World War II - Sky Eagle issue II

THe power surged through his body taking Sky Eagle's breath away. He felt the lick of the power it called to him asked him to use it bathe in it and allow it to guide him.

Just as he was going to give himself over to it fully he remembered what the power actually was and what it could do, not only to him but others if left unchecked. With a great breath he rapped his will around it and raned it in. Pourin gthe power through his hands sending bolts of dark power at each of the three attackers in turn.

OOC: I will separate the power points evenly into three bolts of power one for each of the creatures.

OOC You need more points to really be effective with the blast (or pour everything into one blast that drops the targets Damage Dividers, does huge damage and increases chance to hit). You can only use 2 blasts - the third would take place in the next round and you'd hardly have any energy left. That said you can pump out two shots with -1DD and both with +1 to hit. Rolls: 2d10+5+6=22, 2d10+5+6=20. Both hit, average rolls. One does 41htk (I assume you're doing HTK) and the other does 39htk. You get one shot in before being attacked though. This might sting a bit...

Sky Eagles eyes crackled... dark energy gathered around him... he thrust a hand out, blasting into one of his foes! The creature flew backwards into the bushes and screamed in agony!

'Ahhhh! I feel it's pain! Yesssss....' said the Dark power inside...

OOC And it feeds on the creatures pain. You get Half of the points you spent (23, so 12 back) back! You can pour those into the second attack, but first...

Sky Eagle whirled as the other creature in the clearing leapt at him! It raked with tooth and claw seeking to bring down its enemy and devour his entrails!

OOC Three attacks, 2d10+2+6-17=3, 2d10+2+6-17=10, 2d10+2+6-17=3 All hit, no doubles. Damage 5htk, 9htk, 5htk, total 19htk. That puts Sky Eagle on a wobbly 24/87 htk. Then he blasts out with his second attack... He's able to boost the dividers to -3DD for the second attack. That really smarts for the creature, but doesn't kill it.

'Ahhh, MORE!' cries the Dark power inside as it feeds on the suffering of the Ani-Man!

OOC The Dark power absorbs another 12 points and Heals 12htk damage from the last attack. Sky Eagle is now on 36/87 htk, slightly healthier.

There was a sudden lull in the fighting as the creatures stayed in the undergrowth... he felt eyes on him, glaring at him, but could not pinpoint their location. They'd bloodied him, but he'd hurt them in return, badly! The next few moments would determine the fate of both sets of combatants...

Sky Eagle turned to the left. The third - the one he'd tossed into the air - was moving clumsily through the bushes before crouching and making ready to pounce...

OOC 1d10=7, 1d10=6. You have just a single frame - not enough to summon the dark power and you have no target to aim at. If you hold your frame the creatures will rush from the bushes and get all their attacks in on you.. with the way things are going the battle is balanced 50/50. You might win... or you might die! Death isn't the end of course, but it would be for Sky Eagle - the Dark power would resurface in another character, albeit after a week long coma... Your call - fight or flight...?

SKy Eagle felt the power start to leave him and knew that before long he'd have no chance against three attackers. If his whole team had been there he would have held out and fought on but it was suicidal to stand his ground when there was no need to. His people had got away now it was his time to retreat.

With a quick push of the power he put all he had left into his wings and jumped straight up and with a strong beat of his wings he was airborne

Battered, torn and bloodied, though mostly triumphant, Sky Eagle took to the air. The creatures could leap pretty high - but fell short, mercifully, and glowered in rage at the foe who stood his own against the three of them. There would be another time.

=========

Having followed the trail of smoke from the jetpacks Sky Eagle eventually caught up with the others.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" said Doctor Feelgood, visible relief on his face. He saw the wounds and frowned. "We'll have to wait so I can heal you - I've used my quota up for today!"

Agent 62 rolled her eyes and spoke up. "You're an idiot. Brave to a point, and that's the problem! If you get yourself killed we all die too, but more importantly, De Gaulle dies, and the hopes of the French people! Their government is finished, but if we can get De Gaulle out... you already know the price of failure. Sir." she said, then softened somewhat. "Still... bravest thing I ever saw. You saved our lives. Again. Thankyou."

