World War II - The Vanguard Issue #4 - The Battle Of Britain!

"My orders were to bring you back in chains to the ruins of Berlin. I say to hell with that! You are too wily, too dangerous. I respect what you hef done, Anyman. You are my enemy, and your legend is deserved. Mine will be enhanced beyond all measure though when I drag you back to Berlin, broken and rotting! Any last words before you are killed?" snarled the Nazi.."

"Dammit," Lance muttered to himself, "every mission I lead turns into a Death Patrol!"

"I am created Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds," comes from Putty.


"Here are some words, whoever you are," Anyman says outloud. "Pop Goes The Weasel!!!"

With that, he pulls back the lead from the narrow end of the Red Lunarium, using the lead to direct the radiation up at the flying man and then hosing the remaining German troops, and hopefully, not backwashing into him.

Grabbing a handful of lead, Anyman pulls it away and falls back, so great is the pent up radiation that bursts from it! Immediately a hail of bullets slice into the air around him, and he feels the angry sting of hot lead cut into his flesh! Still, it is nothing compared to what happens to his enemies!

Near instantly the radiation makes those near the front of the group cry out as the flesh boils from their bodies and runs like water to pool on the floor! Their cries are terrible to behold and only drowned out by the Nazi in the air!

"Soooo mmmmmuch pppppowerrrrrrrr!!!" he screams, tearing at his scalp and thrashing about at he's caught full on in the glare of the radiation! "More! Must have... more!" He lands and staggers towards the Lunarium! Anyman glances up, feeling another hail of bullets smack into his face and he's pressed down again! Flames jet out from a flamethrower and he grinds his teeth as his flesh bubbles... and more lead falls from the Lunarium thanks to the heat!

This time Anyman feels the pain and knows he must get out of there! The Lunarium radiation would only be held off by his body diverting all of its energies into keeping him alive - that mean he could quite easily be slain in a hail of bullets!

The Nazi staggers closer, closer... Finally he grips the rock and cries out! "YES! THE POWER IS MI...BANG!" his voice cuts off as he explodes like a balloon, showering the camp around in fragments of flesh and bone!

The Nazi soldiers duck down and the hail of bullets ceases for a moment. Anyman is in such pain he can barely concentrate, but he's still alive, albeit black and blue! His entire body tingles and he knows its only a matter of moments before he's rendered powerless again! Some of the Nazi soldiers nearby have deformed into wild and weird shapes, and the others behind them are distracted - so much so that they turn their guns on their former comrades!

Anyman sees an opportunity to slip away.. but the Lunarium is such a prize to grasp... the only problem is the protective lead is melted away on several sections now! he has only moments before his power cuts out!

Suddenly he hears a shout from somewhere behind him. "Anyman! We have freed the aliens! Come on!"

It was Boadicea! She and P'ertaria must have freed the P'utinarians in all the confusion! Anyman glanced at the Lunarium again. Would it be worth the risk of death to bring it? Or was there something he could do in the final moments before his powers vanished?

Knowing it is too important to leave behind, Anyman tries to smooth the lead over the Lunarium while staggering away, keeping the object pointed always towards his foes as he does so. As he tries to stagger away, he looks around for any buckets of paint. Maybe the lead in the paint will help shield the radiation.

Anyman moves near to the Lunarium... stood behind it as bullets zip this way and that with some Soldiers still determined to take him out, Anyman cries out as a bullet pings from the lead and through his thigh! With a cry and rolling onto his back, Allard clutches the wound then grabs hold of he Lunarium... it's too heavy to lift with the lead on it! Taking cover behind the rock he hears the screams as the radiation affects those in the courtyard.

Just then the guards remaining on the towers open fire, and Allard squints through a sea of pain to see the distant V-Ship, enemy fighters still on its tail, head back towards the camp! The Flag guns would cut it to pieces, and yet, what other chance did Anyman have to get out of here with his powers drained by the deadly rock? Even the voice inside was gone - whatever else his powers did, they protected him from instant death - he saw another Nazi soldier burst into blue fire and run past, screaming!

Then he heard a hissed voice "Anyman!" He turned... it was P'ertaria!

"Hold onto me!"

She stretched an arm out from where she stood around the corner of the building, intent on pulling Allard away. By now enough lead had fallen from the rock to be bathing the centre of the camp in deadly radiation, with the wooden buildings warping and twisting to spring back into unnatural life!

