Prof Wynde and Wonder Man TEAM UP! Issue #1

"If I could conjure fire, maybe I could try boiling the ocean to force him out," Prof. Wynde mused while racking his brain as to what to do about the underwater menace. "Maybe I could conjure up a water spout with my wind powers? Maybe that would force him out? But so many ships and men around that doesn't sound too feasible."

"Maybe throw lots of grenades in the water to act like depth charges? I'm really stumped if that idea doesn't work. What do you think, Wonderman?"


ooc: maybe an Int roll? Kind of stuck here.

OOC no problem, let's see what PW and WM think...

Prof Wynde watched the waves below and racked his brains...

OOC Int 5 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,5,+0 Total:12 (17) vs
OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,2,+0 Total:12 (19) Failed - PW is stumped!

Wonder Man puts his mind to it...

OOC Int 7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,9,+0 Total:21 (28) vs
OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 9,7,+0 Total:16 (23) +3 (to 8 Will) vs RV7=1 RAPs

Wonder Man shakes his head. "Our options are limited. This guy is too fast and too strong in the water. We are travelling on the water. You could use your amazing air magic to carry some of the soldiers... maybe dozens even... what about. Hmmm. Are the boats too heavy for you to carry? Another thing... this guy breathes underwater but even fish breathe air so I guess this guy does too. Can you... I don't know... de-oxygenate the water under the boats to keep him away? Maybe too big an area."

"Think Carson, think!" he muttered, then glanced at the soldiers nearby, though they appeared not to have heard his name/identity slip as they watched the waves with fear in their eyes. Luckily his all concealing domino mask remained in place and he was dressed in standard army issue khaki.

"Best idea I can come up with... I act as bait and wait for the guy to attack me in the water then you zap us... It may be too difficult to target the enemy if we are tangling. Or get us out of the water somehow and let's see how tough he is as a fish OUT of water?!"

"If you can get him to surface to attack you and then you grapple him, I could then blast both of you towards the shore. That would get him on land where we both could take him on," Prof. Wynde suggests. "Neither of us are any good in the water so maybe that's our best shot?"

ooc: Don't know this there is a martial maneuver for this but the idea is to use knockback to blast our foe to the land and not necessarily do any real damage. Though I supposed both of them are tough enough that the knockback damage from smashing into the land wouldn't do much if anything to them. wonderman would be using some sort of grapple attack to hold his foe.

Wonder Man, with bruised puffy face and dramatic shiner forming under his left eye, sucked in a deep breath.

"Under the water this guy is faster than me, stronger than me and I don't doubt tougher than I am. However... I ain't no quitter! If this goes south... find Nora or Dora or Brenda whatever her name is* and tell her ... oh never mind." he mutters.

Wonder Man, Fred Carson, shakes his friend's hand and turns to the waves before leaping with expert style into the waves...

Hovering in the air as the ships - overladen with troops - chug slowly up and down and towards the distant shores of England.

Minutes pass and the waves reveal nothing. Prof Wynde considers some other use of his power. Maybe he could...

SPLASH!



A scantily clad man leaps from the waves and... flies?!?!? He lands on one of the sinking ships and bellows "I am NAMOR! Imperious Rex! King of the seas! Your war has spilled over into MY domain, and all who venture onto MY seas without my permission shall suffer MY wrath!!!" he roars!

A gunshot is his answer from a nearby ship as a soldier fires off with his rifle... And Namor glances at his shoulder where a flattened slug slides from his skin!

OOC Uh oh. I have a nasty feeling this fight might go one way! So... initiative...

Roll(2d12)+0:
10 Prof Wynde (35)
10 Namor (30)

PW wins initiative!

*Identity Crisis...

ooc: Obviously her name was Brenda Dora something or Dora Brenda something. It's how in my family we called my little sister Lori, short for her middle name of Lorraine. But when she became an adult she decided to use her first name at work and with new people she met, Treva, which is my mom's name too. So for some people she is Lori and for others she is Treva.


"Hey! It's not like we started this war," Prof Wynde yells out. "Talk to the Nazis, they are the ones who started it."

