The Sewers
Wire kept walking along, the sewer somehow getting even more filthy as he travelled deeper into it. In the dark, dank, and disgusting sewer he kept walking along until he heard another sound. Definite sound, the tones of breathing coming up ahead in the dark.
The Estate
Marconi nodded and took the phone, grimacing, "We lost a lot of men today. But they knew what they were in for." He pursed his lips and nodded at Sixgun, "Go ahead, bring in your guys. We need all the muscle we can get." Beside him Music stared blankly at Sixgun. Marconi handed the phone to one of his flunkies and he sighed, "Those bastards are gonna pay. If nothing else they're gonna pay. They crossed the fucking line."
He looked at Sixgun and said, "You did good Ross, I had a good feeling about you from the start. Fontana will show you to the guest quarters, take the rest of the day off. You're going to need the rest for tomorrow." Fontana nodded and escorted Sixgun and the other surviving hirelings to the not as massive but plenty extravagant guest house. He showed them in and promptly left, leaving them to their own devices. And leaving Sixgun to do his own snooping.
The Den
Morningstar found herself in one of the seediest neighborhoods in the city, one that hadn't been pulled into a new area of gentrification like much of Chicago. The streets were barely paved and at this time of day, almost nobody walked around. Weeds grew through the sidewalk and several buildings had boarded up windows. Trash littered the ground and broken down hulks of cars dotted the street.
At night this place took on new life as the new found hub of illicit entertainment in the city, but at day it's nature was clear. The air was heavy with an oppressive presence, one that made the few pedestrians hurry their steps to their destinations. Perhaps it was the urban decay and almost palpable sense of corruption in the neighborhood. But perhaps it was something else.
The Den was the largest building on the street, a three-story affair that took up half a block. An unlit neon sign proclaimed its name and it seemed completely deserted. The steel doors were shut and further investigation would reveal the same for the alley and back entrances. The windows were covered with metal shutters and a few cars with blacked out windows stood in front of the building. Around the building were several loiterers, in pairs or alone. They all wore hooded jackets and had their hands in their pockets. The Den was close to other buildings and on the rooftop the access door was cracked open.
Maroni's
Locust shrieked as Ocean Warrior's pincer clamped down on him. Killshade's and Pariah's bullets cracked his chitin, staining his plates with blood. Locust backhanded Ocean Warrior with a pincer, adding a deep cut across his cheek. MC's sudden appearance and spell confused Locust who suddenly found himself colored pink. He almost had time to squawk in confusion before Pariah jumped forward and and shoved a concussion grenade in his maw. The grenade exploded and Locust fell down to the floor with a screech of pain before he blacked out.
Pariah reloaded, "Get the wounded out to the ambulances, CPD will assist in securing the area. Bring the downed villains to the VTOL. We're taking them back with us to the Hall. Move." He was about to depart after cuffing Villa before turning and saying, "I expect after-action reports by tomorrow. And you all performed adequately." Pariah stared at Rift Hound, "If you're interested in helping any further, come with us." He pulled Villa to her feet and shoved her in the direction of the VTOL where the cops had decided to remand Salvation into the League's custody. Pariah spotted Neon and nodded, "A little late but good work. You can hitch a ride with us."
The Prison
The Warden's office didn't offer much. There was an unused fire extinguisher on the wall next to the man and his hostage and there was a heavy file cabinet diagonal and behind the villain. The sprinklers had not activated in the room and the overhead lighting occasionally sparked and coughed out smoke. Apogee herself stood stock still, debating whether or not her Heat Vision was quick enough to subdue the man.
The man himself laughed, "I have all the cards hero. With this beautiful toy here, I can tap into the brains of every living soul in this building. The ones who don't die from hemorrhaging will have trouble cleaning up after themselves. Now that wouldn't stop your friends outside from blowing this place to all hell and me with it. So it's in our best interests for you to let me go." His gun pressed into the whimpering Warden's head, "And even if you somehow stop me from scrambling everyone's brains this one will lose his. And you heroes get all up and bothered by that kind of thing don't you?" The man smiled, showing rows of perfectly straight white teeth. His blue eyes shined with a barely restrained maniacal glee.
Inside Maximum Security, the worst of the worse were free. They included the body snatcher Xaxx, who could project his own spirit and forcibly control another's body. He was renowned for making people commit suicide, murder each other, and even rape the ones they loved most. His motives remain completely unknown. Then came Knightmare, a metahuman hitman who could enter a person's mind, usually when they slept and appeared as a hulking Black Knight before killing them in their dreams, his victims dying in real life from sheer terror and panic.
Next was Sarco, a man who had mutated into a giant crocodile-like humanoid. His scales could deflect bullets and he could break a grown man in two under his taloned grip. He was an outcast for his mutant nature and had went on a rampage devouring a slew of people in Cleveland before being captured. After him was the Behemoth, a metahuman that once enraged morphed into ten foot tall, super-strong rage monster. He rampaged through Indianapolis, killing a score of people and injuring dozens, before Zenith took him down.
