The Palace of Westminster, England.

A place steeped in history, Westminster palace contained nearly 1200 rooms and over two miles of passageways. It had been the residence of royalty in bygone times, and now contained both the upper and lower houses of the British Parliament. The oldest buildings were nearly a thousand years old, yet their aged halls had never seen the likes of those gathered in the Lords Chamber.

The Queen, of course, was there, as were a staggering number of world leaders from all corners of the globe -- leaders who had come because of what was happening in Ireland. They'd come in secret, wary of what Autocrat might do if he knew of their presence, but they'd come just the same. As had others. Some were garishly clad, flamboyant; others quite normal-looking; still others completely and utterly alien. The superheroes of the world had come to the United Kingdom, for Ireland needed saving.

In the past weeks, Autocrat and his Royal Elite had raped and ravaged the Irish countryside, killing and enslaving the populace while sinking their roots of pseudo-feudal evil deep into the Emerald Isle. Ireland was now a veritable fortress, nigh-impenetrable to conventional military tactics; that, of course, was why the metahumans had come -- and they'd come in droves.

In contrast to the tasteful Gothic elegance of the palace's structural facade and corridors outside, the conference hall looked like a scene straight out science-fiction. Aisles of state-of-the-art computers lined the walls; monitors, control panels and circuitry flashed on and off furiously, as if indicating the anxious pulse of the world. Metal chairs, designed to support the size and mass of the loftiest hero, surrounded the futuristic U-shaped table.

Zodiac surveyed the buzzing assemblage in the hall with concern, though it didn't show on his unusual features. Behind him stood the rest of the Protectorate, Earth's premiere super team. Each of them stood in silent support of the team's provisional leader -- except the Outsider, who stood in the shadows off to one side and chuckled to himself.

Trinity shot him a look that asked what he found so funny.

The Outsider's voice whispered in her ears even though he never moved from the shadows. "I find it ironic," he said, "that we're gathered here in the House of Lords, trying to figure out how the hell we're going to take down Autocrat and his International Circus of Evil."

Trinity was about to chide the masked man when Zodiac's hollow voice rang through the hall without aid of amplification.

"Greetings, heroes and heroines of the world. The Protectorate thanks you for your presence here today; I presume you all know why we're here. The United Nations has determined that it is time to put and end to the tragedies visited on Ireland recently by Autocrat and the Royal Elite." Zodiac's pupil-less eyes roamed the crowd, a motley crew if ever there was one. "To date, individual metahuman assaults have largely been unsuccessful."

"In several hours," he continued, "a large-scale attack using conventional forces will begin. The initial objective is to establish a staging area that can be used to launch more effective strikes at Elite installations. This will also give us valuable information on the kinds of troops we'll be facing, their numbers and how they are deployed. The time has come for a full-scale coordinated attack, and all of you will play key roles in the coming battle."

In one of the rows of benches near the back of the room, a harried Sarah Steiner, dressed in her Knock-out costume, quietly slid onto a red leather-upholstered bench, next to a tall, mechanical-looking woman she didn't recognize. Looking around, Sarah noted that she recognized very few of the metahumans in the room.

As Alex St. John-Smythe, code-named Maestro, sat down next to Sarah, she smiled at him, then finally spotted a few familiar faces. Tom Champion, down near the front; Blockade and the rest of the Canadian Shield; Mike Musselman, quietly adjusting his eyeglasses; Jacob, the angelic metahuman Alex fought beside in New Orleans; Old Glory, looking somehow a little bored despite the spectacle surrounding him; the Sisters of Hope, looking typically cranky. The final two people Sarah spotted surprised and pleased her -- Blur and Dr. Wight. The young blonde thought it seemed, as trite as it sounded, like a veritable Who's Who of the metahuman world.

Alex, looking like he could use a comb, glanced around the room at the assembled collection of metahumans. He managed to look both fascinated and uncomfortable at the same time. Sarah guessed that his discomfort probably stemmed from the fact that he was also wearing his costume. The fact that it was a different design from the one she'd first seen didn't seem to matter. He had complained when she insisted he wear it, but in the end his arguments of having to "go to an official function in pajamas" tapered off and he reluctantly agreed.

Jack Morgan had sunk down by the civilian leaders and their aides.  He'd agreed to come to this at Zodiac's request, but he couldn't afford to stand out.  He straddled the fence often enough as far as the legality of his actions; he didn't want to become well known by the superhero set.  As a compromise with Zodiac, Jack had a small microphone pad attached to his neck.  He could sub-vocalize any advice he had for Zodiac, who would hear it as clearly as if he'd spoken out loud.

"The top military minds available," continued Zodiac, "augmented by the resources on the Monolith, have drawn up a plan of attack.. If implemented quickly with the aid of the metahumans assembled today, it should be enough not only to dislodge the Royal Elite from Ireland, but to insure that they never attempt such an operation again."

