still not to sure about him."

Pariah said, "He's a dependable resource. He's a good fighter and his gadgets are comparable to Savant's creations. He may be a little... unbalanced but that may be why he's as good a detective if not better than myself. Besides, his funds pay for a lot of this." Zenith nodded, "Strix may be odd but he's one of our friends and we know we can rely on him. And who knows? He might be onto something with that whole Conspiracy business."

Olympia shrugged, "Whatever. I know I can depend on Sonja over there," the demi-god indicated the Spirit of St. Louis seated next to a masked girl, "She's one of the best practitioners I know. She helped Luna and I deal with that rogue werewolf pack a year or so back and of course there was the whole business with the catfish people. Nautilus and I would've had a lot more trouble with that if it wasn't for her. And she's powerful, the White Fellowship of Sorcerers, Dr. Destiny included, have been trying to get her to join their American branch for a couple years now. Though I do admit she has a thing for showmanship."

Pariah said, "That's an understatement. She may be useful but she's a corporate shill and she makes a whole lot of money from it. Her potential membership is nothing more than her sponsors trying to cash in on the publicity." Olympia cut in, "That's unfair to say Eric. She's not in it for the money, Sonja's a good person. Her powers stem from the confidence of her city and after the incident in at a casino she took a hit. She's here to help people, but she doesn't mind getting something else from it. We can't all live in warehouses."

Zenith said, "From what I've heard Sonja is a dependable hero. Time will tell whether her allegiances lie with her sponsors or with the public but I feel she'll make the right choice when the time comes. I don't know who the girl she's talking to is however." Pariah answered, "All my sources can say is she's a street-level practitioner with some success dealing with petty crime." Olympia spoke up, "I know a few people operating in the area, and they say she's named Belladonna. She's a rookie for sure, but she seems to have some potential. Maybe rubbing shoulders with more established sorcerers will give her the edge she needs."

Zenith nodded, "I agree. She'll have plenty of chances to prove herself in the near future." Olympia quirked her eyebrow when the visually impressive St. Michael landed in the gathering, "Oh gods. That guy." Zenith raised his eyebrow, "St. Michael? He's a good hero. Good reputation, standing among the public. Solid powers. I've worked with him before and he's always been dependable."

Olympia sighed, "Yeah and he's got a stick up his ass the size of the Empire State building. Me, Specter, and Reaver worked with him to deal with the undead rising in Graceland cemetery and he got one look at Reaver's horns and tail and looked sideways at him the whole time. Same thing with Specter and her spirit powers. And the whole time he kept telling me to forsake false idols. He's got some pretty strong opinions, is all I'm saying. Add in his powers and he always made me a little nervous. Him and all the other Abrahamic types in general. Well, except for Golem. He's cool. And Genesis. And Lazarus. Ok, it's mostly those Angel types ok?"

Pariah added, "His allegiance to the Catholic Church could also prove problematic if any conflict of interest arises." Pariah, was himself not religious, one couldn't very well logically be an atheist in this day and age, but he was wary of religious-inspired heroes. At least Olympia didn't advocate worshipping the greek gods. Zenith replied, "He's a responsible hero and a powerful one. We'll need him in the days to come. I'm sure some time among the team will lighten him up a little." Zenith caught sight of the eccentric Warp and he smiled, "Ha. There's someone we can count on."

Olympia asked, "Who's that?" Pariah, "Warp. Gate teleporter. Former Olympian athlete. He's a... useful asset." Olympia smiled, "Sounds like you two aren't on the best of terms." Zenith grinned, "He's just sore because Warp keeps giving him fashion tips. Says black is too pedestrian." Pariah muttered, "And the time he sent me to the middle of a Victoria's Secret department store." Zenith laughed, "That's because he was saving you from being crushed by Goliath." Pariah said only, "He's a useful resource and dependable, I admit. His expertise with the Gambino crime family may be useful."

Olympia said, "How is a guy like that connected to the Gambino's?" Zenith said, "His uncle is the Gambino crime boss. His mother tried to keep him away but word got out about his sexuality and he basically ran from home. He's been helping Pariah deal with the Gambinos and time is coming when we'll have to take care of them. They're starting to move into higher-stakes crime to compete with the supervillains and a lot of people are getting hurt. There's even rumors they're making deals with Supernatural crime organizations."

