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

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:Frostbite wasn't sure he liked where this was going. 'All you have to do is kill them, and I will do the rest!'

He looked at Tank Man, pale, wounded and almost dead on his feet, but there was plenty of life left in Gravity Girl!

It was at this last point that Frostbite suddenly made an involuntary sound. "Sorry," He said to those looking on as he covered his embarrassment and more importantly his shock.

"Kill my team mates!" He said within himself, knowing full well the Shadow Prince could listen. He knew that the Prince and his cohorts worked with them, because they had a differing agenda to their own people. In some way they'd seen the error or flaw within their own people. Their appetite for destruction would lead to their own extinction eventually. Like alcoholics in a brewery, they'd drink their fill and then destroy everything along within themselves. Letting their 'brethren' loose in the Justicars, seemed like a non sequitur. And though it might help for now, it might also cause greater problems later.

No, as with the ship and the potential to dump its contents as a bomb, this action had to be a last action. Though the others would live, he knew from his own existence it wasn't a happy choice and it was a huge responsibility. If any of them gave into the shadow power, might they be consumed by it and swap out one bad guy for another. No, not now, not yet and hopefully not ever.

Time to go by conventional means, "Ok people lets get this show on the road. We're going to kick some Nazi! send them back up the Rhine crying all the way to Hitler with a message saying, 'is this the best you can do!'."

Frostbite wasn't usually one for such bravado, he suspected it was the other Joe 'leaking' into his personality.

He knew that the other presence was looking on, knowing that despite what he had said, when things were done, when the enemy had killed them would he, could he resist the temptation to not take up the offer. Especially if it delayed him having to use his own dark ally? Only time will tell.

OOC:

OK firstly I'm going to head up the line, get Tank transported so he can continue to rest and get himself in as best shape as possible. We'll get everyone up there and find out what is what from there.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

The French soldiers made arrangements to have Tank Man transported back behind their lines, despite the Giants protests. "I can fight!" he cried, as soldiers gathered around in a large group, making ready to lift his bulk "You...*unnnh* You need...*arrrh* easy there...I can ..." his voice trailed off as he accepted he was only a riddling of bullets away from death! He was far more durable than a normal human being, but without bulletproof skin there was only so much punishment he could take. "I'll be back in the field as soon as I can Frostbite! There's no way I'll be sitting this out!"

Gravity Girl stood beside Frostbite and the pair watched the dozen or so soldiers carry the big man between them. "He's insufferable, arrogant and if I didn't need to know him, I wouldn't, but he has heart. He wants to fight. Shame he's no good at it! His ego let him lead from the front, tossing grenades at the Nazis whilst they peppered him with bullets!" She shook her head. "I wonder how the others are getting on? I went on a mission with Anyman and learnt so much, saw so much..." her voiced trailed off. "But nothing can prepare you for war...."

They both looked about. The ground was churned up, muddied from blood and rain. There were still the cries of the injured and dying ringing out, the sound of distant guns up and down the line. Smoke drifted across the battlefield, revealing glimpses of the sheer number of bodies littering it. The carcases of burning vehicles, including the enormous Tankship, still blazed fiercely, coiling black smoke into the sky. Both heroes knew that worst was to come. They'd beaten back the Nazi war machine here because they'd not expected resistance, so when it came they were unprepared and handily beaten.

They would not make the same mistake again.

=========

The French Captain called out on the radio, knowing it was useless. "We need air support!"

Bullets zinged past. The Nazis were literally filling the air with lead, turning any unfortunate soldiers into mulch if they stuck their head above the edge of the craters they hid in. The burning wrecks of French tanks littered the field, and a Nazi Tankship sat hundreds of yards away, ignoring everything the French threw at it. With casual arrogance the main guns turned to pinpoint French positions and obliterate the gallant but outmatched soldiers!

To the French Captains surprise, he heard the distant thrum of plane engines and looked back to see half a dozen bombers heading from his own lines towards the Nazis! His men cheered, only to look on in horror as a crack of lightning flashed from plane to plane, sending each bursting into flames and crashing into the floor, killing more French soldiers! He sagged back, knowing all hope was gone. Incoming shells from distant artillery guns started raining down... he sighed. Raising the whistle to his lips to make one last charge over the top, he took a glance and knew he would die here, as would his men. The Nazis were advancing en masse now, foot soldiers in their thousands along with bizarre machines that towered over the men, armoured suits that walked like automatons and spat death from spinning barrelled guns!

"Need a hand Captain?" asked Gravity Girl as she threw herself in the crate next to him, intangible Frostbite next to her! Her Gravity Field had held, deflecting bullets for the most part and slowing others down. She was getting far better at manipulating the Gravity field as time went on. If she survived - and it was a big if - she would be able to perform amazing feats with it!

OOC You've moved North, up the line. There is a tankship, thousands of infantry supported by Nazi robots, and in the air, a living lightning bolt, no doubt another Nazi metahuman, who just wiped out half a dozen planes!

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:OOC You've moved North, up the line. There is a tankship, thousands of infantry supported by Nazi robots, and in the air, a living lightning bolt, no doubt another Nazi metahuman, who just wiped out half a dozen planes!

"OK we've got to get these Nazi's to feel uncomfortable. So far we've managed to keep them guessing, lets hope we can do it again." Frostbite said, as he studied the unenviable task of getting to the super tank fortress.

"Let me have all the grenades you've got. I'll try and get in as quick as I can, take out the tank and then start causing havoc from behind. That should give you chance to then take out the front rows. But look out for a lightening wielder. I'll need you to bring him down so he doesn't fry me." Said Frostbite to Gravity Girl. He'd been hit from behind before, he didn't fancy it again this time.

Having armed himself, Frostbite dived forward into the solid bank of mud before him propelling himself along through the earth, occasionally coming up for air, a quick look to make sure he was on target and then down again. Although it would do no harm to scare the troops he didn't want anyone to be aware of his presence, so that they might cotton on to what he was doing. So far he had trusted that communications, being what they were, were not so good that the other tank could say for sure how he'd taken it out. But he realised that this strategy was going to have its downsides.

He only need meet a Psi specialist or magic, the other Joe reminded him and his intangibility wasn't going to do much.

OOC:

Ok as before come up underneath, and set the grenades off within the tank, dive down to avoid the explosion then come up nearby where I can attack, dive under the earth, and come up to attack again. Keep everyone guessing and aim for the high yield targets, pop up among the tanks drop a bomb, among troop carrier and drop and bomb etc. But always diving back under the earth for cover, so that lightening power met, doesn't get a bead on me.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

The Nazi Colonel watched with satisfaction as his forces routed the French defence. In truth they massively outgunned the French thanks to the Tankship and superior weaponry. It was less of a battle, and more of a slaughter...

He chuckled, shaking his head and retired to his tent. pouring himself a fine cognac he picked up a moth eaten copy of a French guidebook. He rather fancied growing wine in the south when it was all over, a wealthy landowner with dozens of French Peasants to tend his land. He would get his petition in early to be made a Baron, and intended to distinguish himself against the British Force by delivering a decisive blow. That meant needing to dispose of the French forces here. No real problem, though the psychic communications had been cut. He shivered. Such things were abhorrent, but had allowed the German forces to smash every army arrayed against them. The British would be no different. He would be damned before he lived there when it was all over though - the interminable weather would put paid to any plans of growing vines!

"Sir!" announced an officer at the entrance to the tent. The Colonel masked his annoyance, put the glass down and pulled on his hat, turning to the officer. "Report." he ordered. Doubtless it would be some report stating the psychics had restored communication, that the downtime was due to one of them being lobotomised, an almost daily occurrence. "We have reports over the radio that out supply lines are being attacked! By..." the officer hesitated. "Spit it out man!" barked the Colonel. "By British superhumans sir." finished the officer.

The Colonel nearly choked on his cognac. First the cream of the Nazi metahumans, the 'Overmen' had been recalled to Berlin without explanation, then all had seen the flying lens in the sky crash to the floor. Now this? What was going on? He would take control of the situation, crush all the resistance and come out of this with his head held high!

He grabbed his gloves and marched from the tent, about to start barking orders, when he saw officers standing about, looking at the distant battlefield through binoculars. Snatching a pair from a Captain who masked his annoyance, the Colonel focussed. Then he lowered them, uttering "Bloody hell." His dreams of a Barony and acres of vineyards in sunny Southern France tasted like ash in his mouth. In the distance, the Tankship under his command was ablaze, flames pouring from every orifice including it's split armour!

=========

Gravity Girl concentrated, focussing her power on a field around herself...

"Go!" she shouted. The French soldiers grabbed their wounded and ran from the crater, back towards their own lines. All about, bullets zipped past, but those that came near Gravity Girl tumbled harmlessly to the floor, too heavy to be effective!

She looked up as Frostbite flew towards her, ignoring the bullets that passed through him. She chuckled. "Shame we're not all ghost-like!" She glanced back across the battlefield. She'd watched Frostbite drop grenades in tanks and troop carriers, seen them blown to smithereens, and all the while the Nazis couldn't lay a bullet on him!

