2014.07.06 - En Guard!

About 5 minutes ago, a call from the front gate's intercom came up to the mansion. It was a woman asking to see Bobby Drake so naturally, the cryokinetic mutant jogged down to the front gates to see what's up. But now? Well, alarms will be going off. The 'school is under attack!' alarms. And Bobby? He's sailing through the air like he just got launched...mostly because he did...and crashing through the front doors. Thankfully for him he entered his ice form...which is now shattered across the front hall along with the broken doors. "Okay, I could use hand here...literally," Iceman...currently missing an arm and both legs from the knee down...says as he pushes himself up on his one remaining icy arm. He'll be fine...just get him a moment.

What's the cause of this? Well down by the front gates there are three people. The first is a very tall woman dressed like a dancer in white and blue. Next to her is a hulking muscled figure in torn red overalls and a striped shirt. Sparks are coming off his eyes and he's holding the crumpled remains of the front gates. And lastly, an overweight man dressed like an artist laughs as he steps up next to the other two. "Now behold the true beauty of art!" he declares. "Brought to you by the Avant Guard!"

This is probably bad.

Alarms! Again? Jesus! Seems like everywhere Roberto goes these days, alarms are blaring and maniacs are attacking. Fortunately, as he was already down in the subbasement when Iceman's visitors got creative with the front gate, it's the work of just a minute to get into his Sunspot uniform. And seconds after that, he's rushing into the mansion's foyer, executing a sudden hop to keep from tripping on one of his teammate's frozen legs. "Merda! Bobby, why are your -- ?" The molten Brazilian glances out the doorway and spots the approaching... whatever they are. "You know what? Never mind." He kicks the leg over to Bobby expertly, soccer skills coming in handy on the battlefield yet again. He slams his armored knuckles together with a clang. "Which one should I punch into orbit first?"

Jo is down in the Danger Room when the alarms go off. He has realized there is at least one more thing he is supposed to be able to do. OK, so he realized it because the Legion HQ is a ship from 5 years in his future andIT says he can do it. Anyway, so he is trying to igure out how to focus his ultra energy into his breath at a place intended for training powers.

Having helped reprogram the Danger Room last time he was here, or rather deprogram it before it killed anyone, he knows exactky where it is and how it works. When the alarm goes off he switches to Ultra Vision and soon locates the problem. Somehow he gets the impression tearing off the front gate is not exactly a friendly gesture.

"Ultra Speed," Jo says, moving out of the building at just under the speed of sound (causing sonic booms inside a building is rather destructive of property). He reaches the animates ice statue and interposes himself between that and the three at the gate. "Invulnerability," he says as he comes to a halt.

"Somehow, I get the impression you are not here to sell space scout cookies," he states to the three.

As some students run for it and others look for places they can hide and watch...with some quiet arguments about whether or not some should get involved or not...Iceman looks up as Roberto and Ultraboy arrive. He ends up hit in the chest by the leg, falling back as he tries to catch it. "The big one's pretty tough," he offers.

The trio isn't waiting around. The big guy, Spark, yells out and throws the gate at the mansion. The Painter meanwhile is dipping a brush into some paint he's carrying. He makes a few floushing gestures in the air and the pain flies off the brush. It forms into a seven foot tall T-rex which promptly roars and starts stomping towards the school. And growing larger with each step. The woman, Bora, is starting to dance meanwhile. For the moment she doesn't seem to be doing anything threatening...

"Sorry, Bobby. Don't know my own strength," Roberto says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go beat some people up." He steps out onto the front porch and swats the thrown gate aside with the back of one armored hand. He glances at Jo. "You heard the man. You take the dinosaur, I'll get the tough guy." And with that, he's sprinting out onto the front grounds, straight toward Spark, his arms held wide for a tackle. Not usually his style, but American football has its high points.

Jo realizes the painter can be a real problem, especially if he can animate multiple paintings at once. He says to Roberto, "You deal with the big guy, I will see what I can do with the painter."

Jo says, "Ultra Speed," and starts by grabbing the paint brush out of the painter's hand and tosing it strait up so fast friction sets it on fire like a reversed meteor. He then starts circling the T-rex, striking it from different sides a hundred times...

"Sure, don't mind me. I'll just be here putting myself back together," Bobby remarks, rolling his eyes as he starts freezing his leg back into place.

