As the momentary noise died down, the Chairman moved on to the proper list; “There are ten individuals that have been designated as the ten most wanted vilins on the p after the one who is believed responsible for assisting the majority of them, Ishtar,” The Chairman rumbled, again reading from a prompt in front of him before turning again to getsure at the s, “These ten individuals are first; The Supervilin known as The panion,” A grainy picture of an armored woman in a gown with a veil over her face appeared on the s at the top left.
“Little is known about her abilities, but she is the personal attendant and attache of Ishtar and likely knows all of her secrets. While she has not overtly itted any crimes, the iional ballot released to you all suctly agreed she is a high priority for arrest, as the information she could provide could be vital to her master’s arrest,” The Chairman tinued and there were nods of approval throughout the audience. Sonya nodded along as well, it was a rational approach. If they ’t get her, get Marta. Not that they ever will, she thought, I’ll make sure of it.
“ is the far more widely known Supervilin, Kingshark,” The chairman decred and an image of a massive gray skinned mohat looked vaguely like a man appeared on the s, causing a stir among the representatives. The monster appeared to be grabbing the front end of an o liner and lifting it up.
Sonya leaned forward opened her mouth in amused i, “Oho?”
“Kingshark operates as a subordinate of Ishtar but managees his own iional criminal empire. He focuses on street-level gangs and youth, bringing them in under his wing. His reach spans most nations of the p with a e to a body of water and has itted dozens of maritime crimes since his rise to power,” The Chairman expined, “More importantly, it is believed that he actually ‘rents out’ his gangs and soldiers to other vilins for profit.”
Wow, they are well informed, good wood work! She chuckled inwardly, resting her on her palm and watg with increasing i as the picture turo a bnk image with the word ‘BLACKRAZOR’ over it. She restrained another snicker and tilted her head, maintaining her poker face as murmurs spread.
“Bckrazor, hree, is a Peak-Mythic Assassin w under Ishtar. His name was discovered after extensive iigation though his es and activities remain unknown. He is personally guilty of murdering a Mythic-Tier hero and is suspected to be involved in any number of murders across the p, his face is unknown,” The Chairman said gravely as he looked across the crowd before tinuing.
“Fourth is a supervilin of an unknown hat has been active i times, carrying out terrorist attacks across the p,” The Chairman said befesturing to a picture of a bolt of lightning that ended with the shape of a woman, fires were burning around her, “This woman has not publicly revealed her name or purpose and attacks with ferocious impunity, she has caused billions of dolrs in damage and ended hundreds of lives itacks.”
Kerauna, Sonya thought, There was no way you wouldn’t make it on the list. Wild thing.
The Chairma his hands on the podium, “These four make up the first notable supervilins of our new era and are widely known through most of our member tries in one way or another, I now open the floor to the representatives to propose additions to this list.”
“The Representative of Australia asks to speak,” A voice rang out.
The Chairman nodded, “The ittee reizes the Representative from Australia, Mister Carey.”
Mister Carey got to his feet, a perfect mop of blonde hair slicked to the side as he adjusted his jacket, “Australia would like to propose to add the Supervilin Blight to the list of Pandora’s most wanted. He has been active in the south pacific for some time now and has itted numerous acts of ecological terrorism,” He said firmly.
“New Zeand supports the proposal!”
“Philippines supports the proposal!”
“Indonesia supports the proposal!”
“Japan supports the proposal!”
The Chairman cleared his throat, “Five votes for proposal, does the ittee sent?” He asked and a few more major nations joined in, leading many others to finally chime in with their approval. With that, the Supervilin Blight was added to the list.
Sonya tilted her head. We've not met yet, guess that o ge, she thought with some amusement, I should gratute him, maybe he’d like some flowers.
After that, four more supervilins were added to the list and their names reanized in levels of importance of arrest acc to the ittee;
THE PANIONKINGSHARKBLACKRAZOR[unknown Lightning-based Light-touched]SPICE KING EREBUSBLIGHTQUEEN AUGUSTPASSAGEDRASTICThe four were all mostly isoted to their own tries, Sonya had done business with the Spice King before but the others were retively new hough from the sounds of it they hadn’t been zy. August arently turning people into gold and leaving their petrified corpses behind as she pilfered jewelry from homes. Passage was leavi on walls that would trigger into halluations that caused mass panic for hours at a time. Drastic had burned down several small towns in South Amerid was believed to be a literal dragon.