Agent 95 fished out the map.

"We need to travel - solid - for several hours in this direction." he pointed. "Caumont is here... and we are here. We are limited because of the injuries to ..."

Agent 62 started to protest, but he waved her to quiet.

"We leave no one behind. We've already lost too many." said 95. He looked about. "Agreed?"

Agent 88 added "The German army has surrounded the town and will bombard it night and day. To save civilian casualties, De Gaulle is bound to surrender! That means we don't have long!"

"What are we waiting for then?" asked Peter Harriman, agent 95. "We have the hardest nut this side of Anyman with us. A Doctor who makes us feel good - but not right now, he has a headache, and a former fashion model turned secret agent in our midst. We're the most unlikely rag tag bunch the Germans will ever expect to turn up to their party! Let's spoil it for 'em!" he opened his jacket to reveal a short string of grenades. "I brought desert." he grins.

=========

It's night, and the group are tired.

Agent 95 passes the binoculars over. They are positioned around 1 mile from the rear of the German lines. Camps of soldiers are set up whilst heavy artillery pounds the distant town and lights up the sky! Tanks roll in, escorting fuel convoys and ammunition trucks, and there are soldiers everywhere.

"Ring of death" muttered 95. "What's the plan? Fly over them and hope they don't see us? Cause a diversion in their ranks? Swoop low and drop a present on that fuel truck? And I don't mean a bird dropping. Sir." he grins.

Sky Eagle chuckles "We do that and more." He looked throught the binoculars then handed them over to agent 62 "See how they've parked up the feul tanks side by side, they think they are safe, they've not allowed the standard spacing between them..." he takes a deep bearth "we have one big diversion delivered to us on a plate."

Taking the goggles back "and over there the artillery they have stacked all the ammo inthe open next to the guns rather than allowing a running strip between the two .... very careless." once again he waited for the goggles to return to him "Sadly we can't do much about the tanks but they are slow and unwheeledly so we should be able to keep clear of them. As for the troops ....." he stopped for a moment then a grin crossed his face.

"What would you say if I happened to take a tanker for a fly while we set off the rest with a hole in its side I could cover the front lines with flamible liquid leading from our German tanker bonfire over the troops make it hot for them."

He crawlled back down. "Ok here's the plan ..... agent 95 you take out the tankers make it a big bang that will put the fear of god in the nazis, agent 88 you take the artillery set it to go up 5 minutes after the tankers as its on the left to the tankers hopefully the Gremans will think its a major attack from two fronts. Dr you heal agent 62 to allow her to operate as best she can." he took a breath before continuing "you two will need to go intothe town and get the frenchie out I will cover your backs and agents 95 and 88 will set up a defensive position here rady for ourt retreat. I would go in myself but I will be lightly flame grilling some nazis to keepthem on the run."

"now we need to move fast and before dawn we need the darkness to pull this off and from the look of the town it won't survive another day and I doubt we can wait that long with those nazi hounds on our tails... Any questions.... we go in an hour"

Agent 88 licked his lips nervously. "You make it sound easy... but remember this sir. You are the only one who can fly silently. We used these damned noisy jetpacks to ... say." He looked to 95 who shook his head. "I don't like it when you get that look..." he muttered, whilst 88 grinned and continued. "95 can fly me over the fuel tanks, I'll launch my jetpack at the tankers like a missile, and we get the blazes out of there before the whole bally lot goes up, what?"

Agent 95 shook his head "You're crazy but..."

Agent 62, wounded but conscious now, looked over. "We'd be sacrificing one of our few remaining jet packs to use as a bomb. Easier to drop grenades wouldn't you say lads?"

95 disagreed "We'd have to fly low and close, otherwise a dropped grenade would go off too early. Much as I hate to admit it, the plan has merit."

