The NEW Vanguard! LIONHEART Issue #2

Lionheart pulls his fist back and considers applying his full strength...

Instead he uses his best asset - his astonishing speed! Delivering thousands of karate chops that frothed and boiled the water instantly, he paused a fraction of a second to see his handiwork...

OOC Superspeed, boosted by Power reserve to 14, then added to Dex (8) to bring it up to 22. Martial arts goes up as a result, and 22 Effect value vs RV of the ship means... 2d10 → [9,3] = (12) Lionheart takes 2Raps mental damage from the strain, putting him on 7/9 Mind.

Lionheart glanced down to see a precision hole neatly sliced into the metal of the ship. It should have buckled easily. Steel was no match for his speed or strength, and this had taken a second or two to break through.

Inside, instantly, the blue glow of an energy field formed over the hole. As Lionheart thought, he was able to dip a forcefield covered hand in without harm. As he thought. The field would prevent vacuum, water, any unwanted intrusion into the ship.

With fractions of a second to spare as yet, he leaned to glance inside. A corridor of dark metal with strange protrusions formed along the walls and ceiling (OOC Think HR Geiger style ALIEN ship). Into the -pardon the pun - Lions den, or turn and face the squidborgs?

Admin wrote:Lionheart pulls his fist back and considers applying his full strength......With fractions of a second to spare as yet, he leaned to glance inside. A corridor of dark metal with strange protrusions formed along the walls and ceiling (OOC Think HR Geiger style ALIEN ship). Into the -pardon the pun - Lions den, or turn and face the squidborgs?

With but a barely a glance back, Lionheart jumped through the portal into the dangerous space beneath and into the corridor.  The very alien and organic nature of it made him think that he might well be in something that was itself alive.  That this might be some great creature rather than some great sunken ship of alien origin.  With little to go on, he left his Forcefield in place and his mental energies focused on his speed and combat abilties.  Right now he needed to be aware, but he needed to remain alive even more so if he had a hope of pulling everybody out of this in any semblance of what they went in as.  

Sj

Lionheart passed through the field, an unsettling experience...

OOC Danger Sense... 2d10 → [7,3] = (10) Lionheart detects danger... but can't tell where it's coming from.

All around him. the 'ship' seemed to pulse, be it with life, unlife or something in between, Lionheart couldn't tell.

He glanced back at the hole in the roof. It was sealed. The dark corridor ran on in a steady long curve. Suddenly Lionheart heard a roaring sound...

Suddenly it was inky black. No blue light, just the stygian darkness of the grave... Would it prove to be Lionhearts?

OOC Lionheart hovers (or stands) in the corridor of the ship, in the darkness (he can't see in the dark, but his other senses, Hearing, Smell, Danger Sense, could more or less steer him through the dark) with something loud - and fast - coming his way.

Admin wrote:Lionheart

Suddenly it was inky black. No blue light, just the stygian darkness of the grave... Would it prove to be Lionhearts?

OOC Lionheart hovers (or stands) in the corridor of the ship, in the darkness (he can't see in the dark, but his other senses, Hearing, Smell, Danger Sense, could more or less steer him through the dark) with something loud - and fast - coming his way.

Lionheart sighed within himself, he didn't like the thought of facing whatever was coming toward him, but equally running from it might well just lead to worse problems, or some sort of pincer movement. Besides, engaging with what was thrown at him, gave him the chance to discover what or who might be behind this. Or at least a bit more to go on. Equally he might just have cut short any attempt at a rescue, but that probably went out the window the moment he barged in on the place anyway.

OOC: Ok force field up, power to dex and martial arts so fast speedy and deadly - well one hopes anyway. I'll attempt to subdue, and find out what I can if I can.

Sj

Lionheart turned and waited for whatever rushed out of the darkness at him...

His danger sense screamed!

FWOOOSH!!!!

Agile as he was, Lionheart was engulfed by something - liquid - flooding around and over ... with his astonishing reactions and amazing balance he could right himself, but this stuff was all around him...

