Nicodem's Finest Hour pt. 1

[Iamwyrd]

Nicodem’s Finest Hour

Nicodem was standing in the broken bay window of his house of choice, starring into the night sky. His companion, Mortimer was sitting in a chair at the rickety old table in front of the fire place, trying to read a book that he always sees Nicodem reading through. After a few minutes if looking out the window, Nicodem turned to Mortimer and said, “My dear Mortimer tonight is the night that we act. We will attack through the sewers, Seamus has a plan for us to breach the surface, and they will never see us coming.” Mortimer leapt up, smiled and said, “Really masta’ Nicodem, I’ve been waitin’ foreva’ for you to say that.” Nicodem returned the smile and said, “Oh Morty, that is why I chose you over Sebastian, you are always eager to help.” After gathering a few things for the trip, and having his lucky vulture hop onto his arm, they were off into the night, followed by a small legion of undead minions.

What seemed like forever was only an hour of walking, when Nicodem stopped and looked down at sewer grate. Mortimer acted quickly and used his shovel to prop open the lid, after the lid was set down, Nicodem began his decent down the ladder into the sewers. Mortimer followed behind him, and after Mortimer got to the bottom, Nicodem heard the sounds of his small legion of undead up on the surface, moments later the undead began to fall into the sewer, well the dumb ones. The undead samurai climbed down the latter, as well as the flesh constructs. And attached to the flesh constructs were three to four necropunks each. After a few minutes of watching the undead plummet into the sewer, and healing up the ones who fell pretty hard, they were off down the tunnel towards the main city.

Walking the sewers wasn’t the cleanest way to attempt this attack, but a frontal assault would be a hundred times worse. Along the way, Nicodem attracted even more undead for his force. After an hour or two of walking Nicodem slowed his pace, and stopped to look around every corner before they continued. Mortimer, being a nosey person asked, “Sir, why are you lookin’ ‘round every corner for?” Nicodem turned to Mortimer and put a finger up to his lip and whispered, “We are close friend, we have to be extra quiet, the Guild posts guardsmen down here to stop the undead from gathering up enough to break through the sewer. So stay quiet Morty, or this plan will not go down.” Mortimer did the zipper movement over his mouth and through away the key.

Then at moment’s notice, a guardsman walked around the far corner. Nicodem noticed the guardsman eyes widen to the size of baseballs, but before the guardsman could act Nicodem spoke a short chant and with a forceful push of his right hand, he shot a green ball of decay at the guardsman’s’ head, covering it in a liquid that quickly ate his entire head off of his shoulders, leaving only the shoulders down to splash into the mucky water. When that happened a frenzy of undead ran from around the other corner, but with the snap of his fingers the undead halted in their tracks, and fell into line with the other undead. After Nicodem gained control of the new undead mentally, they were off again.

The rest of the hike wasn’t to eventful, a guardsman here and there, undead aimlessly walking only to become another pawn for Nicodem, the flea infested rat scurrying into a crevice, and then out of nowhere, a shot rang out in the sewer and clanked off of Mortimer’s shovel, then ricocheting into the head of a zombie blowing it clean off in a spray of blood and bone. As a reaction, Nicodem waved his cane in the air, creating a sphere of complete darkness, allowing zero visibility for anyone. Then out of the black fog flew Nicodem’s vulture, eyes glowing green. The shooter taking aim at the bird took too long to shot as a green gout of decay spewed forth from the vulture’s mouth, spraying the man in a liquid that quickly melted him into nothing more than a smoldering pile of death. After hearing the vultures squawk, Nicodem released his darkness spell and continued down the sewer.

After a few more corners, Nicodem halted as he peered around a corner. Mortimer tugged on Nicodem's cloak, Nicodem turning to him and putting his finger up to his mouth again. Mortimer just backed away and let Nicodem do his thing. Nicodem peered around the corner a second time to make sure what he saw was true. He saw Seamus rigging up a bundle of five sticks of dynamite, with his Belles just wondering to and fro jumping to an action stance at every noise they heard. Nicodem rubbed his temples with his fingers and walked around the corner, one of the Belles hissed and began to run at him, Nicodem just snapped his fingers and the Belle fell to the ground, a green whisp flowing from her eye sockets and mouth, slowly making its way to Nicodem's cane orb. Hearing the sudden splash and the snapping of fingers, Seamus leapt to his feet gun leveled at Nicodem, the other Belles attention was also on Nicodem. Nicodem just waived his finger back and forth shaking his head and said, “My dear Seamus, why must your Belles always attack me when they first catch glance of me, I figured by now you would have programmed into their single minded heads that I am on your side.” Seamus put his gun away, smiled and said, “Oh Nicodem, why would I take the time for that when every time you see one of them anyways, you suck the soul right out of them and make me get a new ‘on?” Nicodem just smiled and replied, “Because Seamus my lad, its fun playing games with you, because you are always the serious one.” Seamus lowered the brim of his hat and said, “Well Nicodem sorry for disappointing you, but may I have my Belle back, because finding them just aint that easy.” Nicodem nodded and began to walk towards the fallen Belle. When he was standing of her he tapped her body with the orb on his can, and with a quick green flash, the Belle began to stir, and eventually made it to her feet.

Then the moment came when Seamus told Nicodem the plan. His plan was to blow a hole in the street right next to the big office building in the protected area of Malifaux. Then with the distraction of the fallen building and the hordes of undead spewing from the sewers, Dr. McMorning would make his way to the rendezvous point to give Seamus Molly back, and the Gorgons Eye. Nicodem agreed with Seamus and they followed through with the plan.

After moving far enough away from the explosion zone, Seamus hit the switch…..Nothing happened. So he tried it again…..Nothing. And again…..Nothing. “What in the deepest hell pit of Malifaux is going on here?!!!! I rigged it right, maybe it didn’t put enough antenna on it to reach this far.” Then Nicodem grabbed it from his hand and brought up one of his mindless zombies. He gave the controller to it and mentally forced it to walk towards the charge, after it got right under it, Nicodem made the Zombie flip the switch. BOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The explosion was so loud it shook the whole sewer, and it began to collapse in where the bomb was placed. Just as Seamus wanted, he then gave Nicodem the all clear. Nicodem willed all the undead in the area to the now gaping hole in the sewer and released them from his control. The undead went insane, running amuck everywhere the eye could see, they seemed endless spewing from the hole that exploded out from the sewer. The Guild was trying their hardest to keep the undead from spreading farther into the city. There was no end to the sounds of guns firing as quickly as they could, fending off the undead swarm. Nicodem drew his darkness spell again and walked out into the city, the Guild guardsmen were baffled to see a huge darkness orb floating out of the hole, but as quickly as they seen it, it was gone again. Nicodem walked behind a flesh construct to provide him and his vulture cover from the incoming shots. Mortimer on the other hand, ran out from the sewer and ducked into an alley that was extremely dark, Nicodem seen the ally and ducked away into it as well. Seeing Mortimer laying there holding his arm, Nicodem came over and said, “Mortimer, are you alright? Did you get shot running carelessly out of the sewer? Mortimer removed his hand from the wound; it was only a scrape from the rubble. Nicodem put his hand on his face and sighed, “My dear Morty, you do amuse me, it is only a scrape, and you will be just fine.” Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to Mortimer to dress his wound.

Still hearing gunshots coming from nearby, Nicodem pulled Mortimer to his feet, and they were on their way down the alley, to their destination, the Guild Hall.

To Be Continued……………………………………………

Edited June 15, 2010 by Iamwyrd
Spacing