Missed Dues.P3 Conclusion

From the Beginning: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2023/10/missed-duesp1.html

Missed Dues.P3 Conclusion (Essie, Peter, Jimmy, Riche)

4:45pm, Tuesday, Sticky’s Apartment: After Jimmy’s tommygun discouraged pursuit by Jacob’s followers, they were at odds what to do with the cuffed and gagged Jacob. “I can call Claude to come pick him up and secure him at your Northside speakeasy; keep him under wraps.” “He’s already cuffed; we could just gag him and stuff him in the trunk.” Jacob seemed TOO relaxed thru all their conversation. Finally, Riche remembered Jacob’s concern his wife Madeline (Riche’s long-lost sister) was late returning, “We need to get to the apartment now! Just drag him along.”

They drove down Walnut Street and turned into Curzon alley to park in front. Peter stayed outside with Jacob as the others entered the apartment building. The landlady Marge answered their knock, “Oh, more tenants. I just happen to have a few rooms for rent. Please, come in.” Essie tried to charm the middle-aged woman (still in hair curlers and bed-robe), “Yes, Jack Fulton recommended the place. If you could…” Marge cut her off, “Make yourself comfortable as I get coffee and sponge cake.” They stepped into her room and immediately questioned where to sit… the couch slashed, and stuffing pulled out exposing the springs. The end table bare as the lamp lay busted on the floor. Tears in the wallpaper with doodling decorated the old print.

Marge found them still standing when she returned with a tray which she handed to Riche so she could serve the others. Spot- As she cut a slice of cake for Essie, Riche pondered the strange look on the woman’s face and then noticed how she gripped the cutting knife. How she suddenly raised it to strike at Essie! Riche tried to intervene, swinging the tray at the knife (miss). (Coffee cups and the cake dumped on the floor.) At least he distracted Marge enough to cause her to miss Essie. Marge was quickly subdued. [Spell-Cloud Memory] All were surprised when Jimmy mumbled a few words before speaking to Marge, “Forget we’re your enemies.” Marge just as suddenly returned to normal, “Oh dear, I dropped your coffee. Let me get you some more.” Jimmy picked up the coffee cups and knife (which he pocketed).

Jimmy was ready to just search for Sticky’s room himself and began to exit Marge’s room. Essie considered asking again but feared mentioning Sticky’s name was what triggered the episode. It was Riche who asked, “Could you tell us which room is Jack Fulton’s?” Marge called back from the kitchen, “Sticky? Why, he’s probably still in his room 305 with his friend Greasy.” Thus, the trio began to climb the stairs. Two-thirds the way to the 2^nd floor when…

We Got Company: [Listen/Spot] Meanwhile, outside, Peter heard a car enter the alley and recognized the occupants before they came to a stop. He hustled Jacob up the stairs and shoved him inside before locking the door behind him. “We got company! Jimmy, it’s those Portello thugs we saw enter Sycamores. I’ll hold them off while you get the merchandise.” Marge was already offering the new arrivals coffee, “Sorry, no cake.” Peter tried to see the thugs’ progress as he peered out the front door window. [Sanity check] Maybe it was just a mirrored surface… Peter recoiled when he saw reflections of himself in one glass pane, and distorted images of other apartment rooms in the other panes.

Exploring: Jimmy questioned why there was a door at the top of the steps. He opened it and stepped into the hallway (with his letter-opener in hand as defense) that spanned left and right. Essie was momentarily distracted by Peter’s call…when she turned back, Jimmy was nowhere in sight! She and Richie swore they heard a brief “Ahhh!” yell. Essie stepped in and turned left; maybe Jimmy entered another apartment room already.

Peter wheeled around with his gun drawn when he heard the “THUD” coming from the back of the apartment (are they breaking in the dackdoor?). He relaxed but then pondered, “Jimmy? I thought you were upstairs?!” [Sanity fail] Jimmy dusted himself off still shocked at what just happened. [The 2nd floor had suddenly disappeared.] They both heard the front door rattle. Peter grabbed Jacob to lead the way upstairs, only to find Richie paused in the doorway, leaning in to watch Essie. “Don’t just stand there. We got company!”

And that’s when the front door opened and Mickey Valentine spoke up, “Jimmy? What’s this about you in our territory? Keiran says he saw you outside our Sycamores. Sent your lackies in to do your dirty business. Chicken to show yourself?” All could hear the rack of a pistol slide and cock of its hammer. “Let’s talk.”

