Don't associate with those types (Eric Slattery)

In 1099, this eternal city was reclaimed for the West by a massive force of radicalized knights. These were men that would normally raid each other without a second thought--kill each other without the slightest bit of remorse. What was so strong as to bring these people together for a common goal? What had managed to direct hundreds of thousands of individuals from all walks of life toward a singular end?


Ideology.


If you sway a man's heart, you'll have his sword. Red had realized that fact long ago, and he had no problem exploiting it for his own gain. Sure, Lucius did believe essentially everything that came out of his mouth, but he could have just as well been spewing lies. All it takes is a little charisma along with a sound argument, and most of those in the follower category will rush to eat from your hand.


The military, religion, political movements; they all have one thing in common, and that's the ability to radicalize their members. It doesn't matter if what they say is true or false. Even the most well intentioned ideologies can have a leader with other things in mind, and that's why The Siege of Jewruslem wasn't some triumph for good as everyone had said it would be; it was a worldly motivated blood bath.


Lucius was here for a gathering of extremely powerful people, all of whom had no doubt mastered this particular brand of manipulation.  Each represented countries, massive companies, or hundreds of thousands of supporters. Talking to people in this room was like talking to the entire world. A rare opportunity, especially in such a casual setting.


"Mr. Prime Minster, I'm pleased to see you've arrived." A chubby man in a suit said as Lucius stepped down off the helicopter he rode in on. Red had no idea who this person was.


"And, who are you, exactly?" Lucius said as he slowly but surely walked around the man to get to the rooftop entrance. The man looked slightly offended, as if him not being recognized was some sort of crime.


"Why, I am the Welsh Ambassador to Malta, of course." The man said. Lucius just laughed, quite loudly really, as he continued walking away.


The next person from the helicopter was a blonde man in his twenties. He was wearing skinny jeans and a leather jacket over a T-shirt. He also seemed to be quite irritated.



"Hey, Fat Ass, tell these d-bags that the next time they invite Red to one of these things not to set up freaking anti-teleportation technology." Daniel said as he brushed passed the confused Ambassador.


"Who...... Who is Red sir? And who are you? Perhaps an intern of some kind? I was really just hoping to speak with The Prime Minister, so if you co-" The Ambassador said before being cut off. Daniel had stopped dead in his tracks, then spun on his heels before getting in the guy's face.


"An intern! You think just because I'm not wearing a stupid suit I'm not important? ......You know what, I'll borrow yours. Might be a few hundred sizes too big, but I'll manage." Daniel said before tapping the man on the shoulder. Suddenly, the  Welshman found himself in nothing but underwear while standing on a rooftop. Daniel walked away without another word, hoping to catch up with Lucius.


The venue was opulent. Marble walls and floors laced with golden adornments; world class cuisine, an auction of ancient artifacts, and of course, a bar. The major pull of this event, though, was the networking opportunities. Lucius had a few people in mind to speak to first, but found himself getting a refreshment at the bar before he set out to do so.


"Yamzaki 40 on the rocks." Lucius said, taking a seat and looking around while he waited for his drink. Nobody of importance sat at the bar as of yet, but regardless, he would be talking with some of the most powerful people on the planet by the night's end.

”Really sure you should be takin those with the booze old man?” Maddie questioned, still chewing her gum and looking at him with half amused expression. Eric rolled his eyes, throwing two white pills into his mouth and washing them down with clear alcohol, feeling the pleasant burn as it went down. If he was going to attend a gathering of rich, and likely pretentious people then he wanted to sate his addiction first. Looking bad would have only managed to ruin his chances at whatever he was going for, and so he did so. His bodyguard was not exactly against it, but she did have her doubts when it came to his self-destructive attitudes.

”Sure as I’ll ever be Mads. Need to be on my game with all these world leaders, and their fat checks. Plan this big needs more than all that money lining my pockets.” He shrugged, nestling into the soft and comfortable seats of his limo as the inside of the vehicle was regulated to acceptable degrees. This was the perfect place to make his pitch, should he find someone that could accept the pitch. Of course the US would be one of them, considering the population of metahumans but his plan needed more than one country.

”Getting nervous about meeting a bunch of stuffy people? I mean, I doubt any of them will sleep with you anyway.” She quickly turned attention to her cellphone, typing away and blowing a big pink bubble.

”If I really wanted that, I would just buy a prostitute. Remember, this is some pretty serious business about important things.”

