World War II - Putty/Anyman Issue #3

Watching from the cover of trees, the man saw the Nazi soldiers stood about whilst the officers spoke. They scoured the tree line, weapons ready. He counted a dozen soldiers, who'd ridden in the back of a truck, and a staff car which had carried four including the driver. They'd met with another staff car at the head of a small column of armoured vehicles.

Anyman had been dropped off near Munchengladbach, reputed by British Intelligence to be the site of some unusual activity with regards testing of equipment and new weapons. So, some super secret research facility? He was still some miles away from the city, having hiked and finally set down his pack, watching from the shadows as the two convoys met. He'd considered his options. Back to Berlin? Maybe, but the place was a mess, and having just recovered from severe radiation poisoning, another doe would be inadvisable. He needed intel and to give the Nazis a bloody nose. Again, and again! A hastily scrawled list of potential sites in the city of Munchengladbach provided by Forbes at DICE HQ seemed promising. Get in, make a mess, and a lot of noise, and get the Nazis to come running, whilst he blended into the background. He could still use his plan to sew dissension and disgust through the Nazi ranks - as far as he was concerned, if it saved lives it was another weapon to consider.

He watched as the soldiers mounted up in the truck again, though one jogged towards the trees, near where to he waited.

=========

Straightening his collar, he checked his packs around his belt and glanced once more at the Soldiers papers, memorising details.

Anyman heard them calling out his name - Franz Heinz-Klammer - and he jogged to get back into the truck, smiling at the others jibes.

Once under-way towards the city, having passed the other convoy going the other way, conversation naturally gravitated towards hushed gossip and what they were doing in Munchen, when the front was in Belgium.

"...and I hear the army has faced stiff resistance!"

"That's nothing! You heard what happened in Berlin? They are saying it was Anyman!"

"Accursed Englander! Still, you have to say, he has some balls. I'd like to cut them off and feed them to him!"

"Be careful what you say, friend." said another. "Sounds like you respect him. He killed thousands of innocents in Berlin. Nothing is below him!"

"Well, we'll get our chance." said another soldier. "All of us were picked, yes? Picked for the project?"

"Project Super-Man? Yes. I hope they don't turn me into one of those freaks I hear about..."

Anyman leant back against the truck side and listened as the soldiers jabbered on. All had been hand picked from their regiments, volunteers for a new nazi metahuman project. What now? Was this something new? Whatever it was, it sounded like it needed shutting down by




Miles behind, in the cover of the trees, the body of Franz Heinz-Klammer lay twisted and broken. Quite dead, by Anymans hand, he would never get chance to regret volunteering to serve his country in the ultimate way!

OOC I can post again and move you along to the city, or you can pitch in and change the plan/influence the conversation, maybe kill all the soldiers... Over to you

ANYMAN

Miles behind, in the cover of the trees, the body of Franz Heinz-Klammer lay twisted and broken. Quite dead, by Anymans hand, he would never get chance to regret volunteering to serve his country in the ultimate way!

OOC I can post again and move you along to the city, or you can pitch in and change the plan/influence the conversation, maybe kill all the soldiers... Over to you

"Did you hear that Gorring was found in bed with a thirteen year old boy," "Franz" said shocked. "When Anyman attacked Berlin, they came running out of the house with nary a stitch on? And the boy had a hypodermic in his hand as they ran?"

ooc: TIme to sew a little gossip about the leadership. And of course in actuality many of the Nazi higher ups were drug addicts and some were homosexual, even as they put such people in death camps as undesireables. A fact that was not revealed to the German people until after the war.

"Gerneral sir," Anyman thought to his Vanguard friends. "Wonder if we can limit this communication to only one or two folks or if everyone will always get them? Anyways, I have news of a new supersoldier facility. I'm on my way there now in disguise to find out what I can and destroy it. I just had a wild thought. On my first visit behind the lines, I left a "calling card" scratched on the walls. ANYMAN IS HERE! with a simple picture of a bandaged face looking over a wall at the reader."

ooc: Variation of the Kilroy Was Here signs everyone seemed to find on their way to Berlin.

"Any chance of getting a number of small placards made up with that saying in German with that picture? Let scatter them all over Germany as soon as possible? Use balloons to scatter them. Nothing real high tech is needed for that. It will increase their paranoia about me if such things can be found all over Germany and Austria and Italy."

