The Vanguard! Issue #5 - Portal to the past!

The Vanguard - Stormwarden and Lionheart (With Shadow Vulture)

Lionheart looked at Muller, he believe the man, but worst still he didn't like the idea that the creature before him had gotten its power by means of something new, did this mean the Lunarium would be useless. Only one way to find out. Lionheart speed forward, taking the Lunarium powder he rushed up to the creature, took a flying leap and blew it into his face. "Hey ugly, with a face like that this little beauty powder won't make much of a difference, but hey can you blame me for trying. Call me a good Samaritan - but I just hate to see you suffer any longer the burden of bearing such an ugly mug!"

Though no one could see him, his bravado covered Lionheart's weariness and despair.

With his incredible speed and reflexes, Lionheart was in front of the creature - for it little resembled a man - and delivering his quip... along with a face full of Lunarium dust!

The creature known as Devastator coughed and spluttered, waving a huge hand in front of his face as Lionheart landed in a crouch, rose and spun away, to stand by Stormwarden and Shadow Vulture.

The trio waited and watched - Shadow Vulture several metres away from Stormwarden so as not to cancel his powers. Suddenly Devastator laughed... and started to grow! Muscles bulged and strained against the cracked green glowing hide, and Devastator growled with pleasure as pain racked his body. His eyes became more feral, and when he opened his mouth to speak, all that came out was a gutteral animal cry of rage!

Shadow Vulture turned to Lionheart "So much for plan A. You don't have any idea who the scientists are that come up with these things. Geniuses, all, they will have devised some plan to counteract the Lunarium that drains my powers, and most of those like me!" Still, the Nazi was uncowed as the creature stood twelve feet high now, a quivering mass of muscle and unbridled fury! Slamming a fist into the wall next to it, the thing shook the building with its might and punched a six foot hole in the solid concrete!

Stormwarden knew he would have to push his aching body to its very limits again, but noticed something about what Lionheart had done. The creature appeared to have increased in size and power... and reduced in intelligence perhaps? Was that something they could use?

It started to come at them - first he and the others would have to survive to use any theory he might have!

OOC Annnd... initiative... Don't think we've ever started an issue with a fight, so without further ado... 1d10=8 Heroes, 1d10=2 Devastator 3 Frames then the creatures 5 frames. Yes, it's one of those 'too big for one hero' things. And trust me, whatever limits the Nazis had on their metahumans before have been looked at, perused, and tossed out the window... be careful!



OOC Red dot is the bad guy, blue ones are you three (stand where you like in those positions). Across the road (light grey thing going round the green thing... ) you can see the prison walls, and the round grey circles are the gun emplacement towers. You are too far away for them to interact with you, and the shadows in the alley are too dark for them to make out details with binoculars aside from the not so jolly green glowing giant... Clearly, 'functional' is too descriptive a word for my maps, but hey, whatcha gonna do

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

The Vanguardians left the ruins of Buckingham palace and ducked back down behind a ruined wall. A helicopter gunship hovered nearby, searchlight scanning the ruins and doubtless, guns were trained too. Frostbite looked at Putty. How did the Nazis know they were there? A glance across the grounds of the ruined palace had shown Peterson had managed to sneak away. The adept knight of the realm glanced back, gave a quick hand salute, and disappeared from view in bushes.

There were guards crawling all over this place. Elsewhere, sirens wailed, and martial law was being ruthlessly put into place. Boots rang in echo as streets emptied and soldiers jogged in squads, alert for superhuman rebels the likes of which the Nazis had never faced before!

<<The transmissions are difficult to monitor, but it appears the Nazis have managed to narrow down your general location to this area by means unknown. Suggestion - find out how they are doing it and stop their scrying, otherwise your every move will be monitored.>>

Frostbite groaned. Nice suggestion but there wasn't time for anything save to get to the prison! He looked on his internal radar. The direction and distance showed north by north east, a distance of approximately 8 miles by the way the crow flew. Over enemy territory with the sky patrolled by Helicopters, hovering gunships and metahumans!

