The NEW Vanguard! FROSTBITE ISSUE #11 "This Grey and Unpleasant Land"

Frostbite HP 49
Battlebug HP 2
Melody HP 5

"Is that everyone?" asked Thoth.

Frostbite glanced about. There'd been no sign of Nowhere Man but the fellow could it seemed jump about wherever and however he required, or find a way.

Melody stood ready, Battlebug was chatting to an Elven maiden and getting nowhere as usual. Sorceress sat quietly staring at a chained up and gagged Dr Mystical and all about the restored Queens throne room Elves, Dwarves and Humans mingled with other fantastic races as word of the Dark Lords fall spread.

There had a been a feast, a bountiful harvest had been available for all where before there was starvation and the transformation in just one day was truly astounding!

Thoth had used the time to rest and recover and though he was on shaky legs insisted his magic was restored enough to help Sorceress open a gate to home. She'd mentioned that to make the magic work 100% she required the aid of Dr Mystical and that meant giving him some magic back.

Everyone had argued against that!

Now the group stood ready and the Queen, Elesieth, had been gently let down after asking Frostbite to stay on as her consort and rule the land at her side.

"Shoulda taken her up on it Boss. She's a hotty!" muttered Battlebug, now dressed in a suit of tight fitting hardened brown leather as a gladiator might wear in times of old. Elves had crafted it for him in a short time and beat the rags he was used to.

Melody scowled "She is a Queen and has very good hearing! She deserves respect!" she chastised.

Everyone hushed and bowed as the Queen came over. "My thanks to you all. You have restored me to the throne and the land is recovering so fast it seems the darkness was never here. However the hearts and minds of those who survived will take longer to heal and despite the protestations of my councillors the Dark Lord shall go with you as you request to see justice served in your land. Here he would find a noose waiting and even I who abhor such punishment would see it with satisfaction, which darkens my heart. take him, and know that the Vanguard and its friends will ever be welcome in Albion!"

Everyone bowed and Thoth turned "Right, let's crack on. I'll bet the world has fallen apart without us."

==========

"Right. Away we go!" said Thoth as the wind sucked at his voice.

A whirling maelstrom of the gate shone bright white, too bright to look at.

"What, we just 'step through'?" asked Melody. Thoth shrugged and nodded with a glance to Sorceress who nodded. She'd considered Frostbites offer of membership but felt she needed a break to recover and regain her focus after being through the ringer.

Battlebug shrugged. "Right then. I'll go first..."

OOC Anything you want to say to Elesieth or anyone else before going home?

Admin wrote:Frostbite HP 49
Battlebug HP 2
Melody HP 5

Battlebug shrugged. "Right then. I'll go first..."

OOC Anything you want to say to Elesieth or anyone else before going home?

Frostbite had depowered moments before wanting to see the Queen as himself, not the man she once knew as his predecessor. "As you can see I share the name and the powers but I am not the man you once knew and loved as Frostbite. I'm sorry because well I can't be him and..." Frostbite had hardly had time for a relationship and now he and Catherine had somehow... well not that they ever appeared to have time to pursue their shared interest in one another. But still, Joe was a gentleman and he did play away. "Where it not so I would be honoured to have helped your kingdom at your side. However, I have my own home not much of a kingdom but we try to keep it from falling apart - which it unceasingly threatens to do on more often than not. But I trust I can return again, and this time it won't be so long. Farewell Queen Elesieth may the lands of Albion prosper and shine a luminously as does your gaze and beauty."

And after taking her hand to kiss it, he retreated and put his arms around Battle Bug and Melody, "Friends I think we've had enough for one-day lets go home."

And with that, he joined them as they stepped into the portal with one last quick look back.

Sj

"Well **** this isn't Kansas. Pardon my french." muttered Battlebug.

A foul smell and a warm wind blew across Frostbites' face, nose wrinkling.

Melody spluttered "Where are we? This isn't..."

Thoth stepped from the gate and frowned. "It is. It bloody well is!"

Sorceress appeared "What? Where are... what went wrong? This can't be right!"

Frostbite looked about. Big Ben... the London Eye, Post Office tower... or what was left of them.



London was in ruins. Thick choking smoke filled the air. Had it been ... nuked?

Battlebug muttered "B... Boss? What do we do?"

Behind them the portal vanished! "I'll need to get to my place, recharge my magic. Or I would if... if it's still there." said Thoth.

OOC to see the full picture you may need to press CTRL and Scroll to magnify/shrink the screen

Admin wrote:Battlebug muttered "B... Boss? What do we do?"

Behind them the portal vanished! "I'll need to get to my place, recharge my magic. Or I would if... if it's still there." said Thoth.

OOC to see the full picture you may need to press CTRL and Scroll to magnify/shrink the screen

OOC: wow nice picture, but what a mess!!!

Frostbite turned to Thoth, "Timeline variance, or different timeline, or an alternate earth! What do you think, Thoth? This isn't how we left things what got broken? This couldn't be Advent, could it?"

As he waited to Thoth to answer he turned to Melody, "Take a look from up high, Battle Bug stay frosty, we don't want to get jumped whilst we consider what we've got here." And then within himself he said to Frostbot, 'Raise the ranch, see if we can get coms up, and or anything else that might be called news?'

OOC: OK so deploying the team, gather intel, let Thoth do his thing and see what we can turn over?

Sj

Frostbot confirmed what Frostbite suspected - no electromagnetic signatures suggesting technology was present within his admittedly limited range.

Thoth looked about. "That's what I was thinking. My repertoire is vastly reduced at the moment and I need to recharge." He glanced at Sorceress who looked shocked and Dr Mystical/Dark Lord who was gaping with mouth open. "So, let's go on 'alternate Earth' for now because I more than most know what can happen when the time line is meddled with. If this IS our Earth there will have been a point where this... catastrophe... happened and we can - hopefully - go back and prevent it."

Frostbite considered something. Frostbot was fully integrated to be part of him. Why, how, where he/it came from he didn't know, but maybe there was a way to ... 'unlock' the power of his mind and merge it completely with his artificial friend...

