Quietus

@supra-man:

Julius had been listening but not speaking, idly looking outside to the distance as Donn departed. He then turned, catching a look from Moya as she shot her his own with a tough smile. "Tell Bold I said hi." Without asking, he relieved her of her duties and quite clearly wanted the room alone with Supra-Man.

Folding his arms, the Secretary of Defence gazed at this unknown oddity. He presented quite the challenge but simultaneously quite the opportunity. Nemo would not be the last metahuman Julius dealt with of this calibre and he had not been the first, but perhaps, he would be the most incomprehensible. “So this is all just a pet project huh?” Julius spoke, rhetorically. He did not move from his position on the wall, one eye surveying the gargantuan room. “I respect that.” In truth he did, Julius had done exactly the same when founding the Equalizers. He had taken street vigilantes and turned them into professional government agents on retainer, given them training and most importantly accountability – to who? To him.

“When I founded the Equalizers it was a mantle. Not a team. A name which signifies that one individual seeks to protect this world, a responsibility that passes from one person to another. Some may be an Equalizer for a single day, others a lifetime - It's not my choice to decide."

Jones continued. "But it is my job to keep this country and by extension, planet safe from harm." It was sometimes hard, but made easier with people like the Black Bat and once upon a time, Klaus on his side. "And I'm sure we share a common cause."

At least he presumed, a pet project to safeguard the world from careless vigilantism even if done out of morbid curiosity was still useful even if there was no altruistic intent. “Consider the Equalizers and by extension the US Government a sponsor of your little project, Supra-Man.” A smirk adorned his jaded features. “In a sense you’re my side project.”

He pushed off the wall, walking up towards Nemo. “I don’t believe unchecked vigilantism isas big a threat as made out, but it’s a threat nonetheless.” He squint. “This me keeping you in check, son.” Extending a palm, he looked into the heroes eyes. “Every hero at any moment is ‘one of those heroes’ you speak so fondly about. You can’t plan for everything, kid.”

He turned around, regardless of if Supra-Man took the handshake and began to leave.

“But I can.”

A thumb touched his chest as the Secretary of Defence winked and made his departure.

@maverick_6: @hound_of_war: @supra-man:

Julius glanced at Moya, raising an eyebrow and scowling. "I call everybody bitch, sweetheart. What the **** do they teach in Maverick school these days?" The Secretary of Defence then heard the Black Bat appear, not even turning as his familiar tone of voice chastised the Shadow of D.C's grumpy demeanour.

"Do you have to monologue every time you creep up on somebody?"

He huffed, clearly not wanting to be here today. "You could have just said it was a god damn door."

But before the Bat had a chance to enter the room, Julius softly grabbed his padded shoulder, "it's good to see your enigmatic ass again son, it hasn't been the same without you."

And just like that Julius, Moya and the Black Bat entered the cave of an egomaniac, the statue making Julius queasy. What was this nonsense? Without actually conveying his lack-of-appreciation for the statues, he swaggered over towards Nemo and tore open the sugar, pouring it into Supra-Man's cup of coffee. "Drop the bullshit kid."

Turning around and taking a nice, long, hard look around the complex, his arms quickly fell into deep pockets. In truth he was buying time, wanting to test the Self-Made Man's atomic vision, or lack of.

The sugar particles had been microscopically altered and in addition of their usual structure, each sugar granule had the words carved into them.

Dear Supra-Bitch,

I paid your rent for this month and I will continue to do so, as long as you don't piss me off.

Kiss my ass,

Julius Jones

Julius hoped that the Quintessential Hero would understand the implications of that. Airspace above New York had been grounded and that cost money; Julius had the Pentagon pay for that out of the Equalizer budget but it didn't have to last forever.

Spinning back around, he folded his arms. "You work for me now, capeesh? That's not a request, by the way."

He took out a cheap mobile phone, placing it onto the counter. "I have those I see as helpful on quick dial. The Equalizers on 1, Maverick on 2, the UNKD on 3. There's some bureaucratic pussies in the Pentagon who view your actions as hostile." He shrugged, "I work on a case-by-case basis and you've not wronged this country yet."

The one functional eye of Julius Jones gazed into Supra-Man's.

"Apart from being ugly as **** I don't see this little incursion of yours as particularly dangerous, costly; god damn son. But far from dangerous. Now that sugar I poured into your coffee is your contract of employment with me. Break it and I'm shutting this place down."

