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

The Vanguard

Majestic wasn't laughing any more. His strength, his power, was enough to defeat armies, even a small army of superhumans. He was impervious to anything save a small nuclear blast, and even then... And yet... and yet these strangers, these people that 'didn't exist', were on no file or record, were unheard of by the rebels they'd interrogated, even tortured to death, were hurting him.

He glanced down at the shimmering black energy coating his form.

"ENOUGH!" he bellowed. He swallowed his pride and turned to those on the roof, waving them down. This was it! His legion would mop up, but first he would flatten as many of these traitors as he could by himself! He would warn the others to keep quiet about their involvement. It would be as if Majestic himself had done it all!

He stepped up to the freakish 'putty man', snarled, and delivered blow after blow to the monstrous thing!

OOC 1d20+2+6=27 Hit, 2d6+46=51 Htc. A total of 51 Htc, reduced to 17 by Puttys dividers, but enough to push Putty back. Majestic uses 1 frame. Putty, Response?

He turns, delivers a blow to Stormwarden with an overhand, chopping left!

OOC 1d20+2+6=13 Miss, 2d6+46=57 He swings again 1d20+2+6=24 Hit, 2d6+46=53 Htc. Stormwarden, Response? Majestic has used 3/6 frames by now.

Majestic flies up (OOC 1 frame) and delivers a chopping blow to Frostbite!

OOC 1d20+2+6=13 Miss, 2d6+46=54 and again 1d20+2+6=10 Miss, 2d6+46=53. Majestic has used 6 frames. He is out of reach of melee combat, being some 7 metres up, unless Putty stretches.

Frostbite ducks and dodges as best he can. He is desperate now - one more hit from this monster could finish him off!

<<Alert! Alert!>> screamed the computer inside his mind.

Shrike moves (OOC 1 frame) to Putty, then attacks him with a fierce screech!

OOC 1d20+2+6=28 Hit, Critical, 2d6=12 Htk, 1d6=6 Htc (uhm, wow - not seen that before on the dice roller. Three max rolls), 1d20+2+6=10 Miss, 2d6=6, 1d6=1, 1d20+2+6=21 Hit, 2d6=6 Htk, 1d6=6 Htc Putty, Responses?

The Nazis on the roof brave the wind and rain to come down and start heading over. Some run, others fly. Still, it will be a short time before they reach the combat area. (OOC next round)

OOC Responses from Stormwarden and Putty, then 2 frames to you guys.

OOC 1d20+2+6=27 Hit, 2d6+46=51 Htc. A total of 51 Htc, reduced to 17 by Puttys dividers, but enough to push Putty back. Majestic uses 1 frame. Putty, Response?
Shrike moves (OOC 1 frame) to Putty, then attacks him with a fierce screech!

OOC 1d20+2+6=28 Hit, Critical, 2d6=12 Htk, 1d6=6 Htc (uhm, wow - not seen that before on the dice roller. Three max rolls), 1d20+2+6=10 Miss, 2d6=6, 1d6=1, 1d20+2+6=21 Hit, 2d6=6 Htk, 1d6=6 Htc Putty, Responses?

ooc: Does he push me back even though I was also using Wallcrawling to stay in place?

Response Dodge Shrike

"I escaped your foul fires once," Putty Snarls, "you shall never succeed in putting me int hem again!"

He stretches and attempts an overhand blow on Majestic.

Actions: Dodge Shrike's attack, stretch above Majestic and attempt to strike downward with my last remaining actions.

The Vanguard

OOC 1d20+2+6=13 Miss, 2d6+46=57 He swings again 1d20+2+6=24 Hit, 2d6+46=53 Htc. Stormwarden, Response? Majestic has used 3/6 frames by now.

Stormwarden ducked instinctively, trying to avoid the blow that Majestic sent at him. He couldn't afford another blow from this man!

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ooc: dodge

OOC apologies this post is late - I had everything sorted out, started to type, got 3/4 way through post, forgot about Lionhearts actions then... work called me in. It's 3.03 just got in, quick post (most of it is written out anyway in notepad) then bed!!!

