The NEW Vangurd! Issue #3 - New Team, old problems - Lionheart/Frostbite/Silver Sentinel/Wandafar (for now - see text)

OOC: Yeah I would like to 'try' to help frosty as he is in a bit of a pinch, 2 against 1 and all that. 

IC: Steve's hydraulic harpoon gun had exhausted its self and with a jerk ejected off of his armoured forearm as if it was a shotgun cartridge. 
"Right worm boy, lets see if I cant make two of you" steve shouted as his incoming fist became a huge axe head begin to meet its target

OOC Yup, not forgotten about that writeup, and happy to use it, but Centurion cooked up a 20AP Projectile Weapon on page 7 of the thread :)The 13APs is great and all, but against the current company it'd be of limited use...

Centurion lined up the sights inside his helmet, which synced with the armour and his arm tracked the crosshair he could see inside his helmet, gatling gun spinning up with ominous intent...

Then it coughed, spat nothing and Centurions smile inside the helm dropped.

OOC By the way Ross, there's no need to toss the gatling gun - it's here for another minute and a half or so, 100% reliable and capable of spitting accurate doom out at a range of 1000 (!) miles. That said, you're the boss :)As per Ryans' prompt a 13AP 'Claw' (Axe) takes no dice action... But Centurion has 18 Strength at the moment in that walking monstrosity, so of limited use :)

Flexing huge fingers the armoured Titan strode over to where the Wolf man was chasing Frostbite. "Wha do you wan, Tin Man?" he roared.

OOC Just a heads up. You are likely to miss using hand to hand combat, simply because this guy is much more agile than you are (7 vs 13) So I figured, for now...

Centurion watched the Wolf Man move. The targeting computer couldn't track the fellow easily - he was moving around too erratically!

He pulled a fist back... and the gatling gun spat a random round into the air!

"Huh?" muttered Centurion. He pulled it down, the sight lined up, lit up red, a green light flashed, and BREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! sprayed blunt slugs at the rate of thousands of roundds a second at the Wolf Man!

OOC Roll 2d10 → [8,10] = (18) BOOM! Lots of damage, too much for Wolfie to absorb.

Centurion caught the Wolf Man smack on in the chest, pounding with round after round at the hairy foe and lifting him up, tossing him twenty feet backwards and pinning him against a wall which cracked and splintered behind!

Finally the gatling gun spun down, spent empty casings clinking to the floor. Smoke drifted from the barrel and Centurion 'blew' theatrically through the helmet.

Bombshell flew up "Yyyyyou made a misssssstake, Villains!" she rasped.

The Snake Man turned to look at the Wolf guy who was lying in a heap against the wall, top half of his body out of sight and legs jutting from the hole Centurion had chopped through the foot thick wall!

"Wwwwho ARE you pppppeople?" he hissed, forked tongue licking out.

OOC Bombshell focuses her power and blasts at Snake Man... Roll 2d10 → [7,7] = (14) DOUBLE plus 2d10 → [8,3] = (11) 25 total, 6 columns. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch!

A blinding blast of focused energy lashed out from what passed for her arm as she screamed "DDDon't ever go in my mind again!"

It created a blinding flash that caused all near to cover their eyes! When it faded the snake man was curled into a foetal ball. All around him the floor and wall was blackened, and the Snake man, on one side, was charred black. Not dead, but his skin on his back and side looked like the worst case of sunburn in history!

With a groan he keeled over and slumped in a heap. He would live, but would not get up for some time...

OOC Wolfman and Snake Man taken out. All of a sudden the battle has shifted into the Heroes favour, but those huge rolls helped.

Suddenly Bombshell groaned and fell from the air! Lionheart shouted "Catch her!" even as he started to move...

And a ghostly white smoke wreathed arm stretched from the doorway to catch the costumed, now very human, Bombshell!

Frostbite turned to see mist boiling from the doorway, and a white garbed HAUNT stride into the room, setting a dazed Bombshell on her feet gently!

Haunt, in turn, spun and stood back...