He then tries to blast him with magic blast.

OOC Made me laugh out loud with your 'Diplomacy then blast them shortly after' approach. "We come in peace!" (then as an aside) "Shoot to kill."

Prof Wynde aimed his magic blast at the Sub Mariner, hoping to dissuade the fellow from attacking the ships any further!

OOC Maybe... Crit Blow? MB 11 + Accuracy 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 12,9,4,11,6,6,+0 Total:12 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 9,11,+0 Total:32 (43) vs
OV8 + Crit Blow 4 + Range 3 - Tele Vision 1 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,3,+0 Total:11 (25)
Hit +6 (to EV17) vs RV7 - Crit Blow 6 (RV1)=16 RAPs.

Whichever way Namor wants to do it, he goes down. He can absorb a maximum of 7 RAPs damage with last ditch defence and still goes down. With our 'over the top' ruling he is out for 1 1/2 hours.

Namor is DOWN and OUT!

With an eldritch blast roaring from his ensorcelled hands Prof Wynde strikes the arrogant Atlantean square in the chest and he cries out before falling back into the water!

Wonder Man dives in and a moment later swims back with the limp form.

Helping the hero climb back onto the sinking ship, Prof Wynde sees that though he hasn't killed the aggressor he would be out of it for a while.

"Should we toss him back with the fishes or find some way to truss him up?" asked Wonder Man. "It's rare that I meet someone stronger than me but this guy has muscles to spare!" complained the hero who was still having a hard time after waking up, going into the future and then back to the past only months after he's been woken to find the world had overtaken him in many ways, not least with superhumans more powerful than he was!

With the pointed ear fellow out for the count - for now - the skies clear of Nazis - for now - and the slow flotilla of boats chugging back slowly over the channel, it appeared that Prof Wynde just had to worry about Nazi supers. However they seemed to have taken the opportunity to escape where they could having had their noses bloodied.

PW and Wonder Man could escort the ships, go back to the beaches and help guard them or wait till this fellow woke up to ask why he was attacking. He didn't look like a Nazi, but the sinking ships suggested he was no friend to the allies either!

"He should be out for an hour or two," Prof. Wynde informed Wonderman, "I have half a mind just to let the troops carry him back to England and let Winnie talk to him and see if he can get him to see reason. But maybe we should keep him near us and try talking to him once he wakes up? But in the meantime, we still need to make sure that there are no more Super Nazis attacking Dunkirk since it didn't happen in my timeline, and stop any Germans using high tech or superweapons as they also shouldn't be at Dunkirk."

"The fact that they are here and WE are here, pretty much changes things already but hopefully not too much!"

He thinks a bit.

"Let's take the water elf over to where the command post is or maybe was now, and leave him there while we do what we can to stop any super or future stuff happening. Do that for an hour or so and then meet and check up on the guy and see if we can get him on our side."

ooc: Had this weird idea awhile back but is Prof Wynde's Air Control powerful enough for him to blast a trench/moat in the ground, wide/deep enough to stop or slow down any tanks trying to cross it? Create a kind of tornado to do the dredging. Something like 10 wide and deep? If so, he wants to try to do that. Leaving spots open in the harder ground that basically funnel the armor into kill zones that the remaining troops can handle. Wonderman can keep any opposition off his back while he does that. Don't know how long a trench he can make in an hour but do what he can.

OOC According to Blood of Heroes Tornadoes and Hurricanes ranges from 7-15 and 7-18 APs so Prof Wynde is at the lower end of the scale. That said he could try moving Earth with a trick shot modifier. So say, you want to move 64 Cubic Feet (not a lot. A small lock up, say.) That's 6APs plus a Trick Shot modifier of +4 to OV/RV means an OV/RV of 10. Not sure that kind of trench would slow down a tank much.

However, with your Accuracy (Air Control) chances are you'll roll well so you could go for broke (basically the same as crit blow or Dev attack) and make it harder but more successful if you succeed.

