Shadowland - The Vanguard Issue #1 The Shadow Deepens

A farm in America...

The farmer shivered. He stopped his tractor, then looked about. What on Earth? The sun was blazing down, it was the last of the autumn sun and ... he looked up and a chill passed down his spine as he saw the sun and the sky slowly give way to an oozing black inky shadow...

The temperature started to drop immediately, and the Farmer hugged himself, shivering...

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The Farmer in the United States wasn't the only one who feared the end of the world was night...

In India thousands of people gathered at every available temple, most wailing and praying in the faint hope that the unnatural eclipse was not yet another in a list of maladies that had afflicted the world!

Across Europe soldiers and civilians turned to the sky, instantly feeling the temperature drop and shivering where they stood, looking up at the sky and the steadily disappearing sun...

The world watched in fear, wondering what new terror would befall them. Only the most optimistic dare hope that this was a natural, albeit unforeseen, occurrence!

=========

The people of Britain were taken by surprise, as everyone was. They, unlike the people of the world, reacted with stoic resolve...

Already used to unusual weather, the people of Britain continued about their business. Schoolchildren wrapped up warmer, then continued hard with their studies. Miners shrugged, put on a few extra layers and put their backs into their task with renewed vigour.

All across Britain, people worked mechanically, determined to strive towards the singular goal of uniting the nation and forging a new destiny as a world power.

=========

A Robo-Carrier orbiting Planet Earth...

The Vanguard watched as the viewscreen showed the dark mass causing the stars to wink out, and their own sun to vanish behind an impenetrable darkness that blocked the light and heat from the life giving sun!

A peeler gasped, then glanced around... "What... what do we do? We can do something, right?"

Sunburst shivered. "What about me? My body is powered by solar energy! What will happen to me?" she looked at Lionheart in fear.

Frostbite shivered, nothing to do with the controlled atmosphere on the ships bridge, now what he imagined were the cooling temperatures on Earth. Anyman and Silver Sentinel glanced at one another, then at Frostbite. They faced a foe so powerful it was unlikely they would survive! The revelations from the Emissarys visit had suggested that the Devourer was composed of millions of their alternate selves, and millions more of other Shadow Demon empowered beings!

General Wynn 'harrumphed' then turned "We'd best sort out the governments of Earth. Let them know what's happening. Until we can figure out quite what we're dealing with, quelling panic and disorder will be a full time job. I have a feeling that we'll be hearing soon from whatever that 'thing' is..."

The team looked at the screen, and at the half covered sun. This was no eclipse. This was the Shadow, triumphant!



OOC OPTIONS:

1) Head towards the Cloud, try something, anything, to disperse it! (That's the 'foolhardy' option...)
2) Watch and wait...
3) Head back to Earth, address the leaders of Earth, keep them up to date with the situation
4) Use the Dark power to find some solution to the problem, bearing in mind that the cloud itself is composed of creatures that have bonded with the Dark power, so there may be consequences...
5) Gather the forces - Robo Carriers, Superhuman, Atlantean, P'utinarian, anyone and everyone, and prepare for Invasion!
6) Do something else...

ooc: I vote we merge together and combine our Egos and then somehow cut off the Shadow Realm to all the Solar System. NO one would have the Shadow Powers, the demons would be gone to other parts of the galaxies and the "other" us's would have to try to survive in space with their own powers, which most of us can't do. Then fight what's left with our combined fleet and earthly might.

OOC: /IC: What about the MARO (Mobile Armored Radar Outpost), it has enhanced speed even if it couldn't give us a clearer picture to what's happening with its upgraded radar sensors......or was it destroyed? If not seems a shame to waste such a beautifully crafted vessel

DavidMcMahon wrote:ooc: I vote we merge together and combine our Egos and then somehow cut off the Shadow Realm to all the Solar System. NO one would have the Shadow Powers, the demons would be gone to other parts of the galaxies and the "other" us's would have to try to survive in space with their own powers, which most of us can't do. Then fight what's left with our combined fleet and earthly might.

OOC:
Something in what Paul said suggests that talking to the Dark Powers, might have consequences, so using said power at this stage might be dangerous.

