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The case of the Missing Children

Metropolis, Kansas...

May 14th, 2077...

MIDNIGHT...



Macie: *Working at the office; having a cup of coffee and Monitoring the phone* Another late night. But there is always someone out there in need. Just wish i knew where.

Macie: *Voice-over* Okay... this is where it all begins. It was a late night for me as i was working a double. You see... i'm a detective. Been one for the last 15 years. I know you will say that women are not detectives and only men can be... but that's sexist and demeaning. Women can be it as well. I was one. One of the most respected ones around... or that's what i keep telling myself so i don't fall back on being what the whole world knows i am... I left that bracket as i was tired of the bullshit. Tired of the paparazzi trying to barge in and take what's not. I got fed up. So with what money i did have... i opened a detective agency. Calling it Lightfoot and Lightfoot. It was a stormy night. Thunder and lightning were every so often piercing the night with its force...



Jeremy: *Voice-over* I was 35 year old by this time... shooting to be soon in the coming future 36. I was still a drag teen. Drag Queen. I still also smoked as i was under the influence. Been that since age 15. I didn't care if people liked it... still don't. I was who i was meant to be and it was not gonna change.

Jeremy: *Smoking* Any idea when this storm's gonna break, Macie.

Macie: Not sure, Jeremy. The weather reports say that it's gonna be like this for another 3 days. *Sighs*

It was seconds later...

Phone rings...



Lisa: *Answering the phone* Hello... Lightfoot and Lightfoot... Private Eye at work. If you got a case... we'll crack it and solve it Lickity split...

Voice: *On the phone; Deep* Is Detective Macie there... It's important.

Lisa: Please hold... *To Macie* Macie... We got a caller. Line 3.

Macie: *Voice-over* This was gonna be the start of a case... or so it sounded...

Macie: *Receiving the call and answering* Detective Macie speaking...

Coming to Metropolis had never been our first choice, though as we both knew, fate had a tendency to play its silly games with us. With the Abnormal Tranquility Act passed back in 2076, cases for us Inhuman private eyes have been harder to come by, especially in our more eastern home base of Chicago. Cops patrolled the streets we once brought justice and happiness to, a bit too eager to make sure that no Abnormals would try to take the law into their own hands. Where we came from, the non-human shamus was a dying race. In a way, Sprite and I had no choice but to seek our luck elsewhere. And so, Kansas it was. We'd been driving for hours, it seemed, and no second of the day did the heavy gray of the rainclouds above ease. An hour before midnight, we were forced to stop at a gas station and stock up on petrol and the required snacks. Just when we were waiting in line, however, my good buddy Sprite caught a rumor of our first case. A case of missing children. One friendly fella behind us said he knew that we were outta luck; Metropolis's local PI's, the Lightfoots, would probably already be on it. Nothing we'd be opposed to- our best chances of getting introduced to this city was to team up with our local colleagues. Thus, as soon as we returned to the car, I made a call that would change our and the Lightfoots careers forever.. === "Is detective Macie here? It's important.." Shrouded in silent tension, they drove towards exit to Metropolis, only speaking through meaningful looks from each other to the phone, the road, and to each other again. What were they supposed to expect of this mysterious 'woman detective' of Kansas? "Y'sure she's gon' answer? Mean, 'tis way past bedtimes'o most peoples," Sprite huffed, not at all as on-board with those whole cooperation plan as her co-gumshoe was. Sure, having some locals tag along to help them get familiar in a new town was handy and all, but was it really necessary to invite two more people on a case that they could perfectly handle on their own? "W'can always try'n plan'a meet-up, after, y'know, w'made sure w'made our proper mark'n 'tis place independently. Surely we don' need no-" Suddenly, she was cut off by an answer from the phone. "Ah, there you are. Sorry to bother ya at this time of night, but my partner and I think we might have gotten a case on our hands that we thought ya guys might take some interest in too," Randle explained. For a guy who'd just barely passed his driving exam, he was pulling quite the trick; cigarette and steering wheel in one hand, phone in the other, pressed for its dear life against his large feline ear. "The name's Randle, Randle Pentecost, my friend Sprite and I are your bloodhound colleagues from up in Chicago, and we've got us here a case of missing children.." "Yeah, he scrappin' loves pullin' that intro out on people," Sprite thought to herself, suppressing a wide grin. "'Tis Macie figure better be buyin' it.." "Now, as I'm sure ya know, cases like these ought to be handled with care and precision, so I wanna ask if we'd be able to drop by your office in a bit, we could discuss the details there." He knew that this would be worth it, he just knew it. Their old world'd been blown into smithereens thanks to the mayor's anti-detective law, which meant that they had to keep an open mind to survive out here. This was their chance. So it became that Randle Pentecost and Sprite Cinders, forgotten heroes of their broken town, traveled over to the Lightfoot Office right when the moon was highest. === "Eyy 'tere! G'night t'y," sounded the first live greeting the Lightfoots were gonna get of their companions to-be. Sprite stepped inside with an unusually energetic bounce for that time of night. She looked to the people in the office; there were two Asian women and someone in a nice dress of whom Sprite wasn't sure if they were a dude, chick or neither- which of them were the detectives, she couldn't guess. "W'jus' let ourselves in, Rando's parking up in the car, he'll be 'ere any moment." Dressed in a white button-up, suspenders and slacks, Sprite thought she on her lonesome would make a decent first impression as well as her buddy could. After all, despite her history of war and violence in Ground Zero, Randle himself had said that she made for a great fellow sleuth. Anyway, she hadn't been lying either, because the very moment she wanted to approach whoever Macie was, Randle wandered in as well. "Hey, good evening," he smiled, although he was well-aware that even the kindest look couldn't take away what a shocker his first appearance had to be. Like Sprite, Randle was an Abnormal; something not entirely human, except in his case, his Abnormality was always visible. His gray, fake skin, his glowing silver eyes, and the traits of a puma ever present on his body. Of course, there were plenty of Abnormals in the States, but Randle'd learned that you could never be too careful with someone's reaction to them. At least Sprite's only odd attributes right now were her facial scars. "Nice place ya got. If I may ask, which of you is the Macie Lightfoot I happened to speak to on the phone just now?" Had to start simple.

