The Vanguard! Issue #2 - Shadow from the past, a future in tatters!

STORMWARDEN

"Typical." muttered Stormwarden. "Everytime something starts working Adjutant or something like him turns up." He stood up and away from the wall. The Storm was easy enough to control now and self-generating over the short-term. He spoke to Darkshadow. "I'm going down to our entrance. Thats the easiest way for anyone coming in. I suggest that you truss her better and try not to let her rattle you too much, eh? She's strictly small fry."

In a steady drone he intoned: "The unrelenting cruelty's of the Nazi's spare neither age, sex nor condition and England now knows the prophecy of Pidun, which foretells that the time is nigh when the people might ride 50 miles amongst the hills and valleys and not find a reeking house or find a crowing cock." His eyes alight he continued. "That prophecy is come now and we will stop it." He walked off to the lift.

Admin wrote:
By the way, Frostbite and Stormwarden are overdue an advance of some kind with regards DUPs, so give some thought to what you're after and we'll make a deal Updates later. Been on nights. Full of cold, and can't stay off the loo (more info than reqd, admittedly) and after yesterdays 2 hours of sleep my eyes are just about falling out

OOC:

Sorry to hear about the beating you've just got, lack of sleep can be torturous.

As to where we go next - I've several choices but I'll let you pick which one on account of the fact that you know what works in best. 1. Field manipulation use in one frame not two! 2. Or grade two intangibility or Intangibility switched on in one frame not two! 3.Or either - upgrade in frost energy attack, or a gimmick - quick blast or faster regeneration of energy.

I am aware that I'm constantly using field manipulation as my primary attack followed by energy blast and that besides those two I've no other offensive weapon, I'm not strong so head to head isn't an option, I'm not far down the thick skin so I can't take blows either, so I tend to hold back and blast away for the time being. I'd love to be a bit more all rounded, either able to mix it up hand to hand, or able to go down the route I'm on more so - blast and intangible etc...

But I've got lots of ideas, windpower and field manipulation go together, as does the frost energy attack, force wall of ice, thicker skin and ice weapons - like the sword I was able to make when we attacked the shadow prince for instance. So no end of possible upgrade choices. But I think the final decision ought to be up to you, as I will work that in as you see fit. If you want you can allocate the different advancements a percentage based on likely hood and roll for it. Then work out what rules or restrictions apply as we roll it out. I'm easy.

Sj

Frostbite & Lionheart

Lionheart sped about. Whatever the Germans hadn't used, taken or not been bothered to figure out, they'd thrown in here as a 'trash room'. That the power source for the whole place was in here hadn't bothered them - if it worked why worry about it? There were banks of machines along the walls, with dials, controls and screens, all dead, seemingly. He turned, frustrated. Maybe the several feet thick pile of junk strew across the floor hid something? With a sigh, he started to clear a space at super speed.

Frostbite moved over to the arm. Aside from three fingers and a thumb, it was human like, with a metal skin. Well, as human like as a Wizard of Oz style Tinman might look, albeit one with dents and years of dust and grease coated on it. He pulled at the arm, found it attached to something else.

<<Interfacing. Interesting. This machine is in 'shutdown mode' to conserve energy.>> said the internal computer. <<One moment. I am attempting to communicate with the device. Communications established. Communicating. The device is a 'service bot' designation Zenorac 7, one of a number assigned to service the needs of 'the creators'. It appears the Nazis had no need of its services once they found it was more of a service device than one that could be used for combat purposes, and tested their weapons on it before throwing it 'in the trash'. Over the years its self repair system nanobots have been repairing the robot using the junk that accumulated around it. Aside from being cosmetically challenged, it should be in serviceable condition if it can be recharged.>>

Frostbite pulled at some of the rubbish around the robot. It was larger than he originally thought, and some of the rubble took some shifting. Lionheart sped over. "Nazis used this place as a dump. Fools! This technology will have been far in advance of anything they had, but anything they couldn't understand they ripped out and threw away! I suppose once you have a few metahuman mad scientists working for you there doesn't seem much point playing about with exploratory vessels. That's what this seems to be, though whoever lived and worked in it before the Nazis did is a mystery still. Here, let me help you with that."

