Tracking the Air Pirates

Maggie fled the disastrous ball. She rushed out to her carriage, trying ignore the shocked, often amused faces. She had to try to put this disaster behind her- she had too much to do. Finding the air pirates and her stolen device was most important, though she now had to worry about her aunt's nefarious designs as well...

***

After paying a shady informant with the last of her coin, Maggie received a whispered location: an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. It was there that she would find the pirates' hideout. She set out into the night, her heart racing with a mix of fear and excitement. Instead of her normal gown she wore britches and a work shirt, with her hair tucked up into a cap. She was trying to look as unassuming as possible as she attempted to infiltrate the lair.

The warehouse loomed before her, a hulking mass of rusted metal and peeling paint. The sound of raucous laughter and clinking glasses spilled out from the windows, and she knew she had found the right place. Carefully, she made her way around the side, searching for a way in. She spotted a small window, high above the ground, and with a grunt, she hoisted herself up to peek inside. The room was filled with the rough and tumble crew of the airship, The Iron Maiden, and there, in the center, was her stolen invention.

Her heart leapt into her throat as she watched the captain, a burly man with a thick beard and an eye patch, examining her work. He was surrounded by his men, who ogled the device with greedy eyes. She knew she had to act fast. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her steam gun and aimed it at the lock on the door. With a hiss and a clank, the lock gave way, and she burst into the room.

The pirates spun around, their expressions surprised. She had walked into a lion's den, and she was the prey. The captain bellowed a laugh and grabbed her stolen invention, signaling for his crew to make haste. They dashed towards the blimp docked outside, the door slamming shut behind them. Maggie fired her steam gun but the pirates were clear of the office, and all she did was make the room a damp sauna.