Royal Sentai Angloman

[Scotty Rave]

You saw Dai Nippon crush the attempts of the evil Death Kremlin’s Red Bear Empire.
You witnessed France Five conquer Glou Man Chou and the Lexos.
Now it’s Britain’s turn to get a piece of the Technicolor action…

Raveworks Fiction presents…

ROYAL SENTAI ANGLOMAN

Written by Scott D. Harris

Episode One: The Project, Part One

~~~​

The culture is war for God and country, the history is righteous bloodshed, the code is law…this age of ours is one of empires. They are sworn to never outrage or murder, to flee treason, to grant mercy unto he who begs, to be chivalrous and brave, and to never take up arms unless in the name of honour and the kingdom. This is the sacred code of the Knights of the Round Table, who fight throughout the centuries against all kinds of evil monsters and dark magic. Since then, the Round Table still exists, but the traditional knights have fallen from grace and now exist only in mythological tales…

XXX​

The moon hovered in its soft orbit. Within one of its massive craters was Astro-City-1, the first of the space colonies. A great, thrice-reinforced shield covered the top of the crater, protecting the inhabitants from the harsh vacuum outside. Of course, nothing could protect them from the Sun Shadow. A mother and child walked together along one of the interconnecting bridges that served as AC1’s pathways.

“Mommy, do you heaw that?†the child asked. “That wumbling sound?â€

“I…I do hear it, honey,†the mother picked him up and hugged him close, “but I’m sure it’s nothing.â€

How wrong she was. The entire city rocked violently, and something black eclipsed the light above, the shadows devouring the panicked citizens in something blacker than any night. There was a brief sucking noise, then nothing.

XXX​

The Sun Shadow’s command deck was a large, round room with a translucent floor, allowing whomever so wished to gaze down at the marvellous gears and hammers as they ticked and tocked away to the heart of the ship. Humanoids in grey uniforms and domed helmets sat at the console, controlling the monstrous invader. Standing behind them was their leader, a tall, smartly dressed man with a dashing, young-old face and a neat mane of white hair.

“This spot will do perfectly,†he said in a voice like an amplified whisper. “From this point, we will always have a perfect view of the planet below. What is the status of the space colony that was here before us?â€

“All inhabitants are in cryogenic stasis, Mister Blackthorn,†one of the men in white replied. “Exactly two-hundred in total.â€

“Jolly good show,†the man called Blackthorn tittered. “That’s two-hundred slaves ready for the auction already. Most pleasing.â€

“Shall I alert the syndicate?†asked the small man beside him. This was Manitov, Blackthorn’s right-hand alien. He was a lanky creature with rubbery, lizard-esque skin and thin slits for nostrils. His fingers extended from the cuffs of his brown suit like vines and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes. He had no hair on top of his head, but a black ponytail hung from the back.

“No, that won’t be necessary,†said Blackthorn. “This does not concern them. Now, I believe it’s time we set up for my grand entrance. Interrupt their global transmissions on my word.â€

“Yes, Mister Blackthorn!†the domed soldiers saluted as one man.

XXX​

The Sovereign Caleigo was in an uproar. Inside the Houses of Parliament, the great meeting of the British Empire’s governing force was gathered to discuss the disturbing disappearance of Astro-City-1, and the appearance of something else, something alien, in its place. The rows of chairs arced around but left one wall untouched. This one instead held a large, circular screen that currently showed the construction; a jet black pyramid laced with silver trimmings down each edge, and an evil, sickly plum-coloured scarred half moon on one side.

“We just got a call from the American president,†said one of the gathered MPs, “they want to launch a retaliatory strike against the aliens.â€

“You can tell the president that it’s not his choice to make,†replied Prime Minister Robert Pertwee. “The U.T. are not going to turn this into a war.â€

The screen began to crackle and fizz with static. A wave of confusion washed over the MPs, and then the view of the moon was gone, replaced by a swirl of colours, which opened up into an office that seemed to emulate the television announcements of Earth’s political leaders. A tall, handsome man with silver hair sat behind a desk littered with alien objects, and instead of a chair, he was seated in an imposing, black throne with two arcing horns on top.

“Greetings, members of the Sovereign Caleigo,†the man said in a cool voice.

“Who the hell are you, sir?!†Robert Pertwee demanded. “What did you do with Astro-City-1?!â€

“And you are?â€

“I am Robert Pertwee, prime minister of Great Britain!â€

“Are you this country’s leader? The tip-o’-the-top? I’ll speak only to them, so I will, so I will.â€

“Then you want me,†said a deep, booming voice. The hall fell quiet, as a tanned giant of a man stood up. Like the others, he was wearing a smart black suit and tie, but there was a coat of arms sewn on his jacket. His shoulder-length hair, moustache and beard were as brown as a bear’s fur.

“I am Richard Goddard,†he introduced himself. “King Richard IV of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of the Indian and African colonies, Emperor of America and Canada, and now it seems…Ambassador of Earth.â€

“That’s quite a lot of titles, Your Majesty,†the man on the screen chuckled, “so I’ll reciprocate, I hope you don’t mind. My name is Elias Blackthorn, leader of the Darkshot gang, chief enforcer of the Milky Way Syndicate, and soon-to-be Slave Master of Earth and its Astro-Cities.â€

“What do you mean by ‘Slave Master’?†King Richard was not amused. “And to repeat my prime minister’s question, what did you do with Astro-City-1?â€

“It’s quite simple, Your Majesty,†explained Blackthorn in a rather nonchalant way, as if he were talking about a mild business venture. “The citizens of Astro-City-1 are unharmed, but they are all imprisoned in cryogenic stasis within my fortress here. As I am a gentleman, for the time they are here, they will not be hurt in any way. I have studied your planet for the past decade or so, and I realise just how valuable it is due to its oil and minerals. I reduce the planet to a molten heap, and I can sell off the remains. Of course, I have to send the dominant species somewhere, so you’ll all be auctioned off as slaves.â€

“Enough!†King Richard bellowed, which even surprised Blackthorn a little. “This is a world with a history built on blood and the courage of men! I will not surrender it or our lives just so you can make a profit!â€

A pause. A deadly pause. Blackthorn’s face fell into a deep frown, his eyes glared icily from the screen.

“I expected you to be smarter than that, Your Majesty. I hope you can live your life knowing that you have doomed every man, woman and child on the planet. In one month, my enforcers will be prepared to take Earth by force. As I believe the phrase goes…meeting adjourned.â€

His face, the throne and indeed, everything, vanished, leaving a standby image of the Union Flag. However, it did not inspire fear in many of the suited men, but rather, anxiety.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,†said Robert Pertwee, “you had better know what you’re doing.â€

“I suppose you’re right,†King Richard replied. “This country has faced worse disasters than this. We recovered after the Germans and Japanese turned this great kingdom into their war zone, and we will certainly remain stoic against this new threat. We’ll need better weapons now. Get the Ministry of Defence on the phone, Pertwee.â€

“Way ahead of you,†the prime minister smirked confidently.

XXX​

The trip was shorter than they expected. About five, maybe ten minutes later, and the two men were descending in a lift that seemed to keep going further and further down. They were already deep beneath Big Ben, where they had actually stepped in. The lift came to a stop, and the two men emerged into a well-lit corridor. In front of them were six escalators, three going down, three coming back up. There were also a row of lifts behind them.

“Just where are we?†asked King Richard.

“The centre of a new super soldier project,†explained Robert Pertwee proudly, “about twenty years ago, it was discovered that the Houses of Parliament was sitting just a few miles above the world’s biggest source of Athzeron, a form of energy-radiating diamond. This base, Sub-Camelot, was built to study and learn to effectively utilise the energy.â€

“So who is in charge here?â€

“That would be me,†said a third voice. King Richard looked across to the next downward escalator. There was a tall man standing there, wearing a powder blue suit with a burgundy tie, silk gloves and a coat of arms he didn’t recognise on the pocket. A pair of dark glasses covered his eyes, and his shoulder-length hair and neatly trimmed moustache were brown with light traces of grey. His nose and chin could only be described as pointy. “Good to see you, Prime Minister, and what an honour to see you as well, Your Majesty.â€

“A pleasure,†King Richard was obviously perplexed. “Who are you?â€

“I am the director of Sub-Camelot,†replied the man, “and I am often thought of as the greatest scientific mind in the empire. My name is Brigadier G, your humble servant.â€

The escalators reached the floor, and the three men walked down a corridor with Brigadier G in the lead. They came to a sliding door marked ‘Super Chain Mail Development Laboratory.’

“Super chain mail?†King Richard looked at Brigadier G in a bewildered fashion.

“I heard Mr. Pertwee explain that this base is on top of the world’s biggest Athzeron mine,†said Brigadier G, “and that is possesses energy-giving properties. That’s only part of the answer.â€

The door opened, revealing a large room with scientists carrying out various duties; testing mathematical equations, typing up reports and carrying around phials and cartridges of all colours.

“Doctor Caster will show you everything,†said Brigadier G. King Richard was about to ask where he thought he was going, but the man in the powder blue suit had already vanished. Another man approached them, this one wearing a white lab coat over a rather humble ensemble consisting of a blue shirt, a red tie, a beige tank top, black trousers and white Converses. Not boots, but Converses. He had a pleasant face and wild, white-blonde hair.

“Greetings to you both,†he said, “I am Doctor Grant Caster, chairman of the Angloman Project. Please, let’s move to a more peaceful, and much less cramped room and I will explain everything.â€

XXX​

“A month?!†demanded the young woman in black. “You’re giving that Earth filth a month?!â€

“Are you questioning my decision, Deltra?†Blackthorn asked with dangerous calm. “I think that’s a problem. Do you know why I think that’s a problem? Oh yeah! Because I’m the goddamn boss! Got it?!â€

He leaned forward in his throne and the aggression suddenly radiating from every pore was enough to intimidate Deltra to stand down. Seated to Blackthorn’s left was Manitov, who sat comfortably in his own chair, and standing to his right was his bodyguard, a tall, muscular creature in a dark green suit with a black shirt. His head, hands and feet seemed to be covered in white medieval armour patterned with gold, and a silver horn jutted from his forehead and arced upwards.

“By the end of this month, the Apostles will be ready for combat,†Blackthorn explained. “As such, they will be able to effectively march on England and begin our hostile takeover.â€

“Why start with England?†asked Deltra.

“It’s the heart of their empire, and it was an Englishman who defied us. Way I see it, we crush them, and as a result we utterly devastate whatever morale the planet’s native inhabitants had.â€

“Brilliant as always,†Manitov cooed.

“Oh piss off, you little green poofter,†Deltra scowled. Manitov stuck his grey tongue out at her.

“Enough…†Blackthorn launched himself from his seat and landed nimbly across the room. He clicked his heels and turned to face his subordinates. “If you’re so anxious to get started, then so be it. We’ll send them a warning shot. Nothing too destructive, just a shockwave, to shake them up and put a little fear in ‘em. Happy now?â€

The three looked at each other, then at Blackthorn. Deltra nodded slowly.

XXX​

The room was weird, to say the least. It was quite large, the largest room so far, and was composed of three levels, each one smaller than the last so they were stacked on top of each other like a Tower of Hanoi. There were three staircases built into the stack. In the middle of the top level was a waist-high dome full of swirling, multi-coloured light.

“So what’s this?†asked King Richard, pointing to the dome.

“This is where we have successfully tapped and contained the Athzeron radiation,†replied Grant Caster. “This command centre is where everything comes to fruition. When I super-charge the dome, it’ll send beams of pure body-enhancing Athzeron into five selected soldiers. We’ve already ascertained that there will be no negative side effects, and that the subjects’ physical and mental abilities will be greatly enhanced, and they will also be granted a degree of control over specific elements. You could think of this, gentlemen, as the key to mankind’s evolution and its salvation.â€

“That’s quite a claim,†Robert Pertwee said sceptically.

“Oh ye of little faith,†Caster chuckd.

Suddenly, there was an almighty boom, and the room began to shake. The three men were sent flying, and inside the dome, the rainbow particles went wild. Like angry hornets they flew around, crashing against the wall of their prison until it cracked open and in a great storm of fury and lightning, five coloured streaks of light flowed upwards from the remains of the dome and burned their way towards the surface. King Richard shook his head and looked up, astonished, and he managed to squeak out, “Doctor Caster…what are we going to do?â€

“Now, I guess…we pray.â€

As those words passed his lips, the bolts of escaped energy struck down five teenagers, and opened their destinies.

 

[Scotty Rave]

Episode Two: The Project, Part Two

