World War II - The Vanguard Issue #2 (Crossover Silver Sentinel, Frostbite, Lionheart)

OOC: Is there any attack you can ready against a charge like a attack of op e.g. a clothes linner to knock an opponent prone? Just asking I dont mean to be awkward.

I saw Thor the other night, really quite good, true to the story mostly unlike x men (sorry I didnt mean to bring up bad memories Paul) and fairly 'grr' (the noise made when the film is kick ass-ish and rock music starts playing in your head {or is that just me}e.g. Iron man but not quite as good)

IC: Seeing the brutish alien enraged by his energy attack charging towards him unaware of his surroundings, Silver Sentinel braces himself, raises his left arm level with the greasy foe neck line in attempt to clothes line him and stop the alien in his tracks.

OOC: If this isnt do-able parry would be nice as my dogde proberly wont work. Whatever happens finish himoff with a few mighty punchs then see what in that panel he was in such a hurry to get to.

OOC I don't do this often - what I'm about to do, and try to avoid it, but getting bogged down in multiple foe fights is a play by post killer. Based on how the characters have been acting so far, I'll run this fight to it's logical conclusion as best I can so we can move on to non combat parts. That's probably superheroes comics best and worst strength. They usually have one fight scene in a book and without it you kind of feel short changed. That said, sometimes the fights drag on and on, and in a play by post superhero game it can drag for weeks. That in a way is why I'm wanting to explore other gaming systems with the Lore Knights tryout game and if we find one that really zips along, we adopt it for the Vanguard game. If not, we stick to GH rules and tweak them to suit us. I already touched on a '1 roll to hit and damage' and that would speed things up I believe, but several other areas of the game are broken too. Grade 1 speed adds +3 dodge. Great! Except when you run faster still at higher grades... you, uh, don't dodge any better. So someone with grade 1 speed is as good as someone with grade 3? Aside from running faster an extra grade of speed is nigh on useless in game terms, whereas in other game systems the speedsters are damn near impossible to tag, prompting thinking outside of the box to slow them down. Like a clotheline across an alley, three foot deep concrete etc. Every power needs looking at to tweak. Claws are useless. They should reduce dividers. That sort of thing. Anyway, back to the action.

Frostbite
Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot (the alien robot with Frostbites computer sentience inside it)

Having battered the alien he faced, Silver Sentinel saw it break from the melee to charge towards the plain panelled wall. What on earth? He ignited his boot jets for a second, then let gravity bring him down in front of the alien with his back to the oncoming foe, and stood slightly to left of it. Then he thrust out his arm at a right angle and held it solid with superhuman strength! THUD!

The alien 'clothes lined' on Silver Sentinels arm and went feet first into the air, completely flipping and crashing to the floor on its belly with a metallic CLANG! Dazed, it looked up, and about.

"Nighty night!" quipped Silver Sentinel, and he pulled back a metal fist!

=========

Frostbite wasn't having much luck against his foe, and used the last of his energy blasting at panels and walls!

Gritting his teeth he finally connected high on the aliens head, tipping it back and causing a split, oozing green blood into the things eyes! It paused to wipe blood from its vision, and the robot marched over, looming high above it!

Suddenly the alien pressed a button on its wrist gauntlet, then clamped a hand to the robots thigh!

The scene lit up as thousands of volts coursed through the robot, making it jerk and rattle!

Frostbite gaped, wondering what that would do to his computer, only to be answered with "Ahhhh! I needed that!"

The robot clamped a hand on the alien, hoisted it up by the head, then grabbed with the other arm. "Wait..." started Frostbite.

CRUNCH! The robot drops the twisted form of the alien and marches towards the Nazis, only to see they are on the floor, clutching their throats and turning blue! Frostbite himself feels the lack of air now, and his breathing becomes shorter!

=========

P'ertaria watched the aliens head to panels in the walls, touch the corner of one, and see it open to reveal a cupboard!

She turned, shouting over the din of alarm from the Nazis screaming to the others "There are breath masks on the walls! Touch a panel and grab one!" She snuck up behind the Alien, stretching and oozing like liquid, then slid up his back and yanked the mask from his face, covering the aliens head with her own body! It writhed and pulled, only to find P'ertaria was like elastic, and pulling only stretched her to twang back in a second later!

=========

Sentinel swung a fist down...

But the alien reacted first, slapping a device on his leg!

"GEEEEYYYYYYYARGGGGGGHHHHH!!!" screamed Silver Sentinel as thousands of volts coursed through his body! He was thrown back, and through sheer effort of will, pulled off the disk shaped hand sized device stuck to his leg! The infernal thing was still buzzing! He looked up... and got a face full of some kind of venom! The alien fired it like a snake from its mouth, splattering across Sentinels helmet! Frantically wiping it clear, and angry now, Sentinel marched towards the alien. The alien had pressed a panel on the wall, pulled out a breath mask and slipped it over its head! It turned, triumphant, only to double up as a fist rammed into its gut, then a chopping blow to the back of its head sent it down, and the mask flicked into the air, caught by a steel gauntleted hand! "Thanks" growled the Sentinel.

=========

Frostbite reached the wall with the robots help. The air was so thin now even he was gasping!

All the technicians were down, the Nazis were well out cold, and some of the alien warriors were crawling feebly towards the walls. Some had secured breath masks, and Frostbite secured his own, slipping it into place over his face and hearing a HISS of slightly odd smelling, but perfectly breathable air filled his lungs. He stood, turned, and saw the Sentinel clanking towards him.

Dropping down from the ceiling P'ertaria had her own breath mask on, and the group turned. Four alien warriors had secured breath masks and were walking towards the group, intent on battle!

Suddenly there was a crashing sound, as metal was rent asunder!

Everyone turned ...



First one, then two more creatures burst onto the bridge! They seemed unperturbed by the lack of air, and the Aliens gasped in alarm, fumbling for weapons and backing off to find cover!

The aliens looked about, then saw what they sought - prey!



OOC Ignore the dots for the most part - I can update but there might not have to be a battle (I think we've fought enough!) you are in I10 by the wall, Alien warriors in M10, these new biohazard creatures are coming through the wall at Q23, so you have time to react before they get there, and consider yourselves on full energy. Aside from the four alien warriors in armour, everyone in the Vanguard and the three Biohazards, the others are down and out, probably to die of asphyxiation before long!

Lionheart

Charged by the spirit of the Golden Lion inside him, and defending his former enemy turned unlikely ally, Lionheart watched as the blows came in, swayed out of reach of them, struck out with a fist, leg, swept with another leg and jammed out with the palm of his hand. The woman he struck at half spun, caught the blow on her shoulder and crashed to the floor. She instantly swept a leg out, Lionheart hopped over it and lashed out with a foot in her face! Pulling his foot back whilst still in the air he crunched into a ball and avoided a sweeping blow, landed in a crouch and launched a terrific uppercut that the other agent had no answer for!

She catapulted through the air to crash into a glass tube and lie dormant.

Bentham was over the other side of the room by now, and knew he didn't have many options left! "Curse you, King! I made you! You are MINE! You still will be... but on MY terms! The code in your body has mutated, grown... you are..." he pulled a face. "A nuisance!" With that he pressed a button on a belt device. Lionheart started forwards, only for the downed woman he'd struck moments before to snag his ankle with her grabbing hand, and send Lionheart face first in the green goop sliding through the mess of broken glass... as Bentham glowed bright white... and disappeared!

Lionheart cowled, turned. The agent was curled up, coughing and groaning. She would be no trouble, and the other? Lionheart winced, the gentleman in him averting his eyes at her unladylike pose. She'd live.

He moved over to Saladin, who coughed. "You are incredible! You have moved beyond any limits they programmed into us! I... ahhhh...." He cried out, clutching his chest!

Lionheart moved to his side, taking up his hand "They poked around inside me... removed something... something they needed a living courier to bring into the past! You have it, inside of you, but ... they could not foresee..." he coughed.

Agent King looked into the gaze of the man he'd hated, then come to respect - Saladin had his faults. He was cruel, malicious, merciless and single minded... but that was because the hierarchy at PSI Corps control had made him so! Now, he was dying!

"What can I do?" asked King. Suddenly his body started to glow, and he raised a hand, seeing energy around it... the energy started to surround his whole body, then extended around Saladin! It felt for all the world like he was drawing Saladin into himself! Saladin grinned "Yours is the power now, noble warrior. Use it wisely! You have my blood, now you have... my PSI!" he placed a hand gently on Lionhearts forehead... then sagged back...

