[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + Megan Daniels

It had been another night of little rest, and Dominic shook the sleep from his eyes while the coffee his assistant had just provided him with obliterated the rest of it from his brain. Gregory kept his own coffee grinder in the office kitchen, and the drinks he produced were far superior to the cheap cups churned out by the vending machine. A few clicks brought up his diary as he took another mouthful of the piping hot, inky black coffee. A busy day again, as always. Numerous meetings, planning sessions and even a public appearance cluttered the screen of his computer. He sighed, though in truth it was just how he liked it. He wasn't the kind of man who could sit still. That was probably why he was taking this next meeting. Dominic ran PR for the Hero Program, he spent weeks in New York City and others. Normally organising a public event for a Hero was way below his paygrade. But he loved it. It wasn't all that long ago that he'd been on the streets in a costume, and several of his friends still were. He still ran Paladin's PR pretty much by himself. He'd be a bad boss if he wasn't stepping in to do the same thing for others. That's why this girl was coming in today. "Menagerie," he mused to himself as he browsed through her file. "Cute name. Fucking scary power." In the grand scheme of things it wasn't the most potent he'd seen, but he'd be hard pressed to come up with one that would be as terrifying as drowning in a tidal wave of bones. No wonder Gregory had pushed this one through to him. He spun his chair, standing as it came around to face the window and leaving it to slowly rotate behind him as he walked towards the pane of glass. This was a dedicated building for the Program, every floor linked into the operation of the Federal Program in some way, from the parking garage in the basement, to the social media division on the 13th and 14th floors, to the helipad on the roof that had been mostly repurposed to let flying Heroes land and take off from there. He turned as he heard Gregory, his tall, platinum blonde, extremely camp secretary greeting someone. Perhaps that was her?

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[Megan Daniels]

The entire situation she was in still seemed surreal to Megan, even now she had trouble imagining herself as a part of the Hero Program. When she'd been told that she was going to meet a PR guy it seemed almost like a bad joke, like she was being mocked for the nature of her abilities. Megan tried to shake herself from that mindset as she approached the door of the office. As much as it might not be the thing anyone signed onto the Program for, having a good image was important. Not that it was that easy for her of course.

Megan entered the office with a nervous smile, taking in the strong scent of coffee as the secretary sent her in. Dominic Weaver was hardly  an intimidating man though, and something about the room made feel feel much more relaxed. "Good morning Mister Weaver. I'm believe you've been expecting me?" she asked. His extremely high-end business attire would probably have looked strange on a lot of people but managed to suit him perfectly "Well I suppose we probably have some things to discuss. May I sit down?" It was all rather stiff and formal by her standards, but better safe then sorry.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + Megan Daniels

Dominic's long form often gave the impression that he towered over people, though his slim build and genial nature tended to diffuse that. It did so here. With a smile, he gestured to the sofa and armchair at the side of the room, they were in a small alcove, almost separated from the desk as if it were a totally different space. "Take your pick, and make yourself comfortable." He took a step forwards, before pausing. "Oh, and call me Dominic. You're not in trouble, so there's no need to be so formal." He stayed standing for a moment , sticking his head out of the door and calling to his assistant. "Greg, two coffees please. Make mine strong!" He missed the man rolling his eyes, though he knew that it was happening. Dominic didn't take any other way. "You're going to love this coffee, I'm not sure if he has a power specifically related to it or not, but it really is the best stuff I've ever tasted." "Anyway…" He interrupted himself "Let's get to you." He sits down, preferring to in the space with her rather than going behind his desk. Her nervousness will not be helped if he remains the glass topped behemoth that dominates most of the room. Besides, it is festooned with papers right now. "You didn't see yourself as a Hero did you?"

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[Megan Daniels]

Megan took a seat in the armchair. She was quickly coming to like Dominic. The extreme formality of his appearance had made her worried but clearly his behavior was far more relaxed. The room too had a sense of having been heavily used that felt more reminiscent of a house than a professional office. 

As Dominic moved to sit down Megan said "I haven't met that many other metahumans but from what I've heard there seems to be somebody with just about any conceivable power... I'm usually more of a tea person but since you've hyped it up so much I'll definitely give the coffee a try." Megan's trust in the government had never been especially high but from what she'd seen so far the Hero Program seemed to mostly be pretty good people, even the more business-esque sides were surprising her.