"Like the Giovannis?"

"No one knows for sure but that's been going around." Olympia smiled, "Lovely. We might be able to kill two birds with one stone. Or two. Or whatever." The trio spent the next several minutes discussing several other prominent heroes or candidates of promise in attendance including Apogee, Zenith's cousin who had the same set of super-powers. Eventually Zenith said, "Ok, I think it's time for me to make my speech. Start lining up with the others."

Suddenly the conversation in the courtyard was interrupted by the smooth, amplified tones of Sonata, "Ladies and Gentlemen. Please direct your attention to the stage. In a few short minutes the Founding members and the Leading Council will assemble and Zenith will give his address. Please be respectful and courteous at all times to your fellow heroes and the speaker throughout the proceedings."

Fast and upbeat techno music began playing and with a roar from the sky a rainbow-colored airplane appeared in the sky. A figure in a shimmering aura jumped out and a glowing parachute made of multiple colors materialized as the figure, who could now seen to be a woman descended on the stage. Sonata said, "Coming from San Francisco, California is Aurora! The Imagineer!" The playful african-american woman blew kisses at the crowd, projecting multiple floating multi-colored lip prints that planted themselves on several heroes before dissipating. She bowed to the applause as she materialized a small fireworks display and took her place on the stage.

Sonata continued speaking as fast-paced, frantic, and passionate music started up, "From Detroit, Michigan I give you-" A silverly blue blue swept through the crowd, startling and surprising many, before the blur stopped and resolved in the form of a smiling young hispanic-american man, "Nitrous. The fastest man alive!" Nitrous went through the crowd at lightning speed, shaking hands and telling jokes before rushing back to the stage and smiling even wider at the applause.

Simple yet powerful music played as Sonata said, "The favorite daughter of Boston, Massachusetts, I give you Psion!" An Asian-American woman suddenly appeared seemingly from nowhere on the stage to some surprise, "The world's greatest Mind!" The woman nodded at the crowd, and the entire assemblage heard the telepath mentally greet all of them. It seemed as if the renowned telepath had used her powers to shield herself from everyone's notice until now. Her display elicited even more applause as she took her place next to Aurora and Nitrous.

Fast-paced drums and melodic chanting materialized as a bird dove from a flock that flew over the Hall. "Here from New York city, I give you Menagerie!" The small bird turned into an eagle that screeched above the crowd before dropping to the crowd and suddenly it was a dog. The dog ran through the crowd and changed into a leaping horse who landed on the stage. As it turned the horse became a lion. The lion roared mightily and suddenly changed into an elephant that took up half of the stage. It cried to the skies before bowing and resolving into the form of an indian-american man, "The Animal Man!"

Booming music of epic scale started pounding as the sky darkened with sudden clouds. Sonata proclaimed, "Out of Albuquerque, New Mexico here come's Rainmaker! The Living Storm!" The clouds parted as a native american woman draped in mist floated down to the stage. A halo of electricity crackled above her head and as she stood on the stage, the dark clouds disappeared as soon as they materialized but not before producing a massive crack of lightning. Rainmaker inclined her head at the crowd and didn't seem to register the applause, taking her place next to the others.

Ethereal tones filled the air when a wing-shaped silhouette appeared over the crowd. The heroes strained to see a muscular Caucasian man fly over them, massive wings beating in the air and wearing a helmet in the shape of a bird of prey. The man swooped down with amazing speed, creating massive gusts of wind as he flew over the stage and hovered for a few moments, "Flying in from Seattle, Washington I give you Raptor! The Hawk!" Raptor landed and folded his wings with a bow.

Choral chants broke through as Sonata cried out, "From Miami, Florida I present Olympia!" The stage alighted with a blinding flash of light and when the crowd looked back they saw Olympia draped in full greek armor with sword and shield in hand. The applause was more thunderous than ever, "The daughter of Hercules!" Olympia smiled and bowed to the cheers as she stepped back in line.

Subdued and eerie sounds suddenly appeared as Sonata simply stated, "From New York City, here is Pariah." One second the shadowy protector of New York wasn't there, the next he was. No flashy display, no sounds. Nothing at all. Psion had used her powers but Pariah had simply materialized seemingly out of nowhere. The applause was more subdued as some resented Pariah's presence among the superpowered heroes. Others were simply uneasy, "The Dark Avenger." Pariah did not acknowledge the crowd and simply took his place in the line.

