New Faces and Old Memories

You didn't know how many hours later it was when you heard a soft knock on your door, the passage of time having successfully drained away most of your anger, leaving behind only the dregs of a simmering annoyance.

"Come in, but make it quick." You ordered shortly as the door swung open to reveal one of the sources of your ire.

"Hey, can we talk for a little bit?" Starlight asked, her face showing the wariness it should.

You paused just long enough to let her know you were not happy about the current circumstances before looking up and over your computer.

"Sure, sit, I'll listen in since I have to clean up this mess that someone caused by laying out her heart on national television." You groused as Starlight took the proffered seat, a look of uncertain shame on her face.

"I thought you would be glad about what I did, you kept pushing me to do it when I first got here." She mumbled, looking to all the world like a scolded child.

You finished off the e-mail on your screen before turning to her. "Yes I was, but that was then before he did it to someone else, and also I wanted you to run it through me so we could try to minimize damage." You admitted, contemplating something before shooting off the e-mail and clicking a few buttons, pulling up a folder as you slid it across your desk to Starlight.

"What's this?" She asked, and rather than answer, you waited while she read at least part of the contents as you revealed them to her. "wait, this can't be right, he's attacked 16 women since I joined?" She whispered incredulously, to which you replied a sharp, "16 women who didn't deserve that. Keep reading though."

Starlight looked up, meeting your eyes as she saw the 107 various files, e-mails, messages, and other assorted things all from women who claimed Deep had attacked them. "Is this true?" was all that was asked as you saw the prickling of tears in her eyes.

"Not even close." You said quickly as Starlight's head shot up, her eyes meeting your as you reclaimed your computer. "That's just the one we've gotten since then, I imagine many more will be coming soon." You sighed, rubbing your eyes and running your hand through your hair, turning it a dull auburn.

"Actions have consequences, and yours may have started a riot in the streets if I don't mange to divert them like a flooding river. Protocol says we should take them all to court in some bastardized class action lawsuit, I don't really understand legalese, but that would just be passing the buck, not to mention that as things stand right now, only Deep is the perpetrator, not Vought for covering it up, so we'll be cutting ties with Deep for the foreseeable future. Whether or not he continues to be a hero will be entirely up to him starting tomorrow, which just puts more on my plate. Now I have to find replacements for The Seven before we bleed anymore members out!" You hissed, returning to the semi-frantic massaging.

"Anymore members?" Starlight asked curiously as you mentally cursed yourself for speaking without thinking. You momentarily contemplated hiding the truth from her, but she would find out soon enough anyways, so better that she keep trusting you for as long as possible.

"You didn't here it from me, but Translucent probably won't be returning to Vought Industries." You said, not even attempting to look in her direction. "He filed his resignation a few days ago. One last mission, and then he's going to retire and be with his family. Smart man given the current climate around here." You muttered.

"What do you mean?" I mean, Deep had a problem putting his hands, and other assorted bodies parts on women, whereas Translucent simply watched, like a creepy voyeurs, either way, I feel like Vought will start cracking down harder on those kinds of past times." You said, finally shutting your laptop as you stood, a massive mug of steaming coffee appearing from nowhere as you tipped it back, downing at least a third of it into your mouth, and subsequently your system.

"It should go without saying, but I'll say it just so we're clear, nothing I've mentioned leaves this office, are we clear." You said, Starlight meeting your steely glare as she nodded, turning to leave. "Oh the joys of interviews." You groaned before remembering something.

"Also, Star, a film crew is roaming the halls, filling short little 'home movies' to drum up support for the upcoming military bill, try to be accommodating please." Again a silent answer as she left the office.

You following behind her shortly before turning down a different path, leading you to the stairwell as you looked around before taking the expressway down, simply hopping the guardrail and freefalling all the way to the bottom before cushioning your descent by turning the floor into a viscous jelly like substance.

It was roughly three hours later as you sat between two other Vought Industries employees, with a stack of papers of potential new members to be indicted into The Seven.

"First call for Aubree Goldberg." The older lady on your right said, reading from the paper in front of her, sounding exactly like you felt, as if she wished she were anywhere else.

"Hello, my name is Aubree Goldberg." She was blonde, her hair frizzy with a small nose, and slightly fuller than normal cheeks, giving her a cherubic appearance.

