Archive: Stormwarden/Frostbite Issue #1

Introduction...

"...earlier today issued a statement apologising for the civilian casualties and stressed that all efforts would be made to contain the current spate of metahuman violence that has seen British society rocked to it's core. An emergency council has been convened with the government and the SMITE agency to address..."

The television droned on. Every news channel buzzed. Flick, another channel.

"...whilst Adjutant of the UKChampions apologised for not personally intervening, stating 'Even I can't be in two places at once.'. When asked about the current government stance on outlawing any metahuman not registered with the authorities, regardless of their stance to uphold or break the law, Adjutant could only give a no comment. It is this reporters' opinion, however, that Adjutant and others of the officially sanctioned UKChampions would welcome such..."

Flick.

"..Still no word on the missing UKChampion Cut-Lass, otherwise known as Angela Carter-Jones, former television presenter. It's reported that 'All efforts are being made' to track both her and her kidnapped family members down. When asked about the reported assistance of unsanctioned Superheroes a government source replied 'If metahumans act on their own accord they are part of the problem, not the solution.' In a rare' albeit brief, statement to the press, the vigilante known as 'Nowhere Man' said 'She's one of ours. We look out for each other, regardless of what the idiots in Whitehall say. Now get the camera out of my <BLEEP> face.' Apologies for the loss of vision on that last report. By all reports Nowhere Man possesses superhuman abilities that render him invisible to recording..."

Flick.

"..now to the scene where Police have cordoned off the area. To repeat, metahuman criminals have stolen what is believed to be nuclear material and have been tracked to the derelict Battersea power station in London. No news as yet as to the whereabouts of the UKChampions after they were called to deal with the rampage of the terrifying Metahuman known as 'Tank Man' in Manchester. SMITE are said to be on the scene and have warned all civilians to stay well clear as metahumans are known to be involved..."

You take a deep breath.

The UKChampions - Adjutant, Stonehenge, Misty Knight and the others - are all trying to stop the destructive rampage of the escaped metahuman criminalTank Man. The news has reports of half a dozen superhuman terrorist activities going on elsewhere that demand the Police, SMITE and Armies attention, though the place looks to be swarming with armed police even now.

"...word on demands as yet but reports are that panicked citizens are jamming roads out of London in their efforts to leave the capital after word got out following the criminals Youtube broadcast. More on this breaking news story as we..."

The camera pans out and shows the scene as shot from a distant high rise building. The power station has a large open parking lot all about it and is fenced off where police have set up cordons. The flashing lights illuminate the darkening area as dusk settles. There are a couple of heavy armoured riot squad vehicles rolling up at the scene, but it's clear the authorities are reluctant to move in when faced up against metahumans and, possibly, though reports are unconfirmed as yet, hazardous nuclear material.

The land is in peril.

Ordinary people fear for their lives, the government struggles to stem the tide, every day more and more metahuman criminals rise to lash out at society.

The UKChampions are pushed to their limits.

Every other superhuman is an outlaw, as likely to be fired on as the criminals.



STORMWARDEN and FROSTBITE

Where you are: At your respective homes
Status: Yet to make a full superheroic debut but have made the local headlines in the free rags as 'mystery man stops mugging' and 'vigilante saves day - but are they threat, or menace?'
When: Evening, London. Rush hour traffic is made worse as the streets jam with people trying to get away from the vicinity of the Old Battersea power station

You put the phone down. Your various family members were relieved to hear that you were ok after the week where no one could get hold of you. Still unsure as to what to tell them with regards what's happened to you, at the moment it seemed best to keep quiet. Right time and place for it, sort of thing. Besides, without being able to demonstrate, there in person, would they... would anyone, believe you?

You turn back to the television set. Your incredible powers, the use of which and their scope were only now becoming fully known to you, must have been given you for a reason. Without any other knowledge of why, the good person that you are deems you use them for the benefit of the common man.

And so here you are, sat in your living room, watching Sky News, BBC24 and others reel out the now daily list of despair and destruction that assails Britain these days. It seems the criminals, knowing full well that the unregistered superhumans are outlaws too, are coming out of the woodwork. What happened to Cut-Lass sent out shock waves and a clear warning to superheroes about the dangers of registration. Concorde and Jetstream, bombed at their own post unmasking press conference, were icing on the cake.

Unmasking, giving the villains your post code, is a very very bad thing to do.

Standing by whilst the country goes to hell in a hand basket is worse...

You turn back to the television.

You've been waiting for the right time to make a difference, but a more low key debut would've been easier, less stressful and dangerous.

No one said being a hero would be easy...

