World War II - The Vanguard Issue #6 Deal with the devil...

Anyman watched the planets drift by. Space was so vast, they appeared as lights with very little detail. They'd left the stricken P'utinarian world ship behind until they'd jury rigged the propulsion system so it was better able to make its way to earth, and empowered the V-Ship the Frostbot had flown in on with a full dose of Lunarium, enough to power it fully at top speed for the forseeable future, with full armaments and defensive systems!

Frostbot was overseeing the modification of a new kind of missile that could be used against enemy spacecraft that would deliver a 'pocket' version of its programming to act as a virus of sorts. Lance Allard didn't understand the terms, or how machines could catch colds, but he'd seen cars start rough on a morning so figured it would be something along those lines. The plans for Boadicea had been the most surprising though.

Using the V-Ships systems and the Skrall Cyborg technology, they would rebuild her limbs. To make her look human, a P'utinarian who'd been badly injured in the fight and was, effectively, brain dead, would be modified to co-inhabit with her, acting as a second skin! Not only would she look normal, but the cyborg limbs and certain properties of the P'utinarian would be imparted to her. She'd been uncomfortable about the symbiosis with a living creature, but the injured alien was barely sentient - it breathed and that was about it. Such had been the devastation and injury wrought on the P'utinarians that they'd been left shell shocked. They would join the Allied cause - they were committed to that - but needed a day or two to put what was left of their house in order before coming to Earth.

They were a dying race, and had been dealt a blow from which they might not recover. Allard wondered if the same might not be said of the human race in the weeks and months to come...

=========

There was no Nazi blockade waiting for them as the V-Ship 'Anyman' thundered towards Earth

On the bridge, NoMan sat quietly, having reformed his physical body after the beating he'd taken. "It was as if I was nothing to them! they simply powered through me!" he muttered. With a sigh, he nodded at Anymans encouraging words. "I know they were powerful, and I inexperienced, but I need to be faster, stronger, more durable, if I'm to be of use."

A P'utinarian turned to Allard where he sat in the Captains chair "Long range scan shows a bombing raid heading towards Bletchley Park. Weapons... ready.. shields to full. Orders?"

Allard grinned...

=========

Hours later, the wreckage of Nazi bombers and fighters littered the fields and woodland near the base of DICE, and the V-Ship landed in the field out the back of the mansion...

General Forbes waited with a small troop of MPs as Allard disembarked. He had a face like thunder but on seeing Anyman he relaxed some. "I should have you bloody shot! You lot gallivant off without a word and we're the last to know! What about chain of command? Don't you know there's a ruddy war going on?" He paused to collect himself, then asked "What miracles have you worked this time?"

He could scarce believe the tale Anyman told. Waving the MPs away he led the Vanguardian and NoMan into the great house that served as HQ for the first and greatest superhero team in human history! "Well, if it had come from anyone other than your or Frostbite, I'd have said it was poppycock. Sentinels a good lad but he's young and thinks with his fists. Not a bad idea in this day and age, I'll grant you. We've another lad knocking about, Sky Eagle, but he's been sent on another damned fools errand and there's been no word. Frostbite and Sentinel are ... not here, and the rest of the team is fit for the knackers yard. I need a drink. After that, I think I'll have another."

He gave word to an aide and within 20 minutes Anyman, Forbes, Dawson, Wynn and Slobotham were in a study, sipping fine brandy, or whatever took their fancy.

"Right then." said Dawson, frowning. "As I understand it, there are a number of interested parties wanting what's on the moon."

"Let 'em have it!" growled Slobotham. "Bloody nazis can go rot for all I care!"

Wynn sighed. "The Lunarium would be in the hands of an alien empire. Can you imagine the state of this place after they use it as a staging post for attacks on each other? It'll make the mess we're in seem like a bar room brawl!"

Forbes sighed, then poured more drinks. "Then we have this devourer situation. Thoughts?"

There was only silence. Event the Vanguard, with their gathered power, couldn't possibly defeat something that was bigger than a planet, could they?

'Unite the human race. End the war.' rasped the Dark Power inside Anymans head. Wynn glanced over, shocked. 'Make peace with the Nazis. Show them the error of their ways, and what will happen if they continue their mad scheme to rule the world. There won't be a world left to rule!'

Wynn muttered "Aye. Best of luck with that. Adolf sees himself as master and commander of everything he sees on the map. The yanks see it as someone elses' fight, and the Russians - god knows what they think they'll get out of it. Anyone with half a brain can see the Nazis don't care for Stalin!"

Forbes and Dawson glanced at each other. "Eh?"

Slobotham laughed, though it was without humour. "They do that. You get used to it."

"There is another way." purred a voice from the shadows...



Every man jumped at that, and something - some sense of danger or unease - sparked off in Anyman and Wynn! The woman who walked from the shadows in the corner of the room was beautiful, and dressed in a figure hugging evening dress that left little to imagine.

"What in the bloody blue...!" spluttered Dawson, reaching for his gun! Slobotham started towards the woman, who smiled and glanced at Allard. "I bring word from my masters, your former subjects."

"We'll help you. There will be a price..."



Wynn waved Slobotham down, and sagged into his seat. "Price? There always is, when you deal with the devil..." he spat, bitterly...

Lance let his dark prince come to the fore, remaining silent, letting him speak.

"Tell me," it commanded.

