The Harvestfair(IC)

[TheAbsurdist]

After giving the check to Saeid, he found himself the focus of a little crowd. He did tell the man and his wife that he'd have someone come pick up the rugs, and that he would be coming by as soon as his schedule permitted. Perhaps he should have been a little bit more aw shucks, but he did what was natural to him, he engaged the crowd. Working them like someone who was used to public speaking. Pulling them away from Saeid's booth enough so that there was a flow of traffic to get to the booth. He did this as he floated about five feet off the ground, one of the few times where being an unabashed media user was working for him.

"Alright, I am the guy from the press conference this more. Amir al-Misri. THAT Amir al-Misri. And no, I didn't bring any starlets here with me. I am out shopping, probably going to get something to eat too. If any of you want to talk, I will be around, obviously. I just purchased some things from the couple running the weaving booth over there. I recommend their wares, absolutely beautiful. Now, if anyone wants to chat or asks questions, go ahead, I am going to be heading to the other booths." With that he rose a little higher, and moved over the crowd to land away from them, before walking along the other booths, smiling and being polite and willing in his responses to the questions from people as he made his way to the Guitarist and the guy who had been breathing fire moments earlier.

His only regret right now was not getting the name of the girl at Saeid's booth. Ah well, such is life. Pausing to pull out his phone to talk to someone quickly. "Yes, yes, I know, I know. Any word on that project of mine? And the AEGIS deal? Mmm... What about the contract? Well that's one good thing at least... also... Ana, I am sorry about this morning, I couldn't let you talk me out of it. I owe you a vacation. Anyway, I am at a little fair in the park, so I am going to be shopping. Mmm-bye." That finished he stopped by Maxie's booth and took a moment to look over the samples.

[Ari]

GM

Waving cheerfully after James, Mike headed off in the direction of one of the floating stages' docks, where a play seemed to be going underway, vaguely reminiscent of the Arabian Nights style, including the asymmetrically bulky costumes and a giant oriental lamp in the background.

Another man, similarly dressed, followed him. This other was followed in his turn by another nigh-identical to himself.

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The crowd slowly dispersed after Amir's short speech, though a few naturally hung around anyway, cheerfully asking if he hadn't already selected a costume(a clothes designer friend would be happy to rectify that), if he was on or was being considered any teams, what

superheroic exploits he could regale them with without risking life and civilization by telling them, etc, etc...

However, his declaration that he could be reached later on when he ate gradually dispersed even the relative diehards, though most of them did remember what he had said about the rugs, and eagerly bought the most expensive ones they could afford, and set off. Most of them wandering off to observe the sounds of loud wrangling coming from the iron-worker's booth.

The ironmonger appeared to have suddenly found a very grim and serious critic, who was criticising his choice of polishing methods, apparently on the grounds that it encouraged rusting of the metal. The ironmonger disagreed, and challenged the critic to prove it, saying that if anything, the method the critic suggested would "Turn them to dust within a week!". Neither seemed at all interested in actually resolving th eissue, however.

In the meanwhile, the attenders of the fair had swelled to even greater numbers than the organizers had hope, nearly filling the lanes the booths, stands and rugs were standing along with pedestrian traffic. Several music groups were playing at once, on the stages(no metal, rock, rap or any kind of 'hard' music, so as to not drown out the plays going on on other stages) or now hidden in the swelling mass of humanity.

By now, about half of the attenders were setting off to enjoy the various repasts provided by the sponsored and self-supporting food merchants alike, especially the licensed Champions meal tent.

[Ari]

GM

The swell and ebb of the crowds that slowly passed the weavers and tattooist's booths suddenly became much less consistent. As the sun gradually assumd its place at the summit of the sky and lunchtime approached, the eating tents and long tables and benches set outdoors became the center of activity. The smells of various hamburgers, hot dogs, hot squashes, hot potatoes, hot doughnuts, hot coffees and teas, the sundry foods being prepared wafted over from them, and the lane the firebreather, master weaver, musician and energy absorber were in gradually depleted in population. There were still around fourty people there, haggling with some of the other merchants, looking over the Ashoubi's wares, idly talking amongst themselves while paying about 3/4ths of an ear to Joshua's performance, or figuring out just how lurid and bizarre they wanted their temporary tattoo(s) to be.

