The Guardians M&M 3e Team Tempest Thread

[Oroboros]

This is going to be the play-by-post thread for the Guardian's Team Tempest.

[Oroboros]

Odin: "All diamond-tier Guardians, report to the situation room immediately! This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. We have located Rimilin. All diamond-tier Guardians, report to the situation room."

[Hyperbolic sine]

Rimilin, Rimilin...the Mind's Eye guy? Ha, it was damn time.

Agent Blake Thorne, who was in his room writing down his monthly report, rejoyces at the thought of having a reason to procrastinate the paperwork and the chance to finally put and end to the mage's drug dealing - kill two birds with a stone. He quickly puts the sheets back inside one of his desk's drawers and then heads for the situation room at a hasty pace, suppressing a grin.

"Greyhound, reporting for duty. What's the situation?"

[Dienekes]

Typhon flicked off the training program as he heard the call. He took a moment to wipe the sweat from his face and arms before he rushed to the situation room. Rimlin, interesting. From what he read, Rimlin was an intelligent villain, with at least 2 capes at his command, and strong enough to embarass Firestorm. He would have to ask Aurora for information on what happened there.

That was assuming the information was still up to date. Rimlin had money, meaning he could always buy more mercenaries. Who know who was currently in his imploy.

Finally, reaching the situation room, Typhon nods to Greyhound before picking a spot near the back of the room to sit. "Typhon, present."

[Starsign]

*glug* *glug* *glug* *glug*

The loud, chugging sounds of drink echoed from across the hallway of the Sentinel. The Guardians' number one powerhouse had found himself once again gurgling down a tankard of rum, carried back from Captain Brandywine's grand battleship. It wasn't really like most would be willing to stop Sharkguard from bringing "just" one tankard in when his body is far tougher than any fortitude humanity can hold. The shark-man had grown all too accustomed to it, even when he rarely gets drunk from the amount he has. He ought to enjoy it while it lasts; everyone else hides the darn thing from him in the Sentinel. All else fails though, he's got the Neverland's cellar.

His mind however is taken away when he hears the alarm go off; the nearly-empty tankard falls with a loud *CLANK* as Sharkguard turns his head towards the speakers. He smiles hearing the alert. "Hah, never thought it'd come," he speaks to himself; his boisterous, yet growling voice which lacked his classic accent blew around his room. The shark-man had always wanted to go after Rimilin himself ever since Team Firestorm had failed to do so. Sharkguard always likes finding opponents which are strong enough to stand up to him. After all, the shark-man was the only one willing to stand up to Monarch again when that giant aberrant rampaged both Tokyo and California. Too bad the decision rested on Odin, despite the huge respect Sharkguard has for mission control. Team Tempest wasn't made to be a pursuing, dominant strike force like Firestorm, nor a cunning yet powerful group of troops like Earthquake. If Tempest needs to hold a horde of villains back or lead a vanguard against a different group of enforcers, so be it. That's what Sharkguard is good for.

The shark-man hurries out and down the hall towards the situation room, seeing both Greyhound and Typhon having arrived before him. Sharkguard screeches to a walk as he enters, stopping as he stands beside the other aberrant in his group, Typhon. "Arrr, I be 'ere Odin," he proudly states as his accent can be heard clear across the room. The shark-man looks towards Typhon for a moment and gives him a light pat on the back while cheerfully smiling. It's always good to work with the fellow aberrant as a superhero. Wouldn't be as fun otherwise.

[Oroboros]

As you enter the situation room, you stumble over a patch of antigravity. Syntherion was still debugging the system that kept everyone's feet facing down, but it was darn handy to be able to walk like normal. The situation room is a large, empty chrome chamber with seats around the edge. Two of them are significantly larger than normal, and one has a wing-shaped indent behind it. Odin settles into his hoverchair, rubbing his leg where it joined with the prosthetic.
Team Firestorm, I'm sure you will be excited to have the chance to get back at Rimilin for last time. Nobody could have predicted that he had an illusionist, as well as a copious supply of Ferromer adhesive. You will be accompanied by both Tempest and Earthquake this time around. Odin flicks a switch, and the lights in the room dim. He calls forth his power, and the room is suddenly overlayed with an illusory image of Rimilin's compound.
"Rimilin has made a mistake. One of our silver-level scout teams tailed a distribution truck back to his compound, and immediately sent us the coordinates. This will be a three-pronged assault on his base. Team Firestorm, you will be the first "wave" to arrive. Your duty will be to draw the guards and Neohuman henchmen to the front of the compound. Stay mobile, and keep them as far from the compound as they can. Be prepared for illusions, as Lightshow is still working with them. It is doubtful that Rimilin himself will be present at that little melee, as he refrains from combat whenever possible.

It will be the job of Team Tempest to infiltrate the compound and subdue Rimilin. Be warned: he is a conjurer mage of no small ability. As you all know, conjurers call forth constructs formed with an extra-dimensional matter known as ectoplasma. This ectoplasma can be shaped into any substance and form that the conjurer pleases, and is given a semblance of consciousness by the conjurer's mind. Any who have read Rimilin's file will know that he prefers to give his constructs Daemonic forms, designed to invoke fear. The constructs often possess some sort of pyromantic talent. Having fought the Guardians twice before, it is plausible that Rimilin will have specifically-designed constructs to counter your abilities. Rimilin knows that he cannot hope to defeat us in a straight battle with the forces available to him, and so he will likely attempt an escape with as much as he can take away.

The first thing to escape will be the "Core", as we have come to call it. This Core is the basis of the whole operation. We are not quite sure how it functions, but it produces the blue fluid known as "Mind's Eye" through a pump on the side. It is the central piece of the whole operation. This core is heavily defended, and possess a movable shell that can propel itself at supersonic speeds through the air through unknown methods. This core is about the size of a house, and posesses a considerable number of anti-air turrets. In addition, it is likely that the core will have guards, or even Spartan or Lightshow stationed inside. Team Earthquake, it will be your job as our mobile strike force to chase down and destroy the Core.

Brandywine, as your ships will not assist you very much in your infiltration, I recommend you leave them behind cloud cover to serve as artillery support and a possible pursuit option if Rimilin makes it out of the facility. Keep them away from the facility, as satellite images reveal additional AA turrets. Team Firestorm, you may have to remain at ground level or risk being fired upon by these same turrets.Once everybody is prepared, Warp, would you do the honors of teleporting us to ground level? Teleport Firestorm outside of the base, Tempest inside, and Earthquake close enough to intercept the Core. Are there any questions, comments, or concerns before you all deploy?.

[Dienekes]

Infiltration it was then. Typhon nodded, twisting the details around in his head. Absently his right arm reached for his head as his miscatched fingers started scratching at two of his chins.

"Do we have any information on the compound itself? I assume Rimilin is wealthy enough to have his personal contractors keep all information of it away from the public eye. But we might get lucky if we check. Also, would you mind sending me all files we have on Rimilin, Mind's Eye, conjuration and illusion magic, Spartan, and Lightshow so I can read them on the trip?"

He sat a second musing over once more, before he turned to Sharkguard and muttered. "No way we can get in, unseen, obviously, so we need to get in and out fast. He's smart, probably has traps on numerous doorways, I would suggest, if you feel up to it, ignoring doors completely and just break through the walls until we find either him or where he would launch the Core. If they're there Spartan and Lightshow are probably going to focus on distracting us to let the boss get away clean. If you fight Spartan, don't play with your food, beat him and move on."

[Oroboros]

Infiltration it was then. Typhon nodded, twisting the details around in his head. Absently his right arm reached for his head as his miscatched fingers started scratching at two of his chins.

"Do we have any information on the compound itself? I assume Rimilin is wealthy enough to have his personal contractors keep all information of it away from the public eye. But we might get lucky if we check. Also, would you mind sending me all files we have on Rimilin, Mind's Eye, conjuration and illusion magic, Spartan, and Lightshow so I can read them on the trip?"
[/COLOR]."

Unfotunately, Typhon, the only information on the compound we have is based on precedent and orbital scans. In other words, we don't know much other than what I have already said. The files will be sent to your SKY Personal Electronic messager.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard listens to Odin's information and plan before looking back over to Typhon. The younger aberrant had an intelligence far beyond what the shark-man is capable of. Both Odin and Typhon basically ran the plans and brains of any operation for Sharkguard to enact. He can't be happier to lead the team against Rimilin; Tempest had the artillery, vanguards, and teleporter to face down any villain and keep them from immediately making their getaway. After numerous failures to capture Rimilin, it is about time that the Guardians have it their way.

Sharkguard keeps his cheerful smile as Typhon speaks. The shark-man folds his arms in consideration of the younger aberrant's words. "Ye be suggestin' we march at that land-lubberin' Rimilin at rammin' speed, crushin' his home and pillagin' anythin' in me way?" In terms of "pillage" Sharkguard has always meant, "knock down any structures in his way and arrest any villains that try to stop him." He knows by experience to be a frequently-effective tactic... and surprisingly straightforward coming from Typhon. The shark-man shows his sharp teeth as he gives off an amused chuckle. "Yar har har! Never thought ye be tellin' me t' take the easy option. What me do then if I be findin' the Core 'fore the rest do?" Sharkguard's cheeky tone suggested he was being sarcastic, though Typhon knows that the shark-man will probably be tempted to destroy the Core if he finds it quickly and is told not to do so otherwise.

[Volthawk]

It appears that at some point between being called there and arriving to listen to the briefing, Warp had gotten a hold of some Chinese takeaway and was munching on it as he sat on the floor, legs outstretched listening to the briefing. Once Odin finishes, Warp still took the time to eat a few prawn crackers before giving his opinion, using this time to think things over. For overall strategy, he's perfectly willing to defer to the others - they've seemed competent enough at it since he's arrived - and for breaking stuff everyone else in the team beats him there, but it falls to him to set things up so the others work well. Still, Warp's gotten some competence at this. It's not like he's been doing it since he was twelve or anything.

"Sure, sounds easy enough. Easiest way would be bring everyone nearby with a single long jump, then move all the groups into position from there. Otherwise I'd need to long jump back and forth, and I always need a little time to get my head back in gear after one of those. If you're willing to accept the gaps - I'm only talking about ten seconds for each trip - then I can just get everyone into position from here, if you think a 60 mile gap between him and the staging point is too much."

Another mouthful. He hadn't had the pleasure of meeting this guy before, but he'd definitely had experience with summoners before. A bloody pain, really. He shouldn't assume too much about what he'll be dumping everyone into.

"If those two turn up, I should be able to get us past them without needing to waste too much time." A pause. "Unless he's prepared enough for me that he's figured out how to protect areas against my stuff, I suppose. That'd be a pain." He shrugs, taking another mouthful of food. "Will have to pass that hurdle if it comes, I guess."