OOC thanks for the pictures you sent - very atmospheric! Will take a look at how I can 'slip 'em in' where necessary. America isn't in the war as yet but the campaign will jump as appropriate to keep things moving.

The woman paled, but straightened, plucking Dawsons drink from his hand and downing it in one before smiling sweetly and handing it back. "We spoke with your leader. Frostbite as he calls himself? A truce for mutual benefit. It appears that you need our help quite badly. That said, if all of this goes" she said, gesturing about her "When this 'Devourer' comes, we'll be left without the rich sustenance the Earth at war gives us. Such feasts we have had! Poland, France, all those smaller countries dotted about, and now the Battle for the Island on which we stand."

She leaned back against a book shelf, checking her nails. "ArchDuke... may I call you that?" she asked Anyman, but glanced at the others gathered in the room. "Do they know about your...? Ah, I see you're annoyed, I'll get to the point. We want evil men and women. Pluck them for us that we can bind to them and have say, half a dozen Shadow Agents here on Earth, instead of this temporary form we use which is so wasteful - they die after we've used them up!" She glanced down at her body.

"Why that's obscene!" snarled Slobotham. "Witch! Release the woman!"

Wynn barked "Sit down!" and turned to the woman. "You could do this yourself?"

"We could, but our attempts to permanently bind with mortal bodies have failed. You are the key. You are royalty. You have powers and abilities far beyond our new rulers capabilities. It... troubles them. Still, we have found that somehow, you are the only ones who can bind with mortals and can allow us to bind with them too. You must provide us these people and use your power on them, then we can bind with them. After a week, we wake from a coma and you have half a dozen ultra powered agents! At the moment, your power is infinite, but limited by the forms you wield. None of you are in the same place at any one time for long. The insipid 'Nowhere Man' for instance" she spat, disgust on her face. "Our beloved former 'High Exalted one'. He seems to be absent, and no one knows where he is, so what use is he to you? We are offering six more ultra powered agents. We have a list of people - and no, Adolf Hitler isn't on it. He is, doubtless, evil, but being manipulated behind the scenes. Blame Anyman there for the mess he made in Berlin. We give you the list, Anyman tracks them down and one of you... Vanguardians paves the way for our people. When they wake, they are like you. You will have a force of agents that will dwarf in power anything the nazis can throw at you. Why not more? We seem to be fixed at the number six, for some reason." She shrugged. "So, do we have a deal? You bring us the nasty people, make ready their symbiosis and protect us whilst we sleep. When they wake, they follow your orders until such time that the threat to Earth - the Devourer - has either been stopped or we're all dead. Unless you think you can stop it yourselves? An old man and a fellow with an overdeveloped sense of the dramatic?"

"So let me see if I have this right," Lance said. "You want us to find you criminals, whose bodies you can inhabit but in a way that they don't burn up, and on your word, you will use those criminals to help us defeat the Nazis and this coming Devourer? And other than showing you how to inhabit bodies without burning them up, you ask nothing else in return?"

"In other words, you will help us now and become a greater menace, that we will create ourselves, for us to face later. Is that it?"

The woman shrugged, then poured herself another drink.

"The future will take care of itself - IF we take care of the present. Do you think you can stop the Devourer on your own? If so, my people will leave this reality. Many will starve, we will struggle, and there will be strife, but we might survive. This? All of this? The past, the present, all that will ever be?"

She put down the drained, now empty glass.

"Gone."

She smiled again, then slowly walked towards the door. "I'll see myself out. Seeing as our offer is clearly unappreciated...?"

Forbes glanced at Dawson, who looked in turn to Wynn, who stood, brows furrowed. "Young lady, we know all too well the strife and suffering the Shadow Demons feast on. Our friends here might think we're talking gibberish, but you can see our dilemma. Be 'devoured' now, or later, some choice, eh?"

"It's a choice. Right now? You have none. Some of my people may survive, and we'll have to get by without feeding on mankinds misery..."

Wynn smiled "No. You'll have to feed on your own misery. The Shadow Demons will tear themselves apart won't they? They will turn on each other, feed from each others suffering, and become, eventually, extinct! Without the ruling family..." he referred to himself, Anyman, Frostbite, Kitten and Nowhere Man, as well as Sky Eagle who'd recently joined their number "The people have no way of controlling their hunger! You need us as much as..." he paused. "Damn. Anyman?"

Wynn sagged into a chair. "Our dilemma is to side with our greatest enemy to save mankind, and place mankind in future peril if, by some miracle, we defeat the most powerful entity in the universe!"

Slobotham was amazed and slightly frightened to see his old friend talking like this. "What about the Nazis? Hitler? Lionhearts friends who changed everything?"

"Small change. We deal with this, or we're done. Unless we can find somewhere else for the human race to live!" sighed Wynn. He turned to the woman. "How long do we have?"

"The devourer is on its way. Whether it stops to feed, or heads straight here, who knows? All we know is that it won't be stopped by any warring alien empire, and there's been enough of them in the skies above the last few weeks, eh?" said the woman. "They'll be gone when the devourer gets here, so don't think they'll help!"

Wynn glanced at Anyman, worry written over his face. "What do you think?"

Wynn glanced at Anyman, worry written over his face. "What do you think?"

"What do YOU think," Lance asked the two inside of him. "Right now, I'm inclined to say Live Free, Die Free, because if we take this deal, we will be responsible for everything your demon citizens will do on the Earth from that moment on."

