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Hugo Powers was currently standing outside Club 27, waiting patiently, foot tapping on the ground in rhythm, when he noticed Pandora emerging from the ground like some sort of cement mermaid. The massive, hulking human being walked over to Pandora's location, looking somewhat more pleased than usual, though "somewhat more pleased than usual" in Powers' case was still "much less pleased than usual" for your average person. The stoic director squatted down next to Pandora (or more accurately, the half of Pandora that was there) and spoke, his gruff voice matching his towering, threatening figure. 

[color=lightslategray]"First, a pleasure to meet you, Pandora,"[/color] Powers said, extending a hand over to the ground-submerged woman. [color=lightslategray]"It's a pleasure to see you in person. Second, as for my [i]employees,[/i] from the reports I've received, they've managed to save themselves. They're quite the bunch. You'll like them."[/color] Powers said, contemplating for a moment, before shaking his head. [color=lightslategray]"Actually, you won't. You'll hate their guts. But they'll grow on you. They did for me, anyway,"[/color] the Director said, before standing. [color=lightslategray]"They should be here any second...ah."[/color] Powers turned over to a portal that had formed across the lawn. [color=lightslategray]"Here they come."[/color]

Back over at the Roman coliseum, Grace was very busy oogling a certain somebody that had just entered the Coliseum. She was about to laugh at Chad, poke fun at him a bit for his flair for the dramatic (not to mention exaggeration), but the arrival of Starbright had saved him from any sort of brutal rubbing. Grace instead found herself staring at Starbright, the beautiful sculpted man that was Starbright...hot [i]damn,[/i] it must've been illegal to be so incredibly attractive, what type of phenomenal genetics caused this beautiful man to exist...Grace stared at Starbright for what felt like a few days before Patricia's harsh words cut into her stupor. [color=MediumOrchid]“Stop undressing this man-child with your eyes and [i]focus[/i]. We have somewhere we need to be, remember? He's not even worth it, anyways,”[/color] Patricia had said, and Grace blinked, having been freed from Starbright's unholy trance. Grace made sure to avoid eye contact with Starbright as she got to work crafting a second portal. She sincerely hoped Starbright never betrayed HERO, because his looks would make it impossible for the Korean girl to take him in. [color=DarkOrchid]"Right, right. Club 27, portal, got it. I have a good idea from where it is, it's not far from my place...alright. You think Starbright is single? He can't be, right, not with [i]shoulders[/i] like that..."[/color] Grace mused, before pulling herself out of this trance again and swiping her hand, opening a second set of portals. [color=DarkOrchid]"Alright, this is pretty far for a portal, I've stretched my limits pretty thin, so the wormhole experience might be a little [i]more[/i] unpleasant than usual...make sure you're not eating or drinking anything before hopping in. Also, don't hold your breath. Your lungs might collapse."[/color] With that, she shoo'd the gang through the portal, making sure to look away if Starbright decided to use her vastly more convenient form of transportation. She then used her remaining strength to haul the nearby unconscious Alpha through the portal (luckily for him, Grace had caught a glimpse of him as she was scouting the area), before practically flopping through herself. 

The group was deposited on the lawn of Club 27, a gorgeous club belonging to the Wings of Law. Grace was the last to be thrown through, and she found her arms wrapped tightly around Tom for balance as she made it through. She looked a bit green- this portaling had taken quite a bit out of her, for sure. Powers folded his arms as he waited for the entire group to finish materializing, before speaking. [color=lightslategray]"Pleasure to see you all in one piece. Glad you could all make it,"[/color] the Director said, before gesturing towards Club 27. [color=lightslategray]"Thanks to Mr. Polamor and Ms. Mok's timely cooperation, I was able to see that the Wings of Law were not abiding by HERO's code. So I decided that enough was enough, and to take matters into my own hands. The Wings of Law are no longer going to be employed at HERO."[/color]

