World War II - Kitten Issue #1

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

I don't think that they noticed me, Joanna thought as she waited for the other two rocket troopers to descend. Once they were down on the ground, it would be a lot easier for her to deal with them. If it wasn't for their untimely arrival, she might have had a chance to take the fallen trooper's weapon to see how it worked. It was one of the reasons why she insisted on rifle training after being recruited by DICE. The only other way that she could have reached the other two flying troopers was to strap on that rocket pack, but unfortunately that was included as part of DICE's training.

Joanna crouched in the darkness, waiting until they had their hands full with reviving their fellow soldier so that she could launch another surprise attack and take care of them quickly.

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Kitten appeared behind one of the Rocket Troopers at full size (grow into combat) and a solid punch to the back of the mans helmeted head sent him staggering forward, then to crash forwards in a heap! The other turned, pulling up his weapon (OOC modern submachinegun, UZI type) but the woman was too fast. The soldier pulled up the gun in time to avoid having his face flattened by a solid punch, but the gun shattered in his hands! In desperation he leapt at Kitten then mashed his controls! He rocketed into the air, Kittens slim form in his hands as the rocket soldier tried to gain enough altitude to drop his foe! Instead Kitten slammed a fist into the mans groin, then wriggled free to land in a roll (on her feet, naturally!) She watched as the spiralling fiery trail zipped through the darkness to explode on the side of a rocky outcropping! Something made Kitten turn, some ... inner sense? She ducked and rolled as a shadowy figure sped through the darkness, claws raking air where she'd been a second before!

She was around 10m from the cover of buildings and considered shrinking again - those 10m would seem like miles then! Still, she was fast, and strong... whatever it was that was attacking from the sky couldn't see her, could it?

She received an answer when a grenade came spinning out of the darkness to where she stood!

OOC Initiative and Kitten has 2 frames. A grenade is heading for her! She faces the Nazi metahuman, Night Owl. The Rocket troopers nearby are down or out

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Brendoone sent another one of his bat-men after me! was the first thought that came to mind as the shadowy winged figure soared over her head similar to the incident not that long ago at the train station and one that she was unlikely to forget. She was expecting for it to spit its fire down upon her. The grenade turned out to be a big surprise.

If she had been aware of it earlier, Kitten might have even able to catch it on the fly and toss it away.

Run! The voice of the young British girl shouted in her head, echoing the decision that she had already made on her own.

Joanna sprinted in the direction toward an object that would give her cover. With her ability to shrink, even a relatively smaller object could shield her -- or allow a deadly piece of shrapnel to cut her into two!

OOC: Running/Diving for cover, shrinking if needed, and hoping that the two frames that she has available gives her enough time to do so.

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

The Nazis aim was impeccable! The woman would be blown to smithereens! So the rocket trooper would die as well. He shrugged. Then the woman was gone. He blinked, and turned away as he hovered and the grenade went off!

She'd been there, then gone! Disappeared! fast? Yes! Something else? He scoured the darkness with eyes as keen as the animal from which he'd been named. An animal that could spot a mouse scurrying in darkness from a long way off....

=========

Hiding behind a rock Kitten risked a glance from behind it...

The snow continued to fall and it was hard to see anything in the darkness. Her foe was out there. Would it be best to break and run, or wait for him?

OOC Joanna escaped the grenade thanks to superhuman speed and her shrinking helped too. Currently hidden behind a foot high rock this game of cat and mouse continues.. but who is hunting whom? Over to you...

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Joanna flinched after the explosion. Although she wasn't hurt, it might take a while for that high-pitched ringing sound to clear from her ears and hear normally again.

The now tiny woman moved away from the rock. It had served its purpose and would not provide her much protection from a foe flying overhead. She could have negated that advantage by moving indoors to make them come in and drag her out (assuming that they could). However, Joanna couldn't be sure that Brendoone or the Nazis or whoever it was out there wouldn't do something drastic like set fire to the structure to drive her out. She couldn't take that chance of risking the lives of the townspeople like that after helping her upon her arrival.

