Adventure!: In Search of Inspiration - In Search of Inspiration

[ezekiel]

His speech suddenly cuts off as the windows facing the street all explode in a hail of gunfire. All of you except Joshua can tell that there's at least a half-dozen Tommy guns outside. People start screaming, and fleeing for the exits, the moment the gunfire halts. Within a second, Whitley is at your table. "Lupin! We need someone to go after them, and we need someone to stay and secure the house. Pick one and start moving while we get these innocents out of here." He glances at the rest of you at the end of the table. "Will the rest of you men help him out?"

Lupin bolts to his feet almost before the shards of glass have time to hit the floor, steak knife in hand.

"Joshua, time to test those quick reflexes of yours, follow me! Li, can you try disarm them with your powers?"

The nimble Frenchman starts running towards a side window.

OOC: Could we have an idea of the house layout? Are we all on the first floor? Are there trees outside, etc.

[BlueNinja]

OOC: Could we have an idea of the house layout? Are we all on the first floor? Are there trees outside, etc.

The house is a mansion, of course. The whole right front side of the house (about forty feet wide by sixty feet long) is the ballroom, where the dancing and mingling was before the tables were brought in for dinner. The fron yard has a few trees, none of them more than about six inches wide, so they don't exactly make great cover. Plus, without the windows, you can see that they're driving away. Getting past the wrought-iron fence might lose you a few seconds, but assuming you can borrow a few cars from some of the guests, or get to Heinrich's zepplin, you can track them fairly easily.

[phoenix]

Joshua explodes out of his chair the second the gunfire stops, knocking it backwards and jumping onto the table, sending flying food and silverware in all directions. Without a second's hesitation, he follows (or even beats) Lupin out the window and hits the ground running.

Moving at a full sprint, Joshua does not even slow while approaching the iron fence. It looks like he's headed for collision, but at the last minute he kicks off against its base and turns his momentum vertical, trying to grab on to the top bar and vault over it.

[OOC: I guess I'll wait for a roll on that before I go on. ::blush ]

[BlueNinja]

[OOC: I guess I'll wait for a roll on that before I go on. ::blush ]

(Good thing, too ... 1,1,1 ... 8,10.) Joshua manages to flip over the fence, though his shirt snags and tears on one of the decorative spikes on the top. A moment later, Azura comes barreling out of the house, stopping just barely long enough for Li to swing onto his back with a little more grace as they go charging out into the street. Li throws a hand forward, and suddenly the canvas top of the car comes shredding off. The car swerves, narrowly missing a pedestrian, then rights itself. The three cars swerve around a corner, vanishing from sight as they head towards downtown!

[ezekiel]

Joshua explodes out of his chair the second the gunfire stops, knocking it backwards and jumping onto the table, sending flying food and silverware in all directions. Without a second's hesitation, he follows (or even beats) Lupin out the window and hits the ground running.

Moving at a full sprint, Joshua does not even slow while approaching the iron fence. It looks like he's headed for collision, but at the last minute he kicks off against its base and turns his momentum vertical, trying to grab on to the top bar and vault over it.

[OOC: I guess I'll wait for a roll on that before I go on. ::blush ]

As Lupin approaches the window, he flips his jacket over his hands and head, a protective shield against the glass that explodes as he leaps through the window head first. With a tuck and roll, he sheds his jacket and runs towards the driveway, spotting the Duesenberg at the front of the line with the chauffeur ducking behind it, apparently recently interrupted during his cigarette break, the renowned thief decides to "borrow" one of the guests pristine cars.

"Police! I'm commandeering your vehicle!"

Not taking the time to open the door, Lupin jumps over the side, landing in the driver's seat and quickly puts it into gear while talking to it:

"Sorry Duesie, think you're gonna take a beating..."

And slams his foot on the gas!

OOC: I'll spend an inspiration point for a minor extension. i.e. The car being there with the key in.

edit: Lupin will slow down while driving next to Joshua screaming at him to jump in.