Allard looked at the rock. This was as big a piece of Lunarium as he'd ever seen. The things the allies could do with it - and more importantly, stop the Nazis from using it! He couldn't just leave it, simply to save his own life, could he?

OOC Allard has a gunshot wound through his leg. He has normal stats and his powers are diverted into saving his life. He can limp, at best and the rock is too heavy to lift. However, the ship could transport it up but it would have to hover above the camp whilst being bombarded from all sides by flak guns. It's a mess!

OOC: Sorry to interject, but for goodness sake Dave, use the Dark power man, you're never going to get out of this without a little bit of help. You've got more thane enough Hero points to compensate if the rolls go badly, and could thing be any worse right now. Ok zipping it again.

Sj

.OOC: Sorry to interject, but for goodness sake Dave, use the Dark power man, you're never going to get out of this without a little bit of help. You've got more thane enough Hero points to compensate if the rolls go badly, and could thing be any worse right now. Ok zipping it again.

ooc: I've used the Dark Powers twice in the last hour. Odds of losing control are pretty big now if I try to use it a third time in the same hour, if I get the rules right.



Giving up on the hunk of Lunarium for the moment, Allard allows himself to be pulled to safety.

"We got a huge hunk of Lunarium in the center of the camp," he radios the vessel while helping P'ertaria to get him to safety. "Can you take out the guard towers and scoop it up with your beam thingie that levitates things? Grab it if you can while the prisoners and the rest of us escape towards the woods. You can scoop us up there afterwards."
ooc: did NoMan buy it too?

P'ertaria yanks Anyman to safety in the shadow of a building whilst the gunfire from the Nazis grows wilder and more erratic. A building bursts into flames as a flamethrower operator finds his skeleton turned to water and the rest of him collapses a moment later!

By now the lead is molten on the rock and its full, deadly glow bathes the camp in red light...

Boadicea runs up, looking about with a pistol in hand. She sees how banged up Allard is and gives him a pat on the shoulder. "We'll get you patched up once we get out of here. Spartan says the railguns are out of action still. Idiot blew the main flux inhibit chamber when he popped that magnetic field on the camp. Still, there are the main guns, but they will overheat if he..."

There's a loud ringing BOOM! and everyone looked up to where a laser bolt shot from the V-Ship to slice through two Nazi planes, setting what remained of them on fire as they tumbled to the floor! The Flak guns on the towers turned to filled the sky in front of the ship as it sped in towards the camp and the flash as the shields was struck indicated they were at their limits!

"Bet he's burnt that out too now." moaned Boadicea. "Where did...?" She looked across the camp to where Anchors broken body lay. "Oh. What about the other one?"

Suddenly all three turned as a Nazi officer walked up behind them! Boadicea rose and spun, delivering a karate kick! The Officer partially blocked it before morphing back into NoMan! "Wait! The Nazi knocked me across the camp... I was outmatched so thought it best to disguise myself. Has..." His vision went over to the rock. "That's similar to what they used on me, but never that big! Are they insane?" he muttered.

The camps air raid sirens were wailing and Boadicea helped Anyman up. His strength was returning, but was only about half of his full complement. P'ertaria looked about. "I suggest we find a way through the fence with the Prisoners and arrange a pickup away from here.. though it would be helpful if we had a diversion..."

NoMan looked around. "There are Nazis everywhere. And..."

The others followed his gaze. In the distance was another gleaming shape like that of the Vanguards' V-Ship. "It never rains..." Boadicea muttered. "More Nazis. I'm betting they have metahumans on board!" She considered for a moment. "Anyman. Get everyone out of here somehow. I will create a diversion!"

She stood up to leave and fished about in her satchel, pulling out three grenades. "You'd better go." she said. "There are organised Nazi patrols looking for us. If Lionheart is ever restored to his rightful self, tell him it was an honour knowing him, despite what the data banks said of his performance evaluations!"

OOC The fence post guns aren't 100% manned, more like 25%. Anyman has recovered grade 1 strength and shapeshifting. The longer he waits the better his power recovery is. NoMan looks like the Nazi put him through a ringer. P'ertaria is reasonably fresh. Boadicea plans a suicide mission to buy you all time to escape. Within a minute you'll have another Skrall ship above you and more Metahumans pouring out. The Nazis weren't quite ready for you this time, but that Lunarium is the thing that's screwed things up so badly. A glittering prize, just out of reach,or will Anyman make another attempt to get it? The V-Ship will arrive in 10-15 seconds then have to hover over the camp, taking a constant stream of fire. How long it will last is anyones' guess. This one will go down to the wire... over to you...

