Vanguard Roll Call!

Vanguard Roll Call!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Vanguard: Issue 133: The Fall of Vanguard Vault!



The mysterious Datanauts had overridden the Digital Zone Portal to invade Vanguard Vault!

Three of them acted simultaneously to Talon, Avatar, and Soldier, as if perfectly synchronized. Each touched the forearm of their suits and from their hands burst rays that enveloped Sentinel’s shield and Vanguard in white energy and teleported them away! The thin lifelines of the three Datanauts receded behind them into the distance, pulsing white energy to the horizon as the Computer Lab disappeared from Vanguard’s view!

FFFFFFFFZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Vanguard and Sentinel’s shield barrier rematerialized somewhere! Explosions! Smoke! Sirens!

Vanguard was all together in a room and KABOOM!! a wall-sized screen, similar to the Digital Zone portal, had just exploded, hemorrhaging thick black tentacles of smoke into the chamber!

The rest of the room’s features strangely evoked the Computer Lab of Vanguard Vault except the walls were glossy black instead of white and steel. The doors, sealed, were even in the same place! And the blaring sirens were the emergency alert of the Vanguard Vault!
But the windows were gone and the space seemed to be an electronics workshop area.

The Clone duplicates instantly grabbed their heads in perfect synchronicity and cried out a dreadful scream like a choir of harpies singing in unison, “AAGGHHHH!!!” Still screaming in agony, Clone’s duplicates stretched out their arms and franticly tried to grab on to any of the duplicates around them. Just as each Clone grabbed a hold of the other, they all instantly disappeared . . . save one.

As the final duplicate was absorbed, the last Clone standing fell to his knees with his head swept into his chest. His cries of pain were suddenly replaced with the feint sound of sobbing. Bracing himself on a nearby computer console, he said to Slingshot, “I am sorry comrade . . . I am being unable to . . .”
“. . . I am not reaching your Nanite in nick-of-time . . . they attacked me in staircase . . .”

Still bracing himself on the edge of the computer console, Clone remorsefully tilts his head down a bit and then covers his face with his free hand, “. . . they are dead . . . all of me . . .”

Zephyr silently put her arms around Clone to comfort him.

Suddenly another explosion could be heard, far, far below them. The floor listed a few degrees. The sickening groan of straining girders could be heard under them.

Slingshot turned to the others and said: "We need to get out. We have very little time. Maybe 15 seconds. This place will collapse any moment. We might have time to grab something and get out."

Symbiote looked down to steady his feet and something caught his eye. In the big junk-box of workshop detritus, were the electronic guts of a recent, variant design of the Harper Harness that he had just abandoned a week ago. But now it had ten years of rust on it.

Lightning Strike transformed into sentient electricity - SHAKOW! - and entered the wiring system of the Empire State Building! He raced downward in order to exit the rapidly failing building, but his path was blocked! The building, or its wires, was severed! Strike would have to find another way out!

Soldier scanned the room with his sensors and found nothing that his human senses weren’t already telling him. He attempted to determine a GPS fix and found the satellite was off line! His onboard Vanguard communicator was also down!

Sentinel looked at Symbiote and said to himself, "What the hell happened to us here?"

Then he snapped out of it. He said to Vanguard: “This building is coming down. We have no idea what this world is like or what resources will be at our disposal, but it appears that some reverse engineering and tech reconstruction will be needed for us to get back to our world – if you have any tech knowledge and see anything useable here, grab it. If you have any resources to help determine what happened to us, when this building will collapse around us, or what awaits us outside, share it. I’ll let you know what I sense in a moment. I say we make our exit from the building quickly and together and be prepared to move out of this area…”

Symbiote met Kirk's gaze and froze for a moment. Dear God. In another world, under other circumstances, could we have?...

His thought was cut off as the building begins to collapse. He grabbed the old, rusted version of the Harper Harness and punched through the interior walls to forge a path that would lead Vanguard out of the collapsing building! WHAM! KER-POW! This place had the exact layout of Vanguard Vault.

With Mother Russia’s DNA template loaded in the Harper Harness, Symbiote was immensely powerful!

SMASH! Symbiote breached a hole in the outer wall of Vanguard Vault, setting off more sirens. The raw edges of the hole sparked with exposed wires and electronics. The center of the hole showed a starless night sky as a cool wind hit Hal. “Hurry!” he yelled over his shoulder.

The building listed like a ship that wasn’t long for this world.

Zephyr raced to the smoking Digital Zone portal-thing and removed two modules of circuitry. Her face was distraught as she flew through the tunnel of wall holes after her brother. “Come on!” she urged.

Another groan of straining iron from somewhere below.

Slingshot looked at Sentinel, "You'll likely have to carry most of us." He turned around trying to figure out what was salvageable then he realized where he was.

He looked at Sentinel once more and said, "I need to go check on something, I'll meet you outside. Hover if you can, I'll try to grab a hold and get on." Slingshot bolted out of the Lab!

The lights went out in the Computer Lab. The glow of the few working consoles continued.

Sentinel activated his energy sense and detected no lifeforms within 100 feet of himself, save Vanguard.

Since Zephyr already salvaged components from the gateway, Kirk flew to a console and found that the entire computer system was in the process of being erased.

As he did this, behind him, his energy barrier transformed into something like a headless octopus whose glowing energy tentacles laced around, retrieving Datanaut tech that appeared salvageable.

“Everybody out!” he said as he flew after Hal and Shelley.

Avatar unsheathed his sword and followed Sentinel closely, ready to defend him with force if need be!

Soldier sprinted after them, pistol out and sensors scanning!

Once Sentinel reached the exterior hole, he flowed his glowing construct into a hover platform outside the hole and levitated to it.

Avatar, Soldier, Symbiote and Zephyr jumped aboard! They were very close to the building but could actually see its tilt!

In the Computer Lab, the floor was at a twenty degree angle.

Menagerie reached out his thoughts and sensed that his pet was not in the Vanguard Vault.

He assumed the shape of Eagle – SKRAA! – and flew through the escape tunnel and out, circling the hover platform!

