The Sentinels Shattered Storyline Saga So far

General GTG Events
1

In this thread I will be posting the story for the Sentinels Shattered Storyline Saga.  I may add more later as I decide to improve the prose or add fight details.  It is intended as a resource for anyone who signs up for an episode, so they can catch up with any players who have done previous episodes.  I will do a quick summary of the fights, so things make sense.  Any out of story commentary by me will be in these bubbles.  None of this is my property, it's all GTG's stuff, and other disclaimers.

One more disclaimer:  I modify the story for the action in the fight and the choices of the heroes, so if you don't like some of it, blame the people who played the heroes.  Kidding, but really all kinds of options exist, these are just the ones that occured.

EPISODE 1:  How many machines would a Mad Baron build if a Mad Baron built on Mars?

 

Prologue:  Six months, six months. . . Legacy thought as he paced the ship.  Baron Blade had been on Mars for six months.  By all calculations they would arrive too late.  "Sir, we'll make it, they'll stall him long enough," the lieutenant tried to reassure him.  "I know Soldier, just anxious to get to work," Legacy knew the soldier didn't believe that any more than he did.

How Baron Blade could disappear for six months, a full six months before they found him.  Even then it wasn't the F5 team, or the CIA who found him.  If that sub-contractor had delayed in filing his tax statements they wouldn't have pieced it together until the Baron made his demands.  As is they got a 5 week head start.  All those false leads and missed clues, and with so much on the line.  Hopefully there would still be an Earth to save.

 

They were slowing, the reverse thrust was a very strange sensation and the weak gravity didn't feel that weak after so long being weightless.  Legacy looked around, the team was ready.  Lt. Vance had been missed, no one was better at balancing the personalities of the freedom 5.  As lucky as they were to have Helena with them, her and Frost didn't get along so well, and both had ended up spending most of the trip in isolation.  Dr. Stinson had offered to "get out and push" more than once, and reminded the pilots at least once a day how long it would have taken her to run to Mars.  Wraith had handled it the best, she had money invested in some of the research that had been going on before the Baron arrived, and her thoughts were more on the people she had sent there than those she left behind, she spent most of her days training for low gravity combat and reviewing blueprints for the various remodelings of the base.  Legacy couldn't blame any of them, he was homesick himself; but more than that, he was worried that they were too late.

They had been able to monitor transmissions for the first half of the trip, but it was now 3 weeks since they had gone silent, even listening could tip off the Baron that they were closing in.  Legacy silently cast a prayer to whomever might listen, and prepared himself for what lay in wait for them at the Mars Base.

. . .

So much for the element of surprise.  The recorded greeting was bad enough, but having still warm tea waiting for them at the airlock was just insulting.  Fortunately Wraith's time studying the blueprints had yielded some good results.  There were two service tunnels that had been abandoned and didn't show up on any blueprints from the last two years.  The Baron hadn't checked that carefully, and with a bit of sneaking around they were closing in on the orbital control center, the only place where he could rebuild his TerraLunar Impulsion device, at least according to Dr. Stinson.  The Baron had started the countdown as soon as they had entered.  "I don't know what will be more satisfying, seeing your face when you fail to save the Earth, or killing you afterwards!" the base echoed with the taunts Baron Blade hurled at them, at him.  He knew the Baron was trying to make him angry, he knew he needed to stay cool headed and focused to win, but he also knew that all this was aimed at him.  Baron Blade wasn't going to destroy the moon and most of the planet to take over the remnants, he was doing it for revenge.  At least the Earth was still OK, and Baron Blade's wish to see Legacy face to face would soon be granted.

Legacy, Tachyon, Wraith, Fanatic and Absolute Zero heroically fight through three mobile defense platforms (Including Fanatic smashing one into another) and destroy the Terra Lunar Impulsion Beam with time to spare. (about 20 seconds)

With a last crackle and a fizz the Terra-Lunar Impulsion beam was destroyed.  The Earth safe Legacy turned to face Baron Blade, "Give it up Blade, it's over."

"No, Legacy, this isn't over, this is far from over."  Baron Blade furiously punched keys on his control panel then turned back to the heroes, "Your time is at an end, but my time has just begun!"  As Blade put the helmet to his power suit on the Mars Base lights turned Red and began flashing.

"Self-Destruct sequence activated."

The Entire base started to vibrate with a strange hum, the entire room felt heavy.  Electricity arced across the floor and ceiling.  Whatever was happening it couldn't be good.

The heroes throw down even more, and are more than a match for anything the Mad Baron throws at them.  Tachyon extinguishes the fire that is ravaging the base, and Ryan Frost shows what his suit can do when the heat is turned down.  Right when the Baron looks poised to really let loose on our heroes the Wraith shows up with a well placed shot to the Trachea to leave the Baron reeling.

"Victory Music"

CONGRATULATIONS!  YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE EVIL PLANS OF BARON BLADE!

 

Baron Blade lay on the metal floor, His soldiers scattered, his work undone.  Tachyon delayed the self-destruct sequence and was working on deactivating the program.  The hum though. . .

"Alright Blade, This time we'll send you where you won't be coming back."  Legacy said as he approached his enemy.