When asked a question she took a long time to consider before saying "I have to say no, I never really did. I was still a high schooler during the Event, and when I realized what my powers were... I mean say a pyrokinetic could probably do more damage in a shorter time then I could, but even people frightened by fire don't find it repulsive. I can't honestly say I didn't want to do good in the world, but what I could do scared me, maybe not the way it scared other people, but because it scared other people. The big reason I hadn't tried for the Program before is that I didn't think they'd want me." She gave a weak smile. She wasn't usually this shy, she cursed herself. But Dominic was a person who it felt hard to be anything but completely honest to.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + Megan Daniels

Instead of leaning back on the sofa, Dominic stayed perched on the edge, as though with his wellspring of natural energy he were too wound up to move into such a relaxed position. His body language remains open, inviting, welcoming, certainly not intimidating in any way. His eyes remained intently on Megan as she spoke, totally absorbed in her words. When she finished he leaned forward, coming dangerously close to toppling off the edge of the couch. "Lots of people look at the Program and they see Paladin, Gravity Girl, these idealistic, shining figures of justice." He waves a hand, "And that's great, they are, for the most part, exactly what they appear to be. Hell, Paladin actually hates being in the spotlight." His face becomes more introspective, "But that doesn't matter. Have you heard of Tank?" He doesn't wait for an answer, carrying on "He's the most successful Hero in NYC. And do you know why that is?" Again, it becomes clear that this is a rhetorical question, as he barrels on regardless, "Because Tank scares the living shit out of anyone that fights him. And to the people he's protecting… Well… They're glad they've got a monster like him on their side." He shrugs, finally sitting back a little. Or at least adjusting so he doesn't look like he's going to fall off the sofa. Gregory arrives with the coffee, and the aroma of the two hot drinks begins to fill the room. Placing one in Dominic's already outstretched hand, he carefully puts the other on the coffee table before Megan, before giving her an encouraging smile and taking his leave. Dominic thanks his employee, then turns back to Megan. "We need Heroes, and we especially need Heroes that can show people it's possible to become one no matter who you are, where you are from, or what your power is." He grins again, "Plus, your power is pretty damn awesome…"

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[Megan Daniels]

It was starting to make some sense for Megan why this meeting had been listed as her first priority upon joining the program. Dominic understood how actual people on a level that was more characteristic of psychologists than businesspeople, he wasn't a hard person to confide in and he likely knew all the most common worries aspiring heroes get.

Megan listened along through the discussion of the more iconic heroes and of Tank. She had heard of Tank before but hadn't known much about him, though perhaps that was just because it had been a while since she last was on the east coast. When Dominic finally finished she gave a wry smile and said "Monster is a fairly relative term, but I imagine some people wouldn't like being called that". 

Giving Gregory a gracious nod, Megan picked her cup, taking a cautious sip. "You're right this is actually pretty good". It was, though it was also scalding even for a drink that's supposed to be hot.

Replying to his grin in kind she took a deep breath before saying "Thank you. And you're right, there are almost certainly a lot of people in a state like I was before, wanting to do something in the world with their powers, but worried that the power isn't... heroic enough. I don't want people who could be making  difference to be standing idly by from that fear, and I definitely don't want any of them working against the Initiative due to that fear, which probably could happen. If my inclusion in the program convinces some of these people that having abilities that scare most people doesn't prevent you from doing good things with them then I think it's definitely worth it."

"Not to mention I'm sure that there are some people frightened of the big-name heroes too. Any ability certainly can have it's terrifying parts, it's just in some they're obvious."

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + Megan Daniels

Dominic took a deep sip of his coffee, apparently not noticing its scalding temperature. There was a clear look of appreciation on his face. Evidently he ran on coffee. Placing the steaming mug carefully onto the coffee table, he listened quietly to Megan. He gave the impression that there was nothing else he would rather do. He grinned, "Wait till you see Paladin get really angry." Paladin was the face of the Hero Program, a powerful metahuman, and quite the sweetest girl Dominic had ever met. She took her job very seriously though, and her ability meant that when she got really pissed, people got hurt. He leaned back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the over, his ankle resting lightly on his knee. The movement lifted the hem of his trousers, displaying brightly coloured, geometric socks. Like the rest of his outfit, they're clearly expensive. "I'm glad you see things in the same way as me. There are far too many issues for us to be worrying about whether people 'look the part'. Besides…" He shrugs, "Being a Hero is about more than looking good. There are perks to a good image, but it shouldn't be the reason to go into this line of work." Reaching forward for his coffee again, he stands, walking a little away from the sofa. "I've seen the renders of your costume, and I think it's good, you're leaning into your ability. Better to do that than pretend its something other than what it is, that always gets found out eventually." He walks across the office and back again, the movement obviously assisting him with his thought process. "Now when we introduce a new Hero we like to involve them with some cause. It boosts the positive aspects of your image, which is good for the Program, and nets early sponsorships, which is better for you. We have a few options for you to consider, but it's best if we go for a cause close to your heart. Is there anything that springs to mind?" He looks across at her expectantly.

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[Megan Daniels]

Though Megan had never been nearly as much of a Hero fangirl as a lot of people she knew, having someone treat her meeting Paladin as a sure thing was still a shocking reminder of the situation her brain was still not completely done internalizing. It was very reassuring though that nobody so far seemed to be all that put-off by her power, and that she was getting what she presumed was a similar talk to anyone entering the program. She was by this point surprised Dominic had chosen the career he did. For someone who's entire job was based on images, he understood that other things had to come first. Of course this was certainly much preferable to the alternative. 