Finally, the air was filled with uplifting tones. Filled with the feeling of hope and light. Sonata almost yelled out, "And from Chicago, Illinois. One who needs no introduction," A figure draped in a fluttering blue cape, drifted down to the stage to thunderous applause. He smiled and set down on the stage in the center with Parian and Olympia to either side, "Zenith! The First Hero!" Zenith waited for the cheering to die down and he smiled at the crowd.

"I'll try to keep this as short as possible, we have a lot of work ahead. Hello, I think you all already know who we are," there was some laughter at that, "But it is with our warmest regards that we welcome you, heroes of the future, to the League of Heroes!" The crowd broke out in applause again and Zenith patted the air to calm them down, "You're all here today because you believe. You believe that we can use our powers and abilities for good. You believe that together we are greater than the sum of our parts. And you believe that together we can make the world a better place."

"Each of you brings something different to the table. Whether it is metahuman powers, supernatural abilities, or natural talents. Whatever it is you can do, we're all willing to make sacrifices for the good of the people. Even the ultimate one. Up until now, heroes have been scattered and unorganized. We've been doing things on our own. But no longer. Now the Heroes of the World must unite so that we can be proactive and bring real change to the World, not just put out fires."

"With this League we can create a structured, organized, superhero community dedicated to spreading Truth, Justice, and Hope to every man, woman, and child on Earth. No more running around like a bunch of cowboys. Or cowgirls," Zenith glanced at the heroines on stage and another round of laughter made it's way through the crowd. "We must become an example to the world, an ideal that people can believe in. And with that it mind we will begin the process of certification to become a League member. You will all undergo an initiation process to verify that you are ready to bear the responsibility of being in the League. This initiation will consist of physical tests as well as one-on-one evaluation from an existing League member. I expect most, if not all of you gathered here today to pass this initiation with flying colors. Are you up to the challenge?"

Another round of cheers, this one the loudest of all rang out and lasted several seconds. Psion cocked her head and her voice appeared in his head. Trouble Zenith thought, What is it?

Supervillain incursions around the city. About three major groups. Nobody major but we need to deal with it. Binary called it in. Should we deploy?

No, I have a better idea

Zenith smiled at the crowd, "You're in luck. Multiple villains have been sighted around the city and are wreaking havoc. This is your chance to prove yourselves. I'll be taking small groups of volunteers to deal with these threats, each lead by an existing League member. Do well, and you can consider yourself in the League. Everyone who wishes to do so, can follow Olympia to the gunships. She will decide who goes where and with whom. " The Demi-God raised her sword and waited at the side of the stage, and a stream of heroes immediately started making a beeline for her.

"Everyone else can wait here and continue socializing. Your trials will begin shortly. Good luck." Zenith rose into the air and sped away to deal with some of the supervillain incidents. Leaving the assembled heroes to choose whether they would enter into combat so soon or stay behind and try their luck at the initiation.

"Alright, time to separate the men from the boys. Or women from the girls, whatever." Sonja reached casually into the hip pocket of her suit jacket, maybe three inches deep. From inside she drew an antique baseball bat. Thirty-four inches long, made in Louisville, Kentucky by master craftsmen out of a single maple log. But as always, the weapon didn't matter so much as who wielded it. This bat had been the personal possession of none other than Stan Musial, Baseball's Perfect Warrior, Stan the Man, one of St. Louis' greatest heroes. The most consistent hitter in the sport, his road average exactly matching his home average, a man whose skill was only matched by his humility and sportsmanship. An example, an icon, a beloved figure virtually unknown outside one Midwestern city.

And now it belonged to the Spirit of St. Louis.

She had been offered all sorts of weapons. Razor-sharp swords, cutting-edge assault rifles, even Chuck Berry's own revolver. But this had just seemed right for the embodiment of the town. It rested in a venerated place in her condo. It was imbued with everything that empowered her, hitting like an airstrike and never cracking the trademark. If a girl had to get physical, she could do worse.

Resting the bat over her shoulder, the woman strode towards Olympia, happily volunteering for action. "Ma'am, I'm honored to be working with you again," she said sincerely and respectfully to the Miami-based hero.

