Connor, meanwhile, had taken to trying the help the cabbie calm his horse and get it back under control, being careful not to frighten the animal any more than it already was as he grabbed the reins from the front and looked it square in the eyes, keeping it from bucking and jumping about in its harness by literally holding it as still as possible, his muscles bulging under his clothes as he wrestled with the much larger horse.

"Whoa now, whoa," he soothed in a calm but firm tone in French, "Shhh, it's all right now, calm down. Whoa, they're a good fella, whoa."  Although initially startled and afraid of him, the horse eventually did relax, and the felinoid was soon gently stroking the horse's mane and forehead, whispering sweet nothings to it  before stepping back and letting Etienne take up the slack in the reins again.

"Needed a softer touch," he said to the others as he picked up his things once more and dusted himself off a bit, "Sometimes you have to get your rear off the seat or the saddle and look 'em in the eye."

Just about the time that Connor manages to calm the horse, another shot rings out, setting the horse rearing again. This time when it comes down, it's in total panic and immediately runs off at full gallop before Etienne can reply to Dash's call.

It might have been helped by the bullet smacking into the wood of the cab.

Starbolt, the horse of the other cab, has run its race, so the gunshot doesn't set it off again. Also, since it was calm, the driver is able to keep a tighter rein on it.

As the panicked horse gallops off and pulls the cab with it, the remaining cab still blocks view down the street quite a bit.

Stella, off the street for the moment and in the shadows after slipping behind the cab, can see two men running down the street towards them. One is about 50 feet behind the other, and it's the one in front that is brandishing a firearm.

The others see only one man running down the street. No gun is visible, so possibly the cab is blocking view of the shooter.

Connor swore as the horse bolted again, forcing him to jump back to keep from getting run over and worse. As he fell back into the shadows, he growled low in his throat as he said, "looks like we're going to have to have it out with these assailants, gentlemen and lady."

Grimsby replied "Right you are, Connor, and my derringer is empty, with no time for reloading." He mutters a curse in Pushtu and produces a wicked looking knife unexpectedly from his sleeve. He adds, "I haven't got your claws, so this will have to do." He goes into a defensive crouch, trying to use the remaining cab for cover while working his way towards the approaching attackers.

Bellgrove leans down and takes his backup, a Webley Bull Dog revolver, out of an ankle holster and passes it to Baskerville, "Nice knife, but the badguys clearly got guns."

As he speaks he scans the street looking for the shooter with his Colt ready.

"Leave the one at the back to me," Connor said, putting his walking stick over his shoulder, "When I move, you go after the other one if I don't get to him first after dealing with the first."

That being said, the felinoid snuck quietly around the corner of a building on the side of the street they were on, climbing up to the roof and moving as stealthily as he could rooftop-to-rooftop until he was level with the assailant furthest back. Then, crouching low, he bared his fangs and his claws and pounced, leaping off the roof and landing squarely on top of him and tackling him to the ground, slugging him hard for good measure as he snarled like a wild thing.

Yikes! Way too many actions, Connor! The others are liable to finish the combat before you even climb the building! Also remember that the GM always resolves your actions, especially when it involves enemy combatants or hazardous situations. So we'll take it one step at a time...


Stella went to the left side of the street because she not only had cover from the horse of the other cab, but that was the side of the street where there were shadows... cast by the streetlamp on the opposite side of the street and the intervening cabs and horses.


Having moved out front of the cab to calm the horse, Connor sneaking quietly around a corner of a building is rather pointless since he can easily be seen in the glare of the streetlamp. He was out in the middle of the street, so moving to a nearby building is maybe 50 feet, crossing the sidewalk AND climbing or jumping over the wrought iron fence.

By the time he climbs to the top of the two-story building, the attackers will have run down the street and reached the back of the cab. Jumping off the building without injury might be possible for the tiger-man, but jumping that far out into the street would probably do as much damage to him as his target, if he even made it. He may have tiger traits, but he's still not a tiger.

However, from his lofty perch, he can see, as the attacker that was at the rear and on the right side of the street enters the light of the streetlamp, there was more to him that a dark hat and trenchcoat. Connor sees the glint of metal... on the attackers hand and on his face.


With their cab now out of the way, Bellgrove and Dash can see the other two assailants. The closest one is probably the shooter, as he is waving a gun as he reaches the back of the second cab.

