IC-Ep 2-Return Engagement(Brook/Eugene)

[Mr. Handy]

The door opened to reveal a guard room, as Brook had said. There was a small card table in the middle of the room with a folding chair next to it. Behind it was a stairway leading down, the only other exit from the room. A faint light came from below.

"They're far enough ahead that we should be able to follow them," whispered Brook.

[jp1885]

Eugene agreed but, feeling increasingly nervous, quickly looked around for something to use as a weapon, before descending the stairs.

[Mr. Handy]

The only thing in the room that might be used as a weapon was the chair, if Eugene was desperate enough. It could do someone a decent amount of damage if he clocked someone with it, and he was free to take it.

Brook led the way down the stairs, which ended in an ordinary-looking basement. A lit bare light bulb hung from the ceiling, with a slender chain that hung beside it. In one wall was an open wooden door. Brook peeked through it. "This is the place," she whispered. "They're still some ways ahead of us."

[jp1885]

Eugene, gripping the chair like a second rate lion tamer, followed Brook down the stairs and into the chamber.
"Hopefully we won't be spotted, but if we do, remember we're looking for shelter."
He carefully stepped through the open door.

[Mr. Handy]

"Right," Brook whispered back, "and you're carrying a chair because...I might want to sit down, I guess."

On the other side of the door, the corridor beyond was very different. The walls, floor, and ceiling here looked like sandstone, and they were covered with Egyptian-themed murals, reliefs, and hieroglyphics. It was lit by flaming torches in brackets on the walls. There were two more doors here, one on the left in the middle of the hall, and another at the very end of it. That one was open, and Brook pointed towards it. "They're went through there," she hissed.

[jp1885]

"Um..."
Eugene looks at the chair, feeling slightly foolish, but this is swiftly forgotten as he notices the details of the corridor.
"Blimey! I thought we were in London, not bloody Cairo!" Still gripping the chair, he walks towards the open door. "Too late to go back now I suppose..."

[Mr. Handy]

"If you think that's something," whispered Brook, "wait until you see what's past the door. That's where it happened." She and Eugene slipped through.

On the other side of the door was a vast room, supported by stone pillars with more burning torches in brackets. The walls here were of similar design. At the far end was an altar made of the same type of stone as the walls. It had four horns, one on each corner. Past that was another open door.

"They're in there," whispered Brook. "Not sure what's through there. This was as far as I got."

[jp1885]

Eugene's jaw dropped. "Stone the crows! I had no idea this kind of thing could be found under Town - after the war we could make a fortune selling guided tours." He gulped. "Assuming it's safe of course..." He peaked through the open door. "Only one way to find out..."

[Mr. Handy]

Beyond the door, Eugene could see a large room with similarly Egyptian-themed walls. It contained a bed at the back of the room, and bookshelves lined the sides, filled with rows of books. A woman in her forties who matched the description of Catherine Exeter sat on the bed, looking toward the door, but Major Steadman and Madeline stood in front of her, their backs to the door, blocking her view. Catherine wore a black dress that made it clear that she was still attractive. He could see the resemblance between her and her daughter.

"Mother, are you well?" asked Madeline.

"About as well as can be expected," said Catherine.

"I'm sorry I had to move you here, but I couldn't risk you staying at home with that lady from Maxwell's poking about, and a good thing too. We had more odd visitors this evening."

"The sirens have gone," said James Steadman. "We haven't much time. Jerry will be here soon."

"Then we shall need to bring forth another of the creatures to meet him."

"I...I'm none too keen on paying that price again. Last night was awful. I can still hear her screaming."

"She deserved to die," said Madeline. "She was a wicked person. For heaven's sake, James, she knew you were married and she still went after you."

"I know, but..."

"We cannot win this war unless we are prepared to do whatever it takes. I agreed that we'll only offer up someone who is unworthy of life."

"Very well, a looter then. There was some of it last night. Shouldn't be too hard to find one."

"Then let's go," said Catherine, rising to her feet.