ANYMAN

There was shocked silence in response to Anymans' shocking revelation, before, all at once, the soldiers started gossiping about how they, too, had heard about Goerings depraved tastes, and that no one dare say anything for fear of being quietly 'removed' from duty. This hushed the men somewhat, but each looked at the other, wondering if anything they'd said would later land them in hot water, result of saying the wrong thing in the presence of someone wanting to feather their own nest!

Anyman leaned back in his seat, communicating with General Wynn in England.

'You play a dangerous game Lance. And don't 'sir' me either. You know as well as I do that rank doesn't really mean much with the likes of us.' blustered the old fellow. 'I'll get Slobbie right on it, but making yourself a target might backfire on you. Remember that we few 'empowered' Vanguardians' - he omitted the word 'Dark' - 'are irreplaceable. So don't go and do something daft like die, y'hear? And that IS an order' he harrumphed.

The truck pulled up, and booted feet were heard tramping round it and the back of the truck opened. "Papers!" barked a Gestapo agent whilst flanked by a dozen soldiers with weapons primed. The soldiers inside hurriedly pulled their papers out. "Hmmm." said the Gestapo agent. "I shall have to check your orders with Berlin. You know of course that Berlin had been attacked by the evil Anyman in the last day or so, yes? There will be a delay whilst your orders are verified and you can pass on. Until then, you will be under house arrest." He looked at the soldiers, reading their faces for signs of reaction.

'Watch this one' said the Dark Power inside Lance. 'There is something very strange about him.'

'He is not human, despite his appearance'

OOC You have a few options. Go along with things and cool your heels in a cell for a couple of days (or longer), speak out, attack the agent and make a break for it, or use your powers in your usual inventive way to change the situation. He may be bluffing, trying to draw out traitors... but if what the Dark Power says is true, there may be something else going on...

ANYMAN

'Watch this one' said the Dark Power inside Lance. 'There is something very strange about him.'

'He is not human, despite his appearance'

OOC You have a few options. Go along with things and cool your heels in a cell for a couple of days (or longer), speak out, attack the agent and make a break for it, or use your powers in your usual inventive way to change the situation. He may be bluffing, trying to draw out traitors... but if what the Dark Power says is true, there may be something else going on...

.

Lance kept his mouth shut and his eyes wide open, looking for ... anything really. He needed to know how they were powering up the soldiers this time and where it was. It was also possible that this place was an elaborate trap designed just to bring him here so they could capture or kill him.

He looked disgruntled, but disgruntled in a way that portrayed him as upset that he couldn't get the powers he needed to get into the war more quickly and would have to wait. The old Hurry Up & Wait that every soldier went through. Not disgruntled at being inconvienced but that he couldn't save the Fatherland NOW.

ooc: Actually going to let them march us off to the cells. Depending on what the cells look like and how they are laid out, he may make a break before entering one or willingly enter one. Are they single man cells? All in one cell? Lots of other cells around? Open barred cells or big metal doors with stone walls on the inside with only slots to let the food in?

Keep his eyes open as they march them wherever and possibly investigate or make a break later in the night. All depends.

ANYMAN

The soldiers (including Anyman) were marched towards the camp rather than allowed to ride in the truck, followed by an armoured car with large machine gun mounted on top. The Staff car in which rode the sinister Gestapo officer rode in front, and he turned back, watching as the soldiers spluttered on his crawling cars dust! Getting to the gate, security was just as tight there.

"Strip" ordered the Agent (OOC I assume Lance goes along with that...). "Your belongings shall be appraised and discarded. Follow the duty sergeant for processing." He narrowed his eyes, staring at each man in turn, up and down, as they stood naked in the bright sunshine.

The camp was bustling with life. Security was tight, and there were dozens of guards everywhere Lance looked. He'd really shaken up the Hornets nest last time round at the castle, and heads had probably rolled! It was a mixed camp - men and women - but the women ignored the stream of naked men filing past them with nary a glance in their direction. All non soldiers were dressed in plain grey fatigues. Most were conforming to the aryan ideal with blue eyes, blonde hair and muscular physique, both man and woman.