~~~​

King Richard had returned to Buckingham Palace, shaken by the events, and Robert Pertwee had to make sure the country didn’t fall into complete disarray. It was hard to keep such an event quiet in order to prevent a global frenzy, so it required his full attention. They made their orders clear though – Grant Caster was charged with locating and rounding up whoever had been changed by the radical energy. They had wanted Brigadier G to go with him, but it was explained that the man had a nasty habit of disappearing from the face of the planet, and yet still be able to keep up-to-date with current events. Now, about an hour after the incident, Caster and a young woman were sitting in the back of a cream-coloured Rolls Royce. The chairman of the project had a laptop open across his legs, showing a map of London with five coloured dots – red, blue, black, yellow and pink – thankfully all within a fairly close range of each other.

“What if they don’t agree to help?†the girl asked. She was a pale-skinned thing with a slender body, shoulder-length brown hair and caramel-coloured eyes. She was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, a blue tie and black suspender-trousers.

“As much as I’m opposed to violence,†replied the scientist, “they won’t be given much of a choice. This goes above and beyond any problem we’ve ever faced before, Belle. The Earth could now be involved in its very first intergalactic confrontation.â€

“I understand,†Belle nodded. “Which of the five is closest?â€

“I’d say…Red and Yellow. They’re both in the New Destiny district.â€

XXX​

“You sure this is safe?†asked the boy with the blonde streak in his hair.

“Positive,†the brunette girl assured him. The two were standing on top of the multi-storey car park not far from New Destiny University, filming a shot for the boy’s latest assignment.

“I don’t mind finding an alternative, Beth.â€

“Oh, get on with it, will you, Scott? I got the balance of a cat.â€

“Well…if you say so. Three, two, one, and…action!â€

No sooner had he said that, when something ripped out of the sky and struck the two teens, launching them into the air with a united shriek of astonishment. Beth and Scott tumbled over the side of the building towards the street far below. Scott turned to his friend as the pavement raced up to meet them.

She’s unconscious…damn it…our lives can’t end this way! Beth…

He reached out towards her. He couldn’t let her die. No…he wouldn’t let her die! She was his best friend, and nobody, not even God, was going to take her away from him! He felt his entire body heat up, and as he wrapped his arms around her, he felt their descent begin to slow down on a cushion of warmth. When they reached the ground, it was merely with a light thud. The heat disappeared, and Scott knew they were safe.

What did I just do? he thought. At least we’re okay…what the hell?

‘What the hell’ indeed. A car pulled up on the street beside them, and a tall man in a white coat stepped out.

“Please come with me,†he said. “You and your friend are needed.â€

“Who are you?†asked Scott as he stood up, supporting Beth as she slowly began to return to the waking world.

“My name is Grant Caster,†he held out a wallet with an I.D. card inside. Scott scanned it over briefly and looked at him.

“You’re with the Ministry?†he asked. “Sir…what do you need with us? We’re just students.â€

“I just saw what you did,†Caster explained. He was relieved to find that the first stop was an easy one. If the boy’s flag-emblazoned shirt was anything to go by, they had landed themselves a patriot. “I’m very impressed. Please come with us and all will be explained, but first we must find the other three.â€

“Y-Y-Yes, sir,†Scott stammered, feeling humbled by the presence of an actual M.O.D. official. He climbed into the car with Bethany’s groggy body across his lap.

XXX​

Alan Grayson sat outside The Talisman pub, on his break. As he sipped at the cold glass of beer, he watched as a few kids played football on the opposite pavement. He didn’t really approve of that, because it was too dangerous, but he didn’t see any cars coming. Not many people travelled these roads by car on Saturdays. He brushed some hair out of his face and picked up his novel, opening on the bookmarked page. There was a sharp jolt in his chest, and he tossed upwards with a cry. The kids on the other side watched and shouted as Alan twisted and twirled before landing in the road with enough force to send cracks along the tarmac.

“Mister! Mister, are you all right?†one of them called to him. These calls changed to screams as something else came at Alan. A red minibus came around the corner and headed towards the prone young man. Working on instinct over common sense, Alan got on his knees and crossed his arms in front of his face. The minibus hit him with the force of a stampeding elephant, and crumpled around him. He didn’t even flinch. Alan paused, and opened his eyes, and stared through the windscreen. The front of the car had just caved in when it met his arms, and of course, their airbags had deployed. Between the mask one of the men inside was wearing, and the sound of the oncoming sirens, and the chattering children, he was completely dumbfounded, unable to think at all.

Flashing lights abound and hands around, his shoulders, I mean, helping him to stand and turning him towards a car. He didn’t feel anything until he was sitting opposite two people he recognised. Scott Harris and Bethany Thompson were fairly regular patrons of The Talisman and he knew them well.