Extending his supernatural senses, he knew that the Natural Order endured, but he also detected echoes of the Animal Revolution phenomenon, stronger than he had ever felt before!

Clone and Talon were the only ones left. Twenty five degrees now and the ceiling leaked dust and silt.

Clone stood there for a moment lost in his own thoughts with a look of bewilderment and loss on his face. He struggled to snap out of the daydream-like state that he was drowning in. He had to remind himself that he was still alive, he had to remind himself that life was about courage and hope, not about despair and sorrow – he had to remind himself that in order to keep on living he had to get out of this building – now! With a slight shake of his head and a widening of his eyes, Clone quickly turned and followed the other members of Vanguard out of The Vault!

Talon, who could have been first from the room, followed, keeping an eye on Clone to make sure he was all right.

By the time Clone and Talon reached the outer hole, the building was at thirty degrees! Sentinel had moved the hover platform away from the doomed skyscraper for fear of its path!

Talon grabbed Clone, and smiled bleakly, “C’mon Russkie. Closing time.” Talon flapped his big black wings and the two were airborne! The avian antihero got Clone safely to the hover platform!

There was no sign of Slingshot or Lightning Strike. And the Empire State Building began to come down!

The building was severed near the thirtieth floor and was coming over like a felled redwood, and the upper part was collapsing as well! Suddenly, from the antenna atop the falling Empire State Building, a jagged bolt of white lightning exploded into the sky!

Unable to find a wireless signal, Lightning Strike reformed into human shape in mid air for fear of dissipating into the atmosphere! Strike was falling! Talon soared to him and caught him!

The upper portion of the Empire State Building was roaring down and there was still no sign of Slingshot!

Moments earlier…

Slingshot said to Sentinel, "You'll likely have to carry most of us." He turned around trying to figure out what was salvageable then he realized where he was. He looked at Sentinel once more and said, "I need to go check on something, I'll meet you outside. Hover if you can, I'll try to grab a hold and get on." Slingshot bolted out of the Lab!

He raced into the staircase, stretching straight down two stories like it was a step and caromed onto the 83rd floor to his living quarters! SMASH! He crashed through the door to his and Nanite’s room.

Slingshot didn’t recognize this room, and yet knew it was his… and his alone.

It was clear that no woman lived here. Nor any child.

It was spare, Spartan, with as few personal effects as a hotel room. The floor was listing past thirty degrees when he turned the room upside down, dumping out drawers and closets. He found clothes and toiletries and one other thing.

At the back of a drawer was a small, black framed photo.

It was Nanite. She was smiling, overcome with emotion. She was holding a swaddled bundle.

It was a baby.

Then the ceiling caved in.

Slingshot enveloped the photo within his malleable hand and began to push through the brick avalanche to get to the window across the room!
(40 points of damage this round! 8 from Invulnerability, 8 from Power, 24 from Hits!)

Slingshot fought and struggled and burst through the exterior wall of the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building and quickly slungshot himself back upward, at the glowing hover platform in the night sky!

The upper portion of the Empire State Building was roaring down and there was still no sign of Slingshot!

And then he hurled out, landing on the platform with seconds to spare.

Then the Empire State Building came down.

(9/11 did not occur in their world so…) Vanguard had never seen anything like it before. The mighty, 100 year old, art deco monolith roared down ninety stories to Fifth Avenue like a stone and steel Niagara Falls. The destruction was quick and absolute. Clouds of dust rose out of the unimaginable wreckage.

Silence. And then up rose a deafening roar. It was a cheer. Vanguard had been so transfixed on escape and the skyscraper that only now they noticed the thronging crowd of millions in the dark streets!

A safe distance from the collapse of the Empire State Building, the streets of Manhattan were filled with people. Manhattan seemed like a war zone. Bombed out and ruined. The Brooklyn Bridge was destroyed. One Twin Tower was gone. Lights in the sky; maybe copters? The people looked like the survivors of a war. Soldiers and CHESS Knights were in the crowd, except their armor was black. And they cheered too.

That sound, that cheer of a million voices, raised the hair on the back of Vanguard’s collective neck. It was the sound of victory. The sound of slaves being freed. Mubarak had heard that sound. And Hussein. And Chavez. Gadhafi and the Shah. Mussolini, Louis XVI, Charles I and many others before them. It was the sound of resistance triumphant. Of an oppressor overthrown. The sound of the liberation of humanity.

The crowd was celebrating, weeping and beginning to notice Vanguard hovering 800 feet above them.

A titanic billboard overlooking Midtown was being set ablaze by the mob.

The billboard said: VANGUARD OMEGA IS WATCHING OVER YOU.

Beneath those letters appeared Vanguard… or at least something very much like Vanguard.



To be continued!

OOC:
Actions?


Current Conditions:

Avatar: Hit Points: 58, Power Points: 83, Manifesting: none

Clone Bodies: 1, Hit Points: 19, Power Points: 40, Hit Pool: 19

Lightning Strike: Hit Points: 48, Power Points: 67

Menagerie: Hit Points: 5, Power Points: 52, Form: Eagle

Sentinel: Hit Points: 30, Power Points: 60, Shields: 100, Creation Points: 120

Slingshot: Hit Points: 55, Power Points: 81, Invulnerability: 0

Soldier: Hit Points: 57, Power Points: 79, Invulnerability: 8

Symbiote: Hit Points: 152, Power Points: 123, Invulnerability: 8, Charges: 12, Copied: Russia

Talon: Hit Points: 58, Power Points: 88

Zephyr: Hit Points: 17, Power Points: 69, Charges: 14, Armor: 25


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Sentinel:

OOC: Wow! Even when I think I've got a handle on things, you still manage to twist in an angle that didn't come to my mind ...

I'm speechless ... for the moment :)

Posting to follow ... hopefully before all hell breaks loose in this NYC (again apparently).

Seth

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Avatar:

OOC: You need to do this professionally, Jeff.

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GM:

OOC: Thanks. I wish I could.

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Sentinel:

Kirk took in the environment and then his eyes transfixed on the Vanguard Omega billboard and without even thinking about it in sheer anger his energy responded send two beams outward; one beam obliterating his own horrific image before the other disintegrated the sign completely.

