[b] The Meet [/b] 

Fortunately for the Meta, the bullet raced right into his gleaming red eyes which vaporized the round and saved his life. Unfortunately for him, he was still shot twice in the groin. His falsetto shriek was muffled by the constant barrage of bullets and he fell to the floor in a heap. Argus turned his head. made eye contact with Sxgun, and said, "I'm in your debt but this isn't over yet." One of his guards fell gurgling as blood streamed down from a ragged hole in his throat. Argus cursed and fired his pistol over the table. 

The firefight was still raging and the ground was littered with dead, dying, and wounded men. Hailstorm clutched the wound in his neck which instantly froze to try and staunch the bleeding, whether he lived or died he was out of the fight though Donovan might have words about an Outfit merc striking one of her hirelings. The electrokinetic fell from the rafters and as he died several nearby men were electrocuted by his high-voltage death knell. The speedster cried out as his shinbone shattered and he fell to the table. Right in front of Sixgun. He groaned on the table while bullets flew around them. His eyes widened when he saw Argus and with blinding speed his hand reached for the knife he dropped. 

Nearby, the Iranians hardly seemed to be affected by their wounds. They each bled from several places but still splattered the walls red with their inhuman strength and speed. One of them, a young man covered in gore, saw Wire and grinned from ear to ear. He ripped the arm off the man he held and jumped at Wire while screaming wildly, intent on dashing the man's brains across the table with his grisly weapon. Behind him, an honest-to-god knight in full plate hacked away at one of the Iranians with a longsword and blocked the man's savage hits with his shield while Dungeon Master himself was clutching his stomach with his mage crouching over him. 

[b] The Hall [/b] 

Apogee was in the Atrium as Volt had indicated. She had quickly changed out of her costume and was dressed just like any other teenage girl would have in the winter. She didn't seem happy but her eyes were dry. Emily managed a small smile when she saw Volt approach and said, "Wanna head to the Fortress? There's always something going on there, we'll probably find other Leaguers there too. But honestly, I just wanna get out so what do you think?" 

Villa grunted and said, "A lot of the Upper Echelon guys, you already have from what I've seen. The Mages are the ones who run the show and Desdemona, Belladonna, Creon, and the Master are all free and clear. Wildfire was one of the last of the original lieutenants under Bishop who leads the metas. But now I imagine the ones they broke out from Prison fill out those positions. Nobody has seen the Master except Desdemona, Creon, and Bishop but he, or she, runs the show. Desdemona is his right hand and I bet your mages know all about her. Creon was a runty Warlock the Master found and rose up to be a serious nightmare, he does everything but he's particularly good at summoning. Belladonna is a vamp from the 18th century that we recruited. I'm pretty sure's she's insane. She's definitely deadly. We also have some Brit named Obsidian leading his own squad." 

"The Master runs everything but Desdemona is the one who gives us our orders. Creon leads the Sorcerers, a couple dozen low to mid-powered ones with a few hundred acolytes, while Desdemona gathers us supernatural allies through coercion, creation, or entrapment like that werewolf Frank Givens. You took out the bulk of them at the prison. Bishop leads all the metas and mundanes with a bunch of other metas leading squads of their own. Besides the heavy hitters we have as many metas as you do, spread all over our territory. Which is pretty much everything between LA and New York. There are about three hundred of them close to or in Chicago but mostly low-powered. We have about five times as many mooks with guns from various places, including a couple hundred professional mercs, you took out a team at the prison." 

"We have everything we need. Weapons we took from the syndicates we overthrew along with their territory. If there's a mob or mafia haunt anywhere where we're near, 7 out of 10 it'll be one of ours. But you managed to take out the Den and the Lab. We were trying to turn some of the civvy metas into our thralls, I'd say a bit more than half of the metas we have are poor bitches we took. They're all under a spell that the Master cast himself and we're trying to do that to your friend Furious right now. We were also trying to synthesize a vial that would increase our power like having a conduit. Now that's kinda bust but we still have arms and supplies enough to take it to you. We control the rackets so we can afford almost anything. But... someone else is involved in our cash flow. I don't know who but they're able to get us military-grade shit you can't find on the black market."

"The location of our main base always changes. Some kinda spell. Creon or Desdemona are the ones who know where to find it. That's where we're keeping Furious and the other important captives like the Marconis. It's where the Master lives. I don't know about Desdemona but Creon made a portal to his place from a heavily fortified compound in the woods. It's hidden by a glamour so you have to really be looking for it or already know it's there. It's where Bishop coordinates the field teams and probably where he took the guys we sprung." Villa smiled sourly, "Anything else?" 

Styx leaned back, "Bishop has some base or some such in the woods that he runs things from. Heavily defended. That's where he'd take them. As for our goal? Well, nobody can truly know what the Master wants. But so far conquering the criminal scene and making a lot of money is good enough for most. After all, you heroes made your own club to do things better. Why not us?" Styx grinned, "It's also much more exciting since we don't have to abide to any law. So many opportunities for new magical research that you Fellowshippers don't enjoy." The grin became vulpine, "If that's all, I recommend you move on Desdemona quickly." 

Zenith sighed and shook his head at Casimir, "That's not what we're trying to do Casimir. Fear isn't how we work. Sure, the prison system is a mess but it's the framework in which we have to operate in. We have to be an example to people of a better way of doing things, and we can use that to change the system for the better. If we get people behind us we can help create a system of justice that doesn't just punish criminals but tries to reform them as well as putting programs in place to help stop more normal humans and metahumans from turning to crime in the first place." 

Zenith stared at the skull, "That was something that dropped crime down for a little bit but set us back. If we use our power like that it turns the normal civilians against us, we become something that's above them. Something they can't connect to or believe in but fear instead. We can't change things for the better by making the common person afraid. Your methods didn't stop the crime rate from rising as soon as some new bold ones decided to try their hand. There will always be dangerous enemies to fight and your way won't stop them from springing up. Our way is meant to prevent them from materializing and trying to turn them around. It's why we take in so many metas who would otherwise be on the streets or rotting in confinement. Many of our members used to be supercriminals. They couldn't have joined us and turned things around if you had followed through." 

"What you're suggesting are methods that would make us some kind of Spanish Inquisition or Gestapo. Thugs who brutalize and murder while flaunting the law that the people make. It will get rid of criminals but it won't get rid of crime. It would destroy this League if we were found to be doing things that you're implying we should. It's the same exact thing that twisted Polaris from a respected hero to the man he is now, when he decided that he knew how people should be punished. And it's not something I'll tolerate in a member." 

Zenith looked him in the eye, "I want you to be by the book from now on. Don't take matters of punishment into your own hands. We haven't caught you at anything but if we do, I can't help you anymore. You'll be a criminal in the eyes of the law and of the Magic world. The DSA and the Magus would destroy you. If you really want to help matters, than heed my words. We already lost one hero because of this kind of thing. I'm giving you this chance. You'll be monitored from now on and if you slip up, that's it for you and the League. We won't pursue you unless innocents are hurt but we won't help either."