Elise nodded over at Volt as he explained his powers, "Sounds.. kinda typical. But at least its viable right?" she wondered if she had insulted him and continued speaking trying to be more polite "I don't really do much, you see.." she trailed off and looked at the sun struggling to explain her abilities. Deciding that explaining her abilities would be rather bothersome and come off as bragging she simply stated "I guess it just depends on the time, you'll see it one day. I'm gonna become one of the greats." She cocked her head and gave a quick smile before the sound of music overwhelmed the crowd, causing them to hush down. The heroes began introducing themselves and coming in a variety of flashy and exciting ways, a spectacle for what reason Elise didn't know. This 'League' was starting to get more and more silly by the minute to her. The group of mockers earlier appeared awestruck by the beings on the stage, she could do little but roll her eyes and continue watching them.

When the introductions ended, the hero known as Zenith came on stage and began to address the crowd with a rather typical speech although Elise sensed for once in the whole time she had been here some real heroism. By the way Zenith spoke she could tell he truly wanted to change the world starting today, but with this massive group of jokers she was sure it wasn't going to be off to a good start. When he made mention of the two choices she had, the group beside her jumped at the thought of displaying their abilities. Since she knew everyone was going to go out into the field and begin trying to one up one another, she figured that wasn't where she wanted to be. Elise was not one who enjoyed showing off, seeing show offs or being shown off. To her the fame and glam of being a hero was something of a problem but the thrill of standing on the edge of good and evil, being that line, is what made her keep to the league. She stood up and looked down to Volt who was so tall he still almost was at eye level even when she stood, "I'm going to be staying here, not in the mood for dealing with a bunch of jerks dick measuring, what about you?"

It had been a long night for Kaz. There was a disturbance in northern Michigan, not far from where he was spending some much needed downtime; after all he wanted to be in top form for the gathering of heroes he was expected to attend the next day. A relatively small time gang of troublemakers, who called themselves the Advent of Humanity, had captured a government official and fled to Manistee National Forest where they had built a compound. Kaz had no idea what demands they were making, and he had no interest in it at all: when those with strength threaten the weak, they shall be punished by the just.

It had taken hours to put an end to their game, and clean up the mess. It was now much later than Kaz had planned on leaving for Chicago, which meant he and Wahaya would have to run through the night. Several hours, and a couple hundred kilometres later, Kaz arrived at his destination. Fortunately he was one of the earlier heroes to the event, it gave him time to grab a quick bite and find a nice place to rest his weary body. He and Wahaya moved to the edge of the courtyard and took a seat beneath a tall oak tree.

From his sheltered vantage point, he watched the various heroes arriving and interacting with one another. Though removed from the main forum, his heightened hearing picked up everything. He studied the fellow prospects carefully, listening to their boasts, watching how they carried themselves, trying to gain an understanding for their demeanour. Based on his experiences, and what he observed, he began to mentally separate the experienced fighters from the relatively nubile. He wondered if the league could really refine this group into a strong force against evil in all its forms, and for the sake of the world, he sure hoped so.

When the proceedings finally began, Kaz was pulled from his deep thoughts. With a wide smile, he got to his feet and headed towards the front of the stage; Wahaya following close behind. With complete grace and fluidity of motion, they swept through the amassing crowd and quickly made it to the front. In respect for their valour, Kaz watched the founding members and carefully hung on every word Zenith spoke. ‘Surely’ he thought with pride, ‘I have made the right choice, to align with them.’

Once the announcement of another disturbance was made, Kaz became very serious. He did not know the nature of the criminal activity, but he was certain that it must be serious for the founding members to be attending it on a day like today. Without any hesitation, Kaz made for the gunships, stopping just in front of Olympia. With a confident smile, he nodded to her “I’m ready to go, if you’ll have me.”

Hurt enough of the right people? Tom laughed, approvingly not mockingly, it was spot on. That's the key to this game, you just get good enough at hurting those who society deemed deserving of being hurt. It was then that the show began. It was a grand affair, a chance for the existing members to introduce themselves, and they did so in style. Tom couldn't help but admire Pariah's entrance. The lack of ceremony, especially among the shows put on by the other members, only served to mark him out more. He seemed to have a no BS attitude, a thing tom had always found appealing.