The Vanguard

OOC Putty - wallcrawling will hold you in place - the punch sends your body back... and you spring forwards again! 1d6=3 For dodge (+2 dodge -2wc). Glancing blow. The Critical comes up... 1d10=2. Fast Attack: Dodge at -2. Means the dodge fails... Puttys dividers reduce damage to 3Htk, 2Htc. The other hit is reduced to 1Htk, 2Htc. Total damage (including Majestics' hit) is 21Htc 4Htk to Putty. Putty uses his last frame to attack Majestic by stretching a fist over to him. 1d20+2+2+6=26 Hit, 2d6+18=21Htc reduced to 7Htc from the Nazis (reduced) dividers

Putty arcs his body to avoid the razor sharp talons, but finds even his superhuman reflexes too slow to avoid the blow! He winces,but is still amazed by his incredible body - it seems to bend and flow with blows that would kill a normal human! He stretches an arm out to slam into Majestics' back. The big Nazi 'huffs' from the blow, but shows not much in the way of a sign he is struggling!

Frostbite turns intangible (OOC 1 action), even as he knows his friends will take the brunt of the attacks as a result. He feels this is it - all or nothing in the next few moments, and right now, it seems as if it will be nothing - for the Vanguard! Hoping to at least draw fire from the Nazi floating next to him, Frostbite quips "You can't win, Nazi. History shows your kind, whilst initially successful, eventually fails, by right winning out, or turning on yourselves!"

OOC 1d6-1=5 for Stormwardens dodge (2WC - Stormys +1 dodge) I will assume you use your remaining frame to dodge completely.

Moving with speed surprising for such a big man, Stormwarden ducks the blow aimed for him, then sees the Nazi fly up to attack Frostbite! Knowing Joe was on his last legs, Stormwarden felt obliged to draw fire - unfortunately he, too, felt much the same!

Meanwhile Lionheart concentrated again. The energy 'lion' manifested around him, then leapt once more at Majestic!

OOC 1d20+15=21 Majestic, 1d20+18=27 Lionheart, 5d6=22Htc

Majestic grunted in pain as the Lion appeared to maul him before dissipating into mist!

After that, Lionheart sped up to Shrike, determined to 'draw fire' from the others and use his incredible speed to frustrate his opponents.



OOC 1d10=9 Heroes, 1d10=4 Nazis. 3 Frames to the good guys - make 'em count!

Putty cannot believe how much damage Majetic can take! Nothing to do but continue to hit the Nazi "hero" until there is no fight left in him. So he stretches his body up and continues to pound away at the Nazi with his hands now shaped like large spiked maces.

actions: stretch to stay above Majestic and hit with all 3 frames.

Stormwarden

He was nearing the end of his own reserves. And although they were slowly turning the tables on him, Majestic was living up to his name. And so. Because the storm that was lashing London was still taking up some of his power, deep inside him, he called on the weather again, calling down fog this time. Fog to wrap around the head of Majestic, fog that would not go away!

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Using the remaining frames to summon a fog bank around Majestics head. Unlike other times, Stormy is going to fixate it onto him, using Majestics own body heat to provide the heat necessary to create it.

FROSTBITE

OOC: Hello all, wow you've been busy, hope all is well. Back from great week on Hols, lovely weather and just in time to get stuck right back in. Thanks Paul for keeping me alive, well at least till I was back anyway


IC:

Frostbite, saw the teams hopes fading, Nowhere Man, seemed to have remained ensconced within the ship, Darkshadow seemed unexpectedly and uncharacteristically to flee! Although the jury remained out on that as he went to the ship meanwhile the team had continued to hold out their own against one of the most powerful foes they'd faced. Albeit partly because his pride towered over his powers, he gave them a chance to attack supposing himself to invulnerable to their attacks. His mistake.

And whilst Darkshadow's powers seemed to have weakened his defences, Frostbite flew first out of this reach and then attacked within his intense cold seeking to stab at his mind, the one place Lionheart had had the most effect reaching.

OOC: Frostbite will move away (up down sideways etc) but within range for his powers to work but not to far from Stormwarden, in order to remain free of the effects of the paralysing storm.