The others followed his gaze. In the distance was another gleaming shape like that of the Vanguards' V-Ship. "It never rains..." Boadicea muttered. "More Nazis. I'm betting they have metahumans on board!" She considered for a moment. "Anyman. Get everyone out of here somehow. I will create a diversion!"

She stood up to leave and fished about in her satchel, pulling out three grenades. "You'd better go." she said. "There are organised Nazi patrols looking for us. If Lionheart is ever restored to his rightful self, tell him it was an honour knowing him, despite what the data banks said of his performance evaluations!"

"Oh no you don't," Anyman says, standing up. "I've lost enough people on my Death Patrols, I'm not losing another! NoMan? Do you still have your strength from copying the flying strong guy? If you do, throw those grenades where they will do us the most good. Lots of confusion. Smoke. Fires."

He changes his shape so he looks like a common German soldier.

"Here's the plan. NoMan, staying as a German officer, I as a soldier, are taking you prisoner to be shot out in the woods. P'ertaria? Can you shift into the form of a German soldier too? That will make things a bit easier having two soldiers to shoot her."

"We move fast and like we have business but don't run! Get into the woods. Get in touch with the V-Ship and have it get all of us out of here and then see if we can retrieve that hunk of red rock."

ooc: If NoMan doesn't have his strength anymore, Anyman will use his to throw the grenades some place effective - gas tanks behind the messhall, fuel dump, paint shack, any place that will cause explosions and/or smoke and fire. Then shift into looking like a guard and everyone walks out of the camp quickly but not so quickly as to draw too much attention to ourselves.

It didn't prove hard to find the fuel dump, and a tossed grenade plus hasty jog away with it exploding in the background gave even more for the Nazis to think about! With three of the 'Death Patrol' appearing as Nazis, they headed for the main gate with their prisoner in tow whilst confused Nazi soldiers ran around looking for someone to shoot!

"It appears.." said NoMan quietly "That I must have some kind of link to my target. When the Nazi died I lost his powers."

Boadicea mumbled to P'ertaria. "Your people? Did they do as I suggested?"

P'ertaria glanced across the camp to where a rippling carpet of grass moved under the electrified fence and into the woods. The Aliens had flattened themselves, taken on an appearance and texture similar to grass and changed colour! They were tough enough to withstand the Nazis running over the top of them and soon made their way into the woods.

A junior officer stopped at NoMan, then asked him a question - in German!

NoMan (as a Nazi officer) looked puzzled for a moment until Anyman butted in. "The explosion made him deaf. Before everything went up he ordered us to shoot this enemy in the woods, away from here - the place has turned into a disaster zone with that red rock, but it should be safe to approach now. The Captain wanted it moving indoors."

Walking away from the camp, mindful of guns on the top of towers, the group saw the V-Ship veer off. It smoked and burned from a number of points on the hull and the other, Nazi run, ship was almost over the camp now as the flak fire stopped.

Inside the cover of the trees Boadicea turned. "Should we try to make a play for that rock? It's too valuable to leave to the Nazis!"

Meanwhile the P'utinarians formed up behind the group under the cover of the trees.

They'd done it - the aliens were freed!

Anyman looked back at the camp. His powers had returned now. He'd freed the Aliens, but lost another team mate. He remembered Anchors' easy laughter and hatred for the Nazis, contrasting against one another. A team player, a hero, a friend. Now gone.

P'ertaria rested a hand on Anymans shoulder. "Sorry about your friend. Thank you though, for getting my people out." The Aliens were in a sorry shape, some of them an odd colour or lighter shade of grey indicating poor health.

Suddenly the group heard barked orders coming from the camp. The other ship was disembarking with crew/soldiers and they'd start looking for Anyman immediately! They weren't out of the woods yet!

OOC Is the plan to get away from here or go back for the Lunarium? The V-Ship has had to leave - for now - damage and the presence of the other ship as well as enemy fighters meant it wouldn't have lasted five minutes in a scrap! You still have radio contact with Spartan on board though...

"As much as I want that rock," Lance said disgustedly, "I don't think we can get it now. Not unless we can again neutralize their weapons for a minute or two and then levitate it up to us?"

