The NEW Vanguard! CENTURION Issue #1

CENTURION: 100HP*

The world was amazing. Amazing, dangerous, full of dangerous people both good and evil who could leap tall buildings in a single bound, punch through a tank, ignore bullets, even command metals to do their very bidding...

Steve lay back in bed, taking in the plush surroundings. Sure made his old barracks in the army look like the cess pit they were.

A knock at the door. "You decent?" A womans' voice. American, ahhh. Catherine Stowe, retired superhuman, friend of Wandafar and also a resident of this place. "Been told to take you on a tour of the local scrap yards, along with the company 'credit card' to let you take your pick."

Steve was taken aback a little. The last couple of days had been a whirlwind of battling other worldly powers, superhuman criminal escapees and a demon of all things. He wondered what was next, and what he might do when he wasn't forming gatling guns and all terrain vehicles from scrap metal with the wave of his hand. He was young, though he'd seen things that would make lesser men and women go mad!

With his pick of the scrap yards he could create a powerful suit, take the time to craft it and form a template of a standard suit of armour that could be summoned up with a moments notice, modified to suit whatever purpose he needed, and packed away at a moments notice!

"There is another thing. Once you've done that, I'd like you to check out something else. A murder victim, a Police Commissioner no less." The voice seemed to falter behind the door. "I would consider it a favour... the police have no solid leads yet, but from what I could make out from the grainy CCTV, the man wore what looked to be a hockey mask. Our database identifies him as HEADCASE, a most dangerous assassin...."

And the first villain Centurion ran into when he was Silver Sentinel, and coming into this world... as you can see HERE



*plus whatever remains from previous adventures, will advise.

OOC: Thought that name was familiar. 

IC: "My cover and private life can wait miss" Steve stated as he leaped up and welcomed the woman in almost ripping the door off its hinges in the excitement. 

"Headcase you say.....hmm" steve said looking through the young woman as he lowered himself into worn chair and recalled the masked maniac.

"Have you any leads?" He asked quickly as he snapped back to reality

"Leads? Well there were accusations of corruption against the Commissioner, and hints that he had dealings with Viktor Rosskovich, though nothing was ever proven. The newspapers had to print a retraction and make an out of court settlement of a six figure sum." said Catherine.

"I'd definitely check out the East end of London and look for leads there - some of the low life that frequent those cess pits called pubs will know about Rosskovich." she added. "Just bear in mind, when you go without a mask you make yourself easy to find. Easy to find means easy to track back here or to Justin St Johns place, and all of a sudden you've got a bunch of people in the public eye, as well as their friends and family. We found out what happens when a secret identity becomes known and bad guys head straight for your families' door."

"I can speak to our police contacts and see what forensics showed up, but the prime suspect is Headcase and he's not an easy man to find. He's not cheap to hire though, and that narrows this down to a select group that can afford his services. After all, killing a police commissioner brings heat like you wouldn't believe, and not just from the authorities. I think other costumed types will be looking in on this."

"I fancy a drink, would you like to join me? I know this place in the east end......if its even still there" he added under his breath.

It was a dive back then, you would never find a more wretched den of scum and villainy. .....it had to be the place. A smoky place were you could buy anything for a price that is, namely your very soul as the king pins there dealt in favours and when you own those men a favour you were in their pocket and there would be no going back. Men would disappear never to be seen again or worse knifed in the light of day but others would even turn their heavy heads let alone lift a finger to help and even the police wouldn't dare to tread for they too turned a blind eye. For this place.....this place was called ........the queen vic.

OOC: Que the opening credits

Catherine politely declined the drink, but added "Rain check? I need to man the station here and keep people updated on who needs what and what's happening where. Let's see about this pub you mention..." said the American...

"Queen Victoria public house. Current landlord Dennis Watts. Extensive criminal record, receiving stolen goods, sale of same, GBH, aggravated assault, suspected in half a dozen arson attacks with no clear evidence to link him... used to be in the armed forces, fought in the first Iraq War. Dishonourably discharged for striking a superior officer. Nice fellow." she said, swivelling in her chair and smiling at Steve.

=========

Suitably suited and booted in a smart dark grey suit Steve Jenson was aware that without a supply of metal he wouldn't be able to summon an armoured costume...