His finger pointed to everything, spinning around in a helicopter movement.

"Now I'll let the kids do the talking."

Julius backed of a little to the side and watched Moya and the Black Bat, his eye darting between them curiously.

"What the **** is this ugly piece of shit."

Julius said, his voice rhetorical and simply stating a fact as he looked up at the Empyrean.

"It's ruining the skyline and I've had to impose airspace restrictions above this nonsense."

The Sectary of Defence turned and faced Moya, gazing at her sternly with his one good eye. If there was one man aside from Bold who commanded enough authority over Maverick to use them however he pleased, it would only ever be Julius. Today they were going to walk up and speak to this Supra-Man character - somebody whom Julius had no dealings with thus far.

And in truth, that was a completely positive experience.

Julius only ever met strangers for two reasons.

• To threaten them.
• To work with them.

There was no in between or workarounds.

The CIA, FBI and NSA were surveying the structure second-by-second but Julius had ordered a complete and utter shutdown of any military action towards the unknown threat. If it was a threat at all. The Shadow of D.C didn't want a fiasco on his hands in the centre of the United States of America for no reason.

Hell, Supra-Man may even end up being a force for good.

But if not... Well, that's why Maverick had been given special permission to accompany the Equalizer on this trip to Disney Land.

They'd have to figure out this fools real name though. Supra-Man? What the **** was that all about.

"By the way," he said, glancing at Moya, "don't get ahead of yourself and go starting World War Three in New York, I'm not filing that shitty paperwork." Julius knew she was beyond professional but was a no-nonsense kind of man. He would tell his own father to shut the **** up if he deemed it necessary.

Within a few minutes Julius and Moya had reached the Morrison building's top floor, standing what looked to be at the theorised entrance to the area.

Rolling his shoulders, the Secretary of Defence spoke aloud knowing Nemo would hear him easily.

"Hey Supra-Bitch, this is some Man in the High Castle tier shit but I ain't got all God damn day kid. Hurry the **** up and let Uncle and Aunt Sam inside."

He folded his arms.

"I some sugar for my new neighbour."

He took out a little sachet of sugar, smirking to himself as he held it within his palm.

@nightwarden17:

"You aren't a soldier, get that notion out of your head kid. You're a hero now, at least a wannabe. I will keep the operations to myself until I have something, for now I think you can just do more good on the streets than in a cell. People like Reynard, they are heroes in their own way too. Guys Supra-Man and yourself, you're all on the same side. Reynard stands for things that are opposite to you, and me in fact, but I'd never take him off the streets. He's a necessary evil."

Julius nodded and began to walk away, winking with his one good eye.

"As am I. Once you return to the public spotlight there's a few options for you. One option, you'll have been acquitted of your crimes because of your ****** up past, you're insane son. You're clinically insane. But thanks to help from the US psychologists, we helped make you better. Or the easier option, you worked with the US government and in return you got a suspended sentence of 25 years. Get yourself deputised and you can be a hero again.. Legally in a sense, it's a grey area, a big grey black hole of confusion legally."

Subterranean Metahuman Holding Cell, Cuba

Julius Jones surveyed Jacob, watching as the man sat in a dimly lit cell. Palms in pocket, the one eyed Secretary of Defence stepped out of a shadow and into the light.

"Jacob Chase. Twelve hours ago you were charged and found guilty for aggravated assault, battery, criminal negligence, aiding and abetting homicide, breaking and entering, intimidation, possession of illegal weaponry including unlicensed nerve agents, aiding and abetting theft of private property, obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting the hacking of several banks' accounts, and widespread fraud."

The Wall shook his head. This Night Warden was a typical superhero. Reckless. Yet somewhat different, altruistic enough to let themselves be put before a court of law and allow justice to judge them as they had judged others. "I'm sure you know who I am, kid. Julius Jones. Secretary of Defence."

The Shadow of D.C was brought a chair, sitting in front of Jacob's cell. "There's plenty of men who would see you in jail for the rest of your natrual life, Mister Chase." Julius gazed at the man with his one good eye. "I am not one of them. I've been on your case for a while, son. I can help you help yourself." Julius folded his arms, leaning into the chair as he also crossed his legs.

"This is a take-it-or-leave-it type of deal, so before I tell you the price for your freedom I want you to know there'll be no deliberation. You're my bitch until I say otherwise, capiche?"

