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

"Do we... get Thoth and Sorceress and the Dark Lord guy?" asked Melody.

"If we get into any kind of fight they'll be a liability. Maybe they could follow or..."

"Or me n Frosty could hold off the bad guys while you grab the other three and get them to safety?" asked Battlebug.

Melody frowned, hands on hips. "There you go again, making Custers last stand!"

"Custard who? What are you talking about?" asked Battlebug as he scanned about. "Can't see anything in this dust smog..." he muttered.

Frostbite could. He saw heat signatures moving through the fog. Five he counted but knew there were more, catching glimpses of other forms moving. All around. And up too. He looked up at the buildings towering up into the dusty gloom which had more or less replaced the clearing Battlebugs 'sonic boom punch' had cleared.

Then...

"SURRENDER!"

Melody and Battlebug stopped squabbling and moved to form a triangle facing out with Frostbite as the third point.

"YOU ARE SURROUNDED AND CANNOT ESCAPE! WE ARE ECHELON, AND WE ARE LEGION! MORE ARE ON THE WAY!"

There was a distant CRACK! as a sonic boom went off distant, possibly miles away but the roar and crack got closer... and closer and closer... Dust started to crumble from ruined buildings and pebbles danced about as the ground vibrated...

Battlebug rolled his neck. "We should get the other three out of here."

Melody hissed "We can fight them! We already beat three of them!"

Frostbite glanced about. Then an overlay popped up on his inner vision.

OOC Int 9 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,11,+0 Total:19 (28) vs
OV6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,6,+0 Total:18 (24)
+3 (to 11 Will) vs Rv6=5 RAPS

1) It's hard to tell exactly where in London you are because the place is covered in dust and ruined, but some landmarks, though ruined, remained.
2-3) Street signs were still in evidence though mostly covered in dust and dirt. The signs where he was stood suggested he was near a tube station - the underground.
4-6) And there it was. Westminster Underground tube station entrance over there. Partially blocked off with collapsed brickwork and concrete and otherwise inaccessible but that was no barrier to three superhumans, all super strong and two of them strong enough to more or less lift any man made object on the planet!

They could fight... and possibly be overwhelmed. Radiation attacks would finish Battlebug and mental attacks could finish all of them. They had still to retrieve the trio of depowered mages but as mentioned Melody could sort that whilst BBug and he bought time... or they could entrust Thoth and co to lay low whilst the Vanguard led the Echelon away. Whatever course he took, Frostbite knew he had to decide now - they were out of time!

Admin wrote:1) It's hard to tell exactly where in London you are because the place is covered in dust and ruined, but some landmarks, though ruined, remained.
2-3) Street signs were still in evidence though mostly covered in dust and dirt. The signs where he was stood suggested he was near a tube station - the underground.
4-6) And there it was. Westminster Underground tube station entrance over there. Partially blocked off with collapsed brickwork and concrete and otherwise inaccessible but that was no barrier to three superhumans, all super strong and two of them strong enough to more or less lift any man made object on the planet![/i][/color]

They could fight... and possibly be overwhelmed. Radiation attacks would finish Battlebug and mental attacks could finish all of them. They had still to retrieve the trio of depowered mages but as mentioned Melody could sort that whilst BBug and he bought time... or they could entrust Thoth and co to lay low whilst the Vanguard led the Echelon away. Whatever course he took, Frostbite knew he had to decide now - they were out of time!

Frostbite thought through his options as the others squabbled, he'd have to sort that out. He knew it was bravado and a bit of headstrong attitude on Bug's part but he didn't like to think of him looking down on Melody who had more than earned her place on the team.

But bringing his mind to the moment, he realised that if these beings could track them they could well trace the others. Magical or not that magic right now. Clearly, something was heading in, and the fact that the children found safety underground maybe suggested that their options were best met underground - literally.

He needed to get and give Melody time to get away, BB needed a steadying hand or else he'd do something utterly foolish. Worst still he might succeed and he might get a full-on case of thinking he was invincible.

"Melody, sorry...get the others go underground. Stay safe, stay out of sight. We'll hold them off, make sure you take a roundabout route, I think the underground is our only safe bet, something about there might well be more defensible than the skies at present. If we get out of this we'll rendezvous where Justin's place is, understand?"

"Battle Bug, time to batter up, we need to make this good so Melody can slip away and not draw attention to the others. Hope you haven't peaked too soon, my friend!"

Spotting the oncoming Echelon soldiers, Frostbite lined up a shot and blasted full-on aiming to hit with Multiple targets as they came in through the thick cloud.

OOC: So multi-attack power reserve to blast, and then no dice action, going to go into super-dense mode.

Sj

OOC initiative...



"Remember. ALIVE." hissed the man staring impassively from behind the silver dome face screen.

"Do we go in?" asked the woman floating next to him.

"Yes. To make sure these idiots obey the instruction." said the man.

"Those three won't go down easy. I wouldn't. Neither would you."

==========

Frostbite knew he was in trouble. Scanning about his thermal vision picked up multiple heat images and counted AT LEAST a dozen. More in the wings, waiting... and ...

CRACK A BOOM!

Dust swirled up as a white clad athletic/bulky figure appeared overhead, sonic boom in his wake!

Hot on his heels, a woman in white... who was also 'on fire' flames sheathing her lither body!

OOC Frostbite is using Fluid Form (his best defence power) but because he loses initiative he can't switch power reserve into Fluid form (making him REALLY hard to hit) or Density Increase (super strong and tough) so this may hurt.

"YOU!" shouted the flying man who pointed at Frostbite. "It's true! NOW we will FINALLY see who is MAJESTIC!"

The woman shook her head, even whilst sheathed in flames. "Remember, alive you fool!"

The man laughed and charged at Frostbite!

OOC Echelon #10 attacks Frostbite. You may want to consider dice to defence rather than going with attack. You have 2D Acrobatics which would leave 2D for accuracy. I will *assume* you are fine with that. If you would have preferred the dice to all go to your energy blast/attack I will edit the post and recalculate everything.

Moving faster than Frostbite could initially register, the man was a blur who swooped in and swung at him!

OOC Echeleon #10 Av16 + 2D M Arts (2D Acro) + Roll(4d12)+0: 2,2,4,12,+0 Total:16 (Double result too low in my opinion to use) (32) vs
OV16 +2D Acro (2D accuracy) + Roll(4d12)+0: 12,3,7,10,+0 Total:22 (38) Attack Missed

SMASH!

An irresistible fist pounded into the floor, powdering rock with ease!

"Lucky!" laughed the man in white as he glanced at Frostbite who had danced aside.

Frostbite glanced at the woman. That fire could be a problem if she got close!

"Remember his vulnerability." said a voice in her ear.

"Alive. Yes." she said in reply, somewhat annoyed. "Remember who I am! I am NOT some mere footsoldier!"

OOC Echelon #3 blasts at Frostbite
Av24 + 3D Accuracy (1D acro) + Roll(5d12)+0: 4,2,4,8,2,+0 Total:8 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 12,9,+0 Total:29 (53) vs
OV16 +2D Acro (2D accuracy) + range 0 (no dust modifier for these guys and she has telescopic vision) + Roll(4d12)+0: 2,10,11,6,+0 Total:21 (37)
+6 (to 30) vs RV16=14 RAPs. Frostbite is DOWN and OUT! (Not enough HP left to absorb the damage). You can switch to controlling Battlebug and Melody (for as long as they stay on their feet)

Frostbite had known he was in trouble when it became clear he was the target and alarms flared all over his inner vision as first one, then another big hitter attacked him! The woman was sheathed in fire which he knew would be his Achilles heel but she...

