World War II - The Vanguard Issue #3 - Operation Dynamo!

]The Vanguard

Admin wrote:OOC The option of retrieving the bow is there, as is using the dark power, getting Lionheart to try and use the machine, or carrying on regardless, dropping off the sabotage team then making tracks towards the front. Just wanted to offer up all available options before you take the plunge.

OOC:
I want the bow, I didn't know we had it still! What do we need to do to get it. As Void said, the whole idea of using both items to confound the Psychics appeals to me.

Assuming we've got to go back for it, we go back for it. This is too important to leave behind unused when the team could do with it.

Frostbite will also take the opportunity to talk to Sterling, we don't want anyone thinking that we're a worst enemy so lets change sides.

Sj

FLLICK, was the sound of Silver sentinels lighter as he lit another of his hand rolled cigarettes.

Pheew, as he exhailed them thick white smoke though his nose.

After a long pause

"You know Anyman your right, not about destroying the whole of berlin, there was a time when I would of welcomed shutch an idea" there was yet another pause, not to take another drag but to stare to the floor but almost look past it as he remember the feeling of dark omnipotence.

"If we followed that path we might as well pull up a chair next to the devil and Hitler but I do agree with your plan of striking multiple locations at once. I say we grab this magic bow and let you chaps do your thingthing while some heavy hitters and I" looking at tankman " attack another high priority target, a factory or some to give you boys some 'quailty' time with Gerry.............. after all stealth is'nt my best attribute and who wants to live forever right?" Turning back to his cig and discoverying it was dangerously close to his knuckles.

The Vanguard

"That's a good point. Rather than attacking in groups where they can overwhelm us with sheer numbers, we can split into smaller teams and start fires up - figuratively speaking. It will be the first time, other than my and Anymans earlier excursion, that the Nazis have felt the heat on home soil! I'm... uncomfortable with attacking civilian targets mind. Thus far this has been a war about armies, though the French haven't exactly covered themselves with glory, being encircled around their much vaunted Maginot line by the, dare I say it more resourceful and bold Nazi forces. We've never seen this kind of war before, and it involves pieces on the game board no one could have foreseen - just look at us! Therefore we should adopt 'out of the box' thinking. Find out what's important to the Nazis, smash it, and move on. Let them chase ghosts. Good thinking Silver Sentinel. The Psychic centre will be the obvious target, and they know it too. There's no reason why we can't have them running round like headless chickens though. Labs, factories, airfields, even museums, because Herr Hitler is fond of antiquities... heck, even their places to relax - Opera Houses, Art Galleries and meeting halls. Not to mention the barracks, training areas and police stations. Whilst all that is going on, we need that bow, and the other team needs to set to with lighting fires under the Nazis toes - the front that threatens our forces. Should we divide the teams up, change them around, or stick to the original ..."

The robot, with Frostbites' computer running it, turned, "Apologies for the intrusion. We have flown over the coast of France and have outrun several Nazi fighters without problem. There is a new obstacle though. Scanners show half a dozen Nazi Metahumans backed up by more than 20 jetpack rangers. Long range scan indicates half a dozen of the vessels that attacked this one coming in from space! If there is a plan to change or put in motion, I suggest it be done quickly! That said, we will be on the outskirts of Berlin before they intercept us. Unless you wish to turn the ship around to head back to Bletchley Park?"

Spartan rolled his eyes. "Never rains but it pours..."

The Vanguard

Admin wrote: "Apologies for the intrusion. Unless you wish to turn the ship around to head back to Bletchley Park?"

Frostbite spoke then, "We get the bow!"

Sj

The Vanguard

Frostbite spoke then, "We get the bow!"

"No," Anyman says, still with three heads, "YOU get the bow! Take the all psychics with you and a couple of folks who won't do well behind the lines. Get this ship to avoid the group coming at us and then drop us off as close to any vital spot in Germany that you can. The rest of us will split up and take out targets of opportunity, working our way to Berlin in groups or alone to physically destroy the psychics while you try to destroy their minds."

The Vanguard

The Frostbot looked at Frostbite, (OOC and I presume...) saw Frostbites nod. "Setting course to circumvent enemy interception for as long as possible."

Spartan moved to a control panel, then turned to an alien technician nearby. "This... to broadcast through the ship?" There was a pause as the Aliens translator on its belt changed the words to something it could understand, and it reached over, flicking several different switches, then nodded. "This is Spartan. Mist Maiden, Spiderweb, Void, Garland, report to the 5th floor. You disembark in T minus... " he glanced at a panel. "1 minute."

The engines thrust the great craft forwards, splitting the air behind with sonic cracks! Inertial dampers meant the occupants didn't feel the acceleration, but the map showed clearly where they flew across Germany. Occasionally several blips would appear, change course to give chase, and be left behind, completely!

Void moved over to the map, swept it with a hand, making it scroll, and stabbed a finger at it to make it pause. "Marvellous device. Every home should have one..." he muttered. "I say you chaps? Commander Allard? There's a wooded area to the West of Berlin. I suggest we drop in it, grab some civilian clothing and make our way into the city. We won't have long before they find you, so I'm hoping our friends here do their thing with that bow before we're rumbled!"

The Frostbot announced "Nazi Metahumans approaching. Initial scan indicates at least one Class four metahuman." Lionheart looked up. by any measurement, he was now Class 4! And yet Anyman had told him to go with the others to get the bow!

