[Jack_Spade]

For the moment, Isaint's vision was blocked by the people running from the train. Only a few now remained in their seats - panic in their eyes.

It came as a complete surprise to him that the train started moving again - without closing its doors.
It took him half a moment to realize that the creature had entered the train just behind the train operators cabin.
'Mind magic. Fuck.'

The display of raw magical power outside made him stumble again even as the blood spirit was violently disrupted.
"DECKARD, get in here, quick!"

The creature already had already one person under control it seemed. He couldn't let her get more.
With iron determination he walked on in the steadily accelerating train, his gun trained towards the front where somewhere out of sight his prey was waiting.

[obidancer]

He first thought it was his mind playing trick after unleashing so much Mana, but no, it was real, the train was moving again.
He pushed through the fleeing passengers, trying to make his way against the flow. Only a couple meters separated Deckard from the train, but he thought for a second he would not be able to make it.

At the right time though, the door to the train car emptied and Deckard jumped inside. The entrance was nothing graceful, heavily landing and smashing himself against the opposite door. He quickly got up on his feet though, trying to keep his pride intact.

I'm right behind, ISaint.

He automatically extended his magic senses to protect himself and ISaint against potentially harmful magic that could come their way. He could see the fear on the remaining passengers' faces. 

I'm sure she influenced those kids who just attacked me. He was wary any of the poor souls that remained in the train could very well become a threat if that creature could indeed control other's mind so well.

He didn't speak about how he disrupted the Great Form Spirit yet, but was dying to, still high from the experience. More importantly he couldn't wait to tell his wife about it, she would be so impressed.

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint held his position until Deckard had caught up to him. "NIce fireworks - be prepared to face a mob of people prepared to throw us from the moving train - that's what I'd do with this situation."
The train was still accelerating - way faster than a normal passenger train was supposed to go.
"We have to end this fast - at this rate we'll go off the rails soon. If you have a stun ball now's the time to use it indiscriminately. I hesitate to use a flash bang, but I will if I have to."

[obidancer]

I'm afraid the only balls I have are in my pants.
He switched to astral perception gave a good look at the remaining passengers. If the creature had control f their mind, ISaint and him would indeed be in deep trouble. Upon inspecting a couple of them they had indeed a spell lingering over them.

Drek!

He holstered his gun and reached inside his bag to pulled a pair of thin goggles, that he hastily put over his eyes. ... Unless we go where no one would follow. Deckard hinted, pointing at the ceiling.
I know this is gonna sound crazy, but we can reach her from the outside of the train and no one will get hurt inside. Controlled or not they'll have no way to follow.

He touched ISaint on the arm and the Human looking Ork could feel Magic running through him. (F6 Gecko Crawl on iSaint and Himself, Sustained)

Let's go for a ride!


#40

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint felt the power flow through him and grinned. "I'm right behind you."
Bringing his now sticky gloved hand to the top of the open door, he pulled himself up and on top of the train. While he did so he sent Rick a message to avoid screaming against the rushing wind
<<I'll go through the operators cabin and try to stop the train. I'll give you a signal. Use your sure grip to attack when everyone falls down from the emergency break. This will likely be our only chance to do this without collateral damage>>

With that Isaint moved pressed down on the roof. He was aware that doing this was incredibly dangerous considering the high voltage wires overhead could arc into him at any second. His hope was that the electrical insulation of his armor would keep him from getting flash fried.
We made sure Rick was in position, before he pulled out his gun, aimed for a second an shot down in a shallow angle the glass, hopefully only shattering it without hurting or destroying anyone or anything.

Without hesitation he swung himself inside in a shower of safety glass.

[obidancer]

ISaint made his heroic entrance in the small train control room. As he landed, he found himself nose to nose with who certainly was the conductor, now a pale cadaver. His life sucked away through some deep incisions on the man's jugular. More to it, large cuts on the man's wrists was letting out whatever blood he still had inside him.

He felt a hand grab him, and was already turning his gun toward it, when he heard this eerie voice saying "Puny annoying humans" and all he could see was a dark mist disappearing through the cabin door.

Deckard had crawled back almost inside the car of the train through the last wide opened door, braced and waiting for iSaint's signal and the hard break. He cursed out loud however when he saw a black mist coming out of the control cabin.  Knowing the nature of their target, it complicated things greatly.