"Never," The Baron spat, coughing up blood.  "This is just the beginning. . ."

With that he pushed a button on his wrist and the hum that was vibrating the station grew higher in pitch.  The Baron began to glow and then with a rather loud pop, he was gone.

-----

The Baron was gone.  They had searched the base all over and he wasn't there.  No ships were anywhere nearby.  It bothered the heroes, but not too much, they had defeated him, and saved the Earth.  All of them were excited to return home.

The trip home was a cheerful one, at first.  Then the signals from Earth were all wrong.  Strange language, unknown encoding, lots of announcements about Curfews and rules where violations would be met with termination.

It got worse when Earth came within sensor range.  The planet was not the Earth they left behind.

The warships were Thorathian, Voss must have returned.  Somehow he had overrun the Earth in the time they were on Mars.  It didn’t make sense, there shouldn’t have been enough time.

Wraith wanted to land quietly somewhere, infiltrate undercover and learn what was going on.

Legacy would have no part of that.  They had Allies, and those that remained would head to Freedom 5 HQ.  The ship must go to the landing pad in Meglopolis so they could meet with allies and take the fight to Voss.

“Battlestations,” Legacy called, “We are punching through.”  Tachyon and Wraith left the room, Ryan Frost looked at Legacy questioningly, “Battlestations?  I’d never been on this ship till this mission.”  Legacy turned and looked at Frost for a second, then spoke: “Hang out here, watch this panel, if it says we have a hull breach, you go fix it.”  “You serious?” Frost replied.  “Yes, and Ryan. . . don’t fall out of the ship.”

If it wasn’t for the TCF Conqueror they might have made it.  Defense satellites were one thing, but a Thorathian Dreadnaught?   Their ship was no match.  They split up and launched escape pods.  Tachyon and Fanatic waited for Legacy, but instead the pilot arrived.  “Typical,” Tachyon muttered as she punched the ready button.  The doors sealed and the escape pod launched.  Tachyon set the coordinates for just outside Megalopolis.  No crash would kill Legacy, and if they were going to find him, they would need help.

“Let’s hope he was right Helena.”  Tachyon said aloud looking out at the skyline and the Freedom 5 building.

Ryan Frost made it into the Escape Pod at the last second, flinging as much Ice as he could at the crumbling hull while he ran.  The Wraith punched the button before he was even all the way in.

“Glad to see you too,” Ryan snorted.

“Strap in,” the Wraith commanded, “We are barely going to make it.”

Ryan obeyed and watched as she checked the fuel supply, then double checked it, typing on her little wrist computer furiously.  Then he looked out the window.

“Hey babe, Megalopolis is back that way.”

“We aren’t going to Megalopolis.” Wraith replied.

Ryan just whistled a long apathetic note.  It had to be serious if she didn’t react to being called babe.

The action follows the Wraith and Absolute Zero is the next episode:  “To freeze a Mocking Bird” or  “I left my cryogenically frozen heart in Rook City!”

 
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If you're planning to play out Part Three sometime soon, I hope to be informed.

3

This Episode has the Fight-end text, I decided to post it here instead of on the game thread so I won't drag people to two locations to see the same stuff.  I am back now, and the new fight will be up soon.  My old Computer was trashed, so I'm on a new one, and I have to re-generate the story again from my notes.  

EPISODE 2:  Bird-Brained Baddies Bite the Big one!

The Escape pod fuel had gotten them 5 miles from Rook City.  That meant a five mile walk, and Ryan was starting to question whether his suit would hold out, he had listened to Dr. Stinson’s lectures, but he didn’t pay too much attention to the maintenance section.  “Damn Scientists.”  Frost muttered to himself, he could see the skyline getting closer, but the Wraith had gone ahead to make sure the coast was clear.  It sure was starting to feel warm.

. . .

Ryan didn’t care who these people were, they could all burn as far as he was concerned.  Someone was dead, but somehow wasn’t.  Someone ran the city, someone else didn’t, who gives a flaming crap?  Ryan knew it was the heat talking, but he didn’t know how much juice he had left.  He had to conserve energy, save it in case they needed it.  He wasn’t going to look weak.

-----

Maia knew Ryan was struggling, whether he knew how the suit worked or not Maia had studied the blueprints, and she knew what they needed to recharge the suit.  She also knew the dangers they faced in acquiring the means.  From what she had learned the Earth had fallen prey to Grand Warlord Voss two years ago.  Which proved her hunch right, something, someone, had changed the past.  They had to find out what had changed, and then find a way to set it right.  But first things first, they wouldn’t get anywhere with Ryan Frost in this condition.

The Chairman now ruled Rook City, and his network was still as powerful as ever.  She had counted on them being unknown but even that was denied them.  Thanks to some myth about heroes returning from the sky the whole world was looking for them.  She did appreciate being immortalized as “One who walks in shadow,” but she’d prefer those shadows to be free of people looking for her.

Sadly they had to act, and fast.  This Rook City had a lot in common with hers, even if Maia Montgomery was dead here others would stand with her.  On the other hand plenty others would sell her out to the Chairman for a cup of coffee.

. . .

