Battle of the Sexes IC

[Avenger Assembled]

"Let's make it quick and dirty," said Mark, sensing that his colleagues were getting a little tired of this idea by now, not to mention still worrying about what he'd accidentally done to Alex. "We'll go for one minute, and the team with the most hits at the end is the winner. The system's really good; it can count things like hitting someone with my powers, or Alex's. Everyone ready?" he asked.

[alderwitch]

Alex flashed a thumbs up and gave everyone her usual gamine grin. "Okay, letsee if I can give everyone my best Scarab impression! Hmm, now letsee, if I was Alexander Rhoades, I'd start by... hiding from the rest of you!"

With a little salute, Alex put her mind to bending the light around her and fuddling their senses to vanish. Apparently, Alex had decided to take the scenario to heart down to copying her mentor's fighting habits.

[angrydurf]

"Alright that works I guess." Mike replied. He didn't like fighting his friends but if Mark and Alex both thought it was needed training they were probably right.

He then nodded agreement to the terms and took up position next to Mark ready to intercept Wanders attack if she went that route again and peered about in hopes of discovering Alex's presence.

[Electra]

Erin took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders, then got to work. Almost too fast for the eye to follow, she leapt up into the fire escape of the nearest building, actually overshooting the guys by a couple of yards. She made a one-handed grab for the railing and used it to twist herself around, turning all her momentum in the opposite direction so she was suddenly barreling back directly at Phalanx. With her bat leading the way, she connected with a solid thwack that had vibrations resonating up and down her arms.

[angrydurf]

Phalanx didn't even see the attack coming. He had just managed to turn towards her once more after her acrobatic flip and managed to earn himself a hearty blow to the head that set him reeling as he stumbled a few steps back. He stood trying to shake off the effects of the telling blow ears ringing.

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark felt a moment's satisfaction at the sight of the invulnerable Mike getting smacked around, and instantly felt bad. That's a terrible thing to think about my friend! Even if he shake me up that one time. He decided to compensate for his surge of ill feeling by fighting back against his buddy's tormentor, striking back against Wander and Psyche both with a randomly exploding barrel nearby magically leaving Mike and Mark untouched.

[alderwitch]

Twisting mid-air, Psyche tried to avoid the worst of the explosion. The debris that did spatter her hit the glowing aura around her body, leaving her mostly unscathed. She reappeared as suddenly as she had vanished, floating silently in the air in the alleyway. She gathered up a handful of the sparkling aura that had protected her in her hands and flung it out at the boys. It flatened into a large looking sheet of power that flew towards them as it formed into a bubble shape around the boys.

[Electra]

Erin noticed the barrel starting to go a bare instant before it blew, and neatly tumbled out of the way before the flying shrapnel could catch her. She came up ready to engage again, but was momentarily stymied by the shimmering bubble encasing the boys. "What does it do?" she called to Alex, not quite sure if it was the sort of thing one could punch into, or if she'd be better off trying to roll them into traffic or something.

[alderwitch]

Psyche looked momentarily pleased as the force bubble popped closed. She didn't expect it to last. "Its kinda like a superstrong gerbil ball. I'm trying to 'think on my feet'."

[Electra]

Erin cocked her head and looked at the boys in the ball, then shrugged and did the same thing. Putting her hands against the outside of the ball, she began to run, pushing it in front of her easily while it rolled like the hamster ball Psyche had suggested. In just a moment she'd pushed it to the mouth of the alley, and out to the street beyond, then with one final shove sent it rolling into the busy street beyond, in the direction that seemed more downhill.

[angrydurf]

Phalanx was still shaking off the effects Wanders blow to the face when the ball started moving and was unable to brace himself as it quickly headed out into the street. The hulking teen quickly lost his feet and spun end over end as the ball rolled presenting a substantial hazard to his smaller teammate.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Oooh dear!" called Mark as they rolled faster and faster, keeping his lunch down through sheer force of will. "I don't feel very good..." He took a deep breath, stilling himself, and said, "Hang on, Mike!" They were rolling very fast indeed now, whizzing past simulated 70s cars that beeped and honked frantically as they swerved out of the way. "I've got...an idea!" And with that, he leaned forward and steered the speeding ball right into the face of a concrete wall! Mark was successful in hitting the wall, sure enough, but unfortunately he'd failed to note the curve in the wall!

With a sudden "Wa-hi-hi-hoi!" the boys went hurling up in the air, bounced off a flagpole, and went caroming down yet another street: this one an elevated highway leading to a bridge!

[Electra]

Erin watched the ball go, then paused and turned to Alex. "So, I think we're winning. Want to chase them down and finish fighting it out, or get out of here and figure it'll probably take them more than 45 seconds to get back here and find us?" she asked with a grin. "Especially if you hide us. I don't think running out the clock is against the rules."

[alderwitch]

"It's not hiding, it's exploiting the advantage. Lets head to high ground on the off chance they just knock down buildings." Alex said judiciously as they shimmered out of sight to the boys, but still visable to each other. Alex floated up towards the roof of one of the better buildings to keep an eye on the boys.

[Electra]

Erin followed Alex up the side of the building, bouncing off ledges and the side of the fire escape and making good time. "I wonder if they'd lose points for knocking down buildings. That's a lot of extra collateral damage. Plus, it would probably actually make us harder to find." Shading her eyes against the sun, she tried to catch sight of the hero-filled hamster ball as it rolled through the city.

[angrydurf]

As they careened off the building Phalanx came to his senses forcing down the wave of nausea at Edges encouraging words he Braced himself against the sphere and pushed them up and out of traffic. As he began peering around to see if the others were in sight he pulled Edge to his feet, "You see them?" he asked his normally luck partner.

[Avenger Assembled]

"I'll get us out of this!" said Mark boldly. He gave the ball a little shove, rolling them right into the path of an oncoming 18-wheeler. Before Mike could react, the ball shattered into a thousand pieces, spinning away into nothingness on the busy road. Standing without fear as simulated cars rolled by, Mark pointed dramatically. "I bet...they're on one of those rooftops! How many can there be in Freedom City?"