==============

OOC Just wanting an introductory post from you guys, what costume you'll be wearing, masked or otherwise, how you'll get across London to the old Battersea power station. Precautions you'll be taking, any other preperations. I will change/extend the post to whoever gets their characters in over the next couple of days, otherwise I'll start newcomers off in their own thread and this will be a Frostbite/Stormwarden adventure

Joe Rigdon
[Frostbite]

Joe chewed his lip, he wasn't anxious but still that unfamilier feeling nipped at his insides as he gazed at stunned disbelief at yet another audacious Metahuman crisis. That select group of people, to which he now belonged, however much he tried to deny it.

As he sat in his rented London hotel room the company let him use where on London business, his mind churned away. Unfamilier computations chattered for his attention as various strategies, formed and reformed across his mind as he imagined the likely response and its current weaknesses around the building.

Within minutes he found himself walking down the street, he hadn't meant to step out the quite deadening sound of London were freakishly errie. But as he'd opened his curtains to look out he thought he could glance the power station towers and before he knew it found himself on the street.

No point hailing a cab, or bus, like many others as he approach the south of the river, the roads became jammed, only police or official cars seemed to be heading in that direction oh and Joe.

"I'll just take a look" He thought to himself, "Curiosity, that's all!" he continued silently to himself, even as in the distance the looming power station came into view...

[Powers used - none, just walking and letting computer brain analyze what he knew from observation and analysis...]

Joe Rigdon
[FROSTBITE]

Without obvious means of transport Joe considered his best options, walking being one... cycling being the other. With the congestion charge running so high these days cycles were an obvious choice, and Joe had his own, assisted by an electric motor. That coupled with his visual overlay that scrolled details just off centre of his vision - distance to location, suggested route overlayed on a gps style streetmap, direction, time, temperature, even internet fed traffic reports! It seemed his enhanced mind could interface short distances with wireless internet connections and break simple wep keys, albeit if he stayed in range of the signal for long enough.

More than that, his brain had adapted to respond and file all of the new information he received so it wouldn't overwhelm him. Of all the new abilities he'd gained, this one, the most understated, might yet be the most useful!

Guiding the cycle through crowded city streets, down alleys, across pavements weaving around parked and gridlocked cars, Joe passed an immobile unmarked matt black van - from the blue lights and siren it was possibly some special branch of the police or SMITE.

Overhead the roar of a helicopter sounded as a matt black military style whirlybird shot its way over the canyons of Londons crowded streets.

With the stamina of an olympic athlete Joe found no problem in pushing himself and the cycle at top speed, slowing only to negotiate narrow gaps.

Not the most heroic of entrances, to be sure, but until he figured out some new way of getting around, sure beat walking.

======Frantic pedalling and manoeuvring later======

Ahead the traffic intensified, although many of the cars were locked up and abandoned. At the Chelsea Bridge up ahead (where you approach with the Blue Arrow marking direction of travel) police have cordoned off the road. They look like they mean business, with several armed officers patrolling about and normal traffic police keeping crowds of people back. It seems even with the threat of nuclear waste being released there are still those curious - or stupid enough - to see what's going on.



Looks like you'll have to cross the river somehow to get any closer to the place...

OOC the time is evening, around 17.45 so it's dark...

Joe Rigdon
[Frostbite]

Look up and down the river Joe sought to see if there was a way to cross the river without drawing attention to himself in the growing gloom.

[OOC: Ok Paul I am looking to 'borrow' any boats that might be teathered here. If that is no good then I want to see if I can slip across using the bridge or piggy backing on some sort of car/lorry that might get me across. If this is the case I will have to slip into my Frostbite persona to take advantage of being able to slip aboard in some way. If all else fails, i.e. no vehicles or boats I will try to shimmy across under the bridge by using my stretch ability to swing along underneath. If that fails...then I might have to try something desperate ]

Stormwarden [Guy St Ives]

Guy had dragged his map of London out. Of course he knew about Battersea. Who Didn't? But the last time he had been anywhere near there was as a child, attending a circus in Battersea Park. He traced a route from his flat in Kew down to the site of the power station. Hmmm. With a police cordon in evidence there was no way he was going to get there as a member of the public. And any CCTV footage that saw him go in one place as himself, and come out as, as, as, well Stormwarden, would finger him immediately.

Then Guy laughed. He WAS Stormwarden. Or could be very easily and at the thought, he extinguished the lights and changed. It was a matter of moments before the light breeze that had come up along the Thames had dropped to nothingness. A few minutes more and a thick fog, reminiscent of an old fashioned pea souper, boiled up along the river, literally following its course, spilling slightly over onto either bank.

