[b] Entry Hall [/b] 

Jennifer stared at Khobold and and nodded, "Anima can assist you with all the necessary forms and screening by an established member. You'll be scheduled for evaluation and interviewing soon enough." She turned her attention back to Doppler and One, "We're simply going to be having a meeting here. If I was going to kill you, I would have done so already." She turned her head toward Anima and nodded, suddenly Anima's discomfort faded her own empathic psyche being shielded from One's presence by Jennifer's strong mind though the Founder obviously took on a look of concentration. 

Anima coughed and said, "We can do many things. Help people get a hold on their powers. Help those who need it with our powers, bringing a sense of purpose to many of our members. We protect our own and we protect those who can't protect themselves. That's what we're trying to do here, serve and protect." Jennifer nodded and gestured to four men and women who stepped up, "Let's get you into a meeting room. We'll enact the same process with you as anyone else. Next time try not to blindside us with a display." 

[b] Common Room [/b] 

Emily rubbed at her face. She'd never had this kind of trouble with recruits before. She was going to have to start talking to Zenith about letting in all the strays. Emily sighed and stared down at Cordella, one of her friends moving to Agnes's side and pulling her up to her feet while not quite restraining her. She hovered in front of Sonja, Cordella, and Volt not letting them past. She nodded and Sonja and spoke, "Think about where you are right now. To get in you have to pass the latest in bleeding edge sensor technology and magical detection wards. There are sensors everywhere scanning for dangerous substances or spells. Agnes's psych eval showed that she was no longer a harm to society but that she would retain her... obsessions. Her antics were somewhat expected by the leadership and every member's personal profiles is already publicly available to all of you." She glared at Volt who she considered a friend, "Do you know how many dangerous superhumans, they are who aren't content being civilians? If we don't get a handle on them who will? Would you rather we put out everyone who had even the slightest criminal record or personal issue? Of would you rather we help everyone through those kinds of things?" 

"The entire time you were here I was in the room. My senses are as good as Zenith's. I could smell that Agnes' toys weren't deadly. And Sonja you know Thomas doesn't do shoddy work, his spirit would have known if anything was coming. Why didn't I tell you? Well because I thought you could have trusted in us to ensure your protection and that you wouldn't have needed us to tell you everything that you needed to now. That you would have deduced on your own that there was no danger. Obviously I was wrong and I apologize for that, because I understand your concerns and my own mistakes in the matter. In the future I'll make certain to inform you of any and all important developments. Such as the fact that you were planning to assault your own members Cordella. I could hear your heart beating, I could see the heat coursing through you, I could practically taste your anticipation. And I trusted it wouldn't be a problem because I thought you could restrain yourself." 

She nodded at her friend who held Agnes tightly and firmly, "We can't let this slide obviously and we'll have to confiscate Agnes' possessions, put her on probation, revoke her privileges and access until such time as we determine she's fit to be out and about." She looked down and realized she had made a mistake in not intervening sooner, letting poor Volt take all the responsibility, "I apologize for my failure to act sooner and distressing you in the process." Emily looked at Agnes again and her stare turned hard as her skin, "Don't try this kind of thing again Agnes. Next time you may not have me around to help you survive it." She was pushed out the door and Emily turned back to Cordella, "Now you may leave if you wish and take Sonja up on her offer, she's good for it. Take your severance pay, your possessions, and go. You'll continue to receive post-membership benefits. Or you can stay and let us both correct our mistakes and do something meaningful with your life besides stealing and robbing. We are far from perfect but we're the only thing standing between the supervillains and the general populace." 

Emily's voice turned to granite, more akin to Pariah than her cousin, "Either way stop bitching and do what you have to do." 

[b] Marconi's Estate [/b] 

Bender lost his gun and his eye's widened as Sixgun's fist closed up to him. The punch landed with a sickening crunch and Bender began choking grasping at his neck with his unbroken hand and trying to scream from the pain through his ruined neck. The once proud and strong gangster had been struck down low. There was no cheering or catcalls but a palpable sense of satisfaction seemed to emanate through the air. Music walked up to Sixgun and nodded at Bender, "He is useless to me now. Even if he survives he is broken. Congratulations Mr. Ross. There's just one last thing." Music stared at Bender's wracking body and looked Ross dead in the eyes, "Shoot him. Put him out of his misery." 

[b] Slaughterhouse [/b] 

The woman cackled, "Ah. I see the low lord has gotten a new lease on life. I had thought the old has-been was put of his misery. And you've taken care of all the chaff apprentices, they were useless anyway but I could have profited more from their deaths. No matter, death comes to all sooner or later. But you and your lord shall go sooner than us." The supervillains all laughed and the three heroes formed in a circle, St. Michael still trying to batter his way through the circle that held him, holding back a flurry of blasphemous curses. 

