One of those punches got Leah in the face, and it got on her nerve. It was just three versus most of their whole team left, even if they were individually pretty good fighters, they field was stacked against them. They were breaking down, losing their composure. Leah could tell just by the way Tatiana swung those fists, to say nothing of how she was shouting for help. She strode forward, balancing all her weight on one foot and then she jumped. Leah's other foot planted itself right into Tatiana's stomach, just as she landed back on the ground again. She almost knocked the damn wizard bitch out cold, but it seemed she had a bit more fight in her than that.
"You asked for this, you know. If you don't want your asses kicked harder, just surrender now. We've got you surrounded, you're not winning."
Location: Medical Bay -> New Orleans Streets Gear: N/A Skills: Perception
As Sabine spoke to April the medical bay received two new guests. Sabine watched as Skylar appeared, looking no worse for wear. He appeared to be in a good mood even greeting the two of them as if they weren't just at each other's throats. "They're cheaters and he's acting like this was just some typical match. Is it possible he didn't cheat? If that's the case then he at least had to know his teammates did, which didn't make him any better." Sabine thought, then realized Vicky would hear that.
Sabine gave him a tentative thumbs up in return, though the kind gesture didn't quite reach her eyes. She was prepared to turn and leave when another new person arrived. And Sabine decided to savor this one as Thuy laid there. Sabine took satisfaction that the remaining team had bested her. Was it worth it at this point to turn them in for cheating?
Of course it was! Bunch of bitches didn't deserve to be in consideration.
"Oh, probably. We love a good party." If she exposed them as cheaters she doubted they would be invited anymore, if there was even a party at all. She looked at April, waiting for her before Sabien turned to leave the med bay.
Sabine got the sense that this was not your typical building when she tried to leave. She paused a moment to assess her surroundings. She wasn't completely sure, but she strode forward and eventually found herself outside. It would be a walk back to the hotel.
As she did so, she heard Vicky's voice in her head. So Vicky's mom was here? Sabine didn't know much of Vicky's past, but she did know that families could and often did lead to trouble. She didn't have the ring on her (it didn't make sense since she would need to use her powers during the fight), but made a note to see if Max could retrieve it, just in case. She debated letting April know of Vicky's warning, but decided against it....for now. The tension between the two of them was palpable. Instead she kept walking. "When we get to the hotel we'll have to see if we can find their room. I'm hoping for actual physical evidence, I don't know if the memories alone will be enough. And it may not even matter since it seems like our team is kicking their asses."
Location: Contest of Champions Skills: Enhanced Reflexes (Passive), Electrokinesis
Andy didn't count her chickens before they hatched. But she did count that there were now only three of the Hex Girls left. Leah slammed into Tatiana, and Andy would follow up with her own lightning. Tatiana was not the last threat. But Dorian had possessed Will. Will had been able to throw up protections for the others. Removing that ability would make this last bit go faster.
Barely a breath had passed between Leah's attack and Andy's. She punched out. Lightning engulfed Tatiana, and then she was gone between one flash of the light and the next. Andy smiled and turned. Two left. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to.
Andy:
Health: 60/60
Focus: 75/90
Karma: 3/3
Notes:
Edge on skill if it fails the first time.
Accuracy 1: Andy is a sharpshooter.
Prerequisites: None
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Andy adds +1 to her agility damage multiplier, and she gains a +1 bonus to Agility checks other than attacks.
Accuracy 2: Andy is a sharpshooter.
Prerequisites: Accuracy 1, Rank 2
Duration: Permanent
Effect: Andy adds +2 to her agility damage multiplier, and she gains a +2 bonus to Agility checks other than attacks.
Action:
Andy uses Elemental Blast on Tatiana. Andy rolls 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 (Agi) = 18 vs 14 (Tatiana Melee). Andy deals 5 × 5 + 3 = 28 damage! Tatiana is knocked out!
Prepared Reaction:
Elemental Protection 2: Andy’s elemental protection is like armor.
Prerequisites: Elemental Protection 1, Rank 3
Action: Standard or Reaction
Trigger: Andy is attacked or otherwise in danger.
Duration: Concentration
cost: 5 Focus
Effect: Andy protects herself with electricity. Any attacks against her that to 20 points of damage or less are instantly absorbed, and the protection continues. If an attack does more than 20 points of damage, it destroys the protection. Either way, Andy remains unharmed.
April was startled for a moment, as Skyler sprang to life with a good amount of cheer. On some level, she expected him to attack again - to be upset that they'd beaten him. But it was just a competition. They were just kids. They weren't in danger. This wasn't Arcade. She took in a slight breath, feeling herself steady again. And the way he was caring for the other Hex Girls... it was kind of sweet? She found her guard lowering slightly as she smiled at them. Maybe Sabine was right and they'd cheated. But if they had... they were being really chill about everything. "Yeah!! That would be so cool!! Is there, like, a dress code?" April asked. Her smile faltered for a moment there. Most of her cute clothes were back in Los Angeles - and the ones not in Los Angeles were in Washington D.C... Not that April intended to ever go there again. She'd have to ask Leah how she got away with never going home during breaks.
She then forced the smile back on her face. "We gotta run, things to do, but um - here's my number! You actually seem pretty cool? I'm um - I'm April, but you, you know that. See you around!!" She recited her number, gave an awkward wave to everyone, before sprinting off after Sabine. She caught up with her pretty quickly, letting Sabine lead the way as they exited the arena. It was in the same weird pocket dimension that Strange Academy was in - finding one's way around wasn't always intuitive. "So we're going to their hotel - which hotel is it? But... Why would they stay at a hotel when they have their own dorm at the school, right? Unless you think they wanted to take the drugs offsite, so that way they wouldn't get caught?"
Percy
Percy faltered for a moment, frowning sharply as Dorian called him Percival Novikova. Hearing that name was akin to the sound of fingernails dragged across a chalkboard. His name was Percy Novikov. Nothing more, nothing less. Novikova was incorrectly gendered, and Percival was overly fanciful. If his name were to be extended, he knew that his mother Maria's intention had been to name him after Percy Jackson - who was, in turn, named for Perseus. So if anything, Dorian ought to have said Perseus Novikov. Or if he insisted on editing his name, then the surname could be changed for Novikoff, an Americanization but an adequate one nonetheless. Perseus Novikoff was annoying. Percival Novikova was infuriating.
His eye twitched. The bully accusation wasn't any better. He'd been bullied severely at his old school, and when he'd arrived at Margaret Carter, it had seemed like things were going that way again with Danni and Dorian. One boy in particular had been particularly brutal to him in middle school. If Percy ever saw him again, he'd kill him.
"Fine," Percy forced out, almost a growl.
Andy handled Tatiana though. Only Ava and Wil were left - and Percy wasn't going to hit his boyfriend. So he turned to face Ava, holding her own mace. "I am going to attack you now. This is not me bullying you," he informed her, his voice clipped, as he swung her mace and struck her in the side of the head.
Percy:
Health: 30
Focus: 20
Karma: 2
Notes:
Edge on skill if it fails the first time.