It was Stormwarden who stepped out of the flat, not that anyone could have told. And it was as Stormwarden that he immediately left the ground flying into the thickness of the fog, the faint dimness of lights lighting the bank of the river illuminating the mist. Behind him, the fog lessened - he didn't want too many accidents, did he?

An overhead picture from Google Maps had showed him that he had to count ten bridges, road and rail and then, on reaching the eleventh, his best bet was to go under it and swing out level with the water. In that way he'd avoid any of smites goon squads. If he could lift the fog at the same time, he might be able to fly up and onto the roof with little problems over than the blasted police helicopter. Well, he could hope it would go that smoothly. In the meantime he found that flying in fog was damp, cold and miserable.

He'd taken the precaution of putting enough cash into a secure inside pocket. It meant that maybe he could take a taxi home instead.

Stormwarden
(Guy Saint Ives)

When the change came over him Guy had, at first, been surprised. So had his clothes. With shirt and trousers in tatters his public image would have been more of a tramp, not a superhero. This time, with the oversize clothes hanging off him (they'd been surprised at the shop until the 'They're for a friend' explained all) the change came quickly, naturally. And Stormwarden stood where Guy had been.

Hence the floorboards protesting.

With a grin and a look to the sky the air had cooled dramatically. Within moments a chill fog, not out of place for this time of year and entirely believable given the proximity to the river Thames, formed in the neighbourhood. Not so much as to cause accidents, but surely enough that a hulking man with a shock of bright blonde hair and muscles like knotted iron might not stand out. Well, too much.

Moments later a wind whipped up. Intensify... intensify... the localised wind had been nothing more than a hindrance until he'd gotten the hang of it. He wasn't sure it was the wind itself that lifted and pushed him along, but rather something else. What it was Guy wasn't sure of as yet, but it had the same effect.

Guy St Ives, Stormwarden, flew.

The thrill would never leave him, he was sure. To actually fly, unaided, without a plane, jet pack, whatever, through power of his will was... well, amazing!

Moments later, counting bridges, Stormwarden closed in on Chelsea Bridge. Somewhere in the fog a helicopter struggled to keep sight of the ground, though it was clear where it hovered.

The flashing blue lights cut through the mist as Stormwarden approached the power station, considering for a moment the best direction to approach and deciding to land on one of the remaining roofs of the power station. Brickwork crumbled as Stormwarden rested his weight on old brickwork. Mist gathered around him and he knew his next step would have to be carefully considered. He was going in blind.

The last glance at the news had said no contact had as yet been made with the terrorists, therefore no word on numbers, strength, what they were holding, what they wanted, when and who they were, save for the Youtube video that had caused the citywide panic. That had simply stated that the as yet unnamed group had secured nuclear waste material and would contact the authorities with a list of demands.

Since then the police, and SMITE, had somehow tracked them (possibly via cctv, or advanced radiation detection equipment) to the old power station, and someone had told the press, probably in an effort to get people away from the area.

Now Stormwarden was here, and facing the biggest test of his life. Without a mask, it wouldn't be too hard for his family to make him out, albeit in a 'no, he's way too big' way, but the darkness and fog would help. Perhaps it was something Stormwarden would have to consider.

For now he had other things on his mind.

=============

Meanwhile, back on the bridge...

"Where the damned fog come from?" snarled Inspector Steven Holmes of Scotland yard, from where he stood on the bridge. "Someone get these damn crowds back!" he hissed at a subordinate.

"Inspector?" called a voice behind him.

"What?" snarled Holmes. The gruff, grizzled time served officer didn't suffer fools lightly. If this was wasting his...

"SMITE agent 71." said a well groomed man in his early forties. He wore... a pinstripe suit and bowler hat??? When he held up his credentials Holmes narrowed his eyes. "This is a police matter... 71. I've heard all about you and your freaky..."

"Rest assured officer, your cooperation is not only required, it is expected. Now, set to and sort the civilians out properly man. I want a path cleared down this road for access for my people. Chop chop!" '71' said in a posh Eatonian accent. With a whistle and a twirl of his brolly he started to stroll around and between the parked cars. "Odd weather we're having, what? Never forecast fog, eh?" he called over his shoulder.

Holmes spat a curse under his breath and turned to bellow orders...

=============

OOC My next post (tomorrow) will include a close up map of the area of the old power station, with a bit of luck

Joe Rigdon
(Frostbite)

Joe parked his bike up, started to walk away, then thought better of it and locked it to a lamppost. He was a superhero, but this WAS London after all!

