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

Outside, the evacuation effort was well underway and going fine with Captain Morales leading the way and dedicated PRT troopers backing him up. Margrave did his own part as well, though he ran into a bit of trouble against a larger, stronger opponent that got him in a tight spot. Thankfully the people around were feeling especially confident today, a little gift from Captain Morales in a normally panic-inducing situation, and quickly came to the aid of their hero. In no time at all the civilians had been cleared from the area and were herded into a nearby park decorated with tall modern art sculptures. The immediate danger had, thankfully, passed them by. 

The senior hero approached Margrave, his decades of trained combat showing in how he carried himself. Yet when he spoke to the young Ward, his voice was soft, and inspiring. "You did well today, adapting to an unexpected event and controlling the crowd. I'll be sure Director Kens and Inkscape are made aware in my report." His words carried weight which served to inflate something within Margrave. Was this effect created by his power? It was impossible to know for sure.

[hr]

Within the concert hall, the situation had been growing quite dim. Ceramix gave pause as Messiah offered to surrender to his terms, and others followed her example. The rock-powered villain was unsure, looking for some kind of trick. Success was not a feeling he had grown accustomed to, as it were, so he expected the setup was a ruse. Right though he was, the reasoning behind his gut feeling was flawed as ever. [color=burlywood]"How do I know you on the level, bitch?"[/color] he shot back, accusatory. As soon as Tiger Lily transformed before his eyes he held the hostages forward in a grand display, further convinced of the heroes' treachery. [color=burlywood]"Back. The fuck. Up. I don't wanna see no dinos here, and no giant space squid things either. I just want Shatter out of there."[/color]

Ceramix began to choke up on his last words, and tears began to drop onto the floor, leaking from the bottom of his mask. The man was visibly crying at the situation his second in command had been put into. What followed was a wailing of pure emotional agony, but it didn't come from Ceramix. It came from within the containment foam. Thanks to being made porous enough to breathe through, it also facilitation communication. From within the white prison Shatterpoint sobbed, his body desperately trying to heave his chest but unable to move enough to accomplish the action.

[color=burlywood]"He's gonna have a terrible attack! Please, you've got to get him out!"[/color]

Meanwhile, multiple heroes took advantage of Ceramix's distraction. [i]CRACKABOOM![/i] The first, most apparent action had been taken by Tulpa's projection, which appeared right in front of Ceramix and unleashing a sonic attack directly upon his senses. [color=burlywood]"AAAAH!"[/color] The Rocker leader nearly jumped out of his own skin, startled and disoriented. By reflex he tensed up, which meant the massive stone hands were about to crush the hapless individuals residing within... Or at least they would have, had it not been for the interference of two more heroes.

Kyoshi blindsided Ceramix, approaching from behind the massive stone arms, a great hindrance in terms of battlefield viewability. Using her powers, she wrested control of one hand from Ceramix, her own variant of earth-manipulation trumping over his direct neural connection. With great difficulty, she broke the hand from the wrist and was able to gently set it down so as not to further disturb the hostages within. As for the second arm, which Kyoshi could not manipulate...

The second arm, too, failed to crush its single hostage. In fact, as Ceramix stumbled around in a dizzy, disoriented state, the arm refused to move no matter what he did. Ultimately Ceramix hung limp from his own floating stone arm like a rag doll, vomiting up the contents of his stomach. That point blank thunderclap had done wonders to neutralize the Rocker leader as a continued threat. But what stopped the arm from making strawberry jam of the hostage? The answer lie in how the hand had become discolored, now a murky black.

Inkscape held his ground, the two tentacles he used as arms extended dramatically like an old 60s sci-fi movie psychic. [color=yellow]"It's a good thing that today is one of my better days,"[/color] he intoned. With a mighty jerk, the hand split from the rest of the arm and set down gently to the ground. The fingers slowly opened up, revealing the hostage from within to be safe and unharmed, albeit still unconscious. [color=yellow]"Noble-"[/color]

[color=yellow]"I got it, sweetie!"[/color] Noble flew nearby and took aim with her containment foam gun, then fired off a capsule. It expanded around the villain, completely enveloping him save a bit of the stone arm still attached. Inkscape wiggled his right tentacle-arm a bit, and broke off the remaining stone, letting it drop harmlessly to the floor, then separated his ink from the rock, drawing it back into his own body.