Wonder Man ran his hand through his wet hair. Exhaling, he muttered "So long as he's on dry land when he wakes up. Wouldn't want to be in the water again. He holds all the aces down there."

"If there WAS a way to get him on our side it would be a great help. The guy packs a punch and would be great at hunting down U Boats. Heck, he'd clear the seas! Problem is, we gotta use em too."

Wonder Man scooped up the Atlantean and together they made their way back to the beach.

An hour later the pair returned. Having explained to the commanding officers their plan to slow tanks down and watch the skies whilst they kept an eye out and uprooted trees/carved up trenches. A tank at speed might be able to cross a trench but by piling the soil on the allied side of the trench there would be no way through for the tanks!

OOC Let's see how PW did...

Go for Broke +4/-6 Air Control 11 + 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 8,8,9,11,12,11,+0 Total:22 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0:
10,8,+0 Total:40 (51) vs
OV6+ GFB 4 + Roll(2d12)+0: 6,7,+0 Total:13 (23) Success +7 (to 18) vs RV10 - 6 GFB (RV4)=14 RAPs. You can move 64 cubic feet of soil a distance of 16 miles.

So assuming you go for a higher volume a lesser distance and do that for an hour (less distance to travel, assess spots best to block the route, move along etc)... I'd say that getting the job done wouldn't be hard.

General Winsmith shook his head. "Unbelievable. If we had a dozen more like you we could turn the war around and be in Berlin next week!" he said, chin in hand as he heard of the changes and improvements to the defences the pair had made in an hour or so. They were stood in a tent with a dozen armed guards pointing rifles at the Atlantean who'd been trussed up with steel cable by Wonder Man before they'd left.

Now he was stirring.

OOC Namor is going to wake up shortly! Any last minute preparations?

"I suggest you get most of your men out of here, General," Prof Wynde says. "If we want to get this guy on our side, having a bunch of soldiers around pointing guns at him isn't going to help. He's not a Nazi Sympathizer and seems to have a grudge against them and maybe use but let's see if we can talk him down. Maybe offer him a meal of some sorts? Not that we have much in that way."

OOC Assuming work don't call me in like they did the other day when I was on call, should (note: 'should') have a clear run at getting everyone updated! Fingers crossed!

The General pondered, glanced at the tattered clothes of Wonder Man and the outlandish (and by now somewhat tattered himself) garb of Prof Wynde, then down at the 'fish man'.

"Instinct says this is war, and to allow an enemy - or a potential threat that has already sunk two boats without effort - to lie there unconscious with him at our mercy is a foolish..." started Winsmith.

Wonder Man held up a hand. "Sir, apologies for interruption, but... your sidearm please?" Winsmith raised an eyebrow and despite being uncomfortable at handing over his revolver to anyone, did so to Wonder Man, a human being who could twist metal tanks into scrap with his bare hands!

"Thankyou." said Wonder Man. He cocked the pistol then fired, again and again, at Namor's chest!

The action shocked all those around and Wonder Man called out. "It's alright! Calm down!" and handed the pistol back to the General.

"Well! I suppose that's sorted that out then! No need to... what the...?" the soldier spluttered as Wonder Man leaned down and picked flattened slugs from Namor's chest. There wasn't even a mark where they'd struck!

"I fought this man and believe me General, I can punch through a steel vault door if need be. His body is conditioned to survive to the deepest ocean depths, I would estimate, because he took my best punches for a few minutes and bested me! Only through the sorcerous power of my good friend Professor Wynde were we able to subdue him. Only by his power could we have any real hope of putting him down again if he tries to fight. Therefore, I suggest we wait until the fellow wakes up - which won't be long - and try talking to him, so we can find some common ground. After all, I can keep him busy while my friend zaps him, so we have the upper hand."

"But that would tie you two up whilst your enemies kill your fleeing troops." said Namor, opening his eyes and dusting off his chest. He stood and soldiers hopped back, wary, but uncertain now they'd seen their weapons were useless against this man!

Namor turned, casting his imperious gaze over those present. He glanced at the sea and Wonder Man stepped into his view. "Uh uh pal! Out there you hold the upper hand! On land? I think we'd have to go again, and I reckon you'd be like..."