Feeling like eyes were watching his every step, Lance played the faithful soldier role to the full, more convincingly than some of his fellow 'trainees'. One was pulled from the line, told to do 20 push ups, kicked when he slowed, and told to do another 20, Finally he was clouted in the back of the head with the rifle butt of a sergeant and dragged off, never to be seen again.

Walking between wooden buildings, he glimpsed workmen toiling at building new brick and concrete structures. They were whipped and shouted at by guards, and Lance figured they were Frenchies, captured and put to hard labour. He ground his teeth, kept his silence and kept marching.

They came towards the largest building, a functional block building of several floors. The roof was lined with barbed wire and had gun emplacements on the corners, manned and alert. Spotlights stood ready. AA guns were covered with netting, but were primed and ready to be used.

He stopped at the main doors, manhandled by guards to stand against a wall with the others. Then they were hosed down. He didn't feel a thing, but his acting skills laid it on, so that he suffered like the others. Finally, seemingly exhausted, the soldiers were doused in powder and had blue overalls thrust at them. Once dressed, they were led into the building, along plain corridors lined with doors, then downstairs where it was cooled and darker. Another long corridor stretching nigh on a hundred metres was lined with metal doors without bars.

Lance glanced about. There were about a dozen guards, split fore and aft of the recruits group. The group stopped at the first door, a sergeant unlocked it and pointed to the first man. Glancing inside, Lance saw a 10' long by 8' wide cell, bed, bucket and a plate of cold food. The food at least looked reasonable.

A Captain strode up "Wait" he said, looking at the recruits. he rested his hand on his pistol. Was he about to speak, or act?

OOC Over to you - Anyman can mop the floor with these goons, no doubt, but whether he'll act, or allow them to lock him away is up to you...

OOC Over to you - Anyman can mop the floor with these goons, no doubt, but whether he'll act, or allow them to lock him away is up to you..

ooc: Time is a problem here. Would actually like to spend a day or so getting to know everything going on before revealing my presence. But I'm going to take a risk and wait until nightfall. With us in individual cells, getting out through the food slot in the door will be easy and I can do my job under the cover of darkness. Looks like he is going to be killing a lot of volunteer Ubermensch tonight.


Anyman waited, posed to do whatever might be needed doing. He hoped that it was nothing.

ANYMAN

The Captain looked each man in the eye, then spoke. "You have all been picked from your units to serve. Serve the 3rd Reich, and the Fuhrer! Heil Hitler!"

As the group saluted Allard his a grimace.

"Reports of his death are false! he is alive, and what is more, I hear word that he has the power of the Ubermensch within him!"

There were collective gasps, silenced as the Captain continued.

"You were brought here to analyse, teach, and break. Yes, break. Your mind will be broken and reconstructed, your body pushed to its limits. If you survive that ordeal, you will become one of the new breed of Ubermensch! Our allies who come from the future have been field trialling various ways to impart superhuman powers on the troops. Now, using various techniques and a rare metal mined from the surface of the moon itself..." More gasps "...the time has come to grant powers to a new breed of superhuman! All those that currently serve are on borrowed time. No one knows how long, but the body does not fully adapt to the treatments, meaning that all our Ubermensch will die weeks, months, maybe a year or two from now. The war will be won by then, but the Fuhrer has designs on Russia and the United States. He will need an army to conquer the Soviets and the fat lazy Americans! You, and others like you, will be trialled like no one else has been tested before! If you survive, then you will truly be 'more than man' and more like... a god!"

The Sergeant let that sink in for a moment, then started shouting, shoving men into their cramped cells.

Anyman was pushed into his, the lock turning on the outside. So, nothing to pick then. He shrugged, looked about. Solid walls, floor, ceiling. Single candle for light.

Tiny vent in the roof. He smiled.

What he'd heard was worrying though. 'Men from the future' - those would be Lionhearts old 'friends'. 'Metal from the moon' - Lunarium. They'd perhaps perfected the refining process to change it from the unstable radioactive ore that did strange and unpredictable things to humans - or nothing at all, it was that extreme. The Nazis had been using the stuff as armour piercing rounds. No doubt it was scattered across the battlefields of the places they'd burnt through with their Blitzkrieg.

He figured they had time before the process was perfected. After all, they'd been doing field trials and... ah. Field trials. He wondered just how advanced they were with the process? Just then he heard a door clanking from down the corridor. Pressing his ear to the door, he listened.