[jp1885]

Eugene listened with puzzlement and alarm. Clearly they were responsible for the grisly murder of that poor girl, but what was this talk of creatures? Regardless, 'let's move' meant that they would be leaving the room, possibly to kill again.
However, at least one of them was having second thoughts...
"Brook, get out of here and alert the others while I try to stall them."
No need to get his young friend into trouble.
Swallowing deeply and hiding the chair so that it was out of view, but still within reach, Eugene stepped into the doorway and into the of the view of the Steadmans and Catherine.
"Um, hello..."
He raised his hands in what he hoped was a placatory manner.
"My name's Eugene and I've been investigating the death of an acquaintance of yours. Please, please, don't do this. You're no worse than the Nazis if anyone else dies because of you today. Looters, ladies of questionable morals - they deserve to be jailed maybe, but not murdered. That's the kind of thing Hitler does, not decent, right-thinking Britons like us. Please, think about what you're about to do..."

Persuade 65%,[dice]0[/dice]

Eugene hoped his words would have any effect, and prepared to run in case they didn't.

[Mr. Handy]

Brook didn't need to be told twice. She vanished from sight before Eugene stepped out into the open. When Eugene suddenly appeared, James Steadman swiftly drew a large revolver from his belt, and Madeline fished a small automatic pistol out of her purse.

"Speaking of looters..." said Madeline.

"I don't know what you think you're on about," said James, "but you're trespassing on private property. Our private property."

Catherine began chanting under her breath, making a series of bewildering hand gestures.

OOC,[b]Brook[/b], please stop reading at this point. You are moving to the thread linked below:

Lost Girl

[jp1885]

Eugene instantly regretted his decision.
Without pausing, he grabbed the chair and flung it at the trio, before slamming the door shut and running as fast as he could back the way he came.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,[b]Eugene[/b], please decide at whom you're throwing the chair and then roll Throw. You may throw it either at [b]Madeline[/b] or [b]James[/b]. [b]Catherine[/b] is behind them, so you cannot target her with them in the way. That will be your action for this round, and you'll have to wait until they act before you can do anything else. If you succeed, please roll 1D8 for damage, though your target will get a chance to roll Dodge to avoid it.

[jp1885]

Guessing that James would be the better shot, Eugene flings the chair at him.

Throw 25%,[dice]0[/dice]

Possible damage,[dice]1[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

The wooden chair clattered on the floor in front of James. Then Catherine extended a hand toward Eugene before he could act further. Sudden, intense agony ripped through his body, worse than any pain he had ever felt before!

OOC,Resistance Table roll: [b]Catherine[/b]'s MP 18 vs. [b]Eugene[/b]'s MP 9 (95% chance): [dice]0[/dice] [b]Catherine[/b] exercises POW ((21 - POW 18 = 3) * 5 = 15% chance): [dice]1[/dice] [b]Eugene[/b], please roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 1/1D6+1, so you lose 1 Sanity even if you succeed, and if you fail, you lose 1D6+1 Sanity. If you lose 5 or more Sanity, please roll Idea. If you succeed at the Idea roll, you will go temporarily insane. Either way, you still do not get to act.

[jp1885]

Eugene, please roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 1/1D6+1, so you lose 1 Sanity even if you succeed, and if you fail, you lose 1D6+1 Sanity. If you lose 5 or more Sanity, please roll Idea. If you succeed at the Idea roll, you will go temporarily insane. Either way, you still do not get to act.

SAN currently at 42,[dice]0[/dice]

SAN loss roll,[dice]1[/dice]

SAN loss 4+1 = 5

IDEA 65,[dice]2[/dice]

OOC:   So 5 SAN lost, but failed IDEA roll so no insanity (yet)? Hopefully I've done that correctly!

[Mr. Handy]

Eugene collapsed in a heap of twitching anguish and suddenly found that he had gone blind and could not voluntarily move a muscle, not even to scream. The only thing that kept him from losing his mind entirely was that he could not understand what was happening to him, let alone how. He could feel liquid ooze from his pores all over his skin. He didn't know if he was dying or not, but it certainly felt like it.

"He knows too much," said Madeline. "It has to be him. He did just fall into our laps, after all."

