Changeling was, in the very least, impressed by Furious' determination, although he was quite sure it was misguided. Nevertheless, the vigilante nodded, leaving the younger trainee in favor of more fleshy opponents.

So it was, that Changeling ran towards the new offensive line. Strix, it seemed, had Colossus dealt with just as well as he'd be able to. Extrusion... Well, there was no way to be sure if the hero's innards acted even similarly to a normal human's in his elastic state. Unless Bastion's barrier could be broken by simply hitting it, he would be useless there...

A little off, Changeling saw Ember and Bulwark. There, these were beings he could deal with! Bulwark, strong though he was, would certainly not be strong enough to overcome the magic durability of the Fae. Ember, so long as she was metahuman and did not use some sort of cursed fire, would also prove manageable, and so long as she stayed out of that burning form, he would be able to hurt her.

After sneaking a little closer to the trainers, Changeling shot two arrows, each pulled with enhanced strength and each aimed at his opponents' knees.

Hot Rod

Hot Rod looked at Charlotte and was surprised at the sight of seeing a little girl on the team, kids today were so much more crazy than when he was one, he guessed it was probably the internet's fault. Normally he was nicer to kids but the way this girl talked to him made him decide to respond in a rude manner.

"I didn't know this team was also a daycare, if you're going to be a rude little brat then don't expect to be kind. If you need help with those burns then just ask in a nicer way, and I just got here little girl, I have no idea what is going on and don't talk bad my powers you hear? Because I don't need tips from snobby brats" he said in an angry tone as he was looking Rolling Girl over to see if her burns were extremely serious. They looked to be healing which made him guess that that the little girl had some sort of healing power so again he didn't see the need to be rude. kids today, they have no respect whatsoever and are such brats.

He then turned away from the girl and was surveying the training session that was going on. It looked like the coach of this practice was pushing the team really hard and Hot Rod couldn't wait to get into gear and start training.

"Can you tell me what the situation is?" Hot Rod asked Rolling Girl, ignoring Charlotte since he was still annoyed at the girl's rude words.

"The Awakening has revolutionized warfare, that is a fact. Savant-type superhumans with technical prowess routinely churn out advances in drones, exoskeletons, weapons, vehicles and more that were decades away before the Awakening. Sorcerers and Psychics allow us to command troops, oversee operations, and scout out the field of battle in a more efficient and reliable manner than ever before. Flyers of all kinds give us aerial recon and support capabilities on an unprecedented scale. Ghosts, Shadows, and Chameleons, have provided actionable intelligence to an astonishing degree. Gate and Flash Teleporters can transport men, munitions, and supplies faster than we ever could before. Astrokenetics can change the weather to favor us while Chlorokinetics raise food supplies. Technopaths have made Military communications and data safe from enemy interference. Elementals and Blasters provide firepower to match armored divisions while Zenith-types are basically one man armies. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Awakening changed the way the Military has done things in supply, transport, communications, intelligence, strategy and much much more. It has opened countless new options to conduct war on land, on the sea, in the air, in cyberspace, and even in magic and the very minds of men. Simply put brave, experienced, skilled, and loyal supersoldiers have assured the place of the United States of America as the world's most dominant military power. Our friends abroad, both legitimate governments and insurgents, have also made use of Superhuman firepower, but the SOC stands ready to defend our nation." - Colonel George B. Lincoln, codename "Centurion", commandant of the Superhuman Operations Corps.

Rainmaker's Team

Rainmaker looked at Gabriel, "We're not leaving all up to the CPD but it would be best to have their assistance in this investigations. Besides, Olympia's suspects were teleported out and left no physical trace, the only leads we have right now are these boys here. And their connection with the Outfit." With that Rainmaker turned and headed back to the VTOL her team in tow.

Pariah's victims

Chrome screamed in sudden pain as Furious's grip tightened on his metal ankle, the youth's enhanced strength managing to indent even his steel hide. Chrome wrenched his ankle from Furious's hand, cracking the bones even further. He delivered a kick with his damaged limb that would hopefully knock the weakened Furious out of the fight. Then he picked the teenager up by mainstrength and flung him away down the street. Chrome winced and shifted his weight to favor his uninjured side. The ankle was still mostly intact but he did not want to risk further damage. He readied himself for another attack as best as he could.

Changeling's direct assault on not one but two experienced and deadly superheroes with no backup went about as well as could be expected. In a word, horribly. Changeling had loosed his arrows with strength beyond a normal human. Strength to tear clean through flesh and shatter bone. But Bulwark was no normal human. Bulwark saw the arrow and let it strike him in the knee, the arrow broke against his durable skin, skin tough enough to laugh off assault weapon fire and withstand even grenade and rocket explosions. Ember hadn't tried to dodge either. She flung an intense beam of fire that burn the arrow apart before it ever hit her.

The two looked at each other and Bulwark flung his mighty hammer from one side while Ember sent a fireball from the other side. Faerie that he was he may have not been as effected by fire as a human but his skin burned all the same. Bulwark's hammer, with it's speed, flung by superstrong force, and so heavy no normal man could lift it, would almost certainly take Changeling out of the fight should it strike him. Either way being hit by one of both attacks would be a very bad thing. If he survived a tactical withdrawal might have been the best course of action. Especially since attacking the pair of them put him near the rest of their team and who, if they had been real terrorists, would rip Changeling apart with their combined power. Nonetheless, if he managed to raise their attention his chances of finishing without serious injury would plumment.

Strix's arrival turned the tide. Bastion had seen the bomb coming and assumed the worse turning her shield opaque and sealed against sight and sound, her shield holding steady against the explosion. Her teammates did not fare as well. His cryo bombs managed to freeze Extrusion up again and Apogee broke free. She crushed the now mostly immobile elastic man into a ball and kicked him all the way back down the street where he bowled over a squad of henchmen as well as conveniently smothering a portion of the flame that entrapped Morph.