62 turned to Sky Eagle. "Or our feathered friend here could swoop in with a few grenades, hopefully without being noticed, and get out of there whilst the whole lot is going up?"

Agent 88 cringed. "You'd be looking at a few singed feathers sir."

Dr Feelgood spoke up "When my powers recharge I think Agent 62 will be ready to cooperate. But seriously chaps. There are thousands of Nazi troops down there. The only thing we have going for us is that they are looking the other way. All we need is for some of those damned Nazi superhumans to be amongst them and that'd really set the cat amongst the pigeons. I don't have any better ideas, mind. Well, unless we can get a couple of Nazi officer uniforms and these chaps can pass as German."

Agent 95 and 88 both shrugged. "We can do that." said 88.

"Well then, as officers you could pass unnoticed and set a few charges in key locations. Sky Eagle flies high, then straight down into the town and 'persuades' De Gaulle to come with him. Bear in mind the General won't want to leave the remainder of his men there to die. It's a harsh, mad, bloody business, but then war isn't a sane undertaking. What manner of animal turns on their own as we do? It's bonkers." he sighed. The naturally pacifist hero shook his head. "I'll do my part though. The top brass want De Gaulle out. Paris has fallen, France is finished, for now. That man remains the last best hope for rallying the French people and inspiring some kind of resistance movement. Any hope of usurping the Nazi grip on this country evaporated at Dunkirk. What a mess that was. If not for that chap Frostbite and his friends we heard so much about in the papers, the war would be over by now, with a quarter million of our bots kneeling in the mud waiting for a Nazi bullet between the eyes." he shuddered. "I can empathise with how the French feel. They must think all hope is lost. If this man can give them their hope back, the risk - aye, and the cost - are worth it."

Agent 62 cringed. "All very stirring Doctor, but let's not count our chickens. A town under Nazi blockade, no one in or out. The main roads are blocked meaning the Nazi tanks would be vulnerable to attack. That means they'll send the infantry in at dawn. We don't have that hour Sky Eagle. Whatever plan you decide to go with, we'll put into action, but we need to do it now!"

Sky Eagle glanced at them all, then through the darkness at the distant town and the deadly ring of steel and men surrounding it.

Feeling the weigh of command and responsibility on his shoulders, he knew the next words he spoke might condemn some - or all - of this small band to an undeserved death!

"Ok we'll go withthe Doc's plan but we will have to wing it as we go. Agents 59 and 88 you both have your targets as I've pointed out to you but go in on foot and find a uniform to get you close to your targets. Do your job and get the hell out. YOU do NOT come in for me or for one another you look after your own skins and get them out in one piece. Meet back here where the Doc and agent 62 will give you cover, you then all move out and back to the coast and home. I will go high and come in fast, I will locate the Frenchy and get him to the coast as well. From there I'll fly him over to Dover and our guys."

He looked at each of them in turn " Good luck to you all and I'm sorry I couldn't can't protect you all and I hope to see you after for a beer in the officer's mess when this bloody thing is all over."

When they were ready to go he took to the sky turned once gave them a salute and shot off intothe night

Sky Eagle soared high into the night sky. From above it was easy to see how bad things were.

The town was encircled in a ring of deadly steel. Troops swarmed into position and took aim at the desperate, dwindling French forces taking cover in the buildings. Shots rang out occasionally, and the Nazis continually fired flares, then opened fire on anyone caught in the glare.

Higher, higher... Sky Eagle soared upwards, staying clear of flak and flare light, then he started to soar downwards...

Down, down...

Something caught his eye in the streets below, but he flew through a lit area thanks to the flares and immediately felt the boom of flak fire as the Nazis opened up! Needing to fly faster to escape the deadly bursts Sky Eagle cried out as the pain of his efforts struck home... then he pulled up at the last moment and crashed into a tumble of wings and limbs!

Smashing through the front of a shop he shook his head, checking himself over and staggering to his feet. That wasn't so hard! Now to find...