Doesn't gain Trouble from being Demoralized
Percy has +1 to Logic Dmg Multiplier and ats +1 to all Logic checks minus attacks.
Percy has reactions : Blink, Blink Together, Time Blink
Hope pursed her lips slightly. She felt the weariness hit her again. She knew Cassie had told Vicky about the governmental concerns - and she knew that her daughter was going to do it anyways. Standing in her way wasn't going to help anything. All Hope wanted was to see Vicky happy. If Vicky was going to take those risks, then she would do what she could to help. Besides, she was older now. Proven technology - not something brand new anymore.
"Vicky... There is nothing you could do or say that would change the fact that our home is your home - that our family is your family. I'm your mother, no matter what." As much as everything Vicky was saying was killing Hope. As much as she felt like she was drowning. She put on a brave face. That was what parents did when their kids were hurting, when they were in pain.
Victoria's hands clasped a little tighter around Hope's as she listened to her mother. Not quite trusting her words at the moment, she just nodded, her expression a mix of relief of not having burned the bridge with her family so thoroughly it could not be rebuilt, and the uncertainty of whether her future could include having to shoot down a pursuing helicarrier.
Finally, she regrew enough spine to speak. "...okay. I'm sorry for... Being difficult." she smiled sheepishly, her gaze pointing aside. Another thought from Sabine made its way over then. "Look, I really have to take care of these things, but if you're staying in town, text me where and I can drop by in the evening, if you're free?" She then excued herself, heading to the exit.
She tried the Mindssenger again. "Not sure what prompted that thought, but... Yes, it is possible. Unless the gal you pulled the memories out of happened to conveniently look at a clock that puts them after the medical exam, even finding one of those candies may not be enough of a proof. Not without further analysis of how they work. Only if there is a window in which they take effect short enough do we have a clear case. Regardless, family fire put out, heading to the hotel now." she thought over, before routing power to the MF generators to hover above the rooftops, blasting off in the hotel's direction soon after.
Location: Medical Bay -> New Orleans Streets Gear: N/A Skills: Perception
"Well, I think that's part of it. But I also suspect that one of them, probably Thuy, used Leah's father to get inside her head and rattle her before the competition. I am unclear if that is considered cheating also, but Leah and I spoke to Vision because we were concerned, but he helped Leah realize it wasn't true. So someone here used that against Leah and I can only suspect it was one of the Hex Girls. I'd love to get inside Thuy's head and see if that's true."
Sabine paused because she was now, again, casually mentioning invading a person's memories. Even if it was the best of intentions, that wasn't something to be done lightly. "You know I would never attempt to see inside someone's head to mess with them or get what I want, right? I didn't mean to hurt Casper. And I never did that with you or Leah unless I asked." The anxiety surrounding her powers was ever present.
"I can't help what power I was given, but what I can do is use to to help others, like see if a team is cheating in a competition they could have easily won without help or stop a madman from killing us all and see the error of his ways. But even that is sketchy moral territory." Sabine hadn't talked about this with someone outside of Dr. Whitehall or Max. And she didn't want to unload on April as they just got back to being cordial, if not friendly. "Sorry, I won't dump on you. I am glad we are talking again though."
As they neared the hotel, she heard Vicky inside her head again. She forgot for a bref moment her thoughts are being broadcasted. "Glad the family stuff is handled. If you want to talk more, let me know. I have experience with family issues. Me and April arrived at the hotel and are going to see if we can find their room. Hopefully there will be evidence."
Afternoon - Wed. December 15th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana
Ava was having an extremely bad day. Her entire team had crumbled around her. And these kids, they weren't the Young Avengers - everyone had been gossiping about how their team had been thrown together at the last minute, that they'd never even practiced as a group. And with everything they'd done to make sure that they were ready... It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was just her and Wil, and Wil was possessed, and she was tired and she really really really didn't want to get set on fire, or hit in the head with a mace by that little bully of a twink, or punched with lightning or punched with earth or any of it. "I give up!" Ava shouted. "We give up! You guys win!"
With Wil incapacitated and Ava voting to surrender, there was no one else on the field from the Hex Girls to fight. A referee's whistle sounded off, followed by canons of confetti erupting at either end of the arena, announcing the end of the match. "WINNER - EXCELSIOR!" the announcer's voice boomed. "THEY ADVANCE TO THE FINALS TO FACE THE REIGNING CHAMPIONS, THE YOUNG AVENGERS, TOMORROW - YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS ONE FOLKS, AS WE PRESENT TO YOU OUR OWN AVENGERS: CIVIL WAR!"
The marketing team had been prepared for this clearly, as electronic banners around the arena switched to show images of the lineups for tomorrow - of the Young Avengers coming face to face with Excelsior. The crowd's energy was palpable, a sonic wall sending vibrations through each contestant left on the field. Some people thrilled - particularly those who had placed a bet against the Hex Girls - and some dismayed, incredulous at what should have been a slam dunk for Strange Academy.
For those on the field still, two doors would suddenly appear in the midst of the field - one that would take them to their team's locker room, the other that would transport them to the medical ward if they wished to go check in on their friends.
And no sooner had those doors appeared than Vision rushed onto the field, beaming at them with pride. He had sent off messages to Vicky and Sabine, alerting them that Excelsior had emerged victorious, too. "You have done it! Ser Nemo would be incredibly proud of your accomplishment," he told his remaining students.
Percy
For a moment, Percy let himself enjoy the victory. They had triumphed. It had been the hardest match so far - the one that had truly pushed them to their limits as a team. The Hex Girls had been better foes than even Arcade, a fact that made him chuckle quietly to himself. He hoped Arcade - the one he'd known, not the one he had become - would have hated that, would have hated immediately being upstaged by a coven of witches. But more than just pettiness, he was proud, too - and happy. Happy that his boyfriend was closer to seeing his dream realized. Happy that he had been able to be by Dorian's side as it happened.
... Percival usage aside.
But as the Vision took the field, his mood soured on two counts. The first was that they would be facing Vision's handpicked team the next day. They didn't have a coach who could advocate for them, then - not impartially, at least. He doubted that the school had planned for this eventuality. They weren't supposed to have made it this far.
The second was Nemo. His stomach curdled at the thought of him. He thought his dislike of the old man would have been easier, now that Casper had revealed he was possibly still alive. It was easier to hate the living than the dead. But if anything, his unease had only compounded. Would Ser Nemo be proud of them? If he was alive, why wasn't he here? What had happened to him? And where was Lady Nimue? The contest seemed silly in respect to those questions - to those tangible problems, set aside and ignored.
Instead, Percy cleared his throat slightly and eyed Wil. He wanted to hit the showers. "Dorian?" he prompted.
April
April bit her lip, hearing Sabine's reassurance that she never would have messed with her and Leah's heads. The idea had crossed her mind once or twice - that the reason Sabine had been so cold, so standoffish, after the breakup had been because the relationship hadn't been real. That Sabine had altered April's memories to manipulate her into dating her, and that she had just been a toy, a passing interest - that when it was over, Sabine didn't care because she never had. But... This was Sabine. This was her - her friend? She didn't know what word to use. But she knew that she believed her. That she trusted her.