[phoenix]

Unaccustomed to wearing clothing of any kind as he is, Joshua miscalculates and rips his shirt on the fence on the way over. He curses it and tears it off as he runs, revealing that the tattoos do, in fact, scrawl over his entire torso, with a crisscrossing design over his ribs as described.

Lupin will slow down while driving next to Joshua screaming at him to jump in.

Surprised by the great machine as it comes up behind him, Joshua nevertheless takes a leap of faith in Lupin and hurtles into the automobile, trying to land back-first on (hopefully) a cushioned seat.

[BlueNinja]

Lupin starts the car, and manages to slow down at just the right speed for Joshua to land perfectly in the seat.

(Sort of waiting on Madcat to see what the mad dok-terr is going to do.)

[ezekiel]

Lupin starts the car, and manages to slow down at just the right speed for Joshua to land perfectly in the seat.

As the car zooms down the street Lupin quickly points at the glove compartment with his hand.

"Look in the compartment and tell me there's a gun in there..."

"Wait, hold on!"

He cuts the corner and careens down in pursuit of the cars

"K, now look."

With a flick of his wrist Lupin slips a cigarette between his lips and lights it with a match. ::ultracool

(ah, the smoking 20s...)

[SkyLion]

Bounding down the street in Giant Tiger fashion, Li will attempt to reign in the vehicle he just stripped. Rather than be directly violent to the driver, he will jerk the steering wheel violently with all of his might and control, adjusting the timing and the direction so as to impale the front end of the car into the nearest convenient lampost or fire-hydrant.

[madcat82]

As the shooting starts, Henrich stands up and tries to draw his cane-sword, just to realise that its his normal cane. With an outburst in anger he starts running towards the door, screaming.

REMBRANT!!! Get ze Zeplin ere, und get ze elephant rifle, we are going hunting

[phoenix]

"Look in the compartment and tell me there's a gun in there..."

"A what?", shouts Joshua.

"Wait, hold on!"

He cuts the corner and careens down in pursuit of the cars.

"K, now look."

The hunter opens the glove compartment and looks around in it, not entirely sure what he's searching for.. ::unsure

[BlueNinja]

REMBRANT!!! Get ze Zeplin ere, und get ze elephant rifle, we are going hunting

The gorilla sighs, and starts loping down towards the beach where the zepplin is anchored.

The hunter opens the glove compartment and looks around in it, not entirely sure what he's searching for.. ::unsure

Well, there's two different pairs of gloves, both of them look to be just barely too small for Joshua. There's some papers, and a pen, and some metal device in a leather holster.

Li reaches out with his Teledigitation, and yanks on the steering wheel of the now topless car. It swerves back and forth on the street, accompanied by quite a bit of honking from other vehicles. Finally, it slams into a lamppost, just as the men in back open fire with their Tommy guns. One of them does a lovely job shooting up the house front they crashed in front of, but other, through luck or skill, manages to shoot both Li and Azura. Fortunately, the silk-steel Li wears protects him from the bullets, but Azura (being unarmored) gets hit twice and stumbles, almost throwing Li from his back as he halts, limping. *Go pick up the bad men and shake them until they talk. I'll just limp there a little slower.* The three men in the crashed car are unmoving, the two in the back actually hurled from the car at the moment of impact to lie some ten meters further down the road. The other two cars are speeding away, with Lupin in hot pursuit!

[SkyLion]

Quite upset that his friend and ally has been shot, Li can barely contain his fury as he stalks menacingly towards the crashed motor vehicle. He hopes that when he arrives they are still conscious to appreciate his gift of pain...

[BlueNinja]

Quite upset that his friend and ally has been shot, Li can barely contain his fury as he stalks menacingly towards the crashed motor vehicle. He hopes that when he arrives they are still conscious to appreciate his gift of pain...

The man in the driver seat is either unconscious or dead. One of the other two is starting to get up as you come stalking over, and the moment he catches sight of you, he starts screaming and whimpering pleas for his life.