And it was.. what... trying to eat his force field?

OOC Lionhearts force field is a thing he can turn on mentally, but it feels to him like he's having to turn it on constantly because this stuff - this liquid - is easting away at it. Like acid.

Admin wrote:OOC Lionhearts force field is a thing he can turn on mentally, but it feels to him like he's having to turn it on constantly because this stuff - this liquid - is easting away at it. Like acid.

This was not going to plan, the plan was that Lionheart would overwhelm, distract and destroy the craft and what was behind it not be overwhelmed in the process himself.  He had to rethink his options,  first thing was first.  He had to get this thing off of him before it actually managed to get through his force field.  He blasted forward, aiming toward the hatch since it might likely be the weakest point.  That way he could fling the thing at the cyber squid, perhaps stopping things before they got out of hand and he could reinstate his original mission.  

OOC:  Ok at this point I am not sure if this thing can effect me, and or if I should be doing something other than trying to get out of the ship, so for the time being I'll try and get out of the ship and use the alien acid thing against itself and against the Squid things outside.  I'd prefer to go deeper, but right now, self preservation seems a higher priority than being dissolved.  

Sj

Lionhearts Danger Sense continued to scream in his head, but he didn't need to know from which direction it came from - it was all of them!

He turned in the darkness, aware of the fact his forcefield was about to dissolve, again, but at any point it might not regenerate and leave him horribly vulnerable to this stuff!

He sped towards the outer wall, intent on kicking his way out again!

OOC 2d10 → [10,3] = (13)

THOOM!

With thousands of kicks in the space of a heartbeat, Lionheart not only made his own hole but frothed the liquid around him so much it started to boil...

And retreat from him?

He sped out into the water and was blissfully aware of the cooling presence of the crushing ocean depth on his force field. It was relief, and around him the blue glow lit the ocean bed. He looked up. The crevice he'd swum down beckoned, and with that perhaps a way to find the others.

His danger sense went off yet again. The opening he'd created was already sealed with a blue film which appeared to be hardening to a more solid colour like the blue outer hull.

OOC 2d10 → [10,5] = (15) Danger Sense

Lionheart turned.

More squidborgs spewing from another aperture which closed as the last of the dozen creatures issued forth! They would be on Lionheart in moments!

Admin wrote:More squidborgs spewing from another aperture which closed as the last of the dozen creatures issued forth! They would be on Lionheart in moments!

Although the creatures had the advantage of adaption they did not have Lionheart's speed and agility, turning from them he sought some other way to try and solve what was going on and how, if at all possible to stop it.

OOC: Move away and whilst moving away draw the squid things after me. Since trying to break in was ineffective, I'll try and see if there is something I can learn from surveying it from outside. Some weaker point, some nerve centre? Something where I won't get boiled alive, or stand no chance of getting further without a lethal response. If it turns out the creatures do get ahead of me, or try to get the best of me, I'll turn and attack. trying to weave between them so they do more harm to one another than me. I'd otherwise try to converse my efforts for the time being since what I am facing is of far superior force than I can handle on my own. And lets be honest a lot of ignorance is a dangerous thing, here. I may also be {no pun intended} out of my depth.

Sj

Lionheart used his superspeed and manoeuvrability to stay clear of the squidborg, even as they came after him with renewed vigour, almost as if they were mothers protecting their young, or antibodies after a virus...

He swooped, swirled and rolled through the water, gaining distance, sure that he would avoid them... when something small and fast shot past in the water, leaving a trail of bubbles behind... and powdering a rock in front of him! The squidborg were firing something at him!

Then, it all went BLACK around the hero!!!

"Relax." said a voice in Lionhearts' ear!

Admin wrote:Lionheart used his superspeed and manoeuvrability to stay clear of the squidborg, even as they came after him with renewed vigour, almost as if they were mothers protecting their young, or antibodies after a virus...

He swooped, swirled and rolled through the water, gaining distance, sure that he would avoid them... when something small and fast shot past in the water, leaving a trail of bubbles behind... and powdering a rock in front of him! The squidborg were firing something at him!