As two newcomers stepped into the room! One was getting down off a spectral horse, and seemed to become more substantial. The other was a powerfully built warrior with a huge sword!

Ghost Knight spoke up. "You lot do know how to make a bloody mess of a place. First my house, then this?" he chuckled. "Seriously though..." he looked about. "Good job."

"Whatthe****!" shouted Jackhammer as he saw the enemy ranks swell and his own shrink! He looked uncertainly towards the Black dome in the centre of the room, and took several steps back. "Now... Now... youguysshouldknowwearepreparedforveryeventuality!We... you are..."

Ghost Knight shouted "Shut up!" and looked at the dome, at the same time the others took notice.

Stormbreaker winced at the power of the magic emanating from inside the dome. Something big... bad... was happening.

OOC In the vast reactor room there is the big black dome (kinda like one of Invisible Womans' force fields). It's about the size of a house now. Something is happening inside that dome, beside the reactor going into meltdown. Outside the dome only Jackhammer (the speedster) is still whizzing around. He's dangerous, but you guys are all together now:

Frostbite
Lionheart
Centurion
Bombshell
Haunt
Stormbreaker
Ghost Knight

Declare actions, then ... all hell is about to break loose.

"Tell me quickly," the Haunt moaned in a spectral voice, "what happens here? I feel a great need to deliver .... JUSTICE!!!!!"


actions: Find out who are the good guys, besides the ones he knows about, and who are the bad guys and what's up with the domed thingie. Then blast everyone in the room who isn't on his side with his Aura of Fear, maybe it will also get through the dome. Even if it doesn't, frees up everyone else to concentrate on what's inside.

Admin wrote:

OOC In the vast reactor room there is the big black dome (kinda like one of Invisible Womans' force fields). It's about the size of a house now. Something is happening inside that dome, beside the reactor going into meltdown. Outside the dome only Jackhammer (the speedster) is still whizzing around. He's dangerous, but you guys are all together now:

Frostbite
Lionheart
Centurion
Bombshell
Haunt
Stormbreaker
Ghost Knight

Declare actions, then ... all hell is about to break loose.

OOC:  That will teach me for being too quick, just deleted my post.  

Frostbite looked toward the newcomers nodding in recognition at Haunt's timely arrival before saying. "I guess the introductions and will have to wait.  In the meantime, we've a Jackhammer to jack.  If any of you folk have expertise with a black orb of deadly construction, now is the time to speak up.  Whilst I and my handy companion see if we can't stop a meltdown from preventing anyone living here for the next 100 years."  

OOC:
With that Frostbite will drift over to the reactor and attempt to get Frostbot communicating with the machinery in an attempt to shut it down or bring it under control.  Lionheart will lend a hand taking down Jackhammer, upping his speed and force field and strength as appropriate using his power reserve.  

If Centurion could help with the reactor that would be great, but it depends on what the others know or can do v the black orb and its contents.  


Sj

You know, the sword really isn't that big Paul. It's just a normal sword in size. At least for Alex. I've always pictured it changing dimensions to suit each separate wielder, but in this case it's probably around a 1 - 1.25 meters long from tip to pommel. Quite reasonably sized as far as swords go!

---

Alex rolls his eyes at the Haunt's declaration, filing him away as one of 'those ones' that were always over the top. He quickly caught sight of the dome though and winced. Despite the speedster zipping around the room, there was obviously enough combat evidence to show that whatever fight had been going on here was pretty well wrapped up. It left him the luxury of focusing on the dome and whatever was happening inside it.

"The dome is magical, it matches one I saw earlier today. There's a demon inside of it most likely then, or some sort of sorcerer at the very least. We need to get inside and it'll likely take a few of us." He looks over the group of heroes he's found himself with then glides over to the dome. He might go off like a gunshot in a fight, but that didn't mean he couldn't think his way through a problem.

"Anyone care to join me?" He asks from his position above the dome before bringing Stormbreaker down on it with full force!