Bellgrove and Dash are viewing the attacks over, under, or around the horse.


Grimsby, having moved to the cab and cautiously made his way to the back, hears running steps just reaching the back of the cab, too.

Connor's eyebrow raised at the sight of the glint of metal on the rearward person's face and hands, momentarily wondering if it might've been a mechanical man of some kind, but he didn't have much time to think about it as he looked for a quicker way to get back down to street  level to rejoin the fray than the fire escape he had used to get up onto the rooftops, although if he couldn't find a convenient clothesline or telegraph wire to zip line down using his walking stick he'd just have to hustle again since the 50ft leap was a bit much for him (even felinoids had their limits, it would seem).

In reply to Bellgrove G. B. Wander (msg # 76):

Grimsby says warmly but quietly, "Thanks. A Webley's a nice introduction from a new friend."  His knife vanishes as quickly as it came. With the loaned Webley in his right hand, he stands ready to shoot any attacker who appears at the back of the cab.

Watching motionlessly from the shadows, Stella withdraws her hand from her rucksack, clutching a leather blackjack.

As the Tigerman dashes into the shadows, and the reporter produces a second pistol from a hidden ankle holster and gives it to Grimsby, Dash pauses a moment to consider just where this encounter could end up.

With a shrug he reaches into his uniform jacket and pulls out his big automatic, pulling back the charging handle and loading the chamber.

"What the hell ... I hear Devils Island is lovely this time of year." a grin spreads across his face -- the same grin that that lunatic Roosevelt taught him in Cuba.

"We have questions, gentlemen, so let us try for a prisoner or two."

Dash winks at Bellgrove, "Now, let's show these European Assassins the folly of getting into a gunfight with Americans, shall we?  Bully!"

Having shouted the old battlecry, Dash runs straight at the horse, then throws himself down upon the cobblestoned street in a half-tumble, half-slide under the horse -- ripping open the back of his jacket, in the process.

On the other side of the horse, Dash recovers from his tumble, coming up on one knee and aiming at the nearest of the visible assailants.  He fires a pair of rapid shots at the thug, aiming for his kneecaps.

In the quiet of that nighttime city streets, the the rapid shots from the heavy pistol produce a "pow-pow" that sounds almost cannon-like.

With a grin Bellgrove replies to Dash, "Yes. Let's take these bastards to school!"

When Dash rolls under the horse at Grimsby's pursuers Bellgrove moves in a crouch  around the horse's forequarters. He moves several feet past the horse, so if the animal gets spooked and either rears or charges forward he would be out of it and the cab's way. His intention is to kneecap that one as well and he aims his Colt Model 1898 New Service Revolver as well as he can as he moves forward.

A direct jump from the top of the building to the ground would be very dangerous for Connor, but as he looks around, there's nothing he can use as a zipline... no wires, no ropes. That would be something found aboard ships.

However, jumping down into one of the trees could be done. Instead of one hop down, he could do it in two, followed by a pounce onto the running man.

By running between two houses, the man not only lost sight of Connor but probably thought he was running away. As near as Connor is aware, he has no idea who these people are, so it's possibly that they don't know who he is.

Connor times his jump just right, jumping into the tree as the man (he hopes it's a man!) reaches it. His landing is a bit off, but he manages to make his next leap albeit a bit off balance. He makes just enough noise to catch the man's attention, so he looks up just as Connor pounces on him.

That was the plan, but Connor lands on the man a bit awkwardly. The man is driven back a step, but he catches Connor in a bear hug... and starts to squeeze.


Dash dive/rolls under the horse and comes up shooting. He's pretty sure he hits his target, but his target is also shooting. He's not trying to be so precise as Dash--he's aiming for center of mass, and manages to wing Dash in the arm.


Grimsby, still using the back of the cab for cover, hear's the gunshot only a few feet away. It doesn't seem to be aimed at him, so he pops around the back, spots the shooter--it's his 'friend' from inside the cab--and shoots him.


Over on the other side of the street, Stella has nearly disappeared into the shadows. So the man running down that side of the street doesn't see her until he's nearly beside her. She manages to stick a leg out and trip him. As he staggers forward, trying to keep from falling down, her blackjack catches him on the back of the head to encourage that fall... and to make sure he doesn't jump back up.


