Since their recent return from Sierra Leone, the team had been trying to find out as much information as they could about the mysterious ‘R’, The Duchess Marjorie Rittingham. Her public persona was non-existent after the late 80’s. No photographs, no biography. Husband died ten years before, there were no children or other close family members and she inherited his estate and his fortune.
She entered public service in the early 80’s and had worked for British Intelligence but her employment records vanished in 1988 and there was no trace of her working for them after that. Of course, there was no trace of her not continuing to work for them either.
Attempts to try to contact her all ended with a secretary (never the same person twice) informing them that she was currently unavailable and didn’t accept unsolicited appointments.
They decided to drop in on her estate in Staffordshire anyway. Before they were within a mile of the estate they were informed to change course as they were about to enter restricted airspace. Seemed even a flyover of the estate was a no-go.
They landed as close as they could and walked to the perimeter where they saw a squad of armed soldiers they immediately recognised; Ghurkhas! It seemed the Duchess’s estate was very well guarded in deed. They considered entering anyway, covertly but to do what, threaten her? Sam was the voice of reason against some of Akira’s more outlandish suggestions as to how best to deal with her and her contract.
Instead they walked to the gatehouse and asked the officer on guard for an appointment. He smiled, obviously pre-warned that they were in the area. “Sorry, I’m afraid her Ladyship is not in residence. In fact, I understand she’s not in the country and she has not left any forwarding details.”
Sam used a touch of his draconic persuasion as he tried to find out if she was actually out of the country and if so, where. The Officers eyes momentarily glazed over as he again explained that she not in residence and wasn’t expected to return for some time.
Before they could decide what to do, a call came in from Marcus over the team comms and they immediately began to head back towards the Raft and Mace’s bike whilst they listened.
Marcus had a situation that threatened to spiral out of control and he needed their help.
Seemed one of the local gangs somehow had got their hands on a cache of alien weapons and technology, but before they could do anything with them, AEGIS found out and they ended up holed up in a bowling alley in the Wadings District of Wessex.
The AEGIS agent in charge seemed determined to go for an all-out assault despite their being civilian hostages inside but Marcus had managed to rein him in a bit but he needed an ace if they were to avoid excessive bloodshed. Any chance..?
They immediately set off for Wessex.
Arriving nearby, the team headed straight for Marcus who was talking with an AEGIS agent with a buzz cut hairstyle, mirrored sunglasses and dressed in a shirt, tie and openly wearing a sidearm. This apparently was Senior Agent Jethro Ash and he didn’t seem popular, even amongst his own people. He was obviously angry that Marcus had pulled rank on him and insisted on using the Balance instead of his team. As Mary, Marcus and her other team members talked and planned, Mace couldn’t help overhear the other AEGIS agents talking – seemed Senior Agent Ash had been ‘parachuted in’ to take charge of this operation and was not popular. In fact, he’d brought the case to the local office’s notice and acquisitioned equipment, staff and resources to deal without going through the Directors office first. Until he’d arrived, no-one was aware of these weapons being out on the streets. The overall impression was that he was over the top and gung-ho, having authorised the use of deadly force before the Police had arrived and overruled him.
She wandered back to inform Marcus and the others of what she’d overheard. Sam confirmed that he’d heard similar, including that he’d just arrived at the city offices as the information of the alien weapons being in the hands of members of the West X6 gang was reported. In fact the whole hostage situation had been his fault as he’d insisted on flooding the streets with armed AEGIS officers causing the core gang members to retreat to this Bowling alley and take the people inside hostage. Thankfully it was late Monday afternoon so there hadn’t been many people inside.
Agent Ash again approached Marcus to demand he allow them to try a direct assault on the premises and that’s when Mace saw it, as he was angrily gesturing – a small astrological symbol on the inside of his wrist but tattooed in flesh colour inks. She only saw it because of the way the light flashed on the ink – it was the symbol for Pisces!
Could be nothing, it was a common astrological symbol after all but why would someone get a tattoo that was almost invisible?
Marcus wandered back over cursing under his breath. “Ok so as far as our IR Cameras can confirm there are eight gang members inside, not sure how many are armed. The designs seem to indicate that these are Terminus weapons left over from their failed invasion attempt back in 2009 – possibly part of a weapons cache left behind which the gang had found. In addition we have six others inside, some of whom are just kids. How you want to handle this?
The decision was taken to split into two teams to try and try and enter via the rear of the building. Banshee would turn Young Sam insubstantial and phase through the wall into the office with Banshee invisible just in case. As far as the Police could tell everyone was at the front of the building. Meanwhile Akira and Mace would enter by the back door both rendered invisible and try and sneak in that way. Akira immediately erected his shield.
Mace quickly picked the lock but found the inner door had been wired shut and a barricade of furniture erected on the inside of the passageway door preventing easy access to the main part of the building. The wires strung across the door seemed to indicate it was booby-trapped somehow. Thankfully, Mace realised that one of the wall panels didn’t quite match with the rest of the wall and when she examined it realised this was a concealed entrance to the pin reset mechanisms. Opening it quietly they both stepped through into a narrow corridor that ran across the bottom of all the bowling lanes. Then they heard a voice say, “I thought I heard something. Put on the goggles and check it out!”