"I wonder why you're here? A zebra never changes its strips and pawns of demon lords are much the same. Could it be you're up to something less than heroic. Something the League doesn't know about?" Furious and Arachnid looked at him questioningly but didn't saw anything. She waved a hand, "No matter this does not concern you. Any of you really. Except for him." She pointed at Furious. 

"You. Relinquish yourself and your comrades will be free to go. No harm will be brought to you and yours as long as you cooperate." Furious was about to say something but Arachnid cut him off with, "Fuck that." She raised her pistol and fired. The bullet bounced off of a shimmering field around the woman and she sighed, "Kill them save the boy hero." She waved her hands and streams of shadowy tentacles wrapped around Abaddon, constricting him and sending him to the floor. 

The villains charged ahead at once and Arachnid fired a web at the circle over St. Michael. The web broke the circle's integrity and St. Michael was free. He yelled and a flash of brilliant light blew away half of the villains to their feet. St. Michael yelled, "Go!" He He severed the tentacles holding Abaddon and kicked at a monster who seemed to be living rock sending him to the ground. Michael backed off as the group ran towards the exit. Suddenly he screamed in pain when the robed woman sent a stream of brimstone-reeking fire at him. He crashed into the ground and the stone man raised his foot to stomp Michael. The hero grunted in pain and blood shot out of his mouth. Furious yelled, giving the child to Abaddon and charging. Arachnid cursed at fired her pistol at the rest of the villains fending them off but doing no visible damage to them as the rounds bounced off of other shimmering barriers. 

The stone man was about to stomp St. Michael again when Furious barreled into him crashing him into a wall. Furious picked up St. Michael and said, "Get the hell out. I'll hold them off. Get the League." Michael was about to protest but Furious dove into the main group of villains, wildly lashing about and striking everywhere. He grabbed a villain by the neck and was pressed into a mob hands and feet trying to push the struggling hero to the ground. The woman turned towards Michael and fired another inferno. Michael blocked it with his sword and was forced back several feet sweating for once under the heat. 

Furious punched a man in the head and his head snapped back with a crunch. He kicked a man in the stomach and it caved right in. An elbow smashed another face into a bloody pulp as a foot broke a leg sending a man sprawling to the ground before his neck was broken by the same foot. Furious snapped the neck of the man he was holding and then he was forced to the ground. The rest of the villains raised their hands and began blasting fire, lightning, ice, and all manner of projectiles and energy at the fleeing heroes. 

St. Michael cursed and flew away yelling, "Fall back! To the flyer!" A man stepped up to pursue but the woman stopped him smiling, gesturing back to Furious who had been pressed to the ground by the recovered stone man, his foot squarely on his back. She cackled, "Don't bother. We have our prize." Furious yelled and it echoed in Arachnid and Michael's ears as they fled for their lives and away from their friend.

[b] Cook County Jail [/b] 

It started off as all big things did. Small. A young thin man walked up to a group of meta-prisoners laughing and cursing. One of them stepped up to face him as everyone else in the yard watched. The man got right in the bruiser's face and pushed him with absolutely no effect. The bruiser slugged him and he flew threw the air into a group of other inmates. It turned ugly instantly. 

The inmates who had been toppled over rushed at the group of metas, pressing into them and being forced back. Bands covered their heads making them unable to use their powers except for passive abilities such as the bruiser's strength. The guards shouted and guns were pointed as the yard erupted into violence and shouts. One man hurriedly went to lock the gate when suddenly blood dripped out of his nose, ears, and mouth. He gurgled wetly and dropped to the floor, leading it wide open. The other guards did the same and every armed guard within fifty feet had blood running out of their noses and mouths dropping their guns. 

The inmates broke up their fight and in unison they all shouted rushing through the doors and picking up guns as sirens began to wail the shouts and sounds of violence rising and rising. The young man who had been thrown to the ground got up and grinned, his features changing until suddenly he was a tall and reedy man in his mid-thirties, his eyes a blank grey. He whistled and began walking out the gate, nails sharpening to long claws. He kept whistling as he slit the throat of the guard by the gate and picked up his keys, the whole motion nonchalant as the guard began choking on his own blood. 

Further on the outskirts of the prison guards were shouting and gates began locking as officers donned their armor and equipment preparing to fight back the riot. A man shouted and said, "What about all the freaks!" His younger subordinate said, "Everyone's inhibitors are still active!" The man sighed, "Thank god. Without those we're toast." The young man looked out the window leading into the outside world. His eyes widened, "OH MY GOD!" A massive fireball went right through the main gate and slammed into a wall sending up a pall of smoke. Suddenly another fireball appeared and both of the guards saw the fireball heading right towards them before it crashed into the tower. 