[Hyperbolic sine]

"So, Search & Destroy, mostly close quarters, opponent probably tailored to us. Seems doable." Blake states, then turns to Warp. "If Firestorm had already managed to draw some attention before we arrive, we'd be less likely to get spotted, so I suggest jumping directly from here. The less time Rimilin has to escape, the better."

[Avalon®]

Captain Brandywine stood off to the side close to the wall. Arms clasped behind him, he looks a bit annoyed as he listens to the mission briefing. He was in his study reading a book when the alert came.

In a slow, measured tone he speaks to Odin. "The Neverland will show itself when the time comes. No need to warn me of that, Wodan. Unless the Core can jump from horizon to horizon in a blink of an eye, it will still be in range of the Neverland's guns."

Turning to both Greyhound and Warp, Brandywine joins in on their banter. "If its a distraction ye both want, ye can do no better than myself. Warp, ye can port me in first roughly twenty miles away from the site. I can lay down some heavy fire while you port in the others and perhaps take care of those turrets before the others arrive."

Now turning his attention to Syntherion, he asks the inventor. "I trust that we can get accurate, real time feeds on the compound itself? Also, do we have the locations of the turret emplacements?"

[Dienekes]

Again, with the voice. Typhon thought as Sharkguard gave his response. No one talks like that. No one has ever talked like that. You're a giant shark man, not Long John Silver

Typhon just sighed. "There's a time and a place for elegance and tactical maneuvers. If I had more information on the building itself, I could maybe come up with a better plan, something that targets the launching platform for the Core, perhaps. But, for now all we have is shock and awe. And I know enough not to get in your way on that front."

He thought for another moment. "I'm mostly worried about a combination of an illusionist and conjurer. The last thing we want to have happen is to get bogged down with delays."

He didn't mention that the illusionist was also why he was pushing for Sharkguard to do what comes naturally. If the illusionist could make fake rooms and walls, having Sharkguard try to break through them could dispell the illusion once he interacted with them. Worth a try in any case.

"As to the Core, while I'd be interested in it's contents. Wreck whatever propulsion or motors you find. Making sure it's not mobile is a win for us."

[Starsign]

Hearing the words of Greyhound and Brandywine only continued to give Sharkguard new ideas for tackling this enemy base. Even while Typhon clarified what Sharkguard will be doing, it can't be helped for the shark-man to speak out in favor of his own thrills. "Ain't any way we be gettin' in quiet, even with Firestorm sailin' in first. I be got a better plan. I be causin' a bigger riot comin' down from above than from the sides." His smile widens as he continues, knowing he can't fly, but has a way to come from above. "Th' ol' Cap'n's ship be me transport. It's cannons be me travel. He can fire me out like a star from th' heavens, and I'll be on yarr Rimilin's turf 'fore they knew I be comin'!"

The shark-man can imagine the sight now, the exhilaration of the fall, the incredible crash through anti-air weaponry and into the heart of the lion's den in an instant. Then will come the smashing of walls in an already chaotic base that will keep losing control protecting everything within it. It's absolutely everything Sharkguard loves about this job. "Gonna leave a big hole in that lubber's base, 'nough for Warp and th' rest of me crew to teleport in. Far faster and less expected than bringin' down th' place, one wall at a time. Rimilin ain't gonna realize they'd throw our toughest beast down from above t' th' seas of war!" He folds his arms, hesitating to laugh out loud knowing he'll very likely have objections. He knows his team and Odin far to well to go forward with such a plan without an argument.

[Dienekes]

All three of Typhon's faces just stared at Sharkguard. Unblinking, unmoving. "Ok," he finally said. "I can see a number of potential problems, none of which you'd care about. The most important one would be, can you even fit in a canon?"

[Hyperbolic sine]

Blake's bionic eye zooms on Sharkguard, as its possessore tries to determine whether the shark-man is serious or not. It appears he is...well, not that this is the first time he comes out with a crazy plan. "It could work, but...I fear that'd render Firestorm's efforts effectively moot, as I believe such an entry would attract guards like moths to a flame. Unless you actually plan on be a diversion too, and leave the actual infiltration to me the rest of Tempest." he says, dubious.

"Yeah, that also." he adds, after Typhon's comment.

[Starsign]

"Ah, 'course I can!" the shark-man immediately responds to Typhon, attempting futilely to reassure the younger aberrant when Sharkguard himself has no idea if he'd fit in a battleship cannon. His following attempts to reassure Greyhound are about as moot as well. "Ain't we be goin' in after Firestorm's led 'em out? They'll be flanked, bow and stern. Luck with us and we'll meet Rimilin at th' mast!" Sharkguard keeps smiling, though he knows well that his argument, as he would say, is sinking faster than a block of cement. If this was just a Tempest operation, maybe he can get away with it. With Firestorm and Earthquake in on this too, the shark-man's own plans didn't have a chance in hell.

Eventually Sharkguard gives off a grumpy growl in defeat. "Aw fine. Ye have yer way then." He had to know when to fold, though there ought to be plenty of opportunities to come for more death-defying antics. "Ain't gonna be as fun, but Warp could get us t' th' roof and I'll let that metal meet me fists." He pounds his left fist into his right palm as a typical, "macho man" pose as one bystander once called it back when the shark-man did field work on his own. "Happy wit' that mateys?"

[Dienekes]

"That would work, Rimlin's smart, he won't put his Core around the outer edges of the building or it could be damaged in a raid. The center would make sense on a purely defensive standpoint, assuming he didn't think of an attack from above. If it were me, I'd place it somewhere off-center of the complex. But, unfortunately, we're going in blind."

[Oroboros]

If everyone has agreed on a course of action, we should strike. Remember, time is on Rimilin's side. The more forewarning he has, the more time he has to conjure and escape. Warp, if you would do the honors? Remember, Firestorm first, then Earthquake, and then teleport onto the roof of the compound with Tempest. A last bit of advice for tempest: if you could disable the anti-air turrets when you are on the rooftop, it would ease the jobs of the other teams immensely. May the winds of fortune be with you.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Disable turrets, got it. We'll adjust our tactics on site, too few informations to make a reliable plan beforehand." Blake says, as the nanites of his suit and weapon rearrange themselves from disguised to combat mode. "Ready when you are, Warp." he adds, readying himself to activate the nanosuit's thermo-optic camouflage before being teleported.

[Volthawk]

Warp nods, finishing his food before disappearing for a few seconds, returning to the same spot, empty-handed and with his mask on. "Alright, alright. I get the hint. Time to get going. The usual, guys, all in your teams and touching each other however you're happy to." He notices that Firestorm is already next to him, and after a second's consideration makes the needed contact with a hug around Lantern, depositing the team a few miles away from the base. A few seconds later, once he's ready to teleport, he leaves with a chuckle, ready for the next deployment. Firestorm's nice enough, and Lantern seems like someone who's gonna be fun to mess with.

This time it's Earthquake that needs deployment, although he doesn't go for something like the hug, taking a second attempt to actually get a hold on Tempo to bring the team down, putting them a mile or two away on the opposite side of the base - his logic being that if the Core does run, it'd probably be on the opposite direction to the frontal assault, if it doesn't they're still close enough to chase it down, and out here they're far enough away to only get noticed when it's their time to shine (he doesn't know fancy tech like sensors much, but he hoped his guess was right and that was far away enough). Eathquake's a bit more of a mixed bag in his mind - sure, Kate's nice enough but the others are just...weird, in some way or another kind of unsettling for him.

He then returns for the last time, landing on top of Sharkguard - it's time for his team. Tempest. Sure, they're also a bunch of weirdos - you only need to look at Sharky to see that - but they're still his weirdos, even if it's only been a year and a half. And when it came to them against some evil bastard, well he felt sorry for the bastard. "Alright kids, looks like it's just us now. Let's go punch some conjurer's face in." Since he's already on Sharkguard, he wastes no time bringing everyone along, appearing on the roof of the compound, dropping off the shark-man onto the roof once they arrive.

[Oroboros]

You find yourselves on the rooftop of a large, concrete compound. A cold night breeze washes over you, a significant change from the still, dry air of the Sentinel. There are raised cylinders on the rooftop that, upon closer inspection, turn out to be the turrets. They appear to be electronically controlled. The turrets have small holes in the side that will likely extend into gun barrels, should they need to fire. A radar dish sits some in the middle of the rooftop, slowly turning. It currently faces away from you. What do you do?

[Dienekes]

"Get ready, if we get inside we're going to have to face horrors. Until then, we can help out our teammates by giving them a blind and battered enemy." He says pointing to the dish.

Typhon moves to the radar dish and he uses Battle Commands, giving all allies that can hear him the following buffs:
Favored Terrain: Compound
Favored Foe: Wizards
Fearless
Improved Initiative 2
Teamwork
Move-by Attack

[Hyperbolic sine]

If you can, try to render them useless without alerting who controls them." Greyhound's voice says from what appears to be an empty space besides Sharkguard. The invisible man then approaches the nearest turret, and raising his arm he lets out a stream of nanites over the hole(s) that conceals the barrels. From the outside, his teammates can see the hole(s) being quickly obstructed by a metallic patch.

"Like this, for instance."

He then repeats the procedure for the other nearby turrets, unless someone has disabled them already.

Using the suit's Nanofabricator to Create an Impervious Toughness 11 patch to block the hole, welded to its borders.

Nanite Rifle Status: Assault config.

Nanosuit Arrays Status:
Enhanced Servomotors: Leg Servomotors
Multipurpose Nanofabricator: Nanofabricator
Reactive Coating: Thermo-optic Camouflage

[Starsign]

Appearing on the top of the compound, Sharkguard looks up and smiles to Warp as his group teleports in. The little guy has always been incredibly handy since he ended up with the team. Even Brandywine's ship doesn't get the crew here as quickly. Might be one reason why Sharkguard can be rather protective of Warp; in a group of powerhouses and experienced warriors, someone has to watch out in case the young one gets attacked. The shark-man goes to one knee to let Warp off before standing tall, looking over the anti-air turrets as Brandywine begins plugging them with those nanites of his. "Ain't that be a clever one Greyhound," he speaks, a little quieter than he usually does considering the group is trying infiltrate the place without attracting much attention. Considering the group includes two aberrant heroes, one very powerful and very loud, "quiet" may not be on the agenda.

While Greyhound handles the turrets, Sharkguard heads on over to the radio dish as Typhon instructed. "Bet they be findin' out 'bout their cannons soon," he quips, noting that eventually someone may come to check the turrets if they don't fire. "Till then, I get th' mast!" With his words and a confident grin Sharkguard wraps his arms around the thinnest stem area of the radio dish, beginning to crush it under his massive arms. "Ain't any metal-made thin' that can withstand th' god o' the seas!" With his teeth grit and his godly boast made, the shark-man begins trying to tear the entire radio dish from its socket with his arms!