He instantly turned back into his blob form and started wreaking havoc on the enemy along with other heroes who had gotten back on their feet, such as Oni, Warp, Eclipse, Belladonna, and the giant Nuetro. Shocker, Frost, Adamant and Aquamarine were forced to combat them and for the moment the two forces were on equal standing though it could not last as the trainer's henchmen were still there in force. Without support the heroes would probably last several minutes before being defeated again, their chances would be even lower if Bulwark and Ember rejoined them especially since the latter could free Extrusion from his icy bondage.

Strix's assault on Colossus was similarly effective. Colossus had managed to see it coming but was much to large to dodge. He did what any man would do and hunched over with his hands over his groin, protecting that most tender and vital part of the male anatomy. But that only presented an easier target as the electric attacks shocked him and he screamed in pain. His scream was enough to rattle eardrums and break the windows of every nearby car. It was silenced by Bullseyes concussive arrow that knocked him onto his gigantic back. Bullseye fired gas and web arrows to make sure the giant stayed down. Now free the team all turned their attention to Bastion and focused their attacks.

The barrier shook and shuddered but Bastion never saw the punch that would send Bastion's sphere flying through a nearby building and into the wall of the training room. Bastion had been flung around like inside her durable sphere and when her barrier hit the wall, it flickered out of existence as she blacked out and hit the floor. The barrier around the bus flickered out of existence as well. Gunmen had rifles trained on the heroes from inside the bus and a man stood in the doorway, holding a detonator up along with a raised pistol, his thumb hovered over the button, "Stay back or I blow this bus with everyone on it! Anyone make any move and these people are all dead! I guarantee you that I can push this button faster than anything you can do." Apogee and her team froze in place. Up until now momentum and speed had been the team's greatest advantage and that momentum had been robbed.

In the field of battle seconds can mean an eternity and any pause could spell death. As it was having a heated argument in the middle of a pitched battle was not the best of ideas. In fact it was only marginally less of a horrible idea than facing the enemy with eyes closed and hands behind the back while hopping on one foot. While the trio of heroes argued inanely they managed to attract the attention of Adamant and Sentinel. Sentinel started flying at them. The telekinetic was more formidable than any one of them singularly and probably all of them combined and lingering was an even more horrible idea than arguing mid-battle.

Phantom, Now Pissed Off

Well, it was clear that Pariah had lied to their faces: cracked bones was supposed to be the worst that was likely to happen--and he'd even mentioned no permanent injuries--but at this point it looked like the so-called 'heroes' training them had completely taken leave of their senses and were happily using enough force to cripple and maim, whilst making no attempt to avoid potentially disfiguring the new recruits. For instance, creating so much fire that you wouldn't be able to tell whether the person you were torching was still alive, or just covered in horrific third-degree burns and worse.

Fortunately, with Strix's assistance she was back to being undetectable, and the shield was down, with only a single man between them and rescuing the hostages. Easily enough, she was able to quickly make her way over to where the man stood primed to press the detonator--and she struck. It didn't need to be all that incapacitating, but she was sick of trying to show more consideration than their trainers did, if this man was even real. First pressure on his wrist, then immense pain; without being able to see her there wasn't all that much that could be done to avoid having his wrist broken. Extremely painful, especially when followed by a knee to the groin.

This would mean dropping the detonator, which Phantom admittedly could have kicked away or something. But this exercise was getting increasingly dangerous and whatever worth it had was exhausted. So instead it quite clearly floated in the air as she picked it up. Time to end this.

"Hey, Pariah? Fuck you."

Rachel pushed the button.

Furious

Black spots were dancing across his vision, tracing delicate and mesmerising patterns like a shower of shooting stars. He was so entranced that he almost didn't feel the thud when he hit the dirt again. . . . Almost.

Furious skidded across the pavement like a carelessly discarded rag-doll, seemingly taking an age before he finally rolled to a stop. His body cried out in protest at the punishment he had received during the last few moments of fighting with Chrome. His broken hand was a constant source of agony and his face felt like someone had crashed an eighteen wheeler into it. The thought of all the extra power he had gained couldn't even make this beating worth it. In actual fact he was suffering a severe case of dizziness and was struggling to even stand. He finally managed to climb to his feet, a task that seemed impossibly hard. He caught the battle for bus in the corner of his eye, realising the action was starting to wind down now.

Part of him was incredibly thankful for the apparent calming of hostilities, as it didn't feel like his battered shell couldn't stand up to much more punishment. He would have been more than happy to just stand there for a moment trying not to collapse, but he could see Neutro's group in desperate conflict with a clutch of trainers and henchmen and knew that if they didn't receive reinforcements soon then they would get taken out again.

But first he'd have to deal with Chrome. . . Again.

He swung his gaze towards the metal trainer, equal parts respect and animosity filling Furious at the sight of his steel hide. Chrome was proving himself to be an excellent defensive fighter, one that could probably weather several more frontal assaults before he went down. Thankfully he seemed to be favouring his injured side now, letting Furious know that he had at least managed to damage him now.

“I haven't beat you, but I have stopped you making a difference,” He called across to the trainer, gesturing at the bus that was now at the mercy of the heroes. “And I think its only a matter of time before I take you down. . . ” The claim was mostly bluster at this point, but he said it with all the determination that he could muster.

“But I see you're hurt, and I will offer you a one time offer. I will allow you to surrender and seek medical attention. This is a training simulation and I do not wish to cripple you. I believe you know how I come by my strength, so believe me when I say that I am more than strong enough to end this conflict now after that brawl.” It hurt his pride to offer Chrome a way out rather than physically overpowering him, but at this stage he seriously doubted his ability to beat the metal man. He just hoped he bought his bluff. . . And that he didn't pass out before it's conclusion.