THWASH!

Everything went dark!

"BOSS!" screamed Battlebug as he saw his friend, leader and mentor go down, spinning and tumbling away to crash in the dust, limp and unconscious!

"ALIVE REMEMBER!" shouted another man as he swooped in. "I know how to beat you boy." said the newcomer. "After all, I trained you."

OOC Energy Blast 27 + 2D Accuracy (2D acrobatics) + Roll(4d12)+0: 8,9,5,12,+0 Total:21 (48) vs
OV16 (Pow res default to dex) +4D acro (0D m arts) + Roll(6d12)+0: 12,11,3,9,9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 11,4,+0 Total:33 (49) attack missed. JUST!!!

"CRAP! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap!" said the youngster as he hopped about and spun, bounced, dodged and weaved as the powerful blue energy beam blasted from the newcomer as he floated in the air. Somehow Battlebug stayed just ahead of it and it was almost as if there was some reluctance to truly hurt the youngster, at least to some of those clad in white who were present.

The woman coated in fire snorted "You hold back! FINISH HIM!"

"Ha! Leave it to me. I have no problem breaking the boys spirit... or his bones." said the powerful looking man who had narrowly missed Frostbite.

OOC Go for broke +8/-12 Adren Surge 24 + accuracy (not an attack power so unaffected by combat) 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 1,9,11,12,12,7,+0 Total:24 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 8,3,+0 Total:35 (59) vs
Highest OV8 + Multi 4 + GFB 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 2,4,+0 Total:6 (26)
+8 (to 32) vs RV8 + Multi 4 - GFB 12 (RV0)=32 RAPs. Dex, Str, Power reserve all boosted (40, 38, 40) 2 points to further boost str and dex
Battlebug has Dex 41 Str 39 Kinetic Absorption 23, Energy Absorption 24

You're up. You have NO attack dice to add to the attack. All were blown in defence. That's Battlebugs weakness. beat him to the punch and you can take him down before he boosts himself. After that it's fairly routine for someone like Frostbite or the people attacking you right now to do that.

Melody is still here - she hasn't raced off to help the trio of powerless mages and two bad guys act before her, but everything depends on what Battlebug (you in control) can manage.

You face:

The powerful guy who swung at Frostbite and missed
The fiery lady in the sky
The guy who blasts blue energy. Like you do.
Others in the background. Battlebug can see half a dozen opponents at the moment with more yet to reveal themselves and come into range.

Admin wrote:You face:

The powerful guy who swung at Frostbite and missed
The fiery lady in the sky
The guy who blasts blue energy. Like you do.
Others in the background. Battlebug can see half a dozen opponents at the moment with more yet to reveal themselves and come into range.[/i][/color]

OOC: OH that was brutal! Snowflake in hell!!! Can I go back and have all 4 D on defence :afraid: No only kidding. So it looks like I am in an impossible to win situation - at least on the face of it. There were those early days when Frostbite was a real snowflake, he wasn't optimised very well and also GH rules. But getting myself beaten like this - wow that (thankfully) isn't something that happens that often. So I am thinking you are making a point here!

OK so try and play BB as best I can. Melody will have to fend for herself BB is all hormones and no discipline.

Battlebug saw red and saw his nemesis as the woman who moments before had downed his friend and mentor let alone the boss. She had to go, leaping at her a snarl almost on his face, he wasn't about to stop there. The big guy had some coming to.

OOC: OK Multi attack on the woman and majestic! Going in with his best attack on them both.

Sj

OOC I think you've probably already figured out what is going on here, or at least some of it...

"Atomica!" shouted the man arriving on the scene. "I said ALIVE! Did you..."

"He is the same as you, FROSTBITE. He'll be up in moments, despite that blast being powerful enough to burn through ... diamond!" said the fire sheathed woman, posturing as if she'd achieved some advantage over the man she addressed.

Battlebug vaguely heard that as he pounced on the two who'd 'jumped' his friend!

OOC You 'only' have 2D for defence (Acrobatics 2) and would need to improve that (to 4) to get an extra die. Basically your default power reserve should go into a defensive ability at all times until it's time to attack but that roll and with such a high Energy Blast (almost as high as your own) and I'm not surprised you got one shotted. Frostbite is an 'all round' hero with a number of back ups, fall backs, and ways to get the job done. Atomica (who you of course know from a few adventures back as one of the UKChampions and you butted heads with before winning her respect) is as powerful as you are, probably slightly more so, but if you'd had fluid form or density increase 'up' she would have done, what, 5 damage? Probably not even that. Basically when you face opponents who hit as hard as you do it all boils down to 1) Can you avoid it (frostbite isn't great at that unless he uses Fluid Form boosted, in which case he's amazing at that) 2) could you take a good hit (again, he has options. Fluid form is the best defensive power, dispersal boosted would be pretty good and so would density increase boosted. He has options, but if they are not 'activated' your standard defence (fluid form 5 added to your dex and body) is merely 'adequate' and Hero Points would help out - a lot. Of which you only have 2! The people you face are much the same. if you get the drop on them and a decent roll with 25 Energy blast and a devastating or critical attack, chances are they will be on the floor.

Don't be too crestfallen though - with 8 regeneration you are 'up' in 2APs of time which 4 rounds, so in 3 rounds time. Assuming Melody and Battlebug can last that long!

Battlebug multi on 2 dev attack (best attack) AV41 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,7,+0 Total:12 (53) vs
Highest OV16 + Multi 2 + 2D Acro + Dev Attack 8 + Roll(4d12)+0: 5,7,3,5,+0 Total:10 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 2,5,+0 Total:17 (43) This is going to hurt.
+4 (to 43) vs Highest RV25 + Multi 2 - Dev Attack 12 (RV15)=28 RAPs. Crunch.
Majestic and Atomica are both DOWN and OUT!

Majestic, clad in white and hovering in the air, laughed "I've heard a LOT about you boy! You are all rep though... you aren't as fast as me, nowhere near as strong and I can withstand..."

BANG!

Majestic didn't finish the sentence as a blur passed by him on its way to Atomica who started to speak only for a kick to land in her midriff followed by an uppercut! She was sailing up through the air even as Majestic flew out of sight!

The 'leader' of the Echelon didn't even see which way two of the biggest hitters on the scene went as the rocks were still flying through the air from where Majestic had been punched clean through the ruins of a building and Atomica was a glowing dot in the sky!

"MELODY!" he barked. "Get after her!" as he watched the glow disappear. He'd been hoping she would close in on his alternate self and weaken him. Without the suit he himself wore his counterpart - if he had the same vulnerability - would be depowered and vulnerable. As it was he was slightly annoyed to see 'himself' go down with a single blast but he knew had the other Frostbite been 'ready' he would have dispersed, been fluid or super dense.

Melody (OOC YOUR Melody) watched as a white clad woman streaked up into the dusty gloom and screamed "Battlebug! What's going on? Are they... who ARE they?"

