The New Vanguard! Lionheart Issue #5 - The Mission, Part 3

OOC Phew. That took some doing and probably took up more time than I'd like so *might* not get round to updating Frosty - but hey, sleep is overrated so we'll see what I can do. Glad I didn't lose all that. It was a recap of sorts to keep you in the picture (and to be honest, me as well - my notes are spread over several machines, some of which I don't get access to all the time. I should stick them all on Google Drive at some point. *sigh*)

NOWHERE MAN crouched on a rooftop and held a small pair of binoculars to his eyes.

"Abandoned army base, courtesy of the budget cuts. Free land for anyone to buy, fenced off and suitably off limits to prying eyes." he growled. Lionheart and Nowhere Man had followed the advanced tracking device (once he'd replaced the batteries - Wandafar was never big on small details...) implanted inside the prosthetic head of Timmy Jones thanks to Nowhere Mans' phasing power. Lionheart looked across at the dark clad man. Same driven psyche as the man he knew in another time, another place, one he called friend, and a man who had not apparently surfaced in this time line. Wherever he was, whatever he had gone through, Lionheart hoped he was alive, well, and maybe had found a measure of peace, but he doubted it.

"You see that?" Nowhere Man asked without handing over the binoculars. Lionheart squinted, activating his Telescopic Vision and saw in far greater detail what even Nowhere Mans binoculars couldn't. The army base was a series of large warehouses with armed guards around and atop of the buildings. They'd tracked a jet of some description to this location, but the signal had then gone off. Nowhere Man hadn't been too worried "Wandafar probably bought cheap batteries for it and the wiring will be made from leftover spaghetti from his dinner, I should expect." he'd muttered. "Besides, Timmys already dead, can't be much worse that Executor could do to him now."

It was true. Timmy Jones (he of the 'and his fantastical toy army' fame) had been murdered in his own home but somehow survived by transferring his psyche to one of his toy soldiers. Later he'd swapped into a mannequin from a clothes shop and gone looking for Executor on his own without much of a plan. That had been his downfall. Hopefully he was still 'alive'.

Lionheart counted thirty guards - all back kevlar type armour, head to foot with helmets obscuring their features. The guns... they were long barrelled rifles of a large calibre. At Lionhearts guess the weapon must weigh upwards of 50 kilos but the guards handled them like they were made of balsa wood.

"By the way, we won't have long before Executor figured out we activated his hidden cameras and alarms on these buildings." said Nowhere Man. Lionheart had wondered why he'd gone on a 'scouting' mission. From what he recalled of what he knew of the 'other' Nowhere Man, James Caldwell, the man behind the mask, had been a superhero known as WRAITH in a group known as the LORE KNIGHTS. Besides phasing, he could effortlessly interface with electronic devices. Handy against an Assassin who used every trick in the book and then some. Lionheart was under no illusions that the fellow would have some plan to deal with someone as powerful as himself, even if Dreadnought and Flood had proved abject failures!

OOC Perception check for Lionheart. Roll(2d10)+0: 10,9,+0 Total:19 Oh, BOOM! That will do.

Lionheart took another look at the guards. They seemed too...

"It's all very predictable. All too.. perfect... wouldn't you say?" rasped Nowhere Man. Doubtless he was scowling behind the mask. "Do you think they are all..."

"Robots." declared Lionheart. "Or androids most likely." He had noted the way they moved, perfectly in sync to ensure the base warehouses were covered from all approach angles. He'd also seen a few snipers on the rooftops of the warehouses, near invisible in the darkness.

"So." growled the man in the mask. "The situation. Inside one of those warehouses is one of the worlds top assassins who stole a fusion reactor from an abandoned superhero base thanks to the help from dozens of shrunken men, women and automatons. In addition he has with him Timmy Jones, a retired superhero stupid enough to walk into his clutches with no real plan. Inside those places we could find..." he spread his hands. "We don't know. Something dangerous. Do we two go at this, or call for help?" It seemed like he spat the last word out - must be hard for a proud man like him to ask others to help him, Lionheart figured.

OOC Right, loads of gaps filled in there and more rambling reading for you to do. Over to you.

Admin wrote:We don't know. Something dangerous. Do we two go at this, or call for help?" It seemed like he spat the last word out - must be hard for a proud man like him to ask others to help him, Lionheart figured.

OOC Right, loads of gaps filled in there and more rambling reading for you to do. Over to you.

OOC: Hmm shrinking robots....a prize worth a big risk perhaps?

Lionheart looked across at Nowhere Man, "Last time I went for help, it got a man in hospital.  Besides given you're winning ways, I suspect all your 'friends' want to mount your head on their dinning room walls.  Lets face it we are up against a master strategist, who on invading a base took every precaution conceivable and then some to prevent himself being interrupted.  We were outgunned and outmaneuvered there.  What could possible help us here on his home turf?  My feeling is the time he is most vulnerable is when he is on the move.  Then, he can't cover all his angles.  However its Timmy I worry about most.  Lets face it, if we attack its Tim whom he holds over us - no matter how we attack that is the trump card.  To be honest unless we can get past his defences and do the unthinkable, we aren't going to get the upper hand, are we?"