"People ask me all the time, 'What's it like having a god for a parent?" Or well, most people ask me that, others just rave madly at me about false idols and being spawn of the devil and such. But anyway, to answer this question for all time: it sucks. I mean sure being a Demigod, whether from the Olympians or the Aesir, or the Egyptians or the Loa, or any such deity grants you some pretty cool abilities. My dad is the reason I have my strength and durability, and basically all of us are tougher in every way compared to normal humans. But you also get all the baggage. All the old feuds and ancient enemies that your parents do and suddenly you have to fight monsters and undertake ridiculous quests. Sometimes this bleeds over into helping regular people, but most of the time it's because our parents are too damned arrogant and lazy to do stuff for themselves. Most of the time we don't even see our parents, and when we do the majority of them are assholes that you wouldn't even buy milk for. There's a reason a lot of Demigods are pretty messed up psychologically speaking even without all the extra baggage being Superhuman brings. But for me, it just gave me motivation to be something better. Something people could really believe in. Not a petty, arrogant, lusty god. A hero." - Olympia, the daughter of Hercules, spokesperson for the Demigod community, and founder of the League of Heroes.

When Phantom disabled the man holding the detonator Apogee and her team backed her play. They disabled every rifleman in the bus that Phantom missed with speed and skill. The man groaned on the ground, in quite real pain. Nobody expected what Phantom would do next. She pressed the detonator and discovered that Pariah hadn't set up live explosive charges on the bus. He had set up what amounted to a large concussive flashbang that temporarily blinded and deafened everyone in the vicinity and threw back the closest people several feet. Namely, Phantom. It also included a generous dab of the red marker paint that had been in use earlier in the simulation. It painted the whole bus's insides red and also sprayed out and coated everyone around it.

Immediately the fighting died down as all the trainers saw what happened and abandoned their fighting positions. They all reverted to their regular human forms and quite a few seemed to grit their teeth in anticipation. Suddenly Pariah appeared, whether he had been cloaked by Phantasm or had been in hiding was unclear but the black-suited member of the League was present.

His orange goggles focused on where Phantom lay and he stood over here, presenting a striking figure as he stood over her and looked down. "If you wish to bad-mouth me, you can do it to my face as useless as your complaints would be. I'm not Zenith. I'm not Olympia. I don't coddle you and try to make you feel special and important. Because you're not. The mission is important. The public is important. Not your own safety and definitely not your own comfort. This is what you signed on for. Today your fellow initiates fought street-level punks and beat them into the ground. And the threats you face probably won't be much worse. But they will be. Eventually you'll be fighting monsters. Real monsters. With power and ferocity and savagery that you can scarcely imagine. We in the League are where we are because we learned, because we trained, because we got better. Do you know how many friends we lost due to rookie mistakes? Due to not preparing for the worst? Due to ego?"

Pariah leaned in, "I am preparing you for the worst. I am preparing you for the days that when the chips fly down and all that's left between the innocent and pure evil is you. I'm preparing you for the moments when you are broken, bloody, burn out. For the moments when you are near death's door and the odds you face seem impossible. But in those moments, you will either break and give up or you'll grit your teeth and do your duty because you serve a cause greater than your own. Not because you want to be a Hero, but because you have to be a Hero. For their sake."

"And as such I'm not gentle with you.It is better that you are tempered here than in a real fight when the lives of your friends and the lives of civilians are on the line. Real villains won't hold back. They won't show mercy. They won't pull their punches. They will want to win, and that means killing you. Or worse. So you have to be prepared for that. You weren't in any real danger, here at the Hall we could save you from almost anything. Even I'm not willing to cripple or kill you to prove a point. But your enemies will be. You have to start learning to work together as a team and put your ego aside in order to get the job done. Don't do things out of a personal vendetta. That get's people killed. You nearly blew this assignment for everyone on your team. Especially since you made your move without even consulting with them. That kind of reckless behavior is why street-level vigilantes like you die by the droves. You are going to be the standard of Heroism and you better start acting that way."

Pariah stared at Phantom, "I won't make any apologies and I don't expect any from you but you damn well better take what I said to heart. I was this close from failing the lot of you but you just barely passed the cut. Even with your little spiteful stunt. Any animosity you may feel towards the trainers you can damn well direct towards me. But you better lock it down, because you are going to follow my orders in the future. You all pass and you can follow Nitrous to the Induction, But you can make a choice, Can you set your personal feelings aside and be a hero for the people. Or can you not? Because the door is right there."

Chrome had returned to human form and he smiled a little at Furious, "I accept your offer. You gave a good fight kid, and if you ever need a sparring partner you can find me. We'll see if we can also teach you things like humility and patience." Chrome limped a little as he walked forward to Furious and out-stretched his hand.

All across the training room robots appeared to start repairing the damage and henchmen and trainers got trainees back to their feet. Ember approached Charlotte and Rolling Girl, "Sorry for all the heat but that's just a sign of how much I care. No hard feelings?" Bulwark did the same with Changeling and picked up his hammer offering his hand to the Fae, "Sorry if I came a little close there man." Phantasm appeared next to Strix and smiled, "You were a little hard on Colossus but the big guy doesn't hold a grudge. Hopefully you don't either." Phantasm showed him his pistol and drew out the clip which was loaded with the standard non-lethal rounds, "Even Pariah isn't that crazy. Truce?"

After that Nitrous the speedster suddenly appeared in the hall and beckoned them to join him. They were lead back to the pavillion where the rest of the heroes were gathered, those on training missions and away teams alike. Zenith stood by Olympia and the Founders along with Pariah who was the last to appear with his training group. Zenith's outfit bore a lot of scratches and marks of a pitched battle but the hero was all smiles. Those from Pariah's group were obviously in worse shape than the other training groups.

"All of you that stand here today, have proven something. You've proven that you have what it takes to make the hard choices and be the heroes this world needs to protect it from those who would use their power for evil. Whether you proved it in the training halls or in combat, you've all demonstrated you're worth. You are all now official Heroes of the League." Zenith and the Founders clapped and there came a massive round of cheers as the Heroes voiced their approval. Menagerie turned into an Elephant and trumpeted while Aurora lit up rainbow-like fireworks and Rainmaker cleared the skies so the Sun shone directly on the heroes. Those who were left were the cream of the crop, the serious heroes and they were proud.

