World War II - Putty Issue #2

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

OOC Thanks for the reminder. I tend to forget that the Keep over the caves itself is a ruin, but it's easy to instead say Lord st Johns had a sympathetic replica built on the grounds nearby and tunnels to link it. Besides, the team teleported in if I recall. If you're ok with running the Great Uncle (probably of conscription age in WWII?) I'll let you know if/when something gets started up.

Anyman moved into the convenient hole the explosion had punched into the room beyond. It was an office of sorts, the walls lined with books and filing cabinets lined across the walls, whilst a great oak desk was smashed and lie in two pieces. There were a number of fires in the room, and thick black smoke billowed forth. The Sergeant yelled "We have to get these fires sorted out! In here, the place will go up and spread in no time!"

Anyman was distracted. Memories of somewhere else... a corridor, past a kitchen and a pantry, a stairwell leading down... down...

OOC fighting the fires or following his instincts? Anymans choice, but the next mortar won't be too long in coming...

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

Anyman was distracted. Memories of somewhere else... a corridor, past a kitchen and a pantry, a stairwell leading down... down...

"You take care of the fire, sergeant," Anyman orders. "I have something else that needs to be done."

actions: follow memory

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

Anyman blinked... the palace around him was grand and real one moment, then ghostlike, lying in ruins! He looked out past the smashed flattened walls to see London on fire! What in the...?

'London as was. As may still come to pass.' said a mysterious voice inside Allards' head.

He looked around again. He was stood in the kitchen. With a frown he reached over to grab a hunk of bread and chewed on it thoughtfully. Wrong turn obviously. He turned about, and stared again. Ruins, once more, but... he looked over at a wall. It shifted, back into the present. Pans hung from the ceiling and walls of all kinds and sizes. The kitchens were large and ...

POCK!

He heard the distant mortar launching and cursed the MPs for not getting there in time to stop it! The next shot would surely hit!

Looking about the kitchen he sighed and started to leave, then looked up. There! Behind the pans! A plaque of some kind? He brushed pans aside, then spat on his sleeve, polishing away dust and grime from the plain bronze plaque on the wall...

'regina sedeo in civitas hic' it read. The plaque was mounted on a bare painted brick wall. He frowned. What did it mean?

He had less than 1/2 a minute or so before the mortar struck!

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT CMDR LANCE ALLARD

Looking about the kitchen he sighed and started to leave, then looked up. There! Behind the pans! A plaque of some kind? He brushed pans aside, then spat on his sleeve, polishing away dust and grime from the plain bronze plaque on the wall...

'regina sedeo in civitas hic' it read. The plaque was mounted on a bare painted brick wall. He frowned. What did it mean?

He had less than 1/2 a minute or so before the mortar struck!.

"THIS QUEEN LIES IN STATE," Anyman translated the Latin phrase from his school years of Latin. "Or something close to that."

"She is in a block of ice, deep below," Putty says. "Try getting through the secret passage."

So Anyman prods, pushes and pulls and twists the plaque, trying to get it to budge.

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT CMDR LANCE ALLARD

Moving aside Pans and the like, Anyman concentrated his efforts on the plaque, pushing, pulling prodding and poking as best he could. He soon discovered that the letter 'o' swivelled on a pin revealing a keyhole behind. Using his skills as one of the worlds greatest master Locksmiths he looked about the kitchen, alighting on the cutlery drawer and with an application of super strength, shaping a fork to his requirements.

Leaning into the plaque he teased the fork tine in, turning this way and that as he listened for the tumblers dropping.

'Why not just smash the door in' growled a voice from within. 'All of this wastes time!'

CLICK! Apparently, not too much time as seconds later, the lock clicked and a door hissed slightly open, the whiff of stale air seeping past the outline of the concealed entrance. pans clattered as Anyman pulled it open, revealing a stairway into darkness that flickered with life as Victorian electricity powered lights at set intervals.

Anyman was suddenly aware of not being alone...



"I say old chap. Who the bloody blazes are you, eh? I should think some kind of jerry spy, eh?" said a man with an Eton educated accent. He held a gun with silencer attached and stood around 7m away, at the entrance of the kitchen. "What say you be a good fellow, and step away from the doorway, eh? No idea how you got in..." he fished into an inside pocket to produce a small brass key on a chain that looked like it'd been snapped. "But I'll be damned if you go any further! Those bandages will come in handy if I have to ventilate you, what?"

Anyman couldn't be sure, but there was the faintest smell of 'wet dog' coming from somewhere nearby.

