Mysteries Unlimited

"Hmm. Well, my heckless field generator will make sure nobody pays attention to us. We'll be able to get into any crime scenes without any problem. Second off, I was the only private detective on my own world. Personally, I think I'm doing pretty good. Now, let's head off, shall we?"

Before they could exit the HQ, a 6'3 redhead in a rather impractical white dress that was slit a bit too high up the side for propriety, and even less practical 5 inch heels approached the door.

She looked around as if scanning for a tail before letting herself in. She blinked in surprise at the gathering sparing an extra moment for Sir Hecklock before realizing there was clearly nothing about him to give a heck about. She shook it off and looked around trying to decide who was in charge. With a shrug she addressed them as a group.

"Hello, I'm Calaran, would you perhaps be willing to give me an internship?"

*Rainn nodded at Hecklock. Before he could exit, Calaran approached him. The 6'0'' Rainn looked at the 6'3"+ redhead*

Rainn: "Hmm, you're a tall one. Intern? Well....sure! I'll have many uses for you. Prove yourself to me, and you'll go far in this business. You're coming with us on our mission. That is, of course, if you don't mind riding in a car with strange men, and a really strange woman."

*He pointed to himself, Hecklock, and Jasper, then at Aster*

"Thanks, Rainn." Aster said in a mock-offended manner. "I guess we've got plenty of vacancies to fill. Calvin, that Matthias kid..... where'd they even go?"

-----

<Meanwhile, in the subway>

A train rocketed down through the tunnel, lights flashing and horns blaring. It shuddered constantly as it rode over the poorly-maintained tracks. All of this made for a very unpleasant ride for one Calvin Taylor, who had spent the last three hours or so tied to the bottom of the train, cursing the man who had put him in this predicament.

"DOGGAMMIT!" the exhausted zombie screamed at the top of his lungs, as the train neared Red River Street station for the fourth time.

-----

"So, Calaran, is it? Hi, I'm Aster." she said. "That's Rainn, there's Jasper, and that weird circle is apparently called Hecklock."

<Sulrai HQ>

*Rainn laughed at Aster's joke.*

Rainn: "Calvin's on his way. I have no idea where Matthias is."

*He dramatically paused as if to make a point, then turned to his car. He looked at Calaran, then back at his car. Back to Calaran, back to his car.*

Rainn: "It's an SUV. It might fit you. But I don't want you to take any chances. We're taking the subway."

*Rainn walked towards the nearest station*

"Thanks so much for having me aboard! I'll try to make myself useful however I can. Smiling wildly she waved at everyone. She looked between Rainn, the car, and everyone else. "Well uh, okay I guess! It probably would be fine. I don't want to cause any trouble!"

<HQ>

Rainn: "No trouble at all! Come along, everyone."

*Rainn stepped down the stairs of the metro stop, and uses his pass card to get into the station. Everyone (hopefully) followed him*

Hecklock walked through the stop like nothing, his heckless field generator giving him free passes through all the checkpoints.

"Funny as heck haha."

*Rainn was clearly bothered by Hecklock not paying his fare. He shook his head, and quoted Kuggicus Kug*

Rainn: "Don't Ever Do That Again."

*He sighed, and waited for everyone else*

Hecklock, noting Rainn's reference to the scholar Kuggicus Kug, responded with one of his quotes also: "Haha Just sayin."

Aster paid her fare by swiping a blue card labeled 'Oyster' over the device at the checkpoint. She hoped that Rainn would notice her honesty, and, more importantly, that he would not notice the photo and name on the card, which were actually those of an unfortunate middle-aged secretary living in Little Italy.

"So, French Quarter. Which line is that?" she said.

Calaran paid for her ticket in cash, her actions lagging slightly behind everyone else as she watched them for cues. She tried not to run into anyone else as she followed the group.

When Jasper reached the checkpoint, he attempted to pay for his fare with GBP, a currency that was not accepted. After trying and failing to insert notes into the machine several times, a member of staff came over and asked what the holdup was.

"Damn thing won't accept my currency!" Jasper ranted. "I'm probably giving it more than it's worth anyway!"

The employee shook his head and took Jasper to another machine, a currency converter. A few minutes later, he was ready to go, and so quickened his pace to catch up to the others.

<Train Station>

*A boy came by and looked at Hecklock. He tipped his hat that looked like a pizza, and ran away once his mother called him.*

*Rainn smiled at everyone, and nodded.*

Rainn: "B Line, also known as the Green Line. By the way, Aster, tell Calvin to meet us at the French Quarter."