Afterwards Psion stepped up and informed them of the Hall's facilities such a dormitories, the cafeteria, recreation areas, and gymnasium as well as the situation room, medical bays, science labs, investigation rooms, and the various other facilities available to them. Blast Girl and other injured heroes were hustled off to provide medical attention and Zenith dismissed the League for the day, informing them of the various activities available to them in the city including the Fortress, the only club and restaurant tailored to Superhumans in the Midwest. The rest of the day was for the newly minted heroes to seize, either to socialize, relax, or explore their new headquarters.

Before everyone left, Olympia informed the heroes that any that wished to assist in the investigation into the Bank and Mall attacks could meet her in the Situation Room and that was that. The day's challenges were over but there would be more to come.

While at first Chris had cringed slightly away from Charlottes magical touch expecting it to hurt, or at least be very uncomfortable, she was instead pleasantly surprised by the soothing feeling dripping over her shoulder. Although she made the horrible mistake of watching her burn slowly being devoured by dark tendrils of skin slithering over the wound and knitting the shoulder back to its original condition. Chris knew that the horrifying image would be stuck in her nightmares for the rest of her days.

Chris visible bristled at the mention of her hero name. She despised that name for many reasons such as not being a girl for starters, for crying out loud she was nearly thirty so how on Earth did the newspapers feel it decent to describe her as a girl!? Chris would’ve preferred ‘Rolling Woman’ or maybe even ‘Breakneck’ if she really wanted something cool.

Chris stayed quite while the red head, Shot Hot or was it the other way round, and her healer traded snide remarks hoping that they wouldn’t turn their attention on her. But as the red head quickly stopped the argument in its tracks, which Chris was glad of in this situation, Chris was quite to act and redirect the conversation.

“There are hostages in the bus behind those people fighting.” She stood up, rolling her shoulder tentatively to find that it worked without the slightest pang of pain. “You’re a speedster as well aren’t you? If we can get the bad guys distracted then us two can run in.” She pointed with both hands toward the battle. “Grab the hostages and run back out.” She then pointed in the opposite direction. “The problem is though getting through not just the shield surrounding the bus but also all the fighting and other henchmen all around it.” Chris added, thankful that the smouldering wreckage of the giant plant wall kept them out of sight and out of mind apparently.

Then the shield around the bus flickered out of existence. “YES!” Chris nearly leapt for joy. Finally they were making some actual progress, finally the prize was in sight, and finally they would be able to win this exercise! Suddenly the world went very white and very loud and then very black with a piercing ring as the only sound in the world.
She yelled in fright or at least she thought she did from the sensation of her jaw moving but other than that painful ring Chris couldn’t hear anything. Her unseeing eyes blinked furiously trying to work but still her vision remained resolutely black. After what felt like eternity the world slowly faded back into existence and the next thing she knew Ember had approached her very calmly with an apologetic smile. Chris flinched in surprise but didn’t bolt.

“Oh no, it’s fine, it’s fine, I’m fine.” Chris quickly waved away Embers apology and edging slightly closer to her nearby team mates. Chris wasn’t trying to be rude but this person had just put her through quite a bit of pain and Chris was feeling very vulnerable right now, especially when remembered how scary ember had looked.

As those who were still conscious were from the training room, Chris made sure to pick up her bag from where she had dropped it on the way out, and into the main hall for the speech Chris stayed close by Hot Shot and Charlotte seeing as they were pretty much the only other people she had interacted with during the exercise. Her shoulder felt very cold and Chris wondered where she would be able to buy a new jacket. It was just as well it got burned as the back was starting to come apart after her rolling so many times.

“So.” Chris let her arms swing. Adrenaline was still running rampant though her body, both from the exercise comprising of man near death experiences and the excitement of actually being part of the League, but she had no idea what to do with it. Maybe she could go for a run after chatting with these two. But how to start? Name, her name was always a good place to start. “My name is Chris. It’s. uh, nice to meet you two.” She threw in the compliment at the last minute as was custom for whenever you’re greeting someone knew. She hoped she didn’t seem too awkward.

The Spirit of St. Louis grinned as the announcement went out. She had been inducted into the League! Of course this would mean multiple commitments and deployments in the future, but in the meantime she grinned ear to ear. Sonja had to call her parents and her press agent, in that order, then make sure she picked up a few copies of the next day's Post-Dispatch, frame one of them for her place. The expansion of the League was going to be big news, but her hometown would naturally focus on its daughter. But first, there was something she had said she was going to do.

Sonja picked her way through the throng, and easily found Hi-Voltage, his tall lanky form standing out even in this crowd. She gave him a gentle nudge in the side. "Congratulations, Volt. We made it to the major league, stringbean. Now, how about you and I go down to this Fortress joint she mentioned and get ourselves a vodka tonic to celebrate? We'll probably see plenty of these people as well." She whipped off her sunglasses and held out her hand. "Sonja Simpson, by the way. Just so we're clear."

Hi-Voltage

Tommy refrained from cheering with the rest of the newly-minted League members, his ulterior motives for joining weighing heavy on him in the wake Zenith's speech about worthiness. Was it really worthy to use a group like this with the goal of hunting down and getting his revenge on someone, even a dangerous serial killer like Obsidian? The sinking in his gut was all probably the answer he needed.

Then there was this 'Legion' business to consider. The whole scene smacked of sinister, but Volt knew it would be beyond him to figure it out. He'd already outsourced the problem to Silvertounge, but even that might not be enough, as something told him this wasn't just an ordinary case. Probably take some serious grey matter to solve that mystery.

Maybe I should pass the details about 'Legion' onto Strix when I touch base about Obsidian. He might be a special kinda crazy, but he's still the smartest lad I've ever met, excepting maybe Szymon.

The owl-themed vigilante wasn't hard to spot so Volt was about to cross over to him when he was nudged by someone in the crowd.