Macie; *Voice-over* I had just gotten off the phone just moments before these two bizarre looking detectives came in. It was of no nevermind to me. I didn't really care. I was practically all for meeting these incoming individuals. I usually thought that i'd seen it all and came across enough weirdness. However this was Metropolis and i knew that if there was one thing to always take for fact and straight reality... it was the fact that weirdness was part of the city's recipe. Part of what made Metropolis... the city that it was always said to be. i looked at my son... Jeremy. He was looking at them and was very curious.

Macie: *Walking over to the two incoming detectives* I'm Detective Macie. Macie M. Lightfoot. You must be... Randle. And the sleuth here is... Let me guess... Uh...



Lisa: Sprite. I think that the name is on her tag. The ID badge has it. Mom... you really need to pay better attention to the name tags that other people wear.

Macie: I do. I was guessing. Trying to guess anyway. Plus not only that... i didn't see there being a name tag on her. How was i supposed to know?



Jeremy: *Getting his detective gear ready* Randle... Sprite... Your desks are... by the wall. It's a scenic view. It has all the viable things that a detective will need. A Laptop. A flash drive. A lamp. And there's also a tape recorder... Tapes for it. A Notepad and pen. Plus a camera. The camera's are Kodac models with a SD card.

Macie: You two coming here from the windy city... it's sure a long drive... Either that or from the sound of things... you two must have caught one mighty heck strong tail wind.

Lisa: We should get to the matter at hand. The possible case. What do you two have to tell?

Before anything more could happen... the introductions were in need to be in order...

There was discomfort in my friend's eyes, and I wasn't sure why. I have always known that despite her deceivingly outgoing and spunky personality, Sprite was a great worrier. In this case, I was confident that it was neither the personalities of the Lightfoots or the location of their office that made her uneasy, no, those were fine so far- it was the fact that they were very clearly dealing with normal, regular, 'pure' humans. By the looks of them they were, anyway. Over the years, even before the Act, we'd already been treated differently because of our Abnormal status, and it has even gotten so far that Sprite seemed to fear if Macie Lightfoot and her friends would see us as freaks instead of colleagues-to-be. A troubling thought, but unfortunately not too far-fetched. I didn't want to give up hope, though- for now, Macie and her associates'd been respectful to us, and treated us like normal beings instead of monsters. === "Eyy, y'mean 'tis 'ere?" Sprite answered to the other woman whose name hadn't been disclosed yet. "Arn' no real nametag, really, w'made our own badges, I just keep 'em in my chest pocket." Card between two fingers, she pulled her ID from her pocket and shrugged, before tucking it back in for less prying eyes to see. "Case y'hadn't noticed, Rando'n me aren't real police, w'just civilian private gumshoes like y'two.. or three. Anyway, pleasure's all ours, arn' it, Rando?" Grinning her nerves away, Sprite looked to her Husk friend. "Don' make't awkward, jus' don'.." "Heh, of course, definitely nice to meet ya folks. And uh-" Randle now turned to where the individual in the pretty dress was standing, and nodded in thanks. "-appreciate it, kid, we'll certainly enjoy the view when it's back to paperwork. Ya don't have to worry about any gear though, even if we were forced outta our own office a tad violently, we did manage to bring along our own nicknacks, big tech included." "By the way, we've been told that the Lightfoot detective duo'd be.. well, a duo. So who might you two be?" he asked the remaining strangers. Coming from the rough'n'dirty part of Chicago, Sprite and Randle weren't used to being pampered like this, let go by any of their potential co-workers. It was easy to feel flattered by the welcoming air of Macie and her associates- though they didn't want to forget about the matters at hand. "Phew, yeah, long'd be an understatement, a'most. W'know our share'o bad weather, but 'em storm y'guys are havin' 'ere is vicious even by our standards. Kinda hoped climate'n Kansas'd be a bit sweeter. Hopefully w'arn' wrong." Finding relief and a good chuckle in Macie's friendly smalltalk, Sprite pulled up a chair and sat down on it in her unusual reverse way: backrest facing Macie, her arms propped on it. Randle followed quickly, although he sat down like any sane being would. He exchanged a glance with Sprite. "Y'heard t'same's me, Rando. Be m'guest." "Right on, kid," Randle hummed, softly shaking his head. He took the dying stump of his cigarette out of his mouth and, shockingly so for human onwatchers, put it out on his gray, leathery skin. Now, he got full control over the talking stick. "On our way here, we caught wind of a couple of missing kids from a suburb on the other side of town, woman and her friend were supposedly from that neighborhood. Supposed to be three of them: a brother and sister from a certain Miller family, and boy next-door, a lil' fella named Tony. According to her, no police reports've filed so far, which in its own right is worth giving some thought. Something might be at work here, and I figured that we, powers combined for once, are gonna figure out what it is." In most cities, the police weren't always loved, but parents refusing to call in help from the local force always raised question marks. It often meant that someone pressured them to keep quiet, or worse, threatened them to do so. "W'do know where 'tis suburb is, by t'way, nothin' too dark'n suspicious accordin' to 'em city guide, but it's sometimes t'cleanest-lookin' places that produce t'dirtiest scenes," Sprite added, looking over all three of the Lightfoot people. "So, y'guys down for a collab on 'tis one?"

Macie listened to the briefing of what the two strange detectives had to say... Listening with great attention and Jeremy was sure to take notes.



Jeremy: Did the parents even know the kid was missing? Not to doubt your details on the case. But one has to figure that if a child is missing... the parents would have just reported it. Although natural protocol on reporting a child missing is 24 hours. How long was... Tony missing? Was it more than the normal 24 hours?'

Macie: that's your input and it's greatly welcomed as we can build a case from it. Here's what we got on our end from the case.

Macie Pulls out a file...