"I think... maybe sometimes you should," she began slowly. "Use it to get what you want, I mean. But not - not to get like diamonds or fancy clothes or cars. Because what you want is to help people. And that - I think that's what makes you different from other people with that power. They just want to hurt people or they want things for themselves. And you're not like that." She stopped for a moment, uncertain if this made any sense.
"And I think... some people deserve to have their heads messed with," she added, before somewhat nervously running a hand through her hair. "Like some people fucking suck. Like billionaires who treat people like animals, they deserve to be fucked with. And fascists and Nazis and bigots and other assholes."
Sabine's phone would vibrate with a message from Vision - Excelsior had won.
”Alright. Good. And tell your asshole teammates that the next time they try and fuck with my head before the fight starts, they better make it work,” She told them. "Your magic isn't shit."
With that, she turned and walked away from them, to where the doors split open. Leah felt... Happy? No, not exactly. Her stake in all of this wasn't quite personal enough, she felt confident she could be a hero after this without all the ridiculous crowds and bloodsport. Winning just meant it was easier. But still, her team fucking earned this victory. It didn't surprise her that much, after all. Their first mistake was-
Oh, what the hell...
"WE FUCKING WON!"
Leah was going to put on some stoic bitch-face and act like she didn't care, but it turned out that she did. She stormed over towards Andy and Dorian, throwing arms around both of them without any regard for personal space. "That. THAT is how you kick ass! I KNEW you guys were going to do it! Those brats aren't going to have a chance against us!" Her heart felt like it was scrambling to rip itself free from her chest, she felt goddamn invincible right now! Like a dog that found a stick it could swing around for hours and not get bored of it. They almost lost a fight against a bunch of cheating, no-good wizards who cheated! Cheated!
And they still fucking lost!
Yeah, this wasn't happiness. This was pride.
"Let's go find the others. They worked their asses off, holy shit- Now I know how Danni feels."
Location: Contest of Champions Skills: Enhanced Reflexes (Passive)
With that the fight was over. Andy was used to the adrenaline high of a match. She felt it still coursing through her. When Leah picked her up into a hug Andy laughed. Andy was still getting used to hugs, but the quick moment of tension passed quickly. She found a shoulder spot with no strands of hair and gave it a pat.
"Good job." Once dropped from the hug she looked up at the stands toward Magneto and waved before following Leah under the stands to the medical area to find the others. She hadn't been hurt at all during the fight.
"Leah, what do you mean by that?" Andy asked following after Leah. She wasn't certain what Leah meant when saying she understood what Danni felt like. "Also, what did they do before the match to you?"
Location: New Orleans: Hotel Gear: N/A Skills: Perception, Acting
Sabine had to admit this side of April was incredibly hot. It had been a battle she had been waging in her head for a while now. She had doubted herself on numerous occasions, wondering if she made the right call when she shifted a memory, locked something out, implanted something new, or even just read the most recent thoughts. Messing with people’s autonomy wasn’t something to be taken lightly.
But April was right. She could do good with these powers she had. She knew a villain wouldn’t pause to decide if their powers would hurt another or mess with them. She just had to be mindful and make the best decision. Ultimately, decide if it was justified and not determine she knew best.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she checked. A message from Vision. She wondered if he was checking to see if she had found proof or not. She read the message.
Excelsior had won.
Sabine read it again. She nearly dropped her phone. ”Holy shit, they won? They won!” Sabine nearly collided into April to give her a hug but stopped herself. They weren’t there. Yet.
But now….what would she do? She was here to find proof of the Hex Girls cheating in the event that her team lost, but was there a point? Then Sabine remembered that it was likely one of the Hex Girls had messed with Leah and used her father and, in turn, nearly messed with Sabine and April.
So no, they had to pay.
”You coming?” Sabine led April inside the hotel and strolled up to the front desk. ”Hello, I am so sorry to bother you and I can respect guest privacy, but I was wondering if you knew who it was that checked the Hex Girls team into their room tonight? I heard about their recent loss and wanted to send a gift with my condolences.”
“A fan, huh?” The hostess, Astrid her name tag read, glanced around for a second before leaning in. “It was actually me. Let me see what you're sending and I'll put it in their room for them.”
Sabine figured this would happen. She had an idea, but she needed help. She quickly turned to April and whispered ”Distract her, I have a plan.”
They’d won?
They’d won!
April’s brain short circuited, fully frozen for a good sixty seconds. She was aware of Sabine talking with the front desk lady, yes, but that awareness was relegated to the background. Her heart was pounding as a fresh wave of adrenaline hit her.
They’d fucking won!
And as Sabine turned to her, whispering for a distraction, April acted without any impulse control. There was one distraction and one distraction only that came to mind. She grabbed Sabine by the shirt collar and kissed her.
“Um…” Astrid looked back and forth between the two who'd suddenly sprung a kiss in front of her. “Congrats, I guess, but maybe let your freak flag fly not in my lobby?”
Sabine felt heat rise to her cheeks as April kissed her. All at once she felt uncertain and worried, but also at her best. She did ask for a distraction, after all. Sabine attempted to send her mind into Astrid’s memory to find the room, but…this was odd…Sabine tried and tried and couldn’t do it.
Sabine knew the feeling when her powers didn’t work. This was not it. Something or someone was blocking her attempt. Though she didn’t want to, she released from April and quickly scanned around her, noting nothing out of the ordinary and nothing off.
She returned her attention back to Astrid. ”I am so sorry! We got caught up in the moment. I forgot I left the gift in my own room. I’ll go grab it quickly and be right back!” She pulled April away from the desk and, once safely out of earshot, spoke up. ”Someone blocked my attempt to get into her head. I don’t think it was her, which means we are being observed.” Sabine decided not to speak about the kiss just yet, though every fibre of her being wanted to.
Even April was stunned by her own actions, as Sabine pulled her away from the desk. But she didn’t find herself regretting them. Her lips felt like they were tingling, and the euphoric feeling of victory hadn’t left her body.
“So… what’s the plan, then?” If someone had prevented Sabine from using her powers, and they were being watched… did they want to pursue that? They’d beaten the Hex Girls. They didn’t need to prove that they’d cheated to move onto the next round. They could let this go. Unless this was about more than just winning - if this was about morality.
She glanced back at the desk, at Astrid. Maybe someone here in the hotel was trying to protect the Hex Girls.
Sabine shook her head. ”I don’t know. This is more than just the cheating thing. We won so it is what it is, but even with a loss the Hex Girls will be praised for their efforts and maybe they don’t deserve that. Also I am reasonably sure one of them at least was behind messing with Leah regarding her father. So if someone is protecting them, then they know we know. I wish I could like…scan everyone’s memory in the vicinity to see if I can find them.”