*A whooshing noise filled the station as the train arrived. It came to a screeching halt, and everyone got on.*

((Time Skip!~~))

*Rainn stepped out of the escalator that took him out of the station at the French Quarter*

Rainn: "Ah, le quartier français. Let's see..."

*He paused and looked at some of the street signs. After nearly a minute of looking pensive, Rainn rubbed his chin, and frowned.*

Rainn: "....I just realized I have no idea where I'm supposed to be going."

*He grabbed his phone and called Chief Inspector Alexander*

Rainn: "Hello, Chief Inspector? Where is the crime scene at again?"

"But, I don't even know where he is." Aster said as she got on the train.

While she was looking for a seat, she suddenly felt the floor shake beneath her, as if someone was punching it. Aster looked down, and realised she was standing on a service hatch. She looked around, and then reached down and opened it.

Beneath her, desperately holding onto the bottom of the train, was Calvin.

---

If Rainn turned around, he would have noticed a bus stop closed off by police tape behind him, and several police officers scurrying around it. A short, bearded officer stood there, holding his phone and waving at Rainn.

OOS:

Hecklock tipped his hat back to the boy as he walked away, revealing piiza itself under his cap.
---
At the bus stop, Hecklock tapped on Rainn's shoulder: "Btw it's behind us."

Rainn: "oh"

*Rainn turned around and walked towards the officer*

Rainn: "Officer, I'm Rainn Sulrai, and that's Hecklock. My crew will be here shortly."

"Check it out! One is all you need." Jasper said as he walked up to Rainn and the police officer. "Could you tell me what happened here, son?"

Calvin walked up to Rainn, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey! You didn't even look for me."

Aster also arrived, and looked at Inspector Alexander, as if to underline Jasper's question without repeating it. Alexander coughed, and began explaining the situation.

"Well, a man was murdered here, obviously. We thought it was as part of a gang war, since a few other gang members had been killed in the same manner recently, but it turns out this man wasn't part of a gang at all."

*Rainn nodded at Calvin*

Rainn: "Because I knew you would figure things out. Just like Bangladesh."

*He turned to Jasper and the Inspector*

Rainn: "He was shot, out in the middle of the freaking road, no less. Calaran, Calvin, everyone, investigate. You're bound to find more evidence. Inspector, what can you tell me about the trajectory? It looks like it came from a lower surface, maybe a car. Judging by the fact that there is only one bullet hole in the wall behind him, I want to say that this was done by a professional. One is all you need, indeed, Duke Jasper."

"We've already talked to the one witness. She says the guy shot him, and then drove off." Alexander said. "One of us is trying to pull the CCTV footage, to see if we can get a face or a plate. It was the middle of the night, though, so I'm not expecting miracles."

"Can I see the body?" Aster asked.

"Um, well....." Alexander stuttered, caught off-guard by Aster's blunt manner. "Yeah, I guess." He turned to a surprisingly long-haired police officer behind him. "Hey, Lake! Take the lady here to the morgue, please!"

Hecklock puffed his pipe and looked around at the scene. "It seems like there's been a lot of hecks for some hired guns here." He walked up to the bullet hole in the wall and pulled out his magnifying glass.

"Hmm...yes. Definitely a professional. This trickshot could only be done by someone with years of experience in the field." Hecklock amplified the sun rays into his magnifying glass to reflect off the car windows to line up a direct line from the bullet hole.

"Huh"

Jasper stroked his non-existent beard as he thought over the evidence. He then walked up to Alexander to ask him a question.

"You say the witness saw the victim being shot, with the perpetrator then fleeing the scene of the crime in a car. Did she say anything more specific than that, such as the model of car or a description of the man's face?"

*Rainn nodded at Aster, as though he were giving her permission to go to the morgue. He wasn't against everyone going their own way, but he had learned that you should never let Aster go off on her own for too long.*

Rainn: "Hired guns, hmm? We agree that it might have been a hitman."

*Rainn looked at Jasper*

Rainn: "Excellent question, Jasper. If we can track down the car, then we're closer to catching our man."

Aster nodded, and let Officer Lake lead her to a police car. After a short, uneventful drive, they arrived at the hospital.

They walked down the corridor, which, for whatever reason, was lined with pictures of former Presidents. Turning left just after President Humphrey (1969-1975), they finally entered the morgue. Lake pulled out one of the drawers, cringing slightly as Ludovic Marois' corpse was revealed. "Have at it." he said.

"Thanks." Aster replied, and started to examine the corpse.

---

"Nope, she didn't say anything. She just caught a glimpse of the car as it got away." Alexander explained.