"Okay, what can you tell us about yourself, keep in mind that we don't let just anyone into The Seven." The grizzled voice to your left belonged to a man who look like he belonged leading a platoon of Marines through boot camp.

"Oh okay, umm, I'm 29, a Libra, I was born and raised in Atlanta, but I've been stationed and patrolled in Savannah, Georgia as well, for the last 6 years. My powers consist of Eldritch summoning." She said nervously as you saw the woman to your right scribble something down, but you could see what.

"Would you care to show us your powers, maybe to would make you feel more comfortable..." You offered, but that only seemed to set her off worse as she gave a jittery nod, closing her eyes as if in prayers before her mouth seemed to distended, a thick tentacle erupting from it as it behind to swing around, looking for something to grapple. You noticed similar tentacles appear from her sleeves, replacing her hands entirely.

"Okay, that's enough, thank you, please send in the next applicant." You said, writing down your thoughts on her as she fixed her appearances, sedately walking out.

She'd barely closed the door when the two others with you erupted into an argument over whether she was a good fit. You sighed.

Taking a short break, you headed for your next meeting of the day, no downtime for you.

Finding him loitering outside your office, you could see the cloud of depression wafting off of him.

"Deep, please step into my office." You said, striding right past the depressive aquan.

Following behind you, you didn't even give him time to take a seat, sealing the door behind him as you leaned against your desk, the day already catching up with you.

"Look, I'm busy today, so I'll keep it short. I'm sure by now you've seen Starlight's tell-all on TV at the Believe Expo. Now, I've been inundated wit women coming forward claiming you assaulted them all morning, so I'm going to make it real simple for you." You said, pausing just a breath to make sure Kevin was paying attention.

"You will make a formal apology video to all those women, and then you will announce your are taking time to yourself to 're-find your self'. You will be transferred to Sandusky, Ohio, where you will remain until such a time as everyone has forgotten you or until Vought Industries is willing to go to bat over you, got it, good, now leave!" You snarled, Deep not getting a word in edgewise as he stood, morosely walking out of the office, which you didn't even know was possible.

You had just enough time to sigh before the sharp beep of your phone alerted you to the next applicant.

Next applicant, a Mr. Kleiff Jacoby.

Kleiff would have been a heavyset man, maybe somewhere in middle age, he might have even been attractive, if it didn't look like his face was carved out of stone, and not an artistic stone like marble or granite, no more like pumice, which really unsettled you.

"Okay, Mr. Jacoby, what can you tell us about yourself." The drill sergeant next to you inquired.

"My name is Kleiff Jacoby, and I've been station in Colorado all my life, I got an early start into the heroics business when I was a teenager and a couple of mountain climbers got stuck in a blizzard. I was able to use my powers of Geokinetics to save them." At least he seemed more confident than Aubree, the only other stand out applicant so far, which sad a lot more than you wished it did.

"You mentioned you were stationed in Colorado, where exactly?" The wizened one to my right asked, idlily twisting a pen between her fingers.

"Most anywhere, although I'm located normally in the mountains, my powers can be a bit destructive." Kleiff admitted sheepishly as the women muttered a bored, 'Uh huh.'

"How about a favorite story, maybe one to helps show the kind of hero you are." You requested as Kleiff looked off into space for a moment before smiling.

"When I was around 25, I got to stop an avalanche from destroying a town, it wasn't very big, so it didn't make the papers or the news but it's probably the biggest thing I've accomplished." He said.

"Thanks, I think you've given us a big piece of meat to chew on." The drill sergeant said as Kleiff left.

"A big piece of meat to chew on, who are you some country bumpkin? I bet you even have a alligator sexdoll for when you get lonely." The women next to you hissed as you sighed, awaiting the next applicant.

It took way longer than you wished for the next standout to show up.

Applicant: Park, Mayumi.

It took all of three seconds for your hand to meet your face as a women in what could only be described as a Sailor Moon ripoff walked into the room, which wouldn't have been bad in and of itself, if the women in question wasn't a grown, middle-aged women, whose costume looked like it was made when she first started out, also not bad, it was meticulously maintained, you couldn't even spot a single tear or loose thread, but it barely covered anything important. To summarize, she looked like a stripper in a Sailor Moon costume.