OOC Power Reserve 10 into Int, boosting Int from 9 (genius, super smart) to 19 (off any chart, cosmic level smarts)

Int 19 + Roll(2d12)+0: 6,11,+0 Total:17 (36) vs
Go for broke OV11 + 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,6,+0 Total:15 (30)
+3 (to 11 Will) vs RV11 - GFB 6 (RV5)=6 RAPs

1) The area of London looks parched, as if exposed to some tremendous heat. There is structural damage but a bomb would have left flattened rubble
2-3) The smell of burning in the air, the abnormally warm temperature (5-10 degrees more than usual for the time of year) and ash suggest some kind of solar catastrophe or weapon specifically designed to kill anyone exposed to lethal levels of solar radiation was used. That would suggest that the entire country and very possibly the world has been subject to this disaster
4-6) Depending on when it happened there will be survivors. People indoors when it occurred will have been protected to a large extent. Unfortunately farmland and the means to grown food and animals will have been obliterated. This is a dying world, and if not dead already, it will be soon!

Further investigation may reveal the cause of this but you may already have suspicions!

"I'm... gonna take a look around Boss." said Battlebug. "I'll stay in sight and won't go far but... this is nuts!"

OOC Adren Surge 24 + Accuracy (or ACC from now on) 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 5,3,4,3,2,12,+0 Total:17 (taking the six would burn the power out) (41) vs
Multi on three Highest OV8 + Multi 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,7,+0 Total:12 (24)
+6 (30) vs RV8 + multi 4 (RV12)=18 RAPs. Dex to 26, Str to 22, Pow res to 26 (split Jumping 10 to 16 and Kinetic Absorption 16 to 20)

With a hop the boy launches into the sky and lands on a distant ruined crest of Big Ben, surveying the blasted landscape.

"Keep an eye on him." muttered Thoth. "He's still a youngster and all this will be tough to process. He may feel the loss of loved ones more than you or I, and from what I know of you I figure you aren't even from this time so you lost everyone at some point. All I'm saying is, you're hardened to it. Sorry to preach but I'd hate to have to put the boy down - if I even can!"

Melody soared up into the sky, her normal rainbow colours stark against what appeared to dust clouds hanging in the atmosphere. She flew about then headed back. "It's... it's all gone. The buildings are there but... there's no power, cars and rubble in the streets. Where are all the people?"

With another small hop Battlebug lands in a crouch sending ash up in his wake. "It's crazy! What happened here? The city, the whole city, is dead!"

With his staggering 'plugged in' intelligence Frostbite considers.

Without power and gas supplies society would quickly break down and law and order would be the first casualties. Survivors would fight over scraps and form bands but trust would be minimal and the safest place would be... underground? The London tube network was pivotal in surviving the blitz back in his own time. Chances are down there the sewer network may still have some water - ugh - and if there were any people, that's where most of them would be.

"Even above the clouds, which are miles thick, the sun seems... different somehow." said Melody.

"Different?" asked Sorceress.

"Yes, it's not as bright." explained Melody.

"That can't be." said Dr Mystical, depowered in and still in power sapping chains. "If this was a natural event the sun would have gone nova and destroyed the planet. Something... someone... did this."

"Shaddap you." snarled Battlebug. "You open your yap again and I'll make sure you stay asleep!"

Mystical gasped in fear and clammed up.

OOC basically if you as a player struggle you can always trust to the dice and see what Frostbite and his super genius mind could figure out.

ooc: This is cool. Just to throw my two cents in, I heard on YouTube one of the problem with post-apocalyptic worlds running around with cars is that gas can only be stored for about six months before it breaks down and you can't use it in your cars anymore. True fact apparently, go look it up.

Admin wrote:

"Shaddap you." snarled Battlebug. "You open your yap again and I'll make sure you stay asleep!"

Mystical gasped in fear and clammed up.

OOC basically if you as a player struggle you can always trust to the dice and see what Frostbite and his super-genius mind could figure out.

Frostbite looked at Battle Bug and gave a shake of his head holding his hand up gently. "Elias you are probably looking at what you would have achieved by different means had we let you. This, however, isn't a world sucked dry, its a world over cooked possibly by harnessing the suns rays in some sort of scorched earth affair. But why, is this revenge, petty spit on a truly massive scale or a way of spreading fear and gaining a greater reputation before moving on?"

Frostbite found the sudden and unexpected merging of his brain with the capabilities of Frostbot somewhat scary, 'going back' to his normal self suddenly felt small! It was a strange discovery and one that would take getting used to, but not a moment too late.

"If there are people alive, they'd have gone underground its the only way to have survived...this cursed earth. Thoth I suspect you would wish to check out your place? Would it be sufficiently protected here against this? If so perhaps we can start there - leave Elias in some secure place and then see what we can find underground? Everyone ok with that?"

Frostbite waited for a response. Although he was their team leader, he was aware Thoth was not part of his team and it felt right in the light of what had taken place to go easy on everyone. They'd been through a lot, especially Battle Bug, he was worried about how the lad would take this. And was determined to keep him close, he might try to overcompensate for the sheer shock he faced and try to deal with it by outward displays of bravado. Then there was poor Melody, still equally new to this, this was a lot to take in even for him, she too must find this difficult.

He cast his gaze toward the mansion, in this place, would Catherine be there, what about other heroes, Wandafar, Lionheart? He turned back to Thoth for his answer.

Sj

"I'm detecting magic and... there's nothing." said Thoth. "Doesn't mean there's nothing, nothing, just that I can't detect any in London. There are a number of mystical points in the UK where magical ley lines cross and give a certain amount of magic to tap into. In London right now there seems to be nothing and I can't even detect magic at my house." he pointed. "That direction."

He shook his head. "It's possible in this reality there is no version of me or I live elsewhere. Always did fancy a life in the country."

Sighing, Thoth turned. "I need to find another source of magic. SOMEONE..." he said, turning to stare at a sheepish Dr Mystical "... drained the artefacts of pretty much every drop, leaving them just enough to be able to be recharged somehow. Good job he never cracked the Broom or I'd have nothing at all left! As it is I need to recharge somehow. Magic is... a different kind of energy, powered by souls, living beings, dreams, all sorts of things. Things that can't be measured by science. It is a kind of science just not... scientific."