With telekinesis augmented strength, moving the junk was far easier and soon the robot was cleared of junk. It still had a thick lair of accumulated grime - dust and grease - over it but appeared intact, save for a number of dents still not fixed by the impressive self repair facility.



By clearing junk from the floor in a corner, Lionheart had exposed an area of the room that seemed to be cordoned off for half a dozen of the robots. There were perfectly shaped holes for its feet. "Worth a try?" he asked of Frostbite. (OOC assuming Frostbite agrees...)

Hefting the robot, Lionheart huffs and puffs a bit. "Don't... build em... like they used to..." he complained. He staggered with the weight over to the feet slots and dropped the robot in them with a clunk. Immediately, the lights in the room dimmed slightly and the core pulsed.

<<The robot has begun charging. It may reach a serviceable state in moments.>> said the computer. It was right. A dull blue gleam shone from the faceplate, and the robot flicked its head up, saying something in a strange awkward language that Frostbite couldn't get his ears or his tongue around. <<A moment please. I am uploading the basics from my internal dictionary as well as 'teaching' the robot how to speak in English. And German.>>

"How may I serve?" asked the robot, flicking its head to look at Lionheart and Frostbite. Lionheart shrugged at Frostbite "I suppose I should have guessed. From all the ancient archived films I saw, all aliens could speak English it seemed. No reason to assume otherwise here. Wonder which tv programs its been watching?" he said, genuinely interested in case the robot was able to relate anything of 'ancient tv programmes' that Lionheart appeared to be almost giddy over. Frostbite restrained a chuckle, knowing of course his computer had 'trained' the robot in moments. However, now it was active, what would they do with it?

Stormwarden & Darkshadow

"Oh don't worry." said Darkshadow, smiling beneath his mask. "I got fed up of listening to the Nazi but aren't daft enough to torture her. At least not yet." he added for the benefit of the listening Nazi woman, though Stormwarden gathered Darkshadow was winking beneath his mask from his body language. The Shadow Vanguardian gestured, and placed a gag of cloth from his tattered cape in her mouth, tying it securely. "Where you going? Need a hand?" he offered, after checking again the bonds securing the Nazi woman. She wasn't going anywhere.

Without adding anything else, he started to follow Stormwarden to the lift.

The lift pinged at the level they'd left the unconscious Nazis on. They were trussed up and sedated courtesy of Lionheart. Darkshadow led the way to a room where a number of controls were scattered across a panel that was mostly dead, though one large one had been marked in German 'Tor'. It was the only one so marked, and to Stormwardens' mind it must mean something important to the Nazis. Suddenly his eyes shone again, and in his minds eye the storm, wild and raging outside, continued to whip at the Nazi city of London. Stormwarden had a thought*. His mastery of the weather seemed limited only by his imagination. Although he was imaginative, the other problem for him was 'joining the dots' - that was, controlling the power to such a finite degree that connected what he en-visualised to what occurred. There were unknown processes in between. He'd not given too much thought to how his powers worked, only that they did. They seems to be some kind of psionic effect, a power of the mind. How far could his mind go?

"Wonder what 'Tor' means?" asked Darkshadow. "I remember as a teenager the Lore Knights hero group had a member called Tor. Wonder what happened to him?"

Thanks to Stormwardens power, the bombardment had stopped. It seemed an attack of a different kind was about to take place though...

OOC: *Actually, the GM does. I know you're developing, or were developing, abilities with DUPs. You interested in turning the Weather control Grade 3 into a 'magic' style power, with various effects available based on the weather, and 'magic points' to spend over 5 rounds. In a way, its a limitation, but it does have its perks. I was thinking conjuring up an elemental for you to control, probably of wind/air. Your normal weather effects would cost Weather points over 5 rounds, with larger areas of effect costing more points and a constant expenditure to maintain, smaller ones less so. Spin off powers/stunts could include an energy attack, boost to flying speed and allowing others to fly, basically, anything Storm can do and maybe a bit more... Your call if you fancy pursuing this ...

Frostbite & Lionheart

Admin wrote:"How may I serve?"