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Meanwhile, Quintessence's chosen hiding spot provided an uninterrupted view of the dock Mike and his seeming associates had gathered onto. They were doing a passably good job of looking just like vaguely-hip middle-aged men with an interest in long coats and enjoying live theater. Which is to say, they were plenty conspicuous when gathered as close together as they were.

At any rate they seemed to be genuinely interested in the stage hosting the Arabian Nights-like performance, which had apparently gotten to the point where two old men with long beards came out to talk about how the heroine and hero were blowing their minds with their radical ideas about true love and suchlike. This was because the two fellows had such powerful voices that the stage served to send their thunderous utterances of great import rolling over the couple of yards of water to crash against the far tree line. Quintessence could hear them quite clearly, and see as well the quite realistically burning giant lamp prop used as the all-purpose backdrop.

Of course such things while briefly interesting were of secondary importance. There was a potential danger to avert, after all.

[Paragon]

" I should go do a flyover that area of strange mist. If there is nothing to see I can always come back to keep an eye on Mike and his cronies. If there is anything strange going on in that mist I can hopefully put a stop to it before there is any danger to the public. " Quintessence thought as he took flight and headed towards the strange mist on the lake. Flying low near the surface of that water Quintessence looks for anything out of place as he approaches the mist.

[Eviscerus]

Spitfire

The hub-bub around the stage registered only as ambient noise to Maxie, being completely engrossed in the business at hand of art, fire, and making nice with new celebrities.

"Howdy sir, it's a pleasure to have an actual hero perusing my little booth here. Feel free to look around and if'n yer wanting yerself a tatt, be it permanent or temporary just let me know." Maxie gestured over to Josh with a wave of his hand "That there is Joshua, he's quite the guitarist, I reckon with all three of us standin here, this booth has the three most talented SOB's at this here fair!" Maxie flashed a bright smile that lit up his eyes, which normally would be a dead giveaway to his mutant heritage if it was not for the fact he was wearing colored contact lenses that turned them a bright green, instead of the flame red they normally were. "So what brings a big shot hero like yerself to this humble fair? Hardwood floors too cold in yer place?" Maxie nudged a chin in the direction of the rug booth. "I can't stand how cold the linoleum in my trailer gets in the middle of the night sometimes, so I been thinkin of gettin' a couple throw rugs myself."

[Airon]

Saeid was jokingly contending with his wife for the last fries when yet another bulky-looking man wearing a coat passed right before his eyes in that weird walk, as if he had a hole in his pocket and was afraid of loosing what was inside.

Oh, here, too? Uff... it just never stops in this city...

"What's bothering you, honey?" Jamila took advantage of his distracted husband and finished up the fries.

"It's probably nothing, Jami, but in this city, you never know... keep your eyes open towards those guys in logcoats down there by the stage: if Arug touches you, hop on and he'll fly you to safety." he didn't move his sight from the seating area of the stage for a moment, but directed his thoughts to his magical sidekick Possible danger. Stay close to Jamila. If I give signal, fly her away and come back to help me. The magical rug unrolled itself at Jamila's feet, ready to spring out with her.

He helped his wife to secure the surprisingly substantial earnings of the day in her purse and put on the table a "BACK SOON" sign. He left the carpets there... they may come in handy.

Behind a cloth screen he put on the basic layer of his costume under his normal clothes, then unrolled a bunch of scarves and his cape and put them beside his booth, were he could reach them with his powers and put them on in a second.

Then, acting as casually as possible, he moved towards the crowd, two rows behind one of the longcoat men. He waited for the man to move a bit and flap his coat, then he raised his hand smoothly, forcing the coat of the guy to slide aside just enough to peek a bit under it.

