Vanguard Roll Call!

Vanguard Roll Call!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Vanguard: Issue 143: The Return of Dr. Change!




Within Vanguard Vault, Vanguard defeated their evil, future selves: Vanguard Omega!

Lightning Strike Omega and Symbiote Omega were the only ones left standing! And their only hope lay in turning the tides with the secret weapon Dynamo held; the Ring of Eon! They charged him!

Symbiote Omega produced a sensor device from his tool belt. “There’s something in his belt pouch,” he said as he reached toward the enfeebled former leader of the Freedom Force!

Dynamo was still and oblivious, except for his right hand. FAP! It grabbed Symbiote Omega’s extended wrist with a mind of its own! Still looking at his reflection in a dead computer monitor, Dynamo repeated,
 “No… … this… this… is not right… If I was in Limbo… why would I age?... This … is.. not… RIGHT!”
Symbiote Omega suddenly began to age! 60 years old. 70… 80 years old! 90… 100… 110!
The sinister super-scientist screamed with everything he had as his skin withered away from his bleached skull. The shriek died and a clatter of parched bones hit the floor at Dynamo’s feet. 
Lightning Strike Omega froze. Sentinel detected the energy of the Ring of Eon permeating all of Dynamo!
Dynamo went on ignoring everyone, speaking to himself. “This … is.. not… me…  Try to remember! I… and… the Freedom Force… tried to save the world… my world… from Eon… at the end of a black hole… and.. when we defeated him… I tried to wrest the… ultimate weapon… from his lifeless form…. 
“I transformed… into Dynamo’s shape… and fought with them… and lost… I was cast into the black hole… with the ring… 
“I awoke in Limbo… as powerless as the Ring of Eon…. My abilities were gone… I was trapped… in the form…. of my most hated adversary… forever! … there was no escape… the ring was dead… in time, I forgot who I was…. After an eternity, I began to believe… that I was Dynamo.
“But I’m not.  
“I know that now… now and forever… I am….
“DOCTOR CHANGE!”  

As “Dynamo” said those last two words, three things happened:
His entire being reorganized itself on a molecular level into someone that Vanguard did not recognize! This was not the Dr. Change they saw in the library in the Omega-verse!
The floor Vanguard was standing on disintegrated from impossibly sudden age, along with three floors below it! An annihilation sphere revealed 3 floors up and 3 floors down in the Empire State Building, and opened the Vanguard Vault to the elements! (see map) Dr. Change was the center of the now-empty sphere.
Thankfully there were no civilians in the area! The Vault was evacuated for the supposed Datanaut Invasion!
Vanguard and Vanguard Omega were in mid air, falling three stories within the Empire State Building!

Lightning Strike Omega shouted in something approaching pure terror, “You fools! You’ve BROUGHT DR.CHANGE HERE THROUGH THE PORTAL!!!”
Sentinel replied, “No Steven. You did this; you and your whole team when you chose this dark path.  If there is virtue still within any of you then join us now to put things right.”

Lightning Strike Omega replied, “To think that I could ever forget what you were like in your twenties.”

Sentinel said to Vanguard, indicating Dr. Change, “Take him.  Ranged attacks, hit him with everything you’ve got.”

The edges of the annihilation sphere were sparking, smoking and spraying water from five exposed levels of cut cables, infrastructure and water pipes! Visibility was reduced but it was clear that the Vault was not going to collapse. Vanguard remembered the building had been reinforced when it became Vanguard HQ.

Avatar was taken by surprise but only momentarily! The drop was minimal to a man with his reaction speed, training, experience, and physical abilities! Avatar dropped and rolled, coming up in a defiant stance on the floor of the 79th story of the Empire State Building!

As luck would have it, the fateful fighter still had his bow and arrows with him! He nocked an arrow as he prepared to manifest Artemis, goddess of the hunt, and stopped! The experienced extranormal warrior realized that doing so would drain him to the point of becoming ineffectual in combat!

