"STEAM LONDON" Game Thread

[Stella Gaslight]

Angel knew this song, it was the song of the parts that made up Cain only twisted and blood soaked.  It disturbed her even more than the the desecration the cold one priest had sung. She sung their song to fortify Cain and herself.  She worried a lot about this fight but she knew Cain could not live his life with that specter hanging over him.  Angel stopped Cain for a moment embracing him.  "Don't forget we are for always."  She said kissing him.  It would be her job to support him but this was his fight and she wouldn't stand in his way.

[MWBailey]

The Tsar was not the only one crawling; Dreyfuss was seriously regretting having set off the Aether damper grenade now, adn had half-stumbled, half-crwaled, and half-dragged Elisha, Ella, and Abe down the corridor toward the limit of the Grenade's effect; or, if not the limit, then the edge of the violet-tinged world in which they now struggled to walk. walk? Why, yes, they were walking now. much better, now they could move faster. "Elisha!" he croaked, and the gashelm turned to face him.
"yes, Dreyfuss?"
"We have to get out of this corridor, there's one of the grenade-blasted holes up there on the left, it looks like it opens to the outside. I-- I--!" he coughed, doing his best to keep it controlled and as quiet as possible, then he swallowed and siad, "Brian." Elisha's helm, bent along with his back from trying to pick dreyfuss up, apparently to carry him (Do I look that bad? he wondered) suddenly whipped up at the mention of the name, "where?!"
"I heard his and the Tsar's voice a few minutes ago, I think he finished the Tsar, maybe drank his blood, I don't know; the point is, we have to get out of here before he finds us, we're too weak to fight him right now."
Elisha nodded, and he and Ella began to climb down through the hole in the side of the Palace, helping Dreyfuss down as they went, finally  coming to ground at the side of th Palace from where they had entered, what seemed like days ago. then they ran, crouuching, along the iron fence, which was now twisted and missing many of its bars, since the blast of the first Mondragon grenade. They made their way through the gates, past the grenade crater, and down the street, until Elisha and Ella stopped, laid Dreyfuss against the wall of an alley, out of sight of teh palace, and then they wilted, almost, obviously needing the rest. Dreyfuss' Heart went out to the two, thinking what a burden he was being to them.

Elisha, Ella, you two go one, leave me here, I'll be OK, now that I'm out of most of that damping field," he said, "I can get strength from teh whitefire now, I still wont be worth much, but i'll survive.

"Now, what would ye be wantin' to do that for? Not givin' up are ye, Dreyf?" Dreyfuss (Elisha and Ella as well) looked up and beheld the Monkey himself, Patrick O'Landry, and the rest of teh crew, even Irene, who oddly looked sort of sheepish, and Rowland, who looked ill. Dreyfuss leaned his head back and laughed...

Scraps came bounding up now, clashing along and shedding swords and bucklers and antique guns and spears and cannons and gold and silver and bronze sculpture, like some bizarre, shaggy, shedding dog... WOOF he said, the BARK obviously still in effect and causing the crew to bounce back a step or two, and causing two safes to fall off of his head...

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Ahhhh, if it isn't me? So Nice I could pay a visit." Brian's voice gurgled like blood from a dying man;s throat. His thousands of teeth upon his gator-like jaw seemed almost enough to split his head in half. A long, black tounge slid over each white tooth, leaving a crimson, glistening streak as four hooked feet carved into the wood panel flooring.
"Mother is not taking visitors, but she has set me up to entertain her guests." His claws extended. Cain stood foreward, pushing Patrick behind him with a single arm.
This was his fight.
"When will you learn, moron, that you cannot fight me! I am what you cannot say or do! You need me!" Brian hissed, approaching him until he was but inches from Cain's face.
"No. You aren't a part of me at all. You were once, but like an infected limb, i've cut you off. Your nothing but a pile of blood and rot to me now. And that's what you'll always be!" Cain snapped. Brian snarled and with a powerful sweeping stroke, sent his hand across Cain's jaw, delivering a supernaturally powerful punch that would have snapped a mortal man's neck like a dry twig. The skin across cain's cheek was ripped clean off. He simply gave a half-gone smile and responded by swinging his deus blade down hard at him. Brian raised an arm to catch it, but felt a fiery sting on his wrist as his hand went flying off. Cain grinned.

