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

Yeah, we've had an interesting decade+ together. Have fun everyone and don't get in trouble tonight.

Admin wrote:OOC Here's me trying to rattle out as many replies as I can before the girlfriend gets round (and the evening begins with beer and telly, not the NYE we expected...) and I got wrapped up in reading the old posts back from when we started out, with Kitten, Darkshadow, Stormwarden, Frostbite (of course), Putty (who became Haunt), Yeoman (who Frosty has known since his earliest superheroic days, though of course that was a different reality Yeoman) and others.

We've been on here 10 years and a year before that on RPG Beat/Endless Flight/whatever he wanted to call it after messing us about forum (think the guy runs RPGPub now, which is fine, but I'm more than happy for the home we have here) and I just want to say to you (Dave E) and Dave M how grateful I am to have you as players over the last 10-11 years. We've all been through thick and thin over the years and this game has been a constant in my life I can enjoy and fall back on when everything else (e.g. marriage break up, various job changes and several financial disasters etc) threatened to drive me nuts!

Hope you had a nice xmas and here's to a better 2021 to us all. I'll try to update as many of the game posts as I can in my dwindling remaining time but if I can't update, it will probably be Saturday and from there ramping up to (fingers crossed) every day.

Cheers, Paul

Admin wrote:OOC Here's me trying to rattle out as many replies as I can before the girlfriend gets round (and the evening begins with beer and telly, not the NYE we expected...) and I got wrapped up in reading the old posts back from when we started out, with Kitten, Darkshadow, Stormwarden, Frostbite (of course), Putty (who became Haunt), Yeoman (who Frosty has known since his earliest superheroic days, though of course that was a different reality Yeoman) and others.

We've been on here 10 years and a year before that on RPG Beat/Endless Flight/whatever he wanted to call it after messing us about forum (think the guy runs RPGPub now, which is fine, but I'm more than happy for the home we have here) and I just want to say to you (Dave E) and Dave M how grateful I am to have you as players over the last 10-11 years. We've all been through thick and thin over the years and this game has been a constant in my life I can enjoy and fall back on when everything else (e.g. marriage break up, various job changes and several financial disasters etc) threatened to drive me nuts!

Hope you had a nice xmas and here's to a better 2021 to us all. I'll try to update as many of the game posts as I can in my dwindling remaining time but if I can't update, it will probably be Saturday and from there ramping up to (fingers crossed) every day.

Cheers, Paul

OOC: Here is to the next 10 its been such a lot of fun. Thanks to you Paul for always keeping us on our toes, even the tips of our tip toes, and then some and Dave for constantly surprising us with some Golden Age Lore, or just being fun to PC team up with.

Sj

Yeoman scowled. "You look.. sound... like one of the Echelon head honchos! We've been fooled before. Illusions, shape changers, naivety... you name it."

Just then a tall, broad, muscled man strode in, wearing rags like everyone else and face coverings but with a straggly beard jutting from various gaps in the coverings. He stopped, looked at Frostbite then at Thoth, Sorceress and Elias, the strode straight for Frostbite!

"Whoa! WHOA! Big guy!" said Yeoman, stepping to push against Stormwarden who was someone Frostbite hadn't seen for a long, long time! The Guy St Ives of his world hadn't followed him from one of the reality jumps but Frostbite blinked, recalling an event from several years ago at the old Battersea power station...



His first outing as a superhero, before dark power, before Nazi Zombies, Albion, adventures in space and everything else that had happened in between!

The man peeled off his face covering, revealing an older (than Joe was now) bearded man but still same Guy St Ives he'd known.

Angry, mind!

"This piece of **** betrayed me! We were friends! Team mates! How can you stand here Yeoman and not want to smash his face in! AND he brought .. .wait... where's HIS white suit?" asked Stormwarden.

The man with fog swirling about him seemed to ponder, chin in hand. "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." he quoted. "No white suit, Steeplejack detects no danger, he presents a story without embellishment, has not attacked us and the woman, Reflex, is unconscious. Furthermore, he presents someone who we all thought was dead, the leader of our resistance..."

Eyes turned to Elias.

"What? Me? I'm a screwup! Sure, I was Dr Mystical but I messed that up and ... Josie*! Tell them!" said Dr Mystical/Dark Lord/Elias as people stared at him.

"Secret Identity Elias. Idiot." said Sorceress.

She sighed. "We ARE from another time and place. We didn't want to come here, it's a mistake. We DID have magical powers and abilities that are now exhausted and we're stuck here until we can find more magical energy."

Thoth nodded "If you can escort us to my old place which will be... uhhh... somewhere out there under tons of rubble, we can get out of here. Thanks ever so much."

Yeoman chuckled. "What a right old mess. First of all let's get stuff moved. I'm going to keep Steep and Haunt with me, 'Warden make yourself scarce and get everyone out of here." he said, shaking his head. "GO!"

"You're not my boss!" hissed Stormwarden.

"No, but you are being an ass and we need someone to get the kids out. Shelve your anger for the moment and get the kids safe, THEN you can help out here once you've wound your neck in." said Haunt.

Stormwarden glowered at Haunt, Yeoman and Steeplejack then shook his head, muttering and barking orders for people to move! The shadowy figures - children, teenagers and adults, started to shift and melt into the shadows, gathering meagre belongings wrapped in rags and with patched up boxes and the like.

"Let's talk." said Yeoman.

=========

"ECHELON was formed from an offshoot of ADVENT. Their motives were initially pure. ADVENT wanted to take over the world and extract DNA from superhumans as well as ordinary people who were potentially superhumans for their 'avatar' project." explained Yeoman as they stood in the ruin of a building on the surface.

Thoth, Steeplejack and Sorceress watched Reflex whilst Dr Mystical/Elias sat dazed with Haunt watching him.

"The details are unclear, but there is a war going on, and we lost. ECHELON claims Britain and some of Europe, ADVENT claims parts of Europe, Russia and Asia. America is fragmented, a nuclear wasteland run - what's left of it - by superhumans too powerful to defeat completely. This dust? It came from a bomb set off in the atmosphere over the European mainland that was intended to activate latent superhuman abilities. Problem was it went wrong. Now its a choking cloud and ordinary people are either super, really ill and finding it hard to breathe, or dead."

"This is a dead world."

"ECHELON was founded by the smartest and most powerful superheroes AND villains, using an alien symbiote - those white suits - and a hastily designed mental interface to create an army to fight back. They would argue that it's necessary to fight back. We argue that the war is lost already and these people under the city - and hopefully those beyond London - don't want to learn to use new powers, to fight, to die in a war no one wanted to fight. They want to live out what life that they can in the ruins that remain. Rebuild. Problem is ECHELON are many and we are few, and scattered at that." explained Yeoman.

"A scientist named WANDAFAR found a way to create a super computer that is practically omniscient. Every one of those ..." he looked at Reflex. "Is connected and controlled, manipulated, steered, by the computer and the symbiotes as far as we can tell enhance and improve their abilities. The version of you we 'know and love'? He'll take you in a straight up fight. The thing is they are more predictable, blunted, like turning scalpels into clubs. Still powerful, but narrow focused and driven. Robotic. ECHELON operates without much in the way of empathy and emotion and as far as we know those white suits and the helmets haven't completely dehumanised the ECHELON supers but its a matter of time we reckon."