[color=yellow]"Good call distracting him with a fake surrender. I doubt that he'd have accepted it from me or Noble, knowing how hard we are on criminals. Excellent method of neutralizing him as well."[/color] The cephalopod-like hero mocked wiping hands together in a "hard work done" gesture. [color=yellow]"I think this will be more news than the Rockers have ever gotten in their whole careers, hahaha!"[/color]

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

The tuxedo man nodded in approval as Headhunter showed off his impressive skills as a trained soldier. The method was perhaps a bit slow for the Broker, not quite as expedient as a severe concussion, but it would do just as well. He mocked a golfer's clap as the bartender came around to begin tying up the villain, perhaps a little too comfortable with the situation than he should have been, despite the unease he showed. [color=slateblue]"Then the payout goes to Headhunter of the Jacks. Capital. Now as for this last vial, it would appear we have a competition between the Rockers and an independent force? Competition breeds the best economy, therefore it shall go to whomever can provide the best offer. And since the Rockers' delegate has already stated she cannot pay immediately for the first, I am quite curious to see where this discussion goes."[/color]

Smarm oozed from every pore on the man's face. Sabotage was clearly disgusted by it, but opted not to say anything insulting, instead changing the subject back to the original topic of the meeting. [color=pink]"So now we can all make our own allies, our own backup. That's wonderful, splendid really. But now [i]Xolotl[/i] has been taken down. I don't know whether to cheer that the Community's strongest enforcer is out, or hide because Patriarch is going to be absolutely [i]pissed.[/i]"[/color]

[b]"Crass as she is, Miss Sabotage draws a fine point,"[/b] cut in Purge. [b]"The hornets' nest has officially been kicked, and with a very large stick at that. There is no longer an option to turn down this alliance, in my estimation of the situation, so that raises the next question: Where do we take it from here?"[/b]

[color=salmon]"I can work on dismantling the Community's drug operations,"[/color] chimed in Retcon with a giggly voice. [color=salmon]"That'll poke the bear some more and probably get the other lieutenants to come out of hiding. Maybe Patriarch himself."[/color]

"I've observed a great number of drop points for Community information exchange," Macavity added, speaking for the very first time. Retcon nearly jumped out of their seat, startled. "It won't be difficult to follow the threads and see where they go. I will freely offer you all any intel I locate."

Sabotage sighed. [color=pink]"Well, if we're really doing this, then I know a number of their important hideouts, since you're all so kind as to point out that they regularly hire me. I can steal anything of note, and tear down any important machinery to their operations."[/color]

[b]"Excellent. I have already been making a push into their territory, so I need not change my current plans. My mafia will continue to own more Community territory and businesses until they choke for resources."[/b] Purge's contribution wasn't surprising for the mafia.

[color=slateblue]"Capital ideas, each and all. I will serve as a neutral party to facilitate communication and distribution of your intelligence. And now, my esteemed colleagues-"[/color] The man selling powers was cut off as his cell phone went off. Not a ring to signify a call, but some manner of alert tone. He paused just long enough to check what had interrupted the meeting, furrowed his brow, then pocketed the mobile device before zeroing in on Creep. [color=slateblue]"News alert. It would appear that the Rockers attacked the heroes' gala today, in force. Ceramix, Shatterpoint, and numerous Rocker members have been apprehended by the Protectorate."[/color]

He bit his lip in obvious frustration, to the point of drawing blood. Veins were visible popping up through his skin all over his face, but after a moment of breathing he returned to a calm and stoic state. [color=slateblue]"This will certainly prove to be an interesting influence on your career path, miss. Do not worry about paying for the first vial. I can see your organization has fallen to... Rock bottom."[/color]