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

Frostbite

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

Frostbite steeled himself. He was no coward, but only a fool didn't take Adjutant seriously. He held out his right hand saying, "Its good to meet you again. Nowhere Man said he was bringing a friend. We fight for the same ends, often wondering, not unlike you, if our powers and the responsibilities we carry are a curse or a blessing.

We know what it is to have to make difficult decisions. Decisions that you know will haunt you for the rest of your life, should they be wrong. But our team mate, Stormwarden always believed that you, over all of us, would know the right thing to do. I hope he wasn't wrong!" Frostbite's hand remained outstretched in welcome as he waited for Earth's mightiest hero to make the next move.

Sj

The Vanguard - Putty and Frostbite

OOC Earths mightiest hero... hmmm. Top five, for sure. Europe? No. 1 probably. Note I don't count you guys in the rankings when I say that. Most of the time you are Class 3. Every now and again you bump up to Class 5 and rival Adjutant and the others. What Putty did in the magical realm? I haven't figured out the rankings past 5 yet, but it's sufficient to say that it would be 'comfortably beyond 5' and bear in mind that class 5 would be, in Marvel terms, Silver Surfer, Gladiator, Thor, Beta Ray Bill and so on, in terms of comparison. Anyway, I digress...

Adjutant glanced again at Putty. "My penetra vision shows you are holding something inside you. It looks like a cup. Is that...?"

Nowhere Man rasped "A means to set history straight. Not a weapon."

Adjutant paused, then looked to Frostbite. His grip was firm, but not uncomfortable. "I feel as if we should be enemies, and know in my heart that the right thing to do is help you and your friend here..." he flicked his head at Nowhere Man "Even though the authorities will view me as a traitor. Know that if you fail, I'll either be hunted down myself or I'll have to hunt you down."

He pulled his hand back gently, then offered it to Putty. "P'utinarian, though like none I've ever met. I'm sorry for what happened to your people. The Nazis... they have an ideal of what their citizens should be like, and everyone else is to be... exterminated. It's a vile thing, and knowing that makes it easier for me to betray them, and everything I've known."

Once pleasantries were done, Adjutant looked up, to the sky. "They're coming." he said simply. "All of them, from across the British Isles." He looked about. "I can see you, with my eyes, and I see metahumans of reasonable power. Then I stare at you and shift my vision powers, and I see you. Whatever that is, inside, around, living in and off you, makes my spine shiver. No wonder you set the Witch Corps off and screaming. It must be hell for them to have you three stood in one place and..." he glanced in the direction of the Prison "Another one nearby."

He frowned.

"No, there's yet another. Underground. How many of there are you?" he asked, clearly disturbed. "I feel like I'm stood in the middle of a minefield, waiting for one to go off." Shaking his head, he turns to Nowhere Man. "No promises. I'll do what I can, but there is a superhuman army coming down on you. You can't hide, not for long. They will find you. But first... this other one. Want me to go find..."

He stared, seemingly at the floor, gaze vacant. Nowhere Man waited a moment, then coughed "We haven't got all day."

Adjutant scowled, then looked up. "Her. A young woman, maybe twenty or so. She's fighting Bloodhound. He's a killer, through and through. She's one of yours though. Want me to go help her, or one of you go?"

PUTTY


Putty stood silent, waiting for the others to make the decisions. He knew he was soon to die and didn't want to do anything that could ruin saving the universe. He knew of no woman but maybe the others knew of her.

Frostbite

"No, there's yet another...Want me to go find..."

Turning to Nowhere Man, Frostbite spoke again. "I should be the one to go, Putty has the grail, it sounds as if Stormwarden and Lionheart could do with some back up. If this girl is one of us, its better I go and make the formal introductions. Meeting you..." Frostbite said look at Adjutant, "would flip her out completely. I think we need to get the White Warlock out as quickly as we can, this isn't going to be easy." Again turning to Adjutant and holding his gaze Frostbite continued, "If Nazi high command get an inkling of what we are up to, they will throw everything at us. That Atom bomb on the moon will be nothing to them."

He let the words sink in, for they all new that what had happening to this time line had occurred because someone somewhere might know how this time line had been created. That someone would therefore stop at nothing to stop us stopping them.

"Good luck!" Frostbite said to Nowhere Man and Putty, fully aware that the stakes were getting higher all the time. Then turning to Adjutant, Frostbite looked as if to say more, but simple indicated for Adjutant to lead the way.

Sj

The Vanguard - Nowhere Man, Frostbite, Putty
Guest starring... Adjutant!

Nowhere Man nodded, clapped Frostbite on the shoulder. "Get back to the prison as soon as you can. I had no idea there's be another one of us in this timeline. There was a woman in the high security jail that SMITE ran back in our own timeline, but we never had time to free her. I assume in this time she's just a normal person." He paused, chin in hand, eyes narrowing. "Unless this girl IS her. I've been travelling between alternate times for so long now you'd have thought I'd gotten my head around it, but I don't suppose I ever will. One constant, ok, near constant, I've noticed is him. Albert Watkins, as we know him. Adjutant."

Adjutant turned at the mention of his codename, but in this time he was ... His thought paused. In this time he was Adjutant. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had anything like a normal life, and that was saying something for a man with total memory recall...

Nowhere Man turned to Putty "I don't know what it is that happened when you got the grail, but I felt it, and so did the others I'd guess. Put it behind you. Whatever it is you think you've done, for good or bad, you will have to live with. I live in the sure knowledge every day that the Darkening Shadows learnt of our reality through my meddling. I've done my fair share of crying and whining about it, and in the end had to make a choice. Get busy living, or get busy dying. Know this. You are a native to this reality. You are, in fact, one of the best weapons the Vanguard has, because you can call on the Dark power, whereas me, Frostbite, Stormwarden and Darkshadow can't."

At Frostbites glance at the mention of their lost comrade, Nowhere Man looked back. "He's not dead. We'd know it. Like or not, we're linked. Our bodies may die but our spirits are linked to the dark power inside. I have a well tested theory that even if we die, the dark power will try to preserve our identity and experiences and find a new host. Just look at my crazy life for proof. The best match for a host, and the easiest to adapt to, is an alternate form of ourselves. I believe, though, should that not be available, another host might be found, but the transition might not be smooth, or even work completely. I'm telling all of you this now in case one of us falls, or is lost in the time stream. Go get our stray and take her to the grounds near the prison Joe. We'll see you there hopefully." With a nod to his friend he turned to Putty "Remember what I said. The Dark Power is in you, and we may need to call on it. Adjutant, I'm sure, will do what he can, but he's one man. And from the sounds of it..."

"We're soon to be facing an army."

=========

Frostbite followed Adjutants direction to the tube station where the newcomer was said to be. The Nazis' range of powers was staggering, and Frostbite had to wonder if he was somehow linked to the Vanguard, or the servant of some higher power. Even in this timeline, when he was working for an insidious evil such as the 3rd Reich, it was clear the mans' nobility and sense of doing what was right shone through, even in the face of betraying all he'd ever known. Stormwarden must have done a helluva job convincing him to abandon all he believed in.

Sinking into the floor, emerging into the dark tunnels beyond, Frostbite heard from his computer <<According to the directions given by Adjutant, the metahumans should be up ahead. Behind you...>>

Frostbite started as the blare of a train horn sounded out, then lights, and the thundering of carriages as they passed through his intangible form. Passengers would later state that they'd seen something...

Or perhaps they wouldn't. As Frostbite watched the train slow to the platform, its red lights receding a few hundred yards into the darkness up ahead, he considered that if they changed history then everything they'd done, everything that happened from the mid 1940s on, would be rewritten and influenced by the Vanguard, but only if they were successful. Shaking off thoughts of time changing and paradoxes, he sped down the tunnel towards the open platform area...

OOC Frostbite switch to Kittens thread if you will please

=========

Adjutant sped across the sky, a large plate of invisible energy tethered behind him with Nowhere Man and Putty riding on.

"I didn't even know I could do that." muttered Adjutant.

"Stick around. There's probably more I can tell you about yourself." said Nowhere Man, an edge of humour creeping into his voice. He turned to Putty. "Guard the cup with your life, pal. You are the key to all of this working." He revealed a dagger tucked into his belt. It appeared rusted and tarnished. "Don't let the appearance fool you. This is Excalibur. With a thought it transforms into a rusted dagger no one would look twice at. Certainly helps with lugging it abboooooo...."

The energy plate disappeared from under Putty and Nowhere Man! Had Adjutant betrayed them? As the Vanguardians tumbled towards the ground, hundreds of metres below, they saw Adjutant suddenly speed up, clutching his head all the while, and scream!

He slammed into, through, and out the other side of a concrete building, and crashed hundreds of yards away in a heartbeat, like a bomb had gone off.

The Vanguardians were falling, and Nowhere Man shouted "The Psionic inhibitor! I should have asked Wandafar for something to counteract it! Damn! Never thought they'd distrust him here too!" he tumbled in the air, then turned intangible, with a grunt. He swiped at Putty as he started to float, and the Vanguardian simply slipped straight through his fingers "PUTTY!" yelled Nowhere Man.

Putty tumbled end over end in the air.

He was falling, and even with his spectacular powers, a fall from this height would hurt - a lot!

OOC You've about a round before hitting the floor Putty...

PUTTY

Putty tumbled end over end in the air.

He was falling, and even with his spectacular powers, a fall from this height would hurt - a lot!

OOC You've about a round before hitting the floor Putty....

Putty did the second thing he thought about, instead of shaping himself into a ball and hoping to bounce like he did the first time he was falling, instead, he spread himself as wide and as far as he could, trying to float down as best he could.

The Vanguard - Nowhere Man, Putty
Guest starring... Adjutant!

Putty changed into a sail of sorts, spreading out and wide as far as he could. Instantly the wind took hold and and he tumbled, flapping, across the sky and near a building. Contact!

Part of him stuck to the side of a building and the rest whipped around, dragging... and ripping the brick away, stuck as it was to his body! Still he had enough momentum now to change into a vaguely humanoid shape, stretch to make himself long and spring off a wall then once more become the large manta like shape required to glide. He was gliding, but with little guidance or control, having never done it before.

He came to a crash and a roll on the flat roof of a lower building rather than the ground level, and reformed himself into his familiar humanoid form. Aside from a few scuffs, his durable form looked none the worse for wear.

Nowhere Man ghosted down near him, the buildings visible behind through his intangible and near invisible form. "You alright?" he rasped. Without waiting for an answer he looked to the clouds of dust rising from where Adjutant had crashed down. "Back in my own time the government came up with a contingency plan to stop Adjutant if he ever went rogue. A friend of mine, known as Wandafar from his time in the Executive, helped me build a Psionic jammer from plans I stole from the government. Its purpose was, specifically, to stop Adjutant and nobody else. In my own time I gave it to him as a show of good faith. In this time it looks like they perfected the design and rather than ask what Adjutant was up to, used it and will ask the questions later. We have a choice. A hard one."

He looked Putty in the eye, blank eye glass against gleaming 'hole'. "Do we help Adjutant or help our friends at the Prison. Lionheart and Stormwarden could be in real trouble..."

OOC Nowhere Man isn't up to full power - he knows Putty is the only one (aside from Kitten who he hasn't met) able to call on the dark power in this reality without disappearing into the time stream. Therefore its Puttys call...

Stormwarden

.
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

"Oh, flip!" Stormwarden swore as he saw the impact on their new foe. "Sod it!" he psyched himself up for what seemed to be a pure slug fest. This could be bad, all right and he only had one fall back option he could think of. "Come Thunder and Lightning" he muttered, reaching out to grab what power was remaining in the storm front, calling it here. He knew it wouldn't be instant - so for the moment he had to go in as he was.

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ooc: One frame to start summoning what effect he can. His intention is to do exactly the same as he did at the tower, but to do it whilst grappling with our new 'friend'.
Second frame (as I believe that it will take a little time for the necessary energy to build): Charge into attack with the hammer: 1d20+3=20

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RL is slowly beginning again. Not that I got much done at work - spent the morning sorting emails and working instructions and the afternoon in a full blown meeting about same. Repeat tomorrow for a 3 hour training session I have to give. Maybe I'll get some real work done by Friday - but maybe not! In the meantime, thanks for hanging on and ''Tally Ho!''

PUTTY

to, used it and will ask the questions later. We have a choice. A hard one."

He looked Putty in the eye, blank eye glass against gleaming 'hole'. "Do we help Adjutant or help our friends at the Prison. Lionheart and Stormwarden could be in real trouble..."

Putty froze, indecision written plainly on his face. The wrong decision could destroy any hopes of saving the planet.

Finally ...

"We help Adjutant," he said heavily. "We don't know for sure the others are in real trouble ... yet. We know Adjutant is and we can use his power to back us up if we can help him."

Limerickcot wrote:
RL is slowly beginning again. Not that I got much done at work - spent the morning sorting emails and working instructions and the afternoon in a full blown meeting about same. Repeat tomorrow for a 3 hour training session I have to give. Maybe I'll get some real work done by Friday - but maybe not! In the meantime, thanks for hanging on and ''Tally Ho!''

Great to have you back mate.

Sj

OOC I echo Daves' statement - great to see you back Kendall. I'm going to do my best with replies this week but, like last week, seem to be running out of hours in the day with even longer shifts than the last lot. 12 hours day, got a real drenching and snapped at the Mrs over nothing. Something else to apologise for in the morning. doh.

The Vanguard - Lionheart and Stormwarden (with Shadow Vulture)

Power built in Lionhearts energy blast, psionic power crackling all around him until...CRZZZZZ!!!!! He coughed, spluttered, and staggered, nose bleeding and spots appearing before his eyes.

OOC I assume it will have been a full power 5 dice blast, so 5 points (seeing as its a speciality) are gone. Lionheart himself takes 1d6=4htc from the backlash.

The creature, the glowing green cracked skin Nazi monster, laughed at its foes misfortune, gathering up its considerable might to slam down, hard, and destroy the little man with one huge fist!

OOC 2 frames for Weather control to activate, and it does so, clouds boiling instantly overhead in the clearing sky. It seems that regardless of what has gone on before, when Stormwarden calls, the weather comes running...

Stormwarden glanced at the sky overhead, his eyes milky white, then raised the hammer. Above, the clouds crackled with power as lightning zigzagged across their dark grey mass. He lunged with the hammer, smashing down with the Lunarium X hammer on his foe! The creature screamed out... and grew some more! It;s cracked skin seemed to split, revealing a luminous glowing green 'lava' underneath that spilled out, instantly hardening. And from twelve feet, the creature suddenly grew another 3 feet...

Shadow Vulture, the turncoat Nazi, pulled a short steel cord from his belt, attaching a small device to each end. "As much as I wouldn't like to be hit by you and the hammer, I would say that whatever it is you two have done with the hammer and the dust is having the opposite effect of what you thought it might do!" Shadow Vulture spun the bolas around and around, then unleashed it at his foe... who didn't even bother moving. The bolas wrapped around the creatures head and went off, a flash bang explosion designed to blind.

The thing didn't even blink!

With every growth spurt it seemed to be less human, as if the rage and power drew from its intellect and changed into physical might! Its movements became more ponderous as it looked upon its now massive arms and hands. Lionheart, seeing the thing tower over him, wondered just what it was they were facing! He was smart enough to know that the Lunarium X weapons had not only had no damaging effect, but seemed to have enhanced the things powers! Whatever the Nazis had done to enhance their metahumans, it appeared they'd taken steps to 'plug' the vulnerability to Lunarium!

Stormwarden saw this too, but also noted how the skin appeared to have stretched on the creature. The cracks were wider, albeit only millimetres per 'scale' and glowing green lava like blood flowed underneath. Could it be? It was somehow feeding off the Lunarium X? What would happen if he overfed it? Overhead the sky rumbled... the thunder bellowed, meaning lightning would not be far behind!

OOC Lionheart has 1 frame, then the creatures five. I predict... pain...Your attacks HAVE had an effect - but not in the usual way...

The Vanguard - Nowhere Man and Putty
Guest Starring... Adjutant!

Nowhere Man looked to where Stormwarden and Lionheart would be battling the Nazi menace in whatever form it was. He knew they could look after themselves, but considered that they had no idea of the forces closing in on them "Hold on guys!" he hissed and turned to Putty. "Let's go." he rasped.

With Nowhere Man intangible and flying, Putty moving almost as fast by leaping, bouncing, swinging and running from building to building, the pair found the trail of devastation easy to follow. Dazed residents peered out of the hole in their apartment block, from one side to the other. One woman in her bath clutched a towel to herself, eyes wide in terror! The Vanguardians trailed the column of rising smoke and dust and saw that an entire building had been levelled! The mans' power... Nowhere Man shook his head "I can almost see the Nazis point of view. So much devastation caused by such a small act from one man. No wonder they wish to keep it in check! That said, this IS their fault! Come on..."

The went down to near ground level, seeing smoke and rubble rising, and started to look around. Before they found Adjutant however, they instead found two clanking Nazi mechs, both standing around 8m or so high, striding through and over the rubble!



There appeared to be no conventional means by which they might disable Adjutant, but Nowhere Man surmised "Each mech must be transmitting on the Psionic frequency needed to send Adjutant crazy, and his powers out of control. like a constant high pitched whistle to a dog, he won't be able to shut it off! They'll be creating a ring of psionic force, and closing it in until he's surrounded! That's unless WE create a gap to get him through!"

Sure enough, the clanking sounds of more mechs were closing in!

OOC You are 20m away from the Mechs but they are intent on finding their prey and you have a full round each to act before we get into combat proper. You've not found Adjutant yet, but he's probably under the rubble of the collapsed building. Puttys strength may come in handy shifting blocks of concrete, though you may want to sort out the Psi-mechs first...

PUTTY

Sure enough, the clanking sounds of more mechs were closing in!

Taking the form of Adjutant, Putty steps from where he was hiding and charges straight at the nearest mech, hoping that seeing a totally unaffected Adjutant moving towards them will make them crap in their pants and run away. If not, well, his muscles would do the job that Adjutant's would.

[quote="Admin"]OOC I'm going to do my best with replies this week but, like last week, seem to be running out of hours in the day with even longer shifts than the last lot. 12 hours day, got a real drenching and snapped at the Mrs over nothing. Something else to apologise for in the morning. doh.

No worries mate, I understand having to balance all these things with the wife as well ;-).

IC:

Lionheart didn't like the way the thing kept growing feeding on rage and looking as if it might exploded in its body rippling and cracking at the same time. He also didn't fancy getting that green go on him, so he quickly speed back a distance, hoping to run interference for Stormwarden and Shadow Vulture to continue to attack.

"Wow..." He taunted, "you were ugly before and I can appreciate how you'd get mad about that, but hey making yourself bigger is just making the ugly twice as bad. And what's with the green goo? Come on, that's no way to attract the ladies."

Lionheart was saying this loudly seeking to draw the beast's attention goading it to follow him.

Sj

Stormwarden

Stormy noted the way the skin was stretching, creating, hopefully, a stress point. His summoning of the storms power was coming again. In the meantime he prepped himself to go in and pummel the creature again. That lack of reasoning might also be a weak point....

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ooc: Not too sure just where we are in combat so this is just a thinking moment.

OOC Yeah I know what you mean with the 'where we are' bit. I might go back to splitting smaller groups into separate issues as the posting of different groups in the same thread does tend to get messy. However, the plan is to get you all back together. I just have to stop throwing deadly obstacles in your way and then you can do it. Oh wait. Heroes. Deadly Obstacles. Occupational hazard

The Vanguard - Stormwarden, Lionheart (and Shadow Vulture)
VS Devastator

OOC Lionheart moves away down the alley, and continues his taunting. That means Devastators 5 frames then you guys get your remaining frame. I'm really really squeezed for time this week, so may not be able to do the whole graphic health bar picture thing. e.g. am up at 5am for another 13-14 hour stretch before I get home, ah the joys of sunny (?) Redcar.

Devastator sucked in a huge breath. His chest expanded, revealing the plates that formed his skin had gaps in them now, some around an inch or so wide when he inhaled. However, a more pressing problem was that his muscles were huge. Enormous! Stormwarden was a Big man, but he was absolutely dwarfed by this thing! With a growl (or perhaps a laugh?) the thing turned to Shadow Vulture "TTTTTTUUUUURRRRNNNNCOATTTT" it growled, voice like stone crashing against stone. Looking back to Stormwarden it raised a chair sized fist, and slammed it down, showing greater speed than anything his size should reasonably have!

OOC 1d20+2+6=22 Hit, 1d6-6+45=42 Htk, 2d6=5, 1d20+2+6=9 Miss, 1d6-6+45=42, 2d6=12. One hit from two swings. Stormwarden - Response? I'll give you a clue - his physical blows reduce dividers... For the missed blow, the effect is...

A chopping right hand swung down, though Stormwarden saw this one coming and stepped aside. THOOOM!!! The floor shook, and the ground splintered as if an asteroid had struck! Cracks ran across the pavement and up the walls of the nearby buildings, and dust fell from above! Lionhearts eyes widened. This thing was enormous, and was growing in power. If it got any more powerful, just one strike would be enough to splatter him across the pavement!

Shadow Vulture felt the same way "Gods!" he hissed. "What have they done? Those madmen! How can they hope to possibly contain such a power?" The answer was clear. They wouldn't even try to. They would simply set a creature such as this loose to destroy their enemies then take it down, dispose of it, in any way they saw fit.

Even to the extent of sacrificing an entire city!

Shadow Vulture turned to the other two "If we don't stop this thing it will kill everyone and everything in this city, one way or the other!"

For an answer the creature merely grinned, then took several great strides towards Lionheart (OOC takes 3 frames) It towered over him, and was so close he could feel ... something.. energy? Radiation? Whatever it was, it was emanating from the cracks in the creatures skin. And something else. Under the mask, Lionheart paled. Somehow, somewhere in his body, he knew *something* had been activated. Some.. failsafe system built in by his superiors back in his own time to ensure that he would complete his task. A sudden flash of realisation... Normally the food and even the air from the past would have, probably in weeks or months usually, set off the 'time bomb' inside him that would eventually kill him without a blood transfusion from Saladin. Whatever this thing was made of, whatever it was giving off, had sped up the process! He knew now, that without a transfusion from Saladin, he would die!

OOC 1 frame to each of you then initiative. The creature is down the alleyway, 15m away from Shadow Vulture and Stormwarden, and towering over (within 3m) of Lionheart.

Stormwarden

"Holy moth.." Stormwarden choked on the dust that filled the air and blinked rapidly as it got stuck in his eyes. He nearly missed seeing the other blow coming straight in at him. "Oh sh.." He franticly tried to dive and roll out of the way, but it seemed impossible to avoid the glowing fist.

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Well - try a dodge anyway as I can't see the chance of finding something to parry with!

The Vanguard - Nowhere Man and Putty
Guest Starring... Adjutant!

The Mechs paused. Inside, the operators paled. For some reason, the inhibitor projector had not worked!

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Delta Foxtrot 931! The Inhibitor hasn't worked! Adjutant is still active! And he's coming right at me!!!" screamed one of the pilots inside the metal 'beasts'. reacting in fear, he stopped, then started backing up. The other, piling forward and with view obscured, heard the radio transmission but it took a second or so to register... By which time the lead mech had backed into his own. "Wait! You fool! Stop! No!"

CRASHHH!!!

The pair of mechs tumbled to the floor, limbs entwined, with the panicked pilot in the first desperately trying to move back! They'd been briefed on the misison - Adjutant had gone rogue, these mechs with the special equipment built in weren't designed for front line combat because they didn't need to be - Adjutant would have his head scrambled by the emitters, then they could... Head clearing for a second, the pilot glanced around on the screens. Where? There! "Use the capture foam! Slow him down!" shouted the pilot across the radio.

=========

Putty (as Adjutant) strode towards the Mechs. With a satisfied grin he saw them back off, tangle, and crash together in a heap! He turned, glancing at Nowhere Man who nodded and faded from view.

=========

*cough* It was dark. Strange, that it would end like this, but he knew that for years it would do. Ever since he'd gotten the powers by exposure to those strange aliens Adjutant knew his life would change, and it seemed not for the better. He wondered what they would do with him now. Strange that he could think like this, but his body wouldn't obey him! His powers were scrambled, that part of the brain that controlled them shut down. And he had trusted them! "We're doing some tests" they'd said. "Make sure your powers are stable" had said another. In fact they'd been scanning his mental patterns and had finally cracked the designs required to build the inhibitor. And now it was all over. They'd dig him out, take him back, torture him. Probably pull him apart, see what it was that made him invulnerable, able to toss super tankers like rolled up paper, fly to the other side of the world in moments. All those things he'd done, seen. They'd all be lost, like tears, in rain.

Adjutant lie back, body unresponsive to his efforts to move. The pain was unrelenting, incredible. he felt strangely detached as his body writhed in agony even with part of his mind still working.

'You are a good man. You always did your duty. in every reality you occur.' said the voice in his mind. 'I failed.' he replied simply. 'I should have been stronger, stopped the Nazis and their evil ways, wiped them from the face of the Earth.'

'Even given your...our...power, you are but one man. And despite that power, you never abused it, nor used it for your own gain. You are misguided, naive. But ever it is so in every incarnation you take. We speak with our brethren. The power you have is shared from every Adjutant across infinite realities. We see much, snippets of time from your other selves. Even if you die here, your power shall not be abused by the Nazis. It will disperse, to the others.'

A tear formed in the mans eye, rolling down his cheek. 'I wish... I wish I could survive this.. Help the men I am with.. erase the stain on my soul from having aligned with the Nazis.' he thought.

'The men you travel with have stains of their own on their soul. They live and breathe in the sure knowledge that surrendering to their dark side would be devastating to this world, to every world, across all realities. Our power is awesome to behold and almost beyond comprehension. These men you travel with rein in their power most of the time. Unfettered?'

'They can destroy worlds.'

"Wakey wakey." rasped a voice in the darkness. "Dammit." said Nowhere Man, looking about. "Where's Wandafar when I need him?" Intangible, he floated in the darkness, partially submerged in rubble, head poking out of a concrete block looking at the prone form of Adjutant. "I know it hurts, but you can't die yet. We need your help!" he hissed, looking Adjutant up and down. Despite the fact there wasn't a mark on him, the mans face showed he was in sheer agony!

"This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you!" said Nowhere Man, reaching out a hand to clasp around Adjutants wrist. He did so, turned partially tangible, then Intangible.

And screamed!

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Putty dodged (OOC I'm autopiloting this part because these machines are no match for you) as a stream of foam shot past him, through the air. Even as it did, it hardened, crashing to the floor as hard as stone and shattering concrete in the process as a long cone of hardened foam landed on the floor!

Glancing back, he looked uneasily at the place where Nowhere Man thought Adjutant was buried. Looking around... Ahhhh. Three more mechs had turned up. He saw one of the mechs he'd disabled, tubes pulled from its legs and pumping fluid across the floor, disabling the thing. He'd been dancing around the other, hoping to get close enough to pull the same trick and then the others had turned up. Suddenly what had been a walk in the park had changed into a situation where he was surrounded by four mechs!

"I've got our man. I will fly him up, and out of here." said the disembodied voice of Nowhere Man in Puttys ear! It sounded strained, and gasping. Clearly, whatever Nowhere Man as doing to make Adjutant intangible and invisible was hurting - a lot!

"Get out of here. Meet me on ... that rooftop." said the voice. Putty followed where he'd meant, and saw the highest building, a large flat roofed twenty storey block, around 400 yards behind the ring of Mechs!

So, no challenge then. He faced off against four mechs which fired foam that set as hard as concrete and had to get past them, and dodge them long enough to get to the top of a twenty storey building!

OOC 1d10=8 Putty, 1d10=5 Mechs. 2 Frames to the Pliable P'utinarian...

Admin wrote:OOC Dodge result for Stormy - 1d6+1-2=5. Nice roll. Glancing blow - 1/2 damage or an extra frame and evade the blow completely?

The extra frame I think - he'll need to get the dust out of his eyes

The Vanguard - Stormwarden, Lionheart and Shadow Vulture
VS Devastator!!

Stormwarden rolled aside, showing surprising agility for such a big man! Shadow Vulture was impressed, but covered his head as the missed blow smashed into teh floor, shaking the buildings on either side and sending glass tumbling down!

The glass rained harmlessly from Stormwardens' hide, but Shadow Vulture wasn't so lucky! "Arrgh" he cried, and turned slowly to see a large shard jutting from his shoulder! He dropped to the floor, a land crick! Sounding, and reached for his leg! Blood, all the while, pooled down his costume, and he had to cover his head some more as more glass rained down!

(OOC Then the creature marched off after Lionheart, now Lionhearts final frame then initiative. Stormwarden has 3 frames next round...)

As if scenting weakness, Devastator glanced behind. The turncoat Nazi was down, and injured! It would be a simple matter to stomp him into the floor, and make up for the fact he couldn't move fast enough to snag this mouthy one!

PUTTY

So, no challenge then. He faced off against four mechs which fired foam that set as hard as concrete and had to get past them, and dodge them long enough to get to the top of a twenty storey building!

OOC 1d10=8 Putty, 1d10=5 Mechs. 2 Frames to the Pliable P'utinarian....

ooc: BTW, blue on blue is real hard to read. Do these Mechs look light enough for Putty to pick up? If so, his action is to pick up the one on his right and smash the one on his left with it. If not, then rip into the nearest mech where he thinks maybe the power source is that is making Adjutant helpless - staying in Adjutant's form and fighting as best he can as Adjutant would.

Lionheart VS Devastator

Seeing what the creature was capable off, he could see that its name was no exaggeration. As it lumbered toward him, he took note and again moved at superspeed out of its range. But deep within the sure cockiness and cavalier attitude with which he usually went about his duty, was replaced with the metallic taste of fear. Its cold grip was like a hard fist around his heart. If the clock was ticking for him, what on earth could he do both to complete his mission, let alone aid his friends in theirs.

Sj

The Vanguard - Nowhere Man and Putty
Guest Starring... Adjutant!

Putty/Adjutant grabbed up the crippled mech by a leg. He winced at the weight. It would take his full strength, at the absolute limit, to drag the thing. He reckoned on lifting near on two tons when applying himself. More than that would require a supreme effort, and wasn't the sort of thing he'd be able to do and still be able to use the thing as a weapon!

'You can always call on the power within... I so enjoyed my time in your form that I can't wait until the next time.' said the voice within, cool, calm and enticing. 'Hand the reins completely to me and I will wipe out your enemies on this continent! Not enough? How about the world?'

What the inner voice, the Shadow Demon Prince inside, didn't mention was that his friends would go up in the apocalypse too, as well as every innocent life - the Shadow Prince saw no one as innocent, and all as guilty of something!

The mechs moved into place.

"Down on your knees and surrender Adjutant! We have you surrounded!" bellows the megaphone on one of the mechs. Putty couldn't be totally sure, but the voice sounded unsure, shaky. It seemed that though they had him outnumbered, the fact he hadn't instantly reduced them to a pile of oozing scrap and flesh gave them more confidence than they should have had, but it still wavered!

'A demonstration should convince them! Ah... I see you fear the power within, and all that you ... we can do. Very well. You stay in control, call on the power and let these fools see with whom they meddle!'

"Last warning!" bellowed the megaphone voice.

OOC know what you mean about the cyan text. I'll edit that post, and shy away from the colour in the future.

The Vanguard - Stormwarden, Lionheart and Shadow Vulture
VS Devastator!!

Lionheart sped to the side, then nearer his friends down the alleyway, causing the giant known as Devastator to swivel in anger! The Nazi growled, knowing it would have to come up with a plan to slow the speedster down - he was simply too fast!

OOC 1d10=10 heroes, 1d10=8 Bad guy 1 frame to you three. Shadow Vulture is down and injured, needing a frame to get up. Stormwarden has three frames this round, and Lionheart four.

Shadow Vulture gasped in pain, fishing in his belt for something. He opened a hand so that Stormwarden and Lionheart could see... a handful of small pellet like devices. "Might not... open that skin but it should bring down the building on top of him. From the cracks I'm surprised the walls haven't fallen in on us already!"

He had a point - the buildings on either side swayed ominously, and cracks appeared every few seconds. Dust and rubble fell in increasing amounts - this thing had smashed the floor in, causing the ground to subside, doubtless into the sewers or rail tunnel far below! What Shadow Vulture also didn't mention is that he intended to buy time for Lionheart Stormwarden to escape - with his own death!

OOC 1 frame then big bad guy comes stomping over...