Eddie Brock's recruitment efforts at Wenwu's induction ceremony had paid off spectacularly. Michael Corvin and Alexei Shostakov both agreed to join The Paragons, bringing the internal roster to four confirmed members.
Now came the hard part: filling the remaining three slots and choosing a captain.
Eddie sat in his new office at Red Ribbon Corporation—a subsidiary of Universal Capsule Company, created specifically to manage The Paragons and related media operations. His desk was covered in notes, power assessments, and strategic planning documents.
The four confirmed members represented a solid foundation:
Michael Corvin - Hybrid vampire-werewolf, leader of the werewolf clan. Superhuman strength, speed, and regeneration. Represented supernatural integration and the idea that former enemies could become allies.
Selene - Vampire elder, clan leader. Enhanced speed approaching teleportation, centuries of combat experience, tactical brilliance. Represented powerful independent women and supernatural leadership.
Alexei Shostakov - Red Guardian, former Soviet super-soldier. Enhanced strength and durability, decades of combat experience. Represented international heroism and the idea that American ideals could inspire people from any nation.
Wesley - Master assassin bonded with Severance symbiote. Gun-fu combat style, tactical genius, ruthless efficiency. Represented redemption—a killer who'd chosen to protect rather than prey on the innocent.
Each brought distinct abilities and backgrounds. No overlap in power sets. Different perspectives and experiences. Good foundation.
But Eddie wanted the team to represent more than just combat diversity. He wanted it to appeal to the broadest possible audience across America and globally.
The remaining three public recruitment slots needed to fill gaps. Different power types—maybe someone with energy projection, or flight, or technological mastery. Different backgrounds—urban, rural, immigrant experiences. Different perspectives that would make the team feel genuinely representative rather than manufactured.
The challenge was finding those candidates within the Fraternity versus recruiting externally.
Eddie reviewed the organization's roster. Werewolves and vampires were well-represented through Michael and Selene—adding more would be redundant. John Wick had declined, preferring to remain Smith's personal driver. Wenwu was too powerful and too new to the organization.
That left some interesting options: Puar could shapeshift, but Eddie wanted human-presenting heroes for public appeal. Korin was incredibly powerful, but the cat sage had responsibilities training Fraternity members at his tower.
Natasha Romanoff would be perfect, but she was deep undercover. Pulling her for a public superhero team would blow her cover.
Yelena Belova had similar capabilities, but she'd likely follow Natasha's advice to avoid public exposure.
The more Eddie analyzed it, the clearer the answer became: recruit the final three positions externally through public auditions.
It solved multiple problems. Generated publicity. Let the audience feel invested in the team's composition. And brought fresh perspectives from people who hadn't been shaped by the Fraternity's particular culture.
Now for the harder question: who should lead?
Eddie created a comparison chart:
Michael Corvin:
Strengths: Hybrid abilities, leadership experience with werewolf clan
Weaknesses: Sometimes struggles with human social norms, transformation can be frightening to civilians
Leadership style: Protective, instinctive
Selene:
Strengths: Most powerful combatant, centuries of tactical experience, natural authority
Weaknesses: Can seem cold or distant, vampire nature might create PR challenges
Leadership style: Decisive, strategic, commands respect through competence
Alexei Shostakov:
Strengths: Experienced hero, understands public relations, personable
Weaknesses: Sometimes prioritizes glory over strategy, ego can create friction
Leadership style: Charismatic, inspirational, seeks validation
Wesley:
Strengths: Tactical genius, symbiote enhancement, utterly loyal to mission
Weaknesses: Severance's influence increasing aggression, background as assassin
Leadership style: Efficient, ruthless when needed, results-focused
Eddie stared at his notes for five minutes, then wrote "RECOMMENDED CAPTAIN: SELENE" in bold letters.
The decision came down to capability and control. Selene was the strongest fighter by significant margin. She had centuries of experience leading vampire covens through political intrigue and combat. She commanded absolute respect from both supernatural beings and enhanced humans.
Yes, she could seem intimidating. Yes, her vampire nature might create initial public relations challenges. But her competence was undeniable, and competence built trust faster than charisma ever could.
Plus, having a woman lead the team sent an important message: power and leadership weren't gendered. The strongest person led, period.
Eddie drafted the recruitment strategy:
Phase 1: Media buildup - leak hints about a major superhero initiative, generate speculation and anticipation.
Phase 2: Concept introduction - announce The Paragons as the first organized superhero team, explain the seven-member structure.
Phase 3: Internal member reveals - profile Selene, Michael, Alexei, and Wesley individually, build their public personas.
Phase 4: Public auditions - launch website for candidates to submit video applications demonstrating powers and character, allow public voting.
Phase 5: Final selection - combine public votes with Fraternity vetting (background checks, psychological evaluation, combat assessment).
The vetting part was crucial. Eddie had zero interest in recruiting someone with a popular online following who turned out to be a violent criminal or unstable sociopath.
Better to face backlash for rejecting a popular candidate than deal with a teammate who'd abuse their position.
He compiled everything into a formal proposal and headed to Smith's office.
Smith reviewed the documents Eddie had presented, nodding occasionally. The team composition made sense. The recruitment strategy was solid. The vetting protocols were appropriately thorough.
"You're planning to recruit the final three externally?" Smith asked, looking up from the proposal.
"Yes, sir." Eddie leaned forward. "Currently, we have four suitable internal candidates. Adding more from within the Fraternity would either create redundancy or pull people from essential positions."
He gestured to the power diversity chart. "Opening three slots to public auditions will generate massive interest. We'll attract genuinely exceptional individuals who might not have known the Fraternity existed. And it lets the audience feel invested in the team's formation."
"Plus," Eddie continued, "having four internal members means the team's core values stay aligned with Fraternity principles even if external recruits don't work out. We can replace them if needed—membership isn't permanent."
Smith nodded. That was smart thinking. Maintain organizational control while creating the appearance of democratic participation.
"What about leadership?" Smith asked.
"I'm recommending Selene as captain." Eddie pulled up his comparison analysis. "She's the most powerful combatant by significant margin. Centuries of tactical and leadership experience. Commands natural authority. The team needs someone who can make hard decisions and enforce discipline."
He paused. "I know some people might question having a woman or a vampire in charge. But we're not building a traditional military unit—we're creating a superhero team. The strongest, most capable person should lead. That's Selene."
Smith's expression showed approval. "I agree completely. Selene's an excellent choice. Her combat capability alone justifies the position, and her experience managing the vampire clans demonstrates she can handle strong personalities."
He set down the proposal. "Proceed with your plan. But I want to emphasize something about the external recruitment: prioritize character and capability over popularity."
Smith's voice took on weight. "The Paragons is a for-profit venture, yes. But it's also representing the Fraternity's values publicly. When you're selecting those final three members, the primary criteria must be their commitment to protecting innocents and their power."
He leaned forward. "Conduct thorough background investigations. If a candidate has a history of violence, abuse, or using their powers to hurt people—even if they're massively popular online—they're disqualified. No exceptions."
"The Fraternity will support you with vetting," Smith continued. "Our intelligence network can dig deeper than any conventional background check. Use it. I'd rather face public backlash for rejecting a fan favorite than deal with a team member who becomes a liability."
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