Getting in had been easy enough, they were preparing the necessary equipment when it started.  A terrible screeching sound, like the air itself was drowning in a horrid sea of noise.  Wraith knew the sound, as did her allies.  All they could do is prepare for her entrance, and it would be dramatic.

“Greetings, and welcome to Rook City frien . . . What are you doing here?”  The skylight had been broken open by a swarm of crows, the Matriarch then lowered in, carried by what must have been several hundred more.

“We’re from the Rook City tourism board, your birds are annoying the visitors, so we’re here to quiet them.”  Expatriette grinned, reaching for a gun.

“You three have meddled in my affairs too long, even now the Ravens call for your soul!”

“Is she always like this?” Frost asked Expatriette, but before he got an answer he was surrounded by the filthy flying rats.

“Ah, good, I am not disappointed after all.  The heroes of legend have come, tell me where are your friends?”  The Matriarch was positively glowing over her prize. "Time to crank up the AC," Ryan muttered to himself, hoping the suit would last the fight.

The Wraith was closing on the Matriarch, if she could get to the upper walkway unseen they’d get a good jump on the Matriarch.  She was spotted though, a flood of caws came towards her and several fat crows flanked her. Stealth was out, and Frost's suit wasn't functioning normally, a thick layer of ice was building up around it. At least this complex seemed the same as in her world, she would have to use the terrain to her advantage.

“Ahh, the one who walks in shadow, good.  Two new pretty things for my lovelies to play with.  You will fetch a handsome reward!”

The heroes fight the Matriarch all through the Pike Industrial Complex, leaving a swath of chemicals, dead birds and property damage in their wake.  In the end the Matriarch is defeated, her flock decimated and herself torn by robot dinosaurs.

They left her there.  Lying unconscious with her half dead birds picking at her.  Ryan had some serious questions about this place, and this timeline that persecutes people with powers, yet leaves a girl that commands flocks of birds alone.  Sadly the fight had attracted a lot of attention (giant explosions at the chemical plant tend to do that) and they had to book it.

The girl known as Unity was strangely quiet afterwards, her bots doing their best to tear that girl apart didn’t seem to sit well with her.  Ryan had never been the cause of a scene like that, frozen people were funny, that mess was. . . better off forgotten.

Back at the hideout there was some serious debate.  The nice distraction of recharging his suit was over, serious things were being discussed now.  Legacy had been located, he was being held in The Block, a Hi-tech prison built under the Freedom Five HQ, which in this world was the Ministry of Global Security.  It was responsible for tracking, apprehending and neutralizing “Excessively Dangerous Persons”  which was code for anyone with powers.

Amanda, known as Expatriette was adamant about avoiding that place, her mother was killed there, she was some big advocate for universal rights, and they killed her for it.  Amanda was a wanted person, just for being her daughter.  Wraith was convinced Legacy was necessary for their goals to succeed, but the little intel they had on The Block made Ryan lean towards Expatriette’s side.

The arguments got rather heated, so Ryan just kept to himself, he had several months before the suit would need recharging, and he planned to be much more knowledgeable next time.  He had figured out how to replicate the condition his suit had been in for the fight in the industrial complex, and he was enjoying considering the possibilities.

Amanda was fine with these so called “Heroes from space,” she had honestly never believed the rumors, but the proof was undeniable, the Wraith and Absolute Zero knew how to fight.  No one had challenged the Matriarch and lived, and now she was defeated.  This Legacy though, no matter who he was she wasn’t going to the Block.  Never there, not for anyone.

If the Wraith was right, and there was a timeline where her mother was alive, it was worth whatever the risk.  The plan was simple, go back in time and kill Ivan Ramonat.  No problem there, that sick freak was the reason for all of this.  He designed the Block, he started the Ministry of Global Security, and from what she was told it was his fault Voss took over.

When the others arrived the group was at an impasse, split between charging into certain death at the Block and actually fixing this mess.  This Helena, with her wings and that huge sword, Amanda couldn’t help but like her, she was hardcore, even if she was crazy. The bald lady had all kinds of information for them and seemed to be legit, but the other one was Dr. Meredith Stinson.  A hero.  It was too much.  The ministries top scientist, killed by the terrorist strike that had nearly destroyed the ministry itself, some say Stinson heroically stayed behind when they evacuated and helped save that robot abomination that ran the place.  Her arrival and insistence that they go to the Block and save Legacy would have been enough reason to run the other way if Amanda had been considering it.  As far as she was concerned they were walking into a death trap.  Idiots.

She was surprised the Wraith would go with them, but whatever.  Amanda Looked over her team, the Frozen suit guy, Wings, Unity and her.  She wasn’t confident about Devra, the poor girl had gotten her first real taste of nastiness and it hadn’t sat well, but the rest of them she believed in.  If only Slim hadn’t stayed behind, she knew he would never leave Rook City, but she would be sad to not have him.  What wasn’t sitting well was following the directions this Visionary had laid out, meeting some nutjob in Africa didn’t sound like a great plan to save the world, but then time-travel wasn’t exactly her thing, she’d have to trust someone.

“I’m coming mother,” Expatriette whispered as she boarded the plane.