OOC Happy new year

The alien inside of Lance Allard seemed to pause, considering his words 'I come from a future years from now, where the Nazis won World War II. My parents lived for decades in hiding, locked in human form and hiding from the gestapo. They looked, thought, acted and lived like humans - they had to, in order to avoid the regular psyche sweeps that the 3rd Reich ran over its citizens. Your... our... actions have ensured my parents are still alive in this timeline. Even if they die later, due to the devourer, alien invasion, the Nazis or any manner of other terrible fates, what you... we... did in saving them meant their fate is unwritten, and their lifelines continue. Right now, it's hard to see much beyond the Nazis invading England, the Qrii and Skrall returning to fight over the Lunarium, or, above all that, the Devourer. Does that mean you wasted your time saving my people? That all of this, this meeting, the war effort, is a waste of time? NO! Battle on! Fight for life, with every last breath! Overcome every obstacle and never give in, ever! If that means siding with a vile foe, knowing full well you will make them more powerful, then so be it! With all the suffering that this war brings it will have been the case anyway! If the only chance to live is to make a deal with our most bitter foe, then I say take it! What does it matter that, if we win against the Devourer, by some miracle, they will be more powerful thanks to our actions? It's just another hurdle, another obstacle. It will be like all the others, but the most important thing is, we'll be there fighting and clinging to life, because we took the decision to grab every chance for life. If we fail ultimately, it won't matter. Everyone dies some time. But the difference is, we change no chance into a slim chance by siding with our enemies. That means we might, just might, live to fight another day. Life is a battle. We win some fights, lose others, but never give in, or the enemy wins by default. So give them their 'win' - if it helps you get yours, and you have to fight them later, be thankful that there is a later at all...'

'No flowery speeches from me. If you give the Shadow Demons the ability to co-inhabit human forms - to bind with them as I have done with you - they are still limited to bind with as many as we see fit, so we still 'hold the cards' as you humans say. They will be powerful allies, and after the dust settles, and by some miracle, we're still here? Let's just say that, whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger, and if you can beat this 'devourer' you won't have to worry too much about the Shadow Demons...' rasped the Shadow Demon inside Allard.

Wynn had been looking intently when the Shadow Demon spoke, having not heard the P'utinarian soul inside of Allard speak. "I've been hearing much the same. And my friend, Mr Saint Ives from the future that hasn't come to pass yet, is up for a scrap. I don't believe there's anyone I've ever met who's been more determined to take the fight to the foe, regardless of who that foe is. We should find the others and ask them but..."

"We want a decision. If it's a 'no', then my... your former people ... will depart this dimension and need to find somewhere else..." said the Woman. It was clear that thought didn't fill her with joy. A similar analogy might have been a pride of lions crossing a desert, arriving starving and dehydrated, near death, at a watering hole, rich with prey. Then finding out that a more powerful, deadly, predator was moving in, and they would have to move on. To where? They had no idea, nor did they have any idea of how many of their 'pride' would remain if they ever found such a rich source of sustenance as the one Earth provided, with its endless well of suffering and despair that the Shadow Demons thrived on.

"All I would say is..." she added "From my own point of view, you would be helping to save the Shadow Demons as well. They - the masses - see it that way, but the more enlightened might. As soon as we leave this place, the only source of despair and suffering from which to feed will be our own people. We need this as well as you do." she admitted, eyes misting and looking down. "I was sent as emissary to threaten you, instead I implore. We are your enemies. Nothing will ever change that. But here we have common ground, and for a time, we can fight alongside one another. After that, if there is anything left, we will see what remains and act accordingly."

Slobotham snorted. "Right. We'll be so weakened you'll just consign us to a living hell? I'd rather take my chances with this ... devourer fellow!"

The woman looked defiant then. "You don't 'get it' little man, do you? You have NO chance. NONE! None of us do... unless your general and his bandaged friend, along with the boy and the others, wherever they are, do this! The lives of billions of sentient beings rest on what is decided in this room, now..."

"Why do they have to be evil," Lance Allard asks, trying to find a way out of this.


ooc: Sorry to be slow on this one. This is a game changer so I need a bit more time to decide. If anyone wants to throw their two cents in, please feel free.

OOC no probs on haste, or lack of. Gives chance to pull the various timelines together, though Frostbite and Sentinel still have some way to go to accomplish their mission (and it will have great relevance in the way the war on the 'real world' pans out, especially if they succeed).

Wynn sighed. "They don't 'have' to be evil. They do feed from the suffering, terror, despair and other negative emotions of living beings though, and if there's not enough of that about, they conspire to make it. We found that in...our... another... future. I... well I suppose that with so much suffering in the world at the moment, they are less likely to be evil now than at any other time. Only in times of peace and plenty will they feel a need to sew their own brand of chaos in the world. Am I right?"

The woman shrugged. "Few humans in history have committed such evil deprivation as Hitler, or the men from the future. Were the devourer not headed towards the Earth, my people would be contact to lap up the suffering this war brings, and will bring."