Battlebug landed in a crouch. "I don't know, but Majestic and Atomica are UKChampions... back in OUR world!" he said, glancing at the prone body of his friend only feet away. To get to HIM they'd have to climb over Battlebugs own dead body!

The leader of the Echelon barked "GIVE IT UP BILLY! YOU CAN'T BEAT US ALL!"

"Wha...? So much for secret Identity." muttered the youngster. "How the heck can..."

The 'leader' of the Echelon 'hissed' the full face dome mask open and revealed... Joe Rigdon. A touch of grey at the sides of the hair, a couple of creases around the eye, but it was the man to Battlebug looked up to more than any other person he'd ever met!

"No..." gasped the boy.

Melody shouted "SNAP OUT OF IT BUG! They aren't like us! They are different... evil!"

Suddenly another woman swooped in, hovering over Battlebug and the prone form of Frostbite. Her mask hissed open...

"Catherine?" spluttered Battlebug. "You too?"

Catherine Stowe/Captain Ion looked down then frowned. "We never met boy, but I know the version of you I DON'T like and I know how dangerous you can be!" She said before levelling arms and blasting at Battlebug!

OOC Energy Blast 21 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,4,+0 Total:12 (33) vs
OV41 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,7,+0 Total:12 (53) Missed. By a lot.

Battlebug stepped around the blast which burned into the floor as if it came at him in slow motion. This was... all outta whack! They'd come into another world and were fighting alternate versions of people he knew as heroes, and in the case of Catherine and Joe... team mates! He glanced at the woman chasing after Atomica sailing through the dust and then at his own team mate Melody, looking terrified but standing her ground. He knew that the lady with the silver dome mask on her face and dressed all in white would look identical, possibly slightly older, than the woman he routinely argued with. Same red hair, easy smile, twinkling eyes, laugh... "Snap out of it Billy!" he muttered as he watched the battlefield move around him in slow motion!

"Come at him in a pincer! All at once!" said 'Frostbite' to his fellow Echelon agents as his mask hissed back down. Judging from the look on the face of the youngster it had shocked him, but not enough for Captain Ion's blast to nail him. Not that he figured it would hit, or even hurt him. Battlebug... even young, as he was now, was a class 5 by any measure and the Ultrahumans had come knocking when they...

"Focus!" he hissed to himself. Without Frostbot to constantly guide him he was easily distracted. Since Frostbot had 'divided' himself he... CONCENTRATE! He thought to himself.

One of the original trio who'd been blasted into the ruins ran back and took aim at Battlebug with her soul searing MAGIC BLAST! 'Frostbite' barked "ALIVE I SAID!"

OOC Magic Blast 13 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,10,+0 Total:11 (24) vs
OV5 + Range 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,12,+0 Total:21 (30) Attack Missed

"Yowch! What the heck is that?" yelped Battlebug. "Everything else is slow motion... apart from that! Mel!" he yelled. "Gotta get the boss outta here! I'll... probably get my ass kicked." he muttered.

OOC Melody is up.



If you need explanation of her abilities let me know but she's kinda like 'you, lite' with less energy blast, fluid form which gives her better defence/resistance than you but not when you boost yours, flight, nowhere near as strong or tough, a bunch of senses...

Admin wrote:If you need explanation of her abilities let me know but she's kinda like 'you, lite' with less energy blast, fluid form which gives her better defence/resistance than you but not when you boost yours, flight, nowhere near as strong or tough, a bunch of senses... [/i][/color]

OOC: Just wrote a really long post and lost it all :afraid:

OK so not going to remember half of what I wrote but here is the gist:
1. Not worried about FB, I'm much better with rules and tactical when playing face 2 face, I take it in better.  I've not got the wherewithal to worry about it here, too much going on (especially right now).  I'm happy to take the lumps when I make a stupid mistake, and I'm glad it was a tactical error not a failing of the Character.  Besides, when you fall into a pit sometimes it provides a more interesting story.

2. I'll play Melody as well as BB for now.  But I can see we are in a hopeless situation...this was the gist of my inner Melody dialogue which I wiped out. In fact writing that made me think to write the rest of this in word.  Anyway so the gist of what I wanted to do was Devastating attack against Frostbite here is why

Melody shouted to Battle Bug, “We’ve got to get out and take the boss with us.  We’re not going to win this.”  

Unlike Battle, Bug Melody respected and admired Joe, Frostbite.  He was as his powers cool and considered.  But unlike Battle Bug, she wasn’t blinded by hero worship.  And so as she raised her hands, hoping to somehow hit him with her sound powers, she hoped it would throw the others off sufficient to get Battle Bug and the others safely away.  “Sorry Boss,” She said as she let loose.  

Sj

OOC I'll never hold rules knowledge (or lack of) against anyone but as you mention sometimes it enhances or changes the story.

Sonic Blast Dev Attack Av22 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,7,+0 Total:11 (33) vs
OV29 + range 3 + dust 3 + 2D Acro (2D Accuracy) + Roll(4d12)+0: 7,11,11,12,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 3,11,+0 Total:36 (71) Missed. By a lot!

The white clad man 'hissed' the face mask down becoming no different from the other white clad supers spreading out around the battlefield!

Melody knew she was outclassed but hoped a lucky blast would take out the man in front of her, a doppleganger of the guy she called leader and friend!

And she missed. Wildly. his form seemed to shift and flow around the blast, much as her own or Frostbite (HER Frostbite) would normally do.

Biting down in frustration she scooped Frostbites prone form up and flew up into the air!

"Go Melody! GO!" yelled Battlebug. "I'll slow them down!"

"You'll do nothing boy!" said a man in white that the suit clung to as if his body was angular and sharp underneath the strange cloth!

OOC Jack of Diamonds blasts with Projectile Weapons 19 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,9,+0 Total:16 (35) vs
OV41 + 4D acro + Roll(6d12)+0: 12,1,6,1,10,3,+0 Total:22 (63) Missed.

Battlebug stepped aside as a stream of 'diamonds' blasted like a torrent from the mans hands!

Another stepped up, claws jutting from the white gloves, but the material seemed to have flowed around them, skin tight!

OOC Av11 + 3D (0D acro) + Roll(5d12)+0: 10,2,1,9,9,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 11,11,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0:
7,1,+0 Total:48 (59) vs
OV41 + 4D Acro - flank attack 2 + Roll(6d12)+0: 2,6,12,8,10,2,+0 Total:22 (61) Missed. Just!

Swaying back from several scything slashes Battlebug knew his luck was running out! This lot weren't attacking as a team - yet! They'd probably practised to do so but never had to put it in practise! he knew his own luck was running out. The Adrenaline would last in his system for heartbeats then fade, requiring him to 'boost' again. In between boosting and recharging was a window. If an opponent was fast enough to beat him to the punch his abilities would not be boosted in time... and he'd be in bad trouble indeed!

A woman clad in white took after Melody and vanished into the dusty gloom!

Another woman stepped forward... and thrust a hand at Battlebug!

"What now?" he muttered.

OOC Teleportation 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,12,+0 Total:16 (24) vs
OV7 + range 3 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,5,+0 Total:12 (22)
+2 (to 10) vs RV8=2 RAPs.

Battlebug grunted, then started to vanish!

"Whaaaaa?" he spluttered... then reappeared, becoming solid again!