As Anyman made his way to the elevator, heading down to Floor no.5, Steed stopped him with a gentle hand to the shoulder. "Lance. Good luck." she said, smiling tightly. Aware others were looking, she bit her lip, straightened, and saluted. The lift door swished open and Allard stepped in, closely followed by Void. The others watched as the odd pair were removed from view by the closing door, and head Void quip "At least I didn't get dressed up for nothing. takes a bloody age to iron these creases properly..."

=========

"T Minus 10...9...8...7..."

Anyman checked the belt about his waist. The others all wore one too.

Boadicea stood by the hatch, the howl of the wind near drowning her voice out. "As best we can tell, it's an Anti-Gravity belt. Nullifies your weight and can make you float about, or tweak it to remain stationery, drop like a stone or gently. Reverse this... " she pointed to a dial "And it emits an anti gravity pulse, sending you straight up. No good for getting about with, more like a parachute you can drop from space with. Anyway. Good luck!"

Void stepped from the hatch first, the shout of "Tally Ho!!!" ringing out. Spiderweb held a net bomb in each hand and somersaulted through the hatch, followed by "Wahhhhoooooo!!!!" as he tumbled towards the trees before activating the belt at the last second. Mista Maiden was more restrained. The pack on her back was mostly full of clothing, with several spare sets of overalls tightly packed. The PSI Agent clones had managed to use a machine to shrink them into a tiny package by compressing them and wrapping them in a special film. By tearing the film, the package expanded and the overalls were fine to wear. She'd grabbed handfuls of the cubes, along with food, pistols, and ammunition. Garland had a troubled look on her face, but stepped from the craft without complaint. She didn't even bother to use the belt, instead gesturing to the floor. Anyman saw out of the corner of his eye a plant grow upwards to meet her, and she gently climbed down its branches to the floor.

Then it was Anymans turn - the ship was already starting to bank and rise, and after seeing Boadicea's thumbs up, he floated down from the ship.

Looking up, he saw the large spacecraft bank, sun glinting from its plated hull, and the mighty engines roar... With a cloud pulse behind it, followed by a CRACK! it was off again!

Anyman glanced about. They were near Berlin, less than 20 minutes walk, 10 by jogging. Would they stay together, split up, look for civilian garb and transport, or simply march into town to create the biggest ruckus they could? Coming to the edge of the trees he saw a farmhouse nearby, the mooing of cows and sounds of the normal farm working day seemingly at odds with the war going on. Garland moved up to Anymans side. She was covered in bark, with leaves for hair, looking like some kind of tree elemental... "I have spoken to the plants around here. They say that a stream flows into the city, joining to a river I believe to be the Spree. We could perhaps take a boat and head in that way, or commandeer a vehicle and risk the various check points that are bound to guard the main routes in and out of the city."

Void straightened his hat. "Damn trees. Ruffled my feathers, what? Right then chaps, what's the plan?" SpiderWeb dropped from a tree above into a crouch, and offered "Let's go sock it to the Nazis!" with some enthusiasm...

=========

The ship climbed, leaving most of the red dots on the map behind.

"We appear to be outrunning the ... incoming!" said the Frostbot.

Spartan glanced calmly down at the controls, then at a panel. "He's very fast. Speed... Mach..."

BANG!

The ship rocked and alarms started to blare, the Lizardman technicians started buzzing about, some moving for different consoles, others taking up stations with fire extinguishers, expecting the worst.

"Scanning!" shouted Spartan over the din. "Breach on deck 4. Getting visual."



The Nazi picked himself up, rubble sliding off him and energy crackling all about. Behind him a gaping hole in the wall of the ship sealed with an energy field. The Nazi looked about, then up. He gestured... and the camera trained on him went off!

"This is Guillotine. Moving to intercept!" she squawked over the comm. More voices sounded out afterwards over the comm channel. "This is Tank Man! Did something hit us?" In the background were other voices. "Of course it did dummy! Sounded like something crashed into... Who you calling dummy? Why you, ya big dumb ox! Come on, think you can take me? Cut it out you two! The enemy is out... You think you're the boss? I ain't takin' orders from you! Hothead is his own man! Man? Ye're nothin' but a boy, an' a mouthy one! Now let's get out... Why I ought ta ..." The comm channel clicked off.

Frostbot moved to stand near Frostbite. "More incoming vessels. We appear to have stirred up quite the 'hornets nest'."

OOC Last post from Frostbite and co then will switch you to a new thread - watch for that in the morning. Anyman and co, stay in this one. The roster for the teams is as follows now:

Anyman - Team Leader
Objective: Sabotage, Espionage and assassination duties
At all costs: Disable the psychic network that allows the Nazis to be one step ahead of the Allies

Mist Maiden
Spiderweb
Void
Garland

Note: The team have any relevant equipment and are also wearing anti-gravity belts that allow them to rise or lower themselves at speeds of up to 50mph up, terminal velocity down. Or hover. The charge does not last forever though, so extensive use will flatten the battery. They are meant for emergency use, but I suppose you could argue that everywhere the Vanguard go an emergency breaks out...

Frostbite - Team Leader
Objective: Beach defence and tactical assault group
At all costs: Get soldiers off the beach at Dunkirk and back to Britain!

Lionheart
Silver Sentinel
Gravity Girl
Hothead
Tank Man
Thunderclap
Anchor
Fastback
Sterling Silver
Frostbot
Guillotine, Spartan and Boudicea (PSI agents)

When/if the PSI agents short circuit the Psychic Network of the Nazis, they may be able to hook up with Anyman and join his team? That's your choice. Only done it this way as Anymans' post seemed rather insistent and urgent, so bundled everyone out the hatch and on their way...