Meanwhile Banshee and Sam had found themselves in the main office looking at several transportation crates. Someone had forced them open and then torn the vacuum-sealed plastic wrappings off what looked like several long objects, what looked like two helmet-like objects with bug-like eyes and a number of other items that resembled armour. If this had been part of a weapons cache left behind by alien invaders why did the packing resemble standard transport cases and plastic wrappings? Then Sam saw it, a faint familiar symbol on the one of the wrappings, the symbol for Pisces. He relayed the information to the others with Akira wondering if this wasn’t another assassination attempt on them by weaponising this gang? However, the Senior Agent hadn’t wanted them involved, had he?
Banshee flowed through the walls, quickly searching out the hostages. He found them near the arcade games. A woman with a red top was hugging a young child with an unruly mop of hair, beside her was a teenage girl and to one side huddled together two young sisters sitting beside a handbag.
Then they heard it weapons powering up as someone shouted out “there is something showing up at the back of the lanes!”
Suddenly one of the gang members watching the hostages turned, his face covered by a large pair of goggles, he focused on Banshee, apparently able to locate her despite being invisible and a golden energy shield flared into life in front of him as he blasted away with the power staff straight at her. The energy blast went through her incorporeal state and instantly demolished the room behind her, scattering shards of plasterboard and bricks everywhere. Thankfully, the hostages were safe behind the energy shield as the second gang member also activated his shield overlapping the first shield, forming a phalanx.
Sam immediately left the protection of the far office and flew at top speed down the building heading for the side wall using his entire body as a battering ram. He hit the wall next to where the office used to be with such force that the bricks cracked and several were knocked loose but unfortunately the wall was still intact. His plan to create an exit point for the hostages currently caged behind the two energy-shielded gang members not totally successful.
As the wall exploded, Akira elected to move away from Mace rendering her visible behind the pins as he slid down the lane unleashing an energy blast at one of the gang members standing by the top of the lanes. It hit but failed to cause any lasting damage reflecting off a segment of Omegadrone chest armour. Akira recognised him as the Gang’s leader, Bajas Daerc from the photos Marcus had shown them.
Over his comms he could hear Sam joke, “Can someone please remind Akira to use the bowling shoes provided when on the lanes?”
Mace stepped out from behind the pins mechanisms and unleashed a stun bolt at the Mohawk gang member standing beside a young female hostage, possibly the missing mum? The bolt flew true and hit him on the arm but had no obvious effect however she’d noticed a flash of energy discharge from his limbs when the bolt hit.
Her suspicions were confirmed when his fingers suddenly elongated on metallic cables and swung towards her; cyborg disguised as an unmodified human. The cyber nails were aimed for her head; she stepped back and ducked as the nails tore into and through the edge of a nearby pillar.
Back at the other side of the building the two shielded gang members unleashed their staffs at Banshee and Sam. The blast aimed at Banshee again went through her and hit the wall of the next room behind, demolishing it. The thought went through her head that perhaps if she could try and get them to fire when she was standing in front of Sam’s ruptured wall it would provide the exit they wanted. The second bolt hit Sam a glancing blow as he dived flat against the damaged wall.
Suddenly it was total bedlam as everyone cut loose. The gang leader, Daerc let loose with a blast from a staff weapon at Akira still lying in the lane forcing him to levitate to the ceiling at considerable speed as the blast melted the metal rail where his head had been a second before. Several blasts from other gang members went astray though one of those firing through the shields managed to hit Sam causing him to fall to the ground dazed.
They needed a distraction. Akira called upon the Flames of the Phoros and a small flame manifested itself in the palm of his hand under one of the smoke and thermal detectors. Suddenly the room was filled with a steady stream of water as the sprinklers kicked into action soaking everyone.
Meanwhile Banshee moved towards the sidewall and cut loose with a shattering shriek at the two shielded guards. The sonic wave washed over the equipment and the shield generators shattered however their staffs were still functional and they again fired at her. This time the bolts went through her and hit the previously damaged wall.
Mary followed it up with a Wail that hit everyone nearby, causing two of the gang by the front entrance to collapse and stunning both of the now exposed guards as well as Sam and the hostages.
The wall collapsed under the strain of the blasts and then Banshee’s shriek. It was now or never, Sam forced himself to his feet and unfurled his wings. He immediately flew towards the captives, knocking both guards down as he did so, grabbing the kids and the teenager in his powerful embrace did an 180o turn in the air and departed through the hole in the wall with a mighty back blast to keep the two gang members off-balance. His wings were badly bruised as he exited at top speed through the misshapen hole in the wall to deposit them outside. He then flew back inside causing the guards to drop their weapons in shock, as he made sure the remaining prisoner was able to leave.