He looks hopeful at that but expects a negative reply.


ooc: If we can't do it, time to get out of here and back to England and drop off our passengers then see if anyone else needs our help. If we can do it, then do so and scoop it up and flee.

Spartan replies over the radio. "We're still being *skrrrz* harrassed by fighters. The shields have taken a pounding. Seems my little *crrrzzz* wasn't such a *skrrrk*. What? Great. Engine is down to 32%"

Boadicea bristles. "Spartan! If you wreck that ship..."

"Hold that thought... we've just been rammed! Damage report?"

Anyman frowned, punching hand into fist.

NoMan walked up. "With all due respect, you are the Nazis most feared enemy. No one else can walk into their camps and shut down their operations like you can. I heard some of the Nazi soldiers speaking. They regard you as a ... myth ... of sorts. Is there truly nothing you can do to secure the rock?"

Boadicea raised an eyebrow and looked over to the hovering ship. "Another ship WOULD be handy, and we could use it to grab the rock and get out of here with everyone on board. And this lot need to get back to their mother ship for treatment. Is there nothing you can do? I've watched you and the others. I have a good idea about what you can do, then you pull a rabbit out of a hat, a power I didn't know you had and save the day. You know, when the red energy crackles around you?"

P'ertaria pitches in "Our alternative is making our way through hostile territory and waiting for pickup. It sounds like your friend Spartan has enough troubles of his own...."

'Call on me' said the Dark Power. 'You are close to making a break through. Heal your leg. Use the power. Defeat your enemies! Your friend, Frostbite, could get on that ship easily! The projectiles pass through him! Can you not do that? You humans with your limited imaginations astound me!'

ooc: Man, I totally misread the big post. I thought we made it onto the ship, not stuck in the woods. Going to have to rethink everything I was planning.

Just to doublecheck, everytime we use the Dark Powers in a certain time frame, it becomes harder to override the EGO roll to use it without it going out of control, right?

ooc: and I've used the Dark Power twice in this fight so far. I'm really pushing my luck if I use it again. Barely made it a second time. Hmmmmm ....

"Spartan, can you read me? Is there any way you can scoop us up here in the woods without running into lots of flak, using that levitation beam thingie? Or do we need to get further away" Anyman radios in with his great understanding of scientific things. "If you can, get everyone else on board. I'm going to try to make a grab for the rock and run away with it. Prepare to grab me when I come back and get that rock in a radiation proof room! If you can't, we will have to think of something else."


my plan: gain superspeed and energy immunity to the rock. Run in at superspeed, grab it and run out with it into the woods. Hope grade two superstrength will let me carry it. Probably need two rounds of Dark Power to accomplish this since I don't know how far grade one superspeed will get me. Grade two may be too high a cost to try to roll for it. Will need to get the others on board first and away from whichever boarding hatch I come in on, and get that area sealed against radiation. Then get myself out of that area before the energy immunity wears off.

That's what I did the first time I used the Dark Power if memory serves. Let's go with the same amount of points and if any are left over, use them to heal myself. Hero points prepared so I don't blow up eastern Europe if I fail.

Not real interested in fighting them right now. Got our main objective down - rescue the aliens. Secondary objective - disrupt things - done. Third Objective - get rock! Still to do.

Only fight them if we can't get away in the ship with the rock. That's the plan so far.

OOC Testing against 7 ego for dark power (as before) plus 2 for Dark power growth (see the sticky document in current issue). So it's 12 vs 9. [10,8,12] = (30) Anyman, [8,9,9] = (26) Dark Power, [8,4,9,7,8,5,1] = (42) Dark Power points. An average of 6 per die, which is ok. 42 points to spend. Bear in mind that the powers only last for 1 round and that unused points drain at 1d10/round. You may well be inside the camp and caught short - and having to use the Dark Power again to get you out. With that in mind, and knowing Anyman would know that, I'll assume Anyman went to the edge of the trees before calling on the Dark Power...

Lance Allard looked upon the camp. The siren still wailed. Above the camp, some 30m off the floor, the Nazi Skrall ship, identical to the V-Ship Spartan flew - and which was even now losing its tails to double back and meet up with the others - hovered and Jetpack equipped Nazis spilled out, careful not to approach the dreadful red glow which lit up the centre of the camp. They were dressed in similar radiation resistant suits to those the scientists had worn. Clearly they intended to secure their precious stone. Having learnt from previous experience, the Nazis had not secured it in their most powerful, deepest bunker - such things had proven no barrier to Anyman in the past! Instead they'd set it up as a lure, a trap, but Anyman had arrived - and foiled their plans - too early once more! Now they intended to rectify that, and soon this place would be locked down as secure as Hitler himself in a secret bunker somewhere!