If she wouldn't go inside, she could at least use the side of the building to cut off one of the directions that they could approach her. Joanna returned to her normal size and pressed her back up against the wall of the nearest building, looking upward instead of down the streets.

"Didn't Brendoone warn you that it wasn't going to be that easy after his last lackey failed him?!!" she shouted into the darkness. "Show yourself!"

OOC: Kitten will be trying to lure him in to see who is after her. She might need to go for that first rocket-trooper's weapon if her unseen attacker starts shooting at her.

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Night Owl twitched at the taunt. "Brendoone? Save your prattling woman! Or keep talking to hasten your doom!" he laughed. He swooped to land on the roof of a building, and scanned about, looking in the streets. The snow came down and he shivered. Why was a mere woman giving him so much trouble? What did she know about the operations in Scotland? It mattered not. With her out of the way, and any villagers silenced, the Nazis could continue to establish the underwater base and the mountain stronghold. The eventual plan, to set up a teleportation point where thousands of troops would stream triumphantly into the sky with rocket packs, would then seal Britains fate! They'd silenced enough Scottish nationalists to ensure they would go undisturbed - and no mere woman would stop them!

=========

Joanna looked up slowly...

There!

4m above her, perched on the edge of the roof she stood under the eves of, her foe! Dressed in a gaudy feather/leather get up, he looked rather like a dark giant owl. Or an idiot. No civilised person would make such a fool of themselves save at a fancy dress party! She glanced about. The streets were empty, but very soon villagers would stream from their homes to see what the ruckus was about - in this sleepy village Joanna was sure they wouldn't have grenades going off every day!

OOC Initiative 7 (including +2 bonus for surprise) for Kitten, 2 for the Nazi. 3 frames, but you're 4m underneath him. The wall is brick, fairly smooth. Climbing it would be tricky without claws or agility...

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

"Found you," Joanna said to herself quietly. "Now how do I get to you if you won't come down to me?"

The direct route of climbing up the wall didn't seem possible. She would need to find an alternate path to gain some altitude unless she wanted to be adventurous and test fly one of those rocket packs from the fallen troopers -- or make the Owlman think that's what she was going to do. She ran towards the downed soldiers hoping that she might lure him down from his perch and then try to hit him as he swoops down over her.

If he doesn't get close enough, maybe that gun will come in handy to show him that she means business.

OOC: I have no clear idea as to how she might be able to get to him in this round so we're trying this for now.

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Kitten bolted from cover and immediately dashed across the street towards where the downed trooper had been blown after the grenade had gone off. She heard a laugh and knew the Nazi had leapt from the roof to launch himself across the gap between herself and where he'd been waiting.

'Wait' she thought, heart pounding in her ears. 'Waaaait...'

The Nazi dived, speeding faster and faster... He held out razor sharp claws, ready to slash his panicking target... Closer... closer.. Yes!

He lashed out, and in the split second before he struck widened his eyes - she'd tur...

OOC He's diving in, completely committed... 1d20+3+6=22 Hit, 2d6+15=20 Htc, 1d20+3+6=25 hit, 2d6+15=24htc. Two solid hits. And the Nazi flew right into them...

Crack! Kitten spun as she clobbered the Nazi, sending him spinning past. in the blink of an eye she pulled up a knee.. SPLUT!

The Nazi slammed face first into her knee, smashing into the snow and sliding to crash into a wall. He twitched, pushed shaking hands underneath him and rose slowly... before slumping to the ground, face down.

Kitten rubbed her hand and grinned. Jogging over a quick check revealed he was alive... and a mess. His face was a ruin of blood and his pulped nose and mouth meant he was having trouble breathing. His life hung in the balance ... only Kitten could save him!

Joanna heard doors open... frightened people started wandering out into the snow. Most were dressed in night clothes, and looked, eyes wide, at the scene of battle in their village!

OOC over to you...

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

"Be careful! There are Nazi soldiers out here!" Joanna warned the villagers who dared to open their doors. "Does this town have a doctor? If so, please send him over to me."