"Thanks for clearing that up." said Battlebug, rolling his eyes.

Sorceress shook her head. "He means we are useless for the most part. Thoth will regenerate magic slowly unless he can drain magic from some other place to recharge his battery. My battery is too far gone right now and I suggest we don't trust Elias with as much as a pack of cards, never mind magic."

Melody looked frustrated "So you're telling me we're dragging along three useless people and having to protect them until we find some magic sauce for you to drink?"

Thoth pondered. "Yes, yes I think that about covers it."

The heroine rolled her eyes and threw up her hands in frustration, slumping to sit on a partially shattered concrete wall.

"Hey I think that we need to..." started Battlebug.

CRACK!

Everyone turned and saw distant dots in the sky. Flashes of light indicated something was going on - blasting to something on the ground. Too far away for anyone to make details out (OOC no one has Telescopic Vision).

Thoth muttered "Great. Looks like someone or something hunting somebody. I bet whoever is being hunted isn't a bad guy."

BBug turned to Frostbite. "We can check it out - we're all fast but what about these guys? Apart from parlour tricks they can't really do anything."

"Yes, I'm completely useless but still more useful than you are with radiation around." smiled Thoth.

Battlebug stuck his tongue out and turned back to Frostbite. "We need to make sure they are ok boss."

Melody hissed. "Shush! Can you hear that?"

Nobody could. "I can hear something. Metal on the ground. Maybe footsteps. Coming this way." she looked into the ruins of London. In amongst the ruined buildings, perpetual dust clouds, murk from lack of sunlight and general... 'brown' it was hard to pick anything out but something sounded like it was coming this way!

Admin wrote:Melody hissed. "Shush! Can you hear that?"

Nobody could. "I can hear something. Metal on the ground. Maybe footsteps. Coming this way." she looked into the ruins of London. In amongst the ruined buildings, perpetual dust clouds, murk from lack of sunlight and general... 'brown' it was hard to pick anything out but something sounded like it was coming this way!

Turning to Battle Bug and Melody Frostbite spoke quickly, "I want to see who we are up against, take these three up high, and stay with them, I'm going to hide and get a look-see who is coming. Then I'll join you and we'll take a look at what is going on over the hill. I don't want to be followed. Being around Elias' death knights has left a bad taste in my mouth for beings who can stay on our scent. Don't worry I won't leave you out of any fun, I just want to see if we've been detected before we race off to help others and get caught between two fronts."

And with that Frostbite dispersed into a nearby building where he could get a good look at who was coming without his presence being overly obvious. Not unless whatever was coming had some assisted means to detect him, that was.

OOC: Ok hope to just get a look-see then fly up, grab the others and go to assist the noise on the near horizon. I want to keep the Sorceress, Elias and Thoth safe, but without chaperoning them with Melody and BB, its always going to be dropping them off in a 'safe' or defensively good position of some sort, so having to work around that at the mo.

Sj

'Without assessing the nature of the threat you are leaving yourself vulnerable. Battlebug and Melody are popwerful in their own right and double, almost triple the power you are able to use in combat.' said Frostbot.

Nonetheless Frostbite dispersed and flew off to investigate, making a note of where the other two were taking Thoth, Sorceress and Dr Mystical. Nowhere Man hadn't popped through any portal but that wasn't a surprise. He seemed to come and go as he pleased and would always be an enigma. The man who he'd been, James Caldwell, appeared to have been forgotten about and the man in his place was hard nosed, driven and uncompromising. Not at all heroic for the most part.

With a sigh the hero moved through the ruins of London, his blue light marking him out against the brown backdrop of the place so that he had to stay out of sight for the most part.

Closer to the sound of battle now he slowed and poked his face through a wall.

The canyons of the ruined streets were an eerie and unsettling place to behold but he saw movement down below. Too far to see from here and he wasn't blessed with Lionhearts telescopic vision unfortunately but it looked like children or at least teenagers, four of them with one younger one.

A glance about in the sky revealed... nothing at first then a blur!

Clad in white a humanoid flew about looking down on the streets below. Then another blur, someone in white flying high above the city looking down and yet another all in white figure at street level... and suddenly forty feet high! Looking down, moving rubble aside and searching for the youngsters... the giant was about to find them! A glance back at the teenagers/child revealed they were hiding but looking in the wrong direction - to the sky. They would be found by the giant in moments!

=========

"Don't like this." muttered Battlebug. "Boss will find trouble, he always does."

"And he gets himself out of it." said Melody, watching from the window of a shattered tower block where they hid in the upper floor.

"The problem is we need more information. What happened, who is left and what they are after." said Thoth. "I feel so helpless! Perhaps I should drain more magic from..."

Sorceress shook her head. "The temptation is great, I feel it too but if you drain the last of the magic from an artefact it shall be just an object, no longer magical! They need recharging and so do we, from a source of power. Think! You are one of the preeminent mages in the land! Only White Warlock is said to rival you!"

"What, here? Now? I'm as useless as you and he are. We are going to have to hope the Vanguard can help us then we can get out of this place..." said Thoth.

Admin wrote:Clad in white a humanoid flew about looking down on the streets below. Then another blur, someone in white flying high above the city looking down and yet another all in white figure at street level... and suddenly forty feet high! Looking down, moving rubble aside and searching for the youngsters... the giant was about to find them! A glance back at the teenagers/child revealed they were hiding but looking in the wrong direction - to the sky. They would be found by the giant in moments!

The thought that he was going to get himself into trouble, was one he had to admit he'd seemed to do a lot at the moment. Leading the team, a team of rather inexperienced heroes and in addition three heroes with no power presented so many problems. But was this leading a team? He had to ask himself, how would they learn if he put them back whilst he went forward? He realised that the last time he had nurtured a bunch of heroes, heroes with powers they didn't ask for or want, rescued from a lab. That group had ended up being kidnapped and put into the microverse and then reappearing the other end of the galaxy. For many of them, the extended hiatus and subsequent trouble trying to get back into 'normal' life were too much. Frostbite wasn't exactly to blame for that, but neither did he turn them away from the heroes life either? In any case, the responsibility of caring for the well being of others who routinely put their lives on the line was still a hard one that didn't get easier with age - no matter how old he was.