---

---

I'm hoping to get a team attack going to crack through this thing without having to use HP on it. I just got a bunch but most of everyone else is a little short on them at the moment.

Also, if it's ok I might want to spend some on character improvement.. perhaps body/invulnerability. Though holding on to them and making something for telepathic attacks might be smart too..

Bombshell, still on unsteady feet, asked "Who are these guys? M..more enemies?" She struggled to stand up straight.

"Haven't felt this weak in a while." she looked at the Dome. "Something... someone is draining nuclear energy! I wouldn't normally complain, but it's not there anymore! It's gone... which doesn't make sense... Changed, more like. But into what?"

Stormbreakers eyes widened. The nuclear reactor. This young ladies nuclear powers. Energy of colossal scope, changed into something else. And his Magic Sense, this close? The dome, a strange amalgam of physical, mental and mystical power almost shielded the fact that the magic inside the dome was enormous.

Ghost Knight spoke up. "Whatever is happening inside of that dome needs to be stopped!" He pulled up his morning star, then nodded at Stormbreaker pulling his sword up. The dome then.

Lionheart watched amidst the tangle of pipes, machines and ducting that filled the room for the telltale blur that meant Jackhammer was still zipping about.

Then Haunt announced his arrival, and unleashed his power!

Lionheart felt it wash against his shields, but knew the fellow was targeting all except those he recognised as being on his side. The man from the future... AND the past, wondered what answer Jackhammer would have to this?

OOC All inside the shield are quite effectively protected. I will roll once to aim at all the bad guys, including Jackhammer.

Roll 2d10 → [10,2] = (12)

Not enough to penetrate the dome which surrounds the reactor and those inside it.

Against Jackhammer though, it scores enough of an effect to send him running.

Lionheart can attack Jackhammer on his way out of the room, or turn his attentions towards that dome.

Frostbite uses Frostbot to communicate with the computer that ran the systems inside the reactor room.

"Curious" said the computer inside Frostbites head. "The safety controls of the reactor have been disengaged and the pressure valves have been physically disabled to ensure that the cooling of the reactor goes unchecked. Whilst certain safety measures can be reinstated via computer control, others require the valves be closed."

OOC Ok, I have Stormbreaker, Ghost Knight, Bombshell (with what power she can muster), anyone else hitting at the black dome?

Frostbite - tackle the computers, find the physical valves to close and maybe stop the inevitable, or help in taking on the dome?
Centurion - use your powers to alter the machinery inside the dome somehow, or that monstrous gatling gun to help smash that dome down?
Haunt - your fear power cannot penetrate the dome, but your fists might. Or do you have another plan?
Lionheart - try to stop the escape of Jackhammer or turn to the dome and attack physically or mentally at the thing?

Update tomorrow as soon as I know what you guys are doing. I will *assume* a physical attack on the dome if there is no other preference stated.

Admin wrote:Frostbite - tackle the computers, find the physical valves to close and maybe stop the inevitable, or help in taking on the dome?
Centurion - use your powers to alter the machinery inside the dome somehow, or that monstrous gatling gun to help smash that dome down?
Haunt - your fear power cannot penetrate the dome, but your fists might. Or do you have another plan?
Lionheart - try to stop the escape of Jackhammer or turn to the dome and attack physically or mentally at the thing?

Update tomorrow as soon as I know what you guys are doing. I will *assume* a physical attack on the dome if there is no other preference stated.[/i][/color]

Frostbite nodded to himself as Frostbot spoke to him about what had transpired from the computers domain.  "Ok shut down what you can, we've got to render the power inoperable for now, in case things with the dome go wrong.  Perhaps shutting the power down will weaken it anyway."  He said to Frostbot, before turning to the others to explain what he was going to do, so leaving the others to attack the dome.  

Meanwhile Lionheart looked at Jackhammer, the man wasn't the main threat, but at the same time letting him go only put innocent people in harms way again.  This might his best chance of taking him down and he was going to take it.  Knowing despite his own considerable speed Jackhammer could easily run circles around him, that left his mental powers.  With but a thought he blasted all he had at Jackhammer.  Seeking to take him down before it was too late.  

