Play@YSDC

Salmon Lane - London, England
9:05 PM - Saturday, September 7, 1940

As the group neared the waehouse, the blazing RAF fighter flew over the nearby canal in the direction of the Thames. The pilot leapt out of it before the flames reached the fuselage, silk blossoming as his chute opened and slowed his descent. The wind blew him towards a flattened pile of rubble where until tonight a building had once stood in a row of warehouses that now resembled a gap-toothed grin. A pool of blood lay in the street not far from the ruined building, a trail leading from it to the ruins. It was then that Story, Elizabeth, Brook, and Eddie realized that the ruins had been the warehouse they sought. Story and his companions came to the realization that they were now trapped in the Blitz, the TARDIS buried somewhere underneath all that debris...

John Barrow drifted down towards the street below, where several people stood. He tugged the parachute strings to try to steer himself towards an open area, away from the rubble.

OOC,[b]John[/b], please roll Jump at double your skill to see how you land.

Brook's eyes widen as she realises the building they left not long ago is no longer there. Nor is their ticket home, or the body of the girl. "Bloody hell....What are we gonna do?" She looks up as the parachuter seems to be coming down near them. "Look!"

"Looks like one of our boys! Better find out if he is hurt." Eugene starts walking toward the area he is most likely to land.

Story makes his way over to the rubble. Once he gets there he says out loud, but to himself, "No, no, no..." Scanning the ruins he looks back at his companions for a moment before shaking his head in silence. It's only then that he snaps out of it and notices the man racing towards the ground with parachute deployed.

John tried to guide his descent towards the open spot between the standing warehouses and looked on as his landing started to attract some attention. He shrugged and smiled, spectacular landings are only half the fun without a crowd to watch them.

Lord Colville surveyed the scene with smug satisfaction. "It seems that whatever foul plan you had for us has fallen apart, Professor Story. I see no evidence for your claims, and believe you must be some sort of conman working with our German friend. If someone would please assist me I think it best we put our german friend and Professor Story and his associates behind bars until someone can find out what their true intentions are!"

John tried to steer for the open street, and he almost made it, but he came down just on the edge of the rubble, bruising his foot. He still landed on his feet, however.

OOC,[b]John[/b] took 1 point of damage for the rough landing. Anyone (including [b]John[/b] himself) may try a First Aid roll on him, and others may try if the roll fails. A successful roll will heal the damage.

Benjamin rushed forward towards the fallen airman. "Are you badly hurt? Let me see that foot of yours..."

Brook rolls her eyes at lord Colville's suggestion. "Oh, for crying out loud, it's not our fault a bomb fell on the house!" She walks over towards the airman. "Nice landing, are you okay?"

"Oh yes Miss Brook, it is nothing but a coincidence that the all the evidence of your monster had been destroyed. Or that you and your party came in late enough to have chosen a destroyed house for your deception."

"Oh don't talk nonsense!" says Elizabeth, unusually exasperated at Lord Colville's comments. "This building has just been destroyed. The air warden" - and she indicates Eddie - "met us there when it was still standing, not long ago. Are you going to call him a liar too?" She shakes her head in disbelief, unable to comprehend how stupid the man is being, and at the same time distressed that they seem to be trapped, even if this is less out of her time than it is for the others. "Meanwhile this airman needs our help!" She steps forward, ready to help the airman if need be.

John had come down rather harshly, grunting painfully as he tried to support his weight on his ankle. He'd stepped out of his parachute by the time he was swarmed by the group.

He smiles at Brook and speaks in an undeniable American Midwest accent.
'Thanks, a bit rougher than expected, but it beats crashing to death in a burning Hurricane.'

He then nudges Benjamin away.

'Thanks for the ministrations, padre, but I'm sure it's just a bruise.'

After that he looks over the group, nodding at the warden.

'What are you all doing outside? There's an airraid going on in case you missed it.'

"My thought exactly!" Eugene reacts animated "Shall we get back to the shelter? Nothing to do here..." Turning toward Benjamin: "Can you give me a hand with carrying this poor chap?"

ZadokAllen wrote:Turning toward Benjamin: "Can you give me a hand with carrying this poor chap?"

"I'm more than happy to give you a hand, provided our new friend actually needs help. But yes, let's go back to the shelter. It seems our little excursion was in vain..."

Story shakes his head in disbelief and says to Lord Colville, "You've got to be kidding me. Are you an imbecile? Get a hold of yourself." He glances at the rubble and continues in an frustrated manner, "If it was all a ploy to draw you out don't you think the bomb drop would have been held off until it could fall on your head?" He again looks to the debris as he mutters, "I've got bigger problems than your accusations."

John was feeling better after Benjamin helped him, and he was able to walk without assistance. He noticed that among the crowd was a German airman.

OOC,If you're going back to the shelter, there's no need to roll anything, as you know the way. If you'd like to try to find the police station to drop off your prisoner, I'll need a successful Navigate roll from someone. I believe [b]Eugene[/b] already tried and failed, but everyone else may try as well.

John laughs off the offered assistance and is suddenly startled, and grabs for his gun.

'Have you taken this man captive? Or are you the worst bunch of German spies ever?
If the latter is true, I am captain John Barrow, and I respond better to dry Martinis than to torture.'

Eddie Lawlor

Eddie looks at those around him admonishingly. "I know what I saw and they're telling the truth. There's something dangerous round 'ere and I don't just mean the bombs. I'm beginning to think it was a mistake to leave the shelter."