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Anyman glanced about. They were near Berlin, less than 20 minutes walk, 10 by jogging. Would they stay together, split up, look for civilian garb and transport, or simply march into town to create the biggest ruckus they could? Coming to the edge of the trees he saw a farmhouse nearby, the mooing of cows and sounds of the normal farm working day seemingly at odds with the war going on. Garland moved up to Anymans side. She was covered in bark, with leaves for hair, looking like some kind of tree elemental... "I have spoken to the plants around here. They say that a stream flows into the city, joining to a river I believe to be the Spree. We could perhaps take a boat and head in that way, or commandeer a vehicle and risk the various check points that are bound to guard the main routes in and out of the city."

Void straightened his hat. "Damn trees. Ruffled my feathers, what? Right then chaps, what's the plan?" SpiderWeb dropped from a tree above into a crouch, and offered "Let's go sock it to the Nazis!" with some enthusiasm...

"Don't want to do it, chaps," Anyman says, "But as long as you are with me, you are targets. Targets who won't survive what will be thrown at me. So we are splitting up. I'm going to play Hounds and Hare with the Jerries. Alone. They will concentrate on me. You four stick together as much as you can and work your way into where we need to go. Be sneaky. Get those psychics! Don't do any sabatage unless you are absolutely sure you can get away undected. Those psychics mean everything! I mean everything!! Your lives. My life. None of it is worth a thing unless we get them."

"I'm going to be very visible and very very destructive. Actually, would prefer to sneak and peek but until those damned psychics are down, I can't. If I survive, I'm after Hitler next. Questions?"

ooc: would have preferred to stick together but since there is a huge pulsing target on my back, solo is safer for the mission. If team two can take down the psychics in the meantime, then I can try joining up again.

The Vanguard

Admin wrote:
When/if the PSI agents short circuit the Psychic Network of the Nazis, they may be able to hook up with Anyman and join his team? That's your choice. Only done it this way as Anymans' post seemed rather insistent and urgent, so bundled everyone out the hatch and on their way...[/i]

Frostbite looked to Sentinel and Lionheart, "We've got company and he looks ticked off, I'll take things from here whilst you guys go make sure the Justicars fight him and not each other."

With that Lionheart sped off as fast as he could, he'd have flown straight through, but realised that in so doing he'd leave a hole for others to fall in or damage vital systems so he took the fastest root he could to where the Nazi had entered.

Meanwhile Frostbite looked to see if he could use the ships internal defences to slow him down or at least distract him from doing more damage. The last thing they needed was the ship in tatters before they got the Bow.

"How long till we're at Bletchley?" He said out loud to the Frostbot.

OOC:

Feels like we've left the house without our passports, sure wish we'd thought of this before. I don't like that fact that Dave/Anyman is leaving the Justicars to get to the city by themselves. But I appreciate he is a target as are we all.

OK so Lionheart and Sentinel? are hopefully going to bring that big Nazi down, give us all a taste of what we can do hopefully without tearing the ship apart.

We get to Bletchley - shame we don't have a spell to Summon the bow, anyway when we get there we'll grab the bow. As soon as we are in range we'll signal so we can get them to get it out and have it to us in time.

I think that covers all our bases.

Sj

"Where are my manners? What kind of hosts would we be if I wasnt properly dressing" silver sentinel said reaching down to the small suitcase he had been carrying round.

CLUNK CLUNK went the catchs

"Time to get out of these and suited and booted". He placed a bare hand on the strange looking metal in the case which then started to become liquid and increase in mass, crawing up his arm like some alien creature being beckoned.

Moments later steve jenson was transformed into the awesome spectacle that is silver sentinel (ooc: and not a gimp lol)

"Lets entertain our 'guest' shall we" he added in a cold almost robotic voice

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Void looked Anyman in the eye. "You, sir, are an enigma. Your three headed appearance boggles the mind, the chattering sounds from the different heads all have differing opinions, and yet... and yet I believe they are united in their resolve. It is stronger than iron, clearly. We will do as you order. Do not, though, give your life in vain. Yours, and the others like you, are worth more than any army in one respect, and yet you seem like a bomb waiting to go off. Will it go off in the enemies midst, or our own hands?" He says his pieces, then thrusts a hand out to shake.

Spiderweb steps forwards. "Don't you worry sir! We'll create as much noise and ruckus as need be to make the Nazi think they are being invaded!" he saluted, then stepped back into line.

Jane Serford, Mist Maiden, stepped forward, shy look on her face. "I'll try my best sir. Without you to...I mean... well it's just... I... we, that is... we'll do our... our best." she said, bowing her head and stepping aside.

Garland stood like a statue carved from the wood of the forest. "The Nazis are an abomination. The world will unite to fight their evil, even if we fall. And by that, I mean not just the people." She stretched out a hand, and a tree grew from the floor to meet it, leaves coiling around her gentle grasp. A bird flew down from a tree to land on her, and nearby, a deer walked into the clearing, looking at the others and shaking, but when its eyes fell on Garland it calmed immediately, and walked forwards to bow its head under her hand and rub its eyes against her leg. "The Earth will fight back." she whispered. "But I would rather it not be dragged into mans destructive conflict. The Earth was here before man came, it will live on when man is dust..." The deer dashed from the clearing then, the bird flying off.

Anyman looked at the small group. They were untested, raw recruits, barely out of training with their powers. He was sure Wynn and Slobotham had done the best they could, but right now, more than training, they would need...

"Good luck." he whispered, then melted into the trees...

==========

Anyman watched from the shadows...