The former nurse took a look at the damage that she was responsible for causing. Although she despised the Nazis for causing the death of her husband (her father...), she had to be better than they were and attempt to save their lives if possible. This one in particular must have been important to allow him to wear that strange costume. The War department would want to question him to see what secrets he might be able to provide or he may make a good bargaining chip if they were willing to exchange him in order to get their own captured operatives returned. None of that would be possible if he died out in the middle of the dark, snow-covered street.

"Keep breathing!" she ordered him as she tried her best to clear his respiratory passages from the blood.

OOC: Using her First Aid skill to do whatever she can to save his life

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Within minutes someone had set off in their truck to find the next village and the policeman that lived there. With help from the villagers, mostly burly farmer types, the Nazis were dragged indoors, and minutes later, having saved the metahumans life, Kitten dragged the costumed Nazi into the main room of the pub. The place was full by now and most couldn't help but gawk at the Nazis and what they wore, some looking at the brave young woman who'd brought them down, and others wondering what it meant. Had they been invaded? All that was left were the older men, the women and children. The men pulled out shotguns and pitchforks, the women handed out teas and blankets to those as needed, and the Nazis were trussed up tightly with rope, extra for the metahuman Kitten indicated. She could, at last, relax a little.

=========

Kitten awoke with a start...

It's been a long night, and she'd been watching the prisoners before dozing off. A quick glance at the clock revealed it'd been only minutes, but still... No. They were still there. Bandaged, trussed, stripped of weapons and anything they might use to escape, they were still there on the floor of the pub.

"We got here as quick as we could." said a Peeler, walking into the place. "We were at a village near Loch Ness when we got the call." He knelt near the metahuman Nazi, raised an eyebrow and muttered "You've done a number on this one ma'am. He doesn't look like he'll be bothering anyone for a while..."

=========

Through the course of the morning, matt black trucks arrived...

Though the people looked on in alarm, they were quickly reassured, even as soldiers in blue uniforms with a small DICE logo on the chest bundled out the back, all brandishing rifles and pistols. They quickly set to establishing a perimeter about the village, and a base of operations in the Village hall. Having showered and changed into a plain black suit, then given a coat to wear over the top to stop her from standing out, Jo looked down the street to see an expensive looking motor car pull up. General Forbes got out. The man looked like he'd not had much sleep, and had a scowl across his face. DICE agents in uniform and beret walked alongside, briefing him. He stopped at the pub, took his hat off and handed a coat to the next agent before stepping inside. The place was by now full of DICE agents availing themselves of the local facilities and Forbes himself ordered a pint, before moving to sit on the table where Jo was eating her breakfast. The Nazis had been taken to a secure location. "You've done it lass. That's it. That's all we needed. We've been having bother tracking the rest of your team mates, but you? You came through for us! We're even now sending troops to parachute onto the Faeroe islands, where a base has been reported by Frostbite, who has since disappeared.. whilst en route back from America of all places!"

Jo gaped - Frostbite had been sent North, how'd he gotten to the US?

"We've lost track of Anyman and Captain Steed, and the others? Damned if I know what's going on. You, my dear, have at least given us something to go at! We've also got a new operative called Silver Sentinel on the MIA list... I tell you, all of .. THIS! It's enough to give a man a heart attack! Give me a pistol and a bloody Gerry to shoot at, at leats one that can't ping bullets from their chest or breath fire or fly off... At least General Wynn has set to recruiting another team in case our primary team - you lot - can't be found. I tell you this Mrs Van Den Berg, I'm worried. The Nazis hold all the cards. Ours have been tossed in the air and who knows where they'll land? Anyway. We're heading to this mountain you described, and to Silver Sentinels last known location. We've also got a transport that can land in fields near here that could take you to be part of the Faroe Islands assault team. Your choice. You're the best weapon we have right now!"

OOC Moved Kitten along a fair bit with this one. If you want to decide where she's heading next (to the mountain retreat being constructed or the Faroe isles assault team) we'll wrap this issue and start a new one. The next issue will be shorter however, as I'm pulling as many of you together as I can for the big group game that's coming...

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

"You are either far too flattering or we are in worse trouble than I realized if I'm the best weapon still available," Joanna said as though exchanging an inside joke with General Forbes.