He sighs. "We thought to find ECHELON - the computer - and smash it, freeing the supers and turning this whole mess about. We're out gunned, outnumbered and basically starving refugees. They are well fed, live in protective domes and those that follow the party line live in luxury compared to us. It's easy to see why people desert our ranks and call us dreamers. We get fewer every day while they get stronger... except once people are indoctrinated and trained up, suited up and controlled, they are sent to fight against ADVENT and we never see them again."

"So, that's where we are. You have a way out of here? Take it, as soon as you can." suggested Yeoman.

"Can you get me to my old house?" asked Thoth.

"Sure, if we can fight our way across London without being captured or killed." he turned to Frostbite. "Your friends? Melody and Battlebug? Oh boy we know those two as well, especially the boy. I don't know if you have an ADJUTANT where you come from but our version of Albert Watkins is a right douchebag. They hold all the cards, the aces, the kings and queens. Us? We got a hand full of deuces."

"Not very hopeful. Why haven't you given in?" asked Sorceress.

"Because it was only a few years ago I was a super hero, fighting to help the little guy and me, Haunt, Steep and the others haven't forgotten who we were, why we fought and what our responsibilities are. So long as there is someone to protect, to stand up for, we'll do it. There are more of us than we know, but separated, without leadership, hope or reliable food sources? We're a dying breed."

OOC * I think I mentioned Sorceress' real name but haven't time to dig through to what it was so her middle name - Josephine or Josie - will do.

Admin wrote:"Because it was only a few years ago I was a super hero, fighting to help the little guy and me, Haunt, Steep and the others haven't forgotten who we were, why we fought and what our responsibilities are. So long as there is someone to protect, to stand up for, we'll do it. There are more of us than we know, but separated, without leadership, hope or reliable food sources? We're a dying breed."

OOC * I think I mentioned Sorceress' real name but haven't time to dig through to what it was so her middle name - Josephine or Josie - will do.

Frostbite was taking all this in, hearing the utter despondency of the situation and wondering if he could bring the duplicates across to his world. Assuming, of course, they could get back. "I appreciate your sentiment, and ideals. Just because the world as gone awol doesn't mean you have to. There still so many questions and things I don't quite understand. But that will have to wait. So back to the matter at hand, is there no way to safely traverse London, not even underground? If you live in a small pocket how have you gone so long undetected, surely it can't be long before you're discovered if there are more of them patrolling an even smaller space?"

Frostbite waited for Yeoman to reply. But already his mind was thinking about strategies, plans, ideas, was there no way to fight back, right the wrongs, correct the imbalance Echelon sought to bring? And this AI, was that something built off of Frostbot? He'd met others of himself from other worlds, some of whom had joined Frostbots together like some sort of hive-mind AI - might this be something similar?

With so much against them, it was a wonder that the others had continued in the sheer face of the overwhelming odds. But Frostbite had three sorcerers with him if they could tap into that power, might that be a wild card that could yet turn things?

Sj

Yeoman sighed "Sorry, every time I look at your face I'm reminded of HIM. You.. he... was a friend of mine. I remember in the earliest days of his... your... career, I helped you... him find his feet. Now he's working for Echelon."

"He even tried to convince me to go over, to see the 'bigger picture' and he nearly convinced me too. Thing is, I never lost sight of who I'm standing up for like Frostbite did. He figured he could restore the land, bring peace, end the war, but every time he fell in with Echelon something changed in him till I don't even recognise most of my friend any more, aside from one thing."

Steeplejack called it out "This area of London falls under Frostbites' jurisdiction and on a number of occasions he had us dead to rights. I mean, no way out, that was it, all he had to do was make the call. He didn't. He warned us, gave a chance to surrender, to go over to Echelon, or disappear. If they knew, some of the others - Saladin, Adjutant, Atomica, a lot of those guys who were UKChampions once... well they'd not be happy. Like, turning on Frostbite unhappy."

"So there's still something of my friend in there. Something I see in you, a nobility of spirit, a need to help people. He's misguided, or those suits, helmets, that computer in their head telling them what to do is the problem. We need to find that, shut it down or blow it up or..." said Yeoman.

"That's the problem." rasped Haunt. "ADVENT never conquered Britain like it did Europe and Asia. That was thanks to ECHELON but when the Gene bomb went off that changed things. Echelon struck back and the fight got dirty. Too dirty for us. We became heroes to uphold the law and seek justice, not engage in wholesale slaughter and warfare. Now most of them are too far gone, drunk on power like Saladin or Adjutant. Huh. Adjutant... Albert Watkins was the 'poster boy' for a long time for all that was good and right for others to aspire to. Now he's the poster boy of a fascist state with a 'my way or you fry today' view."

"There is... another thing. Someone else." said Yeoman.

Steeplejack groaned. "Oh no. Not this again. He's a liability. EVERY time we called on him we invite disaster!"

"He came through for us last time!" argued Yeoman.

Haunt shook his head "He has his own agenda and plays by his own rules. He's not a team player. Don't you remember how Jetpack Jill and Pocket Rocket and the other guy..."

"Timmy Jones, the kid with the toy army thing going on." interjected Yeoman with a sigh.

"That's right, they followed Nowhere Man's lead and where did that get them? All banged up, prisoners of the state. He left them!" snarled Haunt.

Yeoman threw up his hands "I know, alright! But he gave us the files that we cracked to find the camp that freed dozens of prisoners, kids who are now free because of..."

"Because Nowhere Man abandoned people who trusted him, threw them to the wolves and made off with the files." said Haunt. "He can't be trusted and if I see him again I'll pound him into the floor!"

Nowhere Man.

Frostbite stifled a sigh. James Caldwell, fallen hero, once Wraith of the Lore Knights and it seems had acquired other abilities to take on the mantle of Nowhere Man. In most realities he appeared to be a Robin Hood or Dick Turpin like figure but with a burning drive in him to get the job done regardless of the cost. Apparently three heroes had trusted him and paid the price.

Admin wrote:"Because Nowhere Man abandoned people who trusted him, threw them to the wolves and made off with the files." said Haunt. "He can't be trusted and if I see him again I'll pound him into the floor!"

Nowhere Man.

Frostbite stifled a sigh. James Caldwell, fallen hero, once Wraith of the Lore Knights and it seems had acquired other abilities to take on the mantle of Nowhere Man. In most realities, he appeared to be a Robin Hood or Dick Turpin like figure but with a burning drive in him to get the job done regardless of the cost. Apparently, three heroes had trusted him and paid the price.

Nodding Frostbite with a world-weary sigh said, "James is... well what can you say that you don't already know. It shows how being a lone wolf can work against the very things you are trying to achieve. For my part, I feel sorry for this world counterpart. In a desire to do the right thing, sadly its been turned against him. I'm glad to hear this machine hasn't removed some vestige of humanity from him. But for how long?"

Frostbite let his thoughts trail off.