He'd approached the city, morphed into the form of a farmer and joined a horse drawn convoy as fresh produce was delivered, then stepped neatly aside and into the darkness of an alley, stepping out a moment later in the attire of a well to do man. Walking into a bar, he ordered a drink in impeccable German, seating himself near a prominent group of businessmen as they were laughing and chatting. Suddenly the alarm bell of a police vehicle rang as it sped by the building, then another. People got up to look, then moved to the door.

Anyman calmly sipped at his sherry, glancing out the window to see a trail of smoke rising from behind the buildings.

This was it. The war had started.

The Businessmen started chattering excitedly, and Anyman calmly listened as the men competed to guess what was going on, their theories wildly inaccurate and increasingly preposterous. More police cars roared past, followed by ambulances and fire engines. The men sat down, ordering more drinks and getting louder. They jumped up a moment later when a ball of flame rose in a different direction, and the occupants of the bar rushed out into the street. Anyman bided his time. They came back in moments later, still chattering like old fish wives. Then Anyman heard that which he needed...

"...strange goings on at the Berliner Stadtschloss (OOC Berlin Palace). I have a friend in the SS who claims they keep the freaks there, the strange ones that they keep hidden. He's seen them!"

"No! They are just tales! Surely they..."

"Hitler declared the place unimportant, as he saw no need for royalty to be restored. But he uses it instead to house the freak show!"

"Hush! Those words will see you hang, man!"

"It's the truth I say!"

"So you mean, the ones who fly? Blast rays from their eyes that melt steel? Your friend saw those?"

"No." said the man, leaning forward and lowering his voice. "The ones that can look into your minds, and root out the traitors!" he hissed.

Every man at the table turned white, looking about in fear. "I am loyal! I have nothing to fear!" hissed one. "All of us are!" the others echoed. They nursed their drinks, trying to remain focussed on patriotic thoughts.

Now, Anyman looked down across from the rooftop of a warehouse he'd climbed up onto for a better view.



OOC The picture is of the Palace in 1900, swap the horses for cars and you get the rough general idea...He's around 1/2 a mile away, and the palace is in the centre of Berlin (or at least, it is for our purposes...)

He glanced about.

Running across a flat rood towards him, having clambered up a ladder, three Nazis sprinted across the rooftops! His prophecy about becoming a target was becoming truth!



One of the men called out "Halt! You there! Lay flat on the ground and you may yet survive!" Another called out "Don't talk to him you fool! Flatten him! The Psychischen Spaltung guided us right to him! We'll get him before the others do!"

OOC They are 50m away, the three of them are making straight for Anyman where he's crouching on a rooftop. Flight... or fight?

Actually, you got this a little backwards. Anyman was going to make all the noise. He was going to pull all the attention to him. The others were to sneak in as best they could, only doing sabatage when they knew they couldn't be caught, and attack the psychics. Psychics first, other damage second for the team. For Anyman, damage first and psychics second.

I know. weird huh? the great sneaky guy of the team doing all he can to become extremely visible while the youngsters did all the sneaky stuff. But once those psychics are gone ... SNEAKY is going to be his only name!!

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

OOC Looks like I got the wrong end of the stick. Let's see if this works...

Mist Maiden looked over from the roof she'd drifted onto. She saw the nazi metahumans rushing towards Anyman! The instinct had been to help him, but his orders were clear - they were to attack the psychics, and now that they knew where they were, they could get on with it! She would contact the others and they would stop creating havoc. Already a police station, army checkpoint, truck carrying recruits, an SS staff car (with staff in it) and a bank had been 'hit' with the Justiciars strange blend of powers and abilities.

The SS staff car had been racing down the street to investigate the 'bank robbery' only for a tree to grow directly in its path, smashing the front to smithereens! Garland had raised her arms, and caused vines to grow from between the pavement cracks, wrapping the Nazis up in a heartbeat and causing people to run, screaming in fear!

Void had summoned a demon - the concentration on his face was immense as the thing railed at his control. Claws and sharp teeth, horns on its head and cloven toed feet had all served to cause a panic in the streets, cars to crash and people to run about screaming as the demon walked into a police station. The sounds it had made in there...? Well, they made Mist Maiden shudder!

SpiderWeb had tossed a net grenade into an Army truck, then landed on the roof of the cab, twisted the wheel and leapt clear. The truck had rammed the side of a building and burst into flames! The youngster looked on, grim. This was war, after all, but he found nothing funny to say when men died screaming.

Mist Maiden had followed Anyman at a distance, sticking to shadows in her cloud form. When he'd emerged from the bar and stood at a street corner, he'd lit a cigarette and imparted what he'd learnt - giving the Justiciars their target, whilst the Nazis certainly had their own, number 1 target to worry about!

Now, she watched as the first part of the Nazi net closed in... could Anyman take on those three? She paused hesitating. What could she do anyway? Feeling useless for the first time since getting her powers, she drifted away, back to the rooftop to meet up with the others, turn solid and put some clothes on. With a last glance at Anyman, then across the city to the Berlin Palace - unused for so long, and forgotten by Hitler and his cronies, until now. They had set up shop creating a network of psychics that gave Hitler eyes on everything in the world! Determined that any sacrifice Anyman make would not be in vain, she hurried back to where she hoped the others would be...

OOC How's that? That still leaves Anyman with three Nazi problems (and a horde more on the way) but he made such a nuisance of himself the last time in Germany that he is, by far and away, the most wanted man by the Axis powers! Over to you

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

One of the men called out "Halt! You there! Lay flat on the ground and you may yet survive!" Another called out "Don't talk to him you fool! Flatten him! The Psychischen Spaltung guided us right to him! We'll get him before the others do!"