"Now, back up, hands where I can see them and away from the pots and pans - wouldn't want you making a mess. Who are you, and how did you know about ..." he nodded towards the passage and steps leading down. "That place."

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

"I say old chap. Who the bloody blazes are you, eh? I should think some kind of jerry spy, eh?" said a man with an Eton educated accent. He held a gun with silencer attached and stood around 7m away, at the entrance of the kitchen. "What say you be a good fellow, and step away from the doorway, eh? No idea how you got in..." he fished into an inside pocket to produce a small brass key on a chain that looked like it'd been snapped. "But I'll be damned if you go any further! Those bandages will come in handy if I have to ventilate you, what?"

Anyman couldn't be sure, but there was the faintest smell of 'wet dog' coming from somewhere nearby.

"Now, back up, hands where I can see them and away from the pots and pans - wouldn't want you making a mess. Who are you, and how did you know about ..." he nodded towards the passage and steps leading down. "That place.".

"I know him," Putty says suddenly inside Anyman's head. "Let me take control of your body for a few minutes. I need to talk to him!"

"If I give you control, do I get my body back," Anyman asks outloud.

The man with the gun blinks.

"Are you talking to me," he asks. "Get your hands up! Don't try acting so balmy!"

"I've played a few balmy types in my career," Anyman quips as he puts his hands up.

"Yes, I will give you back your body," Putty says. "I know how much it means to you. I promise not to hurt it."

"Ok. Ok," Anyman says to his voice.

His body shifts a bit as Putty takes control and then he stretches.

"AHHH!!! That's nice," a different voice now says from Anyman's mouth as Putty takes over the vocal cords.

"You are never going to get your body back now," wheedles a third voice inside Anyman. "Now that he's in control and knows what to do, he probably won't give you back your body until he is done. Most likely after the war is either won or lost."

"That's not true," Putty snaps.

"Hello? Gun here," the man says, a bit confused at the strange way the bandaged man is talking.

"Sorry, just having an arguement with the voices in my head, James," Putty says. "More than one of us lives inside that body. Anyway, I'm called Putty and I've met you though you don't remember since it hasn't happened to you yet. You are James Peterson, loyal guard to Queen Victoria who is in that freezer a bit behind you."

"Lor' rub a duck," Anyman exclaims inside Putty's/his head at that bit of news.

"I come from a future where England lost the war. You sent myself and another on a quest to recover the Holy Grail. We did, used it to free England in the future and its powers to come back in time to prevent the Nazis and their future and demonic allies from winning this time."

"Say WHAT!?!?!?!?!?," Anyman yells. Putty winces at the yelling inside his head.

ooc: So now Putty's on the outside with all his memories and Lance is now a passenger inside his own body. For how long? who knows?

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

OOC You are thinking along the right lines but the clue is in the picture - look closer Besides that, James Peterson was the Queens Guard in the modern era - you're in that mans past.

"I .. am.. Peterson." said the man with the gun. "But my name is.. Archibald. You sir, appear to be deranged! What do you think you are doing, how did you know about that door and who are you working for?"

'Somethings coming' said a growling voice inside.

OOC Allard is stood with his back to the wall/now open hidden door. There are two doors into the kitchen, and this man who says he's Peterson is stood at one of them, 7m away. Something dark... and big ... is coming up behind him!

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

"I .. am.. Peterson." said the man with the gun. "But my name is.. Archibald. You sir, appear to be deranged! What do you think you are doing, how did you know about that door and who are you working for?"

'Somethings coming' said a growling voice inside.

OOC: I was thinking this is the younger version of the man Putty met since I thought staying where he was kept his aging slower. But his father or grand-father works just as well.

"I'm a time traveller using the body of a man from this time period," Putty said as he started to siddle to the side. "And there is something big coming up behind you!!"

With that, Putty dives towards the big thing, ignoring the gun since he is relatively bullet-proof, to try and grapple it.

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

The man raised his gun, but paused when hearing Anyman speak. As the bandaged man rushed past him, he seemed to consider his words.

The creature in the passageway roared! Hulking, yet supple and agile, it was brutish and an abomination - a mix between animal and man!

Allard stepped into the corridor, looking at the thing he faced. It looked for all the world like a tiger standing on its hind legs!

It roared... no! Something else did! More than one! Another one, coming up the corridor behind the Tiger man, but unable to get past because of the bulk of the first!

OOC intiative 1 Anyman, 7 bad guys... The Tiger-Man moves a frame and attacks with its remaining two frames... 1 hit (21 total) 16htk/4=4htk. I assume no response (which puts Allard on 54/58Htk)

"Interesting" shouted the man behind Allard. "You are from the future you say? And there's something big in the corridor? Yes, I know... I brought them with me. And I'm from the future too..."