I don’t remember someoh a dragon power like that ba the previous timelihings really have ged, She thought, rubbing her as the representative from America stepped up to speak. She gnced his way thoughtfully. She retty sure she was aware of all the supervilins in-
“The Uates would like to submit the woman known as Liberty as the tenth spot,” The man said.
Sonya blinked, surprised but not unhappy about the turn of events, she was a little curious though. How are you going to pull this off? She thought, Officially she hasn’t itted any known crimes, she just runs a cult, which isn’t illegal… teically.
“Liberty is the active head of a cult inating in the southern Uates that has begun to spread iionally,” The man said, “It is believed she gains strength from every additional member added to her cult, though the full details of her ability are unknown. What is known is that she is getting stronger by the day and is a serious threat to iional security if she is allowed to remain as simply an unlised, likely Mythic, light-touched.”
Ah… going the ‘we all should be worried’ route, not bad, but not great, I would have tried that if I thought it would work, Sonya thought and gnced up at the Chairman who was searg the room for additional votes in favor. Japan chimed in but that wasn’t really all that surprising. She sidered firing off a few texts to her ‘friends’ around the room but decided against it. There was o push her hand on the scale just yet. She had her own pns for Liberty.
“I am afraid the motion remains unsupported, Mister Harman, do you perhaps have angestion?” The Chairman asked.
Mister Harman nodded, “As a matter of fact I do,” he said, “I would like to propose Masque, the leader of the Darksiders. I think we are all aware of their activities, while brash, they are widespread and they are esg rapidly. It’s only a matter of time before they do something to belong on this list anyway. I think we all agree that they o be prioritized.”
A rumbling of approval moved through the crowd of politis and Sonya rexed in her seat. That’s more along the lines of my expectations, did he suggest Liberty to soften everyone up? She g Harman, Maybe he and I o get to know one another a little better, she thought as she he small hint of a smile on his face as he sat down and shook hands with the Japanese Representative to his left.
The Chairman gnced around o time befrabbing a gavel and banging it, “The full motion is passed, the ten most wanted vilins of the Pandora ittee have been firmed. They are now the highest priority targets of the world’s heroes after their duties of preventing dungeon breaks,” The Chairman decred, “The matter is settled.”
A round of appuse followed and the Chairman moved on, “I would personally like to open a matter, if the ittee would have it,” He said and no one voiced their disapproval, “While this woman ‘Liberty’ may not be an exigent threat, she certainly ands enough pause to iigate. The Pandora ittee should send an iigative team to firm Representative Harman’s s,” He suggested.
Harman was the first to raise his hand, “The Uates supports.”
Several other nations followed before Sonya raised her hand, “The ASTA Corporaties a favorable vote on this matter,” She said, voig her opinion for the first time during the ittee.
“Fe Tactical agrees,” Adam chimed io her, raising his hand.
Brent g the two and huffed out a breath, “Marion Heroics agrees.”
That of course resulted in a tidal wave of other support corporations jumping on the bandwagon. After that, more nations chimed in and a majority was reached. The Chairman banged his gavel, “The motion passes, an iigative team will be sent to the territory of the Light-Touched, Liberty, to assess her threat level.”
Sonya grinned, Perfect, that’s more like it, a little political pressure goes a long way. She gowards Adam and gave him a wink of thanks before nodding at Brent who gave her a begrudging nod iurn. The major Ameri support panies are a unified front for now. People will follow our lead.
After the Liberty proposal, more topics came up as the hours dragged on. While it had beey cut and dry in the beginning, they started moving into grayer areas as the topics grew more plicated. The Dharan Project was oly debated topie groups wao wall off the Dharan area and turn it into a restricted zone for the time being while others wao begin pushing in and reg territory. The arguments tinued until a general sensus of walls and towers manned by hero-led military groups was agreed upon. It’s New York all ain. I remember standing on one of those towers.
As the proposals came to an end, the Chairman moved on, “Now on thter things,” The jovial man said, dabbing his brow. He’d been standing there for hours, “As you are all aware, the Aspirant Camps are now a month in. Miss ovna of the ASTA Corporation personally stayed at the East Coast camp for the first month and has a few words for us. Please e to the podium, Miss ovna.”
Sonya smiled at him and got to her feet, “Thank you, Chairman,” She said.and walked around Adam and Brent before desding the steps and making her way over to the stairs leading up to the podium. She met face to face with the Chairman and shook his hand briefly, giving him a pe the cheek before turning to the assembled Representatives. She looked out over the crowd of those gathered, while some of them were there for their own gain, there were many who truly believed in what they were doing. She’d heard it in their voices as they debated, listening to their passion. It was real. This was real. This world was real.