He realised though he had been trying to hard to protect the team and they deserved better. But yet history was repeating itself and here they were again one jaunt after another who knew where whilst the world they were part of was left more defenceless with the like of Advent and Eurotrash lurking. Pulling his thoughts back to the present, as the movement from the rubble resolved itself into the pursuit that was clearly meant to capture or even harm the children. Frostbite, with some sense of chagrin, realised once again he was left in a difficult position without his team.

He couldn't rescue the children and stop their pursuers without help. But he could lead the others to him and indeed try and get the pursuers to the team. First, he needed to try and divert attention from the children to himself.

OOC: OK just looking at the prevailing conditions, is it possible to bring up a pea soup-like fog to hamper the conditions of the pursuers? If that isn't going to cut it, then I will instead energy blast the giant and not to be too subtle about it, and have the others come looking for me. Hopefully, in my dispersed form, I can stay one step ahead and get them to keep following me as I lead them back to the others. With no Com's I can't message ahead, but I can make lots of noise so they see me coming.

Sj

OOC There doesn't appear to be ANY weather present - just a thick cloying dust hanging in the air. You may be able to Whip up a wind and change the weather but it would be very very hard (even for Frostbite who is almost - about 1 ap - as good at cooking up the weather as the X Man Storm) maybe even impossible!

That leaves Energy Blast and using Fluid Form to avoid attacks (it affects defence and resistance therefore better than Dispersal, but Dispersal allows movement through objects and invulnerability to certain attacks which Fluid Form doesn't.)

Energy Blast 25 + ACCURACY(!) 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 10,12,1,12,10,10,+0 Total:24 DOUBLE (boom!) plus Roll(2d12)+0: 9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 1,10,+0 Total:53 (78) vs
OV4 (Growth 10) - Surprise 4 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,2,+0 Total:9 (13)
+11 (I think this is the highest modifier I've seen since we started with the new system) to 36 EV vs RV20=16 RAPs. The Giant is DOWN and OUT!

With a CRASH the giant flies backwards with a super accurate attack from Frostbite flattening the giant, sending him flying backwards into a building which crashed backwards and started to topple, leaving the giant sprawled in a mass of smashed bricks and rubble, dust cloud spewing up and covering the area!

The children spun, gaping, then used the cloud as cover as they scampered through the ruins of London away from the white clad aggressors!

Switching to thermal vision Frostbite could see heat signatures through the dust without much issue but he was at the limit of his range to spot the two fliers. Hopefully that meant they couldn't see him either!

OOC Make a break for it, lie low or take off after the kids? Or take the fight to the bad guys? Frostbite is no dummy and while he got a lucky shot in there may be more bad guys out there.

Admin wrote:Switching to thermal vision Frostbite could see heat signatures through the dust without much issue but he was at the limit of his range to spot the two fliers. Hopefully that meant they couldn't see him either!

OOC Make a break for it, lie low or take off after the kids? Or take the fight to the bad guys? Frostbite is no dummy and while he got a lucky shot in there may be more bad guys out there.

The children would have to wait, they clearly knew how to survive that they'd been alive this long. But the aggressors would again pursue them if he didn't give them a better target to chase. So changing to his fluid form he made a point of leaning out the window and looking in their direction as the cloud of dust and dirt began to clear so that they could see his location. And then when he was sure they'd cottoned on, shifted out of their post haste, ready to lead them back toward the others, to gain their assistance and perhaps a few answers.

OOC: OK so my aim is to be kept in view, I'll shoot back as opportunity allows, but otherwise head back the way I came and hopefully away from the children.

Sj

With his power shifted to fluid form the blue glow of Frostbites chest plate was visible through the dusty brown gloom as the hero made himself visible!

Flying from the building and swooping up to make himself more visible he glanced back... and saw the two white clad fliers pausing momentarily as they saw their prey! With his power switched to defence chances were his energy blast wouldn't be anywhere near as potent as the blast that put the giant down but he took a shot anyway!

OOC Energy Blast 15 + 4D Accuracy + Roll(6d12)+0: 2,6,3,3,8,7,+0 Total:6 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 12,10,+0 Total:28 (43) vs
OV28 + Range 5 + 2D Acro + Roll(4d12)+0: 8,10,11,1,+0 Total:21 (54) Missed

Throwing out a speculative blast Frostbite sees his shot go well wide of the agile target who seemed to flow and shift around the blast!

The pair in white glance to each other then set off in pursuit!

OOC Blast 23 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,9,+0 Total:10 (33) vs
OV26 + Range 5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,12,+0 Total:15 (46) Missed

A sound like discordant music played 'angry' rings out in the air and an an energy beam smashes past Frostbite into a wall, turning it into powder and causing another building to crumble!

Moments later Frostbite came in sight of the building where Battlebug perched atop and kept a look out - at least as far as he was able through the drifting brown dust and smoke!

"Yo boss!" he shouted out. "Wassup? Heard something going down but..."

Admin wrote:A sound like discordant music played 'angry' rings out in the air and an energy beam smashes past Frostbite into a wall, turning it into powder and causing another building to crumble!

Moments later Frostbite came in sight of the building where Battlebug perched atop and kept a lookout - at least as far as he was able through the drifting brown dust and smoke!

"Yo boss!" he shouted out. "Wassup? Heard something going down but..."

"Look sharp BB, I've brought company, but I didn't want to be selfish and keep them all to myself!"

With a quick scan of the situation, hoping that Melody had seen what was going on, Frostbite turned and faced the oncoming foe's ready now to switch tac and go on the offensive.

OOC: OK go back to flight and put reserves into Energy attack to make sure I tag anyone who comes in, plus looking out for any back-up looking to catch us out whilst we face my pursuers.

Sj

Elsewhere...

"Did you see...?"

"Yes."

"How can this be?"

"Hold on."

The man clad head to toe in white hovered in the air, the background vaguely visible through his insubstantial form. The woman was the same.