Allard gaped. He'd been duped!

OOC Three shots with what appears to be a normal gun. Two hits, sonic blasts! Dividers reduced by 3, damage 9 and 16 htk! Any response? Allard has his four frames now. He has enemies in front... and behind him! (I did say the clue was in the picture. Take a look at the mans shoe... poor old Peterson may never come to pass seeing as his ancestor has been replaced by an imposter!)

CODENAME: ANYMAN/Putty
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

"Interesting" shouted the man behind Allard. "You are from the future you say? And there's something big in the corridor? Yes, I know... I brought them with me. And I'm from the future too..."

Allard gaped. He'd been duped!

OOC Three shots with what appears to be a normal gun. Two hits, sonic blasts! Dividers reduced by 3, damage 9 and 16 htk! Any response? Allard has his four frames now. He has enemies in front... and behind him! (I did say the clue was in the picture. Take a look at the mans shoe... poor old Peterson may never come to pass seeing as his ancestor has been replaced by an imposter!).

OOC: Thought that red blotch was a color highlight or something, not blood.

Thinking the man with the gun being more deadly, especially since those shots hurt, Putty curses to himself and turns and attacks him, punching away with all his might! He knows he is outnumbered but hopes he is not outclassed. He wished he had his stretching abilities right now, it would make the fight much easier.

CODENAME: ANYMAN/Putty
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

OOC Anyman is on 29/58htk - he uses a frame to move to 'Peterson' and delivers three punches...1d20+2+8=29, 2d6+15=21, 1d20+2+8=18, 2d6+15=25, 1d20+2+8=19, 2d6+15=23. All solid hits. Divided by 2 - your opponent is dodging.

Anyman delivered jarring, powerful shots to his foe! The mans face stretched with every impact, absorbing the powerful blows and reducing the damage he took, but something else was happening.

Putty almost pulled his last punch, and looked at his hand - the hand of Lance Allard, sharing a body with Putty and a Shadow Demon Prince. The moment his fist had made contact with the man posing as Peterson, he knew.

He knew...

"Father?"

His people aged differently from humans. He had no idea how long he would live, and had always thought himself human until the day his parents had died, in that dark future.



Shaken by the sound that rattled the pans and cutlery in the kitchen, there was a crash of bodies in the corridor as whatever it was behind the Tiger Man crashed into the striped behemoth! Putty glanced as the huge shape fell past him in a jumble of furred limbs! The second creature was a Wolf Man, and a glowing fist shone in the dark passageway. "Sorry to disobey orders Commander!" shouted Thunderclap "but I never been in this place, or even near, and I wanted a look. There's a guy out there, alive but knocked out. He...hey! He's in here, but what happened to his face?"

Allard/Putty looked at 'Peterson'. The face was oozing like wax now, becoming grey and liquid as the form was dropped... The P'utinarian looked up at the man who'd downed him. "Father? You are a human! But..." he rubbed his face where the fist had struck. "That felt...Heh. I AM from the future... at least it feels like it. This place... is in the stone age... I...uhhh... don't have... any ... children though..." He staggered, and struggled to rise, hands oozing into liquid...

Could this be some trick? Was this man really Puttys father? As Thunderclap started to come into the kitchen and the were creatures were getting to their feet, pacing around.

Suddenly another voice called out. "No vere ken you get reliable help. We give a chence for ze alien slimes to prove zemselves, and for ze lunatics animal abominations, and still zey cannot perform a simple tesk!"

A man 'faded' into view, whether because he'd been invisible or teleported in, Anyman couldn't tell.

He was across the kitchen , behind Anyman and between the Vanguardian and the now open doorway leading down to the Queens resting place!



"No metter. Zis men appears to know vot ve need! TAKE HIM!"

OOC So, we have Thunderclap and Anyman, the Ani-Men and the P'utinarian who Anyman believes is his father, , all within striking distance, then 5m away, the nazi appears near the doorway Anyman opened. They are after something, that's for sure, and Anyman is the only one who can foil their plans! Initiative - 1d10=9 Heroes, 1d10=1 Bad guys. The P'utinarian used all three frames to dodge. The Animen can attack (3 frames apiece) but the Wolfman is injured. The P'utinarian is stunned, also. The Nazi is unharmed. 4 frames. Anyman is on half his htk, Thunderclap is unharmed.

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD - CURRENTLY UNATTACHED PHYSICALLY TO HIS BODY

"No metter. Zis men appears to know vot ve need! TAKE HIM!"