Powers paused. [color=lightslategray]"It's a shame that it had to come to this, watching the Wings devolve from legitimacy to their current state, but it shows what happens when you let power and fame get to your head. Never let that happen to any of you. You're all young, impressionable people that can have much brighter futures than Seraph, Mr. Impressive, and Sea Serpent will be having,"[/color] Powers said sagely, before clasping his oversized hands together. [color=lightslategray]"With that said, I'd also like to be introducing two new heroes to our organization. Pandora here is...a veteran hero, to say the least, and the organization as a whole is very pleased that she'll be lending her talents to us,"[/color] Powers said, a rare honeyed kindness in his voice. Either he was sucking up, or there was a deep respect that existed from the Director to the Brit, something that was rare in HERO. [color=lightslategray]"Also joining us is a much younger hero, Chad...he's a character, for sure, and I'm sure there's plenty of work to be done in regards to his abilities, but I'm confident he'll be a very capable hero soon."[/color] Powers nodded, having cleared up what he wanted to say. [color=lightslategray]"That's all there is to it. Hopefully your days of hero-ing will be much more pleasant without the looming presence of the Wings of Law,"[/color] Powers noted, before putting a hand to his earpiece and turning away, walking towards his expensive car. [color=lightslategray]"I'm going to need a Restoration Unit at the old Marcus Aurelius set in Brookside...there's been an incident there..."[/color] he said as he entered the vehicle, before driving off.

He left behind an awkward silence as his car slid quickly down the streets of Castleburg, unknowing that his decision might not have been his wisest to date.
 
[hr][hr][u][h2]One Week Later[/h2][/u]
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[sub]3:05 PM
July 12th
Acre Plaza
New Athens, Castleburg[/sub]

Blake wasn't the type of person to have much alone time. He was a social creature, always looking for somebody to hang out with. Whether that somebody be a romantic interest, a co-worker, or just Tom (a common choice), Blake tended to be part of a duo or more when it came to his social outings. However, today, Blake was walking through Acre Plaza, moving through the intense bustle as he pushed through the crowd. Acre Plaza was often referred to as "the center of the galaxy." It was located in the heart of New Athens in the middle of Castleburg, and was a massive commercial intersection and a very busy pedestrian area. People ran back-and-forth up an down the plaza, underneath the flickering lights of the thousands of brilliant billboards, all shining down in an impressive display. Acre Plaza was the home of so many businesses, places of interests, tourist spots, and theaters (it was also smack dab in the center of Grand Avenue, the massive boulevard that cut through Castleburg and was synonymous with show business and theatrical entertainment). Blake was currently wandering almost aimlessly, looking for something to do. The summer air heated his skin as he looked at the storefront location of Disney Acre Plaza, staring at the giant Mickey Mouse head protruding from the glass, wondering if Jamie would prefer some sort of Disney memorabilia or a ton of chocolate from the Hershey's across the way.

Eventually, Blake decided on the latter, and he turned towards the massive chocolate-y store nearby. He didn't make it all the way there, though, as he noticed something very peculiar. All of the glowing billboards on Acre Plaza, including the massive jumbotrons on some of the skyscrapers, blanked out for a second, before changing instead to an image of what appeared to be a large black wing, with sleek edges and a dangerous-looking design. It looked like a logo, like something a gang would use as their representation, but Blake was unfamiliar with the design. The symbol flickered onscreen for a few moments, drawing attention, before changing to an image of a person that Blake had never expected to see again.

[color=CC5500]"Seraph...”[/color] Blake muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. He was not happy.

Seraph had all but vanished in the week following his mysterious removal from HERO. According to news organizations, Seraph had amicably parted ways with the organization and quietly retired. Blake knew that was not true, but it was better this way, truth be told. There would be no fighting on-air or media dispute about HERO, just a casual retirement and dissolution of a longtime group. It was surprising, true, but as far as the media was concerned, it was just a hero retirement. Nothing particularly spectacular, considering heroes retired all the time. It was a dangerous line of work, after all, and the pension definitely made it worth it. Blake had never expected to see Seraph again. He had hoped that Seraph would just take his piles of cash and move to Florida or something, go bother people down there instead of hanging around. Obviously, the former HERO had not heeded by his wishes.