First I think we need to talk to the world powers from where we are. We'e got reporters with us, we can send them back so they can act as witnesses to recent events. It won't be popular, but its unprecedented so we'll just have to deal with that as it comes.

Then I guess to some degree we've got to see what this Devourer wants to do? With so many beings composed of shadows, either they are our equivalent from other dimensions (which sort of begs a question as Nowhere man said he already scouted other dimensions to find us - who alone were suitable to bond with these shadows - so where did these others come from, unless they are rejects of us?) then they are as powerful if not more so and they are vast in number. It does beg the question why this worlds shadow demons were scared of them, wanting to retreat, and why if this is a being of such vast power why it hasn't already taken over the multiverse?

To be honest we're either left with being utterly foolish and just attacking or playing wait and see until we've got more to go on. At least whilst the creature isn't attacking we've got opportunity to formulate a plan. But with the Sun blotted out, we've not got more than a few days, temperatures on earth would plummet and life would quickly start to be unbearable without sunlight.

So we contact world leaders, have a press conference of sorts if need be, send back the reporters and meanwhile wait and see what happens next. Unless anyone else has a better suggestion.

Sj

We don't have the reporters with us. They were left back in Europe. Anyman flew out into space on his own and then moved to the closest available spaceship when he realized the Devourer was here.

And don't forget, Nowhere Boy was taken by the Devourer already. So he is either a prisoner of them and all his secrets being ripped from him or he has been forced to become a part of the Devourer. So time is not a luxury we have.

General Wynn sat, pondering what next to do. "We are few, and that... thing... that just left seemed..."

He searched for the word. "More powerful?"

"No." he added, the voice deep and rasping, and clearly not Wynns own. "More experienced, refined, trained. And something else. Tainted. We are as... the word... ah yes. Cavemen to it. But more powerful?" Wynn shrugged. "The main problem is numbers. And it has numbers."

Sunburst looked at the viewscreen. "The temperature of the world is going to plummet, the world will drop into darkness. In a few days it will be dark and very very cold. People will panic, then freeze, then die! We need to do... something!"

Frostbite formulated plans, possible courses of action... the robotic voice inside of him offered an opinion. 'It may be prudent to ascertain how much of the suns light is indeed blocked. With your friend Silver Sentinels new vessel, and his considerable metal morphing abilities, there may be a way to set up a series of mirrors and light amplifiers. Set them up across the solar system and there may be a way to provide some light and heat to the Earth. Until your enemy learns of them and shuts them down.'

As Frostbite chewed on that, a robotic crewman called out. "Reports coming in over radio - what radio signals are still working. It seems that 'cloud' is interfering with the electro-magnetic radiation being emitted by the Sun. The shielding on the Robo Carriers is providing some protection, but that will eventually be overwhelmed. This 'cloud' must be a standard tactic - block the technology of the target planet, overwhelm the populace with terror and panic, then move in. What happens then is unclear."

Anymans solution was more direct.

Combine the Vanguards dark power into one all powerful... He looked out of the window at the distant dark cloud.

One all powerful devourer.

Maybe combining their power was the solution. Or maybe it was the final, ultimate, solution, and one which carried a price. The ultimate price. He looked out of the window at the distant cloud and wondered if another group of Vanguardians... if thousands, millions of Vanguardians, had already paid that price...

"We can't waste too much time debating this," Anyman says finally. "We can send a radio message to Earth, blanketing all the radio frequencies, trying to tell them what's going on. Some of the messages might get through. But if that is our Dark Selves, then the Devourer will feed off the fear and other negative emotions on Earth. So the longer we wait to act, the more powerful it becomes."

"Also, Nowhere Boy was taken by its emissary. He is either a prisoner of the Devourer and it's learning all our secrets by force, or he has been already absorbed by it. Again, the longer we wait, the more powerful or knowledgeable it becomes."

"We have to cut off its source of food - the negative emotions of all on Earth. Or cut the demons off from our part of the galaxy. Either way should severely weaken it. Without access to the Dark Powers, most of it should die as it probably doesn't have the ability to survive in space without aid of the Dark Powers, just as most of us don't have that ability."