Several declarations of agreement and polite applause followed the last statement. However, there was also an undercurrent of skepticism, that was less pronounced but noticeable just the same.

"The plan involves dividing the attacking force into three groups. The first group -- whose callsign is Team  Alpha  -- will engage Avatar when he enters the field. It will be their task to keep him engaged and away from the rest of the attack force until it is too late. Ideally, they would also break the hold that the Elite have over him, perhaps allowing him to return to our side. The second -- Team Beta -- will consist of the more powerful of those present. Their task will be to engage Autocrat and the core membership of the Royal Elite. Finally, Team Gamma -- the third group, and largest part of the force -- will engage the bulk of the Elite's army."

Omega glanced at the rest of the people in the room, and finally decided to speak up. There was a little tension between him and some of the other heroes -- which the Nebraskan expected and even enjoyed (although he was really wondering why Sarah was spending so much time looking at the tall guy who was sitting next to her). But eyes were starting to look at him, expecting him to say something (or perhaps dreading it). Almost without thinking, Omega began to talk.

"Uh This sounds solid to me, Zodiac," the young Nebraskan stammered, looking shiftily at the faces seated around him. How many years worth of experience was sitting down at this table? How many battles? Even he had to think twice about what he was about to say to such a gathering. "Put me down where you think I'll be the most use. Just give me a job, and it'll get done."

"You don't want a second crack at Avatar?" Blockade wondered, squinting through the mask of his wide face. He wasn't the only one who wanted to ask that question.

"I want to beat the Elite. Wherever I'll do the most good is where I want to be," Omega answered. He paused, watched half the heroes exhale, and then continued. "Now I hate to bring up something that might sunder the solidarity of our little band of bravos, but I'm as good a choice for the role of 'bad cop' as anyone here, so I'll say it. After everything that's happened, we can't just win. We need to trash these scumbags. We need to draw blood"

The blood drained from the faces of many of the European leaders, and several heroes looked like they wanted to object. Omega shot them a glance, and continued. "I'm not talking about a body count...," he said.

"We can certainly add to our agenda," Blaze muttered under his breath.

"but we do need to send a message to every would-be Autocrat who's out there watching MNN and clutching his supervillain fan club membership card. That we aren't going tolerate shit on this level." He paused, realizing that he had just said the word "shit" in the presence of the Queen of England -- and even the American diplomats were looking at him like he didn't deserve to be in this room. Suddenly embarrassment mixed with a touch of controlled anger. "Most of you haven't been there," Omega explained. "I've seen it twice. The camps, the mutations, the destruction. They should call themselves the 'Nazi Elite.' They've completely destroyed millions of innocent lives," Omega glanced at the Outsider, "including some of our own. They have to pay a price."

"What kind of price?" Cavalier asked.

"When I was a kid, and I heard about a battle where Livewire or Psi-Clops or some other supervillain got away, it always well, it really pissed me off," Omega said. "I don't want a half-victory. Whatever happens, Autocrat cannot be allowed to gnash his teeth and fly off Scot-free to Autocratia or whatever bolt hole he's set up for his next master plan. People have to feel comfortable that this problem isn't going to reoccur. The world needs its pound of flesh, and we're the butchers."

Old Glory nodded grimly, his half-mask revealing his firm jaw line. "But on the same token we're not here to out-stage the military. The Royal Elite has made it their goal to peter out humanity as we see it. If any of you think we're here to replace each and every good soldier that's out there fighting, well, that makes you no better than Autocrat. We're at war, ladies and gents. Humanity has to fight this battle too. Fear breeds courage, and Autocrat has to get the message that we're not gonna let him and his cronies step all over us so-called lesser people of the world."

"Agreed," Zodiac said. "I'm sure many of you have qualms with the tasks at hand here, and so any questions, comments, or concerns should be openly expressed before we go on."

"Excuse me",  Jacob said clearing his throat.  He felt a little uncomfortable and out of place in a room filled with so many well-known metahumans.  "I'm glad to hear that both humans and metahumans are going to be involved in this conflict.  I don't think either of us could win without the other.  That being said, I agree with Omega.  The Royal Elite and those that would follow their lead have to understand that this kind of thing is not an option.  People should not suffer what the people of Ireland have been forced to suffer."

Jacob felt his ire growing and his fists clenching.  He doubted what he was saying would be exactly expected from someone looking like an angel.  "I can't help but think the use of excessive force is necessary here in regards to the inner circle of the Royal Elite.  In other words if we get such individuals as Mastodon, Baroness, Brainchild or even Autocrat down, we should keep kicking until they stop moving.  Or, preferably, can't move anymore."  There was a murmur in the crowd.  It was clear some disagreed with this sentiment, as could be expected, but Jacob noticed such figures as the Outsider and Blaze nodding their approval.

Jack Morgan shook his head slowly, but kept his peace.  Only a few people knew of what he and Lioness had found in that alternate reality.  These jokers had no idea of the scope of Autocrat's plans.  This sort of willingness to take the law into their own hands might be just what he hoped to instill in the superhero set, as one small move in a plan reaching into the far future.