”Yeah yeah, change the world and everything within it. You literally read the entire plan to me.”

”Which is why I need this to go off without…”

”A hitch, I know. I’m just here to make sure no metas get frisky with you.” She reminded him with a quick look up and a look he recognized.

”Well I hear there’s a bar, so that’s a plus.” He noted with a slightly enthusiastic tone, wondering who would be there. He had hoped some interesting people would be there and he could get a little support from there. Not as if Slattery Incorporation hadn’t touched many lives already, so he was ready to make the next big step. He would make the next big step beyond simply producing products for better living.

The limo would come to a stop, door being opened by what he assumed was the valet. Eric stepped out with his bodyguard, withdrawing a few crisp bills and settling them into the chest of the valet. ”Don’t actually need your services.” He looked at Eric oddly, though he was already walking past him after a quick wink. Already he could feel a sort of calm flow through him, stepping through the front entrance and security. For the even the security was tight, but he didn’t not expect that.  Eric quickly slipped a thin, off greens trip under his tongue meant to neutralize the scent of alcohol now and for the rest of the night. At the very least he could avoid having his mouth smell like a brewery.

Luckily he managed clearance for his little firearm, and Maddie was enough for anything else. While the psychokinetic was dressed rather casually, he chose out his best suit. The quality itself was obvious, revealing that he was indeed loaded if nothing else. There were so many reasons to come here, though his had ended up being multiple people he could meet with. Eric had rehearsed speeches, and means by which he could convince and yet his best work was spontaneous. Charisma however served him well whichever way he wanted to make use of it.

There was a bit of shouting going on, a rather young looking blonde and a chubby man. Eric smirked, turning his attention away to the bar which looked far more appealing at the moment. Might have been his personal appreciation of alcohol at work, because he wanted to move there first. He had also heard down the grape vine that Lucius Alba, that maverick that took over Belarus with one fell swoop. Despite how contested that was, he could not help appreciate how it was done. ”Mads, do that behind the scenes thing you do.” Like that she seemed to walk off, and yet he knew she would not be far.

There was the sound of someone ordering a drink, Eric sitting down. ”Make that two.” He said holding index and middle finger in the sign for two. His tone itself essentially bled a sort of approachability, and the grin added with it only really accentuated that really. Many mistook hat for stupidity, but they tended to find out how wrong that thought process was. His research had yielded that who he wanted to see would congregate to the bar, where they could be liquored up and…well inhibited minds were a little easier to influence. It was a tough act really, but one he perfected over the years.

”Lucius Alba, fancy meeting someone so big so soon.” More of an unexpected pleasure really, but that was something else really.

Somebody had decided to use the old 'make that two' technique to break the ice. This somebody was unfortunately not anybody, or at least that's how it appeared. Lucius took about ten seconds of silence before he even acknowledged the man had addressed him. The bartender managed to whip up the drinks within that time, and then Red took a drink before speaking. The burn of alcohol always managed to take the edge off jist about any coversation, which is why Lucius tended to drink at meetings.

"Let me guess, you're some CEO hoping to get cheaper taxes by moving your company from the US? Or maybe you want to sell something? Whatever it is, do tell me. We both know why we're here." Lucius said casually. He didn't even turn his head, instead preferring to stare into space. It seemed his thoughts were more important to Lucius then anything this man could offer, at least for the time being.

Red threw back his drink rather quickly, then signaled the waiter to refill his glass. If he was going to deal with people as arrogant as him tonight, he was going to do it with a buzz.

Two drinks settled down before them, Eric taking his with a wink to the bartender and enjoying the burn of alcohol. ”Sorry, already got my hands in most countries.” He smirked, jostling the ice within his glass slowly. ”Was just curious of meeting someone as prolific as the great Lucius Alba. Everyone is talking about you.” His eyes lazily scanned over the room even as he talked, noting Maddie in her corner texting someone. Eric did know why he was here, though he did wonder why an international celebrity was here. Maybe he had something to gain, much like so many others.

”I’m mostly here because of something that you did, or were involved with anyway. That stunt with The Talons was pretty great. Who knew heroes would try to assassinate someone like that?” He postulated, sipping more of his high end booze. ”Really brought about a lot of questions, like how do we deal with the heroes and all that. So I thought, if metahumans going about and breaking laws was ruining the whole thing, then maybe what needed was a means these heroic individuals could do their things without having to worry about breaking any laws.” He threw back his drink, looking to Lucius.