Seraph began his speech, gesturing out with his arms and wings. [color=#FFFF66]"Citizens of Castleburg, this is Seraph. Now that I have your undivided attention, I would like to speak to you about something near and dear to my heart, and that is this city. Castleburg has been a city of wasted potential. The failure of our institutions to protect and serve is apparent in our society. Thankfully, with the recent retirement of Hugo Powers, I will be taking actions to help remedy this problem as your new superhuman leader."[/color]

Blake's head spun. What the hell? Powers wasn't retiring; he would've definitely known if he was, and Powers would never, ever appoint Seraph to be his replacement. Something was up here. Blake watched in horror as Seraph continued. [color=#FFFF66]"I've worked with HERO for many years, and they've given a great deal to this city, but to truly elevate Castleburg as a city, new measures will be necessary. That's why I'm announcing Castleburg's newest hero organization- EAGLES, the Elite American Group for Law Enforcement and Security, headed by me, Seraph. I've decided that I can't retire while I watch this city burn from scum and villainy. I had to take action again, take to the skies, and EAGLES will be the way to do it.”[/color] That same black wing logo appeared on the screen behind him, and Blake heard some pedestrians cheer. [i]Cheer.[/i] Jesus, some people were really stupid.

[color=#FFFF66]"Unfortunately, with this good news, I have some more tragic news to announce. Very tragic news, in fact. Just today, not long ago, at my private club in Kingsdale, there was an unfortunate incident of mass murder. The entire club was found mysteriously dead. The autopsy revealed that there was no signs of any force or trauma, just a sudden death. Investigators are convinced that this is the work of the Maestro, or much more likely, the Maestro's daughter, Patricia Donnelly. I've spoken out against her countless times before, but it seems my warnings were too late and not heeded in time.”[/color]

Blake heard gasps in the crowd as the screen flicked to what Blake vaguely recognized as the interior of Club 27, the Wings' former hideout and an operating high-end nightclub, full of what appeared to be sleeping people- people slumped over the bar, laying on the floor, sprawled everywhere. Blake breathed heavily. It certainly didn't seem violent in nature- Blake would've assumed that his dad's house would've looked the same way after they were all gassed. Blake knew roughly of Patricia's capabilities, and that if she tried to death-sing a whole room of people, it would probably look something like that, but he also knew Patricia, and knew the teen would never, ever, EVER do anything like that. Also, he knew Seraph was a cold-hearted lying bastard, so there was that.

The screen flashed back to Seraph again. [color=#FFFF66]"EAGLES' first act as your new protectors will be bringing Patricia Donnelly to justice. My assistant director, Mr. Impressive, is already en route to bring Donnelly to justice. We're also seeking to bring any potential accomplices of Donnelly, some former HERO employees, in for questioning as well.”[/color] The screen flashed to a bunch of photos, with Patricia (Seraph had not gotten a flattering picture of her, that was for sure) in the front-and-center of it. Underneath Patricia's photo was a row of pictures including all people that Blake knew well, including Tom, Grace, Brie, Jamie, Rumi, Joseph, Eliza, and...shit, that was [i]his[/i] picture too!

Blake noticed some people were turned to face him, and that he heard some dialing of phones, and he quickly realized that this was [i]not[/i] a good place to be right now. [color=CC5500]"EXCUSE ME!”[/color] Blake loudly declared, pushing through the crowd quickly as he shoved his way through the crowd of people, before going into a sprint. This was probably highly suspicious behavior, but Blake didn't care. As he shoved through the crowd of pedestrians, he grabbed his phone and quickly dialed Tom as he ducked into an alleyway, sprinting down before making a few sharp turns to get himself away from prying eyes. Once he found himself in a dark, secluded alleway, he put the phone to his ear.