"A fish out of water?" suggested Winsmith.

Namor scowled and turned to Prof Wynde. "You are an honourable foe. You bested me but retrieved me from the water to check on me. There are no shackles here. Not that they could hold me! However, I must ask... Am I your prisoner?"

"That truly depends on you, fella, and what you decide," Prof. Wynde says taking a slight step back and to the side so that his right shoulder is just behind Wonderman's shoulder. That would give him the chance to start to cast with his hand hidden.

"I'm called Prof. Wynde and this is my American friend, Wonderman. You don't seem to be a Nazi super-soldier but yelled something about your people being attacked by ours. Would you mind clarifying that statement for us?"

"Your surface world war has impacted on the oceans. The animals there, the environment, and more besides! Atlanteans! MY people! When your ships, your... 'submarines' sink to the ocean floor they pollute, and more besides. Munitions explode. It was such a vessel that proved deadly to the family of peaceful Atlanteans that sought to help those in the drowning vessel." snarled the pointy eared man.

"And more besides! I have declared WAR on all those that transgress in my kingdom! The seven seas are MINE! I am Namor... I am... the SUB MARINER!" he roared, with a clenched fist.

"I'm not sure that answers our question." muttered WonderMan. "Keep chatting or..." he made a finger across throat motion and rolled his eyes with tongue lolling out...

"Ships have been sinking for millennia," Prof. Wynde snaps back. "And once sunk they help create new reefs for fish and other sea life to gather at. So stop being an idiot prattling on about things you know nothing about! It makes you look like a silly buffoon! A Arrogant Prattling Idiot without a brain cell in his head, is what you seem to be here."

ooc: Boy I hope that doesn't get his head punched off his body!

"The oceans are constantly taking in all sorts of things and continue to thrive. It's what they are designed for. Silt from land washed down rivers to the ocean. As does trees and vegetation. Volcanic ash dropped by the rains. Oil seeps up from under the seabed by thousands if not millions of gallons A DAY! The oceans are filled with special bacteria that eat that oil all the time. Providing sustenance for other sea life that eats them that are in turn eaten by others who are eaten by still more sea life and on and on."

"Now, as to some of your people losing their lives because of the war, well that is totally regrettable and you truly have my sympathies for their deaths. However, the numbers of innocent people dying on land due to this war or some other war or natural disasters must be in the thousands if not tens of thousands EVERY DAY!"

"The Earth is more powerful than any of us. All of us together cannot permanently harm her. We can pollute locally and we do but when given a chance, Mother Nature comes in and fixes all her wounds."

"If you want to end damage to your underwater cities, you have to come to the surface and speak with the nations and make treaties with them where the borders of your cities are not to be crossed over or fought near. Sea water covers over 70% of the Earth's surface. No one is going to let one young man claim to rule it all! Especially not after millennia of sailing, fishing and enjoying the seas during all that time. Get over yourself and start acting rationally! Good leaders of nations speak to one another and work out treaties and compromises. They do not just dictate what others are supposed to do to suit themselves."

ooc2: Not sure if you are having the Sub-Mariner be a teenager, which is how he was presented in his original 40s run or a 20-something guy. But Prof. Wynde believes this teen[?] has a swelled head and filled with nonsense and being the responsible adult in the tent, is going to straighten him out, no matter how many times he and Wonderman have to bash him in or blast him with magic. This approach may totally backfire but it seems no one ever took the time to explain the realities of life to him.

OOC lol you tell him the facts of life (a good thing) whilst calling him a prattling idiot! (a bad thing)

Token roll but this won't go well.

Infl 10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 4,8,+0 Total:12 (22) vs

OV8 + Modifier (iffy speech) Opposed +10 + Roll(2d12)+0: 5,11,+0 Total:16 (34) Failed!

Namor is incensed! "You... DARE!" he roars!

"So, Diplomacy. Not your strongest suit?" asks Wonder Man as he slides in front of Prof Wynde with his fists up!

