GranspearZX

With Gauntlet seeming to be genuinely reeling from his last attack, he landed, and the Beast rune surged in response to Arc's aggression. He leaped up as Gauntlet staggered backward, grabbing onto a strong, low-hanging tree branch. He swung his body forward and planted both feet squarely into the golem's chest. The moment he did it, there was a green flash as the Beast rune invoked the Earth rune, adding a significant amount of force and weight behind Arcturus's swing.

"I'M FINE." It was hardly the reasoned reaction of an older student. The words only served to push Arcturus further towards his upper limit, especially after seeing Subito take such a nasty shot. The action around him had paused, and Marcus was quite literally seeing red; his vision blurred and the Beast rune on his back was pulsing light like a drum beat, virtually in-time with the rhythm of his heart. "W-wait a minute..." he squeaked out, words forced through gritted teeth as he tried to calm down. Turning it on was actually the easy part. Turning it off however... that was a totally different problem. It exposed one of Arc's most notable weaknesses, and he was both embarrassed and desperate in trying to hide it, even now when it was painfully obvious that he was holding a lot more in than a little bit of reckless abandon. He'd never had to keep such a tight leash on the Beast rune before, and now it was threatening to run away with him entirely. If he had an opinion about stopping, he didn't say it at first. Mostly, he was trying to convince himself that it wasn't real, and therefore he had no real target for his wrath. Convincing his body of that was proving difficult, though, and he hunched over, breathing heavily and sweating bullets during the lull, however brief. "If we're gonna do something... I suggest doing it NOW. 'Cause I can't... rrk..." He flinched, a sharp surge of magic from the Beast rune cutting his statement off.

Marcus couldn't deny that even now, he was paying a price for using the Beast rune. His canines and incisors were a little bigger than they probably should have been., and he was a whole lot stronger than the average human. His father, though stripped of the majority of the Beast rune's influence, was in a similar boat, but Marcus could tell that things were only beginning. He was needing to shave a little more often--was that the Beast rune or just him getting older? It was hard to say. Every now and again, his voice sounded distorted, as if the Beast rune was dragging it down a couple of octaves. It was practically puberty all over again. "Well, I don't know if I'd have any answers. My mom might; she wrote the book I've been using to study. No idea where she is though... she just kind of vanished a few months before my dad and I were... ah... separated." By the law. $@!@@#... Marcus looked off into space, his thoughts running away from him as his eyes shifted from brown to red. It only lasted a few seconds, but he closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously. "It's funny though... I never considered that the Beast Rune might be something constructed... y'know, more than one. I mean... it makes sense..." Marcus paused. An idea popped into his mind, but he wasn't so sure he should ask... and then he asked anyway. "I wonder what he'd say if he had a look at it? If I knew more about it, maybe I could avoid... you know. Rampaging across the city like Godzilla."

Marcus took the punch like a champ--literally. He felt it, sure, but he'd been hit harder. After nearly being strangled by a 1400-pound suit of armor, the professor was hardly intimidating. Both hands up, Marcus rushed in, stumbling a bit on fallen debris as he swung back at the professor. Even with his teammates distracting him, the blow came up short. He scowled inwardly, and the Beast rune pulsed in disappointment. It was all but begging to be used. Still, Marcus resisted. He knew exactly what would happen if he used it. Certainly, he wasn't restricted from doing so, but this wasn't the time. Not yet, anyway. He wasn't sure what he was so afraid of, and the Beast rune only pressed him further at the sense of that hesitation. Focus on the task at hand, Marcus. Kick this guy's butt and get him out of harm's way, whether he wants you to or not.

Arc attacks! Attack Roll: (1d20+11=14) Forgot the +4 from the aid, but I think he still whiffs.

Arc attacks again! Attack Roll: (1d20+11=22)

Arcturus easily retained his balance, scowling at Gauntlet. The metal monstrosity had a point. There were indeed depths to the Beast rune that he hadn't tapped, and he wasn't sure if it was because he didn't know how or subconsciously refused to do so. Either way, he hated the fact that Gauntlet had a point. For a second, it seemed like time slowed, the Beast rune pulsing in response to his willpower fighting against his frustration and confusion. The crimson in his eyes intensified as he slipped to one side, dodging the branch. His right fist clenched as he shot forward, without thought or reason behind the action. Instinct and rage built up from a place Marcus didn't like to go very often, somewhere deep within his spirit where his anger had absolutely no reason for being--it just was. Runic symbols flashed on rapid succession against the back of his palm as he leapt at Gauntlet. He threw all his power into his attack, swinging for the fences as he leveled a swipe at Gauntlet's head.