"Yeoman you are the team here are doing, undeniably, an amazing work in keeping these children out of the clutches of Echelon. But for how long, you're fighting a rearguard action, against them whilst they are also fighting on two fronts themselves. Trying to police this land and gather up every last person to fight in this mad war, whilst trying to hold so tightly on to this last spit of ground that can hardly support itself let alone them. So tell me, what is your long term plan, I mean how sustainable is this?"

Frostbite let the question hang in the air, he realised it must be something they've all thought. Running, hiding, surviving against the odds, but odds that could turn against them at any time. How long could they keep this up before discovery or betrayal let them all down? There had to be a way to stop this, and he suspected Yeoman was right the machine was the one that seemed to have had all the cards. If that could be stopped then Echelon could be focused on not just dominating but winning this war along more human lines, at least as concerning their own people and how they fought the enemy.

OOC: Assuming response to the last question I want to move things back to Nowhere man

"James is unpredictable, but I don't see that you guys have any solution past running and hiding to get either these guys some magic and us all a stake worth having in this game. I won't turn my back on you, I can't promise James won't betray us or let us down. I mean who could but James. However, unless you've got a better option, I'm willing to try the wild card and see if the jokes on us." Besides Frostbite wasn't willing to reveal he had one last desperate angle that might be open to him, in a way it wasn't to the others. He hated to surrender, but if push came to shove, he would offer himself up in the hope that he might be able to reach his compatriot, and or find a way to get to this computer and shut it down for good. But he rather hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Sj

Yeoman frowned. "All we can do is survive and hope that Echelon take Advent out but ruin themselves in the process. We haven't got the numbers. The gene bomb that unleashed this dust means everyone in the major cities will have been exposed. By now they are superhumans, ill, or dead." he said, bitterness in his voice.

"In a way I don't blame the UKChampions, or the Vanguard, for taking the stand that they did. Someone had to fight back, but the hard line they took meant that they sacrificed their princi... wait. James? Is that ... Nowhere Man? You know who that lunatic is?"

Frostbite nodded "James Caldwell."

Yeoman glanced at Haunt who nodded and brought out a metal box from a side tunnel. Inside was a lashed together set of batteries and wires connected to a laptop. It all looked very Heath Robinson but seemed to work as the discoloured screen came to life. Moments later it booted up and flickered, but with a tap from Haunt came onto a desktop.

A few taps later, and a search...

"We have a few IT geniuses." explained Yeoman. "And we can hack into what passes for the internet these days via a back door. We need to shield the laptop in this rough 'faraday cage' and run the wires to a makeshift dish we keep covered outside. Then we limit the time before Echelon can track us, but we can tap into the database..."

"Hush." said Haunt. "I'm having to hurry this search. Caldwell. There are seventeen listings in London for J Caldwell. Getting a list now." he said, forming his hand into a pen and paper that scribbled details down.

Moments later the laptop shut down and was boxed up again.

Haunt stood and looked at what he'd written down. "We'll copy this onto scraps of paper and split up to find that lunatic."

Yeoman turned to Frostbite. "This isn't your fight, but if you want in I'm glad to stand alongside you."

"As am I. I detect no danger from him." said Steeplejack.

"You've been wrong before." rasped Haunt.

"Indeed, as have you, but right now he's as on the level as you are." replied Steeplejack.

"Huh." grunted Haunt.

Yeoman waved them quiet. "I know you have your own agenda. Nowhere Man has demonstrated he can get into and out of practically anywhere..."

"...albeit throwing some good people under the bus in the process." growled Haunt.

"Yes..." frowned Yeoman "but the man is driven, determined and whilst I won't make excuses for him, he harbours no love for Echelon or Advent, and his actions ultimately saved the lives and secured freedom for dozens of people."

Scowling, Yeoman lifted the goggles from his eyes, staring into Frostbites own. "If you are in with us, it's to the end, otherwise go your own way. If you can help us find Nowhere Man and ultimately shut Echelon down, we will help you get back home."

"How do you propose that?" asked Haunt.

"I'm working on it, but I was active a lot longer than you before the fall. I know people." said Yeoman.

The hero turned to Frostbite. "Your call. With us, or going it alone?"

Admin wrote:"I'm working on it, but I was active a lot longer than you before the fall. I know people." said Yeoman.

The hero turned to Frostbite. "Your call. With us, or going it alone?"

"I'm with you, but my friends, these guys need what passes for protection, without magic they are vulnerable to this dust. Provided they are ok, your fight is my fight."

Frostbite said holding out a hand to shake with Yeoman, he had no way to convince them of the sincerity of his motives nor that they should trust him any more than his compatriot. But whatever happened, he'd rather die than betray what meant most to him. That was something that separated him from the Frostbite of this world. But then again, maybe the fact they'd detected another side, a compassionate side that had helped despite the cold logic of Echelon maybe meant something else was afoot in him. Perhaps redemption of some kind wasn't impossible. However he had his own redeeming to do, Battle Bug and Melody had been through more training in the last few weeks than he could possibly have put them through in as many years. He had to make sure they and the mages got back safely, now it was two worlds they were trying to save.

Sj

Thoth moved alongside Frostbite and nodded towards a corner. "This isn't our fight mate." he muttered.

"I get you are noble, want to help, defeat the bad guy etc but we are dead weight until we get out magic back. The longer we stay here..." he glanced at Sorceress and Dr Mystical/Dark Lord "The three of us are likely to die. I have a theory that we won't be affected like the ordinary people in this timeline. The dust WILL kill us, it's a matter of time and maybe only days at that. Our 'super' gene is already activated. Magic is something not everyone can learn but we three have it. This dust therefore won't affect us but it will cling to our lungs and slowly choke us."

He looked Frostbite in the eye. "I suspect you'll be ok for longer. If you start down this path the clock will be ticking. Or... we head straight to my place, dig through the ruins, see what this Thoth had we can use. Assuming he's not a bad guy."

Frostbite muttered "I can't leave Melody or Battlebug."

"Agreed. But with my magic I can easily find them and help you free them. These people have been fighting Echelon for a while now." he looked about in the dark ruins of the subway tunnel. "How does it look like they are doing?"

Frostbite had to admit the rag clothed resistance and the desperate nature of the survivors sifting through rubble and having to stay underground to avoid the worst of the dust somewhat smacked of abject failure.

Haunt came over, glancing at Thoth. "We are ready to go. We have quite a few addresses to get to. Ready?"

Thoth glanced at Frostbite. "Tick tock, tick tock..." he muttered and adjusted the shredded sleeve across his face.

Haunt watched him go and though only his eyes were visible in the mask/bandages he wore there was undisguised hostility. "Him and his kind were notably absent when all this came down." he hissed. "Some cobblers about protecting Britain on another plane or some claptrap like that. Wouldn't surprise me if a version of Thoth was in the Echelon high council. Strange how those who see 'the bigger picture' don't notice the little guy struggling in the gutter."

==========

"There." hissed Haunt in the shadows of a half collapsed wall across the street in what had been suburban London.

It was unrecognisable. What houses still stood intact were in disrepair. Windows smashed, roofs partially caved in, weeds had grown rampant but even there they were strange. Rather than green the plants were reddish in colour, mutated by the dust in the air.