Putty, meanwhile, had other things on his mind. His spirits had been low since the realisation he had inadvertently released the devastating power within him. Such destructive capability and accessed with a mere thought! The knowledge pressed heavily on him, but the thrum of a helicopter overhead snapped him out of it. With the Holy Grail in their possession, they carried the most important item in mankinds history, on their way to the most important mission! Failure would condemn every man woman and child across Europe to a life of virtual slavery under the Nazis! Here, surely, was a chance to make amends!

OOC Who's carrying the grail, how do you propose to cross London and more immediately, get out of the grounds of the Palace with the place crawling with guards? The nearest group of guards are 100 yards away, but there are half a dozen groups of 10 soldiers in each, and two helicopters scouring the grounds. In addition overhead, around half a mile up or so, one of the gunships you encountered when you first came into this time period...



OOC too fast to outrun, it presents a considerable threat with its mini-gun strapped underneath...

PUTTY

ooc: Who has the Grail? I assume Frostbite as Putty wouldn't feel worthy of it.

"Um ... can you fly one of those," Putty asks Frostbite, pointing to the gunships and helicopters flying overhead. "Maybe we can sneak aboard one and take it over if you can."

Lionheart (With Shadow Vulture)

...whatcha gonna do [/i]

Lionheart quipped, "Hey pig face, I can't see your features for that ugly glow you give off! Oh sorry that is your features." Hoping to draw the Devastator to himself, Lionheart was ready for action, but held off so the others might go first.

OOC: Ok I am going to hold off on attacking, so the others can get an attack in and I will follow it up with a mind blast. If he comes for me I will elect to dodge. For the mind blast - Oh boy got a critical miss - don't know if it counts with ego checks: 1d20+18=19. I'll let you sort out what happens next.

Sj

Frostbite

"Um ... can you fly one of those," Putty asks Frostbite, pointing to the gunships and helicopters flying overhead. "Maybe we can sneak aboard one and take it over if you can."

Frostbite looked across at Putty, it wasn't easy for him to look him in the eye as conflicting emotions jostled for position within him. But he knew that what had happened, as awful as it had been hadn't been his fault. Yet it didn't make it any easier.

"Putty I want you to take the grail. You can fold it within yourself and still move without chance of it being lost." Frostbite didn't feel he could give some long spiel to make his fried feel better, he had to hope that letting him carry the grail, would act as a gesture of trust and help to focus him on the task at hand.

"As regards the ship, we do this together. I think you're right, that ship will give us transport across London but only if we can get on it without triggering an alarm. I could fly us up there and frost up their electricals, allowing you to slip in and take out the cameras, before taking the crew. Then all we'd need to do is fly the thing, which my onboard computer might be able to help me do. A synch don't you think?"

Frostbite mused on the plan a bit more, he didn't like it at all, in truth he'd prefer to stay nearer the ground, after all when and if they got the ship, how could they deviate from their present location without giving the game away. Too many complications, to consider! "The alternative is we try and make our way on foot across London?"

Sj

PUTTY

Frostbite mused on the plan a bit more, he didn't like it at all, in truth he'd prefer to stay nearer the ground, after all when and if they got the ship, how could they deviate from their present location without giving the game away. Too many complications, to consider! "The alternative is we try and make our way on foot across London?"

"Normally, I would thinkg that would be the best way but they are tracking us somehow. If we get a ship, we could question the pilot and find out how."

Frostbite

"Normally, I would thinking that would be the best way but they are tracking us somehow. If we get a ship, we could question the pilot and find out how."

"So effectively we're damned either way. Right get yourself ready, we'll take the ship." Allowing Putty to flow around him, Frostbite shot up into the air seeking to come at the ship in a way that might avoid obvious or electrical detection. Before coming to rest toward the back of the ship. He allowed Putty to flow off of him, before he turned intangible and hoped to 'sneak' into the ship's read area unnoticed.

