[center][h1][b][color=dodgerblue]Wards and Other Heroes:[/color] Charity Event Begin[/b][/h1]
[@Old Amsterdam][@Gardevoiran][@Lugubrious][@solokolos][@yoshua171][@BCTheEntity][@t2wave][@LemonZest1337][/center]

Everything had begun happening so fast! The floor broke open and Ceramix crawled in with his giant stone armor golem, carrying a bunch of thugs from his gang in Boulder, and many people weren't exactly sure how to react. Some of the heroes, like Messiah and Margrave, jumped to action without a second prompt, while many gave pause for orders or attempted to reason with the gang leader. Inkscape was a man of action. As far as the Protectorate leader had been concerned, the very fact that Ceramix had dared to attack with such a grand show of force with such potential for civilian casualty negated any thought of peaceful negotiation prematurely. 

[color=yellow]"We need to concentrate on keeping the civilians safe!"[/color] he shot off quickly into his communicator, linked in to all Protectorates and Wards present. [color=yellow]"Morales, keep their spirits up and get them out of here! Epsilon, put that new pack to the test and help Morales get the civilians gone!"[/color] 

The octopus man shot himself high into the air by blasting out a massive stream of ink, propelling up like a rocket. In an effort to end things quickly, he shot a thick black liquid for Ceramix's face, but the massive arm of the stone golem swat the ink aside. [color=yellow]"Overlook, we need your constant updates. Tell us when and where he's going to be open, or when we need to dodge! Noble, Margrave, take care of the small fry. We can't let them run amok!"[/color]

As he was giving out the second batch of orders, the majority of the Rockers disembarked from their ride in order to rush the stage. Every one of them carried pickaxes as weapons, which would no doubt be deadly if they struck someone without strong armor or brute toughness. [color=yellow]"Hermes, I need you to-Ok, yeah, keep doing that. Sylph, it's your time to shine! You're the toughest and most mobile, so I need to to get in his blind spot and try to knock out Ceramix from inside his golem armor."[/color]

A Rocker rushed straight for Messiah and Tiger Lily, pickaxe ready to lodge in one of the girl's torsos. Just as he began swinging the weapon, a pellet of containment foam burst open on his back, rapidly expanding and enveloping him. The girls had Noble to thank, floating up above. [color=yellow]Decoy, I need you to analyze the city grid and figure out how they got through without disturbing the sewers and lower infrastructure. Protean!"[/color]

[color=darkgreen]"I heard the commotion, Ink, and I'm on my way!"[/color] came the voice of the Protectorate's shapeshifter, and biggest bruiser, through the commlinks.

[color=burlywood]"Come at me, heroes! Do you really think I'd attack you all together if I didn't have a plan? Hahahahaha! I'm gonna kick your asses!"[/color] The stone giant swung a mighty fist down toward where Inkscape was giving orders, but a quick warning courtesy of Overlook gave the team leader ample opportunity to get out of the way.

"Got a scan of all capes present in the hall," Tulpa reported, "No sign of Shatterpoint. That's the good news. Bad news is there's an unknown cape present in civilian clothes. Not sure on exact location. Nature of power is somewhat unclear. Too early to make call-outs, but try not to meet the eyes of any civilians. Power is initiated by sight. Going to sweep my projection elsewhere. Gather material traits for a manifestation. Awaiting orders, Messiah. Inkscape."

[color=yellow]"Acknowledged, Tulpa. You heard her, heroes! Don't make eye contact with anybody!"[/color]

Nearby another Rocker swung a pickaxe at the hero Furnace, who didn't even move in reaction to the assault. His temperature flared up for a fraction of a second, flash melting the metal head of the digging tool. Everyone else in the room could feel the sudden change of temperature as its effects lessened over the distance, in particular Messiah who got at least a small bit of energy added to her reserves. Afterward Furnace unfurled a telescopic baton and whapped the Rocker across the face, putting him down in a single strike. [color=orange]"My powers are too volatile to deal with Ceramix with so many people around!"[/color] he called out over the intense sounds of battle. [color=orange]"I'll help with crowd control!"[/color]

At this point Messiah began striking Ceramix's stone leg with a concentrated heat beam. The stone began to glow red hot, but it did not melt. At least not as quickly as she might have anticipated. No doubt if she kept it up, or turned the heat up a few notches, that would do the trick. [color=burlywood]"I thought I'd have to deal with you! That's why I chose only igneous rocks for this suit! Hahaha!"[/color] One arm reached down to the ground and yanked free a large clump of earth, the size of a mini cooper, and hurled it toward Messiah with clear intent to crush her into a red paste.

"Messiah, he's going to throw something!" Overlook spoke into the comms, a fraction of a second before Ceramix actually began the tactic.

As soon as the clump had been thrown, Outsider made his entrance! With two titanic creatures, space was beginning to become a limited luxury. The alien-like hero slammed into the golem's back with intense force, knocking him off balance. The stone warrior stumbled forward, utterly [i]annihilating[/i] the stage all the heroes had been presenting on. Still, he regained his footing and spun around with a powerful backhand right to what was [i]probably[/i] Outsider's face.

