ic Vanguard: Diamond Life

[Supercape]

GM

 

"So that's it" said Cruxberry. "The best lead we have. And I can't say I'm surprised that it was Lucy Diamond that showed up first. She never was very circumspect at the best of times". 

 

Cruxberry sat, whilst the impassive, muscular agent Smith stood with his usual jet black glasses, crisp black suit, and huge black briefcase, not moving a muscle. He didn't say a word. Smith never said a word, unless he needed too. 

 

It was in rural Wales, apparently. Some locals had seen sights. Of course, masses of people had seen sights. Champion flying overhead, Y Derwen planting himself in their back garden, on a glittering display of lights that could only be Lucy Diamond. But this was a lot more persuasive than the others. The descriptions were accurate. 

 

And actually frightening. 

 

A band of travellers, a wandering woman matching Lucy Diamond, and a wholescale panic. The whole travelling community went, for want of a better word, banana's. Attacking each other, arson, self injury. Two dead, seventeen severely injured. Utter mayhem. 

 

The file on Lucy Diamond spoke for itself. 

 

"Lucy was always powerful, but a loose cannon" explained Cruxberry. "Anyone touching her was infected with some kind of madness. And she was quite short of marbles herself. Combined that with the ability to turn into a form of organic diamond..." he whistled. 

 

"Osprey and Dr Benoit...I can see their potential but they haven't earned their stripes yet. Also, I need them for another matter" he explained to Young Brittania and Synapse. 

 

"So I would like you two to look into the sightings. Lucy Diamond is not a threat, at least not directly. We just want to find answers...." he drummed his fingers and looked at Synapse. 

 

"And there is a problem" he explained. "Lucy was completely immune to psionic effects. At least as far as Headcase was concerned. Somehow she shuts them down. Probably why Headcase was so paranoid about her. Although as you know, he was pretty paranoid about everything" he conceded. 

 

"Maybe you can get through to her, maybe you can't. But you can at least try to find out what happened, see if there is any truth to the stories. See if you cant stop anybody else going crazy with that splendid head of yours" he said to Synapse, passing her the file on Lucy. 

 

 

[Tiffany Korta]

The day had promised to go so well. She had a big band recording in her studio later today, well tomorrow to Freedom City, and had started off feeling more relaxed than normal. |She even chosen to dress down in a simple T-Shirt and Jeans.

Things went downhill as soon as she read the file on what was claimed that Lucy, a close family friend for as long as she know her, had done to all these people.

“This isn’t her she’s being controlled or something, I’m not an innocent I know people can do things like this but not Lucy.†she didn’t quite feel it but she sounded as calm as she could.

“I wonder if it’s got something to do with her being in y Dderwen turf, maybe someones trying to draw him out?†she looked over at Dee

 

“So what more obvious and more likely to get answers A pair of superheroes or a faded popstar and a Lord daughter?â€

[Thevshi]

Dee listened closely to the briefing from Cruxberry about the potential sighting of Lucy, though the young Englishwoman was looking a bit tired.  Ever since they had gained access to the Haven, Dee had spent a good deal of her time down there, working on overriding systems and helping to keep VERA isolated as they worked on gaining control over her once more and rescinding Champion's final instructions to the AI.  There were of course numerous Ministry specialists involved, but just as Jasmine had taken control over the Haven's medical bay, Dee had pretty much taken the same position regarding pretty much everything else in the Haven.

 

All of that was not helped by the fact that Dee also tried to find time to stop by the Ministry to look over Headcase's notes regarding the psi initiative and the process he had put her and Susan through, looking for any sign of something that might provide an answer for her sister.

 

Despite her misgivings on the issue, Dee, or Synapse as she was staring to call herself, had taken up the offer by Young Britannia to meet with a designer for a costume.  Her costume was not nearly as flashy as Young Britannia's, instead consisting of a full body suit of medium grey and purple, with a mask that covered the upper part of her face (which she currently was not wearing).  She still found the costume very uncomfortable, something she was not sure would ever change.

 

She snatched the file on Lucy from Cruxberry's hand rather abruptly at the comment about "stopping anybody else going crazy," not really caring whether he had intentionally meant anything by that or not.  She then glanced over at Angus, giving her an understanding look considering the circumstances surrounding the former Vanguard member that Angus knew so well.

 

"Both could be equally obvious, depending on who else may be poking around the area looking to learn what might have happened."  She replied, meaning of course tabloid reporters and the like.  "As for getting answers, I think it might depend on how many tabloids those we talk to read."

