In the deep of the wastes, the convoy drove through the remains of Los Angeles. The City of Angels was barely recognizable. Destruction by earthquakes and storms had leveled many buildings while the streets bore the scars of war between armies and superhumans. The debris of cars, armored vehicles, aircraft, and structures was common. The sky was gloomy and overcast now, where once Southern California had been reliably arid. The sun shone brightly, but thick grey clouds covered the sky and hushed the light. The hustle and bustle of the city was gone, replaced by stillness. Occasionally the sounds of roaming animals could be heard to break the silence. Nature had begun to reclaim Los Angeles. For whatever reason, whether it was some magical side effect of the Fall or some other cause, trees and greenery had started to appear in the city. Forests began to grow from the cracked roads and inside buildings, morphing the urban jungle into an almost literal one. Thankfully there was still enough road left to drive on as the vehicles zoomed by the bizarre landscape that was both desolate and blooming, lifeless yet full of life. At least the air quality was much improved. 

The convoy drove through with little incident but it was clear they were close to mythic and bandit territory. Strange arcane glyphs marked several trees and buildings in various different scripts, giving evidence to the perpetual tribal war between the mythics. More recognizable graffiti could be seen as well, various bible verses, skulls, and other markings warred over space on any kind of surface from buildings to cars and trees. The convoy drove a bit more cautiously here, not wanting to run headlong into an ambush. But for the moment the area was quiet, though everyone in the vehicles gripped their weapons tightly. Mythics were not always violent to humans, and not all non-Citadel survivors would shoot on sight. But there had been far too many deaths and injuries for them to take no precautions. If they saw anyone they would not engage in any dialogue, and would attack upon being attacked. 

But the streets and buildings were deserted with only the occasional jackalope, coyote, or deer crossing the street. Eventually they reached the building their scouts had surveyed. The condominiums where in what had once been a very rich section of the city, and miraculously the building was mostly untouched by the Fall. Vines grew along the sides but the building was intact. It may have been looted before but the large array of solar panels could be seen on the approach. The jeeps cordoned off a section of the street around the main entrance while the trucks parked right in front. Cassandra's guards filed from the jeeps and set a perimeter while a few others stood on top of the trucks to gain a vantage point. The two teams of scavengers assembled before Comet, "Alright boys and girls. Standard run. Secure each floor as we ascend, take everything useful that we can get. Nobody goes alone. I want each floor cleared thoroughly before you move on. One squad starts in the basement, they might have emergency fuel down there. Other squad starts at ground floor and makes sure each floor is clear, mark each room that holds useful supplies. Basement team will do the collecting. Second team will make their way up as quick as possible to the roof. Give me the signal its clear and I'll go up and help you get it all down. In the meantime I'll hold the fort down here." 

She pointed at a seasoned scavenger, "Reed. You're on basement squad," She regarded the other supers, "Each of you pick a team of three scavengers. You'll coordinate as you go up. If anything happens, do your best to protect Isaac. We need him to make this run successful. Now let's get this done quick and clean in time for dinner." The two dozen scavengers and supers set off, Reed's squad securing the basement floor while the other squad worked it's way up the floors. The building had been overlooked in the initial wave of rioting and looting during the Fall and was remarkably clean. As they made their way up they faced no signs of habitation, the power was shut off and the tight halls were dark and gloomy. The scavengers in the lead had flashlights and as they cleared each room they found many items that could be used. Clothes, canned food, equipment. The owners had seemed to desert in mass in a panic, leaving many things behind. The trek was tense but was so far very quiet.

Suddenly when they were three floors away from the roof they had difficulty. The door to the stairwell wouldn't open. Heavy objects seemed to be leaned on the door from the other side. They might not be alone any longer. The scavengers had a choice to make. And they needed to make it quick. The collection squad was halfway through salvage, they had found several barrels of oil and brought them to the truck when suddenly a difficulty emerged. Shouts started echoing down the streets, the sound of footfalls and yelled curses. The guards became tense and Comet pinpointed the sound just as a mob of people started to come down the street. They were dirty and ragged, most of them carrying only bats and other collected junk as weapons but a few toted guns. There were many. Dozens of people, at least eighty men and women who didn't look very friendly. They all wore red bandannas on them, either around their heads or a limb. They were one of the roving groups of bandits who enjoyed violence too much to join the Citadel and were too stupid to organize properly. 