"My hand....YOU BASTARD!" Brian roared, his mind obviosuly fevered with power. "I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE YOU!!!!!!" With every hate he swung at Cain who artfully dodged each blow. Rage and fury dictated his movements, making him sloppy and easy to predict. Cain began to sing as he thrusted both blades at Brian, who knocked them off course with a sweep of his claw. The battle between the two personas had become like some deadly and brutal dance. Black spaltters of demon-blood and sparks hit the floor. But no matter what punishment Cain took, he kept singing.

[Stella Gaslight]

As she saw her Cain taking those hits Angel was barely able to keep herself from running in to protect him.  Every blow he took seemed to hurt her too.  Angel sung the synchronicity song and the marriage mark stated to glow with power she was willing to bleed herself dry to keep her Cain safe.

Emma helped Dreyfuss to his feet.  "I take it my Aether damper grenade worked well."  Their was no way a simple human like herself could help Cain right now so she settled for fussing over the rest of the crew in the rare moment were no one was actively trying to kill them.

[MWBailey]

"Emma, that one was a wonder! Just don't be too near the things when you set 'em off, if you have any magical talent or dependency upon the aether at all. I'd say the effect on me is about in proportion to the level of my newly-developed level of power."

"Probably my level is negligible, compared to most, but I was beginning to depend on it. So, when it was the next best thing to gone, I sort of diminished, if you take my meaning. The Tsar was nearly killed by it, I think. But Brian was the one actually killed him, by the way. I think I heard 'im slurping the Tsar's blood."

HE stopped, and looked thoughtfully frantic. "ABE! WHERE"S ABE! AND ROSIE!"

"Right here, Old One," Abraham Inksmith said, chuckling, "and Rosie's right there beside you!" Dreyfuss felt Rosie bump his head, the way she had done the last time he'd forgotten about her. Dreyfuss turned to look at her, and a sight that would have made most people cringe in fear was instead, for Dreyfuss, one of the most adorable sights in the world; Rosie, the albino cobra, mouth open, looking for all the world as if she were grinning. Dreyfuss could swear he could hear her laughing, and he laughed back, and stroked her hood.

"Oh, by the way, emma," Dreyfuss said matter -of-factly, "that crater there beside...well, the crater where the gate used to be, thats where I set the first Mondragon grenade. They're even mor epowerful than I anticipated, and its a good thing you suggested that capacitance fuse. would have blown me to kingdom come without it. Good thing we didnt use the grid to power the Boheme's warding shield." He shuddered.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Elisha grabbed Ella and forced her to the ground.

"Stay down." he said. "The smoke doesn't go this low." He could see she was still coughing. He twisted the respirator off the front of his helmet and put it between her lips. It should purify the air for her until they got out of this. He felt his lungs tingle. It was best for him as well - he doubted his body would treat him kindly for a second poisoning.

He realized that they had moved away from the main area. There was a large empty square. The burning noxious structure was behind them. He saw what looked to be a hot-air balloon. A man was loading equipment into it. It was Viktor Erebus. He looked at Elisha, recognizing him. He threw a spear. Elisha just managed to catch it, but by then the balloon was rising. Elisha aimed and began to fire, Ella shooting beside them. Viktor leapt into the rigging to dodge the shots. His basket was unable to and all of his infernal devices fell in a flaming heap, shattering on the square. Without the extra weight the balloon gained altitude rapidly. Elisha lost sight of Viktor as the wind carried him east. They looked at each other with cool stares. Then he was gone.

Elisha looked back at the square. Before him was what looked like shimmering portal. He watched in amazement as it suddenly flickered out. What on earth had caused that?

------------

Tobias held Morana as they fell through the spaces between.

"We'll find somewhere" he said. "Somewhere dark and quiet. No more hiding..."

---------

The Queen simmered in rage as she sensed the connection lost. All her work! Gone! She could squash all these humans - but the plan would remain a failure.