"What's that?" she asked. Suddenly the artillery from the distant guns stopped...

A motorcyclist from the German side, white flag running from a tall pole on the back, rode to within 100 yards of where the two heroes oversaw the French withdrawal from where they were pinned down.

"Ubermensch of Britain! Hear this! My Colonel makes you a one time only offer!" he called out. "Surrender yourselves to him and he will not execute 54 captured French troops! Continue to resist us and they will all die, as will every man who does not lay down their arms! Belgium will be torched if it helps the British! It does not have to be this way!" The messenger paused, then continued. "Your answer?"

=========

The Colonel finished speaking on the radio, then sighed.

No promotion, no vineyards. Still, at least he'd get the job done, but had had to swallow humble pie. "They are on their way." he said to an aide, and sighed.

OOC Tricky situation for a hero to be in - I moved things along because with his sound tactics and Intangibility, the only thing presenting itself as a problem to Frostbite is having to fly back for more grenades. This is different though. There may - or may not - be, French hostages held by the Nazis. The French are watching. Or it could be a ruse by the Nazis, a trap? Not easy being a hero

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

OOC: Love the out character moments like this with the Nazi's. Their human too, albeit greedy and vengeful.

OOC Tricky situation for a hero to be in - I moved things along because with his sound tactics and Intangibility, the only thing presenting itself as a problem to Frostbite is having to fly back for more grenades. This is different though. There may - or may not - be, French hostages held by the Nazis. The French are watching. Or it could be a ruse by the Nazis, a trap? Not easy being a hero [/i]

Turning to the French leadership, Frostbite said, "Get me a white flag...." Anticipating an argument from Gravity Girl, he cut it shot by raising a hand.

"Look I doubt they've kept anyone alive, but if the men think I'll casually dispense with their comrades, then we're going to have a drastic effect on moral. I'll go forward sus out what this is about and use this as an opportunity to find out where their vital communications and commander is. Too many French soldiers have died today, for me to casually appear to sweep more aside. Besides, if by some miracle they have got them, then we've got another problem."

After gaining a old bedshet, much soiled but still recognisable as a white flag, of sorts, Frostbite strode forward. As he approached the motorcyclist. He said,

"I want to meet with you commander and discuss terms. I come under the white flag, so no funny business, got it!"

OOC:
Ok I imagine that this being you Paul, they have got French soldiers, so I am going to be challenged by what they dish up. There is no way we can surrender and to be honest I would have imaged that they'd thought themselves dead or as good as anyway. But something you said, made me question that, so hence I'm striding forward under a white flag. To take a good look around, find out what I can and then take all such terms back to the camp. I'm really thinking all along, without trying to appear to be doing this, how can I bust these guys out?

And what can I do to maximise damage including killing their commander and support structure. of course they could just move him, when I've gone to try and stop me from doing that, but as soon as I am out of sight, I'll sink into the ground and go back to spy on them to find out what I can. Such as will they kill the French soldiers after I've gone back to talk terms anyway or move the camp commandant etc.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

OOC As you may have figured, have been squeezed for time the last few weeks so I'm not updating as often as I like, and the Lore Knights game takes second preference to the Vanguard game. It's not 'on hold' though - I just need to get to it in turn As for the little interludes, one of the advantages I've found of play by post, even though it's slower that tabletop, is that you can better tell a story rather than go here, do this, go there, do that of tabletop play.

The silence was eerie as Frostbite flew across the battlefield following the soldier on the bike. As they got closer to the enemy lines, the sheer numbers of them, their organisation, weapons and formation, made Frostbites heart sink. By comparison the French were rag tag, poorly armed and led, and their tactics were simple - fight to the last man, don't give an inch. In many cases the Nazi tanks had simple rolled over the top of them!

The Germans looked at the British superhero. He was dirty, covered in soot and oil, his clothes slightly torn, but strode with confidence and purpose through the Nazi lines. One soldier even broke ranks to step forward, and to Frostbites' surprise, saluted him! He was barked at by a Sergeant and told to get back to his position, but the young soldiers look in his eyes spoke of nothing but admiration for the man who now walked in the midst of the enemy. There were tanks, jeeps, armoured vehicles and half tracks, machine gun emplacements... the list went on. The German war machine was so well supplied it rather made the Allies look as if they were fighting with pitchforks!

Frostbite noted a separate area of the camp where men strapped on rocket packs and suited up in head to toe armour. 'Kevlar' said Joe Rigdon inside Frostbites head. 'If they mass produced that stuff, the bullets the Allies use will be vastly reduced in effectiveness.' Frostbite also noted their weapons - lighter, made of some space age material (plastic) with needle like slivers for bullets.

The escort through the camp steered him towards a dozen command tents where Officers and scientists waited. The Colonel in charge saluted Frostbite, then glanced to the side nervously, where dark coated men of the SS stood aside. Scientists held cameras, filming and watching Frostbites every move.

"I greet you, sir. I am Colonel Ernst Schenkmann. These... gentlemen are the SS. I assume you have some code name? Under the terms of the flag of truce I will expect that you do not use your superhuman powers. I have witnessed..." he said, then waved his hand about "As have we all, just what the Ubermensch are capable of. Your efforts to stop us have been effective, but will ultimately prove futile. High Command has called in our...'special forces' and so the chance to save at least some of your gallant soldiers is dwindling." He waved a hand, and from behind the tents, chained up and battered looking, were led dozens of French soldiers at gunpoint. "We are not monsters. I believe that once we have captured this country, and others, men will be needed to till the lands, work the factories and so on. Wholesale slaughter is therefore undesirable. Not all..." he glanced aside "Share that view."

He straightened. "So! Here we are. I wish to guide my forces to escort the British Expeditionary Force from the continent. You oppose me. I give you a ... gift. These mens lives. Of the thousands we have killed, this sorry bunch find themselves alive. For now. Their lives are in your hands. Stand your men down and retreat to the ocean. That is all I ask. It is a simple request and will be meaningless tomorrow. All of your gallant men, and you yourself, will die in the morning if you do not comply. I have requested a cessation of the fighting for you to consider, but do not take too long. We will move at full speed through your lines tomorrow. If any are there they will be destroyed. There are weapons, technologies, powers... at work in this war which I do not understand. I am simply a minor cog in the great machine that will see the 3rd Reich sweep across the world. Those that resist will die."

One of the SS men walked forwards, sneering at the Colonel. "You talk too much Schenkmann. I shall have words with Command about your suitability to lead! As for your offer..." he paused, looking Frostbite up and down. "This fool is still in command for the moment, so it stands. Begone from our path. Take your worthless troops with you, and keep going, towards the sea. Know that we shall - soon enough - turn our eyes upon Britain. Shame. Der Fuhrer admires your country and its history. Such a tiny place, with an iron grip over most of the world at one point! We intend to do the same, so how are we different from you? You may try to rationalise the British Empires subjugation of other countries, but the words will sound false and hollow, even from your own lips. Enough!" he waved, and the prisoners were prodded forwards. "They have been cared for." sneered the SS man. "A waste of time. If they are still in the French lines come morning they will be dead."

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote: OOC As you may have figured, have been squeezed for time the last few weeks so I'm not updating as often as I like, and the Lore Knights game takes second preference to the Vanguard game. It's not 'on hold' though - I just need to get to it in turn .

No worries Paul but thanks for the heads up all the same.

=====

Admin wrote:One soldier even broke ranks to step forward, and to Frostbites' surprise, saluted him! He was barked at by a Sergeant and told to get back to his position, but the young soldiers look in his eyes spoke of nothing but admiration for the man who now walked in the midst of the enemy.

Frostbite momentarily taken aback by the sign of civility and respect, recovered quickly and saluted back. Had circumstances been different he'd have asked about the man, his name, his family and where he came from. But he dare not, the man might well suffer for his attempt to chivalry as it was.
====

OOC:

Paul can I get this straight as this is a shift in emphasis. I'd come believing that if I didn't stop the line the BEF would be over run and moreover that the Nazi's wanted to do that. Am I correct in understanding that if we don't fight for France, retreat peacefully they'll give us leave to leave without any more bloodshed? Moreover they'll let me go with the captured forces right here and now regardless of what I say or do? I just want to make sure, because I guess that is what we came wanting? A retreat without slaughter!

My second question would be that I'd have to get in touch with HQ to find out what we do if we are allowed to retreat, I know that not making a stand now, will only mean having to make one later. So I can't make that decision, but if they're offering me the prisoners, then I'll take them. And agree to come back with whatever answer HQ things we ought to give.

=====

As the SS officer gloated in his pride and obvious disgust over the treatment of the prisoners, Frostbite looked on his face a mask. The war had taught him to toughen up, so putting on a brave face had become easier. If he ever survived he might even beat his dad a poker, he surmised. Right now it was taking all his will power not to slap that snide, arrogant SS face back to the Fatherland.