As he walked towards the riverside he felt the chill night air come in - from the river - and all of a sudden fog started to drift across his field of vision in every direction.

Except... the weather forecast for tonight was clear, albeit cool. There should be stars overhead right now! He was too far from any internet connection without having to try hard to 'crack' the security encryption on mobile phones, laptops and so on, btu the weather report had been fairly clear - unlike this weather. Still, could be useful.

"Stay back please sir. We're going to have to ask you - and everyone else - to leave the area!" said a policeman walking towards you. "Hey! Get that van away from there!" he called and moved past you.

The policeman had just climbed stairs leading from the riverside. A glance back, then trot over to the railing and ... voila.

Police launch. Unoccupied, but running and... well, who'd be daft enough to steal a police launch? The fog was getting thicker now. In the distance the flashing blue lights on the bridge illuminated against the white and the temperature continued to drop. Though he could 'ice up' Joe was no more resistant to the cold than the next man in his human form. He felt though... that perhaps there was some hidden, untapped potential in him, As if there were knowledge waiting to be unlocked, and his true potential discovered, despite the incredible and fabulous powers he already knew about.

Shaking his head Joe had to consider his options.

The computer scrolled a few more... [Possible access to destination via rail, river, road, with an overlay suggesting the bridge, walking along the railway track or swimming... or this boat] and Joe had to make a choice...

Joe Rigdon [FROSTBITE]

The possibility of getting to the power station in such style, was very tempting...But did he really want to make the police even more jumpy with the thought that their boat had just been stolen? Whilst he wasn't expected he still had the upper hand, he had to play it cool. Joe laughed to himself, stupid joke. Looking up to the railway bridge he thought it might be possible to walk across from there, after all who'd be looking for someone going across the railway tracks...it seemed perfect. Slipping away in from the milling gawkers, Joe looked for a way up to the bridge to quickly traverse the river.

Joe Rigdon
[FROSTBITE]


A couple of minutes later having negotiated the crowds and widening cordon of police barriers, Joe found that Grosvenor Road had been closed ahead due to the emergency. Actual access to trackside was possible to your left but through a locked set of gates.

Ahead was a police roadblock - and they seemed pretty vigilant.

To the right (towards the side of the river with the power station) however looked promising...

Joe had the fog (OOC not shown in photos, though I guess I could have misted the pictures up some..) as his advantage however. Whether he could come up with a distraction to get the police looking another way was another matter... With just a call on the radio there could be swarms of cops down here...

Stormwarden
[Guy St Ives]

Through his own fog Stormwarden drifted, wary of ... well, anything that might present a threat. The limits to his own abilities he was reasonably sure of. How others might be able to hurt, or affect him, less so.

From on high he observed the power station, peering through a hole in the fog which parted with a simple gesture enough for him to look down. What he saw chilled his blood. Taking up defensive positions on the old power station rooftops were men dressed in urban combat gear. He was too far off to make out details - what kind of weapons, whether they carried any backups, but they were vigilant and ready, albeit hampered by the fog.


(Red dots are the terrorists that Stormwarden can actually see - there may be others he can't see, and more in the building. He is floating high above the old power station now, obscured by fog and darkness.)


(Terrorist - weapon may be different from that shown...)

What became clear is that this was a well organised military operation. No mere bank knockoff, these people were going for the 'big score'. An as yet unconfirmed and unknown amount of stolen nuclear material in the hands of terrorists in the capital city... A nightmare scenario!

Stormwardens blood chilled. If these people were to follow through on their youtube threat, the consequences could be... staggering!

The police/authorities would have no idea as yet of what they were facing. Could Stormwarden act alone and expect any reasonable level of success? Would the police open fire on him, try to arrest him for being an unregistered vigilante?

Joe Rigdon
[Frostbite]

Look up and down the river Joe sought to see if there was a way to cross the river without drawing attention to himself in the growing gloom.

Man alive, Joe fumed to himself, how on earth would he distract the police. What he could do for a distraction right now. He mused that with the fog and his alter ego he could go for some sort of spooky ghostly appearance from the fog. But then it could backfire so easily if these men stood their ground.

Then that other voice, cold but so familiar suggest another option, he hadn't thought off.

Moving off to the other side, away from the police and using the fog to his advantage, he quickly stripped off his clothes wrapping them up tightly and placing them in the plastic bag and then stashing them behind a conduit that he hoped would remain out of the way for him to retrieve later.

Then at the top of his voice he shouted, "Oi what do you want. No! no, I'll have you mate, don't you dare try it on...no way are you getting at me..." And so on, trying to draw the attention of the police to his position. As they approached he hoped to slip intangibly into the wall, drift along unnoticed and then climb onto the track whilst the police investigated an assault that wasn't really happening.

