Xaviers!

Madrox flew through a swarm of flying squidbots, carving them up with his laser. Explosions trailed his passing like he were a gundam.

Sara Stanton wrote:Sara, clutching her head that has a number of sizeable cracks in it, stomps down on the monkey-man. Intentionally missing, her foot slams into the ground next to his head and the ground begins to swallow Evil Simon up.

Simon was dazed, which said a lot about how hard Will could hit when they put their mind to it; the man had been hit by vehicles before and used his rage to shrug them off. When he did come to it took a moment before he realized his situation, the man desperately clawing at the ground and trying to dig himself out. "No! NO!" He screamed, his eyes bloodshot and mouth foaming. There was no Dr. Jekyll left in him at this moment, no cool and collected exterior, it was all Mr. Hyde.

William Stanton wrote:"Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez,' William said, having extricated himself from the wreckage of the van.

He ran over to Artemis to see if she was alright.

Artemis had seen better days. The marble-like faceplate was missing about a third of the material on the right side, the rest cracked like a fine china plate. The mechanisms beneath looked... kind of upsetting. Many humanoid robotics had a humanoid skeleton beneath but this thing was built for function, and only the outside molded to form. The "visor" was cracked as well, showing static and flicking warning messages. Whatever she used to project the facial hologram eventually flickered on, the effect messed up by her shattered faceplate. It appeared confused and disoriented... could an AI suffer a concussion? With William's help she pulled herself to sit more upright, or rather they propped her up, whatever, to get a look at the devastation.

"Oh no... I liked those legs. They made me tall."

Oh, right, legs. Hers were gone. From the look of the empty sockets at her hips they hadn't been ripped out so much than she had undocked with them, probably mangled within the smashed Scraptinel suit or having been welded to it in her efforts to better control the thing. One arm was relatively fine, the other hung as dead weight and was leaking some type of fluid. She turned to look at Will.

"Hi."

Artemis wrote:Artemis had seen better days.

"Ah geez, ah geez -- do you need help? I can, uh...I can drag you out of here if you need...time...to fix...yourself?" William said, a bit unsure on how to help a busted down robutt.

Samantha McManus wrote:Some of the ravens are indeed in a bad way as they collide with the invisible forcefield made of razor blades, though one wonders exactly what thought process leads one to invent such a thing. A few are dead, some recombine messily and start regrouping.

Sam starts probing at what is likely a null telepathy field cobbled together from three packs of Juicy Fruit and an electric can opener.

Dr. Tomorrow's shield -- both physical and psychic -- was fairly thorough, but the strain of keeping it up against so much chaos was not doing great things for the Doc's technology. It would take a sustained telepathic assault to get through his mental shields. Possible, but she'd probably get slapped upside the face a few times if she tried doing it while just flapping near him.

Tomorrow's physical shields, meanwhile, weren't helped when The Boy slammed into it, courtesy of Tereza's Fastball Special. The razorblades dug into The Boy, slicing and dicing as the sheer force of clay hitting blades happened, and clay goo would rain down over the battlefield. It did however, prove a good model of where the forcefield was stronger or weaker, with different parts of it slicing at different rates as the boy's sheer mass caused the forcefield to work overtime.

The other Will, with Tereza's slightly adjusted aim, was flying right for Sam, shifting and twisting into an elongated, somewhat thematic spear as he arced through the air.

"John! You're so old!" Mizuki says as she helps her big brother up effortlessly.

"'I'm not even forty!" he protested.

Apo walked out of a cloud of smoke and dust, heading their way. "Seeking aid from little girls, weakling?"

"Ooh... that was a mistake Apophis..."

One of the spider-bots awkwardly lands near where Artemis crashed and some forward momentum seems to transfer to the goop jumping out of it and forming into a young woman who jogs over to Will and Artemis.

"I mean, you could give her a hand, but I think what she really needs is legs."

John Hino wrote:Apo walked out of a cloud of smoke and dust, heading their way. "Seeking aid from little girls, weakling?"

"Ooh... that was a mistake Apophis..."

"Yeah, I'll kick your butt!" she says, putting up her fists in the absolute worst fighting pose.

Sara slowly loses some bulk as she watches Evil Simon sink into the ground. She stops before his head disappears, but she at least looks like she might change her mind on that as she glares down at him.

"I'm taking this one home. Got it?"

"Maybe together is the better plan," John smirked. "I'll go left. You go right. Let's pinball this."

He moved around to the left of Apo and came in swinging his club, throwing the gangster into the air.

The wounded flock comes together as Will nears, Sam's hand knitting back into human form just in time to catch the spear and send it right at the weak spot before she starts falling away.

The spear felt...right. Like she -- or someone fantastically like her -- had imbued it with just that little bit of extra power.

She could tell before seeing it that it would strike true, piercing the weak point in the shield that Tereza had found her with her fastball special.


Dr. Tomorrow cried out as his shield was disrupted, and he started falling to the ground just above Sam.

Tereza had been leaping her way up the wall (or "ground" as people with normal perceptions of gravity liked to call it). As Sam began to fall, Tereza gave one last mighty leap to try and catch her.