[Oroboros]

The radar dish tears free of its socket with a screeching noise. This is, however, drowned out by a massive burst of light, and a roaring explosion on the ground. Firestorm must have begun their attack. Alarms begin to blare in the compound.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard gives a great heave as he takes the torn-out radar dish and proceeds to throw it far away into the distant ocean, showing off his massive strength more than anything else. His boisterous and well-known, "Yar har har har!" laugh is given off, one which rings terror into the ears of many villains the shark-man has fought before. He is having fun playing his part, though not as much as if he got his way and got shot down from the Neverland.

"Time t' be gettin' in," Sharkguard belts out as he digs his massively strong hands into the compounds metal. With ear-cracking screeching he tears open a large gash in the ceiling, revealing the actual base below. "Tempest! Get 'em cannons out then join me in th' boardin'!" Sharkguard knows well that Warp can get everyone around as needed so when the rest are ready to join the shark-man or, perish the thought, he needs to get out, Warp can accomplish that.

So with his excitement and bravado, Sharkguard jumps down into the compound, hoping to find who needs to be beaten down in the process. Besides, with the shark-man infiltrating early it'll give Rimilin less time to react.

[Volthawk]

"Hey, you guys can deal with this, right? My stuff won't work too well here, better go make sure Sharky doesn't into too much of a mess. Let me know when you're ready to be brought inside to him."

Warp cloaks himself, the suit letting him fade until he's invisible (well, only to normal vision, but it should still be helpful), and teleports after Sharkguard, clinging onto the roof. "I'm with you, Sharky. Any idea where to go?"

[Dienekes]

Typhon nods in agreement with Greyhound's idea. They could cause more potential destruction if the enemy wasn't aware that their weapons were blocked up in some way.
He moves toward the closest turret and attempts to bend the metal of the barrel down.
Strength check:
[roll0]

[Oroboros]

Typhon heaves and pulls, slowly dragging the bar out of shape.

Sharkguard and Warp drop down into the middle of a steel hallway, debris and dust raining down around them. The alarm is now annoyingly loud, and red alarm lights shine in the ceiling. A set of double doors lies at one end, and at the other are two diverging corridors.

[Starsign]

"Ain't got a dang clue Kid," he responds to Warp as they make their way through the base. The shark-man outright admits that he's just wandering aimlessly, though this does nothing to deter his enthusiasm; he's instead challenging the unknown. Having Warp around gives him a quick getaway if he tragically gets in over his head but also gives him a bigger responsibility. "Stay close to me. Ye captain's the strongest ship ye ever got for protection!"

Going with his instinct, Sharkguard decides to follow Typhon's advice that the younger aberrant gave before the infiltration; don't take the doors, take the walls. Instead of going through either of the available doors, the shark-man gives a loud, gruff yell as he hammers into the nearby wall, attempting to smash his way through the metal walls while looking for Rimilin. No structure as-is will stop the shark-man's juggernaut charges, on land or at sea!

[Volthawk]

Warp chuckles, letting Sharky do his thing as always. "Ya don't need to worry about me, Sharky. I'm here for a reason, remember." He takes the situation in front of him a different tack, just teleporting to the other side of the wall, ready to ping back if he should get into some bad stuff himself.

[Dienekes]

Typhon stayed on the top of the building for a little while longer to help break the guns. Turning to Greyhound he asked. "Hey, I know this is a shot in the dark. But your eye, can you see anything out of the ordinary below us? Heat signatures, a mass of people in a specific area, or something? Anything that would give us a leg up in finding the Core."

[Oroboros]

Greyhound, Brandywine, and Typhon: You disable the rest of the turrets without issue.

Sharkguard and Warp: You continue to barrel through the walls, and, at one point, an unfortunate guard. Eventually, you burst into a massive warehouse. In one corner of the warehouse, you see a small stack of tanks. These tanks are full of a blue fluid which you recognize as Mind's Eye. However, the warehouse is, strangely, filled with vats containing a glowing version of the same fluid. No reports of Mind's Eye have ever mentioned the blue syrup glowing, or doing anything out of the ordinary. The far end of the warehouse is concealing something underneath a massive tarp. To your left, you hear chanting emanating from a dimly lit room.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"One moment...aaand done." Greyhound replies, as he takes care of the last turret. He then shifts his rifle into sniper mode, in order to exploit its enhanced optics and magnification, and starts examining the compound for heat signatures (and other infrared emissions, for that matter).

I spy, with my little eye...what do I spy?

Routine Perception check using Infravision: 32 -1/1000 ft

Nanite Rifle Status: Sniper config.

Nanosuit Arrays Status:
Enhanced Servomotors: Leg Servomotors
Multipurpose Nanofabricator: Nanofabricator
Reactive Coating: Thermo-optic Camouflage

[Volthawk]

"Boss. Caution for now. I'll get the others here, I get us in as a group. With what we're up against, ya don't want to be attacking on your own. All the toughness in the world won't help if they get you up here." Uncloaked, Warp taps his head to emphasise the last point before teleporting back topside. He hoped that the last point drove home - sure he could take Spartan, but if the other two got their hooks in, there'd be problems.

Once he arrives up top, he has a little look around before nodding. "Good, you guys are done here. Come on, we've found something down here. Can hear some chanting or something, plus some weird glowy Mind's Eye. Dunno what that's about."

[Starsign]

Sharkguard turns his head to Warp as the young hero turns off his cloaking. He did have a point; being immune to nearly all forms of anti-tank fire meant nothing when someone is messing with your mind. On the other hand, the Guardians have numbers here. If Rimilin had both of his neohuman guards with him it meant that Firestorm and Earthquake would be largely uninterrupted in their tasks. And if the guards ARE dealing with the other teams it meant less resistance for whoever is beyond this door. The chanting going on at the other side is becoming concerning, like some innocent is about to be sacrificed. There's a lot else here that seems worth investigating but the team's job is to take out Rimilin; Firestorm or Earthquake can deal with that.

Waiting around bores Sharkguard anyway.

The shark-man gives a accepting response to Warp by tapping his own head as if he understands the warning. Sharkguard's smirk however tells that he not quite going to listen. So when Warp leaves, the shark-man cracks his knuckles as he looks towards the door to his left. He then charges, determined to shoulder-tackle that door right out of its socket into that dimly-lit room.

[Oroboros]

Greyhound: You see a large heat signature where the entrance to the compound is. You also see Sharkguard's distinctive signature approaching a room, when suddenly that room flares up with heat.

Sharkguard: A massive burst of fire explodes through the wall, sending flaming chunks of concrete flying across the room. A form that dwarfs even you follows it through the wall. It stands at at least 16 feet, and it's red skin is wreathed in fire. Its red eyes burn from inside a skull-like face, and vicious claws highlight its hands and feet. A long tail tipped by a wickedly pointed barb whips around behind it. BOW BEFORE ME, MORTAL, FOR I AM ANARCHUS, ANATHEMA TO LIFE.

[Starsign]

Amusingly, it turned out that Sharkguard didn't have to do anything, though he would have busted through that door had Warp not taken the time to warn him. So now he's found himself coming face to face with one hell of an aberrant, literally. Outside of Monarch, Sharkguard's never seen something as mutated at this. This Anarchus however is arrogant in his own power; having taunted Sharkguard like that, especially for an aberrant is certainly enough to rile up the hero.

"Ye ain't got any right to me mortal," he shouts back. His expression is a unique combination of his usual smirk and a serious look. Something this big is probably not going to be something as easy to break as many other neohumans Sharkguard has fought before. "I be Sharkguard, god o' th' seas! Ye can't kill what be as mighty as me!" Perhaps he shouldn't have boasted as such, most certainly to such a monster. Yet this one is challenging the shark-man's status, even if actually doesn't know who Sharkguard is. It certainly will know soon however, as the shark-man charges forward, launching a large straight punch at the larger aberrant's chest with all his strength thrown into it!

O-kay. Giant monster = Hit as hard as I can and see how its defense is. :smalleek:

Using Power Attack +5/-5 and All-Out Attack +5/-5: [roll0]

EDIT: Oh wow, that's a crit. So long as that counts as dealing damage, the whole thing is DC 39

[Oroboros]

[roll0]
Anarchus explodes in a mess of firey gore, that quickly degenerates into a clear, slimy substance. Ectoplasma. This creature was Rimilin's work. The chanting continues in the room beyond.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard's smirk widens as he causes the demon-like aberrant to fall in one strike. However being a conjuration meant that it wasn't much of a win for the shark-man. It felt like such a steal that it wasn't a real creature. Sharkguard would have loved to be able to beat down something twice his size like a god should be able to do. Alas it is not to be.

Giving a quiet grumble, Sharkguard at least figures out where exactly his prey is now. "I be comin' for ye Rimilin," the shark-man whispers as, deciding to not go straight through the door, instead crashes through a ways besides the door, presumably entering another room at which he'd then smash through the wall to his left, which hopefully takes him to the chanting room without another distraction. Beating up fake enemies isn't any fun after all.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Let's see, there's something big at the entrance, but I guess Firestorm will take care of that, and-"

The sudden flare makes Greyhound abrubtly divert his eyes, as he's brifefly blinded.

"Damn, Sharkguard's in trouble, that was even bigg-" he resumes, looking down again. "No, nevermind, it got taken care of. In a single hit. Way to go, Sharky. Take us down there, Warp."

[Avalon®]

Brandywine stood taking the lay of the land as the others went to work on the anti-air turrets. This required some delicacy and silence, things that were not in the good captain's repertoire.

"Aye Warp. Take us down to Sharkguard. 'Tis best we get there before he goes over his head again."

[Volthawk]

Warp sighs. "Yeah, guess I should've expected him to ignore me. Ah well, let's-" He stops when the explosion of the Core rings out. "I...damn. Hopefully they're okay...guess that means that wasn't his getaway, then. Come on, we need to get this guy." Unless the others stop him or are unwilling, he teleports them all down, where he surveys the scene. "And he's off again. Of course." Hthen heads off again, brining the group to Sharkguard during his run smashing through walls.

[Oroboros]

Sharkguard crashes through the wall to the left of the room from which Anarchus emerged, just as the rest of Team Tempest teleports in behind him. You find yourselves in a circular room the size of a basketball stadium. Archaic glyphs line the floor, forming circles, pentagrams, and other ritual diagrams. In the center of the room stands Rimilin, chanting in front of a large circle. To his credit, his chanting is not interrupted by the sudden appearance of a very angry collection of Neohumans. It does, however, jump an octave or so. Rimilin is flanked by two creatures straight out of mankind's nightmares. The first resembles a massive scorpion, claws snapping menacingly. Its massive barbed tail dangles over its black, gleaming carapace. The second creature, if it can even be called that, is little more than a serpentine mass of rapidly gyrating blades. Its movements make clear that its serpentine form is fluid, and is only maintained for aesthetic reasons. As Rimilin's chanting reaches a crescendo, a third monster coalesces out of the ectoplasm hovering in front of him. Rimilin has shaped the last creature into the form of a Beholder (http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me14cz754A1r0zz7o.jpg), and its eyes glare menacingly at the group. As Rimilin turns to make his escape, his cadre of abominations form a wall behind him.

