GranspearZX

Marcus blinked as Kristin dashed ahead. He sighed and shook his head, trying not to laugh as he stepped inside after Subito. After a moment he realized everyone was waiting for him to grab the tablet, so he did, taking a seat next to Subito. He waited for everyone to get settled before he started reading what was on the tablet's screen. For a while, he didn't say anything. Serge did a fair bit of the talking, and a brief hint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. Not that he didn't like Serge, of course, but he was starting to notice a pattern of overthinking. It made him bristle a little bit in anticipation of something bad. He certainly wasn't above overanalyzing things, but he had learned to rein himself in when necessary. He definitely didn't vocalize it; he'd also learned that his inner dialogue often scared people. "I'm sure we'll be fine," was all Marcus said on the matter as a whole, folding his arms across his chest. "One crisis at a time. It's a little early to go off the rails over this... I think we're all good with the rules, then, right?"

Arcturus shot the necromancer a withering glare with bared teeth, suggesting that he might not be entirely above disentangling his parts either. Still, cooler heads prevailed and he visibly relaxed, nodding at Starlight as he leaped off stage and onto the floor below. He couldn't adequately describe just how creepy it was to virtually wade through the dead--but it was still better than undead, he supposed. It was still a welcome distraction, though. Moving forward and focusing on the task at hand made it easier to forget how badly he felt.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Marcus had never actually been to the combat simulator levels--otherwise known as the Doom Room. Most of his training had been done off-campus up until the incident where he'd nearly been seen using his magic in a more public way than he should have. Just thinking about it made him a lot more quiet, and he realized he hadn't thought much about it--or his mother--since then. The sublevels weren't nearly as dark and brooding at the name might have implied, but for someone like who had grown used to being outdoors so often, the scent of the unfamiliar made him a little edgy. "I really don't know how this works, myself, so... I guess we're all gonna learn together."

Unbelievable. Gauntlet was tearing a very literal path of destruction across the forest, and there was little he could really do to stop him. That was hardly going to stop him from trying, though. For his size, he was moving at a pretty impressive speed, though even he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to keep it up. As he ran, he caught a scent on the wind--not exactly a wild animal, but close. He paused only for a second, sniffing at the air... It was downwind, directly where Gauntlet was headed. There was no way he'd cut Gauntlet off... the best he could think of was to keep up the chase until he got closer.

Notice check: (1d20+5=15)

Weird. Definitely weird. Marcus smiled faintly at his first thought of the three after they had described their abilities. It certainly wasn't a level of strange he was unfamiliar with, however, and he was amused to no end by Subito's and Serge's rather bookish explanations. He looked squarely at Kristin when she asked him about his abilities, his smile fading a bit as he took a moment to consider how to answer it. "Well," he began, heading away from the desk and motioning for the others to follow, "It's... complicated. Short version? Magic." He waited, looking at all three as he said it. Even in a world where people were born with magnificent abilities, telling someone 'hey, it's magic!' drew an understandable level of skepticism. "Just something I was born with. Don't count on me throwing fireballs or anything though... haven't quite worked up to that yet. Most of it is just me transforming into animal forms... Probably won't be doing much of that today."

"I'm Marcus. Nice to meet you." Marcus smiled faintly as he shook Kristin's hand, then Subito's. All three of them seemed nice enough, and while he wasn't clear on what exactly their talents were, It didn't give him nearly as much pause as he thought it would. Optimism was contagious, after all, and he was fairly certain none of them were messing with his mind to inspire false confidence. At least, he hoped so... Psychics and necromancers were often triggers to very bad memories of the past year, and Marcus really, really didn't need a freak-out episode in front of people he didn't even know. He raised a skeptical eyebrow at Kristen's comment and chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll... uh... do what I can." Inwardly, he bit back an irritated retort; lately, he had been feeling pressured to be everything to everyone at the same time, and he'd snapped at a friend or two because of it. His entire demeanor, while polite, was still reserved and cautious, keeping everything at arm's length. He was trying to open up, although at the moment he felt like he was falling back into his same, cautionary habits. "So I guess I should ask what it is everyone can do... Don't feel obligated to answer if you don't want to. Lord knows I don't like talking about it all the time." Marcus didn't feel particularly obligated to tell everyone about his magic either, but it was a way to build an at least temporary trust among them.