(OOC: Going to zero Power Points would Fatigue Avatar, and the Fatigue penalties outweigh the Artemis bonuses. FYI, even without Artemis, John has a +12 to hit with the bow, and a base HTH chance of 10 in this game. If you disagree, sorry, and please see below. Thanks.)

Avatar fired an arrow three stories straight up Doctor Change who was still in mid air! THOO! Despite the raining water, smoke and sparks, the arrow hit his left leg, but instead of piercing it, bounced off! THAK! 

Dr. Change didn’t seem to notice the attack!

Talon tried to take a moment to calm himself and assess the condition of the rest of the team and offer what help he could to anyone in danger, but could not! (OOC: failed his saving throw) The battle rage still had him and he gracefully arced around and down through the smoke and into Dr. Change’s back! SKAAAAASHH!
Talon’s claws cut deep. (Avatar’s arrow had softened Change up) Talon sensed that Change had been unaware!

Dr Change cried out involuntarily. He seemed to only now become aware of the others around him.
“Who are you?!” he demanded, as wings suddenly grew from his back, identical to Talon’s except white, stopping his fall! He seemed to move faster, as if in another timestream!
The sinister shapeshifter scanned the area and attacked the largest foe he could find: the Tyrranosaurus Maximus! He pointed his finger at it and the T-Max began to age rapidly, in mid fall!
It roared as it became extinct, the flesh and muscle disintegrating from its titanic skeleton! By the time it hit the bottom, there was nothing left but bones! KRASSHH!

Menagerie’s mind reeled! Linked to the Tyrannosaur, the mystical defender of the natural order experienced the psychic death of an animal he had guardianship over! Menagerie’s spirit was thrown free from the dying T-Max! He could reform into any shape in his menagerie except the prehistoric predator, who was lost to him now! He reformed in the shape of Eagle! SKRAAAA!
Menagerie’s mystical Nature Sense told him that Change’s very existence here was wrong on a cosmic scale!

Sentinel detected that the energy signature of the Ring of Eon had consumed the T-Max, just as it had Symbiote Omega!

Lightning Strike was falling and suddenly disappeared in a flash of lightning! SHAKOW!! The electric avenger reformed out of an open, sparking cable, rematerializing on the 82nd floor!
(OOC: Transformation to lightning takes his action. Returning to human shape takes only movement)

Lightning Strike Omega spat, “Fools.” It was unclear whether he meant Vanguard or Vanguard Omega. SHAKOW! Lightning Strike Omega transformed into sentient electricity in mid air and was gone!

Symbiote again felt the agonizing poison from the insidious Menagerie Omega! (12 points to Hits!)
Struggling to maintain consciousness against the pain (nearly blew your unconsciousness roll), Hal became the third bolt of lightning in a row! SHAKOW! Hal dematerialized and rematerialized on the 82nd floor! Suddenly the agony of the poison was gone!
Then his communicator crackled to life! Beyond the isolated Computer Lab, wireless was up! It was Shelley!

Zephyr said, “Hal! Come in, Hal!”

“I’m here,” replied Hal. “Shelley, I…”

“Hal, you’ll never believe it!” she interrupted breathlessly. “I aced Zephyr Omega! See, she’s intangible like a ghost, right? Nothing could hit her. Then it dawned on me… she can hear me right? That means a sonic weapon would work on her even though she can’t be touched. But I didn’t have a sonic weapon. Then I said, well wait a minute, I can see her, right? That means whatever she’s made of, she can stop light from passing through her. Light!
So, I thought, lasers. I got the building defenses working up here on 84 and strafed her a new… uh… Hal? What’s that big hole in front of me?”

Clone was falling through the hole Dr. Change opened up… all of him. The duplicates reacted with a speed that only their unified survival instinct could possibly provide. Like army ants crossing a great chasm, each of the duplicates reached for the other to form a chain of limbs and collective consciousness. That brief contact with the other is all each of them required to keep the hope of survival alive. Acting out of desperation, each of the falling Clones absorbed the other until only the ones still standing on a solid surface remained! Like fisherman desperately pulling in their catch, each of the Clones frantically grabbed for the other.