The trial had neither excited nor intimidated Tom, he was a realistic assessor of his own abilities, and he was confident that he was above the average, though how far above it was too early to say. Villains sounded more interesting, but the fact that the league members seemed so calm suggested that they were not big fish, and likely not a threat. In his opinion the risk assessment result was a low. Not to say he was underestimating the danger, he would be as careful as he could be in a team of strangers, he just wasn't feeling any sensation of danger or anxiety.

"Want to test your mettle Oni?" said Tom turning back to the biker helmet clad hero. He was hoping that he'd be able to see him fight, it was unfortunate that they weren't allowed to pick the teams though. He had a feeling that he would get on well with this powerful creature.

The moment the league heroes started announcing themselves, Blast Girl snapped to attention. In a way, this is what she was here for. not just to meet these heroes, though that was pretty awesome, but to work with them. For the sake of innocent people everywhere, it was practically her duty as a superhero to join up with them all. They'd be stronger together, right? And so, with no small amount of excitement, the blonde watched as each of them made their theatrical introduction. It almost reminded her of a completely non-malevolent version of Maestro, really. Her entrances were always accompanied by music. But really, that was exactly what she was, a 'theater criminal' who was all about the spectacle of her crimes rather than the actual goal. Blast Girl couldn't help but wonder about what kind of villains they'd be facing as a team.

... And almost on cue, it was announced that groups of villains had shown up in the city. Without hesitation, Blast Girl sprang to her feet. It didn't matter if they didn't seem too concerned, meaning that these guys probably weren't too scary. They were still the bad guys! They could still hurt people, or cause damage, or... or all kinds of other stuff! So there was no question in her mind, she had to go. She had to help stop these guys!

"I'll go!" she declared, before sprinting for one of the gunships and practically having to slide to a halt in front of Olympia.

"Sounds.. kinda typical. But at least its viable right?" She replied. Good thing I'm thick skinned, or talking to this lassie would be a horrible chore. She continued on gamely though, and at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed.

"I don't really do much, you see.." a pause as she searched for the words. "I guess it just depends on the time, you'll see it one day. I'm gonna become one of the greats." Volt returned her smile with one of his own, but was a bit apprehensive of her answer. He hoped her desire to be 'one of the greats' wouldn't end with people getting hurt. He'd seen that sorta attitude end in tears far too often in the past.

“Nice to have goals” he answered mildly as the music began to play up, followed by one of the most cringe-inducing displays Volt had ever witnessed as each of the League's founding members made their way to the stage according to their own particular idiom. The founders probably felt the display was equal parts epic and awe-inspiring, but the whole stunt came across as tacky. The Singing Kettle does this sorta thing better. They've got better costumes too Volt felt bad for Pariah, who gave every impression of being a rottweiler trotted through a poodle show. Thankfully the débâcle didn't last long, Zenith taking the stage to give his speech once everyone was in place.

Hi-Voltage had worked with Zenith a time or two in the past. The big man, along with Pariah, always struck Volt as 'The Real Deal' as far as heroics went, that you could quite easily drop him into a DC comic alongside Superman, Batman and all those other moral paragons and Zenith would do them all proud. It went without saying that Tommy had alotta respect for him. Despite himself the Lightning-Slinger found himself listening intently to Zenith's everyword. He laughed, he was inspired, he was ready to go out and save the world. I guess the power of a charismatic leader does wonders, even for a big ol' cynic like me. The talk of induction tests was news to Volt, but not a giant surprise. This League was going to be a face for heroics to the world at large, each of it's members held accountable for their actions in a way that they'd never been before. It only made sense that the founders would want to make sure that the recruits not only had what it takes, but could hold themselves to a responsible standard as well.

Zenith's speech was coming to a close "You're in luck. Multiple villains have been sighted around the city and are wreaking havoc. This is your chance to prove yourselves. I'll be taking small groups of volunteers to deal with these threats, each lead by an existing League member. Do well, and you can consider yourself in the League. Everyone who wishes to do so, can follow Olympia to the gunships. She will decide who goes where and with whom. Everyone else can wait here and continue socializing. Your trials will begin shortly. Good luck."

If it had been anyone other than Zenith arranging this then Volt would have been more than a little suspicious of the timing, multiple super villain attacks coincidentally during a gathering of potential recruits into a super hero club. But Hi-Voltage knew that Zenith didn't have it in him to do anything so underhand, especially if it put people's lives in danger.

Eclipse stood up, but failed to gain any real height on the Lightning-Slinger.