It had been a terraced street and rotting cars were parked or abandoned in the street. A bus was on its side, and had burned out at some point. The cloying red dust hung in the air and the total lack of wind was unnerving. Distant sounds echoed from somewhere, shouts, screams, sounds of violence.

"Survivors find a cache of food in someones' cupboards and fight over it. The dust affects people differently. Superhuman abilities and/or grotesque mutations. Most simply die." said Haunt. "Look around you. This is what mankinds end looks like. We have no idea what other countries are like right now. I could fly there, find out, seek help... chances are I wouldn't get far. Heavier hitters than me patrol the skies."

The pair glanced about and moved through the gloom to the address. It had taken a while to find. Navigating street by street was tricky when everything had a fine layer of dust and visibility was 100 feet or less in places.

This had been the fourth address they'd checked. This and one more remained then they would head back.

Pushing through the door hanging on rotted hinges, Haunt glanced about. "Probably empty."

"Or not." growled a muffled voice. Haunt hissed, forming swords from his hands!

At the top of the stairs was a white clad figure with a silver globe helmet. Echelon!

A sound behind alerted Frostbite as two more Echelon supers landed in the rubble and ruins of the street!

There was a thud above them. More Echelon!

"We've been tracking down insurgents. One of the Echelon agents reckons he knew who Nowhere Man was back when he was Wraith, one of the Lore Knights." explained the Echelon agent at the top of the stairs. "We're being systematic, as you are, and it seems our net has snagged another couple of minnows!"

Two behind in the street, one at the top of stairs looking down, someone or someones upstairs ...

The Echelon agents were tensed, ready to move!

Just then another voice entered the 'fray'...

Stepping from jet black shadow a figure all in black with a hood and cloak revealing no features even if the all black face mask were visible "Don't you know it's impolite to invite yourself in to someone else's home?" rasped Nowhere Man.

"Aside from the fact a known Echelon agent is consorting with a known resistance operative I'm somewhat disappointed my secret identity isn't that secret. It will make going to the shops harder. Or would, if there were any shops left." rasped the anti hero...

On their way between one vacant property to another, Frostbite had been mulling over the words Thoth had spoken. What could they do for the survivors of this war-torn earth? Did he have to fight every battle, win every war? It had never occurred to him that the fight might be across more that one version of earth, fragments like a shattered mirror reflecting in part distorting in another part one another. But his chief concern, whether he had the means or the ways to help the people here was his own responsibilities. Thoth and the others together with Melody and Battle Bug.

Admin wrote:Stepping from jet black shadow a figure all in black with a hood and cloak revealing no features even if the all black face mask were visible "Don't you know it's impolite to invite yourself in to someone else's home?" rasped Nowhere Man.

"Aside from the fact a known Echelon agent is consorting with a known resistance operative I'm somewhat disappointed my secret identity isn't that secret. It will make going to the shops harder. Or would, if there were any shops left." rasped the anti hero...

"James, if I may we need a way out. I may regret this, but talk later, act now!"

Frostbite was ready for a fight, but at the same time knew that it wouldn't be long before they could be overwhelmed. Having been stumbled on, their presence alerted to it was time again to go and go before they were overwhelmed by Echelon agents.

Sj

Nowhere Man turned. "You clearly know me but I can't say I know you... unless... you are one of the Echelon hierarchy turned rogue." rasped the all in black clad man.

Haunt snarled "I'm of a mind to turn you in myself and use you as a distraction!" to Nowhere Man.

"Here I was thinking we were on the same side." replied the anti hero.

"As much as I don't want to interrupt your polite chat..." said the Echelon agent at the top of the stairs looking down at them "I would appreciate very much if you all powered down and didn't bother putting up a fight. Saves on the paperwork. However there are..."

He was cut off as a bulky muscled form crashed through the ceiling into the hallway between Haunt and Nowhere Man, only a couple of metres from each! Clad all in white with the mirror silver dome helmet, he rose and rolled his neck. "Right then. Who's the 'ardest outta ya lot?"

"That would be me." snarled Haunt, forming hammers from his hands. Frostbite would have something to say about that - in his own world Haunt had been on a par but recently Frostbite had been unlocking abilities and power levels he couldn't have dreamed of only a few months ago. Chances were he could hold his own, but he'd already been humbled once through a surprise attack!

Nowhere Man rasped "If you make it out of this one I have some information for you." to Frostbite.

"You... you... you're running out on us?" asked Haunt.

"Not quite. Hit him."

"What?"

The giant (six and a half feet tall and almost as wide) in the hallway suddenly turned... jet black! His skin appeared to be coated in what could only be termed as 'black light' and the giant suddenly gasped "What? I can't see!"

At the top of the stairs, the man in white called out "You idiot! Switch to infra red or sonar!"

Haunt didn't wait though!

OOC I've run out of time. Let me know what you want to do in the reply and I'll continue with the post in an hour or so. Off to view another house (2 today, 2 tomorrow, 1 Friday so far). Have an offer on one house but not likely to get that so it's back to looking...

Admin wrote:"As much as I don't want to interrupt your polite chat..." said the Echelon agent at the top of the stairs looking down at them "I would appreciate very much if you all powered down and didn't bother putting up a fight. Saves on the paperwork. However there are..."


OOC I've run out of time. Let me know what you want to do in the reply and I'll continue with the post in an hour or so. Off to view another house (2 today, 2 tomorrow, 1 Friday so far). Have an offer on one house but not likely to get that so it's back to looking...

OOC: Ah all the best with that, can be a stressful business - but not need to tell you that.


"James we don't have time for this, besides we can hardly chat if we have Echelon goons to fight. Take us someplace safe, if we are not legitimate you can dump us, can't you? Here I've no way to convince you I am neither Echelon nor from this earth. Please?"

Frostbite wasn't keen on mixing it up, not so much because he was afraid but he knew when his presence, let alone Nowhere Man, would draw in the heavy hitters, and that wasn't a fight he, let alone they could win. He was getting mighty tired of running though. Thoth and the others had a clock ticking over them. As did Battle Bug and Melody. He was running out of options save one. The one option that was his 'nuclear option' his only last card to surrender and strike back from within. But that was the option of desperation and one he wasn't sure he could win. For not running gave him options but hardly many.

Sj

Nowhere Man was impassive, a black mass in the corner.

Haunt snarled "Forget him! He always was a loose cannon, out for himself! Crazy *******! Just fight your way out!"

The black garbed anti hero moved towards the big white clad goon who swung wildly, still blinded it seemed.

Then he moved through him! No. Not quite. Teleported from one side to the other of the goon. The Echelon agent at the top of the stairs launched himself off, flying down and levelling arms at Frostbite and the two in the street ran up the garden path and towards the steps into the ruined house!

"One condition. James Caldwell is dead. Call me Nowhere Man." he hissed when in close to Frostbite. "Don't fight it Haunt or you can face these idiots on your own." he growled.

Haunt raised his hammers, then saw the four Echelon Agents might be a handful and hissed his agreement... and the world FLASHED!

Then faded back to the red dust as the trio stood on the roof of what had been the BT tower, now missing the top floors and covered, like everything else, in the red dust.