Field Manipulation = 2d6=5 HTC Not great...but when life hands you lemons...!

IC: speaking into his communicator, he addressed Nowhere Man and the team. "Guys this is it, our last stand! Nowhere Man, we need you and we need you now man. The cavalierly are rolling in and we're all but spent."

Sj

The Vanguard

Putty continues to hammer away at the seemingly invincible Majestic. Of course, he'd heard about this metahuman and assumed much of what was spouted on state run tv was propaganda, but it was true. He was only 2nd in power to Adjutant, albeit a distant 2nd.

That still made him more powerful than a small army of 'normal' metahumans!

OOC 1d20+2+2+6=27 Hit, 2d6+18=22, 1d20+2+2+6=20 Hit, 2d6+18=25, 1d20+2+2+6=29 Hit, 2d6+18=24. All HTC damage, total 71, divided by three thanks to reduced dividers, 23 damage. Solid hits. Majestic has now taken 159Htc damage! 1 frame remaining for Putty

There was less of the chatter now from Majestic. With three solid blows connecting on him, and with his still glowing with the dark energy surrounding his form, he knew there was something badly wrong. By any measure he considered himself invulnerable to normal blows, even those delivered by superhumans. Adjutant himself had to grudgingly admit Majestic was his near equal! Or did he? Perhaps the arrogant Adjutant had merely been stringing him along? Maybe... maybe Majestic wasn't as powerful as he thought he was? As another blow connected in his ribs eliciting a grunt, he ground his teeth in anger. "NEIN!" he bellowed determined to show these traitors and the world that he, he only, was MAJESTIC!

The weather across London seemed to die down suddenly, the wind become less severe, the rain less driving and painful, the thunder and lightning abating...

Around Majestic there seemed to gather a perfect impenetrable sphere of fog! It billowed and coalesced tightly around the Nazi, completely obscuring him from view - and obscuring the Nazis on vision! "What...?" he cried, from within the fog! This was... this was so dense as to be completely opaque! He couldn't even see his hand held up a few inches from his face until it hovered in front of his eyes!

OOC Stormwarden uses an Action to shift the weather from all out raging storm to a sphere of fog centred and clinging to Majestic. He has 2 frames remaining this round, one of which he can take before the Nazis act.

Frostbite moves back, then thrusts a hand out! The fog around Majestic suddenly freezes! The Nazi is encapsulated in a sphere of ice! (OOC side effect, 5htc with reduced dividers meaning Majestic has now taken 164Htc. He is staggered.) The ice ball with the Nazi within drops to the ground with a solid THUNK! Parts have broken away but the bulk of the 8' sphere remains intact!

OOC Frostbite used an action and a frame (to move away). He has 1 frame left after the Nazis act.

The Vanguards leader speaks into his communicator "Guys this is it, our last stand! Nowhere Man, we need you and we need you now man. The cavalierly are rolling in and we're all but spent."

There came a crackle, and Nowhere Man replied. "I think I've gotten enough information to reprogram the neuralyzer to stop Majestic. It's a one shot deal. If it doesn't work, he'll kick our backsides. If it does work, the device is done. We'll have nothing to use on Adjutant."

There was a pause, then Nowhere Man added "...Darkshadow. Wait! What are you... Take this with you dammit!"

Darkshadow burst, intangible, from the side of the ship. He sped straight for the ball of ice that encapsulated Majestic. There was no sign of the device in his hands!

All of a sudden, Frostbite, Stormwarden and Nowhere Man knew what Darkshadow was about to do. Even Putty, recently awoken, sensed that something was about to happen.

Before any of the Awoken could cry out, Darkshadow turned tangible... and seemingly exploded with power!

"MORTAL! YOU MEDDLE WITH FORCES BEYOND YOUR KNOWING! WE ARE THE AWOKEN! WE ARE POWER PERSONIFIED! AND YOU ... YOU ARE LESS THAN NOTHING!"

The voice came only from Darkshadows' rough location, but seemed to reverberate around London!

=========

In space...