Peter shoved Richie into the hallway as he dragged Jacob along. Jimmy entered then locked the door. [Sanity check] All were shocked to see Essie standing at the FAR end of what should have been a short hallway! Should be 40 ft away yet she stood 100ft distant. As if the dimensions were skewed! “What’s going on?!” Peter realized even Jacob was shocked. Richie used his cane-sword to etch an ‘X’ on the back of the door, “To mark our trail.” Peter rounded the corner to head up the next stairs. Jimmy readied his tommy when he heard Mickey on the other side of the door. Essie was hustling towards them, while Richie tried (and failed) to spider-climb to get above the door. His fall/thud was answered by a “Blam” shot thru the door that sent splinters flying. Mickey taunted, “I’ll start the conversation.” Jimmy answered with a short “Rat…tat…tat” from his tommy (purposefully aimed high), “Yeah, hello to you too.” Richie crawled towards Essie just as a tommy burst of multiple volleys riddled the door handle. Richie winced in pain as struck by splinters.

Essie jumped into the closest room, quickly followed by Richie. [Sanity check] They were caught flat-footed by the scene… a regular room with murphy-bed, small kitchen with a hot-plate and stove, and a small couch in the Livingroom. Can you call it a Livingroom if the entire family hangs dead from the rafters?! Suicide!

Meanwhile, Peter completed his spell [Fleshward- 8 points] cast on Jimmy (who had no clue what just happened). And that’s when both Peter and Jimmy heard a shriek and then scrambling from the other side of the riddled door. Peter surmised, “My guess: they just got introduced to the wacked up madness of this apartment.” As if those words triggered more madness: [Sanity check and DEX for falling] Their floor suddenly turned topsy-turvy, dumping them on the ceiling! As if Richie not already wounded, nearing death (only 4HP left). Richie took time to doctor himself and any others injured.

Long Lost: They jerked with surprise when they saw movement at the end of the hall. Another person stirred from their ceiling perch. “Richie?! Is that you? Jacob, what are you doing here?” Richie recognized the voice, “Madeline!” Madeline began a rant, “Sticky couldn’t just deliver the goods; he played with them. The fool called forth Azathoth unchained! His powers grow. Soon even the city will be consumed under his power! Now we’ll never get out. You can check out, but you can never leave.” [lyrics from song Hotel California]

Maybe they were mesmerized by Madeline’s presence and Richie’s joy at finding his sister. Too late to stop Jacob walking towards her, condemning her blasphemy, “Quiet woman, that is our god you speak of. So, Sticky has played himself the sacrifice. Come let us bask in the glory of Azathoth. Play your subservient roll as worshiper.” It was Richie who noticed Jacob approaching Madeline to silence her. [Sanity check] Wasn’t he gagged AND handcuffed?! His left hand child-like in size [spell Control Skin which allowed him to slip off the cuff and remove his gag]. Realization he could cast spells!

Richie unsheathed his cane-sword and struck. [Extreme: Max damage+ for 13] Jacob crumbled to the ground, skewered thru the back of his heart. Already insane, Madeline didn’t notice. Instead, she continued her warnings, “We need to stop this! Close the gate Sticky opened before it’s too late.” Jimmy bent down to gather everything from Jacob’s pockets. Essie sprung into action (thinking if the house distorted, maybe the outside wasn’t). She climbed out the nearest window. And vanished. Peter was ready to follow till the others reminded him, “We need to get to the 3^rd floor! Maybe she’s already there.”

Inception: They were confronted by more distortions and madness. They could hear sucking sounds coming from some apartment rooms and heard faint piping sounds coming from above (below when they were standing on the ceiling). While the 2^nd floor slowly righted itself (allowing them time to walk the walls back to the floor), their attempts to climb the stairs only deposited them back on the 2^nd floor. But this time: no door blocking the stairs down to the 1^st floor. At least they could hear Essie below.

[roll 1d6, 0, roll 1d6 = 101] Essie found herself in Marge’s kitchen. “Oh, so you’ve come back for more coffee?” Which provoked Essie’s scream. She quickly climbed the stairs when she heard the others’ reply. She didn’t even think to wonder where Mickey’s gang was off to.

Finally: It seemed like hours before they arrived at the door labeled 305. Peter didn’t even bother with the handle as he kicked the door in. Essie called out, “Hello? Sticky? Jack, you in there?” [Sanity check] It opened enough for them to get inside, where they found a burned body blocking the full opening! 3^rd degree burns that exposed some bones.

[Listen] Richie and Essie heard the moans of a man coming from the closed door at the far end of the room. She held back as Peter advanced with Jimmy tailing while checking his six as he went, thus able to see Richie leading Madeline behind them. [POW check] Peter suddenly gained interest in the door to his left as did Richie. Jimmy had a BAD feeling… [Opposed STR: 62 fail versus 92 fail] Jimmy couldn’t fully stop Peter [consider Jimmy Build -1 versus Peter Build 0] but at least he slowed him enough to gain time, “Richie, a little help!” But Richie was also drawn to the door. At least Madeline also had that bad feeling as she tugged at her brother’s arm, “No, you mustn’t.” No help in sight, Jimmy raised his tommygun and smashed (broke off) the door handle and then jammed Marge’s knife into the crack (between door and frame) to wedge it shut.