"We beat you once already!" said the American Super Hero. "You need ta hear the facts of life, and realise there is more to it than just your view!"

The soldiers level guns and Namor points at Prof Wynde. "You insult me! Honour demands retribution!" he snarls.

OOC initiative

Roll(3d12)+0:
4 Prof Wynde (29)
11 Wonder Man (37)
8 Namor (28) currently suffering -3 Str -2 Body (down to Dex 7 Str 13 Body 12 and suffers -3Str/-2Bod every hour)

"WAIT!" shouts a male voice - American - from beyond a crowd of terrified soldiers!

Prof Wynde can't see who shouted but knows he'll only get one shot at putting this maniac down!

OOC Wonder Man waits on Prof Wynde - he already knows that getting into a fist fight with this guy hurts.

ooc: Darn and I was so looking forward to blasting his prattling ass. The whole eco-environment hero thing always drove me up the wall when they tried it with him in the 70s. And he was an arrogant monster/villain in his original appearances, killing lots of folks. It wasn't until he met a human woman and became a horny teenager over her and battled the Human Torch that he started to move away from villain to vigilante. Then WW2 started and the Nazis bombed his city and he became a hero after that.


Prof. Wynde touches Wonderman's back lightly and points with his chin towards the voice that just shouted it. He stands ready to launch a magic blast if Subby doesn't hold.

Eyes and heads turn. Ordinary soldiers gasp!



"Why that's..." spluttered one soldier.

"Captain America" said Winsmith. "We were told you were a 'real thing' but I didn't believe it."

Prof Wynde frowned. It seemed the future he'd come from had a version of Captain America that wasn't active until 1941 and yet here he was! He assumed it was Steve Rogers under the mask but with time having been altered it might well be someone else under there!

"I'm here unofficially sir. Pardon the uniform but I'd rather the Nazis fired at ME than your troops." said the star spangled man. "Technically I shouldn't be here - at all - so I'm classed as a deserter but I couldn't stand by and watch thousands of brave soldiers slaughtered on the beach at Dunkirk so I hitched a plane over here as fast as I could. We were shot down some miles away and I've been fighting my way - with my sidekick Bucky - ever since!"

"We sure have Cap! These Ratzis make up in numbers what they lack for a decent jaw!" said the teenage sidekick.



Captain America smiled then turned to Prof Wynde and Wonder Man. "I've not heard of you two but word is going round that Great Britain has its own protectors these days. The Lore Knights. If that's you I'm happy to make your acquaintances." he said, offering his hand.

Wonder Man, dressed in tattered combat fatigues and all concealing domino mask, glanced up and down at Captain America. "I thought that I was the only superhero in America! Glad to see I'm not the only one with a flamboyant dress sense!"

Again Captain America smiled. "Sir, there are a lot of costumed folk now, men AND women, all fighting the good fight and itching to get over here to take a crack at the Nazis. I just couldn't wait. In a city called Metropolis there is a man who can leap tall buildings with a single bound and is faster than a speeding locomotive. He's called..."

"Cap! What about in Gotham? That Bat fellow? He sure don't pull any punches!" interrupted Bucky.

Captain America scowled. "I don't approve of his methods. Criminals should be brought to justice, not summarily executed." He turned to Namor. "You sir, I believe you are known as Prince Namor, the Sub Mariner."

Namor narrowed his eyes. "It seems I am outmatched and outnumbered now. These two have beaten me fairly but I shall never surrender! If you wish to take me it will cost you!" he said, putting himself in a fighting crouch.

Bucky did the same and Wonder Man moved protectively in front of Prof Wynde.

"Now hold on!" said Captain America. "We can settle this with peaceful talk. The enemy - an enemy to ALL of us - are the Axis. They started this war and it's them you should have a beef with mister. And I can prove it! Our plane flew over several ships that were laying mines, and more that were testing underwater explosives of some kind! There was no doubt they were Nazis - their air escort is the one that shot us down and we had to swim for shore!"

Namor's eyes widened. "Underwater... explosives...? Why would... we have never ... what about the people - MY people - who live under the sea!"