[color=CC5500]"Dude,”[/color] he panted into the phone. [color=CC5500]"What. The. Fuck. Is. Happening?!”[/color]

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[sub]3:05 PM
July 12th
Koreatown
Waterside, Castleburg[/sub]

Castleburg's Koreatown neighorhood was small but fascinating to Grace. As much as she loved her new life in America, working for HERO with a new group of people she was very happy to call friends, she missed her old life in Seoul sometimes. She missed Korean food almost every day, speaking Korean, really every facet of life back in Korea. She made it a habit to spend some time in Castleburg's Koreatown as much as she could. It wasn't a massive community, and it wasn't the most pristine she had ever seen, but it was authentic and Korean, which was what Grace cared about more than anything else. 

Grace strolled down the sidewalk of the small neighborhood, waving and greeting and occasionally picking up a small thing from a street vendor. She was dressed lightly for once, wearing a t-shirt and jean shorts, a blue plaid jacket tied around her waist, her stand-outish violet hair running messily in knots down her back. She ducked her way off the sidewalk into a Korean supermarket that was abuzz with energy. The market was full of people and foods that most of Castleburg would consider strange (for starters, there were eel hanging from a rack only a few yards from the entrance), but to Grace, it was home sweet home. As she walked through the aisles, looking for something good to take home, she noticed something on a corner-mounted TV. [color=DarkOrchid]"Motherfucker..."[/color] she cursed as she saw Seraph's face fade in from what appeared to be a black wing logo (she cursed in English, as a good portion of the patrons in a Korean supermarket would definitely understand her Korean swearing). Her expression went from annoyed to mortified as Seraph spoke. This was bad. Really bad.

Grace comprehended the information as quickly as she could. Seraph had somehow staged what could she could only describe as a coup d'état. He had somehow gotten rid of Powers (how he had done so made Grace shiver), and had now framed Patricia for a crime that she could not have done...and on top of that, now [i]she[/i] was on their wanted list?! This day had turned into a waking nightmare very quickly. 

Grace knew that she didn't have much time to act, and so she quickly thought of a plan. The first step to this mystery seemed to be HERO One. Grace knew that Powers could not, and would not, stand for this. That was clear as day. But Grace knew that if Seraph was even remotely cunning, there would be some sort of trap waiting for them. The same could be said of Club 27- Grace knew that if she was in Seraph's shoes, she would throw them the location as bait to investigate, and then promptly reel them in. Grace then realized something. [i]Patricia.[/i] Seraph definitely wanted her, probably for revenge, definitely for nothing good, and it seemed as though she was the top priority here. Patricia also lacked the ability to portal around the city with ease. She would probably need help. Of course, teleporting directly to Patricia's apartment would also be putting Grace into risk, but Grace decided that if there was a problem, she would be able to hopefully just grab Patricia, get out, and work out a plan from there. Thankfully, Patricia's failure in pre-calculus [color=DarkOrchid]("it's really not that hard, Patti, it's actually really fun!")[/color] had necessitated Grace's tutoring skills. It turned out that as good as Grace was as math, she was a very frustrating tutor, but their private time had given Grace knowledge of Patricia's apartment.

With that plan in mind, Grace grabbed her phone and chucked it down the supermarket aisle, landing it in a nice pile of cod, before she then traced her finger over a few cans of kimchi, opening a portal smack dab in the middle of the supermarket shelf. The second portal opened in the middle of Patricia's living room with a gentle "pop" and a bright swirling of magenta light. Grace tried to teleport outside doors and knock, but time was of the essence here, and the situation definitely necessitated a little breaking and entering.

Grace hopped out of the portal, the dimensional oval closing behind her, as she looked around for Patricia. [color=DarkOrchid]"Patricia?"[/color] she called out. [color=DarkOrchid]"We need to go. Soon. And by soon, I mean right now."[/color]



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