"..you are the first to undergo the trials! More testing centres will be online in the morning! There is no time to waste!"

They were already cracking on with the conditioning! And with technology from 300 years in the future, albeit crafted with todays means, who knew what that meant in terms of time it would take to 'break' and 'remake' a soldier to prepare them for treatment?

Just then he heard a hissing sound and looked up at the vent.

GAS!

ANYMAN

They were already cracking on with the conditioning! And with technology from 300 years in the future, albeit crafted with todays means, who knew what that meant in terms of time it would take to 'break' and 'remake' a soldier to prepare them for treatment?

Just then he heard a hissing sound and looked up at the vent.

GAS!.

Lance debated on what to do. Were they trying to actually kill him here? Was this some kind of knockout gas? Teargas? An attempt to break their wills already? Some sort of hypnotic gas? Break out now or play along?

He stretched out his hand and formed a tube and placed it over the vent, sealing the vent so the gas couldn't get into the room. He shaped his whole hand and arm into a tube and had it move into his other hand which he formed into a bag-like structure to hold the venting gas so it would affect him. Wouldn't affect him if it wasn't a contact gas but had to be breathed in. He stretched an ear over to the door to try and hear what was happening to the other men so he could mimic what they were doing.

If it was a contact gas, if he started feeling woozy or his skin started to burn or something like that, he would have to assume his cover was blown and he would have to escape.

ANYMAN

Effectively stopping the gas from entering his room (but where would he put it afterwards...?) Anyman listened at the door. There was a tramping of boots, and the opening of doors. He heard the sergeant barking orders. "Get them all prepped! We need to produce results, and fast! If these people are on the money with this new technique of theres we can fast track superhuman training in a matter of hours thanks to this 'Lunarium'. Now move it!"

The soldiers were coming to retrieve the gassed soldiers, which probably meant the hapless soldier taken away before had been taken out and 'disposed of'. They would be coming soon for him and... sure enough, he heard footsteps coming up to the door!

OOC You still have a hand full of gas. It's the breath in, not contact stuff

ANYMAN

The soldiers were coming to retrieve the gassed soldiers, which probably meant the hapless soldier taken away before had been taken out and 'disposed of'. They would be coming soon for him and... sure enough, he heard footsteps coming up to the door!

OOC You still have a hand full of gas. It's the breath in, not contact stuff.

Lance curled up into a fetal position with his back to and against the door. Trying to find the smallest crack in or around the door, he slowly let the gas out to waft out into the corridor using a tubelike finger to let it out. He was letting such small amounts out he doubted anyone would be seriiously affected by it. He did his best to curl over his bag-hand to hide what he was doing while he did this. He pretended to be unconscious. He hoped he could let out enough gas that his hand would shrink down to normal size before they got to him or that he could remain curled over it, hiding it while they moved him. He didn't want to "wake up" until he was where they had the supply of Lunarium.

ANYMAN

OOC I thought you'd KO the guard coming in through the door, copy his form and drag the guard (with a change of clothes applied) to the lab, but there you go again, keeping me on my toes

Lance felt a pair of hands drag him into the corridor, then more footsteps and hands lift him onto a stretcher. A cold stethoscope on his chest, and a light shined in his eye had the Doctor remarking "Who is this man? His vital signs are remarkable! Label him subject A1. We shall test him first!"

He was carried along corridors and finally placed, lying, on a stand with his ankles and wrists bound spread eagled. Risking a peep he saw he was in a huge room filled with all manner of gadgets, most of which he could tell 'weren't from around here'. The white coated scientists - dozens of them - monitored machines and checked readings. Lance narrowed his eyes as he saw white coated blue skinned aliens walking about. They were human like, save the colouring and the 7 fingered hands, yellow eyes and pointed ears.

Peering about, he couldn't see sign of the lunarium, but the scientists were pushing what looked like a death ray on trolley wheels towards him!

OOC not sure when you want to make your move. What might their machines do to Lance? Might they even improve him somehow? Or it could horribly wrong, leaving him a melted puddle on the floor!

ANYMAN

He was carried along corridors and finally placed, lying, on a stand with his ankles and wrists bound spread eagled. Risking a peep he saw he was in a huge room filled with all manner of gadgets, most of which he could tell 'weren't from around here'. The white coated scientists - dozens of them - monitored machines and checked readings. Lance narrowed his eyes as he saw white coated blue skinned aliens walking about. They were human like, save the colouring and the 7 fingered hands, yellow eyes and pointed ears.