Lionheart pondered, if there was only a way that they could sabotage the Androids, or appear as them?  Or failing that shrink sufficient to pop up inside.  Having come from the future and from a different time line, Lionheart couldn't help wishing at that moment for a way by which they could have placed something on the base back in time they could use now.  Since popping in and out of alternate dimensions was also out of the question he felt as stumped as he was facing Timpson in the States.  

The only thing he could think, was if in doubt or desperate call Wandafar!  

"Wandafar," Lionheart said, explaining the situation as he saw it and not stopping to paint a pretty bleak picture.  Clearly Wandafar loved melodrama.  Hence his obsession with the soaps stories.  "It's looking like we need something foolproof.  He ain't showing it, but things must be bad that our friend Nowhere Man is talking about calling in support." Lionheart added so that Wandafar got the right impression about just how difficult it seemed their situation was.  

OOC: Have to confess I'm stumped as to how to get in.  If Lionheart failed last time, how could he hope to succeed when the Executor has had chance to plan and prepare for unexpected guests?  It feels cheap to call on Wandafar, but I really do want to prevent Timmy being blasted to bits, otherwise I'd just bring the roof down and take no chances.  I kind of feel like Indiana Jones with the Schimar wielding Arab, and just call in an air strike or something.  Executor, whom I've yet to even meet, just seems too well prepared for whatever clever scheme I can throw at him.  Well done mate you've stumped me!

Oh and thanks for the recap, that is what gave me the thought about miniaturization however if Executor has miniature allies I surmise getting in miniaturized is probably a bust unless we go small still?

Sj

OOC No worries about being stumped - it's one of those 'Mission Impossible' scenarios that I put out there and often get surprised with a novel or unusual way out of it. However, seeing as I *still* haven't gotten round to updating Lionhearts character sheet, I'm happy to wing this part as a flying mentalist/brick isn't the most subtle of options when stealth is required.

Wandafar spluttered down the phone. "Nowhere Men? Not him again? Ack... every time I do him a favour ze headlines say how some von got zer face busted in. Even if zey are all criminals is hard to stand trial ven you cannot talk properly for months, and never walk properly again."

"Take my advice. If he asks you to beat ze snot out of some von, think about ze legal ramifications cause half of zem he brings down are out ven zey get out of hospital und Nowhere Men is seen as ze bed guy! He is trouble, for sure. He also targets very very bed people, und unfortunately I hef to help him no matter vot because of zet. Hold on."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I em retasking a satellite. Ze Americans vill not mind. According to ze data ze instructions are from ze CIA anyvay. If zey kick up a fuss I vill leak it to ze press und ze Sun vill hef a field day going on about allies spying on us. Vitch zey do anyway. Can't blame zem."

Nowhere Man walked over. "I've been thinking. When I merge with electrical components and 'become' part of the machine, I am in essence an electrical signal. Sort of." He looked at Lionhearts raised eyebrow.

"It's a kind of magic. Anyway... I suggest..."

Wandafar interrupted on the ear piece. "Ack! Yes! I see. Hold on. Let's see... " sounds of tacka tacka tacka on the keyboard "Right. Zere are just under twenty mobile phones active on zet site near you. I can get ze psycopath in zere by calling von of zem, so long as zey pick up. Hmmm. Zis might be tricky. Hold on. Zere. So, does ze psycho hef a phone?"

Lionheart turned to Nowhere Man to see he was already holding a smartphone out in his hand for Lionheart to take. Was he listening in somehow? As soon as Lionheart took it, Nowhere Man touched a finger to it... and disappeared!

Wandafar came back on. "Get him to do his thing, zen call zis number." He gave a number. Just as Lionheart was about to dial he saw a text pop up on the screen. 'I don't know how fast you can move, but if you can do speed AND stealth I will try to map you a way in. Watch for the phone, or better still, bluetooth it to that earpiece you wear. Tell the Dwarf I'm ready to go."

Lionheart called the number (OOC I assume) and he heard it ring, then answered by a gruff voice whispering "Mum, I'm working. I will have to call you back!" before it was put down.

"Any von who hengs up on zer mother MUST be a bad guy." muttered Wandafar. A pause then... "He's in."

The screen flicked up. It was ... a google map overlay of the base. Since its decommissioning as an Army base years ago there were no restrictions on satellite imagery available online. As Lionheart watched he saw it zoom in, then a trail weave around in a seemingly random pattern leading to a back door to one of the warehouses.

'Quantum field radar. I thought it was just a theory, but Executor clearly knows his stuff or has friends who do. I must ask him more about that. Normally that would mean anything over a certain size and speed would show up, defeating any kind of current stealth technology. However, When I give you the word I want you to move as fast and as agile as you can along that path to the door. The slightest deviation will trigger as a single contact, but this way you will register as hundreds of small objects, and the system will realign to cover the possibility of say, a flock of starlings swooping in random balls. Trust me. I'm in their system right now. I can't... touch anything... but the AI for this thing has just learned what a flock of starlings looks like, and you and going to emulate one.'

'Two problems. You need to move as fast as you've ever done and you need to not be seen, so the dots on the screen...' a dozen dots highlighted 'Are the guards with night vision and who knows what else in their electronic brains. When they turn, they face away, and you need to pass by them at speed at that moment. The other thing. Sonic boom. You have a force field, right? You need to modulate it if you can to make you as slippery as possible to reduce air friction. That's the unknown part. Tell me when you are ready.'

OOC So, here we go. To get into the compound you will need...