OOC So, we have Thunderclap and Anyman, the Ani-Men and the P'utinarian who Anyman believes is his father, , all within striking distance, then 5m away, the nazi appears near the doorway Anyman opened. They are after something, that's for sure, and Anyman is the only one who can foil their plans! Initiative - 1d10=9 Heroes, 1d10=1 Bad guys. The P'utinarian used all three frames to dodge. The Animen can attack (3 frames apiece) but the Wolfman is injured. The P'utinarian is stunned, also. The Nazi is unharmed. 4 frames. Anyman is on half his htk, Thunderclap is unharmed..

"TAKE THE NAZI DOWN," Roars Putty. "Everyone else, including my father, is secondary. I won't let the Nazi win the war and kill my parents again! Not with my father somehow still alive! And watch who you call "alien slime", you Nazi scum! I'm a P'utinarian too!"


"Wow! A little overly dramatic there aren't you," Lance says inside Putty's ... er ... his head.

"Release me," says the other voice, "I will take care of this little man and his ... pets."

"NO!" both Lance and Putty shouts as Putty charges the Nazi and attacks with his fists.

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD - CURRENTLY UNATTACHED PHYSICALLY TO HIS BODY

Thunderclap shouted "Ha! A fight! Just what the doctor ordered!" and leapt at the injured Wolf Man! The Tiger man got up to defend its friend, whilst the nazi prepared to use his incredible powers on Anyman!

He didn't hesitate for a second!

OOC move 5m then 3, miss, 13, hit (22htc) 15, hit (24htc)

THUD! The Nazi slammed into the wall which cracked and splintered all about him! He dusted himself off, but otherwise seemed unharmed! "You are surprising me! I thought you a freak... you are a strong freak, mind!"

Allard/Puttys minds raced. He felt for the briefest of instances that the fist had connected not with the man, but with something an inch or so proud of the mans body! Some kind of protective field? The Nazi thrust a hand at Allard. Suddenly he felt something close in around him! Some kind of invisible cube, of force? The Nazi laughed. "I am going to crush you, stupid man!"

Thunderclap connected with a fist against the Wolf Mans head. BANG! it went off, rattling crockery and sending pans crashing to the floor! The Wolf Man went down! Thunderclap delivered an ordinary punch to the Tiger Man... who laughed at him! The snarling creature slashed at Thunderclap!

OOC Hit, 8htk damage, nigh on minimum! Hit, 15htk, getting serious, Hit, 8htk again. Total of 31htk, reduced by dividers to 10htk.

Thunderclap grunted as the claws scythed at him, but still managed to quip "Hey! This is a new costume! Do you know how much these things cost!" He looked down at the Wolf Man - who was now merely a man, and a naked one at that! He had purple bruises flowering on his face and chest where Thunderclap had struck! "Take a good look, weirdo! That'll be you when my Thunderclap comes back!"

Meanwhile the alien who Putty had identified as his father looked up. "He is.. one of my kind?" he muttered. Suddenly he stretched a hand out, oozing a tendril through gaps in tiles on the floor to come underneath the invisible cube surrounding Anyman, who pushed against it with his terrific strength (OOC it's a form of field manipulation) but found it closing in on him! Soon he would be compacted into a mulched cube!

Suddenly he felt the merest brush of contact with a tendril on the floor. Tracing it back he saw the stunned P'utinarian lying in a puddle but sending a lone tendril from his body to sneak under the force cube surrounding Anyman, and as it touched, memories flashed! Suddenly Anyman found he could stretch, and ooze like a puddle! The Nazi closed the box in with a "HA!" and a closing of the fist, only for the bottom - unsealed thanks to the slightly uneven floor - to splash outwards with grey ooze that quickly reformed into the shape of a man! Anyman looked at his hands, reforming, and at the tendril running from his father to his foot. Looking back at the thwarted Nazi he grinned behind the bandages. The Nazi wasn't smiling though!

"My fuhrer has demanded I secure one of the seven swords of Wayland, and our sources state it is here! I vill not be denied!" screamed the Nazi.

'The enemy has a field about him, something I have encountered before. There is only one way to defeat him - overload the field! KILL the Nazi!' yelled the snarling inner voice!


OOC Intiative 10, heroes, 1 bad guys. Thunderclap is out of energy. Only his vigour and tough skin will keep him in the fight. The WOlf Man is down, taken out by Thunderclap. The Tiger Man is unharmed. The Nazi is unharmed, thanks to his force field, and has been thwarted thanks to Anymans newly rediscovered (for as long as he keeps contact with his father) stretching power! Anyman is on 29/58htk, and you have 4 frames to act. Anywhere in the room is within striking distance now thanks to stretching, and whilst the last evade/dodge was free (from stretching) future evades will cost frames! Over to you...