Sj.

[OOC: Ok Paul I am looking to 'borrow' any boats that might be tethered here. If that is no good then I want to see if I can slip across using the bridge or piggy backing on some sort of car/lorry that might get me across. If this is the case I will have to slip into my Frostbite persona to take advantage of being able to slip aboard in some way. If all else fails, i.e. no vehicles or boats I will try to shimmy across under the bridge by using my stretch ability to swing along underneath. If that fails...then I might have to try something desperate ]

Stormwarden
[Guy St Ives]

Guy had dragged his map of London out. Of course he knew about Battersea. Who Didn't? But the last time he had been anywhere near there was as a child, attending a circus in Battersea Park. He traced a route from his flat in Kew down to the site of the power station. Hmmm. With a police cordon in evidence there was no way he was going to get there as a member of the public. And any CCTV footage that saw him go in one place as himself, and come out as, as, as, well Stormwarden, would finger him immediately.

Then Guy laughed. He WAS Stormwarden. Or could be very easily and at the thought, he extinguished the lights and changed. It was a matter of moments before the light breeze that had come up along the Thames had dropped to nothingness. A few minutes more and a thick fog, reminiscent of an old fashioned pea souper, boiled up along the river, literally following its course, spilling slightly over onto either bank.

It was Stormwarden who stepped out of the flat, not that anyone could have told. And it was as Stormwarden that he immediately left the ground flying into the thickness of the fog, the faint dimness of lights lighting the bank of the river illuminating the mist. Behind him, the fog lessened - he didn't want too many accidents, did he?

An overhead picture from Google Maps had showed him that he had to count ten bridges, road and rail and then, on reaching the eleventh, his best bet was to go under it and swing out level with the water. In that way he'd avoid any of smites goon squads. If he could lift the fog at the same time, he might be able to fly up and onto the roof with little problems over than the blasted police helicopter. Well, he could hope it would go that smoothly. In the meantime he found that flying in fog was damp, cold and miserable.

He'd taken the precaution of putting enough cash into a secure inside pocket. It meant that maybe he could take a taxi home instead.

Stormwarden
[Guy St Ives]

When the change came over him Guy had, at first, been surprised. So had his clothes. With shirt and trousers in tatters his public image would have been more of a tramp, not a superhero. This time, with the oversize clothes hanging off him (they'd been surprised at the shop until the 'They're for a friend' explained all) the change came quickly, naturally. And Stormwarden stood where Guy had been.

Hence the floorboards protesting.

With a grin and a look to the sky the air had cooled dramatically. Within moments a chill fog, not out of place for this time of year and entirely believable given the proximity to the river Thames, formed in the neighbourhood. Not so much as to cause accidents, but surely enough that a hulking man with a shock of bright blonde hair and muscles like knotted iron might not stand out. Well, too much.

Moments later a wind whipped up. Intensify... intensify... the localised wind had been nothing more than a hindrance until he'd gotten the hang of it. He wasn't sure it was the wind itself that lifted and pushed him along, but rather something else. What it was Guy wasn't sure of as yet, but it had the same effect.

Guy St Ives, Stormwarden, flew.

The thrill would never leave him, he was sure. To actually fly, unaided, without a plane, jet pack, whatever, through power of his will was... well, amazing!

Moments later, counting bridges, Stormwarden closed in on Chelsea Bridge. Somewhere in the fog a helicopter struggled to keep sight of the ground, though it was clear where it hovered.

The flashing blue lights cut through the mist as Stormwarden approached the power station, considering for a moment the best direction to approach and deciding to land on one of the remaining roofs of the power station. Brickwork crumbled as Stormwarden rested his weight on old brickwork. Mist gathered around him and he knew his next step would have to be carefully considered. He was going in blind.

The last glance at the news had said no contact had as yet been made with the terrorists, therefore no word on numbers, strength, what they were holding, what they wanted, when and who they were, save for the Youtube video that had caused the citywide panic. That had simply stated that the as yet unnamed group had secured nuclear waste material and would contact the authorities with a list of demands.

Since then the police, and SMITE, had somehow tracked them (possibly via cctv, or advanced radiation detection equipment) to the old power station, and someone had told the press, probably in an effort to get people away from the area.

Now Stormwarden was here, and facing the biggest test of his life. Without a mask, it wouldn't be too hard for his family to make him out, albeit in a 'no, he's way too big' way, but the darkness and fog would help. Perhaps it was something Stormwarden would have to consider.

For now he had other things on his mind.