Roll for initiative!

[Dienekes]

Typhon appeared besides Sharkguard. He gives Warp a nod as he quickly glances around the room. 3 enemies, and there's always the chance that they were facing illusions. The monsters certainly looked dangerous, but Typhon found it difficult to find them terrifying. He'd seen more horrifying images in the mirror.

Initiative[roll0]

[Starsign]

Warp's timing couldn't have been better, seeing as Rimilin already had a small group of monsters to protect him. Sharkguard only observes the three monsters for a short moment, seeing as they're all creatures which would terrify the normal mortal. Much like Typhon, Sharkguard has seen more terrifying creatures than these three... and not just about the one that's next to the shark-man.

Having Rimilin on the run is a pain however, seeing as Tempest could be busy dealing with these abominations and the conjurer may be long gone by then. On the other hand these creatures, especially the scorpion and snake of blades are the perfect sort of monsters for Sharkguard to fight. While the prestige and thrill of battle is subdued by how fake these are it doesn't deter that he's never fought monsters like these; he may not get a second chance to either.

Sharkguard turns his head to Warp for a moment, looking down at the young hero. "How 'bout ye take the rest o' th' team and get ye after Rimilin. Yer captain's got me some monsters t' beat down." The shark-man gives his toothy smile as he smacks his fist into the palm of his other hand, taking a step forward. "Ain't be a better hero t' fight 'em than another aberrant, aye?" He imagines it's best that he fends off these conjurations anyway, considering of the five heroes he'd possibly be the worst for a conjurer to mind control.

[Volthawk]

Warp is not very impressed by all this, just shrugging. He'd come across this sort of stuff many times before. "Ooh, big scary monsters. How unexpected, how scary, wow." He then looks to Sharkguard, given the guy's order. It was kinda what he was going to do anyway, but I guess the captain has to say these things. Respects the team's structure of something. "Sure, if you want to have your fun I'll leave you here. Shouldn't be hard to chase after this guy with the others, let us know when you're done here."

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Very well." Greyhound says with a grin, as the bulky and long barrelled weapon in his hands shifts into a compact rifle with an underbarrel handgrip (http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn294/wolff60/Weapons/Scifi/STMacoPulseRifle.png). "Bring us close." After all, as far as his training and experience go, the best way to deal with this situations is to take out the summoner first since that usually leads to the summons disappearing.

Free: Switch to Pulse config.
Move: Nothing (or touching Warp if needed).
Standard: Prepare action to fire at Rimilin as soon as he's in range (60 ft).

Also, I forgot Typhon's buffs, so Greyhound's Initiative count is actually 22.
-----

Nanite Rifle Status: Pulse config.

Nanosuit Arrays Status:
Enhanced Servomotors: Leg Servomotors
Multipurpose Nanofabricator: Nanofabricator
Reactive Coating: Thermo-optic Camouflage

[Oroboros]

Blade Python- 28
Brandywine - 26
Scorpion - 23
Greyhound - 22
Typhon - 21
Sharkguard - 20
Warp - 19
Beholder - 12


The blade-serpent explodes into motion. It fans out, forming a wall of gyrating blades covering the escaping Rimilin.

[Avalon®]

"Don't let Rimlin escape! The big-eyed one is mine! Sharkie, take care of the big ones will you?"

Summoning the ghostly barrels of the Neverland, Captain Brandywine lets loose a volley of shots at the Beholder with a resounding roar of cannon fire.

Attacking the Beholder: [roll0], DC 29 Toughness if hit

[Oroboros]

The ethereal cannonballs hammer through an invisible field, striking the Beholder. It flies backward toward the wall of blades, which bends slowly backwards around the creature. The scorpion lunges at Brandywine, lashing down with it's barbed tail.



Scorpion's attack: [roll]1d20+16
DC 25 damage and linked DC 25 fortitude save vs poison (Affliction: fatigued, stunned, paralyzed, progressive)
Edit: Not rolling, gonna try again in another post

[Oroboros]

The scorpion springs foreward with blinding speed before lashing it's massive barbed tail at Brandywine.
[roll0]

[Hyperbolic sine]

"40-50 feet in front of Rimilin if you please, Warp. Guys, wait for me to shoot before closing on him." Greyhound says calmly, ready to shoot as soon as he'll appear in front of the summoner.

Move: Nothing (or touching Warp if needed).
Standard: Prepare action to fire at Rimilin. 60 ft cone (Dodge DC 22 for half), Damage DC 27 (21), Fortitude DC 22 (16) vs Dazed/Stunned.

Nanite Rifle Status: Pulse config.

Nanosuit Arrays Status:
Enhanced Servomotors: Leg Servomotors
Multipurpose Nanofabricator: Nanofabricator
Reactive Coating: Thermo-optic Camouflage

[Starsign]

Though the scorpion's stinger is fast, it fails to make its mark in time. Instead of striking Brandywine the barbed tail tings off the rough hide of Sharkguard who put himself in the way to protect his comrade... and to show off how durable the shark-man is. The spiky tail sharp enough to slice through the walls of the compound does as little to wound Sharkguard like a kitchen knife trying to a chunk of metal. He looks down at the scorpion, smiling menacingly, wondering whether these sort of conjurations can feel fear.

If not, Sharkguard is going to make them experience it.

"Yer dang foe's gettin' away Cap'n," he playfully snarls at Brandywine. The shark-man acts as if his own prey is being snatched from him. "Warp, get the rest o' 'em past these. Ain't gonna simply go by without fightin' monsters like these!" The shark-man heaves his arm to shove aside the scorpion as he makes a mad dash towards the damaged beholder. With his mighty legs, his overpowering build and his energetic pirate laughter, Sharkguard leaps forward, throwing his massive right arm into the beholder's giant eye. Whether or not the blow connects, Sharkguard is literally charging himself right into the gyroscopic wall of blades in his rather reckless attack. He couldn't care less, not thick steel walls break apart like wood.

Charging to attack the Beholder. All-Out Attack and Power Attack +5/-5: [roll0] DC 34 if hit.

No, I don't always use All-Out Attack and Power Attack together with Sharkguard. But in this case he has a high priority target that he'll probably want to deal with. I'll definitely go all out on that first, then we can see Sharkguard's Dodge/Parry hopefully matter. :smalltongue:

EDIT: Forgot Favored Environment from Typhon's buffs. My Attack result is actually 23

[Oroboros]

The wall of blades catches Sharkguard off guard, cutting into his legs as he charges through the barrier.


The Bladebeast has Penetrating 15 damage on contact with body, so Sharkguard has to save that.
Beholders roll : [roll0]
Bruised again.

The unexpected incisiveness of the Bladebeast catches Sharkguard off guard, tripping him up and stealing the power out his blow. His fist makes it past the Beholders shield, but only barely.

[IndianaO'Grimes]

Tempo sees Rimilin and Team Tempest locked in combat. He walks around the field, observing the battle, before slowing down so that he can speak properly. Youmightwanttocoveryourearsforthispart. Tempo reaccelerates, slowing time around himself until he feels he is going at the right speed. He then puts his thumb and forefinger together, and snaps, which does nothing to Tempo's accelerated perception, but after a few seconds he sees an imperceptible wave travelling through the air. Slowing himself down, Tempo hears the sonic boom that he has created accelerate until he hears the crack of the sound barrier being broken, like a jet engine going supersonic at close range.

Using Sonic Snap, but I'll do the rolls in the OOC thread

[Volthawk]

Warp nods as he hears Greyhound's order, grabbing Typhon as well and bringing them both over to the opposite side of Rimilin, giving a bit of distance so Greyhound can do his thing, and readies his powers to protect himself should an attack happen. "Did you miss the memo, magey? Running isn't exactly a sound strategy against me. Not too impressed yet."


Move: Teleport Greyhound and Typhon to 40ft in front of Rimilin.
Free: Switch to Deflect power
Standard: Deflect on myself, making my active defence [roll0] +10 (because the dice roll was under 10) to make 31 total, plus I have Reflect+Redirect.

[Dienekes]

Typhon had to consciously prevent rolled his eyes when he heard Sharkguard's plan. Leave him to go fight 3 monsters, no mention that doing so would likely be entirely pointless when Rimlin is caught, and with Warp here there's no reason such a trap would ever have to stall them. Hell, if they just teleported to the other side of Swordsnake the creature would be preventing his allies from getting to them.

In a flash, the crowd teleported away to stand in front of the mage.
"Rimilin," Typhon said, using all three mouths to add to the dramatic effect. "You are seconds away from being shot down by the greatest soldier the world has ever seen. Teleported to the moon. Or devoured by me." The third head, licked it's lips, the spins sticking out of the mouth caused the tongue to lightly bleed a dark ooze, before it twisted into a smile. "Stop now, and I'll let these two bring you in. For as long as I can control myself." He made one of his heads give a deep laugh and smile with it's fanglike teeth.

Intimidating Rimilin to give up. [roll0]

[Oroboros]

Bladewall
Beholder [roll1]
Scorpion [roll]1d20+13
Not rolling, so doing it irl... 3. He's fine, but barely :P

Rimilin calls out in defiance. "You underestimate me, Typhon. I am hardly a one-trick pony myself."
Rimilin claps his hands together. A burst of raw ectoplasma sprays out, splattering over the group. "Luk-tar Azarath Metrion Cthulhu fhtagn!" The ectoplasma takes form, hardening into some impossibly durable, dull black metal. Rimilin takes off running in the opposite direction.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard's rather sloppy form took the wind of the blow right out of him as he does little more than slap around the Beholder in punching it. The shark-man looked down to his right leg, witnessing several blades having tried stabbing right into it. All of it however left either small cuts or scrapes, attacks which would have pierced right through the limbs of most other Guardians. He mutters to himself as he realizes the blades are far sharper than he had expected. "Blasted, scurvy..." On one hand this meant that the wall of blades can slice his hide up pretty well if he got thrown into it. On the other it meant that these three monsters will actually be a challenge to fight; more thrilling to fight something that can actually fight back against the shark-man. While showing a snarl, his excited look is barely hidden.

