Lord McDonald Speaks

Just days after 'The Justice Summit 011' and Lord McDonald managed to clear some time in his busy schedule to talk to me on a wide range of subjects from the Summit to his time in The New Crusaders.
I met the Lord after a busy morning in the house and we had an exquisite dinner before we relaxed into an afternoons discussion.
Lord Alastair McDonald is many things, charismatic, humorous, intelligent, a financial genius, a life long Lord and hereditary Peer and an Ex Super Hero. He is confident, charming and conversation always flowed well, so long as you stay away from certain subjects.
V: So, Lord Alastair, all the world wants to know about the Summit. How do you think it went?
Mc: Well. At least as well as can be expected. You get big personalities in a room and you never know what your going to get. I think we all came with some expectations, we all wanted to see what the other people around the table were like and certainly we all came with some pre-conceived notions. By evenings end i think we walked out with a greater understanding, a greater respect and a way forward.
V: Freestyle was certainly very outspoken before the summit, how do you think this will have changed his view if at all?
Mc: I think he came in with an attitude and i hope that that has adjusted some now. In the end the climate of heroics has changed considerably, not just here but all over the world. Following the events in America and Asgard, the fall out of the Osbourn debacle and the return of Steve Rogers we have to expect change, fallout, and this is part of it. Before we saw heroes in white hammering famous villains in the streets on live prime time t.v, now? Well now we see hard working, gritty grafters working the streets and trying to make a difference from the ground up. 
MI13 steps in to take most of the enemies out before they even land so we have so much more need of fire fighters, and these guys can fight fires.
V: Would you be critical of Freestyles stance before the summit at all?
Mc: To be fair with the lad he has all the makings of a decent hero himself. I'll go further than that and say he is one. He made a bad decision when younger and looked to do what so many do; he wanted to make money out of his gift, his ability to fight. Now that led to him landing himself in a fight with The New Crusaders on their genesis day, a fight he lost and they won. 
From there he did a very short amount of jail time before he was busted out by Aberline who thought he would jump at the chance to join his organisation, he declined and went solo on the streets. He fought petty crime and kept his head down until Cromwell took over and then he really pushed himself by joining the resistance, helping to organise raids and acting as a big gun in a very weak arsenal. Saying that he stood on Tower Bridge when The Thing an Daniel Rand went down, he stood his ground and he fought and he was in that group that held out long enough for the escaped New Crusaders to come in and crush the N.M.A forces that were pouring onto the bridge. He is a hero. That is a fact. 
He has been quiet since, but he has stepped forward and helped the Bow Street Runners to pull together, form teams and buddy systems, get interactive with local police and has given them a strong and charismatic leader to rally behind. He is vital in the survival of many of those Runners who would have been killed by the N.MA and he has turned them into a force to be reckoned with. Does he have a right to tell The Crusaders they haven't earnt the name? No. But he should be respected and his view heard.
V: What are your thoughts on The Crusaders?
Mc: Well, from a ministerial point of view we have an organised unit of powered individuals to deal with situations on the streets of our cities, so they do fall into a grey area, but i think we are for the moment happy for them to do just that. They follow the same laws as all but we do bend the rules for these heroes, to allow them to have the impact they need to have. We bend the rules, we do not brake them. As long as they continue to fight and protect the innocent and watch their aggression levels then they can clear up as much crap as they can find and we are very happy with that.
On a personal level I like them. I think they have shown maturity, restraint, skill and balls of steel. We only need to look at the pressure they have been under, the amount of aggression the N.M.A have thrown at them and the way they have dealt with it to know that they are in for the long haul. You don't take the kind of licks Apex took and step back in lightly, yet that is exactly what they did. Was it just that their deaths were miss reported to give them time to heal or the upper hand against the N.M.A? I cant tell you, but i think they are a strong pack, full of fight and the fire in their eyes? Its impressive.
V: So have they earnt the right to use the name?
Mc: I don't think any of us would argue with a group of plucky heroes wanting to take up the Mantle, but you are asking me so i'd say they have already earnt it and cemented that right. Its what they do from here that will define how they are viewed in the eyes of the public and the history books that follow.
V: Questions have been raised about forced Registration, whats your stance on the matter?
Mc: There is no plan for Registration to become compulsory at all. This coalition stands by its election pledges to back heroes and to look for the heroism in all our citizens. I did register when the it was asked of us on a voluntarily basis, many of my fellow New Crusaders did the same, but not all. We all want some secrets, thats why we hide behind the masks, but i think its a personal decision, it will stay a personal decision and that really is all that can be said about that.
V: Finally Lord McDonald, there has been some talk of ill health for you personally, how are you and would you have any advice to give to The Crusaders or Bow Street Runners out there right now?
Mc: Well its true that i do suffer from the horrific injuries that i suffered in that final battle with the Sentry, but the reports of my early demise are greatly exagerated. As for The Crusaders and Bow Street Runners? Look up and take it all in. The time your out there it can feel like forever but realistically you have a high chance of a very short career. If you can enjoy the camaraderie, take in the amazing things you see and do and try to come back alive after each shift. Apart from that...give them hell Crusaders!

We know that The Crusaders are locked into a bitter fight with the N.M.A and the Triads, but is there another element to this puzzle that we aren't seeing yet? How long before The Crusaders are tested as their predecessors were, in the streets, in the open and against world class power houses? When the fight comes im convinced that these boys will be ready for it and i hope that they are backed up logistically by other brave men and women from The Bow Street Runners.
Verity Luce