He had pictured their doppelgangers as retreating from an oppressive government that had finally defeated them and along the way they had lost their path, becoming corrupted themselves. Never in his thoughts had the concept that they themselves were that government or its lackey enforcers entered his mind. Seeing what he stood for, what Vanguard stood for, so utterly corrupted was more than his subconscious mind could take without responding.

(OOC: We’ve had Kirk respond emotionally before reigning himself in, in the past as part of his youth and I’d think at this point with his ‘weakness’ and reaction to evil, this fits. Certainly not my choice to get the crowds to notice us even quicker, but I really thought it fit here. If somehow this doesn’t work for you or distance, etc doesn’t allow it, we can skip the billboard destruction; frankly I’d prefer it doesn’t happen at this point, but that’s what I saw Kirk doing here.)

Kirk then snapped out of it, knowing he’d just made their situation even worse by a few seconds and began to speak.

He looked at Symbiote and then Avatar as he began speaking, “Given what we see around us I don’t think we’re talking ourselves out of this one. There is no way we’ll convince them we’re not Vanguard Omega at this point.”

His gaze then focused on Soldier and Strike as he continued. “We need to vanish from here as quickly as possible so we can begin recon and find out what exactly happened in this world and give our IQ wizards time to figure a way out of here.”

“We’ve got the night darkness on our side at this point. Way I see it either we can go underground, Soldier and Strike, you know that area better than the rest of us, or we can head to the waterfront and we can submerge to clear the area and come ashore elsewhere using my construct, or Slingshot can carry us in a construct out of this area.”

“Strike, we need a place to regroup and a destination. I know you don’t want to give it up, which is why it still might work for us, but if you have a secret safe house nearby that we can head towards now would be the time to give us the direction.”

Kirk tried to see and sense what was around them and if the lights in the sky might be military copters or anything that would present a threat to their leaving or attack them. He was ready to expand the platform to cover the team as a shield to protect them and he again looked to Avatar and said this time, “John, if we encounter aerial resistance to our leaving any chance you could summon a storm front or something along those lines to give us cover to get away?”

Kirk looked to Vanguard for their input as to what they felt would be the best move here and the best way to make their exit.

OOC: Well, its a start. I'm hoping Strike gives us safe house and we disappear quickly... but if anyone has a different read on things here, I'm certainly open to it, I'd like things to be not as bad as they appear.

Seth

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Avatar:

Avatar nods in the affirmative at Sentinel's suggestion but holds off on activating any powers.

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Menagerie:

[OOC] Menagerie in eagle form joins the others on the platform. He will stay in eagle form until they are safely away from the crowd. He will follow the others when or if Vanguard makes a break for it. Any opportunity he can find to talk with wild animals he will, in order to figure out what his ‘Mirror’ self has done or is doing; or the impact of the Animal Revolution on this place.

[IC] Menagerie is very confused. He mind-speaks to the rest of Vanguard, “Are we oppressors in this realm? Is that what we call these places we keep traveling to: Realms?

“I can tell the Natural Order is intact so the Animal Revolution did not win here but it is stronger than in our realm. There is a possibility that the war corrupted Vanguard into Vanguard Omega.”

“Why would Vanguard Omega bring us here to witness this rebellion against them unless we are to be scapegoats or sacrificial lambs to these rebels? I suggest we find a safe location or keep on the move.”

Turning to Symbiote, “Do you think the Datanauts and Vanguard Omega are one in the same? Would they have needed a functioning portal on their side to get to ours? Why did they not appear with us? Is it because their portal was at different location and this Vault is more of a symbolic HQ and not their true HQ?”

“Sorry, all I have are questions and no answers. When it comes to technology and different Realms I am still very much a Newb.”

[OOC] Wow, talk about being caught off guard. I was sorta expecting Vanguard Omega but not to witness their 'defeat' as the crowd makes it appear has happened.

This is going to be a very interesting situation to deal with.


Viva the Rebellion, I think.

Tom

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Sentinel:

OOC: Although we are far from worrying about it just now, perhaps the question might not only be who leads the government being over thrown, but who is actually responsible for its overthrow

Seth

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Menagerie:

OOC: I couldn't agree more. I guess clicking our heels three times while saying "There is no place like home" won't work.

Tom

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Clone:

Sentinel looked at Symbiote and then Avatar as he began speaking, “Given what we see around us I don’t think we’re talking ourselves out of this one. There is no way we’ll convince them we’re not Vanguard Omega at this point.”

Clone chimes in from behind the three superheroes, “Da . . . I am seeing this many times in my country . . . the people trying to rising up to fight against the Kremlin. After a very brief dramatic pause in which he reflects on his life in the Soviet Union he continues, “These people are not to be hearing us, even if they are hearing us, they will not hear the words . . . they will be killing us as we are trying to speak with them.”

Sentinel’s gaze then focused on Soldier and Strike as he continued. “We need to vanish from here as quickly as possible so we can begin recon and find out what exactly happened in this world and give our IQ wizards time to figure a way out of here.”

OOC:

Let me just start off by saying – Great Issue as usual Jeff!

With that said . . . it definitely appears that we’ve not only shifted into another dimension, but quiet possibly some kind of temporal slide as well. Right before they killed Clone’s duplicates, the Datanauts said:

“Look. Alex’s old costume. Forgot all about that.”

The other Datanaut said, “Yeah, I forgot a lot of things. Now what?”

I get the feeling that we’re definitely displaced in more ways then one. Maybe this is a possible future timeline of the Vanguard universe – sought of like the X-Men’s “Days of Future Past” timeline.

- As for Clone’s actions this issue –

Other then the dialogue I posted above, Clone will follow Sentinel’s lead. He see’s Sentinel as a trusted friend and comrade, and as a more then competent leader – he’s confident that he’ll chose the best course of action for Vanguard.

- With regards to Lightning Strikes ‘Safehouse’ –

Having only recently started playing with the group ( from a storyline perspective ) I don’t actually know anything about Strike having a ‘safehouse’, but if we’re looking for a location for one might I suggest Tesla’s old lab out on the east end of Long Island - Wardenclyffe Tower.