"Now how can we do either one and still save the Earth?"

OOC: I've taken the time to write a private PM to Paul as I don't like any of our options, after all the Devourer is itself a merged being, how do we know that merging ourselves wasn't what our previous selves did to try and stop it. But I see little or no other option, after all what other fire power have we got besides the Shadows. Anyhow I wanted Paul to know my thinking before I wrote a proper response, hence the delay.

Frostbite listened intently to his friend, whilst replaying in his mind the conversations he could remember with the other Joe, so quiet for so long and also with Nowhere Man when his counterpart first met him so long ago. Truth be told Frostbite didn't like the options, not because of what was on offer, but because it seemed like the only thing that was on offer. Was there any other way...

Sj

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread..." said General Wynn with a smile.

"The next move is theirs. They hold all the cards. To gamble everything on a single action might stand a chance of success but..." Wynn looked at the screen, and the others followed his gaze. "We might just rush headlong into that things clutches, or find the Dark Power sees it as a kindred spirit and leaves us behind. It seems that may have happened..." he waved a hand at the sheer size of the cloud "Countless times already."

Wynn shrugged "Perhaps we can reason with it?"

Lionheart glanced at his comrades. It rather sounded like General Wynn was prepared to sacrifice himself to save the Earth, by offering himself up as a prize!

Suddenly... 'Vanguard! This is Nowhere Man... Boy.. whatever. I'm dead, right now, but if you give me a day or so meet me at Caer Alwyn. I have some interesting...'

Lionheart glanced at Anyman, Wynn, Sentinel and Frostbite, convinced they'd all heard something, but not being able to hear it himself!

The Vanguard heard Nowhere Boys voice tail off, and wondered - had it been cut off at source? Was it a trap, to ...

Wait. Caer Alwyn. The place in Wales they'd been to before, home of the Lore Knights, the team Nowhere Man, as Wraith, had been part of, before his expulsion.

Sunburst called out "The sun is almost gone!"



Wynn frowned. "Here's what we do. Sentinel, you and Sunburst find a way to circumvent that cloud, set up a series of space mirrors, if such a thing is possible! Beware! The Devourer won't like you attempting such a thing! Frostbite and Anyman, we need to get the Shadow Demons - 'our' Shadow Demons - on our side. For now, using the Dark Power is a luxury we may not have. If any of us calls on the Dark Power, there's no telling what the effect will be, so keep that in mind. Lionheart, we must - somehow - convince the World not to panic! That means meeting the World leaders and getting a message out to the people, even, though it pains me to do so, finding some way to transmit your powers over a wide range, to affect peoples minds. Telepathy I think it's called, or Empathy, I don't know. Dawson might, but he's not here. If we can keep things together, we convene at this Caer Alwyn place in a day to see what Nowhere Man has to say - unless its a trap to get us all there. If that's the case, we turn up ready for a fight. As for that..."

He looked at the black cloud about to cover the sun. "I'm pretty sure that anything that size can must more Dark power than we can. Our only advantage seems to be that the thing doesn't want to destroy in the traditional sense. It's setting things up to be 'devoured' hence its name I suppose. That gives us time, but not much, to find out what it is we're dealing with!"

'Number One' stepped up to Anyman, and waited her turn to speak. "This unit can arrange the deployment of Robo Carriers around the Earth to provide the optimum detection and defense against the Enemy. There may also be a way to convert the stored energy from the ships power plants into light and heat to focus on certain areas of the Earth. Another solution presents itself, but will result in the death of every being on Planet Earth - detonate the core of Lunarium on the Moon. Whether such a thing would harm the Enemy is unclear, but such a creature requires sustenance of some kind, and denying it might ensure other Solar Systems do not suffer its fate." the robot said impassively.

Suddenly a crackling sound came over the tannoy.

"...skrzzz... Claude Bentham, on the moon...surrounded by Undead... skrzzz crackle... breaking in... air... skrzzz out ... if anyone can hear us... we surrender! Just... skrzzz crackle..."