Haunt was angry but reverted his hands back into hands. "We can't trust him! For all we know he's working with Echelon... or Advent!"

Nowhere Man crossed his arms and didn't answer for a moment then spoke quietly "If you are finished yapping, puppy, the big dogs want to talk."

Haunt changed his hands back into hammers and marched at Nowhere Man who glanced towards Frostbite. With a sigh the Vanguard leader stepped in between and held his hands up. "Keep an eye out for trouble Haunt." he said. That seemed to calm the hero somewhat who stalked off.

"He hasn't been the same since his buddy Dr Praetorious was killed by Echelon." said Nowhere Man. "Now then. You clearly know me. I know of you. The 'you' that works for Echelon but... I sense something different about you. You're not from around here are you? That means you want to get home or... you want something... or someone else. Am I right?"

Frostbite looked out over the red dusty landscape of ruined London. The place had gone to ruin and in several places large craters occupied the space of buildings.

"Do you like how we've decorated the place? Hardly 'done up to sell' is it?" quipped the anti hero.

Admin wrote:"Do you like how we've decorated the place? Hardly 'done up to sell' is it?" quipped the anti hero.

Frostbite spoke slowly letting his thoughts coalesce as he went, "So firstly I know you, from my Earth. Where you are and have been both an allies and friend at times. James Caldwell, as I knew him, at times got lost in the mission. A loner perhaps cross variable time lines, as well as multiple earths like some sort of spectre, hovering beyond the boundaries most of us feel duty bound to keep. He helped us out, get from our Earth out of Albion, a realm of magic, where the three people I’m with all Mages were involved. If you are anything like him, the mission the ‘greater good’ comes first, the means are justified accordingly."

Frostbite turned to look at Nowhere Man, as this one preferred to be called, "If I am honest, I think you have got so far into the idea of some unsullied, unstained future, that in the process the biggest threat to that future is the way you go about. By making as many enemies as reluctant allies, you make yourself a potential piece that hinders all our collective efforts. You’d know that if you took time to be with people once in a while."

Frostbite let that sink in before letting himself start to think aloud about what is happening here, "Help me out here, what I don’t get is this; Echelon is run by a sentient computer, right? OK so why is the computer trying to win against Advent, surely just an all-out attack would win – but then what? What’s a computer got to gain? In fact why doesn’t it join with Advent and control them from within. Moreover, if it’s trying to carry out its original parameters, why isn’t it trying to save the earth, its people and building up what remains, instead of being stuck in this endless stalemate loop. Ordinary people are dying, its only metahumans are not an endless resource. What could a machine hope to gain in what it appears to be doing?"

Pausing for breath, as he let his final thoughts come together, "You are right about me, I am not from here and neither are my friends – who even now 2 of which are held captive to Echelon. And if I don’t get the mages with me to a source to replenish their power they will die also. So I’ve got friends in dire need, friends who are dying, and me who cannot survive indefinitely needing to sort out a no win situation before being allowed to return to my own home. I think that about sums this up. Impossible seems to be my working brief these days. But even by my standards this is pretty tough, what do you think?"
Frostbite wasn’t dejected, but there was still so much he didn’t know and needed to if he was going to find anyway to untangle this mess.

Sj

Nowhere Man considered Frostbite's words before speaking. "You really are different. You aren't... 'him'."

"By 'him' I mean this realities version of you, the one that works with Echelon and started this..." he waved a hand at the desolation and red dust covering it - and filling the air - before turning back to Frostbite "Off."

At Frostbite's frown Nowhere Man continued. "ADVENT were in charge of most of the worlds governments. Britain and a few other places stood alone. The skies were dangerous, all out war beckoned, but there were enough supers here and in America, a few other countries, that ADVENT stood to lose as much as it gained. Furthermore it knew that the more time went by the greater the chance the supers from those various holdout countries would communicate and gather into one huge army to smash ADVENT where it could be found."

"So it came up with it's plan B. Plan A? I'll get to that in a second. Plan B involved creating a spacecraft with a specific purpose. It would act as a lens, a magnifier, for the suns rays. That could be used to torch cities from space. That was foiled when a team of supers went out there..." he pointed up "To sort it out. ADVENT and many of its superhuman allies - pressganged or simply joining what they saw as the winning side - fought to defend the magnifier. It was destroyed, but many didn't return."

"ADVENT, desperate now, stepped up its game. A battered and weakened Britain was ready to invade, but they wanted to be sure so they came up with a foolproof method of pacification."

"The red dust?" asked Frostbite.

"The red dust. It would poison the human populace, place the animal and plant life into a state of dormancy, a kind of suspended animation without requirement of much of anything and they would manipulate the weather patterns to hold it there. Desperate, a superhero group called the Vanguard stepped up to stop the plan. They tried their best but they failed. The powers against them were too many, too powerful. The UKChampions were reeling from the space battle and ADVENT regularly flew bombing sorties over the major cities along with a campaign to convince the populace that the superheroes were to blame whilst offering an olive branch to convince the people to switch to ADVENT. The politicians were desperate, the army and air force were smashed, the navy a ruin... Anarchy ruled, the country broke down, ready to surrender..."

"There was no way to stop the dust bombs. Too many, from too many places. Instead a Vanguardian called Wandafar created a 'living' computer virus from ... well, from YOU. Frostbot? It changed, merged with Wandafar, gave him all sorts of new insights. Thus merged, he was able to change the genetic code of the dust so instead of killing the human populace, it would empower it. ADVENT ran out of patience and bombed London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle... Wandafar and Frostbot were able to change the bombs just enough that not everyone died, that everyone left in those cities was changed, with an ability to resist the dust and maybe more besides."

"They took over the government, built domed cities, created a new army and ruling council - ECHELON. They would fight back, recruit those most useful and everyone else? They were left to fend for themselves, or rounded up into camps and ... well, you can guess the rest. It was no more Mr Nice Guy for Wandafar. His emotions were submerged in the joining with Frostbot. He sees in black and white now even as the rest of us live in the grey. They round up supers, train them, suit them up, plug them into the hive mind and send them out to fight ADVENT. We are a country at war, and look around you... we lost... ECHELON is fighting back. Everyone else who is trying to survive is caught between a rock and a hard place with ADVENT on one side, ECHELON on the other and this ... dust... in the middle."

"Where do you come in?" asked the Vanguardian leader.

"I don't like governments. Corrupt, inept, self serving... We replaced one that wanted to surrender with one that wants to fight back - at any cost. I do my part. I nibble at the edges, creep in the shadows, rescue people where I can and yes - I sacrifice people for the greater good. Those that the resistance say I threw under the bus? They weren't wrong. I did. I'd do it again. The information I obtained freed those people you saw in the tunnels. I'm sorry for the supers that are in the detainment camps now but when you pull on a mask and fight you accept the risk. I do. I live for this. There's nothing else."

"What's the point of freeing people ... to this?" asked Frostbite.

"Well, again... you won't like me for saying this, but it's the truth. I'm not after freeing the people. I'm after pulling the plug on ECHELON. Free Wandafar from your artificial intelligence counterpart and use his genius to fix... this... and make a truce with ADVENT. The Aliens are spread across the world. No one has heard from America in months. Most of the more powerful supers have gone over to ADVENT and the weaker ones followed because there seemed little point fighting it. They live in luxury, comfort, safety... so long as they toe the party line."