Boadicea had argued against Anymans' orders, risking insubordination with her intention to stay at his side, but had finally seen sense. The P'utinarians, once freed and back home, would be the final push required to align them to the Allies. There were other P'utinarians out there in hiding, frightened and waiting the Gestapo to take them away as they hid in human form. They would need rescue, but that was a task for another day. NoMan would go with them. His inexperience would be his downfall and he provided the only superhuman 'muscle' available to the rag tag group on the way to the pickup point.

Anyman called upon the Dark Power. There was around 100m between the trees and the fence, which though sparsely manned with guards up in those towers, would still see him! He groaned. Invisibility would've been a good option. Approach unseen and lend more weight to his legend.



OOC those are your numbers at the moment. I assume you will spend 20 points on Energy Immunity (Radiation) and 20 on Super Speed (ha! Super. You can run slightly slower than Usain Bolt, fast but hardly super). Unfortunately that will get you into the middle of the camp (if you slip through the fence with stretching) and that's it. You'll be left stood next to the rock in its full glare with immunity running out and with a Nazi ship hovering above you, suited Nazis all about. There are metas knocking about somewhere too. Dangerous game. This is like sticking your head in the Lions mouth after coating it with Beef paste... If that's the plan I'll effect it, but what do you intend to do when you've done that? Dark power again?

Could I go through the hole we made in the fence? Faster than spending time oozing through, right? If not, yeah, ooze or stretch through or over the fence. Or with grade two strength, barrel through it without it slowing me down? I figured this was a two round job, possibly even three. One round to get in and one round to get out. Doesn't speed give me the ability to go first in each round regardless of intiative? that will help get me out in one peice.

Oh wait! Wasn't there a speedster from the Nazi League of Germany? Met him with the Wonder Woman and Superman. Before exiting the woods, will shapeshift into him. THat ought to confuse a few folks for a precious few seconds.

Use Dark Power, run up, grab rock. Use Dark Power, run away. Use it a third time if needed to get away far enough into the woods to be picked up by the V-Ship. If there are any odd points left over from the Dark Power in any round of using it, will use those to heal myself but only if there are a few points left.

OOC You guys walked out to 'shoot' the prisoner (Boadicea) in the woods whilst the Aliens slinked (slunk? slithered.) through gaps under the electrified fence. Same result if Anyman simply speeds up to the gate. We'll go with that.

With the siren wailing the disguised hero, wearing the form of the ultra fast Nazi he'd defeated before, sped up to the gate house, gave a hurried "HEIL HITLER!" and sped through before the guards could even register what had happened! They were confused, frightened and some of them were dying - the radiations effects were lethal for those who couldn't control the dosage they received, either by a suit or via a superhuman physiognomy (OOC think that's the right word - spellchecker didn't blink at it...).

As he went through the camp Anyman saw the devastation he'd indirectly caused. What survivors there would be of this place would be mutated, horribly. Still, he had other things on his mind!

As he came round the corner he saw the main camp square. Bodies - or what looked to be left of bodies after their transformation - were littered about. White suited Scientists staggered towards the rock, their suits clearly struggling with the radiation levels. Up above, the Skrall ship hovered and a loading bay was opened with what looked to be a large scoop being lowered down on a winch. The scoop bucket would enclose the Lunarium and allow it to be winched inside for sealing, then extraction to a place unknown!

Moving at (OOC *cough*) super speed Anyman sped up, ignoring the shouts of "NO! The radiation you fool!" and grabbed the Lunarium up. Instantly there was a reaction as Superhumans flew from hatches in the Skrall vessel, clad in their customary white, black and red, though none would come within firing range of the Lunarium.

It was - quite literally - instant death to the unprepared.

Anyman didn't feel a thing, despite actually touching the rock, but he knew that exposure without protection would be near fatal and in any case crippling to him! He'd already been exposed - massively - and who knew what that'd done to him?

Shaking away doubts, Anyman once more called on the Dark Power to continue the protective power that allowed him to ignore the radiation!