[SkyLion]

The man in the driver seat is either unconscious or dead. One of the other two is starting to get up as you come stalking over, and the moment he catches sight of you, he starts screaming and whimpering pleas for his life.

,,

Li says nothing as the man's body lifts off the ground and the other "hand" clamps like a vice over his throat, strangling the whimpering cries for mercy. "If you want to live to see the sunrise you are going to tell me everything I want to know, about you, and who sent you...NOW!!!" For emphasis on the last word, Li slams the man against the brick facade of the building, pinning and grinding him into the wall as he is slowly rotated to an upside-down position at eye-level with the enraged mesmerist.

,,,,

((Just to note, Li is actually controlling his temper, showing enough to frighten the man. He will be careful not to choke him to death or slam him so hard into the wall that he takes an actual level of damage (though it should be rough enough to be intimidating and show he means business).))

[BlueNinja]

Li says nothing as the man's body lifts off the ground and the other "hand" clamps like a vice over his throat, strangling the whimpering cries for mercy. "If you want to live to see the sunrise you are going to tell me everything I want to know, about you, and who sent you...NOW!!!" For emphasis on the last word, Li slams the man against the brick facade of the building, pinning and grinding him into the wall as he is slowly rotated to an upside-down position at eye-level with the enraged mesmerist.

He starts crying and whimpering, and Li is momentarily distracted by the brief sounds of the other man getting up, before a low growl and a thump bring that to an end. "Look cat, we were obviously given the wrong address, and I am so sorry, so sorry, please don't kill me!" It devolved into nonsense after that, so it might be a few minutes until you get something out of him.

(A bit too impressive on the intimidation roll there ... or the Willpower botch ... either way.)

[SkyLion]

He starts crying and whimpering, and Li is momentarily distracted by the brief sounds of the other man getting up, before a low growl and a thump bring that to an end. "Look cat, we were obviously given the wrong address, and I am so sorry, so sorry, please don't kill me!" It devolved into nonsense after that, so it might be a few minutes until you get something out of him.

(A bit too impressive on the intimidation roll there ... or the Willpower botch ... either way.)

Li will again squelch the man's simpering. As his cries choke off, Li gets right up to the man's inverted face, now red with blood flow. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear,?" he says in a rhetorically mock-calm voice. "What you need to do right now is to go deep, deep inside and find that part of you that wants to survive... The length of your continued existence will be directly proportionate to the usefullness of your information. Nod if you understand."

[phoenix]

Joshua hands Lupin the gun (on the assumption that he didn't want to write down a license number ::tongue ).

[ezekiel]

Joshua hands Lupin the gun (on the assumption that he didn't want to write down a license number ::tongue ).

"Splendid!"

Lupin smiles as he takes the gun and holds it against the wheel while driving.

"So how do you want to do this? I take it you don't know how to shoot one of these..."

He holds up the pistol (revolver?) for emphasis.

"I'll try to shoot out one of their tires but you may want to think about trying to jump onto one of them, maybe take out their driver."

Holding the wheel again he tilts his head in a half shrug. With a puff of smoke, he adds:

"Could be dangerous..."

[phoenix]

"So how do you want to do this? I take it you don't know how to shoot one of these..."

Joshua shakes his head impatiently.

"I'll try to shoot out one of their tires but you may want to think about trying to jump onto one of them, maybe take out their driver."

Joshua nods.

"Do that. I will try to jump onto the first one we pass, and you can pursue the second and shoot out their shires."

"Could be dangerous..."

A ghost of a smile flickers across the corners of the hunters mouth, before he crouches in the seat to prepare for the jump.

[ezekiel]

Lupin smiles

"Let the shires roll!"

As he sees Joshua getting ready he warns him

"Keep low until they're alongside...unless you want me to approach them from the back? Could be safer; we'll be less of a target."

The thief lets the car work its magic, spouting some words of encouragement on the way...

