Prof Wynde and Wonder Man TEAM UP! Issue #1

"Magnet. An object that attracts iron and some other materials. Magnets are said to generate a magnetic field around themselves. Every magnet has two poles, called the north and south poles. Magnetic poles exert forces on each other in such a way that like poles repel and unlike poles attract each other." stated the robot.

Hawkers blinked but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.

The robot seemed to consider for a moment then said. "Follow me."

A trick? Might something that Prof Wynde said have been lost in translation or did this thing already have a description of the escaped prisoner? Were they being led back to the cells???

"He's going to take us to magnets," Prof. Wynde whispers to Hawkers as they follow the robot. [I assumed the robot spoke Italian since PW did too. Don't know if Hawkers speaks it or not.] "Cross your fingers and hope for the best."

OOC Hawkers has picked bits and pieces up but in a conversation with a native is likely to make serious blunders. 'Where is the cake shop' when asking for the toilet and so on.

Hawkers nodded and followed Prof Wynde who followed the robot.

It seemed in this part of the immense structure they were unaware of escaped prisoners and indeed, communications seemed down. As they walked through the industrious groups of soldiers and workers clearing collapsed rocks and righting equipment, it brought home how impressive Wonder Man's achievement had been to disrupt this place. However the cost, it seemed, had been too high.

The robot finally stopped on the other side of the cavern and turned. "You will find the supplies for navigational arrays in this room."

It gestured to a room that was completely blocked by fallen rocks!

"You will have to clear it yourself." it stated in Italian before clomping off.

"What did it say? Something about Ice Cream?" asked Hawkers as he eyed up the mound of small to medium sized rocks and rubble blocking the entrance to the storage room. Prof Wynde looked about. There were a dozen workers moving rubble and two robotic guards along with a lazy looking soldier who was smoking and laughing with a foreman nearby (and by that, within fifty feet in this vast cavernous space).

"He said that navigational arrays are there which I think he means magnets, and that we will have to dig them out ourselves," Prof. Wynde replied chewing the inside of his cheek. He didn't like this. It was taking too long. Even if they found some magnets, getting past the robots in a crowded area and then getting to Fred and THEN finding his magic ring would .....

He slapped his head in a DOH! moment. Being knocked out must have scramble his brains seriously. Magic Sense! See if he could find the magic ring and was it near the area where Fred was laying all banged up or elsewhere.

Prof Wynde had a 'Eureka!' moment and turned.

He was looking in the direction of an office at the very far end of this cavern and there he could sense not only a powerful magic source - hopefully Fred Carson's ring - but also TWO people of magical persuasion. Whether there was anyone else in the place he couldn't be sure. It was on the ground floor level and based in a corrugated curved over shelter type building with a robotic sentry stood at the doorway. Whilst he couldn't see through walls, he could see the dot (from here) of the artefact and the outlines of two people who were crouched over the device as they seemed to glow against the indistinct normal stuff that was in this place - workers, production lines, robots, guards and partially assembled planes and vehicles.

It was some distance away - this cavern had been channelled from the mountain and was nigh on half a mile in length - but FINALLY he had something to go on. Assuming he could get past the guard, batter whoever was inside that building and grab the ring in time to get it back to his friend!

"There's a ... device I need in that office over there," Prof. Wynde pointed to Hawkers. "Once I have it, which is going to entail a big fight, we have to move fast to get back to the medical bay and rescue my friend."

The two look over the setup.

"The question is, can we get magnets quickly from the buried room here or do we forget them and try to take out the robots guarding that door the ole fashion way and I figure it is 50/50 in doing that or .... something else. Ideas? Suggestions?"

ooc: Is the office buried into the mountain with only the door and its wall being the only way in or is another wall available. If one is, I'm kind of thinking of bypassing the robot, blow a hole in the other wall, dash in, grab the ring and dash out and move as quickly as possible to Fred.

OOC the hut kind of looks like this:



Easy enough for Prof Wynde to blow a hole through but the robots might have something to say about that. Blowing the content of the hut might be a problem but wherever the ring goes Prof Wynde can sense it. The two magic users in the hut may also be a problem.