The action continues in the next episode: "Mommy Time," or "You can't go back to Lycopolis."

 
4

So Amanda Cohen will learn her mother isn't all she was believed...

But how did the Visionary come into the picture?

5

She came into the picture with Fanatic and Tachyon, I added a mention of her that hopefully makes that clear and isn't awkward.

I can tell you I have gained a lot of sympathy for the GtG guys when they talk about all the background that we don't know.

I have all kinds of stuff on this timeline, but no way to really get it out in the way I'm telling the story, I don't want omniscient heroes, so you get what you get.  For example the first Episode ending was going to be told very differently, as I was thinking it would be Tachyon finishing off Baron Blade, that he was out before her turn changed a lot of what I wrote.  Similarly some very interesting info was left out because of how episode 2 ended and the various choices the players have made, and other info is found out that wouldn't be, and also what heroes you guys get change, and that will change things in ways you might not ever know were affected.

This is what I love about game mastering, all the little things that players do or don't know that drive the world they are running through.  For example the characters that aren't coming with you are still acting, and you may or may not see them again depending on all kinds of factors.

6

From running RPGs, I know well the pain of heroes' actions invalidating the story I wished to tell, and forcing me to try to come up with something half as cool on negligible notice.

7

Episode 3:  My Mummy, My Mommy

"Look Doc, how about we can the lecture and get to the plan." Amanda wanted to shoot something, anything at this point.  History lessons only made that desire stronger.  Two weeks since they left Rook City and all they had done was travel.  Sitting looking at clouds, sitting looking at water, sitting looking at sand.  Now they had these two talking at them.  "Sounds like a simple extraction to me."

"Yes, if by simple you mean navigating traps and puzzles set up to kill invaders while trying to avoid awakening what remains there than yes, it will be simple."  Blake Washington knew where they were going, and he knew the risk involved, if only everyone else wouldn't just stare blankly the minute he tried to explain it.  How could he explain the danger that could be in any rock, brick, urn or spider's web.  How could they know, the way he knew, all too well that things remained in these tombs.

"The Rod of Anubis is our target, it is a powerful artifact of a long dead civilization."  John started, "The Egyptians aimed to protect its power from the rest of the world, it will not be easy to reach."  

"So you're saying your old rod is gonna send us back in time?" Ryan was starting to regret coming on this trip, this scholar guy was alright but the desert heat was not his favorite thing, and hunting for relics in a tomb with doctor boring didn't sound like much fun either.

Devra had had enough, "Don't you guys listen at all?" she asked, "Anubis was a judge, and his staff was able to access the portals we need to attempt time travel, seemed pretty simple to me."

"Except for the whole time travel thing," Ryan interjected, "I don't think anyone is going to stop Baron Blade by opening a portal to hell."

"That's where this baby comes in."  The Scholar pulled a large round stone out from his robe.  It glowed slightly and seemed to pulse with energy.  "I'll use this baby to alter the nature of the portal, then the rod activates it and we have a portal through time. . . hopefully."

"The trouble is the spirit of Anubis may still be present in the staff, or the tomb."  Blake added.

"Then it will face judgement itself."  Helena looked at Dr. Washington, then resumed her meditation.  The ride was a quiet one after that.

. . .

"No no no no no no no," Blake ran his hand over the seal again, someone had tried to force it open.  "Someone else has been here, and to get this far. . ."

"How observant Doctor."  They turned to see several figures blocking the tunnel behind them.  They braced for combat.

"Now now, we don't want a fight, we want the same thing you want."  A Blond woman stepped out of the shadow toward them.  "With that artifact we can stop Voss and reclaim the planet, so why don't we all work together."

"Is that all you want Dawn," the Scholar stepped forward, trying to read her face.

"Dawn. . ." Expatriette stepped forward, suddenly pale and shaken.

"Amanda!" Dawn cried out and ran to hug her daughter.

. . .

"Watch the ones on the left young one, do not be caught off guard."  Helena cautioned Devra, "We do not know how long they will continue their ruse."

Expatriette and her mother had been talking for over an hour.  "That's a lot of explaining to do after 15 years."  Ra commented, still working on opening the seal.

"What if she was telling the truth?" Devra asked, "It is possible you know."

"Not likely, Dawn didn't escape the Block, she fought her way out.  On her way she recruited or killed most of the other prisoners, and almost the entire defense force.  She didn't leave Amanda there because she had to."  The Scholar was helping Blake, but being very careful to keep his stone hidden as he talked.

"How do you know so much?"  Frost asked, trying to maintain his care free bored demeanor while keeping an eye on Dawn and Amanda.

"I read son, learn all kinds of stuff that way."

. . .

Dr. Blake Washington looked at the wall before him, taking it in.  He knew how to open it, or rather Ra knew how to open it.  He just had to wait for everyone else to be ready.

"We have to get her to play her hand first Blake, we need Expatriette on our side if we are going to make it out of here with the Rod."  John Rhodes knew how to play it cool, he had a pretty good poker face.  Ra was as stalwart as ever, and Ryan Frost, well you couldn't even see his face.  The girl called Unity was the liability, she was nervous, anyone could tell, she'd probably already tipped their hand to Dawn; but they weren't bluffing Dawn, they were playing for Amanda.