He examines the rubble wondering if there is anything to bear out his words.

"We've got a choice. Head to the police station or make our way back to the shelter. We shouldn't have left that lady on her own.."

Brook raises her hands disarmingly at the airman. "Whoa there. The soldier is a captive, and we're fresh out of martinis."

John holsters his halfdrawn pistol.

'The former is as much a relief as the latter is disconcerting. So why are you all out here? Not just capturing Germans I suppose?'

He looks at the German officer and tries one of the memorized phrases from his handbook.
'Wass ist deine name unt function?'

"Leutnant Friedrich Kurtz," said the German. "I speak English too, if that helps. I am - I was - the front gunner of a Dornier."

Navigate,[b]Archie's[/b] [i]Navigate[/i] is 40% and he rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

OOC:   Wow. No idea. Archie is better on water...

Archie surveys the destruction. "Well, whatever happened to her, there's no way we can find the poor soul under that lot to give her the last rites."

Archie ambles over to John and holds out a hand in the dark. "Archie Pennyfeather, Navy chaplain. From your accent, you're a long way from home I'm guessing. We have so many brave young men from so many different countries bravely fighting over our heads."

"The young German officer is our POW and being very polite too I may add. We're taking him to the local police station. Wherever that is in this dark. But there is a bomb shelter under the church if you want to wait out the air raid."

"Yes, I'm afraid we found a woman had been murdered here," says Elizabeth to John. "The chaplain wanted to give her the last rites. But when we got here the building where she was lying had been destroyed by the bombs. There's something strange going on, not just the obvious up in the sky!" she says, pointing upwards. "The German officer encountered something very odd as well. I think we should all go somewhere safe, whether that be the air raid shelter, or a police station. Where is the nearest police station from here?" she asks, turning around to the others, especially Eddie.

'It would appear you're luckier than most of your crewmates, lieutenant. These folk seem to be a lot friendlier than the machine guns of a Hurricane. Are you a Nazi, Friedrich?'

John pulls his pack of cigarettes from his flight suit, shakes it up and taps one out, offering it to the German.

He looks around at the debris and the ominous backdrop of the burning city and answers Archie.

'We're all a long way from home, Father. I think this wave is over, I got shot down hunting those retreating bombers, so we might have some time'

John smiles and listens intently to Elizabeth's story.
'I'm afraid there will be no shortage of candidates for last rites before the night is through, though. But what strange thing are you talking about? I'm afraid your woman friend just ran into some scavengers and got the worst for it.'

"It looked like some kind of vicious animal attack," says Elizabeth to John, grimly. "It didn't look like a conventional human attack, or any normal animal attack. The German airman can describe best what he saw. There may be a link to what we found here."

"Danke," said Friedrich, accepting the cigarette with a trembling hand and inhaling deeply from it once John lit it. "I am not a member of the Nazi Party. Many of us officers do not join. There are some who do in order to gain advantage, but I prefer to advance through my own merits. "My plane was not shot down. It...there was a...creature. Big, almost the size of the plane. It flew at us and smashed through the windscreen, grabbed Hans - the pilot - with its long tail and dragged him out. It...it was eating him, with huge, sharp teeth...It must be some sort of secret weapon the English have. It looked like some sort of enormous snake, but it flew. It had one big wing that looked like it belonged to a fledermaus - a bat."

Story looks at the newest arrival for a moment - as if examining him - finally he speaks up, feeling half frustrated and half exhausted, "Perhaps we should get a move on? Between bombs and monsters I'm quite certain none of use wish to die tonight?" He looks once more at Lord Colville before walking over to his companions.

"Yes, let's start moving and get back to shelter!" Benjamin jumps up and down excitedly, scanning his surroundings for any possible threat.

John nods agreement.

"I agree, we'd be best off of the streets. Then you can tell me more about your vicious attacks and giant bats and all that."
He laughs.
"Anyone run into some aliens from outer space too while they were running around during the bombing?"

"I swear I will have you brought to justice for this scheme, Professor Story. Do not listen to the talltales of these conmen and a german, they are obvious fantasies. They wish to take advantage of our fears, look what danger they've gotten us into. The rest of you be careful, but I have to do something. I'm going to get to the police station or die trying!"
Lord Colville heads away from the group without a clue where he is going.

Archie calls after Colville, "Don't be an ass, old son, it's dangerous and we need to go back to the shelter. There's nothing that needs to be done so urgently you need to die trying to do it."

As an aside to the German Leutnant, he adds, "Honestly, most of us are much smarter than that."

Elizabeth shakes her head in disbelief, astonished at the continued stupidity of the man. She decides to keep quiet this time, and hopes the others can make him see sense. At least Archie has made a good start.

Brook just shakes her head, and follows the others towards the shelter.

"If Colville wants to separate from the group and head out on his own, I suggest we just let him and return to the shelter ourselves..." Benjamin offers.

"Hey, there's no need to make a fool of me, but you boys might be right, I don't think I could find my way anywhere in all this. Pardon my foolishness, I suppose I got a little overexcited. I do intend to get to the bottom of this however."

Lord Colville goes with the group to the shelter.

"I'm sure we all have a lot of questions, but I wouldn't mind sitting down and getting some weight off my foot. Lead the way."

John walks with the group to the shelter.

"Maybe we can all get properly introduced and informed inside."

Eddie guided the group back to the church where the air raid shelter was. The raid was picking up again just as they arrived. Everyone went inside and down the stairs to the basement.

OOC,Everyone is moving to the thread linked below:

The Long Night