Strikeforce: Morituri Part One "the Mortals" Is Completed

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 012
“Big, Green and Ugly”

The Captain sat very quietly and stared while he cleaned his shield. The woman before him seemed sane except for one fact. She talked to her cat and to the thin air. Sometimes even to her weapon (he hated to admit it but he had once done this himself with his shield in a foxhole in France). What bothered him mostly was how she seemed to answer an unseen person. Her mother. Her mother was everywhere. Momma this . Mom that. Mother here and there. But she was a good warrior. He had to give her that.

The two of them and Vander waited in a ruined metal carriage (bus). Megamania and Jean were within the city meeting the contact. They were expected back soon. What they were not expecting was the next twenty minutes of activity.

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“ Yes I know sir. Yes. We will engage”

David cuts communication from the palace and more specifically the Templar. He turns to the handful of men he has with him. All of them are in their riot gear complete with ion clubs and phasers. This gear is normally saved for Psion-X and the Russian Resistance rather than the poor. Some days David hated his job. Today he couldn’t even come up with a word to best describe it.

Still, he had orders. Greenwood, Weis, Denning and Salvatore understood this. They also understood this was not Psion-X they faced. It was an unknown. Psion-X knew better than to leave the bodies where they could be found.

Through careful tracking, searching and finally the use of a device that tracked psychic energy, they found three unknown figures hiding in a burned out shell in the Forbidden Zone. They loaded a gas canister into a launcher and prepared for the worst.

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The sun felt good to her. It always did, even before her reincarnation as a cat. “Momma” stirred and stretched tall and high from her nap near the wreckage of the metal frame. She understood far more than the others knew. Even more than her “owner” Christina. Now stretching her arms forwards, she scratched her magical claws into the old padded seat then the fur raised on her back. She thought she heard something. The sound of something hitting something……a soft foomph. She caste her feline eyes into the rocks near the hiding spot. What she saw she immediately telepathically communicated to Christina. They are under attack!

The gas grenade arched down at a steep rate and struck the roof with a loud thrakt and rolled and bounced inside. First out was the Captain in a daring leap through the front viewing area where he somersaulted and landed on his feet with his shield before him. Vander crashed through the rear doors with his falchion telepathically communicating to everyone within the wreckage that he was ready to fight. Christina of the Mace calmly walked through the side near the front. She was reciting a strange series of words and phrases as she prepared a spell. The five agents of Maestro thus began to fire onto the heroes and their shelter. The shots on the front miss or are deflected. Vander is struck in the back by a blast. He grunts and takes a step forward from the blast then turns with glowing eyes towards the rocks where the soldiers hide.

The Captain calls for the others to fan out while he goes directly up the front. Christina swings her magical sentient mace before her. A rift opens which both she and Momma step through. They reappear directly behind the unsuspecting soldiers. Vander charges the soldiers at full speed. His armor glitters in the strong sunlight. The Captain takes a grazing hit. One soldier spots Christina and blasts her. Another gets a shot off that upends Vander in mid charge.

The Captain throws his shield strikes one soldier then it strikes the rock and hits him again. With it’s momentum done it falters and falls onto his side of the rocks. Christina smashes down onto the closest soldier several times. Each strike cracks and damages the armor with illuminations of colored light. Vander spits out blood and snarls while picking himself up. “I hate magic.” Three soldiers concentrate on the now “defenseless” Captain. Several shots hit him hard as he tries to avoid them. Christina has the full attention of the others whom miss trying to get her. “That damn cat!” can be heard from one as a black fearless cat springs up and swats one as he tries to shoot her.

The Captain ignores his shield and rushes one soldier who is punched and knee’d over and over. Christina slams the soldier again while yelling for Momma to move it. This was no place for her. Vander holds his psionic falchion and pulls out two glowing gems. With a satisfied smile he throws the two gems at the soldier the furthermost away from Christina and the Captain. A great green and purple colored explosion rocks the soldier as two gems bounce off of him. He is blown clear of the others. The soldiers remaining try to go on full defensive or switch to their ion clubs.

The Captain breaks the jaw of one soldier whom goes down for the count. Following through with his attack, he continues to pommel the person next to him. Vander finishes his charge and leaps into the air looking to get one of soldiers aware. The soldiers are unable to mount much of a recovery. One does hit Christina with his charged up club. She barely notes it as having happened. The black cat however hisses at him (or was it Vander with his explosive gems?).

The Captain smashes at the soldier with several body strikes then an open hand technique designed to open cuts over the eyes. The soldier’s head snaps back and Captain crushes his air pipe with the next hit (natural crit). Christina strikes her opponent two more times before he falls. Vander strikes his already stunned foe with his full armored weight. He hits him hard and drives him back again. They tumble apart in the sand.
Agent David lowers his weapon looking at the intensity on the Red, Blue, White and Grey warrior before him. He knows when he is beaten. The only other remaining soldier merely tries to cover his body, as he has no idea where he is anymore. Vander holds his falchion at his throat.

Christina quietly walks up to the Captain and says a quiet prayer and merely touches him. His burns begin to go away immediately. Even when he is distracted, Agent David decides to stay his ground. The look on this man’s face is stronger and more fierce than that of his brutish leader- The Maestro.

“Who are you soldier?” demands the Captain as Christina inspects a deep cut caused by either another soldier or the explosion.