She looked at the fallen - now shrunken giant and snorted from behind the full face mirror screen. "He didn't last long. All his bluster..."

The man ignored her as she continued "Still, we know what power level the foe is exhibiting. The big question is..."

"...where they came from and how we can get there." hissed the man from behind the mask. "Help is on the way. If that is who we think it is then it would be foolish to tackle them with the two of us against a group."

"What? That's the first time I ever heard you express..." started the woman.

"What? Caution? Do not mistake it for fear. I know the enemy, as should you. Hold for a moment." he pressed a finger to his ear. "Echelon three to all Echelon four responders. Home in on my signal. Priority alpha. All other orders rescinded."

She glanced at his smooth mirror face screen "He won't be happy. He made it clear the rounding up of rebels into the camps was of the highest priority." she said.

"Yes he did, but he didn't know there were complications like this. This could change everything in the war. Or we could let the opportunity pass and keep fighting until there is no one left." he rasped.

"We LOST the war. Look around you!"

"Then stop fighting. Surrender. Give in." snarled the man from behind the mask. "Or do what needs to be done and help me. Your choice. You are either with us, or against us. Decide."

Silence then "You don't need to ask. You know I'm with you." she said quietly.

The man behind the mask stared impassively at the woman and glanced in the top right corner of his vision as a head up display appeared in his mind laying out specific tactics and options.

==========

Frostbite waited for the aggressors, hiding behind cover which wasn't really needed other than to cover the blue glow from his chestplate.

"Can't see anyone boss." muttered Battlebug before he added "Not that we can see anything through this dust. My night vision is pretty darn good but limited in range. My sonar... pffft. Too much 'white noise'. Can't 'see' anything in the dust. Some wind might help but I'm afraid to see what kind of mess is left for us here."

Minutes passed.

Melody whispered "Wait! There's something... someone... moving through the dust! Look!"

Distant - around half a mile away - a trio of white clad figures moved through the gloom and dust at ground level, using cover and caution as they went from wall to wall, using the ruins for cover.

"Superspeed. One of them is moving fast." said Battlebug. "Want me to take them? I can..."

OOC Power Reserve to INT 19 + Military Science 2D + Roll(4d12)+0: 6,9,7,4,+0 Total:16 (35) vs
OV10 + 2D military Science + Roll(4d12)+0: 6,2,4,3,+0 Total:10 (20)
+5 (to 13 Will) vs RV9=4 RAPs

1) Sending troops in like this is a foolish action. In low numbers they are likely to be picked off by an ambush
2-3) Even though they are superhumans the three creeping through the ruins looking for Frostbite and his Vanguardians can look after themselves but the enemy had just seen their giant operative one shotted would be foolish to underestimate a new foe.
4-6) They aren't underestimating you! Chances are even now they are surrounding the location and closing in with a 'net' of similar or larger sized groups to encapsulate and attack from all sides!!!

=========

Elsewhere...

"We should help!"

"What? Are you kidding? You manifested like, three days ago. I'm a week. The kids? They manifested a little earlier but do you really think a group of us - who were schoolkids up until a few years ago - can help against the Echelon? Whoever that was that helped us, I hope he runs and keeps going, and gives hope somewhere else. London is doomed, and anyone in it is dead, captured or being indoctrinated already, they just don't know it yet." said the older boy.

"No! I know what I saw! The man with the blue chest! I saw HOPE! I saw a way to fight against the Echelon!" said the girl, late teens and almost as old as the oldest, Lawrence.

"Kirsty..." muttered Lawrence, shaking his head. "We have to be realistic! None of us are trained to fight, heck we can barely make our powers work and Sunil is like, seven..."

"Eight." said the young asian boy. "I think." he added.

Kirsty shook her head. She frowned, holding out a hand which started to glow, brighter and brighter! "We MUST be able to do something!"

Lawrence transmuted into a dark cloud of smoke and encircled his friends' hand "You fool! They'll see us in all this!" he said, his voice strange and broken up somehow.

"Maybe they need to! Others like us who see there IS a point in fighting back, instead of scrambling through the ruins trying to find tins of food to carry on surviving! Maybe this is a sign! Maybe HE is a sign! There were good people before all this, super HEROES! Remember? Maybe he's one..."

"Or maybe it's a trap to draw us out and the Echelon to swoop in and put us in the camps, brain wash us and send us out to fight. Die." said Lawrence. "We've been duped before. Remember what happened to Johnny and his gang? That's why we're on the run. Having these abilities is one thing, using them?"

Sunil transmuted his form into brick, becoming a living moving statue and stood up, hands on hips "I can fight!" he squeaked!

Lawrence changed back into human form and looked at Kirsty who looked back, then sighed and looked away. The others... Andy and his sister Marion, saw their hopes drain away and adjusted the rags around their nose and mouths...

OOC Just waiting on David M to update in the other games but there are no problems updating the Vanguard in this dystopian battleground. Fire away!

Admin wrote:"Superspeed. One of them is moving fast." said Battlebug. "Want me to take them? I can..."

4-6) They aren't underestimating you! Chances are even now they are surrounding the location and closing in with a 'net' of similar or larger sized groups to encapsulate and attack from all sides!!![/i][/color]

"Battle Bug, Melody, I think this might be a trap to lure us in and surround us. BB I want you to come in from behind them and rattle them good but if they get too much come find us? We'll be more effective together, Melody and I will see who else they've brought for the party and lead them here. That way we can draw them to where we want them, rather than have them get the drop on us. Ok, we've got no com's - BB I know you can bring the thunder. But boy, don't you dare get yourself killed. You hearing me!"

With that said, Frostbite, took to the air with Melody, making himself a plain target appearing to be looking for the group moving in to give them someone to focus on as Battle Bug moved over to come in behind. Then satisfied he'd done enough, he moved off toward where he surmised the others would be angling in from given the terrain and likeliest attack pattern.

"Melody, we don't know what we don't know, so let be mindful of others they may have hidden about. Don't get so focused on who we can see that we miss those hidden about."