1) A DEX check for the flight and an INT check for following the path perfectly. Hint: That may need hero point/dice!
2) Twelve (12!) successful stealth rolls! You do have the Thief skill to give you extra dice for this though.
3) An Int/Will check against your force field so make it somehow allow you to 'slide' through the air rather than leave a hole behind you which pops. Hint: this may need hero points! (Tell me how many dice if you go for it)

I don't like to make things easy, and this may seem like mission impossible, but I have faith The dice though? They are the great unknown...

Over to you.

Admin wrote:
OOC So, here we go. To get into the compound you will need...

1) A DEX check for the flight and an INT check for following the path perfectly. Hint: That may need hero point/dice!
2) Twelve (12!) successful stealth rolls! You do have the Thief skill to give you extra dice for this though.
3)  An Int/Will check against your force field so make it somehow allow you to 'slide' through the air rather than leave a hole behind you which pops. Hint: this may need hero points! (Tell me how many dice if you go for it)

I don't like to make things easy, and this may seem like mission impossible, but I have faith The dice though? They are the great unknown...

Over to you.

OOC: At this point I'd suggest its just a question of how much HP I spend to effectively rule out failure. Since failing would be bad all round spend all if you have to getting me in. And use skill as needed to cover what HP can't or would be a waste of die.

Lionheart readied himself using what mental techniques he could muster under the circumstances to draw on hidden reserves and get into the 'sweet spot' with his powers to effect a way through to join Nowhere Man.

Sj

OOC Well, with Dex boosted to 22 (power reserve Roll(2d10)+0:3,4,+0 Total:7 no problem) I would not worry about the first check.

Roll(2d10)+0: 3,2,+22 Total:27 vs TN11+OV15 (26). EV22 vs RV15= 7 RAPs. Success.

Uhhh, well that was a bit closer than I thought it would be!

Int Check vs the same. This one will be tough! Spending say... 30 HP to buy 4 extra dice.

Here goes.

Roll(6d10)+0: 2,6,10,9,10,5,+8 vs TN11 + OV12 (23). Follow up Roll(2d10)+0: 4,5,+28 Total:37 EV8+5 (from roll)=13 vs RV12. 1 RAP. Success!

And that was scraping the lowest part of the barrel in the corner!

LIONHEART HP 160

Ok, we get to the Stealth part. 8 Thief gives 4 bonus dice which really should be enough to be honest. Even if you spend HP to get more dice you would have pay 40HP for just ONE extra die. Just not worth it.

Because of the way Skills work has changed, The opposing value to avoid being spotted will be the Int/Will of the Guards (which is 7/6) PLUS a team attack (they are working as one) which gives +8 to Int for this PLUS they are alert (further +2). The Opposing value is therefore 19, the resistance value only 6.

TN11+19=30 TN.

Twelve rolls. Dex22 vs TN30 using 6D10. What could go wrong? Let's find out. If you get enough without having to get a double, I will go with that as the follow up double roll might come up double 1 (instant failure).

Roll(6d10)+0: 9,4,6,7,2,4,+22 Total:38 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 1,8,1,3,6,9,+22 Total:39 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 2,7,2,10,2,10,+22 Total:39 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 6,5,4,6,5,9,+22 Total:37 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 9,9,5,7,9,6,+22 Total:38 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 5,10,5,5,4,3,+22 Total:37 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 9,1,4,7,9,3,+22 Total:38 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 2,10,1,6,10,2,+22 Total:38 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 1,3,3,4,5,2,+22 Total:31 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 10,4,7,8,7,5,+22 Total:40 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 10,1,7,8,3,9,+22 Total:41 Success
Roll(6d10)+0: 8,9,4,7,6,2,+22 Total:41 Success

Easy!

Ok, the Forcefield part is tricky a power stunt Lionheart hasn't attempted before. Hit Int is 8, Will is only 5. The TN11 + Forcefield 7 + Modifier +4 means the TN is 22, the RV is 11. That resistance value will take some overcoming!

Using another four extra dice (30HP).

LIONHEART HP 130

Roll(6d10)+0: 3,4,4,9,9,5, follow up Roll(2d10)+0: 5,5, DOUBLE (I think you might have needed that!) plus follow up Roll(2d10)+0:
5,10,+0 Total:15. A roll of 43 (!) plus 8 Int means 51. 29 points difference gives +8 Effect boosting EV to 13 vs RV11. Success, by 2. That double roll and the last roll of 15 just (JUST!) scraped you over the line!

Lionheart sped faster, moving with more speed and agility than he'd EVER done before, tracing the path on the screen in his mind and in the air as he set off a mere fraction of a second after Nowhere Man texted 'Now!'.

Flying in a bewildering pattern, often in looping circles, over and over and around, he gritted his teeth as he forced his force field to becoming smooth and near frictionless, into a shape like a long slither that sliced through the air with barely any wake! Still he flew on, gritted teeth and flying sometimes within feet of the guards, who turned at the slightest breath of wind to see.. Nothing!

Then he was there, at the back door. He'd done it. The impossible.

He'd done it.

CLICK!

The door opened seconds later and Nowhere Man stood in the darkness beyond, opening it up. He stood silent for a moment, then rasped "What took you so long?" before turning and walking into the place!

Lionheart closed the door behind him.