"I've got a job for you young lady, we're gonna need this entrance open, it's the only way out.  If Dawn gets back with the Rod, close it and get out, otherwise hold it for us.  You got that, no matter what it takes, keep it open, and don't be seen."

"OK."  The girl replied, "Umm Mr. Rhodes?"

"Yeah?"

"Amanda, her mother, they. . ."

John patted the girl on the head.  "She'll make it, Amanda's tough, she'll make it."  She better, he thought to himself.

. . .

They were in, Devra had sneaked away beautifully, and the rest of them were all making their way through what looked to be either an underground library or a unfinished maze.

"The Chamber of the Rod is straight down this corridor to the left," Ra stated, he could feel the energy of the Rod, and from the look of her, so could Dawn, her eyes were gold and her blonde hair was turning lighter, as if she was drawing energy from the tomb.

"Yes, I can feel it, I want to thank you for your help Dr. we couldn't have made it this far without you.  I'm afraid your usefulness is done though, I suggest you leave now."  Dawn stepped ahead of them down the corridor, and her followers began to position themselves between her and the heroes.  

"It doesn't have to be this way Dawn," the Scholar reasoned, "We both want the same thing, let's work together and restore balance to the world."

"Balance, there will be no balance, the Mortals have had their turn to rule, and look where we are."  Her hair was glowing now, as she pulled herself to her full height, "I will make a new world, one where our kind rules the Mortals, a world where they know their place and bow before me!"

"Mother, what are you saying?"  Amanda interjected, "Stop this!"

"Come with me my child, join us in creating a new world, take your place at my side and we will rule this world together."

"No mother, we need to set things right, not mess them up even more."

"You would choose the mortals over your own kind my daughter?  Such sentiment for people that would torture and kill you."

"I'm. . . I'm not like you Mother, I'm normal, I don't have powers."  Expatriette's fists were clenched, her voice low and angry.

"I see.  No matter, it is but one more thing for me to correct, Citizens, destroy them!"

"Now!" Rhodes yelled, and Ra reached out and touched the wall, his hand burning.  The corridor erupted with a dark green light, low but piercing.

"Who awakens Anubis, Come and be judged!"

Devra guards the entrance while the heroes and Citizens race to recover the Rod of Anubis.  In the end the Mummies and Traps are too much for them, and Dawn returns to the entrance alone with the Rod.

 

Devra heard the booming voice, although she couldn't make out the words, and heard screaming.  "Come on guys, Come on." she called, "Make it out of there."

A few minutes later she saw someone moving, crawling towards her with the Rod.  It was Dawn.  Devra ran, blade bot smashed the support beam and the entrance collapsed, a loud rumble spread through the ground and the entire tomb sank and fell apart into a heap of rubble and sand.

. . .

Devra choked back the tears in her eyes.  She cleared her mind and focused on the only thing that mattered, spinning.  The truck had ran out of gas ages ago, and there was no way she could stay out in this desert.

“Keep it going girl,” she told herself, her head starting to pound from the spinning.  Frustrated and tired she pushed too fast, and lost control.

The sun was going down now, the air was starting to cool, and while that felt good, Unity knew very well how cold it was going to get soon.  Still she sat.  She had to clear her mind, had to think.  She ran out of the tomb so fast, drove out into the desert without paying attention to where she was going.  “Stupid girl,” she muttered angrily to herself, “you know better.”  She looked at the truck, the engine was shot, but she didn’t need that, she could put the right side back together but that flat tire wouldn’t run in the sand, and besides spinning the axles was exhausting.  Then it hit her, it was so obvious.  In less than a minute Unity was moving again, leaning back in her seat while Truckbot ran through the desert.  “That Scholar guy was right, just gotta learn to keep a cool head,” but that only reminded her of of what had just happened, and how she had left her friends.

Truck Bot stopped. Devra didn't know which way to go, she had friends buried under that rubble, were they dead, alive? Could she help them? Devra was scared, and she wished Slim was here, he always gave the best advice, he'd know what to do, but he was in Rook City. The others were there too, maybe they could mount a real rescue, but it would be some time before she could get back.

John Rhodes pulled himself back together, flushed the sand out and reverted to his normal body.  flowing through sand and rock to the surface was easy, lugging a big old rock with him wasn’t.  The truck was gone.  He had hoped as much, the girl had done her job, and from the looks of it had gotten away alive.  He hadn’t planned on the cave-in, but it worked, Dawn was buried.  The night was cold, but that didn’t bother him.  He laid down and cleared his mind, he’d need all his mental faculties when he went back down to fetch the Rod.

 

John awoke to sounds of metal grinding and clanging, he looked around and found the source.  Unity had returned, and was shaping a large rodent looking thing out of what appeared to be the truck they had driven here.

While he was glad to see she was alive, he was not happy she had returned.

“What are you doing back here?” He asked.

“Good morning to you too.” she replied, “I thought I might help look for survivors.”

“You need to get out of here,” Scholar interrupted, “before someone comes to investigate.”

“I’m not leaving until we search for survivors.”

Scholar could tell she meant it.  He sighed, “Alright, let’s get digging.”

