Prof Wynde and Wonder Man TEAM UP! Issue #2 "The Invaders!"

"Throw a couple of boulders through the ship to damage it and we will then go through the portal to the source," Prof. wynde yells back. He hits one of the engines/propellers with a wind blast and then heads down to scoop up Wonderman to fly through the portal

Wonderman hefted boulders - half a ton or more, whatever he could easily find.

Seeming weightless to him the hero hefted them at the zepellin as it came through, crashing through the framework and causing it to sag and collapse as it twisted/crashed/settled on the ground!

It wouldn't fly, and was good for scrap only!

The heroes then glanced at each other, nodded, and moved through the portal!

Instantly the landscape was bathed in orange! There were in a different time zone, clearly, as it had been earlier in the day when they left the site of the ruined zepellin.

Looking about they saw the rest of the zep on a long/wide/flat landing pad, more than a mile in each direction! Dozens of these things were being worked on by white jump suited engineers, each wearing one of those head sets that the Atlanteans had been forced to wear!

Looking further about, the pair saw they were in a city of some kind - they'd been transported not just in time, but in space to... but to where...?

Wonderman waved and the pair quickly made their way to the shadows of a building and made their way to the top for a better look.



Whichever city this was, it was now under occupation by the Aliens! Ruined buildings, tiny dotted fires in which suggested there were human survivors living in the rubble, were overshadowed by a vast Alien spacecraft, bigger than anything Prof Wynde had yet seen!

Wonderman shook his head at it all. "Where are we? WHEN are we? Did we lose the war?"

They looked about then saw below - on the pad - various 'time projectors' dotted about around each zeppellin ready to transport them into the past. White suited engineers busied themselves with construction and adjustment of the vehicles and only from up here could Prof Wynde and Wonderman see the scale of the operation. It didn't go on for just a mile, but miles. There were dozens of the zeppellins and more vehicles besides, all being readied or transported into the past thanks to the rays from the couch sized projectors arrayed around each vehicle that fired light slowly up each vehicle where they would vanish, no doubt to reappear in the past!

There were tens of thousands of workers here!

The scale of the operation was frightening! From here they could send the constructed vehicles back into the past to wherever they needed them!

Prof Wynde shook his head. The scale of this... how could they stop a never ending stream of vehicles and weapons delivered to the front line? The main thing was that the time/space transportation was a slow process, taking minutes for a small vehicle and an hour or more for the Zepellins. That would slow things and prevent them from going straight to the front lines where they'd be smashed when partially going through... still...

A silhouetted figure stood at the edge of the building overlooking the landscape. Obviously female she watched on as the Alien spacecraft in the distance moved ponderously across the sky with shining silver dots emerging from and vanishing into the city sized flying craft.

Then Prof Wynde saw something else.

Big Ben, a landmark recognisable to most people around the world, was a ruined shell.

So this was London, not in the 'now' of the 1940s but in the future. Maybe sometime after Prof Wyndes own time, but the aliens had clearly 'won' somehow, and were sending equipment into the past to change that - to win 'earlier'.

A victory in the future would come at a huge cost. Superhumans, nuclear weapons and well equipped modern armies would take a heavy toll on any invasion and the conquered world would be a smoking ruin aside from those countries which capitulated. Sending equipment and agents into the past to change the course of events seemed fairly obvious now. The timelines had changed, shifted, morphed. There was no way of knowing which one was Prof Wyndes' own and maybe it didn't exist any more! Somewhere there might be timelines where the aliens failed, but in this one, where Prof Wynde and Wonderman existed right now, the Aliens had won, and were looking to cement their victory. All of this would change again if they succeeded, a land where the Axis powers backed by alien technology would reshape the world into a new, Fascist, image...

"That's Big Ben over there," Prof Wynde gasped, pointing it out to Wonderman. He uses his telescopic vision to try to see the woman more closely. Maybe she is an ally or perhaps another foe? "We're in the future! Your future. I'm not sure if it is my future or where my "present" was originally at. From the buildings, I don't think it is my far future though. But check out that woman. Do you think she might be a friendly?"

OOC Apologies for the delay. Had the week off but been sorting stuff out from the lockup to *finally* stop paying for storage. House is a mess of boxes I have to go through and sort out and driven hundreds of miles this week back and forth (I think the tally is 400 so far). Anyway, everything else went on a back burner as this is something else I *have* to do for my sanity/finances/long term. Also found some rpg stuff I thought I'd sold/lost so every cloud and all that...