Now, she watched as the first part of the Nazi net closed in... could Anyman take on those three? She paused hesitating. What could she do anyway? Feeling useless for the first time since getting her powers, she drifted away, back to the rooftop to meet up with the others, turn solid and put some clothes on. With a last glance at Anyman, then across the city to the Berlin Palace - unused for so long, and forgotten by Hitler and his cronies, until now. They had set up shop creating a network of psychics that gave Hitler eyes on everything in the world! Determined that any sacrifice Anyman make would not be in vain, she hurried back to where she hoped the others would be...

The Ham in Anyman came to the fore! He was on the biggest stage he would ever trod!!

He just belly laughed at the three charging me.

"You stupid silly fools," he yelled out as loud as he could so everyone nearby would hear him. "I'm ANYMAN!!!! I did everything you see and hear around us! All the fires, all the deaths, all the damage! ALL OF IT!! AND YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME? ONLY YOU THREE?? HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!!!!!!"

"If you run fast enough, you may get away with your lives! Ready or not, HEAR I COME!!!"

With that, he charges the three meta-Nazis.

actions: charge 'em. When they get within 20' meters of him, unleash his stretching powers, which they probably do not know a thing about. He will grab one of them with his stretched out arms and use them to bludgeon the others. He will go for the one who looks like a Nazi Wolverine.

If during this or any other fight, he gets seriously hurt, he will slither down a sewer or storm drain to get away to strike somewhere else where he can cause more damage and explosions and fires. He is not looking to defeat them in total. Take out one of them, hurt the others and then leave to strike again elsewhere.

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

The Nazis were slightly unsettled by the British superheroes taunt. After all, they'd been told this man was the most wanted man in the World (at least according to the Nazis - the Allies rather wanted to get their hands on Herr Hitler...) but the prospect of grabbing glory had led them to ensure they would be first on the scene! More than one wondered if that had been the wrong move to make, especially when backup was only a short distance away!

OOC Anyman lashes out with a stretched arm... Roll of 20! Additional roll of 9 for a total of 29, +6 +2 =37! Seeing as the attack total is so high, The Nazi wolverine knockoff has no chance to respond, even when lifting and swung at his fellows! Anyman gets a free swing, then we're into initiative at 15m range. 17, +8=25-17=8 accuracy. Damage from the blunt object (Wolverine Knockoff) boosts that to 16, plus 25 from strength... 41htc, and rather more than the 20 needed for a pushback to occur!

The nazi in armour and shield ducks, shouting "Ha! You..." he looked behind him. His friend had been knocked clean off the roof (OOC the one on the left of the picture...)! The armoured Nazi moves to the roof edge and mutters "Hans?"

OOC Initiative 4 Heroes, 7 bad guys. They get two frames. We'll try this for attempting to escape a grapple - strength +D20 vs grabbed guys strength +D20. It takes 1 frame to attempt to escape the grapple. Won't 'cast that in stone' yet, we'll see how it plays out. KW (Knockoff Wolverine) tries to escape. Anyman has 40 strength, he has 23. Roll of 20 (!) + another roll of 9 for Anyman, total 69. Roll of 5 for KW, total 28. He has no chance this frame! Second frame 4 for Anyman (total 44), 19 for Nazi. Total of 42 for the Nazi is just short!

The hairy nazi growls and struggles like a trapped tiger in the grasp of Anyman, but the British hero was a powerhouse! His grip like a vice, he ignored the thrashing enemy!

The armoured Nazi whirls from the roofs edge and spits "You vill pay for zat!"

OOC He attacks Anymans whirling arm twice with the sword. The sword is played as an energy attack with range of touch, so, powerful, but needing an accurate strike! He attacks with two Quick Attacks (x2 damage each, so he's on 11/15 energy). Roll of 6 (+6, +3). Miss. Roll of 17 (+6, +3) = 26-17. 9 Accuracy. x2 for 18 damage. Dividers reduced to 2 each by the sword. 5 damage to Htc, 4 to Htk. I don't assume you will dodge or parry that... 4 frames to you. You have a grabbed nazi to batter the armoured guy with, or toss the Nazi off the roof and pummel the armoured fellow? Your choice.

Batter the guy with his own teammate even though I think I get more attacks if I just punch at them.

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

OOC think you're right with the reduced number of attacks. Instead I'll say one frame is spent swinging the guy back and forth, with three solid rolls to hit. Here we go: 19+8=27-17. 10 Accuracy, +10 from the weapon, +25 strength and BOTH nazis take the same amount of damage. Roll of 2 - swish! Roll of 8. Swish!

With the struggling Nazi in his grasp Anyman sweeps him about as a weapon! WHACK! He clouts the armoured Nazi with his friend! The one in armour reels, but is otherwise still standing (OOC dividers chop the damage from 45 to 15) but the hairy wild man in Anymans grasp goes limp (OOC staggered) and flails about weakly!

"You fool!" hisses the Armoured Nazi. "I am near bulletproof! You think to... Jurgen? Are you alright?"

Hanging upside down, Jurgen gurgles something, blood running from his battered face, and the armoured Nazi leaps forwards to attack Anyman again!

Anyman watches the mans moves. Skilled, but not world class. Certainly not in...

He risked a glance over his shoulder - a strange flying vessel, two wings from which propellors were pointing up, not forward, was approaching! Much like a plane, but different, like a ...

'Helicopter is the word for which you search, Lance Allard. Not operational for several years. The Nazis continue to pollute time!' said the voice of Putty inside Allard.