Wynn sighed. Part of him that was Stormwarden knew all too well that the second World War would get worse a long time before it got better, even if time travellers weren't meddling with the past! With their corrupting the timeline, the Axis stood a great chance - even with the Vanguard opposing them, of winning. It was just that though - a chance - whereas before, without the Vanguard to oppose them, the Axis victory had been assured!

ooc: Going to wait another day or two. I'm still waffling and maybe one of the others, like Sky Eagle who I haven't met yet, shows up and throws in their two cents. In the morning, I'm thinking 'say no', in the evening, I'm thinking 'say yes' and in the afternoon, I'm thinking do it but use good people instead of bad people.

Lance thinks and groans and moans and converses with his two inner voices.

"This is too much letting Stalin be our ally," he finally grouses. "We all know he is going to attack us once this war is over, unless he is too weakened to do so. But this time we would be the ones creating Stalin."

"America might keep Stalin in line," Putty offers.

"Yeah, assuming they get into this war," Lance returns. "But Roosevelt is something of a socialist himself and just might ally with Stalin against us."

"Try some middle ground," the Dark Voice suggests. "Maybe we can do, what do you call it? Damage control that way?"

Lance mulls that over.

"Sirs, this is what I suggest," he says finally. "We agree to provide them six people for them to use to help us save the planet. But they won't be evil people but volunteers of good character and strong morals and strong will, who know exactly the risks that they will be taking both with the coming fight and the ... seduction ... they will face with these beings inside them trying to manipulate them into causing as much destruction and fear as possible. After all, we are talking about adding six more people on this planet who can completely destroy a city by themselves just by letting the Dark Powers go free."

He grins ruefully. "Heck, with those criteria, I wouldn't even have passed as a good volunteer for this. And considering the damage I've caused these past few months, we know very well we have to be very very careful in our selection and not rush things."

He looks over to the woman.

"If she won't take that condition, then I say we fight alone and see if we can suceed and let their dimension starve and die!"

The woman looked uncomfortable. "We don't know if it will work that way. Unlike yourselves, you are symbiotically joined with royalty, the most powerful of our kind! For eons all the sustenance - misery, suffering, anger and terror - came through them, and they doled it out as they saw fit! they are... special. Conduits, powers beyond belief! And yet, can even they stand against something that can devour a solar system and leave nothing in it's wake? We are not like them, our former rulers. We are limited..." she sighed. "Then perhaps we are all, in our own way, doomed. Make your preparations, humans, for all that you know will be annihilated!"

"Typical defeatist claptrap." squeaked a young voice stood over by the window. Everyone turned, and some gasped! There was a young boy, in school uniform, stood over by the window, looking out!

"Bloody hell!" shouted Slobotham. "How the devil did you get in? It must be a trick!" he pulled his gun, and Wynn shouted "No!" but Slobotham had already levelled his weapon and fired!

The bullet splintered wood behind the child, who simply stood, calm with hands behind his back! "Call your dog off General Wynn, or Stormwarden, whatever you go by." General Wynn frowned, then seemed to realise something, spoken by his own inner voice. "James! But... look at you!"

Nowhere Man, rather, Nowhere Boy, smiled, held out his hands and shrugged.

Slobotham muttered "I didn't miss! I... what is going on?"

The woman immediately dropped to her knees, as if in the presence of her sovereign lord!

"Get up." sighed the current incarnation of James Caldwell. "We'd best sort this mess out. I've had a devil of a time fending off a cult of Nazis who aligned themselves with Shadow Demons. When were you going to mention that?" The woman gave a blank look, and opened her mouth to stutter a reply, but Nowhere Boy waved it off. "We'd best get something sorted, I've a bloody maths lesson in..." he glanced at the clock "half an hour. This is ridiculous enough without having to sit through school again!"

Just then, there sounded a crash, and Forbes shouted "What is going on here!" It rather sounded as if a heavy object had smashed through the roof! Dawson yelled "A bomb?"

Nowhere Boy frowned, young face concentrating. "No. Something else. Friend... acquaintance of yours?" he looked over at Allard/Putty. Shouts and shots were heard, and cries, like a struggle was taking place. Allard started for the door but Nowhere Boy leaned against the window ledge saying "Don't bother. he... it, is coming here."

A wall smashed through as the Alien Imperator barged through a wall, sending books, shelves, bricks and concrete everywhere! When the dust started to settle, those in the room saw the Alien Anyman had encountered a day before and the dozen or so soldiers who he'd dragged along, as he came, unstoppable, through his self made doors! Slobotham ran over, pointed his gun at the mans face, then fired half a dozen times! Bullets flattened against the aliens skin and dropped, useless to the floor below. "What in the...? Why is it guns don't work against ANY of you lot?" he said before swinging the weapon at the Aliens face... and staggering away, with a cry, clutching his hand! It had been like hitting solid rock!

"I came early." said Imperator to Anyman. "The Devourer has increased its pace. You don't have..." He paused, then glanced at Wynn, and Nowhere Boy. His gaze flicked to the woman, and he took a step back. "By the seven moons of Rogar Three! Such power!" instantly a defensive field sprung up around him, andhe adopted a defensive stance. "I came to demand - on behalf of the Star League - that you hand over rights to mine the moon in your orbit! I was told to make you comply by any means and... an order is..." he glanced at the child, the old man, and the bandaged fellow in the hat. "I...can still take you all on!" he declared.

Nowhere Boy tutted, then polished an apple on his school jumper. When he looked up, his eyes blazed with red energy.