Lionheart lay him down gently, then stood... every fibre of his being crackled and glittered, and he looked down on himself, fists clenched... Something had changed inside of him! He had been unique in the 2nd generation PSI corps, out of thousands of them, he, and only he, was empowered in a way no other had been! From the 1st generation, the man at his feet, Saladin, had been the unique one. Neither had asked for it, and their fates had been entwined from the start. First as enemies, then as reluctant allies, and now?

'Now we are one' said Saladins voice inside Lionhearts head. 'Your future is your own, young Richard, but first you have a duty. Bentham, Trowers and the others would mould the future to their liking, laying the seeds in this generation, in the here and now, for a vast empire spanning millennia! They must be stopped! The Allies lost World War II, as you know, but before then, we are one of a few who remember that the Nazis and their Axis allies were beaten! Somehow we must restore that timeline, and your friends in the Vanguard are key! At least now you can stand more as an equal amongst them!'

Barely conscious, the agent lying in the green ooze looked up at Lionheart. She seemed, despite her bruises and injuries, clearer of thought and purpose now. "Who.. who are you?" she whispered, through a fattened lip. "And who... where am I?" She looked at her hands. "What am I?" and around at the others, bodies littering the place.

OOC Lionheart has changed again. His final evolution into his 'higher form' is complete and I will be cooking up a new character sheet for him. He was the most powerful of the Vanguard, and is more so now, but the time is nearing when the others regain all of their powers and more besides - the Dark Power - so to be able to run with them he needs to be upgraded. He gets his upgrade first, so will for a time enjoy the status of being the most powerful human being on Planet Earth - until the others catch and pass him! Against the legions of evil that the Nazis and their allies bring though... will it be enough? Saladins body is dead. He is very much alive, inside of Lionheart though. The three cloned agents are alive, unconscious and slowly forming their own will and ideas about what to do, now that Bentham is out of range. Lionheart has a number of decisions to make - not least one whether to pursue Bentham (wherever he's gone) or go help his friends. And what about the cloned agents? Might there be some way of turning them to Lionhearts cause? Food for thought. I will move your questions/ideas into a separate GAME DISCUSSION thread in the OOC section as I've littered the I/C posts too much with my own ramblings.

The aliens looked about, then saw what they sought - prey!

"I hate party crashers" the sentinel quipped "with any luck they'll eat the crew and we'll finsh off whats left, not very heroic I know" he added turning his attention back to the alien warriors in power armour trying not to noice and fell sorry for the rest of the crew in the background struggling for air.

Knowing that these biohazard creatures were rapidly approaching from the direction of the lift Steve reached out with his aching mind, 'Shadow............. what do you know about these bio weapons? Do they have any weakness' my friend?'

OOC Ignore the dots for the most part - I can update but there might not have to be a battle (I think we've fought enough!) you are in I10 by the wall, Alien warriors in M10, these new biohazard creatures are coming through the wall at Q23, so you have time to react before they get there, and consider yourselves on full energy. Aside from the four alien warriors in armour, everyone in the Vanguard and the three Biohazards, the others are down and out, probably to die of asphyxiation before long! [/quote]

OOC: firstly love the fact that you jumped things forward. I have no problem with combat but as you say sometimes in a PBEM it works and at other times you have to be patient with that fact things just seem to drag a bit.

Anyway down to the action:

===============
Relieved to have gotten a mask on as the remaining air was syphoned off, Frostbite didn't like the look of the new creatures that now threatened them. He could tell that their look suggested that they were bread for one reason only - to kill. But what made it worse was that the Nazi's were actually seeking to employ such creatures for their purpose. Had they gained such arrogance or did they have so little regard for other sentient races?

Power had truly corrupted them.

"P'ertaria, do you know anything about this race, weaknesses or strengths, other than the fact they can operate within a vacuum?"

Turning to Silver Sentinel and the Robot, Frostbite said, "We've got to finish these things off quick, who knows is they have any kind of an '"off button". So make you shots count. We work as a team. P'ertaria see if you can find anything out about them from the ships computer of if we can get some kind of advantage against them."

With that Frostbite raised his hands so as to attack before they were set upon.

OOC:

Paul you didn't say whether we need to roll Initiative or not nor if we're going with the new rolls or not. So I'll just say up front I'm going for quick attacks, aiming at the closest and seeking to bring them down asap. I suggest we concentrate fire and try and used ranged attacks to get the lead guy and on that count that Sentinel gets over to where, me and Robot are, so we can aid one another.

If they get close I'll parry attacks, instead of dodging which is always dodgy for me anyway.

Sj

Lionheart

Admin wrote:OOC Lionheart has changed again. His final evolution into his 'higher form' is complete and I will be cooking up a new character sheet for him.

Whaoo is all I can say, I've loved playing Lionheart, because unlike Frostbite who was played as rolled, Lionheart has a greater synergy with his powers and attacks and it clearly shows in how he has been able to hold his own.

But now that he has changed, well that just opens up whole new possibilities and I have to say you're comments above about how to make higher grades mean more, is so good. I was so disappointed that with the New Rules coming out Simon has basically stayed right where the old rules currently are. I told him I think he needs to think more broadly but hey, he didn't agree so what can you do. Anyway I'm glad that you are changing it and bolting on the best of other systems if need be to do it.

Anyway...

=============

Admin wrote: The three cloned agents are alive, unconscious and slowly forming their own will and ideas about what to do, now that Bentham is out of range. Lionheart has a number of decisions to make - not least one whether to pursue Bentham (wherever he's gone) or go help his friends. And what about the cloned agents? Might there be some way of turning them to Lionhearts cause? Food for thought.

Lionheart took a moment to make Saladin's body comfortable. He felt it only right to show proper dignity to the dead. But truth be told, he felt especially sensitive in the light of his grief that he still felt over Beth.

"Its going to take some getting used to having me head crowded with two of you up there!" Lionheart said with mock gravity, secretly he found himself elated. They needed a break if this war was going to be turned around. "No fighting over who gets the remote, ok!"

Lionheart smiled to himself, it felt odd in the midst of hostile territory to be joking, but somehow more of his old self was coming to the fore, even though he himself seemed to be changing out of all recognition.

He desperately wanted to get Bentham, but he couldn't avoid the possibility that the Psi agents before him might well be useful to him. He wasn't sure if the could trust them, nor what weaknesses they might present if facing Bentham or indeed Trowers?

Lionheart scanned the woman - he sought to establish her motives, if this was going to go south, he wanted to make sure he knew about it.

[OOC: so I am trying to sense motive, intent or if this might in anyway be any kind of a hoax or dupe on her part. If it is she gets the Coup de grace and I move on. If not...]

Lionheart extended a hand. "I'm sorry, I make it a rule never to hit a woman. Unless I'm having my but kicked! We'd better find you something to wear. Bentham couldn't have gone far, unless he's got some kind escape ship. More importanly we need to secure this ship and make sure Bentham doesn't try and kill anyone else. How do you and your friends fancy take a shot at the man who'd have you be his puppet?"


Sj

Frostbite
Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot


Making jokes through the breath mask covering his face, Silver Sentinel consulted the inner power for guidance...

'These creatures are touched by shadow!' hissed the voice. 'They exist partially in this world, partially without! There is a dark hand at work here! If they were to get down to the surface of your planet, they would kill everything living sentient creature! The mortals do not know what they meddle with!'

Silver Sentinel looked at the creatures again. Somehow the things had adapted to the vacuum environment of the lift shaft without harm. What else might they adapt to? He glanced at the blasters set in his hands... 'You think right, mortal! Whomever created these abominations knew what they were doing! It is, perhaps, sheer chance that we have come across them before they can plunge your world into eternal darkness! Oh it would not happen overnight, but they would go to ground, preying on humanity, implanting seeds that are incubated by human hosts, and bursting forth as an infant, to grow into more of these things and begin the cycle anew! And when the screams of terror make a din so loud it drives men mad, then the Shadow Demons would find the gates opened to your reality, and flood forth with an invasion force to wipe out all life in this universe! The Great Darkness would consume all!'

Silver Sentinel shuddered. What the Nazis might have been told was another weapon to use in their arsenal against the Allied free peoples of Europe and the World would care nothing what it preyed on! In time, it would spread like a plague, so that humanity itself would be imperilled, not just the British, French and other Allied countries!

Frostbite, meanwhile, asked P'ertaria about the creatures. She replied "There's something strange about them. They are alien, but if you recall the Nazis words, they will adapt to any attack or environment! The Nazis are playing with forces they don't understand! Whoever gave these things to them wants planet Earth cleansed of human life!"