Suddenly he saw a shape form into view across the street - one that turned to look across the distance at him...



A Nazi metahuman assassin! Sky Eagle looked past the nazi and saw furtive figures moving through the shadows - nazi soldiers clad all in black. Clearly they'd taken advantage of the barrage to undermine the French defence and would target De Gaulle! As he dragged himself clear of the wreckage of the shop, Sky Eagle saw the Nazi turn to stride across the street. The man seemed to be composed of living darkness - so much so that light seemed to vanish around his body!

Just then the flares lit up and firing started... and the Nazi main assault begun - Sky Eagle didn't have a lot of time to get De Gaulle out! He hoped his agents would be able to halt their advance with a well timed distraction, but right now, he had other things to worry about!

OOC Fight or flight - they are after De gaulle. Sky Eagle can see around a dozen black clad nazi special troops moving from building to building, and this metahuman who is moving towards him. You may consider it more important to warn De Gaulle and get him out, but you'll have to find him in the town first - or taking out these guys could be your priority - your call...

Witnessiing the assault Sky Eagle felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach. had he just sent his team to certain death.... well there wa no time to dwell on it he had a job to do.

With a sweep of his wings he took to the air again. He so wanted to go beat the tar out of the Nazi but he knew his first priority was the Frenchy so hit took off in the direction of the main attack judging that that was where the commander would be located.

Flying fast and low he zipped between burned out buildings and ruined streets, time was against him he just hoped that the agents were in position as he could do with a diversion just about then

With a muttered curse Sky Eagle took off and sped over the ruins of the town. The Nazis were steadily creeping through the streets, backed up by tanks though these were wary too. A number of burnt out tanks were testament to the French determination to bloody the Nazis nose and fight to the last man if needed. Most of the French forces were gathered in the buildings, weapons trained though looking to be sorely inadequate against the forces closing in.

Occasionally a French soldier would look up and point, but Sky Eagle continued on his way, minutes passing whilst the sounds of battle grew. It was a large town and the battle would not be over quickly. The inhabitants had formed a steady stream for days before. Now all that remained was the battle proper, and it would be brutal, bloody, and without mercy.

Finally after what seemed like an age Sky Eagle saw a collection of ramshackle tents and vehicles formed into a circle in the town square. French soldiers were busy building barricades from whatever they could find - vehicles, furniture from empty homes, rubble from blasted buildings. Even from the air the 'Eagle could see the look of doom on the faces of the French. His heart sank.

There would be no way to do this.

He came down at a safe distance and held up his hands in surrender. The French soldiers were astounded, then sprung forward to do their duty, half a dozen guns trained on the outlandish figure. When it became clear that the superhuman wasn't hostile - indeed, as an Englishman he was in fact an ally, despite his outlandish appearance - the soldiers escorted him to the command tent, but Sky Eagle noted a layer of soldiers stood between him and the exhausted General who came out of the main tent to see what the commotion was about.

"Sacre bleu!" he muttered, then switched to English that the 'prisoner' might understand. "Whatever next? I ask Churchill for help. Men, guns, planes... instead the Expeditionary Force is sent with tail between its legs and he sends a ... a what? A bird man? I have heard the reports, seen the newspapers, heard the radio reports... now I see it with my own eyes, and I cannot believe it still!" he gave a dry chuckle, shaking his head, and offered Sky Eagle a drink, dismissing the soldiers about him with a wave. The soldiers obeyed, but didn't go far. De Gaulle turned to Sky Eagle, sipping a glass of wine. "So, what have you come to say? Hold till the last man? That France has already fallen? It matters not sir! I shall fight and die with my men, and our blood shall be paid for by the Nazi filth! Tell Churchill if he thinks we will surrender, he is wrong!"

OOC You need to get De Gaulle back to Britain. How you do that is up to you, but the General seems determined to stay... The Nazis, meanwhile, close in from all sides!

Sky Eagle didn't have time to listen tothe brave preaning Frenchman while his team were out there risking their lives to give him time to get this commandor out.

