Dariusprime

My internet connection is acting up...again. I may not have a stable connection until Monday at the earliest. *crosses fingers* Edit: So far so good.

Yes. The first few rows got a brief, heavy wash after her surge, but luckily Dark Star put up his shielding to prevent further exposure. I am suddenly getting visions of Godzilla stomping through Tokyo while a tv reporter talks about, "Water sources may be contaminated."

"You've got to be kidding me," mumbled Fulcrum. Of all the villains she had fought over the years, nothing came close to this guy in sheer camp. Kid Cthulhu would trounce this guy...in no time? Okay, now things were getting interesting. Mummies and dinosaurs would be a challenge. Fulcrum quickly summarized the situation and what was needed. KC may need a new entrance line, but really he could work that out himself. Secondly, KC did state his intent to The Collector, but she would have preferred if he asked for surrender first. These situations required certain diplomatic gestures. Thirdly, everyone knew his or her assigned task. Breakdown had the potential to be a good leader. Heck, he was already good at it. She nodded in approval. Major issues decided, Fulcrum zoomed off to intercept the rampaging pile of bones. The skeleton was probably a replica, given how rare T-rex fossils were, but the thing was probably still quite costly and labor-intensive. She had no interest in damaging or destroying something, well frankly, so interesting. The skeleton roared and snapped at her as she zipped around its head at hypersonic speed! Within moments the animated skull wobbled dizzily. The caped hero dove on the great beast, seizing its jaws and clamping them shut. She smiled. All she had to do now was keep it busy until they found a way to de-animate it. She wondered how long this plan would last. Offhandedly she said to KC, "Depending on how polite you want to be, some heroes ask for surrender first."

Fulcrum By All Your Powers Combined Containment Means Never Having To Say KABOOM! The Crash Fisticuffs Fundraiser! Geiger Gal [JoaB/Fulcrum] Holy Meeting The Horror in The Museum Sentry Session

Now teleporting like that was livable. If Breakdown could market that technique, he would be a rich man. Clearing her throat, Fulcrum spoke her approval, "Much better, Breakdown. You're a fast learner." She tapped him on head playfully. Instead of taking the lead, as she was wont to usually do, Fulcrum stood next to Breakdown with her arms behind her back. She smiled at KC's enthusiasm and hoped he handled himself well. "Good luck," she called quietly to him, "Be cool." Something about Kid Cthulhu really bothered him. It wasn't him per say. He seemed like a fairly level-headed, if somewhat emo teenager. That certainly wasn't a crime. His powers were interesting if a bit icky, but again you can't blame a hero for his powers. The source though bothered her. Once KC made his big entrance, she repressed a giggle and whispered to Breakdown, "So did he tell you anything about where he got his powers?"

I can GM as needed as well, Quote. Between the two of us we can give him a good run for his money. Mwahahahah!

Cosmic energy control would be more appropriate, but personally I'd just hand wave it for the sake of story. Jack is causing a lot of trouble. :P

Fulcrum hovered after Colt, keeping in eye out for trouble, both of the living and toxic kind. Obviously someone had gone to a lot of trouble getting this area updated and hidden. What this had to do with the weird sensations she was feeling she couldn't quite figure out. Whatever it was, it wasn't good by any definition. When the group came to the fork, she nodded to Colt's reasoning and answered quietly, "Sounds good. If anyone is around here, they'll be down that way." Giving him a thumbs up, she readied to flow him. Although she wasn't claustrophobic, being underground wasn't something Fulcrum relished. Even before gaining the power of flight, she had liked wide-open spaces. This preference was equal parts predisposition and growing up in the crowded streets of the West End. Still she only looked a touch uncomfortable and no where near panic.