=========

The warehouse was filled with wooden crates and they formed walls some twenty feet high. Hovering over the top and settling on some they looked down in the centre of the room.

Computers were set up in a circle with a dozen operators and wires trailing in thick cables off into the darkness. They sat typing at screens impossibly fast for normal humans. All were men and women and if they were not clones, they were manufactured, for the men looked the same and the women were identical too!

Further up the room there was a machine, like a round pad with a framework arcing over the top of it and prongs pointing downwards towards the pad. Several guards were stood around it. There was no sign of Executor.

"Some kind of Teleportation pad?" rasped Nowhere Man. "Do you want to look for Timmy or should we try to get rid of this lot first? PLus... Executor. He's too smart, too canny, not to have something up his sleeve. Also... what's in these crates?"

Admin wrote:"Some kind of Teleportation pad?" rasped Nowhere Man. "Do you want to look for Timmy or should we try to get rid of this lot first? PLus... Executor. He's too smart, too canny, not to have something up his sleeve. Also... what's in these crates?"

OOC: This has to rank as one of the most intense sessions of rolled dice for a single post ever. It certainly seemed tense reading it through.

Looking about the loaded warehouse, Lionheart couldn't wonder if the facility was something by way of a back up plan. Who knew what bits and pieces someone like the Executor had, had stored away for just such an occasion. Someone who grabbed what he needed, or grabbed anyway knowing he might have a need of it in the future. He surmised, that this warehouse could be full of such equipment, but then why leave it one place? Was this the right idea just wrong location. A decoy, or trap to draw the likes of Nowhere Man and Himself, something to bait the trap?

Lionheart took his time, looking at every detail of the crates around him, the room itself, even using his telescopic vision to read the screens, before him to get some idea of what information was being read or read into them. Anything that might give them a clue.

OOC: Ok looking for clues here, as I am not sure if after all this we are playing a elaborate game of cat and mouse. Or if I am over thinking this all? I'm keen to capture the Executor but once again it looks like he might be frustratingly one step ahead of us. However before we bring the house down, it might be worth getting an idea of what is going on here and what is stored etc. As to rescuing Timmy, that is what we are here for. If we can get him away from the Executor, we at least peel away one more layer of the onion skin to try and get at this slippery culprit, than before. So whilst examining the place and looking for clues, I'll want to know what we can on where Tim is and how he is being held. I am sure that itself might also be part of this, if it is in fact a trap.

Sj

Lionheart crept quietly over to a crate.

It was stamped 'Uniforms' and had the address of a military base in The UK. Curious. Were they really supplying uniforms? He thought not. Nowhere Man moved to look over Lionhearts shoulder. "Huh." he whispered. "Don't think so." He reached to the crate, phased, and stuck his head in. A moment later he popped out.

"There ARE uniforms in there... and a false bottom. With this in it..." he said, holding out a hand. It looked like... black dust? Lionheart looked at, took a sniff. Didn't smell like anything he recognised, certainly not gunpowder. What then could it be?

The granules were near infinitesimally small, the dust fine much finer grained than salt or sugar. Lionheart had a BAD feeling about this stuff!

Then he had another bad feeling.

OOC Roll(2d10)+0: 10,8,+0 Total:18 Danger Sense

He turned, and Nowhere Man glanced at him... before becoming invisible!

There was a guard coming, climbing up on the crates. What in the? They'd been near silent! How then did they know what... Then the man from the future narrowed his eyes. His instincts told him that this place would be booby trapped or monitored somehow. How... perhaps... perhaps body heat. At any time a set number of individuals would be in this place, and if these guards WERE robots, their heat signatures would be constant. Lionheart and Nowhere Man would not be! He heard the guard climbing up the crates, and knew he had only seconds to hide, or a decision to make - to confront the guard or be somewhere else when it got here!

OOC He still has a handful of the dust as a sample too.

Admin wrote:OOC He still has a handful of the dust as a sample too.

Lionheart slipped the sample into a safe compartment within his utilitarian uniform. And couldn't help wonder that for all their chasing, Executor was a wheel in a machine of many cogs and this was all part of a bigger plan. The who, how or what still mysteriously out of reach.

Lionheart didn't plan to be discovered and moved quicker than the eye could see of follow. Flying so as to minimise the sounds he made and adopting a chaotic and somewhat random pattern, he weaved about the upper areas of the warehouse and dropped down and around where it was safe to do so. All the while being mindful of the current defences and any possibility of seeing where Tim might be held.

OOC: All senses turned up to '11' and trying to get a clue as to what is going on here, before the whole place goes boom! If I am caught in conflict, and the cat is out o the bag, might as well go for the heart of the place unless I stumble on something else. The heart being what I saw the Androids doing on the consoles in the middle. See if I can't grab anything useful, like flash drives with info on or some such. Otherwise cause mayhem and try not to get to busted. Assume standard drip feed of HP where needed as needed. I have an allergy to death

Sj

Lionheart sped, blurring through the place faster than human eyes could follow!

Unfortunately he still gave off a heat signature, and a hot one at that! He saw the guards start to be drawn towards him and level guns only for him to move on a fraction of a second later! Within moments he had them rushing around, an alarm sounded and red lights blared as the base went on high alert!

Then he was in the centre of the room whilst the rest of the guards still rushed about glacially slow compared to the man from the future! There were three men and one woman here - but he was under no illusions that these were people with their glassy eyed stare and perfect, clone like features! They looked at Lionheart then turned to carry on typing away at screens. Clearly they had been give a role to do and nothing would bend them from that task!