OOC the Armoured Nazi attacks. Both quick attacks, roll of 4 and 2 miss. The whirly-gig is going to arrive at the end of NEXT round. So here's initiative... Heroes 7, Bad Guys 3. Two frames to Anyman. He will have company at the end of this round, and the vehicle coming towards him (around 100m away and closing fast) is sweeping low across rooftops with a sound like thunder. It's big enough to house over 10 operatives in the passenger area, so I wouldn't expect less than that to turn up if I were you! 2 frames...

Gonna use my two frames to punch twice at whatever fine targets I have. Next round, heading for the sewers or drainage system and getting away to pop up a number of blocks away.

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Casting aside the staggered wolfman, Anyman turned to his other foe. Mindful that the Nazis were closing in on his position with reinforcements he didn't waste any time with idle banter! Indeed, his keen brain guided his eyesight about, taking in the surroundings. His gaze fell back on his foe a heartbeat later and he swung!

OOC Roll of 17, +2 (WC) +6 (DC)=25-17=8 accuracy. Plus 8 from the punch, and +25 from strength, 41 damage. Reduced to 13 from dividers.

Anyman pounds downwards with a fist onto the armoured mans head, making the roof buckle and ring out with the sound of splitting timbers! The Armoured man reeled from the blow and started to speak. "You vill pay for..."

OOC Roll of 18. 43 damage, reduced to 14 after dividers. POW!

Anyman pounded down again, casually stepping back. The Armoured man staggered under the blow, righting his helm and raising his sword... "You... you vill..."

CRASH!

The roof gave way under his feet, sending the Nazi cascading down in a tumble of shattered wood and tiles!

Anyman didn't bother watching for him landing - he was already on the move, heading for the edge of the roof with the strange craft almost on top of him! The wolfman reached an arm out "You are not..."

POW! Anyman didn't break stride and delivered a rugby kick that spun the Nazi a number of times in the air before he bounded from and off the roof. The Vanguardian leapt from the rooftop to land some 20' down, then hopped from that roof down to the street to land in a crouch.

=========

Jetpack equipped Nazi Rangers soared from the belly of the craft, half a dozen of them bearing lunarium powered rayguns!

They soared over the rood, mindful of their target - he was the most wanted man on the Fuhrers list! That said, he was that for a reason - his effectiveness and resourcefulness was without question! And so they spread out, calmly hovering across the scene. They saw the Armoured Nazi lying prone in a warehouse. They found the Wolf Man face down on the street, and they found where Anyman had gone. The manhole cover was ajar only feet from where the Wolf Man lie. That immediately presented the pursuing pack with a problem! How could they fly down there, with limited space? Anyman would simply pick them off one by one!

As the Nazis gathered round the manhole, more metahumans arrived on the scene. They conversed as to which way he'd gone, nodded to each other, and climbed down into the muck and sewage.

=========

Watching from the shadows of a street opposite, Anyman turned to the manhole cover on another sewage feed line.

Dropping down into the darkness he pulled the cover back over, and flicked open a lighter. The smell was horrendous, but better that than fighting an army! He made his way through the darkness, into on making a scene when he next surfaced, and wondered how the others got on as he sloshed through knee high sludge...

=========

"I wonder how Anyman is getting on?" asked Spiderweb.

Garland looked around the corner. "The place is crawling with guards! Look!" she pointed up on the roof. Jetpackers waited with rifles at the ready. The Berlin Palace was locked down, tight! Void smiled. "Don't worry about that my dear. From the sound of those wailing alarm bells and that ruckus being made streets away, they'll be fairly sure that their problem wears bandages on his face and annoys the hell out of them! I like the fellow. He doesn't mess about - just gets on with the job. I suppose they all do, but given that he's in the most dangerous place for him right now anywhere on the planet, and that he's pulling attention to himself like flies on a cowpat, I have to give him the most credit. If he's going to die, it'll be in style!"

Mist Maiden, nervous and glancing about, hissed "We still need to get in there! Let's see if there's a back way. You know, servants entrance and all that."

The trio set off, sticking to shadows and laying low as police cars tore past, and Jetpack Nazi Rangers flew overhead...

=========

Inside the palace...

"We still have him. He is defying us. Toying with us!" said the Nazi officer to the tall muscled Nazi. "You must get him!"

The bald Nazi sneered at the officer, a foot below his eye level. "And we will. Continue to relay to us his position. We will... be ready for him." He turned. "RASER!" he bellowed.

Quick as a flash, an athletic Nazi superhuman appeared. The big man gave him orders, he nodded, and disappeared again! The big man stalked from the room, flanked by four others, all in the 'Overman' uniforms.

=========

Anyman frowned. Something was up. He smelt... petrol? Over even this stink?

He stopped sloshing through the sludge and looked either way down the tunnel. He'd passed several manhole covers and decided to keep going, to put the distance of a couple of blocks between where he was and where he was going - keep the Nazis guessing. But now?

Suddenly he heard a distant 'woosh'.

What was that?

OOC Anyman can keep sloshing through the muck or head for the nearest manhole to emerge, stinking and sludge covered, onto the street? Or perhaps another option if you prefer...

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Anyman frowned. Something was up. He smelt... petrol? Over even this stink?

He stopped sloshing through the sludge and looked either way down the tunnel. He'd passed several manhole covers and decided to keep going, to put the distance of a couple of blocks between where he was and where he was going - keep the Nazis guessing. But now?

Suddenly he heard a distant 'woosh'.

What was that?

OOC Anyman can keep sloshing through the muck or head for the nearest manhole to emerge, stinking and sludge covered, onto the street? Or perhaps another option if you prefer....