Macie: *Handing the file to Randle and Sprite* Look at the files. There were a report of 8 kids missing within the last 2 weeks and till now... it was believed as a long vacation. Till 3 days ago. We got a call from one of the parents. A Mrs. Jahrvi. She called here and reported that her daughter Rakashi was missing. How she told it... her daughter was with the group of kids that went missing. Apparently they were all supposed to go to this BTS concert. It's the new thing now. They were supposed to go there... and then come back. But come Midnight... that same night. Mrs. Jahrvi watched for her daughter to come through the front door... returning home. However from the reports we were given... the daughter never returned. She doesn't know if the daughter went missing on the way there... or during the trip back.

Lisa: *Handing her mom the next file* Here mom. This is another one.

Macie: Thank you, Lisa. *looking at the file* ... *handing over the file* This one is another. during those abductions or cases of missing children... 4 more went like a light. One being a 11 year old boy. Drew keller. He's a grade A trooper. cordial and prompt. A young drill major in his young years. He was reported missing the next morning after the report of the missing daughter came. But same M.O. No one knows as to whether the missing part was during the trip out... or the trip back.

Jeremy: With the combined intel and the details... from both your set of cases... and ours. We have a very turbulent case that is as solid as a golden sheep.

Lisa and Jeremy nodded as they knew surely that with a case that big... it was not gonna just be a fast up and go. It was gonna a whole mess of attention... From all sides. Maybe more.

"Tellin' y'again; 'tis is what w'overhead in line at 'em gas station. Women didn' look like much'n defo not like anyone close t'em Millers or the Tony boy. 'Twas gossip to 'em, r'member? W'didn't catch much details, 'xcept that it's three kids thadda gone missin' and that their parents kinda told nobody t'spread t'news 'n let 'em pigs know," Sprite repeated, repressing the impatience brewing within her. There was no need for this guy to run them through the usual protocols- they were fellow detectives for crying out loud, not some losers in distress! While hard to spot for the Lightfoots, Randle did notice her unrest, and softly bumped his shoulder against hers, as a way of telling her to ease it. "Uh.. yeah." "We were planning to head on a trip to McCarty Lane ourselves, 'till one of the customers notified us of your existence. I'm sure you'd be familiar with the place too, more than us, given that ol' Metropolis here's pretty much your home territory." Working in a big new city was tough, with that issue multiplied by ten if the case involved was of sensitive nature. Kids were seen as near sacred by humans and Abnormals alike. And that wasn't all. Because as soon as their opening story ended, the Lightfoot trio dug up similar cases on the spot, all concerning the sudden disappearances of Metropolis's poor younglings. Naturally, gumshoes had a tendency to look for a pattern, and it didn't take either of them long. "Guess w'fishin' f'the same kinda age range then? Arn' talkin' babies, but no high schoolers either?" Sprite pondered, hoping to hit the mark. "Don't know that the full-on hundred 'till we check with the Millers and Tony's parents, but generally speaking that's the easiest age to abduct," Randle added, mentally shivering at the thought of how often he'd seen that point being proven right. "Not too young to not be out on the streets and meet other folks, but not old enough to take their momma's advise to never talk to strangers seriously either. But it's not just that, I think there might be something up with the transport here; nearly all of them had someplace to go before things hit the fan." "Could.. say tha' too, yeah. Doubt's worth checkin' wit' 'em BTS folk, they wouldn' 'ave noticed, but there's plenty'o other spots that w'can go'n visit when 'em sun starts risin' again." To her cougar-inspired companion, the deep darkness of the night wasn't that big of a problem, but that was a one against four scenario. Abnormal or not, Sprite was as human as it got when she wasn't in her.. other form. "Gotta go figure which'o 'em taxi'r tourin' companies those kids went wit', check those out once w'do, snoop through their employees list, y'know. Wouldn' be t'first time that 'em man behind t'public transportin' wheel got sick to 'is brain." In fact, one of her first cases with Randle'd been a murder on the bus, up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Against her and her buddy's expectations - although he'd deny it -, it'd ended up being the bus driver's doing. "Oh, and then we're glossing over our own piece of this nasty cake too," Randle added once again, pressing Macie's file back on the desk. "We shouldn't forget to make sure whether the case of the McCarty Three's related to the rest of these kids, before we end up drawing conclusions that aren't there." Chilling as it was, coincidences'd rarely been just that in his cases. Few criminals were satisfied with a single crime. "Right, right.. 'kay, well, where'd y'think w'best off startin', Macie? W'headin' over to 'em suburbs to go smell t'freshest wound, or are w'gonna add some extra body t'em documented cases y'a'ready got?" Sprite said, turning to the Lightfoots. "Y'know 'em city better than us." === Any case with a child involved is an aged tight-rope to paradise. On the one hand, ya got yourself a guarantee that you'll give someone's life meaning and color again if you succeed at rescuing the young'un, yet on the other, you'll forever be haunted if you don't. I know that I can't even produce anything of my own aside from my words and thoughts, so I can't even imagine how dark the nights are for the parents in these cases. To have something so precious taken from you, without a warning nor word.. it must be devastating, dehumanizing, even. Maybe it's a good thing I'll never come to know how that feels. Either way, Sprite's starting to warm up a little, so that's progress. Interacting with humans other than her beloved dame Artie hasn't been easy for her, less so with all the poltics surrounding that these days. But, kid will manage, I know she will. A case of this caliber, size and severity ought to do the strangest things to folks- all I hope for is that in our scenario, it means that we'll grow closer over time. God knows we'll need it..

Macie: *Looking at the two detectives* We should break it down... The major case of missing children from our files... is the group that were going to the BTS concert and mysteriously... never came home. So we should take two people to check the bus depot and that team will move on to interview the band and some of the possible witnesses. Getting the facts that pertain to the case. A couple of detectives will check on The Jahrvi's. They live on Crescent Lane. The Kellers live on Cherry Drive... The Jahrvi's live at 6442 Crescent lane. The Kellers address is 9336 Cherry Drive.

Jeremy: *To Randle* Randle... you and I will hit the Bus, BTS and possible witnesses therein front. We might have the upper crust with that.

Lisa: Sprite... you and i will settle on taking the Jahrvi's. From there we can go along with comparing notes on what we gather from the parents.