Lionheart saw half a dozen computers, large server racks, what looked to be a power generator of some kind and that pad with the laser zapper type devices pointed at it. There were no flash drives he could see, and appeared to be ordinary computers as one might buy from a computer shop, albeit of the highest spec. Clearly whoever these people were, they were using whatever they had to hand.

"WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU HAVE MADE A GREAT ERROR IN COMING HERE." bellowed a voice over the loudhailer. "I AM A MAN WHO PREPARES FOR EVERY EVENTUALITY, AS YOU WILL SOON FIND OUT!" Executor!

Then, gas started to pour from the ceiling from what Lionheart presumed had been a fire sprinkler system!

OOC Which won't effect him for 2 minutes, plenty of time for a guy who moves so fast. Oh, his power reserve nosebleed thing for boosting Superspeed... Roll(2d10)+0: 5,4,+0 Total:9 No problem. Right, you've moved, now have a Dice action (used to attack with?) and a auto action (which can be something like picking something up) left before the guards start to reappear...

Admin wrote:OOC Which won't effect him for 2 minutes, plenty of time for a guy who moves so fast. Oh, his power reserve nosebleed thing for boosting Superspeed... Roll(2d10)+0: 5,4,+0 Total:9 No problem. Right, you've moved, now have a Dice action (used to attack with?) and a auto action (which can be something like picking something up) left before the guards start to reappear...[/color]

OOC: Ok since I have sealed systems presumably this won't effect me much anyway. And since they are using gas, I am wondering if they want to keep what is here safe and not explode the place...

Right so first things first, Nowhere Man needs to interface with these computers and find out what is going on. Judging by the input being put in, something big along with this warehouse full of stuff.

Lionheart wanted to see what he could get from the Computers, and looked over the shoulders of the 'droids' as they continued to type in to see if he could make sense of their input. The fact that the Executor was using gas made him think of two things. One the contents of this place was too important to blow it up...well at least straight away. And secondly that the fact the droids continued to ignore him and input their data suggested that they needed to continue this work uninterrupted. Therefore what was going on here in the centre was valuable. A tussle here, might be more harmful to the Executor then to him.

Lionheart took a moment to gain what he could, awaiting Nowhere Man's arrival. After waiting a bit longer, he called out. "I could be wrong but I doubt we'll learn much more skulking around, come and take a look at these computers. The fact Executor is using gas, tells me he wants this stuff undamaged. You'd best interface with this stuff to see if you can make more sense of it than me. I'm just going to await the guards and test a little theory."

OOC: Ok either this is going to go horrible wrong, in which case I will have to fight my way out of this...again. Or else I think the guards are going to show a level of restraint to protect things. I mean their meant to guard things right? Anyway here is hoping that my sealed systems can protect me long enough to test my theory.

Sj

Nowhere Mans voice crackled in Lionhearts earpiece, an impressive feat since it meant he'd hacked into one of Wandafars 'unhackable' networks.

"The encryption on these things is... resistant. What's worse is that it's neither in a language I understand or a code I can figure out, yet. That's saying something as I know most programming codes like the back of my hand. At a glance I would say we are dealing with an alien species. You need to leave, now. I have already contacted Wandafar who will use his contacts to have this place investigated." he said.

Lionheart realised what he meant. He heard thudding footsteps as dozens of guards headed for his location!

His danger sense started to blare.

"Seriously, GO! I will contact you through Wandafar." said Nowhere Man. "This place is compromised, they will move, but there's nothing the law can do - we are the intruders here, and they have seemingly done nothing wrong. Yet."

Would Lionheart leave both Timmy and Nowhere Man in this place? He still had that dust sample. Something about it suggested he should get it to the lab. And his time was running out. He started seeing the guards appear, dressed in full body armour and carrying those weapons that didn't look like ordinary guns...

OOC My internet connection got squiffy when posting, had about a second to copy the post before it popped up with 'lost connection'... phew.

Admin wrote:Would Lionheart leave both Timmy and Nowhere Man in this place? He still had that dust sample. Something about it suggested he should get it to the lab. And his time was running out. He started seeing the guards appear, dressed in full body armour and carrying those weapons that didn't look like ordinary guns...

OOC My internet connection got squiffy when posting, had about a second to copy the post before it popped up with 'lost connection'... phew.

Lionheart didn't need to be told twice, "On it!" He said before blasting off looking for the most easy means of escape and failing that deciding to make one. If the powder he'd got was a vital clue, then maybe the best that could be hoped for was that they got it to Wandafar for analysis and some idea of what is happening. But Aliens! How on earth would the Executor have got mixed up with them. It would explain the many ways he'd clearly been able to out fox them all. Not least of all the powerful way he could enlarge and shrink help! Something that Lionheart had been chasing around the world for, with very limited success.

OOC: Ok so time to get out easiest way possible. Assuming that the guards and defences are to keep people out, I am hoping getting out won't be nearly so difficult as getting in. But failing that blast through, door, window, wall or roof if need be.

Glad you managed to post, well done the rate of increase has got me eager to hear what happens next, things have begun to get tense again. ;-)

Sj

Lionheart saw his opportunity to leave when he looked straight up. With that he soared up and through the roof, punching a hole and streaking into the night sky!

