"Underoos!" - Tony Stark, Captain America: Civil War

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"Where are the Evarbors?" Chase asked as he and Juliana made their way into the Order's revamped Platinum Boardroom. Thanks to the inclusion of scientists, politicians, and military personnel from all around the world, the number of influential Order members had nearly tripled in the past three years, requiring a significant resizing of their meeting space. The former boardroom now resembled a small auditorium, with the High Generals' seats placed on a raised dais in order to be visible to everyone in the room. 

"Oh," Juliana glanced at the empty High General's chair beside her own. "They usually arrive just in time for the meeting. They're not... very fond of small talk." 

"I see," Chase nodded quietly, stepping closer to Juliana to be more discreet. "Speaking of which, how are things with them?" 

"Well, you know Harry's back from boarding school in the States since he's an heir now and everything," Juliana darted her eyes over at Roy's younger brother who sat quietly in a back-row seat between Hayley and Adrian. "As for the Duke and the Duchess, well... I had their son killed, Chase. No matter how justified the action was, I don't know if it is quite possible for parents to accept something like that. They haven't spoken a word to me save official Order business since it happened, and I haven't pushed them about it. I can barely look them in the eye as it is." She paused for a moment, her eyes haunted by memory. He was her best friend. The one who would be there when no one else was. 

"We know what it must've taken to expose him like that, especially after what he offered you. There's very few people out there who, when offered absolute power, say 'no'. You knew how it would affect you. You knew you'd be reminded of it every waking moment, yet you still did it. That's a testament to your character. You showed the whole world who you are." 

"I suppose you're right," a faint smile flickered on Juliana's face. Chase watched as she walked down the aisle, taking her seat beside his father just as a stone-faced High General Evarbor appeared. 

"As High General VanderSchee, I call this meeting to order!" Juliana stated loudly enough to get everyone's attention, but not so loudly that she was shouting. "First of all, I would like to thank an important friend of the Order for his assistance in passing the Enhanced Individuals Act, which allows all American citizens legally classified as 'superheroes' to operate freely in other countries. Thanks to this act, Project PROB regularly enjoys the assistance of the wonderful Astrid Bennet, AKA Winterbird." Juliana paused for the applause, gesturing toward Astrid, who was seated in the front row. "Ambassador Nelson, you have the Order's sincere gratitude for your efforts, and will be credited for your incredible contributions to superhero legislation. Would you like to say a few words?" 

Nelson waved his hand as if to refuse the offer, but was met by words of encouragement from around the room. Finally, the older man relented, standing up and clearing his throat. 

"The moment I saw the Crimson Angel, the Obsidian Hunter, and Twyst on the news, something was awakened in me that had been asleep for a long, long time. A childish sense of wonder, of excitement, of connection. It was the moment during which I was reminded that superheroes are so much more than strong men and women. They are an inspiration to all- showing us that no matter how evil this world may seem, there are always forces of good working within it. Project PROB showed me, the American government, and Miss Bennett herself that she can be more than just a specialized soldier. I remember speaking to her about these newly dubbed 'superheroes' and hearing the same excitement I felt in her voice. Winterbird and I are more than happy to contribute to a project that not only keeps our world safe but makes us feel inspired about what we are doing. Thank you, Queen Juliana and Project PROB, for the opportunity to work with you." 

Juliana put her hands together, signaling for the rest of the room to clap, as Nelson sat down. She thought back to the day they had first met- how fiercely he had questioned her, how skeptical he had seemed. She never would've predicted that he would grow into her greatest political ally abroad, helping the Order gain license to operate across North America and turning their collaboration with Winterbird into a long-term arrangement. 

The rest of the meeting ran fairly smoothly, with nothing more serious than the budget for the continued construction of the Order museum up for debate. There were a couple of awkward moments when the Jackers' wing of the museum was brought up for discussion- after all, even though the terrorist group had all but fallen apart after the demise of its leader, the nearly disastrous Roy and Ravenna incident was still fresh in everyone's memory. 

