[indent][u][b]New Year's Day, 2026
Hub City; set of “Power Hour”[/b][/u][/indent]

Crossing one of her slender legs over the other, Cassandra McKenzie flashed a sharp smile to the man sitting across from her. The crackle of applause from the audience was finally starting to settle, allowing her to speak.

“Mr. Lüneburg, thank you for being here with us this morning. I’m sure your schedule keeps you very busy these days.”

Though no stranger to interviews in the past of this life in particular, Raymond looked a fair bit more haggard and worn as the last few years had taken their toll. Only a few had known of just how close to death he came at the hands of Theia in the LSOC, and of them only two that he still carried the wounds. Hiding the pain in his side, he leaned forward, a deceptively charming smile on his face as he nodded in agreement.

[color=0054a6]"Quite so, there are many things to be done in keeping the UNDF supplied and combating various threats around the globe. Thanks to the Justice League though, at least we don't have to face them alone."[/color]

“Indeed,” she readily agreed, “we all owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Justice League, particularly today, on the fifth anniversary of the One Week War. It seems difficult to believe that so much time has already passed, and yet the scars from that conflict are still raw for many. Our world has been irreversibly changed.”

Cassandra shifted slightly in her seat, her eyes sweeping over the somewhat disheveled billionaire sitting before her. “But you would know all about that, of course--you’ve played a key role in the rebuilding effort. Tell us, Mr. Lüneburg, how have these changes personally affected you, and how have they affected your company as a whole?”

[color=0054a6]"As you know, Salt Lake City was hit as hard as many other cities in the US, with the Titan Theia coming to personally oversee the battle. LIS lost many good men and women that day, and if not for Velocity coming to intervene at the last moment, I would have been among them. Since then I've taken a less involved approach in heading the company, relegating myself back to the CEO and Chairman of the Board. It's a little different when you're not at the forefront of everything, but considering what happened, a very needed change."[/color]

Going quiet for a moment, he pulls out a notebook from beside him with some of his prepared notes and some slides come across the screen for the viewers. [color=0054a6]"For the company though, while I am adverse to say we've profited off the reconstruction efforts, there has most certainly been positive effects from our contributions. An increase in government contracts has allowed us to finish many of our research projects that had languished as pipe-dreams and thought decades away, some of which I'm not quite allowed to speak about yet. I can say that later this month the UNDF Navy will be putting to sea their newest battleship with LIS technology that should hopefully protect against future arcane incursions."[/color]

Cassandra listened quietly, the audience likewise remaining silent while he spoke. Folding her hands over her knee, she nodded in understanding. “It’s always a relief to hear that the UN Defense Force will be well-prepared in the event of a new crisis; perhaps even at the hands of the Eurasian Confederation. Do you feel confident that the arsenal you’re developing for our military will ensure its continued technological superiority over the Russians?”

At that comment he frowned just slightly, sitting back once more in his chair with the notebook in his lap. [color=0054a6]"If the Eurasian Confederation acts in such a way as to endanger their neighbors or incite further political instability among the non-aligned powers, then yes I am confident that the UNDF will have technological superiority."[/color]

Smiling, Cassandra eased back in her own chair, seeming decidedly more relaxed than the man she was interviewing. “Mr. Lüneburg, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the rumours that have been circulating as of late in regards to your possible status as a Homo Magi. Many believe that the extraordinary breakthroughs that LIS has achieved would not be possible without the supervision of someone with intimate knowledge of the arcane.”

[color=0054a6]"That could certainly be argued."[/color] He offered, that smile turning from somewhat charming to a little more devious as he continued. [color=0054a6]"My company makes use of numerous contacts through the world, looking into acquiring the brightest minds of each generation and putting them to task where they do best. Though perhaps a little bit of magic does go a long way here and there."[/color]

Cassandra chuckled, along with the audience. She didn’t seem particularly bothered by his evasiveness, merely evening out a wrinkle in her dress. “It is now known that Homo Magi have existed in the shadows long before the One Week War thrust them into the limelight. It begs the question of just who may or may not be hiding a magic wand in their back pocket. Many fear mages, just as they fear metahumans. How do you feel about the changes these two groups have brought to our society?”

[color=0054a6]"Well Cassandra, I can assure you that I do not have a wand in my pocket."[/color] He laughed as if to disarm that insinuation before thinking for a moment on the question. [color=0054a6]"Fear of change is quite natural, especially for normal humans who do not have these kinds of powers. They see something that has abilities far beyond their own, such as men who can leap continents or a girl who can run at supersonic speeds, yet many struggle to make it through the day to day. For my opinion on the changes they have brought, I ask everyone to look at the people who build and rebuild our society. Yes, the metas and the mages defend the common people from threats beyond their ken, but it is everyday people who put in the effort to ensure that we all have something to fight for."[/color]

“Well said, Mr. Lüneburg,” said Cassandra, smiling. The audience clapped in appreciation for his words, before once again quietting. “Now, one of the most groundbreaking inventions produced by your company is the Rift Jammer, which promises to prevent the opening of any interdimensional rifts within a ten kilometer radius. This is widely available to the military now, but people throughout the world still live in fear of monsters and demons ripping straight through reality and right into their living rooms during family night. When can we expect these to be distributed to the public at large?”

It was a question he was expecting, and as such didn't have to even open his notebook to give the answer to. [color=0054a6]"As and when we are able to distribute them to local governments without the possibility of malcontents disabling them. It is known that the device does utilize some of the technology [i]acquired[/i] during the Arabian Intervention, and there are still many who are agitated over the use of magitech at all. We do not wish to risk having cities under the protection of these devices suddenly left defenseless when a cult or domestic terrorist attacks."[/color]

“But they’re defenseless right now, in many cases,” Cassandra was quick to point out, not seeming satisfied with his answer. “Just last week, a father of three was pulled under his son’s bed and torn to pieces by an unseen force in Boston. The people are crying to return to the days when parents could reassure their children that there wasn’t a monster hiding in their closet, or that their dreams couldn’t harm them.”

[color=0054a6]"We're doing the best we can, and cooperating with as many [i]willing[/i] tech leaders that are available and with the resources to produce the devices. The simple fact of the matter is that while the UNDF works to provide as much protection to our regions as we can, there are still some who have not realized the world has changed. Petty politics prevent us from stepping in to assist in some regions, where some kind of presence would mean all the difference."[/color]

Though she frowned, Cassandra offered a curt nod. “I understand, Mr. Lüneburg. Magic is a new and oftentimes frightening technology--but I find the prospect of Freddy Krueger standing over my bed to be far more terrifying. We can only hope that our representatives will come to understand as much, before it’s too late.”