Bellgrove was about to shoot the same man, having lost sight of Stella, too, when the man suddenly falls down. He manages to catch a glimpse of a feminine hand holding an un-feminine blackjack.

Grimsby, not being sure how much damage the man he shot has actually taken, approaches him cautiously, ready to give him another round if needed.

"Gah!" Dash exclaims, as the bullet tears through both his uniform sleeve and the outer, fleshy part of his left upper arm; knocking him from his kneeling position back onto his butt, legs outstretched before him, "Why am I always the one getting frigging shot!"

Pistol still in his right hand, he clumsily grasps the wound in an effort to alleive his pain -- swearing as only someone who'd spend time with sailors can -- when a glint of light on metal manages to pierce his grimace of pain.  Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, Dash looks down the street to see the tigerman -- Connor, that is -- clutched in a crushing embrace of someone that has what looks like a metal, or at least metal-clad, arm.

"Son of a murthering Bilge Rat!" Dash growls, bringing his right knee up off the cobblestones and leveling his right arm atop it, pointing his pistol down the street.

First taking two quick, hyperventilating breaths, Dash takes a deep breath, then slowly lets out half as he takes careful aim at the center of mass of the man clutching Connor -- a spot just under his metal-looking arm -- and slowly squeezing the trigger....


OOC: I am fully expecting Connor to take an action before Dash pulls the trigger.  If Connor takes out his opponent, Dash won't shoot.  If Connor breaks loose but doesn't drop his man, or if he can't break loose, then Dash'll take the shot.

Stella takes a quick step forward and kicks the downed man in the side of his head. Then she scurries back into the shadows.

Bellgrove is about to pull the trigger when out of nowhere Stella appears. What? We've got a cat-man, do we have a bird-woman as well?, he thinks to himself.

He still processing how difficult it must be to move in a woman's outfit and how far she moved in order to appear behind the man she walloped as he turns at fires, without at the other attacker whom just shot Dash. He does so without the careful aim that he had intended to use on his first target.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:04, Fri 27 June 2014.

In the melee, the only enemy Grimsby can see who is active and unhurt is the one who has Connor, so he also aims for that man (or automaton).  However, not wanting to hit Connor, he takes his time to aim carefully for the creature's hip, hoping to at least cripple it while not going to close to the arms that have Connor..

Connor snarled as he was caught in the vise-like bear hug, not expecting the metal-armed man to have absorbed the impact of so well. The felinoid struggled as hard as he could to extricate himself from the painful squeezing, baring his fangs and going straight for the man's neck, half expecting to taste grease and metal instead of flesh and blood if his bite sank home, for he had more than a suspicion the "man" might be some sort of mechanical contrivance, or perhaps a man augmented by mechanical means...

Up close now, Connor can see that the man is probably a flesh and blood person... at least his face is, though he's wearing some sort of mechancial goggles. The torso may be another story. Connor can feel metal along the chest, but he has no way of knowing how extensive it is. It could just be some type of armor, like an old medievel breastplate.

As both arms squeeze, though, Connor can hear the whirr of gears and hiss of steam pistons. The man's arms are at least mechanically augmented. Connor is sure the man has successfully used the bear hug tactic before, and it was threatening to work on Connor, too, except... Connor is more flexible than a normal person. It would be nearly impossible for a normal person to actually bend his head down far enough to bite the man's neck. Also, without fangs, it probably wouldn't have done much good.

Connor is a whole different ballgame, though. Twisting his upper torse with the litheness of a cat, he manages to find a chink in the armor--it doesn't go up far enough to protect the side of the man's neck.

The action, however, produces radically unexpected results. He throws Connor off of him as he almost screams "Vampire!

Connor lands on his feet about ten feet away, and sees the man pulling out a wooden stake!

Just then a shot rings out, and a bullet clangs off of the armor... and whizzes by Connor's ear!

The man barely seems fazed by the rebounding bullet, but realizes the odds are against him. He turns and starts to run away at an amazing speed... almost as fast as a horse!

Unfortunately, he can't outrun electricity. A bluish crackle of electicity flashes out of the dark and strikes him. His arms fly up and his legs lock in place as he crashes to the street face down. Even after the bolt stops, a shimmer of electricity seems to dance over him.