Moments later his ears ring horribly as sharp sounds rattle his ear drums. He looks behind himself to find Tempo of Earthquake trying to help. "Bit late t' warn me, aye!?" he shouts, making sure his voice actually gets through to Tempo while the shark-man's ears rang loudly. "Ye wanna help, stay close and smash this eye for yer captain!" He thinks for a moment, wondering whether getting Tempo to do Sharkguard's job is actually the best idea... He then remembers what else Tempo is capable of as Sharkguard's smile widens with excitement. "Better yet, hop on yer new Cap'n's shoulders an' gimme yer time power! Got ye a hell'ova show I can be puttin' on!"

Just an RP post, though one describing what Sharkguard would like to do :smalltongue:

[Oroboros]

Even as the ectoplasma hardens around him, Greyhound takes aim with his gun.


To hit: [roll0]
Damage save vs DC 27: [roll1]
Fort save vs DC 22: [roll2]
Thats a crit. Assuming you boost DC, Rimilin is down.


The pulse round slams into Rimilin's back. Waves of energy arc over his black robes, and he collapses to the ground.

[Dienekes]

Well, that was fun. Typhon thought as the gunk hardened around him. "Warp, you wouldn't be able to just teleport out of this trap would you?" He asked as he tried to break through.

Strength roll to break things [roll0]

[Volthawk]

"Yeah, no problem." Unless he is in fact mistaken, Warp brings the group through the ectoplasm, next to where Rimilin fell. Warp then bends down to investigate the fallen mage. "So...is that all?"

[Dienekes]

Typhon leans over the unconscious mage and sniffs a few times, to determine if it's an illusion. Well, here's hoping that illusions don't also cover smells.

Perception check [roll0]

"We will still need to find the Core, and I don't know if Rimilin being unconscious destroys his conjurations. I would assume not, meaning we still have to clean out this place to make sure he has no minions to escape and cause trouble down the line. In any case, probably safer to bind his hands and gag him so he can't cast spells, then teleport him to a cell.."

[CandyLaser]

Aurora's voice came over the commlink. "This is Aurora to all points. Spartan and Lightshow are down. No other metahuman support noted. Anyone need a hand?"

[Volthawk]

"Right, gotcha." Warp pulls out a set of handcuffs and secures his hands, and after a moment's thought disappears and comes back with what appears to be someone's vest to cover his mouth. He then responds on the comms. "Looks like we got Rimilin, gonna get him to containment unless there are any complaints." This next bit is directed to the people in the station. "Any problems up there with me bringing him in now? Got some improvised constraints here but something more beefy would be nice."

[Quellian-dyrae]

At Warp's response, Tommy answers, "We're holding Spartan and Lightshow near the main entrance if you want to pop over and bring them along to holding."

[IndianaO'Grimes]

Tempo frowns at Sharkguard's words. UnlessyouwanttorunawayfromhereI'mnotsurethatIcando anything.ButIcandothis. With a thought, time froze. The blades that covered the serpent stopped moving and Sharkguard's mouth ceased opening to reply. Tempo walked out of the room, then searched the base for weapons. He took an assault rifle from a guard in the midst of running down a corridor, then returned back to Sharkguard. Aiming the gun at the Beholder, Tempo squeezed the trigger relatively slowly, feeling the gun slowly resolve the action like a computer reading code. Eventually, after a subjective minute, Tempo felt heat emanating from where the firing mechanism was. Releasing the gun, Tempo raced out of the room again, returning with a metal pole that he swung at the Beholder from another angle. Finally, after he had spent half an hour setting up various weapons, Tempo moved behind Sharkguard, then unfroze time. The assault rifle fired it's bullet before flying away due to recoil, the pole struck the Beholder then fell down, a rock thrown at the Beholder at supersonic speeds smashed into the beast, and a shotgun fired buckshot at the creature then flew away from the recoil also.

Switching from Sonic Snap to Temporal Ambush using the free action, then using his standard action to use Temporal Ambush. DC 20 for the Beholder. Even though there are several weapons, they all count as the same attack.

[Hyperbolic sine]

"Hu. I was expecting...something more." Greyhound comments, eyeing Rimilin as if unsure he was the real one and still holding him at gunpoint "Well, as they say, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Teleport us, Warp."

[Oroboros]

Warp
Odin to Tempest, this is Odin. Warp, we have received your communications and have prepared temporary cells aboard the Sentinel to contain Rimilin, Spartan, and Lightshow. You have permission to bring them aboard, on the prison deck.


Typhon
The downed mage smells... well, normal, with a touch of ectoplasma and brimstone. If he's fake, its a better fake than any you've ever seen.


Tempo
Well, the "assault rifle" you took from the guard is actually a plasma gun, so I will use the higher DC (23) for that instead.
[roll0]
The plasma explodes onto the Beholder. It's shields save it from annihilation, but it still looks rather crispy.


The Conjurations
The beholder rotates in the air, and opens up an eyelid on it's main body to reveal it's massive middle eye. This eye gazes into Sharkguard, entrancing him, alluring him.


The Beholder uses it's mind-control gaze on Sharkguard. DC 24 will save (entranced --> compelled --> controlled)

[Oroboros]

The Conjurations, Continued
Both the Scorpion and the Bladebeast turn to Sharkguard, and lash out at him with stingers, razors, and claws.


Scorpion: [roll0]
Bladebeast: [roll1]
The Scorpion's attack is DC 25 poison and DC 25 damage. Bladebeast is DC 30 penetrating

[Starsign]

Sharkguard didn't get a lot of time to react when he hears Aurora over the commlink. Just as he opens his mouth the Beholder is beset upon by Tempo's little ambush of weaponry found across the compound. The shark-man jerked his head behind him to notice the weapons fly back by recoil, held by nothing due to Tempo's time-altering powers. Sharkguard opens his mouth to respond, sounding both impressed and a bit annoyed. "Ay, usin' that tech trash on 'em? Ain't nothin' to a god's fist!" His aggressively boisterous tone is heard loudly over the commlink. "Jus' wanted yer time power t' show off against these things. They ain't gotta chance ag-"

Sharkguard turns his head back to see the clearly damaged Beholder widen its large eye, shining forth its alluring gaze into his eyes. What Warp had warned about foes getting into his mind rang true, though the Beholder's gaze hadn't struck at sharply as it could; Sharkguard had his teeth grit as if resisting. It isn't until he feels two huge claws failing to crush his chest and a large tail poking at his hide that he blinks and snaps out of it, seeing the large scorpion looking like it is hugging the shark-man rather than trying to kill him. The bladed creature fares little better, attempting to swing its tail out to swipe yet missing the standing hero by an inch.

Sharkguard's blinking face turns into an angry smirk. "I be jus' damn fine," He speaks over the commlink as he rears back to throw another punch at the Beholder. "Two monsters and a pet thought they could fight a cap'n." The shark-man's loud punch can be screeched over the commlink, followed by two more heavy hits. "And I be makin' th' two of 'em walk th' plank 'fore I teach this scorpion how t' care for its master!" Completely ignoring that the scorpion has its huge claws on him, Sharkguard focuses on hammering down the Beholder while it is weak, hoping that he won't have to put up with its mind-altering stuff again. Besides, the shark-man is growing fond of the scorpion's ineffectual attempts to hurt him.

Attacking the Beholder again. Just making a normal attack this time: [roll0] DC 29 Toughness if hit.

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot Favored Environment. Result is actually 17, if that makes any difference.

[IndianaO'Grimes]

Sharkguardgetreadytomove. Tempo raced out of the room again in a grey blur, searching for an armoury or somewhere that the Core could have been located.

So Tempo is going to search the compound at speed until he finds either the Core (either the real one or another fake one), or another M-388 nuke. See how those conjurations like a 10 ton atomic weapon exploding in their face.

[Dienekes]

"Alright," Typhon said as the downed mage is sent to his new cell. "If you could we should probably go make sure Sharkguard isn't in over his head."

[Volthawk]

"Gotcha Odin, Solstice. Will get them too. So they proved easier than last time, huh?" Warp vanishes for a bit, reappearing with Spartan and Lightshow, piling them with Rimilin before popping the whole pile of unconscious bad-guy back to the station, sitting on top of them when he appears on the prison deck (albeit a little dazed due to the long teleport). Once there, he looks around for someone to get the pile sorted and contained.

[Oroboros]

Touch
You pull the tarp off of the object, just as, with a speed that could almost be mistaken for teleportation, Tempo arrives in the room. This looks like the previous disc that Earthquake had encountered, but several pipes run out of the sides. A cursory examination of these pipes reveals traces of the glowing blue substance that is filling the barrels and vats throughout the facility. There is also a large, funnel-like area that seems to be a sort of intake. Dials, readouts, levers, and keyboards can be found clustered in the front.

[Oroboros]

Beholder's Toughness: [roll0]
Scorpion's Attack: [roll1]
Bladebeast's Attack: [roll2]
Beholder uses its DC 24 gaze again. If it succeeds

The Beholder resists Sharkguard's continued assault, Rimilin's imbued will barely holding it's ectoplasmic form together. It frantically redoubles its efforts to dominate Sharkguard's will. It broadcasts a telepathic message to its siblings to refrain from attacking if it brings Sharkguard under its grip again. The other two hold off until its efforts are resolved, and then redouble their own efforts to bring down the aberrant shark-man.

[Starsign]

Back to where he started, Sharkguard fares better when the Beholder tries to hypnotize the shark-man. Rather than the entranced look, the shark-man simply glares back at the creature, staring the creature down. Upon this failure, the shark-man feels the scorpion's claws try to tighten up against his chest as the bladed python storms down its blades upon Sharkguard. Though a nasty flurry, the shark-man's hide protects him well; simple cuts and scrapes cover his skin as he looks on unbroken at the Beholder.

"No monster's gonna get in me head," he shouts back, attempting to intimidate the Beholder through his strong, boisterous will. "And now I be takin' ya t' th' locker!" Sharkguard unleashes a rushing fury of blows, throwing straights and roundhouse punches to back the Beholder to a corner. Then, something only an aberrant such as himself would do, Sharkguard opens wide and launches his teeth at the creature, attempting to tear right into the ectoplasmic monster and tear off what form it has left. Sharkguard normally doesn't use his teeth to fight, especially against actual organic foes. Only the strongest of enemies he's fought such as Behemoth and Monarch are tough enough to handle the shark-man's lethal teeth. In this case, it's a good thing the monsters here are just ectoplasm shaped by Rimilin.

Alright, so I checked and noticed I can't Intimidate as a move action. So Sharkguard will be attacking and brutalizing the Beholder. Power Attack and All-Out Attack +5/-5: [roll0] DC 34 Toughness if hit.

[Oroboros]

Beholder's toughness check: [roll0]
The Beholder, battered and bruised, manages to scrape together enough telekinetic clout to deflect yet another blow, but its reserves are clearly weakening. Ectoplasma is sloughing off from its edges, and its form is barely holding together.