Wonderman gasped, looking around.

"What happened here? I mean... Did the aliens win?" he spluttered.

Prof Wynde zoomed in with his eyes...

The clearly female shape was tall and thin. Taller than him, and probably taller than Wonderman too.

He also saw something else - a long thin barrelled rifle of futuristic origin slung on her back and across it in a sheath a sword much like a katana.

She was watching the progress of the Advent war machine. Every few moments something else would churn out - a tank much like a panzer but ... improved. Different. Though it would make all the right 'noises' the thing moved smoother, faster and without the belching black smoke from the exhaust.

Prof Wynde was a smart guy. The aliens were conquering the past with weapons from the future but doing so in such a way as to not obviously wreck the time line with clear and obvious technology from the future. Why?

Why not invade with the vast spaceships and nuke the capitals with the obvious equivalent nuclear mass destruction capability they had?

In the modern era, or whatever time they were now in, Advent had chosen the hard route, crushing the city of London and doubtless the rest of the UK with overwhelming firepower. What had happened to the superheroes in this time? Was there a UKChampions? What about the Lore Knights, those mysterious some time defenders of the mystical faith? Another powerful super group he'd heard of were the Vanguard. They were more low key, moving in, getting the job done and getting out before the cameras got there. Their leader, Frostbite, was as powerful and capable as they came.

Other heroes sprung to mind. Haunt, Steeplejack, Yeoman, British Bulldog, Wandafar... what had happened to them?

This woman might know, but she also might be an enemy!

"I have no idea who that woman is of if she's on our side or Advents," Prof. Wynde tells Wonderman, "but we need some information to understand "When" we are and what's been happening. How about I send a wind gust her way to get her attention and see if she attacks us or approaches us? Or runs away? we got to do some kind of investigation and starting here seems best. What do you think?"

ooc: He'll use wind manipulation to cause a slight funnel of air to blow around her and then have it come back towards them. Hopefully, it is so different than the wind around her she will look their way.

The woman turned. The gust of air had been enough to get her notice and she looked up at the tattered uniform of Wonderman and that of Prof Wynde which hadn't suffered nearly so badly.

"⏃⊑ ⍙⊑⏃⏁ ⊑⏃⎐⟒ ⍙⟒ ⊑⟒⍀⟒?" she said.

"Do you...what did she say?" asked Wonderman

OOC Comp Languages 12 + 2d12+0 7,5+0 = 12 (24) vs
OV12 (Alien language) + 2d12+0 2,4+0 = 6 (18)
Ev12 +3 (15) vs RV12=3 RAPs success

Prof Wynde can understand the woman for around 30 seconds time...

"Ah what have we here?" she'd said.

She was tall - taller than Wonderman by several inches and he was a big guy. Slim but athletic and the body hugging suit clung to her curves.

Her skin was blue, her hair dark blue and her eyes were yellow, slitted like a cats. Stopping about ten feet away she stood with hands on hips. "And who might you be? Ragamuffins from the so called 'resistance'? Your attire is odd. Old, even..." she frowned.

Though there were no signs of weapons a short (6-8" long) rod hanging from her belt looked like some kind of collapsible baton.

"I don't know if she's friend or foe but striking a woman is not something I'm happy with." muttered Wonderman.

"I can understand her some," Prof Wynde says, "And I agree, not into hitting women even if they are super-powerful. Not sure yet if she is friend or foe. She did mention a "resistance" but doesn't seem a part of it. Let's see if she is willing to talk."

Prof Wynde summons up a small wind to take him and Wonderman over to the same roof as the women, landing at lest 15' away from her if possible.

"Hello," he says to her in her language, "we are lost. Mind telling us where and WHEN we are?"

The Alien woman was silent for a moment as she gazed up and down the strange pair.

"Humans." she stated. In English. "I have taught myself the language so forgive any slips. There are so many... were so many languages on this world that it represented how easy it was to conquer. Will be to conquer."

"We're not conquered! We're fighting!" said Wonderman. "Against... against you! Against your people! Why have you invaded? What is it you want?"