That said... he looked around outside the pub. There were enough flash cars here to make premiership footballers jealous. Steve had been staggered when he found out what they earned - a far cry from the pre war days with the likes of Everton and Arsenal ruling the roost and players earning a relative pittance compared to the likes of today.

How best to approach this? Wade in, throw his weight around, or buy a few drinks, listen and win confidence of people? Maybe a demonstration of power, though subtlety might be the order of the day. As he neared the door a couple of burly bouncers blocked the path. "Ay up mate, feck off. Members only innit." one said in a gruff northern accent.

"Yeah, what pikey said" said his londoner mate, a man with a face that looked like it had been used as an anvil, the nose was so flattened.

"How do I know if I want to be a member or not if I've never been inside I mean you dont buy a car without road testing it first do you?"

OOC: Shouldnt think any answer I gave would help but maybe a show of force.

IC: Steve made to carry on in and sure enough anvil face tried to grab him (presuming my super strength still works without my 'suit' I'll spend points for an incoming arm grab) as lightening the young soldier countered with his own wrist grab and forced it behind the thugs back.

"Back off or I'll tear it off and shove it up your ass"

"Jesusss.......he's he's not kidding" anvil face grunted

"You boys know of any work this looks like a fun place?" Steve asked the heavy's.

"You gotta be kidding? You crazy fu@# (OOC: Cue GM)

OOC Without any help from a suit he conjures Steve still has 5APs Strength, enough to lift 3/4 of a ton, which makes him borderline superhuman in anyones book.

Without too much effort, Steve shrugged off the bouncer. The man was big, but there was a limit to what pumping iron (and doubtless steroid abuse) could achieve!

His partner listened to what Steve had to say, then growled "Stuff that. We earn a pretty penny working doors an' ain't no one musclin' in on our action, no matter what fancy martial arts **** you pull to make your skinny *** seem stronger. Besides..."

He pulled a glock and pointed the barrel in Steve's face "We come prepared for any eventuality. That means bein' able ta deal with fruitcakes, supers, an' anyone else who ain't wanted. So get lost... or we'll be payin' someone ta dump yer body in the thames!"

OOC The guy is holding a gun, point blank, at Steves' forehead! His powers mean that he can do all sorts of wonderful things with the gun and/or the bullet, but to do so without using some subtlety will blow his cover...

This guy was making it too easy he thought, literally handing him a source of metal. No he must restrain himself and not blow his cover.....not yet anyway.

In an instant steve melted over the end of the slick barrel with just the touch of his cool skin and flicked the safety on with his mind.

"You wont kill me with the safety on, sure you dont wanna let me inside for a drink instead?"

This was the thugs last chance, if he fired his chrome side arm the gun would blow in his guerilla like hands.

The thug glanced at his pistol, then looked closer at it...

"What the... look at this!" he gestured to his friend and they seemed completely distracted by the fact the gun was sealed at the barrel!

Steve walked past through the doors as the guys tried to make sense of what they were looking at, and comparing sidearms. Not the brightest of sparks, nonetheless they would soon catch on to the fact Steve had tricked them!

Inside the pub it was smoky and noisy, no respect for smoking laws here! Various bulky goons, mean looking boss men and women, dodgy looking types and generally unsavoury people.

"OY!" shouted one of the goons from the door behind Steve as he walked to the bar. "Where is he? That bloke that just walked in?"

Steve had several options.

He could grab a woman to pull into a clinch...
Confront the men at the door...
Start a bar brawl...
Use the metal in the place to gather a suit about him (or weapon or whatever)...
Or something else - Centurion was the master of metal itself, and pipes, fittings, structural metal beams, jewellery, weapons and just about everything else could be used by the hero!

Steve was trying to fit into place and calmly started ordering a stiff drink at the bar when the thugs shouted out.
The soldier come hero rolled his eyes then span round.

"THATS ME." he answered but then followed up by shouting to no one in particular although suspecting his main audience was the gentlemen with the hand fitted suits in the corner.
"I'M NEW IN TOWN AND I'M IN NEED OF.......EMPLOYMENT. I HAVE A SET OF CERTAIN 'SKILLS'. ALLOW ME TO DEMONSTRATE."
Steve worked his way towards the doormen. He needed to get the owners attention and what better way than a show of strength. ....and if he took a couple of low life gangsters out at the same time it was a win/win situation.