“S…Scott…?†he asked. “…Beth? What happened?â€

“Sounds like you’re in a state of shock, my boy,†said the man who led him into the car. “You’ll be all right in a few minutes. Just try and relax. All will be made clear soon.â€

“What’s our next stop, Professor?†Scott asked the man.

“The next closest is Pink,†he replied. “She isn’t five minutes from here.â€

XXX​

The Rosewaters lived just outside the New Destiny district, not far from Kings Cross station. Ivy, heir to the Rosewater fortune, was walking home from school when she was hit. Actually, to be specific, she was running home, being chased by a group of youths in hoodies, imitation jewellery and faux Burberry scarves and caps. The greatest enemy of the civilised world – chavs. These four boys, known collectively as the Hoodies, for all the creativity in the world, were catching up to Ivy and the gap was quickly closing.

Oh dear goodness, she thought, don’t let them catch me!

Something hot hit her from behind, and she was tossed into the air. The Hoodies watched her from the ground, their faces were masks of wide-eyed, gaping jawed horror. Ivy was not scared. The energy pumping through her veins actually felt good. She felt her body becoming lighter than air, and she was suddenly hovering upside down. She looked down at the Hoodies, who screamed and ran in fear. Ivy closed her eyes and willed herself to land neatly on her feet, just as a cream-coloured car pulled up at the roadside.

XXX​

Rowan Bates held onto the bridge support for dear life. He had just returned to London for the first time in nine years, and had been sight-seeing on his way to see an old friend, and something had sent him tumbling over the side of the railings into the Thames. If he let go, he knew he was done for. His clothes had been soaked through, and his cap had disappeared beneath the ruthless current of the river. People were screaming and police were trying to keep them away. He could make out the flashing blue lights of a rescue boat coming for him.

“Don’t let go, son!†one of the men on the boat cried. “Hold on just a bit longer!â€

He was trying. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he was trying. But the support was slippery and he was quickly losing his grip. When the pole was close enough, he shot out both hands and grabbed it. The current took his legs and tried to pull him one way as the rescuers tried to do the same. He wanted the water to leave him alone and let him live…and just like that, the current died. The Thames became completely still. Of course, no sooner was Rowan taken to a nearby hospital where he could wash and change into some new clothes, when he was asked to go along with a mysterious man, his assistant, and four other teens. He recognised one of them at once – one with glasses over his grey eyes and brownish hair with thick blonde streaks.

As they sat opposite each other, with the Rolls Royce rumbling at a steady pace towards it destination, Rowan eventually spoke.

“Been a while, ain’t it, old pal?†he had developed a thick country accent in his time away from the city.

“You’ve changed a lot, Rowan,†Scott recognised him immediately, with that strange bond that only comes from being close like brothers.

“So’ve you, Scott,†Rowan noted.

“Now we’re all together,†interrupted a tall, muscular boy with dark hair and eyes, and a tanned complexion, “do you mind explaining why you came looking for us? And what happened to us all?â€

“I intend to,†said the man in the white lab coat. “Rest assured.â€

XXX​

Repair-work had just finished in the lab. That was evident because a maintenance team were leaving just as Grant Caster and the teens were entering.

“I think you’ve got some explaining to do,†said Rowan. “You just took us god-knows-how-many-miles underground through a lift in Big Ben, of all places, dragged us around this bloody maze, and now…whoa…â€

He was awestruck by the sight of the room. They all were. From its three levels, to the swirling, calm lights in the dome at the top. The second tier seemed to be where all the operations took place. There was a large monitor in the wall with an arced computer console in front of it, running along the edge of the tier. There was also a large transparent case on the wall containing five weapons that looked like they had been upgraded from previous status in the middle ages!

“Brilliant hardware…†muttered Beth. “What’s all this in aid of?â€

“I’ll show you,†Caster turned to his assistant, the woman called Belle, and gave her a slight nod. Belle pressed a button on the aforementioned console, and the threatening message from Blackthorn was played on the monitor.

“Who’s that mug?†asked Beth.

“I like his hair,†someone said.

“Shut it,†someone else said.

“He calls himself Elias Blackthorn, leader of a gang of aliens,†said Caster.

“Aliens?†Scott interrupted immediately. “Sir, isn’t that a bit far-fetched? I mean, he doesn’t even look like an alien.â€

“Even if he’s from Earth, the transmission came from this spot on the moon,†Belle said, pressing a button on the console that changed the image to the foreboding form of the Sun Shadow.

“Isn’t that where Astro-City-1 used to be?†asked Alan.

“It is,†Caster sighed sadly, “but the Darkshot enslaved everyone there upon arrival. We were prepared for such an alien attack, using processed radiation from Athzeron diamonds.â€

“Did you say Athzeron?†Scott interrupted. “But…the Athzeron mine doesn’t exist…does it?â€

“What’s that?†asked Rowan.

“Athzeron,†Scott explained, “is a type of diamond that gives off a unique radiation that empowers the wielder’s physical prowess and connection with the elements. Legends say that dragons naturally produced it in their stomachs, hence their ability to fly despite their great size, and their fiery breath. The dragon slain by St. George was buried deep below the ground and from it sprang the largest mine in the world.â€

“And that’s exactly what we’re standing over,†Caster added proudly. “This base, Sub-Camelot, spreads out from beneath the Houses of Parliament, and even further down than us, is the Athzeron mine. Those beams of light you saw were in fact escaped radiation particles. That being the case…we’ve been recruiting you into the Angloman Project. Earth’s defence against the alien invaders.â€

“And what if we’re not interested?†asked Alan, who had been silently listening this whole time. “What if we feel like getting on with our own lives?â€

“I’m not stopping you from having your own lives,†said Caster, “but you would be on permanent standby in case of an attack.â€

“Well, whether or not any of this lot care,†said Scott, âm in this for King and country.â€

“Where he goes, I go,†from Beth.

“I ain’t seen my best mate in years, you think I’m gonna let him run off before we’ve had a proper chin-wag?†Rowan laughed. “That’s three there, mate.â€

“Four,†Ivy had also been silent, but her eyes had been wandering the expanse of the room. “I don’t know any of these people well, but it feels like the right thing to do.â€

“And you?†Caster looked over at Alan. The tall boy rolled his eyes and said, “Fine, may as well.â€

“So…†Belle observed. “…We’re just about ready.â€

“How long do we have until the aliens attack again?†asked Scott.

“One month.â€

 

[Scotty Rave]