Comet cursed and floated up to the air in a golden aura, she gestured to the guards who sighted down their rifles and let out a few bursts that struck the concrete a few feet in front of the mob. They stopped moving but started yelling and cursing at the Citadel forces. Comet yelled over the din, the mob was well within rifle range, "Stop right there! We're collecting supplies now. We'll offer some clothes and food but none of you move from that spot or we start shooting." A man yelled out, "Fuck you Freak! The fucking monsters are giving us grief. We need that shit. Give it up and we let you walk." Comet shouted back, "We can work this out. We have a large group. We'll give you what food you need but we keep the rest." The man yelled, "I got bitches to feed! We're coming and we're taking!" Comet gestured and a large golden wall appeared in front of them as they started banging on the wall. It had no effect and several of them started breaking off and running in two directions. They were trying to circle around. 

Comet cursed as the guards took position on all sides and keyed the radio, "Scavengers this is Comet, Collection team move your ass! I want you to strip down everything and get back here in ten! Advance squad, are you able to proceed quickly and safely? We have a situation and I don't want to get bogged down in the waste. So either secure the area fast or get down here. Your call over." 

[hr] 

In the processing center matters proceeded smoothly. Most of the potential residents were torn down and weary but none were violently unstable, many had families and just wanted to go to safety. They were anxious about potentially being denied entry but it did not seem any were spies or bandits. A few of the young teens there might have even been psions. A few psions manifested at a young age but for many their abilities started to appear with the onset of puberty. These young budding talents felt the brush of Spiro's mind but could not identify it as more than a sensation of another presence. They didn't even know about their own abilities at this point. Not all psions were telepaths and the youths seemed to be mediums or clairvoyants for the most part. 

All seemed well until Spiro reached the last room. There were two people in there, man and woman. A Caucasian male, both white. They had arrived at the gate together. And Spiro could not get more than the knowledge of their presence. He knew they were there but their minds were blocked to his probes. He could hear them moving around in there but the door was locked. Either the duo were trained or were not entirely human. And they may be hostile. Spiro needed to proceed very carefully here. The guards noticed that something was wrong and the lead whispered, "What do we do sir? Call for backup? Bust in now?" 

[hr] 

The associates present at the meeting, two dozen or so supers in all listened to the speakers thoughtfully. Some were heroes, some had been criminals, some had made money off their powers, and others had helped civilians in ways other than fighting crime. It would be trying to get even this small number of associates to agree on a course of action. Pariah was well respected because he had fought alongside the first metahuman heroes since the beginning while Cassandra had respect because the Prometheus Group had built hospitals and schools while she fought her own fair share of villains. It was their voices that would be needed to decide on a course of action. 

Cassandra stood in her power armor and said, "I like the idea of this charm offensive. We did it all the time at Prometheus after I appeared in the Athena suit. Parades, ribbon cuttings that kind of thing. It would be good PR to get more of our guys on the ground with the civilians. Those three you mentioned have good temperament. We could rotate them to Patrol. Let the kiddies and their parents see them walk the streets and get friendly." 

Pariah spoke up as he leaned on the table with his fists against the wood, "Sekhem does have a point. We need to keep them busy, keep them well supplied. Our production is proceeding well enough but they need more rewarding work. And distractions." A tattooed, dark haired woman called Nightshade leaned back and sneered at Sekhem, "That may well be but I'd be careful taking advice from him. Destiny didn't trust him and neither do I." After Destiny's death Nightshade was one of the premier magic users left. She had been Thomas Vakil's apprentice, and some said they were closer than that. The Archmage known as Destiny had been a powerful and learned mage. He had never been at ease in Sekhem's presence, and that didn't change up until he gave his life to power the ward that kept dangerous entities outside the walls from getting at those inside. 

A hispanic man in dark leather named Beast said, "Mummy has a point. We let the civs stay busy and stupid and they won't try anything." One of the scavenger leaders, a tall black man named Iceberg replied, "I'm not saying it's not a valid idea. I'm saying anything he wants us to do might best not be done. We all know he's up to no good. With all the trash that's flooding the shantytowns." The sheriff, a man in a tan uniform with a cowboy hat codenamed Lonestar said, "The investigation into these incidents is ongoing. And there is no concrete evidence linking any associate of this council to them." Nightshade snorted, "I don't need evidence to know he's crooked." Murmurs began to cross the room as the associates silently discussed the rumors of Sekhem's involvement in a secret criminal syndicate in the Citadel. Extortion, drugs, smuggling, sex slaves, the whispers were unsubstantiated but many were suspicious.  A bespectacled small man in a suit, a minor tier psion named the Owl said, "Let me remind the council that Sekhem's Morale Commitee has done a lot of good for the population. The youth center and cinema are-" 

"Smokescreen for his fucking cult," growled Nightshade and a few in the rows seemed to agree while most were still uncommitted. Pariah talked above the murmuring, "We're all on the same team now. If anyone here is guilty of undermining the security and well-being of the Citadel, they will be brought to justice. Otherwise, I will not have anyone be unjustly accused. That's all there is to it." That seemed to quiet the chatter, though Nightshade looked like she swallowed a lemon. 