What followed was an intensely bruising encounter...

Steve found himself set on not just by the doormen, but by all the ruffians, goons and hired muscle in this dive! With a smile he mentally stopped guns from firing, knives seemed to melt into liquid and pool on the floor, and knuckle dusters contracted, causing a number of men to scream out in pain!

With every satisfying punch, he pictured the Nazis he'd battled in World War II, sending one man flying across the bars length and taking out dozens of pints in the process!

"That's a waste of good beer!" he bellowed theatrically, stopping to take a swig whilst ducking another flung punch! Another guy smashed a stool over the back of Steves' head - drawing not even a flinch from the superhuman!

OOC With 10 Body he's night on bulletproof. A grenade might shake him up some, but on the whole think... say, Luke Cage levels of invulnerability.

Pulling a face, Steve muttered "Did I see good beer? This is swill! No wonder you're all so angry!" He got stuck in, laying left and right with meaty hooks, uppercuts and kicks! Men flew this way and that, and finally, when the sound of breaking wood and glass died down, he was the last man standing!

A woman sat in the corner, drawing on a cigarette in a holder. She was was dressed in a suit, hat with veil across her face. Her cool gaze took Steve in, then she glanced around.

The pub looked like a bomb had gone off in it...

"You can look after yourself..." she purred, with hint of an accent. Italian? Russian?

"I tell you what. I try you out. I give you address. You go there, meet men, bring back steel suitcase. You do this, I hire you. Yes?" she said, leaning back so her features were covered in shadow.

The barman peeped over the bar, eyes wide and trying to take in what had happened. "Uh, don't like the beer? How about a shot mister? No need to get so angry if you don't like what I serve up..."

"Is that it?" Steve answered as cocky and thug like as possible as he scowled at her lackies, he wondered if any of them was the man he was looking for. 

"No questions asked though right?" He quickly added

"Return here when job is done. I think maybe you get in easier next time." said the woman, who gave a glance around the smashed up pub.

She passed over a piece of paper. Vectrek corporation. The name was unfamiliar to Steve, not surprising given he wasn't really a native of this timeline. Professor Alison Eckharte. A time. Steve glanced at a clock on the wall. He had an hour to get there. Then what? Collect a suitcase from this woman? What was in it? Would she give it willingly?

Steve had a couple of choices - go through with it, play the role and infiltrate the underworld in a way the police and security forces might never be able to, or take the people in the pub out. Technically they'd done nothing wrong. He'd been the one who'd barged in like a bull in a china shop! With that in mind he knew they'd be out on the streets within the hour if he turned them over to the police. Things sure were different from wartime Europe where he could hit first and not bother asking questions later.

Within two minutes of been outside in the busy street Steve's pocket started to ring in a classic 1940's tone. He pulled the device out of his silk lined pocket, 'answer' in big letters flashed at him.
'Ah a 'mobile' like he had spotted everyone in this time line had, even kids' he thought.

"Hello" Steve answered

"Anything?" Replied Catherine

"How did you...? Never mind. I'm off to vectrek, I need directions and info, what do we know and who is professor Alison Eckharte?"

"Vectrek? They are a powerful multinational company run by a man named Victor Eckharte. His interests include weapons design and manufacture, property investment, media companies, mining and a number of other areas including space exploration, an as yet fledgling enterprise." replied Catherine.

"His daughter, Alison, is the youngest of his three children, in her early twenties. She is in Britain whilst lecturing at Oxford university, but also spends her free time managing her fathers business interests in the UK. You could say she is being given 'work experience'. Though he has been accused of many things, Victor Eckharte has never been convicted of a crime. Indeed, he has won substantial damages from suing anyone who speaks out of turn against him. The BBC Panorama program was said to have run an expose against some of Eckhartes African mining interests, only for the program to be pulled from the schedules and an unreserved apology given by the BBC and the British Government. It seems his reach is far indeed."