William Stanton wrote:"Ah geez, ah geez -- do you need help? I can, uh...I can drag you out of here if you need...time...to fix...yourself?" William said, a bit unsure on how to help a busted down robutt.

"Time?" Artemis looked confused by the offer, looking herself over. "Time I have. Parts I need."

Robin Stanton wrote:One of the spider-bots awkwardly lands near where Artemis crashed and some forward momentum seems to transfer to the goop jumping out of it and forming into a young woman who jogs over to Will and Artemis.

"I mean, you could give her a hand, but I think what she really needs is legs."

Artemis seemed to perk up. "Yes, those would be very helpful! Do you have any to spare?" Yeah something was definitely wrong, she was normally smarter than this.

Sara Stanton wrote:Sara slowly loses some bulk as she watches Evil Simon sink into the ground. She stops before his head disappears, but she at least looks like she might change her mind on that as she glares down at him.

"I'm taking this one home. Got it?"

Dust was sent flying from the heavy exhales of Simon's nose, just barely above the ground and keeping him capable of breathing. The look in his eyes said everything; the kind of fate that would be in store for her if they ever crossed paths again. That bitch had a whole vat of Wills and could make as many as she wanted, he couldn't keep the one he earned?

Artemis wrote:Dust was sent flying from the heavy exhales of Simon's nose, just barely above the ground and keeping him capable of breathing. The look in his eyes said everything; the kind of fate that would be in store for her if they ever crossed paths again. That bitch had a whole vat of Wills and could make as many as she wanted, he couldn't keep the one he earned?

"Atta boy." she says before turning to Will and shifting back to fully human, shedding gravel and dirt around her as she does. "Speaking of, I need to make sure you do." she says, grabbing the needle-magnet contraption from her belt and jabbing Will with it.

"Gah! Man, I hate needles," she complained, as Sara stuck her.

Artemis wrote:Artemis seemed to perk up. "Yes, those would be very helpful! Do you have any to spare?" Yeah something was definitely wrong, she was normally smarter than this.

"Dunno about spare, but you can borrow 'em for a bit!" she says before glancing at Will with a smirk. "Check this."

She hops and turns into flexible clay as she does, splurching against Artemis and soaking into the material. After a brief moment legs grow out of the empty sockets of the robot's hips and wriggle around a moment before finding the ground and slowly lifting Artemis upright.

William just looked on, jaw mildly agape.

Will Stanton wrote:"Gah! Man, I hate needles," she complained, as Sara stuck her.

"It's important to vaccinate, you big baby." she chuckles.

Artemis was up and wobbling forward and backward, the shifting weight of her torso making Robin have to work hard just to keep the robot upright. Her damaged arm was hanging lower than the other so in this state she basically looked like a zombie.

"I- can't feeeeeeeeeeel my legs when I'm with youuuuu, and I looooove it." Artemis' voice crackled like a text-to-speech program as she struggled to keep herself off the ground. "Shit, if I don't get the hang of this soon, I'm gonna have to start a school for gifted youngsters."

Jesus Christ, Artemis.

Sara Stanton wrote:

Will Stanton wrote:"Gah! Man, I hate needles," she complained, as Sara stuck her.

"It's important to vaccinate, you big baby." she chuckles.

Will smiled at her.

"I'll find you when this is all over. Don't leave without me.

At the moment, though, I've got to give someone a hand."


He ran to the edge of the building the three were on, stepping on Simon's face as he went by, and lept out over the battlefield, gliding and dodging lasers and bullets and dakka along the way.

He aimed to get underneath the falling Sam and Tereza, shifting and twisting into a giant catcher's mitt as they fell awkwardly and oddly to the side.

Artemis wrote:Artemis was up and wobbling forward and backward, the shifting weight of her torso making Robin have to work hard just to keep the robot upright. Her damaged arm was hanging lower than the other so in this state she basically looked like a zombie.

"I- can't feeeeeeeeeeel my legs when I'm with youuuuu, and I looooove it." Artemis' voice crackled like a text-to-speech program as she struggled to keep herself off the ground. "Shit, if I don't get the hang of this soon, I'm gonna have to start a school for gifted youngsters."

Jesus Christ, Artemis.

"Uh, OK. We're going to...we're going to take you to the side here. To the workshop. There's probably a workshop around here, right? C'mon..." William said, taking Artemis' damaged hand.

Sam tumbles away from where she threw the spear, being caught by Tereza.

"His shield's down! Somebody get him!"

John Hino wrote:"Maybe together is the better plan," John smirked. "I'll go left. You go right. Let's pinball this."

He moved around to the left of Apo and came in swinging his club, throwing the gangster into the air.

Mizuki nods and cuts around Apophis as he's knocked into the air, throwing a punch at the evil lizard from underneath. The moment the punch connects her the ground around her feet is compacted down several inches from the impact and Apophis is sent flying, blasted away into the air.

At Sam's call a whole number of people snap their heads around towards Doctor Tomorrow.