Adjutant watched as the final part of the superstructure for the space station drifted into place. Without his incalculable strength and power, such an engineering feat would have remained impossible! However, now the 3rd Reich had not only a functional space station fit for habitation and full scale operations, but also a platform for mounting anti-missile defences! Combined with his and others power, even that blow-hard Majestic, there was no doubt that the 3rd Reich would... would...

In the cold vacuum of space, an environment so impossibly harsh yet still one that could not affect the Metahuman known as Adjutant, the powerful Nazi shivered, and glanced down far below, to the Earth. Often he'd come up here, thinking, wondering what things would be like if... no. Such thoughts were useless. He narrowed his vision, scanning the European continent, but gave up after moments. The 3rd Reich was massive now, thanks in no small part to his efforts over the last few years. He'd felt a presence of some kind, a primordial power that could rival, perhaps even exceed, his own! He knew of several Americans who could claim such a feat, but they were too few to tip the balance against the Nazi Empire. This was located closer to home. Britain.

"...attention! The station is drifting!" shouted the voice in his earpiece. With a curse Adjutant got back to the job at hand but could bot help but reflect that somewhere, down there, was a power greater than his, and in their own 'back garden'. Britain. Conquered, crushed, bowed and beaten. And yet...? He shuddered again. He would have to deal with that soon enough, but for now his hands were full...

=========

Darkshadow glanced at the ground around the ship. Instantly where the mooring points were, the plascrete, impervious to everything save large scale explosions, melted like wax and flowed away from the moorings. Then Darkshadow glanced at the ship. Inside, power readings fluctuated and rippled, before beaming out brightly from consoles showing a full charge!

Finally he turned to the ice block that encapsulated Majestic. The Nazi flexed his powerful muscles, sending a cascade of ice out in every direction! "Rarrrgh!" he shouted. Lionheart stepped up, but a gesture from Darkshadow cut him off. The warrior from the future gasped... "You... you're becoming insubstantial!"

"THE POWER THAT HELD THE TIME STREAM IN CHECK AROUND MY FORM HAS BEEN USED TO HELP YOU MY BROTHERS IN ARMS! DEFEAT THE NAZIS AND RESTORE TIME TO WHAT IT WAS AND BEWARE, ALWAYS, THE SHADOWS THAT DARKEN!" said Darkshadow, before he turned to Majestic. "EVIL FESTERS IN THE NIGHT, NO HOPE FOR PEACE IS SEEN BY SIGHT, I AM THE HOPE THAT SHINES SO BRIGHT, FEAR THEE NOW DARKSHADOWS MIGHT!"

Majestic hurled a punch at Darkshadow, only for the Vanguardian to catch the fist, twist with a bone crunching flick of the wrist and spin Majestic to the floor. With his other hand he grasped Majestic by the forehead, then he looked up at Stormwarden and Frostbite. "Watch for me my friends. When hope is lowest, when the day is near done, I will return!"

With that, Darkshadow and Majestic glow bright white, a negative image in a shimmering portal of inky blackness that shrank, the light becoming a dot in the blink of an eye.

Then the Vanguardian, Darkshadow, and Majestic were gone.

Lionheart was holding his breath until he saw the other Nazis coming towards them, and Shrike still close at hand, though she was as flabbergasted by what she'd seen as the others!

"Guys!" he hissed. "GUYS!" he repeated, trying to get their attention. "We must go! NOW!"

Shrike took to the air, soaring up and round, looking down on the scene. Majestic was... She shook her head in disbelief! They'd been winning! The fight was won! And now? She glanced over at her team mates. The four were flying, running, leaping over, and would be here in moments! The day could still be won! These traitors were out on their feet!

OOC Your remaining frames gentlemen. Darkshadow is gone. If Harry ever comes back to the game, we'll sort something out, but with this he's made the ultimate sacrifice that the Vanguard might prevail. Your move.

FROSTBITE

"Guys!" he hissed. "GUYS!" he repeated, trying to get their attention. "We must go! NOW!"

Frostbite broke from his stunned reverie, his brain trying to comprehend what his senses had just revealed.