Despite her best effort not to, Juliana found herself sneaking an occasional glance over at High General Evarbor who, as usual, remained calculatedly emotionless. His face remained stone-cold even when she broached the idea of dedicating a greater portion of the museum to Roy's technological innovations that had afforded greater mobility to people with disabilities around the world. She had already commissioned a memorial for him in Arcana City's famous Queen Mary Cemetery, where he was buried among the Order's most loyal fallen warriors. But this was clearly not enough for the Evarbors. What could ever be enough for grieving parents? Besides, it was unfair for Juliana to look for their satisfaction when she was obviously doing this to ameliorate her own harrowing personal guilt. 

"Queen Juliana." 

Juliana was startled out of her thoughts by Ambassador Nelson, who had made his way toward her chair along with two much younger people. 

"I would like for you to meet my niece, Farrah, and my nephew, Felix. They're hoping to start political careers of their own, and will be serving as interns at the embassy this year." 

"Oh, wonderful. It'll certainly be nice to see some more younger faces on the political scene!" Juliana beamed, reaching out to shake their hands. Farrah was lean and athletic, with olive skin and cropped, dark hair. There was something almost majestic about her instant eye contact and firm handshake that made Juliana instantly respect her. Felix, on the other hand, was a squat, easygoing twenty-something who looked like he was trying way too hard. The poor guy smiled so wide that his thick glasses slid down his nose and Juliana shook his hand quickly to avoid causing him any more embarrassment. 

"It's truly an honor to meet you, Queen Juliana," Farrah smiled softly. "I'm so excited to be working at the American embassy here. I've always been fascinated by your country- long before it was made famous by the whole superhero deal. It's truly remarkable to think that a country with a history four times as long as ours can have participated in no wars, experienced no rebellions. It really says a lot about your family." 

"Oh, they've had one rebellion," Nelson commented, looking between Farrah and Juliana. "Don't forget Nebulik." 

"Ah, yes," Juliana nodded, frowning. Was it just her, or did the Nebuliks seem to be coming up an awful lot lately? First the Red Knight suit at the museum, and now this... 

"That was so long ago, though. You can hardly have expected total stability at a time like the Middle Ages," Felix offered helpfully. 

"True, true. But memories are longer than one would expect," Nelson replied. Something about his tone of voice sent a shiver down Juliana's spine. What was it about him and Nebulik? Was he just trying to highlight a blemish on Arcana's otherwise flawless record? Juliana prepared a biting response, but stopped herself from using it. Nelson was too important to the Order for her to let a small annoyance like this get to her. 

"It was nice to meet you, Felix and Farrah. I look forward to seeing you around," Juliana smiled as the three Americans left. Right behind them were Chase, Hayley, Adrian, and Astrid. 

"So, we heard someone was finally back from college," Hayley grinned, grabbing Chase's wrist with both hands. 

"Wow," Adrian smirked. "This means all of us are done with school. We're full-fledged functional adults...theoretically."

"All except for Hayley," Chase pointed out, jokingly pinching Hayley's cheeks. "Hayley's a little baby."

The other members of Project PROB erupted into peals of laughter as Hayley's cheeks turned bright red. "You guys are as bad as the news! First it's 'World's Youngest Superhero,' which isn't so bad, but then we get to gems like 'She Can Lift A Car, But Can't Legally Drive One'. And when I ask Jules to help me redesign my suit so it looks less childish, everyone calls me out for trying to look older!"

"Age aside, I think your new suit is pretty cool," Astrid commented, peering over Chase's shoulder as he looked up a picture of it on his phone. The first Google Images result for "Hayley Serpentine Twyst" was an obviously staged action shot of Hayley in the air with her whip raised above her head. She wore an armored green top and short black skirt with tall green boots. 

"That outfit looks so much more comfortable than this clunky old thing," Astrid looked down sadly at her bulky suit. "If I didn't have the freezing problem, I would definitely go for a skirt." 

"You almost look like a movie character. I'm actually kind of jealous," Chase laughed. 

"Minus the high heels." Hayley proudly pointed out the flat soles of her boots. "Because that's not how women fight in real life." 

"Amen," Juliana and Astrid nodded emphatically. 

The members of Project PROB continued their conversation as they strolled casually out of the meeting room, completely unaware of the motion beneath their feet in the secure room where the Alpha Box was kept.