Being a senior was quickly turning out to be a hassle for which Marcus Irons wasn't entirely ready. His fall had started out in a rocky, and most people didn't even know he was still dealing with the death of his friend, Leroy Tucker. It weighed heavily on his mind and Marcus had become significantly more withdrawn. He wasn't sure if the depression was normal or from the fact that he'd been using the Shadow Rune--magic and mood often went hand in hand with Marcus's particular talents. It was starting to affect his art, putting him behind on his senior art project. On top of everything else, he'd learned that he was going to have to start training with other students. Marcus was hardly an anti-social person, but skepticism washed over his features when he heard. He didn't refuse, of course, but he hadn't even met his teammates yet. There was little that made Marcus more nervous than uncertainty... Then again, he'd been trying to get into a more frequent habit of improvising and thinking on his feet. The jury was still out on how well that particular course of action was working. Marcus looked at his watch. He was at least 15 minutes late getting to the designated spot to meet the other students, but the truth of the matter was that he was watching the spot from a distance for 20. Scouting and people-watching had become a habit in the last year; never mind that he often filled his sketchbook with natural settings and people just doing things in the park. Observation was something he was starting to become accustomed to as his own abilities grew. After a few moments, he finally shut the book he'd been half-reading half-hiding behind and approached the group. "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late... Hopefully you weren't waiting long?"

"Nothing's perfect..." Arcturus had been devising a way to disable Gauntlet; it would have to be permanent if he were to go after the cult. His entire train of thought was derailed as he watched Rene pull a small dog from his beret. He paused and just stared at Rene for a moment; who knew the old man had a dimensional pocket in his hat? He was certainly full of surprises. "I'll be as careful as I can," Arc said with a nod, glancing at the dog for a brief moment before turning and taking off out the door, his new canine companion in tow. He headed in the same direction that Gauntlet had gone, unsure if he'd be able to catch up. That wasn't his main concern, however.

Arcturus let a feral growl slip as the necromancer was pulled away from him. With Starlight interposed between the two, Arc glared at her, his right hand bursting into flame as the Beast Rune's outrage ignited behind his eyes. It only lasted for a few seconds before Arc managed to wrest control of the beast within, letting the rune blazing across the back of his hand fade. He gave the slightest of nods to Starlight, a tired expression on his face. "You're gonna repeat that to the police. Because if you don't..." He let the threat trail off, letting the necromancer fill in the blanks himself.

"You... you WHAT?!" Arcturus was normally a calm person; he'd learned soon after discovering his magical ability that emotion was the enemy of reason. Giving into emotions in a heated and delicate situation never ended well. His eyes widened as the necromancer confessed to what he had done... and then, they grew dangerously narrow. Arc's grip around him tightened, threatening to crush the necromancer right then and there. He didn't say a word, teeth bared in a feral snarl as his rage swirled across the surface of his mind like a raging river current. There was nothing he could do to save his friend, which only added fuel to the fire. He'd all but forgotten that Starlight was even there; his eyes were fixed on the necromancer.

"Not nearly enough," Marcus admitted, giving Rene a concerned once-over. He pitched forward to catch the elder artist, his mind still reeling as he tried to figure out what to do next. "Something to do with Spanish conquistadors. I was too busy ducking bullets and spears to get much else." He stood up, shifting back into his bear form. "I've got to go after him. I think he's gonna try to go after some other source... can't let that happen." He wasn't even certain WHERE Gauntlet was going, but he was going to be ridiculously easy to track. Arcturus realized he really was going to have to fight--with all the aggression and rage the Beast Rune afforded him and then some.

"...wait, what?!" It didn't take Marcus long to work out what was going on. More than just the magic of the Beast Rune, Gauntlet was being spurred on by aggression. Marcus, however, had learned to control it rather than let it control him. It wasn't quite so easy to simply let him be consumed by his own rage--certainly not impossible, but how could a golem pull off something like that? In turn, it was seeking another host... another victim. He only paused for a second, but there were multiple things going through his mind. "Make sure Rene's okay... and if you could somehow fix this mess..." He directed his speech at the ghosts caring for Parkhurst. He regretted not being able to help, but times were especially desperate. He didn't have a sister, but if a fellow mage was in danger...

Arcturus Playing to a Packed House Run! The Gauntlet Crusader --- GM/NPC ---

Arcturus Apex Predators Playing to a Packed House Run! The Gauntlet Crusader None. GM (Applied to Arcturus's post count) Highway Robbery

Arc goes for the intimidation route: Intimidate check (1d20+17=28)

"Shut up, you." The Beast rune quickly heightened Arcturus's aggression, and the necromancer's yelling fell on mostly deaf ears. In reality, though, it was wearing on his sensitive hearing, and Arc relaxed his grip just enough not to cave in the poor guy's rib cage, keeping him firmly held in place and giving him another shake to emphasize exactly who was in control. "I'm only gonna ask this once, so listen REAL carefully. You're gonna tell me where that kid from the apartment is, and you're gonna get rid of your little army here. And you're gonna thank me for not tearin' your arms off and beatin' you with 'em. Of course, you could not do that..." Arc lowered his head slightly, closer to the necromancer's ear. "...but things just get ugly from there."