"You uncultured cur!" Painter sneers as Jo steals his brush. It's not that easy though, the painter just taking another out of his coat along with a pad. He starts painting something on that paper while watching Jo. The T-Rex meanwhile is snapping and swiping at Jo with it's tail. The blows take chunks out of it's body and leave the Legionnaire's hands stained green.

Spark matches Roberto's pose and meets him head on for a grapple. Spark grips onto Sunspot tightly and grins sinisterly at him. "Nice effects. Try some of mine," he says, lightning arcing along his body to shock Suspot.

Bora meanwhile has really picked up her dance routine. "So you're the friends he thought were more important than me!" she calls with a thick Russian accent. "You'll all become true works of art!" she adds, shimmering rifts starting to open in the air around her.

Jo speeds away from the paint creature and switches powers, "Flash Vision." He emits a burst of blue light from his eyes, setting the page on fire and burning the brush pressed to it. He tries to see if the T-rex burns...

Electricity is one of those things Sunspot doesn't really have a defense against, armor or not, so that first hit twists his body with pure agony. Through the pain, one goal is seared into his mind: get away from this guy. With a raging bellow, he drags upward on Spark like Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi, and with every ounce of his strength, tries to bodily fling his attacker away.

Sorry, Jo. It's not that easy. Painter just grins wickedly and tosses the flaming brush aside. Even as the paper bruns, something leaps off it. A red and green copy of Jo himself. It rises to it's feet after landing and starts flying quickly towards the real deal. He's still got to deal with the fractured and hole-filled T-Rex too!

Spark has never seen Star Wars. At least not in a way he didn't spend the whole time complaining how it was outdated and not a classic at all. And he's not expecting to be picked up and thrown like that. He goes crashing through a tree...feel bad for who has to tell Ororo one of her trees was destroyed...and the electrical attack stops. But Sunspot doesn't get much time to take a breather. Not when Bora is gesturing his way and a huge burst of icy, slushy wind is blowing at the armored mutant. The grass is starting to freeze around him too, snow building up. Jo realizes this painted copy, even if iit has all hos powers (unlikely, but possible...more likely the painter can only include powrs he has seen) will not know what those powers are until Jo shows him. Further, he is not going to have years of training with Karate Kid, the master of the Martial Arts in the 30th century (OK, so Jo has not done as good with the training as Brin and some others, but he is well above average). Jo switches to Ultra Speed and waits, dodging at the last micro second so that the faux Jo slams into the T-rex.

Sunspot's arms dangle limply, his shoulders slumped as he takes ragged breaths and tries to recover from the electrical assault. He's not really prepared for it when he's hit by the gale, but fortunately the weight of his armor gives him enough inertia that he only staggers backward a few feet. He holds one arm up in front of his face and glares. "You trying to freeze ME? You asked for it, otária!" His corona heats up in a flash, ruddy light flaring yellow and white. Then he rears back and ejects some of that broiling heat toward the woman. "Two can play at that game!"

Dodging was a bad idea, Jo. When those paint monsters collide, they freeze for a moment. Then there's a rumbling, bubbling as they creatures melt together. When it's all finished...the big T-rex has changed. It's repaired...and wearing an Ultraboy uniform complete with his hair. The creature rumbles before lunging at Jo with his own ultra speed.

Bora's expression turns a little crazy as Sunspot starts firing back. She keeps up her dance moves, another rift opening. A second gale pushes along with the first creating a stalemate between the two. A very steamy one. "Hahahaha! Your little ugly light is no match for the icy art I possesse!" she laughs out.

Bobby meanwhile has finally pulled himself together and is jogging outside. When he overhears Bora, he just groans. "I can not believe I used to date her..." Jo taunts the paint monster, "Catch me if you can!" He heads strait up, keeping his speed equal to the monster chasing him. The monster is not going to have a transsuit, when it hits the edge of the atmosphere it's paint will start boiling away...

Berto sprints forward, saving his solar reserves for something more productive than a blast-measuring contest with the frost witch. He keeps his aura white-hot, to counteract her attack, but redirects his energy into a superstrong leap followed by a jet-propelled dive. With gravity and coronal thrust on his side, he's betting he can get close enough for some good old-fashioned punching.

The Ultra-Rex does indeed follow along. It doesn't just fly though. No, it's launching blasts of Flash Vision at Jo and likely singing his hair and backside with some close calls. Getting high enough does start the paint boiling and bubbling but it's not instant. Jo still has to dodging a melty, boiling hot Ultra-Rex trying to eat him...at UltraSpeed.