His smile for Sonja only slipped a little when she called him slimbean (hardly the worst thing he had ever been called, but pretty damned far from the best too) She thrust her hand out and declared her full name. Volt hesitated, unsure if he wanted to share his fiercely guarded identity to her so soon, but also not wanting to alienate one of the only people he knew in America by refusing to tell her his name. He decided the best policy was to casually ignore this hurdle for the moment. He shook the proffered hand.

"Not likely to forget your name after you saved me from Boomer! Sure, the fortress sounds peachy. I could use a cold beer after today."

Furious

Furious shook Chrome's hand, all the animosity he had held for the man a minute ago melting away.

"Humility and patience have never been my strong suits," he answered ruefully. He followed the rest of the heroes to the pavilion, cheering louder than most upon finding out he had made the cut. It almost made the beating Chrome had given him worth it. Now he could take his first steps towards truly making a difference for his meta brothers and sisters who face persecution.

But first he would have to try and sleep of the days exertions.

Hot Rod

Hot Rod couldn't wait for the girl's response because just then Sentinel flew straight at them and Hot Rod had think fast before they were pulverized by the oncoming hero. Just then Pariah called off the training and Hot Rod was slightly annoyed, he had just gotten there and now the training session was over, damn my rotten luck he thought to himself as the heroes began gather once again as they headed out of the training room.

"It was no problem for me" Hot Rod said to Ember after she spoke to Chris and Charlotte. Ryker hoped that his lateness wouldn't get him into too much trouble with the founders of this league of theirs, after all he was one of the most popular American heroes, with him in the League then they would be famous all throughout the world. He smiled at the thought and couldn't wait to actually do some hero work or at least wow people with tales of his incredible encounters with his villainous foes. He cheered when Zenith gave her speech, he was now officially a League member and he hoped that the founders didn't mind him not making it in time to really help his comrades in the training room. He then heard Chis introduce herself and reffered him and Charlotte as you two.

"Don't you recognize me? I'm Hot Rod, you know the Fastest Man on Earth? America's most handsome superhero, The Supersonic Lady Killer, any of that ring a bell?" Hot Rod asked the other speedster surprised. Hot Rod was a celebrity, hell he had actions figures, several comic book series and even a cartoon about him on the television. He liked to think of himself as the most popular superhero in the country.

Gabriel

Gabriel was glad to be back at the hall of heroes and even though his powers would heal his wounds, he decided to go to the medical area and treat them. He was pleased that none of the hostages during their mission had died because to him it was better to make sure the innocent were alive and well than to let them die just the catch the criminals. The life and safety of the people are what really mattered to Gabriel and as St Michael he swore to never abandon the people when they need his help the most.

Walking along Chris frowned in concentration trying to place Hot Rods face, a few moments later her face lit up with realisation.

“Oh you’re that one.” She exclaimed, then realised what she had said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude but it’s just that, um, I’ve uh, met so many people with similar names.” Well this was going well. Chris had barely been speaking to the guy for more than a minute and already she had insulted him.

Feeling herself go a bit red Chris quickly attempted to fix the situation. “Not that your name isn’t unique and all, it’s just, I, um.” Chris very much wished the ground would swallow her up. He probably thought she was stupid and horrible and not worth being around. “I, uh, don’t really keep up with the news all that much.” She quickly looked away trying to hide her embarrassment.

She hated it when this happened. In that field talking to people was no problem but the moment she tried to socialise she would get all panicky and flustered worrying about what the other person thought of her and it was ten times worse if she had to go on stage and talk to hundreds of people.

Her eyes scoured the big hall they were no in hunting for the sign to the toilets so she could change and remove herself from the situation. She still needed to call her friends and family about the good news, as well as maybe sort out some other arrangements such as a hotel or something for the next few days while she got everything sorted out.

"Magic is perhaps one of the oddest facets of the Awakening, the Supernatural Arts have been in use for all of human history and even predates Humanity. Its forms are nearly infinite and its uses even more so. Magic allows a user to control the primordial forces of the Universe and it can come from anywhere: the light of the sun, the crackling of a thunder storm, the first smile of a newborn babe, belief in a deity, magic can come from anywhere. And to each and every different practitioner, Magic represents something different. There is no universal standard of the Art, though there are a few operating principles, an individual's use of magic is expressed by their unique beliefs, convictions, and personality. No two practitioners are the same and none can work magic that they could not believe in. Magic is as diverse, lively, chaotic, and widespread as humanity itself. Before the Awakening the secret community of magical practitioners was small in number, few had any degree of innate magical talent and even fewer were strong or skilled enough to be true Sorcerers. But for some reason still unknown to us the Awakening has resulted in a drastic increase in the magical population. Now one in a thousand have exhibited some degree of Magical talent from minor powers to the powerful talents of potential Sorcerers. There are now almost too many potential Sorcerers to keep track of. And though many of these young and inexperienced talents will not wish to do evil with their powers, there are some who will be tempted into falling into the Black Arts and we do not have the resources to keep track of them all. In the dark days ahead the Fellowship must adjust to changing times if it is to remain effective in this new post-Awakening world." - Alexander Lincoln, the current Archmage of the White Fellowship of Sorcery and the Sorcerer Supreme of Humankind

For those who would choose to sleep the stress of the day off there were seemingly endless dormitories that the League had set up in anticipation of its new members, but for the rest the night was young and Chicago held much to do, as any Metropolitan area did. The Hall itself was a hub of frenetic activity as many newly minted members struck off through the different buildings in impromptu celebration. For those who would go to the city, a veritable armada of vehicles awaited in front of the Hall to ferry League members to their destinations should they need it. The League had enlisted the services of an army of trained drivers to escort their members to whatever place they desired and the vehicles they drove ranged from small personal sedans to more opulent limos in which clusters of League members entered. The majority of these vehicles were headed for the Fortress which was the premier place for Superhumans to socialize in the entire Midwestern United States.