"Hello dear, what can you tell us about yourself." The wizened crone next to you asked as Mayumi, did a quick bow, probably flashing everyone to the rear of the room.

"Thank you for your time. My name is Park, umm, Mayumi Park, sorry. My name is Mayumi Park, I'm married, and have three kids, Haruka, who is my eldest, she is 12, Satoshi, he's my second, he is 8, and finally Aoi, she is my youngest at 6. I've been located in Los Angeles for the past 22 years." Mayumi said before spinning around and doing a two-fingered pose.

"Wonderful, and what can you do?" You asked drolly.

"Oh, I can clean, I can cook, I'm very good at sewing!" Mayumi started naming off skills, and you idlily wondered if she'd shown up at the wrong interview.

"No, he means what are your powers?" The older woman inquired as Mayumi made a shocked face, sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth.

You were completely unprepared however, when she reached down her top before pulling outa long wand from between her breasts capped off by a glowing diamond. She waved it a few times and said, "Cannonball." before a glowing cannonball appeared from the end, shooting across the room and into the wall, where it tore out a hefty chunk before vanishing in a spray of sparkles.

"Thank you, that was a very good interview. Just one finally question, I noticed on your medical chart that you're taking an awful lot of vitamins, do you have any medical problems to explain this?" It was almost cute how Mayumi head tilted to the side like a confused puppy, before one hand lowered to her stomach.

"It's for the baby of course, my other three didn't get my powers, but here's hoping." She said gleefully.

"Thank you." You said, smiling at the mother as she walked out, and noticed that your initial suspicions had been correct, she did flash everybody behind her when she bowed.

"Well that was a huge waste of time." The general next to you groused, the first thing he said since Mayumi arrived.

"What are you talking about, she's perfect for the spot, she's a foreigner so bonus points for that, and she's a mother, so even more bonus points!" The lady next to you argued.

"Yes, that's true except she's pregnant, again, and Vought will end up having to give her maternity leave, and then who knows what, she's getting up in years, she may decide to stay home with her children." You interjected, also the first time you'd jumped into their disagreements.

"Yes, but we can worry about that then, for now having a strong motherly female will poll big for us." The woman argued.

You sighed already looking for an excuse to get out of here for a bit.

You found that excuse when Maeve's vignette was being filmed.

You vaguely remembered Elena coming to visit around that time, or was that later when the all-female interview for the movie was.

Either way, you headed up, intending to try to and make your job easier.

You found them, once more surrounded by cameras and microphones, whom you shooed off with threats to their personages as they scattered for the moment, although you noticed they didn't turn off the cameras or the microphones so at least some pieces of the coming conversation would be caught.

"Hello, Ms. Elena." You said simply, catching both women off-guard as they looked at you, one in masked fear and the other in confusion.

"Hello... do I know you?" Elena asked, Maeve quickly looking around to see if she could cut this short.

"Probably not, I doubt Maeve has mentioned me. I must admit when I looked you up, I was worried about the image it would project, but I see now I have nothing to worry about. I'm glad my charge has such a caring friend that would come to visit her today, on such an important occasion." You said, Maeve turning from looking around to shooting a hard glare at you.

"How much do you know Nick?" Maeve hissed under her breath, causing you to smile, not that that alleviated her nerves any.

"What do you mean. You listed Elena here as you emergency contact, did you think I wouldn't look into her. Besides that," You paused, looking back at the cameras before smirking, letting your will be given form as a soft staticky sound was audible from where you stood. "I have no intention of spilling your worthless secret in such a manner. Although given how I've been stuck in interviews all day, and we are in need of a new 'diversity' hire, I don't suppose I could convince you to help me out?" You continued, now assured that no one but you three would hear the conversation.

Maeve didn't even consider it before snarling back at you, "Leave Elena out of this, you know my thoughts on the matter!"

Putting up your hands in mock surrender, you turned to leave, your phone vibrating in your pocket. "Just remember when this gets out, as secrets tend to do in our line of work, I'm always willing to lend a helping hand." Even as you walked away, you knew the image you'd presented, like a sleazy lawyer, blackmailing a witness. However, you had no further thoughts on the matter, given your frayed nerves as you descended once more into the bowels of the building.

"Okay, next up is a Mr.-" Your voice was cut off as the applicant cut in.

