Raveled

GM Dirae struggled against the armored heroine's grasp, but machine proved more than a match for muscle this time. "Let go of me," she shouted, her voice shrill and angry. Ironclad, unmoved by her twisting, cocked her head to one side. "I'm gonna go with a 'no' on that one. Listen, why don't you just power-down -- or whatever it is you do -- and wait for the nice folks from Blackstone to come and put you in a little box, okay?" Dirae squeezed her eyes shut and went still. For a moment Ironclad entertained the idea that the villainess had actually given up this time, but after a few heartbeats the woman's eyes snapped open. The cool-brown orbs has been totally overtaken by a piercing red energy. "I gave you the chance," she hissed, "and now I'm gonna swat you!" With a scream she released a wave of red energy that smashed into the armored heroine and attempted to push her away, but Ironclad fired her thrusters and stayed close, hanging on to her target with, well, mechanical efficiency. Dirae stared at the blank mask just a few inches from her face, obviously flabbergasted that her trick hadn't worked. In a heartbeat that transformed into anger and she began trying to break free once more. "Why won't you just die," she screamed in frustration. "Die die die diediediedie!!"

Dirae's turn. She can't hope to beat Ironclad's grapple, so we're gonna go with something else! Free Action: Stunt Trip 10 (Extra: Area/Burst [General]; Feat: Knockback 10) Standard Action: Boom! Ironclad's Reflex save, vs DC 20. (1d20+8=26) Half effect. Ironclad's Strength save, vs DC 15. (1d20+10=18) She holds on! Initiative order: 29 Torque -- Uninjured -- HPx2 23 Ironclad -- Uninjured -- HPx5 14 Ajax -- Unconscious -- GM 9 Dirae -- Bruisex1 + Staggered + Bound -- GM Torque's up.

Torque's discus was well-aimed and it hit Ajax squarely on the jaw, snapping his head back and causing his whole body to follow suit. After doing a lazy backflip, the glowing giant of a man began to fall to the ground, hitting with a thud that raised dust on the shoreline. With the one enemy dispatched, Ironclad turned to the energy controller, only to find the woman almost in her face already! The armored heroine closed the distance with a quick burst of her thrusters and grabbed the other woman's wrists, forcing her arms back and stalling her flight.

Ironclad's turn. Move Action: Close with Dirae. Free Action: Switch Weapons Array to Enhanced Str, switch Power Reserve to Flight 1, S-Str 4. Standard Action: Grapple! Make those powers useless. Ironclad's melee attack check, vs Dirae's Def. Grapple (1d20+10=19) That hits. Ironclad's grapple check, vs Dirae's opposed grapple. (1d20+24=27) Even with that roll, Dirae has literally no chance to break free, but I gotta see just how boned she is. Dirae's opposed grapple check, vs DC 24. (1d20+6=16) Grappled, but not Bound yet.

Ajax's Toughness save, vs DC 27. (1d20+9=10) He is down.

Ironclad's up for this. She saved the plant way back in the Grue Invasion, and she can lend her (improved) skills to the cause this time!

GM Ajax took the hit with a grunt, screwing up his face against the pain. "Nobody beats me," he growled. "Did you hear me? NOBODY BEATS AJAX!!" With that he brought his fists around in a haymaker, again and again, throwing bolt after blue-white bolt of energy at Ironclad. The armored heroine slipped around the edge of the attack, getting clipping along her thigh but easily straightening out after a moment's wobble. Dirae, for her part, took the discus hit on her left arm; that one hung limply, but she brought up her ring-hand and launched a searing red-white lightning bolt at Torque. The nimble hero evaded it and the energy blast left a wide scorch in the landscaped lawn around the Lab instead.

They're both awake and moving, but they can only take Standard actions, so. Ajax blasts a fool! Standard Action: Blast Ironclad! Ajax's ranged attack roll, vs Ironclad's Def. DC 23. (1d20+12=27)Heh, yeah that hits. Ironclad's Toughness save, vs DC 25. (1d20+15=27) Makes it, easy. Dirae is gonna blast at Torque. Dirae's ranged attack check, vs Torque's Def. (1d20+7=11) Bah! Terrible. Initiative order: 29 Torque -- Uninjured -- HPx1 23 Ironclad -- Uninjured -- HPx4 14 Ajax -- Bruisex1 + Staggered -- GM 9 Dirae -- Bruisex1 + Staggered -- GM Torque's up.