OOC: SO I'll go back to fluid form, and fly over to where we think the others may be coming in and seek to ambush the ambushers. If things look to be too much we'll retreat to regroup with BB, if we can manage them stay our ground. But keeping a weary eye out for others. PReserve into Energy Attack.

Sj

OOC I have to stat up a MOUNTAIN of characters for this adventure so there may be some delays, apologies in advance! There's always plenty of 'behind the scenes' stuff I do but on the other hand (to my mind) I don't do enough!

Battlebug grinned then put the leather helmet/mask on. It did sort of look buglike, as provided by Elven armour makers in Albion.

"Same to you Boss! I owe ya one, be sure you don't collect so soon after fishing my butt out of the frying pan!" he grinned, then put on his 'game face', sucking in a breath of dusty air and coughing a little. "Yuck." he muttered.

Melody glanced at Frostbite then Battlebug and rolled her eyes. "We're outnumbered and you two joke about!" she hissed. "Thoth, Sorceress and Dr Mystical are hunkered down in as safe a ruin as we could find but we need to keep the fight away from them. Collapsing buildings on depowered supers can't be good. Battlebug? You understand?"

Somewhat more serious than before, Battlebug nodded whilst doing up his chin strap and Melody turned back to Frostbite. "Ready."

Frostbite soared up through the hole in the roof of the building they stood in and Melody followed.

There was a brief hop then Battlebug was on the roof. "See you in a few." he said, then bounded up, up, up... into the brown gloom above!

"So much power, so little responsibility!" hissed Melody, looking around nervously.

=========

"There!" said one of the trio on the ground clad in white, mirror face screen showing reflections of two identical clad ECHELON agents.

"This is Echelon Four Six three to Echelon Three. Spotted. Two superhumans half a mile from our position. Can't track. Radar is messed up and they are... insubstantial. Something else. Something FAST just fired straight up, think they are making a run for it!"

With the report ended the trio started running towards the glowing blue light piercing the brown dusty gloom rising up out of the ruins.

"Who do you think it is?"

"Does it matter? Rogues? Bad guys?"

"Good guys?"

"Huh, look around you, do you see any need to assign a 'side' right now? All I know is we need to do our job and take them down."

"Still pouting the party line?"

"ECHELON is the only game in time. You play on their side or you end up squished. Into dust." replied the first.

The group carried on running at speed through the ruins to where Frostbite and Melody had been seen.

=========

The ruins rose out of the dusty gloom all about. Silence.

It was the quiet that mostly unnerved. Melody glanced at Frostbite. He seemed to be ready for anything, a cool customer, and that was reassuring. She hoped some of it would rub off, eventually.

They'd moved away from the trio knowing they were being herded towards other groups in the near silence and ... she paused. "Hold on!" she whispered.

The pair stood in the shadow of a smashed building, walls half standing, roof caved in and jutting from the gloom of brown dust like everything else. All this dust... ordinary humans would be coughing their guts up right now and she was thankful for the accident that made her, among other things bulletproof and superhuman durable, able to shrug off the dusty gloom. The total lack of wind or weather was disconcerting though. Did it never rain?

Frostbite turned to Melody and saw her frowning, head tipped to one side. With a finger to her lip she turned and pointed. A thick cloud of dusty gloom hung in the air with dark jutting ruins poking up like fangs of some great beast. And... there! A group of three white clad beings moving through the gloom. One was hulking, seven foot or more, another looked like a woman considering the body shape the figure hugging white costume presented and the third was a slim tall - ish - figure. They were careful, looking about and searching for Frostbite and Melody.

Melody then pointed to another direction. A brief flash of white between buildings was seen as a trio moved towards the Vanguardians.

Then another direction. Two more trios.

"We're outnumbered!" hissed Melody. "We can't fight... twelve... fifteen supers!" she whispered.

The nearest group was the hulk/female/thin guy some 2-300 yards away and just about visible through the gloom. Frostbite wasn't sure how but there may well be a zillion ways for supers to track them even through this...

Admin wrote:OOC I have to stat up a MOUNTAIN of characters for this adventure so there may be some delays, apologies in advance! There's always plenty of 'behind the scenes' stuff I do but on the other hand (to my mind) I don't do enough!

OOC: I am fine with that mate and I love what you are doing. I am sorry myself that sometimes my responses are so limited owing to a lack of time and other such constraints at present. But in many ways its never been a finer time to play

Admin wrote:"We're outnumbered!" hissed Melody. "We can't fight... twelve... fifteen supers!" she whispered.

The nearest group was the hulk/female/thin guy some 2-300 yards away and just about visible through the gloom. Frostbite wasn't sure how but there may well be a zillion ways for supers to track them even through this...  

"They are in touch with one another, but they are struggling with this dust as we are. We can cause trouble, pick them off and see if we can't make them think there is more of us than there is of them. Buy us some time and see if we can get to higher ground, as it were."

With that Frostbite outlined his plan, if they both established and he kicked up the dust with low wind, nothing too obvious, they could move unimpeded then fire at the groups from a distance, so as to make them feel they are being snipped at by more than one hero.

OOC: SO low wind which I will drop to give us a good line of sight to hit at them with, form Melody and I, then wind up again and play the dust off against them. We can move in a line between the targets to try and make things difficult.

Sj

OOC Power Reserve into Weather Control (to 15) + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,1,+0 Total:10 (25) vs
OV2 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,12,+0 Total:33 (35) FAILED! Crikey.

Proof that even though you may have a great advantage in power the dice might have something else to say about it!

Frostbite frowned. There was literally no weather to manipulate it seemed!

Melody looked over and hissed "There!"

A blur of motion as a white speeding figure headed through the murk towards the pair!

OOC Initiative!



ALL distance attacks will suffer from a modifier of +1 OV per Range AP modifier, effectively doubling the range penalty because of the dust and difficulties in targeting through the gloom! Some powers may reduce the penalty (Thermal Vision when targeting warm bodies will remove the dust modifier whilst Telescopic vision removes the range modifier)

Admin wrote:OOC Power Reserve into Weather Control (to 15) + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,1,+0 Total:10 (25) vs
OV2 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,12,+0 Total:33 (35) FAILED! Crikey.