Moving quickly he smacked the officer in the face catching him before he hit the floor. Checking that he was out Sky Eagle shouldered his burdon and ripping through the tent took rapidly to the sky


OOC: sorry for the lack of posting its always madness before ~Christmas

As Sky Eagle rose, he saw the Nazis closing in from all sides, a fierce battle involving normal troops, jet pack fliers and monstrous Nazi mechs that strode through the streets, blasting death in the form of flame throwers! tanks blasted, mechs stomped, laser guns frazzled flesh and grenades sent men screaming to lie in twisted piles amidst rubble!

The Nazi metahuman Sky Eagle had seen looked at the winged wonder take to the sky with the limp general in hand! Sky Eagle had punched the General, knocking him clean out, then burst through the top of the tent, ignoring the shouts and stray shots that followed his path!

With tears in his eyes he poured on the speed, going up, up...

In the distance he saw squadrons of Nazi planes homing in on the town, Bombers intent on raining death from above and fighters to ensure dominance of the skies!

Sky Eagle levelled and flew hard, gritting teeth as he shut out the noise of men dying, valiantly but uselessly. The French gave no quarter, and asked none. They fought, and died, to a man when overwhelmed by Nazi forces, but made the foe pay for every yard of ground in blood!

Soon the outskirts of the town loomed, and Sky Eagle headed towards the forest. Just then something, some... sixth sense... warned him to look behind! he was being pursued by half a dozen jet pack troopers, and amongst them, too far away to see, a white clad nazi metahuman! Carrying his burden didn't affect his flying speed but Sky Eagle was sure they'd catch him! He glanced around. He could make a stand over the outskirts of the town, head for the cover of the woods, or press on, hoping beyond hope to get a lucky break and outrun the insidious foe!

OOC don't worry about posting rate. I had planned for the fall of the town to be a battling epic, street to street war with exploding buildings and zipping bullets, but in truth we haven't time to wrap that up before Christmas and Sky Eagle could only have delayed the inevitable unless he called on the Dark Power. As it is, he has enough on his plate and success is by no means ensured!

As Sky Eagle flew on an idea suddenly came to him. He'd once had a conversation with an old RAF friend of his over a beer and now he remembered what his friend had said about the dangers of flying too high.

WIth a grim smile set on his face he angled up and took off at a 45 degree angle into the heights. If his memory served him correctly his friend had said all engines needed oxygen to function and there were many times pilots had died flying too high because their engines had stalled. He was hoping that it would have the same effect on the jet packs of the nazis behind him.

So gritting his teeth up and up he went.



OOC: hi there sorry for the delay hectic last week at worrk then this week been even more chaotic and I'm supposed to be on holiday. Had painters in, carpet fitters and the repair man for the washing machine and to top that off the wife is running round like a mad thing as her mother is arriving for Christmas tomorrow.

OOC Sounds like you're having fun - used in the loosest sense of the word. Have had the washer crap itself 3 times this year (twice with the belts and once with the carbon bushes, all jobs I sorted out. Had I sorted the bushes out the first time the belts wouldn't have stripped. Oops.) and last week the heater element in the oven went bang! Luckily that was 6 screws to remove, new one to put in, 6 screws to put back in, done. Now my car is making a noise like a wheel bearing or CV joint has gone/is going and I honestly can't be arsed to sort that out Will get round to it, but hey, it's Xmas! Have a good one anyway, if you can!

Sky Eagle took off, angling upwards. The clouds beckoned and he felt the air getting thinner, the temperature dropping... With a curse he realised that whilst an engine would run out of oxygen, he (and his passenger!) were essentially 'living' engines themselves, and would need oxygen! Before the engines ran out, it was possible he and De Gaulle might struggle too! Luckily, salvation seemed to come with the low flying cloud bank and he ducked into it, the mist and cold small price to pay for avoiding the Nazis attentions.