Unless...She needed something with a connection to the prison. One of the old things. There was one here. The construct! She was made thousands of years ago by the enemy. She could be used. Used and Destroyed.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Cain saw the wounds Angel bore for him and immediately rigidified his form, becoming as nimble as possible, dodging whatever Brian swung at him with a long whiplike tail, sending Cain flying into the ground. The demonic beast that had once been human in the loosest sense tackled Cain, laying on top of him to prepare a killing blow. Cain responded by thrusting his deus blade through the demon's throat, using his new hold on the demon, Cain slammed Brian's head into the wood floor, letting a terrible crackling sound fill the air as bone and wood splintered. Can slid the blade out of his throat and spread his wings, taking off into the air. The demon spread black, leathery wings to pursue him in midair combat. The following battle reminded Angel of the story of the swallow and the crow princes who battled desperately for the hand of the finch princess.
Brian charged at Cain, who dived beneath him, reappearing behind him to grasp the demon;s wings and give them a mighty pull, rupping the wings from his back and pulling Brian from the air. Brian grasped Cain's ankle and immediately the two plummeted towards the ground. Cain wrapped his hands around Brian's head and sang as they fell. He sang a song of the iron tree and the silken flower wrapping around the stump of the evil poisoned fruit tree. Brian screamed in defiance, refusing to once more be naught but a memory. His claws wrapped around Cains arms, burying his claws into the syntheticl flesh, wishing desperately that he would bleed. Cain let loose a terrifyingly mighty creschendo as he tossed Brian into the air and flew upward after him, only to have his charge deflected by a swoop of Brian's tail. A cain-shaped hole appeared in the plaster wall.

Brian released a hissing gurgle of a laugh as he looked to his left hand, which twisted and shifted into a black, glimmering lance as if on cue. Cain charged through the hole in the wall, running directly into the path of the black lance.
There was a loud *shink* as the end of the lance was sliced off. As the fine, tapered tip of the deadly extension soared delicately through the air like some deadly raindrop, Cain plucked it effortlessly from the air and flung it towards Brian. Brian simply cackled and brushed the black tip away.
"What was that supposed to do?!" He cackled, however, his laughter ended when he felt the searing burn of the Deus blades through his chest.
"Distract you." Cain said in a voice that cut like an angel's sword.
Brian coughed and sputtered as black blood began to leak from his mouth and eyes. Cracks of white light appeared all over his skin, causing him to screech.
"NO!! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!! I DON'T WANT TO GO BAAACCCKKK!!!!" Brian screamed like a child fearing punishment from its father.
Within seconds, the black flesh of Brian O'Landry melted away, leaving only a charred and wounded skeleton, bullet holes creating perfect circles within the bone's ribs.

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma grinned glad they had worked so well. "Well I suppose that means I should keep them far from me.  With my connection to George and the aether who knows what it could do. Looks like Elisha, Abe, Trip and the others are going to be getting some new artillery."  The ground beneath them trembled and Emma could have sworn she heard screams.  Suddenly they were shaken quite hard and the ground crumbled away underneath them exposing the maw of a wyrm. Several of those beasts hurtled out of the ground trying to attack the Aether League ships bit some stayed on the ground to deal with the scattered crew. Emma tried to pull Dreyfuss out of the quickly forming sinkhole with teeth but managed to fall in instead.

Angel was crying with joy.  "You did it!"  She ran out to smother him in affection.  "You are free now.  No more Brian parts hurting people or being sad just my Cain for always."

[Nigel Wetherby]

"EMMA!" Patrick cried out, pulling his jacket off and running to the edge of the sinkhole. He formed the brown leather jacket into a makeshift rope, tossing it to the engineer who dangled for her life.
"Grab on!" He urged.

Cain smiled, satisfied with his victory. "it seems that the further I go, the more of me falls off.." He ran a funger across his bare-metal cheek.

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma's leg was caught by one of the blood hooks ending up in a painful tug of war between the wyrm and Patrick with Emma as the rope.  "LET GO OF ME" she said slipping in to her big voice.  The wyrm obeyed and Emma was launched up and out over the pit taking Patrick with her.  "Goodness you have gotten strong." she croaked.

"That is ok my Cain is pretty no matter what." Angel did not understand that calling a boy pretty was not as much of a complement as she thought it was.  "It looks like we have some monsters to fight together."  She smiled fighting wasn't so bad as long as she had him by her side.

[MWBailey]

Dreyfuss had had enough. enough of always falling, of always being a burden on people whom he could not really ever repay, of just beingh helpless. so, instead of just weakly falling into the hole and taking whatever came, he used the whitefire (from where, he wasn't sure, only sure that he was no longer falling, but floating, drifting to the edge of teh hole and then touching down on the ground).