She perked up when Dominic mentioned her costume, leaning forward slightly "I'm glad you think so, I mean if people know what I do beforehand then there won't be breaking out when they figure it out. There's also the practical consideration that my power is exclusively in summoning and commanding thing, putting a bit of reinforcement onto my suit allows me to take a few hits despite having no physical advantage over other people." She took another cautious sip of coffee as Dominic explained how heroes get involved in causes. She spent a minute considering before responding "Hard choice, there's a lot of different sorts of stuff but" she paused to take another sip of coffee, as it had now cooled enough to be somewhat drinkable "Conservation has always been important to me, might just be because I practically grew up on documentaries, but I think an environmental group would be a good choice". She'd seen clips of Heroes doing that sort of thing but hadn't remembered it until Dominic mentioned it. "Though of course I'm flexible if any issues crop up"

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + Megan Daniels

"Conservation…" Dominic continued to walk up and down the room as he mused, apparently on a mission to wear a groove in the carpet. His expensive shoes made almost no sound on the floor, only a faint brush as he turned on heel. "I think we'll be able to get you involved in some conservation. We have a few different organisations we already work with that would no doubt be interested." He pauses facing her, taking another sip of the still scalding coffee. "Just how much fine control do you have over those critters of yours. Could you get them involved in some actual conservation work? Digging trenches, that sort of thing?" He sips at the coffee again, his brain whirring. It would certainly have good optics. Hero with a scary ass power uses her skeleton minion to build flood defences, plant trees and generally do good things for the environment. Who could complain about that? Well no doubt there would be lots of people who would complain about it, but all he had to do was get the right people on side. Some people would be upset, no matter what metahumans did. He had no doubt that seeing her minions work would lose them some approval, but it would gain them more than they lost. "This could really work…"

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[Megan Daniels]

Megan blinked. She had always been of the opinion that many metahumans could do much better if they were more creative with their powers, but she had never considered the fact that a large skeleton could lift far more weight then she ever could manage. "Control is pretty fine if needed, though they can also follow more general instructions. I've always suspected that the creatures don't have independent minds but that they're under my subconscious control if I'm consciously moving them. There are some things we'll nee to keep in mind of course, the heavier the creatures the fewer I can manage at a time, and I draw from what's in the area, so some places might not have much in the way of fossils or recent bones that can do much heavy lifting. They can't exactly use tools but for raw force output there shouldn't be any issues, honestly that's a great idea and I'm surprised I didn't think of it sooner".

Standing up an stretching she said "Honestly I never thought about it this way, but I could definitely do that sort of thing, but I can see why it would be useful". Instantly Dominic had gotten even more points in her book. Finding clever new uses for tools and skills that you already have had always seemed like a skill that more people could use. "Thanks for thinking of that Dominic. I'll be happy to give this a go. I've got to say I was a little nervous actually talking to people working in the Program." the 'was' part was a lie, but Megan didn't think that was really the point. She definitely still was somewhat nervous to meet the Heroes, but the organization as a whole was surprising her.

[Dominic Weaver]

Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + Megan Daniels

"Well that's what I'm here for." It was more than that of course, his job seemed to encompass an awful lot of the Program, and certainly more than his job title would suggest. Keeping it light like that meant that people felt that they could talk to him though, and that was more important. He'd been in PR for long enough to know what happened when clients weren't up front about things. His side was just to make sure it was as easy as possible for them to talk to him before the shit hit the fan, rather than after. "I think this kind of work will really benefit your image, but it's important that it's something you actually care about. A lot of Heroes donate a lot of their time and a lot of their income to various charitable causes. It seems to come with the territory of being a Hero." Walking around behind his desk, Dominic leaned down and tapped a few keys on the computer. "I'll reach out to the organisations that might be interested in having you there. Some will probably feel a bit odd about your image, but we'll get someone. You look edgy, so that will play well with teens and lots of conservation organisations are really trying to play to that market right now." Smiling, he looked back to Megan. "Well you've met me. That's one down. Want me to see if anyone else is in right now?"

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[Megan Daniels]

Megan got up from the seat and stretched while Dominic closed up the session. Something about it had felt bizarrely like being analyzed by a therapist rather than a meeting about PR, but she supposed that might just be a lack of experience with the latter. 


Overall she was certainly far more hopeful about her prospects in the program then when she came in. Maybe this could work out. Megan was sure she was far from the only person who had been too frightened of their power to use it, but maybe she could at least set groundwork to show that while what powers people got after the event were seemingly random (Privately Megan doubted this considering how often a person's powers seemed to fit some aspect of their personality), that wasn't a limit to which ones could do good things with those powers. I mean hey, if anyone could manage to make controlling skeletons look heroic it was probably the Hero Program's reputation and well run PR apparatus.

"That wasn't the look I dreamed of exactly, but I could do far worse then looking edgy. Costume design has always seemed to me at least a balance between showmanship and practicality, and I think my armor manages both." Then came what had to be one of the most exciting questions Megan had ever been asked, considering it's many implications about her immediate and long term future: Want me to see if anyone else is in right now?

"Oh, most certainly" she replied with an impish grin.