OOC It's your call - keep going up, up, up, or hide in the clouds. There's always the Dark power to call on, giving you a boost and maybe the means to take on the enemy. Heck, used right, you could slaughter the entire Nazi army in the town, but there'd be allied casualties too. Your call. Whatever you decide determines how many Nazis see/catch you. And of course, the Dark power opens up all other avenues of escape - or even turning the tables! Over to you

Sky Eagle dove for the cloud bank hoping to use the cover to give him some distance between him and the hunters. He continued in a straight line using all his strength to propel him and his cargo forward as fast as he could.

He could feel the power within him tempting him to call it fourth and kill all those following him but he knew the risk and pushed it back down. He would only turn to it if all else failed


OOC: hi there sorry about the gap Just started back at work after the holidays and its been hectic to say the least.

The flying Vanguardian plunged into the cloud bank and lost himself in the mist. He could hear the peculiar high frequency whirring of the jet packs, and didn't doubt that the Nazi metahuman would be far behind! Hovering whilst he considered his next move, he heard a HISS nearby as a jet packer fizzed through the cloud bank...

They would wait for him - it would be a test of endurance. What would give out first - their fuel or his ability to stay aloft with his wings?

"ENGLANDER!" shouted an accented voice from outside the cloud bank. "Ve know you are in zere! You must surrender! Ze town as fallen und you are surrounded! Our own ubermensch shall be here shortly. If you surrender, you shell be treated vell, und possibly given ze choice to serve ze fatherland. Ze rewards for one such as you are greater than can be imagined! Know zis though. If you do not surrender und come out of zat cloud, ve shell smoke you out. And ze ubermensch on his vay? Zat is Major Mayhem! He vill not stand for your tricks or foolishness! I give you on count of 10! Von, two, three..."

Sky Eagle was in a pickle, and he knew it! Surrounded by foes faster than himself, with an unconscious general he needed to get back to England in his arms, in occupied territory with no help or hope of backup, and soon to have some Nazi goon pounding on his head!

The mist brushed against his face, and moisture rolled down his cheek. the thick white cloud hid him for the moment, but as the Nazis counted, what would happen when they got to ten?

OOC act, or wait for the count to run down?

Sky Eagle took a quick look at the frenchie over his shoulder making sure he was still out cold. Then he hovered and listened to the count down his body tense and his senses alert for the direction of the attack he knew would be coming.

At the same time he angled himself ready to shout straight up if his attackers came at him on mass. While he waited he felt the power straining to get out and destroy his attackers but still he held it in check but let it come to the surface slightly so he could call on it quickly if all else failed

Sky Eagle heard the distant fizz of the jetpacks and waited. The howl of the wind at this heigh ruffled his feathers, though his breathing was steady. He was superhuman, and even the effort of flying with a passanger as fast as he could didn't tire him as such, just his wings, which felt like lead weights as they flapped furiously to keep him and De Gaulle aloft.

Then he heard something else... a fwishhh...

BOOOM!!!

Thirty feet away something exploded, buffeting him and the unconscious general before he heard another sound... then another BOOOM!!!

They were tossing grenades into the cloud, trying to smoke him out!

"How long can you last, Englander? Tell me, do you know of ze Anyman freak? Ve hef a message from ze fatherland! Soon he will bow his knee to ze Fuhrer! Or he, and any others that oppose us, vill die!"

OOC They are tossing grenades into the cloud. Whilst completely random, it is possible one will get close enough to affect you... not a problem, Sky Eagle can take a grenade...

But his passenger can't!

OOC: just a few questions before I post IC. I'm in a cloud bank that, if I remember correctly, is high over a large wooded area, is that right? and How far from the channel am I ?

Sky Eagle assessed the situation, his main priority was to get the Frenchie out alive and going up or down wouldn't help and it was to far away to fly all the way to England, he realized he was in a right pickle and no mistake.

With a heavy heart and realizing this could be his and the Frenchies final minutes he burst open the barriers holding back the power in his mind.


OOC: ok time for make or break I think I'll let the power out.