[Tiffany Korta]

“We’ll have to compare tabloid stories one day, though mine we’re pretty wild back in the day.†Agnus gave Dee a little smile.

“But I’ve spent time among the Travellers, my parents we’re pretty free-wheeling... well still free wheeling just more settled. Lucy to, that why I don’t think she would just attack them.Thing is they got a big downer on authority of any type, there not going to help Young Britannia in any way. If we start with them I’m probably going to have to approach them as Agnus a few of the older one might even remember me or my parents.â€

[Supercape]

Cruxberry seemed unworried by Dee's irritability. Perhaps even satisfied. 

 

"You can go dress up as Micky Mouse and Donald Duck for all I care" he said, leaning on his desk and studying them both carefully. Perhaps Agent Smith did too, but his black sunglasses and granite immobility gave no indication. 

 

"The Ministry has a certain influence over the press, but its a fractious one. There have been times when we have persuaded them to quash stories that would not serve the national interest, such as the identity and background of the Vanguard. But its a delicate matter, even more so in these nebulous days. We will do our best to obscure your identities, but we do not have authority over a free press. And some hacks are more bone headed than others"

 

He gave a knowing glance to Dee. "I know that odious little guttersnipe, Billy Bunting, has a thing for poking his nose around in the Farrington affairs. And, whilst he writes tripe, he is good at getting it. If he sniffs out you are Synapse, or that a new Vanguard is being formed, I would not be best pleased. Nor would you, I imagine" he said, in a neutral tone. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnus look thoughtful for a few seconds before speaking again.

“How about we split the difference? Dee, sorry Synapse, can go in all obvious and attract all the attention whilst I sneak in the back and see if the Travellers will still speak to me? I’d suggest the other way round but to be honest that cut class accent is going to put them on the back foot.†in her normal form Agnus tended to speak in a broad North London accent

 

“I could probably teleport us in, if I know where they're staying, but a showy entrance might do more good.â€

Edited April 7, 2014 by TiffanyKorta

[Thevshi]

Cruxberry seemed unworried by Dee's irritability. Perhaps even satisfied. 

 

"You can go dress up as Micky Mouse and Donald Duck for all I care" he said, leaning on his desk and studying them both carefully. Perhaps Agent Smith did too, but his black sunglasses and granite immobility gave no indication. 

 

"The Ministry has a certain influence over the press, but its a fractious one. There have been times when we have persuaded them to quash stories that would not serve the national interest, such as the identity and background of the Vanguard. But its a delicate matter, even more so in these nebulous days. We will do our best to obscure your identities, but we do not have authority over a free press. And some hacks are more bone headed than others"

 

He gave a knowing glance to Dee. "I know that odious little guttersnipe, Billy Bunting, has a thing for poking his nose around in the Farrington affairs. And, whilst he writes tripe, he is good at getting it. If he sniffs out you are Synapse, or that a new Vanguard is being formed, I would not be best pleased. Nor would you, I imagine" he said, in a neutral tone. 

 

Dee glared at Cruxberry for a few moments as she replied, "would it really be you that would be displeased, or my father?"  But she did not give him a chance to respond before continuing, "but regardless of the answer, you are lucky I would hate to give Bunting any sort of major scoop about anything."

 

Agnus look thoughtful for a few seconds before speaking again.

“How about we split the difference? Dee, sorry Synapse, can go in all obvious and attract all the attention whilst I sneak in the back and see if the Travellers will still speak to me? I’d suggest the other way round but to be honest that cut class accent is going to put them on the back foot.†in her normal form Agnus tended to speak in a broad North London accent

 

“I could probably teleport us in, if I know where they're staying, but a showy entrance might do more good.â€

 

She then looked over at Angus as she nodded.  "That sounds best.  I doubt the travelers would be any more willing to speak with Dee Farrington than they would with Synapse.  So going in as Synapse and attracting any unwanted media attention could allow you a chance to learn something."

[Supercape]

GM

 

One teleport later...

 

Rural Wales...

 

It was, predictably, raining. 

 

Despite the overcast sky, Wales was beautiful, green, lush, with deeply rolling hills. The air was cool but not chilly, and clean as one could wish for. 

 

The traveller community was but a short jaunt from where they landed, a minute or two walk for Synapse, and much less for Young Brittania. It was half destroyed, smoke still coming from one fire-gutted camper van, and signs of other damage, both by fire and violence, all around. A car had been driven into a tree. About the only functional thing left was a police car, left by two policemen who were interviewing the two dozen travellers that had not been carted off to hospital or police cells and were moping around angry, sad, or plain shocked. 