One starts running up the disabled husk of an alien drone and leaps into the air as dozens if not hundreds of little motes of light gather around her before being fired off at Doctor Tomorrow.

Another is hovering in the air precariously when the call comes and spins around, holding out both hands and closing her eyes as she lets a torrent of white energy blast from her palms in a big beam.

Kat does much the same, a distorted pillar of gravitational energy slamming into Doc Rob.

Aiden maximizes his power amplification and fires off an energy blast along with the others at the seemingly down and out Dr. Tomorrow.

Mizuki Hino wrote:Mizuki nods and cuts around Apophis as he's knocked into the air, throwing a punch at the evil lizard from underneath. The moment the punch connects her the ground around her feet is compacted down several inches from the impact and Apophis is sent flying, blasted away into the air.

"Wow, look at him go..." John said with a whistle. "Now watch this," he grinned before sprouting his shadow wings and flying up after Apophis to knock the villain across the battlefield with his club.

Chase Delacroix wrote:Chase reflexively caught the blade just in time to snap out of his paralysis and block an incoming slash from Xianlong. Death was a greater fear than that of holding a blade again.

"I won't let you take any more from me!" Chase vowed, gritting his teeth.

"Excellent... there's a spine in there after all! Perhaps this fight won't be a complete waste of time," the cult leader grinned, attacking swiftly and powerfully. It was all Chase could do to keep up his defense. He still needed help.

But he did have help, didn't he? It was no ordinary sword and somehow he knew it. He began to feel the righteous nature of the blade stir something deep within. This man was evil and that almost presence could not abide such darkness. A new resolve gripped him and he pressed the attack.

"What is this?!" Xianlong sneered, "You don't honestly believe you can win, do you?"

"I won't know until I try," Chase responded. It was then that he saw a slim gap in his opponent's defense. With his superpowered dexterity, he slipped Excalibur through and cut deep.

The shadowy form laughed as it broke apart into slithering dragons of pure shadow. As they faded into nothing, a voice said, "Remember, you are still mine."

Chase fell to his knees a contradictory sweating mess of relief and dread.

Everyone wrote:A whole lot of punching going on

From the spot where Tomorrow lay, a yellow blast of energy erupted, in a half-dome, throwing anyone within 50 feet of him to the side.

He stood up, using his staff to gain balance again, awkwardly, catching his breath.

"Always the X-Men. Every time. Fine. Fine.

If I can't win, I'm certainly not going to let the lot of you win," he said, grimacing through what was probably a few cracked ribs.

He popped open a cap on the top of his staff, and pressed a button. The staff started glowing. Ominously.

William Stanton wrote:"Uh, OK. We're going to...we're going to take you to the side here. To the workshop. There's probably a workshop around here, right? C'mon..." William said, taking Artemis' damaged hand.

Artemis didn't really have much control in where she went, that was up to William and Robin. But she seemed open to the suggestion. "Yes, that will work. I can make some new legs. Better legs. Long ones. I'm gonna be super tall. And then once you drop me off you can go back and have some more fun. Do you like grenades? I can give you some."

As she was led away her body turned at the waist in a way it really shouldn't be able to, looking back at the battle and Dr. Tomorrow's final strike.

"Uhoh. Daddy's up to something."

"We can stay here, legs can wait. Just tell me where you want to go!" Artemis' legs inform her.

"Away from the inevitable explosion would be good." Artemis mused.

Tereza lands in the Will-mitt, lowering Sam to it as Doctor Tomorrow prepares his final strike. "Get her to safety," she tells Will before leaping out of the mitt and charging towards Tomorrow. "We've got to separate him from the staff!" She yells to the other wolves.

The red wolf comes up in front of Tomorrow, growling and snapping, trying to hold his attention.

Meanwhile, the black wolf is circling around to the rear of Tomorrow.

The Will-Mitt closed up around Sam, turning more spherical, and rolling away from the center of the battlefield. Transportation!

Tereza Rozanov wrote:Tereza lands in the Will-mitt, lowering Sam to it as Doctor Tomorrow prepares his final strike. "Get her to safety," she tells Will before leaping out of the mitt and charging towards Tomorrow. "We've got to separate him from the staff!" She yells to the other wolves.

Red wrote:The red wolf comes up in front of Tomorrow, growling and snapping, trying to hold his attention.

Isolde wrote:Meanwhile, the black wolf is circling around to the rear of Tomorrow.

"No, no, no! You're not going to clever-girl me, this time!" the Doctor ranted, trying to swing his staff like, well, a staff to keep the wolves at bay. "I'm blowing this up and taking all of you with me!"

Behind the Doctor, a dimensional rift opened.

It wasn't clear exactly where the rift led to, per se-- Tosh hadn't really had time to set exact coordinates or, well, calibrate Doctor Tomorrow's device in any real capacity.

It was providing a significant pulling force, sucking in robots, secret agents, aliens, monkeys in Doom suits and the like. It did NOT seem to have a pulling effect on any of the X-Men.


Dr. Tomorrow pierced his staff into the ground and held on, as it continued to glow, nearly reaching a fever pitch as it began to overload...