Pariah continued, "As for his plan, it's not fully workable. We can increase the wall guard and the patrols but the scavenging runs can't be expanded further at this time. We don't know much about the other colony and I won't have our manpower stretched thin. We keep the runs well-staffed but we aren't increasing the pace until we know more." Cassandra spoke up, "As you all know, as the current plan stands the elections will have each district elect a representative while the population will vote on a Mayor. The Tower will have one of us as a representative and the eventual Council will make the majority of legislation, unless more than a thousand citizens sign a petition for a direct vote on legislation. The mayor will be the one who controls the daily operation of the Citadel. It's critical that one of us or someone sympathetic to us will win the position. If they cooperate with us things can keep running smoothly, but if an opponent wins it could be disastrous for the colony." 

A rumbling of assent grew. Most of the supers recognized that their influence shepherded the survivors to the Citadel and got the facility running. Many heroes were antsy about giving such powerful responsibility to a civilian politician, when it was the politicians under the influence of malignant forces that drove the Fall. Former villains did not want to give up their power to those they looked down on. 

Pariah said, "Elections are coming up, not soon but they are. This period is critical. We need to earn their loyalty. We can combine these two approaches," Cassandra nodded, "Exactly. We'll pull out all the stops on this. There are some spare building materials left from the construction that we were saving for critical building. We can requisition enough to build their entertainment. I'll start drawing up designs for a small amphitheater, an expanded gymnasium for sports, a community pool, and a large playground. Anyone who takes the extra work duty will get increased rations and first entry. I'll get my PR department on an ad campaign and I need each of you to get the word out."

Pariah spoke, "Each of you have skills that contribute to our community, and teams of civilians who have similar roles. The civilians need more work than building and farming. I want the hospital, the armory, the library, and all of our specialist departments to start taking in more apprentices. Start with the teens of high-school and college age. I want all supers with these kind of skills out there, interacting with the populace, mentoring the next wave of skilled workers. We're going to offer increased rations and other incentives for each successful new specialist."

 Cassandra piped in, "I know that we have a lot of civs who were involved in the arts and sports before they came here. And a few of us are as well. I'm putting the word out. We're going to start creating our own new media. We'll find budding writers, amateur artists, musicians, athletes. And put our people into training them. Make our own leagues, distribute our own e-books, put up our own live performances, display our own art, hold contests. All sponsored by the Council. I want everyone to reach out to their civilian contacts to get the ball rolling on this." 

Pariah said, "Everyone of us with these kind of skills that we can spare from critical guard positions will start getting rotated into these mentorships and community relations. Scavengers not on active runs will train the next generation. Patrol and Wall Guard will take on more deputies. We'll show them we can be worked with and trusted."

"And we need to build our own numbers. New metahumans can pop up randomly at any time, and most of the ones who manifested in the Citadel have joined us pretty much immediately. But Psions and Magic users usually develop around puberty. The schools might have young supers that don't even know it yet, especially since we know that Psions and Supernaturals were more and more common leading up to the Fall. I want the Psions and the Magic Collective to start looking for potential recruits and training them. Offer their parents more rations and board in the tower, and very few will resist. We could have more Exorcists, Enchanters, Alchemists, and even Mages if we are lucky," Nightshade, who lead the Collective nodded while a man sitting next to the Owl, a seer named Prophet did the same. Cassandra said, "I can always use more on my team. I'll offer apprentice ships in Prometheus for promising candidates. My buddies in the bazaar, the ones who make their own homemade goods, will start looking for new staff." 

Pariah gestured to Sekhem, "The Council and all associated departments will be taking direct patronage of these efforts but I encourage your own group to participate. We will have future meetings to discuss this between the full assembly but this is the plan we have at the moment thanks to some good ideas," Pariah nodded at Dozer and Steel. Cassandra spoke, "I believe we are adjourned. Return to your departments and start spreading the buzz. We will meet again tomo-" 

She was interrupted as every radio in the room buzzed, "This is Deadeye. I got a whole mess of armed mythics riding down the road. No attacks yet but there's hundreds of 'em, maybe a thousand. Need backup here." Pariah accessed the PA, "All work duty is suspended. All Scavengers and Wall Guards report to the wall. Patrol Guards remain at posts. Emergency Personnel to your stations. Non-essential personnel return to your homes in a calm and orderly manner. This is code-yellow. Remain in shelter until we signal the all-clear." Cassandra gestured to Lonestar, "I need you and your men to get the civvies moving without panic. My guys will back you up. Everyone else, you heard the man." 