'You ARE powerful. I can sense it, taste it even. Tell me, would anyone mourn your passing? Would you prefer that I tear you limb from limb in the presence of your people so they can see their mightiest champion humbled and laid low? Perhaps you would like me - or my friends - to pay YOUR empire a visit? Yes...'

The woman looked at Nowhere Boy with adoration in her eyes. "My lord!" she sighed, tears forming.

Nowhere Boy glanced at her, then turned to the alien. Wynn stood up. "Now hold on a minute!" he spluttered. "There's no need for... James! JAMES!" he yelled. He turned to Anyman "Sort your friend out! Nowhere Boy is about to destroy most of southern England if he doesn't watch it!" He moved to interpose himself between the youngster and the Alien.

"Would someone PLEASE tell me what is going on? And who's going to fix the damned wall?" cried Dawson.

OOC there are opportunities to be had here, in terms of allies, but it depends on how you play it. The Shadow Demons? The Aliens? Perhaps an alliance of alien races? Or go it alone? You face an enemy the scale of which cannot be measured, so choose carefully

"Would someone PLEASE tell me what is going on? And who's going to fix the damned wall?" cried Dawson.

"This is the Imperator, strongest of all the heroes of his empire. He tried stealing OUR Lunarium. I convinced him not to and ask him to go back to his people and see if they wanted us as friends or at least friendly trading partners," Lt. Cmdr. Lance Allard explains. "I warned him that there were others like me on this planet. I also warned him that if they made enemies of us, we would be forced to crush his Empire into dust. That he might be able to kill our human forms but the power inside us would just find another host and then another and then another until either his people managed to kill every single human on this planet or we turned all the planets of HIS empire to dust. And I also told him that part of our powers come from powerful futuremen who came back to the past to correct the mistakes made when someone tampered with time. And another part came from the powers of the Shadow Demons."

He cocks his head at everyone and then goes over to the desk and takes out a cigar and causually lights it. He is so glad to see Nowhere Boy but he doesn't want everyone to know that. He blows a couple of perfect smoke rings.

"I guess his people, even if he did, didn't believe me."

He pours a couple of glasses of the general's best and then walks over to the Imperator.

"By the way," he says, offering the alien one of the drinks, "I should also mention that this STILL isn't all of us. More than half of us are off doing other missions."

He sips his drink.

"This is alcohol. Do you have alcohol on your planet? It's not poisonous to us, so maybe it won't hurt you either. It's pretty good stuff. Just don't gulp it down."

"Now, why don't we all sit down and talk. Your empire just doesn't understand how close they are to total annihilation and why I am fairly confident we can take down this Devourer thing. You, on the other hand, are actually here and can sense our powers. You know now, even if you didn't understand the first time we talked, that we can totally stop you from taking our Lunarium."

"We much prefer your people to be allies or friends or at least friendly trading partners. We ARE willing to trade, barter or sell some of our Lunarium. I told you that before. So let's all forget the silly orders you were given, since you know that you can not carry them out and live. And that I would make it my life's goal to totally wipe out your people. And by "I", I mean not just my human part but my futureman part and my shadow demon part. So if you somehow manage to kill this human form, the other two parts of me would make sure the next human form they took over would carry out my goals, and so on. "

"I hate threatening you. I sense great nobility in you and a desire to do the right thing. I just want you to know what you are facing and what your empire is facing if it continues this very destructive path of stealing from others when they safely and easily trade instead."

"Nowhere Boy, you are more scientifically oriented than I am and of that future where Germany lost the war. Tell me, is it possible for us to just go to the suns of the Imperator's Empire and either snuff them out or make them explode? That should be an easier and a bit more humane way to kill everyone in his systems than going to each planet and slowly killing them all with fire and brimstone."


ooc: Trying the carrot and the stick here. Or as Teddy Roosevelt said, "Walk Softly but Carry a BIG Stick!" I don't want to fight. I want some kind of peace. At minimum, a fair trade partner. At best, allies in the war against Germany and against the Devourer. Or at least, if neither one of those options work, get out of the solar system until we deal with all these messes.

Imperator sipped the whisky, pulled a face, then slugged it down with a shrug. "Strange. I ... what? My sun? You have not the... " he looked again, and stared hard at Anyman, General Wynn, and the youngster in the school uniform. "Unbelievable. I can see why the devourer is on its way here. It's not for the Lunarium - it is for you! YOU are reason your solar system is being threatened! You are a cosmic power that could upset the balance in the entire universe!"

Dawson sagged into a seat. "What? Wynny?"

General Wynn sighed. "We don't know the extent of our power. As far as we can tell, we are limited by our human imagination and sense of morality. Remove that?"

The youngster seemed to calm himself. "You're right. And Lance, you know that I..." he looked Allard in the eye, and an understanding passed between them that required no telepathy. "I would have no qualms in destroying their solar system, and untold billions with it, if it saved the people of planet Earth and the Universe as a whole from the threat of this 'Star League'. Know this, Imperator. We ARE NOT the aggressors here. We fight a war on a human level, when at any moment we can surrender our humanity and wipe out our enemies. Why don't we do that? because we operate by a moral code. We are not tyrants, destroyers, bullies or nihilists! If we surrender our humanity, there's no telling what would happen. Everything we fight for, everyone we fight for, could be obliterated. What would be the point? But in a distant galaxy, against a Star League that brings threats to OUR world, what else do you expect? I..."