OOC You're in trouble here. To resist the radiation you need AT LEAST 20 points. Then to get out of there you need AT LEAST 20 points and you aren't going to outrun anyone with grade 1 - a truck will keep up. Let's get that out of the way first though. Testing against 7 Dark power ego, which has 3 Dark power growth added. This will be tight. 12 vs 10. You can always try for more (say 15 points or more) and use a hero point, but those dice... they can churn out great for them, rubbish for you (even with 4d10) and then you'd ruin the plan (and everyone else in 10 miles day. To say the least.) [5,8,12] = (25) Anyman [9,3,10] = (22) Dark Power [2,1,5,8,5,2,10] = (33) Dark power points. That's a success, but a poor one. Less than 5 per die. The 10 grants a bonus die, the 1 took that away. You have energy immunity and are stood in a camp full of Nazis with the most dangerous substance in the universe in your hands. When your energy immunity runs out you will find your body mutated in a random way, probably finding that your internal organs warp beyond any use and die. It's not every day you get to do that mind, so don't feel too bad. You have 13 points left over after Energy Immunity.

Hefting the rock, Anyman started to run but knew something was wrong.

'No mortal. Something is RIGHT! You are not as hopeless as I feared! Call on me again! AGAIN I tell you!'

The Nazis levelled weapons whilst others prepared grenades. If they went off, Anyman would find the rock smashed into thousands of shards - it would render this whole place a no go zone but would deprive both sides of the stone! Still, it was a measure of their desperation that the Nazis were prepared to do that rather than let someone - even one of their own - get their rock!

Anyman has Dark Power Level 2.

Calling on the Dark Power again, Anyman knew his time was up. This was it.

Do or die.

If those grenades were thrown and went off near him, he would be impaled by hundreds of fragments that even his tough skin couldn't fend off completely! Never had he been closer to death!

He heard shouts but ignored them. "That must be Anyman!" someone shouted. This after he'd ignored orders to get away from the stone - the Nazis were finally wising up!

Calling on the Dark Power again Lance muttered a short prayer. This could be his curtain call...

OOC Dark Power level 2. We'll go with 7 points again (bumped to 11 with Dark power growth). 12 vs 11. Dice will decide this, hero point at the ready... [9,9,12] = (30) Anyman (DOUBLE) [6,6,11] = (23) Dark Power (DOUBLE) [1,9,8,2,3,9,7] = (39). The doubles come up with [3,4] = (7) Anyman [5,9] = (14) Dark Power. 37 each. A hero point will tip Anyman over the edge and secure the 'win'... can't get closer than that! You have 13 Hero points remaining and 78 (+3 from the previous round after rolling a drain roll of 10) = 81 Dark Power points to spend... Whatever you spend them on will last 2 rounds and any unspent points will drain after 2 rounds at the rate of 1d10/round. Dark power Growth is 5. Over to you.

81 Dark Powre Points huh? Need 40 of them for the Energy Immunity and Grade One Speed, right? Leaving me with 41 more to spend as I see fit. Is that enough to bump me up to Grade 3 speed? And one point left over for healing? And I have these powers for 2 rounds? If that is right, that's what I want to do.

ooc: So 70 pts used. Use the other 11 for healing. While still not very fast, speed-wise, the moving in half frames and going first in the round does help with Speed. So I get the equivalent of 8 frames per round to run away in G3 Speed instead of just 4 frames. So I should be out of sight pretty darn fast before they get to act.

OOC splitting frames doesn't allow you to move any faster - just half a move, act with a frame, then take rest of the 1/2 frame to move away. I think it's about time I came up with our own scale of speed. Street level don't cut it when a guy on a 40s motorbike can keep up with you ... That said, you get to top speed faster than any mere care or truck, and besides that - anyone following would have to have a death wish seeing as you're carrying that lump of red glowing doom.

Anyman (in the guise of the Nazi speedster) looked about and left - quite literally shot off, leaving a cloud of dust behind him!

Soldiers screamed as the deadly red rays bathed them in the awful light and where Anyman passed, nature was perverted. Some of the trees turned to metal, others to stone, still others to glass, or diamond, lead or even gold. The grass warped to become a live, snapping thing in places, whilst in others it transformed into water, bursting into droplets at the slightest touch. Birds fell from the trees, unable to fly as their wings turned into tiny arms, insects morphed and grew to giant size, the rocks themselves started to stand on stumpy legs and opened a pair of eyes!