Sj

Meanwhile Lionheart looked at Jackhammer, the man wasn't the main threat, but at the same time letting him go only put innocent people in harms way again. This might his best chance of taking him down and he was going to take it. Knowing despite his own considerable speed Jackhammer could easily run circles around him, that left his mental powers. With but a thought he blasted all he had at Jackhammer. Seeking to take him down before it was too late.

"I am told that we have less than ten minutes to stop a nuclear meltdown," the Haunt says in his spooky voice, 'or everyone from miles away will die. I do not know much about such things but isn't there some kind of rods one lowers into water in order to slow down or stop nuclear reaction in these things? If so, where are they and can we manually lower them into the water?"


actions: try to find out if lowering rods will help, if not, attack the dome. And since someone mentioned jackhammer, make jackhammer fists to attack with. Would also like to to a zero range Fog so it obscures him and the "hex" that he stands on, but not any further out since his teammates can't see through it like he can. Just for the weird spooky effect.    

Lionheart caught the blur that was Jackhammer and knew that despite the mans great speed, he could not outrun the speed of thought!

Powering his mental blast with all his psychic energy, he unleashed what he could at the villain!

OOC using power reserve (8) to boost Mind Blast to 13, Lionheart can afford to go for a 'critical attack' which makes it harder to hit but does much more damage. Seeing as he knows he only has one shot at the bad guy, I will assume he does that.

Roll 6+6 (DOUBLE) plus 10+3=25.18RAPs. kapow!

Though Jackhammer was already out of sight, the hero knew he'd struck an awesome blow at the speedster! He heard a strangled cry from the mine shaft outside the reactor room and crashed into a heap somewhere in the darkness. He would be out for hours.

Lionheart glanced back at the dome. If they had that long.

OOC Fatiguing check for Lionheart...Roll 6+1 (7) No effect

Frostbite/Frostbot mentally inhabited the computers' innards, seeking the controls to divert cooling to the reactors core. There was evidence of foul play here, an intelligent mind had placed blocks and obstacles in a hurry which would slow expert programmers down for hours. Frostbot merely circumvented them.

Somewhere from inside the ink black dome there was a shouted curse, and Bombshell, behind Frostbite, called out "The radiation level is dropping! has the leak been stopped? No... not quite all, but slowed!"

Haunt formed huge jackhammer fists from his ghostly white arms, and the fog shrouded hero beat upon the obsidian dome, confident his power would be enough to shatter it!

OOC Roll 7+6. Effectively he's attacking the dome. If it comes down, or even gets positive raps, there will be a hole (albeit momentarily) for others to direct attacks through. Unfortunately...

Haunt recoiled. "What in the name of the nether world...?" he spluttered dramatically as his huge fists bounced clean off the domes surface without making so much as a ripple, dent or scuff. "What can withstand such a blow?"

Stormbreaker stepped up to deliver his own blow, timing it to land at the same time as Haunt in almost the same spot.

OOC Using his effect value 15 vs the domes' body. Roll 3+5.

Stormbreaker clattered the sword from the dome, nonplussed that his effort had been repelled! Whatever this dome was made of - and it appeared to be some kind of energy, like a force field - it was formed to withstand some of the most powerful attacks on the face of the Earth!

"You can't break through!" shouted a muffled voice from within. "All of your brutish force, all will come to naught!" squealed a hysterical mans voice. "I am BLACKBALL, and you? You're all dead!"

Frostbite looked up.

"BLACKBALL is a criminal with the power to generate intense force bubbles that are highly resistant to physical, mental and it is suggested, mystical force. An attack of sufficient power can overwhelm his defence, but it is also surmised that the villain can absorb kinetic and energy attacks. Formidable defence, but his offensive capabilities are limited. Records indicate the Superhero known as ADJUTANT defeated him easily enough by scooping up Blackball, force field and all, and depositing the villain into orbit. Rather than suffocate when the air inside his self styled force field ran out, the villain surrendered. Power dampening cuffs were applied and he has been incarcerated ever since. Theory - the 'Black Ball' you see before you probably stretches below the level of the ground to encapsulate the reactor. Judging by the size of the sphere the target is probably operating at the edge of his limits." said Frostbot, reeling off details gleaned from archives in the prison computers - those still operable. "A psychological profile suggests he may have a fear of spiders. That information may or may not be useful at this time."