Frostbite gave himself a moment to think before speaking up, "I am my companions are to be served by you. Anyone entering from the outside is to be considered hostile unless we say otherwise. We need you to give us access to the control room and restore full power to this vessal. Currently our mission is compromised on account of being under attack. Please acknowledge if you understand."

Frostbite wasn't a computer engineer but being around such things long enough meant he knew he had to make sure his orders were understood. However complex this robot was, it was unlikely to have complete comprehension of the nuances of their situation.

OOC:
Ok I guess we follow the robot and let it lead us on at this point? Hoping we've got ourselves a key and not the booby prize.

Sj

Frostbite & Lionheart

"Computing. Illogical. Yet this unit understands carbon based lifeform despite previous experience suggesting lack of communicable language led to previous encounters resulting in this unit and others being shut down or destroyed. Conclusion: Carbon based life forms cannot be trusted. Proviso: This carbon based form has reactivated unit and communicated in a non aggressive manner, and somehow facilitated this units comprehension of language designation: English. Processing. This unit will obey carbon based lifeforms wishes. Scanning." said the robot. Suddenly it moved with a jolting motion from its recharge point and over to a large console bank on the far wall, moving trash aside as it went. It paused when it saw the head of another robot, smashed in and crumpled, then continued.

Once at the console it extended a number of tendril like connections from its fingers and 'plugged in' to the wall. "This vessel requires an influx of power. Suggest several sources. Solar, Electrical, Nuclear, Fission, Ion, Crobunadium, Lunarium." It turned to you. "In order to charge the cores and restore full functionality, including nanobot repair facility, power must be restored."

Frostbite & Lionheart

Admin wrote:
Once at the console it extended a number of tendril like connections from its fingers and 'plugged in' to the wall. "This vessel requires an influx of power. Suggest several sources. Solar, Electrical, Nuclear, Fission, Ion, Crobunadium, Lunarium." It turned to you. "In order to charge the cores and restore full functionality, including nanobot repair facility, power must be restored."

"Man you don't ask for much do you?" Frostbite turned to Lionheart as he considered his options. "The only way we can get energy of that kind might be Stormwarden, if he can cause lighting to strike."

Turning back to the Robot, Frostbite touched his communicator to talk to Stormwarden. "Hey buddy, we've made some limited progress here, but we could do with a large jolt of electrical energy. Is there anyway you could a lightening bolt to earth here?"

OOC: Ok assuming I'm on the right track is there anyway Stormwarden could help here, if I'm not on the right track someone else please chip in.

The other thing is what do we need to do, to channel the energy into getting the core going again?

Sj

Admin wrote:OOC Just awaiting Kendals/'Wardens response before things can move on...

eek - sorry, I missed the communicator bit so I didn't realise I was in the loop - thought he was talking to the Robot - Sorry!

Stormwarden.

Poised near the hole that they had crawled through earlier, Stormwarden listened to the communicator, barely making out the words over the lashing that the tower was making.

"You want that right on top of us!" he yelled back down the comm. "OK. I'll give it a shot."

Although he knew that at least one being was on its way to the tower, he also knew that his mates wouldn't ask him for this if it wasn't needed. Once again he concentrated, but this time he pulled the storm inwards, inwards and compacted it, building up the charge enough so that it would start grounding onto the tower itself. The gun itself, up there on the top, was almost the perfect conductor.

The Vanguard

With Stormwarden concentrating, suddenly the storm shifted in intensity.

Majestic turned to his fellow metahumans <See? The storm abates! Now we can...>



The Nazi is silenced - and blinded - by the huge lightning strike from multiple forks on the base. It takes a moment for his eyes to clear, but they are soon drenched with the rest of him as rain follows!

=========

The robot turns to Frostbite. "Power levels at 22% Repairs can commence."

Too small for the naked eye, nanobots race about the engine room, repairing rents in the containment chambers that prevent power from being stored safely. In moments, they begin to hum, then glow!

"More power is required, though from an alternate source, The capacitors have been damaged by the electrical burst and need repair. However, there is enough power still remaining to enable mobility of the base or repair the main gun. There is also a breach on level 11..." said the robot.

That would be the hole Caldwell and Frostbite made!