[Ironox]

Josh had some experience picking people out of a crowd, and he noticed something strange as people milled around; several almost identical men in long coats who seemed to be hiding something in them. He thanked his grandpa for drilling those exercises into his head. He was a bit late in noticing Maxie referencing him to the seeming hero type who had wandered over to his booth and Josh's bench.

Josh tried to smoothly look at his watch, before glancing up at Maxie. "Actually, I've gotta split I think. I'll look you up on the card, man." He turned towards Amir, nodding to him and then to the crowd as a whole. "Hope you enjoyed the show, people. Remember to support local music, and look at some of my friend's stuff here, huh?" Josh quickly packed up his guitar, throwing the gig bag strap over his shoulder and offering a wave to his impromptu partner for the afternoon before setting off the path.

Once he had reached a relatively out-of-sight area, though, he stepped off the path, looking for a place to hide for a moment to change. Once he found something suitable, he unzipped his bag and took out his coat, gloves, and tie, slipping them on in a hurry. Once he had done so, he broke open the hidden compartment, taking out his grapple gun and mask. After the latter was secured over his eyes, the Bluesman hid his guitar somewhere it wouldn't likely be stumbled over, before making his way towards the stage where he had seen the long coats heading. He tried to stay out of sight for now, not wanting to spook any crowds, or the hoods themselves.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid... Bluesman thought to himself. Still, he kept moving for now. Better paranoid than unprepared, after all.

[TheAbsurdist]

He laughed softly, and shook his head a little. "Mmm, heh, let's not get ahead of praising me yet. I haven't done anything except had a press conference. I am here for some fun, I love the park and I live near it, and well I like to people watch and just to meet people." Laughing still, and looking amused, he pushed the sleeves of his fleece jacket up to his elbows as he looked at the samples, and sighed softly. "I am sorry, I am a practicing Muslim, so I can't really get a tattoo... I can, however see someone who is good at what they do. Here..." He pulled out out two of his cards, handing them out to Maxie. "I am Amir al-Misri, but your probably heard when I just yelled it over there. And just call me Amir, no need to be formal. My contact info is on the card, so it is a good way to reach me." Nodding over to where he had address the crowd while floating over them, and when he did so he saw several tenchcoated men moving in the same direction. "If you see that Josh fellow again, give him my card, I liked his playing, and I think I can hook him up with a gig."

"Hm, but anyway, I would hardly call myself one of the most talented people here, I do come from money after all," he chuckled, seeing a few more of the men trickle past out of the corner of his eyes. "And most people consider me an embarrassment. I guess I might be talented, if just for having short term relationships with beautiful women and crashing expensive cars, or getting the tabloids to flock over me. Seriously though, I do like the artwork, and I would happily arrange a showing of your work, or buy some pieces you do in another medium..." He smiled almost apologetically as he still looked at the samples. "Or I'll happily pay you to teach me how to breathe fire, because I really would love to do that at a boardroom meeting." And with that Amir busted up laughing, shaking his head a little.

And then he paused, and his friendly, genial expression started to phase, as he pulled out a pair of yellow lensed wraparound sunglassees and put them on. "Hey Maxie... Is there something on the schedule here about some sort of performance by some guys in trenchcoats, or maybe a flashmob you heard of? 'Cause if not... looks like I might be going on the clock for the first time."

[Eviscerus]

Spitfire

Maxie took the cards with a smile after waving goodbye to Josh. His prompt exit in the face of a potential backer surprised Maxie, considering the amount of clout a rich superhero could carry.

Maxie turned backed to Amir and laughed at his proposal of hosting an exhibit to feature his work.