You can act casual and make your way around the back or the side...

Hawkers pondered. "I guess..." he glanced about. "Those drums over there with the workers moving rocks. Might that be oil, or fuel? If they are assembling vehicles they'd need various fluids putting in. Maybe a match and a few spilled barrels would cause a distraction..."

Prof Wynde winced. This was war but even so, such an act would cause huge casualties in here. If his two hapless helpers were in here they might be caught up in it... He glanced about. Too many to pick them out.

"Let's see if it is diesel or something else," Prof. Wynde decides.

ooc: Got a vague idea of making some type of fuel air bomb but I don't think diesel is as explosive as AVgas or leaded gas. It would have to be set off aways down a tunnel and he would have to try to create an air shield around himself and Hawkers to survive both the impact of the explosion and the sucking out of the oxygen, preventing their lungs from frying from the heat.

OOC had to look up AVGas but it's basically petrol with 100 octane. The allies used that, the Axis used something synthetic supposedly? When the allies bombed their fuel making processors the war machine basically ground to a halt apparently.

The pair of them made their way as surreptitiously as possible, even going so far as to carry empty crates from one place to another and keeping their heads down.

With Hawkers keeping an eye out Prof Wynde looked over the barrels, seamlessly translating the language into something he could understand and turned to Hawkers, explaining that the barrels were a mix of oil for the engine and moving parts and gasoline, or its equivalent. The cave was huge but even so, this enclosed space would be a fiery death trap if all these barrels went up. Prof Wynde counted... what, twenty of each, and there were more stashed along a wall near collapsed rubble. Full from the feel of them. Whatever had gone on when Wonder Man had gone inside the mountain had certainly 'done a number' on this place. The white skinned giant and Wonder Man between them had shaken this place to its core and Prof Wynde glanced up at the ceiling even as dust sporadically fell.

"You!" shouted a man in technicians overalls. "Over here!" he gestured at Hawkers and Prof Wynde winced. There were half a dozen workers in grubby boiler suits moving rocks and righting equipment that had tipped over. Hawkers obviously didn't have a clue what had been said...

He glanced back at the metal hut. The two magical figures in there were stood now, rather than bent over. The ring was still on the table but their body language suggested they were almost finished with whatever they were doing to it...

ooc: Military Science is pretty much normal for a normal soldier so combining it with Int, does he figure:
a: with air control creating a "wind shield" around himself and Hawkers, they could survive the explosion. Or better yet around them and the Quonset hut the two mages are in with the magic ring. Leaving the robots outside the "wind shield" or "wind force field" if you want to call it that.
b: Will Fred be far enough away from the explosion to not be hurt or have to worry about the ceiling collapsing on him

if the answer is "no" or "can't figure it out" for both
then

c: Can he do an air blast that blows all these or most of these barrels at the robots guarding the hut. Hopefully, it will damage them and cover them in oil and gas and whatever else and Hawkers can then throw a grenade or flare or open flame source at them and have them catch on fire. Then we can go for the mages and the ring.

If you target the robots at the metal hut with wind blasts that toss barrels at them that may or may not be effective and to be honest his wind blast will be more powerful (by several APs) than any exploding oil drum (but lots of oil drums going off at the same time would up the power).

ooc: I thought using explosives was under Military Sciences which is what I figured was needed.


well, lets try wind blast on the robots but since it is an AOE type attack big enough to cover the tunnel/open area, throw in the barrels in the blast too. The fire/explosion after they hit the robots or smash around/near the robots, after the wind blast, may blind their sensors even if the wind blast itself doesn't take them out.

Warning Hawkers what he is about to do and the dangers of the robots and the possible danger of the mages, Prof. Wynde moves into position.

"Take out the mages if you can," he advises Hawkers, "while I try to keep the robots busy. We want the magic ring and then we want to move as fast as we can to Fred."

OOC Demolition is a separate thing not usually using Air Control Fuses, a spark and lots of stuff that goes bang generally...