April pursed her lips, considering for a moment. If there was someone here protecting the Hex Girls, someone powerful enough to rebuff Sabine, she wasn’t sure how they’d be able to find them. Most telepaths were tricky that way - even among mutants, they tended to just look like ordinary humans. And she doubted anyone would willingly give themselves away. However… They did happen to know some folks who had expertise in this area - one of who just happened to be a teacher at the academy. ”Maybe we get some help from Max?” she suggested. ”He might have some ideas?”
”That’s a good idea.” Sabine pulled out her phone. Max had provided his contact after he spoke to her after she royally messed things up. She sent off a message to him.
”Max, there’s something going down at the hotel. The Hex Girls cheated and more than likely tried to mess with Leah before the match. I know we won, but I don’t think they should get away with it. But I’m trying to use my powers here at the hotel to find their room but someone is blocking me from using my powers and I can’t find out who. Can you help?”
Everything was muted - he felt the pressure of a thousand people screaming, cheering, celebrating and the distant noise barely made him blink. He felt somewhere else as he stared at the electronic banner. The crowd could be cheering, booing, throwing tomatoes or flowers, and Danni wouldn't know. For now, he only had eyes for the electronic banner -
Young Avengers versus Excelsior.
He could feel his eyes stinging. This was everything Dorian, April, and he had worked for over the past few years. They'd won the semi-finals, beat a team everyone had been convinced would wipe the floor with Excelisor, and now Danni was staring at the promise of the chance to make their dream come true. People thought it was crazy with how great the Young Avengers were, some nothing team crushing the reigning champs sounded crazy to anyone.
“We won.” Danni murmured. He touched his cheek where the tears left tracks and he stared at it like he didn't know what tears were. He registered everything behind him distantly, struggling to process.
It was Leah that broke him out. The distant, stoic, uncertain mountain of a person who found personal expression the greatest offense and harbored an aggressive allergy to emotion exploded with a delight as intense as Danni's own and he watched her with awe. His eyes widened as her enthusiasm finally made this real.
They'd won.
“We won. We won. We won. We…” He didn't bother holding it back. Fire burst all around him, his own fireworks, and he rode the high racing through him. He did a little spiral in the air, all the noise hitting him at once, and he blew kisses into the crowd at everyone he could before letting the fire settle and free fall with a delighted screech, kicking up at full speed as his team hit the showers.
Unfortunately, he had little care for what happened next as he barreled directly into Andy and ended up in a tangled heap, laughing.
“‘oly… Guys we won! T'ey all t'ought t'ey were gunna kick our butts but instead, we ‘hammered t'em inta t'e ground! Omg, we're t'e best and we're gunna fight t'e Young Avengers!!! I can't wait! Imma cook all t'e best stuff when we get ‘ome! Not'in’ too fancy ‘cause we need ta sleep too and sleepin’ on a ‘heavy stomach is bad for ya skin, did you know t'at, and then we have- We won!!!!” Danni laughed as he squeezed Andy as hard as he could.
Dorian could feel Percy's irritation with him. But he had to see what he was doing wasn't nice. Ava looked about ready to cry and as soon as only one was standing, she gave up. Dorian blinked slowly. She…gave up?... He hardly had time to process the win as Leah came barreling towards them and gave Andy and him a huge hug. Another shock to his systems, since when was she this…excited? Happy? The moment she'd let go, Dorian phased out of Wil's body and looked towards both Wil and Ava. ”Good Match.” He said with a slight smile. It was bittersweet. He hadn't wanted to win from a surrender. But then again having five on one wasn't exactly fair odds so it made sense for Ava to forfeit. Still…
Danni came rocketing towards them, and as he heard his laughter, Dorian finally looked up towards the banners, watching the next matches announcement for the following day. They'd did it. They'd won. His pity party of one would have to wait, for now – ”WE WON! WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON WE WON!!!!” Dorian yelled before whooping out loud as he added on to the cheers from the crowds and his own teammates. He squeezed as many as he could into a group hug. ”Wait Danni! K-BBQ night pleeeeeaaaaassssseeeee. Oh! We need to find April and Sabine!!! They gotta get in on this!”
✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩
Off in the stands, Harry had begun to throw off some ‘fireworks’ of his own. A full laser light show illuminating the sky as he cheered the kids on. Max shot up bolts of magic that erupted and fell like sparkling light. A personal bit of magic appearing before Agatha that just said ‘Better Luck Next Year’ for only her to see. He gave She-Hulk a T-shirt Canon so if she wanted to she could shoot out shirts for the Excelsior kids into the crowd.
Location: Stands Skills: Chase
Chase watched as the Margaret Carter kids won out the round, noticing that the little pipsqueak was none the worse for wear. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, looking towards Gideon. ”Well, that's lame. Could've at least taken more of them out.” His tone in equal measures bored and aggravated. He reached forward ruffling Ben's hair, if only because he'd already gathered how annoyed the guy was with physical contact. Chase, however, felt the days (or more) oil that had built on the bug boys hair, as he quickly pulled back and shook his hand. ”Maybe I'll catch you around, who knows. Your adoptive pop may have enrolled you in the same school my adoptive pop did. Anyways catch you two later, I'm going to go find some real fun.” He said as he leaned back quickly and faded away through the shadows. Inky tendrils dancing behind like smoke before they disappeared. He'd had half a mind to give one of the winners a wedgie, or trip them up, but decided that could always come later.
Location: Contestant's hotel Skills/equipment: N/A
In no time at all, Vicky covered the distance and hovered down to the Hotel's door, touching down with barely a click of the heels. Judging by the lack of classmates waiting there and scratching their heads in a lack of direction, it looked like Sabine had things handled for now. Onto her own errand first then. "Oh, by the way. Stay away from room 0221. Apparently there is some hefty magic protecting it. Let me know if you need anything. Their system is connected and old, it should be easy to hack if the experience from the 202X ransomware attacks are anything to go by." she sent over to Sabine, before entering the hallway and looking for the room the MacLeods sent her to.
A short walk later, she found the room. Checking that nobody was around and no camera was pointing her way, she tried the knob. To her astonishment, the door opened. She expecter the rooms to be locked even if they were vacant. Not going to look a gifted horse in the mouth tho.
The room was a disaster. The bed over turned, the cheap dresser smashed to bits, the door to the restroom on its hinges and the faint hiss of water beyond it suggested the was faucet left open. The only the thing in the room that seemed untouched was the night stand - bare of anything but the gem.
Huh. Weird even by wizard standards. Not important yo the objective though. From what she was told, it was the antimagic field surrounding her that was the key selling point in sending her. Maybe noone else could even percieve the room and it was here for who knew how long? Still, she proceeded carefully towards the nightstand, all sensors sharp, scanning the gem to match it with the record she had from the mission briefing.
Lo and behold, the gem was a perfect match down to the smallest facet. I can only wish some of the teachers defined what to do for homework this precisely. she chuckled mentally, reaching out for the gem.