The Clones started disappearing impossibly like a chain reaction magic trick until only four were left on the newly formed ledge! Not one had fallen!

When the last of the Clones were absorbed, each of the remaining duplicates grabbed hold of their staff weapon and braced for the final battle! They know all too well what Dr. Change was capable of, having been at the library in the Omega-verse and through Clone Omega’s memories, and they stood ready to fight!
(OOC: I’ll allow you to save the rest of your action. Next issue you get two actions! )

Slingshot, due to his position on the perimeter of the annihilation sphere, fell only one story and landed squarely on his feet. WHUMP! The pliable powerhouse extended his massive arms up and swung at Dr. Change with his monolithic console, narrowly missing! SWOOSH!
Slingshot’s tactical training told him Change was a very experienced foe, and Slingshot’s might have been the first attack on him this battle that Change saw coming.

Sentinel rose to a distance but that of eye level with Dr Change and spoke.  “About time!  We were getting bored waiting for your revelation.  But certainly it’s fitting that the final player be revealed for the endgame.” Kirk raised his hand gesturing and his energy flowed to the side of the two of them and a gateway sparkling with power with energy cascading around it formed and in the midst of the gateway the image of a man began to materialize and form.  As his image coalesced the costume and grandeur became clearly evident to all that could see … especially Doctor Change.  And Kirk shouted, “You’ve been on the sidelines waiting long enough Dynamo, he’s here now just like you said.  Come and finish him.”
(OOC: As discussed, this violates Sentinel’s Weakness. We’ll deal with this in down time, should you survive.)

Dr. Change continued with the inhuman speed of another timestream! He saw Dynamo and acted instinctively. His right hand hurtled at his most hated foe, stretching like the malleable man of might himself! SMAASH! Change’s elongated arm crashed a big fist into the Dynamo simulacra, damaging it, revealing it for what it was to the ingenious perception of Dr. Change! (18 points of damage!)

Change stopped, flew backwards, retreating, to avoid being surrounded! Visibility across the diameter of the annihilation sphere was worsening!

The unconscious bodies of Vanguard Omega plummeted into the newly formed spherical hole. THUD! WUMP!

Avatar easily dodged them as he surmised the vertical battlefield up through the smoke and rain of cut pipes.
(OOC: Holds action. Next issue you have three actions! I did this in case you still want to manifest Artemis.)

Sentinel did not see the Ring of Eon. But Dr. Change’s entire being was imbued with its energy.
Kirk read Dr. Change’s surface thoughts telepathically! (Costs 1 Power Point)

Dr. Change was the most intelligent being Kirk had ever scanned before. He had a very strong will, but no defense against telepathy.
The shapeshifting super-scientist thought in British English: “They fooled me! Who are they and how do they know me? I know none of them. None of their abilities. They likely know mine. They clearly know Dynamo is my enemy. Back up. Use the smoke. Regroup. Think.”

To be continued!
OOC: Actions! One action worth of orders please, unless you saved your action this ish!

Current Conditions:

Avatar: Hit Points: 33, Power Points: 20, Manifesting: Hermes

Clone: Bodies: 4, Hit Points: 6, Power Points: 5, Hit Pool: (special)

Lightning Strike: Hit Points: 42, Power Points: 46

Menagerie: Hit Points: 3, Power Points: 25, Form: Eagle

Sentinel, Hit Points: 2, Power Points: 17, Creation Points: 34, Shields: 4, Dynamo Construct: 14

Slingshot: Hit Points: 45, Power Points: 56, Invulnerability: 8

Soldier: Hit Points: 28, Power Points: 54, Invulnerability: 0, Regeneration deactivated, Unconscious!

Symbiote: Hit Points: 27, Power Points: 52, Charges: 0, Copied: Lightning Strike

Talon: Hit Points: 20, Power Points: 49, Enraged

Zephyr: Hit Points: 17, Power Points: 49, Charges: 9, Armor: 7


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Avatar:
OOC: I dunno, guys.  Looks like his powers come from whomever he is around.  Maybe if all of the powered folks went away and let the people with skills alone fight him...?