"To the ship, come on..." He said finally breaking out of the stunned trance. He hadn't time to process what had just transpired, nor what that meant for the man they knew as Jason Ash, but had become fast friends with as Darkshadow. As he moved toward the ship he said to Nowhere Man via their com's unit "We're coming give us covering fire to cover our tail."

OOC: Ok Frostbite will sweep down to the ship and wait inside for the others. Hoping that the ship's onboard defences now powered up can cut in.

OOC Your remaining frames gentlemen. Darkshadow is gone. If Harry ever comes back to the game, we'll sort something out, but with this he's made the ultimate sacrifice that the Vanguard might prevail. Your move.

Just for the record, fine way for Darkshadow/Harry to leave, but what a shame to have to loose him at all . I'm really sorry that he couldn't continue on with us and if its just life issues or some such, maybe he'll get back on board. Anyway this is turning out to be epic!

Sj

Putty is confused but knows a good idea when he hears one. He starts stretching and running for the entrance of the ship.

action: use last frame to run to ship.

Stormwarden

Stormwarden gasped as Darkshadow made that last, ultimate, sacrifice. "NO!" he screamed out. "No." he whispered. "He's gone."

"God rot them!" he ground out. In sheer anger he turned to look at the rest of the Nazi's. "I wish I could do as he did. But there is more at stake here. Even so..."

As his fellow's made their way back to the ship he unloosed the fury of the storm yet again.

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ooc. Last frames - resummon the storm on top of the Nazi's.

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A true shame to see Harry go. I know what RL can do. Take care Harry! See you again mate.

OOC I emailed Harry yesterday, but got no answer. After what, 2 months of being on here and not a word, I dare say there'd have been a good chance he wouldn't/couldn't get round to posting. That said, in the email I sent I stated the red carpet would always be rolled out for him to return, and the offer goes to any of you guys should you feel a need for a break or a battery recharge. I know what that's like having been there, so I hold nothing against anyone for putting real life first, and understand 100% absolutely, completely about getting your priorities straight. Even so, the show must go on...

The Vanguard

Frostbite reluctantly made his way round to the open doors of the ship, seeing the supposedly indestructible plascrete still bubbling like melted wax. Lionheart sped past, resisting the urge to blast Shrike one last time as the Nazi had flown beyond what he considered effective range. Stormwarden waited until Putty was clear and past him, then opened up his emotions and the full, raw unfettered might of the storm on top of the area, with the ship as the eye!

With winds howling, rain and sleet driving, thunder cracking overhead and lightning flashing across the sky, the battered, bloodied, drenched and exhausted of the Vanguard stood in the doorway of the ship, looking out on the spot where they'd seen their team mate last.

Jason Ashe, the young courier driver from London, also known as Darkshadow.

A hero.

The doors slid shut and the engines fired on the base/ship even as the turret mounted on top, repaired with incredible speed by invisible to the eye nannites, came back online and ripped out righteous fury on any Nazis foolish enough to come within range.

Inside the ship, dropping to the floor to gather their breath and their thoughts, the Vanguard felt the tug of accelerative G forces as the ship went higher, ever higher, towards the upper atmosphere.

Nowhere Man walked in. "I'm sorry. If I'd have regained my powers sooner... as it is, I won't be 'up to speed' for a day or so, and I'm not much use till then." he offered, his mood downbeat. He looked at the device in his hands. "If Adjutant gets close enough, we can use this on him. Thanks to Darkshadow, we still have a shot at setting things right."

He turned to walk out towards the lift and the other areas of the ship, then paused and spoke again. "When someone's ready, I need to be brought up to speed on what's happened. I know I've been out of the loop but... this isn't the time."

Outside the Island of Britain receded, getting smaller as the ship thundered towards space...

End of the Vanguard Issue #2

OOC please check out the OOC thread in a few mins (I need to type things up first). Putty, after the end of the next issue you'll be earning DUPs. Dave E and Kendal have been long... heck LONG overdue advances for the characters, something I've been remiss with. I'll set that straight then we'll start Issue #3 entitled...