Peering about, he couldn't see sign of the lunarium, but the scientists were pushing what looked like a death ray on trolley wheels towards him!

OOC not sure when you want to make your move. What might their machines do to Lance? Might they even improve him somehow? Or it could horribly wrong, leaving him a melted puddle on the floor!.

"Well, I was hoping not to go first," Lance thought to the other two in his head.

"When has any plan of ours ever worked," Putty groused in a friendly manner, "it's like the cosmos hates us or won't let us do things the easy way."

"True," the demon voice said.

"Well, time to go to work," Lance said outloud in English.

He burst through his bonds and grabbed for the death ray machine, thinking perhaps the Lunarium was inside it. He would want to get his hands on that. If it wasn't inside, then he was going to follow the power cables as those might lead him to the Lunarium.

"Hello! Hello," he chorused in three voices in German, "is Anyman here?"

And the killing started.

ANYMAN

Bursting the leather straps as if they were made of wet paper, the 'German soldier' leapt forwards, barging a scientist aside and grabbing the ray device on wheels, sending the two men steering it tumbling! The scientists were stunned, but the blue skinned alien started to pull something from a pocket!

Anyman looked at the device, putting it between himself and the blue skinned alien. There! Through a glass window on the side sloshed some kind of red liquid! Lunarium irradiated super serum!

'It's in there, the rock you seek. The liquid is some form of magic potion no doubt!' said the Dark Power inside, and Anyman realised that technology must appear as magic to it, whereas true magic was simply second nature!

'Watch out!' said the other voice - Puttys.

Then he mentioned the word Anyman...

Pandemonium erupted! the hated enemy of the Nazi people found even his name enough to inspire panic in his foes! One scientist smashed an emergency button, plunging the base into high alert! Another started banging on the metal doors to get let out, panic written across his face! Most ducked down to hide, aware of the tales and deeds of this man, magnified tenfold by a propaganda machine that had told of the Anyman having a fondness for sleeping with goats and wantonly slaying helpless women and children before eating their remains! Whilst it inspired hatred of the man, it also instilled utter terror!

Anyman pulled off a cover, then pulled out a metal tube, with a different copper coloured metal at each end. It was curiously heavy, and seemed to pulse in his hand! Lunarium.

He had it... now what was he going to do with it? And with the base on high alert, how long before the army of superhumans this place had been developing came to confront the most feared enemy of the Nazi people™!

OOC A chance to build on Anymans growing legend - but be warned. They weren't ready for you last time. How ready will they be this time? You making a mess, making good your escape (if you can) or have another plan for the facility?

ANYMAN

Anyman pulled off a cover, then pulled out a metal tube, with a different copper coloured metal at each end. It was curiously heavy, and seemed to pulse in his hand! Lunarium.

He had it... now what was he going to do with it? And with the base on high alert, how long before the army of superhumans this place had been developing came to confront the most feared enemy of the Nazi people™!

OOC A chance to build on Anymans growing legend - but be warned. They weren't ready for you last time. How ready will they be this time? You making a mess, making good your escape (if you can) or have another plan for the facility?
.

Sticking the Lunarium tube inside his body for protection, Anyman quickly attacked and killed the men in the room with him. He then looked for the easiest way out of the room - a wall or a door would do. He figured he could smash through the weakest of them. Once out, he would get out of sight of everyone for even a second and change form.

ANYMAN

Stashing the cylinder inside his body for safety, Anyman still felt a shudder pass through him despite its container/shielding. Lunarium was potent stuff!

Turning about, he saw a brave/foolish scientist come at him with a glass beaker! Lance simply stepped up, rammed a fist in the mans face (OOC roll of 8, enough to hit DC11) and send him flying into a rack of chemicals!

The blue skinned man pulled a small box from his pocket and pressed a button. "We expected some of the patients to deform and become monsters..."

As he spoke thick metal doors slammed down to reinforce the exits, and green gas belched down from vents in the ceiling! The blue skinned alien turned to the panicked scientists in the room. "You have given your lives in the name of science!" he called out. "Know also that your countries hated enemy will die too!"

More Gas!