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Menagerie:
OOC: Interesting observation. Do you think that would apply to magic too. Avatar and Menagerie are the magic based powers I am thinking of.


Jeff, quick question: Did changing into eagle form take an action or do I have two actions next turn?

Great Issue. I cried a man tear at the death of my T-Max.

Via Vanguard
Tom

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Avatar:
OOC: Dunno.  I was initially thinking that his speed might be the speed that Avatar is manifesting but, from the description, it may be something else entirely.  Have to mull this over.  At this point I can't do anything other than hit him with attacks and keep his invulnerability down.  This may not be such a bad idea, though, since Avatar has multiple attacks and is likely to hit.

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Sentinel:
OOC: Initial movement, thoughts, and queries for Sentinel:
A good weekend to all.
Seth

IC:
Somehow Kirk knew his ruse had cost him in a way he couldn’t fathom, and it worked, but only for a brief moment.  It hadn’t bought the team the breather he was really hoping for here because of Change’s inhuman speed … like he was moving out of synch with everything around him.

And it started to come together more in his mind.  His first instinct was the Ring of Eon, the time master, his ultimate weapon as Doctor Change thought of it.  It was the Ring that had caused the aging and death of Symbiote Omega and Menagerie’s T-Max form.  It was the Ring giving him his inhuman speed.  But it was nowhere to be seen … but for someone who could control their molecules at will apparently … why show it?
Kirk began to use his energy sense intently focusing on Change, the Eon energy permeated his form, but he thought, ‘the Ring must be hidden within him’.  He hid it within himself.  Surely if Kirk focused he could sense its location within his reformed body.

Sentinel moved towards the outer exposure area of the Vault.  His Dynamo simulacra no longer served its purpose and the scant power still within it could serve another yet since Doctor Change apparently had no memory of his recent time as Dynamo or what had happened in the battle moments ago.  Kirk flew towards the exposed area of the Vault taking a position within his energy once again towards the bottom and using his energy to form a wall sealing Change’s escape path.  Change had no way of knowing that Kirk’s creation (and Kirk himself at this point) would be shattered by just one of his blows.  He just wanted to take immediate retreat as an easy option off the board.  It was the best choice for Change at the moment as it was his lack of knowledge about things that was currently Vanguard’s greatest advantage here.  (OOC: Kirk himself will be at the bottom of the construct so hopefully if Change does shatter it, he will be close enough to either get to a safe floor or grab the wall of the Vault, but I'm hoping he'll just look and decide a quick flight isn't an option here)

Kirk activated his communicator, “Shelly, use the sensors to direct any active internal defenses of the Vault against Doctor Change.  He had assumed the shape of Dynamo and is now revealed,” and Kirk hoped that some lasers from one of the exposed floors could be directed at Change.
Alex, search your absorbed thoughts.  Is there a weakness or something more we can exploit here?” Kirk was still trying to keep Strange in the dark and thus not using codenames but he was hoping to see if Clone Omega knew more about Change’s abilities and hopefully weaknesses and could help here.
Finally, speaking without looking anywhere Kirk shouted, “Frank, we’ve already been in direct contact with the Ring and used it, is there any way we can again lend you our wills and do it now again here together?”

Kirk addressed Dr. Change again, “Give it up Change.  The Ring of Eon isn’t what you expected and it cost you dearly… a lifetime of lifetimes.  You know even now its effect on you is unnatural and beyond your control.  You won’t be able to bend it to your will as you envisioned when you took it.  Limbo proved that.  Your continued possession of it will cost you even more dearly.”  And Kirk continued to press their advantage of Change thinking they knew more than he did (and perhaps they did) …

(OOC: If Kirk can determine the exact location of the Ring within Change, assuming his guess is right and it is physically within him, Kirk will relay that information to the team)
Viva Vanguard!

OOC:  Still have my actual action to direct here and will decide once I have an idea of what else is happening.

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Slingshot:
OOC: I have a feeling his powers are proximity related. He hasn't manifested any powers of the people that didn't hit him. Problem is that now he has both mine and Talon which offer great mobility options.