The robot could offer no suggestions, save "They are still invisible to my scanners. I can see them, but..."

Suddenly the lights went out!

The blue glow from the robots eyes gave some light, as did that from Silver Sentinels glowing palms, and the face masks had small uplights below the chin. It was hard to read P'ertarias emotions, but at a guess the others would say she was terrified!

The creatures were out there...

'Hisssss!' went the voice in Frostbite and Silver Sentinels' heads. (OOC Both can hear the following) 'The Shadow Demons are at work here! They created these creatures and gave them to the unwitting Nazi humans! If they are not stopped here and now, they will find a way to the planet below!' There was a pause, then 'We have conferred! Call on the Dark Power! It is the only way! They will adapt to your puny mortal attacks! Anything you can do, unless you kill them in one blow, will only be regenerated and ignored thereafter!'

The darkness was unnatural. The group could see the faintest of lights shining from the ceiling high above, but instead of being piercing, they were pinpricks, like stars!

Somewhere to the forward and the left there was a scratching sound, of claws on metal...

OOC As far as initiative goes, just declare actions and I'll sort that out. What you say and do is more important than blasting away with energy blasts or fists at the moment. These creatures were given as a gift to the Nazis by an agent of the Shadow Demons. Little do the Nazis know they are as much on the menu as anyone else!

Lionheart

Alarms continued to wail around the lab. Lights flashed, and the dripping of green ooze around Lionheart didn't do much to disturb him as he reverentially laid the broken form of Saladin to rest. His body was dead, thanks to the intrusive surgery to remove the device inside of him. Lionheart knew something similar was in him to, but rather than a mechanical device, it was biological, grown along with him. It had mutated far beyond the original plan thanks to Saladins' blood, and now? He was something else entirely!

He knew Trowers and Bentham would be after him. Let them come! The Lion would, in turn, hunt them!

He turned to the bruised young woman and opened his mind, probing, reaching out.

FLASH!

He saw images of Bentham, working away in the lab, trying to recreate the device he'd hidden in Saladin to implant in the new clones! All was seen through the green blur of the tube, and the bubbling liquid.

FLASH!

Implanted knowledge, of language, history, combat tactics and manoeuvres, art, science, literature, all tools to give a lifetime and wealth of knowledge to an adult who had never breathed air in her artificially accelerate 23 years of life!

Lionheart blinked. There was parallels to be drawn with his own, life, save he was trained from the age of 5 having being brought up in a test tube before then. Little did he know he'd been marked out as special, and he remembered all the times he'd been punished for misdemeanour's. It felt like he'd been picked on at the time. How wrong his was! Transgressions by the other agents had resulted in them being mindwiped! For him, there'd been menial duties, extra study, mind numbing paperwork and guard duty... He'd been watched all his life, marked as special, the grand experiment... and then the series of staged events that saw the rogue Saladin use a time machine to go into the past, and the 'screw up' Lionheart chosen to go after him, on the most important mission of their time, to stop a supposed terrorist from changing the past!

He looked again to the girl.

FLASH!

Obedience training, to obey Trowers and Bentham. Executive order 666, a code to override all other directives and slay everyone else in the vicinity by any means possible! How many other hidden orders were in there? These agents were ticking time bombs, possessed of superhuman strength and agility, training to make them superb killers without even knowing it! He wondered then if Bentham had planned in some way to infiltrate the British Government with these agents. The British would think they'd gotten hold of a new batch of superheroes, a tool to wage war against the Nazi scourge, only for them to 'turn' and wipe out the hierarchy, plunging Britain into chaos at any moment! Lionheart envisaged an agent being honoured by the King, only to step up and strike out at the monarch, then grab up a gun and slay all the other royals in attendance!

He shuddered, narrowed his eyes, and concentrated.

The woman cried out, eyes wide, then looked at Lionheart. Executive Order 666 was gone from her at least. There might be others to sizzle from her mind, but right now that one would not, could not be actioned. He turned to the other two surviving agents and touched their minds in the specific point required to blank out that command. Both shuddered then lay still, unconscious.

He desperately wanted to get Bentham, but he couldn't avoid the possibility that the Psi agents before him might well be useful to him. He wasn't sure if the could trust them, nor what weaknesses they might present if facing Bentham or indeed Trowers?

Lionheart scanned the woman - he sought to establish her motives, if this was going to go south, he wanted to make sure he knew about it.

She was innocent, a blank slate! Bentham had not had time to properly implement his brainwashing and total obedience training! Instead they'd obeyed his basics commands, but now, with every passing moment, they were their own person. It was a dangerous time for them - without the right guidance they might easily choose the Nazis side instead of the Allies! They were without fear, expectation, prejudice or ambition. Lionheart envied them in a way, but knew all that would come soon enough regardless. Humanity would see to that - it's warlike nature, the powerful base emotions, Wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony, would influence and corrupt them, if they were not tutored correctly!

Lionheart felt uneasy. Not a natural leader, he felt, more than ever, the weight of expectation and responsibility on him. Nonetheless, he reached over to discarded white coat, and draped it around the young woman, extended a hand. "I'm sorry, I make it a rule never to hit a woman. Unless I'm having my butt kicked! We'd better find you something more suitable to wear. Bentham couldn't have gone far, unless he's got some kind escape ship. More importantly we need to secure this ship and make sure Bentham doesn't try and kill anyone else. How do you and your friends fancy take a shot at the man who'd have you be his puppet?"

The girl, Agent Lara Johnson, codename Boudica, after then warrior Queen of ancient times, looked up into Lionhearts eyes. "I will... follow you." she decided. Looking around at the sparking machines and flickering lights, the dead clones and smashed remains of the tubes they were grown in, she added, "But I do not know what the future holds for me."

Lionheart saw the other two stir, then looked back at the young woman. Bentham was almost superhuman in his ability to predict and outwit him. The man was as slippery as an eel! Somehow Lionheart knew that his own future held another meeting with the man, and Trowers, and any others from the future. There would be a reckoning.

OOC Consider the other two to be converts to your cause as well. I will cook up stats for them and for Lionheart in the next day - he now has the choice of whether to try and find out where Bentham has gone, or go find his friends. There's the small matter of a Lunarium bomb on the lowest floor of the ship too...

Somewhere to the forward and the left there was a scratching sound, of claws on metal...
but Steve Jenson was miles away in his confused head once more

"Can ........ can you hear the shadow too? Steve asked frostbite.
"Does that mean your powers werent 'manufactured' in the future? he continued before frostbite could reply.
Then with a shake of his head.
"Sorry I know we dont have time for this, I just thought I was begining to understand everything again."

Steve turned and looked to nothing in particular and said outloud, "Shadvarnazzi is there nothing we could do with out calling on the power, you said before it would be a strain on our bodies? What if we flushed there into space so they'd burn up on re-entry?

Frostbite
Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot

Admin wrote:'The Shadow Demons are at work here!...We have conferred! Call on the Dark Power! It is the only way! They will adapt to your puny mortal attacks! Anything you can do, unless you kill them in one blow, will only be regenerated and ignored thereafter!'

As much as it pained Frostbite to agree with the passenger he had on board at the same time, his own limited understanding and more importantly his own instincts could tell that this was an alien species unlike anything he'd encountered before. Something about them smote him to the core, something so very twisted and vile, he knew that even the Shadow prince was impressed and mindful of the present danger.

Deep within himself he knew that any use of the dark power would always result in a cost further down the line. But their whole mission had been put in jeopardy, there was still so much to do, and so little time to do it.

The darkness was unnatural. The group could see the faintest of lights shining from the ceiling high above, but instead of being piercing, they were pinpricks, like stars!

That clinched it both men, who now shared the one body otherwise known as Frostbite agreed and sent that agreement to one another at to their brother, in Sentinel's body. Frostbite spoke to warn the others quickly, "We're have no choice but to seek aid from our companions. We will do all within our power to protect you and the ship, but do not interfere. Your very lives may depend on it."

Within himself Joe began to lower the barriers, he had instinctively placed with the help of the other Joe, who had much more in the way of dealings with the Shadow Princes than he. And then he waited for the Shadow Prince to have his way.

OOC:

Ok I can see that writing on the wall, its better to get on with this and take this aliens out whilst we still have the chance. Clearly this is going to be a moment when almost unstoppable meets the immovable.

Sj

Lionheart

Admin wrote:
Lionheart saw the other two stir, then looked back at the young woman. Bentham was almost superhuman in his ability to predict and outwit him. The man was as slippery as an eel! Somehow Lionheart knew that his own future held another meeting with the man, and Trowers, and any others from the future. There would be a reckoning.

