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Message: <blockquote data-quote="megamania" data-source="post: 1112471" data-attributes="member: 9255">STRIKEFORCE: MORITURISEGMENT 007“The First Mission”“It is time”These words are mentally spoken to each of the five members of Strikeforce: Morituri.  Magically sealed doors open at each room allowing the member to gain access to outside of the room.  The Captain picks up his stuff and begins to leave the through the door.  He stops and looks at the empty mantle.  He goes back and places the crystal ball back on it.  “I will be back for you Buckley…I promise you this.”  He turns and exits the room.  Vander spends a few moments gathering his equipment and armor.  He stops and stands still holding his metal winged helmet in one hand.  He takes a moment as if in prayer then cautiously exits the room.  Christina gathers her armor and equipment.  The stubborn cat slowly stretches then pounces off the warm mantle and catches up with her quickly.  Storm Wielder quietly dresses and goes out.  Mania…well he is not there in his room.The hallways were strangely built to him.  It reminded him of Styxville’s capital where Vandal Boc set up a base of operations.  There were large stone blocks set with much artistic and skill but wires and pipes were held high.  It was ancient yet modern at the same time.  Mania had left the room about 2 minutes before someone called to him.  He had heard of psychics before.  Gellar, Cayce and Theta were the premiere leaders in the field but to think one would use the power of the mind on him surprised him.  He suspected that there was no way to block it out so he did the opposite.  He thought long and hard.  He thought about something to disturb the person invading his mind.  He imagined cartoon characters at the Playboy mansion.  At the very least, he found it humorous. Garfield, Calvin & Hobbies, Veronica, Blonde and her husband…even the Peanuts.  He couldn’t help but to think about Einstein ‘s famous quote- “Imagination is more important than Knowledge.”He followed the hallway that passed a few doors.  He considered opening them but remembered the jolt he took forcing his open.  It was rigged with voodoo or the such.  No wires or transmitters.  Just a softly glowing rune.  If this was a precursor to his immediate future, he was going to have to learn more about magic or voodoo or whatever it was he found himself involved in.He found the corridor led to a large well-lit room.  This room was at least 50ft tall!  Book shelves and catwalks separated the rows of books by levels with ladders and spiral stairways allowing one to go up and down.  He looked to the ceiling.  There was a celestial appearing star chart that seemed to move.  Weird.  His eyes came back down to the floor level.  Here were a series of comfortable chairs and a long wooden table.  Papers and small pouches were set in piles on the table.  A meeting was to occur here he thought to himself.He went to the table being careful to look about for guards and security devices.  An owl fluffed its feathers within a large wicker cell.  It blinked and followed Megamania with its gaze.  Ignoring the bird, he went to a folder.  It had some writing on it that was difficult to read.  He guessed it to a name of a place or person.  He opened it and saw a picture of a very large and muscular man like beast.  It looked like it could tear a man apart limb by limb easily.He then heard a soft footstep behind him.  He whirled about pulling out one of his billy clubs in one hand and had his hand resting on his energy gun.  Before him stood a large athletic man wearing leather armor reinforced with metal and studs.  He had the look of a leader.  As he reached out with his hand to greet him he saw the armor better.  It had suggestive symbols of America.  This made him curious.  The round metal shield was also strange.  It seemed impractical.  It was a disk…not a normal shield.  It was heavily scratched and dented.“I am Captain Stevens.  You may call me The Captain.  Welcome Megamania” His voice was steady and strong.  There was no doubt in Megamania’s mind that he was military.  That didn’t settle well in his gut.But then again…what has since he discovered he was to kill an agent of someone…something he didn’t believe in.Two heavily armored persons walked up beside the Captain.  “I am known as Christina of the Mace.  I welcome you.”  Vander looked at her and the others.  It was obvious he was sizing them up as soldiers and by character.  “I am known only as Vander.  My full name is Vander Stormbringer”  “Did I hear someone mention a storm? “ came a woman’s voice from the corridor that they all used to enter the room.  “I am known as the Storm Wielder but you may call me Jean if you wish.”  