"Damn! Next time! I'll teleport him directly to the holding cells!" shouted the woman.

The speedster arrived back on the scene less confident than before. He raced at Battlebug!

OOC Adren surge Multi on 3 AV20 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,7,+0 Total:18 (38) vs
Highest OV7 + Multi 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,11,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 11,2,+0 Total:35 (46)
FAILED to push! Abilities do NOT increase! The dice have decided!

"Damn! Dammmmn!" spluttered the speedster. "That NEVER happens! What the hell?" He sped around the battlefield, no longer certain in his ability to attack or make a difference!

OOC The way I run Adrenaline surge the effects last 1 round for all users (good and bad) then fizzle out, needing recharging. I may also make a house rule that whoever uses it MUST take a burnout limitation on it. It would be overpowered but time and again we see failures and burn outs and I like it that way!

A woman called out "Speedracer! Get it together! We need your speed, not your complaints!"

She formed a protective dome around herself, made of crystal, then half heartedly blasted at Battlebug!

OOC No real chance but the dice might decide... AV11 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,8,+0 Total:17 (28) vs
Ov41 + 4D Acro + Roll(6d12)+0: 6,7,5,11,3,10,+0 Total:21 (62) Attack Missed

Battlebug watched a stream of crystals ping towards him and stepped aside. His power was wearing off. So long as he...

KRACKA THOOM!

A newcomer appeared, hovering over the scene. "Aha!" he said in an accented voice from behind a full screen face mask! "A challenge! For you fools! For SALADIN this boy shall be no challenge!"

Frostbite (Echelon) pulled a face behind the screen. "Saladin! Alive! We need information!"

The newcomer waved the protest off and his face mask hissed open. With a shaved head and trident beard he looked like a brother of Richard King/Lionheart (OOC who Battlebug never met) and he looked down at the battlefield.

"You ARE powerful boy... but you have limits and vulnerabilities. I could have brought radiation, instead I shall simply beat you to the punch! When you wake up know you have been beaten by your better - in ANY timeline!" laughed Saladin with an accented voice.

From a safe distance another white clad male blasted with  the power of his mind!

OOC Mind Blast 12 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,1,+0 Total:2 FAILED and Mentax Mind Blast has BURNED OUT for one hour!

Frostbite (Echelon) rolled his eyes behind his mask. He would have to speak to those present and those who'd been blasted out of the fight. The result was in no doubt now. Saladin was faster than the boy and would wallop him into the ground. He almost felt sorry, remembering Battlebug as a youth, the puppy dog hero worship, the enthusiasm, the happy go lucky outlook.

Meanwhile Melody soared upwards through the dust and gloom intent on escaping into the ruins and getting to Justin St Johns place... until a voice ... HER voice... called out from behind and she looked - at her own face! Melody gasped! An evil version of herself! NO!

Melody (Echelon) was faster and caught her counterpart without a problem! She didn't waste time to talk her down and simply blasted - at Melodys hands!

OOC Sonic Blast Trick Shot 23 + 2D (HP 2 remain) + Roll(4d12)+0: 4,6,6,2,+0 Total:12 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 9,8,+0 Total:29 (52) vs
OV23 - Flank Attack 2 - Surprise 4 (no acro skill) + trick shot 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,3,+0 Total:11 (32)
+6 (to 29) vs RV11 (striking solid parts)=18 RAPs. Melody is DOWN and OUT!

With a powerful blast Melody is sent spinning through the air! Frostbite too, tumbling and falling!

"Clean up crew to sector... damn. Tell Wandafar to FIX these damn things!" said Melody (Echelon) as she hissed the helmet closed and saw intermittent displays and errors come up. She looked about, seeing only dust and gloom without the sight enhanced functions of her iffy helmet. With a sigh she descended slowly into the gloom, looking for Melody or Frostbite and cursing into the helmet.

OOC initiative...



"HE'S MINE!" said Saladin, though he knew the battlefield was pretty much frozen to his spectacular speed! of course he had evaluated William Watt's abilities. His power allowed him to enhance his combat prowess to spectacular levels and Saladin had to admit to some jealousy but it would be all for nought if he wasn't fast enough to use them!

With a grin he swept down at speed and pummelled the youngster! Alive had said Frostbite. He sneered. Still, there was the bigger picture and Frostbite would be discredited - as would that idiot Majestic and the woman Atomica - for having been dropped so easily! Easy. his smile faded. If the boy WAS faster Saladin himself would be a smear. If, if, if. Ha!

OOC Dev Attack Av28 + 5D M arts (0D acro) + Roll(7d12)+0: 5,8,4,11,2,6,9,+0  Total:20 (48) vs
OV16 + 4D acro (0D m Arts) + Dev Attack 8 + Roll(6d12)+0: 7,3,3,7,8,8,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 4,10,+0 Total:30 (54) missed!

Battlebug had never faced an opponent as fast as this and only luck kept him spinning and dodging, rolling away as punch after punch landed in the air or smashing through brickwork!

He couldn't last like this forever though and turned...

Frostbite (Echelon) and Captain Ion (echelon) took aim

"Together Catherine!" said Frostbite and they blasted at the youngster!

OOC team Attack Av27 + accuracy 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 9,5,9,9,8,8,+0 Total:18 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 11,4,+0 Total:33 (60) vs
OV16 + 4D Acro - team attack 2 + Roll(6d12)+0: 11,6,2,9,4,11,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 7,12,+0 Total:41 (55)
+3 (to 30) vs RV10=20 RAPs. Energy Absorption burned out, Battlebug is DOWN and OUT!

"He heals reasonably quickly. We need to move him to a holding cell." said Frostbite, dusting off his gloves and with mask hissing open. Saladin landed next to him and Frostbite (Echelon) scowled. "You were not needed but you come anyway. Aren't you supposed to be hunting rogues down?"

"These ARE rogues and do not seek to order me, Rigdon!" hissed Saladin, the face twisting from cheerful to snarling in an instant. Beside Frostbite Captain Ion glanced about. "Comms are down and the helmets are malfunctioning. We're as blind in the dust as anyone else unless we have sensory powers."

"I have NO such problems my dear." hissed Saladin, strolling to where Battlebug lay in a crater and grabbing the youngster by his scorched leather armour. "This armour looks... medieval. Where are they from?"

Frostbite scowled and barked an order to round up the Echelon on site. Turning to Saladin he walked over. "That's why I wanted them ALIVE. I'm surprised you listened."

Saladin tossed the unconscious youth to the ground in a cloud of dust and turned, looking Frostbite eye to eye. "had I not showed up this boy would have powered through those gathered here including you and Ms Stowe. As it was you took them by surprise but remember this - your counterpart went down easily... and so will you if you challenge me! Know your place!" he said stabbing a finger into the chest of the Echelon Field team leader.

His hand passed through the misty body of Frostbite but the point was made. Both men stared at each other.

Someone shouted "I found Atomica! Need a hand moving the rubble!" The men broke off, Saladin smiling then taking off into the dusty gloom overhead.

=========

Rebooting.

Scanning. Injuries healing satisfactorily. Reboot complete. Wake.

Frostbite opened his eyes. It was dark, dusty and he seemed to be in a ruin that had collapsed on top of him. His blue chestplate lit up the tight space and he switched his power to dispersal, moving through the solid rock without issue. Taken by surprise, his defences lacking, they'd been surrounded, outnumbered and outgunned.