“I…I am Col. Peter David of Division S-SFX.” He stammers as the Captain’s blue eyes borrow into his soul. He reminds him of another soldier that was a hero. One who is not allowed to be spoken of. A leader of the Adventurers. Hope beats in his heart that maybe other heroes survived the bomb and Maestro’s purge. “Are…Are you Captain Am-“

A thunderous explosion erupts near the circle of five people. The dust and smoke settle and from a crater climbs out a figure ten feet tall and possibly ten feet wide. Vander fears a pit fiend has been unleashed within their midst.

“You are not Psion-X nor the Resistance. Not that it matters. It would matter little to me.” Thunders out a low graveled voice full of hate and power. “Little matters…to the Maestro.”

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 013
“You Can Not Defeat the Maestro”

A large green skinned Ogre stands over them. He has wild light green hair that grows in patches. Dark green warts and scales cover his skin. In all appearances, he wears nothing but a scaled purple and black pants and wrap. Heavy leather boots and gloves are also worn.

The Captain slowly stands up picking up his fabled shield. He studies this large foe trying to figure out how something this big could live. He is the size of an elephant! The beast is obviously ill tempered and very dangerous.

Christina of the Mace also picks herself up and studies the foe. She begins to review the spells she may need to defeat this muscle-bounded freak. If only half the stories she has heard are true he will be very hard to defeat. They were not ment to face him at all. They were here only to steal an artifact he unwittingly holds within his fortress.

Vander glares at him. This creature is a fiend. It needs to die but fiends don’t die easily…especially the big ones.

The Captain walks directly up to him. Once about 10 feet away he stops. The entire time there is a battle of wills as the two lock eyes. “Maestro. I presume this is who you are. We are not here to battle with you. We are merely travelers.”

A wide toothy grin opens up on the Maestro. “You are mere travelers? I doubt that. Especially since I’ve killed you once already Captain. Guess I’ll just have to do it again.” He tenses up and raises his arms to strike.

Vander strikes first- Mind to Mind.

Maestro finds himself standing on top of Washington’s head at Mt. Rushmore. Confused for a moment he glances about. Trees Tourists…the hum of birds and planes. He is in the past. A whistling sound is heard far overhead. Even as he looks upward an eerie soft green tinted light appears. It baths him and the world in its toxic warmth. He smiles. This when he became the Maestro. What kind of attack is this? Then instead of becoming stronger…he weakens.

The explosive blast then strikes him and the granite monument blows up. Long tense minutes go by. Maestro can not believe it! He is getting weaker. He can not pull himself free from the boulders and rubble. Then a white and gold armored figure floats within his sight. Vander. “You are defeated. You are demoralized. You can go no further …Banner”

GET

OUT

OF

MY

HEAD!

Screams Maestro. The suddenness of the outbursts pushes Vander to a knee. Tired he catches his breath. He knew it was a long shot but hoped for a weak mind wrapped in a strong body. No such luck.

Christina calls up a powerful spell to strike him down. A circular cloud grouping appears above him. The Captain moves away sensing something with come down from the cloud grouping…something harmful. The Maestro looks up and sees a flash of heat again. Only this time it is real. He screams in pain as the very gates of hell itself seem to pour it’s flames onto him (Flame Strike). Screaming in as much rage as pain, he leaps out of the inferno and crashes again nearby. Steam and flame crackle from his skin.

The Captain begins the attacks by throwing his returning shield. It strikes the green goliath over and over. No real damage is done and the Captain begins to realize how futile this may be. Vander powers up calling on his natural psionic talents. His skin thickens and becomes rough to the touch. His strength increases and he prepares for his next attack. The Maestro strikes down on the Captain. The Shield is struck so hard the toughened near magical steel alloy bends and splits (199 pts). The Captain screams in pain as his arm is shattered while holding the shield. “Not so tough are you?” sneers the hulking beast over the defeated and defenseless Captain. Christina quickly tries to hold the beast still through the use of a spell. The beast slows down then stops completely. “Quickly- I’m uncertain how long I can hold him.” Says Christina as her will begins to battle his own.

Vander pulls the limp but conscience Captain away from the green statue of rage and death. White fractured bones are visible through the Captain’s scale armor. He is in shock from the severity of the wound. She moves away from the brute closer to Vander. Vander carefully releases the broken Captain and hefts up his charged sword. Screaming he charges the frozen brute and begins to hack into him. The psionically charged Falchion draws blood and soon fleshy chucks. He hacks at him until the weapon feels heavy in his arms. The Maestro’s glare is of poor evil and menace. As she feared…his mind’s rage finally overcomes hers. He lashes out at Vander. He strikes him hard enough that psionic energy crackles and weakens with each strike (197 pts). Vander feels ribs break and twist under the impacts. His armor deforms and his weapon falters. All the while- The Maestro’s many deep wounds begin to heal up rapidly (hidden Tattoos of Claws of the Vampire). He turns rapidly and the red tinted drool and spittle flies free from his lip. His eyes flash in pure anger and hatred. “ENOUGH!” hisses Momma the cat.

“Huh?!?!?” Not even Strange had a talking cat snarls the beast looking towards the source of the telepathic message. Christina, with tears in her eyes reaches over and grasps Vander while still holding the Captain. Momma leaps onto her lap as the air shimmers around them and they disappear.

“hurmmmmmm I hate porters” grumbles the hulking engine of destruction that turns towards two lone survivors…Col. David and Salvatore. A new evil smile crosses his face as he sees the new possibilities before him.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 014
“Regroup”

The site they find at the metal shell used as a hiding place sickens Jean. The scene nauseates even Megamania. Something has torn two armored men apart piece by piece. The pieces were then discarded within a 500ft radius of the site. Worst of all, a finger was used to mark the rocks to indicate how many pieces of each man worn torn free. Megamania is beginning to think he is only now battling the being of purest evil he was thought to have battled before.