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD/NAME UNKNOWN EVEN TO HIMSELF

"My fuhrer has demanded I secure one of the seven swords of Wayland, and our sources state it is here! I vill not be denied!" screamed the Nazi.

'The enemy has a field about him, something I have encountered before. There is only one way to defeat him - overload the field! KILL the Nazi!' yelled the snarling inner voice!


OOC Intiative 10, heroes, 1 bad guys. Thunderclap is out of energy. Only his vigour and tough skin will keep him in the fight. The WOlf Man is down, taken out by Thunderclap. The Tiger Man is unharmed. The Nazi is unharmed, thanks to his force field, and has been thwarted thanks to Anymans newly rediscovered (for as long as he keeps contact with his father) stretching power! Anyman is on 29/58htk, and you have 4 frames to act. Anywhere in the room is within striking distance now thanks to stretching, and whilst the last evade/dodge was free (from stretching) future evades will cost frames! Over to you....

"HAH! One pounding coming up," Putty yelled as he started to pound away at the Nazi. "Thunderclap! Grab the gun by my father. It can probably take down the Tiger Man!"

actions: all round punching away in Putty style!!!

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD - CURRENTLY UNATTACHED PHYSICALLY TO HIS BODY

Allard set to with a vengeance, slamming fist after fist into his foe.

'Do NOT hold back! You must kill this foe... or he will kill you!' growled the inner voice.

Suddenly Anyman felt a surge in his limbs, even beyond his superhuman strength!

KEEEERRRRRRRRRACCCKKKKK!!!!!!

The nazi cried out as the fist slammed into his shield, and energy shattered like glass before dissipating...

The next punch spun the Nazi about, into the wall. The tiles spiderwebbed in every direction with the impact, and Anyman laughed. Easily hoisting the Nazi up by the collar, he looked at the bloodied, battered face of the nazi and grinned. The Nazi, barely conscious, opened his eyes in terror!

Behind Anyman the Tiger Man had his hand around Thunderclaps throat, and the Justiciar pinned against a wall. Thunderclap had a kitchen knife embedded in the Tiger Mans shoulder, but bother had, effectively, stopped fighting, watching Anyman. "S-Sir?" stammered Thunderclap as the Tiger Man slowly released him. Thunderclap saw the hairs standing on the back of the creatures neck, glanced at the Knife, and dropped it with a clatter.

'You're welcome.' growled the inner voice. 'Now. Kill the nazi.' it ordered.

Thunderclap glanced at the gun on the floor near Anymans' 'father'. The thing looked like a shiny wet patch of grey ooze! he moved over, scooped up the gun, and looked at the Tiger Man. Despite the things wounds, it wasn't looking at Thunderclap at all. The fledgling hero turned, and pointed the gun at Anyman!

"What's happening sir? What... what are you doing?" he asked.

Anyman frowned. That's when he caught a reflection of himself in a silvered pan! his skin was dark red, hair a darker red still, and the horns on his head were as conspicuous as his furred lower half, with opposite jointed knees and cloven hoof feet! Anyman lifted a hand, slowly, looking at the back of it. It was muscled, and beneath the skin black blood pulsed in veins! He felt the power in those hands, in this body. He looked at the terrified Nazi, then drank in the mans terror! It was like nectar! A drug! So delicious! He felt the fear from Thunderclap and the Tiger Man...

"V-vat are you?" croaked the Nazi, still a foot off the floor and suspended by his throat. His face was turning blue! His feet started to wriggle and he started choking!

'KILL HIM!' snarled the inner voice...

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

Anyman frowned. That's when he caught a reflection of himself in a silvered pan! his skin was dark red, hair a darker red still, and the horns on his head were as conspicuous as his furred lower half, with opposite jointed knees and cloven hoof feet! Anyman lifted a hand, slowly, looking at the back of it. It was muscled, and beneath the skin black blood pulsed in veins! He felt the power in those hands, in this body. He looked at the terrified Nazi, then drank in the mans terror! It was like nectar! A drug! So delicious! He felt the fear from Thunderclap and the Tiger Man...

"V-vat are you?" croaked the Nazi, still a foot off the floor and suspended by his throat. His face was turning blue! His feet started to wriggle and he started choking!

'KILL HIM!' snarled the inner voice....

"What? How? I didn't summon you or your power," Putty sputtered, tryiing to regain control of Allard's form. "Help me, Anyman! Don't let him take control of us or the city is doomed!"

