Morningstar #27

With Voltiac and Jackhammer hovering over him, Morningstar was quick to flash with a blinding light. And as they stumbled back and tried to clear the spots from their eyes, the synthoid rose back up to his feet, closed on Jackhammer and clobbered him with a mighty punch.

Unfortunately, the villain was more resilient than he had anticipated, not only absorbing the punch, but striking Morningstar with a solid blow of his own. And this was quickly followed by an electrical attack from Voltiac, which forced the synthoid to fall back and erect a shield of solid light around himself.

Meanwhile Sadler Jr made his way over to Major Mapleleaf, finding him in very rough shape but still conscious. He told his son he'd survived worse than this in his time, and that the lad should get in there and help out the "livin' lightbulb".

While Junior no longer had the Renegade energy rifle -- which had vanished with the rest of the squad during it's group teleport -- he nevertheless moved toward the scuffle without thinking. He saw that Morningstar's shiled had been brought down and the synthoid, while still showing signs of fight, was in the process of weathering a battering from the two villains.

So, picking up a stray can of cola that sat amongst the debris in the vicinity, Louis launched it at the back of Jackhammer's head ... hitting his target dead on before further provoking the villain to attack him. Which of course the thuggish Jackhammer obliged him with in short-order. Nevertheless, Sadler Junior was no mere thug, but a highly sklled combatant, and as such he mananged to out-finese the villain for several moments.

During the course of their scuffle, and in response to Junior's inquiries, Jackhammer revealed that in the wake of his defeat by Thunder was shipped back to the U.S. where he served a tiny portion of sentence, because, as he put it, "even American Judges know that you Canucks are a buncha pansies."

Inevitably though Jackhammer caught Sadler Jr. with a punch that sent him flying back and partially trapped beneath a pile of debris. But as a sneering Jackhammer began to make his way over to the trapped hero, Major Mapleleaf rose back up on shakey legs, calling out a challenge to the villain.

Again, Jackahmmer was more than happy to oblige. And barely able to stand as he was, Major Mapleleaf began to take a severe beating, even as Junior struggled frantically, hopelessly, to free himself.

Meanwhile, Morningstar found his hands more than full with the electical generator, Voltiac, who boasted that he'd received "up-grades" since he faced Morningstar's predecessor, Thunder. However, after the exchgnage of several photon and electical blasts, and a short game of Roman-knuckles, Morningstar shrugged the villain off and and hit him with a punch that sent him flying through a wall and into a nearby office building.

With that he turned to Jackhammer, who the synthoid found still pounding on a Major Mapleleaf that dangled limp in his grip.


Moving quickly to the WW II heroes aid, Morningstar engaged Jackhammer in an angry fist-i-cuff before, as winded as he was, he began to find himself on the receiving end of it. At this point, the synthoid took to the air, again surrounding himself in a shield of solid light, and completely turned the tables. Nevertheless, while Jackahmmer briefly found himself buffetted by photon blast after photon blast, Voltiac emerged from the office building. He immediately transformed into "living lightning" and arced straight for the synthoid, shattering his shield and sending him plummetting to the other earth once more.

And with that, the two villains began to swarm on the synthoid again, with Morningstar forced completely onto the defensive. And indeed, they might well have been in a position to deliver the coupe de grace, when Aurora suddenly appeared between the hero and the villains and hit them with a flash of blinding light. This was immedaitely followed by a blur (Northstar) that raced through the scene, grabbing Jackhammer and briefly taking him along for the ride before coming to a sudden stop even as he let the villain go ... thus sending him head long into and through a concrete wall.

With the appearance of Northstar and Aurora, and the intel of an approaching Epislon Shuttle they received over their head-sets, Voltiac and Jackhammer would teleported away, courtesy of the Renegades.

At last struggling free, Sadler Jr. raced over ot his father, who he found barely clinging to life. Together with Northstar he did what he could to keep his father alive until the Epsilons and med units arrived. Which they did within moments.

Aurora helped Morningstar back to his feet, and as he thanked her helpiung him out (again), the synthoid noticed a Renegade in severely damaged battle armour trying to crawl into a nearby building.
He immedaitely took control of the injured merc and turned him over to the Epsilons.

Within days of the battle, Powersurge, who had since emerged from his coma and was enjoying some R'N'R in England, was ordered back to Canada.