[Thevshi]

Dee glanced around at the scene for a few moments, noting the destruction that had been caused by the out of control members of the community.  This was certainly something they should try to avoid happening again.  She then sent a mental message to Angus.  Okay, time for me to go and draw some attention so you can see what you might be able to discretely learn.

 

With that, the costumed heroine moved over towards the two police officers and the crowd of travellers they were interviewing.  "Morning, I am Synapse, from the Ministry of Powers.  What have you been able to learn thus far?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"What? Who?" scratched the police officer, taking his hat off to wind his fingers through his locks. Then he snapped his fingers. 

 

"Ah yes! Synapse! From the Ministry of Powers!"

 

His voice and build were of a robust good natured Welshman, all rolling hills and pleasant air. "Sergeant Bowen, at your service, miss!" he smiled cheerfully through the damp drizzle. 

 

"Well, we got these boyos here, still pretty shocked and angry. Don't blame them either, something crazy went on here. I don't rightly know if it was just some traveller ruckus or, well, something else. They keep rambling on about Lucy Diamond, see. All sparkles and madness. Damned if I know if its true or not. Every week some boyo claims he has seen one of the Vanguard, but truth is we haven't seen hide or hair of them, have we?" he said, sadly. 

 

"Maybe they are telling tales, maybe not. We had dead and injured, arson, murder. These travellers can be an angry lot, you see miss, do their fair share of scrapes and fighting. But this is something else..."

 

"One word of warning, miss, they aren't too fond of police, and aren't too fond of the English, either. So prepare yourself for a steel wall and spitting!"

 

"What now?" yelled out the leader of the Travellers, a stick thin man with long hair, grey beard, and knuckles that had seen a few chins up close and personal. 

 

"There he is" sighed Sergeant Bowen. "Charlie Cornog, old man of the group. Spitting mad, he is!"

 

To emphasise the point, Charlie gave an impressive throw of phlegm from his mouth that cannoned into the ground. 

 

"Oi! Piggy! If you cant find that Lucy, and arrest her for what she did, then stay the hell away!"

[Tiffany Korta]

At the far end of the camp away from the assembled crowd Agnus teleported into the area. She was dressed in an oversized t-shirt and shorts, despite the weather, the boots on her feet untied. Her unruly hair was tamed underneath a kerchief. She hoped that she wasn’t that recognizable it wasn’t exactly the kind of music they tended to follow.

 

She stomped along the field to join the back of the crowd hoping to spot someone in the crowd that she knew, hopefully there was some still around from when her parents run with this crowd.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Scanning the small group of Welshmen, Young Brittania spied a couple of faces that looked familiar, although she could not place them. It had been years ago, when she was but a child. And time had aged the faces, and in some cases the bodies. For all the charm of a rustic lifestyle, it also weathered the skin. 

 

But one face she was pretty sure she knew. Stevie Strings...that's what they called him anyway. He could play the guitar beautifully, and he sang like a strangled goat. Whilst he loved to do both, he always needed encouragement to pluck the former and silence the latter. He was a friendly old guy, white haired, white bearded, thin and stooped now, but still with a far away smile on his face and a cheerful aura. Perhaps his face was a little too far away sometimes...courtesy of a mushroom diet, but despite his addled brain, he was a well respected, well liked, and all round happy guy. 

[Thevshi]

Dee listened to Sergeant Bowen as he gave her what little information they had. It felt a bit strange to the young Englishwoman to have someone like the Sergeant looking to her as an authority figure, and she was not exactly sure if she liked it. But whatever she felt about it, it was part of the deal she had made in order to try to find a way to help Susan.

"I will kept that in mind." She replied quietly when Bowen mentioned she should be ready to deal with a stonewall and spitting, a point quickly demonstrated by the elder of the group. Right, time to see what I can learn, or at least draw much of their ire so Angus will have an easier time. Dee thought to herself as she faced Charlie.

"We certainly intend to investigate this fully sir." She said aloud to the elder Traveller. "You seem very convinced that it was Lucy Diamond that caused this, what makes you so certain?"

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnus gave a little smile as she remembered Strings it was almost sweet how she use to tell her that her singing was almost as good as his. She also remembered that thanks to his lifestyle it wasn’t wise to surprise the man to much so she sidled up to him.

