Log:Hope Against Fear, Scene 1

Hope Against Fear 2014/01/02 	 Vanguard Victory

1

Champions Mush - Thursday, January 02, 2014, 10:57 AM

''A typical engineer's office. As well as a desk and chair there's room for a coffee table with informal chairs ringed around it. One wall has a live display of the status of the entire TransMat system. Another wall hosts a large pinboard with technical diagrams and notes pinned on it. ''

The office Wade is directed to is one of many in a complex. Nothing about the setting conveys a sense of permanence: no signs on the exterior to show what lies inside.

Wade starts to get a bit more wary as he heads through the halls. He's been ambushed by someone posing as a college professor previously. This could be just another ploy by VENOM, for all he knows.

The actual office has a frosted glass door and a piece of paper taped to it with the word "Evan Hampton" typed on it.

Wade raps on the door twice to see if anyone is inside.

At Wade's knock the door is opened by a woman who appears to be some type of assistant: professionally dressed in white shirt and black pencil skirt with jet black hair up in a bun. She is a bit too hawkish to be beautiful, but fit and stylish. She smiles when she sees Wade.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Lockwood, you are expected," she says before opening the door fully to show a small office and a man sitting at the desk.

Wade smiles and nods. "Thank you." He takes a step inside, noting the man there, "Mr. Hampton, I presume?"

Evan rises from his desk when Wade enters and approaches with his hand out for a shake. "Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Lockwood. I hope my invitation wasn't *too* mysterious?"

Evan Hampton is a thin man with the look of someone who has had a long and rough life. His suit is new and fits his thin frame well enough but is definitely off-the-rack: a touch tight on the shoulders and loose around the middle.

Wade shakes Evan's hand. "No...not really. So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Evan rubs the back of his neck and gives Wade a bit of a embarrassed smirk. He then turns and heads back behind his desk, gesturing to a chair for Wade as he asks, "How much do you know about demons?"

Wade takes a seat, "Umm...not a lot? It's not exactly in my wheelhouse. I know a couple of things about them, but I'm hardly an expert."

Evan nods, "Me too. However, some people who know more about this than I say that the term 'demon' can either be applied to an extra-dimensional creature or to a creature that preys on humanity in some predatory or parasitic way."

Wade nods. "Hmm. Okay."

Evan says, "I work for a agency that monitors and evaluates meta-human activity. The branch that I work for is mainly a think tank. My background is in engineering, not demonology, so take anything I say about the matter with a grain of salt."

Wade raises a brow. "Which agency do you work for, if you don't mind me asking?"

Evan says, "It is called the Vanguard Initiative"

Wade nods slowly, filing the name away to research later, "So, is there a problem with a demon then? I'm assuming there must be one on the loose or something."

"The particular demonS," Even says with a little extra emphasis on the S, "that I've been asked to evaluate this time has been dubbed 'Fear Mongers'. They draw energy from fear."

Wade furrows his brow, "There was a villain here a couple of years back that was called 'Fear Monger', if I remember right. He could create nightmare creatures with his mind. I think...Dark Horse worked on the case. Is there any connection?"

Evan glances to his secretary who shrugs, then picks up a pencil and jots some notes down on a handy blank pad. "I'll find out."

Wade nods. "It might just be coincidence. So..what about these demons?"

Evan says, "As I understand it, a related ... creature is native to Earth and it is they - or at least some of them - who are providing us with information on these new arrivals. For the natives, fear is both a power source and food to them. So they can take accumulated energy and 'spend' it to do tricks appropriate for a low level meta, but they can starve themselves in the process."

Wade rubs his chin. "Hmm. Interesting. Sort of vampiric, in a way."

Evan says, "These new arrivals are an order of magnitude more powerful. In D.C. a street preacher met one of these demons and gained the ability to teleport and 'smite his enemies with holy fire'. He was defeated, but not before generating enough fear to 'pay back' the energy used in his creation. The question that has been asked of me and the question I would like your opinion on is how to defeat a meta - potentially a powerful meta - without increasing fear levels in the local populace."