At this time, I'm thinking of withdrawing and pelting things at him.

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Clone:
OOC: I haven't given much thought to planning this out or anything, but off the top of my head - what if we forced him back into the portal and tried to send him back to Limbo? Clone is right next to the computers - maybe he could start the portal back up again ( having both his and Clone Omega's knowledge of how it works ) and someone else could try to force him back through the portal opening. Again - not sure how practical of a solution this is, it was just something that popped into my head that I figured I would share.
-Kev

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Sentinel:
OOC: It was our combined will (?) using the Eon device that got us out of Limbo (ie portal?) which is one of the reasons Kirk has been focusing on it now.  Vanguard ended up in limbo by accident using our scientific tech trying to return from the Omegaverse.  We have no idea how to get back to limbo or open a gate to limbo to get back there to my knowledge. At this point we've also lost the local  physical connection/gateway to the Omegaverse (which is at least part of how we ended up in limbo) as well as not having the scientific tech to open that sort of gate.

On observations on Change's powers, I'd add, that thus far his manifestation and usage seem to be limited to physical in nature and his actual power seems to be related to manipulating and controlling his physical form (ie wings, stretching/strength).  Thus far no manifestation of non-physical powers (ie electrical, energy), although it could be that he simply hasn't chosen to use them yet.

Seth

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GM:
OOC:
Tom, it took your action to assume the form of Eagle.

Kev, Seth is right about the portal here.
This portal was destroyed by Vanguard Omega as soon as they got through it.
When it was working it looked into the Digital Zone.
Omega used it as a receiver when they came here from Universe Omega.
You got here from Limbo via Eon's Ring, which transported you into the damaged portal.

Best,
Jeff
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Clone:
OOC:  . . see . . . I told you I hadn't given it much thought :p

But at least we learned two things - 1. Trying to imprison him back in Limbo isn't going to happen; and 2. We might want to consider Eon's Ring ( as Seth pointed out ) as one of our primary targets.

As Seth eluded to ( in his previous e-mail ),the ring may be beyond Dr. Changes ability to control ( or anyone's for that matter ) what if we could get Change to over extend his use of it ( if he is even using it at all ) in hopes of having it 'back-fire' on him? Worse case scenario, we could always just try to 'Plan B' his ass - 'Plan B' is a term I like to use in place of 'All Out, Savage Beat-Down', I usually fall back on it when 'Plan A' ( the rational, thought out, intelligent approach ) doesn't seem to be working . lol ;)

Again - just throw'n out some of those 'off the top of my head' ideas in hopes of getting a discussion brewing.

Talk to you all soon,
-Kev

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Slingshot:
OOC: Jeff:
I'm not inclined to let this fight go on forever. I'm tempted to get a long winded BBEG rant on what he wants to do and what he wants to be. Just to understand who is Dr.Change (bad guy, misunderstood guy, etc..). Any chance we can get some conversation going? It would slow me down depending on the subject matter.

The ring of Eon was in his belt, Correct? Has it been moved? Is it on any of his fingers?

He already has my powers. So I'm thinking of grappling with him with my tentacles, but the real goal is to use a tentacle to slip the ring from him.

A few theories:
Also, remember what the ring did when it activated last time? It sucked a bunch of powerpoints from us all to open the portal. That's likely why Change was getting older in Limbo. The ring uses ambiant energy to replenish itself. So whomever should take it, they will likely need a lot of power points. (or not have a power that chews lots of power points).

What do you think?

Stephane

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Menagerie:
OOC: I like the ring drawing power points, that would explain Dr. Change aging better than he was crazy and during his insanity he unknowingy was aging himself.

Menagerie will use all his eagle and magical senses find the ring and communicate its location to the rest of Vanguard.

Thanks
Tom

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GM:
OOC:
Slingshot wrote: Any chance we can get some conversation going?

GM: Give it a shot. He's asked you guys a question already, so he may be inclined to talk.

Slingshot wrote: The ring of Eon was in his belt, Correct?