“Thanks, Amir, really, that’s kind but I don’t really consider myself that kind of artist. I just don’t have the ego or pretense of self loathing they seem to have. Besides, my canvas is the human body, I wouldn’t know what to do with actual canvas. As far as teachin’ you the tricks of fire-eating I could say that it’s a secret monastic art passed down through the ages and one must have total discipline and self mastery to even consider the ancient magics of fire eating, but we both know that’d be a lie. No, really it’s just sorta dangerous, but sure I can teach ya how to do it, as long as you promise not to be better than me at it. I won’t take payment though, Amir. You might be used to throwin’ money at problems or people to get them to like you, or you feel you need to offer it to them for some reason, or maybe you just are that generous, but I don’t think you should have to pay just so I could teach you how to do something crazy and insane that many would label you an idiot for. My friendships free, buddy and it can’t be bought with any amount of money. Either way, don’t fret over it, I got yer card and you can take one o’ mine. Call me if you ever really wanna try fire eating.â€

When Amir mentioned the men in coats, Maxie’s face took on a look of consternation as he scanned the crowd. Suddenly all the mirth was wiped from his face, but in a flash it was back.

“Ah, I bet it is one o’ them flashmob thingamajigs, but you’d probably know better than a tattoo artists what ta look fer, right? Anyways, I think I’ma take myself a little break my friend. Think I hear that supper bell a ringin’.â€

With that, Maxie grabbed the canvas bag and headed into the curtained off section of the booth, where he started to change into his suit and take out his contact lenses. Amir’s assessment seemed a bit paranoid to Maxie, but it was better to be safe than sorry. If indeed there was to be trouble, Maxie wasn’t going to be caught with his proverbial pants down.

[Ari]

GM

Saeid's hand brushed aside the coat without the towering bulk belonging to it ever suspecting his presence. The coat was surprisingly crisp, without the mass of wrinkles, light stains or other marks of wear such things usually acquired. Going by appearances alone it was almost new. What it concealed, however, was significantly more dire than simply a body unused to a new and stiff coat: the gleaming dark metal of an unmodified M16 carbine. Besides that, a heavy bulletproof vest lined with some sort of alloy.

It was only a glimpse as the man quickly closed the gap in his coat, but it was enough.

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Meanwhile, Quintessence had found out something truly bizarre about the thread of mist Mike had been watching: it was moving under its own power straight for the stage with the lamp. It wasn't moving at all quickly, but it was clearly self-propelling, something distinctly unusual for water vapor. A closer examination revealed that it also had a very unusual hue: a bluish-green shade that resembled some kind of industrial chemical.

[Airon]

Oh... Saeid was a bit startled by the reveal this city cannot avoid attracting dangerous men, it seems.

Without losing sight of the armed lads, he texted his wife "Real danger, men with guns. Get out of the park now, Arug will protect you for a while. I love you."

Then he concentrated on his magical friend Follow Jamila. Protect her. If I give signal, fly her away and come back to help. He quickly received confermation (empathic from the carpet, digital from his wife). He hoped that nobody would notice a large carpet hovering above the trees' foliage, and that his wife would manage to get away in safety.

He then circled back towards the booths, looking for a hiding spot. He found a secluded corner, where he saw just an abandoned guitar case. He laid low, looking at the longcoats from behind a large oak trunk, loosened his civilian clothes, raised the scarf over his mouth and the cowl over his head. He quickly scouted the area: besides the irascible blacksmith's stall there was a wonderful tent made of thick cloth... it could come in handy.

And I thought dealing with a half-crazy superpowered billionaire playboy would be the oddest thing today... probably a good thing he's around though...

He setted his phone so to hide the ID of the caller, and sent a text to the cellphone number he found on Amir's card. "Troubles around the beach stage. Look out for the men in the longcoats. We may need your powers. A friend of peace and justice."

[Paragon]

Flying over the lake where the strange self propelled fog is Quintessence thinks"The strange fog is heading over to the stage area where Mike and those other sketchy guys were going. I wonder what the chances are that those two things aren't connected. I wouldn't bet on it. I better head over there and confront those men before they can pull off whatever plan they have." Quintessence turns around to head over to the stage area and find the man calling himself Mike in the crowd of people. When he sees him he lands in front of him and with a smile on his face in a normal tone of voice"I know you and your friends here are up to something, give up now and come quietly and nobody has to get hurt. Your other choice is to not give up and you and your friends are going to get hurt. The choice is yours."