Inwardly, Putty groaned. 'These Nazis will kill their own people to get what they want! Despicable!'

'Admirable actually. It shows a single minded determination that will allow their culture to rise to the top when all others have sunk into the pit of history' rasped the Dark Power.

Having activated the gas, the blue skinned alien smiled. "My people are immune to the Clyride gas. You see, we breathe it on our home world. I do so hate having to take tablets to breathe your foul air, but it should be worth it to see your body choke and fail, Anyman! The Fuhrer will pay handsomely - in Lunarium - for your body!"

Allard ducked another swing from a desperate scientist and headbutted the man, sending him into merciful oblivion! The gas would fill the room in the next 30 seconds! With all the exits reinforced, he'd need longer than that to pound his way through the walls and doors!

'You'll think of a way out, you always do.' stated Putty.

Allard looked about. The first scientists were succumbing. Aside from scientific equipment in the room, there was an upper level/gantry running all around its circular walls. The doors were covered by a thick shining blast door, designed to keep dangerous out of control metahumans in until they could be gassed and disposed of!

The Alien smiled. "Hand over the Lunarium and I might let you live." he chuckled. "I know a way."

ANYMAN

Allard looked about. The first scientists were succumbing. Aside from scientific equipment in the room, there was an upper level/gantry running all around its circular walls. The doors were covered by a thick shining blast door, designed to keep dangerous out of control metahumans in until they could be gassed and disposed of!

The Alien smiled. "Hand over the Lunarium and I might let you live." he chuckled. "I know a way.".

"How about you surrender and I let you live," Anyman replies, looking around. Stretching up an arm, he jams fist into the gas vent [or two of them if there are multiple vents], blocking it. He then pulls himself up to the roof.

From there, he starts to inflate himself, swelling like a balloon, larger and larger, pressing against the roof.

"Let's hope it bursts open before I do," he thinks to his inner companions.

ooc: Not even sure if I can do this with hero points but basically trying to use stretching, shapeshifting and Grade two strength to press against the ceiling, stressing it at all points, and trying to break through it.

ANYMAN

OOC used 3 of his hero points. Roll of 18, 6, 2, plus his ego (12) means success (target 35). He could have spent Htc/Htk to boost the roll too, by 1 per 3 points of Htc/Htk expended.

Without further ado Anyman sucked in as much air as he could into his lungs.. and kept on sucking! His lungs - and the rest of him - expanded at a fantastic rate, inflating him to become a 5m diameter living balloon! Chairs and desks crushed under his super strong might, and the walls themselves strained, groaning in protest! He kept expanding, until finally there was no air left to suck in - it was gas or hold what he had! By this time he was filling the entire room, and the scientists were long since pinned where they'd stood!

One... last... push!

Suddenly a side door caved in, despite the blast door dropping over it. Soldiers in the corridor cried out as the poison gas gripped their throats! They screamed, dying in agony as the gas melted their lungs! Anyman heard the siren wail throughout the compound. He was blocking more gas coming through the vents now, so it would be going back up through the ventilation shafts of the place and was aware of a rush of air meaning one of the doors had opened somewhere, though he was a huge human balloon and couldn't do much save stay here, or shrink to normal size! He heard screams from somewhere and took satisfaction in the fact that Nazis were dying, though the thought of them deflating him with an armour piercing bullet or large pin was worrying!

ANYMAN

Suddenly a side door caved in, despite the blast door dropping over it. Soldiers in the corridor cried out as the poison gas gripped their throats! They screamed, dying in agony as the gas melted their lungs! Anyman heard the siren wail throughout the compound. He was blocking more gas coming through the vents now, so it would be going back up through the ventilation shafts of the place and was aware of a rush of air meaning one of the doors had opened somewhere, though he was a huge human balloon and couldn't do much save stay here, or shrink to normal size! He heard screams from somewhere and took satisfaction in the fact that Nazis were dying, though the thought of them deflating him with an armour piercing bullet or large pin was worrying!.

Rotating around so his head stuck out through the busted open door, Anyman let out all the air in his lungs in one great blast of air, shrinking down to normal. He kept enough air in his lungs to hold his breath for a minute or two and exited out the door, moving quickly to get away from the poison gas. He took on the form of a German soldier to help cause confusion as he moved away. He needed to get some place where he could breath safely.