Whatever conveyance Sonja and Volt would choose, when they arrived at the Fortress they would witness quite a sight. The Fortress was quite large, taking up an entire city block and reaching up three stories with a large balcony. The Fortress had a sleek, modern exterior and was adorned by a capital F within a diamond, in a not at all subtle nod to a certain comic book hero. The building was bathed in light and this time of day on a Friday night, the Fortress was absolutely mobbed by crowds both Superhumans and regular mortals. Vehicles continually passed in front of the Fortress and dropped off club-goers while others flew in from the sky, arrived in a speedy blur, stepped out of glowing portals, or simply appeared out of thin air. The line to enter stretched all the way down the sidewalk and around the corner, and a gang of paparazzi lurked near the front door which was guarded by a pair of bouncers, one a large and thick-necked man who could only be a Bruiser and a smaller thin man next to him. The Bruiser would stop a potential club-goer and the thin man would star at them until he nodded and the Bruiser let them enter.

The crowd was an eclectic mix and a sample of the strange and diverse humanity that the Awakening had produced. Sorcerers in robes rubbed shoulders with mutants who had drastic bodily changes such as wings, fish-like skin and gills, cat-like fur, insectoid carapaces and even more. There were giants and small-sized dwarves, some literal. Almost every kind of sentient Supernatural half-blood or being was present as Vampires of all strains mixed in with Demigods of all pantheons. Some patrons had cybernetic limbs or body parts, and others were beings of living plant matter, slime, and various kinds of minerals and even types of energy. Even for metahumans that looked mostly human there were those whose skin, hair, or eyes had been mutated into shades, textures, and tones that were before only possible with drastic enhancement.

And the clothes they wore were even more eclectic. Spandex, Latex, Leather, and more were represented in catsuits, jackets, suits, dresses, tights, and outfits of all description and color. Some Sorcerers and Jedi Knights wore mysterious robes while Zenith-types wore tights and cape and Bruisers wore tight-skin compression shirts while other Superhumans strutted in their own dizzying mix of clothing. There was no uniform dress code and there were those who wore formal suits and dresses of all types while others wore clothes that bordered on indecency. But unlike the washed out amateurs at the Trials today, they had the body types to make it work. The majority of the club goers were active Superhumans whether they were heroes, or super movie stars, musicians, fashion icons, working professionals, reformed villains and more. Whether they were the upper-crust of Superhuman society or the untouchables they were immersed in the world of Superhumanity and they looked the part.

As they neared the entrance Sonja and Volt were accosted by Paparazzi yelling and screaming for pictures as they took pictures of the couple. They were recognized as premier heroes and doubtless supermarket tabloids would have a field day with the appearance of the two of them walking together into the Fortress would spawn endless speculation and countless sordid rumors if they didn't do anything about. Superhumans tended to dissuade the Paparazzi or disable their equipment with their cameras, and the pair might do well to choose to follow in that grand tradition.

Whatever they chose, the pair would go see the two Bouncers. The Bruiser, a former street-level meta gangster named Brick loomed over them while his partner stared at both of them and nodded. Brick opened the door and the vivid, uncut energy of the Fortress washed over them, The Fortress catered to many tastes and it was absolutely packed with superhuman patrons. Fast-paced Music played by a live band lead by an audiokinetic boomed in the air while a light-controller shifted the colors and tones of the dance floor into dazzling shades and patterns. The dance floor was large and crowded by an active group of Superhumans, all dancing with wild abandon as arms, legs, tentacles, claws, and more moved in time with the music.

A fully-stocked bar manned by a bartender who moved with lightning speed to serve any drink imaginable, took up a nearby wall and several characters filled up the stools. The bar and other areas were insulated by audio-dampening fields to give the other patrons a measure of peace from the loud dance floor. The walls were decorated in Superhuman paraphernalia from magazines, posters, and newspaper clippings featuring prominent Superhumans to framed costumes, models, equipment and more. Several large flat-screen displays showed various channels ranging from music to movies to sports and news. News about the League's formation and the various battles in Chicago dominated the news as well as headlines about the growing unrest along the Mexican border and escalating super-gang conflict in New York.

Another area on the first floor featured a massive arcade stocked with the latest in high-tech hologram projection and virtual reality simulators. Another was a small casino which featured an array of slots, and tables for games of all kind and even featured holographic displays of races, fights, and matches, many mundane events and some not so mundane such as Pegasus races and Superhuman cage fighting and zero-gravity ball games. The rest was taken up by various tables and couches forming areas for patrons to speak in conversation while the hustle and bustle of the first floor flowed over them, muted by the dampening fields. And everywhere they looked they could see famous Superhumans from Hollywood stars like Dahlia James, to musicians like the villain rapper Death Row, and quite a few heroes like Founders Nitrous and Aurora. Their colleagues were in attendance by force as they all celebrated their induction into the League. Quite a few patrons weren't Superhumans at all and not just non-powered heroes or celebrities, but a sizable group of normal club-goers wishing to experience the Fortress while others dressed in costumes and treated the affair like a costume party. Many of these costumed fans patterned their outfits after prominent Superhumans and Nitrous had a veritable army of fawning fangirls and fanboys.

Stairs lead to the second and third level which formed a square of railings that allowed patrons on the upper level to stare down on the chaos of the first level and could walk over it in an overhead walkway. Several patrons simply flew or floated in the air while others climbed up the walls or stretched up to reach the railings. The second floor was a restaurant which served any food imaginable to man and to several supernatural species besides. It featured a nice view of downtown Chicago as the patrons dined on the finest food, from Chinese to Mexican to Italian and more. Several potted plants of seemingly alien extraction were on display around the restaurant level, all beautiful and striking and some even seemed alive. And there was a large Aquarium display which featured exotic sea life and creatures that were of myth and legend such as the miniature dwarf Kraken or the equine sea horse.

The top floor featured a relaxed lounge area with an array of books and even some free high-tech computers which led out into a balcony that had an enormous swimming pool and several hot tubs which looked over the streets below. The balcony area featured another bar and softer music and was also crowded with those who were trying to relax during the night. The balcony area had a bare pad which allowed flyers to set down on the top and another pair of bouncers were present there, both of whom were flyers as well. In fact the entire Fortress had a couple dozen bouncers patrolling the area, breaking up potential fights and calming disturbances with words and professionalism but they obviously weren't afraid to resort to powers or weapons.