[phoenix]

"Keep low until they're alongside...unless you want me to approach them from the back? Could be safer; we'll be less of a target."

Joshua shakes his head, eyeing the fleeing car's open driver-side window.

"You've got to pass them anyway; it'll be an easier jump from the side."

The tribesman takes his advice and plants his feet on the car's floor, sinking below the level of the door..

"I think..." he adds.

He'll jump as soon as he gets a passable shot at jumping from his car into that of his targets.

[BlueNinja]

Lupin kicks the gear up a notch, and the Deusie gains ground rapidly, pulling up alongside the second car in a matter of thirty seconds of so. One of the men in the backseat starts spraying the car with bullets the moment you start pulling up, but after the first dozen or so rounds, the Tommy jams. As he starts cursing and trying to exchange weapons, Joshua leaps out of the window for the open window. Catching his hands on the edge of the roof, he swings in, colliding with the thugs in back in a graceless, if useful, tumble, knocking both of the guns onto the floorboard.

The driver then promptly sideswipes the Deusie, sending her skipping off a lamppost before she can pull ahead.

[phoenix]

Sparing a look of concern to Lupin's metal steed before deciding to trust that companion with his problems while Joshua deals with his own, the hunter shouts,

"Stop it! Stop the vehicle now!"

In spite of Joshua's awkward position with his back against the front seat and his knees braced against the back seat, his command is lent weight by the gleaming blue blades that now appear in his hands, held at a menacing angle at the throats of the palookas in the back seat. He quickly scans the car for anyone else about to pull a gun on him, especially the guy sitting shotgun (if there is someone).

[ezekiel]

One of the men in the backseat starts spraying the car with bullets the moment you start pulling up, but after the first dozen or so rounds, the Tommy jams.

"Sssssssss"

Lupin hisses in a sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth as he ducks his head low.

"That was lucky...Keep it together, Deusie!"

The driver then promptly sideswipes the Deusie, sending her skipping off a lamppost before she can pull ahead.

"Bloody hell! Owner's going to kill me!"

Wrenching the wheel away from the lampost the faithful, if battered, car speeds forward as the driver of the other car deals with its new passenger.

[madcat82]

Henrich starts running towards the zepplin, cursing in german under his breath about foolish americans.

[phoenix]

[since there's no one riding shotgun...]

If Joshua gets any nonsense from the driver, he'll slide the blade of his knife through the fabric and soft cotton of the driver's seat back, pressing the point menacingly into the back of the driver.. ::devil

[BlueNinja]

Henrich starts running towards the zepplin, cursing in german under his breath about foolish americans.

The monkeys, of course, are being their usual barely-competant selves - you'll have the zep off the ground and moving in about two minutes. (Good think you're not in combat rounds, eh?)

If Joshua gets any nonsense from the driver, he'll slide the blade of his knife through the fabric and soft cotton of the driver's seat back, pressing the point menacingly into the back of the driver.. ::devil

Both of the guys in the back start to make a move for another weapon under their coats, but stop as you put the knife through the seat. Unfortunately, you pressed a little too hard! You hear the driver grunt, and the car suddenly slams to a halt. One of the men is thrown forward onto your other blade, while the second goes tumbling over the seat into the dashboard.

Wrenching the wheel away from the lampost the faithful, if battered, car speeds forward as the driver of the other car deals with its new passenger.

Their car starts weaving as they head into thicker traffic, one of the men leaning fully out the driver-side back window to fire single shots at the poor battered Deusie. Apparently, they're hoping that if they can get enough cars between them and you, they'll be able to 'blend in' and escape.

[ezekiel]

Their car starts weaving as they head into thicker traffic, one of the men leaning fully out the driver-side back window to fire single shots at the poor battered Deusie. Apparently, they're hoping that if they can get enough cars between them and you, they'll be able to 'blend in' and escape.

Lupin smiles, if they wanted to escape...let them. If they lead him home it'd save time on useless interrogations...