Ignoring the man completely, Frostbite turned to the commandant.

"Thank you sir, for your terms. I cannot speak for my superiors but will endeavour to make your offer known and let you know as soon as I can. Though I see humanity and nobility in you, its a shame that it can't be bread into all of your men." This last comment was said with barely a glance at the men in the SS uniforms.

But Frostbit didn't care what they thought, he saluted one last time and turned about walking out swiftly to receive the prisoners and return to his lines.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

OOC In *real* History the Nazis stopped short of completely destroying the BEF (which would have seen Britain surrender - there'd have been virtually no one left to defend the UK), pausing to instead allow the Luftwaffe to bomb the heck out of the BEF to save the infantry. That didn't work out (weather, RAF etc) and the Allies evacuated hundreds of thousands of men whilst the French fought a holding action to stop the Nazis from pressing the attack. For whatever reason that the order to halt the attack was given (historians argue about it) the Allies had 3 days to get everyone back to Britain.

In our reality, that is not the case. The Vanguards job was to delay the Nazis advance by any means, and they have done so, but only by a day. The Nazis will allow the French forces to retreat, then advance anyway. This is as much for them (to re-establish supply columns) as it is for anyone else, thanks to the Vanguards actions. Added to that their Psychic network going down, their Superhumans summoned back to Berlin, and the sheer dogged resistance of the Allied Superhumans and you have the Nazi war effort frustrated for a short time. So instead of the three days delay to get everyone off the beaches of Dunkirk, you've so far attained a day if you agree to the Nazi Colonels terms. Retreat or be obliterated. Of course, it's only a temporary reprieve - they intend to destroy everyone when they advance anyway, but it buys time for the Allies, and time for the Nazis when you've removed their ability to advance anyway...

The Colonel nodded at Frostbites words but wouldn't meet his eyes, looking down at the floor. "The gift of life is for one day only." he stated. "The 3rd Reich will triumph, this day or the next. Use the time well. Perhaps in that day some peace can be brokered to save your gallant men, but that is for politicians to decide. They decide, and we die based on their decisions." He raised his head, sucked in a deep breath, and saluted Frostbite. "One more thing. Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" said the Colonel. He turned, gave a stony eyed stare at the SS Officer, and marched off. The SS man stepped up, smiling. Suddenly his eyes flashed red, and he smiled, whispering "Hello Prince. The Shadows are Darkening." The SS officer shuddered, looked about, then composed himself. "Now get out of my sight Britisher, before we tested your much vaunted 'superpowers'!"

As if to emphasise the point, several clanking 8 foot tall mechs strode through the parting ranks to tower over Frostbite.



The SS Officer grinned. "It would please me to see you beg for these mens lives, but what are they to you?" he waved a hand at the Frenchmen. Most were stumbling, and seemed to be recovering from the effects of being knocked out, groggy and unsteady as they were. "Instead, I say this. Get out of my sight! I would prefer you stay and fight in the morning when we advance. I want to see you ground into the floor for what you did to our Tankships!" he spat. He turned to the Nazi Mechs. "If he is not on his way back to the French lines in 10 seconds, set fire to the prisoners!"

"No!" shouted the young Private who'd saluted Frostbite. "This is not right! There is no honour in this! I fight because my country demanded, but that does not mean I will stand by and watch prisoners slaughtered!" He was rewarded with a rifle butt in the back of his head, downing him! Two soldiers dragged him up and another pulled his head back. The SS Officer smiled. "Perhaps you do not follow the teachings of Der Fuhrer?" he asked the young man, all the while smiling and looking at Frostbite as he walked to the young soldier. He casually unclipped the luger at his belt. "I'm counting, Britisher. You have... 7 seconds to start walking..."

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew


Whilst the Nazi's SS officer, with a smirk on his leering face, held a pistol over Frostbite he began to count.

DavidMcMahon wrote: "Attention," he said through the psychic link with the other Vanguards, "all current psychics are dead, thanks to the unwitting aid of a Nazi Ubermensch who throws off massive amounts of radiation. The metal sphere they were connected to is slagged. The Nazi seems about ready to fight the Shadow Priest, who is too powerful for me to face without the shadow powers in me. I'm attempting to flee. I'm hurt bad. May not make it. Too much radiation taken in. Signing off."

Frostbite held up his hand, to the man it radiated cold and he said, "Freeze!" Before communicating with Anyman.

"Anyman, they shadows are darkening, they must be feeding off all the misery that is being caused here as well as across Europe. A war is a fine thing for fear. Do what you need to get out of their, we can't loose you at a time like this, but beware. If you let loose the power for any other reason than to aid your escape, you may end up serving the Shadows accelerating their entry into our world. We're here for you buddy if you need us!"

Then Frostbite lowered his arm, looking once again at the Nazi, "There's no need to keep counting." And with that he strode casually, taking his time to where the men where. He had no intention of showing just how upset he was. Both with what he'd seen in the officer and what he'd heard.

Moving over to the prisoners he indicated that they were being given chance to leave. But as he looked about, helping those he could, he took stock of what was around him. He smiled back at the Nazi officer, knowing full well that humour, fun, good natured smiles were not things his shadow could feast on.

"Hope this gives you indigestion" he said to himself as he smiled an inane grin back at the man.

Moving slowly, but as steadily as the men would allow, he move back to the front line. He knew that the Nazi's might honour what the Commandant said, but one day would mean nothing. Frostbite gave the words he'd said some thought, he didn't know any Greek but he remembered the phrase from somewhere. The oft quoted phrase, "Beware Greeks baring gifts!" Had the commandant alerted him to the real reason they'd been freed. Was it tha this was another Nazi game, no free offer but something with chains attached? He couldn't be sure, so when he got back he alerted the French command to his worries.

"Have them watched, with seen the Nazi's do nasty things to people, we don't want any surprises we can't account for!"

Then with the prisoners taken care of he filled the others in as to what was going on . He then had Gravity Girl radio the information back, out of curtsey but he had no intention of doing anything but fighting on here. The problem was how could he use the power of his Dark alley without causing more fear and mayhem so that the shadows could also take advantage of it.

He could sneak back into the camp, tell the Commandant what he always intended to do - fight on, and start blowing the place up. But somehow he felt the men deserved a better chance. Misguided as they were some of them turned out to be pretty decent people.

Frostbite deliberated as he considered his options and also how Anyman, Sentinel and Lionheart were doing in their respective missions.

OOC:

Ok I am considering my options waiting for communication from England to come in and considering if I might as well just walk back into the camp insubstantial and start lobbing grenades around, blowing up stuff and basically.

I am aware that the Shadows on the otherside might well provoke me to attack and at this point I need to ask a question or two.

1. In the past I was able to control the dark power, or indeed the dark power was restrained as I wasn't up to full ability and it would tear me apart if it did that. Apart from Anyman's rampage, I've never lost control whilst under the influence of the power, why is that and can I assert control now so I can use the power in a more controlled way as I did in Atlantis?

2. In the past you assigned the dark power a rating, every time we used it that rating went up - has that been left aside or does that still feature and where is that rating now?

Basically I suspect we'll end up calling on the dark power at some point and I want to lay down under what terms and with what ramifications, as best as I can determine. Especially before I go in running havok over the German base.

Which is otherwise what I will do.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

OOC when the rating was used the Dark Power was a thing your old characters (those with 8 power rolls, Joe Rigdon, Putty, Stormwarden, Kitten and so on) might have a good chance of controlling. As you are now (Joseph Hoskyn, Lance Allard, General Wynn 1940s versions etc) you have not reached your full potential power (8 power rolls) and so calling on the Dark Power will overwhelm you if there are too many negative emotions around. Think of the Dark Power as a really mean, nasty dog. Most of the time it's chained up. When you let it out, you need to exert your will on it, be strong enough to keep it under control (which Frostbite, Stormwarden and Putty managed on occasion back in the future) but your 1940s versions are less experienced, getting there steadily but not 'strong' enough just yet. So imagine then if you let out your mean, nasty dog, save that you're in a Butchers shop, and trying to control it. That's how much chance the 1940s versions have when in the middle of a war zone. The pain and suffering are the tasty morsels in the butchers shop to your Dark Power. Once let out, all it's emotions will be overloaded as it feeds, then finds it absorbs too much power and every little thing it does is magnified thousands of times! The ruling caste/High Princes your characters are home to were no less or more powerful than the subjects they ruled initially, but they absorb and convert raw emotions into power far, far more efficiently than any others of their kind. In the middle of a War Zone, with the dead, dying and terrified all about, the Vanguardians power would be near limitless! As it would be right now in Berlin.