Then, it all went BLACK around the hero!!!

"Relax." said a voice in Lionhearts' ear!

OOC: DO I recognise the voice, is it someone I feel I can trust in which case I can then do as I am told. However if it isn't someone I know or feel I can trust then the last thing I am going to do, is relax. In fact I'd rather fight, fight, fight.

1. Plan is if this is an ally, to find out what is going on and stop it double quick.
2. Stop what has started and or rescue the others whatever allows me to stop this first.

Sj

"It's Nightbird" explained the voice. "As far as I can tell the squid creatures can't see through my darkness."

Neither could Lionheart.

"I can't find Aquanaut, Captain Valiant came across something and Stonelord went to help him in the submarine. I examined the civilian sub and was chased by some of those creatures. I had an up close encounter with one. They are a mix of organic and mechanical, and the latter doesn't seem to be of earthly origin. I'm no expert, but we may be dealing with an alien incursion of some sort."

It was the most that Nightbird had spoken to Lionheart, and 'inside' the dark mass she sounded more... human... rather than the rasping voice she had when speaking to someone outside of her darkness field.

"I suggest we find the others and form a plan. Between the five of us we should be able to put a stop to these things... Just... just don't let the Squids get a firm grip on you. I have a bad feeling about that."

Lionheart knew the squidborg would be swimming around and about the cloud of darkness in the water. He would have to make a break for it, or trust Nightbird to move her darkness cloud towards the others.

Admin wrote:Lionheart knew the squidborg would be swimming around and about the cloud of darkness in the water. He would have to make a break for it, or trust Nightbird to move her darkness cloud towards the others.

"Yup, figured that much myself.  But it doesn't hurt to be reminded.  OK so lead on lets see if we can't find where you last saw the others, this place is too big to blindly stumble about and sadly for all my foresight that is all I've been doing."  

OOC: Ok since I've not a clue how to go about working this one, I figure we'd best start with where Nightbird last saw her companions and go from there, if on the way we find clues that help then so be it.  My big worry though is a) we're known about - so no element of surprise and b) this thing is already got some of our people pinned down or worse, not sure I can even get inside to find out what is going on and now its got the chance to organise its defence whilst we try and cobble together the team.  Hmm, not one of my better moments.  

Sj

OOC Rushing about (going to work) plus kids are off this week so free time=zero so excuse the typos (bound to be some!) Will be home around 21.00 and most of tomorrow off so everything up to date by then!

Lionheart and Nightbird

"I guessed you to be a speedster, but your range of powers seems more extensive than that. You have... mind powers, strength? Some measure of invulnerability? I'm asking only to determine who takes the lead in confrontations." says Nightbird inside the darkness. Lionheart feels a gentle grasp around him and he starts to move through the water. "Relax. That's me, or more specifically, my power. I create a hole into another dimension, a 'pocket' dimension, and the darkness comes through. It's a semi-sentient creature that does my bidding, protects me, gives me the rest of my abilities. Some call it 'darkforce', I prefer to call him 'Bert'."

She almost chuckled at the last, and Lionheart got the idea her grim/dark visage of a black clad avenger was more for show than some actual need to exact vengeance on anyone.

She created a small 'portal' in the darkness to let Lionheart see through the water. It was illuminated by the blue glow of the vessel in the chasm below (if it was a vessel and not ... something else).

They were flying through the water towards the Soviet Submarine. Lionheart caught a glimpse of the Squidborg - they were swimming around them, as if trying to find a way into the darkness, but shying away from actually entering.

"I was attacked almost immediately by one of those things plunging into Ber... my darkforce, but it never came out. In fact..." she says "It's still in here. Don't worry, it's senseless, thrashing about in different directions, but not actually going anywhere. I'll figure out what to do with it when we found the..."

She stopped short as a huge stone mass stepped from the hole in the side of the sub.