Looking about, Megamania finds many metallic and ceramic flakes from the Captain’s scale armor. Chipped chunks of plastics that covered his shield are found. Pieces of Vander’s armor, the more decorative pieces any way, are found in the red sticky sand. Something came in here hard and fast and torn apart the two. No sign of Christina or her cat can be found.

“What do you make of it?” asks Jean with a sour look still on her face.

“In a word…. Hell. In all seriousness, I think this Maestro guy was here. See here- (points to large divots in the sand), those are footprints. B-I-G footprints. The…evidence suggests a strong, evil twisted mind also. It’s hard to say with the activity that happened with the soldiers... but I think these tracks are Christina’s. The metal skin guards dug into the harder packed sand and dirt. She spun or dragged a prone figure around with her. I’m guessing our fearless leader based on the pieces of armor and shield found. She leaned heavily this way...perhaps to touch Vander. This depression is his. Something struck him so hard; he was driven into the hard earth. The cat could have been here or ran away. I'’ not sure. The tracks it would leave would disappear quickly in this kind of conflict and environment."”

Sighing and now standing upright to look at Jean, the Storm Wielder, eye to eye he shakes his head in confusion. “What I don’t understand is where they went. It’s as if they simply didn’t exist anymore. Even the way the sand filled in Vander’s impact area. He just didn’t exist anymore. I’m lost.”

“Teleportation”

“Huh? I don’t believe in that. That’s science fiction.”

“Science…fiction? Is that how you call magic?”

“Jean…you’ve bootylious and all that but don’t go into magic. That’s insane. I don’t believe in it and it doesn’t exist.”

Getting over her first impression of what war must be like, she pulls out a feather. “Magic is simple. One only needs to believe, practice and understand.”

Crossing his arms, he turns his back to her and looks for an evidence of mortar shells or explosives he may have overlooked before. He feels Jean’s hand gently touch his shoulder. “You need to learn…Jim. You need to…. huh?” Jean withdraws her hand and stares at it. She turns it about as if looking for a flaw.

“Let’s hope for the best and go to the secondary meeting place. Maybe they yet live and are waiting for us there.”

“I…I agree.” She says with her mind elsewhere.

Several hours go by as they walk back towards the meeting place. They climb the rocks and head for a downed jet airliner that still has a fuselage intact. They had seen it before on the mountainside and figured it to be a good place to regroup if the need was there. They get close then Megamania stops and inspects the ground. A blue ceramic chip is in the crab grass. “The Captain ...or at least his body, was here.” He says holding up the piece for Jean to see.

They reach the downed aircraft and indeed find the three there. The Captain has his armed in a splint. Vander is out of his armor, heavily bandaged, and trying to repair his armor without much for a forge. Christina watches over the Captain, still in armor. As always, the cat glares at Megamania and waves it’s tail in disgust and displeasure.

Christina gets up and hugs both travelers and thanks her gods (and more) that they are alive. “Hmmm? Oh you’re correct Mom…it looks like you guys were in a fight.”

Shaking his head in amazement at her mental delusions, he can only reply- “At least it wasn’t a war. What happened?”

“The single strongest creature I have ever seen.” Grunts Vander whom squints as his entire back and ribcage spasms in pain. “He struck us down barehanded.”

“One lone creature did this to you guys…bare-handed…. no guns, no bazookas…no laser guided missiles…just his hands…?”

“….and his rage…” whispers the Captain.

“You’re awake!” yells Christina. “Don’t move or dare attempt to get up. That arm took 6 hours of divine reconstruction. Any cleric with less skill would not have been able to save it.”

Megamania follows the Captain’s defeated and horrified gaze. Lying nearby is his once glorious shield. It is now nothing but scrap metal. Megamania walks over to it. He thinks to himself about how this was done barehanded. Indeed, there is one impact mark that clearly has the marks of four large knuckles. The hand that did this was massive…the cubic span could be measured in feet! This was no man…it was a monster.

“Don’t…you have…no right to hold it” pleads the Captain while trying to get up.

“Megamania- PLEASE…can’t you see how traumatic this is for him. Put the shield down. Nice and gently.” Asks Jean.

Frowning but not unmoved by the rawness of his emotions, he looks once more at the shield. It had about five layers of incredibly tough, strong alloys with ceramic components to absorb impact and heat. A tough plastic he could not identify then surrounded this. This shield was a piece of engineering art and craftsmanship. It was more than that. It was a symbol. He could clearly remember the round circular rings of Red, White and Blue with a gray star. The gray didn’t fit but it still reminded him of home. And that reminded him of what his home met. What it represented. He walked over to the Captain and gently laid it next to him. Flakes of red plastic flaked off onto the ground. The Captain carefully picked them up and tried to place them back onto the shield. Eyes flowed down both cheeks and dripped onto his neck and shoulder.

Megamania stood up and saw not the defeated man before him that the others saw. No. He saw a father in mourning. This father whom would kick some serious butt once he got off his butt. With the thought done and over, Jim, the sarcastic spy with an attitude, turns to the others shrugs his shoulders and walks off to work off his own emotions. Ones that he can no longer bury and fears can not hide.