On the other side of the building the cyborg, Nails, again unleashed his swirling cybernetic figure whip at Mace and again she dodged as she returned fire with a EMP bolt followed up by two more normal bolts in quick succession. The EMP hit his chest and depowered him and the next two bolts went through his cybernetic arms and pinned him to the ground, totally incapacitated. The Gang leader suddenly flew on concealed jets on his legs towards a hovering Akira who immediately dropped down causing the armoured figure to hit the ceiling as Akira unleashed another mystical blast at close range causing him to fall towards the ground unconscious.
Banshee shouted out “Surrender” at the last remaining two gang members. One was unarmed and he raised his hands quickly but the other pulled out a knife and grabbed at the young woman next to him, pulling her close and threatening to cut her, if they didn’t move away.
Hovering above the lanes, Akira shouted out, “Throw your knife away now or I’ll open a can of whoop-ass on you!” He hoped his ‘trash talk’ sounded threatening. Regardless, it draw the man’s attention long enough for Banshee to fly over, turn flesh and grab the woman’s arm before turning both of them insubstantial. The gang member staggered as she turning ghost-like in his grip. His astonishment lasted less than a second as Akira unleashed the full force of his mystical blast straight at him.
With them all down and their weapons removed from their hands, Mace sent out a call to Marcus. Seconds later a mixed crowd of AEGIS and Police bundled through the door. It was as Ash was shouting for his men to leave the weapons to last and concentrate on collecting the armour and especially the goggles. Sam saw one of the gang members wearing just such a set of goggles over his eyes look at him then shudder in fear. He reached over and pulled off the goggles before the AEGIS team could see what he was doing and looked at Ash through them. It was like x-ray specs, bones and muscle tissue on show and then he saw it, something small and white was wiggling at the base of Ash’s brain, something that looked very familiar – Ash was infected with a control parasite and the goggles could see them. He tried to hide the goggles behind his back as he approached Ash and tried to use his draconic persuasion on him. As he held up the pair of goggles that Ash apparently wanted more that the power staffs, his powers clicked in, “These are useful, aren’t they? Very useful, can we borrow them for some time?” Ash’s eyes were glazed as his voice washed over him only for the parasite inside to fight against Sam’s vocal spell, “No, that’s what we need.” Sam continued, trying to cajole him as Mace found the other pair and kicked them under a bench ready to try and sneak them out whilst Banshee, now Mary overheard Sam question Ash about that other voice inside him and realised what it all meant. A quick flare of mystical vision confirmed the sickly yellow aura at the base of his neck. She immediately approached Marcus and explained that they needed to remove Ash as he was being controlled and take him to the Challengers. Could he cover for them?
Marcus immediately put a call through to the Aegis Director, Harry Powers and asked him to meet them at the Challenger-Wildeman’s as they had information that AEGIS had been infiltrated. He then approached one of the AEGIS agents, explained Ash was ill and was going to be taken for medical treatment and could he work with Sergeant Wallace to oversee the scene and ensure all the Terminus weapons were accounted for?
A covert nerve pinch by an apparently concerned Sam meant Ash collapsed unconscious and was immediately ushered out by a ‘concerned’ team leaving the Police and Ash’s team (who seemed happy to have him out of their hair) to continue to round up the rest of the weapons and armour – all except for Sam’s goggles and the pair Mace secretly retrieved from beneath the bench. They hurried out with their ‘patient’ and loaded him into their vehicle immediately took off.
At Romaine Wharf, Adam arranged for his hand tractor beam unit to be transported to the Challenger-Wildeman’s as Ash was anesthetised and Harry Powers shown the parasite in Ash’s brain. Tessa was sure that the goggle technology could be duplicated. Powers immediately stated that the first order of business had to be testing first all the members of Parliament for control bugs and then the intelligence service whilst a team would need to be trained to use Adam’s extraction devices to safely remove the creatures. Having to risk killing the infected was no longer a necessary part of the extraction procedure.
It was when Ash came round after his operation that he was able to fill in some of the gaps.
He had been an agent of PISCES, seconded to work incognito with AEGIS, but when the base on St. Kilda was discovered he was called in to report to ‘R’, the Duchess Rittingham as he now knew her, and infected with a control parasite against his will. The weapons and equipment had been ‘reacquired’ by PISCES as they were being transferred from St. Kilda, only for their convoy to be hijacked en-route to the airport in London and subsequently sold to the West X6 gang. They had to get them back because the goggles identified who had been infiltrated by the bugs. His orders, from ‘R’ herself, had been to retrieve those at all costs.
Under interrogation and minus the control bug in his head, he also revealed that ‘R’ had left the UK to head to a compound in South Africa. He didn’t know why she was there other than it involved something called Daka Crystals.
AEGIS – Authority for Enforcement, Gaols and Intervention Services.
Government unit established to support the Police by providing Armed Response and Police Backup (Enforcement), Exotic/Meta-human and Power Nullification Detainment, Research and intelligence-gathering.
PISCES – Paranormal Intelligence Service for Counter-intelligence, Evaluation and Support
Superhero Adventures, UK Style 