"Alison Eckharte is a child prodigy, a genius, by any measure. Her IQ was measured at over 150 and her interests range from Physics to Chemistry to Quantum Mechanics. She attained her degreesin her teens, and was notable for achieving several firsts. If there is a scale for A grade students Ms Eckharte is above it. She is also fluent in half a dozen languages, can play several musical instruments at the highest level. Ms Eckharte is also the patron of a number of charities and regularly hosts fundraising events for impoverished children around the world. Be very, very careful how you tread around this young woman Centurion"

The phone popped up with instructions on how to get to the Vectrek London office, a towering skyscraper set in the heart of the financial district.

OOC: I assume the case they gave me may be trapped or monitored in some way to make sure I dont open it. Is the case metal? If in any way Steve could check the contents with his metal manipulation powers so we know what we are dealing with and report before Steve hangs up?

OOC: Thats ok then i was worried i was carrying a bomb or something. ....have i just given you an idea????

IC: Steve stood on the roof of an adjacent building to the towering obolisk that was the vectrek skyscraper. He was surrounded by melted remains of air con units and over his eyes he looked like he was wearing night vision goggles which also engulfed half of his face. The device whirled and clicked as it came into focus but they weren't for use at night but picked out heat signals through the infra-red spectrum. There, on the top floor just above the R and D departments, was the CEO office and one slim heat signature (OOC: Should i roll to see if i can spot anymore.....maybe any lazer gun implacements : ) )

'Must be Eckharte. I doubt i can just make an appointment and stroll on in. No i need to talk to her alone and fine out whats in the case.'

Steve turned the dial on the headset, he guessed he only had minutes before it returned to slag, the pict feed changed to more of a purple hue and zoomed in.

(OOC: I would like to check for electrical devices now, CCTV and alarm systems. We dont want to be interupted. I dont wish to startle her and dont mean her any harm i just want my 'way in' and bring any terrorist organisations down)

OOC Nice use of your power. It can come up with any gadget that is 'reasonable' to create with modern technology, and some future tech (jet packs, laser guns etc) as well.

Adjusting the sights on his funky headgear, Centurion looked through various spectrums... Ultra Violet, Infra Red...

He saw the building was quite full on every floor. Busy people showed up as red blobs going about their business. The upper floors were his focus, and he changed from Thermal to X Ray and started scanning about, adding telescopic vision into the mix too. There! It had taken minutes of searching, but he saw a room with a dozen or so people sat around a long table, all suited and serious types, whilst a woman - the quite lovely young Professor Alison Eckharte - strode about giving a presentation on a white board, with the steel briefcase attached to her wrist by a chain. She was on something like... Centurion counted... the 15th floor. He saw several security cameras of the domed type in the ceiling, whilst the windows were of a glass that was designed not to shatter and be bullet resistant to a degree. There was also something else. Two men stood as bodyguards outside, but one man sat inside the room was in some way different. He was sat at the table and Centurions X Ray vision showed a dense mass, but was blocked from penetrating further.

Too dense for X Ray vision to penetrate?

The man, a fellow in his early forties, with close cropped blond hair, perma - scowl and athletic form inside an expensive suit, suddenly turned and looked towards the window.

He stood, and started to walk over to it. How? What had...?

Who was he, what was his connection to Eckharte, and what was in the briefcase that was so important for the criminal hierarchy of London to want it so badly?

OOC Perception check...2d10 → [4,8] = (12) Good enough.

Centurion turned at the sound of screeching tyres. Four white transit vans were travelling at speed down a side street and heading towards the Vectrek building! And a scan with X Ray vision revealed... half a dozen goons in each, with balaclavas and automatic weapons! Centurion hadn't been sent to retrieve the case... he was there as a distraction! The vans would be outside the ground floor lobby of the building in moments!

"Bloody hell" steve exclaimed "party crashers eh?"

Being a bit of a technophobe and from the 1940's Steve had no idea how to 'hack' like his old pals from the future, and changes are with a multi million pound company like Vectrek security was bound to be sky high but he had to warn them. There had to be another way.....'ah yes. That'll do nicely'.

Without even thinking about it, almost like taking a breath, Steve had willed a new alloy suit which was locking over lapping panels as he quickly formulated a plan (by plan or course this ment wing it and often make things explode).