Here’s a wiki link for more Info on it – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardenclyffe_Tower

I just figured since his powers are electrically based, and the facility is completely sealed off from the rest of the world, that it might just make sense for him to have a secret base there ( Tesla was the king of electricity after all ). From what I understand the building originally was set up as a ‘main base of operations’ for Tesla. It had a ton of specialized rooms such as a laboratory area, instrument room, boiler room, generator room, machine shop, electromechanical devices, electrical generators, electrical transformers, X-ray devices, Tesla coils, a full library, an office. etc. - essentially a real world superbase.

Backed up by the rest of the group, I’m sure Lightning Strike, Slingshot and Symbiote could get something up and running at this long abandoned citadel of modern age electronics.

Talk to you all soon,

-Kev
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GM:

You had me at “Tesla coils.” :)

That’s awesome. Thanks!

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Clone:

LOL - my pleasure, sir! =D

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Sentinel:

Wow. Cool stuff that I knew nothing about ... should check the area with the warm weather coming soon... and of course there's always the decommissioned Shoreham nuclear power plant too.

FYI, Kirk knows nothing officially about Strike having a safehouse. He supposed this is the case given his personality type and superhero type. At this point in going through the team, if anyone had something like this set up, it would be him. Also, his lone wolf persona and general distrust of others gives us a good chance that if he had one in this alternate reality, he still might have kept it to himself. Naturally, these same qualities might keep him from wanting to reveal it even now... although Kirk would like to think he's 'softened' him up a bit over the years so he might do so.

I kind of figure the Sentinel/Strike relationship is based on (1) they've both been there from the beginning (2) Strike feels he has little to fear with Kirk because he is so straight forward (3) Strike has developed a certain amount of respect based perhaps more on what Kirk doesn't ask and do in their relationship then what he does do (ie Kirk doesn't pry into his business, when he does get into personal things he says his piece and doesn't expect any reply from Strike up front nor does he push for it, and if Strike does share anything Kirk knows to keep it private, etc) at least that's how I see it ...

Anyhow, it seemed like a good plan here if Strike has one and if he decides to share it.

Seth
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Soldier:

Ok, once we're aboard the "hover platform" what, if anything, can Soldier determine with his sensors? And is he able to determine were, or better yet, when they're at from his GPS uplink, as once he'd been on the ground for a few minutes, any satellites would update his internal clocks.

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GM:

Thanks.

The lights in the sky are copters of a model that Soldier's systems can't identify. Four of them.

There are CHESS Knights on the ground. Over a dozen within range of Soldier's sensors. They read larger than normal.

Power is out across New York City.

GPS link is out. No satellite connection of any kind.

Actions, please?  :)

Best,
Jeff

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Sentinel:

Ok. With no solid direction or opinions thus far, but with knowing there are only four copters (Thanks Dom!) ---

I'm leaning towards making a break for the open waters and submersing. At that point we can resurface outside of the NYC area and the current hot zone and do some intel gathering so we can formulate our plan for what we need to do here.

My concerns that came up after my last post was that I was assuming that the copters were part of the efforts to take down Vanguard Headsquarters and Vanguard Omega (ie the resistance). This seems to be likely given that Vanguard Omega seems to have fled to our dimension.

However, my concern was what if the copters are actually here to 'rain' on the freedom parade at the behest of the seemingly fallen government and begin firing on the crowds. If that's the case, then Kirk will feel we have to take them out to prevent that (as I'm sure will Clone) per our 'weakness' alone we would have to... and I'd think much of the team would feel the same way weakness or not per character. I'd think we need to figure that out before we totally vacate the area.

I'm certainly up for suggestions another way that seems better based on our limited knowledge at this point and my earlier suggestions to the team, but I'm trying to give Jeff a feel for our leaning here.

Seth

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Symbiote:

Hal looks at the billboard with the terrible caractures of himself and his teammates.

This is what we became, in another time, under other circumstances, he thinks to himself. He shakes it off. We've got to get out of here, and quickly and quietly. I doubt that crowd is going to be in any mood to listen to a story about how we're not the despotic rulers they're looking for...

His thought process is interrupted by Sentinel destroying the billboard.

Well, so much for "quietly," he thinks sardonically. He turns to angrily confront the Beacon Of Justice...and immediately sees the regret on Kirk's face and calms down. I was young once too, and cripes...did we really become this? I want to break something too.

He shakes it off, and listens to Sentinel's suggestion of finding a safe house. "Agreed," he says. "And at some point we'll need to find disguises--something that can cover my harness and Shelly's windsuit. And something that will cover a multitude of sins with Slingshot and Avatar. Fortunately," he says, looking at the crowd milling about, "I suspect shapeless, colorless overalls might be in style in this Worker's Paradise," he finishes bitterly.

He will follow the others as we search for a safehouse.

Viva Vanguard,
Greg

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Lightning Strike:

When prompted about a safe house, Strike responds that he has several that we can use but he can't be sure they are safe in this reality. If this is some warped version of Vanguard then it is possible that the version of Strike in this reality knows the whereabouts of the safe houses. Strike suggests that they take the opposite approach and use a location that was a known criminal location in our reality. It reasons that if things are twisted, then those who are criminals in our reality may be freedom fighters in this one.

Of course those freedom fighters might view us as the evil Vanguard and may not be totally friendly. It may be a chance worth taking.

If everyone agrees, Strike knows quite a few underworld locales. He can lead the group to them. If not, Strike will listen to the rest of the group and follow their lead.

OOC: OK, I beat the deadline for a change.

Take care all,
Tony

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Sentinel:

OOC: I’m not convinced at this point that this is a 'mirror mirror' universe although that could be the case. Based on what we've seen and felt ... particularly Menagerie's sensing the presence of the Animal Revolution and the comments Clone heard before losing his duplicates I'm thinking this world followed our world and then took a turn for the worse. (It seems Greg's posting indicates he feels the same)... which is why I was thinking one of your safe houses would work if we could get there and it was relatively hidden so as not to alert others to our presence.

An underworld locale might actually work in time ... and we may find some of the criminal element actually are 'the good guys' in the resistance here to some degree, but I'd think we need to get some solid facts before falling into that sort of assistance.