. . .

It was easy directing Unity to the Rod of Anubis and the survivors, the Lines pointed it all out, and he had to admit that Mole Bot contraption made the work short.  Dawn was alive, but unconscious.  They had decided to leave her, Absolute Zero’s suit had protected him from the collapse, but he wasn’t in good shape.  They found Ra, he had been lucky, but both his legs were broken and he was feverish, he needed medical help.  Expatriette was dead, as were most of Dawn’s citizens, and Fanatic was gone, she wasn’t in the lines at all, and there was no trace of the other artifacts of Anubis.  Like Fanatic and the spirit of Anubis had vanished from this plane of existence.

 

They were digging Ra out when the sirens and lights came.  The Scholar had figured on them having another hour, but this wasn’t a local response, this was serious.  He evaluated the situation quickly, and then turned to the girl.

“I’m sorry Unity, I have to go.” he said, as his body turned to liquid and sinking into the sand with the Rod.

“I understand, and call me Devra.”

 

Tune in next time for Episode 4: Jailhouse Rock, or Dastardly Devices Deserve Detention.

8

Episode 4:  Maniacal Mainframe Mishaps

Devra awoke, and looked around her plastic prison.  She couldn’t do anything with plastic, and there didn’t seem to be any metal mechanisms, or even anything to reprogram anywhere nearby.  They had learned.

She smiled, it had taken them a long time to get her out of the desert, she couldn’t fight them with all those guns, but she could sabotage their vehicles, even in handcuffs.  In the end it was Dr. Washington that got her to cooperate, they put her in the vehicle with him, and in his state she couldn’t risk delaying them.

Even at the Prison they were slow in figuring out how to deal with her.  So many things to tinker with, so many tools to use.  She might have made it out if it wasn’t for the suppression fields, they just took you down, there didn’t seem to be a way to defeat them.  

While she was thinking the air vent started blowing a sweet smell into the room.

“Gas,” she said to herself, “what are you jerks doing with me now?”

 

Devra awoke, again.  This time the walls were metal, but not Iron.  She still couldn’t do anything with them.

She also wasn’t alone.

“Good morning little one.”  The incredibly large man said.

“How do you know it’s morning?” Devra asked, eying the stranger.

“I can feel it, even in here the air knows it is morning.”

“Aah,” she replied, OMG They stuck me with a nutjob, she thought to herself.

“Soo, why do you think they put us together?” she asked, trying to make some small talk to alleviate the incredible awkwardness.

“I believe we are part of a breeding experiment.”

“EEW!”

“Yes, Breeding programs are offensive to all forms of life.”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”  Unity tried to relax, but she was thoroughly repulsed and just sat on the far side of the cell, trying not to think about anything as they sat in silence.

 

It wasn’t long before the door opened and two female guards walked in.  “Come on you two, time to get moving.”  The one tried to put handcuffs on Devra, Devra just slid them back and latched them on the lady, then had her gun turn itself into a nice metal crane, still in the holster.

The handcuffs hit the floor with a clang.  The woman’s wrists were gone, and a fog seemed to come from her sleeves.  The other told her to be still.  But not with words, her mouth didn’t even move. . .

Unity and the her new friend followed them out of their cell.

"You are clear up to yellow level, move quickly, they are trying to seal the exits."

"Up he Stairs," Scholar directed.  Slim swiped his ID and opened the door, John couldn't help but notice something wierd in the lines around Mr. Fixer, but he didn't have time to ponder it.

"Redirect, Yellow is locked, we've got Orange through section 450."

They got out of the stairwell and headed past offices and some laboratories, running through techs and watching for security.

"They are onto me, going to scramble them, keep your heads up."

"Who is that?" Unity asked the lady she now knew as Nightmist.  "That's Tachyon, she's hacking the security systems for us." Nightmist replied.

"So that's why the Supression systems are offline."  Unity was feeling rather useless, she hadn't had time to think of any usefull Golems, and she couldn't hack anything from here.  She looked across the group, the Wraith was there, and Tachyon somewhere, two of the five.  She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Absolute Zero, his suit was in bad shape when they dug him out.  The Scholar had come. . . "Hey, why the heck did you bring that!" Devra pointed at the Rod of Anubis, hanging on Scholar's back, under his backpack, "Shouldn't that be someplace safe?"

The Scholar looked toward the girl, then it hit him.  He pulled out the staff, looked at it and at Mr. Fixer.  Then he held it out to him, "Here, I think you should take this."

Harry reached out and took the wooden rod, it was light and felt. . .

"You will restore balance."  He shook his head, that was bizarre.  "Your heart is light.  You have passed judgement.  You will restore balance."

Slim stumbled, Wraith grabbed his arm and helped him up, "You okay old timer?" she asked.

"Older than you know." the old man replied softly, and Maia could swear she saw a pale green tint in his eyes.

"This is where we part ways, good luck."  Wraith and the Scholar went off with some other guy, and the rest of them headed toward Orange 450.

. . .

"I'm sorry guys."

"You mean we have to go through it?"  Nightmist responded into the headset.

"No other way now, their protocols are catching up to me, I'll do what I can, but hurry."