=============

Meanwhile, back on the bridge...

"Where the damned fog come from?" snarled Inspector Steven Holmes of Scotland yard, from where he stood on the bridge. "Someone get these damn crowds back!" he hissed at a subordinate.

"Inspector?" called a voice behind him.

"What?" snarled Holmes. The gruff, grizzled time served officer didn't suffer fools lightly. If this was wasting his...

"SMITE agent 71." said a well groomed man in his early forties. He wore... a pinstripe suit and bowler hat??? When he held up his credentials Holmes narrowed his eyes. "This is a police matter... 71. I've heard all about you and your freaky..."

"Rest assured officer, your cooperation is not only required, it is expected. Now, set to and sort the civilians out properly man. I want a path cleared down this road for access for my people. Chop chop!" '71' said in a posh Eatonian accent. With a whistle and a twirl of his brolly he started to stroll around and between the parked cars. "Odd weather we're having, what? Never forecast fog, eh?" he called over his shoulder.

Holmes spat a curse under his breath and turned to bellow orders...

=============

OOC My next post (tomorrow) will include a close up map of the area of the old power station, with a bit of luck

Joe Rigdon
[FROSTBITE]

Joe parked his bike up, started to walk away, then thought better of it and locked it to a lamppost. He was a superhero, but this WAS London after all!

As he walked towards the riverside he felt the chill night air come in - from the river - and all of a sudden fog started to drift across his field of vision in every direction.

Except... the weather forecast for tonight was clear, albeit cool. There should be stars overhead right now! He was too far from any internet connection without having to try hard to 'crack' the security encryption on mobile phones, laptops and so on, btu the weather report had been fairly clear - unlike this weather. Still, could be useful.

"Stay back please sir. We're going to have to ask you - and everyone else - to leave the area!" said a policeman walking towards you. "Hey! Get that van away from there!" he called and moved past you.

The policeman had just climbed stairs leading from the riverside. A glance back, then trot over to the railing and ... voila.

Police launch. Unoccupied, but running and... well, who'd be daft enough to steal a police launch? The fog was getting thicker now. In the distance the flashing blue lights on the bridge illuminated against the white and the temperature continued to drop. Though he could 'ice up' Joe was no more resistant to the cold than the next man in his human form. He felt though... that perhaps there was some hidden, untapped potential in him, As if there were knowledge waiting to be unlocked, and his true potential discovered, despite the incredible and fabulous powers he already knew about.

Shaking his head Joe had to consider his options.

The computer scrolled a few more... [Possible access to destination via rail, river, road, with an overlay suggesting the bridge, walking along the railway track or swimming... or this boat] and Joe had to make a choice...

Joe Rigdon
[FROSTBITE]

The possibility of getting to the power station in such style, was very tempting...But did he really want to make the police even more jumpy with the thought that their boat had just been stolen? Whilst he wasn't expected he still had the upper hand, he had to play it cool. Joe laughed to himself, stupid joke. Looking up to the railway bridge he thought it might be possible to walk across from there, after all who'd be looking for someone going across the railway tracks...it seemed perfect. Slipping away in from the milling gawkers, Joe looked for a way up to the bridge to quickly traverse the river.

Joe Rigdon
[FROSTBITE]


A couple of minutes later having negotiated the crowds and widening cordon of police barriers, Joe found that Grosvenor Road had been closed ahead due to the emergency. Actual access to trackside was possible to your left but through a locked set of gates.

Ahead was a police roadblock - and they seemed pretty vigilant.



To the right (towards the side of the river with the power station) however looked promising...



Joe had the fog (OOC not shown in photos, though I guess I could have misted the pictures up some..) as his advantage however. Whether he could come up with a distraction to get the police looking another way was another matter... With just a call on the radio there could be swarms of cops down here...

Stormwarden
[Guy St Ives]

Through his own fog Stormwarden drifted, wary of ... well, anything that might present a threat. The limits to his own abilities he was reasonably sure of. How others might be able to hurt, or affect him, less so.

From on high he observed the power station, peering through a hole in the fog which parted with a simple gesture enough for him to look down. What he saw chilled his blood. Taking up defensive positions on the old power station rooftops were men dressed in urban combat gear. He was too far off to make out details - what kind of weapons, whether they carried any backups, but they were vigilant and ready, albeit hampered by the fog.


(Red dots are the terrorists that Stormwarden can actually see - there may be others he can't see, and more in the building. He is floating high above the old power station now, obscured by fog and darkness.)


(Terrorist - weapon may be different from that shown...)