The problem is, you have a rocket launcher when a screwed up paper ball would do the job. No, the Dark Power isn't useless, but it comes with a very heavy price unless used in the right place, right time. Sometimes though, desperate measures require you use it anyway. I thought David M might in Berlin, and he'd have done a heck of a lot more damage than the Nuclear Nazi did, which in itself wiped out thousands of people. When your characters are more experienced (another few power rolls) the Dark Power rating will come into force again. Till then, when you use the Dark Power and you're in the middle of the proverbial 'Butchers shop' expect the dog to go rabid... Hope that makes sense... In Atlantis you were pretty isolated. Being at the bottom of the Ocean is kinda like that. If you called on the Dark Power on the moon base, you'd expect to have a good chance of having a say in what happens. Here? With the dead, dying and desperate all about? Dark powered Frosty would be all mine...

=========

Frostbite led a rag tag troop of staggering men back to the French lines...

"Sacre Bleu!" uttered the French Colonel as he saw his men paraded into their lines. His joy was tempered when Frostbite told him of the veiled warning the Nazi Colonel had offered. "You think... maybe.. they are some kind of trap? Something has been done to them?" Both men looked on as the exhausted troops trudged into the makeshift camp. "Still, they have given everything for their country! We owe it to them to help them, no?"

Frostbite was uneasy, then glanced back across the Battlefield.

A single shot of a pistol rang out.

'He was Vanguard material. The boy in the Nazi camp.' said the Dark Power inside. 'He had no fear. None. Sticking up for his convictions will have gotten him killed though.' Was that a tinge of sadness to the Dark Powers' voice? Understanding only partially what the all powerful being inside must be going through with so much misery and destruction going on around, Frostbite figured it was taking the beings full concentration to even speak, never mind rattle at the cage of Frostbites mind, eager to be let loose!

Gravity Girl came up, then hugged Frostbite, before stepping back. "I thought you'd be lost, walking into the Lions den!" she said, smiling and with eyes filling up. "I was about to order the Colonel to get his men out of here! One more assault and they are done!"

She gestured for Frostbite to come over to a makeshift camp fire where stew was cooking, the smell reminding Frostbite that he'd been fighting all day without respite. Now as the sun started to set he wondered what the next day would bring. They still had hours to decide on a course of action. He looked across the Battlefield again. For some it seemed, time had run out though...

=========

The Colonel set his pen down, carefully blotting the ink drying on the page of his memoirs...

He read again the words he'd written, wished he'd had time to write more.

"My dearest Lucia, my Wife. I write knowing that my time is over. The dreams of a vineyard, of seeing our sons grow to manhood and bear children of their own that we may watch with pride and love, are as ash in my mouth. I urge you, beseech you! Flee Berlin! Change your hair, your appearance, your name! Disavow me! My distaste for the Nazis when they came into power nearly a decade ago has long since blossomed into hatred, and I fear now that I am found out. Nay, I know it. Our country entered into war to follow the dreams of a madman who pulled the wool over a desperate peoples eyes. When the strangers from the future turned up, none could see how things would go. Then the aliens, the strange machines, the unbelievable powers of the occult, the horrors emerging from the labs, experiments on the men, on prisoners... I should have stopped it, or tried at least. I am a weak man, and I have failed. I had faith in this war being fought with honour, but between Victory and Defeat all things, including Honour, have little value. I pray my memoirs find you before the Gestapo does. Take the boys and go! I beg you! I am a traitor to my country and to the Nazi ideals, but feel that somehow, somewhere, there may be someone who considers me a reasonable human being when all around I am surrounded by monsters! I can only pray the Britisher saw the warning I gave. The prisoners were given back in good faith. Only when I saw them led forward did I realise what had been done, and my shame is colossal. I love you always." He'd signed it 'Ernst' and quickly wrapped the journal in linen, stashing it in the papers and despatches that would get back to Berlin.

Even when he heard the marching boots get closer, he calmly, deliberately, took out his Luger, noting the polished grip, immaculately tended and oiled. He slid open the breech, glanced at the single shell there and slid it quietly in place, flicking off the safety. He smoothed down his uniform, noting the array of medals for valour and bravery, for serving with distinction. A part of him was proud, the rest of him was sad that he'd been bought with shiny medals and promotions. Tears misted his eyes, and he bit his lip, drawing in a deep breath.

Then he eased back the hammer of his luger and placed the gun against his forehead.

The broken man eased on the trigger and blew his brains out.

The SS officer entered the tent a heartbeat later, followed by his troops. "Worthless traitor." he spat. "Didn't even have the courage to face a firing squad. Mount his body on a pole in the camp and burn it, as a show of what we think of traitors." The officer spun on his heel and walked out, ignoring the blood spattered satchel on the floor.

OOC You have options - get the heck out of dodge and retreat further towards the BEF, go intangible and attack the Nazi camp with grenades, call on the Dark Power and stand back as the biggest firework display in history goes off, wait for your friends to get back, even call for reinforcements and hold the line, buying more time for the BEF to evacuate. They need three days. You've given them one, maybe a bit more, by your actions and those of your team, but the cost on day 1 has been high, and it's not finished yet for Lionheart and Sentinel! Anyman is in a world of pain, deep behind enemy lines with a very real problem of how to get out alive presenting itself. Things are bleak, but you aren't finished yet. The Shadows Darken, the Vanguard is the light. Over to you...

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:OOC You have options - get the heck out of dodge and retreat further towards the BEF, go intangible and attack the Nazi camp with grenades, call on the Dark Power and stand back as the biggest firework display in history goes off, wait for your friends to get back, even call for reinforcements and hold the line, buying more time for the BEF to evacuate. They need three days. You've given them one, maybe a bit more, by your actions and those of your team, but the cost on day 1 has been high, and it's not finished yet for Lionheart and Sentinel! Anyman is in a world of pain, deep behind enemy lines with a very real problem of how to get out alive presenting itself. Things are bleak, but you aren't finished yet. The Shadows Darken, the Vanguard is the light. Over to you...

Having had time to think, Frostbite had called for the others to listen to what he had to say.

"We're going to call in for more support, so that we can try and get out troops out, but frankly I don't trust the people over there. I'm sure that the Commandant is a good man on the wrong side of this war. He'll be overridden and we've got to make attempts to pull back whilst we can."

Looking about Frostbite new he was asking a lot, but they were here to organise a retreat and regroup they were in no shape to do much else.

"I'll buy us some time, I'll use the cover of darkness to cause as much damage as I can in the camp, although if their smart they will realise that will be the case. When the attack starts going off I want my team to come over and help out as best they can. But wait for the mayhem to start going off or you'll be cut to ribbons trying to get to my position. And I'll need all the grenades and explosives I can carry."

As the officers set about giving orders, Frostbite turned to Gravity Girl,

"You know the more I think about it the more I worry about our prisoners. That SS officer, he house a shadow, red eyes, nasty smile. He wouldn't have let those prisoners go free without a reason. I think our French officer was right, his men may be a trap. I want our people on high alert. Lionheart told me about men who could change into werewolves, Ani-men he called them. Or who knows what else they could have planted within them, given how much experimentation the Nazi's have been undertaking. Put one of our guys onto watching them and the camp."

With that Frostbite strode off into the camp to get ready, he felt tired and wanted to sleep, but he knew closing his eyes right now wouldn't mean he'd get any rest. He walked his fatigue off, letting the cold night air give him some pep in his step as he strode to collect his munitions.

OOC:
1. OK I know Tank Man is out of things so I want one other to stay behind and then have whatever of the rest can come, to join me. I guess it ought to be someone like Fastback, someone who can let us know what is going on in a pinch.

2. Once I've got munitions I'm not interested in talking or having a villain to hero monologue exercise. I'll just start planting grenades to go off in the most sensitive areas beginning with the munitions and supplies and then working among the men. The idea is to flit from one area to the next, using intangibility and the ground to move about without making myself a target.

3. To aid in this process I will put on a jacket and uniform of an SS officer, if I can procure one or a soldier if not. Sure there are items to be had easily enough. I want to add to the confusion by making the darkness, confusion and a bluff by disguise add to the whole attempt at making it harder for me to be pinned down.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Having given his orders Frostbite looked to the setting sun, knowing that the cover of darkness would be all important. Were he to be seen his ability to plant the grenades would be impaired, having to turn tangible under a hail of bullets! That didn't bother him so much but a grenade struck by a bullet going off in his hand, then triggering other grenades, would certainly cause him more than a headache!

Suddenly there was a blur of wind, and Frostbite instantly iced up, on the defensive!

"yougottacomequickthere'ssomethinggoingonwiththeprisoners!" exclaimed Fastback! Frostbite rose, looking beyond Fastback. Muttering a curse under his breath, he saw the edge of the setting sun disappear from sight behind the trees, the final orange edge seeming to signal the end of the day and the start of something else!

There!

He heard shouts, cries, the rattle of gunfire!

Across the camp, where the prisoners were held captive, there were flashes of lightning, like a storm was going off at ground level! Cursing, Frostbite started towards the trouble, then turned.

