[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/uWNLPLQ.png[/img][/center] [color=Yellow]"So what are we thinkin,' guys?"[/color] Johnny Storm asked his compatriots, globes of flame encircling his hands. [color=Yellow]"The usual?"[/color] The arrival of the Fantastic Four had turned the fight between the gunmen who had assaulted the Roxxon tanker and the huge armored figure protecting it into an intense standoff. None of the masked attackers had fired off another shot, but neither were they lowering their guns. The armored brute stood his ground, daring anyone to give him an excuse to start swinging his massive fists. [color=Orchid]"I'm in favor of the usual,"[/color] Sue nodded with a confident grin. [color=Orchid]"[i]Con[/i]tain, [i]ascer[/i]tain, and [i]de[/i]tain. Doesn't look like it should be much trouble."[/color] [color=SandyBrown]"Dibs on the big fella,"[/color] snarled the Thing, just as eager to commence with the action. [color=SteelBlue]"Let's not jump to conclusions,"[/color] Reed Richards countered. [color=SteelBlue]"Let's see if we can de-escalate the situation. I believe there may be more going on here than--"[/color] [color=Yellow]"Heads up, we've got incoming!"[/color] [quote=@udonoodles] Tentatively, Victor lowered himself down to the ground, red boots plodding to the ground with two muffled footfalls. He adjusted the cells in his body so as to slick his hair back hands-free, and stepped forward. He leaned in, across the Fantastic Four, and drew an open palm across his face as a hello. [color=de2c18]“Hi. I…”[/color] He paused, furrowing his brow. [color=de2c18]“...Work here. Are both groups present the bad guys, or are we cooperating with one of them?”[/color] Victor smiled sheepishly, before remembering where he was. He straightened up, taking two steps forward and holding his hands out. His fingers crackled with an arcing blue energy, the Arc Reactor thrumming and glowing through his suit. [color=de2c18]“It’s interesting that the tanker hasn’t exploded yet,”[/color] he announced loudly, still ready for a fight. [color=de2c18]“I shall kick any asses in its vicinity and move it to a safe location. If that is agreeable? I’ll defer to seniority.”[/color][/quote] [color=Yellow]"Hey! Who are you callin' 'senior,' junior?"[/color] the Human Torch said with indignity. [color=SandyBrown]"Ahhh, don't mind him,"[/color] the Thing waved the Torch off, [color=SandyBrown]"he's just cranky cuz he got his first gray hair the other day."[/color] [color=Yellow]"HEY! That's not--"[/color] [color=SteelBlue]"The Vision, I presume?"[/color] Mister Fantastic interrupted, his elastic body stretching and warping to slip past the Thing and Human Torch and nudge them each to one side. [color=SteelBlue]"Reed Richards. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've been rather impressed with the advancements in cybernetics and digital intelligence that Stark Industries is developing. If it's not too much of a imposition, I'd very much like to compare your design schematics with some of my--"[/color] [color=Orchid]"Reed! [i]Focus![/i]"[/color] The Invisible Woman interjected, turning their attention back to the gunmen and the brute. [color=Orchid]"We can trade notes after we've dealt with the active threat, all right?"[/color] [color=SteelBlue]"Of course, my apologies,"[/color] the elastic man said sheepishly, before shaping his hands into the shape of a megaphone. [color=SteelBlue]"Attention, all of you! There is no need for further violence. Put down your weapons, surrender peacefully to the proper authorities, and we won't have to--"[/color] Reed's call for de-escalation was interrupted by a swirl of green clouds overhead. [color=SandyBrown]"Awww, ain't that a shame,"[/color] the Thing muttered. [quote=@Mintz] Overhead of The Fantastic Four and The Vision appeared to be a cloud of green mist, which quickly coalesced, forming into a vibrantly viridian portal, from which emerged none other than the green-clad Mysterio, descending from the skies in spectacular fashion; it was eye-catching, if nothing else. He turned to his fellow heroes on the scene, giving them a brief bow. [color=00a651]"Apologies for the abrupt arrival; you may refer to me as Mysterio. But beyond the niceties, I am here to aid in this endeavor, if you will have me."[/color] Turning his gaze from them to the myriad goons and the menacing enforcer superhuman, an unseen grin crosses Mysterio's face. [color=00a651]"Shall we, as they say, take out the trash?"[/color] [/quote] [color=LightYellow]"Ah, screw this!"[/color] one of the gunmen yelled as he raised his rifle at the crowd of superheroes. [color=LightYellow]"I'm not goin' back to prison!"[/color] With a loud staccato chatter, the burst of gunfire effectively ended any chance of a peaceful resolution. The rest of the gunmen followed suit, the air suddenly filling with hot lead. Before they could reach their targets, the bullets [i]pinged[/i] off of seemingly nothing, changing directions as if they had hit a solid wall. Some ricocheted outward, towards the few civilians still out on the sidewalk, only to bounce back again. Some shot back and forth across the street like high-velocity pinballs, never reaching the sidewalks before another invisible wall deflected them away. [color=Orchid]"I've got the area contained for now,"[/color] came the disembodied voice of the Invisible Woman, straining from the number of force fields she had to hold up. [color=Orchid]"Disarm the shooters first, take out the active threats! Then we deal with the Roxxon truck and the big guy if he wants trouble! Johnny, draw their fire!"[/color] [color=Yellow]"On it, sis!"[/color] called out the Human Torch, taking to the air as super-hot plasma coated his body. In response, most of the attacking gunmen opened fire on the flaming figure arcing towards them. Johnny made no attempt to dodge the incoming bullets, as the radiant heat from his personal plasma field was enough to vaporize the bullets before they could reach them. [color=SteelBlue]"That's our opening!"[/color] Reed called out, his torso stretching out into a long flat sheet to wrap around one of the gunmen, while his right hand shot out well past him, wrapped around a light pole, then clocked a second gunman from behind. Two down, a dozen to go. [color=SteelBlue]"Vision! Mysterio! Let's see what you can do! Ben, if the large one gets aggressive--"[/color] [color=SandyBrown]"Way ahead of ya, Stretch,"[/color] the Thing said, squaring off with the hulking armored man. [color=SandyBrown]"So whaddya say, Pipsqueak? You gonna play nice an' just answer a coupla questions once we're done with these guys? Or are you gonna--"[/color] [center][h2][b][i]*KRACK!!!!*[/i][/b][/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/j5ysnBC.png[/img][/center] The gunfire was temporarily drowned out by the thunderous impact of the armored man's fist colliding with Ben Grimm's jaw. The craggy orange hero reeled, kicking up chunks of pavement as he tumbled before slamming into one of the garbage trucks that had penned the tanker in. [color=Khaki]"The name's not 'Pipsqueak,'"[/color] he growled, looming over the Thing, [color=Khaki]"It's Armadillo. And like I told them, you don't know who the fuck you're messing with."[/color] [color=SandyBrown]"Ahh, see, that right there?"[/color] Ben said, a grin splitting his rocky face as he picked himself up. [color=SandyBrown]"That's what I was [i]hopin'[/i] you'd say."[/color] The two charged at each other again, trading blows that sounded like cannon fire across Waterside Plaza.