Much as it pained Lionheart he knew he couldn't yet chance these new recruits being overpowered by some slippery trick of Bentham's. Despite his desire to revenge himself, he new that the Lunarium in the hold held a greater possibility in forging a lasting peace with the P'utinarians and at the same time, left unchecked a greater threat to all.

Lionheart helped the other two Psi agents and after introducing himself, by posing as their senior officer, he continued. "Now agents, this is not a simulation. I know you have questions, but they'll have to wait. You've been prepared for a time like this in which your powers and training are to be used for the good of mankind, in stopping the Axis of evil. We are aboard this ship, on an infiltration mission. Our objective is to defuse a highly dangerous bomb, below and protect our fellow agents aboard this ship."

Making sure they understood, Lionheart, having secured clothes for each of them, let them take point whilst he watched them in motion. He wanted to get a feel for how they worked together and it gave him time to think as they went further into the unknown bowls of this ship.

OOC:

Ok so now we know that the agents can be trusted as little more, we'll seek to move further into the ship to find where this bomb might be kept. Anything they might know we'll try and use, otherwise we'll see if we can hack the computers and what not or just use whatever evidence, we can find from what is to be found around us.

Sj

Frostbite
Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot


Silver Sentinel spoke inwardly to his significant 'other', who replied. 'These creatures are strange. Unique. Ne'er have I seen or heard of creatures other than humans that can play host to our kind, but that must be what you face here! How else could the thing adapt to every environment, becoming the perfect killing machine? What's worse is that the stronger the attack that it is able to survive, the more powerful it's defences become! The usurpers must be watching their creatures with interest, even now! I wonder... did they know we would come here, and if so... what do they think will become of us? That we will submit, or fall to these fiends? I say to thee... NAY!'

Silver Sentinel shuddered. Power coursed through his limbs, such power as to be painful even to his superhuman frame! 'Ahhh... my anger threatens to be our undoing! Forgive me, mortal. I will... attempt restraint! By all means defeat them as you will, but know that any attempt you make that fails makes the creatures that much stronger!'

Silver Sentinel shone with blue fire and looked through the darkness to his companions. P'ertaria was shocked, the robot was scanning the Vanguardian with all its senses, and Frostbite?

He shone with the same fire!

The Sentinel considered his plan. If the creatures somehow survived the fall to Earth, they would be nigh on invincible!

=========

'You are right to call on us brother!' rasped the inner voice. 'We thought you cowardly before, but now we see the wisdom of your actions.'

Frostbite heard the voice in his head and could allow himself some small measure of satisfaction. He knew full well the cost of using the power inside him, and it seemed the creature had too. That admission from the Shadow Prince was probably the nearest Frostbite would get to an apology he figured. He felt strength flood him, and struggled to keep the cold emanating from his body to a minimum! No longer needing a mask for breathing in the airless vacuum of the Bridge, he turned to look through the darkness at the Alien Warriors they'd battled with only moments before. It was clear they no longer knew what to fear - and rightly so! With a grim face Frostbite turned to the oncoming Shadow Fiends, readying himself for battle!

=========

Elsewhere, across the cosmos...

OOC All of this is translated from an alien tongue...

The being stirred. Composed of living energy and held in a humanoid form that could only barely be described as human like, it looked up, and outwards to the blackness of space. This planet was dying, its core energy being drained by the great Devourer, his master and a great universal power in its own right! As the planet was shaken by enormous earthquakes, and volcanoes jutted from once verdant jungles, the lifeforms therein ran fruitlessly away knowing all the while in their primitive minds their fates were sealed. The sparking energy form of the herald flashed across the skies, one of a dozen powerful varied creatures serving the great celestial entity in its endless quest to sate its hunger!

Coming near what had been a vast forest, now a widening pit boring into the core of the planet, the being looked down upon the huge form of its master, a 1000' high leviathan wearing a containment suit that resembled armour. The more intelligent of the worlds sentient beings attacked en masse, diving in flying machines and blazing away with weapons that didn't even mark the surface of his masters form. He ignored them, and soared downwards, coming under fire himself. Turning, he thrust out an arm and a beam shot out, slicing through half a dozen vessels at once! Turning back to the head of his master, he spoke out. "Great one! Did you feel that? There are powers in the universe that fair rival your own! Once more that challenge rings out across the cosmos, a place where beings of omniversal power gather! I say you this - let us venture forth and seek out these powers! Even one would sate your lust for months, maybe longer, and give peoples such as those who attack us in vain a longer lease of life! We surely would not be the only Galactic power interested in that obscure corner of the Universe! I hear whisperings, words spoken where I and my fellow heralds gather amongst equals, that the place is some site of cosmic importance! Indeed, that alien empires are sending their own agents to investigate! Would you stand by and let others claim the power that should be yours by right, great Devourer?"

The colossal being paused it's blasting of rock with an energy beam emitting from its visor slit, and turned its head slowly, its gaze momentarily falling on one of its heralds before looking to the stars. For a time it looked upwards.. then started to float from the pit, rocks and rubble raining down from its form!

The herald glanced at the rejoicing natives falling to their knees and wondered whether it had saved this planet... or condemned it and a million others to a fate worse than death by redirecting its masters intentions!

End of interlude...

OOC You wield the dark power. Consider your use of power carefully. You can use up to 50 dice of energy attack in an action, or attack with +100 damage bonus. Any power you wish to use is in your grasp at its highest possible rank and a bit besides. Remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction... Frostbite has seen the effects of cutting loose with the Dark power (*boom*) but for Silver Sentinel, it's new. You face Shadow Fiends, empowered by your enemies in the Shadow Realm who make the dreams and schemes of Hitler seem like a childs game as they play on a far larger board...

Lionheart

Lionheart watched the agents glance, confused, at one another, then their training and discipline kicked in. Each moved to a panel on the walls to eject a breath mask, then moved to the computers. They paused before tentatively prodding a few controls, then got faster as their brains adapted to language the alien machiens used, until their hands were fair dancing over the consoles!

Agent King turned to walk to the walls and secure a breath mask himself, then paused. He looked up, and about.

'What in the name of...' said Saladin inside him. 'What is THAT?'

Lionheart shuddered and looked up. Frostbite and Silver Sentinel had accessed that dark mysterious force in each of them that could mean ultimate victory - or destruction for all of them! He looked to the floor, where the engine room and that Lunarium bomb lay below his feet. If the others used their power to its utmost, might they then set that bomb off?

One of the Agents, the man named Spartan, turned. "Commander!" he barked. "According to these readings... there is a bomb in the hold, and it has been activated on a countdown! Furthermore, someone has sabotaged the engines! They are heading for a fusion core breach!"

Lionheart gaped! What could be worse? The bomb going off, the fusion core going nova, or the two Vanguardians playing god above? He sensed the enemies they faced, and shrank back knowing that they were no earthly creatures, but something touched by an evil so dark and powerful to stare upon it would render him mad! It was only then that he realised his range of the PSI powers he wielded had improved dramatically! Despite the danger around him, he reached out... He could sense the Nazis on the moon! He sensed another spacecraft in orbit of the Earth, and on the far side of the moon, a space station under construction! Further afield... to the edge of the solar system! The P'utinarian world ship, long marooned without the precious Lunarium that would see them able to break the ties and the evil partnership they'd been forced into by the Nazis! What was happening to him?

'Forget that!' reminded Saladin 'It's what's going to happen to US that you should worry about!'

OOC I was going to write out the stats in the GH rules, but realise I'd have to fudge/make up various stuff so am considering putting them in the DC Rules. I'll have a think, but consider for the moment all of Lionhearts powers up by a grade at least, and some by more than anything the GH rules measure!

Frostbite
Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot


OOC: Great interlude Paul you're writing and plotting and the dilema's you been putting us in keep getting more twisted and I sit here reading this with a big grin creeping across my face as I read it. Thinking on the one hand this is great to read, but on the other hand what are we going to do to counter it! As a DM you've been teaching me a lot about having a plan up your sleeve to constantly give meaningful choices. Great stuff mate.
=================

Admin wrote:OOC You wield the dark power. Consider your use of power carefully. You can use up to 50 dice of energy attack in an action, or attack with +100 damage bonus. Remember that every action has an equal and opposite reaction... You face Shadow Fiends, empowered by your enemies in the Shadow Realm who make the dreams and schemes of Hitler seem like a childs game as they play on a far larger board...[/i]

"Sentinel" Intoned the now empowered Frostbite to Silver Sentinel in his mind, where the others need not listen, "We must be decisive, but we must also be measured, this power is so great it is very easy to tear everything and everyone limb from limb. Consider our mission at hand and focus on that goal. Do not let yourself be carried away. These creatures, we must attack them differently so that no one of them falls by the same method."