A quick Google search turned up the ground-bound hero's name as Torque. In any case, he seemed to be handling the black-suited flier well enough. Ironclad closed on the broad-chested man with the actinic blue energy, blasting him again in the chest. "I don't know if this is a 'stop and get arrested,' situation," she observed. "It's quickly turning into a 'sit down before you get beat down' situation."

Ironclad's up. Standard Action: Blast Ajax. Ironclad's melee attack roll, vs Ajax's Def. DC 25 (1d20+10=24) That hits superlatively. Ajax's Toughness save, vs DC 25. (1d20+10=22) Bruise!

Dirae's Toughness check, vs DC 27. (1d20+12=29) Finally makes something.

Ironclad stayed sheltered behind her crossed arms as her suit's systems analyzed Ajax's attacks and powers. Once he stopped flinging radiation blasts at her, she snapped her wrist blasters out and sent a volley of her own after him. It slammed into the powerhouse's broad chest, blasting him back a dozen feet or so. "THIS is why you don't attack Freedom City," she shouted after him. "Way too many folks here that are a lot more powerful, and that like PROTECTING others."

Torque's dealing with Dirae, so Ironclad will take on Ajax. Standard Action: Blast 'em! Ironclad's ranged attack, vs Ajax's Def. DC 25. (1d20+10=25) Juuuust hits. Ajax's Toughness save, vs DC 25. (1d20+10=11) Oh good lord! Another Stun + Stagger! Ajax's Concentration check to maintain Flight, vs DC 11. (1d20+3=18) Makes it, so he's still in the air. Well, neither bad guy can do anything this turn, so I guess we'll go on to Torque's turn.

Dirae's Toughness save, vs DC 27. (1d20+12=13) Yowza, that's Staggerd + Stun refreshes. Ow, this is gonna be a short fight.

GM "DIRAE!" Ajax stared after the woman, then turned to Ironclad. "If you hurt her, I swear I'll kill you!" He gathered blue-white energy in both hands and flung them at her like a pair of glowing fastballs. The armored heroine crossed her arms in front of her face and took the blow there, shedding the energy and radiation easily. "If I hurt someone," she called over, voice incredulous. "What did you think was going to happen with you blowing up cars all day long?"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Ironclad said, adjusting the power levels in her suit. "I think there's still one set of rules you'll have to follow -- airspace regulations! And the airspace above the Lab is strictly controlled, so I think it's time to clip your wings!" The armored heroine zoomed towards Dirae. The young woman grinned in anticipation and formed a thick, opaque shield in front of her -- which is probably why she was unprepared for Ironclad to drop suddenly and hit her from beneath with an uppercut. The black-suited energy controller spiraled off into the sky, flailing about her. "Now all you have to worry about is commercial jet liners," she said.

Ajax is up. Standard Action: Blast Ironclad. Ajax's ranged attack roll, vs Ironclad's Def. DC 23 (1d20+12=20) That also hits. Ironclad's Toughness check, vs DC 23. (1d20+15=29) And this is why we Toughness shift. Damage rolls right off of her. Initiative order: 29 Torque -- Uninjured -- HPx1 23 Ironclad -- Uninjured -- HPx4 14 Ajax -- Uninjured -- GM 9 Dirae -- Bruisex1 + Stun (Ironclad) -- GM Torque's up.

Ironclad's up now, so. Free Action: Switch Weapon Array to Enhanced Strength. Free Action: Switch Power Reserve to Flight 2, S-Str 3 Move Action: Move into melee with Dirae. Standard Action: Armor PAWNCH! Ironclad's melee attack, vs Dirae's Def. DC 25 (1d20+10=19) That's a hit. Dirae's Toughness save, vs DC 25. (1d20+13=15) Yowch! Bruise + Stun right off the bat! There's literally no way for her to fail her Concentration check, so she stays in the air.

"I could live with that," Jessica said, biting into the sandwich and swallowing. "Besides, if you're going to wear me out, it's only fair that you bring food back." At the mention of an octopus attack she shivered slightly, her flesh crawling at the idea. "No, no, no. Tentacles and squirmy things under the sea... Not for me, babe." She finished the sandwich and brushed her hands over the plate, slipping out of the bed and, with no other option available, sprinting into the bathroom. Once inside, she started up the shower and called out to Blake, "I'll be out in a bit, okay? And then we can hit the museums!" It was about twenty minutes later that Jessica emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a fluffy black robe. She started rooting around in her luggage; when she turned around, hands full of clothes, she gestured vaguely to the open bathroom. "You. Go," she said, smiling at Blake. "Bathroom, shower -- it's all yours."