The winds keep blowing, making it so that Roberto has to run through a steamy cloud. Hopefully he likes the sauna! Bora's not too keen on the punching though. She keeps laughing and dancing as Sunspot launches himself...and spins right out of the way of his jet-tackle. It's followed up by opening another rift and blasting at his back so that the frigid wind will carry him right into one of the stone walls around the school. He'll have more to deal with after that, Spark charging for him.

Where's Iceman? Well he's fighting a small horde of Painter-created ninja.

Now, at this point, it depends on whether we are in sunlight or in shadow. If we are in sunlight, the direct rays of he sun will quickly heat up the paint creature. If we are in shadow, it will soon freeze as the energy required for sublimation bioling will have to come from the remaining liquid. It is hust a matter of dodging the creatures attacks as long as it takes....

Sunspot hits the ground hard, driving his hands and feet a few inches into the dirt. It gives him enough of a grip that the latest buffeting wind doesn't send him flying. He turns and yells to Bora, "Who the hell are you, and what is the point of this?" Spark he fends off with another directed heat blast -- he has absolutely no intention of getting tased again. If that isn't enough to dissuade the bruiser, he'll do another cricket hop out of the way, but he would really like to stick around long enough to hear the woman's explanation.

Thankfully for Jo it's in the light. Something unlucky? The creature falls apart just as it gets a lucky break...so instead of razor-sharp teeth making Jo into a pin cushion...he's just painted. He'll need a shower.

Bora eases up on her winds so she doesn't freeze Spark. The giant ends up burnt but still charging...mostly crashing since he can't see. "We're here to show that idiot Drake how sorry he should be for leaving me like he did and to demonstrate the true beauty of art!" Bora responds, swinging a hard kick towards Roberto when his hop brings him closer. She's a 7-foot-tall giant of a woman.

"We went on TWO dates, Annie! And you're crazy!" Iceman yells, exasperated. He's dealt with the ninja and is currently freezing an angry and cursing Painter into some ice-cuffs.

Berto blocks the kick with one arm plate and grabs Bora's leg with the other hand. Seven feet of woman is nowhere near too much for him to handle, and at the moment he just wants her immobile and talking instead of blasting. "Who needs enemies when you've got Bobby Drake's goddamned love life in your general vicinity?" he mutters through gritted teeth. To Bora, he adds, "You want to beat him up? Do it off school grounds where I won't have to worry about a bunch of students getting sucked into one of your ice vortexes."

Unfortnately, it will take Jo a bit to get back down..assuming he does not want to destroy the neighborhood by hitting the ground like a meteor anyway. He will have to slow down to subsonic about 30,000 feet or the sonic boom will destroy glass for blocks around... He will Switch to Ultra Vision about then, using his flight ring to direct his flight while seeing what is going on and where to strike.

"SILENCE!" Bora demands, waving her hands. She doesn't have to do much though, Spark making his return. He grabs Sunspot from behind and repays his earlier favor with added shock. He tazes Sunspot and sends him flying back towards the mansion. That's one down and out on both sides. All that's left are Spark and Bora vs Iceman and Ultraboy!

From out of normal visual range, Ultra Boy looks over the situation. It looks like the Painter is temporarily dealth with, that is good. Fromw phat he has seen, he probably should deal with Bora and let the ice guy deal with the shock guy. He continues his plunge, using ultra speed to time it he switches to ultra strength just before impact and hits Bora into the wall. Hopefully she is strong enough to take the force of the blow without being pulverized, Jo does not want to be a killer.

Bora certainly isn't expecting an attack from above and behind like that. Before she can even start dancing again she's sent flying. She uses a rift to slow herself down but still hits the wall hard enough to get knocked out. Slumping to the ground, she's out of the fight. She's quickly followed by Spark, the giant electric guy running right into an ice wall when he tries to grab Iceman. As he passes out, his muscles shrink away and he gets shorter. "Damn..." Iceman trails off, sighing a little.

Jo says, "That was a bit unsporting, but the time to be sporting is when you are playing games...not when you are protecting lives."

Nodding a little, Iceman looks around. He gives Jo a considering look then nods again. "You get Sunspot down to the Infirmary, okay? I'll bring these psychos to the cops."

Well, it will not be the first time Jo has done THAT. Actually, the first time he was here he wound up taking Roberto to the Infirmary. He comments as he carefully lifts Roberto, "This is getting to be a habit..."