Episode Three: One Month

~~~​

Scott looked down at the training gear he had been made to wear. A red vest and white jogging bottoms, with red weighted sandals and fingerless gloves. They weren’t heavy per se, but they made movement difficult. Their job, of course. The words ‘ANGLO RED’ were printed on the back of the vest in a thick, jet black font. He had noticed something while changing a few minutes ago; his body was firmer somehow. He was stronger, his muscles more powerful all over, it was like when Peter Parker looked at himself in the mirror for the first time in his new life.

“That’s what this is,†he had told himself. “This is a new life.â€

The others were wearing similar outfits. Rowan’s vest was blue, and Alan’s was black with his codename printed in white. He was easily the biggest, just as he always had been, except now he could probably take on Hercules himself and come out victorious. Bethany had added to her yellow ensemble with a headband, and Ivy’s hair was tied up in a traditional Chinese bun, whereas previously it had been a French braid. Her vest was pink and her text was yellow. Caster had taken them to Sub-Camelot’s secret training area on an island outside the British Isles, and they were now under the supervision of a man called Romulus Van Morrison. Romulus was a terrifying giant of a man, with tanned and scarred skin, a closely shaven head and evil, black eyes. He was wearing a similar outfit to his students, with a gold vest that lacked any text, and black joggers with two gold stripes down each side.

“So you’re the chosen ones,†he said venomously. “You’re the most pathetic bunch of misfits I’ve ever seen.â€

Scott frowned. Romulus smirked and grabbed a handful of his hair.

“Got something to say to me, blondie?†he demanded. “Well? You gonna cry if I don’t let go of your pretty locks?â€

“Hey, leave him alone, arsehole,†Bethany stood between them. Romulus let go of Scott’s hair, and while he hid it, he was pleased that the boy didn’t crack under the pressure. However, the girl would need to be put in her place.

“Heroes don’t exist when I’m around, girl,†he said. “Get back in place.â€

“And if I don’t? Are you gonna hit me, too?â€

“I don’t need too. I can just put you on the harshest obstacle course conceivable. That’ll do all the punishment for you…unless you think you can take me on.â€

He moved over to silent Alan.

“What about you, Tarzan? Think you can take me on?â€

Alan said nothing.

“Silent type, eh?†Romulus pointed at him and turned to the others. “You could all learn a lot from this’un. He realises his emotions mean nothing here, and that he is to respect his master. That’s me. I’m your master for now.†He glared at Ivy. “You’re all legally old enough to make this choice on your own, so mummy and daddy won’t save you now, Pink Princess.â€

“With all due respect, sir,†said Alan, “that’s quite enough.â€

“Yeah…yeah, you’re right, Tarzan,†Romulus nodded. “Time for talking’s over. I have one month to train you in the ways of the knights, and by hell and thunder I’m going to do that. I’ll be nice and make the first task simple. I want you all to run five laps around the entire area.â€

A slight, slight pause.

“Well?! What are you waiting for?! START RUNNING YOU ‘ORRIBLE SHOWER!â€

XXX​

Caster watched Romulus go about his work from the window of his cabin. They were trying to do the impossible here. In old traditions, a squire began training when he was ten years old, and then receive their knighthood at twenty-one. As for the girls…well, female orders did exist, but they were mostly unheard of. Not only were these the youngest knights in history, but also those with the shortest training…and would King Richard even agree to give them knighthoods? Only Alan Grayson was of real legal age. It seemed a little much to consider such a thing. After all, not every soldier became a knight…but these kids were something more. They weren’t engaging the Huns in combat or blocking the Norman Invasion, they were defending the Earth against terrifying monsters from beyond the stars.

“Professor,†said Belle as she entered the room, but Caster raised a hand to stop her.

“Please, Belle,†he said, “we’ve been over this. You don’t have to call me ‘professor.’ I’m not your superior.â€

“My mistake,†Belle smiled timidly, “…Daddy.â€

A pause.

“How are they doing?†she finally asked.

“Well they only just started,†replied Caster, “but I can tell Romulus plans to put them through the toughest training possible. If any one of their spirits break…ah, I don’t want to think about it.â€

Belle placed a cup of tea beside him. He thanked her and blew on it before drinking, then went to work at his laptop. The monitor displayed a file that read ‘ANGLOMAN PROJECT ADDITION – S.L. OPERATIONS PROGRAMME.’ He clicked it, and watched, as data and images flooded his vision. Fantastic, scientific advances kept secret from the rest of the words.

“Do you want me to have the A-Braces put through the final stage of development?†asked Belle.

“Sure,†Caster said, only half paying attention because he was distracted by ‘S.L.’ Two white beams glowed out towards him. Belle’s own eyes darkened at the images, and she turned away.

XXX​

Romulus watched with his arms crossed over his massive chest as Ivy awkwardly made her way across an obstacle course, thanks to her untrained body and the weighted gloves and sandals.

“Pick up the pace, chink!†he snapped. Ivy froze in place and turned towards the giant.

“What…did…you…say?†she was seething. Ivy Rosewater was a quarter Chinese in origin, and it got on her nerves when people used that against her. She clenched her fists and her eyes began to glow with an unearthly pink aura. Romulus took a combat-ready stance, aware that these kids had special powers.

“Ivy!†a voice shouted. “That’s enough!†The girl turned around to see Scott’s stern face. The glow faded, and she looked at him sadly.

“Ignore his insults,†said the bespectacled boy. “Concentration is surely the key.†Ivy sighed and went back to her task as Romulus raised an eyebrow curiously. He couldn’t let any of them get too confident or he’d risk losing control, so he approached the boy.

“Don’t think you have it all worked out, lad,†he said softly. “You just earned yourself some points for that, but don’t get cocky. Most great leaders die because they think they’ve got all the answers.â€

“I assure you, sir, that’s exactly how I don’t think,†replied Scott.

“We’ll see…†Romulus watched Ivy finishing the course. “Take her and get cleaned up. Tomorrow we start on weapons.â€

XXX​

There were three cabins set up for training the team. One for Scott and Rowan, one for Alan, and one for Beth and Ivy. Scott was lying on his side, staring at the wall. He could hear Rowan snoring gently on the other side of the room. There hadn’t been much time for the two to catch up on old times, because by the time they finished training, they were too tired to talk. The last few days had been hell. The basic laps and weight lifting had been all right, but the obstacle courses were awkward, and just yesterday, Romulus had forced them to run through a stinking, muddy trench. That one had left him nauseated, throwing up into what the trainer referred to sarcastically as his ‘nice, clean dirt.’ They were also being taught boxing and judo, which Alan seemed to have some prior experience in, and Ivy apparently knew an effective deal of tai chi. Tomorrow, as the dark-eyed giant said, they would learn to use weapons. He remembered those things he saw in Caster’s laboratory. Torn from medieval times and modernised by geniuses. He thought to himself, Was Excalibur as beautiful as the sword in that case?

He looked down at his arms. During the first few hours after he had been picked up by Belle and Dr. Caster, he had occasionally seen little red sparks dance on his skin. Now they didn’t appear. He still felt them, but the sparks remained beneath the surface of his body now. He closed his eyes and descended into Nod. In his dreams, he wore the armour of a mighty crimson knight, the flag of his kingdom displayed proudly on his chest, a ruby-encrusted sword held tightly in his gloved hands. He led the defiant charge against the enemies of justice, and slew their leader by slicing his head cleanly from his shoulders. Glory, truth and strength flowed and crashed around him in a sea of his enemies’ blood. He shouted something, but he couldn’t hear his own words.

XXX​

“How are they progressing?†asked Caster. He, Belle and Romulus were sitting around a table in another cabin, discussing the training over coffee.

“I’m concerned,†replied Romulus. “In physical trials, Black is doing better than anyone else. Red shows leader potential but he has almost no confidence in himself. Pink is constantly being distracted and she can’t concentrate, yet her aim is impeccable. Blue and Yellow work well together but they don’t take the time to think things through. As a team, all five are incredibly flawed. Tomorrow, I’m going to teach them weapons.â€

He checked the list in front of him. “Any reason why they each have different ones?â€

“The super chain mail and the weapons are interconnected through the Dagonet programme,†Caster explained. “Think of the armour and the weapons as two halves of the same whole.â€

“I see,†Romulus tapped the list with two fingers, and then grabbed it and shoved it in his pocket. “Let’s just hope they can handle it.â€

XXX​

The next day came sooner than they expected, or indeed, wanted. As the sun gazed down from its celestial balcony, the five were spread out across the island. Each one was given a different weapon, and a different objective. Ivy was given a wrist-mounted crossbow and had to strike targets from a distance. Beth held a shield and had to block as many projectiles as possible. Rowan wielded a battleaxe and had to perfectly slice wooden dummies into pieces. Alan was tasked with destroying massive boulders and stone statues with a war hammer. Finally, Scott stood on a wooden bridge over a pit, at the bottom of which was a muddy, yellow pool. They had trav this one before, and their weights had been dragging them slowly down. Now, he didn’t even feel the weights. His hands were wrapped around the leathery grip of a sword. Standing opposite him was Romulus, clutching his own blade.

“You’re a smart kid,†said the giant man. “So far I’ve seen you take command when necessary, and you never say ‘no’ to your master. You talk the talk, lad, but can you walk and walk?â€

“I suppose we’ll find out,†the boy replied, “won’t we?â€

“Come at me if you would call yourself a knight! Earn that honour!â€

Scott screamed and charged forward.

 

[Tom Constantine]

I'm going to read this purely for the name.

 

[Scotty Rave]

Episode Four: Time’s Up

~~~​

The Sun Shadow glared viciously at the blue sphere floating millions of miles away. The month would soon be over. They were counting down the final twenty six hours before the attack was set to begin. Ketamax and Deltra were the only ones on the command deck. The humanoid girl was absent-mindedly running a comb made of fangs through her long, auburn hair.

“Think the Boss will let us have a few personal slaves when this is over?†she asked. “I’d have about a dozen of those Ayrian types, all muscles with blonde hair and big, blue eyes, performing every sordid little whim for me. What about you, Ketty? Bet you could use someone to keep you polished, right?â€

“I do not require slaves,†the knight responded, “merely an apprentice, whom I shall choose myself from the world’s greatest young fighters.â€

“Oh yeah, didn’t your gang like…disband or something?â€

“They were killed.â€

Deltra whistled awkwardly. You didn’t make that kind of a mistake again, so she shut up and went back to watching the Earth. There was a long silence between them, and finally, Deltra spoke again.