Hawkers gaped. "So, you are going to... fling a load of barrels at the robots guarding the hut... and a stray short or spark will explode them... and..."

He looked at the hut and muttered "What I wouldn't give for a sniper rifle." turning to Prof Wynde he shrugged "You can do some amazing things and all I want is out of here but if you want the whatever it is out of there I'm not sure setting off a big explosion will help us." He glanced up at the ceiling. "There's an awful lot of loose rock up there old chap and not long since a lot of it was loosened and wouldn't need much of a bang to get it falling again..."

"Can you not just... I don't know, pick the metal people off from a long distance and when they are down move in? I'm mindful that getting close to that hut might be dangerous."

Prof Wynde considered. The mages inside the hut would have their own way to defend against magical abilities. His powers might be less effective against them. On the other hand drums of exploding fueld in here would create chaos... and maybe a distraction.

One that might bring one or both of the robots running to investigate?

He was about to make a move when the door to the hut opened and two men in all white Nazi uniforms with swastika armband on the arm.

Both glowed with magical ability. One was a man with bald head and wispy white trident beard. The other had a shock of red hair, a bristling moustache and glowered from under heavy brows.

Prof Wynde concentrated. He couldn't see the small shape of the ring in the hut any more. One of these two had it but from here three magical sources appeared as indistinct blobs and it was impossible to tell which of the two had the ring. The redhead barked an order and the two robots snapped to attention. One robot marched to each man to act as escort then both started for separate side tunnels leading off this cave.

OOC the mages are splitting up and heading to tunnels off this cave with a robot guard in tow for each.

ooc: Yeah, i didn't explain that well. What I was trying to do was use air blast to knock the robots and the barrels back into the walls of the tunnel/cavern, which would smash open the barrels, pouring the oil/gas over and around the robots and maybe knockback damage to the robots. Then a zippo lighter or a quickly made torch or grenade could be thrown in that area, setting them on fire.


"Get ready to fight," Prof. Wynde warned Hawkers. Then

Air Blast/tornado and the mages and their robots. Magic Shield up too.

OOC Air Control 11 + Roll(6d12)+0: 8,4,4,8,11,1,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 1,6,+0 Total:23 (34) vs

Mage 1 OV6 + range 4 (reduced to 3) + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,3,+0 Total:6 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 10,11,+0
Total:27 (36) attack missed

Mage 2 OV5 + range 4 (reduced to 3) + Roll(2d12)+0: 11,5,+0 Total:16 (25) Hit +4 (to 15) vs RV5 (magic shield not up or pointing at the attack)=10 RAPs. The mage is FLUNG against a pile of crates and is DOWN and OUT!

Robot #1 OV7 + range 4 (reduced to 3) + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,11,+0 Total:14 (24) Hit +4 (to 15) vs RV9=6RAPs. The Robot is on Body 1/7.

Robot #2 OV7 + range 4 (reduced to 3) + Roll(2d12)+0: 12,10,+0 Total:22 (32) Hit +2 (to 13) vs RV9=4 RAPs. Robot #2 is on body 3/7

"Get ready for... fight?" asked Hawkers. Then he watched Prof Wynde unleash a full force hurricane in the area where the two mages and the robots were before glancing down at his weedy pistol.

"You have to be kidding me." he muttered.

The robots strained against the wind and the mage summoned a circular magic shield into being in front of him, the wind suddenly dying down as it struck the shield and blowing around it. "Achtung! Allllaaaaaaarrrrrrrmmmmm!" he screamed over the howl of the wind. Then he started backing up to where the smashed crates were and the downed mage as the two robots started striding against the wind and towards where Prof Wynde was...

The dozens of workers gasped, then started running for cover!

OOC But you win initiative! The Mage with the shield up might be able to resist but the robots with those powerful rifles (more like bazookas) they wield might have something to say about it! I would have applied surprise but it's hard to justify a power like Air Control as surprising because of its very nature. The howl of wind, whipping up of powerful tornado... hard to surprise someone with that but I have to admit that multi attack without penalties is very very good...