This was more important than telling Thunderclap what to do.

"It must be your father's doing," Allard says inside Putty's head. "His powers must be messing up our control of my body."

actions: Mental battle to regain control of body and choke the Nazi to unconsciousness, not death.

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD - CURRENTLY UNATTACHED PHYSICALLY TO HIS BODY

Thunderclap showed his inexperience by gaping when the 'demon' suddenly sprouted another body from its back, one that looked an awful lot like the alien lying in a puddle on the floor! Though the two were joined they seemed locked in battle, throwing punches at themselves!

The Tiger-Man saw the nazi dropped to the floor and turned on Thunderclap, ramming three inch claws into the Justiciar and hurling him across the room to crash into cupboards which collapsed with the impact!

Putty/Anyman/Shadow Demon battled for control. His strength seemed even greater than usual, and a stray punch smashed clean through a wall of the kitchen! The Nazi took his chance to leave and crawled to the stairway of the hidden door that Anyman had opened, followed quickly after by the Tiger-man.

Blow after thunderous blow landed on Anymans body thanks to the strange battle taking place! Soon the room started to reel about, and Anyman staggered back... the connection to the tendril belonging to his father was severed, and suddenly Anyman was himself, bandaged, battered and bruised, and kneeling on the floor. The hand and the rest of him were as they'd always been, and he no longer felt the influence of the demonic presence inside him!



Suddenly he heard running footsteps, and ceremonial dress guards with very unceremonial pistols charged into the kitchen , fanning out and aghast at the mess the place was in. As the guards spread out, another man came into the room, clutching a handkerchief to a swelling wound on his head, blood all over his suit and shirt. He looekd exactly as his father had done minutes before!

"What on earth is going on here?" demanded the newcomer. "Guards! Arrest this man!"

"Yes sir, Mr Peterson!" shouted one of the guards as he moved over to Anyman, stepping around the grey ooze puddle.

"Sir! There's a naked man over here!" shouted one of the guards. Another hollered from where the cupboards had collapsed. "Another one! In some kind of uniform?"

Sir Nathanial Thomas Peterson, Queens Guardian (OOC And Grandfather to James...), moved over to Anyman and pushed the barrel of his pistol under the heroes' chin as he was rising on unsteady legs. "Now listen up, freakshow. Unless I get some answers... and you tell me what you know of that..." he flicked his head towards the open stairwell "doorway, I'm going to spray your brains across that wall!"

He was serious! There was no give in the man, but Anyman felt his own strength returning after the exhausting battle to win control of himself. He surmised that having his having 'connect' with him had completely thrown the hierarchy of ego inside of him up in the air, and the Shadow Prince had seen his chance to take control! If he'd done as the Shadow Prince had bid... He shuddered at the thought!

"Sir! This one, in the uniform! He's injured, but getting up!"

Peterson looked to Anyman. "What's it to be? Herr Hitler send you on an errand did he?"

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

He was serious! There was no give in the man, but Anyman felt his own strength returning after the exhausting battle to win control of himself. He surmised that having his having 'connect' with him had completely thrown the hierarchy of ego inside of him up in the air, and the Shadow Prince had seen his chance to take control! If he'd done as the Shadow Prince had bid... He shuddered at the thought!

"Sir! This one, in the uniform! He's injured, but getting up!"

Peterson looked to Anyman. "What's it to be? Herr Hitler send you on an errand did he?".

"Listen, I don't have time for your nonsense," Anyman snarled, reaching for his ID card, back in control of his body. "I'm Anyman of DICE and two Nazis just went down that hidden passage. Two Nazis with powers. So get out of my way and let me do my job. And help Thunderclap there so he doesn't bleed to death.!"

With that, ignoring everyone else, Anyman went down the hidden stairs.

"Queen Victoria is down there on ice," Putty said inside his head. "Those Nazis find her, they will kill her!"

"Bloody Hell," Anyman said, picking up the pace.

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD - CURRENTLY UNATTACHED PHYSICALLY TO HIS BODY

Peterson gaped as he saw the I.D. "DICE? We're on the same side then! See to him!" he yelled at the guards now coming into the room. The man stepped up behind Anyman and pulled a stick from within his jacket. With a twist there was a SNICK and a silvered blade sprung from both ends, like a stilletto. Anyman noted there were some kind of runes etched into the wood, and the weapon looked old. "Damned if the Queen gets attacked on MY watch!"