"Something strange is still happening" said Bombshell, concentrating. "The radiation is still being changed from one form of energy into another. What can do such a thing? And why?"

Stormbreaker and Ghost Knight knew that magic was at work inside the dome and whatever incantation or spell was being used had almost been completed!

"Don't give in! Together! Strike! We need to get that dome down!" he bellowed. He tried a different tack though, and levelled his ghostly mace at the dome, appearing to blast it with mystical force!

OOC Roll 8+7 Ghost Knight makes a dent with his magic blast in the Dome, albeit one only open to those who can attack mystically.

There is a cry from within the dome. "You won't get through!" screeches the villain. "I will make the magic layer stronger!"

OOC will post more later tonight - annoying 4 year old driving me insane!

((Did we get our team attack column shift bonuses last round? =P))

---

Not meeting with any success on his first strike, even with the combined efforts Alex was about to consider a different approach. Then Blackball started going on about strengthening the magic layer of his field. Doing that would mean of course that the strength would be coming from elsewhere..

The grin that spreads across Alex's face is the grin of a predator. Lightening surges up the blade of his sword and he lets out a bellow that would have fit into a medieval action flick perfectly. Lifting Stormbringer up high he brings it crashing down again!

---

Going to hopefully go for a team attack again, This time I'm going to throw 2 HP into my AV and 4 into my EV, leaving me on 16/19 - and then I think I'll try a Critical Strike with that.

Unfortunately I think Lionheart beats my init or I'd Press the Attack.

After we see if that works or not, I want to use my Auto action to fly through any gap that might open up!

OOC: Now that we have taken down Jackhammer, Lionheart is willing to join the others and press the attack, going for physical since he can't do much else. And Frostbite will join him aiming to use his Frost based energy attack in a way that doesn't inhibit the others attacking at the same time.

Sj

"DONT JUST STAND THERE CENTURIAN" yelled lionheart

"What? Sure." Steve snapped out of it, the last couple of minutes were a lot to take in.  He had seen a great deal on his travels but one thing always remained a constant. ...things always got weirder. 

"Mwharr blackball, sounds like...."

"STEVE" interrupted frostbite

"Right....massive destruction of innocent lives got it"

OOC: If the dome is hard to break from the outside then what is it like on the inside? Is there any metal in there?

OOC Included the Team attack from the last round. It 'seems' the more damage of one type gets piled on the dome, the more it adapts to resist that kind of damage, like a living thing, almost.

And yes, Centurion, Metal? Yup...

As the team piled on the energy attacks, magic sword, pounding hammer fists, magic mace and radioactive energy blasts on the dome, Centurion tried a different tack...

Closing his eyes inside the helmet, he reached out with his senses...

There! Metal pipes, tubes, even the plutonium used to power the reactor were all different kinds of metal. His senses told him that someone... something, was attached to the reactor, but he couldn't be sure how, only that the metal was in contact with a thing that wasn't human. He had to be careful. That was a nuclear reactor, and a powerful one at that. Causing it to melt down, or explode could cause a catastrophe...

The ice coated the blackball, the sword smashed down on it, the fists hammered with superhuman speed and the magic mace blasted at it. The assault was merciless.. but for some reason the combined power of the group wasn't breaking it!

Ghost Knight called out "The magic inside is building! Whatever is going on in there is almost done! We need to get in there! NOW!!!"