"And Advent's plan A?" asked Frostbite.

"The AVATAR project. Their ruling council, the 'Elders' are dying. They steer ADVENT from world to world for a cure. That's why ADVENT is composed of so many different alien races. Something within humanity, some gene, some strand of DNA, is of use to the Elders. Their 'Gene Therapy' clinics are a sham. I don't know any more but there are several 'Black Sites' where stuff goes on. Guarded so well even I can't get in there. If Advent complete the AVATAR project, the Elders will be practically immortal and unbeatable. Echelon is opposing that, at a cost to everything they held dear and believe in. Even the poster boy, Watkins - Adjutant by his super name - fell in with Echelon and when they get those suits on? Game over. Brainwashed. If your pals have them on, the next time you see them they'll be working for ECHELON."

"My advice to you? Go home. Those of us still fighting won't be around for much longer. This world is dead."

He stalked off to stand at the edge of the roof and look over the blasted city, wreathed as it was in cloying red dust.

Haunt came over. "He really is an idiot. I should push him off the damn roof! I don't know who I trust less - him, Echelon, ADVENT or the super villains I used to battle!" snarled the hero...

Admin wrote:"My advice to you? Go home. Those of us still fighting won't be around for much longer. This world is dead."

He stalked off to stand at the edge of the roof and look over the blasted city, wreathed as it was in cloying red dust.

Haunt came over. "He really is an idiot. I should push him off the damn roof! I don't know who I trust less - him, Echelon, ADVENT or the supervillains I used to battle!" snarled the hero...

Frostbite thought for a long while, he wanted to go home, but not without Melody and Battle Bug, he'd fought too hard and given too much to abandon them. But he didn't know what to do with the Mages. They were running up against time. Wandafar seemed somehow to be at the mercy of this world's Frostbot but had lost so much 'humanity' so much of understanding and compassion. He could run around trying to do little thing but the tide of power turned on the fulcrum that was Wandafar and the Frostbot supercomputer. If only he could convince them that this was hopeless, even more so than surrendering to Advent for a few years safety and then an immortal despotic council.

No humanity was many things, but this didn't feel right on any earth. And if he let it stand here, then what of his own earth. People here had sacrificed so much, but somehow lost sight of the very reason to fight in the first place. It was almost as if it was too big to fail so they had to buy into this myth of what they were doing because anything else looked so hopeless and that way lay madness. These people had lost sight of hope, instead of saving lives they were locked in a battle that looked as if both would end up killing each other with nothing worthwhile to show for it at the end.

He was one man, what could he do? He had 'part' or a Frostbot, but what difference could they make? High standing ideals were all good and well but would he be heard or would he be brainwashed? Could he, dare he pull off the biggest robbery - stealing back the 'freedom' Wandafar and Frostbot combined had taken?

"There is only one way this is going to end. You will either kill what remains not giving in - I applaud your defence of the realm Haunt. And you..." Looking to Nowhere Man, "Would give in to make these immortal dictators so people can have a semblance of order but not life. Rather than a corrupt inefficient government, you'd have one machine upgraded for another sleeker but no more kindly version. Frostbot retaliated, but both he and Wandafar are not human, they've lost the path, but maybe what we need here is not a more drastic countermeasure but a more humane one. I'll face him, and if I fail then I've gambled my once chance - but I'll not surrender to either of your vision for the future. Compromise - let's make peace. Advent has fooled you with the myth as did Hitler. And you Haunt have given in to despair, not hope. Battles aren't won first by weapons and their bearers they're won by the ideals, the moral vision of something bigger and that inspires hope that unites all rather than separates them."

At that point, Frostbite turned into his more malleable form aware that both would try hard to stop him but stopping from going so as to listen to what they had to say.

OOC: OK Frostbite is going to surrender and try and face the big bad himself - otherwise I think I'll end up making hardly any difference barely keeping Thoth and the others alive - let alone himself, and then have to do this anyway. I think my best chance of fighting this is to go fight this, man to man and AI to AI.

Sj

Haunt bristled. "Give up? I've battled on even when I've seen friends and colleagues captured or killed! I haven't give in! I haven't lost sight of who I am, who I was... something that HE clearly has!" he hissed pointing at Nowhere Man.

The dark clad man seemed immune to dust settling on him, much as Frostbite was with his mistlike barely solid form. With arms crossed he rasped "Wah wah. Woe is me. I lost friends and colleagues. Boo hoo. The big picture is this. We face overwhelming odds and not one but two enemies of that kind on this earth. Here's the other problem. If we - by some miracle - decapitate Echelon we leave the way open to ADVENT to steam in and bomb the rest of us into the floor or capture every free person or turn them into Advent Burgers."

"How can you joke at a time like this?" snarled Haunt.

"I can joke because a man I just met from another world plans to sacrifice himself in vain to save his friends even though he knows he has no chance to win. I can joke because there's practically nothing I or you or anyone can say to dissuade him, because he's a man of honour and integrity and despite knowing he will probably die or be enslaved, he'll do it anyway."

"I can joke because I was like him once, and it makes everything I do a total mockery of the man I was because I look at that man and I see how far I've fallen in order to fight my foe. I lost my powers, I found more. I fought on despite losing my fiance in front of my eyes, friends who fought alongside me and heroes like him who naively followed me only for me to toss them to the wolves. I can laugh because I have no idea what I'm fighting for any more when I know that taking out one enemy leaves us wide open to being smashed by the other, and I laugh because even knowing all of that, I'll fight on anyway."

"Laugh? Sometimes that's all that's left when everything else has turned to ash. Look around you. London has been bombed and is in ruins and a poisonous red cloud hangs over it. Why are we fighting for this place? Why not run? Find somewhere else?"

He chuckled, mirthless. "Laugh? Haunt, you could kick my ass in a straight up fight, no doubt about it. I've fought this fight alone for so long that it's laughable. There are so many supers working for Echelon that could batter me senseless it's untrue, but I fight on anyway for a hopeless cause for people who hate me. If that isn't something to laugh at you lost your sense of humour long ago."

He turned to Frostbite. "I have another suggestion. You won't like it. It involves throwing someone else under the bus to get the job done."

"What!" snarled Haunt. "Haven't you been listening?" he steps up to Nowhere Man, taller and broader, more menacing and with hammer hands ready to smash! Frostbite knows his own version of Haunt was a formidable fighter, skilled beyond any weapons master with his self grown weapons.

"NO MORE throwing lives away to further your own agenda! NO, IT STOPS HERE!" he roared. "And who do you have in mind to make this sacrifice that you can sneak into some place or other? Me? Yeoman? Other rebels? Innocent people?"

"Me." replied Nowhere Man.

Admin wrote:"NO MORE throwing lives away to further your own agenda! NO, IT STOPS HERE!" he roared. "And who do you have in mind to make this sacrifice that you can sneak into some place or other? Me? Yeoman? Other rebels? Innocent people?"

