The biggest eye catchers were New Wave, mostly because their uniforms were... actually fairly uniform, mostly being bright white with differencing splashes of color. I wasn't sure if they had several fresh out of the laundry, clarktech materials that helped keep them from accumulating dirt or it was just the perks of force-fields being the most common power among them, but all of them were pretty much gleaming.
New Wave was a local team, independent of the government. Two families that had bucked the trend of 'secret identities' and tried to live lives as heroes fully accountable for their actions.
That had lasted right up until a little girl named Fleur with the power to manipulate plants got her brains blown out by some idiot trying to make a name for himself. He'd gotten his head handed to him for the trouble.
Power wise, they were a fairly consistent group with only a few exceptions. Hard light attacks and force fields. One family had a trio of fliers, Lady Photon, Laserdream and Sheilder, who could fly, project force fields and energy beams. The mother Lady Photon being the generalists, with her daughter Laserdream being more offensively powerful, and son Sheilder defensively capable.
Her husband Manpower had some sort of low profile force field effect that made him even stronger and tougher then his seven foot tall and heavily built stature implied. He couldn't fly or shoot things, but being a 'brute' he brought an otherwise missing capacity for melee to the table that gave his family options they wouldn't otherwise have.
The other family was a bit less unified in every sense of the word. The mother Brandish could make melee weaponry out of light, which was apparently more effective then it sounded. Her husband 'Flashbang' could generate 'grenades' of varying force in a similar manner. Their biological daughter had a skin hugging force field of considerable strength, flight and the ability to punt someone through a wall. A flying brick that the locals termed 'an Alexandria package' after an iconic local hero.
Their other daughter, Panacea who was adopted loaded to the gills with issues and probably the most potent bio kinetic on the planet. She limited herself to 'just' being a healer who could nigh-instantly fix any issue that wasn't brain damage or death.
After them the second most noticeable was an armored figure I assumed to be Armsmaster, but only because the presence of heavily armored figure with a giant halberd pretty much screamed 'look' at me.
Armsmaster was a 'Tinker' someone who could develop hyper advanced devices, and had hence loaded his armor and iconic weapon to the brim with them. I had no idea what range of abilities he currently had because they were an ever shifting and ever evolving arsenal of tricks, tools, and combat enhancers. When you combined that with his well honed skills and physical ability, it all made for him being an incredibly formidable opponent.
He was also head of the local 'Protectorate' which made him effective commander of every hero on the government payroll in the area.
The next one I spotted was Krieg, his dark and distinctively familiar uniform a clear modification of the Nazi SS. Which fit, as his group, the Empire Eighty Eight were, in fact actually Nazis. Neo ones but still every bit as bad as you could expect and unfortunately one of the largest groups of 'capes' in the local. Krieg himself was a telekinetic, fairly vanilla in his ability, but experienced, effective and not someone to take lightly even if he wasn't actually the leader of his faction.
No that was Kaiser, a man who could generate metal from any surface to massive effect. I managed to pick him out shortly thanks to him being the only one flanked by two would be Valkyries, Menja and Fenja, twin size shifters who could grow to about three stories tall bringing their equipment with them, and giving them strength and resilience to match the increase in scale.
There were others, the rest of Armsmaster's team, those of The Empire, a bunch I assumed were local independents but I didn't have time to get more then a rough headcount before someone called out "That's everyone then!?"
There was a call of affirmation, and then we were suddenly somewhere else.
And the number of 'superheros' exploded out by a few hundred.
"Attention!" boomed out a voice, and I looked over to see someone on a podium in a suit. "Attention everyone!"
"I'll keep this short as The Simurgh has already entered the residential area! You are being handed out communications devices that will keep track of your vitals and location! They will also inform you of any critical developments in the battle! When you receive the device place it over your arm like this," She lifted her arm to show a device wrapped around it, "Press and hold the button then state your name for identification purposes! If you are downed in combat, peoplewillbe moving to assist you! Combat has already begun so those who believe themselves capable of supporting in a direct role please move to the left side of the podium as soon as your receive your armband!" she gestured "To those who's powers are better suited to support or-"
At that point someone in a PRT suit handed a device to me.
I looked at the thing, a little black box on an apparently pain strap. You'd hardly think it was borderline clarktech, but apparently it had a vital monitor that lived up to that role.
I slipped the thing on and it beeped at me. I blinked at that, but just assumed that meant it was ready to be used.
The urge to use a different name thenMalfeanhit me. I didn't hate the moniker but I didn't exactly like it. Maybe use something like 'Devil Tiger' or even 'Mizuki Stone'. However they probably already were trying to keep track of people and for once, I actuallywantedto be easily recognized, so as I pressed the button the name, "Malfean" is what left my lips.
Then I got up and headed for the left side of the room we were in.
Another guy was now yelling instructions at us, most of it coming down to 'Listen to the people raising their hands, they know what they're doing', if your a blaster keep range, etcetera, etcetera.
My heartbeat was pounding in my ears.
~Feeling scared?~
Terrified, exhilarated and a million other things.
Mostly though? Beyond everything else... I was really eager to punch something in the face.
~That's a good response!~
"...ansporting directly into the hot zone! Keep watch on your fellows anddo notattack unless you arecertainthat they've been subverted. Good luck!"
And then we were transported again.
And the screaming began.