What became clear is that this was a well organised military operation. No mere bank knockoff, these people were going for the 'big score'. An as yet unconfirmed and unknown amount of stolen nuclear material in the hands of terrorists in the capital city... A nightmare scenario!

Stormwardens blood chilled. If these people were to follow through on their youtube threat, the consequences could be... staggering!

The police/authorities would have no idea as yet of what they were facing. Could Stormwarden act alone and expect any reasonable level of success? Would the police open fire on him, try to arrest him for being an unregistered vigilante?

Joe Rigdon
[FROSTBITE]

Man alive, Joe fumed to himself, how on earth would he distract the police. What he could do for a distraction right now. He mused that with the fog and his alter ego he could go for some sort of spooky ghostly appearance from the fog. But then it could backfire so easily if these men stood their ground.

Then that other voice, cold but so familiar suggest another option, he hadn't thought off.

Moving off to the other side, away from the police and using the fog to his advantage, he quickly stripped off his clothes wrapping them up tightly and placing them in the plastic bag and then stashing them behind a conduit that he hoped would remain out of the way for him to retrieve later.

Then at the top of his voice he shouted, "Oi what do you want. No! no, I'll have you mate, don't you dare try it on...no way are you getting at me..." And so on, trying to draw the attention of the police to his position. As they approached he hoped to slip intangibly into the wall, drift along unnoticed and then climb onto the track whilst the police investigated an assault that wasn't really happening.

Sj.

FROSTBITE
[Joe Rigdon]


"Did you 'ere that?"

"What?"

"There! You 'ere that now?"

"Yeah... yeah... but we're 'sposed to stop anyone gettin..."

"Sod that! If we stand about while someone is gettin' mugged, we'll get our &**^%$%S kicked!"

And so Joe was able to slip, wraith-like, through the fog and evade the two policemen, reforming on the bridge as they looked about, bewildered and hurried back to their posts.

Joe was already away, having (OOC presumably) formed up the thick protective sheath around him and transformed into the fledgling superhero Frostbite...

===========

A minute or so later he'd jogged along the four foot (OOC across the rail sleepers) of the railway track and climbed over/down a wall to drop some thirty feet or so without harm to the ground and hide behind a pile of rubble (On the left hand side of the battersea power station map - off map at present). The fog was thick, intense. Whatever, however, the weathermen getting it wrong... didn't matter.

He was almost in reach of the place.

The approach would be vital now. Visibility was still a good 100 yards or so before it started to trail gradually away. Frostbite wasn't sure what to expect...

(OOC you can barely make out the outline of the power station itself from this distance)

FROSTBITE
[Joe Rigdon]

[OOC yes I have frosted up so as to use my powers]

Moving as quietly as he could Frostbite sought summon a light breeze. The fog might not have featured in the whether reports but now it was here it could very well effect how well he did in trying to get closer to the old power plant. He felt the cool air, even through his frosted carapace, and let it play over the eddying fog, seeking to push it forward slowly carefully. It felt as if he was trying to shoot a can with a boozka. 'Talk about a sledgehammer to crack a nut' he thought in a irritated manner as he imagined beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. A thought he quickly dismissed as his cold shell of ice clearly meant he was anything but hot.

[OOC assuming this mad idea to push, whatever fog remains forward to cover my tracks works I will attempt to move under its cover to get as close as I can and find out what the situation is.]

FROSTBITE
[Joe Rigdon]

Frostbite concentrated, his eyes assuming a slightly far off look as he imagined the effect he was trying to achieve and...

Glancing down, he saw the bushes near his feet ripple slightly with the breeze. Yes. It'd worked, but there was something strange going on. For whatever reason, it felt like the fog was somehow 'resisting' his conjured breeze, so it required more effort to maintain than he would've imagined.

It was almost as if the fog was 'alive' and pushing back against his efforts to move a section of it to obscure his passage.

Nonetheless he crept closer in the darkness/fog towards the towering derelict power station, the slight breeze following him. The outline of the creaking edifice was silhouetted in the white-out fog by the moon shining somewhere above, and Frostbite knew it would be hard to make out details until he got much closer, by which time he might be on top of the terrorists and not know it!

STORMWARDEN
[Guy St Ives]

As you hover above, taking in the situation, you feel something 'odd'. There is something - or someone - 'manipulating' your fog. As crazy as that sounds, you can actually feel (OOC Grade 3 weather I will assume that your weather effects are almost a living extension of yourself...) something disturbing your fog bank down below, and to your right (OOC you are looking to the bottom of the power station map). It's still some way off, but this is different to the other moving objects in your fog which you've had to blank out/ignore, as there were simply too many people/cars/objects to make out. It's nearer, and is actively 'pushing' against your power, crazy as that sounds.