"A dwarf?" Marcus blinked. Did he mean a dwarf... or a dwarf? He wasn't even sure the former was an appropriate thing to say, and he wasn't sure why he was even surprised that the latter existed. They did, after all, exist on War-Earth... or so he'd heard. "Heck if I know how to control it. I just... do. Mostly. I was born with it, after all. According to my dad, there was this... group." More like a cult. "They created it, experimented on people with it, up until a few years ago when one of their projects got loose and wiped out a town somewhere." He paused, realizing he was coming dangerously close to telling Morgan everything. That his dad was this 'project' and his mother defected from the cult to stop him... On paper, the story didn't seem all that bad, but he'd had nearly three years to come to terms with it. And he still hadn't told anyone else. "But anyway... It sometimes has a mind of its own. Instinct takes over and stuff happens. I'm still me, of course, just a little more... aggressive. And fuzzy. Or scaly. Depends on the situation." That was something of an understatement, but Marcus understood by now that the Beast rune only amplified that particular part of his personality. The only thing that made him different from the typical victim of the Beast rune was that it was never forced on him, save by fate. "Who's Logan?"

An excellent point. o.o In that case, scratch what I rolled; I'll wait for Net Fly's turn to do something else. ^^

Marcus blinked a few times. NOW it made sense. "Well, damn, that's... huh. I never would've thought of anything like that. I can't really string runes together like that yet. Haven't really tried... not sure if I want to risk getting something THAT wrong." "Oh, and the lightning thing? Honestly, I think it's partly the other rune. Y'know, the permanent one. ...wait." He blinked for a moment, suddenly realizing that Morgan had never actually seen the Beast Rune. Shaking out his right hand, there were a few sparks as the magic faded; he put his book aside and stood up, turning around and pulling the back of his shirt up to the back of his neck, showing Morgan the Beast rune. "That's not a tattoo, either. Any magic I use is affected by the Beast rune, so it all comes off as being just... natural, I guess. Kinda like how electric eels don't shock themselves. Or somethin' like that." It really was a ridiculous explanation, but the comparison worked. He put his shirt back down and turned back around, shrugging. "Only way I know of avoidin' that is with runestones. Just a little piece of rock, about the size of a scrabble tile. I used to carry 'em around all the time before I got the whole Beast rune thing under control."

"..." Marcus hated guessing games. Still, he didn't look nearly as annoyed as he could have, deciding it would be more amusing to play along. The three runes looked vaguely familiar; the lightning-based one was, in fact, one he used regularly. The second and third, though, were almost entirely lost on him. The third looked a lot like something wind-based--remotely similar to the Sky rune from his mother's book but clearly different. The second was even more unrecognizable. Part of his pride didn't want to admit that he wasn't sure what he was looking at, but whatever it was, it looked like it packed one hell of a punch. "...yeah, I got nothin'." He smirked and shrugged. "That first one does look kinda familiar though." He raised his right hand, the back turned towards Morgan. There was a faint trace of magical energy pulsing through his arm and into a violet rune glowing on the back of his hand; moments later, there was a very visible field of electrical energy moving between his fingers. "That IS interesting though... what's it actually do?"

I think Arc should be recovering from his bruises (Regeneration). Not sure though. But... grapple time! Grapple Check: (1d20+16=25) And the subsequent to-hit roll: Attack Roll (Aided: Glow, El Heraldo): (1d20+11+4=31)

"Making your own, huh? Mm." Marcus was vaguely aware that it was possible. It was something that he wasn't apt to try, however; it was a little more than he was mentally prepared for, and it required precision and forethought. Those were two things that Marcus definitely lacked in the middle of a real fight. There was also the fact that any runic magic he used would be forever 'touched' by the Beast rune, and there really was no concrete way to predict how that would turn out in every scenario. Just by itself, the Beast rune often covered his bases when it came to needing to overcome the odds. It reminded him that the last time he'd used the Beast and Water runes, he'd ended up a gigantic gator. Despite the sewer water and being deathly afraid he was going to change back and drown, he hadn't minded it so much. "Lost time, huh? What've you been up to?"

For once, Marcus Irons actually had a shortage on things to do. Life was considerably more quiet now than it had been for months. The Cult of the Beast had settled into relative obscurity, and he had actually been able to focus a little bit more on training himself in the use of his powers. He wasn't entirely on his own, of course; Claremont was an excellent resource. It was mostly because of Claremont that he'd learned how to truly harness the runic magic inherent in his blood... even if it was a little different because of the Beast rune's influence. He'd had much more opportunity to read the book his mother left behind, much more in-depth than before. It was practically like taking an extra class. It was a little annoying at first, but it was definitely beginning to pay off. He still wondered about the girl he'd met months before. Since then, he'd trained himself to sense magic, something he had no idea how to even perform before then. It was a difficult ability to throttle when in the presence of a lot of it--like in Parkhurst Hotel--but he quickly grew used to it. If nothing else, it helped him better understand his own channeling ability; he wondered if the wild girl he'd saved had a similar ability. Marcus wondered if there were others born with the Beast rune like him. He even found himself wondering if anyone else had its power forced upon them, and when thoughts of that turned to his father's unfortunate past, he quickly stopped wondering altogether. Marcus knew his father wasn't a bad person... But the Beast rune wasn't about morals. It responded to will and power, not good or evil. He wasn't so worried about the runes he did and didn't know. Simply knowing of their existence was a major part of the battle, and he'd memorized nearly 30. Marcus, however, was concerned more about practical application. He wasn't very good with simply coming up with things on-the-fly--something he learned the hard way in Pennsylvania with Vigourie. The Beast rune was actually more attuned to guiding Marcus's natural instincts than he was. Instead, he was learning specific methods of channeling runic magic, starting with basic elemental principles and working his way up from there. It was through sheer luck and force of will that he'd figured out how to use the Time rune at his first real training session in Claremont, and while it could certainly be used to do things on a much grander scale than simply rusting a man's armor, he was disciplined enough not to try anything crazy. Thus, the afternoon found the young shapeshifter sitting quietly in one of the armchairs, reading a rather ancient-looking book on the elements. Despite what he knew, Marcus felt like he had a distinct affinity for the basics, and the tendency of the Beast rune to draw out the most primal nature of other runes made him all the more cautious. He saw Crow come in but didn't immediately say anything, not wanting to distract him to the point of dropping anything. He started to ask if Morgan needed a hand, but by that time, Morgan had managed just fine without his intervention. "...you're not gonna read ALL of those, are you?"