"Right."  The one known as Visionary took off her security jacket, "If we are doing this, we are doing it right."

She pushed the button and the doors opened, and they all walked into the Operations Center of the Ministry of Global Security, home of the Super Robot known as Omnitron.  Mr. Fixer just grinned, and his fists became sheathed in a pale green energy.

The Heroes battle it out with Omnitron and his myriad of Drones and other devices.  Not to mention surviving the prisoners and guards all gunning for our heroes.  They escape, and what's more the Scholar and Wraith rescue Legacy and Ra.

“All Prison-Thursday Visitation will~Alert! Alert!~Pancakes opening~Destruction Irrelevant.”

The Giant Robot Omnitron shuddered and collapsed.

“Tachyon, are you there, Omnitron is down, get us out of here.”  Nightmist yelled into her mic as she started towards the exit.

“Take the Emergency stairwell D, should be right by you, take it to the top, I’ll seal the steps behind you.”

“What about the guards?” asked Unity, looking back at the crowd of prisoners, “and what about them?

“We cannot solve this mess, we can only contain it and hope they find balance.”  Slim looked at her, but he didn’t look like the man she knew these past few years, there was more than just quiet strength in those eyes, there was power, and ambition.

. . .

Unity didn’t know what to think.  Amanda was dead, and Slim was, well different.  She had killed people, and had destroyed the Evil Robot that they had feared for so long.  She thought about her bots, and about the Warden and guards at the prison.  Those people were part robot, did they feel doubt and sorrow, or did they know what they needed to do, and do it without pain?

She wanted to cry, she wanted Slim to tell her it would be okay, like he did when she was little and Amanda was alive.

. . .

The bus was full of arguing.  Legacy and Ra were in the back, she looked at Legacy, the one everyone was counting on, he couldn’t even sit up, he just grimaced in pain.  Tachyon said Omnitron had experimented on him, and he might not recover.  Ra was in some kind of restrictive cast, his back and legs were broken.  Apparently her rescue was a distraction so they could get those two out.  She was a decoy, expendable.  That didn’t sit good either.

She was sick of Time Travel, like it was going to magically solve everything, go back, fix things and *poof* her world disappears, all these people gone, her life erased.  They think we're all expendable, she thought to herself.  Now they were arguing over whether or not they should help the people of the city, Voss was coming, and he was angry.  He swore the city would suffer for aiding the heroes, and she had seen what he could do to cities that defied him.

 

Megalopolis was already locked down, they had gotten through though, the Psychic lady made sure of that. But the rest

“We can’t just leave them to die!” someone shouted

“But we can save them, stop all of this, stop Voss from ever taking the Earth, Stop Blade, Stop it all!”

“But what if it fails, then what have we done, look at what we are responsible for!”

“This world is dead, we can’t save it by dying here with it!”

Unity put her head down and listened to the fight, the voices blurring into just noise.

“You are troubled young one, perhaps we could talk?

Unity looked up, and her face fell.

“I left them there, I left her there. . . just like you left me.”

. . .

Devra woke up, still on the bus.

“Where are we?” she asked groggily.

“Rook City.”

Devra’s head cleared.  “What?”

“We have a plane stashed there, we can get to our destination that way.”  The Scholar explained.

“What about Megalopolis, what about all those people?” she demanded.

Tachyon’s voice was quiet and serious, almost cold, “We can’t save them.  We can’t fight Voss.”

Devra burned with anger.  She looked at the television n the bus, it showed Megalopolis being destroyed, Voss’s ships bombarding the city, smashing buildings to the ground.  The graphic read Insurrection put down, Enemies of the people punished.

“We have to go back, we have to help them!” she screamed, her voice cracking.

Slim grabbed her by the shoulders.  “It’s too late for that Devra.”

“Let go of me, I don’t even know you anymore!” her anger overflowed, “Who are you people, you’re supposed to be heroes, we’ve waited for you, for so long.”  She pointed at the TV, “They waited for you, and now they are dying and you are running away.  You don’t care about us, you used us, you left Amanda to die, you left me to get captured, you did something to Harry and used us as decoy’s to get your precious Hero back,” she pointed at Legacy, unconscious in the back.  “And now they are dying, for him!  For a #(%&# Vegetable!”

The people around her looked defeated, Haka had tears running down his face.

The one they called the Wraith walked to her and put her hands on Devra’s shoulders.

She tried to shrug her hands off, tried to stay mad, but she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry Devra, we failed.”  Maia said.  “But there’s still hope.”

Tune in Next Time for another action packed story in:  Rook City Redemption, or The Good, the Bad and the Dog.

9

Episode 5:  Dog Days of Destruction.

Devra couldn’t take her eyes off the news coverage.

All those people, all that destruction, it was too much.

The others were right, they couldn’t have stopped it, they were no match for that fleet.

She understood why they were heading for the portal, wherever it was.  She understood the prison rescue, she had always understood why the Scholar had left her to be captured in Egypt.

That didn’t make her feel any better about it.

