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Airs and Heiresses
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Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

Jul-6-2015 11:19

New York, 1938
St. Regis Hotel
Rooftop Nightclub

"So there I was, staring down a barrel INCHES from death...and I told the man, 'darling REALLY, if you simply must shoot me do allow me to remove my earrings. They are Cartier, you know." Molly Maltese paused to take a sip of her Red Snapper, popping the olive neatly between her cherub lips before gnashing it to a pulp. "And the man was quite flummoxed, he said- I say, is that Riza Hawkeye?"

She rose, the group of rapt men in tuxedos and women in glittering dresses and furs murmuring their protests as she wended through their knees. But the apparition she was quite sure had been Riza Hawkeye had vanished in the crowd of New York socialites populating the exclusive terrace.

"Well, this place is a bit ritzy for Riza." she murmured, fairly certain her old acquaintance didn't make a habit of populating social-climbing fetes. And she reasoned, any time Riza had appeared before it was hardly ever for a pleasant cause. Well, maybe that was unfair. It just seemed she was more the swirl-of-furs-and-stiletto-daggers type than a frothy socializer like Molly herself.

Peering around, Molly saw nothing but the shadowed faces of revelers partially cloaked in the smoky haze. She had just been about to give up and go back to her companions when the most shocking hubbub began. Over on the north part of the terrace, she could distinctly hear the shouts of men and panicked screeching of females. Moving forward, she could just make out..

"Did you see... The Ambassador... who could have... murder! Someone has pushed the Ambassador off the building!" Molly picked up speed, expertly weaving through the crowd of panicked voices. Sirens already began to sound twenty stories below. Just as she grasped the ledge and looked over, an all too familiar voice sounded in her left ear.

"Oh hello there, old friend. Lovely breeze out today."

Before her stood Riza Hawkeye herself, looking utterly unruffled as several ladies fainted behind her.

Replies

Heimlich VonVictor
Heimlich VonVictor
Vigilante

Sep-27-2015 20:53

Heimlich found himself in a void. There was dark all around him. Then a piercing shriek and instantly the world was in flames. He could feel the searing heat around him.

Then hands. Hands with claws grabbed him, ripping his flesh apart. Figures rose from the ground at his sides. He recognized them all too well. To his left, missing an eyeball, decaying with her jaw hanging loosely was Cecilia. To his right, her hair patchy and stringy, her skin a sickly green was Serena.

"HENRY!" Serena hissed, "You have finally come to the other side! It's oh so inviting!"

"You said you'd never leave me Henry!" Cecilia shrieked like a banshee, "Why did you let me die alone? Why did they all die alone?"

"Years ago," Heimlich said with a smile, "this may have been enough to drive me insane, maybe even enough to kill me, but not now. For you see..."

Heimlich closed his eyes tightly, crossed his arms, touching the opposite shoulder, and let out a shout as he thrust his arms to the side in a clearing motion. A tremendous sound of thunder crashed above as the world turned gray. Rain began to fall extinguishing the flames.

"This is all in my head!" he shouted. A ball of energy appeared in his hand, which he lobbed at Cecilia, causing her to disintegrate before his eyes. He turned to Serena aiming another ball at her, "And if it's in my mind, I can control it!"

"Heh, heh, heh," cackled Serena, "you stupid old fool. You've severed the link between your soul and your body. Right now, your heart has seized in your chest, you've stopped breathing, and you have mere minutes before your brain dies." Before she could say another word, Heimlich finished her.

Heimlich spread his hands to the sides, opening a hole in front of him, down to the information contained within the amulet. He had ten minutes to find the information, ten minutes before his body died for good, ten minutes before Joseph and Doctor Hoo attempted to bring him back.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Sep-27-2015 21:25

Heimlich laid himself down on the couch and placed the amulet in his palm. He let out a brief gasp as his eyes glazed over. Zeo sensed something was wrong. He dashed over to the couch and checked Heimlich's breathing and his pulse. The old man was dead.

"Bloody Virgin Mary." Zeo muttered under his breath.

Molly rolled her eyes. She did not appreciate the coarse language. "What's the matter?"