A squidborg was attached to Stonelords' face, it's own staring malevolently at the approaching dark mass. A moment later another one, attached to Captain Valiant, came into view. There was no sign of the tentacles, only the head, mostly wrapped around the heroes own!

"Ah. this changes things somewhat." muttered Nightbird.

The heroes (with squidborg attached) were some 50 yards away, Cthulu-esque heads on superhuman bodies and staring with keen, evil intelligence. One of them 'spoke' though there was no mouth present.

"Your forms are far more suitable for assimilation than those inferiors we took from your crude vessels! Come, embrace the Hivemind, as all your primitive minds shall in time!" it rasped!

And the two 'heroes' launched themselves at the dark mass containing Lionheart, Nightbird and the captive Squidborg!

Admin wrote:"Ah. this changes things somewhat." muttered Nightbird.

The heroes (with squidborg attached) were some 50 yards away, Cthulu-esque heads on superhuman bodies and staring with keen, evil intelligence. One of them 'spoke' though there was no mouth present.

"Your forms are far more suitable for assimilation than those inferiors we took from your crude vessels! Come, embrace the Hivemind, as all your primitive minds shall in time!" it rasped!

And the two 'heroes' launched themselves at the dark mass containing Lionheart, Nightbird and the captive Squidborg!

OOC: No problem Paul, always appreciate the amazing effort you put into each and every post, so its worth waiting for.  Enjoy your kids we can wait ;-)

Lionheart spoke up, "So what are the chances of getting them into er, 'Bert'...and eh dealing with them later?  Since the creature is telling us its a hive mind of sorts, I am beginning to also wonder what its effective range is.  I mean, if we let Bert take us to his place, might they be easier to free from the influence of this thing?  What do you think." Lionheart wasn't afraid of the things the heroes had become, rather afraid of getting them free from the thing that had clearly gotten its claws into them.  

OOC: OK this is a nice twist on the heroes fighting one another.  Touché sir, but trying to think about this smartly not sure what is best to do.  Limited resources and all that, short of beat the living daylights out of them - which I don't think is going to result in a happy outcome for anyone.  So I am thinking that Bert might be the answer (nice one by the way, made me laugh) although I suspect away form the present conflict, Lionheart like me, will start to put 2 and 2 together and assume Bert might be one of the very creatures the Vanguard were fighting by for a greater part of this campaign so far.    If we can get the creatures away from the Hive mind, perhaps if worst comes to worst, back to Wandafar to deal with.  But I'd rather not leave as I suspect that this creature will be even harder to deal with if given enough time.  

Sj

"Well, 'Bert'... ahem, is limited in that the more... souls, for want of a better word, it captures, and feeds from, the greedier it gets." explained Nightbird.

"I found that out when I responded to a riot in a nightclub. Dozens of people fighting. I got Bert to cover them all... and he... it got crazy, wanting more and more! Superhumans are like that. They are like crowds, each one. We have to be careful, or I don't know what he... it... would do."

She paused, then added "But we need those things off our team mates, regardless of how tempting it is to leave on Stonelord. He is the most insufferable, boorish, unpleas... oop. Here they come!"

She expanded the darkness as the mind ensnared heroes rushed at them... and the darkness eagerly devoured them!

"It's fighting... not just our team mates... but the squid borg... and ... the HIVE MIND!" she screamed!

Suddenly there was a loud roaring, and the darkness all around Lionheart scattered!

Nightbird was revealed to be an attractive twenty something clutching desperately to the helmet on her head and grimacing in pain - of course, the pressure at this depth to what was effectively an ordinary person would be punishing! The darkness seemed to be dispersing into separate globules of inky blackness all about...

Stonelord and Captain Valiant (along with their Squidbord captors) looked confused, stunned for the moment. They knelt on the ocean floor, slowly staggering to their feet. The captured Squidborg was swimming around and round, on it's side, like an injured fish.

Lionheart had felt something within the darkness. His mental shields and incredible psyche had shielded him from the psychic backlash the hive mind had issued, but the others had all been affected. Nightbird appeared to have lost her powers (well, Bert) as it broke up and drifted about like ink bubbles, the two mind ensnared humans were confused for the moment, and Lionheart could strike at them...