Proof that even though you may have a great advantage in power the dice might have something else to say about it!

ALL distance attacks will suffer from a modifier of +1 OV per Range AP modifier, effectively doubling the range penalty because of the dust and difficulties in targeting through the gloom! Some powers may reduce the penalty (Thermal Vision when targeting warm bodies will remove the dust modifier whilst Telescopic vision removes the range modifier)[/i][/color]

OOC: Bang goes the advantage I was hoping to gain. Oh well, at least we can snipe from a distance despite the disadvantage. So pour it on, seeking to go of accuracy and let the dice fall where they will with damage.

Frostbite looked cross, the conditions here for even whipping up a small dust cloud to give them some cover were seemingly beyond him right now. "Come old man, get it together!" He muttered to himself. Then he shrugged and looking about said, "Well might as well try sniping them from here, I guess, they'll know where we are, so no point in wasting the opportunity to hit from a distance. When they get closer we'll have to change tac. But let's give 'em a welcome they won't forget."

And with that Frostbite felt the air freeze around him as particles of dust took on the glitter of diamond white cold and energy like angry bees built up around his arms and hands as they had done so often before and he began to let loose on the encircling group moving steadily in toward them.

Sj

Admin wrote:OOC Should have checked in earlier but went to see the kids hence the delay, sorry!

How are you using Power Reserve? I would assume 10 points whacked into Energy Blast and let er rip. At which targets? All of 'em? Any crit blow/dev attack in there (crit blow tricky to hit with, dev attack is hard). After attacking you can move or maybe switch power reserve into Fluid Form (best for defence) or Density Increase (ultra mega tough and strong, now with added improved no slowing down ness!)

OOC: Ugh Sorry my bad. yes 10 to energy blast, and I will go for Critical Blow and trying to multi-attack at least 2, or else go for Multi-attack on 2 and just normal attack if the former is too difficult under present circumstances.

Sj

Frostbite considered the targets. The Speedster would be a problem if anything like Lionheart!

That said... he was moving quickly but the fact that Frostbite could actually see him suggested he might be more successful if... making a decision based on the overlay on his inner vision Frostbite took aim...

=========

Not too far away...

"Watch him." breathed the man from behind the silver faced dome mask.

"He's going to... we should warn..." said the woman...

"No! No. Watch. Sun Tzu said 'know your enemy' and you may *think* you know this enemy, as I do, but there will be differences and we can exploit those - IF we know what to target!" said the first man. As an aside he muttered "Echelon three One four, are you close?"

"inbound. Eta... imminent."

"Right. Watch your step."

"Piece of cake."

"really?"

Silence.

=========

Melody saw her friend and team leader take aim at the trio of enemies closing in. They were clad all in white from head to toe, sealed against the dust which seemed to slide off the suit.

She glanced down and saw her own clothes stained and dirty, torn in places and... she smiled. Strange how at a time like this, surrounded by enemies with more closing in that she could think about how her hair looked!

OOC Multi on three, Crit Blow Energy Blast 25 + Accuracy 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 4,2,7,8,5,8,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 9,8,+0 Total:33 (58) vs
Highest OV8 + 2D Acro (2D m arts speedracer) + range 4 (no dust penalty due to thermal vision) + crit Blow 4 + multi 4 + Roll(4d12)+0:
6,9,1,2,+0 Total:15 (35)
+7 (to 32EV) vs Highest RV24 + Multi 4 - Crit Blow 6 (RV22)=10 RAPs. Magic Lass absorbs 5 damage is on 0Hp and 3/8 Body and is STUNNED Speedracer is on 0HP and 1/6 Body and is STUNNED.
AV5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,10,+0 Total:18 (22) vs OV6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,10,+0 Total:20 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 6,7,+0 Total:33 (39) no damage from knockback.
AV5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,1,+0 Total:12 (17) vs OV8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,6,+0 Total:7 (15) +2 (EV7) vs RV8= No damage from knockback

I look at that text block and consider what it would have taken to resolve that in other game systems. A multi attack on three different opponents resolved with a few dice rolls. Not sure other systems could handle it and pretty sure Golden Heroes couldn't but I do sometimes miss the street level gritty crunch of wondering if a gunshot will take you down. Don't miss having to catch a taxi because it's faster than grade 1 superspeed...

The woman and the skinny guy (speedster) were both BLASTED into the ruins somewhere, their bodies tumbling and crashing through rotted brick, dust and debris trailing in their wake as they vanished from sight!

The big man stood, looking at his costume with a hole in it, round circle burned into that massive chest and the skin underneath unmarked. The suit seemed to grow, slither, reseal and rejoin until a heartbeat later there was no sign of the blast! The behemoth glanced to either side where before had stood his companions, now there was no one.

Looking back he saw a hole punched through a crumbled brick wall some fifty feet away. There was no sign of the woman.

"My turn." hissed Melody, swooping down towards the big man!

Frostbite was about to call her back, to keep it at a distance but she might not have the special senses and the ability to see through the gloom that he had. He just had to hope the guy couldn't reach her in the air!

Melody knew this was her chance to help and maybe even impress Frostbite! So far she'd felt like a fifth wheel. In between Frostbites myriad abilities - he seemed able to do all she could and more - and Battlebugs sheer... power, brute force, unrelenting, irresistible mountain shattering power, she felt something like making up the numbers. This was HER chance to shine.

"Please don't burn out." she muttered to herself as she closed in on the big brute!

OOC Crit Blow Sonic Beam 22 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,3,+0 Total:13 (35) vs
OV8 + Crit Blow 4 + Range 1 + Dust 1 + 0D Acro (2D M arts) + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,7,+0 Total:18 (32)
+2 (to 24) vs RV24 - 6 Crit Blow (RV18)=6 RAPs. Energy Absorption is BURNED OUT! and Pounder takes 6 RAPs, absorbs 5 with last ditch defence and is on 0HP 11/12 Body and no energy absorption.

"huh." grunted the big man. "You LOOK like her, and I reckon you hit just about as soft as she does too!" laughs the big man.

From his vantage point Frostbite just about heard that, but before he could wonder what it meant the big man leapt at Melody!