"No breathing, no pulse. We need to take Heimlich to Dr. Hoo. Now." Zeo looked at the address Heimlich wrote down before he hauled the corpse onto his shoulder. The doctor lived 5 minutes away, fortunately, but anything can happen to the crowded street on an early Shanghai morning. "Marc come with me to watch Heimlich. We need to move fast!"

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Sep-27-2015 22:29

Zeo slammed his car door shut and made sure Marc had Heim's body with him secured in the backseat of the car. The car wouldn't start.

"What's going on?" Marc poked his head to the front seats next to Zeo's. "Just when time is running short! Come on this only happens in moving pictures!"

"Shut up!" Zeo thought in his mind and pulled the wires out from underneath the dash board. The old key was not igniting the car properly. Zeo gave the wires a few clicks and finally the car came roaring alive. Zeo stepped on the gas pedal and they sped ahead immediately, with Marc slamming back onto Heimlich's body.

Being a renown city of the night, Shanghai was surprisingly busy early in the morning. The streets were lined with coolies and newspaper deliverers with opened Chinese shirts, bearing their chests in the muggy morning air. Zeo had to honk at and dodge the morning crowd running after and pulling themselves up onto the moving street cars, as well as the rickshaw pullers that populated the street, carrying not just passengers but also coal, building materials and even vegetables through the busy streets. Zeo regretted not taking the small alleys, but he knew they would just be as bad in the morning, stuffed with hawkers selling breakfast da bing and congees.

Just as he turned a corner, he almost ran into a horse-pulled carriage. The horse shrieked and rared on its hind legs.

"Damn it! A horse on the street!" Marc exclaimed, surprised at that mode of transport still being functional in parts of China.

Zeo pulled the car away but its side was dented by the front hoofs as they slammed back down. The detectives had no time to assess the damage and sped away, leaving the carriage driver swearing loudly in Shanghaiese.

They were moving much slower then Zeo had expected, but finally he saw the street were Dr. Hoo was supposed to live. "We need to find Number 42 on Zong Hing St., help me." Zeo addressed Marc.

Joseph Zeo
Joseph Zeo
Tale Spinner

Sep-27-2015 22:39

"42... 42..." Marc looked out and noticed the street numbers still in their teens. "We need to go further down."

"But there IS no further down!" Zeo exclaimed. Right in front of them was the construction of a mansion, blocking the rest of the street.

"How the hell did THIS happen?" Marc was transfixed by the scene, with a brick house built right in the middle of the road.

"Welcome to Shanghai." Zeo muttered. Some big shot must have fallen in love with the neighbourhood and decided to purchase a piece of public land with bribe money. He made a U turn and tried to reach the other end of the street around the block.

By the time they reached No. 42 of Zong Hing street, it was 8 minutes since Heimlich stopped breathing. Well, Zeo thought, at least we still have 2 minutes before we need to revive our man. He rang the door bell.

Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

Sep-29-2015 18:39

"You know, it's precisely this kind of overdramatized nonsense that constantly makes me wish I'd chosen a condo in Nice over this bologna." Molly said conversationally to Vulkie, who looked at her blankly. "I can't maneuver one pinky toe without seeming to run into people running amok, being shot, shouting dramatically, leaping about from buildings like deranged gargoyles and the creme de la creme of situations, grown men fainting over jewelry."

She sipped the coffee that she had taken upon herself to generously lace with a bolt from Marcs bottle of whiskey. There were approximately two spices in the cabinet she located it in, besides the bottle. She supposed everyone had a different recipe for the exact spice of life and Marc had clearly settled on the alcoholic sort.

"Right. Well, if I stay shut up in this dusty little apartment with the likes of you for even one more blasted minute I shall have hives. We've been banging on about Delhi for what seems like eons now. I propose we get moving before something else completely tawdry happens to us, including but not limited to bombs, car chases or blazing gun battles." So saying, she rose and clapped her hands, stirring the attentions of Ed, Jasper, Vulkie, Phillippe and Riza. "We must all pack and be ready to walk out that door in no less than 20 minutes. I for one want to make sure all the first class travelling compartments aren't taken."