Anyman sped into the woods regardless, soon under the cover of trees. He turned upon hearing a sound and saw a tree uproot itself and wander off. Bathed in the red glow, Allard knew that as soon as he let up the power, that radiation would affect him - powers or no.

His time was running out!

With a curse he sped on. In the distance he heard the Skrall ship power up and fly overhead, easily tracking his movement thanks to the shining glow through the trees and the radiation it was giving off! Grinding his teeth in frustration, Allard considered his next move. He was in fine shape, his wounds having been healed, but still had that curious tingling sensation in his fingers and toes. Clearly the rock he held was like nothing on Earth. A lethal , unpredictable nightmare that might - just might - provide the Allies with the edge they needed if they could harness the radiation in the same way the Nazis had done. Wynn had near exhausted himself by providing powers to soldiers and there weren't enough. On top of that, the radiation could somehow be used to power vehicles, weapons...

Looking about in the woods, he knew the others would be up ahead, perhaps by a mile or so now, having set off at a run for the rendezvous point. His power was running out. Dare he keep heading for the pickup point and lead the Nazis to the ship, make some kind of fight or stand there, or was there something else he could do to dissuade the Nazis?

'Use... the ... POWER!' rasped the inner voice.

Another, more calm influence, warned 'Be careful Mr Allard. Your body has certainly been affected and whilst you have the ability to cure wounds that are skin deep, I fear exposure to this thing affects at a much smaller level. You saw what it did to the people, the plants, the rocks. That element you carry may be the most dangerous weapon on the planet if harnessed correctly. I say it should be dropped in the ocean or somehow destroyed - what is to stop your allied friends from becoming like the enemy they hate if given the means of mass destruction and therefore the chance to wipe out the Nazis?'

OOC You're on full health, 2 rounds are up. You are 1/3rd of a mile away from the camp already where trucks/jeeps can't follow, but that Skrall ship is hovering 100m overhead and tracking you. On top of that your immunity is about to run out so... dare I ask? Dark power again?

Another, more calm influence, warned 'Be careful Mr Allard. Your body has certainly been affected and whilst you have the ability to cure wounds that are skin deep, I fear exposure to this thing affects at a much smaller level. You saw what it did to the people, the plants, the rocks. That element you carry may be the most dangerous weapon on the planet if harnessed correctly. I say it should be dropped in the ocean or somehow destroyed - what is to stop your allied friends from becoming like the enemy they hate if given the means of mass destruction and therefore the chance to wipe out the Nazis?'

OOC You're on full health, 2 rounds are up. You are 1/3rd of a mile away from the camp already where trucks/jeeps can't follow, but that Skrall ship is hovering 100m overhead and tracking you. On top of that your immunity is about to run out so... dare I ask? Dark power again?

Yeah, I need to use the Dark Power and wait until the others are on the ship and away from whatever hatch I'm going to use to get in the ship, one that is heavily shielded. So I need to kill some time until they are safe. So I might as well kill some Nazis while waiting. I'm thinking of teleporting up to the ship and letting them have a taste of the rock up close and personal. But the cost in HTK and HTC might be too high to do it.

Help me out on the math here to make sure I have it right.

Let me see if I have the power costs right. Energy Immunity costs 20 Pts.
Grade One TP costs 20 Pts. Grade 2 would cost 35 and Grade 3 would cost 50 pts.

Just check a version of the rules and I can TP blindly but with some modifiers for doing so but hope to reduce or eliminate those in the belief the two ships are almost identical in layout.

So if I wanted G3 Teleport and Energy Immunity, I would need 70 pts of Dark Power. Which is an average of 14 dice needed, assuming average of 5 on the die when rolled. If I used G2 TP then I would only need 55 Pts, which would be about 11 dice, assuming average of 5 on the die.

If I used G1 TP and went straight up with the rock as a passenger, it would cost me 400 HTC and 100 HTK - 100 for the range, 100 for the passenger [and half that 200 in HTK] and double all the HTC for going up straight.

G2 Tp would cost me -

"Grade 2: As Grade 1, except that the character loses 1HTC for every 2 metres Teleported up to a maximum cost of 20HTC points for any distance over 40 metres. Maximum range is 800 metres."

So I would lose 40HTC only? Doubling the damage because of the weight of the rock? No HTK? No extra damage for going up? With them being 100m away and able to TP 800 meters, one action to get there and another to TP inside?

Or is that all wrong?