[i] "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." [/i] - [b] Alexander Lincoln, the current Archmage of the White Fellowship of Sorcery and the Sorcerer Supreme of Humankind [/b] 

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.