No matter what they choose to do, the Fortress offered nearly limitless entertainment and Sonja and Volt had the whole club at their disposal and the whole night ahead of them.

Sonja sighed as she glared angrily at the paparazzi, brushing her way past them, maybe a little too closely. Once the two bouncers nodded them through, she burst into giggles as she shoved her hand into her pocket. "You'd think they'd learn by now!" she chuckled, holding her hand up so Volt could get a look. She clutched several rolls of film, a few SD cards from digital cameras. "I didn't even have to use actual magic, just good old-fashioned sleight-of-hand. Learned to do that back in junior high." With a snort, she tossed the stuff into the nearest trash can. "Next time give it your A game, jackasses."

As they passed through the foyer into the club proper, Sonja's breath caught in her throat. She had never actually been to the Fortress, despite her minor celebrity status and partygirl nature. She had been to several metahuman-friendly clubs in her time but. . .this. Wow. She had met other sorcerers who had claimed to travel to other dimensions, parallel worlds far beyond the comprehension of normal men.

Sonja had never been to any of those places, but she felt the Fortress might help prepare her for that.

She gawped about for perhaps a full minute before coming to her senses. She was going to have to remember this place. But in the meantime. . .

Sonja reached back blindly, grabbed Volt's hand, dragged him along to the bar. Even with the bartender's speed, it took a moment before he was able to get to them. "I'll take a vodka tonic, and whatever he's getting," she said with a point to Volt. Should probably keep it to one, just in case more trouble emerged. She tapped her credit card on the counter, intending to open a tab. Sonja considered a moment. Hell, it was a company card. She could write this off under her PR budget. "You know what, any League member comes in here tonight gets a drink on me. Just one, though- I want to still have credit in the morning." She felt generous, and besides, wouldn't hurt to get on her new teammates' good sides- her life might depend on them. "I'm sure they'll like that," she said with a smile to Volt. "Want to get a table up in the restaurant?"

Hot Rod was astonished by the sight of all the superhumans at the fortress and he readjust his cowboy hat from sight of the place. This place looks cooler than a giant eagle fighting a monstrous rattlesnake he thought to himself and he quickly looked around the exterior of the building. When he got close enough to the entrance, Ryker was then surrounded by the paparazzi trying to all take photos of him. He was glad that wearing sun glasses was a part of his costume and had he not been wearing then he not only would have had his identity personally revealed, he would also have been terribly blinded from the bright flashes of light. Hot Rod loved the attention that the public gave him and now was even more of a big shot time to let everyone know that. After he was done showing off to the cameras, Hot Rod dashed into the fortress at superhuman speed and he quickly came up Sonja and Volt sharing a drink. Hot Rod decided to socialize and possibly get to know who each other were.

"So are you two here on a date?" Hot Rod asked with a slight grin at the joking question. Many people in this place recognized him, after all whoever could not when he was named the Supersonic Lady killer, and Ryker was proud of all the titles that he was remembered by and it made him feel great to be a superhero with superhuman speed

One quick wash and change later - Luckily Tommy had brought his spare costume, years of getting his butt kicked by bad-guys had taught him that his outfits rarely lasted long – and they were standing outside one of the most imposing buildings Volt had ever witnessed. Americans. . . Always over compensating. The bright and the beautiful were out in their droves tonight, making the Lightning-Slinger feel remarkably under dressed. In all honesty he had never even seen this many Super's in one place, but then he'd never really gone in for the glitzy or social lifestyle that seemed to have sprung up around many heroes. Still, it was a sight to see.

Sonja traversed the crowd like a seasoned pro, save for bumping into a few paparazzi. Volt did the opposite, stumbling awkwardly into ever second person he passed yet giving the paps a wide berth. He'd never been on good terms with their kind, reckoning that a sure fire way to loose his secret identity would be to pose for one too many photo's. That and they never get my good side. That said, it'd be hard to photograph something that ain't there. The bouncers waved them in easy enough, making Volt wonder if they'd been pre-warned that the newly minted League members were on their way earlier. As they entered Sonja started to snicker as she revealed tiny reels of film and SD cards, apparently stolen from the creatures outside. Hi-Voltage couldn't help being impressed. Neat trick, I'll have to ask her how its done. Though I reckon I should probably be showing more concern at her casual pick-pocketing, since I'm now part of the worlds première superhero group.

His train of thought stopped dead though, at sight of the otherworld he had stepped into. Volt had heard stories about the fortress, but even his wildest dreams hadn't come close to the reality. The sounds, the lights, the smells, the people, all of it was so far out of the norm that he thought he must slipped, hit his head and gone to hell. And it was a hell to the Lightning-Slinger, this garish temple to superheroes was his own special form of torture. He spotted a poster of himself hanging up on one of the walls and he nearly blew up. Daniel would have loved it here.

Before he embarrassed himself by making some kinda scene Sonja grabbed his hand and dragged him to the bar, offering to get his drink, and any other League member that walked in tonight. Usually he'd refuse to let a lassie get the first round in, but right now. . . A drink'll help wash the bad taste outta my mouth, and maybe this place'll look better when I'm half-cut.

“Uh. . . I'll have a beer please.” he said, for which he received an incredulous eyebrow raise from the bartender.

“What kind of beer would you like?” Asked the barman, a good deal more smarmy than Volt felt the situation called for.

“One in a glass.” He growled in return, his accent a good deal more pronounced now he was getting angry. The day he had and the place he was in conspiring to foul his mood something awful. The bartender realised that the Scotsman wasn't in a mood to argue any more, so served him the closest beer that came to hand. Volt drank half of it in a swallow, before realising how churlish he was being.

“Uh, cheers Sonja.” he was about to reply to her question about the restaurant when he was interrupted by an unknown speedster. A speedster with no social decorum.

“Why you asking, you interested in me too?” Deadpanned Volt, jerking his head at Sonja as if to say 'Who is this guy?'