"And here I thought this was going to be another boring night!" Mercy says as she steps out of the 'shadow'.

She and Viktor and Matthew had been in this quaint little nightclub cafe. Although they'd just been finishing up a wonderful Corsican meal and were ready to head back to the airship, the sudden eruption of gunshots out on the street had hastened their departure. Viktor was a soldier, so naturally he wanted to go.

She'd never been the timid sort herself, though.

Only Matthew had wanted to... well, hide.

"I'm going with you the next time!" the fiery redheaded engineer and inventor said to Connor... before she realized who she was talking to.

"Wait a minute! I don't know you!" she says suddenly as she raises her lightning gun. Then she sees the others... Dash and Stella and Grimsby... and another new person.

"Oh. Well, if you're with them, then I guess you're okay," she says, extending her hand in a rather unladylike gesture.

"Mercedez Kincaid, but everyone calls me Mercy. I don't answer to Mercedez much any more, unless it's me mum."

Connor was most surprised when the man  practically threw him off when his fangs sank home, even more so when the cry of "Vampire" and the stake came. All the same, he was glad to be free of the crushing bear-hug, and was about to go at the blighter again when a bullet went whizzing by his ear after ricocheting off of the armor, then out of nowhere a bolt of bluish lighting struck and rendered his fleeing adversary immobile.

"Huh?" Was all Connor could find words to say about this latest occurance as he wiped the foul-tasting blood from his muzzle, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a curiously-made weapon and an even curiouser redheaded woman. The felinoid laid his ears back and scythe his tail angrily in response to this latest threat to his person, only to seat his feral impulses back down and cock his head curiously to one side as she apparently changed her mind, lowering the gun and offering her hand as she introduced herself.

"Erm, much obliged, Miss Kincaid," Connor replied, a bit unsure what to make of her as he gave her hand a shake with his own, careful to keep his claws retracted, "Um, you might want to check your weapon before you use it again, the capacitors in the discharge circuits sound like they need some attention."

That little bit of engineering advice dispensed, Connor quietly padded off to go pick up his things he'd left with the others before climbing up to the rooftops....

Dash squeezes the trigger at exactly the same moment Connor is released.

"Blazes!" Dash curses, as he sees the flash of his bullet ricocheting off the mans armor; then he realizes that Connor had flinched in exactly the same manner he'd seen soldiers do, when a bullet flew past their ear.

"Sorry abou that!" Dash called over to Connor, "That was me.  Sorry."

Suddenly, Mercy made her 'electrifying' entrance.

"Gadds!" Dash exclaims, as -- between the dull ache on his back from the burns the other day, and the fresh sting of tonights flesh wound -- he teeters to his feet, "I didn't get a clear view of those things in operation, back in London. They are most impressive looking, shooting down a nightime street!"

Dash looks around, then calls out, "Grimsby, old man! How many prisoners do we have?  And, as these thugs were chasing you, d'ye have any idea who might be their leader?"

Grimsby held his fire as Mercy's electrical bolt was, naturally, fast as lightning.
He pocketed the Webley for the moment and replied to Dash, "I believe we have accounted for three of the rascals, but how many are in any condition to be captives, I'm not sure. I believe the one who was with me in the cab may have been the leader"  He bent over the man he had shot and, if the man did not resist, gave him a quick search and physical examination, to determine if he was alive, whether he was wounded, and whether he still carried any weapons or other items of interest.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:22, Mon 30 June 2014.

With another grimace of pain, Dash gets to his feet, "Most unfortunate." he responds to Grimsby, grimacing again as he placed his modified Mauser back in its holster-- under his left shoulder, "I may be wrong, but I think we may have shot that fellow to death."

Dash squinted, trying to pierce the light-and-shadow play down the street.

"Connor!" Dash yells down range, seeing the big man moving around, over there, "No doubt you have now met the energetic Miss Mercy and her toy from Mister Nicola Tesla.  Well, the young lady is so enamored of her special toy that she trusts it to work flawlessly -- so she probably believes that the thug you attacked will be unconscious for hours.  I trust that you are not so trusting, and will bind the fellow as soon as you can, please."

"Now, where is everyone?  Miss Mulberry?  Bellgrove?  Is anyone -- other than me -- shot or injured?"