”Plenty of important political figures around here and I’ve heard they all love their liquor.  I’ve heard Belarus was a beacon of progress, so maybe the Prime Minister would have some interest in this venture of mine.”

Lucius seemed to take at least a slight interest in what the man was saying, especially after The Talons were mentioned. From what this person was saying, and judging by his suit, he was a very successful business man. But what did he have to gain by pitching an idea for a hero group to Lucius Alba?

"Asking if I'm interested in supporting a vigilantism governing body? That's pretty bold, considering many of them have tried to kill me in the past." Lucius said, finally turning in his seat to face the man. Red's cold grey eyes scanned the man up and down, and then a small smirk showed itself on the dictator's face.

"But i think it's, ironically, a good call." Lucius said, lifting his glass in acknowledgement before taking a sip.

"I'm interested in a government supported organization that would simplify diplomacy with those of a certain, well,  inclination. I'd much rather negotiate with one group, rather then butting heads with hundreds of Justice League rejects. But what I'm not interested in is something that would allow them to do whatever they want. If that's the intent, then you can forget about it." Lucius said, making it clear that he would only support a hero group that made his life easier, rather then harder.

”If we had a body governing them, there might a lot less self-proclaimed heroes trying to murder world leaders.” It appeared that his pitch was enough to actually have him turn towards him, meaning he somehow managed to grab onto his attention. The fact he even called it a good call as well it wasn’t exactly a surprise to him. Despite the size of Belarus being no larger than Idaho, it seemed to have garnered a rather impressive amount of support in recent months.

”Oh, has nothing to do with letting them do whatever they want. Most do that anyway, and we both know where that gets us.” Collateral damage, unwanted casualties, and so many grievances that he couldn’t even recall all of them. ”Put bluntly, I suppose my idea is more along the lines of a superhuman task force with a bit of sugarcoating to make it sound nice. You have all these young metas, putting on their tights, doing heroism or even just outright turning to less savory crime. Sort of shoots progress in the foot.”

He looked down to his glass, noting that it was empty. All it took was a motion of the hand for the bartender to get him another. Silently, Eric considered Lucius’ expression, reading it much like he did with most people he dealt with. ”I don’t have anything like your garden variety hero group in mind. I’ve followed quite a few of those, and they tend to suffer the same problem. Some metahuman with too much power bringing other together, and playing hero. Usually people die from their incompetence, and they scatter. ” He considered all the data that had gathered been gathered and things always ended up the same.

”What I have in mind is larger, more official and less of an ego trip.”

This was starting to seem like something that might be beneficial, if the guy could pull it off that is. Funny how the leader of a group many saw as villainous was now going to support the construction of a heroic organization, but the prospect of being able to deal with one orderly group over thousands of unruly ones was just too tempting.

"I like it." Lucius said simply, sipping from his class casually. Red then snapped his fingers, and in an instant Daniel would be in the chair on the other side of Slattery.

"This is Daniel Raines, my Chief of Staff. Leave him with some contact info, and we'll proceed from there." Lucius said. He then outstretched his hand to shake Eric's, as if to confirm the deal. No tricks were being played here, just a handshake. As many knew, it meant a lot to Red.

More people were starting to pour into the dining area, and Lucius had a nice buzz. He was ready to rub shoulders with these individuals. Already he had made a promising connection, and he had only been here ten minutes. He was beginning to feel glad he came.

But of course, with all these important people in one place, the peaceful night wouldn't last....

He liked his plan, not an unwelcome outcome and actually something that felt like it would advance things quite a bit. Eric’s expression did not betray the slight surprise that someone so outspoken would agree, but maybe in the end Lucius Alba was the perfect person to come to about such an idea. ”Well, I’m pleased you like it.” Eric noted as the male snapped, the appearance of another person becoming vaguely apparent within his peripheral vision. An unknown blonde, but Lucius offered a name rather quickly.

Daniel Raines, his chief of staff. He looked rather young, visually appealing even but he wasn’t supposed to be letting that color his decisions. Eric snapped, the bartender coming around. ”Give this guy whatever he wants, on me.” He gave Daniel a seemingly lighthearted wink, removing something from his coat pocket and handing it to Daniel. ”Personal and business number.  Whenever you’re off, gimme a call.” Without much else, he hopped off the seat and finished off his drink rather quickly. He could feel a disapproving glare at him from his bodyguard, though she didn’t say anything for a few moments.