He had a number of problems now.

1) these 'Echelon' - alternate versions of heroes he knew, including the Vanguard and the UKChampions were close by and hunting him
2) Battlebug and Melody wouldn't last long. The boy was as powerful as anyone in attack but beat him to the punch and you had the best chance of taking him down. Melody was powerful but inexperienced and out of her depth.
3) The three depowered mages would be lying low but if they exposed themselves to discovery they would offer no challenge to superhuman opponents!

OOC phew! Another mega post!

Admin wrote:Rebooting.

Scanning. Injuries healing satisfactorily. Reboot complete. Wake.

Frostbite opened his eyes. It was dark, dusty and he seemed to be in a ruin that had collapsed on top of him. His blue chestplate lit up the tight space and he switched his power to dispersal, moving through the solid rock without issue. Taken by surprise, his defences lacking, they'd been surrounded, outnumbered and outgunned.

He had a number of problems now.

1) these 'Echelon' - alternate versions of heroes he knew, including the Vanguard and the UKChampions were close by and hunting him
2) Battlebug and Melody wouldn't last long. The boy was as powerful as anyone in attack but beat him to the punch and you had the best chance of taking him down. Melody was powerful but inexperienced and out of her depth.
3) The three depowered mages would be lying low but if they exposed themselves to discovery they would offer no challenge to superhuman opponents!

OOC phew! Another mega post!

OOC: Wow that was awesome, talk about pulling out the stops. Wow, do you ever leave me with a quandary, not only no way home, no team around me, and I'm completely outgunned and outclassed. Hmmm, this is going to take something special to work out!

Frostbite had to get away, so far as he knew the others didn't know of the three mages, getting them to safety probably underground would be a start. The wanted the team alive, probably for questioning. That would be his second port of call. He hated to leave the others, but heroes had to make difficult choices. Courage wasn't only rushing in against fearful odds, it was knowing when to stand your ground and do the other difficult thing you had to. Having only newly recruited Melody and Battle Bug, he felt a keen sense of responsibility for their welfare, but he had the mages to think of as well. And they would be a far greater asset, especially Thoth. So for now, he had to get to them, and keep them safe.

Turning to fluid form his best hope of defence if attacked again, he slithered, slid and otherwise moved seamlessly toward where they had been left. All the while seeking to hide himself and his distinctive glow from any Eschelon enemies. Enemies...how had it come to this? How had his counterparts on any, let alone this world come to a place of being would be dictators hunting children? Too many questions, but he hoped to find some answers soon for all their sakes.

OOC: OK Mages then trying to get them underground. And finding out where the others have been taken - in a super fortified base with Wandafar as its designer - oh brother!

Sj

Frostbite phased through the floor, Frostbot throwing up an overlay of the sewer system for him to plot a course to where the three mages had been left.

Some of the sewer had collapsed in and murky water formed pools in the darkness only illuminated by Frostbites blue chest.

Following that he looked at the overlay again, hoping to make sense of it...

OOC Pow res to int 19 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,2,+0 Total:14 (33) vs
OV8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,8,+0 Total:18 (26)
+4 (to 12 WIll) vs RV8=4 RAPs

1) the most direct route to where the mages had been left was ahead
2-3) Following that route would take him underneath the battleground he'd just fought on - where the gathered 'Echelon' were and where someone of them may have special powers or abilities to 'see' him even under the ground!
4-6) a more circuitous route would take longer and leave the trio of mages exposed to risk but would reduce his own chances of being found. It would also take him into the tube rail tunnels where he could move faster hopefully.

Behind him he heard distant shouts but couldn't make out the words. Were they onto him?

Admin wrote:Behind him he heard distant shouts but couldn't make out the words. Were they onto him?

Feeling he had no choice, but the weight of the world making every step away from the most direct route more torturous, nonetheless, Frostbite followed the overlay and moved in a roundabout fashion to where the mages ought to be. Frostbite wondered how long and how quickly the mages could regain their power. Moreover, there was the issue of Elias, in bringing him to justice it seemed they'd encumbered themselves with one who might prove as much an enemy within an those without.

Frostbite put that thought aside as he did the faces of Melody and Battle Bug. Bug he'd only just rescued, and here he was once again leaving him. There were days, not many, but this was one in which he wished he had the power to be in two places at once. Moving as fast as the route would allow, he wasn't slow in trying to work his way around to where the mages ought to be. But caution dictated that he took the opportunity not just to go fast but to go silent as he could.

Sj

Picking his way through ruins was easy with his powers but he was mindful of walking into traps so exercised caution.

It had been a long time since he'd had to operate solo and without backup he was easy meat to pick off. He went through what he knew...

Himself, Melody and Battlebug - the core of the Vanguard - had been trying to get home with Professor Thoth (Mage), and Sorceress (ex UKChampions) with Dr Mystical/Elias/Self Styled dark Lord (prisoner, former hero and UKChampion) in tow. Something had gone wrong though. Thoth's magic hadn't been up to scratch and they'd gotten back to Britain... but it wasn't a Britain Frostbite recognised.

The place had been scorched and the land covered in a choking dust cloud that would most probably kill off ordinary humans, animals and plants. It was a dead land, or they thought so. Instead white clad superhumans with mirror dome helmets had turned up. They called themselves 'The Echelon' and were alternates of people Frostbite knew as super HEROES. That included the Vanguard and the UKChampions and an alternate version of himself, Majestic and Atomica as far as he knew. He'd been smashed into unconsciousness easily and next time his defences would be stronger.

Shaking his head he had to admit to himself that had he stayed on his feet he'd not had made much difference. A dozen or more heroes, many of them the same or higher level than he was... He didn't know what had happened to Melody and Battlebug but had to at least assume both were down and captured or worse.

They'd had no time to catch a breath, train, even measure their abilities since joining Frostbite and he hoped his team mates were not too badly injured. If they ever got out of THIS mess they would have to take time to measure abilities, get uniforms sorted out and some training done. Find the best defensive posture, work on offensive moves and be more coherent, as a whole instead of essentially operating as solo heroes in a group. Lots to think about, a few regrets but he felt like a leaf on the breeze.

He knew there'd be more surprises to come. With 'evil' versions of the team he wondered if Catherine, Justin St Johns and Wandafar would show up... or worse. Lionheart. His friend was faster than he was. more powerful and one of the greatest hand to hand fighters anywhere. Going up against him... he figured only Battlebug might have a chance and even then... he winced. He couldn't see anything other than the youngster going down.

'Frostbite' said Frostbots' voice in his head.

He looked up, broken from his reverie.

He was in a small alcove off a tube tunnel main line, long disused and filled partially with rubble. He'd stopped to listen and get his bearings to circle the battleground and get back to the mages and now...?

A teenage boy, probably about the same age as Battlebug, a girl a couple of years younger and two kids about 10 year old, a boy and a girl.

"Who are you?" asked the boy. He was, like the others, dirty and covered in dust with goggles and face masks pulled over their faces.

The two young ones held hands, their eyes glowing through the dusty goggles.

The girl stood crouched, her hands and arms covered in shining silver scales. The boy stood relaxed though he repeated "You got like, two seconds. After that? We drop you, Echelon scumbag!"