#43

[Jack_Spade]

'Fucking Vampires'
Instead of firing, he turned around to see the instrument board smashed - for a moment he wanted to panic until he remembered that all trains still had to have by law a mechanical break switch - really, it had to be harder to keep the train going than stopping it. A moment of looking around revealed a button behind safety glass. Without a moments hesitation he hammered his fist into it.

A loud klaxon sounded as the emergency breaks engaged - and not a moment to soon: As soon as Deckard had entered the train all remaining passengers in the front part had rissen from their seats with hatred in their eyes. The sudden deceleration took them by surprise and every last one of them tumbled to the ground while Deckard stood firm through his gecko spell.

The black mist wasn't moving fast, especially not with the wind rushing through the open doors. Without any support and being as heavy as the surrounding air physics took over and squashed it easily against the front wall beside the cabin door.
Rick could see how it began to coalesce once more. Whatever he wanted to do, now was his chance

[spoiler]
Monster uses complex action to shift back out of mist shape.
Mob mind spell used on passengers
[/spoiler]

[obidancer]

Behind him a handful of people were rushing to stand up and get their hands on him, whilst ahead of him the dark mist started to shape and transform into a more solid and humanoid form.
He, for obvious reasons, never liked the well know concept, at least in the Shadows, of "Shooting the Mage First". But he knew that the most efficient way to stop the spell the passenger were under was to simply and quickly dispose of the caster.

The "Women" was a child killer - blood magic practitioner Vampire.  Simply Evil. He drew his revolver and pointed it at the form. His moral was yet fighting his common sense. He was no judge, and yet judgement had been passed. His face contorted in a mix of disgust, fear and pity.

The form turned back solid.

He shot.

The powerful shot blasted a hole in the woman's chest and as the train decelerated the body sled along the wall of the cabin, smearing it with a trail of blood.




#45

[Jack_Spade]

But even as he looked, the hole began to close again and pale flesh began to knit itself over the wound.
Under the greasy hair a malicious grin had appeared with yellowing teeth and a pair of too sharp canines.

Than the thing's head exploded.

Isaint had stepped out of the cabin and unleashed a burst of bullets from less than one meter into the momentarily unmoving head of the thing.
Grey brain matter, bone fragments and a surprising amount of blood splattered on the walls and seats.

"Nice shot, but always aim for the head with these suckers. Only spine and brain reliably won't regenerate."

Around them the commuters got up with frightened and confused looks on their faces. Someone screamed and from afar sirens could be heard.
The train had stopped just outside the town and about 200 meters away from a sharpish curve.

"I hope you have a licence for that thing. Just because we stopped a lunatic vampire and saved a train full of people doesn't mean the cops won't arrest us if they can."

[obidancer]

"I hope you have a licence for that thing. Just because we stopped a lunatic vampire and saved a train full of people doesn't mean the cops won't arrest us if they can."

If that thing you're talking about is this handsome face, he said pointing at himself, well it didn't come under government control. I have one for my gun, though. And technically I was legally hunting down that murderer... but this being said, I'd rather get the hell out of here and avoid any Police questioning. The French border isn't too far, or we get to the motorway and hitch a ride back to the previous town. I'd rather stay in the shadow, if you know what I mean.

Deckard looked down at the headless corpse. In a way he was relieved to know she would no longer kill those innocent kids. But he felt like he wanted to have known more about her motives... when he caught something sticking out of the corpse. He extended his hand and the object came flying into his gloved hand. A dagger. The one used as the murder weapon.

The route Deckard was going to take was gruesome, and he knew it was going to be challenging. He looked at ISaint then closed his eyes to fully focus on his psychometric talents.
A minute later he opened his eyes again as the dagger dropped on the floor, and Deckard ran out of the train and a few meters away were he vomited over a low bush. Catching his breath and gathering his thought and feelings,
She... She was a pawn... worst is coming...

[Jack_Spade]

"You tell me?" Isaint had used the time to inspect the downed monster's other possessions. Beside a keycard with no logo, a commlink, some stuff he had recognized as reagents he held up a piece of crudely cured leather - leather that looked like it was made from human skin.
Written or rather tattooed in a mixture of ash and blood was a Latin text.
"As far as I can translate, it's the shopping list for a larger ritual... and it talks about seven servants or slaves to prepare the return of something.

I think we should get out of here - now."
With that, Isaint grabbed Rick and dragged him from the train. "My bike will be here in about two minutes. Keep moving, the police can't be far out either."