[Ironox]

Bluesman had been lurking around the stage area, trying to keep out of sight and keep an eye on the men in the coats, when a man in a cape flew over the lake and up to the grouping men. So much for stealth... Stepping out from behind the tree he had been lurking behind, Bluesman tipped his hat down in his eyes slightly as he approached. "I'd listen to the man, boys. I'd hate to have to mess up my gloves on your faces, after all." He cracked his knuckles to make his point more clear, watching for any of the men to go for weapons. It would be best for this to not have to come to blows, especially with all of the people around, so hopefully the men would be shaken at the sight of some capes.

[Ari]

GM

Mike had started backwards in surprise when the flying super landed before him, and the brisk treatment obviously had a very profound effect on him. What little resistance he had left crumbled when the Bluesman stepped forward and signaled his intent to do battle. Staring at the Bluesman he said quietly "No need for violence"

Now, it bears reminding that in Freedom City, even large numbers of gun-wielding warriors were regularly beaten senseless by entirely powerless teenagers. Sandwiched between a clear super and an ominously unimposing man wearing a domino mask, every single becoated man's first thought was Damn., or something more obscene, but mostly that.

All Mike could think to do was tell the truth, and hope the explosion in the number of supers present didn't ruin his employer's plan entirely. "Just for the record, my name is Mike, I'm a soldier from Bosyolivik, as are most of my comrades here. We're mercenaries, currently working for a man named Mr. Mist, a mad scientist I believe you have some knowledge of. More than we do at aby rate. He sends us messages of where to go, hat to do, we go and do it. Never had to hurt anyone who wasn't equiped to defend themselves. This time we came here to do the lifting after Mist incapacitated the other fairgoers. We haven't done anything yet, so please allow us to leave, we won't be a problem" he smiled ingratiatingly. Hoping fervently the super wouldn't just tear off his coat, and that his boss would move faster.

At least one of his wishes was granted. The strange wisp of mist had now slipped into the giant lamp, causing the flame it bore to abruptly flicker and die.

[Eviscerus]

Spitfire

Spitfire carefully emerged from the back of his tent, trying not to draw attention. As soon as he was out among the crowd he noticed two costumed heroes already confronting the would be baddies. Well whatya know, looks like I got all dressed up for nothin', Spitfire thought. Spitfire was truly surprised to see this many superheroes in such a small place, for that matter, Spitfire noticed that Amir hadn't even confronted the hooligans as of yet, so there was still more to come! Spitfire smiled to himslef, I love this town!

Spitfire blazed a path right up next to Bluesman, letting a little flame flare from his nostrils. "There some sorta superhero meetin' in this fair I wasn't invited to? Or maybe a support group? I get down with stale donuts and cold coffee just like the next man ya know! Did I miss anythiing?" Spitfire's tirade was followed by a white smile that drizzled smoke. He then turned to the hapless thugs.

"Boys, I'd do exactly as the two gentleman here suggest. They don't seem to share my love of trenchcoats. Besides, I don't need to remind you that yer standin' on wood, and it ain't exactly fireproof."

When the lamp went out Spitfire knew something else other than just a few restless thugs was going down here, and he quietly cursed under his breath. "Ya know, just once, I'd like it if nothing would go wrong directly on TOP of somethin' else goin' wrong. Is that too much to ask?"

[Ironox]

Bluesman nodded when the man indicated that he didn't want any violence. Especially now that another cape had showed up to back the two up. "Good thinking. Take the coats off slowly and lay down any pieces you might be carrying, and we can do this nice and easy. I wouldn't suggest going for iron, though. Bad things happen to hoods with guns in this town, let me tell you. We'll deal with your boss." He tensed up slightly, watching the men carefully. He wasn't exactly bulletproof after all, though the armoring woven into the fabric of his jacket would help with that. Still, not getting shot at all would be the best idea.