OOC No chance but here we go.

AV8 + 2D M arts + Roll(4d12)+0: 12,9,7,6,+0 Total:21 (29) vs
OV23 + 3D Acro + Roll(5d12)+0: 3,3,1,2,5,+0 Total:6 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 10,2,+0 Total:18 (41) Miss.

Though he came close to actually tagging Melody Frostbite knew her energy form was insubstantial much like his own. Where he was basically a fog cloud partial only some of the time she was like a living sound wave, human shaped but tricky to lay a hand on, plus she had astonishing reflexes and agility that would put the greatest of Olympians to shame in any era.

The big man looked dangerous though and had mostly shrugged off the blast Frostbite had landed...

=========

Near by...

The woman watched, floating in the air, arms crossed.

The man glanced at her. "Are you surprised?"

"No. Pounder is an idiot. Overconfident, relies on brutish strength. For his size he IS quick but hardly the most skilled of fighters."

"He only needs to land one blow."

"And do you think he will land it?"

"No." the man glanced about. "All Echelons. Move in. I want them alive. Watch out for any others. Standard Omega attack pattern four. Echelon Threes inbound imminent. Echelon high has expressed an interest in these. Commence."

She turned to her companion, floating only a few feet away in the dust, athletic form housed in the figure fitting white suit, mirror dome screen reflecting her own sleek athletic shape clad in white.

"Echelon High... or you?"

He was about to answer when a voice came over the comms. "Echelon two one three. Inbound. Save some for me." said the accented voice, like it was middle eastern.

The pair looked at each other and the man silenced his comms. "Dammit." he muttered.

She turned. "What does HE want? Every time Saladin turns up there's a bloodbath!" she muttered.

=========

OOC initiative... then next round all hell breaks loose...



CRUNCH!

The big man turned around to see dust rising from a crouched figure who rose amongst it, then theatrically wafted his hands about.

"Cough, cough." he said, though again, it was for show. Battlebug dusted his hands and glanced about. "I LOVE what you've done with the place white fat guy. Oh sorry, not fat. Big boned."

"Who dares...? YOU!" gasped the big man as he towered over Battlebug. He took a step back. "I... Echelon three... whatever. This is Pounder! I need back..."

"Hugh? Hugh who? Yoo hoo. Huh." grinned Battlebug, hopping forward to within arms length of the giant a foot or more taller and wider than him. "Heads up chunky." he said quietly. His fist was an invisible blur.

OOC Go for broke +8/-12 Multi on 3 Adrenaline Surge 24 + Accuracy 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 11,12,4,11,2,9,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,11,+0 Total:26 (50) vs
Highest OV 8 + Multi 4 + GFB 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,12,+0 Total:20 (40)
+4 to 28EV vs RV8 + multi 4 - GFB 12 (RV 0)=28 RAPs.
Dex boosted to 36 Str to 34 Pow Res to 36. 1 point each to Dex and Str (37/35) and 17 each to Kinetic Absorption (21) and Energy Absorption (22)

Dev Attack AV37 + 2D M Arts (2D Acro) + Roll(4d12)+0: 11,2,6,1,+0 Total:17 (54) vs
OV8 + 1D acro (1D m arts) + dev attack 8 + Roll(3d12)+0: 10,5,9,+0 Total:19 (35)
+6 (to 41) vs RV24 - 12 Dev Attack (RV12)=29 RAPs. Kinetic absorption is BURNED OUT and Pounder is DOWN and OUT!

KA... BOOOM!

The shockwave rang out for hundreds of yards, blasting dust and debris away and leaving the area surprisingly clear of dust! The smashed ruins were clear to see. Grey, pocked, crumbled, scorched... dead.

Another surprise was that the big man was lying in a crater with Battlebug stood over him. With the dust cleared momentarily frostbite could see - even from here - the deep footprints in the rock and smashed concrete the man had left. He must weigh hundreds of tons! Battlebug scooped him off the floor with one hand by the white costume and muttered "What is this stuff?" of the white material. He hopped to the top of the crater, four hundred ton man in hand.

"What a mess." muttered Battlebug as he looked around. He tossed the guy to the floor with a CRASH and rock powdered underneath him!

"You... YOU! You ALWAYS have to hog the limelight don't you!" hissed Melody, pointing a finger at his as she hovered in the air. "Every time! It's always about you!"

Battlebug looked about. "Me? Hey sweet cheeks we're a team and I came to warn you that there are LOADS of guys like this closing in on you and no way was I gonna stick to the plan and let you two face them alone. But hey, if that's what you want..." he turned to walk away.

Melody glanced about. There!

A glimpse of white in the ruins as more figures moved about. "Wait! Billy! Stop!"

He turned, hands on hips stood at the top of the crater. "Uhhh, maybe you should stick around. Strength in numbers."

He shrugged. "I'm on YOUR side and your day will come. You guys rescued me, I need to give you payback way I see it."

She sighed and glanced about then up to where Frostbite was watching from a ruined tower. There seemed to be no one in the vicinity to fight right now and the dust was starting to roll in around them again, creepily...

OOC As mentioned, the two you zapped are somewhere in the ruins and the big guy just got his clock cleaned... but this is the calm.

The storm is on the way. You're up.

Admin wrote:She sighed and glanced about then up to where Frostbite was watching from a ruined tower. There seemed to be no one in the vicinity to fight right now and the dust was starting to roll in around them again, creepily...

OOC As mentioned, the two you zapped are somewhere in the ruins and the big guy just got his clock cleaned... but this is the calm.

The storm is on the way. You're up.

Moving swiftly down to the others Frostbite looked a little concerned, "We're surrounded and more are on their way. I don't mind taking the last stand, but not today. Not when we've got Thoth and the others to consider. Battle Bug lead the way, let's grab what we can and high tail it out of here. They'll send pursuit, but hopefully, we'll leave some behind and we can then chose ground to fight to our own liking."

OOC: OK I am thinking of going fast and going far for now. Outside of London Justin St John's place if it still exists. But prior to that, if we have pursuit we might have to pick a suitable spot from which to fight without being overwhelmed as we currently might be.

Sj