"I have established communications throughout the ship. I suggest you procure a bracelet which can be found on level 2. Unknown life forms are moving about on level 11. One is incorporeal, but the defence systems can be charged to render the life form tangible, though at a great cost of energy. What are your priorities?"

=========

Stormwarden saw the lights flicker about him, then grow brighter.

"Well, that did something." muttered Darkshadow. "We going out to stop whoever is outside?"

Stormwarden is about to answer until he sees the panels on the walls, dead until moments ago, light up. They reminded him of the old communication panels on the ancient TV show 'Star Trek', which of course had never been made in this timeline...

Stormwarden

Stormwarden yelled back down the communicator: "Did that do the job, or do you need another one?"

Crackle hissed back at him and he had to try hard to hear what the words were saying. Looking around him, he looked down at the bracelet that he'd put on before hand, wondered and then shrugged. "In for a penny, in for a pound." and pressed one of the buttons on it. "This is Stormwarden. Anybody? Do we need another lightning strike? Is this thing working?"

Stormwarden


"This is Stormwarden. Anybody? Do we need another lightning strike? Is this thing working?"

The big man winced as his voiced was relayed across the ship on every level. Glancing at the button he'd pressed, he made a mental note not to press it should anyone be trying to get some rest...

Frostbite

Admin wrote:
"This is Stormwarden. Anybody? Do we need another lightning strike? Is this thing working?"

"Woha, big guy. Well thats good to know that, something is working around here. Lionheart, could you superspeed up to level 2 get enough bracelets for us all including Caldwell and check on our captives as well."

Then turning back to the robot Frostbite considered his options. With power being restored they had hope, a glimmer at least. But the second problem was what to do next. Without data Frostbite felt somewhat trapped, the weight of responsibility falling on his shoulders. But before he could make a decision he needed more information, he didn't want to waste the hard one advantage.

"Robot you say we can move, what sort of speeds, can we reach space under current power levels?" It might sound like madness, but unless they could get far far away, they'd be sitting ducks for everyone of the Nazi forces.

OOC:
Ok so can we run far or fast enough away under current power - if so yes let ditch this place and get out of here, with stormwarden covering our rear with his storm powers.

If not then I suggest we fight it out, my one worry is what do we use as an alternative source of power, at least in the upper atmosphere their might be huge dollops of radiation and sunlight.

Also I will make sure that Lionheart gets bracelets for everyone, now we've got things operational we don't want to miss a trick.

Sorry this is a short post Paul, I really wanted to write more, but I don't want to loose the ship to these meta humans, if we stand still, or be attacked if we try to flee without knowing my options.

Sj

The Vanguard

Lionheart sped off, intent on gathering and handing out bracelets.

The robot mentioned something "I am linked to external scanners. The base ship has been subjected to an attack by metahumans designation: Nazis. Warning. Scan indicates one metahuman designated 'Majestic' when translated to your language as being 'Class 4' on the Hanlan-Cortez power scale. He is occupied with the inclement weather at present but is accompanied by lesser metahumans and presents a considerable danger to this vessel and all in it."

"With regards current power levels and means of propulsion, the moorings have been encased in plasto-crete, a hybrid material that requires heat and cold applied in quick succession to render pliable enough for bonds to break down. Or enough brute force applied that may damage the hull of the ship, though given time and energy, that can be repaired. Escape velocity is possible given current power levels, though at increased time length to achieve. Once into the upper atmosphere of the planet full functionality can be regained in a short time and full scale repair undertaken. Warning. This ship is of the Illanan Combine origin and the hostile Krai may yet be in evidence in this solar system. I suggest caution, should the ship achieve orbit."

The robot considered for a moment. "If Majestic and his companions can be stalled or delayed, complete repairs might be finished on the turret gun, and therefore a perimiter can be established. Be aware that the Class 4 Metahuman is resistant to most high output energy weapons for an extended period, and in that time he is unlikely to stand there and take it."