"Damn! I was afraid that they might do something like that," he muttered, smelling the gas, thinking that they might try setting the sewers on fire. "Time to surface is coming up fast. Wonder how close I am to Gestapo HQ? Would love to make some problems there!"

Actions: Extend an eyeball up an opening and look around and figure out where he is. Maybe move another block in a direction to something neat he can blow up or burn down.

He is looking for something llke Gestapo HQ or the building where all these guards originally came from - there has to be an armory in a place like that that he can blow up or set on fire; or the Legislative house - not sure what it is called; or the equivalent of the War Department Building or the Mint. Or find the Women's Dorm where many of the government secretaries might live and come up a drain pipe there and scared the beejesus out of them while burnng down their home away from home.

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Extending an eyestalk up through the hole in the iron cover, Anyman scanned about. The streets were filled with panicked citizens as jackbooted Nazi squads ran here and there, weapons primed. This would be tricky. He was at the edge of some kind of large public square. All around it were ornamented buildings, the kind that might be civil offices - and all hung Nazi flags. It would be pot luck to come across something important, but being in the heart of the administrative area of the city and making a ruckus couldn't hurt Anymans cause much.

Then he felt a flush of heat. He looked down the tunnel. Sure enough, an orange glow was getting brighter!

All along the street manhole covers were blown into the air, to clatter hard on the ground, with Nazi squads stood by to fire at anything that might emerge!

'Anyman! This is General Wynn! We can speak mind to mind now - with all members of the Dark Powered Vanguard! How are you getting on?' said a voice in Anymans head.

He was about to answer when he saw a wall of flame coming towards him... from two directions!

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

All along the street manhole covers were blown into the air, to clatter hard on the ground, with Nazi squads stood by to fire at anything that might emerge!

'Anyman! This is General Wynn! We can speak mind to mind now - with all members of the Dark Powered Vanguard! How are you getting on?' said a voice in Anymans head.

He was about to answer when he saw a wall of flame coming towards him... from two directions!

"In the frying pan about to leap into the fire, General," Anyman thought back as he went up the ladder and pushed up out of the sewer. He changed his shape as he climbed into a gelatinous mass with all sorts of tentacles. He grabbed the manhole cover with a tentacle and threw it into the front of a German staff car, trying to embed it or even slice all the way through the heavy vehicle.

"BHTHTHBYBGYAARGHHFHAYYENNNBBBAAARRRYGHGHGHGH!!!!" He yelled in "monster", trying to panic the crowd even more.

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

With a thought, the Astounding Anyman flowed and changed, his form becoming liquid and moulding to his will! He moved up the ladder, out into the street, and stepped aside.

A column of fire shot up twenty feet to the side of him, the heat blistering even his incredible epidermis!

There were screams then as people saw the creature, and soldiers gaped for a moment before struggling to bring guns around.

THWANG!!!

OOC I'm on a Stan Lee lovefest for this post apparently...

With a tentacle, Anyman hurled the manhole cover at a staff car! It sliced through the cab, taking an officers head with it, bounced from a wall and bowled into a group of soldiers who scattered like 9 pins! Surprised at his shot, Anyman whirled... uh-oh!

Nazi Jetpack rangers, high up, had seen him! Three raced down whilst one hovered in the air, relaying the sighting over the incredible transistor radios the Nazis were equipping them with, a small pack on the belt. Another raced across the city and from the sight of Anyman as he saw the three homing in. People were running everywhere now in blind panic as the Rangers started shooting from distance - hopelessly inaccurate at speed and whilst diving, and catching innocents in the crossfire!

Anymans keen mind knew what their tactics would be - hold him there until reinforcements arrived! He looked about. He was in a street, the odd alley leading off. Shops lined the rows and workers gaped through the windows. Plenty of places to duck in and hide - or be cornered! Still, this was Anyman, and Any-Thing could happen!

OOC I can think of several ways for you to escape, just off the top of my head. Of course, escape may not be your plan... over to you...

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Anymans keen mind knew what their tactics would be - hold him there until reinforcements arrived! He looked about. He was in a street, the odd alley leading off. Shops lined the rows and workers gaped through the windows. Plenty of places to duck in and hide - or be cornered! Still, this was Anyman, and Any-Thing could happen!

OOC I can think of several ways for you to escape, just off the top of my head. Of course, escape may not be your plan... over to you...

ooc: Escape? Yes and no. :-)

Turning himself into a rolling ball of flesh, Anyman zoomed over to a nearby shop and burst through the window, vanishing inside. Once out of sight of most people in the street, he quickly changed into an average blonde haired older man and staggered immediately out of the shop, screaming in terror.

"Through the back," he yelled in German. "I saw that ... THING head for the back of the shop."

He staggered away with many of the other panicked citizens. HIs destination _ Goering's Air Force Ministry, right next door to the main Gestapo HQ!

"OH! I'm a wicked, wicked man," he sang into his mind with his connection to the others. "Terror and Destruction are my meat and potatoes!"


ooc: Found some information on Nazi buildings in Germany. Here are the links:

http://www.berlinfo.com/Traveltime/Sights/sights/nazi_germany/index.htm
http://www.thirdreichruins.com/berlin.htm


My plan is to appear in some kind of form, attack, cause damage, cause panic, jump into nearest place where I can't be seen by most folks, change into a human form, scream about Anyman going "that away" and moving away to repeat. If I find a nice bunch of soldiers or generals or field marshalls, nothing like screaming out one of them just changed from a monster into that person and must be Anyman - Kill Him!