Imperator moved with such speed he caught everyone by surprise, lunging at Nowhere Boy! Instead he passed through him and crashed into Forbes desk, smashing it into shards! The youngster shook his head. "Before you change your subatomic structure to match my intangibility, a message for your Star League. Send your best, your most powerful, all your threats. Know that with every affront you commit you bring your own doom closer!" the boy seemed to shift. "Instead, as my friend has said, there should be a time for calm though and words. We are not your enemy. We will trade with you, but we need something you have. Help. Help us defeat the threat of the Devourer and you help every sentient creature in the universe. For that, you will have our gratitude, and a share in the Lunarium. If you continue to make threats though..."

He straightened, and his eyes turned red again. "You will incur our wrath."

Wynn stood, speaking "We will wipe you out."

Anyman blinked, and felt himself step forward "It will be as if your people, your entire star league of planets, never existed."

Lying in the ruins of the desk, Imperator sucked in a deep breath. "I believe you. I have never encountered beings as potentially as powerful as you, and there are three of you. This planet you call Earth will feature greatly in the plans of interstellar empires from this day on, and it will be down to you few to defend it, speak for it, and fight for it, even die for it, if your home is to survive."

He got up, dusted himself down. "Despite orders, I will heed your words. I do not fear for myself, but my senses cannot comprehend that which I see inside of you." he turned to the normal humans in the room. "Beware. They are friends now, but if they turn on you, nothing you will say or do can stop the power of these beings."

He turned back to Anyman. "You, I feel have honour and integrity. I do not know these others, but you will understand that if I return empty handed, I will have failed, and will no longer have a say in what happens, nor will I be a voice of reason, as I strive to be. They will see my failure as an insult, an affront, and a sign of weakness. They will respond out of fear, and declare war. Help me, and I will do my best to arrange help for you, you have my promise."

Allard saw past Imperator to look at the expressions on Dawson, Forbes and Slobothams' faces. Something had changed, here, today, and they would never again look at their friends in the same way...

"Would it help if one of us went to your empire," Lance asks, "to show your leaders what we can do, if pushed into doing it? Or would that just set them off and wind up getting lots of people killed?"

Imperator sighed. "It'd help if I could take back a quantity of Lunarium. They see this place as doomed, and the Lunarium is the biggest lode anyone has ever heard of. Quite frankly, I'm amazed the Qrii and Skrall haven't invaded on a large scale to wipe out humankind to secure the Lunarium for themselves. Perhaps neither wants to go to war with the other, knowing full well it would leave their home systems vulnerable to attack from other empires. It's a far bigger stage I am used to operating on compared to your own..." he looked about at those gathered in the room, and conceded "But I can see that you have your own problems. I also... understand something of your reluctance to use your full might to wipe out your enemies. No matter what your intentions are, there are always..."

His voice trailed off, and he glanced away. "Casualties of war." he added, finally.

The representative of the Shadow Demons spoke up "I need an answer to take back to my people. If you refuse, we will most likely withdraw from this place. If you accept our offer, we shall draw up a list of targets and their locations, and you should make every effort to obtain those people. The sooner the better. Remember, this is an ... " she struggled for the word, as if searching her human hosts mind "olive branch, perhaps the only time when our people will work with you. It may be the start of something more beneficial, or it might be our doom. If you choose to fight on alone, then I, personally, wish you luck. I cannot speak for the ruling council, and believe they would be less magnanimous, as there are repercussions for us too."

A soldier appeared at the hole in the wall next to the door, considered knocking anyway, then straightened, trying not to stare goggle eyed at the mess or the alien. Or the strikingly beautiful woman, the young boy, or the legendary agent clad in bandages.

"Out with it man!" snapped Dawson, his nerves frayed.

"Sir! We have reports from central command that several squadrons of bombers have broken through our ranks and are headed directly for London sir! The PM called, and said to... ah... 'get the odd squad down here pronto, before jerry bombs us back to the stone age!'. Our best guess at ETA is just under... 28 minutes sir. There are dozens of them. The report is that there is a large flying..." he struggled for the word "Fortress, that cut our chaps to pieces. No one has seen anything like it before!"

Imperator turned to Anyman. "Lunarium?"

The Woman glanced at Nowhere Boy, Wynn and Anyman "Do we have a deal?"

Forbes slumped into his chair "We've run out of bloody booze..." he moaned.

OOC So we just need:

1) Yes or no for Imperator - he wants Lunarium, and duty demands he goes back with something, even if he realises he has no chance against three of you
2) the Shadow Demons want a yes or no - to form an uneasy alliance and empower six people with Class 5 level abilities each
3) Bombers, including this so called 'super bomber' or 'fortress' have broken through the gallant defence of the RAF and are headed to London. In the V-Ships, you could intercept them, or get there even faster under your own power. Actions?

"Sir, I suggest," Lt. Cmdr Lance Allard aka Anyman says. "No to the demon's request that they pick the people and we pick them instead. There is enough misery around that a good person should still keep them fed. If they don't like it, let them starve."

"As to Imperator, give him a couple of pounds and either I or Nowhere Boy go back to his Empire and straighten them out. I suggest Nowhere Boy as he is in better control and more knowledgeable of the proper future."

"As to the bombers ... gues I'm up for that provided we got a ship that can fly me there."

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Sir, I suggest," Lt. Cmdr Lance Allard aka Anyman says. "No to the demon's request that they pick the people and we pick them instead. There is enough misery around that a good person should still keep them fed. If they don't like it, let them starve."