In the distance he heard the rumble of armour as the Nazis started to advance! They were coming, and would be here in under an hour! Gravity Girl soared down, almost out of breath "We watched them like hawks! It didn't matter! First one, then another of the prisoners started to collapse, and it was as if they were mummified corpses, drying out before our eyes! A second later... and it was just that... they rose, grabbing the nearest living person and ..." she stopped, even the hardened Emma Steed needing a pause. "Sucked the life right out of the soldier! His skin was restored, the French Prisoner looked absolutely terrified, unaware of what had gone on, and the soldier he'd drained? He was a husk!"

Fastback gathered herself before talking. "What if they drain one of us?" Screams and bright flashes - happening more and more now - caused everyone to turn. Soldiers were firing point blank into the prisoners, and the dried out bodies ignored the bullets, pulled the shooters in with nigh on superhuman strength, put their mouth next to the soldiers and FED!

Frostbite turned around. He still had time before the Nazi onslaught began, but would there be any soldiers left by the time he got there?

'Ingenious.' remarked the inner voice. 'The Prisoners 'dehydrate', losing their life force, but are able to drain the living nearby to restore their life! The drained soldier, in turn, rises moments later to drain life from the living! A Vampiric virus.'

Frostbite realised then that the warning he'd deduced from the German officer had referred to the story of the Trojan horse. The French prisoners were innocent of wrongdoing - they had nothing to do with what was going on. Instead, they'd been injected with some kind of virus that unleashed the deadly force that now drained the life from the living, and turned them into life draining vampires!

The trigger had been sunlight. Or rather, lack of it.



OOC The Nazi trap was sprung when the sun went down. Despite plenty of guards about the prisoners, all it did was provide them with more sustenance. Now all the drained will be rising to drain more of the living as the virus spreads like wildfire! The nazi army has seen the lightning flashes as their trigger, and is on their way! Let's see, options... tackle the life drainers, before they spread out of control? get the French to gather their injured and pull back, right now - or dig in to meet the Nazis head on? Head towards the Nazis to take the fight to them. It's dark, and Frosty can be sneaky, using the ground for cover, so he has a reasonable chance of slowing them down. perhaps he wants to send a message to the rest of the Vanguardians , get the ship over here, pronto? (At this point in the time line it's gathering the others from their own particular versions of a tight spot) You may have other options, but right now with every passing second the life drainers are spreading...

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:OOC The Nazi trap was sprung when the sun went down. Despite plenty of guards about the prisoners, all it did was provide them with more sustenance. Now all the drained will be rising to drain more of the living as the virus spreads like wildfire! The nazi army has seen the lightning flashes as their trigger, and is on their way! Let's see, options... tackle the life drainers, before they spread out of control? get the French to gather their injured and pull back, right now - or dig in to meet the Nazis head on? Head towards the Nazis to take the fight to them. It's dark, and Frosty can be sneaky, using the ground for cover, so he has a reasonable chance of slowing them down. perhaps he wants to send a message to the rest of the Vanguardians , get the ship over here, pronto? (At this point in the time line it's gathering the others from their own particular versions of a tight spot) You may have other options, but right now with every passing second the life drainers are spreading...

Frostbite pursed his lips, thoughts sought to tumble through his mind as he fought for mastery in the overwhelming sense that everything was falling apart around his ears.

But he pulled himself together, the steely calm of leadership gave him focus as he sought to order his thoughts and get orders out as soon as possible.

"Right Steed with me, Fastback I want you to tell the French to start pulling back, anyone who cannot go on their own can be given the chance to stay and delay the Nazi advance. We'll issue them with explosives. Start getting the men back, meanwhile Steed and I together with the other Justicars will create a fire break, if light was what was needed, we'll need to use grenades and fuel to create a barrier that will either kill these things or blow them apart. Since being with the Nazi's they're no longer the people they once were. All we can do is make their deaths count for something."

With that Frostbite set off to where the men where, he quickly sought to grab some fuel canisters rolled them into the mass of men and threw in a grenade after it to set them alight, hoping that since these creatures were dried husks before hand, fire might be their weak point.

Quickly he arranged to have more cannisters brought forward, so as to contain the creatures, before things spread as did panic and mayhem. He had Gravity girl reduce the mass of the cannisters so he and the other justicars could follow suit rolling them in among the men so adding to the flames and destruction seeking to coral the infection.

"When we've finished here, I'm going to send a message to the Nazi's they won't forget in a hurry." He said between gritted teeth as he went about the grim task, his anger barely contained at what had been inflicted upon these men.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

"Sounds like a plan!" said Gravity Girl, dashing to where some of the vehicles used by the French were parked up, hidden in a copse of trees. Between her and Frostbite they soon had lighter than air barrels floating towards the flashes of light and screams of the dying Frenchmen! It was utter carnage! men ran everywhere, seeing bullets blast into the bodies of their once comrades and out the other side without slowing them down! The only thing that did slow them was when they grabbed a passing soldier, drank his life force, then sagged back, appearing as a normal French soldier again, save being bewildered and frightened by what was going on! Meanwhile the drained soldier would rise, as a dessicated husk, grab another soldier and start the cycle anew!

It was spreading like wildfire through the camp!

Barking orders to any who would hear, the French Colonel continued to fire at the men who'd been prisoners. If they'd 'fed' bullets appeared to affect them, dropping them when enough had been pumped into the man. A downed corpse would quickly deflate, becoming husk like, then rising and moving towards the living again!

The Colonel turned as Frostbite and Gravity Girl turned up. "I don't... if this..." he took aim, firing again, and again. "If these got to where the bulk of the army is... it could turn them all into creatures like this!"

Gravity Girl turned pale at the thought, but Frostbite didn't let it slow him down. Grabbing barrel after barrel of fuel he tossed it into the midst of the French prisoners, then grabbed up a discarded gun and took aim.

BOOOM!

The explosion lit up the night, blowing bodies everywhere! Burning dried out husks stumbled here, there, unable to drain anything as their bodies disintegrated in the searing heat! Again and again they tossed barrels in, watching out for telltale lightning flashes to indicate where the abominations still lived!

Just then, Frostbite heard a distant BANG! and a whistling sound...

"Oh no!" said Gravity Girl...

=========

"Open fire! Target the flames!" ordered the Nazi SS Officer.

The rows of tanks fired shell after shell at the burning French camp, accompanied by the pounding of artillery guns! Soon the sky was lit with tracer and flashes as the shells struck, blasting the French to smithereens!

=========

Frostbite looked about...

The French were smashed! After the initial shots to gauge distance had fallen short, the Nazis were now pounding the area where the French soldiers had dug in! This helped - with destroying the life drainers that remained - but the French retreat turned into a rout!

Fastback sped up, then sagged, holding her knees and gulping in breath "We're done! The French are in full retreat! Do we stay to fight them or get out of here?" Even as she spoke the boom of exploding shells nearby drowned her out, and the group were showered in flying dirt!

Gravity Girl shook her head. "If we don't hold the line, the Nazi forces will be on the BEF in a day, and everything we've fought for will be for nothing! We may as well invite Hitler to call Parliament to order now!"

With fires burning all about, and ears filled with the screams of the dying, Frostbite saw the true horror of war at that moment. Overwhelmed by superior numbers, possessing a power that could not be measured but unable to use it without great cost... and having to see those he defended be blown to smithereens by an honour-less enemy ... it was too much!

He felt then the creeping tendrils of a Dark Presence in his mind. 'I feel your pain mortal. Perhaps it is time. I regret though... there will be a heavy price for you to pay...'

Gravity Girl shook Frostbite again. "Joe! Joe! Snap out of it! We need to go! let's send word along the line for the French to retreat so as to minimise casualties, and wait for the others to get back! When we're gathered together we can strike back! If they've dcoen their job the Nazis won't advance far anyway - unless they want their tanks running out of fuel!"

'Ignore the woman!' urged the Dark Voice inside. 'Call on my power! Crush your enemies! Save the day!'

Fastback looked about, wiped a tear from her eyes. "So many dead..." she whispered.

OOC Another tricky choice. The others should be returning in the next couple of posts though, so Frostbite just needs to ride this out, somehow. Consider this to be the 'Empire strikes back' phase of the war so far....

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:Fastback looked about, wiped a tear from her eyes. "So many dead..." she whispered.

OOC Another tricky choice. The others should be returning in the next couple of posts though, so Frostbite just needs to ride this out, somehow. Consider this to be the 'Empire strikes back' phase of the war so far....

Frostbite responded to Steed's insitent shaking. "I feared this might happen, it was why I had hoped we'd be able to get people out first, but it all takes time. And now we've lit the whole place up for the Nazi's to pound us at will."

Again the voice spoke, velvet smooth, but Joe also knew that the voice spoke truth...at what cost, how much is too much. "I'm going to take advantage of this confusion, and finish what I started. I want you all to help the French get out and give the order to retreat. I'm going to give them a taste of their own medicine, they've lit up their position by firing on us, and in the dark its so hard to tell one soldier from another. I'll join you soon, but get everyone back and look out for the others."