The man out of time stepped of the edge of the building, dropping down a good 10 metres before the suit had finished mophing the jet pads over his shoulders, then lauched himself towards to office tower.

(OOC: Im thinking a roll will be needed but i would like the phone in steve's pocket to integrate with the suit (this was the 'plan' he spoke of) and contact Alison via her bluetooth head set (of course she has one she's a big wig and they all have them......if not her mobile would do ; ) ), maybe she has a good security team that'll keep her safe while i kick butt. I'm guessing its too late to evac the building though

Forming a suit about him (no roll required, he can cook up a 'standard' suit using metals from all around him seeing as buildings are constructed of them alongside brick and stone) and stepping off the roof he activated the still morphing jets on his back and they kicked in before he'd dropped 20m...

His helmet formed a hud in his vision and complicated circuitry wired itself up and he made a call...

"Hello? Who is this? I'm in a meeting and this is a private line..." said Alison Eckharte...

The vans screeched to a halt around the base of the building and men spilled out... Whilst they wore suits, they were clearly dressed in something else underneath. The guns they carried didn't even remotely look like conventional guns... and neither did the blast of fire from the backpacks they wore as they took to the sky and started heading up.. up.. up!

"Miss Eckharte, you have company. ......the type with machine guns and jet packs. I will try to hold them off just get to safety"

OCC: What are those packs made from? I know as a hero its kinda frowned upon just to melt there packs and make them drop out of the sky like frozen poo from a aeroplane toilet.....but that kinda sounds pretty cool ☺

Sod it as a nod to spiderman if the jet packs are based on a metal alloy i could always clump them up in a ball and hang them from a lamp post (not like a noose)

Some of the people from vans had gone into the lobby. He could deal with those if they got past this buildings security. The jetpacks though were another matter...

Sentinel smiled.

With a wave of his hand and a gesture, the metal in the jetpack nearest him, a man flying straight up the side of the building towards the floor where Eckharte held her meeting. It immediately stopped working and instead formed a hook, pole and length of metal cable to string the hapless fellow up from, dangling ineffectually from his back and wondering just what had happened!

The others followed, until they were all dangling from the building side on cables, hanging forty feet from the floor! Likewise, their weapons and other equipment were all fused and crumpled!

Now, time to get in there and see what had happened with those others from the lobby!

Suddenly there was a huge explosion from the side of the building! Billowing fire and smoke spewed forth, showering glass outwards from the building wall.

Black smoke continued to belch, but Sentinel could hear coughing and screams from within the building. A quick look suggested that wasn't on the same as Eckharte was, but people still needed help!

"Miss Eckharte is there a safe room you and your people can get to? If not barricade the doors and find a place to hide."

"Who are you" Alison replied "I can hear gun fire."

"I'm a friend, now go." Steve tapped his headset one more time and cut the line.

He made his way to the breached section of the building while readying his wrist mounted plasma pistols. Steve entered wear the smoke was thickest in the hope that his visor sensors would give him the upper hand and the drop on any unsuspecting assalent although his suit wasnt exactly built for stealth.

Between the thermo rockets from his boots and the stablizers sproutting from underneath his alloy shoulder blades the small fires around the offices were fanning and reducing but so was his cover from the noxious black plumes.

OOC Good to have you back Ross

Centurion

Through the acrid black smoke the metal clad man strode carefully...

Adjusting the specs of his helmet he scanned through ultra violet... then infra red... They 'white' out momentarily and adjust... And he turns into a laser blast!

OOC 2d10 → [1,6] = (7) Miss

Centurion weaved to the side as an energy blast flashed past him! He wasn't the quickest on his feet, but these guys didn't seem overly accurate. Bad news for them, great news for him!

Adjusting his own blasters to reply, he turned to fire... and picked up... four more heat signatures, stepping from the shadows and smoke! Suddenly he was surrounded!

OOC There are FIVE of these guys, dressed in suits, dark shades and bowler hats. In their hands are umbrellas that double as laser blasters... and in the other hand, ordinary briefcases...? Centurion wins initiative... doing anything special, going for one, two, all five? To KO, capture or something else? You also note that in this wide open plan office the smashed furniture is acting as barricade to a number of employees who are cowering in fear. At a glance Centurion can see around ten innocents that might get caught in the crossfire...