Macie: I'll check with the Keller's.



Saphiroth: *Walking in returning from band rehearsals* Sorry i'm late... band rehearsals ran late. *Looking at Lisa and Jeremy* What's up? We got a case?

Lisa: Yeah... you bet. We got one. A big one and it's cross Jurisdiction and a big mass joint case.

Saphiroth: You serious?

Jeremy: If we lyin' we dyin'.

Saphiroth: Who're the newbies?

Macie: Hon... they're not newbies. they're professionals. Like us.

Jeremy: *Hearing thunder* sweet mother of god... That thunder is psycho. Geez! Would it kill mother nature to ease it up on the thunder a little bit? Goodness.

Where was the case to start... was anyone's clue. But there was a pairing and it was now time to put the wheels in motion...

"Agreed," Randle nodded, glancing to his associate in hopes of convincing her to approve of it too. "Last thing anyone needs is the whole five-man band spreading chaos throughout town. I'll go and pay the bus depot a visit, if anyone wants to join-" Interrupted?! Clearly Macie had a plan of her own, and didn't want to leave any breathing space for others. He could appreciate her ardency, yes, but he knew that her commanding them around like her pawns wouldn't be tolerated by Sprite, or even himself if she kept this up. "Something tells me that she hasn't been doing this for all her life.. no stranger in the field anymore, maybe, but seems to me that her origin lies elsewhere. Have I seen her before somewhere?" He couldn't say for sure. "Eyy, 'tis arn' t'police force, 'kay? No need t'boss us 'round," Sprite, not to Randle's surprise, protested. Though, having grown since their first meeting, she kept her cool and added: "But, sure, sure.. her'n me'll go talk to 'er. 'Er fears'r still fresh an' I doubt she's given up hope yet, so she'll speak. I'm make sure'o it." For years, she'd fought under military rule. She was used to orders, yet'd never grown to like them. "Le's go, Lisa." "Don't mind Sprite," Randle mumbled to Macie, watching his best friend get up to grab her gear from the car. "Much like you, we haven't really reached out to collab with others in our field. Only time we did, it didn't end pretty. She's somewhat right though, we're in this together." He skimmed through the Jahrvi's case one last time, hoping his AI wouldn't disappoint him later, and then got up to leave, hoping Jeremy'd follow. "Watch'o y'callin' newbies, Freeze Pop-" his partner in crime growled in the distance. Randle looked up and saw that a young man with blue hair'd wandered in, apparently doing his very best to agitate Randle's quick-tempered friend. "Hey, kid, ease it!" he called to Sprite, passing by to reach his car. "Coulda told 'em to him. How'n scrappin' hell're we gonna work on 'tis if w'keep on bein' disrespected all the time? Nah, y'know what, forget it. Arn' havin' 'tis talk, not worth our time. W'gotta case to solve, kids t'rescue." Besting the rain, she wandered outside. "It's getting worse.." Randle muttered to himself, not realizing he was letting the Lightfoots hear about a concern that they wouldn't come to understand just yet. "Mind need to stock her up soon.." Something inside of him insisted that he'd tell them, now that they were newfound allies. "Hey, Jeremy, we can take my car, just filled her up for a longer drive" he spoke right after, turning to his temporary partner. "I think I saw the depot you're on about on our way here, if you get your stuff ready I'll have us mapped out and ready to go in a minute." While first introductions had been awkward - and Randle wasn't sure what to think of someone wearing a dress on a rather dangerous mission -, he still wanted to give Jeremy a chance and show him his best side. Who knew, given how big the case could get, this might not be the last time they'd work with the Lightfoots. "Rando, I didn' mean't like that, 'kay?" Sprite sighed from the back when Randle stepped inside their car. Rain'd trinkled through her hair and over her face, though she didn't seem to mind it much. "Gettin' closer t'em edge every day, an' 'em nightmares arn' helpin' either. I know Macie's tryin' t'make t'best outta 'tis, jus' don' want 'er t'be bossin' us 'round. Jus' 'cause 't'Windy City spat us out, don' mean anyone else can too." She grabbed her backpack from the trunk in which all her notebooks, cameras, recording devices, fingerprint kits and etcetera were put. "I know ya don't, kid. Compared to how ya used to be, I think you kept it in pretty well. Look on the bright side, though; your part doesn't have to have any thrills and temptations. Plus, Lisa seems like a real fine partner to work with," Randle replied, booting up the engine. "Guess so, yeah.. a'right, uh, y'stay safe out t'ere, right ol' man?" With a thud, the trunk closed. Randle grinned. "Always am. Take care, kid." === As I wait in my car for Jeremy to join me, I watch Sprite skulking around the Lightfoot Office's entrance, hoping for Lisa to come out so she can hitch a ride. I don't know if I'm to worry about what's going through that little spitfire's head, but what I do know is that she'll be in good hands. So far, kid's proven to be an eager investigator, fierce and loyal to a fault. Yet I can't deny that she's got her problems writhing within, part of which she could've never helped, and part of which'd been bestowed onto her after her time with the Skylax, back at Ground Zero. Only God knows what things she's seen there.. I like to believe that no one is born a soldier, and that it's the circumstances and harsh training that can shape you into becoming one. Sprite never chose her path; controlling your destiny is a priviledge not even the normal humans have. She has killed people, a real stinking lot of them too, likely- all because she was 'just following orders'. No doubt that's why she despises authority. But I know it, this time will be different. If only I could tell her that..

Macie: *Voice-over* I was getting the impression that Sprite... Randle's partner was gonna be a rather testy one. Not seeing eye to eye with instructions from others. I didn't really come out and confront it as to me... it was just the fact of it being new surroundings getting to her. I didn't see any other reason for there to be something to a reason to start anything. We had a case to take on and get some traction in solving. Trying to crack it. Where it started... was likely with Randle and Jeremy. Whatever it was they picked up... it would possibly be the first step in getting a lead to what was behind the wave of child abductions. And if it turned out to be a who... finding out who could perpetrate such a act and why?