The Secretary of Defence continued. "Your scrawny ass will be working for the United States of Julius Julius for the next three hundred and sixty four days, on probation, doing whatever the **** you heroes do. If I need you, if I even look in your direction, you come running. You work for me. In return you get to go about your life as though this trial never happened."

Julius stood up, placing a single sheet of paper into the cell from a food delivery compartment along with a black ball point pen.

"Now sign your life away for the best part of a year."

He shrugged.

"Take it or leave it. I ain't got all day."

@nightwarden17

@purveyor:

Orpheus Ziev, Anthony Stark, Clara Mass, Thomas Newcastle, Jean Quentin, Alexander Donn and now, finally Brutus Metallo Dagaal-Ares.

All of these names shared a single trait, former President's of the United States of America. For three of those terms Julius Jones had served as Secretary of Defense and all the others Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Deputy of the FBI. An esteem career, one that was barely over...

Julius had greeted more President's in his life than almost anyone else on the globe, so today was little more than a formality. It was also the start of a process for the Ares Law Enforcement task-force. For now the Equalizers were in downtime, either all viable candidates were MIA since Gothic or other reasons had caused the team to take a break. Julius hoped the Ares Law Enforcement would be a suitable replacement in the meantime.

After all, each President had created their own task-force that eventually disband. Why would this be any different?

"I don't like cake."

Julius stated, eyeing up the clear rapport building piece of diabetes.

"Congratulations of securing the Presidency, big shoes to fill after President Donn." He cracked a harsh smile, winking his one good eye. "Please take a seat, I am eager to hear all about the Ares." He folded his arms and slid back into the seat, slightly raising his chin in thought. "Imagine I'm not me and I've never heard of this unit before, but your life depends on giving me as much information as possible on how the Ares intend to operate. Sell me how this'll protect the nation."

@lichter:

Just hadn't removed Lichter's anti-teleportation privileges, having suspected a meeting would take place. One final goodbye, or something of the sort. Julius walked into his office with his iconic deadpan stare, his previous dissatisfaction with the performance of Klaus at the back of his mind. "Klaus," he said, stopping at the foot of his office. "Short but sweet, huh?" The Original Operative slowly entered the office, walking to one of his cabinets, removing a photograph before placing it back into his pocket. "The responsibility can be too much for some, you ain't the first deputy director to quit. I've done this my entire life Klaus, and many men far less capable than you lied to themselves that they were okay with continuing. Being responsible for everything all of the time isn't for everyone," he outstretched a palm, smiling as he looked up at the man. "Thank you for your service, you were one of my favorites." He then let go, and withdrew another image, sliding it to Klaus on the table. "A leaving gift... One of the first images of me and President Donn decades ago," he smirked, "I hope it amuses you."

-Sir, we have two foreign enemies and Ivana moving. The Equalizers have not contained the area-

Julius facepalmed mid-sentence, wondering what was going on. Kurt, an experienced crime fighter, was off chasing a single Strigidae and nowhere to be seen. He was the god damn ground team leader! Valhalla was getting attacked by everyone under the sun and Lichter had been funking LATE! And where the hell was the Black bat or Solarius? He scowled, taking command of the mission to avert disaster.

"Patch me directly to Klaus"

>Klaus (@lichter) this is Julius, how nice of you to finally stop by. Remember the Black Bat? (@hound_of_war) He'll be with you soon. Keep Ivana running, if you catch up, take her in dead or alive. Preferably alive for questioning. I've had high expectations of you son since day one and you know I don't like being let down<

"Patch me to Kurt"

>Archer, whoever you're pursuing I want them handled pronto. Ivana is the target and you're chasing a mangy wolf, not the alpha of the pack. Out<

"Patch me to @solarius"

>I want you to assist Valhalla and get some heat off his ass, an unknown fighter (@aria_al-sef) is causing him aggravation<

Julius shook his head and wondered how the operation would have gone had Stark been on board.

Or for that matter, any real professional. How would this have turned out with a squad of NAVY Seals or R.E.D soldiers? He knew Ivana would have cut through them like butter but still.... No.

He shook his head, looking around the room at his Operations Command, who he could clearly see where not that pleased.

These were professional operatives, and the performance demonstrated by the Equalizers had been less than sub-par. "I still believe in heroes." And that's all Julius said, looking away back to the mission board...