"Yes, yes, of course," said James. "Saves us some trouble and time, I suppose."

He could feel himself being lifted up off of the floor and carried.

"How did he find us?" asked Catherine. "Were you followed?"

"I didn't see anyone," said James. "Granted, it is pitch black out there. I don't recognise him, though."

"After what I just did, nobody will recognise him, let alone after your secret weapon gets through with him."

"Someone must have followed us from the house," said Madeline. "That woman, Anna Jerkins, from Maxwell's had been poking about earlier, like I said. There was some government chap with her, Lord Rufus Colville. This bloke must be associated with them somehow."

"I remember Dr. Jerkins from the sanitorium. She's too clever by half. Who else might know?"

Eugene could feel himself being carried upstairs.

"Group Captain Barrow has heard about the creature," said James. "Some German airman who got downed was blabbing about it. That's no bother, but he's also somehow linked it to the Murrow girl's death. There was a girl with Barrow too, Elizabeth something or other."

"Elizabeth who?"

"I don't know. She never gave a surname."

"Describe her."

"Scottish, maybe five foot four, slender. Young."

"Young? Not Elizabeth Young? She'd be ten years older now, of course, but she's one of the bunch that stopped us ten years ago. Did she perhaps have a scar on her forehead?"

"Why, yes, she did. But ten years ago she'd have been a teenage girl."

"That's her, then. Maybe she's just well-preserved. No matter. We have an ample list of people to feed the beast on future nights."

"Not Barrow, he's a damn good pilot. We need him. He's on a three-day pass right now, but I'll see about getting him back in the air right quick. I know he'd like nothing better. Hell, so would I, but I'll give up my place in the queue to let him ahead of me. I'll be back up there soon enough regardless. Madeline can handle this bit without me now that you're out."

Eugene's vision gradually returned, and he found himself being carried through the hallway to the warehouse's front door. Madeline and James were carrying him. Madeline had his legs, and James his arms. Catherine followed just behind them. He still could not move, and the pain was no less intense. He supposed that the liquid oozing out of him had covered his eyes and now had drained away.

They brought him outside, in front of the warehouse. The drone of the German bombers was loud enough now that there was no mistaking it. Explosions sounded in the distance, and they were creeping closer.

"Set him down," said Catherine. "We'll do it here."

The Steadmans lay Eugene on the ground. James walked around in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "I'm truly sorry it had to happen this way," he said, "but know that you give your life in the defense of your King and country. Your sacrifice is a regrettable but necessary one. The weapon your death will bring forth shall wreak havoc among those barbarians attacking our fair city. The RAF cannot hold out much longer against their onslaught, not without help. Otherwise, invasion will surely follow. You die so that others might live, and live free."

Madeline removed another object from her purse. It resembled nothing so much as a tiny sarcophagus covered in hieroglyphs made of dots, made of a yellow metal, too dull to be gold. She turned it towards Eugene and opened the hinged lid, revealing a black gem-like stone within, though one with crimson striations through it that looked oddly like blood. The thing was no more than four inches across, but it transfixed his gaze.

OOC,Yes, you did that exactly right. Blindness duration: [dice]0[/dice] Incapacitation duration: [dice]1[/dice] [b]Eugene[/b], please roll 1D100 against POW x 3.

[jp1885]

Eugene's POW times 3 is 27,[dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

A montage of alien vistas overwhelmed Eugene, and he could not tear his eyes away from it. His will was wholly consumed by them. They filled his vision, and he barely even noticed Madeline chanting. He saw...

An icy world with mountains and strange rock formations, where indistinct forms flew in the distance...

A bizarre city with a castle on the shore of a yellow lake, with two moons in the sky overhead...

A barren wasteland reminiscent of the battlefields of the last war, where strange machines that look like the deranged offspring of a miniature tank and a pepperpot trundled across the terrain...

Then Eugene felt an alien presence, searching, probing...watching him!

OOC,Contact roll (10% chance): [dice]0[/dice] [b]Eugene[/b], please roll POW x 3 again.

[jp1885]

Eugene's POW times 3 is 27,[dice]0[/dice]