GM: It was before his molecules reorganized themselves from Dynamo to this new likeness.
Vanguard doesn't see the Ring of Eon. Dr. Change is not wearing it.

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Clone:
OOC: Headed off on vacation - be back in a week. I should have internet and e-mail access where I'm going, but if nothing else life has taught me that nothing in this world is guaranteed. I'm assuming that I'll have complete access to the internet and should have my response in before the Tuesday deadline without issue. If for some unknown reason I don't have internet and e-mail access, Jeff is hereby granted P.O.A. over Clone until I return.

Talk to you all soon,

-Kev

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GM:
OOC: Thanks for the heads up. Have a great vacation.

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Symbiote:
"Hal? What’s that big hole in front of me?" Shelly asked over the communicator.

Hal was conflicted--proud of his sister for winning her fight, wary of dragging her into the massacre that seemed likely.  Nevertheless, they needed her power, and she had made her choices to be a super hero.  "That hole is most likely what used to be the top of the building, Shelly.  We've got big problems.  Turns out Dynamo wasn't really Dynamo--he's that Dr. Change psycho we read about in the Omegaverse, and he's revved up and ready to do God knows what in our universe.  Get up here, but be careful," he says into his communicator.

With that, Hal will throw a lightning bolt.  Avatar has shown that Dr. Change can be hurt, and now seems to be the time to pile on him.  Attacking him may mean that he can absorb Hal's/Strike's powers but doing nothing seems the greater of two evils.

Viva Vanguard,
Greg

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Slingshot:
OOC: FYI, I'm not going with the assault solution, I'm going to try to chat him up first. I haven't figured out my angle quite yet.

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Avatar:
OOC: Avatar, being low on PR and nearly exhausted, will continue to pepper Dr. Change with arrows.  With Heightened Speed still working, it should actually be a decently-effective attack strategy.  If nothing else, it keeps his Invulnerability down.

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Clone:
One of the Clones begins to search through his recently updated memory; like a psychic with precognitive abilities, for any information he might have that could the other members of Vanguard combat their new foe. As he desperately sifts through these memories of the future, the remaining mob of multiplying mutants makes it way around the outer edge of the hole created by Dr. Change. Their collective goal seems to be the staircase leading to the upper floors. They twist and turn their way through damaged wall sections and furniture like a troop of Russian acrobats managed by a collective consciousness ( OOC: I realize you might have to make a few Agility rolls here, Jeff ).

(OOC: Should Clone have anything in his memories that can help the group he will relate it to them now )

"Comrades! I am knowing of something that might be of help . . ."

(OOC: If Clone doesn't know anything solid that can help the group )

"I am being sorry Comrades, I am knowing of nothing that is to be helping us in this."

(OOC: If some or all of the Clone duplicates can make it to the staircase they will head up to the next floor above; create four more duplicates, and start throwing things down at Dr. Change. They will make sure that anything that they might throw down at him will miss the other members of Vanguard . . . if possible. They'll throw anything from chairs and kitchen drawers filled with knives and spoons, to a giant stuffed T-Rex.)

A half a moment before items start falling down from the floor above like rain pouring out of the sky, Clone (OOC: the one that stayed behind) will shout out in a cautionary, but almost whimsical tone,"Pleased to be looking out below!"

OOC:
I'm hoping that Clone's duplicates will have enough time, movement and actions available to be able to do this, but if not they'll do as much as you'll allow, Jeff.

As I was writing this up I kept picturing the animated brooms from Fantasia throwing bucket after bucket of water at Mickey Mouse lol

Sorry I didn't come up with a more elaborate tactic, but without a ranged attack, flight or a way to confront him with HTH attacks this was the best I could come up with at the moment - sorry :/

Jeff, if you need more from me or additional dialogue from Clone let me know - I should be able to get it out to you either tonight or tomorrow.

Talk to you all soon,
-Kev

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Avatar:
OOC: Hadn't "verbalized" it in the past but I have to compliment you on your responses.  Always very nice.

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GM:
OOC: Second that.

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Menagerie:
OOC: You deserve a third, I will provide it,

I third that

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Sentinel:
OOC: Hi Jeff.
I'd already posted movement and positioning and some dialogue.  