Frostbot spoke inside Frostbites' head. "Theory. Though this unit cannot calculate with accuracy the power or even the existence of the 'Ghost Knights' so called mystical attack, it cannot deny that something is happening when he uses his so called enchanted weapon. There is a marked effect on the ball, whilst the physical attacks appear to make little or not effect. Suggestion: The metahuman known as Lionheart has psychic powers. Would a physical, mental and mystical attack be effective where only one or two types cannot penetrate that shield? It is possible that the attacks which are not successful actually serve to strengthen the fields' power?"

Frostbite continued to pile on the cold energy as he heard the words inside his head.

OOC Centurion can still opt to do something with the metal objects that are inside of and obscured by the jet black dome/ball. You have this round to act before whatever is happening in there happens... Ryan, didn't deduct hero points - unbeknown to Stormbreaker the more damage this thing takes the more is piled into its power reserve which powers... it's force field.

Any openings at all in the force field? If there is at least a pinhole opening, the Haunt might be able to squeeze in through it.

Admin wrote:Frostbot spoke inside Frostbites' head. "Theory. Though this unit cannot calculate with accuracy the power or even the existence of the 'Ghost Knights' so called mystical attack, it cannot deny that something is happening when he uses his so called enchanted weapon. There is a marked effect on the ball, whilst the physical attacks appear to make little or not effect. Suggestion: The metahuman known as Lionheart has psychic powers. Would a physical, mental and mystical attack be effective where only one or two types cannot penetrate that shield? It is possible that the attacks which are not successful actually serve to strengthen the fields' power?"
.[/i][/color]

"Lionheart I want you to switch tactics and attack it with your mind, those with mystical powers do the same and the rest of you who have some sort of physical attack combine them as well, Frostbot is speculating that the combination of all three types will be more than the ball can resist. But be careful, it may already be too late." Frostbite shouted as he continued to poor on his attack.

With that Lionheart nodded, not even sparing energy for a quick quip, and instead readying his mind to blast what he could find and lock onto within.

OOC: Lionheart will add his mental blast to the team attack to see if that helps crack the force field.

Sj

OOC Cha-Ching! The impenetrable ball resists all manner of strikes, seemingly getting stronger as the pressure from one kind or another of the same type strikes it... Then a breakthrough as a magic attack makes a hole... and... physical, mental and mystical strikes, all at the same time...

2d10 → [3,9] = (12) Lionheart Mental attack
2d10 → [4,5] = (9) Ghost Knight Mystical attack
2d10 → [5,10] = (15) Stormbreaker physical attack
2d10 → [3,8] = (11) Frostbite energy attack
2d10 → [7,1] = (8) Centurion, attacking inside the field with random bits of metal exploding outwards like an explosion in a nail factory
2d10 → [3,2] = (5) Bombshell, feeble attempt with what she can muster (not much) with energy blast

Team attack...

Boom.

The team concentrated on one spot, Lionheart blazing away with mental energy, Ghost Knight his magic, Stormbreaker and Frostbite powering on with magic sword and searing cold...

Centurion making all hell break loose inside, Bombshell trying her best despite being massively depleted...

There were cries inside the dome, then cracks appeared, white against the obsidian darkness... A heartbeat later there was a silent explosion and shards of darkness blew outwards in every direction... to dissipate into nothing!

The team stood to observe the reactor... what they could see of it...

Several prisoners lay around, dazed or comatose. Two were staggering aside, shards of sharp metal jutting from their bodies in a painful way. One overcame it by transmuting himself into water, like a puddle, and splashing to the floor. The other cried out, turned and changed the metal shards to stone with a glance, which caused them to break off and fall away.

The comatose form of the red skinned devil like prisoner lay on the floor.

On the reactor itself, a strange fleshy pulsing mass, like a blob (OOC you're mostly all old enough to remember the Steve McQueen movie, right?) had grown over and around the reactor, and what passed for a face, more like a giant maw, yawned open, pulsing some kind of purple energy towards what looked like an archway made of stone. The stones were etched with markings - runes - and more than the obvious question of 'how did it get here?' the one that sprang to mind was 'what are they doing with it?'