"We want... everything. Your resources, your gene pool, your... potential." she purred. "You see, humans represent an enigma in all of the Universe. Many are the species that are more intelligent, stronger, faster, more powerful, but none have the potential as your race does for nigh on infinite improvement. Take yourselves for example. My implants tell me you have ⎍⌰⏁⍀⏃ ⎎⏃⌇⏁..." she frowned, tipping her head to one side. "Ultra fast? Yes. Reflexes, Strength and durability almost beyond measure and the potential to do more. You leap, like an animal would, but could fly, like a ... ⌇⌿⏃☊⟒ ⎅⍀⏃☌⍜⋏." Another frown. "Space Dragon? I suppose. How? Why? The reasons are random, accidental. Even when planned things do not go 'as planned.' And you..." she turned to Prof Wynde.

"Your ability to control a source of power - not mental or physical, but somehow... spiritual... Well... that transcends our ability to control or understand. But we will."

She turned her back to the pair, hands behind her back. "We conquered this world but utterly devastated it in the process. Some of your 'superhumans' were too powerful even when exposed to our mightiest weapons. We had to rely on their weaknesses. You all seem to have them. For most it is the code. The morality. Where our weapons have little effect on you, they can be brought to bear on the people you represent and protect."

"So... what to do with you two? We can fight..." she smiled, fanged teeth reminding the heroes they were not dealing with an ordinary human. "Or you can come peacefully. We have managed to ... tap... into the time stream of this planet. A difficult process and not without its hazards. For every portal opened a thousand fail and incinerate those that pass through. Our resources are not infinite and the Elders grow weary. How about... you return to... wherever... " she waved a hand "And take a message with you for the people of the world in that time."

"Embrace Advent. Step into line, enjoy the peace, enhanced lifestyle and technology beyond your wildest dreams to advance into a new age. There will be a... cost. Loss of individuality. You will join our Empire, as my people once did and countless others did before. You see my people fought with all they had and they lost. The few survivors joined the Advent vision and now we are here to add Earth to our Empire. You will join us... or become extinct." she hissed with a grin.

Somewhere in the sprawling ruins there was an explosion, and sounds of ... laser fire?

"Some still resist. Fools." she hissed.

ooc: Go back to our time and send warnings or fight now. Got to think about this for a bit.

Prof Wynde looks over at Wonderman and nods towards the action. "Shall we investigate or leave back to our time with our tails between our legs?"

Admin wrote:The Alien woman was silent for a moment as she gazed up and down the strange pair.

"Humans." she stated. In English. "I have taught myself the language so forgive any slips. There are so many... were so many languages on this world that it represented how easy it was to conquer. Will be to conquer."

"We're not conquered! We're fighting!" said Wonderman. "Against... against you! Against your people! Why have you invaded? What is it you want?"

"We want... everything. Your resources, your gene pool, your... potential." she purred. "You see, humans represent an enigma in all of the Universe. Many are the species that are more intelligent, stronger, faster, more powerful, but none have the potential as your race does for nigh on infinite improvement. Take yourselves for example. My implants tell me you have ⎍⌰⏁⍀⏃ ⎎⏃⌇⏁..." she frowned, tipping her head to one side. "Ultra fast? Yes. Reflexes, Strength and durability almost beyond measure and the potential to do more. You leap, like an animal would, but could fly, like a ... ⌇⌿⏃☊⟒ ⎅⍀⏃☌⍜⋏." Another frown. "Space Dragon? I suppose. How? Why? The reasons are random, accidental. Even when planned things do not go 'as planned.' And you..." she turned to Prof Wynde.

"Your ability to control a source of power - not mental or physical, but somehow... spiritual... Well... that transcends our ability to control or understand. But we will."

She turned her back to the pair, hands behind her back. "We conquered this world but utterly devastated it in the process. Some of your 'superhumans' were too powerful even when exposed to our mightiest weapons. We had to rely on their weaknesses. You all seem to have them. For most it is the code. The morality. Where our weapons have little effect on you, they can be brought to bear on the people you represent and protect."

"So... what to do with you two? We can fight..." she smiled, fanged teeth reminding the heroes they were not dealing with an ordinary human. "Or you can come peacefully. We have managed to ... tap... into the time stream of this planet. A difficult process and not without its hazards. For every portal opened a thousand fail and incinerate those that pass through. Our resources are not infinite and the Elders grow weary. How about... you return to... wherever... "  she waved a hand "And take a message with you for the people of the world in that time."

