Meanwhile…Cheesecake and Cocktails

“It’s an Honor to get you on our show Qilin. We know you are a private hero and don’t usually take interviews.”

“Yes, well, it is good to support those who support the community.”

“Ahh! Is that why your uniform is pink and silver rather than white and silver, you're showing your support for Breast Cancer awareness?”

“…Yes.”

Qilin during his Capewatch interview.

Talia slipped away from the table, with awkward smiles, going inside. She found Anzy, one of Anzy. "Um... someone should go help Erica and Marcus. I heard them yelling about an Atlantean and a tunnel." She shrugged.

"Oh, thanks for letting us know! Mystic, Q, could you support AR and Focus."

"On it!" the girls said heading for the water main.

Meanwhile…

Solaris looked at Sphinx, "Pinnacle may be feeling a bit threatened. I may have told him I could take his chair anytime I wanted to, so that's probably why he's leaning on you to take a hiatus."

Sphix rolled her eyes. "That sounds about right. He instinctively digs in when someone throws a gauntlet down. He's done it to me a number of times. Hell, maybe I should! I'm getting sick of dealing with him."

"I suddenly wish to get my staff gifts so they are less displeased with me." Killian commented wryly.

"Chancellor, I know we haven't agreed on much over the years, but on this I think we may be feeling precisely the same. Honey, remind me to buy the team a treat or two." Empire said with a chuff.

“Ohh! I saw a purse Luna would love!" the man’s young wife giggled.

“I have a few suggestions for gentlemen if you’d like to hear.” Cassidy chuckled.

“Might I suggest Season tickets?” Wes Moreland, from the Yankee’s back office who was happily visiting one of the team's longest standing fans for dinner, said with a wink.

"Well dear, I suspect if I ever do decide to put together an official Team, you will be one of the first I call. If you do decide to go inactive with the Guardians let me know and we will go celebrate to make Pinnacle more paranoid." Solaris said with a wicked smile.

Penny almost snorted her wine. "Damn it, your passive aggressiveness is hilarious. If you want him to really get a bug in his bonnet, send a resume to Elenore."

Grayson smirked. "You know somewhere El heard you, and is already planning a headquarters and equipment purchases. I've not been here that long, and even I know that's how she works." He looked at Sphinx. "Do you like a skyscraper lair, or a hidden lair?"

"They're called bases for heroes, kiddo." Empire Girl chuckled. "Lairs are villains."

Solaris laughed. "As long as it's not underground. I think I've spent enough time there."

“Vacation first, then landmark buildings we can get targeted by supervils.” Sphinx laughed. “But where really is best for a vacation?”

"I think it's safe to say it's going to be nowhere cold. Though I think your desire for warm weather and beaches is completely reasonable." Killian said half teasing. “And think of the spies fighting paparazzi for good places to set up their telescopic lenses.”

"She grew up off the North Sea. Of course she's trying to escape the freaking cold." Sphinx laughed. "I say the Caribbean. Or the Virgin Islands. Or all of them."

"True, you have that big, fuck off boat over there." Ariel agreed.

"Honey, language."

"I'm a bit old to pretend to be unaware of cursing, dad."

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"Darling, our fathers never believe we are old enough to curse, date, or move out, i don't think even a century would change that." Solaris said remembering her own dad. “But speaking of fathers, Statesman, I am sure you know I am a bit of a philanthropist. I am curious where you see my efforts being put to their best effort with the ESAS schools and perhaps regular High schools."

"The issue with the ESAS schools is they're very cloistered, for valid reasons. Some activity to get them doing something with non-EASA schools, and non-enhanced students might be a good direction." He mused, sipping his coffee, pondering another slice of the cheesecake that had been served for dessert.

"Ironically, forming a team with EASA students who WANT to do the hero thing wouldn't be bad. There's more applicants to existing teams than they have space, and newly formed teams are not really common lately. St. Louis is the last successful, their Sentinels team came out of nowhere and are mostly older teens and twenty somethings from there, so no EASA connections." Sphinx added

“I am already planning to sponsor at least one Mecha team with the goal of eventually competing in Slaughter in the Sands. It would be easy enough to involve regular EASA students as well as non-Enhanced. We are looking at properties where the kids can be pro-socially destructive.”