Vander has repaired the structural damage that he can. It will need new detailing and smoothing but at least he can once more wear it. Before, there was a dent large enough to push hard against his already crushed chest. The removal of the chest plate caused nearly as much damage to him as the original strike.
He then put his work aside and thought long and hard about his mental combat with the creature. Was the green energy magical? It clearly was not psionic in nature. Perhaps something new. This technology that he heard Megamania speak of. If so, it was a dangerous power to leave unchecked.

Christina and Jean went into another section of the plane to discuss what to do. They compared notes and knew they could not combat this creature of hellish power and strength. The Black Spider had told them of a place to enter the palace. This place may even contain what they seek. It was his trophy room. Here he displayed the remains and broken artifacts of the heroes and would be competition. It was a good place to return to. He rarely went there anymore. No one provided him with something to add to it anymore after all.

The Black Spider would meet them at a prescribed place in three days. She felt it would take that long for the guards to relax after their battle within the bar within the outer edge of the city.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 016
“I Need to Know What to Do”

The Captain walked about stretching his taunt muscles. He had in bed for too long. He needed to get up and do something…anything…but think about…his shield. He had saved a piece of the chipped off plastic. He was unsure why and to what good it would do. But it felt good in his pocket. His walk grew into a jog and his jog into a run.

All the time he thought about what was needed to be done. The creature was the size of a tank but quicker than a motorbike. It had to have a weakness. But what was it?

Vander was also restless. He was outfitted in his repaired armor. He was going through a series of moves and routines to check its flexibility and sturdiness. It still held its psionic enchantments, which was a good sign. If he believed in a god, he would have thanked him or her for that. Instead he thanks Sersi whom built the armor for him all those years ago.

He couldn’t help but wonder how the creature healed like it did. While on the battle world Acheron, he had heard of a creature of similar size and healing. A Troll. But it lacked the strength and pure brutality. So what was it?

Jean studied her book of spells looking for something to bring down the beast. She doubted she could on her own. She knew they needed to work as a team. From the description of the battle, teamwork, or the lack of, nearly defeated them against the soldiers. Vander nearly killed them with a psionic explosion and The Captain ordered Christina into combat before allowing her to support either of them with her divine spells. The Captain had no idea still what his team could do. Megamania was so anti-magic that he was working against them.

Megamania.

What happened in the battlesite anyway? Her spell completely fizzled that would have allowed him and her to fly away saving time and energy. Was it her…or him that swallowed the spell’s might? It was successfully caste. She could feel the power flow. It was active until…until she directed it onto him. Strange.

Christina meditated to her goddess. Surely the Goddess of the realities could help her. Mother and Mom were both strangely quiet. Perhaps they too were reflecting on the events of the prior few days. Momma slept all-day and sneaked snacks from Megamania’s food pack at night. She was quiet also.

The Captain returned about an hour later. During the next four hours he sat down with each individual. He discussed their feelings, thoughts and powers. He knew he needed to get a better grip on what magic and psionics could do. Why Divine and Arcane magic was different. He even put aside his dislike and distrust of Megamania to discuss his special talents.

He knew they had to sneak back into the city, as an entire group. He knew finding the artifact would not be easy even with the Black Spider’s help. He knew that even with a plan, the Maestro could kill any of them at a moment’s notice. However, he was guaranteed that without a plan, they would possibly fail and die at the beast’s hands.

So they formulated a plan.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 017
“The Trophy Room”

The night has a life of its own. Megamania has always considered the night his natural element. His training in stealth and retrieval of information seemed to always center on the night. For this mission, he wore his helmet. It contained his night vision (Darkvision Goggles) lens and openly carried his energy gun in one hand and his charged baton in the other. He carefully led the team through the quiet streets using the route prescribed by the Black Widow.

It now neared midnight and she and the Resistance would soon begin their own attack. They had planned an attack on the food storage area already. Everyone was in place even before the Strikeforce had contacted her. Fate as she called it. The will of the Goddess of realities commented Jean. He merely shrugged at the convenience of it.

It was not easy sneaking in. Vander flatly refused taking his armor off. Christina had pulled a piece of paper from her bag she held flat under her armor. Curious how the paper wasn’t flattened itself. Anyway- she read the strange language and it seemed she and Vander were nearly as quiet as he was. Now that was impressive. The Captain was quiet but looked naked without his shield. Out of habit he kept holding his left arm up as if holding it before him.

Megamania located the secret door. It took a few moments to open it. The technology involved was more than he was used to. It had a heat sensitive cover to the lock. Jean helped me with that. Next was a pressure plate, which Vander helped with. Something he called float. In my mind I heard twinkling charms. It was strange. Then the lock itself. He picked it slowly and with great care. Once opening it, he found another lock.

Once inside we found ourselves in a service tunnel. Counting three rights then four lefts they climbed a ladder onto a new level. The fifth door on the right was our target. This lock stumped Megamania. His lock picks didn’t work. Strangely enough, it seemed to require electronic components as much as the moving of tumblers. Jean put the deep freeze on it and Vander grabbed it and shattered it. The boy is strong.

The lights were already on within the large room. The site before them shocked their senses. There were colorful and dramatic looking helmets hanging from the wall. Many were greatly damaged. Barrels that contained mechanical parts. Some parts had a humanoid appearance. Posters and pictures of events none understood or cared to. Strangely enough, a metallic skeleton with daggers at the arms stood in one corner. Knightly armor lay in broken pieces here and there. Weapons broken and bent lay on display. But no head bands.

“Do any of you see the Headband?” asks Megamania.

“There is no guarantee that it is even here.” Adds Jean.

“Jean- did you study any detection spells of magic?” asks Christina.

