[u][b]January 1st, 7:40 PM (East Coast Time)
Metropolis High-Rise District[/b][/u][hr]
[color=0054a6]"Did you know that almost every culture on this Earth, both current and historic, has some form of mythos revolving around serpents and their supposed evil?"[/color]

The man approached slowly, the dim light of the parlor illuminating his broad frame bit by bit until he stopped just short of his face being revealed to the other kneeling before him. Windows stretched across one side of the room from floor to ceiling, tinted against any prying eyes from outside but well clear enough for any within to see the show just beyond in midtown. A great beast had burst from the ground just moments before, and no sooner had it made its appearance than battle was met. Of course, Wonder Woman had been expected but the others were a surprise to be sure. Not entirely unwelcome though, the man thought as he observed, a subtle hiss coming from the serpent that rested along his shoulders and tasted the air around them. A light air of smoke lingered from cigars still smoldering in ashtrays set upon tables next to a row of plush chairs, all facing the windows and occupied by shadowy individuals.

[color=0054a6]"Some kind of primal fear, it has been suggested."[/color] He continued, resting a hand upon the other man's shoulder facing away from him, and steadying him as the serpent slowly slithered down and began to coil around him. [color=0054a6]"That the First Man had seen a snake eat a beast whole, and in terror assumed it capable of eating the world. Of course, as man spread across the world an settled in new regions, formed new cultures and eventually nations, the story changed, multiple stories emerged and began to differ from one another depending on the lay of the land or the history of one tribe or another. This one, though, is my favorite."[/color]

Just then the battle before them became so much more interesting, the man's grip tightening as a feral grin spread across his lips in the dim light. "Pay attention, for this is the Serpent Which Devours Itself." A momentary pause, in which gore rained upon the streets of Metropolis, a keening wail of fury and pain as the Hydra destroyed itself in a flurry of teeth and claws. The creature's regenerative went into overdrive as it formed new heads from each wound, going from just a few to a dozen, then a dozen more and each time doubling what there was before. Soon a forest of scales and rage emerged from the streets, the roar of the Hydra shaking the windows for that one singular moment.

[color=0054a6]"OUROBOROS!"[/color]

A murmur went along the group behind the two men, seven other men and two women talking among each other of the sight before them and the ongoing fight. [color=0054a6]"Behold! Truly a spectacle, is it not? Ares has done well to treat us to this show, though we all know who provided him this boon."[/color] Silence dominated the room once more as his tone shifted to a more serious one, [url=https://i.imgur.com/Qi9ZJYD.jpg]the man stepping forward into the light[/url] and turning to watch as the other man was slowly being strangled to death by the snake, fangs sticking into his chest. [color=0054a6]"We seem to have had ourselves a bit of a disagreement, haven't we mister Serano? See, when my organization agreed to support your business, to guide you through the chaos of the Two Month War and the aftermath, it was assumed that in return you would dance on your strings and do as YOU WERE TOLD."[/color]

For that one short moment, he almost lost his temper against his guest, very nearly striking him in front of the organization. That would not do of course, for he had an image to keep up and to do such a thing would ruin it. [color=0054a6]"I do apologize, raising my voice like that was quite rude especially when we have such good entertainment before us."[/color] A quick command in parseltongue and the snake about the man's neck relaxed and withdrew its fangs, coming up to look him directly in the eyes, the malicious intent clear there. Of course through the entire exchange Serano had tried to speak, his mouth open in a rictus mask of terror as his body was kept paralyzed through power magicks over-riding his ability to do anything except watch what was before him. [color=0054a6]"Oh, that's your building, isn't it?"[/color] A crash from midtown announced the destruction of part of a building, the Hydra falling against it before once more launching itself against its attackers. [color=0054a6]"Now, one would be rather remiss to not comment on the irony of that, wouldn't you say?"[/color]

[color=0054a6]"But, back to the topic at hand. You were given quite clear instructions on what to do with your little empire, of what to air and when across your networks. We were very specific, because it was very important to us. It was thought, that you also understood the terms of our contract. Did you think that just because you now had money that you could just ignore anything you didn't like?"[/color] In the years since the devastation of the midwest, the split from the Union by the Pacific States and the collapse of many different corporations and nations since the Two Month War many new players had come to prominence to replace the old. Ian Serano was one of them, a mid-level media exec who amounted to quite little before the war. Afterwards he had stepped forward to establish one of a handful of new networks on the East Coast and had a controlling share of the American news. Rumors were that he had connections to a Wall Street group, claiming that his fame and fortune were entirely fabricated, or that he had some backroom dealings with politicians in order to secure his new network. The truth was something else entirely, something that this man standing before him preferred to keep between them.