[Oroboros]

The Conjurations
Acting on a self-preservation instinct that is only the artificially imbued function of Rimilin's will, the Beholder desperately attempts once more to assume control of Sharkguard, again instructing it's siblings to refrain from breaking its hold on Sharkguard until it either fails or succeeds in dominating his will.
Beholder uses its dominate, DC 24
Assuming it fails, the Bladebeast and Scorpion attack
Bladebeast [roll0]
Scorpion [roll1]

[Starsign]

As much as the Beholder tries, its chance to control Sharkguard may have passed. The shark-man is too riled up by now; his mind focused in the flow and rage of battle. His large, toothy smile shining as he avoids another flurry of strikes from the bladed monster. The scorpion by this point was more or less flailing around helplessly as there seemed to be no way to even slow down the shark hero.

"And stay outta me head!" He yells in triumph as his fists simply pound away in front of him, using his sheer will and brute force to try and overpower the badly damaged Beholder. It isn't even a matter of time at this point; the shark-man juggernauts his way through with such thrilling bravado that it's a wonder whether anyone in this complex could stop him.

Man we've been at this Beholder for awhile. :smalltongue:

Alright, the usual stuff. All-Out Attack and Power Attack +5/-5: [roll0] DC 34 if hit.

EDIT: Crit! DC 39 instead. :smalleek:

[Oroboros]

The Conjurations

Beholder Toughness [roll0]
Bladebeast Attack [roll1]
Scorpion Attack [roll2]
The Beholder had given it its best, but its best was simply not enough in the face of the incredible might of Sharkguard. It finally explodes in a shower of ectoplasma which, too, begins to evaporate, returning to the unknown location from whence it came. The other two conjurations struggle all the fiercer as the Shark-man turns begins to direct his assault towards them.

[Avalon®]

Captain Brandywine just stood off to the side watching the three ectoplasmic monsters attack his first mate, Sharkguard. Sharkguard didn't look like he needed any help.

"Just yell if you want any help eh?"

[Oroboros]

The Conjurations

Sharkguard lunges at the scorpion, arms outstretched to grab it, but the conjured beast deftly skitters out of the way before lunging back in with a counterattack.

Bladebeast's Atack [roll0]
Scorpion's Attack [roll1]

[Dienekes]

Typhon runs down the hall until he gets to the room with Sharkguard and the conjurations. Seeing that the creatures had remained after their master was captured, Typhon rushed in to help his comrade.

Initiative: [roll0]
All out power attack on the Scorpion [roll1]
Damage: DC 31, Penetrating 5
Free Grab Strength check [roll2]

[Oroboros]

Scorpion's Toughness: [roll0]
Resisting Grab [roll1]

The scorpion reels back from Typhon's blow, but again deftly avoids being grappled.

[Starsign]

"Ain't be needin' any help 'ere!" Sharkguard shouts back to Brandywine as the shark-man almost literally laughs off everything the remaining conjurations throw at him. If these are the best Rimilin is able to send then the Guardians just should have sent Sharkguard to take on the entire complex himself. It's not like he has been fazed much by what he has seen; if anything he felt a little unhappy he didn't get the chance to face Spartan as well. At least everything else in the building has been taken care of, letting the shark-man enjoy his fun against these monsters.

...At least until Typhon had charged in, slicing his claws into the scorpion. The shark-man moves a little to ironically pincer the scorpion, trapping it inbetween the two aberrants. Sharkguard's eyes however waver on Typhon for a moment; his voice sounding as if he is playfully annoyed. "Ahoy, Typhon find ye own damn prey, aye?" As per his fight-happy, upbeat mood, Sharkguard's 'request' doesn't hold a lot of water when it comes to the far more rational Typhon. Sharkguard's wide smile tells far more in how he appreciates Typhon being around than the shark-man's own words. "What made ye think a second aberrant ain't like using cannons on a simple human?" he asks as he charges and reaches down to try and grab a hold on the scorpion. "Ain't too much t' put ye faith in a god's might, aye?"

[Oroboros]

The Conjurations

Scorpion's roll to resist Dodge: [roll0]
Scorpion's attack: [roll1]
Bladebeast's attack [roll2]

The Scorpion dodges out of the way of Typhon's attack, right into Sharkguard's waiting arms. The conjured beast is dragged to the floor by the aberrant even as it desperately claws at its captor. The Bladebeast strikes out as well, although it is hesitant about hitting its fellow conjuration.

[Dienekes]

"I was just wondering what was taking you so long," Typhon muttered as the creature worked it's way out of his grasp. "We already have Rimilin," Typhon said. Sharkguard had grabbed onto the scorpion creature.

Moving toward the Bladebeast, Typhon clawed at the creature.

All out power attack on Bladebeast: [roll0]
DC 31, Penetrating 5
Not going to grab a creature that is made of blades.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard gives off his hearty laugh to Typhon in response. "Ye know I like t' take me time fightin' simple beasts and monsters." His words do hide the fact that some of these monsters happen to be tougher than he had expected, though for him it adds more to the fun. "Glad to hear me crew got that ol' mage. Earthquake and Firestorm dealt with everywhere else or we be smashin' th' rest o' this place afterward?" Sharkguard speaks casually as he grabs a hold on the scorpion, gripping both of his hands on its tail as the creature cutely pokes away at his body. In spite of this, the shark-man found himself breathing a bit heavier than usual. Was he really getting tired already? Is that damn liver of his acting up? Ironically his heavy breathing is making him thirsty; a good barrel of alcohol would make for a relaxing drink after this.

Sharkguard turns his head to the bladed python as Typhon charges for it. "Ay now Typhon that thing can tear most limb's 'part with it's body," he warns, knowing Typhon doesn't quite have the same durability Sharkguard has to throw himself into to the creature and come out fine. Even Sharkguard knows better than to punch something that not only punishes him for doing so, but can cut right through his hide. Even if Typhon can heal, there's a better way around. "Lemme show ye how I fight swashbucklers!" The shark-man's loud voice roars in excitement as he attempts to lift up the scorpion by its tail, swinging it wildly at the bladed python in an attempt to bring injury to both, while protecting Sharkguard from immediate retaliation.

Well I'm fatigued now. Good thing that's about it for now. Going to attack the Bladed Python here with my Improvised Weapon (based on rules I BELIEVE I do an additional +1 damage with an Improvised).

First, Opposed Strength check: [roll0]
Now my attack proper: [roll1] DC 30 for the python if this hits, and I believe the scorpion either suffers from the DC as well, or takes Knockback damage since it's colliding with another thing (and it might get harmed by the Python's aura too)

[Oroboros]

The Conjurations

Bladebeast's Toughness vs Typhon [roll0]
Bladebeast's Toughness vs Sharkguard [roll1]
Typhon and the scorpion both take DC 30 penetrating 15 damage from touching the Bladebeast. Since the Bladebeast is almost a liquid, and there aren't really any rules on the topic, the aura damage is all that the scorpion should take.
Scorpion's Toughness [roll2]
Scorpion's escape roll [roll3] vs a DC of 24
The attacks are both directed at Sharkguard
Bladebeast's attack: [roll4] DC 30
Scorpion's attack: [roll5] DC 25 poison and toughness

Edit: Apparently, Typhon killed the Bladebeast. In that case, it's attack never takes place. The Scorpion still takes a DC 30 check for being rammed into the blades, Typhon still takes a DC 30 check for punching it in the first place, and the Scorpion still attempts to escape and attack.


The Bladebeast begins to collapse in a shower of razors and knives as Typhon claws through it. Sharkguard slams the Scorpion down on the now rapidly-dissolving Bladebeast, where it fruitlessly attempts to escape from his grasp. Its tail lashes out at Sharguard even as it tries to free itself from his iron grip.

[Dienekes]

Toughness [roll0]

Neat, only 1 degree of failure.

Typhon swings his clawed hand as the creature stung him in it's death throes, shaking off the pain. "Ow," he said in a deadpan. He desperately tried to think of a good retort to Sharkguard's comment as the mighty aberrant swung his own opponent against the clattering mass of blades. As usual, absolutely nothing came to him. So he grunted. Eloquent as always.

Seeing the Scorpion had injected his friend. Typhon decided on a more defensive approach for his new target.

[Starsign]

When using an enemy as a weapon, Sharkguard definitely showed little hesitance. His wide smile gleamed as he smashed the scorpion down like a flail upon the dissolving python. The last thing that could have actually harmed the shark-man is now no more and the remaining conjuration is at the mercy of the monstrous-looking aberrants.

Sharkguard lifts the scorpion up by the tail, letting it flail around and helplessly whack its claws at him like a pinata. "Hah!" His breathing lightens up a bit as his grin cruelly ties up into a mean look. He glares straight into the scorpion's eyes as he begins taunting the scorpion to intimidate it. "Thought ye could even harm th' mighty Sharkguard? Th' god o' th' seas?! There be no monster now greater than me!" Sharkguard is having a bit too much fun trying to terrify the scorpion, even when everything else in the complex is apparently dealt with.

Typhon or Brandywine are free to actually take out the Scorpion, but Sharkguard is gonna be mean to it and gonna try to scare it. :smalltongue: Intimidate: [roll0]

No worries, I'll actually deal with it proper next turn.

[Oroboros]

The Conjuration
The Scorpion, apparently unaware or unfazed by Sharkguard's attempts to intimidate it, strikes out again with it's tail, even as it continues to attempt to escape.

Scorpion's attack [roll0]
Scorpions escape roll [roll1]

[Starsign]

Sharkguard continues to smirk as he has the scorpion literally hangs by a limb. If it is in desperation then that might explain why it doesn't quite react in the sort of fear Sharkguard can give other creatures. It's a bit of a pity; the shark-man enjoys putting terror into the minds of supervillains. In that case it's probably time to give the scorpion the plank.

Sharkguard takes his free arm and swings it around the scorpion to trap it within the his massive arms. He then swings his other arm around to also trap the scorpion's body, almost as if it is being given a great big hug as its tail goes free to peck away as it always has. With a loud growl, Sharkguard begins crushing the scorpion within his arms, demonstrating his strength once more in a show of style. He doesn't get to do this a lot considering this would obliterate most mortal villains and heroes, so the shark-man is absolutely making the most of it.

Fort save to recover from Fatigue earlier: [roll0]
And Fort save for this new attack: [roll1]

Attacking the Scorpion while grabbing it. DC 29 Toughness

[Oroboros]

Scorpion's Toughness [roll0]
The Scorpion's carapace cracks under the pressure of Sharkguard's crushing grip.

[Starsign]

As Sharkguard begins the inevitable crushing of the scorpion, he remembers that the other teams might still be acting and he may be needed after this. He begins speaking on his commlink, quite easily capable of speaking and fighting at the same time. "I be wrappin' it up 'ere. Sounds like ye have Spartan and Lightshow with Rimilin. Hearty day for us all, yar har har! Rest o' th' complex pillaged yet mateys? Our loot be taken and every nook and cannery checked?" The shark-man is always up for more, so long as it'll be fun and helpful to the Guardians.