The gem flared up, scorch marks appearing on the wooden desktop below it. Vicky's eyes could track the magic try to crawl up her arm, but there was no damage notification, or even a trickle of extra power from her skin's converter function. After a while, the darn thing settled back down and allowed itself to be pocketed without setting Vicky's jacket on fire.
One task done, she checked that nothing else was on fire and left, closing the door behind her. Time to find her wayward classmates.
Location: New Orleans: Hotel Gear: N/A Skills: N/A
The jubilation slowly began to die down, as Max felt his phone go off. He wanted to ignore it, to stay in the moment, but as his kids made their way out, he fished out his phone from his pocket to see if it was important. After all, he was currently still a chaperone for some students who were currently on the field and Vision loved to text. He opened it up and noticed it was from Sabine. Panic set in at first, wondering if something happened after she'd been eliminated. But as he read the message that sense of worry turned into something more. He couldn't quite describe the feeling beyond…disappointment. Only days ago had they had a conversation about the importance of powers and consent. Sure cheating was a massive accusation and if she'd gotten whiff of it during the fight then that was ok. But now she was at his hotel and…he let out a sigh. ”Be right back.” He said as he vanished in a black hole.
He appeared in the lobby, spotting April and Sabine. Great. He calmly, but quickly, made his way to the pair of them. ”Sorry April, I'm going to need to borrow Ms. Bassard for a moment.” Max said with a warm smile before turning to face Sabine.
Sabine felt less pressure when Max appeared. As he strode toward them her joy slowly turned to…not dread, but worry. But why would he not want April there with her? They were so close. Why did she feel a pit in her stomach now? ”I have a feeling I am not going to like this, am I?”
Max gave Sabine a shrug. He wouldn't exactly know how she would feel about the news that she was about to receive, or about the potential talk they might very well be about to have. He held his hand out for Sabine to take, and once she did the pair of them vanished. Only to reappear a few feet away into a vacant room within the hotel. His hand waved lazily in the air and more locks were added so that they wouldn't be disturbed, an out of order sign appearing in front of the door.
”Let's start with your concern about your powers. Someone was indeed blocking you. Me. As you know, telepaths form a great threat to my family, even those that we are close with like Ms. Frost, her children, and Reeva. New Orleans is under my watch, and as such is under several enchantments I command. One of which is the one you encountered. Telepathy is not to be used within the streets or buildings of New Orleans. But now I must ask you, who and why did you target?” His tone wasn't angry, or irate, he sounded as if like a father concerned for the well being of his child wondering why they had done something so reckless and stupid.
Sabine damn near forgot Max was a strong Sorcerer in charge of New Orleans. How could she have been so stupid? Of course her powers would be blocked here. ”The front desk woman because I am trying to find evidence of the Hex Girls cheating. I only wanted to scan the surface memory to find their room number. That was it. I wasn’t going to change or alter anything or force her to tell me or do something against her will. If it didn’t work I would have done something else. They intended to hurt Leah by using her father to scare her before our fight. I know our team won, but I can’t just let them get away with hurting her like that with no consequence. That’s not justice.”
Max leaned against a dresser, hands planted to either side of him as he tried to parse his way through what Sabine was telling him. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he closed his eyes. ”Next time I would appreciate you, or anyone, not use their powers on my employees. Cheating is one thing, but hurting someone under my ward with family trauma is another. You say this happened before the fight, can you tell me more about it. What happened, where, any detail is important.” Max stood up, his gaze soft but focused. He clearly took what Sabine was saying seriously, but was divided by what she had done and what she was now presenting him with.
Sabine bit her lip. It wasn’t like she was going to hurt Astrid. Nor was she intending to hurt anyone. She only wanted the Hex Girls to face their actions. If nothing was done, then it was like they didn’t use performance enhancement drugs before a fight or intend to use someone’s trauma to mess with their head.
No, if she couldn’t find what she needed, then there was no point. ”Ask Leah about it. She experienced it firsthand. I was only collateral damage.” Her tone wasn’t rude, but it was disregarding. She was slowly getting done with this conversation.
”She isn't here. You are. What's more, I ask because I have more than one enchantment placed upon this city. I know when, where, and what spell is being cast at any given moment. I am alerted to it when it happens, and I see to them personally. So if you are stating that she was being messed with by one of my students, then that would mean magic was involved. But I haven't had a single alarm go off.” For the first time, Max's voice went stern. The safety of his city meant everything, it was an extension of his family, and if someone was causing havoc within his walls he would get to the bottom of it.
So she was a means to an end. Not concern for her or for Leah, but because someone possibly got through his wards. Typical. ”Again, you would have to ask Leah. All I know is what I saw from her memory…” Wait a minute…”Wait a minute….I saw Leah’s memory. I did so in the hotel when it happened. If your wards were in place I wouldn’t have been able to do that. But someone made Leah’s father appear and threaten me. Vision was told about it too. He seemed to know who did it, but didn’t tell us.”
”I'll have to speak with Vision about what he knows then. You say he appeared and threatened you? Within the memory or in person? As for her memory, I assume you asked her for consent and she gave it?” It was a lot of information real fast, and if Vision had had to deal with just as much while supervising the kids all alone, chances were he compartmentalized and lowered the priority or something. His sternness turned to concern once more.
Sabine rolled her eyes. ”Yes, I got consent. I can show you the memory if you want, but as I said, repeatedly, Leah would be the best person to speak to as she had firsthand experience. And Vision, though I imagine he has his hands full right now. I only know what I saw in the memory and what Leah told me.” She was, quite frankly, done with this conversation. It was clear nothing was to be done about the Hex Girls cheating. ”If that’s all, could we go back to April? If nothing can be done I’d like to celebrate my team’s victory before we’re thrown back to the wolves.” This time, her tone was more defeatist. Less thrilled with the win, more so like the victory was hollow.
Max snapped his fingers as something finally made sense. ”That explains how you viewed the memory at least. Consent is literally key here, gain consent and your powers are yours to use. It's simple as that. As for what happened with Leah, I'll speak to Vision about it later if he also has the full story. I'd rather Leah not have to relive that memory of her father if she can help it. Especially not when she seemed so happy out on the arena when they'd won. To the end of the Hex Girls cheating, I'll see about ordering a secondary exam on them much like the one you all had to go through when signing in. Whatever magicks or other possibilities they may have employed will still be on their system or leave behind an arcane trace we can follow. If they did cheat, I'll have words with Agatha and see if we can't find a suitable repercussion for what they had done. Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to them than cheating never gets you a win. No matter how badly you want it to. But I think you're more than right, we shouldn't worry April and quite frankly you all are far too young to be having to deal with so much in so little time. Let's go celebrate with everyone, but know that I am actively working on everything you have just told me. If any more information or issue arise, please don't hesitate to contact me.”
Sabine had to be okay with that, at least. Something would be done, hopefully. ”All right. Thank you.” She was right, she didn’t enjoy this conversation. But it was still necessary. It told her a lot. She stood and waited for Max to teleport her back. Hopefully, there would be some time for her to see the others. They had to get ready for the Young Avengers. If the Hex Girls were trouble, cheating or not, they were going to be even worse.