"Embrace Advent. Step into line, enjoy the peace, enhanced lifestyle and technology beyond your wildest dreams to advance into a new age. There will be a... cost. Loss of individuality. You will join our Empire, as my people once did and countless others did before. You see my people fought with all they had and they lost. The few survivors joined the Advent vision and now we are here to add Earth to our Empire. You will join us... or become extinct." she hissed with a grin.

Somewhere in the sprawling ruins there was an explosion, and sounds of ... laser fire?

"Some still resist. Fools." she hissed.

Wonderman scowled. "If there are people here resisting then can we abandon them? I mean, the world will still be at war when we get back won't it? This lot didn't start it but they are sure making it worse."

"If we throw a spoke in their wheels here maybe they'll have to start dragging their guys back from all over time to stop us." he whispered, hand covering his mouth as he stared at the tall alien woman. "I don't know... get some secrets of their technology, find some weapon to use against them..."

He looked around at the devastation of London.

"They tried to take this place through every mean and when that didn't work, scorched the Earth. I'm guessing that was kinda wasting all of their time and effort to get here from... wherever... so they concocted the time travel thing to alter the past and make it so they didn't have to go so 'scorched Earth'. The fact that this place IS torched and wrecked suggests they haven't been successful and we still have time to stop them. If this place were all... Alien looking and unrecognisable as London then we'd know whatever they did in the past worked and we'd have failed! That means we go back to stop their meddling in the past or ... stop it here. Nip it in the bud somehow. We're powerful but not enough to take on an entire civilisation but maybe we don't need to. Just make the Leader see sense..."

The Alien woman turned back, smiling cruelly. "Well? I shall arrange for you to return to your own time with... how to say... tail between legs and a message for your betters?" she grinned with pointed teeth in rows across her mouth.

"Nope," Prof Wynde said grinning confidently back at the alien woman. "We are going to go see what all the fuss is about. Tah!"

With that, he summons his mystical winds to carry him to the sound of battle knowing that Wonderman would get there on his own in his own time.

The Alien womans grin wiped from her face and she snarled. She was fast, faster than any striking Cobra but these two moved with the eased and assurance of being expert with their powers!

The man in the strange headgear had gestured and thrust his hand skywards and the wind swirled around, obscuring his passage until... he was gone and the dust was dying down and she had to look around in the air! There! Already distant she looked down at her sword, a futuristic copy of the ancient Samurai swords used in Japan but this was capable of cutting through just about anything!

Where was the other one...? He wouldn't fly! He would... She gazed. A blur, the blonde haired man leapt and ran at such as speed as to be almost flying! Slower than the other fellow who controlled the winds but just as effective in ignoring the smashed terrain of London...

With a snarl she concentrated, gestured, summoned a power within her... and vanished!

=========

Prof Wynde floated in the ruins of a shattered office block. The windows were all gone, it was a smashed shell with rubble and trashed office furniture.

Wonderman leapt up to that level and sprinted over, skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust which Prof Wynde damped down with a wave of his hand.

"I think you chose right Prof. For some reason... whenever this is... I think if we stop ADVENT here they fail everywhere else! Somehow it just... feels right. Everywhere else all we're doing is putting out fires, whackin' moles. HERE is where they all come from. They came here to conquer and when we fought back they trashed the planet. So much for their fancy intellect! They conquered ruins! So they instead send their agents back in time to eliminate certain people, change history, go at it from another angle. They can see what works and what doesn't by monitoring this timeline. I guess there are some places where they've been successful, where ADVENT won or whoever allied with them did. Some countries will have been lured in by the false promise of whatever ADVENT were selling them."

The pair looked about from the ruins.

"I guess London and Britain as a whole weren't interested in buying the **** that ADVENT shovelled." he muttered.

They heard sounds of laser fire and combat and ducked down.

The building started to shake, fragments of concrete and dust falling around them...

Tiny figures, clad in armour of some kind, came into view several hundred metres away. Some turned and fired weapons, others dragged limp people in armour along with them. One man without a helmet turned his bearded face and started shouting, waving. He turned and scooped up a car sized chunk of concrete and hefted it like it was made of polystyrene! It vanished from view down the street and the shuddering paused for a moment.