OOC: This next part might be a bit fanciful but I thought when do I get to use power in a responsible way. If this is a no no, just say so. But I believe unless we change tactics, a bit like when Star Trek fights the Borg, they will adapt and as you say be stronger having survived it.

With that Frostbite teleported to where the first alien was, grabbed him and teleported him in a blink of an eye. Moments later, across the vastness of space, the creatures was thrown into the heart of the Sun. And then quicker than could be believed Frostbite was back again.

Frostbite then shows Sentinal a picture in his mind of how he might proceed from there, being decisive but focused and controlled.

OOC: Ross I'm not going to say what you should do but in character assume I've suggested something that you can then decide for yourself what to do. Atomise them with field manipulation or transmute them to gas, or just vaporise them etc. I hope this is ok with you Paul, I won't be offended if you want to suggest or stop where we're going with this.

As Sentinel focused on the second alien, Frostbite then considered his options with the final one. Since the creature seemed immune to hostile environments it seemed best to him to complicate matters at once. From one hand a glowing sword of energy flashed from his hand as he swept it forward, it lanced out at the alien, its combined frost and fire energy. One form of energy it might be able to resist but two would surely overwhelm its defences?

OOC: ok assuming we've dispatched the aliens, we need to contact Lionheart and found out what is going on in the rest of the ship. And take care of final business up here.

Sj

Lionheart

Admin wrote:'What in the name of...' said Saladin inside him. 'What is THAT?' Lionheart shuddered and looked up. Frostbite and Silver Sentinel had accessed that dark mysterious force in each of them that could mean ultimate victory - or destruction for all of them!

"O Oh!" Was all that slipped out through Lionheart's grim smile, as he considered what had just happened. He was aware this 'new' Joe had the experience of the old one and he had to hope and pray it would be enough to not let loose. He saw how Putty seemed haunted by his use of the Dark power in previous times.

Admin wrote:'Forget that!' reminded Saladin 'It's what's going to happen to US that you should worry about!'

Lionheart nodded, having Saladin beside him was one thing, but having him bark orders at him was another. But right then, Lionheart had bigger things to think about, so he let it go.

Admin wrote:One of the Agents, the man named Spartan, turned. "Commander!" he barked. "According to these readings... there is a bomb in the hold, and it has been activated on a countdown! Furthermore, someone has sabotaged the engines! They are heading for a fusion core breach!"

"Can you access the controls from here to deactivate the engines?"

OOC: If its a no then I am going to suggest Spartan and one of the other females goes to sort out the engines from below whilst I and one of the other females goes for the Lunarium bomb. I'd like to flash that information up to Frostbite and Silver Sentinel so they know what is going on.

Turning back to the others as he considered his options. Lionheart said, "I don't need to tell you agents that considering the way things have been left the our enemy may have laid some nasty surprises along the way. So be careful and we'll get to toast our victory back in HQ when all's said and done."

With that Lionheart proceeding to move to their designated objectives.

OOC:
If poss I'd like to link us with Psi to keep in communication. Don't trust the on board facilities. And keep alert for nasty ambushes, traps or other surprises along the way.

Admin wrote:OOC I was going to write out the stats in the GH rules, but realise I'd have to fudge/make up various stuff so am considering putting them in the DC Rules. I'll have a think, but consider for the moment all of Lionhearts powers up by a grade at least, and some by more than anything the GH rules measure!

That is fine with me, I guess it just matters when coming into combat, either tell me what to roll, or I'll tell you want to do and you can arbitrate.

Sj

OOC: So can I choose a new power/up grade a new one through the dark power?
I would like to up grade my metal morphing, maybe reducing the time to form the armour and increasing my effect of metal objects.

IC: Puzzled of what to do with the dark power that he embraced the silver sentinel just looked at the oncoming 'indestructible' creature and froze but suddenly, like a wash of raw energy hitting him causing all his weary muscles to tence, instinctiffly forcing his glowing palms together like two like poles of a magnet. Blinding white light struck all metal objects in the near area, hoovering them all together in a maelstrom of metal shards which pierced the alien a thousand times over but Steve Jenson could only watch as if someone else was controling him.

The alien just stood there for a moment as if to inspected its wounds and seeing that it did him no permanent harm continued its furious charge at the silver sentinel. It them paused for a second just metres away from the hero, as SS held his 'praying' energy stance all the while. The metal shards joining as one inside the creature contined to grow as it collected more particals and bathing its self in plasma energy. The confused bio-weapon stared at its abdomen then back to the silver sentinel just before
BANG
Yellow strands of the creture guts strew all over the contol panels and floor

DARK POWER Frostbite
DARK POWER Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot

OOC Apologies for delay. Stayed overnight at a friends and went for 'all you can bowl for £8' till the afternoon. 16 games without a break later, can barely move...

Power flooded through the superhumans limbs! If they were as gods to normal men, surely now the two Vanguardians were as gods to any superhuman! Silver Sentinel looked down at his hands, filled with power! Such Strength! Such might! There was nothing of which he was incapable!

OOC In terms of game stats Silver Sentinel is off the chart. Over 100 strength, every power at grade 3, and that's only the starting level. Of course, such power comes with a cost...

'You can win this war for your people you know...' said a seductive voice inside Sentinels' head. 'Fly down, incinerate the Nazi hoards with a thought! Blast them into smithereens, reduce their entire county to a burning cinder! None can stop you! You would laugh at their gathered forces! This world could be yours to rule! The others can find their own! Remake it in your image, the people bowing their will to yours and following your desires! If you with them to be slaves, so be it! If you demand they live in peace, they will! You can perform so much good with your power that they will beg you to be their overlord! Train them, mould them, cull the weak! Create an army to venture into the shadow realm and end the threat of the Shadow Demon invasion forever! All these outlanders, these... aliens... their empires would be forfeit too! Aye, there be some whose power near rivals your own... ally with them! Create a vast inter-dimensional empire where all live in happiness! It can all be yours...let me help you...'

Frostbite, with the experience that came from a future self inside his body as well as Joe Hoskyn, heard the whispered pitch of the Shadow Prince inside...'No one has to suffer! Millions will die! Joseph Rigdon knows this! You can end the war! Crush the evil foe! Grind them beneath your heel! This world faces threats both within, and without! Not just the Shadow Demons! There are entities in the void that covet your power! This backwater mudball has no cosmic significance save that you are here! You must take control! Prepare the people! The fate of the world rides on your shoulders!'

=========

The 'shadow fiends' came from a distant galaxy. No one was quite sure from where...

Found in the ruins of a crashed spacecraft as eggs, they hatched and set about explorers, hiding aboard their ships and being spread through the universe. The perfect killing machine, a biological wonder that could adapt to any environment, any danger. Unless it were killed outright it would heal, and learn. It's body would change, becoming more powerful. The only saving grace was that the old ones, the most powerful of their species, viewed even their own kind as a threat, and found a world of their own to bleed dry before, having exhausted all life forms, they waited, and watched, and brooded... Looking to their stars and the creatures that came in the boxes, to start the cycle anew.

These three had been captured as eggs, frozen in stasis, then given as gifts to the Nazi powers on Earth. The Aliens that had donated them had swiftly departed, their own agenda well catered for. They would come back with cleansing fire and fury, torch the world and all the fiends on it, then quarantine the planet for a generation before sending their own settlers. And the Nazis had foolishly, graciously, accepted their... 'gift'.

Powerful, strong, inhumanly fast and agile, possessed of natural killing skill and near immunity to natural elements, able to adapt to new environs almost instantly, they closed in on the small group on the bridge of the Alien vessel.

The Shadow Demons had seen their chance - what better creature to play host to their powerful Knights than these? It would adapt to the power the Shadow Demons gave it, unlike the humans who so quickly aged and crumbled! With boosted superhuman strength and speed, the creatures were unstoppable! Even the metahumans of the Nazis in their hundreds would simply be a warm up exercise! Nothing could stand against them!

=========

"Sentinel" Intoned the now empowered Frostbite to Silver Sentinel in his mind, where the others need not listen

"We must be decisive, but we must also be measured, this power is so great it is very easy to tear everything and everyone limb from limb. Consider our mission at hand and focus on that goal. Do not let yourself be carried away. These creatures, we must attack them differently so that no one of them falls by the same method." said Frostbite to Silver Sentinel into the latters mind.