Lionheart glanced over. Bentham and Trowers, trapped on the moon, that huge dead base filled with undead Nazis! If anyone deserved their fate, it was them! And yet... might they offer an option when all others had been exhausted? After all, had they not opened a gate through time to start the chain of events that lead to all this mess?

=========

Elsewhere...

He slowed. They'd destroyed the Star Leagues home world. Billions dead. Their fate was sealed now, because nothing could survive against the Devourer! The legends never did the thing justice, but Imperator wondered at that. he'd heard the legends, but from where did they come? There were never any survivors of an encounter with that thing! He feared for the rest of the Star League and the Universe as a whole, and knew he would fight to the death to slow the thing.

His efforts would be swept aside, a blade of grass in the face of a storm!

He still had to try. Uneasily, he turned, looking at the distant dot of light in the night sky, instinctively knowing which was Earths solar system. Know your enemy. The Star League had known what they thought was their enemy, and he'd proven himself to be one, but Imperator couldn't help but think that had they left the Earth alone, they might not have suffered that awful fate.

He looked again at the distant star, then made a decision...

OOC More choices then - so far you have:

1) Rush em! Anymans plan to combine forces and attempt to do *something*
2) Sentinel and Sunburst head into deep space to create a Space Mirror - if possible
3) Anyman and Frostbite find and speak to the Shadows, possibly to enlist their aid or find out more about the enemy they face
4) Lionheart and Wynn find some way to calm the people of Earth, possibly using Lionhearts mind powers. Anyman might have an idea on how that might be possible...
5) Bentham and Trowers, whilst evil ego maniacs, are both the foremost geniuses in their field. Bentham in particular is probably the worlds smartest man of this (or possibly any) age in the field of genetics, computers, and physics. Bentham was the Chief Architect of the PSI Corps program. Enemies, but surely they recognize that the greatest threat to the Earths existence is out there, in space! The enemy of my enemy and all that...
6) Do nothing, and wait at Caer Alwyn for Nowhere Boy - if that is who sent the message...

OOC: Dam i was going to say enemy of my enemy is my friend lol, sentinel won't like saving them although he recognizes that those two have some serious brain power and if anyone can weasel there way out of this situation its them but Steve has lost his faith in any kind of justice that would spare the life's of men who would commit such terrible crimes. In his opinion after we save them if they help us or not they should be punished by death.

I think as futile as the mirrors in space sounds if might give a little more time or even some hope for people on earth.
I don't suppose the dark power eclipse is here for a good reason and will bring us more amazing powers like in heroes???? Nah i didn't think so

Turning to Anyman, Frostbite said quietly, "I appreciate the dire circumstances my friend, but I am concerned that in merging we'd only do what they... he pointed to the dark mass on the view screen obscuring the Sun. "...had done before. No we must seek out every opportunity and seize it. Do the unexpected, and no one knows more about our allies, that Nowhere Ma, I mean boy. That he is even able to communicate with us despite what happened to him, tells us that.

Lionheart have to take some of the Robot crew, and Frostbot to rescue your Bentham and Trowers. Had things not been so bad, we'd not have left them. Sentinel you take Beth, she needs the sun as much as possible anyway and see what you can do about bringing light to our darkened planet. That will help spread our message - which I think you..." Again he addressed Anyman, "...with you stage presence and acting skills are more than suited to, I'll join you and we'll bring Hitler with us. At least that will be a bit of good news. And we can then both journey to meet Nowhere Boy. Everyone ok with that plan?"

Frostbite looked around for comment, questions or just acknowledgement, glad that in the face of such impending disaster they had something to focus on.

OOC:
ok assuming everyone is ok with this we'll use the robo carrier craft to help us, I'll let Lionheart take Frostbot on a robot carrier, that the ship can make for him, so he can be of use.

Hitler I want a four guard robot team and I want him under constant sedation, a portable stasis or cryogenics system if possible and then we'll go down to the UK first and use the Robo Carriers where possible to bounce a signal around the earth to transmit what is going on.