The only hope anyone had now was fixing this in the past.  This world, her world, was dying.  Ra’s staff, The Rod Harry carried, and the Scholar’s stone.  They were all needed for the portal to work, Nightmist, The Visionary, even Harry had risked their lives and hers to free Ra.  They had one shot, go back in time, save this Legacy guy’s father and stop some madman named Baron Blade from creating this hellish reality.

She thought of Amanda and her mother, maybe they could both be saved, maybe when this was fixed Amanda would have a mother who loved her.  Unity could fight for that.

*Loud noises*

Suddenly the Bus wretched into the air, and an explosion rocked the air around them.

"Leave Legacy, get Ra!" Wraith yelled through the smoke and fire. They had to keep Ra safe, no matter what.

Haka pulled the doctor free of the wreckage, then looked to see a helicopter landing roughly twenty feet from the bus.

"Hello Friends," a voice came over a megaphone, "I am pleased to announce you will all soon be dead."

The scene was chaos, the Bus was ruined, the heroes pulling themselves and allies from the wreckage, and behind them the sounds of sirens.

"Take Ra and get to the plane, we will hold them here." John Rhodes looked at the Visionary and nodded.  He took Ra from Haka and ran into the city.

Unity ran with him, Nightmist and Slim were with there too.  She looked back, Tachyon, The Wraith, Haka, The Visionary. . . more sacrifices, more people left behind.  She would make sure it wasn't in vain.

. . .

Navigating Rook City was a dangerous prospect at any time, but being hunted through the streets, that was a new experience.

The sounds of fighting were far behind them now, but getting through the city to the airstrip wasn't going to be easy.

They turned a corner, and there he was.

"Hello again, shall we dance?"

Hounded by mutant dogs and a hunter who could turn invisible seemingly at will, the heroes prove victorious when they cut Ambuscade off at his last cloaking device.

“What’s wrong, not so tough now are you jerk?”  Unity yelled at the tied up unconscious figure of the Hunter.

“And you can get out of here you freakshow mutt!”  Unity threw a rock at the dog-like monstrosity, chasing it around the corner and out of sight.

“You ready to get out of here?” Nightmist asked the others.

Mr. Fixer nodded, “Hopefully the others made it to the airstrip already.”

“I was wondering,” Unity started as they hailed a cab, “how did you know where his cloaking device would be?”

“I am a paranormal investigator, I can recognize patterns.” Nightmist replied, then leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

. . .

They arrived at the airport to see a nervous Haka pacing back and forth.

“You made it, that is encouraging.” He said as they carefully piled out of a very cramped cab.

Wraith flipped out her cell phone “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” she said into the phone.

Unity groaned, “Really?”

Wraith looked perplexed, “Tachyon chose it, she found it amusing, I don’t understand why though.”

“Where are we going anyway?” Unity asked, changing the subject.

Scholar put his finger over his mouth and shook his head.  Unity didn’t pursue the question.

“Planesreadytogogetonboardwe’retakingoffnow,whowantsapopsicle?” Tachyon sped by them into the plane.

“Everyone on board, single file and no pushing.” Haka said cheerfully, licking a popsicle Tachyon had brought him.

“And we’re going to save the world?” Nightmist said with a wry smile.

Everyone seemed cheerful, even with Ra injured, Expat dead and Legacy and Ryan Frost abandoned things somehow seemed positive.  For the first time it seemed that they just might do it, they just might save the whole world.

 

. . .

“So is it okay to discuss where we are going?” Unity asked Harry.

“Atlantis.” was his reply.

“What, the alien place from the History Channel?”

“It is real,” Visionary interjected, “John found it years ago, he and Mack have been exploring it, they found the portal and devised this plan.”

“We were just waiting for the legendary heroes to come, we knew we’d never pull it off without them.” Ra added.

“You were waiting?  Everyone thought the Heroes were a myth,”

“Not at all,” Visionary explained, “Ramonat was the original time traveller, he warned of their return because he knew they would be unaffected by the time line change.  They would return to find this world instead of their own.”

“Okay, so they defeated him, and he came back and messed up the whole world to what, set a trap for them?” Unity was still confused by this whole mess.

“Basically that is correct,” Wraith joined in, “Baron Blade as we know him came back to kill our leaders father to get revenge and to set up a new world for Legacy to return to, he wanted to be here to greet us, to rub in his victory and destroy Legacy once and for all.  He just didn’t plan on dying in that plane crash.”

“Please put your seats back in the upright position and put on your parachutes, and someone grab me some nachos.”

“Parachutes, what?” Unity did not like the sound of that.

“We can’t land on the island in this plane Devra , so we are parachuting in.” John handed her a pack.

“What about the plane, how do we get back?” Devra was starting to panic.

“The plane will crash in the ocean,” Nightmist informed her, “ we aren’t going back.”

“So the wings would be expendable right?” Unity asked, a smile forming.

Tachyon smiled and patted her on the shoulder, “Go to town girl, just make sure we are clear first.”

Devra watched the others jump out of the plane and waited for them to be clear, then reached out with her mind and began removing and reforming all the metal she could manipulate.

She thought of the friends she had lost, and the people that were trapped in Megalopolis.  

“We’ll set this right."

Stay tuned for the continuing story in:  Fish Tales, or Portal Hunters Paradise Lost.