Captain America turned to Prof Wynde and Wonder Man. "It seems our common foe benefits from us at each others throats. I intend to show our watery friend here exactly what I'm talking about and invite you gentlemen to come with me. We can stop them and - perhaps - come to some arrangement so we can coordinate our efforts against our common foe! What say you?"

"Allow me to introduce ourselves. I'm Prof. Wynde, not a member of the Lore Knights but I have worked with them in the past and consider myself on ally of theirs. I'm British. This is Wonderman, as American as you two are. He was active in 1939 for a bit and then ... retired and now is back again."

ooc: Something I've wondered about and probably Prof. Wynde will get around to asking Wonderman when they are alone if Wonderman doesn't try it himself but since his powers are from a magic ring, if he deactivated then reactivated the ring, would his costume come back completely new? Or if he pulled it off and then on?"

"I guess we will have to fly out to see what you want us to see. I could carry two if the Submariner is willing to carry the remaining person. We have done what we can here for now. All the super Nazis are down that I know of. I've tried blocking the more easily accessible areas to the beach from tanks and other vehicles, leaving only open areas where the mass of artillery can easily fire upon the grouped up vehicles. The Luftwaffe seems to have abandoned the skies mostly, for now. So ... I'm willing to see what you have for us."

ooc:  Just because ... here is my City of Heroes version of Captain America.  Can't make an exact copy but it's not bad I think.

Captain America listened then turned to Namor. "How about it? We can fight each other whilst the nazis keep pounding on and killing these brave soldiers who want to retreat, or we can check out what they are doing."

Bucky adds "Gee! Flying? I don't see any wings on..." he glanced at Namor's ankles. "Oh, uh. Well I'm up for it!"

Wonder Man shrugged. "I can leap and run, not as fast as Prof Wynde can carry us but it will do to get us to the coast."

Namor scowled. "I can fly. Lead on. However if this is a trick no words of yours will quell my rage!"

Winsmith glanced at Prof Wynde and Wonder Man as the others walked aside, surrounded by adoring soldiers. "I hope you two know what you are doing. Captain America is risking court martial as a deserter. Namor has sunk several of our ships and is classed as an enemy. However..." he sighed "Seeing as our bullets have little to no effect on either of them I feel like we have no choice. Godspeed gentlemen. make your way back here if you can to aid our retreat. You've been a great help - more than the Lore Knights the papers are all over. If they'd been over here instead of there we might have turned this round. Never mind." He stood back and saluted then started barking orders to his staff to prepare more men for pick up from the flotilla of boats.

=========

Several hours later.

"Where am I supposed to be looking?" asked Namor. They stood on the beach where Captain America and Bucky had swum to after their plane had been shot down.

"Out there." pointed the Captain to the sea.

Namor turned. "The pull of the ocean is strong. I will need to swim to see this for myself."

Wonder Man scowled. "If you go in the water..."

Prof Wynde didn't need his friend to finish his sentence. They'd have a devil of a time to restrain the fellow if he turned against them.

"I have trusted you, now you must trust me." said Namor in his usual haughty manner.

OOC Even with his telescopic vision Prof Wynde can't see anything from the beach. Let Namor go?

"If you give us your Sovereign word, then we should accept it," Prof Wynde says after a moments thought. "Do you swear such an oath? That you will not flee, nor attack anymore allied ships or people while we investigate this thing Captain America wants us to see?"

Namor looks like he's swallowed something that disagrees with him. Finally he grumbles "I give my word. It is stronger than steel."

Captain America steps forward. "That's good enough for me your highness."

Wonder Man gave a look saying 'Not so sure about this' but shrugged.

Captain America turned to Prof Wynde. "Namor's word is good enough for me. I suggest we let him investigate what's out there."

Prof Wynde looked the Sub Mariner in the eye. The Atlantean returned with a steely gaze nodded slightly. "The man in the outlandish costume is correct. I do not lie, cheat, or steal. When I say something to be so, it is."

He turned and marched to the water, sighing as it lapped around his feet and dived into the surf, vanishing in an instant!