“No. Yourself?”

“No…I wish I had now.”

Megamania begins to shift through the riveted remains of gray armor wrapped in a thick green cape. He finds this all wrong. There is no such thing as magic. It exists only in fairy tales and role playing games. Well…maybe than woman in New Orleans had caste a spell on him that one night…. He smiles under his facemask at the memory of it.

Vander is drawn to the weapons. He finds a blade blade unlike any he has ever seen before. It is a long sword and empowered somehow. Then he sees the Maul. A heavy hammer with a two feet handle. It looks solid and well made. Though he doesn’t trust magic, he somehow knows this is magical and of the good kind. Snak would have liked it no doubt as a dwarf likes such things.
“Find anything you like?” snarls out a heavy voice.

A large hulking figure stands over Vander. “That belonged to a Norseman. It didn’t do him any good and I know it won’t you.”

“oh sh**” is all Megamania can whisper. The Maestro is here.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 018
“Battle of Trophies and Artifacts”

Megamania slowly edges back into the shadows. Vander accesses his power to become more resilient to damage. Jean wonders what weather she can conjure up within the deep reaches of this building. Christina takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. She hoped not to have to do this. Especially indoor where ranged attacks would be limited. The Captain calls for assembly. Maestro chuckles at that one.

“I once met someone very much like you. A born leader and he had a voice that commanded gods- as that hammer shows. You have those same traits. You’re younger than he is. Are you his son? I knew of a daughter. She tasted pretty good.” The Maestro slowly walks to a neutral corner. His every move is designed to both be cautious and taunting at the same time. He felt he could defeat these “heroes” easily enough. So, it was time to gloat about his trophy room.

“He had a shield also. Much more resilient to damage than yours. Maybe because the Molecular Man phased it and the Nega Bands together. Who knows. Its here somewhere…along with my other memories.
Hmmm. I’m certain I saw five of you. Where did the rebellious teenager go? I have not seen anyone running around in torn and faded blue jeans like that since the late 80’s. And…hello. Who have we here?” The base but savage brute stares at Jean, the Storm Wielder. His leering grin and other bodily gestures tell everyone what is on his evil mind.

“You are truly a beauty of beauties. I may let you live…in the beginning.”

“ENOUGH!” yells the Captain. “Have you no dignity?”

“Better her than you boy.” Says the Maestro in a low and menacing growl.

The Captain begins to scan the entire room looking for a weapon…any weapon…to use.

PO’d now…and out of patience, the Maestro howls out loud and throws wide his arms. The gesture shatters jars and knocks over equipment. The glass case the hammer stood within breaks. Vander grabs it and goes to stand up. It is held fast.

“Hah-ha-ha-hah! Same thing happened to me. Because of that damned thing I had to build the trophy room here. Good to see you are not worthy to wield it either.” The Maestro takes a step towards Vander who quickly retreats.

Knowing they can not retreat- the Captain can do only what he can. “Now!”

The Captain upturns a large barrel filled with powders that blow towards Maestro. Megamania, having climbed onto the rafters with something he found, begins to attack using a complex compound bow with arrows that contain electronic parts and glass tips. These tips break on impact releasing a strong acid that makes the Maestro snarl. Vander once more attacks psionically hoping to slow the beast down. This time he can not hold onto the enraged mind. Enraged now, the beast thus begins to scatter parts everywhere making the Captain and Vander take cover. The red and gold chest plate strikes a cabinet behind the Captain causing it to topple. A draw becomes lose and reveals something to the Captain’s eye. Something…unique.

Jean concentrates on sucking all the heat away from the brute. A cone shaped path of no heat erupts between her and him. He howls in the cold and pain as the very moisture in his lungs begin to freeze. Christina strikes him with a blast of fire as before. The two extremes make his skin crack and bleed a thick dark green ooze.

The Captain moves behind the debris looking for cover and commands for more strikes from the two women. His eyes constantly divert to something he saw. Something that seems to call to him. Vander understands the plan well enough to strike from the distance. He grabs a gem that has fallen to the floor from a stand marked as "remains of Sandman and Charcoal". He begins to will energy into it to excite the sleeping energy within it. Maestro…now angered, gets up and charges the two women. Jean mentally calls onto her boots of flying and takes to the air. Her cape spreads out as if they were wings or the sails of a great ship. Christina opens a dimensional door and steps through it while extending her middle finger at the oncoming hulk. A quiet “That is uncalled for” is heard even as her black cat leaps in with her.

The Captain forgets the battle for the moment. Something has gotten his attention. Something more important than the battle. He begins to tear into the wooden cabinets. Megamania fires his energy gun not at the creature but at the ceiling above him. The supports holding a large metallic hand burst free and it falls free. Vander releases his exploding gem. The rushing hulk crashes into the wall causing much of it to break free. He whirls around looking for his women when a large hand suddenly swats him back into the wall. He pushes it aside suddenly something explodes before his face. Angry and now with a bleeding nose and swollen eye he declares obscenities to everyone within the room. Jean casts an Ice Storm onto him and Christina Flame Strikes him again. The huge hand shields him some from the fiery blast.

The Captain continues to dig. Megamania, with nothing else to shot onto the beast begins direct shots onto him. His shots can not penetrate the brute’s thick hide. Vander switches to his psionic Compound Bow while moving out of the beast’s range. The creature pushes the hand away easily then charges Jean again while telling her in every detail what he plans for her body. He doesn’t care if she is alive or not at the time. Jean decides to unleash her big guns. Outside of the building, clouds gather and darken. They light up and suddenly lightning strikes arc and flash riddling the palace with strikes. Christina taughts the beast again then says the final words of her Blade Barrier spell. Green icor splatters the wall as the brute withdraws his torn up hand. Confusion is replaced quickly with new fury at this affront.

