Feb 9 - The End of the World as we Know It.

[Nick Varkan]

"Sorry to block the dramatic rescue, but the doomsday clock's ticking."

[Gideon Rede]

"When it rains it pours," Gideon muttered picking his across the tiles carefully.

[Calvin Strong]

Cal grabbed onto the pipes as soon as he was through, holding on for dear life. He looked up at the others, panic still in his eyes, but obviously fading. "That should not have worked like that!"

[Will Stanton]

"Tie on. I have no idea HOW he did it, but that doesn't matter."

[Rick Ferguson]

Rick decided to de-tornado himself after the gravity reversal, since it was thrust up from the floor that made him float, and exerting that kind of pressure on the new 'floor' probably wasn't a very good idea. In stead, he just stepped carefully, sticking near the others, cursing to himself about every five seconds or so.

[Calvin Strong]

Cal didn't waste any time tying on. "We're... that hall. Over there."

[Will Stanton]

"Let's end this quickly...I don't want to see what else he has in store for us."

[Veronica Freud]

Veronica opted to just go tiny and ride on Gideon. Because Will had his arms full. Literally.

[Gideon Rede]

"Please keep your seat belts fastened until the pilot has turned off the fasten seat belt sign," Gideon said giving Ronnie a slight smile as he let her on.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear frowned, tossing and attaching a grapple ball to a post at the far doorway.

"Holding tight, Gwion.. we should be all set, between you, me, and Khaos."

[Narrator]

And as the team moved forward, gravity shifted again, sending them falling down the hall Cal had pointed them at, then again to send them falling down another hall. At this rate, when they finally did land, it might be... a bit hard.

[Will Stanton]

Will fortunately was in front at the moment, so he billowed out to form a large mattress thing---assuming he still ended up in the 'front' when this was all over.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear, meanwhile, was able to toss her grapple ball once more, while attempting to grasp the closest X-Man as well, with her free arm.

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon grabbed at Bear's hand as she reached out.

"I don't think he likes us very much," Gideon said dryly as they fell.

[Byrna Cooper]

"Nah, I'm sure it's juuuust a misunderstanding."

Bear chuckled momentarily and then sighed, as she touched down on Will the pillow thing.

[Calvin Strong]

"We're... still moving toward the middle," Cal said, disbelieving as he consulted the map and his GPS.

[Will Stanton]

"Then he wants to meet us in person.

Or cram us into the machine as fuel, one or the other."

[Janice Gilbertson]

"A little from column A, a little from column B..."

[Will Stanton]

"Feel free to enjoy the ride, Closer, but be ready in case the gravity shifts again..."

[Robert West]

They finally found themselves falling into the middle of a large room, with the actual floor a good twenty feet beneath them. Once they entered the room, the fell into the middle of it, where they finally stopped, hanging there.

"Ah, so good of you to join me!" They all started floating gently toward the floor (the ACTUAL floor), gravity reasserting itself slowly. "I was starting to think I'd have to make a toast all by my lonesome, and that's really an exercise in futility. So come on in, have a seat."

Dr. Tomorrow was seated at the head of a long table, where employees were evidently busying themselves with setting up dinner. The rest of the room was pretty bare, although it would remind all of them instantly of the Danger Room.

[Will Stanton]

"Really, we're doing the whole Ozymandias thing?"

[Robert West]

"No, we're doing the 'let me be a polite host before you cease to exist with your world' thing. Seriously, I know this isn't the Earth where manners never caught on. I've been to that one, and trust me, if you were there you'd know it."

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon stared at Dr. Tomorrow eyes aglow.

"You can't honestly think we'd trust anything you'd give us?"

[Rick Ferguson]

"Doesn't he think he's so cute," Rick muttered, glaring at the little display Dr. Tomorrow had put on.

[Robert West]

"Well, you're more than welcome to test whatever I give you, but really... poison? You. Cyborg I saved. Does that really seem like something I'd do?" he asked, his eyes fixing on Cal.