An hour later he landed at the base provided by Justin St Johns, a mansion set in sprawling land away from prying eyes and protected by some of the finest, albeit unconventional, technology available.

A few minutes later, after being guided by Jethro the semi solid holographic butler that served throughout the mansion, often in multiple places at once he arrived in Wandafars lab. The hologram was a miracle of modern technology crafted by Wandafar, the diminutive former superhero who worked with another former hero, Justin St Johns, to keep Britain safe.

"In here sir. You should be safe from Mr Wilcommens acerbic tongue as he has had his daily dose of inane soap operas." said jethro, with a most human like rolling of the eyes. "I shall bring refreshments shortly."

Inside, the sound of grinding metal filled the cavernous lab. Several floors underground, it more resembled a warehouse than a lab, where Wandafar was free to build and design to his alien minds content. "Ah!" he said, goggles enlarging his eyes to plate like proportions as he looked up from the project he was working from which was remarkably like that strange pad like device in the warehouse he'd left a short time ago. "I em making ze shrinkin' und enlargin' device thet shell shrink you to tiny levels und enable you to kick ze ess of ze vud be invaders. You hef something for me to see?"

he unplugged the goggles from a bank of computers and took a look as Lionheart dusted every particle into a glass dish. "Looks like gunpowder. No smell. Strange. Let's hef a look."

He moved what looked to be a bulky camera device on wheels into position and activated it, and the pair turned to a video wall which flickered as it resolved the image.

The blurring coalesced into an image of a mass of black. Lionheart watched nanobot like crabs move to the edge of the pile and start to separate some powder. The nanobots looked huge in comparison to the dust. Once separated the image resolved again, zooming in... and in... and in...

They were... coffin like devices? They were long boxes about as third as high and wide as they were long. Wandafar frowned and altered the imagery. An x ray image appeared.

Inside the coffin appeared to be a human like figure, along with a gun like weapon, body armour and some kind of pack for supplies.

Wandafar and Lionheart glanced at each other. Then at the pile of dust in the dish. There were thousands of grains in that dish. An armies worth.

And the dust in those crates represented... millions of similar 'crates'?

"An invasion force." whispered Wandafar. "Something must activate them, wake them from stasis somehow. There are biological elements detected inside the box, but it appears to be more mechanical and electronic. My sensors show it to be of no technology type ever encountered before."

He sat back in the chair. "Thet varehouse needs to be destroyed."

Suddenly a crackling hiss broke out over the speakers. "...is Nowhere Man calling Wandafar and Lionheart. The crates are being moved. I can't... SKRRRZZZZZZ HISS CRACKLE FIZZZZZZZZZ.........."

The transmission ended.

Lionheart looked across at Wandafar, "Bombs, what kind of a bomb will blow this thing to pieces before it can get any further out of hand? And it needs to be focused, no point in blowing the whole place up if I turn it into a radioactive zone."

Lionheart's mind raced, he knew things must be bad if Nowhere Man had been detected. Clearly the people that Executor had been contacted by might be connected to this invasion, or perhaps...a darker thought entered his mind. What if someone else had gotten wind of the attack, and decided to launch a counter attack. A whole world to subjugate and from which a strike could be made against the macro world, from the micro. It was confusing, too many players too little information and still no clear way to work out if, Lionheart could even stop the invasion before it got started.


OOC: ok if all has got go boom boom, so that the devices and army can be stopped from getting started, then that is why I am requesting a bomb. Lionheart may be powerful, but destroying the whole site is beyond his capabilities. Besides which if we go into attack we need to make sure we do it right. No point going in to take out a few robots and getting overwhelmed as Frostbite nearly was.

Once we are good to go, Tim or no Tim, the place has to go up. However now I need to just find Nowhere Man as well. So once I'm loaded up, we go in, and hopefully get them out before this gets any more out of hand.

Sj

Wandafar narrowed his eyes. "Bomb. Hmmm. Not something I usually deal viz, but I hef something zet may just do ze trick."

He rummaged around in a large plastic tub and brought out an object the size of a mixing bowl, spherical and glowing a dull red. "Is supposed to be blue. My own attempt at a micro fusion reactor, but does not vork. Luckily ze prototype did not go viz a beng big enough to smash ze force field surrounding it to shards or I vud hef gone boom too. And zis place." he said, looking about. "Image trying to explain ZET to Justin St Johns. Especially ven I vas dead."

"Here." he said, demonstrating. "Ze power output. Von vill cover an area around 10m cubed. 10 vill... let's just say a setting of 4 vill done and hef done vis it. Just turn it on ver you vish to go boom and do not be there at ze same time. Heh, I voz saving zis for a rainy day. You never know ven you need an explosive non radioactive controllable bomb. Even if it voz supposed to power an armoured suit. Can't vin zem all." he muttered at the end.

He handed it over. Lionheart had his bomb!

OOC I know I haven't posted for Frostbite yet... there's method to my madness...

Admin wrote:Wandafar narrowed his eyes. "Bomb. Hmmm...He handed it over. Lionheart had his bomb!

Lionheart took the device looking it over and wondering about the collateral damage that he might rack up in this little fight.  But then consoled himself with the fact that there was far more at stake and that the army base must have a natural exclusion zone around it.  Hopefully nothing but a few furry creatures might get caught in any blast.  