The Captain kicks free the last board and reaches down to grab what he had seen. Megamania sees a bloody stump and aims for it. He scores two hits that remove the last of his torn thumb. RAAARRRGH!
Vander lets lose with several shafts that are psionically charged. One misses the charging monster but he adjusts and leads the next shot and strikes his thick shoulder getting another snarl out of him. The Maestro continues his charge at the column nearest where Megamania once was. He tears it down as he hits it. Jean however is caught up in the lines of hanging trophies that now swing wildly. Christina tries to direct the beast into the barrier again. The blades cut deeply into his back and already ravaged arm.

At this point, he realizes he has never fought a group as powerful as this. Their hit and run tactics are working against him. He looks for the one item that nearly has defeated him before. An item not of his world. Strange feared it but used it on him as a last measure. The Headband of Chatlutta-Khan. He sees where he kept it. He smiles as he sees a lone figure standing there with his back now to him. He half stumbles and half runs to the Captain. The Captain turns and heaves what he found at the beast. It hits him over and over before ricocheting off the wall back to his out reached hand. “Glad you could join me Maestro. Let me further introduce you to the SHIELD OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE. Before him is a round shield much like his last one. The surface on this one however has an image of swirling cosmos and stars. It is like a thing alive. It is the shield of this world ...this reality… now of this Captain.

Grunting and wobbly, the Maestro works towards an exit. His minor wounds are already knitting together and healing. Megamania’s sharp eyes see something else in the mess at the Captain’s feet. The headband they were looking for.

“We should finish off that monster.” Declares Jean.

“I would normally agree but this is more important. With this artifact, we can save ALL the universes, not just this one.” Says the Captain as he picks up the diamond encrusted thin headband. He can feel its hatred of being held by him. But the warmth and comfort of the shield shields his mind as well as body. The artifact can not grasp his mind.

Christina calls down her barrier and has everyone gather together. She begins to call up her planar spell to return to the starting point outside of time and reality.



When these five heroes…champions…. first gathered, they did not trust each other. They not only did not understand each others abilities but also in many cases didn’t believe the powers existed. It is too soon to call them a team but now…now they know what they can accomplish if they at least try to work as a team.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 019
“Epilogue One”

The Maestro raged in black and white. He smashed his trophy room remains. He smashed the three guards that came to investigate. He smashed the templar (whom lived!). He smashed his harem of Betties. His rage could not end. He raged in black and white.

A gaunt bony hand waved over the scrying pool of black inky water ending the sight. The hand withdrew to the table edge and drummed the top loudly. Then louder and louder until a fist was formed and it struck the table and split the magical water.

The hand drew up and clasped within its twin and tapped the skeletal crimson jaw of its owner. Beads of red light flared in the deep and dark eye sockets. This continued for a mere hour before he suddenly stopped.

“A new game to play- eh Captain?” is all the creature said in a hollow dead voice. “Very well. Let it be done.”

The Crimson Lich reaches for a small bell laid nearby and rings it briefly.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 020
“Cat’s Eye”

The heroes were resting after their victory over the Brute Master and the acquirement of the Headband artifact. As Teresa continued to seek out lore of the legendary artifacts the heroes were allowed to go outside of the Library of The Realities. They were in a place known only as The Collective. It is a place outside of time and reality.

Each rested in his or her own way. The Captain shared his time trying to become better acquainted with his new shield- The Shield of Justice and going over the information of the next artifact to find. Vander meditated and practiced his fighting skills. Jean and Christina went down to the river nearby. The water was cool and refreshing. Megamania brooded. So much has happened to him- none he really believed in.
And this leads us to the center of this Segment- Christina’s cat.

The black cat curled up on the edge of a water fountain in the direct sun light. She purred to the radiate warmth the sun gave her and peacefulness of her current surroundings. She thumped her tail in annoyance as the little birds chirped and flow nearby. They taunted her and for no reason. Today she had no want of hunting birds. It was too nice of a day to ignore the sun. She rolled to and fro scratching at an itch on her back. Then stopped with her four paws curled as if praying to the sun. She was happy. She was in heaven.
Nothing could ruin this day for her. Nothing at all.

Well…almost nothing.

“Hello cat. Enjoying the sun?” spoke the young man known as Jim Addards…aka Megamania. She knew he was a “pathfinder”. If this was good or bad was uncertain to her. It didn’t really matter either way. He was immature, rash and impulsive. Even handsome in a roguish way. Everything young impressionable girls were attracted too. Girls like Christina.

“It is beautiful day isn’t it? A good day to relax, suntan and play some volleyball. Of course…you couldn’t play could you.” The Black cat half-closed her green eyes and hoped he would go away if she ignored him.

“You know…so far you seem to be the only normal thing here. I mean.. you ARE just a cat right? You’re not some witch or the such.” Jim comments as much as asks. A look of amusement on his face. A few seconds go by as he watches the black cat breathe slow and easy. “I wish I was a cat sometimes. No cares, no worries…few problems.” One green eye opens and looks at him to gage if he is serious or not.