Assuming nothing happens to prevent it, right now it seems that we need to clear the 'hot zone'. And then figure a way to gather the facts to proceed. I'm thinking the water gives us the mobility to resurface wherever we want to gather the intel while below ground, assuming things haven't changed still limits our mobility and entraps us, unless Strike specifically has a safe house of sorts organized below (and perhaps even then).

Again, we might not even get that far due to whatever Jeff has planned here (I'm almost counting on it) but it seems like the water route gives us the most options to proceed and that will likely be Kirk's course unless the situation changes or someone comes up with a better alternative.

Seth

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Soldier:

IC: "Gentlemen, it looks like we've got company. I'm picking up armed helicopters, and armored CHESS Knights headed our way, and they defeinately don't look friendly."

He'll draw his pistol, load it with a disruptor round, and then hold his action to see what the rest of the team is going to do. If we dive under water to avoid detection, he'll load an Explosive round, as it'll be more effective under water.

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Slingshot:

Slingshot was distracted. He couldn't help but think of that picture. The massive amount of damage he took from the building falling down, it was bringing him back to the present as it is.

He listens to everyone talk about what they have as information and what they think needs to be done.

"I can't help but think that we were setup. Clone is the only one here that's worse for wear, but for all I can see, we were sent here by the Datanauts. What are we supposed to do? We are Vanguard. We fight the good fight. We need to figure out what is this good fight. We need more info. I'm good with finding a place to regroup and understand where we are and what needs to be done." He feels for the picture in his hand, "We need to make things right."

OOC: We go to the lair. Scott will help in whatever technical (computer, engineering, etc) to figure out what to do next once at the temporary HQ. If he can, he will try to pickup a significant amount of material to regenerate as much as possible the damage he just suffered. - this assumes we don't run into combat right away.

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Talon:

Hello Everyone,

Talon looks at the cheering crowd below as he makes the sweeping arc toward the hovercraft with Clone and Strike held tightly in his grasp. Unaware of the billboard, he smiles slightly, thinking that the crowds jubilant cheers come because of Vanguard narrowly escaping death in the collapse of the Empire State Building. His smile quickly fades as he sees the signs of battle in the surrounding city.

When he draws close to the hover platform he flares his wings and sets softly upon the deck. After releasing Strike and Clone to their own means, he looks to the rest of the team for a possible explanation for what just happened.....then he sees the billboard. A familiar anger stirs within him as he begins to understand the meaning behind the display and sees the people pointing at the members of the Vanguard in the streets below.

"What the hell is going on?", he growls. "Those people want our heads. This can't be happening! How could this really exist?" Adam looks back to the crowd as the rest of the team discusses their options for retreat. "I don't know where were gonna go but we better get there fast. If we have to fight these people innocent lives could be lost and we'll never convince them were not the villains they think we are.".

P.S. Good Job, Jeff!

Viva Vanguard,
Denny

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GM:

OOC: Thanks.

An on-time turn?!?!

Me LIKE this new reality. :)

Best,
Jeff

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Vanguard: Issue 132: Invasion of the Datanauts!



One night, after a Vanguard team meeting, Hal visited the wall sized screen inside the Vanguard Vault that let him see the Entity’s dimension, to begin another observation period.

That universe was black with billions of glowing chrysalis gossamers that formed shapes, landscapes, cities of glowing, pulsing data. The gossamers connected to billions of diadem screens. (Imagine Tron, the Matrix, Neuromancer, etc.)

One electric blue screen showed unusual activity. Several man-shaped figures were walking through it… entering into the Digital Zone!

Symbiote alerted Vanguard, who were still in the Vault from the team meeting.

Vanguard burst into the Computer Lab. The gateway to the Digital Zone was a titanic, wall-sized portal (ala Jack Kirby). The gate projected a force field across its surface. Through the portal they saw that nearly a dozen explorers were crossing the Digital Zone. Monofilament energy tendrils connected them back to their screen of origin, like virtual lifelines.

By the time their black protective suits were visible, it was clear the Datanauts were headed straight toward Vanguard! They ranged in size from larger than human norm, to one that may have been a small woman. Some tapped controls on the forearms of their suits, perhaps scanning the portal and the area.

Vanguard hastily shared information and made preparations for battle! They isolated the lab computers from the rest of the building, and the world!

Sentinel and Menagerie could detect nothing. Perhaps the force field that sealed the Digital Zone Portal, or even the Digital Zone itself, interfered with their extranormal senses.

Vanguard called greetings and requests for identification to the Datanauts. There was no reply.

The Datanauts silently advanced.

Sentinel reinforced the forcefield with his energy shield.

Clone formed all his bodies, nearly two dozen, and sent three of him to defend Nanite!

Lightning Strike transmitted himself into the Digital Zone as sentient electricity! But when he arrived, he could not locate the Datanauts! He couldn’t detect them or make a visual! As before, he felt like the Digital Zone was ‘rejecting’ him, like he didn’t belong here. He made his report to Vanguard.

In the Computer Lab, the Datanauts stopped before the Portal. At close range they appeared... translucent, spectral, as if they were somehow superimposed over an image of the Digital Zone!

Zephyr said, “Strike’s right! They’re… they’re not in the Digital Zone at all! They’re somehow keying into the Portal. Overriding it. They’re coming in from someplace else!”

Symbiote and Zephyr raced to begin a safe, emergency shutdown of the Digital Zone Portal! It would take five seconds!

Five.

Lightning Strike beamed himself back into the Computer Lab to help defend the Vault! SHAKOW!

Four.

The forcefield suddenly deactivated!

Sentinel’s shields blocked the Datanauts’ advance, and Vanguard could sense them now.

Menagerie detected the echo of the Animal Revolution reality upon them! Also, one of the Datanauts seemed similar to Menagerie: an agent of the natural order?!!

Soldier’s thermal sensors had them reading as human beneath the Datanaut suits!

Sentinel’s senses were picking up an echo of some kind. The Datanauts were giving off Vanguard’s energy signatures!

Three.