Sj

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

Putty became Frostbites' suit and changed himself to perfectly mimic the sky behind, so for anyone on the ground looking up.. .they'd see sky! of course, that wouldn't work from all angles, but as they pair flew up, the ground receding around them, it proved to be effective. A dog barked, and set several others off as their handlers cast their looks about, weapons at the ready. They didn't look where the dogs were looking though, and milled about in confusion.

=========

Onboard the Luftwaffe Interceptor SS76435, hovering over the remains of Buckingham Palace...

(OOC translated from German)

"Repeat, we are continuing the search. Ground crews indicate the dogs have a scent of something, but one of them states that a small pouch of aniseed has been spread about in one area of the gardens, distracting them. this is a big place!" said the co-pilot, sat behind the pilot. "We're coming about for another scan. Are you sure the witch seer corps are right on this one? I know about their accuracy percentage, but sometimes..."

"You have your orders! There are Class 3 superhumans in the area, and varied reports suggest they fluctuate in power level. 'Beyond Class 5' is the official line" came the reply from Command.

"Ha! What nonsense! See? They must have it wrong. Everyone knows that..."

"There!" said the pilot. His scanners zoomed in on a man in his fifties rushing away from the grounds of the Palace. "Scanning. Archive records say... none found! How can that be? Everyone is on record!"

"Control? This is 76435. We have an unregistered... normal... leaving the grounds of the palace. Pick him up or dispose of him?"

By the co-pilots feet, Frostbite poked the top of his head through the floor, looking about.

<<This vessel operates on a Can-Bus system. If you can physically touch the input sockets with a finger I may be able to use your electrical body impulses to override the control system. The pilots appear to have found the human designation James Peterson.>> said the computer in Frostbites' head.

Putty meanwhile flowed over the outside. The vents for the engine spewed out hot air, but Putty was no mere human, and flowed inside like water. Oozing through cracks and gaps no one save an insect might negotiate, he came to the vent system, too small for him to squelch through. A thought, and a screwdriver style extension jutted from his form. Suppressing the desire to whistle while he worked, the Vanguardian carefully removed the screws and placed the vent hatch to the side. By the co-pilots feet Frostbites head was intangible and half submerged with the back of it facing Putty.

OOC Any thoughts on how you want to disable the crew without crashing the ship? They are talking to command as well...

Frostbite

OOC Any thoughts on how you want to disable the crew without crashing the ship? They are talking to command as well...

Frostbite pulled his head out so he could communicate with Putty, in a whisper, so none but Putty could hear him, Frostbite said, "They're on to Peterson but in communication with control, we need to take these jokers quickly without raising an alarm? When I scare them, get in place to take them out. I need you to speak German to command whilst I take over the systems and try and take out any onboard surveillance."

Giving Putty time to get in, Frostbite loomed into the cockpit from below appearing to come right out of the control panel. "Boo!" He whispered as loudly as he dared, hoping to startle the men. Bringing his whole body through, he materialised and pushed a finger into the panel, allowing Putty to take out the pilots.

Sj

PUTTY

Putty reached out and grabbed the headsets off the pilot and co-pilot so that they couldn't communicate with the ground. And starting to feel like himself again, he quickly changed into a copy of Adolph Hitler, as he was in his last official photo.

"Heil Me," he yelled in German. He waited for the two men to spin around and then planned on punching them out.

ooc: Liked how you got Putty into the ship.

OOC I will update Stormwarden and Lionheart tomorrow with an auto-move for Stormy. Did you guys get the email I sent to all board members? Not sure if that worked or not...

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

The co-pilot almost jumped out of his seat when Frostbite appeared, ghostlike form rising from the dashboard! The Pilot, eyes wide in fear, was scrabbling for his belt buckle to stumble away after Frostbite said "Boo!" only to see Adolf Hitler appear in their midst! "Heil me!" wasn't quite what he was expecting. The pilot feinted. Made of sterner stuff, the co-pilot pulled a luger...

OOC 1d20+3+3+11=33 Hit, 2d6+18=22 Htc

Snaking a hand up behind the Co-pilot, Putty sent a huge fist slamming into the mans' face! The hand behind him caught the body as it slumped, then dumped it on the ground near the doorway. There was room for perhaps two more to stand in the gangway area and use the doorway to bail out of. The pilot started to come to, but a backhand sent him into a deep sleep. Plucking the microphone headsets from them, Putty, or Hilter as he resembled, tied and gagged both with a Nazi flag torn into strips. The whole thing had taken seconds.

Frostbite saw his friend, given action to distract from what had happened, was more like his usual self, though his current guise rather gave him the creeps! He solidified, then pressed a finger to an input socket. A small electrical spark jumped to his finger and he yelped! <<Stand still>> said the computer. With a sigh, Frostbite touched it again, and this time held the finger there. The lights dimmed in the craft, then lit up again. Both had been careful to stay out of view of the small onboard cameras, each facing the pilot and co-pilot for communication. Now there was a squawking voice down the line saying (in German) "..come in SS76435. I repeat, we need the fugitive alive."

The lights flickered again, then the computer stated (in Frostbites head) <<The fly by wire system is easy enough to control, but I am not an expert pilot. Your friend, designation Lionheart, might be better suited.>>

Frostbite glanced at Putty. They had a ship!

OOC see the OOC area on the site for my movements this week. 12 hours between long shifts means my posts will be all over the place with regards time...

Frostbite

Now there was a squawking voice down the line saying (in German) "..come in SS76435. I repeat, we need the fugitive alive."

Frostbite glanced at Putty. They had a ship! Indicating the communication thing and then pointing to his face, Frostbite mimed Putty responding as one of the Pilots to assurge any problems. He hoped Putty would be able to be convincing enough.

Meanwhile turning back to the ship, Frostbite spoke with his internal computer. "Computer, can we set off some sort of fault, it need not be for real." Frostbite wanted to give the Nazi high command nothing suspicious to worry about, but a fault would give them a legitimate excuse to get out away. He then continued, "Secondly can we send a message to Stormwarden, Lionheart and Nowhere Man, on a private channel." Frostbite wanted to find out how his team mates fared and then to work out what their next move would be.

OOC see the OOC area on the site for my movements this week. 12 hours between long shifts means my posts will be all over the place with regards time...

See my reply in the same section, but do what you need to mate. I believe in looking after our GM ;-)

Sj

PUTTY


Putty took over the co-pilot's seat, leaving the pilot's seat to Frostbite.

"This is SS76435," he replied in German and forgetting he still looks like Hitler, doing his best to sound like one of the two men he knocked out based on the very few syllables they had uttered.

ooc: Remind me when I finally get some DUPs to spend them on skills. Mainly:

{weird, the lower half of my message never got through. Oh well, to continue it.}

Mainly: Disguise, Locksmith, Acting, Escapeology, voice mimicry, and ventriloquism.

Stealth, Hide in Shadows and Speed would be nice too.


"We are in pursuit of suspect," he continues after a moment.

"Suspect is running."

"Su ... Donnerwetter!!!!!!!!! NO! It can't be!"

"Do you see that," he says a bit off mike like he is talking to the man riding next to him.

"Suspect was ... eaten by a dragon!! I don't believe it! Must be a mirage! An illusion! There is no such thing as a Dragon!"

After a bit, back on the mike.

"We are now persuing the ... er ... dragon. Suggest others keep search pattern while we pursue, in case it is a ... mirage."

Putty hoped that no one else saw Peterson which would blow his pretend dragon story to smithereens. And maybe gave the man another chance to get away. It might also allow them to move out of the search area without being followed. He just hoped he didn't lay it on too thick and blew everything. Making him a failure ... again.

ooc: Putty is obviously having some serious mood swings here.

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

<<I have deactivated visual communications and sent the fault out that the vessel is overheating and needs repairs immediately. I have also advised that the crew will attempt to make running repairs so may be out of contact whilst doing so. As for a communication to your team mates... please activate your personal communicator. It will have gone into standby mode. If you place one hand on the interface socket to the left near your knee, and hold the communicator with your other hand, I may be able to set up a link, though the protocols are different.>>

Meanwhile Putty was doing his best to frighten the life out of the Nazi command centre. "Say again? A dragon?" there seemed to be some discussion. "We detect nothing of the kind in the area and contact with other units has no mention of such a creature. We are advised by the Witch Corps that there are several Class five or greater metahumans active in the London area, including at your present location. Advise extreme caution. Also... we have been notified of your engine faults and the need to effect repairs. Land and proceed with the repairs...."

There was more talk away from the microphone.

Several Class fives or greater? Putty pondered. Could that mean both themselves and possibly Stormwarden and Nowhere Man? He knew little about his new team mates, but had seen the power he wielded when used casually and without thought to the consequences! He shuddered at the collective devastation they could wreak! Admittedly, he had been a passenger in his own body, with the entity inside him being in full control, but it would be a while before Putty felt he could call on the dark power and stay in control - if ever.

<<Communications open. That depends on their personal devices being able to decipher the frequencies I will transmit. However, a rudimentary scan of the device you use for communication reveals that both the software and hardware were designed by genius level intellects. Impressive, given the primitive resources they were using.>>

Frostbite wondered how Wandafar would react with the word 'primitive' used in the same sentence as one of his creations! Still, it seemed the communications *might* work. Or they might be intercepted by the Nazis!

In any case they only had a certain amount of time before they were expected to land and effect repairs. After that, the Nazi command would send someone to investigate their unusual behaviour.

OOC you've fooled them - for now. You have a jet, Peterson is clear and away, and White Hart Lane Prison is only minutes away in this thing.

Frostbite

OOC you've fooled them - for now. You have a jet, Peterson is clear and away, and White Hart Lane Prison is only minutes away in this thing.

Frostbite looked at Putty, despite the circumstance a broad grin on his face and winked at his compatriot. Then following his computers instructions he activated their communications again. "Stormwarden, Nowhere Man, Lionheart, this is Frostbite and Putty. I'm hoping this isn't being picked up. But we've completed our objective and have the artefact. We are in transport and on our way to the..." Frostbite hesitated. If their communication was being intercepted, he didn't want to alert the authorities any more to their scheme, so simple ended by saying "to the Spurs." Hoping that Stormwarden, if no one else would pick up the old English name for the team that once played there.

With that done turning to Putty he said lets get this thing into position if we can land it nearby we might be able to use it if we're not intercepted. "Computer, using this ships systems can we scan for the others and find a good place to tuck this ship away?"

Sj

PUTTY

"Let's use it to get closer to where we want before we set it down," Putty suggested. "Then we need to find out how they are tracking us. Can the computer tell us that or do we need to question these men?"

Frostbite

"Let's use it to get closer to where we want before we set it down," Putty suggested. "Then we need to find out how they are tracking us. Can the computer tell us that or do we need to question these men?"

Frostbite nodded as between him and the computer he tried to steer the ship toward the old football ground. "We need to question the men," He said in response to Putty's question, "my onboard computer is smart, little too smart sometimes, but nonetheless we need some raw facts. Why don't you wake one of them up and see if you can't encourage him to talk."

Sj

OOC just a quickie from me - been at work 13 odd hours, and got back about 10 mins ago (2.15) so my eyelids are half closed (4x red bull is keeping them open the rest of the way. Had I been any later I'd have been pouring the stuff in my eyes and ears to stay awake...) With regards Lionheart and Stormwarden, I'm gonna put that on hold till Kendal gets back, at least until Monday. I think it's only fair and right with the personal circumstances he's got at the minute, pretty sure you'd agree Dave (E). As for...

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

Frostbite looked at Putty, despite the circumstance a broad grin on his face and winked at his compatriot. Then following his computers instructions he activated their communications again. "Stormwarden, Nowhere Man, Lionheart, this is Frostbite and Putty. I'm hoping this isn't being picked up. But we've completed our objective and have the artefact. We are in transport and on our way to the..." Frostbite hesitated. If their communication was being intercepted, he didn't want to alert the authorities any more to their scheme, so simple ended by saying "to the Spurs." Hoping that Stormwarden, if no one else would pick up the old English name for the team that once played there.

Frostbite waited a moment. Then another. With a sigh he started to tuck the communications earpiece back in the small belt pouch when he heard a squawk from it! Who could it be?

"About time you lot showed up. I was wondering..." said Nowhere Man. "Good job. I've been via the ... gate... too. Seems we are three for three. I have a toy to play with as well. And I think, a friend has come along, at least to say hello, though his intentions after that... only he can say. Stand by. He's figuring out where you are, and we'll be with you soon."

With that done turning to Putty he said lets get this thing into position if we can land it nearby we might be able to use it if we're not intercepted. "Computer, using this ships systems can we scan for the others and find a good place to tuck this ship away?"

<<I have been constantly monitoring the ships communications network and picked out several useful pieces of information. An operative named Bloodhound has secured the recapture of a serum, designation unknown, and encountered what he says is a Class 5 rogue metahuman. Another, designation Devastator is engaging a Class 5 and a Class 3 metahuman in the vicinity of the prison. Across London Martial law has been put in place and the populace is being forcefully pacified if total compliance is not forthcoming. The Nazi Metahumans are massing to converge on the site of the battle with the Class 5 and the Class 3 metahuman, and will be there in minutes in some cases, longer for those who are further away. One can only guess at who is being referred to in these reports, but all of them seem to stem, at least in part, from a special operative branch of Nazi Metahumans that translates into English as being the 'Witch Corps'. Again, a guess, but this unit assumes they are able to detect metahumans, and that any metahuman not tagged as a Nazi will be considered a rogue. The whereabouts or operating procedures of the Witch Corps cannot be ascertained, but perhaps these pilots know.>>

Admin wrote:OOC just a quickie from me - been at work 13 odd hours

Man alive Paul, how do you do it? After all those RB's can you even get to sleep afterwards?

With regards Lionheart and Stormwarden, I'm gonna put that on hold till Kendal gets back

Totally agree, under the circumstances.


Frostbite

"About time you lot showed up. I was wondering..." said Nowhere Man. "Good job. I've been via the ... gate... too. Seems we are three for three. I have a toy to play with as well. And I think, a friend has come along, at least to say hello, though his intentions after that... only he can say. Stand by. He's figuring out where you are, and we'll be with you soon."

Despite himself, again Frostbite found himself grinning at the sound of his friend and mentor. [i]"Good to hear you old man, nothing can keep you down it seems!"

<<I have been constantly monitoring the ships communications network... The Nazi Metahumans are massing to converge on the site of the battle with the Class 5 and the Class 3 metahuman,

Frostbite nodded, "Right, take us to those two meta humans, if I'm not very much mistaken that might well be our guys. Not many level 5's around. But who on earth could be the other one?" Frostbite mused to himself, thinking it might well be Adjutant!

Then turning to Putty, he said, "Ask the pilot about the Witch Corps, it seems those are the operatives that the Nazi's are using to track us. A whole bunch are converging on two Meta's that sound like it could be our guys!"

This wasn't the time for subtlety Frostbite felt, there was little chance of them putting a gunship over his friends without drawing some attention, but speed clearly was of the utmost right now.

Sj

PUTTY


Putty gently slapped the pilot, trying to wake him up so he could be questioned.

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

With Frostbites mental command the ship lurched to the side, then starting moving forwards as if a drunken pilot were at the controls.

<<It appears the drive by wire system is rudimentary, at best. I cannot compensate for factors such as windspeed and obstacles, though the onboard radar should ensure the ship does not collide with too large an object.>> said the computer, matter of fact.

Frostbite winced as the ship veered dangerously close to a communications mast, then gouged a chunk out of a glass sided building as the computer overcompensated.

It was going to be a longer, more dangerous flight than first thought.

Putty woke one of the Nazi pilots, still (OOC I assume) wearing the guise of Adolf Hitler (though the pilot by now wasn't fooled). When threatened by one of Puttys oozing tendrils going up his nose, and having nowhere to go, the Pilot considered Puttys request for information.

"The Witch Corps is the gathering of the 'weirdos'. Those who have so called 'magic powers' or can read thoughts. They gather together to pool their powers and gather information. We call them the 'odd squad'. It is a thankless task. The death rate is so high they press gang the weirdos into serving on pain of death, little knowing that they will be pushed beyond their limits and die anyway! I heard the bodies are usually dragged out with their heads having exploded. What they do with them in there, I don't know. It is somewhere in Whitehall. That is all I will say, and it will avail you nothing!" he spat. "Now release me, you freak!"

Frostbite

Frostbite winced as the ship veered dangerously close to a communications mast, then gouged a chunk out of a glass sided building as the computer overcompensated.

"Sorry about that, this isn't easy, but we should be landing any minute now. Lay them out, we've got no time for troublemakers." Frostbite said with only a slight backward glance. He hated the thought of Putty hitting the man, but neither could be trusted. Frostbite added, "Best tie them up to."

Then he instructed the computer to take them down, preferably somewhere they could keep the gunship relatively hidden, or at least less obvious, should they need it again.

Sj

PUTTY

Putty didn't knock the man out, instead he used his strength and tore strips off each man's clothes and used those to tie and gag them. He then waited until the ship got down to less than 20m from the ground and kicked them out the door, using his hands to make sure that they landed gently ... well ... relatively gently ... scrapes and bruises as they hit the ground and rolled to a stop but no broken bones.

When they would manage to untie themselves and make their way through the devastated landscape was their business, as well as any dangers they faced while they did that.

The Vanguard - Frostbite and Putty

The ship lurched from one point to another, engines whining in protest as the computer inside Frostbites' head overcompensated with hamfisted applications of power and steering, sometimes at once.

When it banged into an office block, Frostbite considered taking control. The computer declared <<This unite appears to be increasing in piloting ability. Given time it might be quite proficient.>> Of course, it neglected to add that the ship would be a burning crashed fireball long before then.

The radio was blaring with flashing lights - clearly control was monitoring certain things aboard the ship. When it finally 'landed' in Finsbury park black smoke was pouring out of the engines and the bodywork was so smashed in it looked like it had been through a war zone. Twice.

Dazed, Putty and Frostbite staggered out of the burning wreck. There'd been no time to knock the pilots out - they'd feinted from fear after the last smash into a bridge. Flying upside down for a while had delivered bumps on their heads hard enough to ensure they wouldn't be a problem for hours. Standing aside from the wreckage of the ship the computer quipped <<Any landing you can walk away from...>> It seemed to be rather pleased with itself.

According to the onboard map inside Frostbites head the prison was but 3 miles away or so. Frostbite looked about. He was used to seeing London in his own time, and things didn't seem vastly different until he looked back at the city. Everything was grey or glass, but the air seemed to buzz with Nazi vehicles.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten to." said a rasping voice from above. The Vanguardians looked up.



The pair floated down from the sky. Adjutant eyed Putty up and raised an eyebrow. To Frostbite he said "We haven't met before, but I have the strangest feeling we will have done ... in another life. I will never truly understand my powers. They are my bane, and my curse." He landed, then looked at each of Frostbite and Putty in turn, as if analysing them. He narrowed his eyes when he looked at Putty, and looked about to speak...

The mightiest Nazi metahuman was standing only a couple of metres away from them. The Vanguardians knew the next few moments would be critical...