Q didn't have his mask raised, his mask was all white and had a large black question mark over the face, the dot being the black hole of his mouth. He hungrily shoveled the food in, like a man whom hadn't eaten in several days. He left his hat on top of his head, ignoring traditional etiquette standards.<br/><br/>"Mr. Q," Hazard asked, lifting his mask up to his nose, "Could you remember the last fight your team had against your rivals, Devastation's Gambit?"<br/><br/>Q barely stopped eating to answer and when he did it was between chewing bites of the delicious chicken. "Devies'.....yeah yeah I remember that....<span style="font-style: italic">chomp, chomp chomp</span>....I wasn't in the melee that time around.....I'd recently lost my wife and wasn't up for the hustle and tussle of it all....<span style="font-style: italic">chomp</span>. Iron agent and I ran back up.....I think the Devies' had some giant Voltron-looking robot...We took up the rear and hacked it's system while the others took it on face to face.....Why do you ask?"  He said as he finished his chicken and started in on a second helping.<br/><br/>"Say, you friend there....he looks familiar....What's his deal?" Q asked Hazard about the Gorgon before Hazard could answer the last question. It was of course Q's trademark dialog, constantly asking questions. The sad thing was that now his wife was gone he didn't feel the need to provide answers to others own inquiries before asking more questions. Some said the the woman had balanced his questionable mental state out, and now that she was gone people could only wonder how long this unstable hero could really last.<br/><br/>The Gorgon wasn't really talking at all, he was observing, not of course with his eyes, but with all his other senses. He picked at the food a little, and finally he got the courage to ask one of the servers for salt, when it was delivered to him he didn't bother sprinkling it lightly, instead he unscrewed the cap and poured the stuff on his food in piles. Once it was seasoned enough for her stone like taste buds to recognize it his appetite returned a little and he was able to eat more. He didn't not engage Ink, the truth be told he was intimidated by the merciless superhuman.<br/><br/>The Samaritan seemed enthralled in Ruby's delightful conversation, he barely paid attention to his fellow teammates, not to mention any of the applicants. He chuckled and laughed as Ruby regaled him with her lasted exploits. It seemed that in all the years and all the husbands Ruby Mist had gone through, she never once gave the perfect man a shot. He wondered many times if he should make the move and finally ask her out, after all she was his perfect opposite in almost every way. But alas the opportunity never presented itself. She was soft and flirty and beautiful, while he was stern and solemn, not to mention handsome. But Ruby always seemed to keep him at an arms length.<br/><br/>Princess Glory barely touched her meal, her hands were too busy apparently tickling the thigh of the Rattler under the table, while he giggled and jerked sporadically. Soon though he got a strange look on his face and his eyes almost crossed for a second before he could regain his composure the whole while Glory's face gleamed with a naughty smile. She drew her hand back up from underneath the table, appearantly she managed to get her hand sullied with some sort of viscus sauce from her barley touched dinner, because she grabbed her napkin and wiped as much as she could away. The rest she couldn't get with the linen cloth, she licked off with her tongue seductively until her digits were clean. It was enough to catch the half native, half black young man's African American father, Black Mamba's attention and he reached over and tapped Glory on the shoulder. She turned her head back to regard the large man still grinning, but soon his scowl too melted away as she set to work on his 'thigh' with her other hand.<br/><br/>It was obvious that Miss Vadar was aware of the shenanigans going on across the table from her because she quickly made for the distraction. Standing and immediately tapping her butter knife on the edge of her champagne glass. "Attention....Attention! " She said in a commanding tone. "I would like to say a few words before we all leave the table and start mingling, if you all don't mind. Firstly it is an honor to be in such impressive company this evening. Most of you are of course are already members of the H.O.L family, but for those of you whom to choose to go it alone, we are just as pleased to have you here tonight. Ink, Q, Black Mamba and Rattler  thank you all for coming tonight. This is a very special occasion tonight because the Samaritan has always been a sole asset, today we celebrate his agreement to finally take on an apprentice in the arts of superherodom!" She exclaimed and everyone broke out into applause. She was happy to see that her distraction had worked, as Glory's hands finally returned from under the table, even though Black Mamba looked slightly put off.