“An apprentice, eh? Sounds well brilliant. Ever taken one before?â€

Ketamax didn’t reply. He turned away from the window and walked towards the black, sliding doors. His heavy footsteps echoed throughout the room. When he was gone, Deltra finally stopped playing with her hair and stuffed the comb in her pocket. She pressed her gloved fingers against the window and whispered, “Such a pretty place.â€

XXX​

The scar on his arm was still sore. His fight with Romulus Van Morrison had left a mark that would stay with him forever, but it was not one-sided. Scott made sure that Romulus would remember him also. After all, Scott Harris was the man who had left a serpentine cut on his chest, to forever state that the mighty giant was not undefeated. At the end of that fight, Scott had been subdued. The reason? Romulus had wielded a sword for almost forty years. He was a master of the blade. The boy’s small victory came from sheer instinct and his refusal to lose. The fact it had only been a training session was long forgotten. The moment their blades cut through cloth and met with bare skin, a bond had been born. It was the sacred bond of a knight and his squire. The master and student were truly found. Now, as the clock struck eleven o’clock, the group had returned to the mainland, and stood together in Grant Caster’s laboratory deep within Sub-Camelot. For reasons they would work out on their own very soon, the three-tiered room had been nicknamed ‘Anglobase.’ Belle was holding a silver suitcase with the Ministry of Defence’s combined services badge imprinted on it. The five teens had been allowed back into regular attire, much to their relief. Their wrists and ankles had almost screamed with delight when they could finally take the damn weights off!

“Our deadline is tomorrow, the first of the month,†said Caster. “That’s when the aliens will attack. I appreciate that the last few weeks have been hell for you all…and I shouldn’t be doing this, given the circumstances…but I’ll give you a last choice. If you wish to leave, there’s the door.â€

Nobody moved. What a blessed relief.

“Excellent,†Caster smiled. “In that case, Belle, please open the case.†Belle nodded and did as she was told, opening it up to reveal five watch-like devices. Each one was a white hexagon with a red ‘A’ on top and black trim running along the edges. The watches had colour-coded straps – red, blue, black, yellow and pink. Lined above these odd bracelets were five black-and-silver mobile phones. The flip-open kind of course.

“These are your A-Braces and communicators,†Belle explained. “The Braces each contain compound Athzeron diamonds, and are the latest in trans-mat technology. They can instantly teleport super chain mail onto your bodies from the Anglobase. The communicators use the Dagonet system to provide a direct link between the five of you, as well as us, so we can send you a little extra firepower when you need it.â€

Rowan was the first to take his two respective things from the case and looked at them. He slipped the communicator into his pocket and strapped the A-Brace onto his left wrist.

“How does it actually work?†he asked.

“Compress the top,†Caster pointed at the ‘A’, “and call out for the transformation. It’s quite simple, really. So if you could all take an A-Brace and a communicator…â€

They did.

“Excellent. Tomorrow is judgement day, so I want you all to get plenty of rest and to prepare for tomorrow. You are about to come face-to-face with an evil beyond the human imagination.â€

“No pressure, of course,†Beth murmured cynically.

“Chill,†Rowan smirked. “It could be fun.â€

“Yeah, it’ll be fun,†Beth rolled her eyes. “You know the stories about aliens and probes, right? That’s something I definitely don’t want a part in.â€

XXX​

Deltra roamed the halls of the pyramid. Most of their forces were sound asleep, apart from the occasional night-watchman. She came to a stop when something appeared at the end of the corridor. A tall, fat man dressed as a waiter, with a rubber goblin mask covering his whole head and a panama hat on top. He was carrying a piece of sugar cane in one hand, which he rhythmically tapped against his thigh. For a second that seemed to stretch to eternity, Deltra and the waiter looked at each other. Finally, the girl remembered that this was an intruder, and called out to him.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?â€

The waiter made a contemplative noise, but his empty, black sockets never left Deltra’s concerned, amber eyes. He was scary. Scarier than Boss Blackthorn, the so-called ‘Devil Doctor’ himself. Scary in his silent immobility. He reached out a hand gloved in silk, and to Deltra’s terrified mind, it was stretching for her. Coming for her. A smiley face stared out from his palm. The bogeyman was here to take her away, no longer confined to living under her bed, in the wardrobe and down in the basement. He was gone. Deltra slid out of her paralysis and rubbed her temple with two fingers.

“What the hell was that about?†she asked under her breath. She shook it off and continued walking, but now at a brisker pace. Her hand reached into the pocket of her pinstripe jacket and gripped something. Something safe. Something familiar and warming. Reminded her of dear…no, she wasn’t meant to think about Boss Darkshot. He was gone, long dead, defeated and then replaced by his chief lieutenant – one Elias Blackthorn, the Devil Doctor. Cool, conniving, calculating. Old Blacky would happily sell his own mother for a profit…if she wasn’t already a corpse beneath the surface of some far-off spit-wad of a planetoid. She pulled the thing from her pocket anyway and stared at it. It was a violet domino mask with a little ‘D’ engraved above the nose. She raised it to her face and stared through the eyeholes. She smiled and slipped it back in her pocket, “Never forget you, Daddy.â€

XXX​

They stood together in a strategic hiding place. Inside a monitoring room in Sub-Camelot, they stood amidst a crowd of technicians, watching London on a series of large computer screens. Standing with them were Caster, Romulus and Belle. Alan looked at Caster.

“You said we must keep our identities secret from everybody,†he said.

“Everybody non-personnel,†Caster corrected.

“Why?†Alan asked.

“Security reasons,†said Caster, “after all, it’s not your families fighting. It’s just you five, and I’m sure you all appreciate the fact that your families cannot be targeted by our enemies so long as your names remain unknown.â€

“It’s all in comics, Al,†Rowan smirked.

“If you say so,†Alan deadpanned and looked up at the screen. They all flickered, and even in their expectancy, the world was left in surprise. Elias Blackthorn had returned, and he looked grim.

“People of Earth,†he said, “your time is up. You have no surrendered, which means you have left us with no choice. Right now, my Apostles are heading down towards your planet. We will raze the British Empire to the ground, and then the rest of the planet will fall. You have doomed yourselves.â€

The screens returned to normal, and they could see a black oblong descending towards the ground. The size of an articulated lorry, the troop transport ship extended its ten legs, cracking the pavement as it landed. While Nelson’s Column was only scraped on its way down, it would take some repairs.

“Nelson won’t be happy,†Beth smirked. “Although…maybe he looks better without the hat.â€

“Show’s over,†said Caster. “They’re opening their attack in Trafalgar Square. You five will be transported there at once. Destroy every last one of those stinking alien warmongers! THIS IS OUR WORLD AND THEY HAVE NO PLACE IN IT!â€

A zestful applause followed.

XXX​

All the world’s nations were gathered as the first of the monsters descended from the black transport, their green suits and domed helmets the very image of evil. The invaders had come. Earth was at the dawn of its first intergalactic war. Leading them were two figures. A knight and a girl. The square was silent. High up on his tower of stone, Lord Nelson stared down with stern disapproval. Deltra looked up at the ancient soldier and sneered, “What’re you lookin’ at, ya old git?â€

A flash. A moment of response. Earth’s cry of anger. The explosion was small and harmless, but nonetheless effective. A tactic made to get their attention. It did just that, because all eyes fell on the source of it. Sitting around and stop one of the four brass lions surrounding the Column, were five youths. Three boys, two girls. It was one of those girls, she had frizzy, brown hair, green eyes and wore yellow, who had thrown it. They could tell because she was bouncing another possible bomb up and down on her palm. It was a yellow strawberry.

“You’ll pay for that insult, you brat,†Deltra scowled.

“Your evil won’t taint this land!†announced a boy with long hair streaked with blonde and eyes grey as stone. “Our history is forged in dreams and written in blood!â€

“You’re not going to ruin centuries of hard work!†the frizzy-haired girl added.

“Men, women, children and even animals have lived and died to protect it!†from a big-boned boy with curly, brown hair and blue eyes.

“Their efforts won’t be in vain,ll see to that!†from a petite girl with wavy, raven hair tied in a pink French braid.

“Stand against the might of Earth, and you’ll die,†concluded a muscular boy with short hair and stern, dark eyes. With that, the quintet jumped forth and landed perfectly beside each other.

“Wasted breath,†Deltra sneered.

“We’ll see,†Scott raised the A-Brace on his wrist, “Angloman!†The others followed suit, and pressed two fingers to the red ‘A’.