[Calvin Strong]

Cal hesitated before he answered. "No," he admitted.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"...this isn't the part where he tells us he put a bomb in Calvin, is it?"

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear frowned, taking a step forward.

"Please, Doctor. Please just stop."

[Will Stanton]

"Surely, there's a more elegant solution--you've clearly shown your scientific expertise, and you have the ability to get help from the greatest minds of hundreds of universes..."

[Robert West]

"No, I didn't put a bomb in him, although I could have. And I could have because any idiot 'scientist' could have, which means that something stupid like poison or sabotage is totally beneath me. So sit down. I had to take good time throwing things at you to slow you down long enough for the staff to finish cooking dinner, do you want to hurt their feelings by not eating it? Moreover, do you really want me to go on the offensive, when getting me eating will get me talking, which might give you an idea for some futile attempt to stop me or to surprise me while I'm not paying attention?"

[Janice Gilbertson]

Janice by this point was fairly frustrated, and so she walked right up to the good doctor, looked him square in the eye...

...and tried to slug him square in the jaw with as much vehemence as she could muster.

[Robert West]

Janice's punch came within three inches of Dr. Tomorrow's jaw. Then, it struck a solid energy field, which gave her body a good shock and threw her back about six feet. "You know, it's odd. If you have someone who's otherwise smart and crafty, then give them a power or a weapon or anything that lets them reduce things to a choice of 'smash' and 'smash harder,' they'll always take a physical route. Those Captain Whatevers in their union jack outfits are such a perfect example of that, thanks for continuing the tradition of letting yourself turn into dumb muscle. Anyway, now that she's done embarassing all of you, sit! I tell you what, I even promise you that the world won't end before we're done eating. You'll even have time to put up a last stand to stop me. Is that fair enough?"

[Janice Gilbertson]

Janice shuddered as she got back up.

"Wasn't... wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it'd be, but I learned something..."

She tried to clear her head, shaking off the shock.

"And I'll be damned if I play your stupid little dinner party game!"

She then reached out her powers to the force-field generator that she now knew to be there... and pushed with all she could muster.

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon flinched a little as Janice was tossed across the room.

If the physical doesn't work...

Gideon began reaching out telepathically trying to see if Dr. Tomorrow had any protective measures.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear clenched her fists, running her satchel inventory through her mind.

[Veronica Freud]

"... where did you get your goggles? They're neat."

[Robert West]

"Mmm, more creative, but that's still a bit brute force." Impossibly, Janice's power seemed to backfire, causing her foot to slide out from under her as she focused on making her power disrupt a force field generator she assumed would be there. "You need to be a little sneakier. Sort of sad, really. On all the worlds where you don't get tapped to be the country's latest meatshield, you're a lot more creative with what you've got. Much more effective. Now, I think it's... ah, good, dinner time!"

And sure enough, a line of robotic staff came out, each carrying a plate. Each X-Man would be able to tell which one was theirs, because invariably, one robot would have their favorite meal, prepared exactly how they would have requested it. "Now come on, sit. We can finish all the posturing on a full stomach." He smiled patronizingly at Janice. "I'll have them bring out some fish for you, too. Brain food and all. You could probably use it."

"So, you like them?" Dr. Tomorrow said conversationally to Ronnie, taking off the goggles and looking them over thoughtfully. "I could make you a pair. Have you considered a career as a henchwoman?"

[Rick Ferguson]

Rick had to struggle to keep his temper from flaring up, and his power along with it. "For trying to be hospitable, you're a little bit too insulting, Doctor."

[Robert West]

"Well, if we want to point fingers, she tried to hit me," Dr. Tomorrow pointed out, picking up his fork and starting on his dinner. "Really, you're all taking this far too personally. Do you really think that I have some odd grudge against this world?"

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear took a seat, resigned that the Doctor has the upper hand for now.

"Well, the Chicken Kebab does look delicious. So, this is business then? Nothing personal? Please be sure to let my Mom know that."