Once a few cars are between them Lupin will activate the car's "stealth" feature and try to tail the goons to their hideout...he'll turn off the headlights. ::wink

[SkyLion]

Li-Shen frowns with mild disgust at the catatonic man against the wall. *Simpering fools.* he thought as the man slid easily down to the ground onto his back. These poor men were too weak-minded to be of any direct use. Still, they must be held accountable...

In ancient ancient Sanskrit he addresses the Great Tiger, "How badly are you wounded my friend?"

Assuming the tiger is pretty OK, Li will grunt an answer then grab the two men by their collars with Telluric Force. He will walk calmly back towards the mansion to see if he can be of assistance, while the two men drag along behind him on the ground. Lighting a fine Havanna, he leaves the possibly deceased man for Asura to grab, adding only "Do not eat him just yet..."

-EDITed-

[phoenix]

Joshua yells in surprise at the sudden deceleration, thrown off balance himself. In dismay, he tries to assess the wounds of the steel chariot's passengers..

[BlueNinja]

Once a few cars are between them Lupin will activate the car's "stealth" feature and try to tail the goons to their hideout...he'll turn off the headlights. ::wink

("Now Sire, we call this a 'stealth catapult.' It can hurl a boulder hundreds of yard undetected, taking the enemy completely by surprise."

"How does it work?"

"You just pull that level right there, and - "

"This lever?"

*clunk* ::laugh )

After several blocks of following them silently through traffic (and carefully avoiding one police car cruising the night streets) you realize that they're heading towards the docks and the warehouses. By that point, the Zepplin is a silent shape coasting through the skies above you. (Well, silent from the ground, at least, poor Heinrich is being beleaguered by his monkeys.)

In ancient ancient Sanskrit he addresses the Great Tiger, "How badly are you wounded my friend?"

Azura stops to worry at the bullet wound with his tongue and teeth. *Two or three days, max. It's just a flesh wound,* he signs to you.

Assuming the tiger is pretty OK, Li will grunt an answer then grab the two men by their collars with Telluric Force. He will walk calmly back towards the mansion to see if he can be of assistance, while the two men drag along behind him on the ground. Lighting a fine Havanna, he leaves the possibly deceased man for Asura to grab, adding only "Do not eat him just yet..."

*You know quite well that I find the taste of human repulsive. You're far too gamy.* Azura grabs the man by the hip (none too gently) and starts carrying him along like a misshappen kitten.

Unfortunately, you don't make it more than two blocks before four police cars come roaring up, screeching to a stop between you and the mansion, four cops piling out of each car and training weapons towards yourself and Azura. "Halt in the name of the law!" one of them shouts at you.

Joshua yells in surprise at the sudden deceleration, thrown off balance himself. In dismay, he tries to assess the wounds of the steel chariot's passengers..

The driver is still alive, because he's breathing and moaning in pain. The other one you stabbed cleanly through the heart, so he's dead. The third, who was catapulted into the front seat, comes back over it, bleeding from a gash on the temple, wielding a knife of his own!

[SkyLion]

Unfortunately, you don't make it more than two blocks before four police cars come roaring up, screeching to a stop between you and the mansion, four cops piling out of each car and training weapons towards yourself and Azura. "Halt in the name of the law!" one of them shouts at you.

,,

(It was my understanding that Li had to take his action before the car got too far, so Im assuming that we are just down the street from Mercer's mansion.)

,,

Li blows his sepent of smoke in the air for the policemen instead, using it as a slight of hand distraction while he imperceptibly gestures for Asura to use stealth and become scarce while he refocuses his Psychic Shield in between him and the officers loaded weapons. Slowly and calmly he removes the cigar from his mouth and holds his hands up, non-threateningly.

,,

"But of course officers, I am unarmed. These are some of the men who shot up Mercer's Gala, during supper no less...I was merely returning the assailants for proper questioning."

[BlueNinja]

(It was my understanding that Li had to take his action before the car got too far, so Im assuming that we are just down the street from Mercer's mansion.)