I want to attack the Air Force Ministry and Gestapo HQ, do as much damaged as possible there, free any prisoners I find and then head over - quietly and quickly - to where the psychics are. The others should be there by then and either done with the job or just beginning it. Not sure how much time has passed since we split up.

THE VANGUARD BERLIN GROUP

Anyman was anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Panic reined in the streets as people ran from monsters real or imagined, and the sporadic gunfire as the security forces fired at shadows had people screaming and running for cover.

=========

"Damn it! How did that start?" hissed the Nazi Officer as he saw plumes of black smoke billow from the windows of an archive building.

"Get every spare pair of hands to help with fire fighting!" he ordered, and the word spread round. One clerk nodded, then spoke up "I have sensitive documents that require translating sir. Should I help or continue?"

The Officer frowned, looking out of the window. He couldn't remember the clerks name but it wasn't important. "Fine. Hold the fort! We'll be back when the fire service arrives. There are fires all over the city thanks to those idiots lighting up the sewers!"

The clerk watched them go, then heard a murmur under the desk. Reaching down and pulling a fist back, he cannoned it into the prone form lying there, which slumped without a sound. Had anyone seen it, they'd have seen the exact double of the man sat at the desk, watching workers spill out of the Air Force Ministry building. When they'd gone, he casually reached under the desk again with a hand and brought forth a petrol container. Ignoring the 'important documents' on the desk - which were the food requirements for the cafeteria for the rest of the week - he liberally splashed petrol all over,pulling open drawers and causing a mess. Suddenly the Officer came back in. "It's worse than I thought! We need... what are you doing?"

He never got the chance to pull the luger from his holster as an arm stretched across the space in between the pair and slammed into the Nazi, spinning him. The hand reached down, groped around for the out of sight officer, took hold of the mans neck and twisted. "Heil Hitler." Anyman muttered, and shifted his form to that of the officer, walking over to the man, taking his papers, weapon and cigarettes before checking his lighter. He lit two cigarettes, dragged hard on one and tossed it to the papers on the desk.

With the other in his mouth he strolled from the office as it went up like a bonfire...

=========

"WHAT IS GOING ON? HE IS ONLY ONE MAN!" screamed the Colonel.

He looked about. They were still dragging bodies from the psychic chamber. Some were still alive, but comatose or lobotomised. Those left were having a hard time concentrating - they reported snatched images of their prey moving through the city, then being only a couple of hundred metres from the Palace itself! the guards were alerted and the place was locked down, but the Colonel could see they been badly compromised. For the first time since September 1939 their superiority had not only been questioned but made a mockery of!

=========

Void smiled as he watched in the shadows as soldiers ran by.

He turned to Mist Maiden. "Get in there and pull the fire alarm. Don't worry about being naked. It'll give them something to think about before they realise they are about to go up in smoke."

Spiderweb looked down from his perch on the wall. "What about me? I could go in on one of the upper floors?"

"You could, but I would put lots of floors between myself and any bombs. If they are in there as we suspect..." he said, looking at the Berlin Palace "They'll be in the basement. And it'll be reinforced at that. You are fast, and annoying, but that won't stop a bullet killing you son."

Spiderweb frowned. "No nazi'll draw a bead on me!" he exclaimed. Garland shook her head. "None of us are invincible. The palace has extensive gardens. I will make my way through them and look for an exit route." She moved to the palace wall, place a hand on it and vines sprouted where she touched, allowing her to climb them and over the wall. Void watched her go and shrugged. "It's your funeral kid. If I were you I'd stay put here with me. Stick to the plan. Somebody - Mr Allard I presume - is making a right royal mess of Berlin. We need to make the people in the palace think they are next. No one wants to burn. We get in there, drop grenades into the place, and get out. Teach the bloody jerries what for!" he turned to Mist Maiden. "Away you go lass!" She moved off, her clothes on the floor, her body a boiling cloud of mist.

Spiderweb sighed. "So we get to do the boring stuff? I never signed up f...urrrk!"

Void whirled, to see Spiderwebs legs kicking away as he was hauled up to the roof of the building he was clung to by his throat! "Spiderweb!" he shouted, then remembered who he was. He started to cast a spell...

SPLUT!!!

He was drenched as body parts and entrails showered down on him from above, and parts of young Harry Burns' body crashed into Charles Hemmingsworth, sending him slipping and sprawling as he fought back bile...

=========

'A shadow Priest is active, and nearby.' warned the voice inside Anymans head!

Anyman paused. Disguised as the Nazi officer he was marching briskly through the crowds of people with buckets of water and sand, fighting fires and panic as word spread of Berlin being invaded. He looked about. There were hundreds of people in the square, and several buildings were burning fiercely now.

He received a mental image of a dark red skinned creature disembowelling Harry Burns, Spiderweb. Near the Palace. Void was nearby. He blinked. There were no more details, and he was surprised he'd gotten them.

He had a choice. The Gestapo building beckoned. His mission was all important. His team knew the risks. That said, a Shadow Demon in the form of a human was a foe they couldn't fight - Anyman himself would be hard pressed to defeat such a creature unless he called on that terrible dark power! Would there be any point in rushing to his team mates aid? They might be dead already, and that meant he alone would have to complete the mission!

'So much fear, so many negative emotions, has opened a doorway to Berlin. The Priest passed through, and has orders to slay your mortal form. If he does so... I may not be able to rejoin with another body immediately.' said the inner voice. His concern for Lance Allard was not at all touching!

OOC Berlin is in a state of panic. Anyman has a choice. Spiderweb is dead.