Outside the Lightfoot detective's office



Jeremy: *Pulling out a smoke and placing it in his mouth; Lighting up the cigarette and smoking* I got my gear. Tape recorder. Note pad. Camera. Randle... *Walking over to the car and getting in* The bus depot is where the story first was reported to break and come in. I'm sure that if we take the main drag... it'll take us right to the bus depot.

As for Lisa...



Lisa: *With her gear* Hey Sprite. I know that you feel as if my mom is being commanding. She's not. She really isn't being all that commanding. She's just giving out assignments accordingly. Trying to make sure that all points are covered. It's not you that she's doing it to. It's just that she wants to make sure that everyone is up to the tasks given. You see... we've had a couple of ace detectives they were kinda like you and Randle. Not exactly identical to you two. but just as direct and fierce as you guys were if not more. They were helping us with a drug ring and the sole corruption within the police dept. and it was a case that took like 15 weeks. We had interviewed at least 30 people who were key to the case. We had the one behind it all exposed. We were about to bring her in. because it turned out that it was a woman behind it all. However... it was when we turned in all the evidence to the D.A Nick Harrison that we learned that and found out the awful devastating truth about the two detectives we had worked with during that time. They were falsifying evidence and illegally gathered it. We ended up losing the entire case. The guilty one... had to be let go. We couldn't have her charged with anything... even though the evidence was there. We couldn't do anything.

Lisa was confiding something to Sprite. She knew that if perhaps she could explain the reasons behind why her mom was being as she was... it would perhaps lead for things to be in a clear understanding... but of the right kind.

It was a minute later that she had Sprite get into the car and within seconds after they were in and ready to jet... made way over to where they had to go....

Randle Pentecost "Ah, there you are," Randle smiled as, to his surprise, he found a cigarette similar to what he'd put in his own mouth dangling between Jeremy's lips. Apparently they both shared a good taste in smokes.. except that he and his non-organic being couldn't really taste his. "And good, nice to have someone on board who's familiar with this place, those shortcuts sure are gonna come in handy." Like that, as soon as Jeremy settled in the seat next to him and closed the door, Randle took off and left the office behind them. "So, what're your first impressions about all of this, son?" he asked, blowing a stream of bittersweet smoke from his maw. "Usually at the start of our cases, Sprite and me talk over our best guesses, just to get warmed up. And whaddaya know, a few times, our unbiased thoughts've proven to be closer to the truth than we'd figured at first." "You ask me, this might be a case 'bout a guy a bit too smart and a whole lot too cruel for his job. Can't cope with his own poor childhood and has to reflect it onto others.." He wasn't a man of extremes, he liked to think, but it were people like these that rightfully deserved his hate. What kind of monster could bring themselves to hurt kids that way? It was.. demoralizing to think about. Randle banished the images from his mind. Truth be told, a simple burglary or a money laundering scheme might've made for a less tragic introduction to Metropolis and their colleagues the Lightfoots; alas, which dirty deeds were brought onto one's plate wasn't up to the detectives to decide. This was going to be a long, dark ride.. === Sprite Cinders "Oh, that?" At very scrappin' last, Lisa'd decided to wander out as well, and not empty-mouthed either. No doubt the annoyance she'd expressed with Macie bossing them around hadn't gone unnoticed. "I's fine, I guess. Kinda shot off on m'part, 'm'sure w'll be all sweet'n besties once w'get a bit further 'nto 'tis case. Said m'shit, an' as long as Macie keeps seein' us as equals'n not some sorta 'newbie aces' that need commandin', it'll all be prime." Unfortunately, that wasn't enough; Lisa instead went off to tell her about some tragic case they had a while ago. "Had tha' kinda run-in go down wit' 'em 'real police' sometime, actually. Chicago's a rathole, an' even 'em state eyes were rotten t'em core. N'fact, it's part'o t'reason why Rando'n me were on 'em road for so long, CPD was done wit' us solving all 'em cases they couldn't or didn' wanna bother solvin', and thus they managed t'finda way to kick us out." Rubbings the rain from her hair, Sprite got into Lisa's car, gleefully ambushed by the warmth that the outside world was lacking. She made herself comfortable and flopped her backpack on her feet. "W'arn' like that, though, neither like 'em corrupt police nor those traitor aces. W'used to be legends'o the Windy City, now w'just as professional, jus' with our dignity beaten outta us. Tha's exactly why both Rando'n me'd appreciate it if w'd be treated like equals, not jus' a supportin' force. After all, w'all cool lead gumshoes puttin'r heads t'gether, dontcha think?" Sprite forced a grin, hiding the anxiety and worries within. "Anyway, uhh, tha's 'nough 'bout that, I guess. Pretty sure w'll all get 'long like bread'n good butter when w'get back wit' new evidence. An' I'd be lyin' if I said I arn' dead curious 'bout what 'em Mrs Jahrvi got t'say!" And as always, the very best way for anyone to go, was onward! === So t'ere w'went. Can' real say that I'm diggin' t'feel'o 'tis case so far, though like many'o 'em seem t'think - an' I agree wit' 'em -, it's likely 'em change in scenery tha's catchin' Rando an' me especially off-guard. Sure, w'tripped to other cities an' even states from time't'time, but Kansas 'ere's totally new territory for either'o us. I like to think that wha'I said was true: that 'tis case'd bring us t'gether 'n'all? I know Macie didn' mean no harm wit' tryin' t'speed up t'planning progress, but that don' take away that I won' give up t'fight of earnin' us some respect. 'Tis'll be everybody's case, an' not jus' hers. Should I tell 'em? Rando hadn' had any problems acceptin' me an' m'history, but he's an Abnormal 'imself, so I dunno if that counts. I's not only t'Therion tha's botherin' me - mean, it is, every day'm skippin' those pills, 'm'gettin' closer to reenactin' t'Butcherin' at t'Borderland. I don' wanna see anythin'r anyone innocent die by m'hands ever again. I don' need my beast gone, I jus' don' wanna hate myself.. I wan' things t'be okay, t'see Art again, someday. Y'know what, maybe Rando's right. I gotta look'n t'bright part'o 'tis. Lisa'n me, w'might make'a good team. W'll get t'bottom'o whatever Mrs Jahrvi can tell us, report back once w'do an', hopefully, soon bring an' end t'tis agony t'kidnapper's causin' these kids'n parents. We will succeed. I know we will!