"As to Imperator, give him a couple of pounds and either I or Nowhere Boy go back to his Empire and straighten them out. I suggest Nowhere Boy as he is in better control and more knowledgeable of the proper future."

"As to the bombers ... gues I'm up for that provided we got a ship that can fly me there."

OOC:How is Lionheart and Saladin doing? Is he ready to rejoin the group yet!!!

Sj

The Shadow Demons representative shrugged.

"It won't... can't work that way. We aren't like you, nor can we call on the full range of power that you can, as a noble in our home dimension." She sighed. "So be it. Though it goes against everything I want and know, good luck to you. You will need it."

The woman suddenly screamed, then burst into flame!

"My god!" shouted Dawson. "Someone! Quick! Get water!"

Slobotham pulled a blanket from one of the sofa backs and sprinted over, but the flames were too fierce! All of sudden they died, leaving a pile of ash on the floor where the womans' form had been!

Wynn walked over and nudged it with his shoe. "Such is the price when people ally themselves with powers they cannot understand. I wonder what price we will pay...?" He turned to Anyman. "As usual, you call it right Lance. It might have been useful to have more muscle, but only that which you can trust. I wouldn't want to turn my back for a second with that lot about! Head for a V-Ship. I'll send Guillotine with you. She's been fannying about as Saladins lab assistant for too long anyway. Lionheart and his problems will have to wait!"

Nowhere Boy turned to Imperator. "I'll go with you, with some Lunarium. It won't be much, but call it an... offering. A gesture or token of peaceful relations. We have enough on our plate without starting a war with your lot. We already have the Qrii and the Skrall to worry about, not to mention the Nazis and above all of that, the Devourer. Fighting a war on so many fronts makes things harder." he narrowed his eyes, and they flashed red. "But not impossible. Remember that the Vanguard you see are the tip of the iceberg. Constrained by morality and a sense of justice we may be, but make no mistake. There will come a point in ALL of these wars where we cut loose. Don't be there..." he looked around "ANY of you... when that happens."

Imperators amazing sensory range scanned through the boy, marvelling - and dreading - at the power he could barely comprehend. He nodded. "Given what is going on, I think your offer is fair. With our technology and the Lunarium you provide, a star gate will see us across the universe in hours." he turned to Anyman. "Good luck. The next time we meet, may it be as friends." and nodded, though the pair shared a look - there may well not be a next time, and both knew it!

=========

"Ready? Hurry woman! The catalyst process is critical!"

Guillotine ignored Saladins tone - through Lionhearts mouth - and continued using the complex machinery on the V-Ship to prepare a chemical solution. "Ready. Computer simulation shows this *should* work, but if it doesn't... tell Lionheart I'm sorry."

Saladin laughed. "ALL life is chance! It is risk, desire, hope, dreams, rewarded or crushed! Live, die? The sun will go on rising, the world will continue to turn."

"But you won't be in it." said Guillotine, matter of factly.

Saladin shrugged. Clad in shorts with his muscled form strapped to a bench, wires and tubes running from it along with some strange helmet like contraption to various machines and computers, he looked for all the world like someone about to breathe their last!. "Flick the switch, and we'll find out!"

Nearby, a glass cylinder several feet across and ten feet high bubbled with pink goo, nothing in it - at least that couldn't be seen by the naked eye. Guillotine took a last look at Saladin, then flicked the switch!

=========

Anyman strode through the corridor with several DICE agents - Peelers - alongside him

"Prep is underway Commander. V-Ship two is ready for launch save for the boffins finishing up." said Peeler 14. Anyman stopped and faced the fellow. "Eh? What have they been doing now?"

14 glanced at 62, beside him. "Ah, it's all good sir. Guillotine helped. Or rather, set them straight. They are starting to get the hang of this stuff. All the... ray guns and such."

Anyman rolled his eyes and continued to walk. 14 continued. "We have another report from Guillotine. She says they are ready to transfer Saladins consciousness into a new body. The process should be instantaneous and Lionheart back in active duty soon." Some good news at least.

"Sky Eagle is MIA on a mission to retrieve General De Gaulle, no word from Frostbite or Silver Sentinel, and the Justiciars are finished. Those that are left have been honourably discharged. Those killed or MIA have been given full honours. General Wynn is vetting new candidates...."

"Fresh meat." said 62

"That's not helping. We believe that choosing more experienced, hand picked - even more so than before - candidates will reap better rewards. Security round here is going to be reviewed. We've had too many break ins and attacks, and it seems people can go willy nilly. We're on that."

Anyman nodded and walked out of a door into the back gardens where the rain was coming down. Scientists were hauling sheets off a V-Ship. "Commander Allard!" shouted General Wynn from down the corridor. Anyman turned and waited for his team mate/commanding officer (at least in rank) who huffed to hurry over. "If you wait, I'll have another Justiciar ready to join you!"

Anyman glanced back at the ship. NoMan was waiting, no doubt eager to make up for his failings against the Star League, though in truth there was little he could have done. He felt the loss of P'ertaria keenly - she'd died near him. Boadicea was still recovering from her injuries, and the medical process that grafted cybernetic limbs to her body would mean she was out of action for a while longer. Any help at this point would be welcome, he figured, but he wondered who and what Wynn had in mind...

