Arc # 3110: Astro Adventures: The Scrapnoids from Outer Space!

[LonePhantom777]

Vanguard Headquarters, the War Room, 1700 Hours:

 

Lady Grey stroked her chin between slender thumb and forefinger, the slight furrowing of her brow the only indication that she was troubled by the images being projected onto the far wall.  At times like this, she was reminded of how used Vanguard had become to dealing with the Rikti threat...which, in turn, made it all the more likely for the organization to be caught off guard by things like this. Which, frankly, was unacceptable - once this affair was settled, she'd have to double down on drills that trained base personell on monitoring for non-Rikti threats.

 

Well. That was for later. Looking to the man on her right, Lady Grey raised a delicate brow. "How long do we have before the situation becomes unteneable?"

 

Dressed as always in his dark topcoat and fedora, the enigmatic figure of the Dark Watcher let out a thoughtful hum, lips pursing beneath his sunglasses. "If the data from our radio telescopes is any indication," he mused, "Twelve hours, at best."

 

Frowning quietly, Lady Grey turned to the man who was standing at her left, reduced to a silhouette in the dimly-lit room. "And you, Mr...Bounder, was it?"

 

The figure nodded, his voice brisk and good-humored as he let out a hearty chuckle. "If we're standing on ceremony, then yes, ma'am."

 

"Right. You say the instruments on your...exploration vessel...have detected peculiar energy readings coming from the object of interest?"

 

Another nod. "Affirmative, ma'am. I don't think it's these 'Shivans' I keep hearing about, but it DOES seem to resemble something I've seen before. And if it's what I think it is, we can't just launch cruise missiles to destroy it." The figure paused, crossing its arms over its chest. "But I'll need to get a closer look and run some scans before we can be sure..."

 

Just then, the door slid open, and an operative wearing the insignia of the Herald division stuck his head into the war room. "Er...ma'am?" she asked, clearing her throat nervously. "We've got Captain Dietrich on Line Two. She's saying that if we don't act soon, she'll be calling the White House to give Longbow active control over the situation..."

 

Lady Grey sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger. "Smashing. Let her know I'm finalizing a response team now, which will mobilize within the hour."

 

As the Herald operative saluted and took her leave, Lady Grey turned to address the man who stood to her left again. "I trust you grasp the urgency of the situation?" she asked briskly, gesturing to the projection on the far wall. "If you haven't finished your work by 2200 hours, I can't be held accountable for the safety of you or anyone else you manage to find for your expedition - we'll have to launch by at least then."

 

As the figure stepped forward into the light cast by the projector, Lady Grey fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that some of these costumed sorts adopted some odd motifs and themes, but this chap was something else - from the form-hugging orange bodysuit that was accented by black trunks and a sleek star emblazoned across his chest, to the positively retro design of his rocket pack and bubble helmet, he looked for all the world as if he'd stepped out of the pages of a Flash Gordon comic book.

 

And it says something about Paragon City, she noted dryly, that that could very well be the case.

 

"Not to worry, Lady Grey," the man who had introduced himself as Astro Bounder declared, flashing a brave smile as he nodded towards the projected image of the large asteroid - that huge rock that seemed to be looming at them against the backdrop of outer space. "It's a daunting situation, true; but I've faced far worse..."

 

Featured in this Arc:

[*]Two missions of two-fisted, old-school sci-fi adventure for all those who want a fitting adventure for their space-related heroes!

[*]The classic high-level Clockwork models that acted as minions for the original incarnation of Praetorians Anti-Matter and Neuron, re-purposed as part of a new threat!

[*]Custom enemy mobs that utilize clunky robotic parts, jars for heads, and auras to simulate a strange new alien race.

[*]A development that turns a straightforward asteroid threat into a more complex problem.

[*]Use of the rarely-seen "Shivan Meteor" map to emulate a space mission.

 

Comments and critique are always welcome!