And a glance towards the chasm which housed the alien 'hive mind' vessel or creature - Lionheart wasn't sure which it was - was glowing brighter than ever!

He had a choice to make...

Save the heroine? The pressure would crush her in moments!

Try to disable the two heroes? If that were even possible - Stonelord was no pushover and Captain Valiant was a powerful hero in his own right!

investigate the bright light, and stop whatever the hive mind would do next?

And where in all of this was Aquanaut?

OOC No 'right' or 'wrong' choices, you just guide what happens next based on your choice

Admin wrote:

He had a choice to make...

Save the heroine? The pressure would crush her in moments!
OOC No 'right' or 'wrong' choices, you just guide what happens next based on your choice

OOC: More a question of priorities, so...

Lionheart felt that whatever the needs of the many, he had to save girl.  Not that she might thank him later and not that he might not kick himself when the creature had a reprieve to get itself into a far more comfortable position to carry out its obvious plan to assimilate whatever it could.  He knew he was going to regret this, but he couldn't leave Nightbird to be crushed in the waters.  

Grabbing her easily, he concentrated and shot upwards, going at speeds that seemed slow to him, but speeds that meant Nightbird wasn't killed by the bends on the way up.  He used his mental powers to continue to envelop her in a bubble of force, so that she might not be damaged from Nitrogen bubbles within her blood stream.  As he rose swiftly but carefully to the surface.  

Getting out wasn't only his problem, it would be what to do next.  He still had assimilated heroes, captured by the enemy, was no closer to beating whatever alien creature had set its sites on the Earth and potentially had just handed it a coup de grace, by leaving.  He had to hope that there might be some fishing boat, some vessel could leave Nightbird with, so that he might return.  If he had to fly back to the mainland, he know doubt wondered if the creature might even be present when he returned.  Dismissing the gloom and doom thoughts, he saw the light change as he neared the surface and used his considerable powers to continue to monitor Nightbird, listening for Nitrogen in the blood, looking for any potential problems as he drew near the surface.  

OOC:

1. Ok look for a vessel to drop Nightbird off with and get back if at all possible, assuming I haven't killed her on this ascent to the surface.
2. Failing a vessel being available or Nightbird being able to be dropped off, its to the nearest hospital we go, for treatment.  
3. Since I am at the surface, if I can send a signal to Wandafar and alert him to what is going on, so that he can at least keep tabs on the alien or find a way to winkle it out of the niche its found as its home, then all good and well.  But at least alerting him and or the rest of the team to what is going on.  I have a feeling we're going to need back up and contingency plans for the environment and the challenges this creature posses.

Sj

Lionheart sped upwards, fully aware that rising too quickly could be dangerous...

Luckily he had a superhuman in his arms, and monitoring her vitals with his super senses told him that whilst she was disorientated, she was alive and conscious as he broke from the sea.

Rising up into the dark sky, he looked about... And found what he was looking for - running lights on a distant fishing vessel!

"Wha...!" she spluttered "We have to go back! Bert!" she cried. Lionheart used the seconds to contact Wandafar.

"Ja? Vat do you vant? I am watching reruns of neighbours."

"Alien invasion! A ... thing at the bottom of the ocean! The submarines... downed!"

"ah. Zis is not good. Can it wait?"

"NOOOO!!!!"

"No need to shout. I vill gather peoples und send zem up zere. Vere is remote... I need to pause zis..."

As Lionheart soared down towards the fishing vessel, a black mass splashed from the sea! His danger sense didn't go off and he wasn't surprised when Nightbird held out a cold wet hand to it... Instantly it flew and leapt to her (OOC Lionheart could dodge it - he's that fast - but this is her sentient black mass come back to it's host.u.e. ok)

"I can fly now" rasped Nightbird. "And I know that the creature... or creatures down there, are too powerful to soul drain. I have other abilities though."

As she hovered, she added "Thank you for saving me. I am in your debt."