"Take out the mage, the man," Prof. Wynde snaps to Hawkers. "He or the downed one have the ring we need. He may not have a defense against bullets. I'll handle the robots!"

This time, just target the robots and hope Hawkers can handle the mage. Fly in closer to eliminate the range penalty and go for a crit attack. [and thank you Accuracy!]

OOC you may as well attack the mage too. Hawkers is an ordinary guy (2s, the odd score of 3 but that's it).

Swoop in to close the range then attack all three...

Air Control 11 + Accuracy 4D + Roll(6d12)+0: 10,8,7,8,12,3,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0:
7,12,+0 Total:35 (46) vs

Mage 1 OV6 + Roll(2d12)+0: 7,4,+0 Total:11 (17) Hit +8 (to 19) vs RV14 (including magic shield)=5 RAPs. Mage is DOWN and OUT!

Robot #1 OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,3,+0 Total:6 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 1,11,+0 Total:18 (25) Hit +6 (to 17) vs RV9=8RAPs. Robot #1 is DOWN and OUT

Robot #2 OV7 + Roll(2d12)+0: 1,10,+0 Total:11 (18) Hit +7 (to 18) vs RV9=9 RAPs. Robot #2 is DOWN and OUT!

Hawkers runs over and is huffing and puffing, waving his pistol about as he reaches where Prof Wynde floats gently to the floor. The place is full of dust and debris from the fierce hurricane level winds and the cave is pure pandemonium as the workers trip over each other to get out!

There's also something else...

A rumbling above their heads...

Prof Wynde doesn't waste any time and moves to the Mages, rifling through pockets, looking for a pouch or bag that might... nothing on that one.

"What about this?" asks Hawkers as he holds up a golden ring from where he stands over the other downed mage. He slips it on...

And nothing happens.

Prof Wynde supresses a chuckle. The magic is within Fred Carson, granted by the yogi and unlocked by the ring. For anyone else? The ring would reveal to be magical but effectively it was nothing but the key to unlock magical abilities rather than something that could grant them.

RRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!!

Hawkers gaped as dust started to fall from the ceiling in every increasing amounts, accompanied by small then progressively larger rocks!

"Time to scramble," Prof. Wynde yells, grabbing Hawkers and flying down the tunnel to where he last saw Fred Carson.

ooc: And that answered my question as to what would happen if PW had put on the ring instead.

"Maybe we should ahhhhhhhhh!" yelled Hawkers before he realised he was flying - in a fashion!

The rumbling got louder and louder behind them and the tunnel itself started to crubled and crack! The pair of them fwooooshed through the tunnel and bowled workers aside due to the high winds as they passed!

Their confusion was short lived as they realised the tunnel they were in would soon collapse!

Soon workers were screaming, wailing, panicking and running and dust spewed out into the open areas. Somewhere a claxon went off in the base and the hero landed with Hawkers to see the medical room where the robot guards stood, impassive.

"We need to get out of here!" said Hawkers, looking nervously at the ceiling and the flickering lights along the wall. "This place is going to collapse in on itself!"

"I'll try to keep the robots busy," Prof. Wynde says, mostly ignoring Hawkers' suggestions. "You see if you can get inside and put the ring on the injured American in there. His name is Fred, by the way."

actions: Wind blast on robots, devastating attack.

Prof Wynde gestured, then threw the full weight of a hurricane strength wind at the two robots!

OOC Multi Attack Dev Attack Air Control 10 (just looked at the character sheet, it's linked to INFLUENCE rather than Aura. Need to change that.) + Accuracy 4D (hence why I wouldn't worry about it being 10 rather than 11) + Roll(6d12)+0: 9,8,3,8,4,7,+0 Total:16 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0: 10,5,+0 Total:31 (41) vs
OV6 + range 3 + Multi 2 + Dev Attack 8 + Roll(2d12)+0: 8,4,+0 Total:12 (31) Hit +4 (to 14) vs RV9+ Multi 2 - Dev Attack 12 (-1)=15 RAPs. Both Robots are smashed into smithereens!