[color=0054a6]"See, not only did you fuck up our request to run the provided material on a regular basis, but you thought that this newfound power would afford you the ability to deny us. Forgetting of course, that we are the ones who [i]gave[/i] you this power. We are the ones who made you into what you are, and you thought to cheat us?"[/color] A tut of indignation came, a few mumbles of assent from behind them as the other members of the organization spoke their own disappointment with Serano. For his part, he knelt down so that he could be eye-level with him, a swirl of colors in his eyes as he bore into his very soul. More than just denying his organization, of betraying their contract and trying to cheat them, Serano had tried to betray him. That would simply not stand, not with him who had designed so much that was still underway. [color=0054a6]"You know what though?"[/color] And suddenly his tone shifted from the more serious to a light-hearted tone, gently clapping the frozen-man's shoulder almost in camaraderie.

[color=0054a6]"Everything is good."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"We don't need [i]you[/i]."[/color] Serano's eyes widened out of terror, knowing that despite the friendly tones, the smile right to his face, that this could only mean one thing. [color=0054a6]"I hear that Simon Wallace has been eyeing your position for quite a while. In fact, was it not him that you entrusted your little contingency plan to?"[/color] He held up an envelope in his right hand, making sure that he could see it quite clearly and that it was still bulging with papers and tapes within. [color=0054a6]"He was quite… Detailed with his recall of your conversation with him on this, and what you wanted him to do in case you suddenly disappeared. See, the two of us have some very different ideas on what loyalty is. For myself and my organization, we reward those who are [i]always[/i] loyal, who put the organization and the cause above such selfish desires as power and fortunes. You on the other hand… Well, you only saw those who served you as 'loyal'. What you desired was not honest service to any cause, but mere yes-men to stroke your ego and make you feel as if you had what you so desperately wanted, but could never truly have."[/color]

[color=0054a6]"Power."[/color]

His left hand clenched into a fist before him, the slow cracking of bone and tearing of flesh becoming more and more audible as he ensured that Serano spent his final moments looking directly into his eyes and hearing how seriously he had fucked himself. [color=0054a6]"Wallace on the other hand, will get your second chance. Your body will be found two days from now in your home, the bodies of your wife and children alongside you and showing every sign that instead of choosing to go alone, you took them with you. This was your choice."[/color] One final snap sounded the end of his life, and just in time for more of the Justice League to arrive. Now things were beginning to become truly interesting as the beast began to struggle against its foes, at first simply on the backfoot from the sorceries employed by a mage on the streets and Wonder Woman's tenacity and refusal to submit. "Is that the Lantern?" Another of the organization asked, leaning forward in his seat as the ember of his cigar lit up his scarred face. Green light filled the darkened skies as a construct surrounded the beast and it seemed that the show was coming to an end.

At least it seemed so, until the walls of the cage around it began to flex, straining to contain such a beast. For what it was worth, it was a good call to look towards constricting the battlefield, and it helped to ensure that anyone who hadn't already been evacuated was well clear by now. "Appears so, though it doesn't look like the same one? I heard he had left some time ago. Perhaps we have a new one." The windows zoomed in on the action in the distance, enhancing and creating still images of each one of the combatants as and when a clear picture could be taken. Before each of the individuals in the room a haptic interface appeared and they began to scrutinize the finishing fight. "Grim is there as well, he was dispatching drones to guide civilians to safety. Ever quick with the tech solution, that one is. Quite admirable." One of the two women this time, her sultry voice slightly distorted as for a moment her appearance shifted and flickered and the shine of her lips twisting into a smirk was seen. "Yes, yes. While we all wouldn't mind seeing the face behind the mask, it's no secret you want to see a little more."

For a short moment an argument flared between the slighted woman and the more pompous man on the opposite end, right up until their leader held up his hand and indicated to them to pay attention. Silence followed and they wondered why he had called to a stop when from nowhere it seemed a plume of viscera and debris shot into the sky from where the Hydra [i]had[/i] been just a moment before. The suite of cameras atop the building had captured every frame though, playing it back in slow motion as The Champion executed an elbow drop finisher that would have made any pro-wrestling fan tear up in joy. A single image was frozen across the windows, transparent enough to show the end of the battle in the distance, but clear enough for them all to see the Kryptonian in mid-elbow drop.