“TRANSFORM!â€

 

[Scotty Rave]

Episode Five: “Transform!â€

~~~​

Scott raised the A-Brace on his wrist, “Angloman!†The others followed suit, and pressed two fingers to the red ‘A’.

“TRANSFORM!â€

Trafalgar Square was engulfed in an explosion of rainbow light. The villains were forced to shield their eyes as the explosion became pure white, and then seemed to shrink, coating the youths and turning them into figures of flawless light. Technicolor flashes radiated from every pore on their bodies, and then it faded. Standing in a row were five figures in coloured suits over chain mail, helmets with dark visors, and long, white scarves. The Union Flag was emblazoned upon their chests.

A seemingly pre-recorded message played in their minds as they walked towards their foes.

“We are the knights who protect this Empire of blood and courage!†their leader, the one in red, announced. “Rule Britannia! Royal Sentai…â€
“ANGLOMAN!†the quintet shouted together. A burst of colour erupted behind them and quickly faded.
“Damn kids,†Deltra scowled. “Apostles! Cut ‘em to ribbons!â€
The fight roared into life, as Red automatically raced towards Ketamax. The alien knight unsheathed his sword.
“Accursed child,†Ketamax sneered. “My grandfather’s sword, the Zacalibur, will be the last thing you will see.†He swung his blade down. Red squeaked and rolled out of the way, ducking behind one of the brass lions.
“Big sword. That’s gonna hurt,†he panted. A six-tone beep came from his belt buckle. Looking down, Red popped open the buckle and took out his phone-like communicator, putting it to the side of his helmet. “Um…hello?â€
“Ah, Scott, glad I could contact you,†said the voice of Caster. “You have weapons of your own. Summon your sword by sending a mental message through your helmet back to Sub-Camelot. We’re trans-mat it right to you from Anglobase.â€
“You’re a diamond,†Red chuckled and put the com back in its holding. He looked up and rolled aside just in time to avoid another sweep from Ketamax’s claymore. He didn’t even realise he’d made the command when his gloved fist lit up with red light. As Ketamax attacked yet again, Red raised his hands to defend himself…and a new sword blocked the Zacalibur. It was silver and gold, with a ruby-encrusted hilt and a glistening blade like an arming sword. The word ‘ARTHUR’ flashed on and off of the inside of Red’s visor for several seconds. He shoved Ketamax away from him and stood up, his body moving on its own as he expertly swung the sword in the air and held it tightly in both hands.
“Arthur!†he announced.
“We’ll see who the superior swordsman, is then,†Ketamax said, excited at the prospect, and they duelled.

Pink dodged left and right to avoid Deltra, who was swinging at her with a scythe. She and the others had received the same message as Red, but her enemy kept her too occupied to send her the mental command. Suddenly, a green-suited Apostle was thrown into Deltra and they both crashed to the ground. Pink breathed a grateful sigh of relief and raised her right arm. Her glove glowed with light as something resembling a small crossbow appeared over it.
“Bedivere!†she announced, and aimed her wrist-bow at the struggling Deltra. A grip with a trigger mechanism had formed across her palm, and her fingers wrapped around it perfectly. A pink arrow shot out and struck the Apostle and Deltra, atomising one and tossing the other into the air. The auburn-haired girl landed hard on her back. Her suit was torn in several places, and in disgust, she tore it off, revealing a body-hugging black cat-suit underneath. A short, purple scarf hung around her neck.
“Okay, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty,†Deltra scowled. “Bring it, pinkie.â€
She raised her arm to reveal a silver tube attached to her glove. Much like Pink’s crossbow, a trigger mechanism crossed her palm, and a black cable extended from the back of the tube towards a silver power pack on the side of her belt. Deltra squeezed the trigger and an orange ball of light shot out. Pink cart-wheeled out of the way, allowing the ball to destroy a chunk of pavement behind her. That had been far too close for comfort.
Righting herself, the pink Angloman fired off several arrows from Bedivere. One struck Deltra in the shoulder. The alien woman screamed and held her arm, biting back pain as purple blood leaked from her wound.
“You bitch…†she spat, “…I’ll cut you into little pieces!†With a roar, she lifted her scythe and charged.

A trio of Apostles approached Blue, who was stepping backwards with his arms raised defensively.
“Now, come on, lads, can’t we talk about this like civilised people?†he pleaded. The Apostles raised their machine guns in response. Blue gulped and looked around for something he could use. When the message came through, he felt a slight pang of relief, not much of one considering the three burly extra-terrestrials approaching him. The Apostles opened fire, and with a shriek of fright, Blue ran out of the way, hiding behind a bronze lion. The Apostles’ bullets blasted into the statue, leaving tiny holes all over it.
“Oi! That’s a piece of history!†Blue shouted, then hid again for the fire of more bullets. Breathing heavily beneath his helmet, he decided now was the best time for that weapon of his. His hand glowed with blue light and a blue pole striped with silver appeared in his hand. The curved blades of a battleaxe extended from the top and its name flashed on his visor. Blue grinned and jumped out of hiding. The Apostles had reloaded their guns and were firing again. Blue’s arms moved with great speed, deflecting the shots with his axe. The last one flew back and left a gaping hole in an Apostle’s face. Blue pointed the axe at the remaining two, “Algovale!â€

Black was being buried under a mountain of Apostles, attacking him with all manner of blunt weapons – clubs, knives, even short swords and hammers, but he was unhurt. Behind his visor, his eyes glowed with eerie light.
“Enough!†he boomed, throwing the aliens in all directions. One stupidly gutsy Apostle threw himself forward with a knife, but Black wrapped his massive hands around the fool’s neck and wrist. He pulled, and was splattered with its purple blood as he ripped it down the middle. He ploughed his fist through the chest of another one and burst through its back. The Apostle made a weak squawking noise and fell to the ground. Like a silent demon, he tore his enemies like paper. He raised his arms and bellowed, “Caradoc!†as he was gifted, like the others, with a weapon, a mighty obsidian war hammer. More evil bones would be felled by his strength. And so they were. When Caradoc’s head met the ground for rest, Black had one foot against a pile of demolished Apostle corpses. One was still alive, but barely, clinging to his leg and breathing heavily.
“Built on blood and war,†Black muttered, “giveth Leviathan the black beast’s regards.â€
“What gospel is that?†the Apostle croaked.
“Mine,†Black sneered. The Apostle’s eyes paled and rolled up, and he died.

Yellow somersaulted out of the way of some Apostle machine guns, and as she landed, she hid behind an invincible, gold and silver shield as it formed on her arms.
“Tristan!†she cried, and charged at her foes. No matter what attack they threw, none could break Tristan’s metal flesh, and just as easily as a hawk taking prey, she slew them all.

“They fight like demons!†one Apostle whimpered in his native tongue.
“Worse than demons,†another responded, “they fight like gods. Vengeful ones.†They were mowed down by Algovale’s blades and fell to the ground, headless.

“What kind of children are you?†Ketamax snarled.
“Want the honest truth?†asked Red. “We’re scared ones.â€
“Fear’s a good motivator.â€
“I like to think so.â€
Ketamax swung his sword across, and Red jumped over it. In mid-air, he planted both feet in the alien knight’s chest and pushed him away. Ketamax plunged his sword into the ground to steady himself, but still he fell on his rear. The suit he wore was slashed open, revealing his whole body to be composed of the white and gold armour. From behind his grilled visor, a single blue eye glared.
“Let’s see what’s under that helmet, then,†Red placed the end of Arthur beneath the visor and attempted to flip it up, but nothing happened. Ketamax started to laugh – a deep, rich noise that dripped with mockery.
“That’s not possible…†Red muttered, “…it’s like…it’s like that helmet is also your face…!â€
“It’s my entire head, you foolish boy!†Ketamax sneered, “and now we know who the better knight is.â€
Red had realised a moment too late that he had been impaled through the stomach on the villain’s blade. When he knew, he felt no pain, only astonishment, and despair…and an overwhelming sense of failure that welled inside him like some sour beast in a cage of flesh. Arthur fell to the ground with a clattering bang, and the world was paper before him. His friends screamed, his enemies laughed in triumph, and his masters watched in terror as Ketamax wrenched the Zacalibur free and kicked him to his final fall.

“Nothing but a child…†Ketamax muttered. There was a cry of, “BASTARD!†behind him, and then Caradoc tore his head from his shoulders, leaving a bloody lump where his neck once was and flecks of green and purple ooze that splashed on the pavement. From his perch, Lord Nelson was brought to coloured tears. Deltra and the remaining Apostles gathered up Ketamax’s body, head and the Zacalibur, and retreated towards their ship.
“We’ll be back!†the girl promised. “I swear it, we’ll be back!â€

As the troop transport took off into the sky and vanished in the blink of an eye, the others gathered around Red. Black propped him up into a sitting position as hiset retracted into his suit. His breathing was heavy and ragged, and there were thin trails of blood rolling down his chin from his mouth.
“S…s…shortest superhero career ever,†he groaned. “Is it bad?â€
“Come on, you’ll be fine, mate,†Yellow assured him, “we need to get you a hospital. A stomach wound takes days to die from.â€
“I feel really tired, Beth…gonna rest…gonna…†His eyes closed and his breathing slowed. The peace drowned out the screams of his friends around him.

 

[Takuya]

This...is amazing. Slightly hilarious, but really well-written.

Oh noez! @ Red.

 

[Scotty Rave]

Time for a big-arse update, people! I've actually written a few eps since but due to other things, I've not frequented this board for a while. So to make up for it, here's a double-dollop-dosage of Angloman!

Kermit the Frog: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

Episode Six: Heksas of Heliok

~~~​

Ketamax’s decapitated head was lowered on a mechanical claw and placed on top of his shoulders. A silver ring was clamped in place to seal them together and begin the regeneration process. Elias Blackthorn was not happy, but he found solace in that they had struck a fatal blow to any kind of resistance the Earth had already. Their invasion was stalled for the time being, giving the Devil Doctor time to concoct a new scheme. As he strolled through the winding corridors, he pondered what he had seen on his tele-screens. However, he was brought out of his train of thought as Manitov appeared beside him, seemingly from nowhere.

