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

Protean certainly had a great deal of fun messing with the Wards as they trained! It was cute the way Margrave recoiled when he was slapped in the face by a tail, and Messiah's attempt to assault him was nothing short of precious. Once they had been good and stressed out, the real entertainment began. Their bodies focused on the running, their minds still reeling from his suddenly attacking them, it made for the perfect level of stress to really test their reasoning functions. So as a sphinx he gave three riddles. Much to his surprise, though he didn't show it, the first of his riddles was answered near instantly by Tulpa. Damn, and he thought that was going to be the hardest pone, too! [color=darkgreen]"Fantastic, Evelyn! You get to take a break! Everyone else, keep running your laps! Now who will be the one to fight me?"[/color]

A few moments passed, and the second riddle was provided an answer. The senior hero gave a hearty laugh for Margrave. [color=darkgreen]"Yes, you are correct! A stamp! Now keep up your laps, my boy!"[/color]

That left one unanswered riddle, and two Wards. Messiah, the newly appointed leader, and Epsilon, the largely non-combative tinker. Using a long, serpentine tongue, Protean licked his lips and tasted the air. If things turned out how he thought they would, this would be a most interesting situation indeed. "The coin that's not a nickel is a quarter, and the other coin is the nickel!" Ah, there was the recognition in Messiah's eyes! Just as he had anticipated. [color=darkgreen]"Yes! You got it, Alessa! Keep running, girl! And that leaves..."[/color] The sphinx man turned his eyes to follow Ira as she ran her own pace around the gym, keeping his eyes locked onto her. [color=darkgreen]"The weakest link. Exactly as I thought. Good news is you can stop running. Bad news is..."[/color]

The sphinx-like body began to bubble over, boiling once more into the primordial ooze that made up Protean's form whenever he shifted his body structure. This time he grew tall, lean, but muscular. He appeared mostly human this time. Mostly. His body covered itself in a thin layer of black fur, while his head grew horns and took on a distinctive bovine appearance. For all intents and purposes, Protean had become a [url=http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/003/3/8/minotaur_warrior_by_bradlyvancamp-d4l8l8o.jpg]minotaur.[/url]

[color=darkgreen]"Bad news is you're going to take some boxing lessons from me, 'contact' style."[/color] Now the real test would begin. The question remained though, would they figure it out?

[hr][hr]

[center][h1][color=gold]The Jacks: Highway Robbery[/color][/h1]
[@The Wild West][@yoshua171][@BCTheEntity][@Eklispe][/center]

Noble watched and observed silently as Chatterbox engaged her. The soldiers around them kept their weapons trained on the heroes, but as he went on attention seemed to be diverting ever so slightly. Noble kept a watchful eye on the two her weapon was trained on, naturally, unable to get any kind of vantage on the sniper mercenary currently preoccupied with cutting himself loose higher up on the hill. Once Arsenal stepped out into the open, the heroine looked rather relieved. The soldiers relaxed a fair bit too. 

[color=#357302][b]“As to how things should proceed, Ms. Noble. Perhaps we could discuss this over dinner?”[/b][/color]

She actually cracked a smile at that. His words, and more importantly his power, were making headway into her psyche. Though her response sounded pleasant (or as pleasant as can be coming from a woman holding a gun of unknown capabilities at your face), her guard hadn't dropped. At least not enough to make any drastic or sudden moves. 

[color=yellow]"I thought it was common knowledge that I'm spoken for. You wouldn't want to piss off Inkscape. He always tells me I've got to work on my temper, but the last time a villain got the upper hand on me... Well, let's just say they should be glad they regenerate."[/color] She followed that up with a chuckle. 

[color=#357302][b]“Though, in all seriousness, I'm sure my comrades and I would rather not go to jail, which would surely be the result of this encounter. However, that's not really up to us, so what did [i]you[/i] have in mind for how things go, moving forwards, mmm?”[/b][/color]

[color=yellow]"Pretty much just the jail thing, sweetie. If you're lucky you won't end up in the Birdcage. None of you look familiar, so I'm guessing this is your first offense? If you all surrender now, I'm sure you can get a decent plea bargain. Fuck, I'll even put in a good word."[/color]

[color=gold]"21,786 to 1!"[/color] A new voice called out from the sidelines. Noble jerked her head to see who had spoken just in time for a large hub cap to smack her in the chest, knocking her back several feet and onto the ground where she fell unconscious. The hub cap bounced from her body and flew through the air like a discuss, striking the nearest PRT soldier across his helmet-protected face. It continued to ricochet, bouncing to the next soldier and knocking him on his ass. Finally, as though it were some sort of crazy, high tech homing boomerang, flew toward the armored transport truck to be caught by a young man. He was only a few inches taller than five feet, blonde hair with blue eyes, and dressed in prisoner transport garb. Gamble had gotten free, and with his power created a situation of the greatest unlikely outcome: That he would single-handedly defeat Noble and the remaining PRT soldiers in one fell swoop.

[color=gold]"21,786 to 1. That was the odds of me taking out that hero and her goons. 31 to 1. That was the likelihood I'd survive the crash without any major injury."[/color] He pointed to a small cut on his forehead, barely a scuff. [color=gold]"Probability that I'd get out of that truck before they got me to the birdcage: 5001 to 2. Thanks for being my 2. I'll ask who the fuck you are once we're out of here. Now I assume you've got a plan to get our asses gone before more heroes show up? 7 to 1, in case you were wondering the odds."[/color]

[hr][hr]

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

While Kyoshi conversed with a mysterious caller, G4M3R tapped his unique ear implants, doing his best to concentrate on two conversations at once. Outsider being here, and even better actually considering the offer, was pure joyous. What Kyoshi was discussing on the phone though, that was business. Important business. Saving someone's life, just just their actual physical life, but acting as an inspiration to do better? That was the perfect kind of PR that his Minutemen needed! Getting to beat up on the weakest gang in the Norther Colorado area to do it? That's just a bonus. 

[color=92278f]"Alright Minutemen, sounds like we've got ourselves our first honest-to-goodness hero request! Let's make sure we do this right so everyone knows that the Protectorate aren't the only force for good in the world, am I right?"[/color] G4M3R held his hand up for some high fives from his team. [color=92278f]"Outsider, I'd love for you to come along. I know we can handle the Rockers, hell just one of us would be fine against those dopes, but if things get hairy I'd bet you could make them surrender on sight alone! Hahaha!"[/color]

The leader of the Minutemen turned toward Celia and cocked his head. [color=92278f]"Hmm. Weird."[/color] He hadn't meant to say that out loud. His cybernetic ears were detecting electronic signals coming from her body. A ton of them. He decided it was best not to say anything, for now. If anything, he'd like to keep tabs on her. [color=92278f]"Hey, you want to come along, too? You can make a name for yourself as a cape? And it'd be more appealing to the public if we had more than one female member."[/color]