And that’s when Essie sprang into action: she marched towards the far door. [POW-extreme] At least she wasn’t drawn to the false door. She passed Madeline who was screaming and tugging and slapping at Richie, “No! That’s the gate where Azathoth awaits.” It took awhile for Richie to regain sanity. Meanwhile, Peter punched at the false door trying to get in. Distracted, Peter never saw Jimmy’s punch coming. Peter was rattled back to sanity. 

They all saw Essie open the closet door to reveal Sticky Jack Fulton crumbled on the floor, dagger in hand, slashing at his own flesh. “Help me. I can’t stop it. Kill me!” Blood splatters covered the walls and floor and his clothing. Crumpled/bloody papers littered the floor as he clutched another single paper in his other hand. [Sanity check] They watched as he cut himself, only to witness the cut rapidly close.

CLIMAX

No one noticed Jimmy still near the false door, drawn to the ebb of colorful lights that leaked out the busted doorknob. [Sanity fail 2d6 for partially seeing Azathoth = 7; 20% loss thus Indefinite Insanity and Bout-of-Madness = Crazed Plan] Jimmy heard Sticky’s plea, “Help me. I can’t stop it. Kill me!” and heard Madeline describe Sticky, “He’s the anchor to the gate.” Jimmy jumped into action, wielding Marge’s knife, as he advanced on Sticky. While Peter and Richie gathered the papers scattered around Sticky, Jimmy knelt to begin hacking at Sticky’s feet. “He’s the anchor. Feet are anchors. Cut him free and he’ll float away.”

Essie had her own plan: not wanting to handle the dagger, she cracked her whip around the blade and tugged. [Opposed STR] She was unable to grapple it away. In fact, the dagger cut 3 inches off her whip.

Peter pried Sticky’s right hand open to retrieve the single page which contained strange writing in an unknown language. [Occult] Richie recognized the writing as some kind of ritual spell. Essie remembered another such spell during their encounter in Iraq at the Kirkuk ziggurat [https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2022/09/armored-angelsp3-conclusion.html] where another gate was mystically opened to allow Migo into the world! They also remembered Peter had taken a picture of Professor David’s personal notes translation of the Greek scroll. Comparing the two, they found an identical chant written on his notes.

Peter tried to kick Jimmy away from Sticky’s body, “Fool, can’t you see you can’t kill him which means you can’t cut him.” Jimmy scrambled away with a new plan, “What was I thinking? Not his feet but the burned body.”

And that’s when they heard the false door rattling as if someone/something was trying to get out. “HURRY!” [Language] Richie held the single paper and began to chant with Madeline adding voice. Essie followed along silently reading the picture copy before adding, “I think you mispronounced a few words.” Peter had enough and motioned them to “step aside.” He leveled his shotgun and fired both barrels: Sticky’s head was obliterated.

Silence descended on the room. No more piping sounds. No more whimpering from Sticky. Any light that WAS leaking from the other door… gone. A sigh of relief followed by a slicing sound. They turned to see Jimmy cutting off Sticky’s right hand, “I wanted to make sure.”

EPILOGUE

By the time they exited the apartment building, Mickey and his gang were long gone. Although insane, Jimmy had enough reason to convince Marge [cast Cloud Memory], “We were never here. It was those Portello men who shot up the place and killed all those people.”

Richie wrapped Madeline in his arms as he led her away. He wasn’t about to let her go again; thus, he setup private psychoanalysis treatment in his penthouse to care for her. Constant nursing care. Of course, every once in a while, Claude reported having to destroy some drawing of a far-fetched creature (a god-like entity).

Essie reported to Dr. Armitage, handing over the recovered dagger and the bloody Greek scroll. And what was left of Professor David’s notes.

Peter closed his office door, telling his secretary Marina, “Hold my calls.” He settled at his desk and pulled out a glass and a full bottle of whiskey. By the time he left, “Marina, remember to restock my bottle.”

Jimmy reported to his boss O’Leary by plopping both a burned/blacked foot and a severed hand on his desk. “Sorry boss, no money found for your take, but I did retrieve Sticky for you. Only cut I could come up with.” Nails recoiled at the sight. As Jimmy walked out of the office, O’Leary had a new respect for his up-and-coming underling. O'Leary made the call to Portello, "About that offer my boys made... your boys' interference screwed up the job. Forget about any 40%."

Final Hit-Points and Sanity status:

• Peter: 6 of 10HP remaining, having lost 5 of 13 Sanity 20%.
• Richie: 4 of 8HP remaining, having lost 6 of 10 Sanity 20%.
• Essie: 9 of 11HP remaining, having lost 6 of 10 Sanity 20%.
• Jimmy: 2HP remaining yet had 8 fleshward armor, having lost 14 Sanity exceeding his 20%.