Then came the Reaper, who with a touch could drain a person's vitality to increase her own power, if she touched someone long enough they would die. Her powers had led to one accidental killing and she became addicted to it, literally stealing the lives of more than a dozen people in Omaha, before Pariah stopped her. Pestilence was one of the extremely rare disease controller Metahumans, and had made a fortune in curing patients with terminal illnesses. However he also double-dipped by contracting discrete assassination services to the Outfit. Nobody is sure how many he killed before he was discovered.
Diluvian was one of the nation's most powerful hyrdokinetics, able to transmutate himself into water as well as control large bodies of it. He had flooded a Detroit neighborhood and drowned almost a hundred people before being taken down. When asked why he simply stated he thought the neighborhood was filthy to the core and needed to be purged. Sickle was a size-changer, able to shrink down to microscopic sizes. He had been a scientist and used the power to advance his studies before he was found to be experimenting on humans, his own co-workers and family without them ever knowing. Sickle's case had ended in the gruesome deaths of several officers before his arrest.
The Growth was present as well. He had started out as a farmboy in the middle of Kansas when the Awakening mutated him, giving him the power to turn into an amorphous blob, able to elongate his mass and grow by dissolving material in his blob body. He had kept trying to get bigger, eventually moving onto animals before absorbing his family. He went on a spree through his home town and had devoured dozens before being stopped. Sanguine was the token Supernatural, a newly minted Blood Mage who had developed his powers through ritualistic sacrifice and had amassed a large cult before being defeated by Olympia. They never found all the bodies of the children he took.
The Schizoid Man was one of the most powerful psychics alive in America and was hopelessly insane. His random travels had broken the minds of many inadvertently before Psion and Destiny had barely managed to rein him in, the League's Premier Telepath and Sorcerer just strong enough together to allow his capture without killing him or harming anyone else. Now that he was free of his inhibitor the voices came back and the Schizoid slipped back into Insanity. With him was the Siren, a woman who combined sonic powers and strong empathic powers. With her voice alone she could cause fear, despair, rage, as well as peace, happiness, and contentment. She had been a prostitute before her powers turned her into an even more demanded commodity. She had tired of the oldest profession and turned to Professional killing, responsible for the death of several criminal bosses before her capture.
The greatest black mark on America's heroes was also present. Polaris, the North Star. He had been a hero since the first days of the Awakening, fighting the good right next to Zenith, Olympia, Psion, and the others with his awesome photokinetic powers. Polaris was at one point as famous and beloved as Zenith or Olympia, perhaps even more so with his good looks, charm, powers, and daring exploits. However he had lost it when a Supercriminal gang found out his secret identity and murdered his family. Polaris had wiped the gang off the face of the Earth and went on a vigilante spree, murdering suspected criminals in broad daylight. His rampage had also taken the life of several innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. It had taken a dozen heroes including Zenith, Olympia, and Pariah to work together to subdue their old friend. He was also the only one who still had his inhibitor on.
They were the worst of the worst of Metahumanity between the two coasts. And they were all free. The shapeshifter who freed them turned around to face the interloper and snarled, "She lies. I am here to free all of you." The inmates seemed unsure of themselves, split on the issue. The Schizoid could have easily reported the truth but was busy drowning in the sudden deluge of voices. Polaris grimaced, "It doesn't feel like Thomas. But without my powers, I cannot be sure." Polaris glared at the shifter, "And even if you speak truly. Why should I work with criminal scum like you?" Sarco roared, "I say we kill them both just to be sure." The group seemed to be reaching that consensus, to the Shifter's dismay when another voice spoke up.
It was feminine and while sultry, carried an edge of malice, "That one is a hero. I'd recognize her from anywhere." The woman walked up to reveal an old friend of Sonja's. Sarin, who could transmutate herself into an self-compelling cloud of poisonous gas. Sarin laughed and stepped forward, "Remember me hero? You... embarrassed me quite thoroughly last we met. I didn't take it well. It seems my hate ratcheted up my powers. And you never know how desperate some of these guards can get for a woman. I managed to poison a whole cell-block before they put the collar back on me. All for practicing on you," Sarin seemed to be quite gleeful as she sighed, "That one is real. You may go if you like." Her eyes narrowed before she turned into a human-shaped cloud of yellow gas, "But I'm killing her first"
Immediately Siren, Sickle, and Pestilence left took their leave through the portal, Pestilence dragging the Schizoid with him through it. The shapeshifter, now recognizable as a mercenary named Copycat, stayed back to watch with Knightmare close by and Polaris keeping his distance as well with eyes narrowed. The rest of them had murder in their eyes as they spread out, Sarin taking the lead towards Sonja.