"Me." replied Nowhere Man.

Frostbite didn't like what he heard at all but was momentarily stunned as he struggled to take in that Nowhere Man was willing to take his place. Gather himself together and closing his open mouth Frostbite said, "OK now I've picked my jaw off the floor, would you care to explain how you going instead of me is going to be a better fit in all this? I mean I have an affinity with these people, albeit we're from different worlds. Moreover, they want me, whereas they probably just want to kill you! So please, and I mean this sincerely, enlighten us to how this plays out differently, even better if you take my place?"

Frostbite was intrigued despite himself. Nowhere Man had an agenda and he sometimes wondered if James, knew anything beyond the next step at all. That along the way, his one-man crusade had so sucked the humanity, let alone the dignity out of him that as a result, he was more committed to an outcome, than those who he claimed to stand to gain by the outcome. And his methods often threatened to undo the good he sought to do as was the case, once again here. It made Frostbite all the more glad that he was quickly part of a team and how important it was to look after one another - that was why this was so personal for him. But what did this Nowhere Man stand to gain? Was his plan going to meddle and in the end cause his version of events to energy despite whom he sacrifices to get it? Frostbite awaited, curious but also trying to restrain any scepticism he felt.

Sj

"Simple." said Nowhere Man. "They want you. Maybe need you even. That thing inside you, whatever it is. That 'Frostbot'? Details were sketchy. Took some getting. Anyway. Hand yourself in and they'll pull it out of you, add it to that monstrosity that used to be Wandafar. I knew him you know, back before all of this. He was super smart even then. Pain in the ass but someone you could depend on. A true friend, even if his obsession with Eastenders got annoying."

"Eastenders. Huh, I auditioned for that once." said Haunt.

Frostbite and Nowhere Man turned to look at him.

"I had bills to pay. Go on." huffed Haunt.

"They want you... but they hate me. According to the database before you turned up I was number one on the most wanted list." rasped Nowhere Man. He turned to Haunt "You are number six. Yeoman is number two."

Haunt huffed again and turned away, keeping an eye out as much as he could in the red dust cloud.

"However ... inhuman Wandafar is nowadays, there is an ego in there that needs closure on the trouble I've brought them. They will make an example of me, kill me publicly. Make a big show on what passes for the tv these days in those giant city domes. They painted me as the big bad for so long it will appease the fears of the citizens. I will get you into the main dome then run interference whilst you make your way into Echelon high command. There... I don't know. Confront Wandafar. Don't... whatever you do... let them take Frostbot from you. Whatever 'humanity' is left in him will go. He will throw wave after wave of supers at ADVENT in order to beat them. Misguided, driven, determined to succeed at all costs, he might just do it, but at what cost?"

"Remind you of anyone?" asked Haunt.

Nowhere Man looked at him for several seconds, then back at Frostbite. "If you want to help your friends that might put the whole thing in jeopardy. They are being transported under heavy guard right now to a detainment camp."

"What?" gasped Haunt. "Why didn't you say? We could..."

"Adjutant." rasped Nowhere Man. "Adjutant is guarding the convoy, amongst others."

Admin wrote:Nowhere Man looked at him for several seconds, then back at Frostbite. "If you want to help your friends that might put the whole thing in jeopardy. They are being transported under heavy guard right now to a detainment camp."

"What?" gasped Haunt. "Why didn't you say? We could..."

"[b]Adjutant." rasped Nowhere Man. "Adjutant is guarding the convoy, amongst others."

The thought that the other two could be used as leverage to hurt or allow him to give up Frostbot had not occurred directly to Frostbite. In one sense they were doomed if he did nothing, but what would he do if it meant they would be killed? Ordinarily, he'd seen men die under his command. It was a regrettable and sad part of being a leader, and this was war. But these were hardly battle-trained soldiers, it would all come down to seeing if he could break through to Wandafar, break this connection to the computer and the grief and pain that made him feel responsible that had lost sight of the real objective here. It was always going to be a risk, but perhaps with Nowhere Man running decoy it might be possible to save him, and them...maybe!

"Alright, I appreciate your gesture, you indeed it seems do make a more tempting tease than I do. I realise Battle Bug and Melody are in real harm, but at the same time doing nothing puts them into Wandafar's clutches and that isn't good either. It might be possible when all's said and done here that we take you to Albion. It might be a place, at least temporarily to give the survivors here a chance to recuperate and see what they can fight back for as well. I just want to paint a picture of what can be gained not just what you've lost. But it's all going to depend on me getting to Wandafar." Turning to Haunt, he added,

"What about you Haunt, I could do with help someone to watch my back. I'm a team player like you, but you know no 6 on the list or otherwise you'll have a target painted on your back as much as either of us will."

Then returning to Nowhere Man, he added, "OK so what do we have to do?"

OOC: OK going to pump NM for as much info as possible, and bring in Frostbot super intelligence to this so we can best compute a way ahead, given what we know, before going for this. You've got to love roleplaying games, dumb or not only in a game like this can the hero throw himself at a problem in the hope of a one in gazillion chance of success. I do think, that the idea of using Albion as a place to help the survivors - survive and thrive might be a good outcome from this. Of course our friends there will have something to say.

Sj

OOC That hadn't occurred to me - leaving the dead world to Advent and sending the survivors to Albion but it makes perfect sense! The Queen would appreciate it as you can bet it won't be long before something else turns up to upset the balance in that mystical realm...

Haunt begrudgingly muttered "I don't think it's right that even HE throws himself under the bus. But..." he shrugged. "I'm in."

He shook his head then "We can't count on too many of the others. They'll have to try and get the camp moved... there are too many newbies... too many suffering from the dust effects... some are just scared, so much so they can't or won't fight..."

Nowhere Man was impassive. "Forget them. Frostbite, if you are anything like your counterpart you have some serious power, but it will take all that we three have and maybe more than that to help your friends. Adjutant is used to battering anyone he comes up against..."

"I'll vouch for that. Barely escaped the one time he came across a group of us. He's stronger, tougher, faster..." Haunt shook his head. "I can fight though, and I won't give in!" he hissed.

"So, Frostbite, you have a choice. Free your friends or go for Wandafar and possibly never see your friends again. Wait... who did you say your friends were...?"

Frostbite told him.

"They have ECHELON counterparts. Identical down to the genetic level... hmmm." pondered the vigilante. He turned to Haunt. "You can change shape, right?"

"Adjutant is smart enough to see through any tricks. But he's also overconfident and his suit - that white thing and the helmet - dull him. It's a long shot but we might be able to distract Adjutant long enough to get your friends out of those capture wagons and the power suppressors. Once they are free...?" offered Nowhere Man. "It's a one chance only deal. We beat Adjutant down long enough to get your friends out and fight off his weaker buddies then hope your friends recover in time enough to help us escape..."

"What you are describing is 'do or die' ... crazy!" said Haunt.

"The alternative is his friends go to the processing area and come out as Echelon goons. I don't know how powerful they are but ..." said Nowhere Man.

"One of them is Battlebug." said Haunt.

Nowhere Man went silent, then... "He can be beaten but to do so you have to beat him to the punch."

"Have you beaten him?" asked Haunt.