Then, he became sure that he felt very exhausted and very sick, and for some reason very relieved that, amid all the commotion, Patrick was too busy to fix him with that odd stare again. He squared his shoulders and went to help Patrick haul Emma up out of the hole. adn then realized it wasn't necessary, as Emma and patrick both came flying up and out, landing in front of him with a shared "OOF!" Naw, he couldnt have seen him, he was safe.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"That we do..." Cain said with a half-smile as he extended both deus blades and charged towards the wyrm which emerged from its sink-hole, preparing to devour the charging construct. Cain grabbed the rim of the beast's maw and twisted the wyrm's neck with a violent twist. Cain's liberation had given him an insurmountable amount of strength. The wyrm thrashed and hissed, attempting to tear away hsi flesh with its blood hooks. Angel used Cain's distraction to bury her claws into the feindish serpent's hide.
Their attacks had become less about slashing and hacking apart the enemy as becoming beautifully synchronised engines of battle.

Patrick grinned. "Why thank ye, I wonder if Jen is as impressed with me raw, physical prowess!" His flexing was interrupted by the wyrm's unearthly cry of pain.
"Shall we assist our compatriots?"

[MWBailey]

Dreyfuss walked to the edge of the pit, where a tardy wyrm was trying to claw its way up and out; it saw him, prepared to scream, opening its maw, and--Dreyfuss pulled the pin from a Mondragon (he'd decided to call them that, it seemed to fit), and dropped it down the beast's gullet, just as it was about to scream, and then was whisked back from the edge by Angel, who set him on the ground, smiled, and started to take off, when Dreyfuss grabbed her hand and told her to DUCK! The blessed child's innocence took over, and she did as he said, and luckily so, as the beast with the grenade in its belly had come up behind her, and suddenly...well...vaporized, taking with it the back half of another, which was threatening Patrick, who was aiming his Aether rifle at it, and Emma, who was giving her shout of death... both looked extremely surprised at their target's sudden state of half-dematerialization....

[Stella Gaslight]

"That was a very satisfactory explosion." Emma muttered,  she was already thinking of ways to improve it.

George was in the air against his will. Unable to shoot the beasties he tried to use a sword Scraps had brought from inside the place only to get himself stuck fast to the wyrm he was trying to kill.  He was currently hanging upside down by his pant leg from a starving wyrm headed straight for Emma and screaming for them to get out of the way.

[E.A. Claringbold]

“....”

Irene had her two short swords drawn, sure she was outnumbered and most likely out armed, but it was worth a shot- anything to get her daguerreotype back. They had it and she needed it and if they were watching, they had better keep it safe because she was holding her end of the bargain which was more like slavery.  She snatched  Emma and brought her close, resting a blade on the skin of her neck.

“I’m so sorry, Emma…”

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The Admiral of the Russian air fleet, that had only days ago boasted of his prowess to the very Tsar of Russia, watching the scene in horror. Those damned Canadians were tough enough - but now the massive American fleet was incoming. Some of his captains were already breaking off, the Chinese ships not eager to loose their crews for Russia's fight.

He looked out, furious.  

"You damn Yanks! You shall never fell my ship from the sky!"

He didn't realize that his transmitter was off the hook. A voice in it laughed.

"Couldn't help but hearing that, Admiral. But maybe you're right - I think you're safe from the Yanks. Canucks, on the other hand..."

The Admiral watched in horror as the gleaming blade sped through the night. The Steel Breeze hit his ship at full speed, crashing with ease through the hull. The Admiral was pushed backwards before he realized what was happening. He looked back. His vision was blurry. He was at the...back of the ship? He looked at his chest and saw that the edge of a massive blade was embedded into him, his body literally wrapped around it. There was a creaking noise. He made a surprised gurgeling noise. There was a louder creak. His ship fell into two pieces under him, the gasbag floating down over him. He slid off the blade and fell. The Steel Breeze continued through the sky. The Battle of Britain was over. Now the battle in the streets of London needed a conclusion.

------------------

Elisha picked his way with Ella back to where they had entered. It seemed like all their enemies crumbled before them. He saw Abe, Rowland and Trip near to where they had entered. He walked over to them, Ella by his side.

"What's happened?"

"The Tsar's dead. The priest's dead. Brian's dead." said Abe.

"And Viktor's gone." added Elisha. He looked around. There were some large holes that looked like wyrms.

"Alright." he said. "Let's stay here and wait for the others to regroup. We're going to need all of us together for this."