"I can't not travel first class." She was heard, sailing down the hallway towards her room. "Why, I practically invented it."

Looking askance at each other and then shrugging, the group rose and collected themselves, disappearing to pack up their possessions. Through unspoken agreement, Jasper and Ed made sure to collect Marc's belongings as well.

*******

An impressive 15 minutes later, the group had re-assembled in the living room with various suitcases and trunks in tow. Molly had sent Phillipe ou to the car with a wink, a flirtatious smile and her many hatboxes...

Molly Maltese
Molly Maltese
Old Shoe

Sep-29-2015 18:45

...intent on making sure her luggage was safely stowed.

"What about Joseph's things?" Molly inquired. "Did he leave anything lying about?"

Jasper shook his head. "Clean as a whistle. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

Looking around carefully, Molly determined that they had left nothing behind. Oh-- except one thing. With a flourish, she whisked the bottle of whiskey out of Marcs spice cabinet and stuffed it into his suitcase.

"Remind me where I put that, darling." Molly said with a wink to Ed. As a final gesture she scribbled a dainty note and left it on the kitchen table, prompting the men to head directly to the train station should they choose to take any detour to the safehouse.

"Everybody OUT!" she said sweetly, stamping her foot for good measure. The rag-tag group grumbled but filed out, each loading up and preparing the caravan to head to the train station.


At the Train Station:

"I wonder if they were able to save Heimlich. Would it take this long if something terrible hadn't happened?" Vulkie wondered aloud. The detectives sat and stood in a loose semi-circle on the platform. Each had secured berth on the train headed for Delhi, with Molly buying out two luxury compartments. In a classic Molly move, she had shrugged her shoulders when the detectives had looked on questioningly and asked, "really. Did you SEE how many hatboxes I brought with me?"

The train was due to depart in less than 45 minutes, and boarding had already begun. The detectives hoped Marc, Joseph and Heimlich would appear unscathed before departure...

Heimlich VonVictor
Heimlich VonVictor
Vigilante

Sep-29-2015 21:30

Heimlich felt the world swirling around him at high speed. There were no people about, but he was being swept through the streets without a chance to identify his surroundings. Then it went black and he was back at the beginning of the loop.

Falling from the sky to the ground, through the marketplace, into a house and then black.

How many times had he done this? Ten? One hundred? A thousand?

How long had it been? Had he died there?

Delhi. This was the marketplace in Delhi. The house... it was a large house, not something that could be purchased by anyone. It was in the government district! The darkness? This was all he could see. The images were fuzzy and too fast moving.

Boom! He felt as if his chest was being crushed. Was this death? Boom! He was choking. The world around began to fade, everything turned white, there was a bright light... no! Too soon! Just a little more time!

Color began coming into focus, shapes moving, he felt his face being covered almost as if by a hand. He coughed violently, ugh it tasted foul, metallic... blood. Everything was still blurry, he heard voices indistinguishable around him. Fingers wrapped around him from every direction, he barely had the strength to move.

He reached a finger into his mouth, moved it to his opposite arm, and began to write, in his own blood, D... E... L... H...

His hand collapsed, no strength left, and he drifted into sleep.

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Sep-30-2015 05:06

Checking her golden pocket watch again, Vulkie noticed the detectives had only five minutes left.

"It's best if we board now. Otherwise, the train will depart without us," Vulkie commented towards the group. They all nodded and boarded the train, with the exception of Vulkie.

She cast a quick glance towards the entrance. Still no sign of Joseph, Marc and Heimlich. She closed her eyes, before muttering: "Damn it all! We should've gone with them, make sure that everything went all right."

Vulkie reached into her right pocket, grabbing the painkillers she had gotten from Marc. Unscrewing the top, she picked a pill and swallowed it. It helped quench the pain. But was it only the physical pain that stopped hurting? Vulkie was unsure; the painkillers made her feel good. It was as if a burden was relieved from her.

Closing the bottle again and storing it in her pocket, she made her way over towards the carriage she had a compartment in. Glancing once more behind her, she still couldn't the detectives. It looked like they weren't going to make it.