ANYMAN

Everywhere he went, Allard encountered Nazi soldiers on their knees, clawing at their throats! With some satisfaction he was able to push past, his superhuman endurance pushing through the pain barriers that burned at his lungs and begged him to take in a breath of the poisoned air!

Flashing red lights flooded the corridors, and whilst most of the doors were sealed, the few that were open led into offices or supply rooms. In one, he looked in to see a wall lined with cages of various animals, and their keeper, a Nazi scientist, dead on the floor whilst the animals remained unharmed.

Allard stepped back out into the corridor, and came face to face with a ... woman? She'd not been there seconds ago, and strange red lightning flickered about her form. Aside from eyes there was nothing in the way of features on her face that gave her away as having been human, though her body was certainly female.



"The humans fear you. They believe you can be one of them, move amongst them, destroy them. But I see you. I SEE you. Know this. You are not of them, and you play as a god in the childrens playground. There will be a reckoning, and that soon." said the voice, more 'inside' Allards head than anywhere else, and certainly something he'd not heard!

'This is different.' confirmed the voice inside. 'This is not a product of the Nazi's messing with science-magic.'

The woman raised an arm to point towards Allard, and the crackling lightning gathered around it, forming a ball in her fist!

ANYMAN

"The humans fear you. They believe you can be one of them, move amongst them, destroy them. But I see you. I SEE you. Know this. You are not of them, and you play as a god in the childrens playground. There will be a reckoning, and that soon." said the voice, more 'inside' Allards head than anywhere else, and certainly something he'd not heard!

'This is different.' confirmed the voice inside. 'This is not a product of the Nazi's messing with science-magic.'

The woman raised an arm to point towards Allard, and the crackling lightning gathered around it, forming a ball in her fist!
.

"Dammit," Lance said inside his head, "I hate fighting women! The whole purpose of a just war is to protect women, children, the aged and the infirm! Fighting them is so ... wrong!"

"Well in the future," Putty said in his head, "that attitude would get you branded as a male chauvinist pig. But I agree with you. But she is no ordinary woman! Fight or flee!"

"I'm all for fleeing," Lance said, as he did his best to do just that.

ANYMAN

OOC Very good. You didn't fall into the obvious trap of talking to her - and getting a mouthful of poisonous gas!

The woman twitched slightly, then seemed to reconsider. She aimed her hand away from Allard and to the nearest wall. With a FWOOOSH! an energy beam blasted out, slicing a perfectly circular hole in the wall, and every intervening space and wall between that and the outside of the building! She stepped back, and lowered her arms to her side, as if giving way to Allard.

As he pondered his options, amidst the racket of the alarm and flash of red strobes, she spoke again.

"The Qrii are coming. They see the Skralls and what they represent. Humans have no concept of the power of the stone you call 'Lunarium', playing with it, as if it were a toy! Even you, whom I recognise to be a cosmic power in waiting, are ignorant of its ultimate use! I mean no disrespect to that power I see within you, so great it is. Know that the war on this planet will pale into insignificance compared to that which will rage amongst the stars! This backwater mudball will soon be a desolate rock! I wish you well, power. Though I fear even your might will pale in comparison to the ULTIMATE threat."

"The Devourer is coming."

With his lungs on fire, Allard couldn't risk replying. What was she babbling about? Skralls? Those lizard guys on the ship they captured? And the Qrii? More aliens? And who on earth was the Devourer? Some new Nazi menace?

=========

A panicked Colonel got on the telephone...

"Berlin? We need help! Anyman is here! There is poison gas! He's killing us....arggh..."

The officer keeled over, just as a dying man tumbled in through the door and exposed those in the command room to Clyride gas! With the alien in the room that Anyman had filled with his form unconscious, his hidden machines continued to pump out deadly gas into the vents of this place! built partly as a bunker, it was sealed from without, and sealed the fates of those within!

Outside, in the compound, panicked soldiers looked around in alarm as gas seeped from under the doors of the training centre! They readied weapons, but didn't have a clue about whom they should shoot at!

OOC up to Allard if he takes the 'out' the Alien supplied... he has limited air though, even for his superhuman body...

ANYMAN

The officer keeled over, just as a dying man tumbled in through the door and exposed those in the command room to Clyride gas! With the alien in the room that Anyman had filled with his form unconscious, his hidden machines continued to pump out deadly gas into the vents of this place! built partly as a bunker, it was sealed from without, and sealed the fates of those within!