"I'm Lucky #7, but for the purposes of this farce of an interview you can call me Aspen Rogers." The man oozed pretentious ass like a leaking sore.

"I'm sure you can cancel the rest of these things now that I'm here, although you'll have to sweeten the pot after making me wait for so long." Aspen continued, but you'd already switch gears, glancing between your two compatriots.

"Okay, fess up, which one of you idiots recommended him, because I know he isn't off my list." You growled, showing the both that you meant business.

"Don't look at me." The woman exclaimed, crossing her arms in front of her face as you both glared down the grizzled man on your other side.

"Hey, he wasn't mine, although did got a last minute addition, orders from over my head, so he could be it. He certain feels like some greasy palms' kid." He argued as you took a moment to look at Aspen before giving a collective sigh.

"So, when do I start?" Aspen inquired, although his tone suggested it was more of a demand.

"Right now, I've already got your first job ready to go, since I'm sure your perfect for it. We're testing your leadership qualities, so I want you to head upstairs to the Conference room on the Seven's personal floor and find who you're replacing, and fire them. Think you can handle that, big boy?" You said in as dry a tone as possible.

"You got it boss, I'll make sure to get it right." Aspen said, racing out the side door, and quickly out of your audible range.

"Thank God for that." You muttered, calling in the next applicant.

"Okay, I'm looking for a Mr. Magnus Forge." You called out, waiting patiently as the door swung open to reveal... a pair of legs.

"Please tell me what's going on now?" You said, facepalming as you patiently watched what was likely to be your last applicant, judging your your sanity waving bon voyage, try and fit through the apparently too small door before deciding, 'screw it' and simply made a new one by walking through the stone wall.

"ello, me name's Magnus, uhh Magnus Forge, but they call me Colossus, on account of me being so big, you know?" He at least looked the part, unlike most of your potential members, he'd worn his costume, towering a whopping 9 feet over everybody.

"Yes, that's what it says on your file, now I was wondering why you think you're the right man for the position?" The general asked, taking the lead since this was probably one of his applicants, you were beginning to sense a theme here.

"Well, I's mean, me three older brothers played ball, they was big, but not as big as me, and then when I played ball, got banned on account a me tackling a ref, so I figured what better way than to be a role model for other players, ya know." Colossus said, General nodding his head, you agreeing as you looked over the fie, looking for any discrepancies.

After a few minutes of silent reading, it seemed like a good fit, and you let General know, the woman on your other side, begrudgingly agreeing.

"Well done, sir, that was a good interview, I think we'll look forward to having you be a member of the team." General stood, extending his hand to shake Colossus'.

"Thank ya, I'll see ya Sunday." He said, turning to leave.

"Sunday, I think that's a bit soon, you still have to do training, I see you have no prior hero experience so we have to make sure you can handle yourself out there." General said as Magnus looked at him confusedly.

"But I have to be there Sunday so the team will see me cheering for them at the big game!" Colossus said.

"The big game?" You asked.

"Yeah, when we take on the Steelers!" Magnus said loudly as you looked between yourselves.

"Mr. Magnus, where do you think you are?" You asked, worriedly.

"Well, ain't this the tryouts for the mascot of the Tennessee Titans?" He replied simply.

The only sound heard was your head meeting the desk in front of you.

==================================================================================================

The sounds of the rowdy bar drowned out most of the conversation between Starlight and Hughie, but what little she had caught so far made her smile.

Honestly, when Nick had mentioned how things were going to change soon, she didn't know what to expect and that scared her a little bit, given that she seemed to have provocated it.

"Hey there Hughie." She heard, turning to see who was calling her 'boyfriend'(they hadn't really discussed it yet) and saw an older man with a beard wading towards them.

Whoever he was, Hughie didn't look pleased to see him.

"I didn't expect to see you here. And who's the girl?" The bearded man asked, clapping a hand down on Hughie's shoulder.

"Oh, this is.... Annie, she works at Vought." Hughie said after a moment's thought as 'Annie' smiled, extending her hand to shake.

"Oh, yeah, I hear they're having some problems right now. What about that Translucent fellow, I haven't seen him in a while. No pun intended." The man said conversationally, even though the mirth of his joke seemed to reach no one at the table.