Morning - Thr. December 16th, 2038 - New Orleans, Louisiana
It all came down to this.
The Young Avengers, reigning victors of the Contest of Champions, had taken the field. They were joined by their opponents, the underdog team of Excelsior. Neither team had their usual coach for the final conflict. The Vision had recused himself, as he found himself loyal to both teams. The eyes of the world were upon them - of worlds, potentially, as the match was streamed in this universe and the next. And as much as victory would bring glory - the potential to be recruited for the Avengers, commercial deals, a unique Fortnite skin - those more material accolades were the furthest thing from the Young Avengers’ minds as they faced their challengers.
They didn’t compete in the Contest of Champions for the promise of a prize.
They did it to get stronger - to face the very best and walk away all the better for it.
(Well, maybe Tommy did it for the glory).
And with the blow of a whistle, the match commenced.
“Come on, we got this!” Patriot cheered, swinging his shield up in the air - the dazzling lights of the arena reflecting off of its polished surface. “Plan Hotel, Omega, Tango! And Speed, Cassie, America, Hulkling? You all look sick as hell today.” The confidence oozed off of him like a sponge - an aura that was absorbed by his teammates, as they rallied behind him and the Patriot charged forward, forming an offensive front line, shield at the ready for anything Excelsior could try to hit him with.
“Fuck yeah, we do!” America cheered, kicking off from the ground and flying forward, a maniac’s grin on her face. With that flying leap, she swung at Leah, connecting with the younger girl’s jaw. The sheer momentum sent Leah falling backwards, prone on the ground, her jaw aching, throbbing - not broken, but definitely bruised as hell. America shook her hand out, the smile not leaving her.
And she was not the only one to go for Excelsior’s bruiser. Hulkling flew forward as well, his green wings carrying him as he cleared the gap between himself and Leah. With Leah on the ground, he took two swings at her, the second hurting more than the last, as he landed two blows. Even if Leah managed to get back on her feet, there would be no running - not with two members of the vanguard upon her.
“You feeling flirty today, Patriot?” Speed teased, his movements a blur as he rushed back and forth across the field - pausing for a brief second to wink at Sabine. And then he moved his arms faster than the eye could see, before bringing them together in a thunderous crack - a pure wave of force emanating outwards, colliding with Excelsior’s telepath. The attack was meant to stun, to disorient and disarm - but Sabine was no stranger to stress and pressure, allowing her to retain her focus. This didn’t deter Tommy, however, as he continued to run, subtly moving folks and such out of the way, clearing a path.
A path for Kate Bishop.
In the back line, next to her wizard, the archer had an arrow knocked. She couldn’t use actual arrows per the rules of the contest - so the tips were either dulled or had plungers attached to them, preventing lethal damage. “Damn, what we are, chopped liver?” Kate commiserated with Wiccan, before spotting the opening Tommy had created for her.
She let an arrow loose, and it whizzed past Sabine’s ear. A second arrow had the same result. She was going for headshots. Difficult to do, but oh so satisfying to land.
“Mm, I think they’re just jealous,” Wiccan countered. “Ithinkyou’recoolashell,” he cast, a flash of blue emanating from him, before the same color shone on Kate’s bow.
She grinned at him, before letting the shot fly - and with that magical boost, this time it hit its mark, a plunger arrow connecting squarely with Sabine’s forehead, sending the telepath stumbling backwards, dazed.
“Iwantoprotectmyself Iwanttoprotectmyself Iwanttoprotectmyself,” Wiccan chanted, repeating the spell for a second time before he felt the enchantment take hold. He knew enough D&D and had enough experience to know that a squishy vulnerable wizard was a dead squishy vulnerable wizard.
And he wasn’t the only one thinking of things in D&D terms. The last member of the Young Avengers was currently showing off their expertise in stealth, so tiny as to go unnoticed - until at the last second, Cassie Lang grew rapidly in size, her fist connecting with Dorian’s stomach, taking the other mage by surprise. The punch was more stunning than it was painful, as Cassie gave him somewhat of an apologetic smile.
Leah was knocked prone - she cannot use movement in her post.
Sabine was stunned by Kate’s headshot - her next action will have disadvantage.
Leah didn’t expect them to actually surrender. That was just her attempt at a mind game, but she’d take an easy win. The whole stadium blew up, people cheered and she could’ve sworn she saw someone rip their shirt off to reveal somebody’s face painted over their stomach. All that was left was to do what they came here to do; Beat the brakes off of a bunch of nepobabies. But they needed a real strategy first. It was a lot of noise, she wasn’t able to think about it with all the commotion.
After they were all done with that nonsense for the day, Leah looked for Dorian, finding him when they’d all left.
”Dorian. Can we talk? About the Contest?”
Dorian was sat in his room alone for the moment. Hovering upside down as if he was laying down with his back towards the ceiling midway between his bed in the air. There was a tablet in his hand, the sounds of a fight could be heard slightly before he paused and flipped over to face the right way up, looking at Leah. ”Uh, yeah…what's up?” He asked as he lowered his hover down until he sat firmly on his bed.
”Earlier today, we barely won. Everyone did great, but we can’t risk that kind of thing happening again. And you were doing pretty good leading some of us earlier… We need to plan for tomorrow.”
Dorian was a bit…surprised. He hadn't expected Leah to come to him to strategize. If he were being honest with himself, he figured she proffered to just rush ahead and bulldoze what lay in her way. He blinked, before holding the tablet up so she could see the screen. The pause icon dead center as the recording was mid attack from Hulking rushing towards another combatant. The footage was marked 2036, 2 years prior yet it was the start of the Young Avengers' rise to fame. ”I assume it was most everyone's first time doin’ combat like t'is. It' s not exactly surprisin’ t'at some reacted ‘ow t'ey did. I t'ink Beanie forgot ‘er sword, from just ‘ow much was ‘appenin’ April was spread too t'in and well frankly t'e ‘ex Girls were a well oiled machine till t'e end. By all accounts we could've lost much sooner t'an we ‘ad wit’ t'em.” Dorian placed the tablet beside him on the bed. ”It's why I spent all night studyin’ t'em or what footage I could get of t'em. Same with YA, ‘cept I've been followin’ t'eir movements for much longer. Used to want to be one of t'em…”
”Yeah… We’re three teams that were going to be fighting each other, and suddenly everything happened.” Leah took a couple steps inside. ”Before Arcade, it was me and Vicky doing the strategy for our team, and that was a pain when our team had Zari on it. And now Vicky’s out, so… Yeah.”
”Vicky's not a bad call, she can run analysis all she wants on compiled videos and footage of fights to ‘elp devise a strategy, but she isn't good at reading people or emotions which can matter a lot in a fight. You seem more apt for t'at if I'm ‘onest. Like watchin’ an animal give off signs you know when to back off or press forward. But t'at's not why we are goin' to win tomorrow. We'll strategize and watch as much footage as needed to figure out t'eir tells…but in t'e end we'll win because we ‘ave to. Somet'in ‘as clearly ‘appended to Poisson-Pas, t'e school doesn't seem to be ‘andlin’ it at all and t'e only ot'er person who would is also missin’. We need to win tomorrow. Because whatever we may face down t'e road wont be nearly as nice as t'e YA team will be.”