Wade blinks a couple of times, as he considers the question. "I think that there are a couple of means of doing that. The first would be to try to keep the public in the dark. I'm not a proponent of that method for a couple of reasons. First, I'm not a fan of 'cloak and dagger' sorts of things in general. Second, it's going to be nigh-impossible to keep a lid on it, if the meta is as powerful as you think he or she might be. The other option would be to make sure that there's a symbol. Someone inspiring enough to counteract the fear, and give the people some hope. Someone like Spirit...or...wait. That's why you asked me to come here, isn't it?"

Evan says, "I'm a think tank man, Mr Lockwood and old enough to be a permanent pessimist. I'm not asking you to *do* anything. I'm asking if a symbol like that is even possible. My current working theory is some type of super-sniper. But our current temporary allies agree that against a villain that is actually making an effort to generate fear this may be ineffective and even counterproductive."

Wade rubs his chin, "I think that it's more likely to be ineffective on its own. You'd need something to assuage the fears of the people. Even if it's just someone making a statement after the fact."

Evan smirks, "Men in Black?"

Wade shrugs, "Well, you wouldn't be wiping people's minds, right? Just making sure that people know what's up. Perhaps even letting them know the truth of the situation might help. The human race is remarkably resilient and stubborn.

Hampton's secretary suddenly speaks up. Her voice is raspy without being gravely - a bit like the purr of a big cat. "Could you do it? Fear is counteracted by hope. Could you generate a team that would give people hope and both protect then from the fear mongers and the well-intentioned actions of superheroes that place winning over the consequences of their actions?"

Wade nods slowly, thinking about it. "I can certainly try. I can't make promises about how well it will work, but I can definitely put a team together."

Evan looks back and forth between Wade and his secretary. "Should I leave you here?" he asks with a scowl.

The secretary smiles back, "No, my original statements about being with you stand."

Wade raises a brow, watching the interaction between the other two. Clearly something isn't quite what it appears.

Evan is still looking at his secretary when he asks Wade, "*If* I was to recommend some type of super-symbol team to my superiors, who would you recommend for the demons currently in Colonial Bay? You mentioned Spirit - he's with Starguard, right?"

Wade nods. "He's the local Starguard commander, yes. And he certainly has the appropriate reputation. Alternatively, you might get Lorelei to do it, but I think politics might keep her from doing so."

Evan hmms and jots down more notes, "Do you think Starguard as a whole could fill this role?"

Wade tilts his head, "Mmm...maybe. I think the organization has a less stellar reputation than their commander."

Evan crosses out what he wrote. "Damn. The engineer in me prefers it when the right tool already exists."

Wade says, "It still might work, but...you might want to talk to Dorian himself."

The secretary smiles and asks Wade, "Afraid to fail?"

Wade raises a brow at the secretary's comment, "No. I'm answering questions honestly. If you folks want me to do it, I can do it. If you want Spirit to do it, ask him. Either way, I'm sure we're both qualified to do it. He just already has an organization behind him."

Wade says, "Heck, I was intending to put together a team anyway. So...this might just be the impetus I need to follow through with it."

Evan says to Wade with a touch of affection for his assistant (partner?) in his voice, "Don't let her get to you. She likes needling people... but she does keep me on my toes. If I ever start getting lazy and overconfident, I can trust Phyllis to keep me in line."

Evan rises in his chair and hold out his hand to Wade, "Thank you for your time. I'm sorry if I added to your worries."

Wade shakes his head and smiles. He stands up and shakes Evan's hand. "Sir, don't worry about that. I'm sure the heroes of the city are up to the task at hand. Of that at least, I don't have any doubts."

As Wade hits the door, he hears Phyllis say to Evan, "I was right in this much at least: either he has mental defenses or he really is as fearless as we've heard."