Admin wrote:The girl stood crouched, her hands and arms covered in shining silver scales. The boy stood relaxed though he repeated "You got like, two seconds. After that? We drop you, Echelon scumbag!"

Frostbite made no threatening moves but simply, slowly and with great caution said, "I'm not Echelon, I am the reason some of your friends escaped the group including the huge giant hunting them earlier. It was my shot who took him out. And my friends, who are also not part of this mad group, have been captured by them. So any enemy of Echelon is an ally of mine right now? My name is Joe, what's yours?"

OOC: Nice write up by the way

Sj

"Joe? You're dressed..." said the youth

"Like... like a superhero, from before the fall." said the girl.

The two youngsters stood hand in hand with eyes glowing but said nothing more did they make any move.

"What you doing down 'ere then?" asked the boy, cocky but scared, Frostbite figured.

"Yeah, ee might a led em down ere!" said the girl, looking about in the darkness.

"Must av powers though cause ee ain't wearin no mask n the dust would get im like it does the norms. No norms left now. Not overground anyway. Dust saw to that." said the teenager.

"I'm Andy." he said. "This ere is Kate an the kids are Freddy n Anna. We run these streets, an we won't share no food unless you got sommat ta trade!"

"Why don't we zap im an see what ee's got on im?" said Kate.

The kids hissed and the pair of them pointed in the darkness. "Echelon." they said, as one.

"I knew it!" snarled Kate. "He led them down here!" and she raised silver glinting claws on the ends of her fingers, her forearms covered in those silver scales!

Andy, the teenager, suddenly rose several feet off the ground "You got like, 2 seconds, you Echelon or what?"

The four looked ready to fight and behind him, Frostbite heard a distant echo of feet splashing through water and heavy rock walls being punched through!

Admin wrote:The four looked ready to fight and behind him, Frostbite heard a distant echo of feet splashing through water and heavy rock walls being punched through!

"guys I am not with them, but they are after me. They've got my friends, and I've got some depowered mages I'm trying to get to, to keep safe. Trouble is they must be tracking me. So you'd best get, I'll lead them off. I'm too important, therefore they'll ignore you for now if I lead them away. So skedaddle, split or whatever you kids call it. And i'll try and lead them away from this position. Go!"

OOC: OK I figure these guys are going to want to try and do something, so I am going to leave space here for them to respond. And meanwhile, I'll coat the ground with super cold ice slippery as I can and also put up a super thick wall across the entrance, so they know I've been here. And then the plan is, unless the kids know better, to try and lead them a merry dance, going through walls where I can't slip through them in my fluid form. I'll get Frostbot to lead me so I don't get lost.

Sj

The kids look uncertain, then glance down the darkness in the direction of the Tube tunnel. The older boy hisses and waves the others on. "Come on! This guy is trouble one way or another!"

The kids looked at Frostbite then followed Andy to a grate and pulled it aside, climbing in. The smell suggested it was a tunnel vent of some kind.

Moments later having left sign of his passing in the form of Ice - which he had no doubts wouldn't slow this lot down much - Frostbite sped through walls and made a straight line for where Frostbot had predicted the Mages to be hiding.

==========

"He should have been back by now." said Sorceress.

Thoth sighed, adjusting the mask over his mouth and rubbing his eyes. He didn't feel well - at all - and suspected this dust was something more than that thrown up by some vast explosion.

Dr Mystical coughed "See that?" he croaked. His manacled hands lifted to reveal red sludge. Or blood. It was hard to tell what. "Whatever this stuff is, it will kill us. We need to *hack, cough* get inside."

"Shhh!" said Thoth, peering through a dirty broken window. "White clad guys moving through the ruins! They may have some super senses!"

"then be quiet!" said Sorceress.

"No need for that." said a voice behind the trio. They spun to see a shapely female form clad stood in the doorway...



The mages stood. They were in trouble. Dr Mystical bent over, coughing. Sorceress moved to help him but the woman hissed "Another step and I'll cut you in half..."

==========

Frostbite emerged then looked around.

Everywhere looked the same. Even Frostbot was struggling to track how far he'd travelled and had switched to internal sensors - whatever that meant.

The cloying red dust hung in the air, making normal vision possible. Switching to infra red revealed some variations and being dispersed meant he wasn't bothered about bumping into stuff...

Glancing about he saw dark shapes rising out of the gloom - ruined buildings. This might have been a residential area or the city. It was impossible to tell. With a sigh he glanced back then heard distant coughing...

Admin wrote:Glancing about he saw dark shapes rising out of the gloom - ruined buildings. This might have been a residential area or the city. It was impossible to tell. With a sigh he glanced back then heard distant coughing...

A cough! Hmmm, that might mean someone, his someone who wasn't at all fairing well in this dust haze. Then again it could be someone from below ground venturing up here! Who knew without taking a moment to look in on them.

Moving silently as his dispersed form allowed he floated toward the sound, careful to conceal his presence as best as he could through the debris and destroyed buildings that loomed up before him. He looked and strained his ears, breathing even slower to make sure he didn't suddenly stumble on whomever it was that let out an unmistakable cough.

Sj

OOC Apologies for the delay. Been on nights and it's horrendous trying to get the body clock into any kind of order. Currently the middle of the night (0306am) and I'm hoping the neighbours builders don't start drilling and hammering at 0830 like they have done the last week. Even with earplugs its a losing battle!

Frostbite moved quickly through the ruins mindful that he had already been 'one shotted' and gotten away more through luck than anything else.

When he teamed up with Atomica she'd been more powerful than he was but now...? He wasn't so sure. He seemed to have 'grown' into his powers and could feel reasonably confident of holding his own against anyone - only if he was ready though!

Swooping in cover and underground where he could, leaving no trace of his passing he slowed as he heard voices and coughing. Creeping through the dusty gloom he poked his face through a wall barely enough to see into the room. He saw a white clad figure holding Thoth by the throat and Sorceress on her back, groaning. Dr Mystical, still in chains, hacked away, coughing and a voice Frostbite recognised hissed at Thoth. "WHERE is Frostbite? We have his friends, including the boy! Tell me! I shall drain you as I did your friend, only this time I will not stop at incapacitating her!"

'Voice print recognition indicates 99.842% match of Stephanie Miller, codename REFLEX. Power set is Vampirism, draining life force and increasing abilities including superhuman Class 2 strength and Agility, low class 3 attack and damage avoidance due to enhanced reflexes and flight with some senses and an enhanced healing factor.' said Frostbot inside Frostbites' head.

Frostbite saw Thoth dangle from Stephs' one handed grip, several inches off the floor and gurgling. "What was that?" she hissed. She loosened her grip a little.

"I... uhhh... said... He's behind you." gasped Thoth.

"You think I'll fall for that?" hissed Reflex, tightening her grip and causing Thoth to squrim!

Admin wrote:"I... uhhh... said... He's behind you." gasped Thoth.

"You think I'll fall for that?" hissed Reflex, tightening her grip and causing Thoth to squrim!

Frostbite was going to say something but didn't feel like now was the time for showmanship or rubbing salt in a festering wound.  It disgusted him to see what his people had become, but then again he had no idea of the context or what they'd been through.  But this was the time to end this.  Or at least try.  