Jim takes the action as a friendly invite. Slowly and with some hesitation, he reaches to her and then gently pats her soft fur. Her eyes open. She can’t believe this! He is treating her like some…some…house cat! She is about to say something to him to shatter his illusions of her but she notes something. He truly is a sad person. For whatever reason, it looks like he is about cry. His smile is charming and contagious. She can not fight what is her cat nature. She purrs loudly and rolls onto her back again.

He smiles thoroughly then stops petting her. He looks at her eye to eye. “You know- cats are real thinkers. You especially. I’d swear you know more than you let on. I had a cat like that once. His name was Popcorn.

Ten minutes go by before Jim finishes his story and leaves. The Black cat stretches and thinks about all he has just done and said. She cleans her paws just like a cat would. After flickering her ears a few times she hopes off the stone platform by the fountain and walks towards the woods where Christina is. On the way she sees Vander. She stops and watches him meditate.

Of all the people here, she feels his pain the most. He has never had a close friend besides a dwarf named Snak in all of his 30+ years of life. He was borne on one plane, thrust into another then thrust into a war of wars. His time on that plane of Chaos and War has darkened his heart in ways he may not yet even see. Now he fights another war, traveling from one reality to another. Does he meditate to unlock his inner psionic powers or to hide from his own life? Wanting not to become depressed on this wonderful day, she moves away and into the woods.

Her heightened senses take in the woodland smells and sounds. The flowers are in bloom with bees collecting the sweet smelling nectar. Birds chirp and Chipmunks send out the alarm of a feline intruder. No matter. She is not a hunter. She has been careful to avoid that. Today she seeks only Christina.

Christina and Jean are in the deeper water by the waterfall. They are bathing and enjoying the swim. Christina seems so happy. How will she take the news? The next reality they go to is an offshoot of Ravenloft. Christina’s home plane. Hers also. Will they meet Christina’s mother? Again? Will the curse once more strike?

The black cat found a soft bit of green grass in the direct sunlight and curled up. One eye closed…the other, as always, on Christina… her daughter.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 021
“Planar Travel is NOT an Exact Science”

The sea was calm and foreboding. The sun was setting…dying out as it sank into the deep waters. A large two sail vessel crossed the waters quickly. Several moments something of equal size cut through the waters with haste. Something both natural and unnatural at the same time. 15 minutes later a rift opens up about ten feet above the gentle waves. Six travelers, five humans and a black cat, spill out of the rift and into the water.

Jean surfaces immediately. Her time living on the waters of Kalamar serves her well now. Jim surfaces next with his usual sarcasm. The Captain surfaces and Christina has trouble treading the water. The Black cat climbing on her head covering her face helps little. Vander, in his full heavy-duty platemail, can not be seen. “Where is Vander?” exclaims Jim trying to adjust his facial mask. “The Big lug can’t tread water can he?” Jean takes in a deep breath and dives under the surface. She kicks hard with all of her skill driving herself deep into the dark waters.

Deeper she goes. 10feet…20 feet…25 feet. She cries out in her mind for him. She pushes herself further still. 30ft now. She is near her limit. She has only dove this deep once or twice before. She doubts she will have the strength to surface carrying him. Then she hears something. A rushing sound. The sound of overflowing water. Then a dim form emerges from the deep. It is rising quickly now. A burst of bubbles blocks her view of it but it was vaguely humanoid in appearance. Armored maybe. Sea Elf? Sahuagin?
She slowly turns and reaches for the surface. Sadness already filling her heart.

On the surface floats Vander. The sound of air bubbling heard in everyone’s mind. He has shared his psionic talents with Christina and the Captain to ensure their ability to swim. It is long moments before Jean can say anything. Vander and the others all know what she wishes to say in the meantime.

Jim with his night vision goggles is first to see it. A large wave coming out of no where. The six of them rise and fall as several waves cross under them. A flare is seen arching in the darkness.

“What the hell has happened to us?” snarls Megamania. “If I knew this was gonna be a pool party I would have worn my swimsuit. Do you have any idea how much wet denim chaffs a guy?”

“Planar travel is not an exact process…we are within 500 miles of our target. The locating item suggests we are quite a ways away this time. Maybe a 100 miles away.” Christina says trying to defend her spell and get the subject back on locating the Ring.

30 minutes go by as they try to figure out their best course of action. Vander guarantees he can empower his Float power many times to get the heavier armored persons a float. Megamania stares into the darkness looking for something…. Anything. It is what he doesn’t see that excites him. “Stars are out. The sky is full of them.” He comments.

The Captain arcs an eyebrow waiting to see what his point is. The others wait and stare. The wet nearly drowned cat stares into the general direction he looks to. Christina then speaks up. “I get it. Look there-“, pointing behind her where Megamania and the cat stare. “There are no stars near the surface there.”

Jean speaks up. “What of it?”

“Something large is blocking our view of the stars. An island I suspect.”

Having agreed on the action, they start to make way to the area. On the way they come across pieces of wood. Planks. Worked wood. Then a body. Then another body. And another and another.

“I didn’t see this in the tour guide.” Says Megamania whom now searches for the cause. Everyone is looking about now. Then the Captain sees something. “A ship!”

The five humans all begin to yell to said ship. Megamania makes out a man on board pointing to them and calling to others on board. They are rescued.

Behind the ship, in its wake, a large barnacled fin breaks the surface. It follows the ship for a few hundred feet them submerges. It submerges out of view and under the dark, dark, dark waters of Ravenloft’s Sea of Sorrow.

 

[megamania]

STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI
SEGMENT 022
“Lady of the Night”

“This is so weird. I mean I’m looking for Johnny Depp.”