=========

"Looks like he's not coming back." said Bucky who scooped up another stone and tossed it into the waves.


"Patience Buck." said Captain America as he sat on the sand and looked out to sea. "I was watching and there were no airplanes out there, but then there they were as if from nowhere. There MUST be some explanation!"

"What do you think?" asked Wonder Man as he walked from a copse of trees in bright red fresh costume. "Just took the ring off, waited a heartbeat and put it back on and... hey presto! I've been running around in rags when I could be properly dressed..."

"Yowch! You stand out even more than me and Cap! Almost as much as your buddy in the turb... wait! Look!" said Bucky, pointing out to sea.

He'd been gone for half an hour but Namor jogged from the water, a grave look on his face.

"You were right Captain America. There is a vessel under the sea, of a size I had not thought possible. The vehicles you call submarines were docking to it and resupplying. The top of it is like one of those Aircraft Carriers I have heard of. It must surface, deploy planes and submerge again." said Namor. "The vehicle is large. Very large. It could, probably does, house an army and it is hidden from view under the waves in MY kingdom." he growled.

Dug up some stuff while I figure out what to do and say.

"Underwater travel is not one of my abilities," Prof. Wynde tells the others. "Is it too deep for us to use SCUBA gear? Wait, the regulator for that won't be invented for another few years. How do we take this thing down? Give the Submariner here a bunch of explosives?"

Admin wrote:Namor looks like he's swallowed something that disagrees with him. Finally he grumbles "I give my word. It is stronger than steel."

Captain America steps forward. "That's good enough for me your highness."

Wonder Man gave a look saying 'Not so sure about this' but shrugged.

Captain America turned to Prof Wynde. "Namor's word is good enough for me. I suggest we let him investigate what's out there."

Prof Wynde looked the Sub Mariner in the eye. The Atlantean returned with a steely gaze nodded slightly. "The man in the outlandish costume is correct. I do not lie, cheat, or steal. When I say something to be so, it is."

He turned and marched to the water, sighing as it lapped around his feet and dived into the surf, vanishing in an instant!

=========

"Looks like he's not coming back." said Bucky who scooped up another stone and tossed it into the waves.


"Patience Buck." said Captain America as he sat on the sand and looked out to sea. "I was watching and there were no airplanes out there, but then there they were as if from nowhere. There MUST be some explanation!"

"What do you think?" asked Wonder Man as he walked from a copse of trees in bright red fresh costume. "Just took the ring off, waited a heartbeat and put it back on and... hey presto! I've been running around in rags when I could be properly dressed..."

"Yowch! You stand out even more than me and Cap! Almost as much as your buddy in the turb... wait! Look!" said Bucky, pointing out to sea.

He'd been gone for half an hour but Namor jogged from the water, a grave look on his face.

"You were right Captain America. There is a vessel under the sea, of a size I had not thought possible. The vehicles you call submarines were docking to it and resupplying. The top of it is like one of those Aircraft Carriers I have heard of. It must surface, deploy planes and submerge again." said Namor. "The vehicle is large. Very large. It could, probably does, house an army and it is hidden from view under the waves in MY kingdom." he growled.

Captain America raises an eyebrow at the mention of equipment not yet invented.

"Well... we may struggle. There is..." he started.

"I can help." said the Sub Mariner. "but you will have to trust me. There are plants living on the ocean floor which - when ingested - can grant the imbiber the ability to breathe underwater for some time. To reverse the procedure, one must eat a different kind of plant. They are rare and hard to get hold of, but when you are conditioned to survive in the ocean depths as I am, it is no problem."

"I can hold my breath a LONG time." said Wonder Man. "never knew how long but I reckon I could survive the ocean depths."

"It's dark down there. Can you see underwater? Also, I have fought you. You flounder like a beached whale."

Wonder Man bristled but held his temper and turned away.

Sub Mariner turned to Prof Wynde "I will retrieve the plants and bring them back, only if you agree to help rid my ocean of those devices. I could do it on my own of course, being as powerful as I am but... I must grudgingly admit my chances would be better with your help, such as it is."