Arcturus wasn't well versed in most other forms of magic outside his own, but one thing he'd picked up from other mystics at Parkhurst was to sense a certain level of conviction in a person's voice via incantations. The necromancer's tone didn't sound pleasant at all, but before he could move, he felt something hit him from all sides--a magical force he couldn't readily identify and he really didn't think he had the time to analyze it. He grimaced as he fought back against the unseen force, and he took a half-step backward, planting his right foot against the stage floor. He leaned forward a little bit, then his entire body seemed to phase out of reality, much the same way it had phased in when he'd appeared on stage in the first place. He phased back in behind the necromancer, and the moment he did so, the Beast Rune flared to life against his back, glowing red through his costume. His form instantaneously shifted into that of the eight-foot tall bear, and he reached to snag the necromancer in a bearhug. "You're gonna tell me where Leroy is. NOW."

Reflex Save: (1d20+8=12) Failure. Blergh. Fortitude Save: (1d20+11=16) ...and another failure. Gonna blow an HP to reroll the Fort save, and... Fortitude Save (HP REROLL): (1d20+11=29) On to Arc's turn: Attack Roll: (1d20+12=29) Grapple Check: (1d20+23=30)

Arc's Initiative: (1d20+4=6) Lovely.

"Well, I'm sure they all saw it tearing through the woods trying to get to me..." Marcus felt a little guilty for that. He wasn't sure why he'd even left Parkhurst without some sort of masking agent. He reminded himself to figure out some way to ward himself against detection. If Gauntlet showed up at school... "Might be best if people didn't see you with a barely clothed guy in a mask either. This isn't Tarzan." He smirked and turned around, starting to head back the way he'd come in the first place. "I'll be back to clean this up, but... you might want to encourage everyone else to leave, just in case." He started running, shifting forms midstride as he scrambled back up the hill and into the woods--just as the rest of the picnicking group returned to the scene and got a good look at the gold-armored monstrosity lying face down in the dirt.

GM "Probably still in my car... unless that freak stole it. I've got the address though. Not sure what good it'll do you." Alex rubbed at his head with his free hand, staring at the clip measuring his pulse on his right middle finger. His heart rate was, in fact, slightly elevated--nothing life-threatening, but with a masked superhero in the room, it was understandable. "I'll write it down for you. Just make sure you keep my name out of it."

"Hm." Marcus had to admit, the solution was elegant in its simplicity. He didn't really need to buy anything to do it either; an Earth-rune based ritual could quite easily do the job. The problem was, unfortunately, transporting Gauntlet, keeping the Cult from tracking it, and then keeping the cultists away from the ritual site. He'd already had one domestic run-in with the golem, and he was reminded of it every time he walked in and out of the door at the Parkhurst Hotel. And then, there were the moral implications. "I dunno," he muttered, reluctance in his voice. "What happens to the soul in the armor?" Immediately, Marcus thought about Nick Cimitiere. The man WAS, after all, a necromancer. It was a question worth asking--if he could separate the soul from the armor, he wouldn't feel nearly as bad about destroying it. Certainly, it couldn't feel physical pain, but it wasn't necessarily the human component of the eldritch construct that was trying to destroy him. The Beast Rune fed on aggression... "I didn't mean to get you dragged into this. Not even sure who to call for this sort of thing." He rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed heavily. "Man, what a bother." He looked down the hill at the people stirring below, reaching into his shorts pocket and producing a piece of chalk. It didn't look like any normal piece of chalk, carrying an unusual glow when the sun hit it. "...so you're okay with this whole magic thing, right? I mean, you're not gonna freak out and shoot me again, are you?" He grinned, mostly joking.

Doktor'd 10/13/2011 Arcturus 3 PP to spend: Adding the following to feats: Quick Change 1 [-1PP] Adding 1 rank to Concentration, bringing it to 8 (+10). [-1PP] And finally, adding Speed 1 [-1PP] I'd like to drop Enhanced Strength and Leaping from Arc's Alt form array, reducing its rank to Alternate Form 8. [+15PP] Those points are being added to the existing Enhanced Strength outside Arcturus's array, AP included, as well as Leaping 4 [-15PP] Crusader I'd also like to unarchive him. Doktor'd 10/13/2011

"Yeah, well... I guess not." Any actual damage that had been done to his eyes had more or less healed by now; the Beast Rune's powers accelerated his natural healing ability, making him a lot more resilient than most. He shrugged, looking over the face-down suit of armor as Jasmine asked about its origin. "It's a golem. Magical construct. Well, more like a human soul bonded to an ancient armor... It's a long, unpleasant story." Marcus decided to let those statements stand as they were. After all, magic was a difficult concept for most people to swallow, and he had been told to keep that sort of thing under wraps as best he could from the average citizen. A young woman with acid paintballs, however, was anything but average, and he was certain it wouldn't upset anything to clue her in. She'd probably saved his skin. The very least he owed her was honesty when it came to what exactly she was dealing with. "Short version: it wants my hide. I'm afraid this victory is only temporary though. There's probably a dozen or so cultists on their way to retrieve this scrap heap..." He kicked Gauntlet, frowning at the hollow echo. "I'm sure it'll come back even worse than this."