it just frosts my ass the hear this cannon ball bullshit, glad wasnt even taking the dude seriously.cranks up the direct qoute engine
CB: GLADIATOR!...of the imperial guard?!
G:yes cannonball..The praetor of the Royal Galactic House of the empire. I came in search of the X-men. You will do
all of a sudden CB feels like has to be the hero for a minute not thinking and just rushing into a fight
skip ahead a few panels CB flies glad outside away from innocent ppl
CB:..The harder..*umph*..ah push..*urn*..against you..*mmp*..the harder..*rnmp*..you push?
G: precicsely. Surrender now before you hurt yourself
CB:Nope
skip ahead a few panels glad gets steamed back hands him away
G: i sought you and your mongrel bretheren out for a particular reason mutant! and that reason did not include suffering affronts to my personage by you!
CB: ah was there sir--you were the one that started this(his thought bubble) URNGH! Ah actually felt that one in my teeth
while sent reeling is in midst of hatching a plan, but before he could circle back around he found himself wrapped in a steel girder
CB: Whu--? just how fast are you?
G:faster than you youngling
skip ahead, he expands his kinetic field and destroys the girder, he gets really insulting and thats when glad gets mad
CB:ya might wanna cry uncle before ah turn my power on you
G: ill take that under advisment. and you terran might want to lose that jacket.
CB: pardon
G: becuase it is a lot hotter where you're going. which is the center of the sun
CB: youre joshin right?(thought bubble) he's not--he can do it, too from what ah remember gladiator can do anythin he sets his mind to!
G: Joshin?
CB: ouch this is gonna hurt...unless
there is a big narration that CB recalls that glad's power his pscioncally re-enforced. glad punches him square in the chest a big light show ensues and when the smoke clears CB is still there
CB: so tell pardner...was that your best shot?
G: but...but that was my most powerful blow! and you live? thats not possible
thats the moment when he doubts himself CB lands a swing, much on some hulk hogan shit where he just put both hands together and swing both of them it goes BWONGGG gladiator goes flying
Beast: you channeld all the kinetic energy from his killer blow and directed it to your forcefiled. how long has that trick been in you repertoire, mr. g?
Cb: about six seconds now Dr mccoy.
gambit pays him a compliment, bishop says something then gladiator imediately burst out of the rubble, the rest of the xmen jump in and he begins to explain his reason for showing up. and that was it. there it is. I made sure to be fair and added most of what was said between the two so everyone(especially ppl who never actually read the story and has just been jumping on other posters bandwagon)can get the basic gist of the fight, and i use that word looosley
and you know what i get from this, by his own admission that was his most powerful blow, and it got redirected at him and sent him flying, and he got back up immediatley so if CB didnt come with a last minute ditch to save his life he would have been on the sunshine express.