Outside, in the compound, panicked soldiers looked around in alarm as gas seeped from under the doors of the training centre! They readied weapons, but didn't have a clue about whom they should shoot at!

OOC up to Allard if he takes the 'out' the Alien supplied... he has limited air though, even for his superhuman body....

Anyman takes the fastest way out, through the hole made by the lightning woman. As he moves through the holes she made, he shifts form so he is a white coated scientist with blood on his coat. He gives his face some bruises and he starts to stagger as he exits the hole. If anyone spots him, he coughs and groans and tries staggering away.

ooc: trying to be one of the lucky survivors. May have to stick around and blow some more stuff up or get more notes or Lunarium before moving on. All depends on what I find as I exit.

ANYMAN

As his vision began to blur, lungs burning, Allard staggered through the still smoking hole... ahead he could see daylight. To the left and right, rooms. Most were empty but one or two had dead white coated scientists in, perhaps the odd soldier or two. This place was a morgue, and Allard was in danger of becoming a resident!

The woman watched him stumble towards the exit, then simply... disappeared!

Almost on his hands and knees, face etched with pain, Lance scrambled fro the exit...

He fell into the open air and couldn't contain himself any longer!

Taking a lung full of air he gasped, chest rising as he sought to refill his lungs again...

And he looked up into the barrels of a dozen guns!

Jittery soldiers aimed at him, whilst an officer shouted "Are you the Anyman?"

Around the hole that had been blasted through the building, smoke continued to seep out, and nearby, soldiers started dropping like flies! Lance looked about. The place was a shambles, with soldiers running everywhere, klaxons blazing and red lights flashing! To get out of this one he'd have to give the performance of his life!


OOC My last post till August 3rd, then we'll pick this up again

ANYMAN

And he looked up into the barrels of a dozen guns!

Jittery soldiers aimed at him, whilst an officer shouted "Are you the Anyman?"

Around the hole that had been blasted through the building, smoke continued to seep out, and nearby, soldiers started dropping like flies! Lance looked about. The place was a shambles, with soldiers running everywhere, klaxons blazing and red lights flashing! To get out of this one he'd have to give the performance of his life!

"N-no," gasps Anyman in German. He is too busy trying to get clean air into his lungs to say much more than that. He points vaguely to the hole he stumbled out of to give the impression Anyman is inside.

ANYMAN

Putting on a show worthy of any starring role Anyman coughed and spluttered his way to convincing the guards that he wasn't the dreaded Anyman. He felt rough hands drag him clear, then dump him unceremoniously as shouting officers doled out gas masks and told the soldiers to get in there and find their enemy!

Lance recovered enough to see the camp was in disarray. Those inside the building would be dead now, unless they had slipped a gas mask on in time or the superhumans caught in the deadly smoke possessed some power to help them survive! More worrying was the woman though.

Who was she? The message she'd delivered had been fairly simple. Things were about to get worse.

Then everything would end, abruptly, with the coming of this 'Devourer'.

'Mortal, the times draws near when we must forget the dangers posed to your frail shell and wield the power I grant you!' said the Dark Voice inside Allard.

Just then Lance glanced through the multitude of legs marching this way and that, across the camp. He saw a man in a uniform with distinctive red boots and gloves march through the chaos towards where he lay, flanked by Gestapo officers and uniformed SS officers wearing worried look son their faces, no doubt trying to come up with some excuse as to how Anyman could infiltrate a second superhuman training camp and reduce it to a ruin so soon after he'd done the first!



There were dozens of soldiers all about him. This group coming towards him, and the base was on high alert! Closer now, Allard saw that the Nazi glowed, and despite the glow, his distinctive all blue eyes shone out! Only 25m or so away now, the mans stare was intense! Lance glanced behind the small group. Two more, dressed in the same uniform, a man and a woman this time, glowing in exactly the same way and with the same blue eyes! They were coming from an administrative block, doubtless receiving a briefing as to their next mission, and now coming to investigate what the disturbance was!

A glance around showed he was a short run towards several other buildings where he might hope to lose his pursuers, but his performance as a gassed victim would be shot then! Could he bluff his way through a meeting with a Nazi superhuman?