"No." admitted Nowhere Man. "I chose instead to escape with the information that saw dozens of people freed from detainment camps."

Haunt was about to reply but sighed and turned to Frostbite. "They are your friends. try to free them or go for the dome and try to get to Wandafar? Your call."

Admin wrote:OOC That hadn't occurred to me - leaving the dead world to Advent and sending the survivors to Albion but it makes perfect sense! The Queen would appreciate it as you can bet it won't be long before something else turns up to upset the balance in that mystical realm...

"They are your friends. try to free them or go for the dome and try to get to Wandafar? Your call."

Frostbite didn't need to think twice. "We go for springing Melody and Battle Bug, I could do with their help anyway if we are going to have any chance of tackling Wandafar and my counterpart. I can't leave my teammates behind. Besides Wandafar and the others know I am here so there is no element of surprise save the fact we are going for our teammates. However, that may be a factor. My counterpart will know my every move, including wanting to free them. He might have no choice but to tell Wandafar who may know from his equivalent of my Frostbot. But that is a chance we have to take. I can't leave my friends behind."

Besides Frostbite thought if they could rescue as many as could be rescued, then perhaps a side trip back to Avalon could secure a new life for them until such a time as a way forward could be broached. He didn't need to solve every problem with force, if he could rescue Haunt's friends and get his own back home, then so much the better at least for now. It was a comforting thought, but one he wasn't sure they could pull off. So much guess work.

OOC: Looks like we're going for Prison break. I don't think I have ever met Adjutant in-game or maybe I've seen him in a dream or something - but not the real deal

Sj

OOC: Looks like we're going for Prison break. I don't think I have ever met Adjutant in-game or maybe I've seen him in a dream or something - but not the real deal

Sj


ooc: Aren't prisons and prison breaks just wonderful? I think most of our adventures currently running involve them in one form or other!

OOC I think Adjutant might have turned up but was a nazi stooge in an alternate reality. So long ago though that his stats were probably in Golden Heroes form or not even statted up at all. You may have even had the Dark power at the time which put you even above his power level, which should give an idea of how long ago it was.

"If you are set on this course then we should move." said Nowhere Man. "Wait here."

He vanished!

Haunt walked up to Frostbite. "You ... we... are fools to trust him. Even now he will have his own agenda. He'll be wondering how he can sacrifice us in order to break into some computer or facility. He'll try and justify it in some fashion but at the end of the day he doesn't care. That sort of driven obsession doesn't make him a 'hero'." said the bandage faced hero.

His 'Haunt' costume was tattered and patched up but still reasonably pale. It had been white once like the counterpart Frostbite was familiar with but the cowboy hat looked to have been ditched a while ago.

Haunt was about to speak again when Nowhere Man reappeared several feet away.

"We're in luck. There is a detainment centre a couple of miles from here where your friends will have been taken to quarantine. To be brought into the domes and avoid the transmission of any disease they will be processed. By 'processed' I expect that to mean they will find out where your friends came from and what they know about YOU." Nowhere Man said to Frostbite.

"Heavily guarded I expect?"

"Of course. Surrounding fences, sentry guns, robot sentries and Echelon supers, though usually on a lower level as the big guns are out hunting for Yeoman and you." said Nowhere Man.

"Adjutant?"

"I didn't see him but the 'chatter' suggests he has taken personal charge of these two."

"Chatter? You can listen in?"

"To a degree. The Echelon network is psionic but also a technological hybrid. Everyone is connected."

"They weren't connected when we got Reflex."

"True. The dust, buildings, power requirements... separation from fellow agents. Each ECHELON agent wears one of those natty white suits - surprised you didn't go for one - and those helmets connect and amplify the signals from Wandafar's hive mind. When they get further away the signal drops out. That's the danger. Echelon rarely travel alone. If you want to get your friends out..." he turned to Frostbite. "You need to be ready for a fight."

Haunt looked down at his own white costume, now stained red and shredded, patched up and overlapped with other rags and basically not looking white any more.

"I was born ready." snarled Haunt.

Nowhere Man turned to Frostbite. "If we are doing this, the best bet would be to arrange a distraction. Attack from several sides, draw Adjutant out, then we can get in. ECHELON facilities generally employ a neogenic field that prevents teleporting inside. Aside from going in blind they have the added effect of redirection which generally means you end up in an Echelon cell."

"Tried it?" asked Haunt.

"Yes."

"And you got out?"

"Yes." replied Nowhere Man without elaboration.

Haunt shook his head. "I'm all for getting your friends out but throwing more people under the bus to do it isn't a great plan."

Nowhere Man stands impassive, arms folded. "Decide quickly. If you want to increase our chances we need more rogue supers to run interference. If you want to go in and fight from getting there until Adjutant shows up to kick our arses then that's your call." he said to Frostbite.

Haunt looked uncomfortable.

Admin wrote:Haunt shook his head. "I'm all for getting your friends out but throwing more people under the bus to do it isn't a great plan."

Nowhere Man stands impassive, arms folded. "Decide quickly. If you want to increase our chances we need more rogue supers to run interference. If you want to go in and fight from getting there until Adjutant shows up to kick our arses then that's your call." he said to Frostbite.

Haunt looked uncomfortable.

Frostbite nodded his way through the terse brief that Nowhere Man provided, painfully aware of the tension that crackled between Haunt and Nowhere Man.
"A fight doesn't worry me, Adjutant does. We will need something pretty substantial and it will need to make sure he is sufficiently far away to not hear the chatter when we bust that place wide open. He can move fast I imagine when push comes to shove and I don't want a shove from that direction whilst we are trying to break anyone out. Nonetheless, I'm in."

Frostbite felt a bit lost in that there was so much that he didn't know. So much about a break-in that was going to be nothing short of brute force and bravado, hoping all the while that weapon that was Adjutant was somehow 'contained' by a sufficiently demanding distraction to warrant his attention-drawing him out. That he was taking a personal interest in Frostbite's friends particularly bothered Frostbite. Was there some history from way back? Was there something else, that he didn't know about that was behind that? Like Nowhere Man's impenetrable darkness, Frostbite felt he was going in eyes blind to the many dangers trusting himself to a man whom no one had a good word to say about and acutely aware that he was putting all his chips on one chance. But also aware that the prize for winning was his friend's lives. That was something he felt worth staking all on, however risky the bet might be.

OOC: OK I feel a bit in the dark when it comes to tacticals here, I am wondering what kind of diversion we can rustle up sufficient to draw and keep Adjutant out for long enough. Then there is the base itself, terms like Surrounding fences, sentry guns, robot sentries and Echelon supers and a Negogenic field. Science isn't Frostbite's strong suit so I am wondering what we might do to counter these without being bogged down in a long-drawn-out process before getting in. And finally, I am painfully aware that this could be a honey pot to draw Frostbite to a facility meant to trap him and give Echelon what they want after all Nowhere Man isn't known for his sportsmanship. However, I do feel a peculiar sense of whichever way we go... so let's pick the one that matters most to me, personally and seek to see what we can gain from there. But as much info for me and Frostbot would mean we can at least get some idea of how to go about getting in and hopefully out.

Sj