With perhaps his most impressive display yet of air control Prof Wynde takes out two dangerous opponents with one concentrated blast of pure air force! The robots are flung into the air and crash against a distant wall before lying in crumpled piles!

"Wow! i say old chap, have you considered fighting on the front lines! You'd have them running in terror!" said Hawkers.

The pair moved to the room with Wonder Man in and the Doctor inside challenges them. "Who are you! You shouldn't be in ..." he raises his hands as Hawkers points his pistol at him and the Doctor with his aide back away from the patient lying in the bed, all bandaged and tubed up.

With half his face covered in bandages it was difficult to even recognise his friend.

Suddenly a huge CRACK rang out and the room, the entire level of the base, started shaking!

"Put the ring on him, Hawkers, and then hold onto him," Prof. Wynde snaps.

Once that is done, he grabs the two of them and starts flying out of the place, trying to reach the surface before everything collapses, trapping them all inside a mountain.

ooc: Going to try to avoid any further fighting if possible, flying past or around any who might want to take them down. But if it is unavoidable, it's unavoidable.

"He's nearly done in! What's point o sticking a ring on him? He's done for..." said Hawkers, who switched his gaze from the superhero across the room to the ceiling as it began to shake and dust began to fall...

"eeek!" he exclaimed then he started fumbling about to put the ring on Wonder Man's hand.

There was a tremendous CRACK as stone split and Prof Wynde looked about...

The cavern they were in was collapsing, crumbling inwards! The titanic battle between Wonder Man and the Nazis had dislodged what little remained of the stability of this place. Indeed it had been cut, prepared, made, to collapse at a moments notice to prevent its falling into enemy hands. That had backfired however when the unexpected - Prof Wynde and Wonder Man - had arrived and taken the fight to the Axis! Now though...

Prof Wynde glanced about. Two tunnels off the main cavern were now blocked with stone. Another was clogged with people wrestling with each other to get out. The last...

The superhero frowned. There were workers running out of that tunnel having only gone up there moments before!

A roaring sound rang out and Prof Wynde saw why. The white skinned giant, the behemoth more dead than alive, the thing with unimaginable strength and durability was back!



"Maaaaaaagic!" roared the creature. It turned, and looked at the office where Wynde, Wonder Man and Hawkers were. The thing looked battered, dusty and as if a mountain had fallen on it... and yet it still walked. Strode... jogged... RAN for the place where the Allies were!

"Uhhhh what?" spluttered Wonder Man. He'd woken up!

OOC And Solomon Grundy will be there in moments!

Looking around at the smoke and dust, Prof Wynde tried to figure out which tunnel actually led to the surface and which ones were blocked off with no escape.

"Wonderman! Good to see you are awake now. This Hawkers, RAF pilot that was a prisoner down here. Over there is a big undead creature that's going to try to kill us. We are inside the Nazi base with Advent forces and the place is coming down our ears. I'm going to try to get us out of here. Let me know when you are strong enough to move on your own."


"Crimson Bands of Syssyphis! Strike my foe," Prof. Wynde chants, remembering once again to "cast" his magic with verbal spells.

OOC: Magic Blast, devastating attack, get in close enough to eliminate range penalties[thank you telescopic vision of 1] before blasting. It worked once before, maybe it will again.

If the creature goes down with the attack, then Prof. Wynde will use his air control to figure out the best tunnel to escape from - sending a strong breeze down each tunnel, watching how the dust and smoke react - does it sort of pool and dance around or does it go with the breeze, indicating an opening out to fresh air.

If it doesn't go down, do this later, assuming we aren't all killed by it.

Prof Wynde flies up, prompting Wonder Man to call out with "Wait! Don't let him hit you! He hits harder than I do!"

Hawkers helps the stricken man up and PW soars close to the albino giant who looms over him, roaring!