=========

Lionheart sped up to Darkshadow and handed him a bracelet. Wearing one himself, he nodded to Stormwarden. "Good work on the storm. Saved our bacon. Might need your muscle to back me up against those goons outside. Both of you. I'm checking in on Caldwell then I'll head downstairs. You want to converse with Frostbite before making any other moves? I'm happy to run interference whilst you guys get the big hits in. We fixed a robot up that seems to have taken a shine to Frostbite, or rather that computer in his chest. Anyway, see you in a few!" he said, then sped off. It seemed clear that Lionheart had forgotten about his own personal quest to stop a time travelling villain known as Saladin. Though the Vanguard never knew him in their own time, that version having died a nearly 10 years before they got their own powers, it was easy to imagine him being a hero, albeit a less serious one than most.

=========

Lionheart checked on Caldwells condition. "Amazing." he muttered, checking readings.

=========

The lift pinged and Frostbite turned to see Lionheart coming out. He tossed a bracelet that Frostbite caught easily, then turned to the lift again. He helped a limping James Caldwell out! Though bandaged around the waist, the rebel leader smiled weakly. "You breathed life into this thing. I always had theories about its function, and how this and others got here when they were clearly of no Earthly origin, but I guess that means little now. We need to get out of here and regroup..."

Lionheart smiled "I asked the computers - in the best way they knew - to fix Mr Caldwell here up in any way they could as fast as possible."

Caldwell responded by lifting his white surgery shirt (though he was wearing loose trousers underneath!) to reveal the computers had indeed rebuilt him...



"The machines had to operate and put some kind of 'liquid' metal plates over the holes they made. According to the logs, whenever the power boost kicked in they diverted most of the power to their efforts. That's why I'm up on my feet in minutes!" said Caldwell, looking down at the plates bonded to his skin. "I'm probably as much machine as man at the minute..."

Lionheart nodded "Where I come from these were common procedures. I have a number of inbuilt interfaces that aren't - unfortunately - compatible with this timeframes machines. Seems the alien technology in this ship is almost on a par, maybe exceeding in some respects, of the stuff I used in the future. Not that my future exists any more..." he said sadly.

"Warning. The Metahuman known as Majestic has rallied his forces. An attack on this vessel is imminent!" said the robot.

OOC does Stormwarden intend to go out with Darkshadow to face Majestic+friends, or are you all heading out to take on the Nazis in a battle royale to buy time for the nannites to repair the top gun Stormwarden smashed earlier...?

FROSTBITE

"Warning. The Metahuman known as Majestic has rallied his forces. An attack on this vessel is imminent!" said the robot.

"Ho boy! Here comes the rain!" Frostbite said as he sighed in anticipation of what he knew must come.

Turning quickly to Caldwell after nodding his appreciation to Lionheart, Frostbite spoke quickly knowing time was against him. "Where we come from, I think we might have called each other friends, in many ways you were a mentor. That time is gone, but here you are and we need you advice more than ever, since once again we find ourselves in a situation beyond our complete comprehension with too many variables to account for."

Motioning for Caldwell to sit, seeing as he had only just got up from his opperation, Frostbite filled Caldwell in on their situation.
"James," Frostbite said, almost unaware he'd slipped into using his first name as the situation about them worsened. "I'm inclined to stand and fight! Trying to get away seems pointless, if Majestic can following us up into the upper atmosphere, anyway. If the big gun can be made operable and in some way Majestic brought to heel, we could then make good our escape with a serviceable ship to break out the White Warlock. But I'm open to suggestions and ideas, the biggest gamble is I'm not convinced even with all of us that we can take Majestic down and win. We came here to find some sort of weakness [OOC: Is majestic this worlds Adjutant? assuming he is] is there anything we can turn up from the data base that might help us turn a weakness against him?"


OOC:
Ok this is to Paul and the rest of the team at present I'm not writing in character but what I am saying here might as well be said from me and from Frostbite.

I want to suggest if we attack we attack as a group, our best advantage is numbers and unfamiliarity but the Nazi's. In addition the storm might mean the team around Majestic are kept at bay...providing that Stormwarden isn't going to be handicapped from keeping it going?

So I want to find out if we can get the big gun going, use that to fight Majestic with our combined effort and any additional advantages we might be able to secure from the data base.

if anyone has any other bright ideas, now is the time to chip them in, it looks like someone is going to get a whooping and lets hope its not us.