For my action, if anything better comes up for Kirk to do from intel gathered, you can have him take it, otherwise he'll add his attack to that of the team.  If there is anything from the debris/damage that he can pick up to smash into him for a few more points of damage (I guess in game terms is use it as a brawling weapon?), he will do so.

Again, if anything more needed or useful appears from the repercussions of others actions, feel free to have Kirk take appropriate action.

Seth

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Talon:
OOC: I'm assuming that Talon is still lost in his rage, so he will continue to attack Dr. Change until this confrontation ends. If he makes his roll he will take an action to calm himself and decide if attacking will be his best course of action or, if something done by a member of the group causes Dr. Change to back down, will lead him toward taking a different action.

I apologize for the late response, Jeff. I just have a lot on my plate right now.

Best Regards,
Denny

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Lightning Strike:

Strike surveyed the worsening conditions and looked at the state of the rest of Vanguard.  It was clear that after the long fight with Vanguard Omega, an extended battle with Dr. Change was not in their best interests.  If Vanguard could strike quickly and take out Dr. Change while he was still disoriented they may have a chance.

Lightning Strike was concerned that Change could absorb his powers but since he was being blasted by Symbiote, the point was moot.  He lets Dr. Change have it with a lightning bolt.

That's all for now,
Tony

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Slingshot:
Dr Change cried out involuntarily. He seemed to only now become aware of the others around him.
“Who are you?!” he demanded

Slingshot pulls back his arms and his giant hands in an attempt to show that he's backing off.

"We are Vanguard. We think we are heroes. We want to do good in our world. If you look around us, you have Vanguard Omega. They thought they were heroes, but they became villains once their world spurned them. It is a clear reminder of what we are and what we can become. Who are you Dr Change? We have heard of you. We have heard of what you have done in multiple dimensions. Are you a villain or a hero? Neither, Both? Your actions have always triggered some form of change. So your name is quite apt."

[give him a chance to speak]

"Our quarrel is not with you but the Omega crew. Of course, if you continue we will have to fight, but I prefer talking at this stage. Can we help each other?" [I'll spend a luck point on this one]

OOC: If we start talking successfully, I'll take my action against Talon and wrap him up (if I can) so he doesn't continue attacking. If we combat due to his response, I'll go with my original thought and grapple with him and hope to steal the ring from him. In that attempt, I'll use one of three methods: 1- if sentinel figures it out and communicates, 2- I'll "feel him" assuming he's got the ring within him just as I have the picture frame within me, 3- go for the belt, last known location in dynamo form.

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Clone:
OOC: Thanks guys - I appreciate the kind words, but truth be told - this is my first experience with PBEM RPG's and any good or bad habits I may have picked up were entirely from you guys. Its because of you guys that I stick with it as tightly as I do - the back and forth chit-chats, the really clever and creative posts, the support that everyone gives to each other ( both in and out of game ), and let us not forget the super fan-flip'n-tastical GMing - its all of this kind of stuff that keeps me constantly running back to check my e-mails. So with all of that said, let me just say 'thank you' to all of you for giving me my love of PBEM RPG's. Oh and before I forget - I picked up my lateness habits from you guys as well, so the next time I'm late with a response I'm directing Jeff to point the 'GM Finger Of Doom' at you guys lol - like how I put 'the spin' on all of this? lol ;)

Thank you all again, and for God's sake stay sexy . . . there's never an excuse for not being sexy lol ;)

Talk to you all soon,
- Kev

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Slingshot:
OOC: I don't know about anyone else, but not only am I sexy, but I'm damn sexy.

..and thanks for the kudos.

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Sentinel:
OOC: Hi all.

I've been lagging behind on email replies and just wanted to say 'thanks' for this on the official canon.

Either it’s a grand testament to the world you've created for us, or a sad statement on my own mental deficiencies, but I was genuinely disheartened and depressed to think that Kirk's act would have been considered deliberate here and am glad it is now officially 'not'.

Thank you.

Seth

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