Raising his hands his steadied himself remembering who he was saving not who he was shooting and blasted full on.  

OOC: OK going for maximum damage to knock out, and free Thoth, don't need a fight here.  Just want to take Steph out and get the others to safety.  I'll free Elias, no good trying to cart him around with cuffs on if anyone needs a hand do so, and then head back for the grate we saw the others at, if possible.  Depends on if the others are searching around there or have left.  If so then go to the nearest underground station and seek refuge.

PS you never have to apologise, mate, I don't know how you keep going with such consistent quality. If you need time take it, God willing I'll still be here.

Sj

OOC Energy Blast 25 + 4D Accuracy (using Accuracy will be a game changer I suspect from now on previously it was rely on two dice or burn through a hatful of Hero Points) + Roll(6d12)+0: 12,7,5,1,10,3,+0 Total:22 (47) vs
OV8 - surprise 4 - blindside 2 + range 1 + fluid form 5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,2,+0 Total:5 (13) Ouch.
+8 (I think we've had a +10 before but this is pretty high) to 33 vs RV13=20 RAPs. Reflex is DOWN and OUT!

Despite being superhuman fast Reflex turns and reacts far slower than Frostbites energy blast which punches her through a brittle brick wall!

Mind you the walls, the buildings around here, all seemed... dried out? The concrete holding them together was like powder and a tender tap from Frostbite would see a wall collapse without much effort at all!

"Took your time." muttered Thoth, rubbing his neck. He saw the look on Frostbites face then looked at the Reflex shaped hole in the wall. "Friend of yours?"

Frostbite moved to free Dr Mystical who looked at the hero then sighed, muttering "Thanks. Without my magic I'm no threat and besides, for better or worse we are all on the same side here."

Thoth looked at Mystical, speaking with a firm tone in his voice. "Betray us in ANY way and you'll regret it."

Mystical nodded then moved over to his ex wife. "She's unconscious but I don't think there's any lasting damage. This dust though... we need to find clean air or we'll all suffer. I presume even you will need to breathe at some point." to Frostbite.

A glance in the top right corner of his line of sight revealed a superimposed readout showing 1 hour 27 minutes before Frostbites' 'sealed systems' would run out. Before then he didn't need to breathe.

Thoth moved over to where Reflex lie in a pile of rubble. "Hey Frostbite, check this out."

Moving over and switching to Intelligence, his mine boosted from genius to off the chart by the power of Frostbot, Frostbite knelt by the mage and checked out the suit Reflex wore.

It was Steph, a few years older but other than the odd forehead line no more than say, five years or so. The helmet was of advanced design. The suit was a material Frostbite had never seen before.

OOC Int 19 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,2,+0 Total:14 (33) vs
OV11 + Unskilled 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,3,+0 Total:8 (23)
+4 (to 12) vs RV11=1 RAP

Despite not being a scientist Frostbites vast intellect could help him figure out some things.

1) The suit helmet is an interface to act between the suit, the helmet wearer and has been designed by a genius. The suit is of a material unknown.

"I'm no scientist and my powers are on the fritz, but this suit feels..." Thoth said, pulling at it. It stretched, then seemed to wrench itself from his fingers to cling to Steph's athletic form. Frowning, the mage stood, dusting his hand off and adjusting the torn sleeve he wore as a half face mask. "I'm guessing, but I think that suit may be alive."

With senses and experiences few, even Frostbite, had encountered Professor Thoth had been in many times and places. His time in the Executive was a brief excursion for a man so versed in hopping between space and time zones that it was almost inconceivable that he come across something unknown to him.

"What do we do with her?" asked Thoth.

Mystical huffed and puffed as he shouldered his ex wife. "Put on a ... huff... few pounds Jenna." he muttered. "Mind you I'm not exactly at my fighting weight these days." he says with a glance at his paunch.

Thoth shook his head "I *need* my magic back. And..." he lowered his voice "I hate to admit this but Mystical and the Sorceress are better even than I at dimensional gates. Time travel? Pfft. I got that. This is an alternate reality though, and the longer we stay here, the more our bodies will attune to it. If we stay long enough it will become our 'home' reality and we'll be stuck here! Without magic to get us out of this mad place we're up the creek without a paddle. if my house isn't here, or there is an evil Thoth running about..." he let the thought hang. "I know of other places we can get to magic but..."

He looked at Mystical who was adjusting his ex wife on his shoulder again "I'd rather not let him know where to find my stashes."

OOC Got ya with back to the grate, just need to know if you are taking unconscious Steph with you.

Admin wrote:Thoth shook his head "I *need* my magic back. And..." he lowered his voice "I hate to admit this but Mystical and the Sorceress are better even than I at dimensional gates. Time travel? Pfft. I got that. This is an alternate reality though, and the longer we stay here, the more our bodies will attune to it. If we stay long enough it will become our 'home' reality and we'll be stuck here! Without magic to get us out of this mad place we're up the creek without a paddle. if my house isn't here, or there is an evil Thoth running about..." he let the thought hang. "I know of other places we can get to magic but..."

He looked at Mystical who was adjusting his ex wife on his shoulder again "I'd rather not let him know where to find my stashes."

OOC Got ya with back to the grate, just need to know if you are taking unconscious Steph with you.

"First things first..." Frostbite said as he knelt down and voted Steph in a super hard sheet of ice. "I need answers and I am hoping I can get them from this Steph."

Moving to the face mask Frostbite touched it and let Frostbot out...'Go to it buddy tell me what you can find out'

Then effortlessly picking up the fallen foe Frostbite said, "We've got to get you someplace where you can breathe easier and then work out what we do, with Steph I am hoping to get some answers. Lets go!"

And with that Frostbite lead them back the way he had come to the grate and what he hoped was some sort of sanctuary.

Sj

'The helmet is essentially a psionic device to interface between the mind of the wearer and the suit which is seemingly 'alive', a symbiote which draws energy and life force from the wearer and in turn boosts the attributes of the wearer. There may be something else. Behaviour control, empathic 'pushes' to influence the wearer... at the moment the connection to the 'hive mind' seems to be disconnected. A temporary outage perhaps?' said Frostbot inside Frostbites' head as 'he' leaps back almost instantly.

'I cannot control the device. It is connected, as I said, to a hive mind which is far more powerful than mine. An artificial mind it seems. If I were to interface with the helmet when the connection is restored I would be overwhelmed and 'boxed'.' added the artificial life form.

Frostbite blinked. Had he connected Frostbot to the helmet with the connection 'up' he might have lost Frostbot forever!

The whole process had taken seconds and Frostbite stood. He was several rungs higher on the power scale than Steph/Reflex and knew that equivalent power levels of HIS world would more or less apply, so he needed to beware many of the heroes - and presumably villains from his own world.

Leading the way with Reflex's prone form in his arms Frostbite tracked back to the underground and towards where the children had gone. Thankfully the Echelon super agents had passed through here and moved on. He had no doubt they could track him via various means. The hero Bloodhound from the UKChampions in his own world had an acute sense of smell and could have easily tracked him... were he able to use it. The dust, the spoiled atmosphere, would hamper or even stop him tracking completely.

The helmets that the Echelon wore were networked to a hive mind somewhere. Everything they did or experienced would be transmitted back, as would orders and from the sounds of it compulsions. These heroes, whether they liked it or not, were slaves.