"Yeah, we're going through a reshuffling is what they're calling it. And you've probably seen the last of Translucent unless by some miracle you find him." Annie supplied as Hughie coughed on his drink.

"Oh yeah, something happen to him?" The other man inquired.

"Not that I know of, but I heard he was retiring, he wanted to spend more time with his family." She said as Hughie looked almost sick.

"Oh yeah, well I better get going, I'll leave you two alone. And Hughie, remember what we talked about." The man said firmly as he vanished into the crowd.

==================================================================================================

You returned several minutes later to find the desk abandoned. Sighing, you sat down, pulling out the next file as you called in the applicant.

"Audrey Goldberg. Didn't we interview her earlier?" You muttered to yourself as the women walked in.

No, you didn't interview her, you were pretty sure you'd remember someone looking like that.

She was wearing a simply white dress that fell to her upper thighs, and dipped down in the front leaving a rich view of her tits visible. Her hair was a platinum blonde that fell down across one side of her face, leaving only a smirk visible on her mouth.

"Hello, sir. My name is Audrey, but you can call me Areolous." She said, batting her one visible eyelash at you, as you saw two small wings flutter on her back, not that stopped you from **** n the sip of coffee you took.

"Areolous, like the..." You trailed off as she giggled, a tinkling sound that none the less set you on edge.

"Yeah, like the wind God." She said cheerily as she spun around, a stiff breeze picking up, both literally and figuratively as the bottom of her dress flew up, revealing that she was wearing nothing underneath.

"Ah right, how could I forget." You muttered, feeling what was blooming arousal slowly ebb away. Despite your sex-crazed tendencies, you didn't like the idea of an air-headed bimbo, hehe, working as a member of the Seven.

"Okay, well, I'm sure my fellow employees would have some questions for you, but they've vanished into the ether so how about I put you down for a return interview and we'll call it there?" You said, only for a manicured hand to be placed atop yours.

"Hmm, that does sound nice, but how about I show you how committed I am to fulfilling this role for you. You can put me down, or I can go down for you." Audrey said, slowly vanishing beneath the desk as you saw her pursed lips kiss at your bulge.

"I don't think that's a good idea." You hissed, trying to think of some reason to get out of here. Normally you'd be all over this floozy, but something didn't feel right, almost like a sixth sense telling you to flee.

"Ah baby, I'll be gentle, but I really need this big job right now." She whispered, crawling up your body, as you felt her heat against the crotch of your pants, which were doing their best to escape.

"I think you should go, before I do something you'll regret." You said, holding yourself back, that creeping feeling only growing by the second.

"Oh no baby, I'd never regret it." She whispered into your ear, softly kissing it.

"I said, go. You growled, and all the sultry seductive passion she had vanished like a vapor in the wind, shoving back and away from you as she began ranting.

"Damnit Aubree, you had one job, but you're too fucking gun-shy to get him riled up!" Audrey yelled at the open air, and for a moment, just a moment you consider questioning it, but you shook your head and went looking to refill your cup of coffee.

On the bright side, you found your two compatriots, making sure each other's tonsils were in working order, and also corrupting the breakroom ecosystem.

It should made you sick, disgusting, uncomfortable, maybe even revolted, but all it did was ratchet up your annoyance as you forwent the coffee, deciding to finally call it quits for the day, and possibly forever.

You swept your hand over the table, the files and paper vanishing without a moments notice, as you fell back into the metal chair, your powers not even leaving that as it was replaced by a cushy desk chair, the plain desk now standing as a wooden masterpiece.

You felt the first prickling of tears, a surprise even to you since you didn't feel especially upset just irritated, you wondered momentarily whether t possible to rage-cry before remembering the irony; you were supposed to be a doctor.

The soft footsteps approaching the desk were you first clue that nt even the universe would leave you alone today.

"Interviews are over, come back again never!" You bit out sharply, not even turning to look at the applicant.

"Oh, but I come with a recommendation courtesy of the President, he wants you to very seriously consider me for the opening on the team." The voice was female but you felt something niggling at the back of your mind, a familiar stirring as you opened your eyes, and turned to meet your next rejection.

"Okay, name please." You said, only to feel your breath catch in your throat, and a tingle shoot down your spine.

"Oh, you can just call me Stormfront."