Steed could tell that his tone of voice and by the look he gave, he was in no mood to argue. Though Joe realised that he had been overcompensating this whole time. Knowing that the others had taken heavy looses and knowing how little the others could do in such overwhelming odds, he'd done most of the heavy work himself. But what else could he do, he wasn't going to throw the Justicars to a needless death, just to make them feel useful!

Having gathered up the remains of his stuff, he floated forward in the stolen uniform he'd got, intangible he flew in a straight line toward the armoured divisions.

As he came forward, he saw the tanks. Moving speedily , he came from underneath, emerging in a tank where he'd drop a grenade and retreat silent like the grave. A grim look of concentration on his face as he did what he had to. Moving from tank to tank he came up form underneath dropping grenades into them.

Then he sank down again, moving on deeper into the camp to attack the soft underbelly of supplies, fuel and if he could find him the Commander. If he could kill the body, the Shadow demon would have to find a new host, which might slow him down for a bit longer.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Frostbite tried to ignore the pounding of the guns as he sped towards the Nazi lines, knowing full well they'd be pounding the French into annihilation! Furthermore, the Nazis were advancing along the line, albeit slowly, with the sound of booming cannons ringing out in the night! The other French forces fared better - at first - because their position wasn't lit up like a beacon...

Until the Nazi Jet packers soared down, dropping flares and grenades into their midst!

Then all hell broke loose.

Gravity Girl and Fastback watched Frostbite go, then hurried the French forces along, using their powers as best they could to shield or help the smashed French troops!

Gravity Girl cast one look back at the diminishing form of Frostbite... he took on too much, but what else could they do? Grinding her teeth with anger she continued to cast a gravity shield in the air over her head, and protecting a number of troops.

Suddenly she was rocked as a direct hit struck the edge of the Gravity Shield, throwing her to the floor! With face full of mud, she was helped up by the Colonel, but both heard the incoming tell tale sign of a shell approaching!

BOOOM!

=========

Frostbite popped up in the first tank he came across, moving without sound and keeping a calm head.

He pulled the pin and let the grenade free from his hand. After a moment of falling it became tangible, and clattered onto the floor of the tank. He moved onto the next one.

Kurt Scharnell loaded another shell up, then glanced down. "Vas ist...?" he said, pointing. The Gunner glanced down, shouting "Schn..." BOOOM!!!

=========

"Did you see that? One of our tanks has been destroyed!" shouted a Commander, looking out across the battlefield through night vision binoculars.

A wondrous invention recently handed out by the futurists, he'd come into their possession after the previous owner - the Colonel - had no use for them!

The SS Officer stepped alongside the man. "Oh really?" he said, smiling. "We've seen someone do that that sort of thing before. Let him." The Captain shivered as the SS man started walking out into the battlefield, towards the line of tanks.

=========

Frostbite surfaced after destroying the fourth tank. He checked his stash of remaining grenades.

5 left. Supplies had been hard to come by and the French were woefully ill supplied, but the consolation was that so were the Nazis too, thanks to the Vanguard. He targeted the next vehicle and sped towards it. He almost missed a shadowy figure in the darkness point a hand and chant something in a long forgotten language...

OOC Roll of 15, hit. +3 WC +6 DC. 10 points used, x2 damage. 14Htc damage, ignores dividers. It's a magic attack, similar to Energy Attack but it ignores dividers completely rather than merely reducing them, as an Energy attack would do. Grade 2 Intangibility would be immune to it (no physical harm taken whilst intangible)

Taken somewhat by surprise, Frostbite turned, and saw a dark silhouette with glowing red eyes in the shadows. "I say there old chap." said the Shadow Priest in the SS Officers body "How about we go a round or two, what? Marquis of Queensbury rules?" he laughed, using a posh English accent. he made boxing motions with his fists, then laughed. "I think not." he added in a dark voice. Despite the booming going on around them, Frostbite had absolutely no trouble at all hearing the man! "Did you like my spell? I had no idea whether you would even feel it, but it looks like I have your attention." His eyes narrowed. "There's plenty more where that came from, but you're probably not in the chatting mood right now, what with your friends being slaughtered and all. Don't worry..."

Pairs of red eyes winked into existence all around Frostbite. "The Shadows are Darkening. It's almost our time." snarled the Priest. "Have at thee!"

OOC Frostbite has delivered himself into the hands of the Shadow Priest, somewhat! There are a dozen shadow fiends forming around him, and like Frostbite, they are intangible too, able to move through solids, like ghosts and turn tangible, albeit momentarily, to strike with claws! Whether they present a threat to Frostbite when he's intangible remains to be seen, but they are ready to pounce... as is the Shadow Priest. Initiative Heores 3, Bad Guys 5. The Shadow fiends close in on Frostbite. All are intangible so within striking distance of our hero. The Shadow Priest is 10m away. He holds his frame. All around the guns are going off, and the gallant French are being pounded into the floor! 4 frames to Frosty, then 2 each for the Shadow Fiends (having already had one) and 5 for the Shadow Priest.

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:Pairs of red eyes winked into existence all around Frostbite. "The Shadows are Darkening. It's almost our time." snarled the Priest. "Have at thee!"

"Oh I wondered when you'd show up. I'm surprised you didn't go back in time to Ghengis Khan the way you guys are shopping around for disaster or further into the future?" Frostbite quipped as he pulled the remaining pins on his grenades, suddenly chucking them in with speed and a quick wave before diving down into the Earth.
"I hope this blows you back to kingdom come!"

He knew they might come after him, but down here he'd have as much chance as they would. Down, down, down he went. Beneath the smell of loam and earth to where he could taste the grit of rock. Then willing himself forward, he flew through the ground as fast as he could manage in a straight line.

When he could take it no longer, he flew up. Got his bearings and then headed back under again heading toward the French lines. His mind was a whirl, how much longer could he hold back his powers, but equally in a place where the shadows were popping out of the air all around him, he knew that he and everyone was terribly vulnerable. If he unleashed his power in these circumstances whilst he might win, he would most likely decimate the BEF along with the enemy. And who was to say that this wouldn't equally strengthen the enemy as well.

"If only there were a way to use what the Shadow Demon's fear against them...!" He thought to himself, aware that in all this time they'd found nothing that they were weakened by save the Shadow Princes.

As he speed forward he had to focus on the task at hand, helping the remaining soldier retreat, without accidentally causing more harm to one another in that retreat. He only hoped Bletchley and the DICE boys had got somewhere, things were looking grim and it nagged away at him that little stood in the way of Hitler to whip them all out. Fighting to control his emotions, Frostbite fought back his sense of growing anxiety and dread. What was the point of all this power if you couldn't use it? He didn't care about his own life, but he'd never give into using the power if it mean the needless death of his own men, his own forces.

Resurfacing again, he took a quick bearing before carrying on, to try and catch up with the men.

Sj

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Sure he could hear the 'crump!' behind him, Frostbite sped down into the earth, trying to remember which way was 'up'! Going through solid materials, he had to hold his breath - it was similar to swimming, save he couldn't see beyond the object in front of him.

He flew down, down, until his lungs started to burn, then further down still!

Finally, about to gasp open his mouth, he charged back up to the surface, or what he hoped was the surface anyway!

He sprung out, gasping for air dozens of metres where he'd been. With his head above ground he saw the Shadow Priest/SS officer float effortlessly off the floor, a near invisible sphere around him. The ground was a smoking crater.

Slowly, Shadow Demons started to emerge from the floor, saying something in their own language. Angry, the Shadow Priest struck out, slaying the Demon even though it was intangible! Frostbite ducked down as the Priest looked about, then moved back to his forces.

Realising that getting involved in a senseless brawl with the obviously more powerful Shadow Priest would be dangerous and possibly fatal, he made his way back to his own lines, troubled with his thoughts.

It was Joe Rigdon who spoke up in his head, the man from the future giving his thoughts on what Hoskyn felt. 'I believe the Dark Power feels as frustrated as you do. Until your body, your mind, is ready, calling on the Dark Power will be like putting your hand into a bag, hoping to pull out one useful thing when everything else is a grenade, with the pin pulled! You will get there, but the road won't be easy. I and Guy St Ives, the man you know as General Wynn, were on the verge of gaining better control when the Nazis messed time up. Now it's all down to you Joe! Just remember - even with the power you have, you are far more powerful than the ordinary soldier, who looks up to you and follows your lead! You should be aware that negative emotions, like despair, from such as us as food and drink for the Shadows. More than that, a banquet! Do what you can, and be thankful you can do that much. The soldier in the trench faces the same enemy you do with far less to aid him!'

=========

The attack continued through the night.

The French forces moved back as best they could through the cover of darkness. As day started to break the full extent of the devastation was realised. Frostbite and his team had managed to get many of their soldiers away, but the carnage elsewhere along the line told it's own story. The line was broken, and the way clear now for the Nazis to drive towards the BEF in all their might! All that slowed them now was the lack of supplies, and they were much better guarded this time round!