 

“Strings it’s me Agnus, though you might not remember me I was about this high last you saw me.†she indicated her height of when she was little “Me and Geri, my mum, use to travel around we you lot every now and again.†she thought it best to leave out Lucy was also normally with the, considering what had happened here.

 

After giving him a few minutes to process who she was and make up his mind whether she was to be trusted she added in more serious tones.

 

“I need to know what happened here what really happened not what you not telling the Old Bill.â€

[Supercape]

"Why if it isn't wee little Angnus all grown up now! I remember you as a little girl, singing on me lap and asking for another wee tune!" he said, smiling with joy as he recognised. 

 

"Tell me know, didn't you go sell out and go to London? Singing some songs and whatnot? I hope you let them know that yer Uncle Strings taught you everything know!" he said, and sat down to strum out a tune, beautifully played, terribly sung. 

 

"Lucy Diamond, in the skies, in the fields

Everywhere a Diamond, glittering in greens

Glittering in Snows

Where she came from, nobody knows

Wild was her hair, wild was her song,

Wild has the power within her...

All that she touched, lost senses lost reason

All that she kissed lost mem'ries of seasons

A plagues of madness fell upon all

Some fled for days, some fell for ladies

And may fell rageful for all war and violence which never faded

Lucy the lovely, Lucy the cold

Lucy her madness will lay down the bold

Ah Lucy the lovely, Lucy the cold,

Lucy the madness will...

 

"Ahs shut your bladdy fracking mouth, Strings!" says Charlie Conrag, the group elder, who threw an empty tin of lager at Stevies Strings head, which bobbed off his head and saved repetition of glorious out of tune singing. 

 

"Well, Lucy liked it, thats for sure. Didn't so much as touch me, but everyone else, they turned mad. Some quick, some fast, some short. Before you know it, the whole place was abalze, people fighting, people running. Like pandemonium, it was!"

[Supercape]

GM

 

Sergeant Bowen cleared his throat, loudly, to interrupt the interesting dynamics of the traveller community. You could tell he was not a fan of them, but on the other hand, they had just had a serious fire and lost some of their company. Sympathy was there, against natural resistance. 

 

"Easy boyos. No need to have any more lunacy here, is there?" he said, patting the air to dampen the spirits. 

 

"What we need to know is, where did this Lucy go? We dont want any more of this nonsense now, do we?"

 

He was still undecided as to the legitimacy of the story. It looked like he thought it was just a bunch of drunk travellers having a fight. But he had resolved that it needed a bit of the investigatin'

 

A few moments later...

 

Strings, Charlie Conrag, Officer Bowen, Synapse, and Young Brittania made a squeeze in the police vehicle. But it sufficed. The long windy, bendy roads of Wales were enough to give car sickness to anyone not robust of stomach. 

 

"There! Thats where she must have gone! She headed this way, and she said something about the ruins..."

 

The ruins were in ruins, all right. Atop a hill, crumbling so badly it was hard to say if it had been a fort, a castle, a mansion, or just a pile of bricks and mortar nobody had ever bothered putting together. The wind was cold, and the drizzle relentless. Bleak it looked, although it had a romantic beauty. 

 

Bustling out of the car the five took stock. The ruins looked like they could collapse at any moment, but they could also provide shelter, and a place to hide. 

 

"This will make a fine tale!" smiled Stevie Strings, marching forward, his guitar in his hand. 

[Thevshi]

"Not so fast."  Synapse stated, grabbing Strings by the arm and stopping him from continuing forward.

 

"If Lucy Diamond is in there, the last thing we want is more people around to be affected by her powers.  I'd like to keep the chaos to a minimum if possible."  The young heroine stated before glancing at Sergeant Bowen.  "Sergeant, please keep everyone back from the ruins.  I am going to go in and see if there is anyone in there."

 

With that, Synapse started forward toward the ruins, the red psychic energy of her forcefiled leaping up around her.

[Tiffany Korta]

“I remember this place well, you should have seen it in it’s hey day.†her voice sounded a little distant

 

“But that was several lifetimes ago, the owners have really let the place go.â€

 

Her ever present aura flared into brightness and she started to float a few feet from the ground.

 

“Look I know it looks bad but Lucy is almost like family to me. I can take the lick so let me try and talk her down, whilst I do you can sneak around behind her in case things good bad.â€

[Supercape]

GM

 

The castle was dark inside. THe grey skies of Wales still shone through the cracks, peppering the walls with shafts of light that had an eerie beauty. Underneath was stone, earth, and weeds. The faint fluttering of wings - birds, maybe. Or bats. 