[Airon]

From where Weaver was standing, it seemed like something dangerous was going to happen very soon. The weird mist, the lamp, capes and longcoats arguing... and people were starting to get nervous at the sight of costumed heroes talking down to the shadowy looking guys.

He reached at Arug with his mind, hoping that Jamila had time to get far enough from the fair Come back to me. Fly low beside the beach. The carpet sent an affirmative impulse and started to fly back.

Weaver reached out with his powers, feeling the coats of the armed men as if they were under his own fingertips. He took a long breath, squeezed his eyes and waited, ready for the worst to happen.

[Paragon]

Quintessence says as he drops the smile from his face"I would do as my friend said boys. I don't care what hardware you got under those coats I don't think you have a chance against three capes. On the other hand if you try for it and an innocent gets hurt you will not like what happens. " Quintessence tenses for action in case Mike or one of his thugs does something stupid. "We need to take care of these thugs before whatever is controlling that mist makes it's move. No more games, If he does not surrender I'll have to take him and his gang out before the Mist can more. I just hope these two guys are capable of backing me up so nobody gets hurt." Quintessence thinks an he gets ready to make a move on Make and his gang.

[TheAbsurdist]

Scanning the area, he frowned as his phone buzzed. Who the... Pulling it up he glanced at the incoming text, and 'lo and behold. "Well I was right... Time for some applied capitalism!" He resumed scanning the area, this time looking for something else... Bingo! He dashed to largest generator he could see, and grabbed it. The moment his hands made contact he could feel it. Asad never could adequately describe what was happening, there was no sensation he could compare it too, just the feeling of being flooded with power. And the electricity arcs around and into him. as it died in his grasp. Releasing the smoking husk of a machine he stepped away, and started towards the others, rising into the air to get a lay of what was going on, before rushing wildly into a situation where bystanders might be hurt. Remembering to yell down to the owners of the generator, "I will absolutely cover that, I'm sorry!"

"First day on the job Asad, try not to do something stupid..." muttering to himself, "... this one actually counts." He surveyed what was happening, and with this vantage point he could make better use of his powers, or cover ground rather than dealing with the milling throngs of people, who would likely be screaming and running soon.

[Ari]

GM

Seeming to realize that the jig was up, Mike shrugged and reached under his coat. Taking his M16 from its holster he removed the gun's magazine and tossed the carbine to the ground in front of Quintessence. Looking over at the other twelve he gave a brief hand gesture, which caused every single other becoated man on the dock to perform the same action. When the clatters of the guns had ceased, Mike turned back to the cape. "Well mister, now what? The police?" his gaze was confident and steady, as was his voice. Neither of which encouraged a belief that he was yet cowed. This was in stark contrast to the other men, who looked ready to bolt if the situation got any more tense.

By this point the crowd had removed it self hurriedly from the dock and seating area, for obvious reasons. They for the most part kept a safe distance, though they also kept up a constant stream of cheers in favor of the suddenly-appearing heroes and taunts in the direction of the hapless Lads.

The Lads glared reproachfully at the back of Mike's head, but he ignored it completely. It was clear he expected something. His eyes now never left the giant lamp.

[Paragon]

"That was a smart move on your part sir. I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Does someone happen to have a phone on them to call the police with? Quintessence says as he picks up the gun and breaks it in half. He then says to The Lads "Ok all of you, Put your hands on your heads and come over here. The police will be here soon. " Turning his head slightly to the side Quintessence smile and says "Hi, guys thanks for the assistance. My name is Quintessence you all want to see what we can do about that weird fog over by the lamp?"

[Eviscerus]

Spitfire

Seeing the thugs surrender was definitely a new one on Max, but he wasn't about to complain about his good fortune, though the leader's defiance even in the face of defeat did cause Max a bit of hesitation on calling this one done with. Turning to Quintessence, Spitfire bowed deeply and smiled. "Name's Spitfire, Quintessence nice ta make yer acquaintance. As for a cell phone, I'm sure someone from the crowd sent up the signal flare as soon as yer boy there produced his piece."