Then there was a bright flash and a ROAR! of energy fire that had even the strongman in armour running for cover as an explosion in the street created another crater! The smoke cleared and the dazed armoured humanoids stumbled to their feet as the ground shook again, and again, and again...



The robot - or mech - stood more than sixty feet high and must have weighed over 100 tons easily! Huge weapons mounted on the chest and arms spat laser death where they tracked armoured runners. They were dots against this thing and another roar in the air suggested something else was coming too!

"How is your magic against robots?" shouted Wonderman over the howl of the wind as something flew overhead!

The building shook as a huge craft - even bigger than the mech - rumbled over the ruins! Where it blasted rock was vaporised and anyone even near the blast was flung into the air like a rag doll!



It passed over the building where Prof Wynde and Wonderman stood in cover on one of the windowless floors and hovered, raining death into the shattered street below!

"Right! You take on the giant robot, maybe it is what's called a "mech" which means there is one or more people inside it running it, instead of an actual robot. Suggest you take out the knees to limit its mobility," Prof. Wynde says, trying to figure out priorities. "I'll try taking out the pilot flying that Buck Rogers spaceship so it will crash. My magic blasts don't affect things that don't have actual minds or souls, but my wind blasts do."

"Then ... well, we will see how our opening shots go and then figure it out from there. Good Luck!"

With that Prof Wynde takes to the air. He is going to look for a way to get closer to that ship and think of how to take it down or board it and take it down from the inside. Really depends on how big that thing is and how many people might be on board. He's not sure if his wind blast can knock that thing out the air if he blasts the whole thing, so he is going to try to get to one of the propulsion rockets and try blasting wind up into it, maybe that will cause the engine to explode. Of course, he has to fly in a way that keeps him out of the ray guns blasting away at everything too and dispersing his body such as he can as he can't yet take the form of a wind being and magic shield up, just in case.

Wonderman raised his eyebrows, exhaled then nodded. "Good luck!" he declared and leapt off into the ruins.

By now his costume was muddy brown and where he would have stood out like a sore thumb before now the patched up rags were better at blending into the browns and greys of Londons ruins.

Prof Wynde commanded the air to give him flight. The ship was enormous (about the size of a football field long and wide) and the ruins shook with its low flight. Loose rocks and rubble shook free and glass already shattered broke up whilst dust thrown up created blinding clouds.

The lasers blasted indiscriminately at the ruins. Even if they weren't aimed at anyone specifically it prevented the tiny figures below from escaping. To go out in the open would be suicide!

Prof Wynde saw various vents on the huge craft which pumped heat out. Might there be some way inside through those? Only problem was they'd be hot indeed! He could try his wind power directly against the ship but something this big would have very powerful engines to even get it off the floor. Could he match or exceed them?

Meanwhile Wonderman was a blur as he moved from place to place in the rubble. Blasts rang out around him and the Mech swivelled to target fire on him... machine guns rang out - the heavy weapons on the Mech were suited to slower larger targets.

Despite packing a punch the railguns didn't much trouble Wonderman - a blast from a mighty battleship in World War II would struggle to make a dent on the heroes near impervious skin!

He sped around the back of the mech and it turned to track him. Whilst it did that, he waved to the people taking cover. They didn't need telling twice and filed out to run across the street to another position.

"Great!" exclaimed Wonderman "I got its attention. NOW what?" he said as the giant mech bore down on him!

His friend had suggested the knees...

"Let's see if I can get close enough!" he said, speeding around and over smashed rubble, low walls and trashed rusty cars...

Prof Wynde is going to try the reverse of what a jet engine does, instead of air coming in one way and the out the other to propel the craft, he's going to try to blast air into the "outtake" and see if that does anything. Give it a shot and if it doesn't work, then go with Plan B, board through some hatchway and fight inside.

ooc: BTW, they both have instachange so can always go back to Civilian ID and then back to Hero ID with a brand new pristine costume. Ain't Magic Grand!

OOC Don't think Wonderman has insta change ... In the only comic he appeared in did he peel off his shirt to reveal the costume underneath or use his ring to change? Will have to check and spend some HP if so.

Air Control 11 + 4D Accuracy + 6d12+0 5,2,3,7,9,7+0 = 14 DOUBLE plus 2d12+0 9,8+0 = 31 (42) vs
OV13 (speed of the engines to keep this thing up) + range 3 - Telescopic Vision 3 + 2d12+0 2,7+0 = 9 (22)
+6 (to 17EV) vs RV13=4 RAPs

Prof Wynde causes his hurricane strength winds to blow the turbo jets in the opposite direction...