Well, that definitely wasn’t ominous as fuck.
”I still don’t think he’s dead… Time cop who didn’t see something coming? No. Who else went missing?” She asked.
Dorian pursed his lips. Right. He still hadn't spoken about…everything. What he'd seen, what he'd grown to know. But how to obfuscate it? ”Nimue was ‘is friend and colleague as well as a coach for your team wasn't she? She's missin’ t'e same time Poisson-Pas is? T'at can't be a coincidence.” Especially after he'd seen her within the same visions he'd seen Nemo in back in the Astral Plane.
”My coach was Usagi. We saw how that worked out. The most I ever talked with Nimue was when that Halloween thing happened and I killed a giant wolf monster. Didn’t know her that well. She was from Otherworld, right? You’re right, that’s not a coincidence.”
”She is.” Dorian replied. He held his hand out towards his gaming chair, attempting to beckon it but it didn't budge. He was tired from today's fight and really should be relaxing more. Dorian grabbed a journal that had a bunch of stickers slapped across the front. Various fan made stickers amongst official merchandising ones for his favorite hero teams or hero's in general. There was quite a few Spider-Man ones, including one of him hanging upside down on a singular thread that ran right down the front and center of his journal and stopped about three quarters down. He opened it up and began to thumb through it quickly with one hand as he patted a space on his bed for Leah to join. Stopping at a page that had a sketch of Wiccan with his cloak up, shadows covering half his face. Several notes were written down around the image, all about powers, gestures, positioning. ”So you want to talk strat?”
”Yeah.” She sat down by him, sweeping her hair to the other side so she didn’t turn his arm into pulp. ”...Chaos wizard. Shut him up and he can’t cast, right?”
”Basically. Billy needs to speak in order to cast his spells. He used to same them in triplicate but it seems he's been able to cast faster now than he could 2 years ago. Then again that just comes with practice I suppose. The difficult part is going to be getting to him. Teddy won't make that easy and neither will Tommy.”
”I can think of at least two ways to fix that. Shove sand in his mouth until he’s too busy breathing to speak, or just bury him.”
”Sounds like a good way to get Teddy's attention if you ask me.” Dorian replied as he flipped over a few pages to Teddy's. ”Our priority may need to be disabling t’eir team first beyond Billy. Takin’ away and breakin’ Kate's bow, breakin’ t’e string itself may not matter as she probably carries extra bowstrin’ wit’ ‘er for such occasions. If we can get one of ‘er trick arrows t’at could slow down or impede Tommy's movement, ‘ell even you messing wit’ t'e terrain to make it sand or something to ‘elp slow ‘im down t’at would ‘elp. America is a stronger version of Perce, and if we are lookin' to remove someone first it should be Eli. ‘E's t'eir strategy and tactics man and gettin’ ‘im out is likely to ‘elp destabilize t'em long enough to allow us to break t'eir ranks a bit.”
That made sense. Without a leader, they just had to autopilot. Their team did that against the Hex Girls, and it was a shaky victory at best. ”I might be able to grab two, maybe three of them at once. I can definitely handle scrapping with their heavy hitters, but doing both wouldn’t be easy. A distraction with my powers can open up space for Andy or Percy to get behind them.”
”I t'ink a good openin’ move would be to change t'e terrain. Make it ‘ard for Tommy to move and ‘arder for t'e rest of ‘em to move too. Percy can taxi if need be and im sure you could solidify it beneath you as you run to em. Billy may attempt to combat you on it to change terrain back wit’ ‘is magic but…” Dorian shrugged. ”Bean can use ‘er sword to protect April in t'e back lines as t'ey eit'er attack or protect. If you do take on one of t'e ‘easy ‘itters I'd recommend Teddy. America's portals may make it difficult for your style of fighting.”
[color=ffcb00]”That’s not a bad idea. It’d be more work on Percy, but he can probably manage it… I guarantee there’s some way of using those portals against America. What if someone just tossed a boulder through them? A [i]flaming[/i boulder, maybe?”[/color]
”It's possible, but if she closes t'ose portals immediately t'en it's not possible. But if she tries to punch you t'rough one try and grab t'e edges of t'e portal to keep you wit’ us. Don't need you goin' to anot'er universe mid fight.”
”…Yeah. Bad way to lose. We couldn’t just throw her through her own portals? Well, she’d probably come right back.” America was bound to be tricky. Leah made a mental note to keep an eye on her. ”Wait. What if you possess her and banish her teammates?”
”I could try, but it'll be tricky wit’ Billy on deck. T'ere is a chance ‘is magic could kick me out of ‘er body.”
”We could set up a distraction. A sandstorm, maybe April turns it into a mudslide with me… Just cause chaos and grab someone in the middle of it to draw their attention, so no one notices you slip away. If we’re taking their leader out first, most of them will want to protect him, I think. They might not notice you vanish.”
”Actually, t'at could work. Makin’ a storm to distract from my absence could ‘elp in takin’ over someone. Maybe even Teddy. T'ough America is also a good Candidate or Tommy. Tommy would be ‘arder to pin down wit’ magic maybe if I can keep up t'e speed.”
”Whoever you think you can grab to cause the biggest shake-up,” Leah nodded. ”Whoever you don't, Sabine can focus on and turn against them. America and Wiccan both fighting their own people might just scare the shit out of them, especially if we can get their leader first. They’ll wonder which one is you and which one isn’t.”
”Chère, gettin’ Wiccan…t'at'd be ‘uge. Usin’ ‘is magic to make a secondary team of YA out of illusions? Make em all guess who's friend an who's foe.”
Leah gave Dorian the biggest What the fuck? look. ”Fuck, that’s a good one. If we get even slightly lucky, we just barely have to fight them ourselves. I mean, shit, we pushed the support on our team way too hard and I was thinking we needed to fix that. That’d be a perfect way to outlast them.”
”I'm not just a cute face with an adorable personality.” Dorian said, punctuating his statement with a cute pose and finger heart.
She didn’t think he was that cute. Not really.
”Right, sure. Okay… We should go ask the others what they think. Danni’s probably got plenty of things to say and we really need to see how the supports feel about this.” Leah stood up. ”Can’t lean on them too much.”
Dorian snapped his journal shut, pushing away Leah's less than enthusiastic answer about how cute he was and focusing more on what she had suggested. "Finally, a team meeting. Let's go see the rest of Excelsior!"
Leah Jordan
Location: Contest of Champions Gear: Skills: Battlefield Manipulation / Area Denial
Bang!
A strike to the jaw, and a few more swipes left Leah further back than the front, on the ground with two of the Young Avengers' teammates focusing her. Leah rolled to one foot in a kneeling position, already on the defensive. It shouldn't have surprised her, but why would they gang up on one? Everyone had a plan until they got hit in the face, but Leah was a strategist. And more importantly, so was Dorian. Leah was tough, literally having rocks for skin (at least, it seemed like stone) and an obscene lack of chill. It was smart to attack her first, but devoting two of their three heaviest hitters to a tank? With this team? Bad call.