He glanced at P'ertaria - in her terror she'd reverted to a grey puddle! The creature inside greedily sucked from her emotions, basking in the sheer terror she felt at the three oncoming creatures! Frostbite hammered down the vile appetite of the presence inside of him, took a step forward and teleported a step in front of the onrushing creatures! One was about to clatter into him, jaw open to bite, but Frostbite calmly seized it by the throat, resisting it's mighty superhuman strength as a grown man would an infant! As it thrashed in his grasp the other two turned to aid their brethren.

"Be right back" stated Frostbite, calmly.

He vanished!

Silver Sentinel saw the two oncoming creatures. Still looking at his hands he glanced up at the monstrosities who appeared to moving in slow motion towards him! He glanced at the walls, the floor, the control panels... they seemed to flow like liquid, leaping from where they'd been solid an instant before, and covering one of the creatures in a metallic liquid skin! Sentinel gestured with an open hand, making a twisting motion. The Alien jerked, lifted from the floor and spun upside down. The metal oozed, flowing towards the things mouth until nothing could be seen! It thrashed, slashing outwards with razor sharp talons about to rend steel! Then Sentinel opened his hand, fingers spread out...

CHING!!!

The metal inside the thing jutted forth in the shape of razor sharp shards, hundreds of them, from a few inches to a foot long! The Creature stopped thrashing, then it started oozing yellow acid onto the floor, and body parts began to drop to the ground. With a hand twisting motion the creature was completely diced, hundreds of fragments spraying the area around it! What was left sizzled in a puddle that started eating its way through the floor...

=========

The suns fiery, blinding light filled the vision of Joe Hoskyn...

He ignored the heat, light, and hard vacuum, turning to the thrashing thing in his hand! He'd teleported millions of miles in the blink of an eye, and boiling fire from the suns surface flashed past him in waves! He looked on, fascinated as the creature upgraded its resistance to heat after its skin started to char! It was silvery now, reflective, and slashed at Frostbite ineffectually with its talons, not even making a mark! 'I see you' rasped the thing inside Frostbite, referring to the dark power within the shadow fiend. 'And I send a message... to those that covet the nights dark terrors... I bring... LIGHT!'

With irresistible strength that could move worlds Frostbite casually tossed the thrashing creature into the sun! It flared for an instant, its ability to adapt completely and utterly overwhelmed! Looking at the fiery ball, he considered snuffing it for a moment, then blinked, looked around, and vanished!

=========

Silver Sentinel, amazed at his power, looked at the last oncoming creature...

It seemed immobile now, and he watched as fragments of the other creature hung in the air. He knew they were falling, but he was moving too fast for time to keep up! He strolled to the last creature, marvelling at the things bestial beauty - it lived to kill, and breed. There was something... natural about it. He turned then, to see Frostbite appear beside the thing. Without a word Frostbite conjured a sword, the blade half ice on the one side, boiling flame on the other! With a grim smile at Silver Sentinel he stepped forwards and sliced the alien creature neatly down the middle! One half was cauterised by irresistible cold, the other by flame which liquefied the metal nearby!

The creature, suddenly moving, fell away at speed in two halves, trying to adapt but finally comprehending in that split second the utter finality of doom that had befallen it!

And the whole thing had last a second, possibly two.

Frostbite looked at Silver Sentinel.

They had the power in their hands to crush the Nazi scourge, and bring to heel the vile axis powers.

Would they use it?

Lionheart
As well as Agents Spartan (male) Guillotine (female) and Boudica (female)

Turning to Agents Spartan and Guillotine, Lionheart gave his orders. He and Boudica would deactivate the bomb and they would somehow sort out the engine core. Lionheart pulsed his actions towards Frostbite, Sentinel, and the others, and was alarmed to find he was not only blocked from communicating, but his thoughts were actively repulsed!

All those around him staggered as Lionhearts power was reflected back to him. Those Nazi scientists hiding behind whatever cover remained cried out in agony. Lionheart sensed the other crew - those that had survived - were absolutely terror stricken... and that those emotions were somehow feeding two entities on the bridge! Recovering quickly, Lionheart helped the others up. They all looked like they'd been run over by a bus, whereas Lionheart had a mild headache! With a curse he moved to the walls, knowing he'd find breath masks there. He considered not using one. He could summon a telekinetic bubble around himself that would trap air for an hour or so, as well as protect from outside forces, but figured that he may yet need it. Bentham was nigh on superhuman with his ability to work around every obstacle. He wondered about the mans own genetic code, and any tampering it'd had.

Reaching out, he probed for Bentham, only to get what could best be described as 'mental static' in an area of the ship on the lowest floor. Lionheart smiled to himself. Bentham clearly was using some kind of device to block any psychic interference, but by doing so he'd achieved the opposite of what he wanted. Because Lionheart couldn't scan the area which Bentham was in, he knew exactly where Bentham was! He glanced to the ceiling, and felt the burgeoning presence several floors up. Even with his vastly magnified powers Lionheart knew he wouldn't stand a chance against either if they were unable to control that mysterious power! He looked about. Not only would this ship be destroyed but... might the Earth itself? He shuddered. Such power! He followed the others to the elevator.

=========

Elsewhere, across the cosmos...

OOC Translated from alien language...

"My lord high Imperator! PSI Scans have indicated the Devourer is on the move!" said the aide, sweating visibly on his blue skin. The crowded meeting room suddenly buzzed with fearful comments and horror struck glances, until the Imperator himself raised a hand. "And our spies in the S'Kree empire? Do the accursed S'kree mobilise?"

"They do my lord. And the Krullians, Voidaki and Gorrians."

More murmuring, again silenced by the Imperator. "What of the fate of the world the Devourer was on? The planet..."

"SK4361P2 Sir? It survived. A race of pre space sentients lives there, the most pre-eminent of the life forms on the planet. Deep-Scan reveals they are overjoyed, with great celebrations in their primitive ground based cities."

The Imperator considered. "Did Deep-Scan confirm what we thought? That the planet has rich ore deposits we can use?"

"Yes sir."

"Despatch a war force. Wipe out all life on the planet and set up a mining colony. Waste not want not." he turned to the others gathered. "Go back to your governments. Tell them the Yarzaki Empire will be at war soon! Conscription is mandatory, upon pain of incineration! I shall tell the Emperor personally that the Devourer has not fed and is weakened, and that now is the time to strike! What of the other matter?"

"Deep-Scan reveals the planet SK85512P3 to be a world beset with war. A number of alien empires, small and insignificant, have taken an interesting and sided with one of the factions."

"So, the other faction, with it's primitive weapons, is doomed?"

The messenger loosed his collar, smiling nervously.

"Well?"

"Ah, no sir. We have detected... several Omega class entities in attendance."

"Sev... Several? Are you sure?" spluttered the Imperator, rising. For the first time, he showed alarm. Thus far, they'd appeased the Devourer and its damned heralds with a gift of planetoids whenever the thing had passed through Yarzaki space. The sacrifice of billions of lives was a small price to pay for the Devourers' moving on. A century ago, they'd attacked, en masse with the assembled fleet of an Empire, the biggest the universe had ever seen. The system in which the battle had taken place was still deeply cluttered with shattered wrecks of spacecraft, and the Empire had taken 100 standard sun cycles to recover to half of its former might, its enemies feeding like Voroids on the Yarzaki corpse! The Imperator sat back. "We won't make the same mistake. Gather half of the war stars with full complement. If the Devourer and its heralds meet these Omegas, we will be there to pick up the pieces!"

Nervous mutterings hummed through the crowded hall and the Imperator sat back, too preoccupied in his brooding to silence them...

Interlude ends...

=========

As Spartan and Boudica tried to prize the doors to the lift, Lionheart walked up, calmly waved them to the side and punched his fingers into the door gap...

With ease he slammed them open, a metallic shriek crying out in protest! The light from the energy field surrounding him illuminated the shaft. Their decision on breath masks was vindicated. The rush of air from the room filled the lift shaft though any breathing it would soon suffer!

Stepping off the ledge Lionheart landed lightly 20m down to the next level. The others glanced at one another, then started climbing.

=========

A pair of hands thrust between the doors on the engine room level...

