[center][h1][color=dodgerblue]Wards: Morning Training[/color][/h1]
[@BCTheEntity][@yoshua171][@solokolos][@Lugubrious][/center]

[color=darkgreen]"Sorry, forgot to mention!"[/color] the Wards heard from somewhere behind them, Protean's voice overlapping with the sound of padded feet and claws on the floor. [color=darkgreen]"You've got to avoid the big bad wolf!"[/color]

To those that looked back, they would see their senior Protectorate hero chasing them down, having shapeshifted to the form of a wild canine, fangs bared as his jowls stretched back. Really? They had to outrun a man that could gain the features of any animal he wanted? How blatantly unfair was that! As Ira had been the slowest, and Alessa hung back to chat while they ran, the two ladies were the first obstacles Protean was very quickly gaining on. 

[color=darkgreen]"Who's grandma? I'm hungry for some slow old lady!"[/color] he half-shouted half-howled, human vocal chords working in a strange mix that shouldn't be physically possible.

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[center][h1][color=gold]The Jacks: Highway Robbery - Things Get Bad[/color][/h1]
[@The Wild West][@yoshua171][@BCTheEntity][@Eklispe][@Banana][/center]

Shit had hit the fan something fierce, and the Jacks did what they could to fight back against it. Arsenal did what he liked to do best: throw as many bullets at the problem as parahumanly possible. Well bullets and fire as one of his six arms shifted to reveal the internal flamethrower. As he bathed Captain Morales in flame and unleashed a hailstorm of bullets upon Noble however he began to notice something peculiar. It took longer than it really should have, likely thanks to Morales' influence, but after a few moments Arsenal had no choice but to wonder just why the hell these two heroes didn't appear to give a damn about his attacked. Morales flat out ignored his fire while Noble seemed completely intangible, bullets passing right through her body. Sure it was well known that she manipulated gases, but no sources of information ever mentioned that she was capable of turning into gas. What the hell gives? The four PRT soldiers continued to move in whenever they saw an opening in Arsenal's onslaught, moments that were few and far between. Then one of the uninjured soldiers popped up from his cover holding his assault rifle and shot a quick burst at Arsenal. The ammunition did not strike his body, thankfully, but one of his six arms had been struck in the rotating joints where armor was weakest. Sparks trickled out like the machine's own life blood and a second later it lost functionality. The six shooter was now a five shooter.

Meanwhile, Chatterbox and Sofia reacted to the teargas grenade as quickly as they could under the circumstances. Spurred on by CB's reflexive use of his ability, Sofia blindly kicked at the grenade and knocking it aside, but it did not make it very far thanks to a combination of her blind aim and general lack of strength. A small amount of gas escaped the canister before it had been set aside, but breathing it in wasn't a problem as the stranger-class girl was simply "ignoring" the effects, to her and her team member's benefit. Unfortunately since it hadn't made it very far, the increasing volume of teargas was threatening to envelop Arsenal if he didn't notice and move soon.

Headhunter's shot rang true as expected, each bullet grazing the helmet of Captain Morales just enough to cause a concussion via blunt trauma. The Captain was down and out of the game, everyone immediately feeling the effects of his swelling influence completely dissipate all at once. The injured soldiers suddenly, slumped over, pain overtaking their nerves once again. The uninjured soldiers became less bold in their movements, more reserved. The Jacks no longer had their heads clouded by overconfidence. Everything they felt from this point on was all theirs.

That wasn't to say that Morales went down without a fight, though. As Headhunter swung around to release his perfectly aimed bullets, the hero was already in the middle of his own assault. As Headhunter pulled the trigger the first time, Morales released a [url=https://www.play.net/images/weapons/grappling_net.jpg]bolas net[/url] from a compacted launcher. Headhunter's bullets flew through the air right passed this restraining device as he kept himself scoped in, unable to dodge properly. Soon as Morales hit the ground, so did Headhunter, the rudimentary device wrapping around his torso and arms, knocking him off balance enough to fall over on his shoulder in a way that would leave a mighty fine bruise. He could get out of the restraint with some time and effort, and could even shoot from the hip, but wouldn't be able to scope until he freed himself.

[color=yellow]"Stand down now, assholes!"[/color] a strong, female voice called out from behind the duo of Sofia and Chatterbox. Standing behind them, a hand outstretched pointing a very unique pistol directly at them. It was different from her containment foam canister pistols, slightly smaller, and yet it had no noticeable cartridge for ammunition or fuel. A very perceptive individual could make out a pilot light fixed into the barrel, however. [color=yellow]"You've gone and pissed me off you villain scum. Everyone stands down and nobody else gets hurt. That goes for your sniper on the hill too!"[/color]

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[h2][center]The Minutemen and Others - Denver Skyline[/center][/h2]
[center][@Banana][@The Wild West][@Nattook][@yoshua171][@solokolos][/center]

G4M3R began to tremble at the sight of the large alienesque creature perched on the nearby building. Artificer suggested that they go so as not to suffer any sudden case of living-impairment, while Kyoshi took a more friendly and cordial approach. Furnace took a stand declaring the whole city under his protection and asking the thing to identify itself, which... It did. Furnace smiled a wide grin as Outsider introduced himself, first out of relief, then out of genuine interest. A more traditional hero would have been cautious and wary of potential trust issues. Furnace preferred a "given until broken" approach. Once Outsider shifted back to his normal human form, Furnace gave a slow clap showing how impressed he was. G4M3R had something different to say about it.

[color=92278f]"This is so righteous! I'm shaking with excitement! Hey Outsider, how'd you like to join my team? The Minutemen could really use someone like you, and we're not so restrictive as the Protectorate! No doubt you've seen our advertisements, right?"[/color]