"Other options might work too." Surprisingly his wife spoke up. She'd been mostly cheerful but understated all evening. "You have those YouTubers doing car things. Doing stuff like that with maybe teams built from EASA and non-EASA schools, like building racing go-karts or something from parts bins."

“That isn't a bad thought.” Solaris said, tapping her chin. She reached for her phone to put down some notes then remembered she'd left it inside for the party. "I might put together a different series of channels, focusing on teenage interest, skills and entrepreneurship.... Penny would you remind me to talk to Elenore about that? it sounds like a worthy operation."

"Will do. I'm surprised she hasn't popped in, honestly."

Meanwhile…

Mystic was catching her breath, leaning over the back of one of her tigers, the other having been 'banished' by the Atlantean destroying it. Azure Rong was still fighting her, but while he could take the hits she delivered, more or less, he had trouble delivering it. "Thud, are you on your way?"

"Me and Weld are coming! Just hold on." Focus groaned nearby, shaking off being knocked out just as Mystic had arrived, due to a sneaky elbow to the head.

Before she could respond, a massive screeching sound filled the tunnels, sending Rong and Mole Maid to the ground, clutching their ears. That was followed by several pepper balls being fired into the maid’s torso. She was curled up, coughing and gagging as the sound died, giving Marcus a chance to taser her, and put restraints on Mole Maid’s twitching body.

"I got the little one to put something better than a spike launcher under the sound gun." Granny Ruan's voice came from the sewer cover, just above where the two had been standing. "I'm going to go back to the house. We have finished dessert and will be going in for cocktails soon."

The young man looked at both girls. "Right, don't piss off Granny or Talia!" he handed the Atlantean woman to Thud, as he arrived, to add to his garbage pile collection. "Do you think the boss knew how much of a fuster cluck this was going to be?"

“I have no idea." Elenore admitted, dismissing her cat. "Focus, do you hear anything else incoming?"

She leaned against the digging machine. “What? I can’t hear you over the ringing!”

Meanwhile…

So how many threats do you think the kids neutralized while we dined?” Solaris aksed with a playful grin. “They’ve done a great job keeping it quiet.”

"My people counted Two, plus a reporter." Helen said, tapping her earbud.

"Three. Though my people aren't sure what it is, three of your 'fledglings' went into a storm sewer, so obviously they had something to do down there." Kitsune added.

"Then that makes five, counting the reporter who tried to get in twice. I was curious about her security and sent a team to plant monitors on the party. They took them out about thirty minutes before any of us got here." Killian added.

"Damn. I had my money on three." The congressman chuckled. Seeing the confused look from his wife, as well as the two kids at the table, he shrugged. "This many capes and ex-capes at a table, at a formal party? I only guessed Three since most of us are relatively inactive."

"I expected more reporters, though Nahoa probably managed to wave most of those off." Solaris said with a chuckle. “I'll get a final head count from him and message it to you. I am very proud of them."

"We only counted the one who tried to be indiscreet. The professionals know better than to try sneaky crap." Helen said with a shrug.

"Lord, wish I could tell you how many times reporters tried to get pictures inside hotel rooms I had over the years. Killian, I am curious, did you have that issue?" Solaris said. “Kitsune you were too in the shadows to have a lot of the public hero issues.”

"Good lord, yes. Especially after the war. It’s less now, strangely. They seem to have more rules when it comes to political leaders. Who would have thought."

“Good to know the press are equal opportunity perverts. Solaris said. "I got the kids each a visa gift card loaded with Yen for our upcoming trip to Japan as a reward for their hard work, as well as their Christmas bonuses.”

"Tokyo's a great town to spend money, that's for certain." Kitsune nodded.

"Well, shall we go in and enjoy some drinks? This has been a delightful evening." Solaris asked.

Everyone at the table rose, the two youngsters taking the chance to escape, while the adults moved down to the lounge and bar area in the house's basement. There they found Madam Ruan standing behind the bar, already pouring a fresh glass of wine for Solaris, a huge gun like weapon leaning against the bar. “So, how was dinner?”