Sj

"I can't accept that plan. I don't believe that is Nowhere Boy," Anyman says, disagreeing. "Remember, there are hundreds of us if not thousands that are part of the Devourer. That includes Nowhere Boy. So it could have been one of the copies from another universe that sent us that message. Their universe can't be that different from ours and so what Nowhere Boy knows, some of the other copies of him might know as well."

"For that matter, if we separate, we will have no assurance that the next time we see each other we will be "ourselves". We could be one of our "others" or have been taken down alone and absorbed and made into a part of the Devourer. If we separate, we will have to each attack the Devourer as we see fit individually because we can never trust each other again after we separate."

"How can any of you prove to me that you are the "real" you," he says to drive the point home, "if we do not use the Dark Powers to help us determine that fact? I only knew it was "you" before I teleported you here because I used the Dark Power to scan and find "you". How many times can we use the Dark Powers before they are used against us?"

"You talk like we should take days to figure out what to do to defeat the Devourer. I disagree. We have to finish him off today. To go off and do these other things is like running around to put out small fires while a firestorm bears down on you. It may feel good but gets nothing important done in the time left to us."

"We have to figure out a way to attack him TODAY! Not tomorrow!"

"Ow i like the sound of that. Better to die fighting then running around like a blue ass fly, maybe in being tactical we are over thinking. If we attack all as one we can catch it off guard i mean we would have to be crazy right?" sentinel chuckled

"and besides if we don't leave each others sides we know dam sure we are who we say we are. Today maybe a good day to die, we don't have a lot of choice anyway, if we could find a sure fire way to guarantee none of us will be 'replaced' or prevent it then splitting up may be an option but who's to say one of us hasn't been already?" Steve questioned as his eyes narrowed

OOC: Yeah lets throw some paranoia into the mix lol

Admin wrote:OOC This 'final' confrontation is indeed a way to some kind of 'normalcy' (if such a thing can be applied to superhero games) and away from the Dark power, the cosmic forces and world shattering events. I see David M's post in the OOC section and agree - we've played the Dark power/cosmic level card for a long time now, and it's time for a change. Rather than simply 'reboot' there's this last adventure to rattle through. The hints I've dropped should suggest that using the Dark Power is the *last* thing you ought to do right now - the Devourer would seize on that and quickly find a way to absorb your Darker Half - as might well have happened with Nowhere Boy. It's time for the Vanguard - with their 'ordinary' superhuman powers, to come to the fore again, but that means:


And yeah, I got the idea from the original Crisis on Infinite Earths...

OOC: Dave, Ross thanks for you honest comments in the. I don't disagree with you, regarding this cosmic adventure level and not playing our characters as generated, but equally as Paul has no gone on record as saying explicitly, using the dark power is a definite no no. I like that in the face of great uncertainty we don't take the straight up fight option, although we could.

Anyhow I think the options we've got are the options we take. I think if you go on alone, it will be divide an conquer, the very thing you've said you don't want. But if we go with the plan as I've outlined it I think we'll win this. I don't imagine, unless we're really stupid, there is a scenario where we automatically loose, but clearly Paul has hinted at actions that will bring us to a bad place, which include using the dark power. Right now being our characters, albeit putting out fires, might seem senseless but I suspect its the very thing that no one has previously tried and that is why the direct approach has previously failed and resulted in the Devourer in the first place. Not using the dark power and relying instead on what we are, means that like David and Goliath we win, but not fighting on its terms. Lets stick with the plan, its for the best.

Sj

"and besides if we don't leave each others sides we know dam sure we are who we say we are. Today maybe a good day to die, we don't have a lot of choice anyway, if we could find a sure fire way to guarantee none of us will be 'replaced' or prevent it then splitting up may be an option but who's to say one of us hasn't been already?" Steve questioned as his eyes narrowed

"If one of us has been replaced, it is me," Anyman replies. "After all, I brought all of you to me with the use of my powers after finding the "right" youse. So I could be a part of the Devourer and here to spy on you and find out how you plan to destroy me, the Devourer. After all, that's my role, the role of Anyman - to infiltrate, gather information and make anyone who is against me to fear that I might be their friend or ally standing right next to them. And I do that very very well."