The flying heroes turned to look at the dark boiling mass of the water below, knowing that deep down in the North Sea there was a creature or creatures of unknown origins that had downed to subs, probably at the cost of dozens of lives, and captured at least two superheroes.

Nightbird turned to Lionheart "What do you think? Wait for help, or go back down there?"

Admin wrote:Nightbird turned to Lionheart "What do you think? Wait for help, or go back down there?"

Relieved to see Nightbird was no worse for wear, despite the ordeal he had put her through, he felt somewhat guilty for what he felt had to be the next course of action.

"I know you've been through quite a bit already, but the longer we delay, the more that thing can prepare for any assault we make on it.  Heck, we don't even know what it is that we're dealing with here but its already proven its more than capable.  We have to harry it and not give it the time it wants to fortify its position.   Are you with me?"

OOC: Assuming the positive...if not I'm going in anyway.

Lionheart dived down, not stopping to wait for Nightbird to catch up.  He was angry, a rage deep and white hot began to boil in him.  He'd never felt so focused - but the truth was not since the shadow demons had he seen something that troubled him so much.  If even Meta humans could be 'assimilated' then the very people whom could help might well hinder, if he couldn't find a way to stop it.  And the anger he felt was in part from fear.  Fear of loosing control, of being overwhelmed by a creature that was bent on enslaving everything.  And with an army of Earth's mightiest where would it turn then.  It was a thought he naturally shrank back form as he focused on the matter at hand, finding these things weakness and fast.  

OOC: OK senses working overtime, trying to scan on every available sense to find out some kind of clue or way to get at this thing before it can pacify or stop us in our tracks.  

Sj

Down into the depths the heroes sped, Lionheart in the lead with Nightbird struggling to keep up!

The distant blue glow grew stronger as they got deeper and deeper... revealing the shattered subs.

They also saw a large stone figure and smaller man striding towards the crevice where the blue light emanated from...

Nightbird spoke up on her helmet comms "Wait! If we fall prey to those Squid things, who then will warn others? We should..."

"I am inside the vessel." said a voice in the pair's head. "It's Aquanaut. I can 'become' water, effectively becoming indistinguishable from the ocean. This thing is... part machine, part living creature. It's hard to explain. It's vast though. The crevice on the ocean floor exposes only a fraction of the creature. I can pass undetected inside the thing and report from here."

Nightbird muttered "That explains where he went. Nice of him to tell us."

"The ocean is my domain Nightbird, as the darkness is yours. This thing has been here a long time though. For the ocean muck to completely cover it as it has must have taken... what, thousands of years? The Submarines may have disturbed some of it, exposing the light, which drew another sub to investigate. Now it's been woken though, we need to find a way to deal with it."

As Lionheart listened he saw Stonelord and Captain Valiant striding towards the crevice...

Admin wrote:"I am inside the vessel." said a voice in the pair's head. "It's Aquanaut. I can 'become' water, effectively becoming indistinguishable from the ocean. This thing is... part machine, part living creature. It's hard to explain. It's vast though. The crevice on the ocean floor exposes only a fraction of the creature. I can pass undetected inside the thing and report from here."

Nightbird muttered "That explains where he went. Nice of him to tell us."

"Aquanaut are you a welcome voice..."  Lionheart said with some relief.  The news he brought wasn't great to hear either, but went some way to explaining what had gone on here.  "Have you found any weak spots, anything we can exploit to hamper or stop this creature before it really gets a move on?  From what I am seeing its got some formidable defences not least of all from what its scavenged from the subs?"

Lionheart paused looking around wondering to what extent the silt and muck hid the huge creature that had lain dormant for so long.  

OOC: Ok bit of a loss as to what to do here, since my efforts to get in before seemed to be repelled.  This is like the big boss at the end of a level, except you don't get to die, re-spawn and by a process of elimination find out what you should have done first time around.  But equally its so large I am struggling to know where to best apply my powers to give me some kind of clue as to what to do with a thing this big.  The only other thing I have thought of is letting myself be captured, but that might preclude the fact that there is no way to get uncaptured and roam about to get what I need by way of a clue as to how to drive this thing off or stop it.