[hr]

The room emptied as the supers went to their duties. It had been quite a while since a major incursion of mythics had tested their perimeter and it had not been pretty. Mythics were usually superior to humans in pure physical capability, manifested magic at a greater rate, had access to enchanted or poison weapons, and often had mythic beasts as support. Pariah and Cassandra walked in a brisk pace to the wall with every other combat super while the Patrolmen started to calmly direct the civilians to their homes. The streets of the Citadel slowly emptied as the posse of supers moved to the wall, not running in order to keep them from panicking. 

Jeeps moved down the street to the gate while squads of wall-guards and scavengers jogged with weapons in hand. Every section of the wall and every gate saw extra men but the mythic were approaching the main gate. There jeeps formed a blockade in front of the gate behind Sentinel who stood with spear and shield at the ready. The tall warrior nodded to them as they ascended the wall. The combat supers stood on a platform above the men or stood with them in the battlements, where they were shoulder-to-shoulder weapons at the ready as a mass of mythics calmly advanced. 

Pariah looked through his binoculars. Indeed there were hundreds of them, and there was likely around a thousand. It was a menagerie of mythics. Tall elves in tribal war paint with bows, daggers, and swords. Dwarves toting mostly two-handed weapons with heavy armor alongside Gnomes in leather with shortswords. Harpies perched in buildings along the road. A few gorgons slithering with snakes hissing. Broad ten-foot trolls ambling with tree trunk clubs alongside similarly massive cyclopses.  Scores of tiny goblins with crude spears and daggers marching in loose formation while ghasts oozed forward in droves. Large dogs with three-heads. Centaurs clopping with bows. Svelte nymphs gracefully striding. Bands of ogres, around seven to eight feet tall with curving horns and scars alongside Minotaurs dragging axes and snorting steam. Packs of tall Ghouls with sharp teeth and long claws with goat-faced satyrs and horned fauns. He even saw Werewolves in bestial form and lone human-like figures that could have been blood-sucking vampires, enchanting sirens, wailing banshees, or any number of near-human mythics.Some of them even had scavenged firearms. Virtually every kind of non-demonic mythic in North America could be seen. Mythics usually kept to their own races but it seemed several had come together. 

The leaders rode on horses, there were seven of them. Each leader was of a different race but the one in the very front wore a metal helmet that obscured their features and rode a unicorn. A Centaur rode next to them waving a tall white banner. Chatter started and Pariah turned to see an elf and a cadre of assorted mythics ascend the walls. The elf wore fur robes and had intricate green marks on his face. They were the magi of Dark Town, mythics who left wasteland tribal life to join the Citadel, and Gariel was their leader. Many guards started to whisper in suspicious tones. Gariel spoke, "I believe them to come in peace. There are old oaths in our world and the white banner signifies peaceful intention." Beast snorted, "Peace? Looks like a war party." Gariel shook his head, "It is not all warriors. Look closer. You can see they bring old ones. Sick ones. Children." Cassandra zoomed in and saw that he was right. There were great big aurochs who drew carts with elderly and ill mythics while children gripped the hands of their parents. 

A masked man with bare muscled arms named Tank said, "Fuck that. We're at war with those things. Warning shots. And if they don't turn back we start shooting, drop them before they drop us." Some of the guards nodded agreement while the supers began debating hotly. Cassandra spoke, "They don't have anything that can hurt me. I say a few the toughest of us get out there and see what's what. If they come to negotiate, I can handle it." Gariel spoke up, "You're taking me too." Cassandra said, "Fine. Pariah you should stay on the walls, we need you if it comes to a fight." Pariah nodded, "Agreed. Does anyone else wish to join them? We need to handle this delicately. If it breaks out into a fight they could very well overwhelm us in such numbers. It is essential that a peaceful resolution is found if possible. Under no circumstances can anyone strike first." A few volunteered on the spot. Pariah nodded at Dozer, "I can't order you to go but you're one of our heavies as well. Same for you Sekhem. If it blows up, you both have a fair chance of survival." Pariah called out to Deadeye, "If any of them move to harm our people, shoot." Deadeye grunted in acknowledgement. 

The mythics stopped around a mile down the road and held their position. The guards kept their weapons down for the moment but the tension was palpable as the volunteers for the negotiation party descended the stairs. Cassandra nodded to Sentinel, "Wish us luck." Sentinel dipped his helmeted chin and the supers boarded two jeeps and drove while Cassandra and two others flew. They stopped within shouting distance and got out of the vehicles as Cassandra landed. Gariel yelled out in old elvish and received a response from a matronly elf atop a mount. Gariel spoke in english to the supers, "She swears us safe conduct. Our races hold our spoken word to high regard. They won't brazenly break such oaths for fear of the gods. Their leaders want to meet us in the middle." Cassandra stroked her armored chin in an unconscious gesture,"There's always a loophole. But if we don't talk this out, they might get restless and want to be more... ah intimate in their discussion. Thoughts?"