On the road to the bus depot...

Jeremy and Randle were on the process of talking about the case. Giving their certain views about it...



Jeremy: *Voice-over* Randle and i were going over the case. At least Randle was going on about it. He started it off. I didn't get into it yet as even though my days of being a performer known as Passion Kiss were behind me... I was feeling myself wanting to just bust in song. I don't even know why. I really can't begin to figure as to how that could just out of nowhere happen. But it kinda did... I did the well known # "The Impossible Dream."

Jeremy: *Singing* “To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To run where the brave dare not go
For the Road be ever too high
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

To reach the unreachable star
For you know it’s impossibly high
To live with your heart’s driving upward
To reach (Hold 1 1/2 beats) the unreachable star (Hold 8 beats)”

Seconds later...

Jeremy: *Voice-Over* I had belted one out and i could only wait for Randle to reply with a statement of shock as i knew this could bring shock to him. But before i could wait to allow for anything to come out...

Jeremy: You could be right about that. It could be about some guy out there who wants to make himself or maybe if it's more than one... themselves known. Crying out for a bout of attention. I doubt that it could be someone who had a harsh light on their childhood. But... but on the other hand... it wouldn't be all that much of a stretch to consider the idea that it might be someone who is as you say... one that had a rotten childhood and grew up bitter. So now... he or she's acting out and using the kids the missing children... if they're being used for anything at all for his/her cause... as his/her magnetic north. What i don't get... is why kids? What would they want with abducting kids? That's what i'd like to know. If there is someone behind this... not saying that there is or isn't... but if there is a source behind the wave... what would they want to use the kids for? As test subjects? You don't suppose it's a sex ring? Eww! If it's that... We should nail the sicko and ram them into a wall. Knock them to the moon and to the boondocks.

Jeremy was theorizing a little bit on what he thought of the case. It had not begun officially and he was giving his insight for what it was worth. He was figuring that there was something to the whole thing. Of course from how the case was said to begin... it could just like a flip of a switch... go either way...

As for Lisa...



Lisa: *Driving* Sprite, Come on. You don't really have anything to worry about. My mom does happen to like you and Randle. She just is trying to keep professional while on the job and on duty. It's just not so easy as i think that you've heard of the Rising Star Era. The time of the rise of the United States Superstar. She was that... Nicole My sister, Myself and Jeremy were known as the Rising Lights. He was known as Passion Kiss. But 7 years ago... my mom and us... we stepped down from the celebrity biz. It was time for that era to come to an end. We had to let it go. As much as we loved the life... And trust me... we really... really... Reeeeeeeaaaaaaaally loved the life. The fame and prestige. we thought that we could go on... because with all that fame... we had it all. all the perks However... it was one month 7 years ago... 7 years and one month ago... we faced a rival team. One who seemed like they were gonna be like simple and very godly. Pure. We were wrong. They were into drugs and the power excess. They framed us and since we couldn't prove it and had no clout in exposing them for treachery... they stayed... and we had to regrettably step down from all of it. To spare ourselves from the global embarrassment. We didn't have a option as to what we could do... From then... it took 2 years into all this detective track to get past the celebrity biz and just reassess our lives in a better way. Although from the smoldering aftermath of all that... My sister Nicole... she's gotten into porn. Doing triple X films. Nicky and Vanessa are in Military school. They got into so much trouble that the schools sent us a ultimatum stating that it was either send them to military school... or lose us all. It was the only thing we could do.

Lisa was confiding in Sprite. She figured that if they were to truly bond... they would have to reveal a bit of something to one another. Granted that she saw her as an equal... even if she were not human. it didn't matter. because as far as Lisa knew... there'd be defining realization that possibly to Sprite... she looked not normal. So on that... she knew how it had to have felt. It was not that hard to see.

Lisa also was a smoker. But she didn't want to have that come out at that time... but the second that she pulled out her pack of Marlboro red 100's... it was seen. She smoked. She pulled out a cigarette and placed it on her lips... flicked her lighter and lit up. Within seconds... started to smoke. She looked at Sprite for about a second and then back to the road...

Lisa: *Smoking; talking about the case* When we get to the Jahrvi's residence... how do you see to go with it? Simple questions and work on in... or... just go straight to the center and get to the facts in question? Either way... we have to be delicate. This is their child we're asking about. So... it's gonna seem very discomforting.

Lisa was also feeling very sympathetic... about the windy city booting Randle and Sprite out. It was very sad and unsettling. She wanted to say something that would maybe make things better... however for the very sole life of her... the words weren't wanting to come out.