As the pair descended down the stairs, taking several at a time and going deep under the palace, Peterson realised his mistake. "Ach! Shouldn't have mentioned the Queen! Still, I'm sure you can keep a secret! I'll explain if we get a chance afterwards!" Little did he know that Anymans' alter ego, Putty, knew plenty about the Queen!

Coming to a long corridor lit by occasional electric bulbs on the wall, Peterson hissed. "Look!" At the end of the corridor, some 20m away, the Nazi and the Tiger-Man were hard at work at the doorway. The Nazi was applying what seemed to be Putty around the door.

"What the deuce are they doing? It would take a stack of dynamite to make a dent in that door, and they'd bring the bloody roof down!" said Peterson. He was about to shout out, but saw the pair hadn't turned yet. Looking to Anyman he asked "how do you want to play this?"

OOC How indeed? The enemy hasn't seen you with their backs to you and applying what Putty knows to be plastic explosive to the door. The Vault may be too thick to blow but they may have another trick up their sleeve after the plastique has made a dent... unless Anyman makes a dent in them first!

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

"What the deuce are they doing? It would take a stack of dynamite to make a dent in that door, and they'd bring the bloody roof down!" said Peterson. He was about to shout out, but saw the pair hadn't turned yet. Looking to Anyman he asked "how do you want to play this?"

OOC How indeed? The enemy hasn't seen you with their backs to you and applying what Putty knows to be plastic explosive to the door. The Vault may be too thick to blow but they may have another trick up their sleeve after the plastique has made a dent... unless Anyman makes a dent in them first!

"Explosives," Anyman whispered. "You take the Wolfman."

With that, he launches himself at the Nazi with the force field, hoping that it isn't on all the time so he can take him out quick. If not, and it is up, he will have to just get down to a slugging match and hope he is the one standing at the end of it.

ooc: Plastic explosives were just coming into use about then. A message I sent to the OOC chat section mentioned how they were disguised for carrying purposes but most people didn't know about them.

CODENAME: ANYMAN/PUTTY
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD - CURRENTLY UNATTACHED PHYSICALLY TO HIS BODY

Anyman charges down the corridor, easily outrunning Peterson who is still almost as quick as an olympic athlete! As he gets closer he gets a bad feeling... the Nazi turns, and reaches into a satchel at his side, previously carried on his back. "Ah yes. Thank you mein friend..." he said, referring to the Tiger-Man who whirled, senses alive and sniffing. The Nazi tosses a cannister and Anyman closes down the distance... suddenly he throws up his other hand, and concentrating, gestures with his now free hand!

Anyman clatters into an invisible forcefield, causing the Nazi to grunt with the effort of holding him.

Peterson gasps, looking about. "What in the...? An invisible wall! In front and behind of us! How can he...?" he started, then looked at the cannister, now belching out green gas! Peterson started to choke, whilst Anyman knew even his superhuman body wouldn't last much longer if this area were sealed off with no fresh air to breathe!

'Call on my aid... I will... restrain myself as best I can' teased the inner voice.

The Tiger-Man fumbled with small green vials, pushing them into the plastique around the door. He cried out as one broke in his clumsy paws, and sizzling green liquid ate through the floor!

"Acid!" yelled Peterson, pounding with his fists ineffectually against the field. Even the dagger he carried simply bounced off! Clutching a handkerchief to his mouth he turned "Looks like this is it old chap! Damn you Nazi! DAMN YOU!"

OOC You have a force field in front and behind of you, sealing floor to ceiling, and are in an area where the cannister and the ominous green gas it belches will soon fill this death trap! Thanks for the heads up about the plastic explosive - a lot of the stuff the Nazis use is from the future, so will be more potent, but it's always a surprise when you find that much of the stuff we think of as 'modern' was around in one form or another in WWII. I suppose it's true when it's said that technology develops fastest in wartime, which is a bit sad really...

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

'Call on my aid... I will... restrain myself as best I can' teased the inner voice.

The Tiger-Man fumbled with small green vials, pushing them into the plastique around the door. He cried out as one broke in his clumsy paws, and sizzling green liquid ate through the floor!

"Acid!" yelled Peterson, pounding with his fists ineffectually against the field. Even the dagger he carried simply bounced off! Clutching a handkerchief to his mouth he turned "Looks like this is it old chap! Damn you Nazi! DAMN YOU!"

OOC You have a force field in front and behind of you, sealing floor to ceiling, and are in an area where the cannister and the ominous green gas it belches will soon fill this death trap! Thanks for the heads up about the plastic explosive - a lot of the stuff the Nazis use is from the future, so will be more potent, but it's always a surprise when you find that much of the stuff we think of as 'modern' was around in one form or another in WWII. I suppose it's true when it's said that technology develops fastest in wartime, which is a bit sad really....