He smiles grimly.

"Paranoia is a survival mechanism in this case," he continues. "Which is why I don't want us to split up. Just understand, if you decide we should then once we do and I talk to the world leaders or the people of Earth over the radio, I will have nothing to do with anyone who was out of my sight because I can never be sure if you are you. And I will have to take my own steps to try to stop the Devourer."

"I figure I have one chance in four of stopping it. One chance in four of hurting it very badly and weakening it so you can try to take it down later. One chance in four of utterly failing to do anything. And one chance in four of being absorbed by it and become a part of it."

"Also three chances in four of either dying or being severely wounded in my attempt."

"Oh! And just to make your days a lot brighter ... I'm wanted on charges of mutiny and treason by the British Government. I'm pretty sure those are both hanging offenses. It's about me running off to Europe to free the remaining P'utanarians and other POWS and refusing to return when so ordered."

DavidMcMahon wrote:"Oh! And just to make your days a lot brighter ... I'm wanted on charges of mutiny and treason by the British Government. I'm pretty sure those are both hanging offenses. It's about me running off to Europe to free the remaining P'utanarians and other POWS and refusing to return when so ordered."

Frostbite shook his head and muttered under his breath,

"Chances is are they'll throw the book at us all. But they can't verily easily replace us, not our memories our lives now and in the past or what was the future we came from. We can do what we've always done and somehow succeed, but I think that thing out there is the consequence of such action. Or we could do this differently. Whatever happens, whatever we have to fight, we share with that thing, misery, terror fear, these things will be short lived for it and for us if it doesn't free the sun and let the earth breath a little.

So it needs mankind to remain alive. Moreover it has nothing to loose from us not fighting it, as its no doubt confident it will win as it has always done. But overconfidence is a weakness to. I wonder what other weaknesses it has and I'd be willing to find out from Nowhere Boy, who knows such things better than anyone what they might be. So don't give it what it wants, Lance, do the unexpected thing and give the performance you were born to give, as yourself, not as a shadow demon puppet. We go with my plan, no one has seen fit to question my orders before and now isn't the time to start."

Then turning to the others, he simple said, "Move out, once you've done we'll rendezvous in Wales."

OOC:You sure aren't making this easy with Anyman, Dave. But if we just roll with it and get this over and done with so we can finally finish up here mate ;-) Paul isn't going to TPK our characters just for the hell of it and knows we want to get back to a lower power level of campaign, so the shortest route to getting there is to run with the plan. The Shadows have never impersonated us before, there is no reason to think they will now, is there?

Sj

The Shadows have never impersonated us before, there is no reason to think they will now, is there?

IF memory serves, the Emmisary was one of Putty's other selves. You know, the guy Nowhere Boy attacked and lost to and was kidnapped by. Anyman got a "memory" flash of the Emmisary being HIM, a number of hims. So yeah, he is freaked and scared and plans to die a very glorious death. He is going along with the first part of the plan. The second part? Depends.

Steeple_jackuk wrote: The Shadows have never impersonated us before, there is no reason to think they will now, is there?

OOC *cackle* No, no reason at all... *whistle*

This paranoia thing has added an unexpected twist to the proceedings - you guys really know how to make these characters come alive, when it'd be easier to run them as cardboard cutout 2D jobs that run around hitting stuff and not much else.

General Wynn put his hand on Anymans shoulder. "Whatever higher power forced this responsibility on us knew what it was doing." he offered, looking into Lance Allards eyes. "I'm an old man. The other man inside of me, this 'Guy Saint Ives' fellow, wants his life back. There MUST be a way of giving that to him, and for me to get some peace! I had visions of retiring to the country, lording it over the locals in my own country estate and swapping war stories with some blithering old twits like myself. Pair of hunting dogs at my side, split shotgun resting on the wall and a fantastic view of the countryside. 'Cept of course it'll be onscured by the incessant bloody rain. That's by the by. Whatever those people on Earth wanted for their futures, be it growing old, raising kids, making their fortune or losing one on Booze and Women, then squandering the rest of their money, none of that will come to pass unless we stop these Shadows, and that Devourer, completely, finally. We do that, then I can rest."