Sj

dunecat wrote:((Sorry to cut in, just felt the need to point out how powerful Lionheart is now. I don't have the numbers infront of me but I believe he can get his Telekinesis up to something around 20. That probably means he can just telekinetically beat this thing into submission.. if he can get up to 20 he might even just be able to lift it (or sections of it) - he could handle some 24,000 tons of weight at that point. You might want to go back to your character sheet and look for some options on there! ))

OOC: Oh thanks mate, despite having a copy of the rules, the rules just sort of escape me in some ways.  I guess if we were playing this face to face, I'd get a much clearer feel for the characters.  In any case when Paul starts talking about this huge creature and the things that are going on, I tend to struggle to comprehend how I might deal with it - for instance the idea that I might just 'lift' the whole thing up.  I've never felt (narratively in any case) that Lionheart is that powerful.  What throws me is the way that numbers sort of double, as they go up.  So that though 20 doesn't sound like a lot - its actually a huge deal.

Ok we'll I'll see what Paul comes back with on my last post and then maybe see if I can't 'test' my powers fully against this creature.  Maybe the 'kid gloves' need to come off as it were.

Thx

Sj

OOC Lionheart isn't quite that strong - his Telekinesis can draw on his Power Reserve (8) to boost from 7 to 15, which is 750 tons of lifting. His strength (8) can be boosted to 16 (1500 tons). Impressive, but Submarines are HEAVY. Though the Soviet Submarine on the ocean bottom (with the gaping hole in the side) isn't the biggest they make (that would be the Akula - appeared in 'Hunt for Red October' if I recall) it's still beyond his ability to lift without pushing. The Akula, for example, when submerged weighs up to 48,000 tons, and that's WITHOUT a hole in the side. Due to the compartmentalized nature of subs not all of it would be flooded, but enough to easily bump the weight beyond 50,000 tons...

"I can stay 'invisible' inside this... whatever it is... and keep you updated with what's going on" said Aquanaut over the comm system.

"I can't tell you how big it is though. I've been passing through tubes and pipes for what feels like hours and I'm fast in water. I could..." there was a pause. "I could 'distract' this thing though. Swell to enough of a size that the pipes burst... It would know there was something amiss and where I was, but it would certainly distract."

Nightbird spoke up. "As can I. I can 'blind' our team mates to stop their progress back to that 'Mother Ship' thing."

Lionheart pondered for a moment. Using his telekinesis he could mentally scoop sand and silt up to reveal more of the thing in the chasm, or he could shovel stuff down into the cavern to block access to it. Without knowing exactly how big it was he wasn't sure whether he could lift it or not. It was an option though he'd be effectively scooping with telekinetic hands... and hoping the hands were large enough to grasp the thing.

Meanwhile his Danger Sense kicked off again. Something coming up the trench towards them!

OOC Options...

Lionheart is FAST. That's his thing. Lightning fast reflexes, they make him a peerless hand to hand combat. Hard to hit, can hit you dozens of times in the blink of an eye.

He can divert his psionic power to boost his Strength, Speed, telekinesis, mind blast (mental blast isn't listed on his character sheet even though it's listed on Power Reserve, may need to look at that). He can mentally attack this Squid things - if they have a mind that can be affected his has a powerful attack.

Telekinesis - you can effectively form a bubble of force, a 'hand' if you will to lift/move objects

Mind probe, Empathy - you can try to see if the thing under the ocean floor has a mind you can probe to see what it wants, and where it came from...

Admin wrote:OOC Options...

Lionheart is FAST. That's his thing. Lightning fast reflexes, they make him a peerless hand to hand combat. Hard to hit, can hit you dozens of times in the blink of an eye.

He can divert his psionic power to boost his Strength, Speed, telekinesis, mind blast (mental blast isn't listed on his character sheet even though it's listed on Power Reserve, may need to look at that). He can mentally attack this Squid things - if they have a mind that can be affected his has a powerful attack.