OOC: Yeah, I was quite surprised to read an old Doc Savage story from before the war and Thermite was used in it. I thought it was developed in the 60s. Of course, good things also develop in war, like new medical technologies and procedures.

"No one is calling on your aid ... ever again," Putty snarls inside Anyman's head.

"Gonna be too dead to," Anyman mutters as he then tries to hold his breath.

Well, if the force field seems to be in front and behind, let's try pounding the ground and the ceiling and see if those are open for a way out.

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

Without pause Anyman hammered a fist into the floor. Immediately the force field extended to fill it, but the nazi cried out to the Tiger-man. "Hurry up! He is... he is smashing the stone floor! Who is zis madman?"

Peterson gaped as Anyman delivered another blow. "Bloody hell old boy, that's going to take a bit of fixing! been there since Victorian times don't ya know?" He looked up at the vault door. "Hurry up about it though." he added.

Anyman didn't let up. His terrific strength made short work of the floor, enough that the force field, being used to fill from floor to ceiling, dissipated!

The Tiger-Man sprang forwards!

OOC initiative 10, bad guys, 8 heroes. The Tiger-Man moves forward to meet Anyman and Peterson, the Nazi continues setting the acid in the charges. I assume Anyman lets rip four times at his foe... 3 hits, one (roll 5) miss. Tiger-Man attempts to dodge, fails all three 69htc.

SMACK! BANG!

The Tiger-Man reels, drunkenly trying to avoid a follow up as it's huge frame wobbles...

POW!

It's sent tumbling through the air to crash onto the floor and slide towards the feet of the Nazi.

Peterson moves forward and stabs with the strange dagger. Unable to raise a new force field in time the nazi cries out as the blade sinks into his shoulder (OOC 15htk from 3D6!)

"Arrrgh!" the metahuman cries. In response, he takes the vial of acid he's about to place on the vault door and tosses it at Peterson! At this range, he can hardly miss (OOC roll 18) and the man staggers back, acrid smoke pouring from his face as the vial shatters! Taking another acid vial, the Nazi turns to Anyman. "Another step closer and your friend loses more than his face!"

Anyman suddenly has visions of his own accident, and sees Peterson stagger about, the skin on his hands melting away and behind them, his face, no doubt a ruin! Another vial would kill him - could he get to the Nazi in time?

OOC Initiative - you have 1 frame and the Nazi has his four then. You are 6m away (can't find any reference I made to distance, so will take a frame to reach the Nazi). Around your feet are shards of concrete/rock, but picking them up will take a frame. Anyman may have some other plan in mind though?

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

"Arrrgh!" the metahuman cries. In response, he takes the vial of acid he's about to place on the vault door and tosses it at Peterson! At this range, he can hardly miss (OOC roll 18) and the man staggers back, acrid smoke pouring from his face as the vial shatters! Taking another acid vial, the Nazi turns to Anyman. "Another step closer and your friend loses more than his face!"

Anyman suddenly has visions of his own accident, and sees Peterson stagger about, the skin on his hands melting away and behind them, his face, no doubt a ruin! Another vial would kill him - could he get to the Nazi in time?

OOC Initiative - you have 1 frame and the Nazi has his four then. You are 6m away (can't find any reference I made to distance, so will take a frame to reach the Nazi). Around your feet are shards of concrete/rock, but picking them up will take a frame. Anyman may have some other plan in mind though?
.

"Dammit! No, not like me! Not like me," Anyman snarls, throwing himself, not at the Nazi but at Peterson with the intent to try to get as much of the acid off the man as possible.

Actions: Use himself as a human shield as he tries to aid Peterson.

ooc: You would hit a psychological trigger neither of us knew he had, wouldn't you!

CODENAME: ANYMAN
AGENT: LT. CMDR LANCE ALLARD

OOC must admit I wondered how Allard would react...

Anyman forgot about the Nazi, his attention focused on helping Peterson. The nightmare of what he'd been through flashed before his eyes in searing, painful detail, and he moved to help Peterson, who was gamely trying to not scream!

The Nazi cackled, turned to push more vials in the plastic explosive, then concentrated. A shimmering field formed around him, and Anyman could hear a beeping sound from somewhere out of view, behind the Nazi and coming from the vault door. "Goodbye, Freak!" hissed the Nazi. "The sword will be mine!"

OOC You have three frames. The door is 7m away, Nazi protected by a force field standing in between. Peterson is on the floor, writhing in agony, and something is beeping... faster... and louder!