OOC PW wins initiative... Magic Blast 11 + Roll(6d12)+0: 8,12,2,12,5,10,+0 Total:24 DOUBLE plus Roll(2d12)+0:
3,4,+0 Total:31 (42) vs
OV5 + Range 1 - Telescopic vision 1 + Roll(2d12)+0: 10,3,+0 Total:13 (18)
+7 (to 18) vs RV7=11RAPs

Solomon Grundy goes down!

"huh." muttered Wonder Man. "That looked easier than when I was holding up the mountain and the white guy sucker punched me then the mountain fell on top of us all."

With a resounding crash Grundy flies through the air and smashes against a wall!

Prof Wynde then looks about and 'senses' which way the air is freshest...

Turning, he shouts and points to a tunnel which is in the process of collapsing! He scoops Wonder Man and Hawkers up, one under each arm and flies down the corridor... as it starts to collapse behind him! Weaving down the corridor and using the air to effectively blast the path in front of them he grits his teeth and flies on, ignoring Hakers cry and Wonder Man's call of "Hurry up!"

They burst into a larger cave which is ... well, chaotic. Part assembled planes are all over the place, some in flames. The floor is split in half and workers along with plane parts are falling into the gap! The ceiling is falling in! He uses his air control to sense which way... uh oh.

The lights go out, the cracking and rumbling gets louder and Prof Wynde realises they are out of time! This place is going to collapse!

"This is it then!" shouts Hawkers over the din. "We're doomed!"

Wonder Man grunts with pain then wriggles free of Prof Wynde's grasp. Rubbing the ring on his hand he says something udner his breath and leaps at the wall!

THOOM!

Rocks sprayed outwards and Prof Wynde throws the force of a hurricane at the wall in between Wonder Man's punches. Then Hawkers calls out "Get back!" and throws a couple fo grenades at the rock wall... which do rather less than the heroes manage!

With only the guttering flames preventing total darkness and the ceiling just about to completely collapse... Prof Wynde senses fresh air and blasts through the last foot or two of rock with a might blast of air! Suddenly day light is visible and he scoops up Wonder Man and Hawkers, flying for the hole...

There is a huge explosion, the side of the mountain spewing rocks, dust and debris as fuel, machines and ammunition combine to make a massive blast that shakes the trees and rocks outside of the mountain...

Where Hawkers, Prof Wynde and Wonder Man lie in the dirt and dust. Their clothes shredded, their skin dirtied and bruised, they are exhausted... but alive.

Wonder Man, coughing and wheezing, looks at his battered hands. "Didn't know... whether my bones would hold up to pounding on that... rock."

Hawkers gasps "You two... how... I mean... we got out of there and..."

RRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBLE!

The trio limp/fly/jog away from the mountain as it crashes again and half of it collapses in on itself!

=========

(OOC translated from German)

"Ven ve lost contact viz ze mountain base ve sent a spotter plane over ze site intent on parachuting an operative to ze base to re-establish contact." said the hard faced soldier, medals and braiding on the uniform contrasting with his dark mood.

"Ze base has gone."

There were gasps around the room. Muttered conversation started up again as an officer left the room and walked down the square concrete corridor. Stopping at a door he opened it into a room full of radio operatives and made his way through rows of head set wearing people who scribbled notes down.

Stopping at one he glanced around and leaned in "It is time to strike. Hail hydra."

The radio operative nodded, glanced about, then repeated "hail hydra." then started tapping away in morse code...

=========

"Where to now?" asked Hawkers. It had been a day later and they were sat in woodland near a stream.

With bandages all over Wonder Man as he sits sagged against a tree, Prof Wynde hopes his friend will start to recover.

Planes occasionally fly over, armoured vehicles patrol the roads, dogs can be heard in the distance and they know they've stirred up a hornets nest. The Axis powers are hunting for the duo that destroyed their base, they are miles behind enemy lines and Wonder Man is in no fit shape for a fight! However, the base was history and no other planes would take off from it!

OOC You're in deepest darkest Italy. Any thoughts on how to get back to Britain, or at least France where the British Expeditionary Force waits for rescue on the beaches of Dunkirk?

Oh, and we've combined DC characters in our little gaming universe, now it's Marvel's turn