“Boss,†he said, “the Dark Lord has just arrived from Heliok.â€

“I wasn’t informed,†Blackthorn scowled.

“I’m sorry, Boss,†Manitov replied sincerely, “but I think he may be angry that the first invasion attempt failed.â€

“I see,†Blackthorn brushed some of his hair out of his face. “Then let us go and greet him, Manitov.â€

XXX​

Heksas of Heliok, known by many names but most famously as the Dark Lord, was a conqueror of men, and a ruler of shadows. Heliok, a world encompassed utterly by his shadow, was many billions of light-years away from our Earth, and could only be found by those who wished to find naught but the blackness, to enter Heksas’ great World-Body. None could ever return, save for the Dark Lord himself. He had taken his favourite form, that of a small, bald man with skin as white as pearl, pointy ears and an iron facemask with five eyeholes in a pentagram. Eyes of different colours – red, blue, purple, orange and green – stared out. Sometimes, those eyes would change, flash between each other like LED lights. He was clad in a dark pink business suit with a royal blue tie and brown gloves. Standing on either side of him was a tall, muscular copy of himself, but their eyes were all brown, and their suits were completely black. They were at a round table in the middle of a meeting room. The symbol of the Milky Way Syndicate was carved into the table – it was an eight-point star, the points connected by the rim of a circle. That star was adapted from the Star of Sight and Point, the flag of the Heliok fleet.

The doors at the other end of the room opened, and Elias Blackthorn walked in, followed by his right-hand-man, the Trollid called Manitov. They sat down, facing him, and Blackthorn had that annoying, smug look frozen on his face.

“Welcome, Dark Lord,†he said, “it’s good of you to come.â€

“Spare me the pleasantries, Blackthorn,†replied Heksas of Helios, “I’m not pleased with you. Thanks to your incompetence, you have lost an entire squadron of Apostles and one elite soldier, and to five juveniles, at that. It’s a disgrace. The other gang lords have suggested they replace you on this venture, and I’m tempted to grant them their wish. If this continues, Blackthorn, you will be out on your own. Understand me?â€

“Yes, sir, of course.â€

“Then this meeting is over…â€

Blackthorn did not react as his boss and the two thugs faded out of existence, each atom transporting itself back towards Heliok with speed beyond matter. When they were alone, Blackthorn looked at Manitov.

“We must take new measures.â€

XXX​

Scott Harris’ body lay in Sub-Camelot’s infirmary, comatose. His wound had been covered by padding and bandages, and an oxygen mask was over his face. His bed was inside a black casket with a red-and-blue cross printed on the top, and ventilation systems on the side. His vital signs were stable, but he had not yet arisen from his deep sleep. Caster and Belle looked at him, knowing that under the bandages, the Athzeron radiation pumping through his veins was repairing his wound at inhuman speed.

“The restructuring of their individual DNA is going surprisingly smoothly,†said the android. “Their recent tests indicate that they aren’t suffering any ill effects, but at the same time their bodies are being changed at a rapid rate.â€

“Good, that makes things all the more better for us,†replied Caster. “Their range of powers will continue to increase so long as the radiation fully takes hold of the electrons in their bodies.â€

“There are events that the Ministry have connected to Athzeron radiation,†Belle continued, “smaller doses that have broken off from the Anglomen and infected others. In Ipswich-â€

“It’s gone as far as Ipswich?†Caster seemed surprised.

Belle nodded. “In Ipswich Hospital, a young man diagnosed with lung cancer was suddenly completely cured. In Hackney, an unfit child took part in a school race and moved with what spectators described as ‘inhuman speed’. And in Essex, a teenage girl survived being hit by an articulated lorry That’s just three of many. The Committee wanted to recapture all those believed to be carrying radiation, but Brigadier G overruled them…with the support of the Sovereign Caleigo.â€

“The Caleigo agreed?†Caster’s surprise only grew. “He must have made one hell of an argument then.â€

Scott made a little sound in his throat, a groan, and opened his eyes. He looked up at Belle and Caster through the case. Not scared, but somehow relieved.

“Pr…Professor…Cas…ter,†he muttered. “W…Where am I?â€

“Relax, my boy,†replied the scientist. “You’re in Sub-Camelot’s infirmary. You’ll be just fine. Just sleep a bit longer.â€

He convulsed a little, arcing his back whilst gripping the sheets tightly, then fell unconscious again. There was silence in the infirmary, silence apart from the steady beep-beep-beep of the heart monitor, and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

XXX​

People were celebrating across the island. Celebrating their new heroes, the defeat of the aliens. Balloons floated up into the air, floats paraded through the streets, and bands played loudly and energetically. King Richard and Robert Pertwee made speeches praising the efforts of the Anglomen and their creators, and promised that nobody, but nobody, would take this land! Nobody would crush this kingdom that took centuries to perfect! The crowds loved that. Nobody noticed something new appearing in the sky. Why would they? It was invisible, and nigh completely undetectable.

Blackthorn’s mouth curled into a smirk. He had been shaken a little by the Dark Lord’s claims, and had now found himself a temporary solution. A satellite, now in Earth’s orbit, designed to block the transmissions to Heliok. Heksas would be completely unaware to any failures…not that he planned to have any more.

 

[Scotty Rave]