=========

OOC This is your call David, but if you want to take on another character, even in a reduced capacity (posting as and when needed or on separate adventures as well) you can cook up your 'Bulletman' clone. He's a Justiciar, which means 4 powers now that Wynn has depowered most of the other Justiciars. Suggest strength, flight, vigour, tough skin or force field. If you don't want to take on another character I'll cook up another Justiciar to take with you and you can 'save' Bulletman for next round of Lore Knights trials, which is a power grade higher than the low street level jade Hood/Stone Fist operate at. Your call. Other than that, if you're ready, I'll plunge you into the heat of combat in the next post. To recap:

1) Nowhere boy has gone with Imperator back to the Star League to 'convince' them that Earth should be left alone.
2) Saladin and Lionheart will be separated again - Dave E watch for a new Lionheart thread
3) The alliance with the Shadow Demons has not come off. You won't have to worry about them for a while (aside from rogue agents) but you won't have their muscle to call on either.
4) Anyman is heading off in a V-Ship with Guillotine and a new Justiciar (with 4 powers this time round, rather than 3) which might or not be your 'Bulletman' fellow. If you want more powers give him a weakness, or you want to more accurately model the character (does he only repel metal?) we can come up with something - a 'repulsion field', though not the kind I had in my teens when trying to woo ladies...
5) The Justiciars in their current form are done. Dead, MIA, injured beyond recovery, a new team will rise from their ashes once Wynn recovers his strength.
6) The Qrii and Skrall have had their noses bloodied. They will be back. The nazis have bombers in the skies above England. The Star League (Imperators lot) are being sorted out by Nowhere Boy, the Devourer is still on it's way.
7) Frostbite and Sentinel aren't that far away from completing their mission. If successful, they will be at the head of an army of fantastic creatures to battle the Axis with. If they fail? We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!

That's where we're at. Dave E - as mentioned, keep an eye out for a new Lionheart thread.

Give me a bit to look it over. Bulletman sounds like a good idea. Just have to figure out if he works in the rules. And yeah, he only repels metals - all metals. Which may make it fun when he runs into Silver Sentinel.

Original origin for the original Bulletman was he created a super-serum which gave him great strength and endurance and toughness but not bulletproof. He then invented the Gravity Helmet which allows him to fly and repels all metals. He lost his strength and endurance later on, becoming just highly fit. He was originally a weedy pint sized police scientist before he came up with these items.

Perhaps we can keep close to this? Give him the Strength and Vigour and then have the Odd Jobs branch create the helmet for flight and metal repulsion? So less natural powers and we can up his Flying Speed or we can come up with a special super strength attack used only when smashing through large metal objects like planes and battleships. Can we do something like that with his limited powers?

Gravity Belt .... mmmmm. So that means if he swoops down and grabs hold of a multi-ton Tiger Tank with it being weightless and his Grade One strenght, he can fly up into the air and drop it later? Didn't really think of him doing that but it does have possibilities so I like that idea.

Not sure about the Ray Gun. I see him more like smashing headfirst into planes [you know, like those on the way to London], tanks , ships ect, and coming out the other side unharmed. A bullet-shaped force field that gives him a piercing attack while protecting him from metals? To do something like that. I don't see him as a range attack kind of guy. Like a bullet, he has to hit you to hurt you.

With Grade One strength, he can go fist to fist with a squad of Nazis and it still be a challenge because they could punch him with no real defense against that but bullets, shrapnel and such wouldn't bother him. Flame throwers would.

[That's what I've always called Golden Age Invulnerability. Lots of heroes had that back then. Explosions, bullets, flames, electricity, nothing like that, any kind of killing attack, could harm them or at best would knock them out for a bit but a good sock on the chin or a blackjack to the back of the head could knock them out like any normal person. I guess in this game system Golden Age Invulnerability would be a type of Armour that absorbs HTK but doesn't absorb HTC or absorbs it at a reduced rate.]

I do like the Grade One Strenght and Vigour and will keep that but the rest needs a bit more fine tuning.

Or how about we call it a kind of energy attack but one that has no range? It is again limited because he has to be flying in order to make the attack. It also does only HTK and only a set amount of damage each time, no variations, no rolls. With those three limitations, it could do a lot more damage than Grade One energy blast would normally do and throw in extra damage dividers. Maybe have a larger energy pool as well which when he runs out, he either needs to replace the batteries as you suggested or he has to stop attacking to keep the equipment from overheating, letting it cool before attacking again. [ie regain his energy points like normal]. Of course, then you have to figure out how tough battleship steel is so he can do that amount of damage each time. We could even limit it even more so that the attack only works against a mostly metal based target. [Some planes may have had plywood bodies but their engines, propellers and other points are metal so they would qualify as metal targets. A man wearing a metal bulletproof vest wouldn't be considered a mostly metal target. Silver Sentinel would when he is metaled up. Iron Man would too.]

Then we give him a personal force field but again limit it so it only absorbs HTK from metal based attacks. So he could be caught in an explosion, for example, and be safe from the sharpnel flying around but knocked totally out from the concussive force of the blast. Instead of 4d6, he absorbs 8d6 HTK from metal based attacks. Again any HTK from a non-metal based attack, like a flame thrower, would go right through the force field.

Then he needs Flight but that would be five power rolls, was that the limit you set for him?

Would that be possible? Or six rolls, giving him energy immunity to his own no range energy blast.