The purple energy struck the entrance to one side of the arch... and didn't exit out the other side. Instead the other side (facing the heroes) resembled an oily film, swirling with colours.

Shrieking, terrifying noises, emanated from the archway... Then it started to shimmer, like a ripple, that became more violent!

A man in prison fatigues got up off the floor, rubbing his head. He looked at the gathered heroes "You're too late!' he cried, hysterically "The master has opened the gate on the other side! They come! THEY COME!"

Something bad is happening...

Ghost Knight called out "That... that Thing on the reactor! It's feeding off the power somehow, and changing it into pure magical force!"

Stormbreaker could barely look at the pulsing mass, nearly 8m across and high, which covered most of the reactor. A leech of some kind, the mouth acting as an exhaust for it's foul breath as it spewed pure magic out and into the archway!

Bombshell called out "It's not a perfect seal! There's radiation! Let me!" She held out a hand, which glowed, and it provoked a reaction from the beast! It roared, opening two gashes in what passed for a face and revealing sharklike eyes! It ROARED!

And the entire prison shook!

OOC Initiative... Heroes..3.. Bad Guys 1. You go first. You have facing you:

Bloblike leech creature stuck to the reactor
Crazed guy cackling about the master
Watery puddle hydroman type
Guy who changes things into stone
3 Prisoners, dazed on the floor, in fatigues
Unconscious Red Skinned devil guy
The magical archway itself, made of stone and glowing with magical power - something might be coming through...

To cut down on the number of foes, the Haunt goes with the Aura of Fear right off, keeping the good guys out of it.

DavidMcMahon wrote:To cut down on the number of foes, the Haunt goes with the Aura of Fear right off, keeping the good guys out of it.

OOC: and with that I am kinda of thinking I'll wait to see what I do, since its not clear if these guys will wet their pants or not. However once Haunt has had his way with them, I think Lionheart will mop up any he can. Meanwhile Frostbite will ice the creature on the reactor, try and freeze it so its magical energy and what not cannot do any more harm.

Sj

OOC: In the meantime should we take out the arch thing....cant think that anything good with come out of it (I never guess what weird and wonderful thing we will be up against....come on a squadron of winged moles with aviator goggles lead by a ferret as there master) because it cant possibly be evil and dark. Why do all powerful beings always have to be evil?

OOC Sorry for the delay guys. Usual garbage I'm afraid. Right, let's get on with this...

Haunt fires out his devastating 'Haunt' effect...

2d10 → [7,6] = (13)

Without the incredible protective effect of the ball/dome, which was near impervious to any physical, mental or mystical force - but not all of them at once - the Haunt was able to unleash his 'Haunting' power...

Immediately the crazed guy stopped babbling about 'the master' and stood stock still in fear! the watery fellow dispersed into a puddle and started flowing away!

Another of the prisoners opened his eyes wide in fear, and started back off, with every fearful touch against pipes, ducts and machines transforming them into solid stone!

The 3 dazed prisoners cried out, and curled up into foetal balls! Whatever their powers, they would not soon use them!

The creature attached to the reactor itself seemed to be unaffected. Whether it was frozen in fear, had no means to retreat (there were no visible legs - indeed, it's almost as if the thing grew around the reactor...) or was it resistant to mental attack? There was a reaction - it stopped pulsing and blasting that strange oily energy of swirling colours at the gate.

Lionheart took his chance, unleashing his mental blast at the 'crazed' man, trying to put the fellow down!

OOC Rolls 2d10 → [3,8] = (11) for attack 8RAPs damage, leaving crazy man on 1 Mind
2d10 → [8,3] = (11) for fatigue check - no effect

The lion roared - and the mental manifestation of Lionhearts attack mauled the crazy man, calling his to scream "Massssssttttteeerrrrrrrr! Masssstttttteeeerrrrrrr!!!!"

The gate started to shimmer, the multi coloured oil like surface rippling and boiling on one side!