"Can I see the CCTV tapes? They might have gotten a shot of the plates." Calvin asked. "Even if they're fake, it might lead us somewhere."

Jasper stood beside Calvin, joining him in waiting for an answer. However, he was not prepared to inhale the smell of decomposing flesh straight from Calvin's body. He doubled over and gagged for a moment, and quickly shuffled back towards Rainn, hoping that Calvin wouldn't notice.

"Do you happen to have some nose plugs on you, my friend?" Jasper asked Rainn, still trying not to gasp for air. "They could be useful for when I head off to examine the CCTV with the zombified gentlemen yonder."

Rainn: "Get the tapes, Calvin. I'll look around the scene to see if I can find anything."

*Rainn was approached by Jasper. He nodded at the Duke's respect, and handed him some nose plugs*

Rainn: "I explored the sewers a few times before you arrived at Task City, so having several pairs of these came in handy."

*Rainn looked around and then tapped his chin*

Rainn: "Hmm, maybe the killer was looking to silence their 'Wood-Stein', but hit a bystander instead."

Random Cop: "Huh?"

Rainn: "Oh, All The President's Men, have you seen it?"

Cop: "Never even heard of it, man."

*Rainn remembered that the film did not exist in this particular Earth, and shook his head*

Rainn: "Never mind. My point is that maybe Ludovic was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

<Task City General Hospital>

Aster spent a few minutes alone in the morgue, idly examining Ludovic's corpse.

"Here's that report you asked for." Lake said as he walked into the room, holding a brown paper folder. Aster thanked him profusely, and sat down to read it. Finally, something she could properly sink her teeth into.

According to the report, Marois had probably been killed by his assassin's first shot; the second and third were intended to make sure he would, in fact, die. Aster noted that the police had identified the bullets as .41 AE cartridges, a rather obscure type which had been mostly discontinued years ago and was hard to find on the market. All this led her to think that the killer was probably a professional and a methodical man or woman (Most would assume that they were a man, but she was living proof that such professions weren't exclusively male.) Such a person wouldn't get his target wrong - no, whatever this individual was out to do, Marois had earned a spot on their hit-list.

-----

<Crime scene>

Alexander nodded, and opened his laptop. He opened a programme, and noting Jasper's bemused expression, he explained "This lets us access the hard drives of all the cameras in the area the owners have given us access to. Isn't technology a marvel?"

Calvin began to glare impatiently at Alexander. The inspector, getting the message, clicked on the icon for the nearest camera, input the correct timeframe, and let the film play.

The footage was rather grainy, showing the assassin's car stopping next to the bus stop, Marois' death, and the assassin driving off with the bag.

"There!" Calvin said. "Do we have any idea what was in that bag?"

A heavy plant pot suddenly fell from the balcony of a building high above them, and hit Jasper on the head, knocking him out cold and causing his head to bleed. A passer-by called an ambulance, and Jasper was rushed to hospital, nose-plugs and all.

Hecklock, having done examined the bullet sides, went up to Alexander and saw the footage. He responded rather fast, "The bag, while important, isn't the most important thing - infact, why did this assassin kill someone in plain sight, with an antique magnum, infront of others? Why did he make it so obvious? It's either a trap, or this person has a lot of bravery for a hired gun. We'll need someone to trace records of handguns in the city - looking for a .41 AU purchase shouldn't be too hard.
As for the bag - I have no heckin clue."

<French Quarter>

Calvin was more surprised than the others when Jasper was wounded, having imagined that exact thing happening to him just a second before, after he had asked Rainn for nose-plugs. He chose to interpret it as a sign thst karma was real and moved on.

"Well, look," he replied to Hecklock. "The bag probably has something to do with it. He wouldn't have taken such a risk if whatever was in it wasn't so important to him."

"I imagine that the gun is his signature, so to speak." Alexander addef. "It probably means something to him."

-----

<Task City General Hospital>

While Lake wasn't looking, Aster quickly photographed a few pages of the report she deemed important with her phone's camera. She then slipped out of the room and, leaning on the wall next to a picture of President Dole (1985-89), dialled Rainn's number.

"Hey, Rainn? It's me. I've looked at the body, I read the police report, and this doesn't make any sense. The bullets used are practically antique. This guy is obviously a professional. I'll make some enquiries about the ammo, but in the meantime? Be careful. I'm worried about all our new arrivals. They may seem friendly, but I have a gut feeling that their timing might not be a coincidence. Anyway, how are you guys doing?"

<French Quarter>

*Rainn gasped as he saw the ambulance take Jasper away*

Rainn: "I hope he'll be okay."