 

The walls varied from relatively intact to completely crumbled, but overall it was fair to say that little remained of the architecture. Stone still stood, but wood was rotted. Between the darkness and the architectural decay, the castle was probably not safe to be in. At least without a solid helmet. 

 

In one corner, sparkles. Beautiful sparkles, like a fairy light, hypnotic almost. 

 

Lucy Diamond. 

 

There she was, glittering in the dark, the shafts of light bounding of her. She had chosen the perfect illumination for her. She waved her glittering hand in front of her, mesmerising herself. Her clothes were rags, and her hair a knotted mess of straw. 

 

Singing an celtic ditty about

The man of leaves, the man of wood, the man from the tree of the green island, England

[Thevshi]

After they got the constable to stay back and keep the civilians out of the ruins, Dee did her best to try to sneak in while Young Britannia took a direct route in, not trying to hide herself.  Stealth was not one of Dee's strong points, but she hoped Angus would draw most of the attention of whomever might be waiting in the ruins.

 

Reaching a point where she could see Lucy, just as Angus arrived as well, Dee stopped and waited to see what happened.  Not that there was a whole lot she could do against Lucy Diamond anyway.

[Tiffany Korta]

It wasn’t something she did often but Agnus pulled back the mask from her head, it was a subtle effect but without the hood she appeared less like Young Britannia and more like well Agnus.

 

<â€It’s a bit of a surprise to see you here, do you want to tell me why?â€> she spoke first in Welsh before translating it into English.

 

<â€We’ve not always got along but I don’t want trouble here, I’m just trying to understand what happening here.â€> this time when she translated she left off the first part of the statement.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Lucy Diamond did not stop sparkling, but it became muted and chaotic. Her eyes widened in fear. 

 

"<Young Brittania!>" He called, with familiarity and alarm. 

 

The air was still in sparkles for one moment, until Young Brittania heard the Oaken Man, Y Dderwem, above her. 

 

Y Dderwen was short and squat, like a hardy tree cut to size. His skin was gnarled brown, all wood, and his eyes pure black. His mouth, such as it was, was curled in an enigmatic grin, half smile, half wail. Whilst he had no visible tongue, his speech was like grinding wood, bending and splintering. 

 

"Leave her alone! She has suffered enough! I will not abide it! No!" he said, in a sing song voice with more than a hint of Welsh accent about it. 

 

He dropped to the floor, on one knee. In his hand, he held a wooden club. A shillelagh, probably. Whilst it was thick and stout, it was not dead. Green leaves curled from it, up and down the shaft. 

[Tiffany Korta]

This wasn’t exactly the happy family reunion that she had in mind and obviously this was going to a little time and effort to fix. Luckily she had lifetimes of experience of unpicking such things.

 

Then there was y dDerwen who from experience, not all of it unpleasant, was the kind who tended to go with his gut feelings on these kinds of things. And that meant for a rather violent response to things.

 

Agnus needed to shut this down quickly.

 

Luckily she knew a few trick that keep in reserve, it helped she knew just about everything that everyone in the UK knew, a burst of light at just the right frequence could (hopefully) shut them both down rapidly. Even treemen had to see right.

 

A quick calculation and a step or two to the left meant that Synapse would be helpfully behind cover and she filled the room will a calming sleep inducing light.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Y Dderwen fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, all wood, leaf and groaning. 

 

"Ah! That's no welcome from you, little woman! You and I, we fight and wed through the ages! You are the spirit of the people, but I am the spirit of the land...its stone, wood, and water" he said, getting to his feet unsteadily. "We are like lovers, kissing one moment, and scratching out each others eyes in the other" he said with a half laugh, that was both angry and joyous. 

 

"Leave him alone! He...he cares for me!" cried Lucy Diamond, sobbing in the corner. 

 

"Why don't you all just leave me alone! Everyone always want's me....some want me to live, some to die, but all want me!" she said, laughing hysterically through her tears, full of fear. 

[Tiffany Korta]

Agnus had no real quarrel with Y Dderwen, in fact she’d got on rather well with in the past, but she needed to find out what was going on and now it involved subduing him.

 

“Look I'm sorry but we need to find out exactly what is happening, and for now that involves you taking a little nap.â€

 

She flew right at him with some speed barreling into him with some force, but not nothing that she knew he couldn’t survive.