As it turned out, my previous suspicions of these Lightfoots having a history in another field wasn't total bull after all. Truly, how could it be? To me at least, it'd been clear as day, especially looking back. Men in drag, stylish women without a grain of age on their faces: these weren't the kind of folks that usually took a turn for Gumshoe Lane. I assume the entertainment industry might've shown them its ugly face after a while, and unlike most performers, these Lightfoots actually'd stood up for themselves and chose for another life. I can respect that, certainly, though I have to wonder.. why become a PI? There is beauty in my line of work, yeah, but it isn't easy, less so for folks who come from the higher stands themselves. I guess fate must've gone easy on them; Macie and her children seemed to have slipped into this new world of less spotlights and more dark alleyways with more ease than most. That idea gives me hope. In time, working your butt off for the safety of others will be a job for just the lower class no longer. Now that's a future worth fighting for.. === Randle Pentecost "Ha! Hadn't expected that car-pooling'd be a thing!" Genuine surprise and excitement burst from Randle's voice. Most of the time, the silence before the storm was one of grim nature, or ever since he'd teamed with Sprite, one filled with the craziest theories and appropriate mental prepping. But a full-on musical riding shotgun? Yeah, that was something entirely new. "Suppose that's one way to put it, really. Can't say I've ever heard that one before, so I apologize if I ruin ya pop culture reference there. Pop culture and me, ehh.. I dunno, there was never a real spark." In reality, his AI's personality'd been coded in to make Randle a man of the old guard, which included his innate dislike of pop music and pulpy media. Much like the stereotypes shown in noir movies that he also tried to reject, he was a guy that appreciated jazz music and books. That said, even if Jeremy's serenade wasn't his cup of tea in terms of genre, he did catch on to the trained and refined sound of his voice, which made one question whether or not'd just been his intention to car-pool. Evidence of the Lightfoots not being sleuths by origin was gathering itself. "Something tells me ya folks came from a whole other environment before you joined our line of work, hm? Not really relevant to ask of course, but what can ya tell me about that? Seeing how we might have to come face-to-face with that band the concert of interest featured, any of your stage experience might just help us out." Randle had in fact heard of BTS before, albeit in the context of Sprite showing him a funky 'meme' about it. From what he'd heard, it was a hit or miss for the younger generations: hordes of girls existed that idolized them, while at the other side of the spectrum, there were youngsters that openly expressed their hate for their music. "Of course, first we'd have- huh." Following Randle's sudden halt was also the much calmer halt of his car's movement. He'd parked them across the sidewalk, providing view on a large, mostly abandoned bus depot hidden behind a pathetic little wall of chainlink fence. As Sprite would often tell him; nothin' they couldn' handle! "Ya know what, let's put that conversation on a rain check.." he said, low-voiced. Engine put to rest and lights out, he then slowly emerged from the car, keeping his eyes on the depot at all costs when he went to trunk real quick to grab his gear. Apparently Sprite'd borrowed the only working recorder; here was to hoping his ally had a spare one. "Hey, Jeremy, you ready?" He patted the fence. "Let's see what we can find out." Over the braided steel and onto the flaking asphalt he went, rusty spine protesting. On their left, there was a hangar of sorts, used as a now inactive workship to give the busses their makeovers in; on their right, there was a vast parking lot filled with empty busses. Would they split up or take a pick? === Sprite Cinders United States what-again? Things were starting to get a little weird, though as far as Sprite was concerned, this was just a way of Lisa trying to explain her mother's behavior, or something along those lines. Naturally, this wouldn't change anything: Macie had no right to command Randle and her, but it was interesting to hear what else Lisa had to tell her. As it turned out, Macie was that singer Ciwana One-Eye had enjoyed so much! "So 'em guys in 'em celeb industry can be jus' as nasty to 'em entertainers as they say in magazines? Tha's.. a shame, really. Knew a gunship girl once, b'fore I moved to t'States, she really liked all that Risin' Star stuff. Not really my kinda thing, but I did hear'a song'r two whenever I flew wit' her." Gunship missions'd been the worst, by far. Ten outta ten times, the gunships themselves were stolen from facility folk, and no matter how 'renovated' they were, the noise and discomfort haunted her to this day. That, and most regulars on those ships were rather dead now; either shot down or suffering the effects of breathing in toxic smoke a few months too long. "Made shit a lot more bear'ble, f'sure." Sprite hoped that Lisa could settle with that answer; they could just pretend that she'd been a regular soldier during a regular war in the East somewhere.. and not a tortured monster biting back at the staff of the brutal international equivalent of Area 51. That'd be a whole damn blessing.. "Mean, if it's only 7 years, I get why y'mom might've wanted t'play it careful. Guess 'tis jus' a learnin' moment f'her now, tha's a good thing, I'm sure. Rando's old as rocks in 'tis game, though, so I think w'll all be learnin' somethin' from 'tis." Enough with the subject; what'd been said had been said, and Sprite'd taken her point, nothing weird about it. After all, they had a case to solve, so why bother with a misunderstanding? Luckily, Lisa appeared to agree that they'd move on from the subject and joined her on the talk about their objective. And their methods, no less. "Yeahh, well, always kinda hadda thing wit' that," Sprite admitted, glaring off to the side as she scratched her neck. "Usually I'm forced t'go wit' Rando's method'o makin' a 15-minute interview last a day, so tha'd be the deep questions an' spendin' loads'o time comfortin' 'n persuadin' 'em into sayin' what's handy t'hear 'n'whatnot. Personally I don' got t'patience f'that, I'd rather go wit' 'em basics an' snoop out t'rest ourselves. 'Course w'can assume that Mrs. Jahrvi knows somethin', but seems t'me that often times t'best kinda evidence arn' the ones that they can tell y' out loud." Kidnappings could go both ways: either the kids in question were plundered off the streets out of the blue, or they'd been tricked into a scenario that made that kinda deal possible, which in the age of internet was becoming a more frequent phenomenon. "But f'that, we'd at least need Mrs's grace s'we can scout 'round her house'n her kid's belongings, so suppose that w'gotta do some friendly talking first, make sure she won' call 'em cops on us when we get 'nto our non-verbal part'o t'investigation." As she spoke, the sign of 'Crescent Lane' flickered by like a rectangular phantom. Apparently, the beginning of their mission was almost upon them. This'd be interesting.. Once getting out of Lisa's car wouldn't be able to break her legs, Sprite stepped outside and approached the front door of house number 6442. An unassuming residence, by the looks of it, neither on the best nor worst part of town. Smooth, damp stone guided her to the entrance, lined on both sides with a modest but well-kept front yard. The air was crisp, and left no hints of the painful truth that was the reality behind that wooden door. "Well, 'ere goes nothin', eyy?" Sprite whispered to Lisa once she'd caught up with her, and mustering all the confidence in her body, she knocked.