"I'm going to be staying here, not in the mood for dealing with a bunch of jerks dick measuring, what about you?" She asked. Volt considered the question for a few seconds before answering, his natural response to throwing himself in harms way conflicting with the responsibilities he now bore. Finally he blew out a breath he hadn't known he was holding in. After all, it wasn't really a choice for him, was it?

“I reckon I'll be going to the dick measuring. The problem when super powered jerks start dick measuring is that they forget how powerful they are, and regular people get hurt. I'll try and limit that as much as I can. . . .Hmm, looking back I think I probably said dick measuring too much, huh?” He clambared smoothly to his feet, a surprising amount of grace in his lanky frame.

“It's been nice talking to you Eclipse. Good luck with the trials." He smiled once more before heading towards the gunships. He had to shoulder his way through the crowd a little, but a combination of meta powered strength and applying 'helpful' static shocks to encourage anyone in his way to shift meant that Volt made it to Olympia's side pretty sharp. He planted himself near to the front of the queue, almost treading on what appeared to be the tail of a giant wolf as he attempted to capture the attention of Hercules's daughter.

"Nice doggy." he muttered, doing a sharp double take as the wolf bared its teeth at him with a menacing growl, before returning to his previous task.

"I wouldn't mind tagging along on this mission Olympia, needing to get some fresh air anyway."

Samantha turned as a message played over the loud speakers as the founders were about to make there speech. "This should be interesting" she muttered to herself as the music began to play and one by one the league's founders were introduced. Personally she found the introductions a little over the top but the kid in her enjoyed the spectacle and hell a lot of people up there were those she looked up to in both her lines of work.

She listened to Zenith's speech intently, joining in with the applause and by the end of it all was looking forward to her evaluation. She knew physically that she was more than up to the task but her temper, trust issues and her former gang affiliation made her nervous about the one on one. It was then Zenith informed the crowd about the incursions in the city and she knew that this was a great chance to prove herself to these titans.

Making her way to Olympia she saw that several other already had the same idea among which a few heroes he had not noticed before, turning to Olympia she said "Where do you need me?"

Gabriel was annoyed at seeing Warp starting to give people fashion tips, he didn't like people who were crazy about fashion, it seemed materialistic to him. He then turned his attention to the founders of the League's introductions. He really liked their speech, and recognized them all. Gabriel remembered Olympia from working with her and a couple other heroes. The woman claimed to have a connection to the Pagan gods of the Greeks, the two of them had different stances on beliefs but he long ago accepted the fact that he would have to work alongside people who weren't of his faith. All that mattered to him was to serve the people and not give into immoral desires that many with great powers sometimes do.

He then heard the team's founders give the announcement about a crisis with a group of villains and Gabriel was interested. He saw a large group of heroes head over to Olympia by the gunship and Gabriel casually walked over. It was important to not seem too desperate and be respectable. He came to a halt in front of Olympia and gave her a nod.

"It is nice to see you Olympia, I would like to join in this act of heroism" Gabriel said to the demigod, and he hoped that the woman wouldn't have any hard feelings about their disagreements because he didn't, humility was a virtue that he very much fallowed.

Olympia looked over the long line of recruits, all of them ready to fight but for different reasons. The demi-goddess saw Sonja and she smiled broadly, "You don't have to stand on ceremony with me Sonja. Not after you saw me get slobbered on by a werewolf. You're going on my team." Olympia was glad to have the sorcerer by her side, she was a good friend and a great asset. Olympia looked over the other recruits. Olympia also caught sight of Hi-Voltage, whom Pariah and Zenith had praised, "I like your spunk Hi-Voltage. You'll be riding with me as well. I'll trust you to help set an example." Then Olympia saw Wenchang and she said, "You're coming with me too, you could be useful." Olympia chose a few more heroes to round out the team, most of them young and cocky, but a few solid Leaguers like Sonata and Graviton were with them as well.

Ariadne kept the smile on her face even when she saw St. Michael. He may have been stuffy but he was good in a fight, she had to give him that much, "Nice to see you Michael. You'll be going in with the Rainmaker, you'll be the muscle on the team." Olympia saw SilverWolf, "You're on Rainmaker's team as well. I expect you to follow her orders to the letter." She pointed at Blast Girl, grinning at the young girl's eagerness, "Rookie! You're with the Rainmaker, so she can keep her eye on you." And then she saw Arachnid whom Pariah had had reservations about, "You're riding with Rainmaker's team as well Arachnid, they need more strong ladies on their team. Olympia filled out the team with a few more rookies and the heroes Nimbus and Evergreen.