He pulled out a flaregun and fired it into the sky, illuminating the light. He just hoped all the other crew members were able to walk back to here. He had a sudden thought. He hadn't seen Irene during the battle. Where was she...

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma was to shocked to really struggle. "Why are you doing this?  I thought we were friends.  I was going to make a new tank for you and everything." Oddly she felt like crying and saying she was sorry but she didn't know why.  "Let me go.  You don't realy want to hurt me, you can't."

[MWBailey]

CLICK. He saw Irene's eyes flick to her left, where he, Dreyfuss, held his Paterson Colt at the base of her skull. hammer cocked and trigger extended.

"Such disappointing behavior, Irene. Let her go, NOW" he both spoke and sent the word into her head, willing her to hear it in her mind.

[E.A. Claringbold]

“I don’t care as much for the tank as I do for my own life. What good is the tank if I get burnt up? And we are friends, we are…”

As she said this her right cheek brushed against Emma’s.

“We are friends…but if I don’t do thi—“

An animalistic snarl passed over her face and forced Dreyfuss’s words out of her head.

“Or what- you’ll shoot? Blow my brains out? Go ahead, I’ld like to see you try.”

Such viciousness that matched the ugly look on her face immerged from her voice.To egg him on, she pressed the blade a fraction closer to Emma’s skin, nowhere near breaking the skin, but uncomfortable nonetheless.

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

The wind blew and the smoke near the craters faded. Elisha looked over and saw that Dreyfuss was there. And Emma - with Irene holding a knife to her throat. Elisha wanted to run closer, but he realized how tense this situation was. He raised his rifle, turning a knob on his helm. He had a prefect view of Emma and Irene. He could probably hit Irene - but he didn't want her to take Emma with her."

"Dreyfuss!" he called. "I've got her covered!"

[MWBailey]

You think I won't do it? My, my, we certainly are getting all our secrets out today, aren't we?  Well, here's one nobody knows, at least not arond here, until now. You hear from the othe rDreyfusses about my Morganta? my SWEETHEART?" His voice nearly shook with rage both new and remembered.

"I had to kill HER. She had become a vampire, Irene, and was a threat to The Littons, to Uncle Caractacus, and especially to  my foster sister Rosita, whom she held in her hands, much asyou're holding Emma now. So, yes, I do understand what it takes to kill an immortal. You might be able to regenerate after having your head blown off, but it will hurt, and by then I'll have the silver and antimony ready to salt your wounds so they won't heal. or maybe just the antimony, the silver's really just for vampires and other undead beasties. Oh, yes, I do know about that daguerrotype; I heard about it back a year ago, now, about this girl who owned a tank and wasn't able to die..." I bet I can make it hurt REAL BAD for a while, though..."

"Not unless you're prepared to shoot her ten thousand times, Elisha. She'll just REGENERATE!" he shouted and snarled.

"SO! what's it gonna be, CHER COUSIN?

[Stella Gaslight]

"Don't Dreyfuss." Emma said trying to get Dreyfuss to back up so she could continue to talk to Irene.  Some how she could make this better she just had to.  Emma couldn't let them come to blows like this they were family that counted for something. The knife did not bother her as much at the emotions and betrayal behind it. "Something bad happened didn't it? I don't think you are doing this for power, you could have killed all of us long ago if that was all you were after.  They lie they promise the world but they lie, they will never keep their promises but I will.  I told you I would look out for you so what ever trouble you are in let me help."

[MWBailey]

"If I were you, I'd listen, girl. Emma's the only thing between you and an antimony headache right now." so saying, he held up the glass phial with its gleaming, poisonous contents.

[E.A. Claringbold]

Whatever she recovered after her snarl in hopes to somewhat compose herself broke and the snarl returned. So he knew about it.  The moment she was going to spit out harsh words back, Emma spoke up. Such glimmering hope in those words, possibly enough to save Irene. She had to make a decision now- slit Emma’s throat and deal with the others or let her go and face a different death. What did it matter? She had thought about such things as bad outcomes and she expected as much to happen the moment she decided to play from both ends- it was a losing game.

"..."

She let the metal slide against flesh- the flat of the blade, that is. Releasing Emma, she put her blades away. Nothing but a mix of anger and despair playing across her darkened face.

[Stella Gaslight]

Emma smiled and stayed closer to Irene than most would with someone that had turned a knife on them. "What do you need? How can I help?"  Many people had asked her that over the years but this one was being completely honest and willing to see it through.