Megamania stared at her but to size up her powers…perhaps if she had a character trait he hoped for.“Welcome all.  Welcome Strikeforce: Morituri.  I am Teresa.  I work here in the library of the realities.  Please take a seat.”  She spoke from high up on the fourth level.  She leaned over the railing surveying her library and the people standing within it.  She had a golden gold about her.  A visible aura of power was present.  It was more obvious as she slowly floated up and over the railing and settled to the head of the table.Everyone was dumbfounded except for Jean and Christina.  Jean herself could do this herself (though with more force than grace) while Christina bowed while on her knees.    After another few seconds, she got up and the six of them sat down.  Momma, the cat, settled down on a soft chair nearby to possibly oversee and eavesdrop on the talk.“Each of you have something in common with the other.  Each of you died battling agents of Darque.  Each of you wishes to right the wrongs this death has possibly created.  Each of you were pulled from the moment of death by the Grace of the Goddess of Realities and given a chose.  Each of you has agreed.  The pact is simple.  Help stop Darque before he becomes too powerful and a new reality will be created as you wish it to be.  Loved ones can walk and talk again.  A war that has lasted for an eternity may finally end.  It will be as you imagine it.  I am asked to reaffirm your decision.”Each agrees with a yes or a yes followed by comments of red and blue pills, which draw looks of dislike from all.  The agents of Darque have misjudged one thing.  By using human agents, we travel through time and space rapidly.  If we hurry, we can collect his artifacts of power before his agents even know you are seeking them.If we can gather his artifacts first, we may very well stop him from illegally altering any further universes or worse yet…destroying any.Now if you care to open the books before you……The meeting goes on for several hours.  There are files about key Darque agents, key items of power and most importantly, how to handle these items.  There are suggestions about the realities that will face and the key rulers within them.  The first one takes place in the Reality line of Marvel 5.7.8.  This simply means the core universe is known as Marvel and the version they will travel to has had 7 major changes and 8 minor since splitting off from the core line.  Only Christina seems not overwhelmed by the possibilities.As expected, it is Megamania whom speaks up the more often.  “So what you are saying is there are more realities than the ones we came from.  These alter creating new ones.  Thus…there could be dozens, hundreds even thousands of …me?  I mean..com’on.  That’s silly.  Will the real Megamania please stand up?”A smile appears on Teresa’s face.  The smile of a mother looking for patience while finding humor in a child’s constant questioning of it’s surrounding.  “Yes Jim Addards.  There are realities where you die at the stake on that fateful night of October 31st , one where you have died but returned to life through the use of technology that grants you superhuman powers* , Where you have no abilities except for your incredible reflexes** and even another where you battle great forces of evil, outside and within you in a world a bit more barbaric than any you know.***If Darque finds the Core reality and destroys it, he destroys all the realities tied to it.  This is why it is so important and needs to be defended.“Why us?” asks Vander in a monotone voice with no feelings or hint of emotion.“Because Darque tried to find the core reality by destroying your own.  Because you can and I can not.”“Can not or will not” comments Megamania turning his head to look at the strangely attentive cat that is glaring at him.“The goddess and her Avatars may not directly enter this conflict.  It is part of the godly code.  Those that must live within reality can only protect realities.  Gods do not…always.”The Captain stands up pushing off the tabled with his fisted knuckles.  “This is not a time of why.  We are honor bound to complete this contract.  We all are.  To save my world, it is not just I that need to act, but all of us.  Let us put aside our differences and questions and commence quickly before the agents of Darque learn of our formation and reasons.Silence.Okay then- I will be the field leader.  I ask you to open up your files and look at the first picture within.  We will have to go through this beast to get the first item.  He is known as The Brute Master.  Others call him Maestro.And so it begins…..*     Lt Mania from Champions Game I play in**   A comicbook script I had to present to Valiant Comics back in ’91*** Under a Darksun version as told in another Story Hour</blockquote>

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