But he couldn't wait around, with a brief nod of thanks, he sped off again.  Once outside he gained speed in the open air, wondering what had happened to Nowhere Man.  Had he got caught?  Had the Executor executed another trap using his diminutive allies?  There was only one way to find out and Lionheart was not in the mood to mess about.

Admin wrote:OOC I know I haven't posted for Frostbite yet... there's method to my madness...

OOC: For sure, in any case let's get Lionheart into position, I've no doubt it won't be a simple as planting a bomb and that you'll have some major complication awaiting me.  Oh well, it keeps it interesting   I am aiming to go in as I came out and blow the place if possible, but I don't doubt that this might be a tricky situation so I will make sure that before taking any action I know what the lie of the land is, since my last visit.

Sj

As Wandafar handed over the fusion reactor, he did offer a warning. "Zis gives out crazy electromagnetic zappy ray sings thet vill block most of communications. You are on your own ven you hold zis thing unless you move away from it. Good luck."

Lionheart took to the sky. His speed ramped up and he quickly burst through the sound barrier on his way back to the warehouse. Nowhere Man and Timmy Jones might still be on site. There HAD to be some kind of way to get them out before he set the bomb off!

OOC First though, we switch to Frostbite....

Admin wrote:As Wandafar handed over the fusion reactor, he did offer a warning. "Zis gives out crazy electromagnetic zappy ray sings thet vill block most of communications. You are on your own ven you hold zis thing unless you move away from it. Good luck."

Lionheart took to the sky. His speed ramped up and he quickly burst through the sound barrier on his way back to the warehouse. Nowhere Man and Timmy Jones might still be on site. There HAD to be some kind of way to get them out before he set the bomb off!

OOC First though, we switch to Frostbite....

Lionheart zoomed over his intended destination, once again allowing the interplay between his various super senses and amazing mental abilities to give him any clues to what might have happened as well as what would happen as he approached. He very much doubted that he'd see Nowhere Man and Tim, being carted away, but he could hope for a clue. What seemed strange in all this was why the Executor wasn't living up to his 'nom de plume'. Keeping Tim, let alone his hated enemy Nowhere Man alive seemed less likely unless he stood to gain by it. But that only meant more complications in an already tangled set of circumstances for Lionheart.

As he circled lower so as to get more information, but also trying not to give up the element of surprise, Lionheart put aside such concerns to focus on what lay before him and how might execute this tricky operation successfully.

OOC: Ok so need to find out if Tim and Nowhere Man are still on site, and then seek to get them out, whilst exchanging the bomb which hopefully will go off catching the enemies and not me and my friends. No problem...right?

Sj

Soaring across the countryside and down, Lionheart was bathed in the glow of morning sunlight. He'd lost track of time somewhat, and even though he was superhuman, knew he'd need a good nights rest soon. Indeed, he felt like he'd had a strenuous 'work out', his muscles sore in places that he hadn't known he had!

'Maybe I should get Wandafar to give me a once over, make sure my powers are up to the job.' he mused.

Getting back to the task at hand he soared towards the base... and immediately his danger sense alerted him of danger!

OOC Roll(2d10)+0: 10,8,+0 Total:18

Seeing instantly where four hatches opened he saw four missiles launch from another warehouse on site and streak through the air, angling to attack him! If just one of those exploded close to him, would it set off the fusion reactor? And could he survive it? His force field would be of little help - it encapsulated anything he was carrying as well!

Who WAS this Executor? He'd not met anyone this dangerous for quite a while. Nowhere Man sure knew how to pick his enemies...

OOC Four inbound missiles, probably heat seeking, maybe something else...

Admin wrote:OOC Four inbound missiles, probably heat seeking, maybe something else...

Well so much for the Executor not living up to his name. Lionheart saw that likelihood of dodging the missiles but might dodging them then invite a second level of attack. But perhaps he could cause the missiles to do the work for him.

Spiralling through them, not so fast as to outrun them, Lionheart attempted to let his heat signature be picked up and then lead the missiles back to the bunker from which they came.

OOC: Ok assuming i can get close, to do this, I think something like this was done in the movie Galaxy Quest, where the missiles were drawn to the ship, the ship then stayed ahead of them, luring them back at the ship that had fired them. I'm hoping to be able to do the same. If this fails, just one question, will the bomb's ability to interfere with communication have an influence at this point? Or is it that by the time the bomb got close enough to make a difference the heatseekers would explode anyway, so no difference?

Anyway assuming I can shake a tail feather at these and get them to destroy further missiles, hopefully I can get closer to the building I need to set the bomb down and get in and out...

Sj

OOC the bomb will interfere with signals, so get it close enough to the missiles and chances are they will go screwy...

Lionheart poured on the speed, flying straight through the middle of the missiles which cut power, flipped in the air and powered on to follow him!

He slowed somewhat, not wanting to get ahead of them too far...

They started to close... he sped up, the warehouse where they'd come from had four more poking their heads from hatches! The missiles closed in behind! He dodged!