Stormbreaker (OOC NPC mode) stepped up to the arch, pulling back his great sword. He turned to Centurion, who clomped forward with great strides. "This needs to be destroyed before it can perform its evil task!" he declares. To his magic sense the gate was 'whiting out' - he knew now it was a gateway into another dimension! A clawed hand burst through the oily film, and started to push forward, as if straining... by the size of the thing, whatever was attached on the other end would be huge, some 8' tall or maybe more!

Frostbite blasted at the blob creature on the reactor - if he had anything to do with it the beast would feed the gate no more!

OOC 2d10 → [10,10] = (20) DOUBLE plus 2d10 → [4,1] = (5) 25 total...

With a fierce torrent of a blast Frostbite covered the creature in solid ice! With a single blast he'd turned the thing an unhealthy shade of blue!

Bombshell cried out "Radiation! Get back! BACK!" as she started to run forwards, towards the reactor!

Stormbreaker clanged the sword against the stone arch... TING!

OOC 2d10 → [4,2] = (6) Not great. It makes a dent but the thing is still intact...

Centurion reached with huge maw like hands to grasp the stone arch and physically break it!

OOC 2d10 → [7,6] = (13) which is better. 18 strength also helps. SNAP!

With a huge CRUNCH! the stone arch cracks and falls away! The oily film bursts... and a dark red skinned forearm drops to the floor, severed and spurting ichor! An unholy scream rings out as the rest of the archway shatters! Stray magic and radiation beams lance outwards, searing through anything they touch!

The heroes stagger back, shielding their eyes, save for Bombshell who staggers towards the reactor and reaches out a hand onto it, her frail human form barely visible against the blinding glow of the reactor which was about to blow... any second!

Lionheart, fast enough to get out of there himself, knew even with his great speed, he couldn't save everyone! Who to... his team mates. These others would have to...

Suddenly a blinding flash flooded the room...

=========

After what seemed an age, but was only heartbeats, the glow faded...

The team recovered their sight to see Bombshell, glowing and bright, floating off the ground. The reactor was darkened, drained. The creature attached to it seemed deflated and shivered with cold. Bombshell 'buzzed' something, but it was no sound that anyone could understand.

Then she flew up - burning straight through the stone ceiling! The glow from her flight faded as she soared upwards and away...

Frostbot spoke up inside Frostbites' mind 'The heroine known as Bombshell may have absorbed more power than she can safely contain. She will probably try to expend or expel it in as safe a manner as possible - or at least move to a safe distance before she explodes.'

The team looked about. The reactor room had been made safe. Emergency lighting came on. The villains were pretty much down and out, but the prison above needed securing still...

"Well, that went well," the Haunt says drolly while having the fog slowly build up around him, obscuring from view. "Anyone know where to take these malefactors? It is a shambles upstairs."

"Bombshell? What? We have to do something. Shes one of us."
Steve broke out of the confines of the reedbar stewed roof and searched the skies

Admin wrote:The team looked about. The reactor room had been made safe. Emergency lighting came on. The villains were pretty much down and out, but the prison above needed securing still...

OOC: Yeah for me back online after moving and getting a new internet provider...so here we go again

Frostbite exhaled long and deep, "I never want to take it that close with so many lives at stake again, agreed?" He said an impish look on his face, betraying the fact that he really wasn't as old as his responsibilities with the team sometimes portrayed.

Looking at the damage done, Frostbite had to wonder what other kinds of fallout would result from this and more importantly who was behind this staged attack. Answers that would have to wait, for now.

"We'd be gone, by the time the authorities get wind of us we want to be long gone. We can do the formal introductions later. On your way out if we see any evidence as to who was behind this take what you can, otherwise lets get someplace where we can do formal introductions and what not."

OOC: Ok so if we get out and spot any clues or evidence we can take with us, after all the authorities will take ages and by then someone worse could have happened, and in this mess would they miss it? If on our way out we spot anyone in need of help, we'll take them to the front where they won't be overlooked for medical attention. Then I am not sure if we want to get back to our HQ, since its meant to be secret and not everyone is known to us or St Johns. But lets take this away to move things on.

Sj