This time they pushed gently, and the Agents were able to step through, followed by Lionheart who slid them gently to. Able to remove their breath masks, the group looked into a vast darkened room dominated by a central circular tube metres across. It had glowed blue, but with every pulse darkened, the colour slowly turning red! With a gesture to the two assigned to the engine, Lionheart and the agent known as Boudica set off for the far side of the room and a series of doors set into a flat wall. The engine room was for the most part open plan save for the flat back wall. They knew they would find the Lunarium bomb in there...

=========

The escape pod zipped away from the ship...

Bentham stared at the ship as it shrank in the small viewing window, and snarled. Flipping open a wrist device he tapped several buttons and a screen popped up with numerous tiny views. He touched on one, saw agents moving towards the engine, then another screen, which replaced the first in the main view, and saw Lionheart heading for the storage room with Boudica.

He hovered his finger over a button, and hissed "just a little further..."



OOC Lionheart is in M18 with his companion in M19. I'll get on with the powers/character sheet so you have a few options, but Lionheart is new to these abilities himself (my excuse and am sticking to it ) The other two close in on U17/V16 towards the controls of the engine core (big red circle, which is pulsing violently)

DARK POWER Frostbite
DARK POWER Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot

Admin wrote:Frostbite looked at Silver Sentinel.
They had the power in their hands to crush the Nazi scourge, and bring to heel the vile axis powers.
Would they use it?

The vastness of their planet spinning below, the assorted nations seemed insignificant. Their petty squabbles but a mere joke as compared to what the power and authority Joe now held. But Joe knew that such power often, in elevating someone to a loftier place, gave them delusions of grandeur. The idea that, with such power, they were above the authority of all and therefore were a authority unto themselves. But deep down inside, Joe was human, with all the finite capabilities of reason, of character and intellect. He could view a problem and know the answer, in a strictly empirical manner but could all his intellect tell him more about love? Could his reason help him understand and even appreciate virtue or ethics? And at the end of the day, even if he could, with his power so removing him from the people whose humanity he shared, how subtly would what he elected to do be influenced by the Shadow Prince? Himself an outcast from his own people?

It was for this reason, Joe knew he had to respect the chain of command. Hitler might be snuffed out, his people killed but at what cost? He knew he could so easily become Hitler's replacement. For sometimes its not the people who think they're bad and know it, that are to be feared. But the ones who think they are in God's place and therefore no one can challenge what they do. Joe knew he had the power to assume that sort of position, but that didn't make him a better replacement! And in time, for all the right reasons, it would quite possible make him a monster. A moral one, sparing people no excess, because it was for their good! That is why he knew, God allowed people free will. If people can't choose, however limited that choice might be, then they might as well be puppets. Choice was costly, look at what they were fighting for even now. But without choice, people would be reduced to something they were never meant to be and love cannot demand, to be loved or its not love at all.

Well Joe had learned something from being at Chapel after all. He knew that Sentinel would be more vulnerable to the Shadow Princes' temptations. But if they did let loose, the cost to those they loved would be immeasurable and possible also to themselves. Their form burned up with the expulsion of so much power. No they had to use this power with precision or else...

Frostbite returned to the matter at hand, "Sentinel, hold fast. The power is...i n t o x i c a t i n g. But we must show restraint or else replace one dictatorship with another. "

With that Frostbite scanned the ship, he felt the ripple of fear emanating from the decks below. Many felt that this ship, scientific in nature would have nothing directly to do with the war. now the war had come to them. Resisting, with some effort the opportunity to feed on their fear. Frostbite directed Sentinel to scan the decks below. The danger wasn't over yet. Where was their companion Lionheart?

OOC:

Ok Scanning the decks so we can get up to speed on what is happening below. I guess we'll pick up enough of the story from the minds here about and teleport us all down to the lower deck.

If Bentham is fleeing, I'll also disable his ship, to leave him floating in space for now by putting an electromagnetic field around him so it stops all his electrical devices, including communications working.

Then we'll teleport down to Lionheart and his new recruits.

Ross can I suggest among other things that you have Sentinel...

1. Make sure that the ship is intact and any other nasty surprises are taken care off. He can communicate directly with the ship to assess what is going on.
2. It would be good if he could loose our other ship also. Don't need that any more. He can close up the link between the to that he opened up before.

Ok that's for starters

Sj

Lionheart
As well as Agents Spartan (male) Guillotine (female) and Boudica (female)

Admin wrote:The escape pod zipped away from the ship...[/b]

Bentham stared at the ship as it shrank in the small viewing window, and snarled. Flipping open a wrist device he tapped several buttons and a screen popped up with numerous tiny views. He touched on one, saw agents moving towards the engine, then another screen, which replaced the first in the main view, and saw Lionheart heading for the storage room with Boudica.

He hovered his finger over a button, and hissed "just a little further..."

Lionheart, unaware that Bentham had some sort of plan afoot but ever cautious, since this was still the enemies territory, moved toward where he imagined the bomb to be. He nodded to Spartan and Guillotine as they set to work on the panels before them.

Then he turned his attention to the area in front of him. Using all his senses to probe as best he could into the room ahead.

OOC:
Ok note sure what we're up against here. Can we look into the room? Is the door open or closed and is it locked and sealed?

I am thinking this might be the time to send my counter part Golden Lion into the room, since he can phase into the area and then work inside if need be.

All the while I'm aware that though my powers are largely psi based and this is machines, I am still looking for clues or patterns or any idea as to what I need to do next and trying to avoid setting off any traps or surprises, Bentham has left behind for me to explore.

Sj

OOC: Would SS know how to communicate with the ship, he is a 1939 man and Im assuming the ship is a bit more techy than he is used to

IC:

"Sentinel, hold fast. The power is...i n t o x i c a t i n g. But we must show restraint or else replace one dictatorship with another. "

"NO, we could wipe every Nazi ney every German off the face of the planet. They will never raise to power again when they are ash" the silver sentinel said with a dark dark grin. Steve, his eyes with furry, turned to the frostbot.

"Machine robot thing find the controls to arm the ships weapons, Im sure it must have some" he added clenching his fists.

Suddenly a new dark thought enterd his head.

"Why stop with the germans? What about the Russians or the japs or..........."

"Sentinel!" P'ertaria screamed, "You dont know what you are saying"

OOC: Warning warning evil curve ball. Just temporary power madness. Might need to knock him out or something. Tell me if it out of order.

He knew that Sentinel would be more vulnerable to the Shadow Princes' temptations

OOC Good posts from both - Frostbite has more experience and an extra person inside his head, so is bound to be more resistant to the Dark powers' lure of wiping out the enemy. Silver Sentinel is more susceptible, looks like something interesting/dangerous might happen here...

Dark Power Frostbite
Dark Power Silver Sentinel
P'ertaria
Frostbot

P'ertaria turned to Frostbite "DO SOMETHING!" she screamed.

The robot jerked, then twisted and stomped towards the consoles of the ship. "I am no longer in command of this automaton!" it declared!

For his part, Frostbite glanced to the lower decks. He felt the fear of the technicians and Nazis crowded on the fourth floor (OOC not yet visited) an area devoted to living quarters. The terror they felt.. the fear.. so intoxi... Frostbite shook his head and focussed. There was a Lunarium bomb close to where Lionheart was moving, and the doorway was booby trapped! Not to the bomb though...a glance revealed the tripwire would rupture a seal and release air conditioning coolant throughout the ship, freezing everyone and everything! The engine core itself was pulsing faster and faster, with two unknown humans - a quick glance into their minds revealed them to be genetically engineered clones - attempting to shut the thing down. A look inside Lionhearts mind... here there was considerably more resistance, and Frostbite had to be careful not to completely steam roller his friends defences! Of course, they fell and he was able to scan through his friends mind in the blink of an eye. He felt then the sorrow that Lionheart had felt at Agent Carters death.

'No!' rasped the inner voice. 'Love is a positive emotion! Do you want to weaken the dark power within you?'

Frostbite considered that for a split second, then glanced at the walls. He saw through them, into space, where a fleeing escape pod suddenly found itself surrounded by an electromagnetic field that completely shut it down!

Frostbite then turned - the robot was taking control of the vessel! Where the consoles and controls were damaged, a thought and gesture from Silver Sentinel repaired them instantly! The ship shuddered into life - and Silver Sentinel demanded the ships weapons be armed!

"This vessel has minimal weapons." explained the robot. "It is a science vessel, first and foremost, but the Lunarium bomb in the hold has the explosive power of 100 megatons or more. Survivors of the blast will be irrevocably altered with disastrous results!"

Frostbite saw his friend clench his fist - the Dark Power was there to use, and he would use it!

=========

On board the fleeing capsule...

