[b]Vladivostok, Russia[/b]

It was midday in Russia but the sun didn't show its face. The sky was still and grey and the people were almost as forlorn. Russia was not handling the emergence of the Superhumans well. Armed patrols marched down the streets, always on the lookout for possible metahuman threats. The superhumans represented a threat to the government, many were using their abilities for crime or insurrection. As such the Russian government had cracked down on superhumans, requiring them to register and serve the nation or suffer imprisonment or death. Metas and mythics were hunted down like dogs by federal jackboots or lynched by angry mobs. The superhumans did not take it lying down. The seeds of revolt had been growing for decades long before the superhumans emerged, but their arrival was the spark that light the wildfire. 

There was a major firefight almost once a month, there were uprisings all across the country, and nations that had once been cowed by Russia's might were now fighting back with their own metahuman weapons. The bear that threatened to maul the world was being stung by bees, edging slowly but surely to collapse if it didn't change its ways. The Federation's government was fighting among itself, dozens of cabals grasping for control of the sinking ship. If government infighting, civil unrest, rising crime, and international incidents weren't enough, the supernatural rulers of bygone eras were emerging to take back what had once been theirs. Baba Yaga once again preyed on the unwary and naive while Koschei the Deathless raised a kingdom of the dead in Siberia and Zmey Gorynych once again flew across the skies, terrorizing the countryside. It seemed the Russian Federation was fated to go the way of the countless regimes before it and the people knew it, they tried to act normal but they walked with an air of impending doom. 

The theatre was one of the only bright spots in the city. Here the people still smiled, or at least the closest Russian approximation. The performers were giving it their all, throwing everything they had into their drama. They were enthralling, masters of their art, the suffering of their society making the stage their release. There was a sparsely seated row near the back, where two figures sat apart from the rest. If Maxwell was smart, he'd figure it out. Once seated he would see a man and a woman, perhaps recognizable to Donovan. One was a supernatural assassin called the Knightmare. Another was a young brunette, she wasn't known publicly but she had an aura of malevolence around her. The Knightmare nodded at Donovan extended a small cloth, "Wrap this around your eyes. We'll take you to see our leader." 

[b]Peru[/b] 

When God Fist arrived to the village he saw a group of civilians dressed for a scientific expedition along with a complement of laborers and guards. The guards were kitted out with the latest in milspec weaponry, along with some stuff that wasn't even on the market yet. South America had not been stabilized by the events of the past few years. In addition to wild animals and drug cartels, now they had supernatural creatures and angry superhumans to worry about. The area was littered with research vehicles, a camp for the company people, and security emplacements to protect them from the dangers of the country. One older gentleman approached God Fist when he arrived and stuck out his hand, smiling fiercely, "Welcome! We were eagerly awaiting your arrival! Now that you're here we can get started on the real work? Are you up for it?" 

[b]Andromoka, Australia[/b]

Tinhead Ned suddenly found himself encased in a glowing ball of energy and was lifted off of the ground. The rest of the bikers stopped their attack as vines burst from the ground and wrapped around them, holding them tight. The few remaining bruisers were quickly knocked out by a young man in a skintight dark uniform. Tinhead Ned shouted incomprehensibly, banging his hands on the barrier until the man casting it shook it like a snowglobe, bouncing the man around until he was dizzy. The superhero Polaris hovered above the team, smiling at them. He was one of the most famous heroes in America, his powerset, his charisma, his pretty boy looks, and his active career all endeared him greatly to the public. Beside him were Evergreen, a powerful chlorokinetic heroin and Guardian, one of the mysterious Pariah's proteges. They had all worked with the team at various points when they operated in America and Polaris considered Silver Glove a personal friend. 