Jacob continued, "But, my question is this: what about the humans that were mutated to serve Autocrat?  What are we to do about them?"

Mike Musselman suddenly stood up to address the question, rising like a waking giant.  For an augmented human who had ostensibly been fared less as a colorful hero and more as a corporate magnate, the council of  metahumans, adventurers and crime fighters all paid heed to the super-geneticist. He wore a white lab coat, tailored to accommodate his size, but it did nothing to downplay his raw power.

"I have recently acquired several warehouses throughout Scotland, Wales, and England," Mike Musselman said.  "They've been equipped for, what I hope, is a process by which the Royal Elite's unfortunate mutations can be returned to their human forms." The superhuman geneticist pursed his lips, adjusted his glassed, then sat down.

"Part of the military operations will be to neutralize and transport as many people to the warehouses as possible," Zodiac continued.  "They will also be aided in this task by some of those present.  As to individual cases, that will be left to your own discretion.  I would note, however, that these individuals are the same people who will inherit a free Ireland.  Any other questions?"

Zodiac nodded at the lack of further questions.  The use of excessive force was not a debate that could be decided one way or the other here.  That would be up to each person's conscience on the field.

"We have some suggestions for the makeup of each team," Zodiac said, "although if anyone feels strongly they would be of more use somewhere else, let us know.  The Monolith's recommendations for the core operatives of Team Alpha, the team to keep Avatar busy, include Paragon, myself, Knock-out, and-- "

Jack hurriedly sub-vocalized a short message to Zodiac, who continued without missing a beat.

"--Maestro."

More than a few people around the room, looked about trying to determine who "Maestro" was and why he had been selected. While Alex certainly knew the "who" of the question, the "why" totally escaped him. He was just a musician who occasionally drew a power from the music he heard -- much like a playing card from a deck. He couldn't even control what kind of power manifested. Still, if they wanted him on that team, he wouldn't argue the point.

Jack knew that Maestro's inclusion was absolutely necessary, but only from hindsight.  The other heroes would just have to wonder for the moment, including the young Englishman, judging from the expression on his face.

"Team Beta will go against the bulk of the Elite's forces and will include the military forces of the assembled delegates, along with Trinity and Lioness. Essentially, it's a seek and destroy mission for this team, but it will also include the extraction of imprisoned civilians. Surveillance has uncovered several strongholds stationed by the internment camps throughout Ireland, and these strongholds in fact house members of the Royal Elite. The Ensigns will insert themselves within these strongholds in order to pacify the Elite, thereby alleviating the involvement of Mastodon, Baroness and Brainchild from the brunt of Team Beta's objective."

Zodiac continued speaking.  "Team Gamma will engage Autocrat and any of his security personnel. For inclusion on this team, we suggest Jacob, Omega, Old Glory, and Canadian Shield. As powerful as Avatar is, we must not forget that our primary target is Autocrat.  He is the power behind all of these events."

Alex, seeming a little self-conscious, stood up.

"When will we be going against the Elite?" he asked, indicating those present in the room.

Zodiac looked at Alex with a neutral expression on his face. "Once the staging area is set, the bulk of those present will be sent in. That should be in approximately three days. Immediately after we conclude here, we will break into the various teams for the team specific briefings."

There was a little more discussion as to general details, including transporting the bulk of those gathered to Ireland. After the discussion quieted down, the assembly was broken down into the individual teams and the more specific briefings commenced.

Jack Morgan walked down a hallway intent on finding the exit. Events were now on track for the battle with the Elite and everyone was now on the teams that history had dictated. He turned a corner and nearly ran into Zodiac.

"You're leaving early," Zodiac stated in his characteristically dispassionate voice.

"Yes. Places to go, people to see. You'll understand if I'm not more specific.

"Then, if you would indulge me for a moment, I have a question about another matter: Why include St. John-Smythe on Team Alpha? I understand that he has great potential, but that potential is years away from realization. At the present, his abilities are unpredictable at best. He possesses neither the combat experience nor the necessary training to enable him to prevail against Avatar, even as part of a team."

Morgan considered his answer carefully and then said, "You'll have to trust me on this one. If he isn't there, it's unlikely that anyone will return from the attack on the Celestial Keep, even if they defeat Autocrat"

As Jack and Zodiac receded down one of the many elaborate hallways, a shadow stirred behind them. The shadow sculpted itself into a hardy silhouette of a man, a dark cutout that seemed more ghostly than real. The man watched the two figures walk away.

"Hmm," said the man to himself.

He turned away from Jack and Zodiac. But before he disappeared back into the darkness, his clothing betrayed him, a shaft of light revealing details of his costume. No one, however, was present to witness the swirl of a short cape or the brief flash of his red, white and blue color scheme.

Then he was gone.
 

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