She was really here.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, reag out to grab onto the podium and cracked a grin, “We all aspire freatness,” She said with a small chuckle, a few of the men in the crowd joined her but most stayed deadpan.
She kept a straight fad tilted her head, “A little humor is good for you, you know? Especially in times like these. It helps lift you up, brighten your day, and give you that extra bit of strength to move forward,” She said, “I have never seen so many young men and women with so much good humor in their hearts in my life, so much drive to be more, to grow into the shoes of those who came before them. To live up to legends.”
“I have seen in one month a young man struggling with the visceral appearance of his ability overe his misgivings with a little help from the support panies. He will be a force to be reed with one day,” Sonya said, “I met a young man who wao stand up and help people, even if they were frightened of him. A man with a power some might find frightful but with a tremendous heart,” She smiled brightly, “He wears his scales proudly now.”
“I have seen a young man who clear a room with a touch, his sharp mind and keen eye will take him to the top within a few years, of this I have no doubt in my mind. His awareness of his rades needs is sed to none,” She tinued, “I have seen with my own eyes a troubled young man who’s as led him to harm others with his ability throw himself with every ounce of strength he had into being a man who could not only make up for his sins, but help people heal and strehose around him.”
She tilted her head, her smile growing thoughtful, “I saw a young woman who couldn’t speak ge minds as she turned a field of grass into a winter wondernd in one moment and a field of glitteriones in the ,” She tinued, “I have met the everyman,” She chuckled, “Someone who’s power is to simply be talented,” She looked at the audience, “You know what he said to me when I asked why he wao be a hero instead of being a very wealthy man?”
She cleared her throat, “It just makes sense,” She said with a gruff tohat’s it, nothing else,” She ughed, “These young people are heroes already, just amazing,” She said, “So much potential,” She looked down at her hands, “I met a young woman who’s power had just awoken on the bus heading to the camp. She was scared because the first maion seemed unsuited for the role of a hero,” Sonya paused and swept her gaze over the crowd, “That young woman in the firestorm jacket is one of the top aspirants now, dueling regurly with the inparable Bck Lotus.”
Sonya raised her head with pride, “Those are the kinds of young people in those training camps, those are the kinds of heroes we want to raise up and support iure. The camps are not just a good idea, reat idea, they’re just the start. Iure I believe there should be established schools like these, a perma pce where these people with suormous hearts and spirits step up and join the ranks of those willing to serve and protect humanity.”
She grinned, “A friend of mine once said, ‘Earth, Strive for better’.” She looked over the crowd, “These young people are doing just that, and I for one ’t wait to see what they bee.”
Harman stood first, then Adam and Brent, then the rest of the representatives gathered began rising and g as she desded the stairs, a smile on her fad blooming even more brightly in her heart. The appuse tinued until she reached her seat and made her way to sit down only to slip as the ground shook a bit under her feet. She blinked and looked up, fused as the ground shook again.
“What the-” Brent grunted, hopping to his feet.
A third shudder and sirens began to go off over their heads, Sonya whipped her head around and grabbed her phone, she hit the speed dial, “Marta? What’s happening?” She shouted as phones began t around her.
“Explosions ihe building, ma’am, security is moving to iigate, stay put!” Marta responded as another bst shook the ground and Sonya grabbed onto her chair, “I’m right outside. I won’t let anyone in.”
Sonya clicked her tongue, Why now? She growled inwardly as another call came in, “Switg to Amos, be careful Marta!” She said hurriedly before switg the call over, “Amos, what’s wrong?”
“The b’s been bombed!” Amos shouted, “Four of our buildings across the states, there’s bombs going off all over the pce!”
Sonya’s heart nearly sank, she gripped onto the chair and took a deep breath. She had to stay calm, now was not the time to slip back. She set her jaas inside?”
“I have most of Da-som’s team here but a lot of our interns and other employees were there, it’s bad Sonya,” Amos said as more shouts rang up around her, angry voices. “Who the fuck-”
The s that had dispyed the top ten vilins fizzled and static filled the air. Sonya whipped her head up to look at the s, “I think I might have an idea,” She said, “I’ll call you back, Amos,” She said as a dark smile spread across her face. She would not let this bitch see her frown. Not in a million years.
On the s, a pair of cruel blue eyes glowed, looking down on them and framed by long yellow-blonde hair. The woman wore a full suit of medieval armor, her gau covered hands set in front of her as she broke into a sneer.
Sonya looked right into the woman's eyes and ched her fist, her grin widening, “Liberty. Now you’ve do.”