[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7ieqwfU.png[/img][/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/klHHPfB.png?1[/img][/center] [b][i]2:03 AM, The Next Day[/i][/b] As Icon soared high above Lost Haven he could hardly believe that just under twenty four hours ago, the city had been under siege by the Hounds of Humanity. Now, the city was at peace. Most of the city’s citizens were now at home, tucked comfortably into their beds, blissfully unaware of just how close they had come to oblivion. It was moments like this, when he was able to see this magnificent city in a light that few others ever could, that made this life that he has chosen so worth it. Seeing the bustling city at rest, with so few people out on the streets, seeing only the lights of the city’s skyline as it stands in stark contrast against the darkness of night was something to behold, and it was moments like this that he was grateful to have been given the ability to do the things that he can do in order to protect not only the people of this beautiful city, but people all over the world. Icon slowly began to descend as he approached Sherman Square, which had been the focal point of the conflict with the Hounds. A sense of despair washed over him as he saw the destruction that had been wrought on the Square, which was a cultural and economic hub for Lost Haven. Icon mourned for the businesses and homes that had been damaged or destroyed in the conflict, but he knew that the people of Lost Haven were resilient and they would recover from this latest setback. [i]They always do.[/i] That thought bothered Icon. Not that they always recovered from things like this. But that they [b]had[/b] to recover, seemingly on an increasing basis. And this time it wasn’t just the bad guys that were doing the damage. In fact, some of the so called heroes that had responded to the Hounds’ attack had caused just as much, if not more damage than the Hounds themselves, and that was not acceptable. [i]We have to be held accountable, otherwise we’re no better than them.[/i] Icon thought to himself. In fact, it had been something that had been on his mind a lot in the last twenty four hours, since he witnessed the destruction that both sides had caused to the city. It had been on his mind when he and Alexa had returned to her penthouse apartment after the Hounds had been defeated, and it had been on his mind when Chris Arthur had reached out to him. Icon slowed as he approached Sherman Center, the large tower illuminated the night sky like few other skyscrapers West of Dubai could. Though Sherman Center was no longer the tallest building in Lost Haven, it still proved to be one of the crowning jewels of ot only Sherman Square, but Lost Haven herself. As Icon got within feet of the building, a set of large bay windows slowly began to open, allowing him to gain entry to the large conference room on the other side of the glass. As he touched down on the marble floor of the conference room, Icon could see that he was not alone. Christopher Arthur sat at the large circular table at the center of the room. [b] “I got your message.” [/b] Icon said as he approached the man who had proven to be an invaluable ally on more than one occasion. [color=c0c0c0]“Oh good, you’re here. I don’t know why I never used skywriting to contact everyone else before,”[/color] Chris said when he finally noticed Icon entering the conference room. He took one last sip of the tea he had been drinking while waiting for Lost Haven’s greatest hero to arrive before he set it down on a nearby side table. He was wearing a gray robe, embroidered with his initials, along with a pair of slippers that were matching in color. [color=c0c0c0]“Don’t worry. I’m wearing shorts underneath this.”[/color] Chris reassured Icon when he stood up from his chair to greet the blue and silver garbed hero. Considering that the heroes of Lost Haven had just defeated the Hounds, why couldn’t Chris conduct this meeting in a more casual dress attire. Icon nodded to Chris as he spoke. He had known that Arthur was a bit eccentric, as most billionaire superheroes are apt to be, so he wasn’t overly surprised by his choice of attire. In fact, he supposed that he should be glad the Arthur was wearing anything at all, considering some of the stories that he had heard about the man. Nevertheless, if this was about what Icon had suspected, he thought that it would be prudent to get right to it. [b] “I think I know what this is about, but I have to ask. What do you need?”[/b] [color=c0c0c0]“We have something to discuss that should have done a long time ago,”[/color] Chris responded. [color=c0c0c0]“Over the past few months, we have been only reactive to the threats that have loomed over this city and even the world as a whole. We have had success with impromptu team-ups, but someday even our raw talents won’t be enough to win the day. We need something more proactive, something more permanent. We need to form a team.”[/color] Icon stood there in silence for a moment as Arthur’s words resonated in his mind. The truth was, the man was right. There have been an increasing number of crises that have occured over the last couple of years, from D-Day to the Pax Metahumana debacle, to the Hounds of Humanity that have proven to be too wide spread for any one hero to handle alone. And while the heroes have been lucky thus far when alliances needed to be formed, they couldn’t count on that good fortune to continue. With a team, they would be able to not only deal with any situations that might arrive, but they could police the conduct of the participants as well, something that was sorely needed during this last conflict. [b] “I agree.”[/b] Icon told him. [b] “I’ve got some ideas as to who we should bring in. I’m guessing you do as well?” [/b] [color=c0c0c0]“You think I would have called this meeting if I didn’t?”[/color] Chris answered Icon back with a laugh. [color=c0c0c0]“I think a good place to start is with the heroes who gathered at Settler’s Clearing in Park Royal during the Pax Metahumana Crisis.”[/color] Chris was of course referring to the first five heroes he had recruited at that time: Icon, Lyger, Radiance, Thunderbolt, and Boom. Except for the twins, Chris knew that the other three heroes were still active. Those three heroes participated both in D-Day and the attack on Sherman Square by the Hounds. This would create a strong foundation for Icon and Chris’ all-star team. [color=c0c0c0]“I haven’t heard from the Speedster Twins for months now, but I think I know a potential replacement. You might have met her during the Hounds’ Attack. Her name is Slipstream and he runs her operations out of Pacific Point. I teamed-up with her once when I was out west, so I probably could get her to come onboard with our team.”[/color] [b] “We’ve met.”[/b] Icon confirmed. [b] “I think she has a lot of potential.”[/b] Icon thought about the names that Chris had mentioned, and he agreed that these heroes would be a solid foundation on which to build a team. Though the twins would have been ideal, he had heard rumors that they went missing shortly after the Pax Metahumana crisis. There hadn’t been any sightings of them in months. Though, he had a good feeling about Slipstream, and he was sure that she would be more than capable of stepping in and filling their boots. He also knew that Radiance would be in, as he and Alexa had discussed this exact idea on numerous occasions. There was only one question that he had about Arthur’s list. [b] “Lyger. Do you think he’ll be willing to join? He doesn’t exactly seem to play well with others.”[/b] [color=c0c0c0]“Although Lyger is a loner, he has come through for us every time he had answered the call for service. We might have to be creative when we ask him to join. It probably would be better if you did the honors. Maybe even mention that this was [i]your[/i] idea. Otherwise, he might tell me to go fuck myself.”[/color] [b] “You might be right. I’m pretty sure I overheard him saying something about wanting to punch you in the mouth.”[/b] Icon agreed. [color=c0c0c0]“Then he better get in line. I’m sure there’s a line a mile long of people who want to punch me in the face.”[/color] Chris shrugged off Icon’s mention of Lyger’s desire to cause physical violence to Chris. [b] “You’re probably right.”[/b] Icon chuckled as he took a seat at the table across from Chris, where the two heroes began to set out a plan to recruit prospective members of this new “super team.” And although they had a good starting point, they knew that they would need others to join this new endeavor in order for it to have any chance of success.