Both hands placed flat on the ground, she smiled. A wicked, bronze glint of light shone in her eyes as she glanced up at Hulkling and America.
"You know what the problem is, with being in the spotlight for year?" She asked them.
Leah drummed her hands against the ground. A thick layer of dust kicked up about ankle-high around the Young Avengers, and two long walls of sandy stone rose up high into the air. Wiccan and Kate were standing within those two walls, confining where the archer and the wizard could see. And to prevent them from quickly getting away, two equally tall pillars reached up.
She was confident Dorian could use that, if he really wanted to fuck over Wiccan.
"We have years of data, thanks to that." Leah dragged herself up to her feet, cracking her jaw with an audible snap and raising her fists into a defensive stance. "And you vainglorious nepo-babies just made a huge mistake. So come on, keep fighting me."
Maybe it would mess with them, or maybe they'd stay focused on her. Either way, Leah didn't need to be in the middle of things to influence the battlefield. Two tanks on one, when most of her team didn't have the sturdiness to take those hits? Yeah, she'd take that any day of the week if it meant her team had less heat on them.
Idk if we're going back to held rolls (ignore this if not) as well but if we are: Wanna make the ground under Hulkling's feet behave like quicksand via Battlefield Manipulation.
Location: Contest of Champions Skills: Enhanced Reflexes (Passive)
The re-forged team, Excelsior, had been up late the night prior. Not so late to mess with their sleep, but they had talked strategies. Andy still didn't care for banter. She was direct. Stopping this team's speedster was going to be important. He had already proved more adept at his task than the previous team's speedster. Tommy was also her nephew? God, her family tree had gotten weird.
Andy had experience fighting speedsters, including Tommy's uncle. That experience had taught her one key thing with fighting speedsters: It sucked. They were too fast for her to get a proper lock on to fight. But that didn't mean she couldn't learn how a certain speedster moved. She watched him longer than she wanted to, but eventually she found the perfect moment.
Andy lashed out, her fist connecting with Tommy, and lightning wreathed him. She was satisfied with the outcome of that. For now, Tommy wouldn't be an issue. He wasn't out of the fight, and she wasn't going to punch someone who literally couldn't fight back; she prepared for what to do next.
Location: Contest of Champions Gear: N/A Skills: Mental Enhancement, Force Field Generation
This was the moment. This was what they had been working towards. This wasn't going to be like the last fight with the Hex Girls. Sabine doubted the Young Avengers would resort to cheating. They were....intimidating. They already had the skills and the teamwork to back up all the hype.
But Excelsior had something too. They had three full teams that, through the worst, shapeshifted into one. And they had managed a win despite it all. There were missteps and fumbles. But they had won. And even though she had been knocked out, she saw that she had impacted the fight.
Strategy would be key. It was imperative that the supports be protected and the heavy hitters out swinging. Sabine knew and had gotten her sword back from the KG house. She was prepared this time around and would not go down easily.
As the fight started, she felt air brush past her, followed shortly after by another. She saw Kate Bishop lining up another shot and felt the hit impact her. She stumbled back and caught herself. They weren't playing around this time. Sabine got ready, sending her mind to Danni to boost him. She knew from the last fight that Danni was a strong contender here. She struggled at first, the hit from Kate's arrows disorienting her. After another attempt, she managed to find what she needed and gave Danni the boost he would need to do some serious damage.
Sabine then ran back and made her way to April, slamming her sword down and generating a force field around both of them. "You got my back last time, allow me to return the favor," she said, giving April a warm smile. This team could do this, they just needed to be smart.
The night has not been great, and for once, Victoria couldn't point to a specific reason why she felt this way. It seemed like too many little bits and pieces have been going wrong, and overall left her with the feeling that something was coming to a head, and she didn't mean the contest. Nemo's sudden 'death'. Nimue's disappearance. Half of their numbers vanishing into thin air for various reasons. Someone screwing with Leah, which the rockhead forgot to tell her about. MacLeod. Sabine's mental accident. Hex girls cheating. This stuff was all adding up to her unease, and yet no single thing jumped up at her.
Thus, the creeping paranoia got the better of her, and she shown up to the grandstands in a full suit of armor, presently sans helmet which hung up clipped to the belt. At least she got the whole 'meet your maker' moment out of the way yesterday, supposedly Max was looking into the cheating issue and whoever haunted Leah, and as for her and Sabine's mental connection, after a little while of use, Tori was finding it pretty neat. And it gave her some ideas for after graduation, but nothing she wanted to bother her classmates with before their big match.
Normally she might have been at odds which team to root for, but with her state of mind, Vicky seemed more concerned about watching the skies and the people in the stands, rather than the fight itself, expecting Ed's voice to announce they never left the framework at any moment, while trying not to think about any of this too loudly to be distracting to Sabine.
Location:Contest Stadium, Strange Academy Skills:Pyrokenesis
If Danni was excited for the semi-finals, he was practically salivating for this match. The Young Avengers, the pinnacle of power and the pride and job of their school, would be bringing their all to bear against them, the rag-tag team of underdogs. Danni could barely keep the flickering of flames around him under control as they took the field and he stared across at the last obstacle to his, and April's and Dorian's, dream of winning this whole thing.
Hawkeye II, Speed, Stature, Patriot, Miss America, Hulkling, Wiccan.
Danni beamed up at his family, giving an exaggerated wave and beaming and bouncing on his feet as he grabbed their attention, before he snapped back to attention. “W'at t'e-! I look away for five seconds! I just wanted ta day ‘i ta t'e fam!” Danni shrieked as Miss America absolutely decked Leah and Hulkling followed up, doing his best to craft a custom crater for Leah. He nearly hit the air when Stature popped up from nowhere but the awkward whiz of a plunger arrow reminded him why he couldn't do that yet.
“Beanie, we are definitely doin’ facials after we win. Who knows where t'at plunger ‘as been and we can't be ‘avin’ breakouts.” Danni shuddered at the thought and he returned the favor, lining up his finger gun and fired off a HotShot that sped with perfect accuracy with Beanie's power poured into it and crashed into the bow, ruining it. Danni blew the tips of his fingers obnoxiously and flipped into the air with ease. “Sorry ‘bout your bow, but we can't ‘ave breakouts durin’ pictures after all t'is! And please don't use t'e plunger arrows; t'ey're kinda gross! You're still super cool t'ough!” Danni yelled across the field, flashing a thumbs up at Hawkeye II, and with Beanie protecting herself and Princess, Leah was the next in danger.
A swirl of his fingers made a hazy dome around Hulkling and Miss America, more the idea of fire really, so Danni huffed. “Let's turn up t’e ‘eat, baby!” Danni cheered and it all but exploded, a boiling ball of fire separating the two brawlers from everyone else.