The findings of Menagerie, Sentinel and Soldier, such as they were, were reported to Vanguard.

Two. (Combat turn begins now!)

Talon, Avatar and Soldier readied to act (hold actions), in case Sentinel’s shield fell! The shield barrier prevented either side from physically attacking the other!

Three of the silent Datanauts acted simultaneously to Talon, Avatar, and Soldier, as if perfectly synchronized. Each touched the forearm of their suits and from their hands burst rays that enveloped Sentinel’s shield and Vanguard in white energy and teleported them away! The thin lifelines of the three Datanauts receded behind them into the distance, pulsing white energy to the horizon as the Computer Lab disappeared from Vanguard’s view!

FFFFFFFFZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Meanwhile, three Clones raced up the northeast stairwell to Nanite’s quarters. Via their weird telepathy, they all suddenly knew what had just happened in the Computer Lab!

They reached the landing of the 83rd floor when SHAKOW! SHAKOW!

Two Datanauts suddenly appeared just below them on the stairs, in streaks of white hot electricity! Before the Clones could react, the Datanauts fired electricity from their hands and electrocuted all three of them into unconsciousness! As the third Clone passed out, he heard the Datanauts speak, through their helmet speakers, in American English:

“Look. Alex’s old costume. Forgot all about that.”

The other Datanaut said, “Yeah, I forgot a lot of things. Now what?”

The first replied, “Now we kill them, that’s what.”

Silence and darkness.

FFFFFFFFZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Vanguard and Sentinel’s shield barrier rematerialized somewhere! Explosions! Smoke! Sirens!

Vanguard was all together in a room and KABOOM!! a wall-sized screen, similar to the Digital Zone portal, had just exploded, sending thick black tentacles of smoke into the chamber!

The rest of the room’s features strangely evoked the Computer Lab of Vanguard Vault except the walls were glossy black instead of white and steel. The doors, sealed, were even in the same place! And the blaring sirens were the emergency alert of the Vanguard Vault!

But the windows were gone and the space seemed to be an electronics workshop area.

Clone suddenly knew that the three duplicates he had sent to Nanite were dead! (see rules on your character sheet for this) He had their last memories with him.

Then another explosion could be heard, far, far below them. The floor listed a few degrees. The sickening groan of straining girders could be heard under them.

Slingshot said that whatever building they were in had lost its structural integrity.

Symbiote looked down to steady his feet and something caught his eye. In the big junk-box of workshop detritus, were the electronic guts of a recent, variant design of the Harper Harness that he had just abandoned a week ago.

But now it had ten years of rust on it.

To be continued!

(OOC: Actions?)


Current Conditions:

Avatar: Hit Points: 58, Power Points: 84, Manifesting: none

Clone: Bodies: 19, Hit Points: 1, Power Points: 41, Hit Pool: 19

Lightning Strike: Hit Points: 48, Power Points: 76

Menagerie: Hit Points: 26, Power Points: 65, Form: Man

Sentinel : Hit Points: 30, Power Points: 61, Shields: 100, Creation Points: 122

Slingshot: Hit Points: 79, Power Points: 91, Invulnerability: 8

Soldier: Hit Points: 57, Power Points: 80, Invulnerability: 8

Symbiote: Hit Points: 152, Power Points: 124, Invulnerability: 8, Charges: 12, Copied: Russia

Talon: Hit Points: 58, Power Points: 87

Zephyr: Hit Points: 17, Power Points: 68, Charges: 15, Armor: 25

--------------------------------------------------

Soldier:
Soldier will immediately scan the room with his sensors, as well as trying to determine a GPS fix.


--------------------------------------------------

Menagerie:
[OOC] Is there enough information for Menagerie to think he is still in the Vanguard Vault? if yes

[IC] Menagerie reaches out his thoughts to see if he can sense his cat is still here.

[OOC] He will continue to hold his action unless he can tell the building is starting to fall then he will transform into his Eagle form

If no on sensing this is the Vanguard Vault?

[IC] "This is strange before we were brought here, I sense that one of those blue things was an Agent of Nature. I do not know of any other man that is such. Did anyone else discover anything strange about our attackers or our current surroundings"

[OOC] I so want to yell, "It is just a dream again!!!" but our good GM wouldn't do that to me twice would here? ;)

Wonderful start, I was caught completely off guard by this one. Not that I knew it was a dream either. :)

Viva Whoever we are now!

Tom
--------------------------------------------------

GM:

OOC: Not a dream! Not a hoax! Not an imaginary story!

--------------------------------------------------

Slingshot:
OOC: Aside from everything looking like it got blasted... Is there anything that might look like they are still functional? (computers, etc..)

Do the PDAs work? Can I access information from them (Maybe time synchronization?)

--------------------------------------------------

Sentinel:
Were there exactly 10 Datanauts? (you said almost a dozen)

Was Kirk able to get any sort of read on the type of energy that brought them here before it dissipated? (He would specifically keep track of that info to convey to Symbiote/Strike once they get an opportunity)

Any tech laying around similar to what we saw on the Datanauts, if so, he grabs it to take with them?

Kirk asks Scott if he had any clue on the time frame before this building collapses around them.

In Kirk's radius of energy readings what is the situation regarding other life forms and energies being dispersed (ie Kirk is trying to see how much time they have here to gather intel from this room before they are overtaken by whatever comes next)

If they have time and per Slingshot's checking anything is functional Kirk will assist in trying to obtain any information about this.

Not that we could detect it before, but perhaps with experience, any chance Kirk feels/senses mentally anything similar to Oracle's power at work (at this point he's thinking whether it is at work or not they may have to redefine their understanding of just how her 'vision' power works)?

When Clone relates what happened to his three duplicates back in 'their world' Kirk looks at Hal and Strike specifically and swallows hard. He looks to see if they seem to 'get it' (Two Datanauts suddenly appeared just below them on the stairs, in streaks of white hot electricity!)

(Sentinel’s senses were picking up an echo of some kind. The Datanauts were giving off Vanguard’s energy signatures!) (now it had ten years of rust on it) and he says not expecting anyone to have an answer and more in frustration, "What the hell happened to us here?"