Fulcrum hung there a moment, reveling in a most excellent bout. All Dark Star's little scolding did was make her laugh, or giggle because of the headache. She tried flexing her right arm, but it was still too numb to really do much. Instead the roar of the crowd brought a smile and waves with the good arm. She did a couple of loops, slow to keep her head from spinning worse, and looked at Atlas, "Dark Star stopped the match and scolded us for being too rough. If we had really cut loose the Dome wouldn't be here." Still Dark Star had gotten under her skin. Not really in a bad way, per say, but more like a personal challenge. Few things were more enjoyable than giving the self-righteous a metaphorical slap upside the head. Which she was about to do, as soon as she managed to get Atlas on her good shoulder. She planned on giving him a 'victory' ride around the dome, whipping up a roar of 'Atlas! Atlas!'. He deserved it. Balancing the guy was more difficult than she imagined, so she maneuvered under him. She froze in place. A feeling, a strange feeling, descended upon her like a lead weight. In fact it really did feel like a heavy pressure over her chest. Maybe she was more tired than she realized. Looking up to Atlas, she said, "Lets take a...a couple of laps before we land. Sit on my shoulder and I'll give you a ride." To be honest she looked a little peaked all of a sudden. Of course her aura didn't like being manipulated. Yes, the energy wasn't organized like a power, so it was simple enough to contain. The problem was that it reacted almost instinctively, fluxing and straining and fighting, like an angry snake trying to resist capture. It even 'struck' at the Dark Star's counter, trying to warp and distort the effect, but thankfully to no avail. The threat remained, contained, but still omnipresent and, to use the snake analogy again, 'hissing'.

Reflex vs Dark Star's power (1d20+5=15)

Sounds good. Maybe the Hound of Resurrection? Use a Battle Brute or something as a the base?

Lol! AOA/PA +5/-5 Attack vs Atlas #1 (1d20+8=17), DC 32 AOA/PA +5/-5 Attack vs Atlas #2 (Surge) (1d20+8=11), DC 32 It was a great fight!

A battered Fulcrum knew only one way of overcoming that megaton warhead Atlas called a fist. Dodging at this range was impossible, and holding up tissue paper would be more effective than a regular block. It was the big one, the finisher, his body funneled into one hand. So like every self-respecting and spectacle-loving super hero, Fulcrum decided to do something completely crazy. She counter punched! She met him head on, a gloved right fist slamming knuckle-to-knuckle. The force of the impact, shock wave not withstanding, rippled up the arm and shoulder. Her whole right side went instantly numb. Her face twisted into a snarling grimace as his overwhelming power still threw her arm back against her chest. She braced with everything she had, determined to ride out the hit. Even as the ring collapsed beneath her, it split and warped, crashing debris outward from her footprints. The Blue Bombers were her personal morphic gloves, custom made to survive virtually anything she could dish out. Nothing on this earth could survive firepower of that magnitude. The right glove and tape disintegrated at the moment of impact and joined the remnants of Atlas' glove somewhere in the stratosphere. The shock wave rent the other, blowing out the seams and stripping it right off her hand. The tape unraveled amid the fury. Everything was all blurry and buzzy. She faded in-and-out unsure as to what was happening. Finally a voice, distant but distinct from the ringing, penetrated her haze. Of all people, the voice belonged to Ace, unintelligible but clear. Her eyes focused, a maniacal glint to them, and she poured her all into a final hammering set of blows. Sparks and glass rained down on the fighters from the overhead lights. KRAKOOM! KRAKOOM!

I will take that offer, thank you, sir. :pirate:

Once everyone was in position, Fulcrum walked up to the edge and took a few breaths. She really wasn't sure how to do this 'super breath' trick. It looked easy enough for other people, but frankly the technique wasn't one she really considered. Still if it cleaned out the air, it was worth a try. Focusing, she began taking deeper and deeper breaths. Finally one long, deep inhale later, a blast of air hurdled forth, widening into a semi-visible cone as it swirled down into the mine shaft. Fulcrum had the good sense to cover her face, but the strange soot still sprayed out like a gray geyser. The dust went literally everywhere. When the air finally cleared, Fulcrum could be spotted looking down the shaft and dusting herself off. "I'll be. Looks like it may have worked. Shall we proceed?" she said, smiling up the others.

All-Out/Power Attack +5/-5, Attack vs Atlas (1d20+8=9) So much for her boxing ability tonight! Finish her! :mrgreen:

"Yes, we should. It would be nice sparring without worrying about taking his head off," answered Fulcrum as she circled, "We'll have to compare workout schedules. I head over to Dana's a three times a week." Fulcrum assumed her guard and cautiously waited out Atlas. Telling yourself to act more aggressively was one thing, but actually doing it was another matter entirely. She was looking for an opening in his guard, something she could use to slip inside. Rushing head long into his reach just wasn't going to cut it anymore. His technique was understood by this point, but instead of the counter attack, Fulcrum tucked and dodged. The bulk of the punch was blunted but still rattled her. That's when she made her move. The consequences of what she was about to do were well understood. Even right up against him, where counter punches would be awkward, her defense was all by non-existent. Instead she threw everything she had into a rapid fire one-one-two-three combo. Unfortunately, the results were less than spectacular. The jabs and cross cleared the road ineffectively, and the big finish, a close left hook to the ribs, impacted his massive right arm. Telegraphing the punch through his guard just didn't generate enough force because of her positioning. While Fulcrum mentally noted to brush up on combos, the two fighters were giving the audience one hell of a show. The ropes had just began snapping back when the combo started, straining them outward with each blow. The hook hit with such power that a visible shock wave emanated, snapping the connecting ropes of a corner post and bending the metal outward with a shriek. The lines whipped against the force field, adding to the chaotic waves and distortions.

Sounds like a great idea! All we need is a good name. Hmm...

I expected as much. I'm looking to get this round's attack in and that's all she wrote.

Letmethinkaboutthatno. Considering your rolls so far, I may as well just stay down. Lets see how I did: Toughness vs Atlas 3 (1d20+11=20). Ow. Okay, lets blow that HP and see what happens: Reroll Toughness vs Atlas 3 (1d20+11=30). I can't believe I survived that. :D

That's a possibility. I'll have to stunt it, but its worth a shot.

Fulcrum listened carefully to the introductions and explanations. That...well...'zombie' honestly seemed the best way to describe him...had a legitimate question. She shared many of his reservations concerning Heyzel, both on a practical and cosmological level. Which was why she was really waiting to hear from the angel again. His answer was disappointing. Despite her persona and occupation, she was a fairly skeptical person and his reply sounded little more than empty rhetoric. Still his demeanor came across rather sweet, if a little arrogant and self righteous. Fulcrum smiled warmly back to him and glanced at Dead Head, wondering what the fellow had to say. When the old church fell into silence once more, Fulcrum cleared her throat. She looked down in thought a moment, then sat up straighter, "Not to preempt this gentleman," she said, trying to be diplomatic, "but you didn't really answer his questions. You stated the obvious, strung together some loaded religious words and I'm not even sure how many fallacies you included." "Several people in this room, myself included, would be very interested in knowing more specifics about this mission of yours and how you came to be here now," she ended, motioning to the group, particularly Phantom and Dead Head. Mentally she made a note to talk to Phantom later and learn more about The Pact. Now obviously wasn't a good time.

Breakdown was passionate about his music, and Fulcrum didn't interrupt his reminiscing. Sure, knowing what he was thinking about would be nice, but she wasn't going to pry. Instead she nodded, "I'd like to hear your band. Give me a heads up on the concert dates please? I'll ask around Riverside and see if anyone is interested. You'd be surprised how diverse the local music scene is here, artsy reputation aside." Walking over to KC, she offered him a couple of binders with more of her artwork, in varying styles and formats. They ranged from surreal to quite realistic, many studies of anatomy and posture. The old ones had more superheroes, but the newer ones featured more landscapes, other models and even horror elements. In particular was an industrial theme featuring complex machines and cybernetics. Some even ventured into the biomechanical style of H.R. Giger. Leaning on the couch, she smiled to Breakdown as she flipped through another one, "Maybe you can land a spring concert in Riverside Park. It has an open air auditorium." She held up a sketch of the stage.

"Be careful down there, canary," said Fulcrum, leaning on the rock and looking down into the muck, "I'll be right behind you if anything happens." Colt had a good point. That soot was still an unknown factor, and an aerosol of the stuff could be toxic or at least irritating. She'd volunteer to go first, but the stuff probably wouldn't affect her anyway. The first time she discovered that breathing was optional, she sat on bottom of the swimming pool for two hours as a test. Not to mention her toxin resistance. Yes, certain features of her power set were enjoyable, but she was still worried about her friends. That's when an idea came to her. She couldn't say it was an original one. Centurion and a couple of other heroes had used the trick, but she hadn't quite figured out the technique. May as well use as many variations on her powers as possible. She added offhandedly, "I may be able to get rid of some of that dust. You know, use a powerful breath to blow things away. What do you think? Worth a try?"

I should let my regeneration pick up the bruised level, considering what I'm up against. My apologies for the delay in posting. Ready for another round!