Sj

OOC just to clarify - Adjutant is in a league of one in this world and your old one. Majestic is a level and a bit lower, but still more powerful than you are without your 'Dark power' (which is the current situation). I don't think you got round to meeting Majestic before things got crazy and time was shifted, so it should be interesting to see how you get on. Of course, he has friends with him, and nothing is quite so easy as lining up and slugging away at each other...

The Vanguard

Caldwell considered for a moment. "We seem to have few options. My friends in the resistance will have gone underground and I don't blame them. Aside from this base... Saying that, I need to access the computers, get the information we need!" he looked about, and moved over to a console. "Now, how to access it..." he cried out as metallic tendrils burst from his fingers to plug into a console. He stiffened, standing, then relaxed a little. "I'm in." He said. "The Nazis must have some way of monitoring their people. They know you took them out, hence Majestic and his buddies. Soldiers are on their way too. There's something else. A garbled message about some kind of creature on the loose... not far from here! Something made of glue... or putty... then it goes quiet. I need to access the security codes for the detention camp. This might take a while. Ah. Fractal encryption. Let's see if we can use one of the Nazis own programs... a back door! Good old Pierre! Got them! And Adjutant... top secret files eh?"

There was nothing from him for several seconds. Whatever this ship had done, or rather the nannites at near instant speed, they'd changed James Caldwell into something more than he was! Kind of gave Frostbite the idea to see if he could make anything of the USB stick Caldwell had given him before he died...

"Yes! I have the frequency to use on the nullifier!" he said, staggering away from the console then steadying himself. "One problem. To Nullify Adjutant with that device, someone is going to have get close enough to put it on his head..."

OOC I'll leave Frosty to digest that and see what Stormwarden wants to do before posting next.

Stormwarden

Stormwarden nodded his head as the team started making their way to the 'gap'. "The storms self generating now. It will stay up there for an hour at least. But the longer its in place, the more likely it is that other weather patterns will interupt it." He smiled ruefully. "But that could be either way - make it worse or make it lessen. Without me hanging onto it specifically I can't say for sure. But if we need any 'special effects' then I need to concentrate. As far as taking on Majestic, I think that means that we all have to go at him at once. If the storm separates him from his backup then we can have at it, even though hes going to be a tough cookie..."

OOC just to clarify - great, at one point Majestic came up and that was the first I'd heard of him I had wondered who he was and if I'd missed something. Glad to get it straightened out

Frostbite

Whatever this ship had done, or rather the nannites at near instant speed, they'd changed James Caldwell into something more than he was! Kind of gave Frostbite the idea to see if he could make anything of the USB stick Caldwell had given him before he died...

Frostbite felt beneath his protective belt, where he stored the USB stick. Not being sure what and if anything here might also help, he nudged the now conversant Caldwell.

"Before, in our time, you felt this so important for our mission then, you gave your all to get what is on this USB stick. Besides information on..." His voice trailed off as he considered mentioning SMITE, but time didn't permit. "...anyway, there might be information you can use here as well. Just make sure I get it back."

"Yes! I have the frequency to use on the nullifier!" he said, staggering away from the console then steadying himself. "One problem. To Nullify Adjutant with that device, someone is going to have get close enough to put it on his head...

"Ok if we get out of this and are able to rustle up a nullifier, either myself or Darkshadow can remain incorporeal enough to probably get close enough to use it. But in the meantime, we need to ready our defences. This ship can fly, but freeing it will take a blast of cold followed by heat or strength to free the anchor points. That means Stormwarden, Lionheart and me.

We are going into this on two fronts, we might be able to free up the ship long enough for it to be able to blast free into the atmosphere, where it can easily charge and repair quickly. With this ship we have a distinct advantage to getting into this camp and try and find our way to Stonehenge and get back to stop this madness. But in the meantime we'll have to be vigilant for an attack, we may have to leave off freeing the ship to defend it. It may buy us some time if the gun is active, in which case we might be able to yet free and deploy it.

I suggest that Stormwarden, Lionheart and myself set about trying to blast the moorings, and the rest of you get ready for an assault. James the Robots here will obey you..."