The young man said, "Sorry for ruining the party but we couldn't resist ourselves. We wanted to talk to you guys anyway and we figured this was a good chance to do so." Polaris used his hard light to start stripping off Ned's armor before binding him in glowing restraints as the local police finally showed up. The hero floated down to the ground and reached his hand out to the older man, "Good to see you. It's been too long. Look I'm.... I'm so sorry about what happened in Nagoya. They were our friends too. I wish I could have helped you out." The American gravely nodded at the other members, recognizing them on sight before saying, "There's a meeting being planned. A bunch of us are going to talk about what happened. There's been a lot of blowback from this, and not just for you. Capes all over the world are getting hurt because of this. I'm not blaming you, but some of our colleagues are concerned. Especially now that your team's fractured. Japan has banned the Champions from the nation. We're sending some guys to help pack out your stuff and get your guys out before its too late but the situation is deteriorating, especially with that airport bombing. Pariah's still tracking down leads. We want to get things patched up. We want to figure out what we should all do next. You guys are our example, this affects all of us. We're meeting in Switzerland, near your home base. Hopefully we can get your team back together and figure out how to navigate this mess." 

Polaris nodded at Silver Glove in respect, "I'm asking out of my friendship for you. But the others might not be as understanding. We can all leave together right now and sort this out. Please, we need to all talk before things get even more out of hand." A super-cop unit arrived to take Ned into custody, the man was much smaller and much less boisterous out of his suit. Polaris stood and waited for an answer. The area was secure as more cops arrived, many sneaking glances at the conversing superheroes while others went off in search of other shooters and threats in the vicinity. 

Meanwhile, as the confrontation between Jack's team and the Womb was drawing out suddenly the hostage vanished from the Womb's grip, reappearing safe next to his colleagues who rushed to his aide. Jack jerked his head in surprise and saw a tall hooded figure with a staff outstretched. Suddenly the wall behind the Womb morphed into liquid tendrils that held him tightly in place. Red Jack suddenly recognized the man and bowed his head in respect. The cloaked man approached and threw back his hood, revealing a face that came right out of a fantasy movie. The white beard, the bright blue eyes, the man looked like a real world Gandalf. By his side were a cadre of armored sorcerers with swords that could only be Magus Enforcers and a few who could have been apprentices. 

The man nodded back and gestured to the swordsmen who took the Womb into custody, prodding him along with restraints of magical energy. One of the officers started to complain as the Magus lead the Womb away but an apprentice held up a paper, "We are official representatives of the Fellowship of Sorcery. Australia is a signatory of the Fellowship-United Nations Accord. Under this agreement, we retain the right to take all non-citizen supernatural suspects into our own custody." The cop looked like he was about to say something else but then gave up. The wizard smiled at Jack, "Ah. The last time I saw you, you weren't even blooded yet. How's your father Jack?" Jack smiled, "The same as ever, Archmage Newcastle. You honor us with your presence. To what do we owe the pleasure?" 

The Archmage leaned on his staff, taking on a more neutral expression, "The incident in Nagoya has created rumbles all cross the world. The Fellowship has long allied itself with the lawful Metahumans of the world. This association has caused the Elder Council to take an interest in the politics of the situation. They see the incident as troubling and that talks must be held to discuss how the heroic community will move forward. Your name was very prominent in those discussions, especially in light of your schism with the Champions. Jack, I came to ask you to attend the meeting so we may find the best way to move forward. We need the trust of the public again, not just for you but for all the Superhumans of the world." 

Jack was not unduly surprised. The Archmage had known him since he was a boy. It would make sense for the Fellowship to send him, "And have the Elder Council consulted the Queen? I do now know how she would feel about her vassal being questioned by mortals." Newcastle smiled wryly, "The Queen insisted. She has as much of a stake as the humans not fearing us as we do." Jack mulled it over. They would see Silver Glove again. He was not sure if he was up for such a meeting but he nodded, "We will be there. Just tell us where and when." The Archmage nodded, "The details will be given to your steward. I look forward to seeing you there." Newcastle stepped through a portal with his escort and the Womb in tow. 

The Redcap turned to his team and said, "Well, gang looks like we have a summit to go to. Lets get back to the jet and regroup. We'll head to my family's nearest property. All your items have already been gathered by my servants, our property will be waiting for us at my villa in New Zealand. Looks like we're going to have a chat with our old friends at the Champions." He had hope that they wouldn't immediately start a fight, but not a big one.