Just a simple RP post while waiting on Dienekes's turn

[Dienekes]

Typhon felt pity for the beast, a lone monster struggling against insurmountable odds. If it was a cape this was where Typhon would have offered it a chance at redemption, but everything he knew about conjurations said that while they have their own autonomy, they are ultimately tied to their creator's will.

Sighing, Typhon attempted to strike down the creature for good.

All Out Power Attack with my bonuses applied to attack [roll0]
DC 31, Penetrating 5

[Oroboros]

Scorpion's Toughness[roll0]

Typhon's strike unravels the last of the will holding together the Scorpion's ectoplasmic form, and it splatters onto the ground, slowly melting away into the air.

[Starsign]

In contrast to the sighing Typhon, Sharkguard bursts out laughing as he sees the last of Rimilin's conjurations splatter into dissolving ectoplasm; the two aberrants triumph against these monsters. "Yar har har! Ain't that be a lot o' fun!" Monsters such as the conjurations sure did provide a different challenge to Sharkguard compared to neohumans. Were these creatures not dangerous threats to everyone else the shark-man would have preferred to see more of them running around supervillain bases.

Sharkguard gives Typhon a great smile and a pat on the back in thankfulness of the younger aberrant's arrival. "Ye ought t' feel better 'bout winnin'," he says to encourage Typhon. "Captured th' villain and pillaged his treasury. What there t' feel so gloomy?" The shark-man had a simple mind when it came to fighting supervillains on their own turf; take out the villain and stop his scheme. Sometimes it is more complicated than that but the Guardians had the advantage when it came to fighting Rimilin.

Seeing things calm down, Sharkguard turns on his commlink to contact mission control. "Ahoy Odin. All be quiet on th' earth. Me be searchin' th' rest o' this place before headin' back." With that, Sharkguard contacts the rest of the Guardians as he hears Solstice and Warp's voice on the other side. "Ye be wantin' me to watch over th' Core? Ain't want our price booty t' be taken if we ain't movin' it. Gonna check th' rest o' this place otherwise."

[Dienekes]

For someone who espouses the superiority of monsters, Sharkguard takes a great deal of pleasure in killing them.

"You're right, of course," Typhon said as he wiped the ectoplasm off his claws. "It was a good win for our side. If you don't mind, I think I'll help examine the Core, see if an extra 3 sets of eyes can pick up anything Solstice can't."

[Starsign]

Sharkguard gives a quiet, regretful nod hearing Odin's command over the cockpit. "Arrr, be over already?" The shark-man should have expected this, considering everyone else got their jobs done while he had 'held off' three otherwise dangerous conjurations. All things considered, it's a job well done and just another day in the life for an aberrant titan.

Sharkguard takes a look to both Typhon and Brandywine for a moment before contacting the Guardians' local teleporter man. "We be done 'ere then Warp. C'mon take us back 'fore th' Cap'n decides t' set the Neverland sail there!" This is spoken in jest, for all that Sharkguard knows. Doing such a thing would be highly ineffective and frankly insane... He does wonder whether Brandywine would actually do that if it came down to it, and Sharkguard isn't sure if he wants to know.

Good thing it's been so much more convenient getting around ever since Warp joined.

[Volthawk]

"Yeah, I can hear the guy too. Heading back down, see ya in a sec. Ectos any trouble?" True to his word, he appears in front of him, taking a moment to have a look around and gather up Tempest. "Alrighty kids, last chance to grab a souvenir before we're off." After giving a small window to everyone, he brings them back up to the station. He stops for a moment to sip on a drink he had apparently left up there, before leaving again.

[Oroboros]

The Legion training facility is an impressive building, with glass walls surrounding interior rooms each built to train different Neohuman abilities. In the center of the building is a massive stadium, used both for sporting events and training exercises. The Legion facility obtained its name, not from the fact that it has ever trained an army, but from its designer: Legionnaire, a powerful member of the Atlanteans, second only to Electra and Triton himself. From inside the building, about one in eight rooms is occupied by members of the Atlantean Guard, training with both their bodies and their abilities.

[Starsign]

Even if Sharkguard never quite got is the biggest fan of the Atlanteans he can always appreciate their craftsmanship in designs. The training facility really is something then, for wonderful glass walls in rooms designed to train the various rookies and Atlantean hopefuls. The glass probably is durable enough to withstand normal metahuman abilities; while the shark-man wants to experiment on that theory, he had come here for other reasons than to be a demolition man.

"Here be me stop," the shark-man notes to Warp as the two had teleported in. "Gonna check which o' th' Atlanteans are trainin' 'ere." Sharkguard's body looked relaxed, rather than tense for a fight; he did tell Aurora that he'd try and look more for someone he could help train rather than look for the strongest Atlantean here and greet them with the shark-man's fist. "I be lettin' ye know if there be somethin' I need. 'Til then, good huntin' an' happy sails!"

With his pirate-y lingo farewell, Sharkguard progresses down the hallways of the Legion Training Facility. Going straight into the big stadium in the middle is too obvious; the very act of it screamed, 'FIGHT ME!' He made the promise not to do something like that, at least try to. Instead he gives quick peeks into some of the glass-walled rooms, checking to see what Atlanteans or newcomers might be there. Particularly Sharkguard looks for one of the lower-ranked Atlanteans or hopefuls that might be a physical fighter, something the shark-man is himself. He'd have an easier time helping someone who fights with their fists or material weapon rather than someone who throws fire or electricity. Though if Sharkguard happens to get any unexpected company due to walking about, he won't be surprised given he's an aberrant on neohuman-friendly land.

[Volthawk]

Warp chuckles. "I'll go walkabout until the others need me, then. Remember, anything goes south or escalates to much, lemme know over comms." He then teleports back onto the streets, and goes for a wander by the beaches (with his teleporting, this means all of them). It's nice out there, and being literally at the edges of the island might be useful for the actual mission, Following this train of though, Warp tries to wander around the less popular areas, places where someone might hide. Not that he expects to get much from just looking around, but eh. Gives him something vaguely on-mission to do.

[Oroboros]

Sharkguard happens across one soldier that he found more interesting than the rest. The tall, dark-haired young man stands in the middle of a room, surrounded by steel pillars and pools of water. He is holding both of his hands out in front of him, in a meditative pose. His cupped palms are filled with a silvery liquid. As Sharkguard watches, he exhales, and lets the liquid fall to the ground. He reaches into a pool, and pulls out a crude-looking sword from nowhere. He turns around, and cleaves one of the pillars in half. He stops when he notices Sharkguard watching. His eyes widen, and he nervously waves.
Are... are you Sharkguard? Wow, this is, um... a real surprise. Its not every day you meet one of the..." He clears his throat, and turns around to fully face the aberrant across the room.
Pardon my manners. I'm Alchemist. Pleased to meet you. No need to introduce yourself. As you've already seen, I suppose, your reputation kind of precedes you.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard watches with a curious smile as he comes across the neohuman training. It was a rather neat sight, watching the Atlantean perform a ritual and then slice a steel pillar apart with a blade that looks like it'll break in half any second now. The shark-man can take a guess at what sort of power this neohuman has, though it's certainly one which the name doesn't hint at. Alchemist? What kind of name is that? It's a word lost to Sharkguard, though perhaps that is why he is so curious about this neohuman here.

As soon as Sharkguard is addressed, he smiles widely as he takes a step into the room. "Aye, that it has," he says; his voice has a booming strength which rivals his massive frame. "Jus' like a pirate, I be spreadin' fame an' infamy across the seven seas!" He had quite the degree of pride in being a nightmare to foes just as much as being famous among the Guardians; and in a sense he enjoys bringing contempt by some of the Atlanteans to show off the accomplishments of a "mistake" they call an aberrants.

Though of course the shark-man should not ignore his own manners, what little of those are there in him. "But good to meet ye Alchemist. Ye got quite th' power." He takes a look at the chopped steel pillar. A blade like that can possibly cut the shark-man's own skin would be an impressive sight... though being able to shrug off such a slice will be just as impressive. "Clean cut I see," he says, sounding slightly impressed as he looks at the pillar. "Ye got powers t' cutlass yer way through metal? Ain't often see a neohuman that makes stuff from liquid. How long ye've been masterin' yet power?" Sharkguard folds his arms, awaiting an answer while wondering how good Alchemist's swordplay is.

[Oroboros]

Oh, my power? I've been with the Atlanteans for four years now, and I've had my powers for six. I can pick two materials, and make one turn into the other. Takes a bit of concentration to change my set, and its harder with completely new materials that I haven't "learned" before. Still, I'm learning lots of cool tricks from Legion, like this:
Alchemist pulls a chunk of metal off of the top of the sword, water dripping from the severed area. He presses a button near the side of the room, and a target dummy springs out of the ground. He ducks behind a pillar as the dummy reveals a pellet gun concealed in its chest. Small projectiles bounce off of the pillar, ricocheting around the room. Alchemist ducks out from behind the pillar, throwing out a hand in front of his body. Suddenly, the hail of pellets turns into a horizontal rainfall. Alchemist takes the chunk of metal and throws it at the dummy. It turns into water in midair, splashing over the target. As soon as it impacts, it turns back into steel. The pellet-sprayer, now sealed shut, grinds to a halt.

Alchemist turns around and grins. "I can stop bullets, if I transform them far enough away. Water doesn't hold together very well at high velocities. Do you want to help me train? I doubt steel would slow you down, but if you take it easy on me I could get some close combat experience. Unless, you know, you had something to do, or..." Alchemist trails off, looking hesitant.

[Starsign]

There really is no denying now that Sharkguard is incredibly impressed by Alchemist's powers. There is no way the shark-man would have thought of using a power like that to turn bullets into rain which deflect back to clog the gun with steel. The display of such skill reminds him once more that skill is just as important as power; he's had to make use of both really when among the times he's fought Behemoth and Monarch. Good thing too, as Sharkguard simply lacks the same versatility that Alchemist has. "Well ye be a dang clever lad," the shark-man compliments. "Bet ye'd have a party fightin' in th' seven seas with those powers. 'Course ye'd have t' breathe under there else ye'd be sleepin' with th' fishes." Someone like Alchemist can definitely be a dominant ally under the sea, and a terrifying opponent.

