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Freedom Hall City Center, Freedom City, New Jersey Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 5:58 PM As was typical for this time of year, the City Center was covered with dazzling lights and holiday decorations. A massive Christmas tree stood in the green space at the heart of Centennial Ciricle, out in front of City Hall. A section of the park had been converted into an open air ice skating rink that was filled with people. Sitting just to the west of Centennial Circle, Freedom Hall was no exception. Section of the stone wall surrounding the original headquarters of the Freedom League had various decorations along it, and the trees inside the grounds were also adorned with lights. The hall itself had lights strung along the edges of the stepped ledges created by the roofs of each floor. Inside the world famous building, the large lobby and reception area had been decorated for the holidays and prepare for hosting the annual holiday party the League hosted for heroes from across the city (and beyond). A ten foot tall Christmas tree had been set up along the right side of the lobby, covered in shinning silver ornaments and multicolored lights. There were also a number of tables set up along that side of the lobby, some lower tables with chairs, while others were taller tables around which guests could stand. An open doorway led to a large conference room where the foot and refreshments had been set up. The other side of the lobby had been reconfigured for the event by Dr. Metropolis to include a working fireplace in which there was currently roaring fire. A number of leather sofas and chairs were arranged around the fireplace, offering a comfortable seating area for guests to relax. A yellow blur was moving about the large area, stopping briefly here or there to make some last minute adjustment or addition to the decorations. The blur came to a halt in over near the main entrance looking back toward the lobby, taking in everything at once. Dressed in an iconic yellow costume, with a checkered flag pattered strip down the sides, Velocity smiled as everything was ready for the guests to start to arrive. The speedster had first come to the Freedom League's annual holiday party when she had been a teenaged hero herself, but that was almost two decades ago. She had spent much more of that time helping to host the events as a member of the League. Velocity had always enjoyed this time of year and the opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends in the hero community and to have a chance to meet other heroes she had not had an opportunity to work with. This year brought some conflicting emotions for her. Invitations were extended to current students at Claremont Academy and this year, her own son was attending the school. The speedster took a deep breath to help keep back tears at how time seemed to have passed so quickly, she knew guests would soon be arriving.

Freedom Hall Tuesday, December 17, 2013 5:56 PM The early evening found a light snow falling on Freedom City, adding to the thin layer that had already accumulated. Heavy clouds that had filled the skies all day, now glowed a soft orange from the city's lights. Beyond the normal bright lights of the city's evening skyline, holiday lights and other decorations now seemed to be everywhere. The combination of the festive decorations and the light snow seemed to generate a vibrant energy within the city. As the heart of Freedom City, City Center was awash with dazzling lights and holiday decorations. A massive Christmas tree stood in the green space at the heart of Centennial Circle, out in front of City Hall. Sitting just to the west of Centennial Circle, Freedom Hall, the original headquarters of the Freedom League, was no exception to the festive atmosphere. Sections of the stone wall surrounding the Hall had various decorations, and the trees inside the grounds were adorned with lights. Freedom Hall itself had lights strung along the edges of stepped ledges created by the roofs of each floor. Velocity, one of the members of the Freedom League, was standing in the large lobby and reception area, taking one last look at the decorations that had been put up for the holiday party the League was hosting this evening for the city's various heroes. A ten foot tall Christmas tree had been set up along the right hand side of the lobby, covered in shining silver ornaments and multicolored lights. A number of tables were set up over on that side of the lobby, some lower tables with chairs, others were tall tables around which people could stand. Located just off that side of the lobby was a conference room where the food and refreshments had been set up. On the other side of the lobby had been reconfigured some by Dr. Metropolis to include a working fireplace in which there was currently a roaring fire. A number of leather sofas and chairs were arranged around the fireplace, offering a comfortable setting area for guests to relax. "Okay, everything looks great. The guests should start arriving soon." The speedster started out loud to some of her teammates as they were putting on the final touches. She was wearing her normal yellow costume, with the addition of a red Santa hat. As someone who could multitask with easy, the Velocity took a brief moment to check her phone, which was set up to control the sound system that had been connected to the first floor's PA system. Flipping through some of the songs she had put on the playlist, the young woman came to a stop at one song on the list. Listed on the screen was a song by Death Cab for Cutie, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Hmm, good song, but not one I think that hits a bit too close for Stesha. She thought, as she removed the song from the playlist. With that done, she selected another song on the list to begin with. Over the speakers throughout the first floor of the building, the mellow sound of saxophones and other jazz instruments could be heard as