Exhausted, Frostbite looked to the stretcher. Gravity Girl was bandaged heavily, having been near an exploding shell. Her incredible superhuman stamina saved her, though those close by, including the Colonel and many French troops, had been killed.

Fastback, slowed by lack of food, had been dragged, unconscious from the field of battle by two brave soldiers, who died for their efforts when the Nazis raked the field with gunfire. She, too, was being tended for.

All about, Frostbite saw broken men, wounded, battered, shell shocked. The night had rained death down on them, with nowhere to run. Now the day promised a new onslaught. The Soldiers were too bewildered to fight, too exhausted to run.

Only a miracle could save them now.

OOC We'll catch the other team (Anyman, Lionheart and Sentinel) up to this thread to get you on the same day so just supply a 'flavour post' before any actions are decided, if you will

The Vanguard - Dunkirk Crew

Admin wrote:It was Joe Rigdon who spoke up in his head, the man from the future giving his thoughts on what Hoskyn felt...Do what you can, and be thankful you can do that much. The soldier in the trench faces the same enemy you do with far less to aid him!'

Mentally Joe through about what his companion said. It made a lot of sense, he remembered how the in Atlantis he saw the Shadows feed on the despair of all that was going on there. Resolving to do better, but knowing all the same that things were getting darker on so many levels, still he pressed on.
=========

Admin wrote:The attack continued through the night.

All about, Frostbite saw broken men, wounded, battered, shell shocked. The night had rained death down on them, with nowhere to run. Now the day promised a new onslaught. The Soldiers were too bewildered to fight, too exhausted to run.

Only a miracle could save them now

Frostbite, having spent time among the wounded, consoling them where he could offering what reassurance he felt was genuine he moved about seeking to fend off his own dark dreams. Doing something, even though exhausted was better than letting the despair win. Once he'd made sure Gravity Girl and Fastback were ok, he then spent time with the other able bodied troops, checking in with the men, saluting them as he went, listening to them as they showed photos of a loved one, or read and reread a letter from home.

Yes it would take a miracle, but in many ways that they'd survived as long as they had, was itself no small miracle. Tomorrow would be another day and looking back across the way he came, back toward Berlin, he had to wonder how the others were getting on.

Sj

The VANGUARD!

Roll Call:

Frostbite (on the ground, battered, weary, alive)
Gravity Girl (hospitalised)
Fastback (slipped into a coma due to blood sugar levels)
Tank Man (hospitalised)

Lionheart (recovered from a nasty headache)
Spartan (PSI agent, ok)
Boudicea (PSI agent, ok)
Guillotine (PSI agent, ok)
Frostbot (repaired)
Anyman (being treated for radiation poisoning)
Silver Sentinel (got a new pair of underpants and a new suit, ok)
Hotshot (ok)
Thunderclap (Hospitalised, no lower legs, being treated)
Sterling Silver (Hospitalised, 90% burns)
Mist Maiden (Traumatised)
Garland (MIA, presumed comatose in a forest near Berlin)
Anchor (ok)

=========

The ship limped its way down the coast, avoiding entanglements with Nazi warplanes along the way.

"The problem appears to be one of spare parts." explained the Frostbot. "For the engine section affected, there are none on board this vessel."
Hotshot, leaning back in a chair, called out "No, no, don't try to cheer us up! I wanted some gloomy news! You know, something that will make us wonder why we bother!"

His sarcasm was lost on the robot, and the Vanguardians gathered around a glass top table set on the bridge showing a map of the region. Anyman, bandaged as usual, joined them. "Feeling better?" asked Spartan. "You've been out for hours. Here." he offered a cup of tea. "If you imagine hard enough it tastes like water filtered through sweaty socks. Best not to ask where it came from."

Hotshot grimaced as he sipped from his cup, heating the bottom of it with his hand. "Smells a bit like coolant of some kind."

Guillotine looked about, innocently.

Boudicea broke up the chatter. "Our long range scan shows the Nazis are sending new supplies to the front. More than that, deep scan shows that a small fleet of vessels is gathering in space. And..." she scrolled the map. "The giant Nazi mechs are here... " she moved a finger across the map and pointed "And here. There..." she pointed, to a position not far from an advancing mech "Is where Frostbite has retreated to."

Spartan paused before speaking. "They retreated in reasonable order, given how rough they had it. The rest of the line is sundered. What survivors there are were broken into small pockets of wounded and shell shocked. They won't fight again. Only the efforts we made to stop the supply chain prevented the Nazis from advancing more than a couple of miles."

Boudicea continued. "Here..." she scrolled to the beach. "We detect a number of sailing vessels, as well as British ships of the line. There are hundreds of thousands men bunched up though, waiting for rescue. We've run the simulations. There's no room or time to organise an effective defence. They are being herded. We picked up Nazi transmissions too. It's too soon to estimate wounded numbers, but Berlin is shattered. There were rumours of Hitlers demise..."

Some of those around the table lit up with joy, even cheering a little...

"But he has made a radio address and voice scan proves authenticity 100%. He vows revenge on the Allies, and has declared Anyman the number one enemy, to be destroyed at all costs." she turned to Anyman. "Congratulations. You ticked him off."

"Closing in on Allied positions. We're being fired on. Nothing the shields can't handle." said the Frostbot.

The ship came to land gently some several hundred metres from the new French line, such as it was. When the doors opened, it was clear to those who emerged that the French would no longer prove a barrier to the onslaught that was coming...

=========

Frostbite turned, wearily. He nursed a cup of tea, and a haunted look on his face mirrored that of the few French soldiers around him.

There'd been thousands. Now there were hundreds, and those scattered around in small pockets, unable or unwilling to move. Some opened fire on the incoming ship, until Frostbite called out for them to stop. The Vanguardian stood, and started to walk over. Looking back on the battlefield of the previous night, he saw an expanse of smoking craters and scattered bodies.

The reality of war bit home, and its bite was sharp indeed.

OOC You have a number of choices - somehow mount a defence against a Nazi line miles long and getting deeper by the hour, or help with the evacuation. Maybe you want to disrupt the new supplies, or perhaps even take the fight to the Nazis? You have the rest of this day (it's around 0600 hours) and tomorrow to get the 325,000+ troops safely home to Britain. Anyman has recovered, and all those not badly injured or hospitalised have recovered lost health, but your ranks are looking very thin now...

The VANGUARD!

Roll Call:

Frostbite (on the ground, battered, weary, alive)
Gravity Girl (hospitalised)
Fastback (slipped into a coma due to blood sugar levels)
Tank Man (hospitalised)

Lionheart (recovered from a nasty headache)
Spartan (PSI agent, ok)
Boudicea (PSI agent, ok)
Guillotine (PSI agent, ok)
Frostbot (repaired)
Anyman (being treated for radiation poisoning)
Silver Sentinel (got a new pair of underpants and a new suit, ok)
Hotshot (ok)
Thunderclap (Hospitalised, no lower legs, being treated)
Sterling Silver (Hospitalised, 90% burns)
Mist Maiden (Traumatised)
Garland (MIA, presumed comatose in a forest near Berlin)
Anchor (ok)

His sarcasm was lost on the robot, and the Vanguardians gathered around a glass top table set on the bridge showing a map of the region. Anyman, bandaged as usual, joined them. "Feeling better?" asked Spartan. "You've been out for hours. Here." he offered a cup of tea. "If you imagine hard enough it tastes like water filtered through sweaty socks. Best not to ask where it came from."

"Lead lined bandages with some weird gunk in them to help keep the radiation from affecting everyone and continue to heal me," Anyman said grimly. "At least I don't feel a lot of pain now."

"But he has made a radio address and voice scan proves authenticity 100%. He vows revenge on the Allies, and has declared Anyman the number one enemy, to be destroyed at all costs." she turned to Anyman. "Congratulations. You ticked him off."

Anyman smiles through his bandages. "Sounds like Operation Hounds and Hare needs to go into effect soon," he says. "I pop up everywhere and have their Ubermensch run all over the place trying to kill me while the resst of you take on the easy stuff ... you know, the easy stuff? - tens of thousands of troops, weird advanced weaponry, giant robots - easy stuff!"

Frostbite turned, wearily. He nursed a cup of tea, and a haunted look on his face mirrored that of the few French soldiers around him.

There'd been thousands. Now there were hundreds, and those scattered around in small pockets, unable or unwilling to move. Some opened fire on the incoming ship, until Frostbite called out for them to stop. The Vanguardian stood, and started to walk over. Looking back on the battlefield of the previous night, he saw an expanse of smoking craters and scattered bodies.

The reality of war bit home, and its bite was sharp indeed.

OOC You have a number of choices - somehow mount a defence against a Nazi line miles long and getting deeper by the hour, or help with the evacuation. Maybe you want to disrupt the new supplies, or perhaps even take the fight to the Nazis? You have the rest of this day (it's around 0600 hours) and tomorrow to get the 325,000+ troops safely home to Britain. Anyman has recovered, and all those not badly injured or hospitalised have recovered lost health, but your ranks are looking very thin now...