"That's far enough. Stop there." growled a voice in the darkness as Frostbite appeared in a wider underground cavern off the tubeway tunnel. The roar of sewer water somewhere echoed through the darkness and only Frostbites blue chest illuminated the place.



Despite being cloaked and covered the voice seemed... familiar.

The cave was a natural occurring one that had proven too instable to mine into for the tubeway tunnels probably, or too difficult. It stretched in all directions into the darkness and from that darkness Frostbite saw movement - of dozens of forms, small, medium and large. All in robes covering from head to foot, rag tag, hotch potch, gathered together and no two alike. The survivors of the cataclysm, the renegades, having slipped through the net.

"You have 5 seconds to explain who you are and what you want and after that I'm going to pound you into the floor." growled the man stood fifteen feet away, voice competing with the roar of water. Behind him Thoth hissed "Frostbite! Why have you stopped? What's going on?"

The man heard Thoth call out and hissed, standing in a crouch. Frostbite knew he had something less than five seconds to respond!

Admin wrote:The man heard Thoth call out and hissed, standing in a crouch. Frostbite knew he had something less than five seconds to respond!

"I come in peace, I have friends who are human and need shelter from the dust. Andy, Kate and Freddy and Anna can vouch for me, I helped them escape from the Eschalon earlier! I have one of their number, bound safely and unconscious for now. I seek to keep my friends, safe and free my friends who Eschalon have captured!"

Frostbite took his time to explain in a measured way, hoping that dropping the children's names in would ensure that he spoke the truth and that they could vouchsafe for them. He realises they had every right to be cautious, the little he knew meant that they too, would end up as slaves to this hive mind that had already taken control of so many. He couldn't help but feel that somehow they were seeing an echo of what had gone before. Albion had been conquered its people drained of life and now another dictator had arisen drawing out all the life of this place. This hive mind though seemed alien, the symbiote that 'fed' of the life force, the control via Psionic means, something about this smacked of a different kind of enemy. Clearly, one not to be underestimated and utterly deadly.

OOC: OK I'll wait not making no threatening moved, but also be conscious of wanting to keep Steph from coming awake, especially if in so doing she connects to the hive mind and alerts them to our position etc.

Sj

The man paused, then started forward...

"You... WHAT?!" he hissed, and Frostbite saw those in the shadows tense as he strode forward.

A mist seemed to form around him as he walked, and Frostbite saw his hands form into hands holding scythes...

A shape shifter?

Closer up the man snarled. "Idiot! You know they can track her, right? Even now they might be heading here!"

'The communications are still down on the helmet. If they reboot they could - at any point - alert Echelon to her, and by association, our location.' said Frostbot inside his head.

"It might not matter to you..." said the man, looking Frostbite up and down, "but I have people to care for, look after, protect! Echelon wants to turn these people, these... kids... into weapons!"

With his voice lower, and standing only a few feet away, the masked/robed man hisses "Plus the fact that you resemble a highly ranked member of Echelon I might add. The kids told me and I didn't believe it. We've been tricked before... Steeplejack!"

A man in robes dropped from the ceiling silently behind Frostbite. "No sudden moves friend and we'll all get along." he said. He was well spoken, polite, but there was an edge to his voice and his lean athletic form suggested he could fight - very well indeed!

"What do you think?" asked the first man.

"I don't know. We need to get the others in on this. My danger sense hasn't warned me of anything yet. We should know when she's waking up though I have to say, I'm getting nothing on the suit. Maybe it's not working... disconnected. Or maybe they found a way to trick my senses. I suggest we fall back to another site whilst we check it out."

"Yeoman!" barked the first man.

Another robed man strode from the darkness. "We being official are we, Haunt?"

He looked at Frostbite and hissed, dropping into a fighting crouch. "Bloody hell! That's Frostbite! We need to... why haven't we started fightin' yet?"

Haunt stood straight. "Because I trust Steeplejacks' instincts. Something is off. The kids message was pretty garbled but ... Get Stormwarden to rouse the others. We're going to site C for now. Even if this guy isn't who he looks to be, the Echelon Agent he dropped will draw them like moths to a flame... maybe... maybe..."

"Maybe we can use that, as a trap." said Steeplejack. He peeled away a layer of robes from his face to reveal a grizzled, greying chin and perfect white teeth. "Strike back, on OUR terms for a change, instead of striking from the shadows and running away, like rats."

"It's worked to now." said Yeoman. "Why change?"

"Because it can't work forever. ECHELON is fighting a war and needs soldiers." he looked about at the children and young adults in the shadows. "Some indoctrination, training, one of those suits and a helmet... and they have someone else to throw at ADVENT. I don't know about you but I'm fed up of being a pawn on their chess board. We need to break the cycle, before there's no one left." said Haunt.

"Alright. Give me your story, in YOUR words, and no funny business. Besides me, Yeoman and Steeplejack we got others who can hand out a pounding." said Haunt. "And can someone get Stormwarden off his butt and moving everyone to Site C?" he called out.

Admin wrote:"Alright. Give me your story, in YOUR words, and no funny business. Besides me, Yeoman and Steeplejack we got others who can hand out a pounding." said Haunt. "And can someone get Stormwarden off his butt and moving everyone to Site C?" he called out.

OOC: OH this is rich, haha stranger in a strange land

In the interests of making his play Frostbite depowered his frosty ice hard shell. Appearing before them as he might otherwise have done any other time. As the vapour around him faded, he spoke quietly, only to aware of the fact that he might have helped or hindered if Steph should suddenly come awake.

"Yes I am Frostbite or at least one of them. I come from another dimension, another earth. I was "rescuing" these my friends..." Frostbite struggled over that last word thinking of Elias as the Dark Lord though but now a shadow of his former menacing self. "We left Albion, to return to our earth but ended up here instead. I have no idea what is going on, we too are fighting Advent in our earth, they've taken over a great deal of Europe, but my understanding is Atlantis or at least part of the undersea realm remains in opposition, so does the UK and the United States. I'd previously been off-world for two years so Advent was new to me when I got back. To be honest I feel like I'm playing catch up all the time. But one thing you ought to know is this. I came with two friends, Melody and Battle Bug. Melody is power but the boy Battle Bug is off the charts. If they indoctrinate him and put him in one of these suits, none of us will be able to match him. I need to rescue them. I don't know what help I can be to the rest of you, we've got our own fight on our hands back at home. But I'm willing to help, in whatever way I can. But I'll be honest with you might fight is on a different front! Any chance I get to get back, well - I can see you've got people that mean a lot to you and these are my people that mean a lot to me also."

Frostbite stood back to let them digest the news, Haunt he had a vague recollection of hearing about Yeoman, Steeplejack and the others he knew better, but Yeoman only first hand. Stormwarden wasn't a name he'd heard of in a long, long time. But so much was so different about this earth, and yet there was Advent, once again like a plague infecting all it touched or causing those who fought them to take steps that almost always seemed to play into their hands.

Frostbite wanted to know one thing, who was behind Echelon, who was the hive mind that controlled them and forced these metahumans to fight as their soldiers? And for that matter how that was working, because looking about, it didn't seem that there was an awful lot left to fight for.

OOC: Hey mate hope you had a good Christmas between work, family and whatnot. Just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year

Sj