Yet since this is on land it meant Alchemist had but the pool of water and steel pillars to work with; and when it comes to close-quarters combat Sharkguard felt a little disappointment comparing Alchemist to himself. "I be always up for trainin' and fightin'. But lemme tell ye, I be a heavy-hitter; Ain't much other than aberrants that can stare down and face th' worst o' this cap'n's storm." Wanting to at least give a bit of his favoritism for abberants out, Sharkguard avoids explicitly telling Alchemist that Aurora is also capable of taking the shark-man on in a straight up brawl. "Even holdin' back I could be pummelin' ye." He looks at Alchemist, then at the training dummy, then back to Alchemist with an idea. "Actually, luck be givin' me a idea. Can ye coat yerself in steel? Ye can toughen up with yer power till all th' blades in th' world ain't a threat. Sure ain't gonna be as tough as me but it'll be a real damn step up from human flesh." Though Sharkguard means no real ill will to Alchemist, the words, "human flesh" were spoken with a slight degree of disdain. To Sharkguard, that skin really is just one reason for why aberrants are "evolved." Something as weak as human flesh won't hold up in a real, straight up battle.

[Oroboros]

Alchemist nods, considering the idea. I have been practicing with steel armor. The tricky parts are the joints, and the weight. I have to be able to liquefy the joints enough to move, but when I do they tend to fall off. The weight is a problem, well, because I'm still just an ordinary human, and full suits of steel armor are heavy. I have been taking lessons in a sort of Neohuman martial arts, though. One of the instructors specializes in blending our powers with existing martial arts. I can use my power with some Judo-ish techniques to give me tons of leverage in holds and throws. The nice thing about throws is that, no matter how strong your opponent is, they usually still weigh as much as a normal human, and it is just as easy to throw them off balance or hold them in the air. This probably doesn't apply to someone of your.... physique, but it's handy against guys like Brawn or Browbeater. Actually, could you help me practice those? Fighting against guys that are way stronger than me is part of the job description, after all.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard can't help but look a bit disappointed at Alchemist's inability to properly create steel armor that protects him in battle. There really is no way the shark-man can practice fighting or sparring against someone he could accidentally break in half with one punch. There's a good reason why he generally spars with Typhon or Aurora, though even then Sharkguard needs to consider holding back a bit.

His expression however lightens into another smile as Alchemist suggests practicing martial arts. Sure Sharkguard might not be able to punch but throws and grappling are two things he can do. "Judo? Heard 'bout it once. Ain't somethin' I be findin' me doin'. But I be up t' help ye with that. As somethin' I learned, a fight can end th' moment I caught some scurvy landlubber in me mighty arms." He demonstrates by flexing both arms at once, showing how large his muscles are relative to any human or neohuman... even though the shark-man's accomplishments speak far louder than his physique generally does.

He creaks his neck and takes a step back from Alchemist, readying himself as if he's set to fight. "Been hopin' t' get some practice dodgin' as well. I bet all Atlantean stories 'bout me call me some oaf who'd care less 'bout which way he's gotta weave when another oaf comes attackin' me." He smirks at the thought of Atlantean tall tales which exaggerate the shark-man's less-than-appreciative traits. He won't be surprised if that is the case, given he is an aberrant. It does however make for quite the surprise when Sharkguard can prove those tales false. "Ready whenever ye are, jus' be ready in case I'm quicker than ye think."

Alrighty, if we may be using rolls and such, Sharkguard will be taking a total defense action here for a defense boost, to see how accurate Alchemist can be at trying to lay a grab/attack on Sharkguard.

If we'll be doing rolls for grapples too, here's Sharkguard's one for in case Alchemist does manage to enter a grab: [roll0]

[Oroboros]

Alchemist takes a deep breath in and out, running his hand over the remainder of his blade, reworking it at his touch. Without warning, he swipes the metal rod out to the side. It liquefies in midair, but turns back to metal upon touching the side of Sharkguard's leg. Like a rope, it wraps around the back of his knee, fully solidifying. In a fluid continuation of the same motion, Alchemist yanks back, attempting to throw Sharkguard on the ground.


Alchemist is attempting a Trip maneuver, and gaining a bonus from his power on both the attack roll and acrobatics roll.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Starsign]

Having expected Alchemist to simply charge forth, Sharkguard is caught off guard when the Atlantean chooses to simply grab the shark-man's leg from a distance. Though his reflexes are quick the rod solidly wraps behind his leg and attempts to knock him down to the ground. Unfortunately for Alchemist, the physique of an aberrant makes for a far bigger difference from that of a neohuman. The most that the rod manages to do is swing the shark-man's left leg up a bit before he slams it down on the ground to regain his footing, causing a small rumble around the room. Something as heavy as him isn't going to be easily thrown down.

"Hah! Got ye!" he calls out, reacting surprisingly quickly as he charges forward at Alchemist. As Sharkguard knows, he can keep an enemy down if they're not strong or slippery enough to escape his grasp. All he needs is a good connecting strike as his right arm reaches back, as if he is going to be launching a punch at Alchemist. Then, in a attempt to trick the neohuman, Sharkguard suddenly moves to swing his left arm around behind Alchemist to grip and trap his body, shoulder and arms in-between the shark-man's left arm and chest. His wide swings make him vulnerable to a possible counterattack but it's the tactic he uses when he wants to quickly freeze a threat.

Using All-Out Attack +5/-5 to try and guarentee a melee attack check on Alchemist: [roll0]

And my Grab check in the event that I do hit: [roll1] If I win the check, Sharkguard won't be doing anything. He's here to practice, not perform throws or pins. :smalltongue:

[Oroboros]

Alchemist struggles in Sharkguard's ironclad grip for a moment, before finally relaxing. He chuckles. Heh. I suppose that sometimes there really isn't a substitute for raw strength. I guess it helps that most bruisers I'' be fighting won't be quite as strong as you.

[Starsign]

Sharkguard chuckles with Alchemist as the shark-man has made the neohuman's weak spot very clear. "Ye ought t' know better than expect th' same from an aberrant," he warns with a smile, releasing his hold on Alchemist. "I be a juggernaut; even aberrants more than twenty times me size can't put me down." The shark-man intentionally neglects to mention that he had taken quite the trashing fighting Monarch nearly twenty years back, though Sharkguard was the only one capable of confronting it directly in a fight. It's just one more reason why the shark-man's ego is a bit more inflated than it should be. "Best ye learn better, lad, or fightin' ain't gonna be fun for ye at all."

Sharkguard's friendly warning and advice is followed immediately by Aurora's call from his commlink. He had figured something would show up sooner or later but he is impressed with how quickly it had occurred exactly. Either the negotiations with Triton was a smashing success... or it has become a smashing contest; hard for the shark-man to tell which. "Arrr, curse th' luck o' th' devil," he curses with all the flair of pirate-y words. "Wanted t' help ye more Alchemist, but duty calls. Time ain't ever on th' side o' this Cap'n." Sharkguard waves farewell to Alchemist as he leaves the training room.

Over the commlink, the Guardians can hear a response from their aberrant juggernaut of an ally. "Ahoy Aurora. Ye got a kraken o' a mess on board already? Ye barely gave me enough time t' warm up fer any disasters goin' on!" His voice is boisterous and cheerful as expected, though he does his best to hide the extremely mild concern of timing. "Warp, ye know where's this be happenin'? 'Warehouse' ain't remindin' me o' any specific pirate cove or lair 'ere in Atlantis." Combat is still combat at least; nothing that the shark-man won't regret doing.

[Starsign]

Usually Sharkguard expects Warp to respond quickly and when it's high-time for action an immediate response is always best. Yet the shark-man hadn't heard anything when he asked about the warehouse. Were they all busy fighting? It'd make sense, though it must be a hell of a battle they are having. Or perhaps there's just a communications jamming, which would be more logical. This still however leaves the concern that there's a battle Sharkguard can enter but is quite a ways away from.

He gives a small grumble as he feels like he's has to find some villain to smash. His body tenses up as he wonders how he can get to the Guardians quickly. He wants to get there with some style, an actual sense of thrill that can impress the neohumans in Atlantis. By now his legs are pumped with excitement and a chance to show off. Odin did once talk to Sharkguard about powerhouses such as him able to make huge, superhuman leaps with their strength. He himself has done it quite a few times, though rarely to get around. Often he just needed to get enough height to smash some poor villain's face in; punching one's giant legs isn't exactly the most impressive way to harm someone. Today however it won't hurt to see just how far Sharkguard can leap.

He gets his comm ready again as he contacts mission control, not quite aware that Triton has been contacting the other Guardians as well. "Ahoy Odin, I be comin' for th' others soon. Got me a warehouse t' pillage. Gonna need the location on this island." While contacting Odin, Sharkguard begins walking towards the center of the building, right to the big arena in the middle. A small grin flashes over his face as the coordinates come in. "Aye aye," he responds to Odin as his grin grows wider when he steps into the arena. Sure there wasn't a huge number of people watching given there's no big event but the couple hundred or two will be enough for what Sharkguard has planned.

Out in the middle of the arena, he raises his fist up to the sky as if waving to the crowd. "Ahoy ye landlubbin' neohumans!" The shark-man spoke with all the power that his deep, booming and gravely voice held. He firmly is a speaker and to Atlantis he has no problem coming off as a heel. "Ye know me as Sharkguard, god of the seas! Ye think I be a monster, an aberrant 'mistake' that can't compare t' th' Atlanteans that protect ye?" If it wasn't for the fact that he is a Guardians for a long, long time one can almost mistake him as some showy villain. "Do ye think any o' th' Atlanteans can do what I be doin'? I've matched Monarch for strength, smashed th' Omega Driver, and stopped countless villains in me wake! Let this be ye hint that aberrants be far greater and ye ruler says! And if ye want me t' prove it, ye let me know someday and I be comin' 'ere t' take on all comers!" Sharkguard's massive, sharp-teethed smile should be enough to be put in the memory of any neohumans who sees him out in the arena; the shark-like shape of his head probably helps given it lets the sides of his teeth be shown from a aberrant who stands like a hulking mountain.

And with that heel speech to inspire to the crowd and to inspire himself, Sharkguard begins bending his legs down as he aims towards the general direction of where the warehouse is. Only a moment passes as he literally launches himself. The ground beneath him shakes and quakes as the strength from the legs spring him off the ground; even those on the stands could feel the mighty ground wave emitted from the shark-man's leap. The aberrant Guardian finds himself jumping high, high, very high into the air. Taking a moment to look down he can certainly tell that he's far higher up than he thought he can be. His expression of surprise quickly changes to a exciting smirk as he looks at what he guesses is the warehouse and begins aiming towards landing there. He maneuvers his body till he is diving headfirst down towards the warehouse like a living torpedo. If he can jump this high then he's GOT to do this more often!

Alrighty, was waiting on Volt to teleport Sharkguard but I'll go have him get to the warehouse himself. Will be power stunting Leaping from my Normal Strength, giving me Leaping 14. Sharkguard will be fatigued from this. I did make some shortcuts in regards to having any of the PCs or Odin respond to Sharkguard. Hope that isn't a problem. :smallredface:

I'll be working on a post in the Group thread to continue from this, at least unless Oroboros wants to resolve this for Sharkguard. :smalltongue: