World War II - Putty Issue #1

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

The solider started at the mention of prisoners, then glanced to where his friends were laughing. "You'd better take them up to the castle. They will decide what to do with them."



Anyman pointed his gaze towards where the soldier had gestured. "Most likely patch them up and use them for practise!"

With a scowl he turned towards his friends and started walking back, before flicking over his shoulder "Make sure you are smartened up first! There are many officers there who are not as forgiving as I!"

Anyman noticed then for the first time. Though the officers were different, all were a similar build, similar colouring, even similar to look at. The hero looked up at the castle again. What was going...

He squinted.

He'd seen something appear then duck down below the level of the outer wall. A dot, for the merest moment, but his superhuman instincts told him that what he'd soon was no trick of the light.

A flying man.

As the officers made their way to the staff car and roared off, Steed breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew! I thought we were sunk! I had no idea your German was so good!" She followed the line of his gaze. "Oh! What a lovely castle! I wonder what goes on ther..." She cut off her own words as a cloud of boiling fire coiled up into the air over the wall, before dissipating. "What the...?"

It seemed Anyman had found one of possibly several Nazi metahuman training camps. For an Allied spy... 'the holy grail'. The question was... now what?

CODENAME: ANYMAN

As the officers made their way to the staff car and roared off, Steed breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew! I thought we were sunk! I had no idea your German was so good!" She followed the line of his gaze. "Oh! What a lovely castle! I wonder what goes on ther..." She cut off her own words as a cloud of boiling fire coiled up into the air over the wall, before dissipating. "What the...?"

It seemed Anyman had found one of possibly several Nazi metahuman training camps. For an Allied spy... 'the holy grail'. The question was... now what?
.

"I know," Anyman replies. "I think I saw a flying man before that fire thing happened. We got to get this information back to England! They have to know about this place!"

"Let's get this one to the doctor here in town," he says after a moment. "No way I'm taking him to the castle. Then we have to think what to do next. You are more of an expert on this sort of thing but I'm thinking that maybe you need to try to get back to France or to a neutral country and slip into the British Embassy and let them know where this place is so they can bomb the stuffing out of it."

"Meantime, I will use my abilities to slip inside that castle and find out more and see what I can do to destroy the place. If I can sneak into the radio room and give updates whenever possible as well, I will. Otherwise, you will only get one message from me, if at all."

"I do not like the idea of splitting up and I'm useful too," Captain Emma Steed reminded the junior officer.

"I know," he replies. "But if we split up now with what we have, we have two chances to get the word out. And this thing inside me is pushing me to get to the bottom of this and stop it. My other "brothers" and "sister" need to know about this place! I don't want to split up but we will have to ... unless you can disguise yourself enough to sneak inside and become part of the castle's company?"

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

Steed chewed her lip, pondering. "Alright. I will get word to England about this place. First I need to find out where we are! After that, I'm coming back - hopefully with the cavalry!"

The pair of agents got the limp form of the injured airman and looked about. Minutes later, they'd knocked on the door of the Doctor and a bleary eyed physician answered. Speaking in perfect German, Anyman explained that the man had been injured in a training exercise. He was part of a German project to infiltrate the English, and so may wake up speaking English rather than his native German, and could the Doctor keep it quiet, as the fellow had been showing off before he tumped his aircraft into the floor. No use in patching him up then turning him over to the authorities to shoot him! (OOC I improvised on Anymans behalf to shuffle him along a little). A thick bundle of German Marks courtesy of Steed helped persuade the Doctor, and with a glance up and down the street, the trio got the airman in.

=========

Minutes later...

Back out in the street and with ordinary people now moving out and about, Steed faced up to Anyman. "Don't do anything stupid! Remember what they do to spies! The Doctor mentioned that there was a local radio station run from a farm a few miles down the road. I'll make for that in the truck and do some persuading of my own to make sure I get the message through. You head for the Castle, but like I say - no unnecessary heroics!" She grinned and nodded "That's an order!"

There was a moment between the pair where they looked at each other, no words finding voice (OOC unless Allard wants to say something...) then the Captain put on her 'business face' and climbed aboard the truck.

Allard watched her go, then set out walking.

=========

The castle was imposing close up...

Centuries old, the defences - thick walls and arrow slits - had been considerably upgraded with machine guns and AA guns mounted atop the walls. Ourtside the gates, on the road leading up to a drawbridge and gate house, guards milled about, chatting. They wore a different kind of uniform to the normal German Soldier, with what looked to be some kind of dark armour (OOC like kevlar...) providing protection to the torso and an all over helmet with a slit for the eyes and slats for the mouth and nose. It looked very imposing, threatening. The weapons they carried didn't look 'standard issue' either. Whatever was going on here, the place was well guarded. Even the dogs, three of them, all German shepherds, sat, obedient and ready to pounce. Anyman caught the glimpse of something metallic on the backs of their heads, at the top of their necks. That none of the dogs was on a leash was worrying enough, but what had the Nazis done to them?

Anyman sagged back in the trees where he was hidden, some 100m up the road away from the castle. He could try to bluff his way in through the gates or make his way around the vast place, maybe to find out where the sewers vented or some other less guarded entrance. He heard more explosions from within the castle walls, and what sounded like cheering.

If there was a more dangerous place for any Allied agent to be right now, Anyman was struggling to think of it.

Codename: Anyman

Anyman sagged back in the trees where he was hidden, some 100m up the road away from the castle. He could try to bluff his way in through the gates or make his way around the vast place, maybe to find out where the sewers vented or some other less guarded entrance. He heard more explosions from within the castle walls, and what sounded like cheering.

If there was a more dangerous place for any Allied agent to be right now, Anyman was struggling to think of it..

This is what the man called Anyman trained for! Not to be on the front lines like his brothers and new sister, fighting costumed Axis Agents for the newsreels and the newspapers but to slip in quietly, behind the lines, gathering information and disrupting the Axis efforts to win the war! To terrorize the Axis. Kill them in their beds. Burn their buildings around them. To make them paranoid. To make them afraid. Never able to trust each other because they never knew if they faced Anyman or not! If he could go the whole war without a public battle with a powered Nazi, he would consider his mission to be a success. Fighting meant failure! He was the Super-Intelligence Officer, the Super-Spy, the Super-Saboteur - not the Super-Solider. That was for the others to be.

His blood boiled with these thoughts. So, how would a super-spy actually get inside a fortress of doom, he wondered to himself.

There was a flash in his mind of some sort of hideous monster climbing the outsides of buildings with ease. Another of a oozing monster going through sewers. Of walking out of a building dressed as some kind of Nazi solider.

Lt. Lance Allard reeled, realizing that it was the thing inside him trying to show him something. Things ... He threw up! He realized that the oozing monster was what was inside HIM!!!!!!!!!!
HE WAS THAT MONSTER!!!!!!

He threw up again and then staggered away and fell into some bushes in a near faint as he struggled to deal with this new reality.

After a bit of time, he wasn't sure how long, he recovered.

"Two ways," he finally said to himself, and maybe to the monster inside him. "With my great strength, I can probably climb the walls of the castle. It's old. It will probably have fingerholds between the stones. Holds that a normal man wouldn't have the strength to use to climb that high but I can do it. But can I do it without being seen is the question. I can try that tonight when it is dark."

"Second, go in as the Help," he continued quietly to himself, "let's see if they come in through the main entrance or a second gate. And let's see what kind of identification they must have to do so."

actions: Depending on what is possible either climb the walls at night. Or see if there is some kind of slave labor or local help that goes in to do laundry and cooking and stuff like that. If there is, try to blend in with them or wait until the next day and take one of them out and assume their identity. Whichever seems best.

I'm not in a hurry to get in immediately. If it takes a day or so, then that's what it takes.

Tentative plans in Anyman's head includes: finding out what's going on, see if there are other places like this developing super-soldiers, get this information out and poisoning everyone of them he can. Killing those he can't by other means.

He is Super-James Bond, not Superman, is the way I'm playing him right now. Not James Bond of the movies but the harder killer James Bond of the books.

Well, pizza just showed up. Time for lunch and to continue watching Gamera vs Barugon, the Japanese version instead of the American release version.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

OOC 'He is Super-James Bond, not Superman, is the way I'm playing him right now. Not James Bond of the movies but the harder killer James Bond of the books.' Duly noted. With that in mind...

Anyman waited for most of the day. He even had time for sleep! When a truck left the castle, he watched and waited, moving down to the edge of the trees. Sure enough, another passed it, and he figured it'd be the 'hired help'. Well, hired as in 'do this for us or be fired' kind of help. Glancing about, he saw what he needed.

=========

The driver called out, waving ahead...

With a sigh he brought the truck to a halt, and the soldiers in the back walked round to the front. The tree had fallen most of the way across the road, and whilst it wasn't particularly big, it was still attached with strands of itself, which meant it would need pulling aside, then sawing to part it or twisting so as not to block the road. The Driver took the opportunity to break out his cigarettes as the man in the passenger seat got out to help the two who'd moved around from the back. Pretty soon they were all hard at work, and the truck was able to gone on its way, delivering fresh workers for cleaning and menial duties.

Below the truck, with his belt wrapped around the propshaft, Anyman glanced about, and with herculean strength pulled himself up, not minding that the propshaft turned against him if it got too close. His near impervious skin was proof against it as such low speeds. The dogs might be a problem, but he would deal with that as and when.

As it turned out, the Nazis were reasonably relaxed when they saw the truck - same as usual every day, at one of the most fearsome strongholds on planet Earth.

=========

Stepping into the shadows...

Anyman glanced about. The coast was clear. As a guard passed, he would get a good look at his face then walk back the way he'd come a few seconds later, looking exactly like that person. In this way he was able to move around the castle discreetly. It was old, cold and sinister. Ideal place as a Nazi base then. A glance out the windows to the courtyard confirmed his worst fears. Aryan type men and women, tall, bold of features, sneering arrogance in their every move, trained and toiled. Every now and again, an officer would shout one over,and they would go to an Annex building, several storeys high. Anyman figured he needed to get in there, but stopped off at the kitchen first for a bite to eat. After all, never knew when the next meal was coming.

=========

Elsewhere in the castle...

The Commandant strode purposefully across the floor. The room was decorated with fine artifacts and luxuries imported fresh from the Polish conquest. (OOC translated from German). The man was desperately trying to keep his cool in the presence of the mysterious fellow sprawled across a sofa. In turn, the man on the sofa lapped up the others discomfort, and those in the room trying not to show theirs. He chuckled. These Nazis... so sure, so arrogant that they were the master race! They were simply pawns in a game that was just getting started! But a rogue piece had entered the board.

"There is an intruder." he said, on purpose, in English. Everyone turned. The accent had been so clear and crisp, they must have thought him a spy! He laughed. "Don't get any funny ideas. Remember where you got your powers from. Remember who gave them to you." He checked his nails. "Remember who, with a thought, can take them away. Don't forget who it is you must pay homage to. It may be the last thing you ever forget..."

He stood, impeccable suit crisp and white, fine chiseled figure cut from the Greek ideal, and walked over to the window. With his back to the others he saw two of the superhumans in the room tense, as if they were about to pounce at him! He grinned, and turned suddenly, unsettling them. "Find him, this man. It will not be easy! He can be anyone... any time."

"Even you?" said the Commandant, hand on his sidearm.

"Or you." replied the figure in white, prompting everyone to look at the Commandant, who fingered his collar and looked nervously, before asking "How is it you know this? We have .. telepaths ... genetically modified dogs ... sensors... all these things which we knew nothing about, and the strangers from the future gave us. And yet..." he held up his hands. "This intruder has slipped by them all?"

The figure in the white suit pulled a rose from a vase, smiling as it wilted and coiled up, turning to dust as he rubbed his fingers to clean them. Looking up he answered "I know. I know because one power, a TRUE power, recognizes another. I can feel him. He wears a different form, an Avatar. Weaker than his natural form he is still..." he waved an arm theatrically "More than a match for those in this... castle. No, I insult him. More than a match for your entire country."

There was an audible gasp, and shouts of protest.

The Commandant got the others calmed, and walked forwards. "Please then..." he said, swallowing his pride. "Tell us. How may we stop such a foe? Will you do it?"

"I? I could... slow him down. But he'll be back, and he would be VERY angry. Might even blow your house down." he chuckled. "No, a man like this requires special thought and planning. This is what you will do..."

=========

Pulling a camera from a pocket...

Anyman pored over documents. Mostly requisitions for equipment, but unusual stuff. Clearly something was going to be built here. A lot of the stuff he didn't even recognize, with terms like "Transforce Inducer Coil" and "Ion matrix modulator". With a shrug he continued to photograph using the tiny camera that had been secreted on him. On the chair was the Nazi officer, head lolling at a painful looking angle. He wouldn't feel any pain any more.

Suddenly Anyman heard the siren wailing throughout the castle! Had he been discovered? He finished up, looked about, and tipped all the papers onto the carpeted floor, pulling his lighter out. Then he heard the megaphone voice "We have your friend. The Fraulein, and very pretty she is too! She put up a brave fight, but now is in our clutches! Come out into the courtyard, why don't you, and talk to us. Or don't and miss what we will do to her. Your choice..."

OOC Bond in the books was pretty ruthless as I recall, but I think I only read Dr No, and the other books were film adaptations, usually of Roger Moore movies because I preferred the books to his films and wobbly eyebrows. However, what would Bond do in a situation like this? The man in the white suit is a tip of the hand to your usual Bond Villain too, but he's more likely to be stroking a curled up demon on his lap...

I grabbed four minor skills for my power upgrade originally, listed below.

•Add 1 grade to an existing power (if anyone wants to instead add a skill, they can do this with this option)

•Add a new power at grade 1

I want to add four minor skills: Acting, Vocal Mimicry, Escapology and Locksmithing {Dad always said to have a skill you can fall back on when times get lean.
Was going to take disguise but Shapeshifting says it is actually a more advanced form of disguise.

OOC Quick note before I hit the sack. Anyman is changing. Improving. Growing. Pick another power to add and I'll (finally) get round to knocking out your character sheet. It's a 1 slot power (rather than magic or PSI or similar) but other than that? Your choice.

I didn't choose a new power for this time line, instead went with lots of new skills as noted above.
I think we already put in the Acting and Vocal Mimicry. So that means him knowing Escapology and Locksmithing.

the other thing I forgot but found again that we need to work on soon:

Want to get rid of Agility and change it over for a new power that you will have to make. I think with 20 meters of stretching [G2] and shapeshifting and wallcrawling, that Putty should be able to run, climb, leap, glide those 20 meters. Well, maybe not glide at Grade One.

Speed doesn't quite do it since I am not looking for breaking frames in half to do multiple things. The first two sentences of Speed kinda cover what I want to do for running but the rest isn't what I'm looking for. Can you make some kind of stretchable/shapeshifting/wallcrawling movement power with two or more grades in it so that all types of movement gets covered if he has both stretching and shapeshift? Including Glide/Fly and Swimming?

Not really looking for bonuses to combat using this power, which is why Speed doesn't work, just the movement, which can be powerful enough on its own.

Next time some guy in a jetpack with a laser rifle comes on the scene, I want him to be surprised to see Putty shapeshifting into some kind of man-sized condor-like bird and taking to the air after him.
Or shifting into a dolphin form and swimming after the speeding boat loaded with drugs.
Or whatever..

CODENAME: ANYMAN

Suddenly Anyman heard the siren wailing throughout the castle! Had he been discovered? He finished up, looked about, and tipped all the papers onto the carpeted floor, pulling his lighter out. Then he heard the megaphone voice "We have your friend. The Fraulein, and very pretty she is too! She put up a brave fight, but now is in our clutches! Come out into the courtyard, why don't you, and talk to us. Or don't and miss what we will do to her. Your choice..."

Allard cursed under his breath. What to do. What to do. This was the woman he ... had feelings for! If she was actually caught, that is! He thought fast and hard.

He would have to at least see if it was her. If it was ....

But he had his duty. They both did. She knew the risks. But ...

He decided.

Gathering up his equipment and the intelligence he just found, he quickly headed out of the office.

He stumbled a bit as another flash went off in his mind. He didn't need to change clothes when disguising himself! His own body could be used to mimic clothes!!

He ducked back into the office and stripped off his clothes and tried to form a mental image of one of the "recruits" he had seen, with his uniform. He strained for a bit and then something clicked inside him and he discovered it was true! He had changed his whole body with clothes without even doing his usual rubbing of his face!

Now he had a plan!

He went looking for the armory. If he could get inside ... he could set up a delayed timer and blow it and a large part of the castle up! That might provide the distraction he needed to free Emma! If she was actually captured, that is and this wasn't a trick.

But how did they know he was here?

He pondered that as he shifted forms and moved to the armory. Thank Goodness for German efficiency! Everything was labeled and arrows pointing to where he needed to go were to be found at most intersections.

He had to move fast now!

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

Moving from shadow to shadow, ever vigilant, always watchful, Anyman was the ghost in the machine. When someone moved by, his form would flow, changing to match one of those he'd seen. Slipping quietly through the castle he read signs and diagrams laid out on the walls. With so many rooms the model of German efficiency dictated there be no time wasted in having personnel wander around looking for a place.

'Beware. There is a presence here that is familiar to me. I am compromising you, so I will go... deep. First though, your mental synapses have toughened from the act of symbiosis. You are ready.' said the inner voice. Anyman shuddered. Suddenly he felt more... alone? Glancing about, he saw locks in a new way - there seemed to be some kind of light tracing the mechanism of the locks on doors? What the? Moving closer, he looked at the nearest door lock, knowing full well with only the most basic of tools and time, he could open any lock! His shoulders, arms, hips, all felt strange too. Looser. With certainty he knew he could escape bonds that would baffle the great Houdini! Grinning, he moved into the shadows.

=========

The handsome man in the white suit glanced about...

"What is it?" asked the commandant. The courtyard was filled with trainees, both unpowered and powered alike. The walls were lined with guards, the place was on high alert. There were guards with dogs searching the corridors, but the man in the white suit knew the prey they sought matched even the scent of anyone he replicated. He frowned, snarled. "My enemy has... gone deep. I can no longer 'see' him or feel him. You have your task Commandant. I suggest you set to it. He is only one man. If you need extra leverage, use the girl."

"But the orders were clear from Berlin..."

"You would not even have the girl were it not from me? These powers your people have... me! This war will be far harder for you without me and my cousins than with them, never forget that! And by harder, I mean you will not only lose the war, you will lose your lives! Fool! Do as you are told!" hissed the man in the white suit. He was angry now, and his voice carried across the courtyard. A huge hulking Nazi metahuman started to move over, anger on his face. "Hey! You can't speak to him like that!"

The man in the white suit strode over to the speaker, soldiers parting, somehow feeling this ones evil aura. Without a word he pulled a hand back and slammed it through the bulletproof flesh of the speakers chest, thrusting deeper, then grasping! The look of shock on the big mans face as his heart was torn from his body showed he was still alive, albeit for seconds, as his heart was tossed like diseased meat onto the floor! Blood covered the man in the white suit as he looked around, cursing the stupidity and helplessness of those around. These were supposed to be the most evil race in history! They were the blindest! Could they not see? The man wandering about their castle was no ordinary... No. They couldn't see it. He wore the form of a mortal, but was so, so much more!

"Another time, cousin." said the man in white. He looked around at the shocked Nazis, then without further ado, simply vanished...

The commandant tried to recover his composure! "Search everywhere! Search... " an aide leaned in. "Get men down to the armoury, now!" Squads of men, superhuman and normal, set off.

=========

Anyman looked about. The coast was clear...

He moved through corridors, glancing about. Suddenly, there were large groups of soldiers heading his way down the corridor! He straightened, saluting, and stood aside as they passed, towards the armoury. Seconds later he was out in the courtyard, having already been in the armoury, set charges around the place, and moved out, several steps ahead of his foes. The courtyard was in disarray with soldiers running everywhere. On a wooden platform he saw the Commandant and his staff, including superhumans. Knelt, gagged and bound with chains, was Emma. From the looks of her bruises, she'd put up a fight. Biting back anger, Anyman considered his next move. There were guards lining the walls, over a hundred stood about in the courtyard talking, or searching, and a dozen Nazis on the platform. A direct assault wasn't his speciality, but that didn't mean he was out of options...

OOC The place can go up at any time of your choosing, so I'll leave it to you...

CODENAME: ANYMAN

He moved through corridors, glancing about. Suddenly, there were large groups of soldiers heading his way down the corridor! He straightened, saluting, and stood aside as they passed, towards the armoury. Seconds later he was out in the courtyard, having already been in the armoury, set charges around the place, and moved out, several steps ahead of his foes. The courtyard was in disarray with soldiers running everywhere. On a wooden platform he saw the Commandant and his staff, including superhumans. Knelt, gagged and bound with chains, was Emma. From the looks of her bruises, she'd put up a fight. Biting back anger, Anyman considered his next move. There were guards lining the walls, over a hundred stood about in the courtyard talking, or searching, and a dozen Nazis on the platform. A direct assault wasn't his speciality, but that didn't mean he was out of options...

OOC The place can go up at any time of your choosing, so I'll leave it to you...

ooc: Gonna time this close. Want just enough time to be able to throw my body's over Emma's, to protect her from the blast, since I don't know how much explosives were in the Armory or how big an explosion it will be. I'm assuming it is big enough to at least damage the courtyard. Then either pick her up and flee or pick her locks and then run.

Quickly taking on the form of the Commandant he just spotted, Everyman sprinted for the woman in chains with the hope he would get there in time to shield her from the explosion.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

Stepping from the shadows Anyman shifted to the Commandant and started to cross the square, moving through the milling soldiers. many, having seen their commandant pass so closely, stood to attention and saluted, then gaped as they saw the other commandant stood on the wooden platform near the wall. Confusion reigned, all the while Anyman picked up the pace.

Suddenly there was a shout, and pushing, as soldiers - and superhumans - figured out something was amiss! The commandant himself looked into the crowd whilst his aides were advising of possible solutions to his problem, and at that moment caught a glimpse of himself. his other 'him' mounted the steps to the wooden platform whilst the crowd hushed, and for a moment the two were looking at one another as if in a mirror, the perfect mirror image.

"There's your imposter!" shouted Anyman, pointing at the Commandant. It was like lighting the touchpaper.

Suddenly there was shouting, pushing, confusion, and Anyman barged his way through to where Emma was shackled. Her eyes were beaten closed, and dried blood stained her shirt, torn in places. Biting back his anger Anyman lifted her limp form into his arms and turned. The crowd now looked to him, and the woman in his arms. He was arrayed against a force he couldn't beat - too many soldiers, far too many bullets, and enough superhumans to pulp him!

"Any second now will d..."



The side of the main keep erupted, throwing dust and rubble out like bullets! Men flew through the air, screams of the dead and dying as bodies clattered onto hard stone, and the secondary explosions, whilst smaller, produced great gouts of flame that spat from the building like a volcano! This place was prepared for war, and in the Nazis colossal arrogance, they had been ready to fight off any size army! Any size, except that is, for an army of one.

And not just anyone.

Anyman.

=========

Moving through the dust and rubble, Allard carried the unconscious superhuman in his arms...

Behind him, he knew the Nazis would eventually gather themselves, then comb the countryside in droves. He wasn't out of the woods yet! Looking to the bottom of the hill, he saw the village, and to either side, hills and trees. His options were limited. Flying out of there would have been nice, but the last time he checked, he didn't have wings!

When the siren started wailing at the castle behind, he knew they would be hot on his heels!

OOC Anyman has caused a ruckus, make no mistake! He's also shut down one of of the main metahuman training facilities the Nazis have... Der Fuhrer will NOT be pleased, but then he has his own problems to contend with (I think the timeline is moving to the stage where an assassination attempt is made on his life...)

CODENAME: ANYMAN

Moving through the dust and rubble, Allard carried the unconscious superhuman in his arms...

He stopped near a wall and grabbed a burnt piece of wood. Using the burnt end, he scratched the words ANYMAN WAS HERE!! on the wall in English.

"Might as well let them know who they better start fearing," he muttered to himself and the unconscious Emma, "and let them think we have left."

Behind him, he knew the Nazis would eventually gather themselves, then comb the countryside in droves. He wasn't out of the woods yet! Looking to the bottom of the hill, he saw the village, and to either side, hills and trees. His options were limited. Flying out of there would have been nice, but the last time he checked, he didn't have wings!

When the siren started wailing at the castle behind, he knew they would be hot on his heels!

OOC Anyman has caused a ruckus, make no mistake! He's also shut down one of of the main metahuman training facilities the Nazis have... Der Fuhrer will NOT be pleased, but then he has his own problems to contend with (I think the timeline is moving to the stage where an assassination attempt is made on his life...)

ooc: Yay Me!!!!

Anyman was glad it was late in the day. If he could avoid being captured long enough, he could use the darkness to his advantage.

Taking advantage to the confusion, he ran back around to the side of the castle. He intended to re-enter the place and take Emma to the infirmary, where things were so hectic, he bet, that they wouldn't notice a new orderly bringing in another injured person.

There he could get her bandaged up and receive some treatment, then steal her some new clothes and then the two could make their escape. He figured they wouldn't expect the two of them to hide in plain sight. He just hoped that whatever gave them away wouldn't give them away again while he tried this plan.

actions: Sneak back in, disguise self as an orderly and get Emma to infirmary for some treatment. Bandage her up himself if it seemed best. Steal some clothes for her, changing IDs as needed. Then look for a good opportunity to escape.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

The Nazis spread out in an ever widening circle, angry, bewildered, desperate to exact revenge! The man they sought - and the woman he carried - moved around the castle to exit from a back entrance. It took a while, but the longer it took mean the search parties were getting further away, and most of those at the castle were involved in searching for survivors. Anyman slipped in, then followed signs for the infirmary...

=========

Emma woke, and looked about...

Though she had the sense not to cry out. The Infirmary was full of men and women, and she herself was heavily bandaged on his head even though all she'd had were superficial injuries and swelling. That said, she fit right in, but her heart leapt when a doctor arrived at the end of the bed to check a chart! She looked at him... and got a wink in return, mouthing "Anyman?" before relaxing having seen his nod in reply. As he moved around the bed she looked about. It was impossible to tell how many of these in here were superhumans, but all were injured, some badly. "Talk about out of the frying pan..." she muttered. "You really brought the house down with this performance!" she grinned, still keeping her voice low. "We need to find out how they are giving people these powers, though I suspect your little party piece may have scuppered that. I was barely conscious to that point, but didn't think announcing it would be a good idea - they would have only beaten me some more. It was mostly the women who did it - bruising types who looked like men. Seems the Nazis are all for equal opportunities."

Anyman glanced about. They'd been here a few hours, and he knew that when the main body of searchers came back there was a chance their dogs would sniff them out or they'd be revealed another way - some superhuman method.

Suddenly a soldier several beds to the right of Emma cried out, clutching his throat and rearing up as medics rushed to restrain him. Too late.

He was dead.

Emma turned away, then looked up at Anyman. "Maybe it's best just to get out of..."

"AIIIYEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" screamed a Nurse, holding up a hand which had just had a lump bitten out of it - by the soldier who'd just died! He rose from the gurney and reached for her, but she fell back just out of his grasp! His skin was turning pale blue, the eyes pure red and bloodshot, teeth cracking and turning brown before the horrified onlookers eyes!

The place was soon full of screams and running people as the thing staggered to its feet... and started moving towards Emma!

CODENAME: ANYMAN

"Gott In Himmel," Anyman yells out in German, "it's Anyman! He's back! Grab the injured and run!"

With those words, he runs over and grabs Capt. Emma Steed and runs out of the room.

"Let them clean up their own mess," he mutters to her. "Keeps their supers busy too while we try to get out of here."

OOC: Okay, gonna try to leg it to the motorpool or wherever the vehichles are currently parked and try to steal something - staff car or motorcycle with sidecar is preferred over a truck. Have no intention of fighting the zombie if I can avoid it.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

There were confused looks until some of the injured realised it was the mysterious 'Anyman' who'd blown this place half to kingdom come! No one had ever seen him - or her - and for someone to say that this soldier was in fact, the Anyman... well...

The room turned into one enormous melee, with unpowered soldiers and nurses running around like headless chickens, the injured metahumans struggling off their sickbeds to jump on top of the Zombie which took every opportunity to get stuck in as its meals quite literally came to it!

Anyman and Emma scuttled out of the room, into the corridor, took a look around, then took off.

The first nurse who'd been bitten moved into the corridor which was quickly filling up with panicked staff and sagged against a wall. She looked at her bloodied hand, and the way the wound was turning grey, and the veins around it blackening. "I don't feel so..." she feinted. The wound started to to blacken, and the blackness spread through her veins...

=========

Setting Emma down, the pair ran through the corridors of the castle...

"You really made a mess of this place!" she said, unperturbed by their headlong dash through the place. "Wait! This way!" she shouted, and led Anyman down another corridor. "See?" Sure enough, Anyman had missed the sign for the vehicle storage area after seeing soldiers dash through the corridors. All about, dust fell from the ceiling, and the place smelt of burning.

The pair ran along a corridor with windows lined along it, and could see an impressive array of vehicles in the workshops. Not only motorcycles, motorcycles with sidecars, jeeps and trucks, but the odd tank, and even what looked like an aeroplane with wings that were hinged and folded up!

Suddenly as they came to the entrance door of the workshop, there was a rush of air.

"Fraulein." said a voice behind them. "I enjoyed our last meeting. I would get to know you better. But tell me, who is your friend?"



"The others were looking for a man whose face they had not seen before. I, however, have scoured what remains of the castle at superspeed. Oh you see, I am very, very fast... And I looked for you! A woman so striking and beautiful! Unfortunately for you, your beauty will come with a very heavy price indeed. Your lives!"

Emma scowled. "He was one of the few men who had a hand in beating me. The others thought it dishonourable to hit a woman!"

The Nazi laughed. "No one is perfect! And now, neither am I. I was fast enough to save my life in the explosion, but my face is ruined!" he spat, then crouched... to pounce!

OOC You're in a 10' by 10' corridor running for about 50', and near the end of it, where a door leads out onto a walkway and down into the vehicle workshop. There are windows running along the corridor allowing viewing into the workshop, and they are only feet away from where you are stood. initiative is 7 good guys, 4 Nazi speedster. 2 frames. All yours.

CODENAME: ANYMAN

"This the guy that beat the crap out of my ... out of Capt. Steed," Anyman thought furiously to himself.

"I supposed that a zombie running around loose and infecting everyone doesn't bother you," Anyman said, switching to Adolph Hitler's face as he attacked. "Squash him, Gravity Girl!"

actions: Pound the living stuffing out of this guy and hope maybe him hitting Hitler's face will cause him to hesitate or pull punches.

ooc: I totally forgot what codename we gave her.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

OOC Action to shapeshift ... it does the job though...

The speedsters face fell as he saw the change in the man before him. "Heil... Hitler?" he said. Gravity Girl (OOC that will do as well as any) levelled her arms and increased the mans weight! Suddenly he groaned, sagging, as if each limb were weighed down with lead!

"What... hef... you ... done to ... me... woman?" he groaned. Even so, he sped up, gasping, and delivered a punch to Anymans jaw! (OOC Roll 18, hit, damage 7, reduced by dividers of 3. 2 whole damage, Htc. I shouldn't think you'd bother responding...Oh wait, he's increased mass. That's +10 damage, reduced by 3 dividers to 3 poitns. 5 in all. Same difference.) "Ha!" cried the Nazi, before he pulled a face, wringing his hand. "Gott in Himmel!" he cried. "Vas ist...?"

Gravity Girl piled on the pressure, and the man swooned... he blacked out! (OOC 4x Mass means check vs Ego or black out from Gs. Roll of 16 means he's out for the count...)

Gasping with the effort, she turned to Anyman and shuddered... "That face! Still... might open a few doors for us! What's next?" The Nazi on the floor was moaning. Presumably he'd wake up when GG left the area...

OOC Want to do anything with the Nazi or is it straight into the hanger for a vehicle of some kind? That fight was short and sweet, but I realised early that his speed wasn't going to be much challenge when he only does 2d6htc damage against your 3 dividers...

CODENAME: ANYMAN

Actions: If the fight hasn't been observed, make sure he stays unconscious for a long while. If possible, tie and gag him and put him the boot of a car or a closet or something to hide him away. Since neither of us is a pilot we need a motorcyle or car to get out of here.

Keep the Hitler disguise, shifting my body so I have the uniform he is seen in the newsreels in.

Head for the vehicles and steal one.

"Motorcycle with sidecar or a car, do you think," he asks Steed as he punches out the unconscious Nazi speedster.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

Seeing the Nazi dragged away and stashed - tied and gagged - into a storage locker, Steed dusts her hands off. For someone who took a heavy beating she's surprisingly upbeat. Indeed, the bruises seem to be changing colour already, suggesting that she healed faster than expected.

"The plane would leave us a sitting duck. Looks like a civilian aircraft. We'd be picked off in no time. The car? Maybe. It'd go further than the bike, but I think the bike would be easier to hide..."

=========

The hanger doors slid open from the inside...

What was a job for half a dozen burly workers was done by Anyman on his own, his incredible strength more than up to the job of rolling back the heavy sliding doors. Moments later the pair roared off on a motorcycle? "Where to?" shouted Steed, from behind a pair of sunglasses and with a scarf trailing behind her. She grinned and patted Anyman on the hand, settling back. "Surprise me!" she shouted.

Behind them, explosions continued to rock the old castle as the motorcycle and sidecar roared off down the dusty road...

=========

The Nazi Metahuman looked about...

Normal soldiers paled under the stare of those eyes from under the heavy hood and cloak he wore. He strode through the corridors of the castle, noting where the structure had been badly damaged. Turning to the officer now in charge he snarled. "You say one man did this?"

"Y-yes Herr Blutbild. His name was 'Anyman'." stammered the officer. Blutbild (The 'Blood Count' ) snarled, grasped the officer by the throat and dragged him towards the hood. The man barely had time to scream before there was a crunching sound and slurping. Then the officers body was tossed away. "Curse this sun!" snarled the man in the cloak and hood. "Since I took the serum and the treatment, my ability to withstand it has diminished by the hour... my thirst... " He turns to the other gathered officers who shuffled nervously, some reaching for their pistols. The Count grinned. "The base has been compromised. The British have sent out a warning we never heeded, and this... is the result..." he said as more plaster fell around. Fires were everywhere now, and a shambling monstrosity rounded the corner. It was a soldier, though with blue skin and rotting stench, all black eyes and a deep dark hunger!

Gunshots rang out as the officers tried to slow the thing - but that was all they did - it came on. The Count grinned, stepped up and snapped the things neck with a twist of his hand. Even then, it seemed to live on. As the horrified officers looked on, the burly figure grasped the zombie and grappled with it. There was a wet tearing sound, and he kicked the body, now headless, away. It still continued to thrash about, whilst the head, in the Counts hands, stared with baleful eyes.

That is, until the Count tossed it to the floor and crushed it under a booted heel. The body twitched, and lay silent. "This will be disastrous for morale. You were right to wake me. Very well. Send out serach parties. We have our own... special operatives ... who will track down this agent of theirs. And we have contacts in their government."

"Spies?" inquired one officer. The Count glared, making the man pale. "Get everyone out. Torch this place. Execute the villagers in the dwellings nearby and remove evidence that this place existed. In the meantime, I will entrust the hunting down of the agent to my assistant." The Officers turned to face a newcomer. Polished jackboots to the knees, jodhpurs, shortened jacket, shapely figure and beautiful face framed by dark lustrous hair and pale skin brought gasps from the officers gathered. When she smiled, the gasps silenced.

=========

Steed unfolded the map...

"If we stay on this road, it leads us deeper into Germany. Turning at the next major fork is an option, to get us to a port town eventually, but we'll have to refuel a few times before then. As it is..." she knocked on the tank. "The fuel is going down. And it's nightfall soon. You want to keep going, or find some place to hole up? A barn or village?" she asked.

All about, rolling pine covered hills provided ample shelter for airborne patrols, of which they'd seen a couple. It was a beautiful land, untouched as yet by war. That would change, and the ordinary people who just wanted to live their lives in peace would soon find it shattered, as would every major population centre the world over...

Somewhere out in the woods, there was a howl. Steed shuddered. "Sounded like a big wolf! Oh, listen to me! We can..." she smiled, wiggled her fingers. "What's the next move?"

Another howl answered her... This time it was closer.

CODENAME: ANYMAN

Somewhere out in the woods, there was a howl. Steed shuddered. "Sounded like a big wolf! Oh, listen to me! We can..." she smiled, wiggled her fingers. "What's the next move?"

Another howl answered her... This time it was closer.

"Damn," Muttered Allard as the wolf howled. "Listen, did you manage to get a message off to England? Do they know about the place we just destroyed? If not, we need to get back to England with that information plus what I managed to gather back at the castle. If we had time, I would have liked to think over the information I found and see if I spotted another place like this I can infiltrate and destroy."

"But I think we need to hit the neutral lowland countries and escape to England from there, assuming that is just a wolf on our tail and not something worse."

actions: IF Anyman did discover another place like the castle, he would like to go there but the information needs to get back to England as well. And I just know that's not a wolf on his tail so any plans Anyman makes will be after wolfie is taken care of.

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

"I was in the process of trying to get a message through, but even with our coded words there are obstacles in the way, questions to answer and so on to get through to Bletchley. Unfortunately I was going through the motions when my host kindly informed the authorities about my activity. He took my money in payment for using his radio, and the Nazis killed him for 'colluding with the enemy'. Serves him right." said Steed. "So I suppose we turn up at the fork ahead and go to the coast?"

Anyman thought for a moment. He knew there would be other installations - training points - like the castle he destroyed. Knowing full well what was going on there it was no mean feat he'd accomplished. The Nazis would redouble their security efforts however and be ready for a shapeshifter next time. Still, there was a way around any problem, especially for the worlds' first 'super-spy'.

He gunned the motorcycle whilst yellow eyes watched from deep within the trees. Allard and Steed never heard the howl, nor the ones that answered the call before the creature rose up on its hind legs and pounded through the woods faster than any man - or wolf - had a right to!

=========

Up at the fork Steed and Allard came across an old man having trouble with his truck ...

He was struggling to get his jack set up to change a wheel on his old battered truck, and his grand daughters, both of whom looked to be around seven or eight, shivered with the cold and handed their grandfather some tools. Allard would have to carefully make his way around the truck to continue with the motorcycle, but Steed patted him on the arm as they approached. "Should we help them?" she asked. Darkness was falling now, and the sun a distant memory behind the tree line. "I know we have the mission but it's cold out here and the old man looks like a pair of able hands would be appreciated right now. Maybe they in turn can provide somewhere to stay?"

Anyman glanced at the wooded hills all about. They were dark and shadowy, and it was hard to tell if something hid in their depths. The road had cut through the hills on either side having once been a river bed and covered to make a road. Now it seemed like a good place for an ambush. With some unease he looked back to the truck, and the two little girls shivering in the cold.

CODENAME: ANYMAN
LT. LANCE ALLARD

"Should we help them?" she asked. Darkness was falling now, and the sun a distant memory behind the tree line. "I know we have the mission but it's cold out here and the old man looks like a pair of able hands would be appreciated right now. Maybe they in turn can provide somewhere to stay?"

Anyman glanced at the wooded hills all about. They were dark and shadowy, and it was hard to tell if something hid in their depths. The road had cut through the hills on either side having once been a river bed and covered to make a road. Now it seemed like a good place for an ambush. With some unease he looked back to the truck, and the two little girls shivering in the cold.

"Maybe we can get some petrol from them as well," Anyman said, shifting his form to a less famous, less threatening form. "Have to come up with a reason why you are in a military motorcycle since you aren't in uniform."

He glances over at her.

"Newlyweds, perhaps," he says with a sly grin, "with a few days leave before I report back? Or a general's ... er ... mistress that I am delivering to his new headquarters?"

Codename: Anyman
Agent: Lance Allard

Emma frowned, then grinned at Anyman as he shifted into the less famous form of a common civilian (OOC I presume?). Giving him a playful shove she walked over to the truck, then called out in German "may we be of assistance?"

The old man, struggling with the jack for the truck on rugged ground, immediately turned at the voices and gasped as he saw the pair approaching. Fumbling in his jacket pocket he fished out an old pistol. "We have no valuables! Please... go... take yourselves elsewhere. We simply wish to leave this... country..." he said. His accented German told Anyman that he was perhaps not a German native. He'd heard tales of the Nazi regime rounding up those viewed as 'unsuitable' and those unfortunates disappearing without trace.

The old man looked about. "Look... please. We just wish to leave Germany. My grandchildren have already lost their parents... my son... we need to get away. I have some money... you can have it! Just please... don't hurt the children!"

Suddenly there was a deep and menacing growl from the trees around the road! And another on the other side! And yet another from deeper in the trees!

OOC ok, the... whatever they are... are nearly on you. The treelines are around 10m away on either side of the road and it's too dark to see beyond a few feet of the treeline. There is something there though... Over to you!

CODENAME: ANYMAN

Suddenly there was a deep and menacing growl from the trees around the road! And another on the other side! And yet another from deeper in the trees!

OOC ok, the... whatever they are... are nearly on you. The treelines are around 10m away on either side of the road and it's too dark to see beyond a few feet of the treeline. There is something there though... Over to you!.

"Get in the truck," Anyman yells. "Close the doors!"

He places himself with his back to the grill and waits, crouched, looking around for what was out there.