Post
by Jabroniville » Fri Jul 27, 2018 7:16 am
THE VICTORY LEAGUE:
CHAPTER ONE:
Nine of you are gathered in the main office of Hubert Maynard, the founder and owner of HuMayne Enterprises, a leading producer of "Super-Science", experimental armors, military contracts, and more. A public figure, he has been known to aide in the creation of technology that assists or imprisons those with metahuman powers. He's generally known to be quirky and a bit odd, but his business has only grown.
The office is dark blue and steel gray, in the modern style, with decor that is both stark and simple- pricey but not showy. A jovial man enters- a bit agitated, but jovial. His balding head (with a small tuft of hair at the front, abruptly swept to the side) is a bit sweaty, but he appears to be a bundle of nervous energy. You all recognize him as Maynard, who many of you have met.
"Welcome, WELCOME everyone!" he cries out. He's a natural salesman, though his voice is unimpressive and a bit high-pitched for a man in his late forties. "I've met almost all of you, but to those who I haven't, I am Hubert Maynard, the past-his-prime" (he chuckles nervously) "owner of HuMayne Enterprises, the building in which you now sit." He clicks a remote which activates the large screen in this, his personal office.
"You all know what you're here for by now- the formation of a BRAND-NEW super-team- a band that I call the VICTORY LEAGUE!" he shouts, eager to have everyone be impressed by this surely epic-sounding name. "What I've wanted to do from day one is get involved in the super-hero business. I love what you guys do, and I hate that the public sometimes fears and hates you because of the whole 'what they don't understand' thing", he air-quotes. I think it stinks that any super-team that isn't the Legion of Light or Liberty tends to, well, you know. And no disrespect to those guys, but they can't do EVERYTHING. And I really, really, want to build a SUCCESSFUL super-team."
"I built my business on things that apply to metahumans- improvements to Power Armor components. Power restraints for the world's most dangerous super-criminals. Military hardware to outfit our soldiers in this dangerous new world we're living in. But heck- if you don't believe how much I dig super-heroes... just check THIS out:"
He pushes another button, revealing a picture of an older-style Powersuit- green and sporting clunkier boots and gloves than are now common.
"THAT... was ME." This was a bit of a public scandal. "The biggest reason I want to help you guys is because I wanted to BE ONE OF YOU. I was gonna call myself- heh-heh- SUPERBOT, if you can believe that." He clicks forward, and a few news images are seen. "I spent millions of my company's dollars on a super-suit that could fly, shoot energy blasts, and lift dozens of tons. And of course, in my first mission... I got my butt handed to me. I decided I was going to 'Sidekick' Mega-Woman in her fight with the HUMAN TANK". A chill goes around the room- the Human Tank is one of the most powerful super-villains on Earth, and is generally thought of to be nigh-unstoppable. Only heroes as powerful as Mega-Woman can beat the likes of him, and it's always a catastrophic fight.
"And yeah- there you go" he says, pointing to an image of a broken-down, headless suit of armor, his battered body being pulled out. "Mega-Woman had to save my butt, risking her own life against a dangerous super-villain. It was a disaster- my board of directors pitched a fit, my stock prices fell through the floor, and I nearly died. It took YEARS to rebuild my reputation... So you know, I get it. I wanted the life so much I could TASTE it, and I nearly got killed for it. I was a screw-up. So I decided that when I got the chance, I would help out the REAL capable heroes -- YOU GUYS -- in any way I could. I've built things that can help young superhumans contain their powers, secretly funded certain heroes' operations when they had to go underground, and more. And THIS... is my biggest, greatest plan- the formation of a true-blue Super-Hero Team." He appears childlike in his eagerness.
"Now, I KNOW, I KNOW" he confesses, "there's not a great track record for a lot of super-teams thrown together out of people with un-shared origins. I mean, we all remember The Offenders. And the Protectors. And then there were the second Protectors. And that time with the New Protectors". Most of you probably nodded along, recognizing some names. Fewer would remember the New Protectors- they didn't last long. "And the... well IN ANY CASE, the public kind of expects these teams to not last very long. But WE have something that THEY didn't."
He clicks another button, revealing a dissheveled-looking, bespectacled young man sitting at a computer screen. "Ladies and gentlemen... Johnathan Abro Neville!"
"Uh... wait. This is today?", the man says.
"... Yeah. What are you doing?", Maynard replies, confused.
"Oh, I was just trying to compare Mega-Woman's basic, regular strength with that of Titanica in her 65-foot-tall height"
"...."
"...."
"You went with this many guys? I thought we agreed that the ideal team size is seve--"
"I KNOW, WHAT A GREAT TEAM, RIGHT?" Maynard interrupts, "Guys- this is J. Abro Neville, who some of you might know as the runner of the superhero-themed website- J. ABRO'S STATS! An elaborate list of heroes and villains; their origin stories; their powers; their histories; and more! This guy has the most elaborate knowledge of the intricacies of the business of anyone not directly IN it! Even heroes like the Legion of Light has sought his knowledge about some incredibly-obscure villain that literally everyone else alive has forgotten! Super-villains have threatened him over his knowledge of their most minor secrets! Now, some may call him a weirdo. They call him an obsessive shut-in. A guy so obsessed with minor details that he's sacrificed every other aspect of his li-"
"They do?" Johnanthan interrupts.
"OH! Haha, SOME may call him that, but they're WRONG! I have personally recruited this guy's expertise in order to help the rest of you along- he knows about hero history, super-powers, power-levels, the villains you might be facing, the backstory behind some of the wierdest places on Earth. With a special radio frequency, we can contact Mr. Neville even while you're in the field, and get the down-low on anyone you need to learn about." (Translation: Easy Exposition. Woo-Hoo!)
Maynard finishes his little speech, standing in front of the group. He implores you all "I really, REALLY want this team to work. I've recruited you guys from all over the place- a lot of powerhouses, some fliers, some fighters. Established heroes like the legendary Shield, and legacy heroes like the successor to Kid Hercules! With our combined knowledge" he gestures to Neville and himself, "we've tried to figure out the BEST WAY to make this work. Now, I'm not saying there won't be any HURDLES... but I think this is the best shot at success."
"You have my full support. Your home-base is RIGHT HERE- with our military defense contracts, we have access to the best security systems and personnel. You couldn't be safer while still being in a place like here in Mega-City. We've got the funding to access a former Legion of Light Air-Cruiser, giving us a Team Vehicle- and you KNOW how important those are- it's the one thing that bankrupts most nascent super-teams the fastest! We've figured out all the logistics, all the background, and all the best ways to ensure that the Victory League DOESN'T end up another 'New Protectors', you know? So don't think of me as the BOSS of you guys... but I wanna be your BACKER, you get me?"
He adds, "Some of you know each other. And we're missing one guy- a tenth recruit who I think you're really gonna like- some of you have met him, obviously. But for now, I think it's best you ALL learn a little bit more about each other! So feel free- mingle and converse! We have a few hours before we need to get started on what I think would be a GREAT 'starter mission' for you guys".