[center][h1][b][color=dodgerblue]Wards and Other Heroes:[/color] Charity Event Begin[/b][/h1]
[@Old Amsterdam][@Gardevoiran][@Lugubrious][@solokolos][@yoshua171][@BCTheEntity][@t2wave][@LemonZest1337][/center]

Though most of the fans had cleared out, a good few remained who didn't want to be deterred from their idols. As more of the heroes began to converse amongst themselves, the more the fans dispersed until it was only the odd boy or girl here and there interrupting conversations. The rest of the Protectorates began to take a break, a few of them even interacting with the Wards. Overlook was spending his time conversing with the holographic Decoy, mostly minding his own business while his therapy dog got ear scratches. G4M3R abandoned his post in order to go ask Mastar to join his Minutemen. Captain Morales stood up from his seat and moseyed on over to where Messiah had gone, which just so happened to be near Margrave and the independent hero Angel.

"I just want to thank you for your efforts, Messiah," he said. Confidence began to well up in the youth's mind, but was that the influence of the captain's power? Or just pride in his words? "While Noble and I were in the hospital you did your best to step it up, and I'm proud of you. The information the Wards gathered on the Jacks will be invaluable in taking them down. I just know it." With that he gave the young girl a salute, waved to Margrave, and stepped away.

Meanwhile Inkscape decided to take his own break. The leader of the Denver Protectorate slithered himself into an upright position, straightened his tie, and tentacle-walked on over to where Epsilon was currently alone. [color=yellow]"Good morning, Epsilon. Decoy has been telling me good things about your studies. He says you're coming along nicely, both in normal studies and as a tinker."[/color] She got the feeling that he was trying to smile, but it wasn't entirely clear with his strange octo-physiology.

As this occurred, Furnace stood up to stretch. [color=orange]"Oof, my hand is cramping,"[/color] he commented, wagging his wrist out. He then glanced over to Hermes. [color=orange]"Hermes, right? I've heard good things about your work. They say you're behind the Protectorate's recent successes against the Bratva and the Community. Keep up the good job. Hopefully we can work together?"[/color]

Noble got up to stretch as well, popping the joints in her neck as she did so. The gas manipulator caught sight of Inkscape talking to Epsilon and smiled. Her boyfriend was no doubt giving the girl the classic Inkscape "good job" pep talk. She knew better than most how well the girl was coming along. After all, Epsilon had gone to her to study her powers and develop that pack she was wearing now. Noble thought about congratulating the girl on a job well done with that invention, but decided it would be too embarrassing. Instead she caught sight of Tulpa and judging by the girl's body language she was experiencing some embarrassment of her own. Strutting like a runway model, helped by a slight bit of levitation, she made her way to Tulpa. 

"Something catch your eye, sweetie?" she whispered in a low, husky tone. [color=yellow]"Don't be uncomfortable. We're women. When we see something we like, we need to take the opportunity before it's gone. Don't you agree? You're only young once."[/color]

Just then a kid ran into the room, no longer than ten or maybe eleven. A young girl with brown hair and matching eyes, latina. "EEEEEEEEK!" she shrieked with enough sound force to crack a wine glass. "IT'S HIM! IT'S MY FAVORITE HERO!" She charged toward the object of her adoration and affection, attempting to glomp him. "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S YOU, MARGRAVE! I LOVE YOU!" No truer fan of the Margrave could be found in all the land, for this girl had it all on first glance. She was clearly cosplaying Margrave, and her outfit was pretty well made. She held up the official Margrave action figure, still in packaging. "Please please please can you sign it? Oh you're so cool and mysterious and just EEEEE I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S REALLY YOU!" 

The girl then pulled out a second Margrave action figure from her coat pocket, this one had been removed from the packaging and had clearly seen some play time. "See it's so cool because Margrave makes toys from things and he is a toy but his toy comes with toys for him to use AND IT'S JUST SO COOL IT WORKS ON LIKE 20 LAYERS!"

[hr][hr]

[center][h1][b][color=red]The Jacks[/color] and Other Less-Than-Legal Individuals[/b][/h1]
[@yoshua171][@BCTheEntity][@Eklispe][@floodtalon][@Old Amsterdam][@solokolos][@PlatinumSkink][@Gardevoiran][@Xandrya][@Spiffy[/center]

The bartender gave a polite nod as Visage had decided to NOPE the fuck out of there. Not once did he allow his inner smile to show on his face. She'd already been in range, already been affected. Abandoning the meeting now was of absolutely no consequence in his mind. Meanwhile the last of the villains arrived, among them the multi-personality of Swarm. Once they had all taken their seats, the conversations really began to pick up.

[color=pink]"Well?"[/color] Sabotage urged impatiently. [color=pink]"Are we starting or what?"[/color]

From behind the bar, the Broker gave an ominous nod to the Jacks who were paying attention. It was time to call this meeting, to let them all know that it was time to unite against the Community.