<div class="floatleft">(https://puu.sh/ukoJ4.jpg)</div><strong>Character Name: </strong>Samuel Keen<br/><strong>Alias: </strong>The Onyx King<br/><strong>Time/Date: </strong>March 7, 2025<br/><strong>Location: </strong>Hellfire Club, Council Chambers<br/><strong>Tagging: </strong>-<br/><strong>Mentioned: </strong>-<br/><strong>NSFW Warning: </strong>-<br/><br/>The Hellfire Club united them -- power, tradition and excess; a legacy of secret puppeteers who made men dance on their golden strings. As one of the scantily-glad attendants stepped forward to place a cup into Keen's waiting hand, he raised it to his lips, then after a moment's consideration in recognition of the Jade King's arrival before he took his first sip.<br/><br/>"That much is obvious," he growled, his intense blue eyes sharp on Marcus. Bereft of his past self's need to put on sheep's clothing, the man had an aura of authority to him that befit his title - and little interest in dancing around an issue. "How is the matter we must settle."<br/><br/>"We already fund dozens of peace-keeping organizations, safety and registration acts -- all, of course, blinded to our involvement. But it has become increasingly obvious that this is not enough." The words seemed a bitter pill, almost, that he forced down with another bit of wine. "This world misses its heroes.  Balancing agents for the public to admire. To ward off harm in their foolish, selfless ways."<br/><br/>"So far, for all the damage recent developments have caused us, we have been lucky. They're still domestic." The black-clad mutant tapped a section of his table, causing a large hologram to appear above the table. It displayed a variety of threats, individual and multitude. Annihilus and Blastaar of the Negative Zone. Kree Warriors. Skrulls. Brood and Phalanx. Kang the Conqueror. Thanos, the Mad Titan. Above them all loomed the mighty figure of the world-devourer himself, awe-inspiring and fearsome even in such a pale reflection.<br/><br/>"A myriad of extra-dimensional or galactic threats were halted by our former enemies time and again. Once it becomes known what the governments scramble to hide, that their opposition has dwindled to nothing, we will have an entirely new set of problems to overcome." Another tap of his finger and the onslaught of images vanished.<br/><br/>"In past times, one could barely rob a bank without a new masked hero showing up to save the day. As much as we clashed with such individuals in the past, we need them. Powerful agents of order and spectacle to placate and dull the masses -- this world needs both."<br/><br/>The Onyx King's eyes drifted from empty chair to empty chair, until they settled once again on the Jade King and his consort. "We, my fellow king, are the Hellfire Club.<em>Uno avulso non deficit alter</em>. If the world is slipping from our hand, we need but tighten our grasp. Don't you agree?" A devilish, crooked smile perked his lips as Keen studied the others. He had brought up a notion that no doubt had occured to the Jade King himself already at one point or another: that the world needed new heroes and that Hellfire, as ever, ought lead the way.<br/><br/>Now, Keen intended to see the man's reaction -- no doubt Steele had already taken a few steps of his own in advance of this evening. This was the perfect moment to gauge just how many.<br/>