*Something inside of Rainn's mind urged him to focus on the mission, as though he knew that Jasper would be back soon, just like the Masketta Man would return. Call it hope, or just a hunch, Rainn looked forward to seeing his friends again*

Rainn: "We'll get the police to track down handgun records. Good luck to anyone who has to go through all that red tape. The bag is an object of interest, and the gun is most definitely his signature. It's what he uses to destroy, and to strike fear. It's the symbol of his craft, an extension of himself. He's using an old gun because it's reliable to him. There's a positive experience associated with it, and he's not willing to let that go. We find the gun, we find our man."

*Rainn's phone rang, and he picked it up*

Rainn: "I'm fine. Nothing's a coincidence, we both know that. I'll be careful. Figure out a way to track down this gun, alright? Our assassin is most definitely precise. The question is, why would he hurt someone with no ties to any particular gang? Why go out of his way?"

*Rainn's eyes widened, and he pointed to the footage*

Rainn: "Can we see him taking the bag again? I want to see just how heavy it is. Aster, I'll call you later."

*The detective hung up.*

---

<Task City General Hospital>

*A middle aged man with slicked hair approached Aster. He wore an impossibly luxurious grey suit, with a red necktie and a white shirt. He smiled, and pointed at the portraits*

???: "Like it? I call it, 'The Hall of What Could Have Been'. What's true, and what isn't? It tests your knowledge of American history."

*The man extended his right arm*

???: "Valentine. Valentine Clark. And you are?"

*The Hospital's CEO approached them*

Ivette Perez: "Mr. Clark, there you are! You sure like to wander!"

*She laughed heartily*

Valentine Clark: "Yes, yes. I really like seeing how you've handled my donation."

Ivette: "Well, I hope you are impressed, sir! We always appreciate your assistance."

Valentine: "Of course, of course. Life is precious, and I'm happy to support. Let's talk. Nice meeting you, ma'am."

*Valentine nodded at Aster, and left with Ivette*

<French Quarter>

Alexander shrugged and replayed the tape, zooming in on the bag. The image was blurry, but they could finally begin to guess at its size and contents.

"Hm, that shape..... It could be a laptop or something." suggested Calvin.

<French Quarter>

Rainn: "Laptop! There's your motive. Whatever is inside of that laptop is of interest to the employer. We need to split up. Calvin, you and I will reunite with Aster to search for the weapon. Hecklock, why don't you go with Princess Calaran and some investigators to Ludovic's workplace. Maybe there are some clues there. Chief Inspector, is that alright with you?"

<Task City General Hospital>

Aster left the hospital, and got into a cab. She was headed for the nearest gun store, hoping to seek the seller's advice.

-----

<A restaurant in Chinatown>

A tall, cleanly-shaven white man entered a restaurant. He felt somewhat ill-at-ease, knowing he stood out, and he hated standing out. His employer, or rather his employer's agent, understandably wanted to meet him on his own turf.

He sat down at his table, across from a bald, blank-faced Chinese man. "You messed up." the Chinese man said, without even looking at his interlocutor.

"Did I?" the other man replied. "It's only been a few days, they have nothing on either of us."

"You made too much of a mess." he blankly repeated. "They brought in private detectives."

The white man chuckled. "That's because they've got nothing!"

"Will they continue to have nothing?"

<French Quarter>

*Rainn had assumed that the Inspector's silence was his way of making a tacit approval, and he left with Calvin to the gun store that Aster was headed to*

OOS: Waiting on everyone else.

<Gun store>

Aster got out of the cab, and decided to wait for Rainn and Calvin before going into the store.

<Gun store>

*Rainn arrived with Calvin, and nodded at Aster. He entered the store.*

<Gun store>

Aster entered the store after Rainn, and greeted the owner. "Hello. We're detectives. I'm Aster, this is Rainn..."

"Woah, woah, woah." the owner protested. "I don't want any trouble. I don't sell to criminals."

"That you know of." Calvin muttered.

"Look, I follow the law, OK?" the owner yelled. "I do background checks on everybody. It's federal law. I don't sell to anybody with a criminal record."

"To have a criminal record, you need to get caught." Aster said. "But that's not the point. Have you ever sold .41 AU ammo to anybody?"

".41 AU? Jesus, that crap is rare. There was this one guy, he said he needed them for a movie? It didn't make much sense, but he checked out, so..."

"Can you give us his details?" Calvin asked.

"Sure, OK." the owner flipped through his notebook, and tore out a page. "There you go."

"John Simon, 31 Clinton Avenue." Aster read out loud. "Should we check this guy out now?"