Looking down at this metal appendages, Frostbite continued,

"They may even think you a long lost relative, so you best hold fort when that gun is active we could use its back up power, to help."

Looking about he stopped for a moment to take things in, how often in such a short space of time had they face what seemed one life threatening situation following another. Barely had they had the time to take it all in and now Time itself lay in shreds.

Nodding to the group, thankful for new friends like Lionheart and old friends like Caldwell. Frostbite had to wonder if things might yet go their way. Something despite all the mess, seemed to have orchestrated things, something, perhaps even James didn't know about, fully. It had to be more than coincidence. But even so, this might be the last time he looked at this group complete. It was good to take stock, it might even be their last time to see him, when all was said and done.

Shaking his head, to scatter the anxiety that brought doubt, at their own mortality, Frostbite finally said. "Right lets get on with it."

Sj

Stormwarden


"Not much of a choice really." Stormwarden shrugged his large shoulders. "But rather take one than many at a time. I suspect that he'll concentrate on the largest target, which is me, so I might as well take the lead anyway."

He made his way to the gap.

The Vanguard

The team - Stormwarden, Frostbite, Lionheart and Darkshadow, made their way up to the level which was on the same level as the street. In the room where Caldwell and Frostbite had entered, then Stormwarden and Darkshadow later, wind howled and clutter danced about as the winds ripped at anything they could touch on! As soon as Stormwarden entered the room, everything dropped to the floor and the wind went silent, at least in here. It was as if the elements were a living being that obeyed their masters' whim!

Darkshadow, intangible, turned to the others. "Let's show these Nazi ***stards what for!" and stepped up to the wall. "What's the general plan? Take the fight to them and hope we can stay up long enough for the ship to be fixed?"

Frostbite entered the room with the others, only for a voice to call out. "Wait!"

Caldwell hobbled from the lift as best he could. "This stick thing... I interfaced with it through the machines downstairs, but they couldn't make head nor tail of what was on it. There's probably no way for me to make use of the info on there because.. well, it was written in a language that was never invented on this world. I just wanted to say... to all of you... thanks. Whatever happens, you'll have a friend in me, for what it's worth. Always."

He held out his hand to shake.

OOC I assume Frostbite shakes it.

As soon as Caldwell joined hands with Frostbite there was a 'tingle' and Frostbite staggered...

"BROTHER!" bellowed a voice in Frostbites head. He looked at Caldwell, who had a confused, terrified look on his face, and seemed not to be able to take his hand away from Frostbites!

Stormwarden and Darkshadow looked over - they'd heard it too!

"BROTHERS!" came the voice in the Vanguards' head. "JOIN! JOIN HANDS! WE WILL OPEN A GATE TO OUR EXILED BRETHREN!"

Somewhere outside, in the storm, a putty like creature heard the distant voice in his head...

The Vanguard, inside the base, looked about. Somewhere, near, there was another of their number... who, what, how, why... questions without answer. Something was about to happen, though it would take a leap of faith from the Vanguard. The mysterious beings within clearly had their own agenda. Would the Vanguard allow them to have their way?

Admin wrote:The Vanguard


"BROTHERS!" came the voice in the Vanguards' head. "JOIN! JOIN HANDS! WE WILL OPEN A GATE TO OUR EXILED BRETHREN!"

Stormwarden swallowed. He'd not liked what the voices had always said, with their constant urgings to take power, that might makes right. But he'd been able to stand it. And in this place and at this time? Should he say them nay? But..

"Wait!" he yelled. "Will we still know who we are if we do?"

The Vanguard

"YOU FOOL!" bellowed the inner voice. "MORTAL, TARRY NOT! JOIN! OPEN THE GATE WHILST THERE ARE STILL MOMENTS LEFT TO DO SO!"

The Vanguardians knew the ...whatever they were... inside had always had their agenda, but the fact that Stormwarden and the others had been protected from the time change suggested that it suited the inner powers that their hosts not be lost to them. Even so, it wasn't easy to trust them. The Vanguard seemed to be their only link to the Earth dimension, and they might decide to stay there, whatever their host might think...

Was it a chance Stormwarden and the others would take?