”Isn’t he a little young for you?” She asked, giving him this mildly amused glance.

”Have no idea what you mean. I’m like…. basically 10 years younger. Modern medicine is amazing you know.” Eric checked what looked to be a few emails on his smartphone, mildly annoyed by something though he shut it off.

”Well whatever. Any other stiff looking bureaucrats on the persuading list?”

”All of them really. Just hope they’re as easy as that Lucius guy…otherwise I have a feeling this might be a really long night.”

The room was riddled with whispers and under the table deals. This is where the most important men in the world came to get blasted drunk, and bet the fate of nations on the roll of a dice. This is where you could catch the unapproachable vulnerable. This is where the kings of the world were nothing but people,  fallible humans.

And this is why it was an excellent opportunity.

There was a bright flash of light in the middle of the room, and Lucius, who was mucking it up with some ambassador, immediately turned to it. For a moment, the white light would blind practically everyone in the dining hall.

When the theatrics fadded, what everyone would see is a young man in his mid twenties. He wore a simple black suit, had raven black hair, and wore a pair of glasses. For a few seconds, this mysterious intruder said nothing. He opted instead to look around the room, his quick eyes accessing everyone in it. The man smirked.

"Hello, men and women of the point one percent. I do apologize if I'm intruding, but you see, i have business here." The young man had his arms crossed behind him. He looked to each and every person around him, particularly locking eyes with Lucius for a few awkward seconds. Nobody in the room spoke. It seemed they wanted to see what this man had in store.

"I'll make this very clear. You all answer to me now. Your power, your money, it's all mine. And before you laugh, don't be so ignorant. You know this is a time of the extraordinary. My words are far from empty." The man said. The crowd said nothing in return, opting only to stare and wait for some display of power. They surely weren't about to give this guy everything they had just because he asked.

After getting the approval of Lucius, it had come down to talking with a few of the other world leaders and ambassadors that had come to enjoy the alcohol that had been passed around rather freely. That was of course when someone decided they needed to fill the room up with bright light, Eric trying to cover his eyes but already finding that impossible. ”Sonavabitch.” He cursed under his breath, eyes watering as he continued to try blinking out the irritation as the light had already faded from the room. Maddie however just grumbled angrily, with attention snapping to a sudden new figure within the room.

What stood before them was an unknown man, young from what Eric could tell but how young was the question. They were confident if nothing else, appearing out of nowhere and blinding them all with that gaudy flash of light. Did he say what I think he said?”” Eric whispered to Maddie, furrowing his brows in a slightly annoyed fashion.

”Sounds like he’s stealing my paycheck to me.” She muttered back, eyes a storm of anger behind her bangs. He was expecting that this would not go very well, though how one had all of their money and power was confusing really. ”You don’t think it’d be illegal if I implode him do you?” She whispered back, and likely was considering it.

Eric ended up raising his hand and waving it about until the black haired male noticed him. ”Not to interrupt your villainous speech but who the hell are you anyway?”

Lucius' expression changed from a look of slight irritation to one of amusement. The subtle smirk on his face could tell you everything that he was about to do, if you knew him well enough. Red motioned for Daniel to come to his side, and the male in turn started walking over.

Once Daniel got close, Lucius leaned in and whispered in his second in command's ear. The Lieutenant seemed to understand, so he turned and walked out of the room. Soon, this unknown man was going to understand the meaning of pain.

Meanwhile, the man Lucius had closed a deal with, Eric Slattery, decided to lay on the snark. It was actually a really good distraction, because the black haired young man was fully focused on him. This was like taking candy from a baby.

"I'm the man that has something on each and every one of you, Mr. Slattery. Whether it's fraud, something you love, or that maid your banging. So, what i want is a gift. It doesn't necessarily have to be everything you have, not yet. But just know if i don't have the loyality of everyone in this room, you will all go down very, very hard." The man said. Lucius just rolled his eyes. He could deliver better villainous monologues in his sleep. But no matter.  Annoying little bastard would be gone shortly. Then they could get back to getting drunk.

Having someone stroll into his super serious business meeting was not something that he had happen often, so Eric was a little annoyed by this spectacled fuck. Other people were a little more understandably worried by this, but all Eric did was arc a brow when the guy threw out his threats. This guy wanted bribes, otherwise he would air dirty business all around, though he would find Eric oddly lacking in dirty business, unless you would consider inappropriate relations with one’s staff occasionally illegal. ”You say gift but all I hear is bribe. I mean, you kinda need to work on your threats Mister man who has something on each and every one of you ,Mister Slattery.” insulting cocksure guys like this one was always fun, even if he was likely to suffer for it later.