Sonja Simpson

"Wait, I know you," Sonja said to the newcomer. "You're Hot Rod, right? Out of Texas? I think I saw you at the induction ceremony." She put aside the legendary (to Missourians, at least) rivalry between Missouri and Texas long enough to give the man a warm handshake. "Nice to meet you! Sonja Simpson. The Spirit of St. Louis, if we're being official. But we're all off the clock at the moment, right? Hey, tell the bartender you just got into the League, he'll give you a drink on me."

She laughed off the question about her and Volt. "No, not a date. Just getting to know my teammates." She patted the empty barstool next to her with an inviting smile. "Join the fun!"

Sixgun

"Padre, can you make it louder?"

"The usual phrase is 'turn the volume up', Ben," the priest observed as he fiddled with the remote control. The Phoenix news station came through louder as the anchors excitedly reported on the events in Chicago. Hostages freed from a bank and a shopping mall, several dangerous supervillains behind bars, the League more than doubled in size. Ben Brady, formerly known as Ben Black, watched with interest. Though the idea of seeing and hearing people in Chicago even as they spoke confused him a little, television was one thing he had readily adapted to. It was good to know what was going on in the world.

"A lot of the lawmen down at the saloon were wagging chins about this," Ben said reflectively. "Wasn't sure, myself. But this might be a force for good in the world, Padre."

Father Julio Ochoa, handsome and dignified with a touch of gray at the temples, arched a single eyebrow at Ben. In lieu of ever throwing a punch, that single arched eyebrow was Ochoa's best move, capable of stopping most men in their tracks. "Or it might be an ego-driven publicity exercise."

"Even if it is, Padre, they still did some good today. Folk in that bank or that big ol' general store wouldn't alive if not for this here League," Ben pointed out. "Might be worth checking out. I tell you what, I'm going to get tickets on the next train to Chicago and look into joinin' up."

"The next train?" Father Ochoa asked. "Wouldn't it be better to take a plane?"

"If God intended man to fly, He would have given us wings, Padre," Ben said. "Trains I know. Rode on plenty, robbed my share of them. Train it is."

"Just don't rob this one, Ben."

"Those days are behind me Padre," he said as he hauled out a suitcase. "Got to look forwards now."

Hot Rod laughed really hard at Volt's reply and responded, "No, no I was just curious and there's no need to be so serious, it's like a club in here, relax and have fun."

He then turned to look at Sonja when she said that she recognized him and introduced herself. He shook her hand in a glad way and said, "It is nice to meet you Sonja, As you already know my hero identity is Hot Rod, my real name is Ryker Charleston. I've heard about you Miss Simpson, is it true that you draw your power from the magic of St Louis and it is dependent on the people believing in you?"

Ryker was glad that he was able to start up a conversation with someone who seemed more outgoing than the Scotsman. If they were going to be part of a team then proper communication would be very helpful in developing teamwork. He then ordered himself a beer and was thirsty for anything good. Once the beer came he really enjoyed the flavor and knew almost instantly that it was good beer.

Yeah, sure, relax. It would take a metric ton of weed for Volt to relax in a place like this, and even then the lighting would probably freak him out. He took a gulp from the beer that the tender had slammed in front of him. His face scrunched at the less than terrific taste, and he idly wondered if the barman had poisoned it out of spite. He could just see the head lines now – Leagues Newest Member Falls to Bartender. Nobody Surprised. But no, the only criminals here were the American macro-brewers who made this travesty against grain.

He listened in silence as Ryker and Sonja chatted, again be surprised at how easy they traded identities. It was an odd thing to hear, back across the pond a secret identity was something that heroes protected zealously, except British Bulldog, otherwise known as Barry Stuart, who had always been in it for the fame and fortune and told the press his real name almost the day he revealed himself to the world. It could just be the cultural divide, like American ostentatiousness versus British reserve, but he realised it was something more important than that. Sonja Simpson and Ryker Charleston weren't just happy to be The Spirit of Saint Lewis and Hot Rod, they were proud to be heroes. They were willing to stand up and own their choice to don costumes and fight for the little guy, because it was a choice they had willingly made. For Tommy Springsteen though, being Hi-Voltage was a penance and a punishment. It was him paying for the death of a friend and the shirking of responsibility. It was a trial he knew he could never escape, and just because he was good at it didn't make it any less of one.

He was aware that he'd been awkwardly quiet for a while now “So, the League huh? What do you folks reckon they'll have us doing then? I'm pretty good at getting cat's outta trees myself, but I doubt they brought me all the way to Chicago for that.” It was a pretty poor opener, he knew, but it was also a valid point.

"That's more or less how it works, yes," Sonja said with a smile, though inwardly she groaned. She didn't mind being a celebrity, but Barclay-Hoffmeyer had some overenthusiastic PR people. She'd have preferred the entire world didn't know the exact source of her magic- anyone would half a brain would be able to figure out ways to attack and undermine her using that information.

She heard Volt's question, and cocked her head. "You know, that's a pretty good question. I mean, teamwork is valuable, we all saw that today. But is this supposed to be an active or reactive group? I mean, are we going to make first strikes on threats or just run out the door every time a bank gets robbed? I don't know."

"The league will have us fight the bad guys like we normally do but this time we will a part of team, which is very beneficial, it'll mean less civilian casualties and less property destruction. Also as a team we can fight of the greater threats that one hero can't do alone. They will probably have us train regularly together so that we improve our teamwork and probably see which heroes works in a team environment and which ones don't, some heroes are more of the lone wolf type of heroes" Ryker said to Sonja and Volt.

He took another sip of his beer and said, "Well that's my opinion on the matter. I tell ya this league would have been a lifesaver when I saved several blocks of Austin Texas from being blown up by Bomber Man, I barely made it out of that act of heroics in one piece and he still managed to blow a couple of buildings in the process. If I had the League helping then there would have been any casualties."

Ryker didn't like to think about the super villain since that battle was one of his worst as a lone hero and the explosions made him think of Alex.