"Well, suppose that's it then." The pompous man spoke up, no small amount of disappointment clear in the distinct English tones of his voice. "I was hoping we would see Velocity make an appearance, but not anymore." Everyone returned to their hushed tones of review, watching over replays of the battle from multiple angles recorded around the city just now filtering in. From initial reports it seemed there were few to no casualties among the civilian populace, but there were quite a few missing from the disaster area. Their leader stepped forward to the glass, watching Champion step out of the corpse of the Hydra and address his fellows, for one moment meeting eyes with him from several miles away across the city. [color=0054a6]"Velocity has other matters to contend with at the moment, though rest assured that everything is going according to plan. Even with Serano's momentary lapse in patriotism, the schedule holds. Return to your duties, and one last thing…"[/color] He paused, indicating to a man in the back who had kept silent and awaiting instructions. [color=0054a6]"Once you've taken care of loose ends, get in contact with that mercenary. We will be needing his services for the next stage."[/color]
[hr]
[u][b]January 2nd, 12:00 PM (EST)
North-East of Atlanta, Georgia - Side of US Highway 85[/b][/u]

There was a crisp and cool breeze that billowed the tops of the trees, bare branches swaying back and forth alongside the bustling highway and the rest stop between the lanes. Still early in the day most people were getting ready to get back on the road, either heading into the city or away from it after a long holiday and likely not quite as ready to get back to work. Among the bustle of travelers was a number of semi-trucks, one of which sporting the state's seal and a peach prominent to the side. While the fruit was not quite in season, trucks like these were a common site here and there ferrying their goods from off-season farms. It brought that gentle and sweet scent of fresh peaches that the state was known for, a man at the back smiling and waving as he handed out produce for cash from wooden crates stacked floor to ceiling.

Only one among them had arrived not by vehicle, but by foot instead. Her long hair swaying with the wind, a distinct red that caught eyes as she walked, Verra Valinova gave the man a couple dollars for a peach and made her way back to a nearby picnic table. She too was there just to relax for a moment, jeans tight and hugging her skin as she took the time to simply unwind and think for once. It had been a good while since she was in the states, at least a year or two last she remembered, and it seemed that she had just missed the talk of the nation. Ushering in the new year was an attack on Metropolis, the alert she had received on her way from Prague and would have responded to if not otherwise engaged. This time at least it had been handled without need for her, Champion finally dropping the elbow from orbit as they had joked about once or twice long ago. That felt like decades ago but was just one, her like now very different than it was when she started.

As she occupied herself with her phone looking up recent news and enjoying the fresh crisp of her peach a few eyes strayed her way, mostly a curious soul or another wondering how she got there without a vehicle. One man looked at her, and then the peach in his hand, a look as if he had been slighted as he turned to the peach seller, who simply laughed it off. No one would have guessed that she was Velocity though, the impossibility of such a hero hanging around at a rest stop off the main highway out of Atlanta too much to even fathom. That and the small bit of how sightings of her had been fewer and fewer of late. An article from one of the super magazines went into rather conspiratorial detail on her presence over the last few years, making some vague gestures on how she was apparently a corporate agent meant to test the popularity of super-heroes and their marketability??? Grim would have gotten a laugh out of that, she thought having a light chuckle at it as well as she shifted a little on the bench, adjusting her sweater and warming her hands a little bit.

The cool air was nice this time of year at least, and this far from the Scar people weren't nearly as on edge. It was almost normal. Quite the shift from where she had been over the last couple years, where every day was a struggle that might be the last. It brought a change in her mood that she wanted to be rid of, taking another bite into the peach she had bought and sighing as she looked over yet more news. Some politicians were trying to capitalize on the whole "Monsters are People" movement that was going around, a bunch of misguided and naive fools in her opinion, but still entitled to it. A sound bit came up of some popstar singing about it and Verra rolled her eyes, almost commenting aloud on how ridiculous it was. People with the money to have rode out the Two-Month War always seemed to be the first to talk about their suffering and the suffering of others, while completely ignoring those that were lost. She still remembered her little sister on that night, and how chance was all that kept her from becoming yet another number on Halloween.

Then again… The small red one at the top left of her phone's screen showed an unviewed voicemail, ten years old and still too painful to even think of opening. Lexi had been with her mother when the Scar was formed, and she was too far away and too slow to save even them from the destruction of Central City. Not literal like some towns out in the wastes, but a different kind. One more spiteful and purposeful. The buildings still stood, silent and watchful over a city of ash.

Verra sighed again, shutting off her phone and turning to put her back to the table, looking up into the sky as she wondered to herself what she would do. Being back here in the states was dredging up all the bad memories she had been trying to avoid, but it was clear she wasn't quite fast enough to run from them. Part of her wondered if she ever would be, and another thought back to that man's words and if she [i]should[/i] run from all those feelings, and maybe instead use them. It was all quite a bit at the moment to think on, one hand idly coming up to fidget with her locket, inside a picture taken a decade ago of her family and of course her suit in case she found need for it.