OOC New dodging rule is - you sacrifice your attack action but get to roll the target number for your dodge attempt instead of taking a target number of 11. Instead of +1 die to dodging you get +4 dice because of Acrobatics. First of all, power reserve for boosting Superspeed... Roll(2d10)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:7 No problem. LH has 22 Dex. Next the dodge roll... Roll(6d10)+0: 6,6,3,3,7,7,+0 Total:14 Ha! take your pick! Double plus Roll(2d10)+0: 1,5,+14 Total:20+22 Dex. 42TN. I don't think he has much to worry about! The missiles attack as a team (38TN) plus their heat seeking of 7 Dex. Basically a roll of 31 is required.

Roll(2d10)+0: 7,5,+0 Total:12
Roll(2d10)+0: 10,10,+0 Total:20 DOUBLE oh this is interesting... Roll(2d10)+0: 8,2,+0 Total:10 But not that interesting. Failed by 1.
Roll(2d10)+0: 3,6,+0 Total:9
Roll(2d10)+0: 5,9,+0 Total:14

All miss Lionheart and he flies up as they pile down into the warehouse!

He looks back as the places mushrooms into a huge fireball that sends more munitions exploding and really tearing the place up! With black smoke and fire belching high into the sky, he soared down to the warehouse where he'd discovered the crates...

With time of the essence he tore open a door and looked inside...

A large majority of the crates were gone, as were the machines and computers in the middle of the room. Those crates that remained were being carried by armed/armoured troops towards non descript looking hire vans. A quick count suggested there were twenty in here, all with the odd slightly robotic walk.

OOC use the bomb or try and pump one of these goons for info?

Admin wrote:OOC use the bomb or try and pump one of these goons for info?[/color]

Lionheart saw that things were already far advanced, destroying what was here might also destroy any potential leads. But destroy the place he must. Setting the bomb down he armed it, then as he sped out he jumped one of the guards. He made a chopping motion for the gun, and then made to grab the guard and haul him away to gain what info he could.

OOC: Ok so set bomb off, and try and get this guard away to gain some insight into what is going on. I very much doubt there are any other clues to be had otherwise. Love what you've done in the Frostbite thread, now we know why Timmy was kept alive.

Sj

Lionheart used his super speed to activate the bomb with only seconds to go before it exploded!

He then turned to scoop up the nearest guards...

OOC Power Reserve nosebleed thing... Roll(2d10)+0: 5,2,+0 Total:7 No problems. Grab attack vs Robot guard guy... Martial Arts/22 Dex vs (heh) 5 Dex + TN11. Basically anything more than 2 will do. Roll(6d10)+0: 4,3,9,10,4,3,+0 Total:19+22 (41) vs TN16. Hits, obviously.

Lionheart turned, sped up to the nearest guard, grabbed it by an arm and wrenched it behind its back then sped up like a rocket, away and out of range...

Just in time...

Behind a neon blue glow flashed outwards, forming a ball of pure energy that lit the sky up like a second (blue) sun! Just as soon as it formed, it was gone, and the area where the base had been plus a mile around was formed into a perfect basin, with all the pipes and earthworks underneath the base fused together as if welded. The area crackled with electricity, and Lionheart heard only static from his earpiece! Whatever had been in range of that blast - vegetation, buildings, people, anything... was gone.

He hoped that no one was innocently wandering about near the place, but he would never know...

Landing nearby, he ignored the futile struggles of the guard robot. It looked at him with vacant eyes, and Lionheart tore off its face mask. It was a mannequin underneath!

"You think you're saving me, but my eyes have been opened! I have so much POWER now! I am omnipotent! Immortal! You delay only the inevitable...hero."

Lionheart started. The voice was that of Timmy Jones, but... then his danger sense started to warn him, and the robot made to grab Lionheart!

Admin wrote:"You think you're saving me, but my eyes have been opened! I have so much POWER now! I am omnipotent! Immortal! You delay only the inevitable...hero."

Lionheart started. The voice was that of Timmy Jones, but... then his danger sense started to warn him, and the robot made to grab Lionheart!

"Oh Timmy, what have you done?"

Lionheart didn't wait to find out, he was clearly not dealing with a robot but something animated or acting as some sort of repository for Tim's conscience. It staggered Lionheart that Tim had somehow been able to multiply or amplify his ability such that he could even conceive of controlling so much. Which itself suggested that someone else was behind this pulling the strings. It didn't sound like the Tim Jones he knew. Albeit he didn't know him that well. But in any case he didn't like the idea that somehow an amplified Tim Jones was able to do things with these mannequins that meant danger for Lionheart. He didn't need to be told twice. Clearly this was a repository and not something from which he could learn much.

Moving with his trademark speed, Lionheart went to smash the Robot, then another thought occurred. It was a longshot but if somehow he could mind attack the Mannequin? Might he be able to attack the mind that animated the plastic before him. After all he had done the same with the Villain flood, somehow his powers could attack his 'mind' though it didn't exist in an conventional sense as he converted to water. It was worth a try and any attempt to help Tim break free, might be the only lead he would get.

OOC: So this adventure has as many twists and turns in it as a sequel to the Usual Suspects. So I am thinking its worth a try, trying to attack Timmy, through the dummy. And see if I can't get to his intelligence. Sort of travel along whatever line of projection is operating this thing? Worth a try and if not then maybe I've learned something about them that I didn't know before. Well we'll see. So go for mindblast and use HP 3 Die to make it a Critical strike and see if I can't get this to do more than Tim could stand? Failing that I am chopping this thing to bits, but whilst I seem to have Tim's attention I am hoping that this is something I can piggy back on, to attack!

Sj