Whilst he wasn't powerful enough to stall them completely even the act of slowing one side significantly and instantly had the huge craft listing badly to one side and veering into a blasted out building! With a CRASH! it took out several floors and the building started to come down!

His gleeful grin turned to panic as Prof Wynde suddenly had to zip out of the way as tons of falling steel and concrete rained down!

The ship was pounded and vanished under a cloud of rubble and dust spilling out and filling the area!

Wonderman was suddenly obscured and the hero used that to duck out of the way, grab up a chunk of concrete and leap at the mech which whirled about seeking him. Jamming the concrete into the joint of the mechs knee he leapt away.

The robotic enemy shuddered, shook, concrete shattered but not enough to cause smoke to pour from the knee! Wonderman had to run as the machine toppled forward and threatened to bury him!

He sprinted away and saw the vague form of Prof Wynde in the air over the ruined streets. Leaping up he cleared the dust cloud and landed on a roof of what was once a multi storey car park, now ruined and sagging in places.

"Wow Prof! You really made a mess there! That cloud is sure to bring the bad guys down on this place though, we better scat! Do we take cover or try and find whoever they were after?" asked the time misplaced hero...

"Let's look for whoever was fighting. We can get a better idea of what's going on from then," Prof Wynde decides. "Maybe switch out to our civilian IDs once we find them. Less likely to stand out if we do if they take us into hiding with them."

Wonderman peeled off his all concealing domino mask to become Fred Carson.

"They'll never recognise me now." he quipped.

The pair speed through the ruins leaving the cloud of billowing dust behind. Searching about, they find the targets of the alien machines are as adept at hiding as they are fighting the things, despite being hopelessly outgunned.

"Where did they go?" asked Wonderman, looking about. "We need to keep moving. Those machines will be..."

"...be back soon." said a voice. The heroes spun, seeing a fellow in khaki fatigues and a modified helmet that served as a mask. It was bearing a few battle scars and had been beaten back into shape somewhat.



"We've been tricked before. Infiltration spies, shape changers, you name it. Mind control..." he tapped the side of his helmet. "I don't wear this because I have a heightened fashion sense." he said then flicked a hand at Wonderman and Prof Wynde. "Speaking of which I'm sure I can rustle up some paint to put a bigger target on your backside if you want."

He looked up at the sky then stepped back into the shadows of a ruined building...

The roar of something in the air was getting closer!

"Mind if we join you," Prof Wynde says as he follows the man into the shadows. As he does so, he uses his magic to change back into his ordinary everyday working clothes, becoming Oliver Smith. Mind you, his everyday clothes happen to be a very expensive 3-piece suit from the finest of tailors, custom fitted for him, as being a PA for a millionaire art dealer has its own uniform.

"He's Wonderman and I'm Prof. Wynde. Just until a bit ago, we were in 1940 fighting Nazis and the Advent. They were sending ships through some time portal to help the Nazis at Dunkirk. After we destroyed the ships, we leaped through the portal to see where they were coming from and if we could stop them sending more. And here we are."

He looks around.

"England, I'm guessing but what year?"

The newcomer gaped for a moment then shook his head. "I shouldn't but I do believe you."

"No one sane dresses the way you do. First the garish get up then a Saville Row suit? Mind you... Saville Row is a ruin now like the rest of London." said the man in the mask.

Up close, the lines on his face were marked by dirt and suggested he was a man nearer fifty years of age, the grizzled white frosting on the chin suggesting razors were a luxury few could use.

"Back in the day I used to be a superhero called Yeoman. That was before ADVENT backed up a guy called Frostbyte and Saladin. Frostbyte... looked the same, he was the same as a man I knew and respected. FrostBITE, different spelling, different human being." he sighed. Taking off his helmet he revealed more grey than black hair and a scar down one side of his face. "Saladin gave me this. As for what year it is, I don't know. The UKChampions fought on but it was the Vanguard who led the fight. Frostbite and his sidekick, a kid called Bug Boy or sommat like that."

"Kid was... off the chart. I mean, up there. Silver Sentinel, Adjutant, this kid could run with them. Saladin was faster though. They wanted the kid to tap into his power. Unlimited some said, cosmic energy, magic, no one knew. All I knew was that when Frostbite and the Vanguard were fighting the good fight we had a chance."