Telekinesis - you can effectively form a bubble of force, a 'hand' if you will to lift/move objects

Mind probe, Empathy - you can try to see if the thing under the ocean floor has a mind you can probe to see what it wants, and where it came from...

Lionheart needed to know what he stood against but with the Squid like creatures hampering his efforts to find out, he also was in need of some space to work. "I suspect that if we take on the squids the hive mind, as it likes to call itself will know.  Chances are at that point anything we do will be monitored.  I need to find out what we can do to stop this thing in its tracks, perhaps confuse it so it attacks itself or something, so you need to keep those squids off me for a moment whilst I probe it.  If I fail you might also need to help me break the link.  Don't want you to have to fight me also.  Besides from what I've seen, this beast isn't big on looks I don't want it messing with my face." Lionheart said, winking at the last comment at Nightbird.

Then he used his telepathic powers, all that he could muster as he concentrated and aimed to understand the full extent of what they faced and how they might deal with it.  Before he could just punch it, here in the depths with the possibility of nuclear disaster and unknown threats to the other heroes, he had to find a way to break this creatures hold.  Some leverage to use against it.  If they couldn't defeat it, could they turn the tables and force it to leave even?

OOC:
Ok whilst Aquanaut lies low, I'll do the whole mind probe, empathy, thing.  If there is a way to win this creature over the smart way then so be it.  Since I can't dodge it or punch it, or lift it - well not yet anyway.  Would be great if I could just launch it at the sun, but I suspect it might have even got here under its own steam so space, like the ocean depths might not stop it.  

Sj

Lionheart concentrated, even as he was shrouded in darkness and Aquanaut continued to 'lie low' in the depths of the ... things... pipework and equivalent of veins...

OOC Empathy, Telepathy, Mind Probe... 2d10 → [3,10] = (13) 2d10 → [8,9] = (17) 2d10 → [6,2] = (8)

Ancient. Thousands of years old, more... hard to measure or fathom... Drifting among the stars to adapt and assimilate organic matter that it came across... Finally sensing something... drifting towards it... Fourth planet from the star in this system... A planet of water, lush red vegetation, teeming sentient life, advanced in their own way and on the cusp of space exploration...

The war had been hard fought. An unsuspecting world had reached out in friendship and the hivemind had delivered  a virus into their populace. Before they knew it, the Martians had been fighting against their own peoples, assimilated and enhanced by mechanical augmentations.

Finally, the war won, the Martians cornered the hivemind and prepared to deliver the final devastating blow to it's immense form... NO! Rather than lose, the Hivemind escaped... and left a final, parting gift...

It had spent an age burrowing to the core of the planet, and when it escaped in a fiery blast of propulsion and violence, the hole it had left opened up... and as calculated, split a fault line that caused a vast rift on the ocean floor...

The water turned to superheated steam, filling the atmosphere, wiping out all life and when it dried, left in it's wake a lifeless red dust covered planet...

MALICE... HATE...BURROWING, ENDLESS BURROWING...

ASSIMILATE THE POPULACE... USE THEM TO HELP REBUILD AND BRING RAW MATERIALS FOR ASSIMILATION... GROW... REFORM... DEVOUR... MOVE ON...

Lionheart shuddered. This... this thing was somewhere between living and mechanical, an alien creature with no concept of cooperation or civil thought... It could not be reasoned with, persuaded or otherwise turned from it's course - such thoughts were simply not part of it's mental vocabulary... In fact it didn't know the meaning of 'Peace'. It had come here, injured and running from a race which had defeated it - the Martians, or at least one of several species that called Mars home - and arrived on Earth thousands of years ago. Wounded, humiliated, determined, vengeful. Vengeance not on those who had beaten it and caused it to flee, but against all free willed life forms.

Lionheart knew then what the Squidborgs were, or had been.

Martians. It was running out of them, now it needed new beings to turn into slaves, to help it...

To help it DESTROY THE EARTH!