[hr][hr][center][h3][b][color=42A9FF]April[/color][/b][/h3] [img]https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNmJsb2V2eHc0ZmVqZGwxbmhwY3g0dHpvaW90MDBvMmtmcHo0MzY5cyZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/2URZlHvEIzKjDKY6GJ/giphy.gif[/img] [hr][hr][/center] April’s spirits were temporarily crushed, the pain in her body almost an afterthought. Everyone pressed on with the fight - everyone except for Percy and Danni. Danni was like a brother to her, but Percy… she didn’t really know him. She thought it would have been Dorian to step in. Maybe Leah. Definitely not Sabine. She was under no illusion that protecting her during this fight would have done anything to endear her to her ex-girlfriend. She still didn’t even know what she had done wrong, what she had done to deserve it. April thought she’d been doing the right thing, ending things. She thought they could have been friends. And then the punch was thrown. She was too dazed to react, squeezing her eyes shut, only to once again feel the rush of air around her, and a firm hand on her own. [color=ed1c24]”I think they like you,”[/color] Percy observed dryly. Wasn’t that the popular explanation for why boys pulled on girls’ hair? It seemed apt in this situation. He’d intended to go aid Sabine, but clearly he was still needed here. April hadn’t thrown up her own defenses. Maybe she needed to catch her breath. The moment they settled, fire was catching up. Thuy's fireball, building since Ava threw her punch, crashed into them and burned. Thuy cackled as she watched. The pain was almost too much. She had been ready to give up. Ready to curl into a ball and admit defeat. Her mind was dazed, her body trembling, but the flames almost made her numb to it all. And a small fire burned within her, whatever scraps of resolve April had left coming back to her, enough to rage out in defiance against Thuy, against the Hex Girls. She shot out a blast of ice - not at Thuy, not at her attacker, but at the first person she could see that looked as vulnerable as April felt. At Thelma. Or at least, a Thelma. She didn’t know if the one she targeted was real or fake. [color=42A9FF]”Why does everyone have to be such a fucking bitch these days?”[/color] April muttered. [color=42A9FF]”You’re so hot, you could do anything else, but you choose to be an asshole.”[/color] She knew she was done for, but she didn’t care. Something in her had snapped. Maybe it had been broken already. She gave Thuy and the Hex Girls the middle finger. [hider=April Round 3 to 4 Stats]April: [list][*]Health: 6 [*]Focus: -2 [*]Karma: 1 [*]Notes - [list][*]Percy used his reaction to cast Blink Together, bringing April out of melee range for Ava’s attack. [*]Thuy's held action triggered, using Elemental Blast for 14 Focus She rolled 6 + 5 + 5 + 5 (Thuy Ego) = 21 vs 13 (April Ego), dealing 5 × 3 + 5 (Ego) + 7 (Focus) = 27 Fire damage. This brings April’s health to 6. [*]April uses her action to attack Thelma with Elemental Burst (Ice). She has trouble on all actions because of the demoralized condition, but as Thelma is stunned, this gives her an edge. This cancels out to a straight attack roll. April rolled 5 3 3 = 11 + 3 (Agility) = 14. Thelma’s agility defense is a 10, so the attack hits. This deals 3 x 2 + 3 = 9 points of damage to Thelma. [*]But since Images of Ikon are on Thelma, April rolls a d6. As she rolled a 4, the damage is done to a duplicate and not the real Thelma [/list] [/list][/hider] [hr] Dominika’s face fell, her heart aching for Matt as he shared what had happened. She couldn’t imagine that pain. She didn’t have any siblings - half-siblings, yes, but they weren’t family. Not in any way that counted. [color=add3ff]”Fuck, Matt, I’m… I’m so sorry. I think I’m the one who should be asking you if you’re okay,”[/color] she paused, biting her lip. On one end of his struggle, she could relate at least. She didn’t know how to be a single parent either. [color=add3ff]”I wish I could help you with the kid part - but I don’t know how I’m going to do this without Maria myself. But you’re smart. If anyone can figure it out, I know that it’s you.”[/color] It was odd - she hadn’t actually overlapped with him on the Secret Warriors team, having been fired from SHIELD shortly before Matt was brought on board. And yet she found herself with a sense of ease that had eluded her in ages near him. Kindred spirits, perhaps. Both of their lives were absolute shit. It made for good company. [center]✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*[/center] Gideon reappeared, hot dog in hand, as she surveyed the seating situation. The sudden food craving had come on strong. She hadn’t even registered that one of the Strange Academy students had used a spell on her, causing her to leave the area. She just found herself out of the stands, near concessions, and figured her attention had merely slipped. It happened. She got distracted all the time. “Awww, you two are cute,” she said, sitting down in a seat next to Chase. She didn’t know him. She didn’t care. “How long have you been together?” [center]✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*[/center] Magneto had not ceased in his demonstrations - no, he continued to maintain his sign cheering his child on, almost brought to tears as he saw the way she effortlessly handled her opponents. For a moment, it brought him back to that day on Genosha, when they’d first discussed training together. He would ask her for a friendly spar when this was all done and settled. He was excited to see how much more she’d grown. She-Hulk was more than thrilled with Max’s demonstration. “YESSSS!!! KICK THEIR BUTTS, LEAH!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!! IF YOU MISS YOUR NEXT SHOT, JUST CASH IN YOUR INSPIRATION!!!” [center]✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*[/center] Val didn’t drop her invisibility, even as Max suddenly appeared behind them. No, she did not wish to be perceived at all. What willpower she had was being devoted towards allowing her wife to still touch her, to not throw up a shield and block out the world entirely. She did not need to confirm either that Harry had his powers attuned to her. Even David could not be blocked out, his telepathy something she could not defend against. But the rest, she could hide from, until she caught her breath. Until the shame and the shock subsided. [color=DBA1DE]”You guys gotta check the group chat more, I put it in my latest selfie drop!”[/color] Casper whined. [color=DBA1DE]”Wait, shit, never mind, my beeeeeeee I forgot to hit send on these! Okay so you’re all about to get 50 photos of my new fit, and Andy is also in them. Some of them. Maybe three. Fuck. I need to take more photos with Andy! Especially since she’s authentically retro! She’s literally vintage! Babes? How much longer do you think this’ll take? It’s not like football where it goes for five hours right?”[/color] [color=silver]”It goes for ten years, actually. You’ll be gray before Danni’s out of this match.”[/color] Casper shrieked. “So she was actually from another universe? And time? Wild,” David shook his head. “If I could time travel - well, actually, I probably can - I’d do something way more interesting with it. Like… hmm. Actually I shouldn’t share. Erik might get upset. But I think you all can guess what I’d do.” Kill Charles Xavier, obviously. [color=#DAF7A6]”I’d go back and rescue Fred,”[/color] Sunshine chimed in wistfully, having relocated and snatched Max’s seat in his absence. “I’d go back in time and kill Fred,” Marrow deadpanned. [color=#DAF7A6]”That’s so mean! Besides, he’s already dead, you can’t kill him [i]again[/i] - everyone knows that.”[/color] “I’d find a way.” Val took a breath. She counted to five, holding it. And then she exhaled. And then slowly, gradually, she reappeared again. She’d find Andy after the match was over and apologize to her. She owed her that much, if not more.