Bentham hammered at the dead controls, and looked out at the shrinking ship. With a curse he fished into a pocket. Always prepared, his 11th level intellect was struggling to keep track of what had gone wrong. Lionheart he'd expected at some point, just not changed beyond all parameters and at the head of a small force of superhumans. More than that, he'd driven Bentham away, all his work abandoned and useless! He still had raw data of course, but those others on the ship were disturbing. Without hesitation he popped a pill into his mouth and bit down on it...

His body tipped to the side, mouth foaming, and Claude Bentham died...

Only to awaken in a pod, elsewhere!

A technician came over, checking readouts "Mr Bentham Sir. You've been reborn. What do you remember?"

Bentham wiped goo from his face, coughing as he sat up. "I was about to perform the final procedure on Saladin. Then once that was done we could set a trap for Lionheart to blunder into... I'm not sure if anything happened after that point..."

=========

Silver Sentinel saw everything clearly now...

The Nazis would NOT win the war! He would crush them single handedly if he had to! The British Empire would instead conquer the German people, and expand her borders! The Russians, with their agenda to conquer Poland, would not only be thwarted, but put in their place! The Japanese, with dreams of Empire and hammering the Chinese under their more technologically advanced heel, would be smashed! But why stop there? It was clear aliens had designs on this world! Under the Sentinels stewardship the Earth would be safe, aye, and any other planet that swore fealty on bent knee!

Sentinel felt a tugging motion at the edge of his being. Frostbite was trying to teleport him? What? how DARE he? As P'ertaria and the robot vanished to reappear downstairs, Silver Sentinel turned to face Frostbite. Suddenly the fate of a world hung in the balance!

OOC Frosty tried to shunt everyone down to the engine room, but Silver Sentinels power just about equals his own! (He's had it longer, so is more powerful). The Question is - who will make the first move, and how? Sentinel clearly sees the best course of action - the smashing of the Axis powers before war truly takes hold of the world! Frostbite sees that giving in to the Dark Power will ultimately replace one tyrant with another - himself! You are both still on the bridge, which is now completely repaired, albeit littered with the dead Aliens and Nazis. The four surviving Aliens are hiding in terror.

Lionheart

Lionheart concentrated, forming up the energy around him and splitting his 'Golden Lion' persona out of his body. Glancing down at himself, the glowing simulacrum grinned "Gotta get me some new threads. Dressing the same as you brings my street cred wayyyy down!" he laughed, then stuck his head through the doorway at the end of the room. "Yup, booby trapped" he confirmed, popping back into the room. "Gimme a sec."

He formed solid beyond the wall into the room, and a moment later opened the door. "Bentham intended to freeze everyone and everything in a perfect state of cryo stasis. The man is slippery as an eel! Wonder what else he has up his.. oh..."

He turned, and Lionheart/Boudica saw the Lunarium bomb. About twice the length of a man and as wide, the thing looked like it'd been designed in the future - nothing 1940s technology could produce would make this!

Lionheart shifted his superhuman sense, exploring the range and diversity they now had. "Radiation levels are high, but tolerable - for us at least. A normal person would find themselves affected. This thing is nasty!"

Boudica glanced at Lionheart, then at the bomb. "So what do we do with it? If they can detonate it directly we'll all be killed, but at least it won't kill millions of people on Earth!"

Just then P'ertaria and the robot appeared in the room. She was near hysterical. "Lionheart!" she wailed, running over. "Frostbite and Silver Sentinel... something's happened! They've changed! I.. I think Frostbite is still in control but.. Silver Sentinel... he wants to wipe out the Axis! He may even use that bomb to do it!" she said, pointing at the bomb. "And they'll be coming down here! You have to do something!"

The robot, in charge of its faculties once more, glanced to the engine core. "I may be able to assist." it explained. Turning to Lionheart it added "I must remind you that whilst you are a Class 3, possible Class 4 superhuman, I know of no classification that can describe Frostbite and Silver Sentinel in their current states. In the former time, a man named Adjutant was reckoned to be one of the 10 most powerful beings on planet Earth, possibly in all this section of the Galaxy! His power is dwarfed in comparison to your team mates! How they choose to use it is the main issue. Will they use it to hep the allied cause, or wipe out the Axis for their own gain?"

Lionheart was taken aback. He knew from what had been said already that Putty and Kitten were scarred from their experiences of unleashing the unfettered might of their mysterious Dark Power. He'd not known that Silver Sentinel possessed it too, but it made sense. They seemed to be drawn to one another. In answer to his unasked question Golden Lion stated "They are drawn to each other, whilst you're just plain daft!" he laughed. "Ah heck, who wants to live forever anyway?" he shrugged.

OOC The bomb is secured. The engine core is still going crazy...

Lionheart

OOC: Ok I am going to jump threads here, start with Lionheart and GL and then have him journey to Frostbite and Silver Sentinel so that we can carry on with that up there.

Admin wrote:Just then P'ertaria and the robot appeared in the room. She was near hysterical. "Lionheart!" she wailed, running over. "Frostbite and Silver Sentinel... something's happened! They've changed! I.. I think Frostbite is still in control but.. Silver Sentinel... he wants to wipe out the Axis! He may even use that bomb to do it!" she said, pointing at the bomb. "And they'll be coming down here! You have to do something!"

Lionheart looked to his companion, they both nodded, (OOC: It would be interesting and make a certain amount of sense to have GL become Saladin now that he is also part of me! What do you think, Paul?)

Lionheart turned to the Robot, "Deal with the bomb!" Then turning to P'ertaria he said tersely, "You and Bodica, help Spartan and Guillotine. We must stop this ship from exploding. I, we need to redirect these idiots above us to a better course of action and get this Lunarium to the P'utinarians and stop them fighting among themselves any longer."

With that Lionheart and Goldon Lion (who might now become Saladin) speed upstairs they way they came.

OOC: Assuming we get in on things ok, they'll come up as Frostbite faces off with Sentinel.

Meanwhile

Frostbite knew that to attack Sentinel, would be to only cause mayhem and destruction right where they were. He fought for calm, as he said in a more off hand manner. "Look, let me show you what I've seen." And without a gesture, he allowed Sentinel to review the destruction and devastation caused by the Dark Princes within them as he'd witnessed them, when their power was left unfettered.

OOC: Ok took a little while to find it but this is part of the thread where I and Putty went into a parallel plain to retrieve the Holy Grail, Putty cut loose and well you can read about what happened here: https://darkeningshadows.darkbb.com/t25p285-the-vanguard-issue-4-knifes-edge

Strictly player to player, here, I don't know how far you plan to go with this because you can win the war and stop everything but it will cause massive problems and shift the whole course of the campaign away from what we've been chipping away at. Or else, we could play it smart and start to give ourselves a big leg up in stopping the Nazi's having the upper hand. But in any case, you can play it how you will. However I would add, that there is always a come back, this dark power will effect your character in a negative way, if you let it go full throttle.

Frostbite let Sentinel witnessed the horror Putty unwittingly brought on a once peaceful realm, by giving into the dark powers within. "Do you want the blood of millions of innocent people on your hands, massive collateral damage. Think of those you love and those who love you, we can direct our powers in strategic ways to win this war, but not at the cost of loosing our own humanity and sinking lower the Hitler has already done. Fight it Sentinel, be a man. Or are you just a puppet?"

It was at this point that Lionheart and Golden Lion arrived, both fresh looking and yet wondering what on earth they could do in the midst of these two facing off against each other. For he knew Frostbite would not let Sentinel carry out his plan, but at the same time, what would it cost them all if he did have to take a step in, to stopping Sentinel? Could the universe survive such a fight? Would the Shadows pour in through such a gap and bring about what everyone feared most?

Lionheart moved forward ready to act, for all the good it would do them. But a wave from Frostbites hand, stopped him. Frostbite hadn't actually frozen him, but Lionheart knew if he tried to move forward, unless Frostbite allowed it, he'd get no closer. So he watched, powerless to do anything more other than be a witness at this momentous moment, when who knew what would happen in the course and counsel of human history.

OOC:

Ok If sentinel lets loose, Frostbite will try to protect the ship, but also try to stop Sentinel with the minimum of harm. I can't let Sentinel do what he is proposing as it would cut right across all they've worked for.

But at the same time I don't know if Sentinel has the will power to resist, even if he wanted to? Can he withstand the Prince, has he the metal to mould him or will he be moulded like the metal he controls around him? Will he be the prince or puppet?

As an aside, if the Robot is finished with the bomb he needs to bring the engines on line, although I didn't know if from what Sentinel did, he brought even the engines back under control or not.

Sj