Jessica clung to Blake as he climbed back into bed, working to get her breathing under control again. After a few minutes she no longer felt the need to try and see in every direction at once; she no longer wanted to call up her armor and blast away at shadows in the corner. She was still pressed up against Blake, apparently unconcerned or unaware of her nakedness beneath the sheets. "I had such a nightmare," she said, sighing. "I was in a boat, and there was... a storm. And a... green octopus?" She furrowed her brow and tried to remember the details, but they were already fading. She reached over and grabbed half of the sandwich, turning it over in her hands. Her stomach growled and she gave Blake her best puppy dog eyes. "Only one sandwich?"

Jessica grinned, her body warming to Blake's touch, gasping as he kissed her neck. She ran her hands up his back and sides as he discarded his shirt, shivering pleasantly at his kisses. "Yes. Lots of times for muscles later. Er, museums later." She giggled against his lips, her movements becoming more frantic, and after a few more moments she didn't have any attention to spend on complicated thoughts. Her sleep was deep, but not untroubled. In her dreams, she was on a boat in the middle of the ocean; water stretched around her as far as the eye could she. The waves rocked her little craft, but for some reason she was calm and untroubled. With the speed of dreams and unreality, the sky overhead turned from clear and blue to an expanse of bruised stormclouds. As the winds rose and the waves grew, Jessica sat in her dinghy, untroubled at the storm brewing up around her. Even when a particularly large wave overturned her craft and plunged her underwater, she didn't fight it; she fell through the water into infinite, dark space. As she sank, massive tentacles, vivid green and sickly purple, rose from the depths and grabbed her ankles, her waist, her neck. She moved against them slowly, unconcernedly. When one enormous octopus-arm reached up, suckers bigger than her face undulating smoothly on its underside, she smiled serenely. Moving towards it in the water, being moved along by the tentacles, she embraced the limb and kissed it. Jessica came awake with a start, bolting halfway upright in bed. For a moment her thoughts danced in terror around her head -- this wasn't her home, this wasn't her suite at the Lab, this wasn't even Blake's place. Where was she!? Even when memory and reason came back to her and she recognized the dim hotel room (at some point they'd drawn the curtains and turned the lights off) she couldn't slow the hammering of her heart. Blake was nowhere to be seen, though the bed beside her was still warm. "Blake?" She called out his name softly, then louder and louder. "Blake! Where are you!?"

Villains go poof! Grab a HP, the both of you, and give me a Notice check.

GM The chemical rounds traced up the steel woman's torso, splashing into her eyes. That got a sudden reaction as Steelshanks stopped cold and pawed at her eyes, improbable tears flowing down her cold metal cheeks. "Ah! That... ah, that really stings!" The woman in the green vest whipped her head around and triangulated on her partner's position quickly, She fished in her vest for another magazine -- and came up blank. Swearing, she pushed herself to her feet and stumbled towards the other woman, slowing down just at the last second. Targeter wrapped one arm around the larger woman and fumbled an oblong box from her belt. "You haven't heard the last of us, heroes," she shouted into the fog, aiming her voice vaguely in Catalyst's direction. The suited heroine saw Targeter mutter something else, then there was a flare of light, a wave of overpressure, and they were gone.

Jessica rolled over on the bed and snuggled into Blake, tucking her head under his chin. For a moment, the apparent futility of having a normal vacation swept over her and she felt like sobbing, like throwing something, like pulling the covers around herself and never coming out, all at once. She took a deep, ragged breath, held it for a count of five, and let it out smoothly. When she raised her face to Blake's, there were tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She put her arms around his shoulders and kissed him slowly, thoroughly. When she was done she shifted her weight so that Blake was lying more on top of her than not, and she smiled up at him. "It's a good idea," she said, "but I'm not sure I want to go mucking around cow paths and buggy fields. Not on my vacation, anyway." She kissed him again and relaxed on the bed. "Besides. I promised to let you drag me through art galleries, remember? Try and inject a little culture in my machine-addled brain?"

Ironclad and Torque have to face Dirae, a Fury-wannabe with a power ring and anger management issues, and Ajax, her more reasonable (but still teenage and superpowered) boyfriend! Ironclad's Initiative. (1d20+5=23) Yowza. Hope that rolling streak keeps up. Ajax's Initiative. (1d20+2=14) Dirae's Initiative. (1d20+1=9)