As she entered her compartment, she laid down her purse and sat down, placing her hands in front of her face. The case was getting tougher and more challenging. And here she sat, fresh out of the hospital, barely having escaped death at the hands of Sphinx. Breathing deeply and exhaling slowly, she picked herself together. She had to pull through, in order to make sure her friends were safe and to eradicate Sphinx from the world.

Just then, she heard a commotion outside. It almost sounded like a heated argument. Grabbing her Colt 1911, she strolled over towards the door and opened it, looking towards the entrance. She could see the conductor arguing with... "NO WAY!" she shouted and sped over towards the conductor, pushing him aside. Standing in front of her were Marc and Joseph, carrying Heimlich in their midst. He seemed to be unconscious...

Vulkie3
Vulkie3
Haynes

Sep-30-2015 05:13

The conductor was still speaking in Shanghainese, but Vulkie aimed her gun at him and said: "These people are boarding, whether you like it or not. In my purse, I have some money that you could use. You will let these people on the train."

As Joseph and Marc looked at Vulkie, they could see her eyes were staring angrily. The conductor stepped aside and Marc and Joseph carried Heimlich into her compartment, laying him down on the train couch. While they did that, Vulkie reached for the money and shoved it into the conductor's hands, waving him away to go bother other people.

Vulkie stared at Heimlich for a moment. The old man seemed to be asleep for now, but his face was as pale as winter and beads of sweat were seen on his forehead.

"What happened?" Vulkie queried, raising an eyebrow. Joseph explained what had transpired at Dr. Hoo's house and concluded with that they had found the note at the safehouse and immediately went over towards the train station.

"Could you... errr," Vulkie croaked, "ya know. Give me a moment with him?"

Joseph and Marc looked at eachother. What was she up to? This was very unlike the Vulkie they knew. Complying, they left her compartment and stood outside.

As Vulkie closed the door, the detectives stared at her. They could see she was tearing up, before it was shut.

"Hello, old friend," Vulkie mumbled, before sitting down opposite him. She looked at her friend, who she had helped with on many cases. The last case she had helped him on took place in Iraq, with Socrates; the old philosopher had survived centuries, thanks to the use of magical amulets. It was thanks to her and her detective friends, that they stopped Socrates's plans.

"I wanted to say... thank you, you know, for saving my life back there, at the embassy. If it weren't for you, I'd be..." Vulkie softly spoke, before she choked on her words and started to cry.

"I'm here for you Heim," Vulkie concluded, as the train whistle blew and the train departed towards Delhi...


M. Lacrimosa
M. Lacrimosa
Thespian

Sep-30-2015 19:30

"DELHI!" Marc and Zeo exclaimed together. Delhi was what Heimlich was trying to write. That's what he was seeing when he touched that amulet. Heimlich passed back out and Marc rushed over to him. He was breathing and his pulse was still strong. Good. He grabbed the strange, quirky doctor. "You're coming with us."


They piled back into Marc's car and headed back to the apartment. They would need to get everyone to the train station and get there fast.

"So, who is this guy?" Marc asked.

"Hoo." Zeo said.

"The doctor..."

"Yes."

"Well, what's his name?"

"Hoo!"

Marc was getting frustrated. "The doctor! His name!"

"I'm telling you," Zeo yelled back at Marc.

"Then tell me! Dr. Who!"

"Yes!"

"Yes?"

Dr. Hoo. H.O.O!" Zeo spelled out as they sped down the road though town.

"Makes sense now," Marc mumbled, feeling like an idiot now.

They made it to the safe house, but it was empty. Marc got out and went inside, discovering the rest of the group left for the train station.

"They've already left," Marc said as he slammed the car into drive.

When they made it to their destination, Dr. Hoo helped get the unconscious Heimlich out of the car. Zeo helped carry him. Marc looked at the doctor and spoke slowly.

"Get on the train and find a spot for him. We need you to help keep him alive."

They entered the train station and were met by Vulkie, who helped get them on the train. When the train left the station, and all had settled down, Marc sat down and closed his eyes for a well deserved nap. It would take a day or so to make it to Delhi.

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