The old man looked 'done in'. The exertions of reining in the Dark power, not to mention that blast that should have killed him, appeared to have left him on very borrowed time. He saw the glance in Allards eyes and chuckled "I've still got a scrap left in me, young un. I'd also like to see Lance Allard, actor, play the lead in a Hollywood movie one day. I think you would too. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!" he smiled.

A robot broke the momentary silence by announcing "The ship designated MARO has been serviced for deep space use. Its propulsion technology far outstrips this vessels capabilities, and all attempts to copy it have met with failure. It is... illogical. There is no reason this unit can ascertain to explain its speed or maneuverability."

Silver Sentinel smiled beneath the metal mask. MARO. His ship.

Lionheart didn't think there was a 'power play' taking place between Frostbite and Anyman, but it did seem that Anyman had suffered perhaps a loss of faith. The man was scarred, and not just physically. He didn't know the full details, but it seemed the Dark Power had been used to destroy an entire Alien world. He shuddered, and wondered how anyone could live with that kind of power. A glance to the viewscreen gave some idea of that power, magnified. The Devourer might once have been an honorable person like Lance Allard or Joe Hoskyn, or the others, but power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, as the saying went. The answer was truly then that no one could live with that kind of power for long, before they were completely submerged and lost their way. Something nagged at him then. An idea, a thought, but it seemed to vanish almost as soon as it had come. With a frown, he turned to the others.

Frostbite looked at Anyman, wondering what the Vanguardian would go with. His leadership was being tested, in a way, but he was in no doubt that all present were completely dedicated to the task of saving the Earth and stopping the Devourer!

OOC So, if you're all ready - and all in agreement - I will split you into teams and separate threads. If there is a change of heart and you stay together, we stay in this thread. Your call.

Looking over at sunburst and seeing in shock how the 'echo' of the young woman was fading fast. If the two of them failed to direct the suns life giving energy with MARO Steve still hoped at least being up there would give his fellow vanguard a little more time but he could never let his softer side show.

"Right what are we waiting for then lets skip to it, the end of the world beckons and i would like front row seats.....chop chop" he voice trailed of as he exited the room as he thought 'of all the vanguard that came from the future in it was little old Steve jenson from this era who can only just operate a wireless yet they couldn't duplicate his ship.....well some credit might have to go to my shadow i suppose'.

OOC: Yeah im ready to split into teams if everyone else is.

smaug wrote:"Right what are we waiting for then lets skip to it, the end of the world beckons and i would like front row seats.....chop chop".

Frostbite nodded at Sentinel's honest enthusiasm. He turned to Anyman, coming alongside Wynn and said, "This has been hard on us all, Lance, none more so than you. But we've got through this, heck we've come this far because we've also had one another's backs. If there is a higher power at work here, and I'm not ashamed to say I believe the good Lord is my shepherd, then whose to say that this has all come to a head hear, with us for such a time as this. Take courage my friend, faith, hope and love will prevail. Darkness like this devourer is ultimately self defeating, after all when its conquered and consumed everything it will only be able to turn on itself, but I trust that there is yet a higher purpose at work and someone else has our backs, besides one another.

Frostbite waved off Lionheart as he handed over Frostbot to the Machines and he got ready for his 'rescue' mission. Then waited for Anyman to join him as they got ready for their part in this mission.

OOC:
With all the stuff going on, we didn't make sure Hitler was under lock and key, I do also want to make sure that he is on ice, so as he is unable to do anything, even from containment, to escape or cause us bigger problems.

Sj

Anyman sat grim faced as he watched the boiling black cloud flow over the last shining section of the Earths sun. Frostbite watched on a screen as Sentinels ship prepared to hop away at faster than the speed of light, a concept hard to get his head around! Another screen had shown Lionheart and General Wynn safely down on their way to London.

That left the problem of how to contact the Shadow Demons, and implore, convince, even bargain with them to lend their aid to the coming struggle! Theirs was perhaps the hardest task - convince their hated enemies to throw their lot in with them, and that after the Shadow Demons had already had their own suggestion of joining forces turned down months ago!