A young dark skinned woman sashayed up to the entrance and began firing fireballs indiscriminately left and right, flanked on either side by several dozen plainclothes men and women. Her entire body turned into a flaming corona and she rocketed forward melting right through the entrance and into the prison as smoke started climbing up to the air and the screams started. 

[b] Maroni's [/b] 

It was one of many fine establishments in downtown Chicago that catered to the upper class and their palettes. The difference was that it was owned and operated as a front for the Chicago Outfit. Marconi's young wife and their four children were having lunch along with a large part of more than a dozen of their family members, mostly women, seniors, teenagers, and young children. The children babbled happily as the teens joked and their elders gossiped under the watchful eyes of a veritable squadron of suited guards. 

The restaurant was at it's busiest time and servers bustled around to accommodate the absolutely packed restaurant that occupied half a block and two stories. The kitchens and back areas were busy as well and a busboy went out into the alley entrance to dump some trash when he turned to see a young girl of no more than twelve. He smiled at her and asked, "Are you lost? Where's your mommy and daddy?" 

The girl smiled, blue eyes sparkling and blonde curls framing her pale face as she said, "Six feet under." She giggled and then jumped on the man, making him shout in surprise, the girl smiled and kept smiling when she ripped out his throat with her teeth. She lapped up the gushing blood and held down the weakly struggling young man until he stopped moving. She got up and wiped off her mouth covering her mouth with her hands to soften a ladylike belch, "Excuse me that was a bit rude." 

A large figure muttered his voice rumbled, "He could have been used as a hostage. That's one of the reasons we're here." She waved a hand said airily, "One mortal here of there is of no consequence." The insectoid monstrosity didn't argue and burst into the door, shrieking in a keening bug like howl and eliciting shouts and screams as the young girl followed on his tail with several others. 

At the same time a boy was looking out the second story window bored out of his mind. Then he saw a shimmer and frowned. He leaned in closer in time for a ghostly figure to phase right through the window and next to the boy's table. The transparent shade of a human solidified until it turned into a tall and broad-shouldered and black haired Caucasian man. He smiled at the boy and winked before drawing a gun and firing in the air as a woman crashed through the window and a man suddenly appeared out of thin air with another man and woman at his side. 

This happened at the same time the front entrance was taken off it's hinges and a high-pitched sound filled the air. The door slammed into a pair of restaurant staff and a thin and short man walked into followed by a dozen others. One of them, a young hispanic woman drew two guns and began firing her rounds striking all of the guards in quick succession and spraying blood and brain matter of the walls, patrons, and now unappetizing dishes. The tall blonde woman next to her fired off rapid spikes of ice that caught the ones she hadn't gotten in their necks or chest. It had all happened in perhaps ten seconds. 

The last body his the floor as the last figure a tall and striking black man cleared his throat and said, "Sorry for interrupting your meals folks. But we are todays entertainment and we're going to be taking care of you for the moment. Be a good audience, turn off all cell phones, remain in your seats, and be quiet or we're going to have to burn the house down." The screams started, mostly those of feminine or young voices, and he smiled waving his hands and motioning for his comrades to move forward nonchalantly picking up a table and placing it where the doors had been. 

[b] The Hall [/b] 

A constant blaring siren sounded as red lights began flashing, the voice of a young man the technopath Binary spoke, "Red Alert. Red Alert. Two Code Red Events. There is a riot and breakout in progress at Cook County Jail and a hostage situation in downtown Chicago. All available members this is not a drill. Zenith and Olympia have already departed to Cook County Jail, all active duty members with potent field abilities are to report to the transports. The rest shall assemble the atrium to meet for the hostage situation. Repeat this is not a drill all members report." 

Mike shouted at the woman and she stopped the barrier as the audience members stood up, "Ok fellas we're going to have to settle this later. Get to the transports!" The heroes in the training center all shouted and suited up, some already speeding off or flying to the jail. In the sorcery circle Thomas held up his arms and was suddenly clad in golden armor, white cloak falling to the floor as the mages ran for the entrance. Henry's head snapped up at the alarm and he cursed running over to what looked like an exo-skeleton strapped on the wall mumbling as he hurried into it. He shouted at Ras, "Come on we have to go!" Jennifer cursed in the hall and pointed to Khobold, Doppler, and One, "We need you! Come on!" Emily cursed and pointed to Agnes and her escort, "Get her to the lock-up!" Emily flew out the room and past Sonja, Cordella, and Volt not bothering to check if she would be followed. They would either come of they wouldn't. 

Most of the League had already begun leaving for the massive crisis on Cook County and any of the new members who could contribute where free to help them, the rest were headed for the atrium as the League began planning it's counter.