[color=yellow]"We're getting strapped for space in here. Tulpa, manifest as something that can hinder or immobilize him! We can't have any more wanton destruction endangering ourselves or the civilians."[/color] Meanwhile, the PRT security officers were busy either helping people get out, or taking down Rocker thugs. A particularly burly, mean looking Rocker wielding a pickaxe in each hand had spotted the little girl cosplaying as Margrave and went on the offense, mistaking her for the real thing.

"Take this, you wannabe hero!" he shouted, swinging both weapons at her horizontally from opposite sides.

"Kyoshi, get in there!" G@m3r ordered, pulling out a small blaster he had replicated from an indie sci-fi game. He blasted a thug in the chest, leaving a nice burn mark and knocking him out, but otherwise leaving him unharmed.

[hr][hr]

[center][h1][b][color=red]The Jacks[/color] and Other Less-Than-Legal Individuals[/b][/h1]
[@yoshua171][@BCTheEntity][@Eklispe][@floodtalon][@Old Amsterdam][@solokolos][@PlatinumSkink][@Gardevoiran][@Xandrya][@Spiffy][@AngelofOctober][/center]

[color=slateblue]"Hmhmhm, I see that our resident Whipstitch has just discovered my insurance policy,"[/color] mused the man calling himself the Broker. [color=slateblue]"Perhaps others have detected it as well, but chosen not to say anything? It's perfectly acceptable to comment. An individual such as myself who has no superpowers of his own needs to feel safe when surrounded by blokes such as yourselves. Ergo, with a bit of tinker technology that I have... [i]Appropriated[/i] courtesy of the Wards' very own Epsilon, I have created a power nullification field. The settings are adjustable, so that I can provide proper demonstration of my product of course, but you will note that any powers of yours that directly affect others or the environment around you have been, shall we say, flipped off for the moment?"[/color]

And then Swarm made his move, a very [i]bold[/i] one to say the least. The dominant personality strode forward as though he were in charge and owned the situation, and laid into this "Broker" his own conditions and demands. The tuxedo wearing many stifled a chuckle. [color=slateblue]"Mr. Swarm, I am the one who makes deals, or have you no respect for the name? I am the Broker."[/color] Suddenly his face contorted to give off a venomous anger the likes of which was usually only described in books and anime. It was as though he had a sort of aura about him, nothing superhuman, nothing related to powers, but a vibe that resonated with "do not [i]fuck[/i] with me." [color=slateblue]"My offer is such: Ten thousand dollars per vial, an [i]egregious discount[/i] I should note, and a limit of one vial per group. Bolster your numbers with another parahuman, someone you trust to watch your back, and then you can really lay into the Community. I want them gone as much as everyone else here. They're... [i]Bad for business.[/i]"[/color]

And like that he switched back to a friendly-yet-professional demeanor, on a dime. Rifling through his pockets, he pulled out another vial of clear liquid, and held it up. [color=slateblue]"I do not expect you to simply take my word for it. A demonstration is in order, after all. And how lucky we should be but to have someone present who has no superpowers."[/color] The man calling himself Broker glanced over to the booth where Purge and his right hand Benito sat. The Italian mobster lifted an eyebrow.

"Would you be referring to me?" Benito asked.

[color=slateblue]"But of course. I would be willing to provide you with this free sample, as demonstration to everyone present that my word is good as gold."[/color]

Benito glanced back to Purge, who merely nodded a single time. He then addressed the suited man once again. "Fine. I'll take it." He stood up and, cautiously, approached. Once he was near, he was handed the vial without any problems. "Bottoms up, I suppose." Like that Benito downed the vial. Immediately he dropped it, and the glass shattered on the floor. He hacked and coughed and half the villains stood up in apprehension.

[color=pink]"What are you pulling here?!"[/color] demanded Sabotage. The interloper merely smiled.

"Tastes awful!" Benito coughed. He stumbled his way over to the bar, motioning for the bartender. The bartender approached with a glass of water in hand. He brushed against the mobster as Benito rushed to grab the liquid and drown out the taste of the vial, but the glass never made it to his lips. [i]It was gone.[/i]

[color=lightgreen]"What the hell?!"[/color] Benito cried out, feeling for something that wasn't there. In that instant every single person in the Cruise Room blacked out for a few seconds. Otherworldly images dominated their sight in the black empty void of space. Celestial bodies, planets and nebulae, glimmering beautifully amidst the infinite nothingness. These things were wiped away, leaving only the blackness... And everyone came to.

A trigger event. Benito had just experienced a trigger event. Those in the room who were more knowledgeable about parahumans and triggers would recognize what had just happened. Whenever someone triggered in the vicinity of other parahumans, they would experience some sort of... Feedback. An unexplored science of parahumans as of yet, the cause and nature was unknown, but to those who knew what they had just experienced there could not possibly be any doubt. Benito had somehow just triggered. He was now a parahuman.