“Captain Depp I know not of. I am the first mate however. My name is John. John Blayson. We saw the flare and came immediately. Few survived the Jaws of Sorrow. It was only you five and three others from the ship “Siren of the Sea”.

The man is tall and gaunt that speaks to them. His hair is swept back but in need of trimming as it sticks out around his ears. His dress suggests a man of power and decent wealth. He has followed the five heroes and their cat to the largely empty storage area in the holding bay. Here, they were offered hot water and dry clothes.

“What happened exactly?” asks very politely Jean as she tries to straighten out her white hair. “We saw the flare also.”

“You were not with the ship?” asks the confused 1st mate.

“We were... stranded without a ship earlier” covers the Captain.

“Well…yes. A warship I would guess by your choice of clothes. Armor is truly a poor choice of protection on the seas. It is a good way to drown.”

“We are not… without other means. But please good sir- what has happened?” urges the Captain as he removes his reinforced leather and metal head covering. “Was it another ship?”

“Truly you are strangers here. The Jaws of Sorrow is a sea monster that haunts these waters. It is as large as the biggest ship to set sail here and can withstand direct strikes of the mightiest cannons. It is a monster in every description.”

Jaws of Sorrow- thinks Jim Addards aka Megamania to himself. I hope it isn’t a shark. I’ll pee myself laughing before I breakdown and cry. He tries to look sincere and attentive as he tries to dry himself with towels that are to him very course.

“The creature strikes ships from below to weaken them and to terrorize them. Then it will circle the ship before striking it again near the surface. Soon, the ship is no more. It consumes crew and often its cargo.
Then it disappears until it needs to feed again.”

“What manor of creature do we speak of?” asks Jean. “I am no novice to the sea and the beauties and dangers it contains. We may be able to help.”

“I know of the creature he speaks of. Where I came from it was assumed to be an undead creature with magical abilities. It was immune to standard weapons carried on most sea craft. It is extremely dangerous.” Adds Christina with her eyes down, thinking of her world, her Ravenloft. She is uncertain what the difference will be between the Ravenlofts she has visited in the past to this one. She does know that each Ravenloft is a dark and dangerous place full of misery and the power of curses. One she hopes will not be encountered on this trip.

A powerful necromancer in Ravenloft cursed Christina. The curse was meant to kill her mother and for her to witness it and be forever haunted by it. It has. However, her unique lifestyle of reality jumping has further twisted her own curse. Every times she visits a Ravenloft reality, she must contend with the death of her mother. The mother of THAT Ravenloft. She has seen her mother die about 6 times now. Furthermore, sometimes her mother’s essence somehow follows her outside of Ravenloft.

The Captain becomes irritated when he sees Jim smirking. He can not understand why this young man can be so important to the goddess of realities.

The five of them are encouraged to relax. Daylight will come soon enough. The next chamber over holds the survivors of the other ship. The crew will be sleeping in their own rooms or working. The Captain of the ship may stop by in the morning.

Two hours go by. The ship rocks gently in the waves. The heavily covered lanterns sway in the darkness. The five heroes try to rest but to them it is only about noon. Another unexpected side effect of traveling through time, space and realities.

Jim’s sensitive ears pick up and someone at the door and slowly moves towards it. The other four are either napping or in such deep meditation that they do not see him. The Black cat’s green eyes follow him as he moves and stops by the door. It’s tail switches in annoyance.

Not hearing anything else, Jim shrugs his shoulders and quietly opens the door. Seeing nothing there, he crosses the room. He sees the feet of two sleeping persons behind a curtain. With his attention drawn to an open door he exits the room. Following whereever his curiosity, he goes up the stairs to outside on the main deck. He slips on his formed facemask to use its night vision abilities. Green images of several dozing men come into sight. There is another form near the bow. He quietly moves to this figure guessing it was the person from the room. He hopes to find out more about the incident that has brought everyone together.

He walks directly to the rail next to her. “Hello”

She doesn’t turn to him but continues to search the sea. “And who are you young man? You are not a crewman.”

Not fazed by the fact that she wasn’t startled by his stealthy arrival, he answers her. “I am James Addards. You may call me Jim if you prefer. You are correct in guessing I am not with the crew. I also was found adrift in the sea and rescued by the good captain of this ship.” He tries to draw her attention to him but fails.

“Adrift? I was not aware of any other sea going vessels in the area. How did you come to be adrift in the Sea of Sorrow?”

“Where I am from, some consider it rude to not look at another when asking them a question.” He tries his best to be charming.

She pulls back the hood to the cloak she was given by the crew and faces him. His heart nearly jumps out of his chest. She is incredibly beautiful. Black curly hair, blue eyes and dark pouty lips. She reminds him of a girl he once knew in high school. For only the second time in his life, he finds himself unable to speak to a woman.

“I am sorry to be rude to you James. I meant nothing by it. I merely am watching the sea and trying to see what it holds.”

“Would you have seen me in the sea?” asks Jim flirting with the mystery woman. “It is quite dark and strangely still.”

She turns back to him and smiles. She appreciates his attention to her but will not admit to it. “It was I that first saw the Jaws of Sorrow before. I fear it follows me still. It is a… monster unlike any I have seen before in my travels.”

The two of them continue to talk in the cover of the night. Neither sees below the water’s surface. Under the ship swims a creature 80 feet long with large serrated teeth. Battle scars and other strange markings mar its body. The lifeless cold black eyes seem to focus on nothing and everything at once. With no explanation, it stops swimming and falls behind the great ship above.

Then it follows the ship……..