Hecklock agreed earlier, and was heading to Ludovic's workplace. He got in the car with Calaran and an investigator to keep an eye on him, who would no doubt die in a shootout. Hecklock contemplated the case, but didn't think of much.

<Gun store>

*Rainn shook his head.*

Rainn: "No. Too easy. We're dealing with someone who has never been caught. A professional would leave a dead end for us, or maybe a trap."

*Rainn grabbed the paper, and ripped it in half*

Rainn: "Now, sir. Tell me more about this guy."

---

*The investigator felt confident, and looked over to Hecklock.*

???: "The fear what the don't know, n the hate what the fear nw information."

<Gun store>

The owner threw his hands in the air like he just didn't care. "Man, I've told you all I know! He gave me that info, I looked him up and he seemed to check out! Nothing more to tell, bro!"

"Really? That's it?" Aster said. "Or maybe he paid you a little extra on the side..." She suddenly seized his hand, and slammed it on the counter. The owner cried out in pain. "You have five seconds to tell me about him." The owner's hand suddenly felt ice cold, but he couldn't pull away from what was causing it since Aster had pinned his hand to the counter. "Three!" she yelled, as the man hissed from the pain and the cold.

"Alright, alright!" he finally gave in. "He gave me a fake ID, and when I realised it was fake, he promised me a lot of money if I kept quiet! Look, I've got three kids! You don't turn down that much money!"

Aster hesitated, but finally let go. "This is all you know?" The owner nodded. "Everything."

<Gun Store>

Rainn: "Thank you, Aster, that will be all."

*Rainn glowered at her, then looked to the floor.*

Rainn: "He's the bribing type. He didn't threaten you with death, meaning that he sticks to paid kills."

*He rested his knuckles on the wall as he mulled the details of the investigation. He tapped the wall once, and looked up at the owner.*

Rainn: "What did he look like? How did he walk? No, no...I mean, tell us that but...."

*Rainn grit his teeth and clenched his other fist. His eyes widened, and he tapped his knuckles twice on the wall.*

Rainn: "Did he pay in cash? Show us the other bills."

OOS: Waiting on Nif for the rest.

"Wait, who the heck said that?" Hecklock was confused himself, a surprising twist to his normal demeanor on situations.

<Gun store>

Aster and Rainn heard a bell chime as another man entered the shop. He wore a heavy black coat, black baseball cap and had a scarf around his mouth. The man raised an eyebrow upon hearing their conversation with the store owner, and slowly approached the counter. When the owner looked at him, the man took his chance to speak, though he had to pause for breath several times while talking.

"Hey... uh... do you buy weapons too?"

The store owner shook his head. "No, sorry. I get all my gear straight from Viper Industries."

"You sure?"

"Oh yeah. Can't just buy weaponry from anybody."

"Well that's too bad... cause I REALLY need the money!" The man shouted, and tore his coat open to reveal two black-furnished AK-47s strapped to his waist. He grabbed them and whipped them out at lightning speed, aiming one at Rainn and Aster, and the other at the store owner, with his fingers on the triggers. "Give me everything in the register, and I won't need to demonstrate."

<Hecklock's Location>

???: "Officer Akol Juac at your. Service."

---

<Gun store>

Rainn: "Put the guns down, my friend, or you'll regret ever coming near us. Calvin? Aster?"

Rainn slowly reached for his his side.

<Gun store>

"I don't have the bills any more." the owner shrugged. "I immediately used them to pay off a loan shark. Dick Bentsen, if you're interested in going on a wild goose chase."

He was about to describe his customer, when suddenly the man burst in.


Calvin stepped out in front of the man, blocking his aim. "Go ahead then. Demonstrate. Shoot me. Show us how much of a badass you really are!" he yelled, to the shop owner's consternation.

<Gun store>

The would-be robber looked panicked. He was already on edge enough as it was without anyone standing up to him. Not knowing what to do, he opened fire on Calvin with one of his AKs, and threw the other one over the counter. He grabbed the cash register with his spare hand and tucked it under his arm, backing away towards the door.

"Stay right there!" he shouted. "And don't follow me!"

The gunman pushed the door open with his foot, backed out and ran down the street.

<Gun Store>

Rainn quickly chased after the gunman, his mind racing. He hoped that Calvin would be okay, but knew that catching the villain was just as important.

Rainn: "When I catch you, I'll just mess you up!"

Rainn fired his gun at the man.

"Well Akol Juac, they shall fear what they don't know and hate the fear." Hecklock recalls his father's encounter of the Juacs of Rahat, and their courageous sacrifice. He wonders if this man is related.
"Are you related to Kon Juac?"
"Yes he is my father and was a great man"
"Huh."