"Then they vanished. Gone. No trace. UKChampions talked a good talk but without Adjutant - he'd been injured on a deep space mission and never seemed to fully recover - they were fighting amongst themselves and divided. A set of losers called Eurotrash helped Saladin and Frostbyte take down the Champions one by one by one."

"That was a few years ago. We've been fighting ever since. Losing mostly. Manchester was nuked. That killed off most of the fight and the resistance. Then we hit back. ADVENT was rebuilding cities, given it big about how the supers we trusted had gone wrong and nuked those who we'd said we were protecting... all lies... Saladin got involved. ADVENT put troops on the ground. Aliens and ... worse. Humans who'd gone over to their side, genetically altered to be superhuman but without independent free will."

"Don't know why I'm telling you to be honest. We're dead already. If you came from the past and your time is still fighting, go back there. Fight on, for all the good it will do. I'll fight till I'm dead but it's like trying to stop a river with a paper cup."

"You've given up already then?" asked Wonderman.

"Given up? Never. I am realistic about what can be achieved though. Ordinary people we rescue, get out. They live... somewhere else. A place in Wales you never heard of which is protected by real magic houses some of those we got out. It's a village frozen in time run by one of the resistance leaders, a guy called St Johns. There's a few other places. A group called the Lore Knights reformed, they fight on. Guy called Wandafar reformed a new Vanguard but without Frostbite, the leader..." he shook his head.

"Mate o mine called the Haunt was useful in a scrap. Vanished. All the good ones, gone. The few of us that are left that can pack a punch aren't enough but we fight on. We have no choice. If we give up they go after those we helped escape."

He looked up. "Time to move. You can come with me or go, doesn't matter. If you came from the past, you need to get back somehow. Try to stop this disaster before it happens."

OOC The guy puts his helmet back on and turns to leave...

"Right now, we would need Advent to send us back or dive through any time portals they create and hope it gets us to where we want to go," Prof. Wynde says as he follows Yoeman. "So we are with you until a time portal becomes available. Though we did have one of their female agents offer to freely send us back to "our" time before we dashed off to help you with the giant robot and ship. Doubt that offer still stands.

Yeoman turned back. "I think their 'agents' shouldn't be trusted. They are assassins and elite special forces! Obviously she didn't think you much of a threat or... "

He looked about "She's following you somehow!"

He looked about.

"I don't suppose there's anything you two can do to see invisible people is there? It's too 'convenient' that..." he looked at Prof Wynde and Wonderman, read their faces. "Nah. I got good instincts, they served me well over the years. I know good guys n gals when I see 'em. I 'ope."

"One thing for it. Gotta lead em on a merry chase and find some way to tell if we're being followed!"

He sprinted through the ruins of the building, all dust and smashed furniture mixed with concrete rubble. Through the windowless aperture at the other side then... he took to the air!

"Apologies if you can't fly, but if we're bein' followed we really need ta ditch 'em... or you're on your own guys!" he called over his shoulder as he was level with the top of a ten storey building in moments!

"I don't know if i can jump that high!" said Wonderman. "Is there anything you can do to find an invisible person Prof? I don't know about you but I'm tired of running from bad guys!"

"I can find them only if their powers are magical in nature," Prof Wynde replies, a bit ... winded ... from running. "So let's see if they are." He quickly uses his magic sense to see if any magic is in range of them.

The only one in the immediate vicinity detecting as magic seemed to be Wonderman, because his powers - granted by a mysterious yogi in Tibet - were as a result of magical forces!

There was something else though, at the edge of his range. Though he was in the centre of London much of it had been flattened or blasted and was unrecognisable aside from the shattered remnants of a few landmarks...

Still, it was there - a potent magical force right at the edge of his abilities. He'd measured them much as he'd practised and figured out what else he could do and found the range to be at or just over a mile. Someone was showing as either being magical, possessing magical abilities or perhaps there was a magical item...

Without any means detect the Alien agent who was apparently tracking them, it meant they couldn't link up with Yeomans resistance cell. They'd have to split up and hope Yeoman wasn't followed. He kicked up the dust in frustration. London was covered in it. Whatever they'd used to overcome the armed forces and the potent superhuman army that Britain could call on had really done a number on this place...