Being new to your powers, it's hard to tell what's happening, but your sheer raw power gives you an incredible control of the weather that few metahumans on earth could match, never mind exceed. You feel your power is stronger than that which is 'testing' yours, if that's what's happening. But is it friend or, more likely, foe, doing the testing?

Stormwarden
[Guy St Ives]

It was no good. That sense of someone playing against him was like having a toothache - he couldn't ignore it. "Ahhhhh" he breathed softly. It wasn't as if he had decided what to do just yet or how to go about it. So first things first, he would deal with the 'ache'. That, after all, would seem to be the real problem so far. Thickening the air around him he moved upwards, 'feeling' for this little worm that was burrowing through.

Gently, he floated, concentrating, feeling the air movement in a world that he had made still and quiet. So quiet that he could hear the sudden clink from the roof. He found where the flow of air moved and 'dropped', intending to land just behind the person he expected to find there, hands raised, ready to hit his target.

FROSTBITE
[Joe Rigdon]

'Who knew fog could be so stubborn!' Frostbite thought to himself as he sought to sneak closer to the tower all the while trying hard to spot the terrorists before they spotted him.

Wondering if the fog was going to play out before he could get close enough, Frostbite toyed with the idea of making a final desperate dash for the wall before his position and the odd fog drew unwanted attention to himself. "Oh boy want I wouldn't mind for night vision, or heat vision or something..." He muttered to himself as he decided to make a run for it.

Sj

FROSTBITE
[Joe Rigdon]

Sticking to shadows wasn't hard in the gloom of the fog for the ice sheathed superhero. Things did get tricky as he picked up the pace though as he kicked stray bricks and lumps of concrete aside, stumbling as he went. Wincing with every kick - not from pain, he didn't feel a thing - thanks to the noise he made he heard shouts out from the fog bound power station.

They were speaking in ... French?

Then "HALT!" came an accented shout in English. "OR WE SHOOT!"

The computer helpfully chimed in [Chances of stealth would be increased by using cell destabilisation ability.]

Before Joe could chime back with a retort, the RATATATATATATATATA! of automatic fire rang out, though most of it was over his head by a fair way and somewhere to his left, then his right...

STORMWARDEN
[Guy St Ives]

It was a curious feeling knowing that his weather effects were so powerful they'd act as a living extension to his senses, albeit a limited one. He could sense something parting the fog below, and disrupting it with a breeze, and by the amount of fog displaced, guessed it was vaguely man sized. That might be something he could practise with, and enhance, but for now Stormwarden dropped silently through the fog leaving no waft or trail behind him as it parted then closed in behind to leave no trace of his passing.

Whatever it was below was moving - fast, and clumsily it seemed. He could hear rocks being knocked about - there was plenty of debris on the floor that would be unseen and whoever was moving through it seemed to be doing a good job of kicking it...

So intent was Stormwarden on finding out who it was he missed the first interchange of shouts from the rooftop of the power station, but heard the next.

"HALT!" came an accented shout in English. "OR WE SHOOT!" followed by RATATATATATATATATA! of automatic weapons fire.

Stormwarden winced. As far as he knew his repertoire didn't include bulletproof. The bullets zinged through the fog and though were too small and fast to track with his incredible weather 'sense', they left a wafting trail through the fog that suggested the terrorists were firing blind into the fog. In any case, the bullets didn't come near the fledgling superhero as he floated down below a running figure who appeared to be... an ice statue?

OOC Stormwarden you are behind Frostbite. He's heading towards the power station.

Frostbite, I've assumed you've slowed as your running/stumbling over debris and subsequent noise making has alerted the terrorists, though they appear to be firing blind in the fog. The fog is especially thick right now, as if it just intensified near and around you. You can make out the outline of the old power station - it's just less than 50 yards away now, but the fog is starting to obscure it again.

FROSTBITE
[Joe Rigdon]

'Blast' thought Frostbite as the sound of automatic gunfire broken the sudden calm stillness of the fog shrouded night. The cold voice was right, he'd inadvertently forgotten that he could easily have walked without disturbing the debris! He quickly concentrated the feeling of icy calm shrouded him, as his body seemed to become an insubstantial smoky haze amongst the fog and dim night. It was then he realised that the gun fire wasn't being aimed at him?

Either he hadn't been rumbled or else the terrorists were spooked and firing blind. In any case it wasn't time to hang around. Frostbite quickly ran forward as fast as his intangible form would let him, hoping his quick dash would take him out of sight and into cover quickly.

Sj.