”Because that whole gift thing…not happenin.” Maddie shot him a glare, Eric reclining in his seat and  giving the guy with glasses a move that spoke “Your move.” He had no idea he was playing the distraction but Eric was just having fun trying to see what this guy actually had on him.

"Somebody's got an ego problem." Lucius said with a chuckle, making his way through the crowd to get this guy's attention. The dictator clapped his hands a few times in mock applause, truly amused by this whole ordeal. All eyes were on the pair now, wondering if the rumors were true. Was Lucius really as dangerous as they said? Ledger was as curious as any, ignoring Slattery's banter to face the approaching Red.ju

"Lucius Alba, the pleasure is all mine." Lucius said, introducing himself as he stepped forward. But instead of putting the expected hand out for a shake, when he got close, he punched the guy square in the face. Ledger went down hard, and Lucius withdrew a hancherchif from his pocket to wipe his hand off.

"Oh Daniel, it's your move." Lucius said, turning his back to return to the crowd. That's when the teleporter appeared over Ledger, handgun raised, already beginning to squeeze the trigger.

There was that bright flash of light again, and that combined with the gunshot would make everyone's senses completely screwed for a few seconds. But when the light fadded, Ledger was gone, and the bullet was in the marble where he had previously laid.

"Shit! Everyone remain calm, this is standard security protocol." Daniel said, trying to ease the crowd. It wouldn't last though. Soon a group of people which could only be described as a swat team burst in from all entrances, even a few windows, and began firing at the crowd.

People were screaming and pushing each other over, but Lucius just stood still, waiting for the inevitable.

Eric however found himself being ignored, turning to Lucius who had said something. Things went down to this Ledger fellow being punched out, proving rather anticlimactic with all the talk considered. There was a flash of light, he already felt himself being pushed down by what he assumed was Maddie. Bodyguard instincts had kicked in, the solid floor rising up to meet him rather quickly. Knees and elbows both collided with it followed by a lance of pain through his back, sight returning rather quickly as glass shattered and gunshots quickly followed after that. ”Keep down.” She hissed at Eric, before continuing the flexing of power muscles. Sure, the bullets appeared to be moving too fast for the common perception, but they all looked stagnant to her.

Within fractions of a second they all stopped, people taking a few of the bullets but it would not become a full massacre. Then the real fight started, one of the swat men slamming into the wall and his brain exploding with a loud boom. Bullets ended up flying towards her then, bouncing off of an invisible barrier, followed by Maddie motioning with a hand to yank the weapons from the armed men.

”I don’t know who any of you are, but really not in the mood for this shit.” She snapped, blowing a bubble with her gum, which popped loudly.

Lucius walked casually through the chaos, occasionally dodging a bullet or two by side stepping. He looked completely calm despite being a normal human in every other catagory but his mind. But in truth, that's all he needed. Even things he wasn't completely focused on were being passively tracked by his complex perception. The moment one of those things became a danger, he reacted accordingly. He seemed to be out for a Sunday stroll with how relaxed he held himself, even subtly shoving a man a mere foot, who was then hit by another one of the swat team members who was supposedly thrown by Slattery's bodyguard at high speed.

"Well....... Looks like you have this under control. Give me a few minutes, if you would." Lucius said to the woman, who had just disarmed many of the men. Red then left the room, apparently going to return with some equipment. He guessed people with guns weren't the only thing that they would face today, and he needed to be prepared for that.

A large number of the disarmed militants decided to play it safe and get on the ground. There were of course the outliners who tried to close with Slattery's bodyguard, one even throwing a grenade, but judging by her display of power earlier, she would be quite fine.

That is, until the obvious pair of metas walked in.

One was dressed from head to toe in black and white, his hair a matching ashy grey. The other was a mammoth of a man, completely covered in armor. He must have been ten feet tall, and half that wide along the shoulders.

The one with the black and white stayed put, seemingly sucking on a hard candy while accessing the situation. The large one, however, immediately charged Maddie with surprising speed for his size. His aim was to crush her with a double handed hammer fist technique once he got close. Regardless of if he hit or not though, whatever his powerful fists made contact with would definitely be feeling it.