<br/><br/>"Tonight I'd like to introduce you group of the most legendary heroes to the three applicants the Crimson Dynamo has chosen to help him carry the flame of justice and H.O.L protocol. May I introduce....The Titanium Titian, HAZARD!" She called out, and again applause erupted. Q sarcastically waved his white gloved hand upward practically forcing Hazard to stand and take a bow.<br/><br/>"You'll have to excuse Hazard's stealth like veneer right now, he's thankfully respectful of others special needs and obliging us with a precautionary non reflective material right now....usually he's a lot shinier!" Miss Vadar said, and the crowd broke into laughter at the small joke. The approved media began snapping pictures as the flicker of flashes erupted.<br/><br/>"Next we have the mysterious GORGON! This amazing man has found a way to overcome the adversity of blindness and can still find time to use his truly unique gifts to fight crime! Let's all give him a big hand!" Miss Vadar said as she introduced the Gorgon, but his reaction was far less excited. His face tucked deep into his cloaks oversize hood, he simply raised to fingers on his right and and waved. The subdued reaction didn't slow the paparazzi from snapping just as many pictures of him.<br/><br/>"Finally we have a real life superstar and I am sure I have no need to introduce a  young woman without a need secret identity. She is PRINCESS GLORY!!!" Miss Vadar raised her voice and it showed which applicant she was rooting for as Princess Glory rose from her chair and stood waving and blowing kisses while everyone applauded. Miss Vadar noticed the stains on the side her gown and quickly tried divert attention again, but to no avail. The photographers zoomed right in and with the Rattler sitting next to her with a dazed smile on his dopey face, there was little question as to what they were up to.<br/><br/>"OK! enough pictures for NOW!" Miss Vadar called out and the photogs stopped on cue, although Glory seemed miffed at her cutting the photoshoot short, she didn't protest and finally took her seat again, a pissy look on her face. "Well I'd like for everyone to enjoy the rest of the evening and have fun.....Applicants, please make sure you don't have too much fun. Tomorrow we start the evaluation process and all your abilities, special skills and even your weaknesses will be tested first thing tomorrow morning. We want accurate measures for our system and we can't get them if you are hungover. No everyone please go and mingle, share your experience and make new friends, lets all have a great time tonight!" Miss Vadar exclaimed and again raised her glass in toast.<br/><br/><br/>It was just as everyone had raised their glass to toast that final time with the Guardian's badges began to sound an alarm. Each of them immediately set down their glasses and checked the alert message. "Great God Almighty, not a single night to enjoy ourselves!" The Samaritan hollered.<br/><br/>"No rest for the wicked, means no rest for the men and woman whom fight the wicked, isn't that right Sam?" Q asked, a queer smile arising on the dot of Q's mask.<br/><br/>"Doctor Insano hasn't had enough for one week, he's at it again! Let's us band together and destroy yet another one of that mad scientists biological engineered monstrosities, Guardians Unite!!" The Samaritan called out and all of the great heroes in the room sprang into action. They rushed away immediately while Miss Vadar tried to calm the applicants and other guest members.<br/><br/>"Don't worry....Don't worry everyone, we are in the company of the world's greatest heroes, they've got this handled! Let's all let them do their duty, and we'll carry on without them! PRINCESS GLORY! GLORY! GLORY, PLEASE SIT DOWN! None of the applicants will be going out on this call!" Miss V said trying to maintain order.<br/><br/>"This is crap! I am a member of the Teen Justifiers! I deserve to go out on this!" The stained dress Princess protested, stomping her foot like a spoiled child.<br/><br/>"You WERE a teen Justifier, not anymore, so please sit back down and try to enjoy yourselves while the professionals do what we pay them to do." Miss V answered with some amount of authority in her voice.