!! Whoops: Attack Roll: (1d20+11=28)

TOU Check: (1d20+6=12) And then, using his Second Chance (TOU vs. Unarmed) feat: TOU Check: (1d20+6=25) ...so he still fails, but only by 3.

Arcturus batted the hands aside and ducked underneath, instinct driving him towards his wrestling practice when he was younger... and less furry. He grabbed for Gauntlet's arm with both hands, turned, and tried to use the massive golem's momentum against him to try and hurl Gauntlet over his shoulder. The Beast rune was truly pulling from both its own experiences and Marcus's--and if he kept Gauntlet close enough, the girl and Rene's familiar would get plenty of distance between them and the golem.

And Arc goes for a grapple of his own! Grapple Check: (1d20+23=39)

Okay! So Arc's going to something... semi-complicated. He's going use extra effort to stunt a different rune into his Enhanced Strength 10 power--one that will actually speed up time and rust Expiostinot's armor, lowering his Toughness in the process. The mechanics I'm going for here is a simple Drain Toughness 10. Attack Roll (Time Rune, Drain TOU, Extra Effort): (1d20+11+2=33) (Forgot Inspire wore off, so that's 31, not 33. D'oh)

Marcus growled in frustration; Expiostinot was proving to be just as stubborn as the Gauntlet. There was, in fact, an alternative, but he wasn't sure how the others would react to the change. Most people on campus had seen him in both forms, and there had been a few times when he'd spent an entire day in bear form. Still, he was trying not to use too much of the Beast Rune's power... Instead, he wanted to pass this trial on his own merits, without having to transform. That was proving to be more and more difficult. "Rrrrgh... !!!" The idea suddenly came to him like a bolt from the blue. The professor's constant talk about progress had given Marcus an idea, one that he hadn't yet tried before. He exhaled slowly and concentrated, calling upon the well of magical power within him, and a bright blue rune shaped like an X with a small V inside its upper section appeared across the back of his hand, surrounded by a cloud-like nimbus of light. He'd been warned about using the Time rune. It wasn't the sort of thing one should ever play around with, and Marcus had read all about people misusing that sort of thing. He certainly didn't want to be counted among the victims, and he definitely wasn't trying to change history. Rather, his idea was to actually speed time up in a specific place and on a specific object--Expiostinot's armor. He charged forward again, ducking low and drawing back his right hand a little before thrusting it forward, slamming his palm into the professor's armored chest with as much force as he could physically muster. There was a loud bang as the magical energy discharged on impact, bluish-white light spreading across Expiostinot's body as if he'd caught fire. Let's see how much your progress is worth now, old man.

Marcus seemed mostly unfazed by the attack. In fact, the way he moved afterward, one would have thought it never happened. Both hands flared to life with magical flame as he rushed forward, rapidly closing what little distance there was between them. "MY TURN, TIN MAN!" Surprisingly enough, he didn't throw a punch--instead, he took a short leap and planted his right foot squarely in Expiostinot's chest. Crimson lines of magic flowed from the Beast Rune into both his legs, and there was a violent red flash of fire on impact with the professor's armor. For a big guy, he was surprisingly agile; he didn't often get a chance to actually use his athleticism in a fight, but at this point, the Beast Rune was pulling out nearly all the stops, short of outright transforming the young adept into something else entirely. "You're gonna progress straight to the scrap heap, rustbucket. It's not too late to shut up and surrender."

And Arc's up! And taking another fire-infused swing at the good professor. Attack Roll (Fire, Unarmed, Inspired): (1d20+11+2=32)

Arc can't act, being dazed, but he can at least recover from his bruise via his Regeneration!

Arcturus always expected to get hit. It sort of came with the territory. Still, somewhere in his mind, he didn't quite think a hologram would hurt quite that much. His eyes widened a bit as the metal fist slammed into his gut, doubling him over and knocking the wind right out of him. He staggered backward a step and a half, but didn't fall, wincing as his right arm favored his battered midsection. The red glow in his eyes only intensified as he stared back at the Professor, payback at the forefront of both his and the Beast rune's motives.

And Arcturus cuts REALLY loose. Attack Roll (Claws, Fire): (1d20+12=27)