"If it's okay with you, I'll stay local and assist your men at the mountain," she offered. "They chased me away from there and I need to see what they were protecting." And figure out how they knew I was there, Joanna added in her thoughts. It might be important to know what to look out for on future operations.

"It's not that far away from here. If your men can take their underground base quickly and cleanly, there might be time to get me over to join the Faroe Islands assault."

Agent Joanna Van der Berg
Code Name: Kitten

Forbes nodded. "I'll pass the word onto the Faroes team. We'll resort to 'plan B' in that case and bomb any Nazi base from the air before parachuting our lads in. In the meantime get some rest for a couple of hours. We've commandeered the pub and its rooms so you'll not be disturbed. You'll be in charge of your own dedicated strike team. Oh, and another thing. I'm authorised to promote you. No use you trying to order Captains about when you're a Lieutenant. We'll do the proper ceremony clap trap back at base and the PM himself wants to meet all of you. Till then, congratulations Major Van Der Berg!" he said, saluting. There were no badges of rank for Joannas uniform though - none of those on the raid wore anything to identify them, save for a small DICE logo, though that in itself was a clue. The number of pips on the die itself signified rank within DICE.

=========

It was late afternoon when Joanna woke...

The knock on the door was followed by "Sir? I mean ma'am.. uh, Major? We're ready. Sir." Joanna smiled. She could imagine the soldiers discomfort outside the door. Within moments she was ready. They'd given her a tight black leather jumpsuit, dark face paint and any weapons or equipment she required. Truth told her fists delivered a bigger blow than any weapon they might hand out.

The soldier, also dressed in black, with submachine gun slung over his shoulder, guided Jo down the back stairs and to where a jeep waited. It was full of similarly attired soldiers who tried to keep their eyes off the sleek form of their commanding officer.

Forbes watched them go, knowing that one of their best assets was once again about to fling herself into the jaws of death!

=========

The half dozen jeeps parked up, the 23 men and one woman climbing out as the vehicles were covered with torn up bushes...

Night had fallen and the group had patiently moved through the forests and hills of the highlands towards the mountain retreat of the Nazis. Now they watched through binoculars to where the top of the mountain retreat was being carved out, that strange flying vehicle shaped like a saucer once more blasting some kind of heat ray into the mountainside. When it flew off the diminutive figures around the hole would spray water inside, cooling it steadily whilst steam rose into the night sky. Around the entrance the place had racks made from wood with bushes pinned to them. They would make a convincing screen to any onloookers, and the mountain retreat, once done, would be invisible!

"Look at that bloody thing!" hissed Trooper 19. Number one turned, snarling "Shut yer mouth! That's an order!" Jo glanced at them. No names, they were instead given numbers. Number 1 was her 1st officer, numbers 2-6 sub officers in charge of 3 men apiece who were numbered 7-22 and no. 23 was the medic/radio operator. In the five men groups the lowest number acted as a kind of sub leader, and the least experienced in that group had the highest number.

They were about a mile away, hidden in trees. A long hike and steady climb seemed to be the best way of getting up to the entrance and the camp there but maybe there was another way? Working round the mountain or looking for some entrance at its base...

=========

At the mountain camp itself...

"Where are they?" snarled the commandant. "this operation is vital to the war effort, and we are being undermined! We have lost one of the so called 'advisors' to the Fuhrer himself and now a team, including one of the much vaunted metahumans, had gone missing! And you tell me you can't find them?" he pulled a silenced pistol and shot the Lieutenant between the eyes, waving two soldiers over to drag the body away. With a sigh the commandant removed his hat and slumped into his chair. The strange alien and his other, human, advisers were gathered about in the tent. "I need options. The Britishers will be on their way. We can fend them off but once they realise what we are doing they will bomb this mountain from the map before the defences are in place!"

The Alien stepped forward. "It's time to go on the offensssive. Give the Britissssh sssssomething to think about while we continue our work..." The Commandant shuddered. "Our project has the utmost importance! Do what you need to do!"

The Alien nodded. He marched out and towards his own tent where he would make contact with his mother ship...

OOC to be continued in Kitten issue #2, posted up later on today...