Spitfire looked over to the lamp and an ever more worried expression continued to crease his brow and darken his crimson colored eyes. "That is really starting to give me the heebie jeebies. We better neutralize this lot fast, so anyone got anyway to bind these fools? Fire's not exactly known fer it's ability to double as handcuffs if ya know what I mean. It is, however, known for it's ability to evaporate water like nobody's business...I'll see what I can do about lifting this here fog."

Spitfire boldly saunters up close to the blanket of fog acting definitely unfog like and releases a blanketing gout of flame that arcs into the air, the cone fans out, fingers of flame licking the air and heating the surrounding area, attempting to dissipate the fog.

[Ari]

GM

Spitfire's gout of fire burned into the strangely-colored fog, seeming to evaporate a vast swathe of it at least twenty cubic feet in size. Which soon revealed itself to be a pretty small part of the greater whole, as a vast tendril of blue smoke wrapped itself around the heroes assembled on and near the dock, carrying with it a smell more sickening than can be adequately described in the English language. It was overpowering, driving all other thought except how horrible it was from the heroes minds, sending them choking and gasping to the ground!

The Lads had been spared it, except for Mike, who had gotten a face-full of the smoke and had reeled off the dock onto the beach, gagging and dry heaving at the repulsive smell. At this sudden turn of events, the henchmen quickly took back their weapons and reloaded them, setting off towards the crowd without seeming to give much thought to the briefly downed champions. The crowd, upon seeing what had just happened, began to run too late, as a green tendril swept over them that effected much like an anesthetic, sending them to the ground in short order. Once The Lads had caught up to their fallen bodies they set quickly to looting them of any valuables they could find.

As Mike slowly regained himself(he had gotten only a twelfth as much a dose as the heroes had), he looked furiously at the slowly coalescing figure of Mr. Mist, his eyes still as green as ever and his body as ephemeral as it had ever been. He seemed a bit more drawn though. "What was that for?" spluttered Mike angrily at Mr. Mist. Mist's eyes turned vaguely in Mike's direction "Mikhail, do you surrender as easily as that for all your clients? I was just reminding you that I'm not one you should rely on for comfort or assistance if you mess up. Now get over to that bunch of sheep and fleece them" came Mr. Mist's almost whispered voice(though it carried astoundingly well). As Mike dashed off to follow his command, the insubstantial supervillain turned to the heroes he had just attacked "Now I suppose I should make sure you don't get back up and singe me ever again" he snarled, and raising his wispy right hand it began to slowly turn a vivid red. It was clear he hadn't noticed Asad in the sky yet.

[Eviscerus]

Spitfire

Here's a tip, Spitfire thought to himself as he gasped and retched from the vile gas, if strange fog doesn't act like fog at all, it might be a bad guy and not just some weird useless spell! Max's eyes watered and he went down to one knee, trying vainly to focus his fires to burn the gas out of his lungs. It was hard to turn oxygen into a combustable when you don't have any in your lungs and can't get any in because said lungs are filled with noxious gas. Worst of all to Maxie was the thought that since the thing was made of this mist that what was actually in his lungs was another person.

"Ack- *cough cough* I can taste him, *cough* eeew he's in my mouth, *cough cough*"

Spitfire looked around blindly and helplessly as the thugs started fleecing the crowd. It was all he could do to focus his eyes against the stinging, watering foulness that was Mr. Mist. This is NOT going well. But I'll be damned if I'm gonna be taken down by some overgrown fart cloud!

[Paragon]

"Oh mother of god that smells horrid! I need to remember not to go into a strange mist if I can avoid it. Now should I go after the guys robbing the crowd or should I go after the big bad? Not even a hard choice there. The only problem I see is that he looks like he is not solid. I should kill two birds with one stone. Quintessence thinks as he looks around for something to through at the pair. He finally settles on one of the sets of bleachers the crowd was sitting on a few moments ago. Quintessence flies over to the nearest set of benches picks it up and heaves it in the direction of the villains. "Lets see if you can both dodge this!