Ariadne then assigned a couple dozen other individuals to Raptor's team, "All of you will be Zenith's support. He's facing the most flak, and he could use the backup." To the rest of the hopefuls she said, "Sorry, we don't want to have too many cooks in the kitchen. The rest of you will have to test in the trials." To Rainmaker's and her own teams she said, "We're handling the other two crisis sites. Stay cool, stay professional, watch each-other's backs and listen to orders and you'll be fine. Fliers will fly next to their team's gunship. Everyone else, Mount up!" The three teams either embarked on their VTOL Gunships or took to the air, a massive group of heroes lifted up to face the villains.

Most of them peeled off to the north to help Zenith while the two other groups spread to the east and west. In Rainmaker's gunship the no-nonsense heroine stood at the front of the passenger compartment, "Listen up. Our site is in a shopping center. There we'll be facing Permafrost, a cryokinetic with a nasty habit of freezing people on the inside out. We'll also come up against the Surgeon who has razor claws and likes cutting people up, and Locust who is a mutant bug metahuman with an acid spit, wings, and claws. Then we got Twister who has two metallic tentacles on his arms, Shade who can turn invisible and enjoys pistols, and a bunch of their lackeys. We'll take them out with zero civilian casualties and minimal property damage. Any questions?"

In Olympia's gunship the situation was much the same. The Demi-goddess walked up and down the aisle and said, "Our crisis site is a local bank. Several supervillains and their henchmen have breached the bank and have taken hostages. They've been cornered by the cops but Binary reports that they are getting more unstable by the minute. We have to move in, rescue the hostages, and neutralize the villains before anyone gets hurt. We'll be facing Shank, who is a flash teleporter and likes knives. We also have Bouncer who has super agility and is a martial arts addict. They also have Burnout who is a nasty pyrokinetic, Sarin who turns into poison gas, and Boomer who can self-detonate and fire concussive bursts. Once we land, we assess the situation and come up with a plan of attack. Any questions?"

Back at the Hall of Heroes the mood was slightly more relaxed. Pariah was on stage and announced, "Those of you who are left, start lining up for your initiation course. This will make or break your League membership so I expect you all to take it very seriously." Long lines of heroes waiting to enter the Hall formed and there was an air of anticipation for no one knew what exactly was in store for them.

Listening to Rainmaker several things when through Arachnid's head mostly about the situation at the shopping center. She was concerned about potential hostages, whether or not the league was coordinating with the Chicago Police, what to do about wounded civilians, the safety of the building itself, how many henchmen were involved and finally she couldn't be the only one who thought that these attacks were pre-planned and. that league members needed to interrogate any captured villains to confirm that.

Raising her hand she spoke up "I have several. Firstly are we working with the Chicago PD? Have they taken any hostages? What do we do about any wounded civilians, security or law enforcement personnel? How many henchmen are involved? Has the buildings structure been damaged in the initial attack? Finally I don't think these attacks are random, this was planned, I think somebody hired these villains to try and gatecrash the unveiling of the league. If it's in anyway possible I think we need to interrogate any of them we capture to try to find out who hired them."

Blast Girl didn't have any questions. She was ready! There were people she had to save, and that was what mattered. The villains, well, she had heard enough about their abilities and all that. Things would go fine! She'd make sure everyone was safe, and she'd make sure the villains got taken down, too! Non-lethally, though. That was the important part. She wasn't a police officer or anything, even if she worked with the law she wasn't actually a part of it. They were allowed to use lethal force on criminals if they had to. But Blast Girl? She wasn't a part of that, and she didn't need to kill. She never needed to kill. Even with Mister Crystal, she had taken him down without killing him. That was the right way, and it was the only way for her.

No matter which villain she went up against, well... she might beat them into unconsciousness, but she would never, ever kill a single one of them. And now that she knew what they were like, she was sure she could handle them! Blast Girl had heard of a few of them before, especially since Kate tended to talk at length about superheroes and supervillains in the most enthusiastic way possible.

Blast Girl was ready.