Seth

PS:
Funny, just reread Kirk's line and realized the double interpretation it could have depending on what one is thinking at this point (ie 'us here') - apropos...
Seth

--------------------------------------------------

GM:
OOC:
Hi guys,
As usual, I’ll give clarifications of things your characters see, hear and know right now.
But questions that require movement, an action, the performance of a task, power use, device use, etc. will be answered next issue, during your action phase.

As always, talking is free.

OOC Clarifications:

Tom /Menagerie: This appears more like Vanguard Vault than not.

Stephane /Slingshot: There appear to be working computers in this room.

When Sentinel asks Slingshot how long they have, the floor slowly tilting beneath their feet, the elastic engineer would estimate that a building collapse was imminent, ie: in as few as 10 or 15 seconds!

Seth /Sentinel: Yes. There were ten Datanauts.

Kirk’s energy sense was “on” when he was hit by the “teleporter beam.” The beam energy was new to him. It did not evoke Oracle’s energy signature. On his action he may refocus his energy sense to his new surroundings

There are a few unfinished Datanaut suit parts visible in this workshop.

Everyone: A character’s 'action' ("attack" and movement) takes 7 or 8 seconds.

For this issue, please include what questions your character is looking to find an answer to, and how they expect to find the answer (ie: skill use, superpower use, perception, common sense, etc.)

Also, please be sure to tell me if and how they plan to exit this unsafe structure, and how long they dare wait before attempting to leave? Do you execute one action? Two? More?

If/then statements are welcome.

As always, please make your intentions clear so I can accurately depict your intended actions next ish.
Thanks guys.

Have fun.
Best,
Jeff


--------------------------------------------------
Symbiote:
Hal meets Kirk's gaze and freezes for a moment. Dear God. In another world, under other circumstances, could we have?...

His thought is cut off as the building begins to collapse. Guess we'll worry about who's under those Datanaut helmets--probably with goatees--later, he thinks to himself. He grabs the old, rusted version of the Harper Harness (hoping it might contain some helpful clues) and prepares to move out! He'll punch through the interior walls until he reaches an exterior one, and then punch through it as well (assuming some teammate hasn't already blasted a way through for us). He'll be prepared to Hulk-jump to the street below, carrying any non-flying teammates if necessary.


--------------------------------------------------

Menagerie:
Symbiote said: probably with goatees

AWESOME!!! Wish I had thought of it!!!

[OOC] Menagerie will turn in his Eagle form and follow the others out whichever way is easiest. He will use his Hgt Senses to detect if anything is amiss in the natural order.

[IC] Tabby! are you around here. What has happened to this place, to Vanguard, and me.

Thanks
Tom
--------------------------------------------------

Sentinel:
Kirk’s energy laced around grabbing any Datanauts tech that appeared salvageable and he focused his energy senses through the room and beyond. He also checked the components of what was left of the Digital Zone gateway for anything usable.

“This building is coming down. We have no idea what this world is like or what resources will be at our disposal, but it appears that some reverse engineering and tech reconstruction will be needed for us to get back to our world – if you have any tech knowledge and see anything useable here, grab it. If you have any resources to help determine what happened to us, when this building will collapse around us, or what awaits us outside share it. I’ll let you know what I sense in a moment.

I say we make our exit from the building quickly and together and be prepared to move out of this area. My gut tells me that the building collapsing around us was meant as an inconvenience; I’m guessing that our attackers set things in motion so that outside a force will be waiting, prepared exactly for us. We’ll need an exit strategy for the area to avoid a battle that can do us no good.”

Kirk didn't want to think about what the 'Datanauts' were doing in their world.

OOC: Jeff: Assuming that Kirk is right here, hopefully his senses or that of his teammates alerts us prior to our exiting the building (early in the next round) – please advise the following:

Naturally at this point we’d be working under the assumption that things haven’t changed drastically in ten years and that the exterior of the building is like ours but:

(1) Does anyone know the underground systems surrounding the building (ie subways, sewers) – there is a chance Kirk might have checked into these things as he familiarized himself, but I’d guess Soldier with his tactic thoroughness or Strike with his paranoia would know it, even if Kirk does not. He’ll be asking them.

(2) How far to the nearest body of water connecting to the ocean so that if they submerged together, they could get lost quick?

(3) How far to entry into the tunnel systems by Big City where we fought the Crime lords underground? This area was heavy shielded as I recall (if still around, not a bad place for society’s insurgents, possible allies?)

(4) Another possibility would be asking Strike if he has a hidden safe house or his best suggestion for disappearing as he would likely be the most likely on the team to have a working knowledge of such.

My gut says lots of firepower of some sort is waiting for us outside the building. I’d like to be ready to avoid that conflict (although I’m sure you’ll be sure that doesn’t happen), but at least it won’t be a surprise.

Seth

PS:
I'll add that Kirk will do his best to encircle, protect, and carry out anyone and everyone not making their way out should the building come down on them quicker than they expect and with his energy already strewn throughout the area grabbing tech and their cooperation he should have a good shot at this... although I'm hoping the building isn't coming down just yet.
--------------------------------------------------

Slingshot:
OOC: This is predicated on the fact that you mentioned we have 15 seconds before the whole thing collapses.. and a standard V&V Turn is 15 seconds and each issue is generally half a turn when in combat mode. :D

So.. assuming I have one move and an action before I must take another move to get out.. This is what Slingshot is going to do.

IC:
Scott turns to the others: "We need to get out. We have very little time. Maybe 15 seconds. This place will collapse any moment. We might have time to grab something and get out." He looks at Sentinel, "You'll likely have to carry most of us." He turns and looks around trying to figure out what is salvageable then he realizes where he is. He looks at Sentinel once more and says, "I need to go check on something, I'll meet you outside. Hover if you can, I'll try to grab a hold and get on."

He then dashes out of the Lab and into the staircase, stretches straight down two stories like it was a step and goes to 83rd floor where his living quarters are. He bursts straight into his and Nanite's room, to see what he can salvage from there.

I'm assuming that the next action is time to get out and I'll aim straight for a window and reunite with the others by sling-shooting to them.