First though Frostbite clicked a button on a panel. "Our prisoner?" he asked.

'Number One', the female shaped robot designated as first mate to Anyman on this Robo Carrier appeared on a screen. "In cryo stasis sir. His vital signs are being monitored and adjusted."

Frostbite turned to Anyman. The pair were sat in a lounge off the bridge. A circular table with a plush bench running around it had a number of plates of food on it, mostly untouched by the pair. Though they needed less sustenance and rest than normal humans, the thought of eating when the world below was cooling down rapidly was far from their minds. Anymans plan to 'rush' the Devourer with what amounted to a suicide attack had been put on ice - for now. If all else failed, giving over to the Dark Power and unleashing all of their might in one soul shattering blast might be all they could do, but against a thing millions upon millions of miles across and high, what could even the Dark Power do?

Anyman knew better than most - he had lost control and unleashed the full might of the Dark Power on a distant planet, destroying all life on it and killing billions. He was world weary, and wanted nothing more than to be rid of the Dark power. He would get his wish, one way or the other. Looking at the viewscreen in this lounge, he knew that if they survived this, by some miracle, it would mean the end of the Vanguard as he knew it!

Frostbot (OOC dispatched to go with Sentinel?) had suggested a number of possible options:

1) Use the Dark Power, with all the risks that entailed, to contact the Shadow Demons
2) Find someone who could use the supposed magic in the stone ring at Stonehenge to open a gate to the Shadow Demon world
3) Ask Hitler how to use the magic spear he had used to open a gateway to a cosmic dimension and unleash on the world an alien force, currently buried under tons of metal on the moon
4) Rescue and speak to Claude Bentham and Damon Trowers, and have them construct a machine to use against the Devourer, or some means to traverse dimensions to enter the Shadow realm
5) Use the records at Bletchley Park to track down supposed mystics and have them contact the Shadow Demons through rituals and seances
6) Travel to the most panicked places on Earth, where the Shadow Demons would be enjoying a last meal of terror and panic before the world ended! Then confront the Shadows...
7) Go to Caer Alwyn now, and speak to the Earl St John, perhaps asking if there were some way to determine if Nowhere Boy was dead, or if the vision they'd seen had really been him
8) Wait, and see what the Devourer does next
9) Revert to plan A - gather what might you can and attack the Devourer!
10) some other plan not listed...

OOC Plenty to pick from. This adventure will be more about investigation and guile than raw power, but of course it depends on the option you choose. If you go for 9, for example, it'll be a brief firework display and rolling up new characters...

4) Rescue and speak to Claude Bentham and Damon Trowers, and have them construct a machine to use against the Devourer, or some means to traverse dimensions to enter the Shadow realm
10) some other plan not listed...

"How's this for a new plan," Anyman said, turning to Frostbite, the "bandages" around his head seeming thicker as if he was trying to shield himself and contain himself at the same time. "Rescue Bentham and Trowers. Get them to use their future science to build a machine that let's us harness the powers of the Shadow Realm one last time. I'm thinking instead of attacking it straight on, we attack it in a way that doesn't harm it in any way yet gets rid of it."

"You know more about science than I do. What I know I learned in school or from reading those science fiction pulps while traveling between acting gigs. But as I understand at least one theory of multiple universes is that each universe has its own vibratory "speed". Sometimes that "speed" slows down in places, allowing things and creatures to cross from one universe to another. The greater the differences between universes, the greater the differences in the "speed" of those universes. But the things of each universe still maintain their original "speed" as it were. Time is also a "speed" vibration."

"Right now, in THIS part of THIS universe we have a huge number of beings who don't belong in this universe. Why can't we build a machine that "helps" all these beings who do not belong in this universe nor in this time back to their own universes and times? The powers of the Shadows could power it and it helps us control that power while we send everyone back to where they belong and then "patch" those areas where the "speed" changed to match this universe?"


ooc: That's my new brilliant plan. Everyone just go home! Go back to where you belong in time and space! No attacks. No damage. Just being a Good Samaritan and helping a brother home!