The car crashed about 80 meters away and around a corner. Not terribly far away, but the ground for the mansion aren't that large, either.,,

"But of course officers, I am unarmed. These are some of the men who shot up Mercer's Gala, during supper no less...I was merely returning the assailants for proper questioning."

The cops get a little tense, but the guy who shouted mutters something to one of the others, who holsters his pistol and jogs down the street towards the Mercer house.

[SkyLion]

The cops get a little tense, but the guy who shouted mutters something to one of the others, who holsters his pistol and jogs down the street towards the Mercer house.

,,

"Please, officers, will you arrest these men? I am sure Mr. Mercer would like to have a word with those responsible for shooting up his home. In the meantime, some of my fellows are in pursuit of the other two cars, and I should like to continue the chase, lest any of them be injured..."

,,

He takes a puff from his cigar nonchalantly, his other hand remaining palm forward and out to the side. "And really boys, you may lower your weapons...I pose no threat to you."

,,

[ezekiel]

After several blocks of following them silently through traffic (and carefully avoiding one police car cruising the night streets) you realize that they're heading towards the docks and the warehouses. By that point, the Zepplin is a silent shape coasting through the skies above you. (Well, silent from the ground, at least, poor Heinrich is being beleaguered by his monkeys.)

*That's probably doctor chimp, he'll never find us without a signal...and I don't know what to signal yet.*

Lupin will follow and try to determine which warehouse or boat they're based in.

[madcat82]

The silence of the bridge in the zepplin was defening. Henrich stood watching the warehouse with a telescope, looking at its windows and the door, trying to scope out if any of the mobsters where at guard.

Prepear the forward gun. The order where said in a quiet tone, with little to non intonation. The monkeys did not respond. They knew that Henrich where angry. On a nearby wall, three of them where busy drawing up possible attackplans, while others looked on, checking there Lugers and readying there armor. Rembrant stands silently behind the good Doctor.

(OOC: Is there any guards? cars outside?)

[BlueNinja]

It takes about another twenty minutes before the car pulls into a small warehouse set a few streets back from the docks. From the front, Lupin can't see the other dozen cars parked 'out back' but they're clearly visible to Heinrich.

"Please, officers, will you arrest these men? I am sure Mr. Mercer would like to have a word with those responsible for shooting up his home. In the meantime, some of my fellows are in pursuit of the other two cars, and I should like to continue the chase, lest any of them be injured...",,

He takes a puff from his cigar nonchalantly, his other hand remaining palm forward and out to the side. "And really boys, you may lower your weapons...I pose no threat to you."

After about five minutes, you see Whitley poke his head out the door, wave at you, and say something to the officer. When the uniform comes running back, the man in charge grumbles something and gestures to the others to lower their weapons. "Come on, boys, might as well wrap these poor bastards up. Draw straws to see who's taking that scum," he points at the one in Azura's mouth, "to a hospital."

[ezekiel]

It takes about another twenty minutes before the car pulls into a small warehouse set a few streets back from the docks. From the front, Lupin can't see the other dozen cars parked 'out back' but they're clearly visible to Heinrich.

"Right..."

Lupin parks the car a block away. If there's a phonebooth anywhere he'll use it to call the Mercer residence and say where he is...if there isn't...well...no guts no glory. Zeppelin's got a radio, right? ::sly

Lupin crouches low and approaches the warehouse, trying to get within earshot of at least some of them to determine who he's dealing with...the italian mafia, chinamen, irish rogues?

More monkeys in suits? ::unsure

[madcat82]

Henrich orders the monkeys to take out his best suit, as well as an bulletproof west. He then use the radio to call the airplane pilots and tell them to pleas call the police, while He, the venerable doctor Henrich, apprehends the ruffians.

He then gets to the ground, walking towards the door together with Rembrant.

(IC: The monkeys orders are to lay down a barage of support fire if the thugs will not surrender, targeting there cars)