Alternate action: If I don't have that much time, then I'll just gather whatever I find provide us with the most intelligence and can be uploaded to the PDAs.

Stephane/Slingshot.

--------------------------------------------------

Lightning Strike:
Strike will attempt to turn into electrical form and exit the rapidly failing building via the wires of the building assuming that they are still intact.

Once out of the building Strike will hook up with the rest of the group to formulate a plan of action. It seems obvious that they have all been brought into the future but it is hard to know whether this is our timeline or an alternate reality. Hopefully this will all be made clear.

Take care all,
Tony

--------------------------------------------------

Talon:
Talon will look at the rest of the members of the Vanguard to see what direction they're taking. He will hold his action to see if anyone struggles when trying to leave the building. If anyone has trouble he will do his best to aid them and fly them from the building.

Thanks,
Denny
--------------------------------------------------

Clone:
Three Clones raced up the northeast stairwell to Nanite’s quarters. Via their weird telepathy, they all suddenly knew what had just happened in the Computer Lab!

They reached the landing of the 83rd floor when SHAKOW! SHAKOW!

Two Datanauts suddenly appeared just below them on the stairs, in streaks of white hot electricity! Before the Clones could react, the Datanauts fired electricity from their hands and electrocuted all three of them into unconsciousness!

Back in the Computer Room all of the Clone duplicates suddenly tensed up and lurched wildly where they stood. The look of fear and pain on their faces was recognizable to everyone standing in the room.

As the third Clone passed out, he heard the Datanauts speak, through their helmet speakers, in American English:

“Look. Alex’s old costume. Forgot all about that.”

The other Datanaut said, “Yeah, I forgot a lot of things. Now what?”

The first replied, “Now we kill them, that’s what.”

Silence and darkness.

FFFFFFFFZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

The Clone duplicates in the Computer Room instantly grabbed their heads in perfect synchronicity and cried out a dreadful scream like a choir of harpies singing in unison, “AAGGHHHH!!!”

Vanguard and Sentinel’s shield barrier rematerialized somewhere! Explosions! Smoke! Sirens!

Vanguard was all together in a room and KABOOM!! a wall-sized screen, similar to the Digital Zone portal, had just exploded, sending thick black tentacles of smoke into the chamber!

The rest of the room’s features strangely evoked the Computer Lab of Vanguard Vault except the walls were glossy black instead of white and steel. The doors, sealed, were even in the same place! And the blaring sirens were the emergency alert of the Vanguard Vault! But the windows were gone and the space seemed to be an electronics workshop area.

Still screaming in agony, Clone’s duplicates stretched out their arms and franticly tried to grab on to any of the duplicates around them. Just as each Clone grabbed a hold of the other, they all instantly disappeared . . . save one.

As the final duplicate was absorbed, the last Clone standing fell to his knees with his head swept into his chest. His cries of pain were suddenly replaced with the feint sound of sobbing.

Clone suddenly knew that the three duplicates he had sent to Nanite were dead! He had their last memories with him.

Bracing himself on a nearby computer console, Clone lifted himself up off of the floor and said to Slingshot, “I am sorry comrade . . . I am being unable to . . .”

Clone takes a second to catch his breath and then continues, “. . . I am not reaching your Nanite in nick-of-time . . . they attacked me in staircase . . .”

Still bracing himself on the edge of the computer console, Clone remorsefully tilts his head down a bit and then covers his face with his free hand, “. . . they are dead . . . all of me . . .”

Then another explosion could be heard, far, far below them. The floor listed a few degrees. The sickening groan of straining girders could be heard under them.

Slingshot said that whatever building they were in had lost its structural integrity.

Clone stood there for a moment lost in his own thoughts with a look of bewilderment and loss on his face. As the other members of Vanguard began to scramble for the exits, Clone struggled to snap out of the daydream-like state that he was drowning in. He had to remind himself that he was still alive, he had to remind himself that life was about courage and hope, not about despair and sorrow – he had to remind himself that in order to keep on living he had to get out of this building – now!

With a slight shake of his head and a widening of his eyes, Clone quickly turned and followed the other members of Vanguard out of The Vault.

OOC:

Clone will follow the other members of Vanguard out of the building – hopefully someone will be kind enough to offer him a lift ;)

This was a totally awesome issue Jeff – I was wondering when we would have to deal with some of Clone’s duplicates getting killed. This was my exact reaction:

(me reading the issue and then all of a sudden . . .)

. . . The first replied, “Now we kill them, that’s what.”

Silence and darkness.

( ME ) . . . Holy . . . wait . . . what . . . Oh my God – three of my Clone’s just got killed! Holy Hannah!
FFFFFFFFZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

( ME ) . . . that’s awesome! I can’t believe he just killed off three of my Clone’s – I was so wondering when I was going to have to face that reality . . . that's totally cool!

( finished reading the rest of the issue on the edge of my computer chair – with my face about six inches away from the monitor. I didn’t even realize I was sitting like that until my wife walked into the room and said to me in a totally baffled tone, "Honey . . . why the Hell are you sitting in your chair like that? lol )

Talk to you all soon,

-Kev

--------------------------------------------------

Avatar:
John will stay with Sentinel and will not activate any powers as of yet. He'll be looking at riding with Sentinel if it comes to the building coming down. If there is a fightable (huh...not a real word, apparently) threat to Kirk of any sort, John will interpose himself.
--------------------------------------------------

GM:
OOC:
Hi
Clone: "in nick-of-time" that was great. :)

Slingy: I said 10-15 seconds, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. :)

Menagerie: Re: tabby: I just realized your psychometry involves wild animals and nature. Instead of a domesticated cat, maybe your pet is a wild animal? What do you think?

Sentinel: Soldier and Strike know the underground systems surrounding the Empire State Building (ie subways, sewers, etc).

The East River is five avenues east of the Empire State Building. That’s the closest body of water that leads to the Atlantic.

The tunnel systems under Lonely Town where you fought Morgue and the Five Bosses underground are 15-20 minutes of flying time away, but were collapsed as a result of that battle for Big City’s soul!

Sentinel doesn’t know about Strike’s secret lairs in his war against crime.

Thanks,
Jeff