Episode Seven: The Invitation

~~~​

Scott Harris breathed in the fresh air and realised how great it was to be alive. The puncturing Ketamax had given him should have left a gap in his gut, but quite the opposite, his new metabolism had healed him rapidly, leaving only a thin scar where the blade had pierced him on each side of his body. He had been discharged from the infirmary that morning and Alan had taken him straight to The Talisman. The five Anglomen were sitting at the counter (Alan on the serving side), having a private celebration. They had sworn themselves to secrecy about their new superhero status for the purpose of protecting them and their families. They spent ages talking, laughing and playing Pop-Up Pirate (courtesy of Rowan).

“Do you think it’ll be over soon?†Ivy had to ask.

“I don’t think so,†replied Beth. “We’ve all seen evil aliens in books and movies, they never give in. All we can do is…hope we can handle it.â€

“We can,†Rowan assured the girls. “Scotty took a stabbing from that nutty knight and he’s up and about already.â€

“Yeah, do you mind not reminding me of that, mate?†Scott smiled awkwardly.

“Something to tell the kids,†Rowan chuckled. “Of course, I’ll bet Sub-Camelot have other tricks up their sleeves too. You saw that room, the Anglobase, right? It was loaded with all kinds of equipment, and that was just one little part of it.â€

“I’m still having trouble getting over the fact that Athzeron exists,†Scott murmured. “I always thought it was just a legend, the fiery essence of ancient dragons…maybe there’s a lot more to ancient mythology than we like to think.â€

“Crypto-zoologists have been saying that for decades, man,†Alan sighed. “Another round?â€

“Yeah, I could go for one,†Scott nodded.

“Before we go on,†Beth put in, “you may want to move your eyes that way.â€

The quintet turned their gaze to the television on the wall, where newsreader Trevor ‘Pint of Guinness’ McDonald, was delivering a report in his usual sober, straight-faced manner.

“And today, Angeline, Princess of Wales, extended an invitation to the Anglomen. We now go live to Buckingham Palace…â€

XXX​

Deltra sniffed the green liquid in the pot and recoiled.

“Woooo! That’s strong stuff!†she exclaimed. “What is it?â€

“This is Exxy,†replied Blackthorn. The two of them, along with Manitov, were gathered in one of the smaller meeting rooms of the Sun Shadow, examining the first batch of a so-called ‘super-drug’ they had received from a supplier on planet Iyax, in the constellation of Pegasus.

“I thought one of the other gangs handled the Syndicate’s drug trafficking,†Deltra pointed out. “What’s it doing here?â€

“Exxy is not for sale to our consumers,†Blackthorn explained. “It’s for us. You see, after our defeat at the hands of those human warriors, I decided to do a little research. I called in a favour with a friend on Iyax, who gave me a test batch. He’s giving me a new batch every week for just 30 starons a pop.â€

“30 starons?†Deltra cocked an eyebrow. “That must have been one hell of a favour.â€

“Indeed,†Blackthorn said as he placed the cap back on the pot. “Not a word of this to anybody outside the gang, all right? I don’t want the Dark Lord knowing that I’m going to add a few new cards to my hand. Got it?â€

“Got it,†Deltra and Manitov said together.

“So when will our next attack be, Boss?†asked the latter of the two.

“I haven’t decided yet,†Blackthorn sighed. “We need a proper target. One that will not let our efforts go to waste. An all-out invasion force proved dangerously, and humiliatingly, wasteful.â€

“This should make you very happy then, Boss,†said Manitov, “I recently hacked into Earth’s satellite systems, so we should be able to tune in to whatever’s going on in the world.â€

“Smart work, boy,†Blackthorn tittered. “We’re making our way in the galaxy, I can see that. Let’s take a look and see what’s going on…â€

“Right away, Boss,†Manitov reached into his coat and pulled out a remote control. He pressed a button and a tele-screen materialised in front of them. The BBC were showing a news broadcast of King Richard IV and his daughter, Princess Angeline, making a statement to the Empire.

“…And I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to the heroes who fought off the alien invaders,†the princess was saying, “this Saturday, the Anglomen will be invited to a celebration at Buckingham Palace itself…â€

“That’s it,†Blackthorn hissed.

XXX​

The next morning, Scott opened his eyes slowly. He had drunk way too much at The Talisman last night, but he didn’t feel hung over. Was this another effect of the radiation? That was the only that made sense. The Athzeron had changed his blood in a way that caused alcohol to be broken down. That would definitely come in handy at parties. He could out-drink anybody and none of them would even know how he could. Bliss…not that he drank much. In fact he was just a few steps away from being teetotal. He sat up and found himself in the common room of the New Destiny student halls. He wiped his hair and sniffed his palm. He needed a shower. Alcohol was all well and good, but it looked like he still had to wash like any normal person.

As he stepped out of the bathroom a few minutes later, he noticed something through the window. Something small, black and shaped like a rectangle was flying through the atmosphere. A smaller version of the invasion ship they had encountered in Trafalgar Square. The Darkshot gang were already attacking again. Quickly pulling on some jeans, he reached into his beside draw and pulled out the phone-like communicator. He took a moment to remember how to word it, then pressed the ‘send’ button, “Anglo Red to all team members, I just spotted an alien vessel over New Destiny.â€

“We’ve detected it,†replied the voice of Belle. “We’ve estimated it’s going to land in Wanstead Flats. Do you want me to alert the others?â€

“It’s still early,†said Scott, “so don’t bother them unless I call. Over and out.â€

XXX​

Deltra, now as enforcer-in-command (even going so far as to arrogantly decorate herself in a black cape), stood on the ramp of the ship as she watched Apostles assembling a large, hollow, dome construct. On the other side of the ship, a second dome had already been put in place.

“Get it finished,†she said impatiently. The first thing they needed before putting their plan into action was a camp of course. They didn’t expect that they had already been detected by Earth’s defences. Scott crouched down behind a tree, watching them silently. He strapped his A-Brace to his wrist and crept to the next, closer tree. Unfortunately, his foot caught on a twig and snapped it. An Apostle turned its head in the direction of the sound, and then walked towards Scott, reaching for its weapon. The young man pulled himself up into the branches of the tree and hid, watching.

The Apostle scratched its head (despite the fact it was wearing its helmet) and strolled back to the dome. Scott lowered himself and walked forward, but didn’t realise until too late that a wire had been stretched out in front of him. With a yelp, he was scooped up into a net hanging from a branch.

“This is such a cliché,†he scowled.

Deltra seemed to come out of nowhere, sliding up before him like a phantom snake. She poked at him with her bullwhip. Not painfully, but it was annoying.

“Who the hell are you?†she asked rudely.

“An innocent bystander,†he replied. He felt a little insulted that she didn’t recognise his face from the previous battle, but some girls were just like that.

“Millicent By-?â€

“Don’t even think about using that joke.â€

“But it’s so charming!†Deltra whined. She quickly regained her composure and poked him right on the nose with her bullwhip. “Stop distracting me, blondie! You’re an intruder, and I caught you, which makes you my slave! Apostles, take him into the ship.â€

“Kiss my arse,†he said defiantly and pressed two fingers to his A-Brace, “Anglo Red, transform!â€

The burning radiation sliced through the net and Scott dropped to the grass as a ball of red light. It faded as he stood, now clad in his red-and-white uniform, the visor snapping into place.

“I remember you,†said Deltra, anger rising in her voice, “you’re the leader of those colour-coded brats, aren’t you?†She raised her arm to reveal the proton blaster attached to her glove. The pink tube glowed and she squeezed the trigger, sending an orange ball of light at the hero. Anglo Red growled and batted the attack away with the back of his hand. The light crashed into the incomplete dome and destroyed it in a plume of fire, as well as the few Apostle engineers surrounding it. Deltra yelled profanities and charged at Anglo Red, her bullwhip growing and changing into a scythe. Anglo Red summoned his ruby-encrusted sword, Arthur, just in time to defend himself.

“You son of a bitch!†Deltra spat. She swung her scythe again, Anglo Red able to deflect it and slid along the grass, kicking her feet out from under her. Falling on her side, she looked at her Apostles. “What are you waiting for, you cretins?! KILL HIM!â€

“Us? Kill him?†one questioned.

“Is that really wise?†asked a second.

“That wasn’t in the job description,†a third added.

“Shut up and do it!†Deltra screeched.

“All right, all right,†the first Apostle sighed. “No need to get heavy.â€

“You have to be kidding me,†Anglo Red muttered.

The Apostles charged, and Anglo Red began slicing them away with his sword, sending their purple blood in every direction. He didn’t notice Deltra creeping up behind him with a silver sphere in her hands. She tossed it into the air, it exploded, and all was black…

XXX​

“I don’t like this,†said Belle, “Scott’s not answering his communicator. The signal’s weak, too.â€

She stood in the corridor just outside the Anglobase, trying in vain to contact the blonde man.

“Try not to panic,†Grant Caster assured her, “we’ll just contact the others and let them know that something’s wrong. The celebration at the palace is tomorrow, and we cannot keep the princess waiting.â€

“Yes, Professor,†Belle nodded. She shut the com and slid it into her pocket. It was worrying, considering they had quite a considerable range on them, that the signal could be so faint.

XXX​

Saturday came, and Scott remained missing. Sub-Camelot’s agents had been unsuccessful, and the other members of the team were growing more and more worried. Now, they sat in the back of a dark crimson Rolls-Royce Phantom VI as it was paraded towards Buckingham Palace. Belle was their driver for this expedition. Grant Caster sat in the front passenger seat. Ivy, Alan, Beth and Rowan were in the back. The boys were dressed in dark suits with colour-coded ties, and the girls wore elegant coloured dresses. They were each given a white theatrical mask to wear in order to keep their identities secret.

“I don’t like this,†said Beth, “it’s not like him to disappear.â€

“I’m sure there’s a good reason,†said Rowan, but even he sounded uneasy.

“You have known him a long time?†asked Ivy.

“Since we were kids,†Beth nodded. “We grew up together.â€

“Little boys and girls play together?†Ivy raised an eyebrow at this.

“Well, okat’s a bit weird,†Beth admitted, “but I was never a girly-girl.â€

“Beth was always one of the lads!†Rowan laughed, putting an arm around her.

“Off the merchandise, farm-boy,†Beth smirked, pushing the arm away. Rowan pawed at her playfully, and Beth shrieked. Ivy stifled a chuckle as Alan stared blankly out of the window.

As the Phantom came to a stop and the guests entered, a group of men in dark hoodies crept up around the back of the palace. The leader looked up at the window ledge high above, took out a grappling hook, and threw it. The hook went higher than expected and landed on the roof, but that was no problem. One-by-one, they ascended the rope to their high perch, and prepared to attack.

 

[martin angelo]

What will be the robo combination name, gattai (union/fusion) jack or jack up?