"How about a pincer movement of our own," Anyman suggests. "Instead of meeting them head on and trying to hold, let's all attack one side, probably the side closest to the beach. Hit it from the side, then close it off and destroy what's the middle?"

He thinks for a moment and then looks up.

"Wait! Let's really use me effectively! Does this ship have the capability of projecting movies? Maybe a bunch of portable projectors? With sound? Can such equipment form images in mid-air? Making them huge images?"

"What have you got in mind, Anyman," Guillotine asked.

"This," he says with an evil grin. With that, he stretches his neck, shortens his arms and thickens his hands until all three are roughly the same size. His body and legs shortens too. He then morphs his three appendages into three upper bodies and heads - One of Hitler, one of Goerring and one of Heinrich Himmler. He then does a very short pornographic comedy routine with all three men, taking on thier voices and recorded mannerisms, in German.

"We transmit that all over the place, especially if it is live and they know it, the Ubermensche will be all over the place trying to find me and stop it. What do you think? We seed their lines and command centers and supply lines with this, it should drive them to distraction. Big distractions if we do it right."

ooc: about time I use his acting ability as a main skill. Basically asking for a holographic projector even if he doesn't know those words.

The VANGUARD!

Roll Call:

Frostbite (on the ground, battered, weary, alive)
Gravity Girl (hospitalised)
Fastback (slipped into a coma due to blood sugar levels)
Tank Man (hospitalised)

Lionheart (recovered from a nasty headache)
Spartan (PSI agent, ok)
Boudicea (PSI agent, ok)
Guillotine (PSI agent, ok)
Frostbot (repaired)
Anyman (being treated for radiation poisoning)
Silver Sentinel (got a new pair of underpants and a new suit, ok)
Hotshot (ok)
Thunderclap (Hospitalised, no lower legs, being treated)
Sterling Silver (Hospitalised, 90% burns)
Mist Maiden (Traumatised)
Garland (MIA, presumed comatose in a forest near Berlin)
Anchor (ok)

DavidMcMahon wrote:"We transmit that all over the place, especially if it is live and they know it, the Ubermensche will be all over the place trying to find me and stop it. What do you think? We seed their lines and command centers and supply lines with this, it should drive them to distraction. Big distractions if we do it right."

OOC: I read this then completely forgot to reply, thanks Dave.
======

Frostbite smiled at Anyman's routine, as much as the then blushed at what he was saying. But in truth he was onto something. Frostbite was dog tired and unsure of what to do next. His mind weary with the shear effort of fighting, let along the strain of what he'd witnessed and thinking about how to do it all again the next day.

"Fox and hounds." Well certainly we'll have a lot of the Ubermensch coming down on us, so if we can get them running around after you, with a routine like that, we'll clear up in no time. The only problem I can see is two fold, first you need to get about without them picking up on you and second how do we project this stuff with the ship as damaged as it is?"

Frostbite thought about it for a while, "Is there anyway Sentinel can have a fiddle about with the damage coil and sort of patch it up?" He wondered as he looked across to Frostbot. Suddenly aware that the two of them had been apart longer now, than at any time since he gained his powers.

OOC:

Apart from making Anyman's plan work, I'm all up for attacking one side.


Sj

The VANGUARD!

DAY 2 OF DUNKIRK EVACUATION

Roll Call:

Frostbite
Lionheart
Boudicea
Guillotine
Frostbot
Anyman
Silver Sentinel
Hotshot
Anchor

OOC Just listed the active team members. Everyone else is on the ship in the infirmary being patched up.

Frostbot considered for a moment. "The Tesla coils are useless, and unless Silver Sentinel has suddenly developed fine control of his power to rewind the coil thousands of times to a hairs breadth of thickness, I'd say the best plan is to take one from a functioning ship. The projection plan has merits though. This vessel has a number of systems designed to transmit images in various languages and size, able to enlarge the image to dozens of metres high, and the sound to echo out across a mile or so. The standard messages seem to be 'We come in peace' and 'Even though our technology is far superior to your own we have decided to share it in the hope that you will trade your household waste' which didn't make much sense. I suspect the latter message to be a ruse, as the next message in the stream was 'Surrender or be obliterated, you creatures are beneath our contempt!' "

Spartan shrugged. "For propaganda purposes it might make the Nazi forces angry, but the best we can do is transmit signals to wireless radio sets. There are very few television sets to speak of."

Guillotine looked at the map. "There must be SOMETHING we can do. They have regular forces massing in a line to drive the BEF into the sea, long range scan shows an alien fleet building in space above our heads, though they are mostly vessels like ours, scientific rather than war ships. We can't find the thing that fired that missile though, worryingly. Then there's the Nazi superhumans, those giant robots and who knows what else? Today they'll be reconnecting supply lines, and you can bet they won't make the same mistake twice!"

"Boy, you're all cheerful and light, ain't ya darlin?" said Hotshot, rolling his eyes.

Boudicea stood up. "Frostbite. You mentioned something about a 'space mirror'? Something to reflect the suns rays to fire a death ray from above? You took out one mirror, but from what I understand it will be one in a series? Also, the Nazis appear to be field trialling all sorts of dangerous weapons, turning men into super fast speedsters, life stealing zombies and who knows what else? Anyman, using your abilities you could find your way into the camp, find out what they have to try next and turn it on themselves, no? The P'utinarians should be now realise that the Nazis aren't interested in them now that the Psychic Network is down. They'll simply use their ships to teleport between. That could work for us, if we teleport to their camps and cause havoc, then teleport out into another sit and do the same. We've drawn their most powerful superhumans to Berlin, how about we pick on some of their industrial cities? Dresden? Hamburg? Give them something to think about? Make them think THEY'VE been invaded."

She shrugged, then sat down again, checking her nails. "I'm just a grunt though. I'll leave the planning to you boys. Pornographic comedy routines ..." she chuckled.

Anchor shrugged "Ah cannae see why we can't contact General Wynn an' get him tae churn out more like us. Only thing is, it's gonna be carnage oot there wi'oot trainin', but we few aren't enough ah reckon, specially if them hard barstewards come back and start kickin' oor heads in."

OOC Just a few more options. I realise that with so few of you against an entire army of hundreds of thousands of men, it's going to seem overwhelming, but there are other options. And a few surprises on the way...

"Are you saying that there are multiple portable units we can use to project sound and images," Anyman asks to get clarification. "With their own power sources or some kind of broadcast radio power?"

"Many Germans are very moral people. Lutheranism started in Germany after all. If we could project images that seem to be the actual folks invovled ... involved in drugs or homosexual acts, this will enrage or dishearten many soldiers to find their leaders doing such immoral things."

The VANGUARD!

DAY 2 OF DUNKIRK EVACUATION

Roll Call:

Frostbite
Lionheart
Boudicea
Guillotine
Frostbot
Anyman
Silver Sentinel
Hotshot
Anchor

Admin wrote: Boudicea stood up. "Frostbite. You mentioned something about a 'space mirror'? That could work for us, if we teleport to their camps and cause havoc, then teleport out into another sit and do the same. We've drawn their most powerful superhumans to Berlin, how about we pick on some of their industrial cities? Dresden? Hamburg? Give them something to think about? Make them think THEY'VE been invaded."

Frostbite considered what Boudicea had suggested and took not of Spartan's comments as well.

"Folks no one is a grunts here," He said smiling encouragingly at Boudicea, before moving swiftly on, "And right now we need to think differently if we are going to stay one step ahead of the Nazis. You're right about the P'utinarians, from what we know they should be more amicable to helping us. Having warned them their own people having been needlessly slaughtered they may be open to helping. Frostbot you and Lionheart see if you can contact them and get some help.

I suggest Spartan, you and Anyman work on getting the message out that this whole problem in Berlin came about because of the drugged up brains of their high command, indulging themselves whilst their forces and nation burn. A massive accident on an industrial level, which city could be next? That might just add to the melee of confusion and dishearten the other forces.

We'll contact Wynn and see what he wants to do, its about time we fed back. Perhaps he can help with the weather as well. Anyman when you've finished with the broadcast," Frostbite was a farm boy from a good home, and he'd blushed considerable at what Anyman was suggesting. But he also felt that there was a danger in going too far and being found out as a result of overplaying their hand. "I think we get you into the camps. You work best on your own, but stay in touch." Frostbite pointed to his head, so as to be clear what he meant.

"As for the rest of us, we need to find out if its feasible to get to one of those science ships, steal a coil and perhaps blow the rest of them up. Since Hitler has used super science from the beginning I don't trust those ships up there at all. They've got something planned and letting there uncontested is to invite disaster at some other point."

Frostbite looked about to see if there were any other comments before ushering everyone off once again, in four different directions all not without considerable risk.

Sj