Macie: *Voice-over* The case was just beginning as with Jeremy and Randle being at the bus depot... Lisa and Sprite at the Jahrvi's... i was suddenly at the Kellers. I stopped in front of their place and sighed as i knew with the thunder and lightning... still rolling along... it was gonna be a still long night. saphiroth... my son and i took to the lead and got with it. As wet as it was out there, i knew that the missing child was not gonna be found faster by us just sitting and biding time. We had to get some details... from the subjects source... the parents. The parents were always the first person or persons to question in any child abduction case. because they're always... ALWAYS the first to know when their kids don't manage to return home after a certain time. It's the first marker that tells any parent... "Okay... my son/daughter-Sons/Daughters are not back home yet and it's starting to get pretty late. What's going on?" I would know how that is right off as i was a parent myself and i'd be the same way if even one of my kids were not back at a specific time... i would start questioning. When you're a parent... a loving wholesome parent... that instinct would just kick in without even an effort. It would automatically be there.

The Jahrvi's...

Lisa: *Smoking; Putting out her light as the door started to open* ...

Mrs Jahrvi: *At the door* Yes? Can i help you?

Lisa: *Showing a badge* Detective Lisa Lightfoot of the Lightfoot and Lightfoot detective agency... This is my partner for the case and right wing companion Detective Cinders. You called out about your daughter being declared missing a few days ago. We're here to ask some more questions... perhaps get a few more clues on your missing daughter.

Mrs. Jahrvi: Yes... of course. please come on in. it's warmer inside.

Lisa: Thank you...

inside...

Lisa: *Getting to the questions* You said the last time we spoke that you noticed that she was gone by time it was midnight and had yet to return. Do you remember what she wore that day? How she looked as she left to go to the concert?

Mrs. Jahrvi: She was wearing a BTS t-shirt. She rather loved that group. She'd sing to their very albums. Their songs. She was a very die hard fan. Her soul would be blazing for them. Seriously blazing. On the day of the concert... moments before she left on her way over to the concert... she did some dancing and got herself psyched up for it. She left looking really rearin' to go. So full of energy that you couldn't just keep her chained. She was so full of energy... she was like a energy surge just itching to blow up and rupture.

Lisa: Sounds like a real nuclear reactor just full of energy to spare. Letting out energy on excess.

Mrs. Jahrvi: She sure was. More than you can ever imagine. More than you ever knew.

Lisa: *Looking at one of the pictures* Is that the band?

Mrs. Jahrvi: Yeah. That's them. BTS. The Bangtang boys. But... they would prefer just being BTS.

Lisa: *To Sprite* What do you think? Suppose there being something more sound to the case?

Lisa was on the front and she was already with the realization that this case was gonna be a real ringer.

As for Jeremy...



Jeremy: *Thinking* I can't really say too much. But what i do know is that if they were at the concert and there was in fact... a possible attempt of an abduction it would have been done from the west end of the concert grounds. Where there sadly is less security. If i was a abductor... I would study the area of where i could perhaps look for the point that'd have the least security. If you were a young one... where would you go... where would you stand. While not knowing if you'd be taken and snatched by some abductor?

Jeremy was thinking about the whole thing. He had a couple of theories on what may have happened. But for the time being... he didn't mention it. He didn't want to bring any attention to it. Not any unnecessary attention. He wanted to look for some possible viable sound clues.

Jeremy: You cover this side and see if you find any evidence of a struggle. Or perhaps something that could be a clue. I'll go to the other side and see on doing the same. We'll work our way down and meet back here. If you find anything... tag it and take photos's of it. Bag it. We'll take it to evidence. I'll do the same. If there is a clue here... we'll find it. We won't stop till one's found.

Jeremy was reeling to get with searching. He knew that for the abducted children... who were missing... time was short and if there was someone behind it all... how long would it be before he/she made their next move on one of the children? Time was running out...



Jeremy: *Pulling out a cigarette and placing it on his lips; Lighting up and smoking* ... *Getting started on looking for clues*

What were they gonna find... Would it bring them to a positive spot?

Eyes without a face

Jeremy: *Singing* "I'm All Out Of Hope
One More Bad Dream Could Bring A Fall
When I'm Far From Home
Don't Call Me On The Phone
To Tell Me You're Alone

It's Easy To Deceive
It's Easy To Tease
But Hard To Get Release

(With background harmonizers) Les Yeux Sans Visage eyes Without A Face
Les Yeux Sans Visage eyes Without A Face
Les Yeux Sans Visage eyes Without A Face
Got No Human Grace Your Eyes Without A Face

I Spend So Much Time
Believing All The Lies
To Keep The Dream Alive

Now It Makes Me Sad
It Makes Me Mad At Truth
For Loving What Was You

(With background harmonizers) Les Yeux Sans Visage Eyes Without A Face
Les Yeux Sans Visage Eyes Without A Face
Les Yeux Sans Visage Eyes Without A Face
Got No Human Grace Your Eyes Without A Face

When You Hear The Music You Make A Dip
Into Someone Else's Pocket Then Make A Slip
Steal A Car And Go To Las Vegas Oh The Gigolo Pool
I'm On A Bus On A Psychedelic Trip
Reading Murder Books Tryin' To Stay Hip
I'm Thinkin' Of You You're Out There So
Say Your Prayers
Say Your Prayers
Say Your Prayers

Now I Close My Eyes
And I Wonder Why
I Don't Despise

Now All I Can Do
Is Love What Was Once
So Alive And New
But It's Gone From Your Eyes
I'd Better Realise

(With background harmonizers) Les Yeux Sans Visage Eyes Without A Face
Les Yeux Sans Visage Eyes Without A Face
Les Yeux Sans Visage Eyes Without A Face
Got No Human Grace Your Eyes Without A Face
Such A Human Waste Your Eyes Without A Face
And Now It's Getting Worse"

Macie: *Voice-Over* The search for clues and evidence was on... This was where it all would start. Our only question we'd have to ask ourselves would be... would we get a lead?

I have to admit; now that Jeremy has confirmed that his family and him used to have a name in the entertainment industry, it has been a whole lot easier to read the intentions behind their movements. Namely, that there are no ill ones at all. While I understand that Sprite has a tendency to snap back at whoever tries to put a leash on her, I know 100% know that there's no evil behind Macie and Jeremy's demands. They are used to being on and backstage, planning their acts and moves with their employees. That would explain why Macie'd been so eager to be in control- because for years, it was all they were used to. We'd have to cut them some slack now. The Lightfoots had only been in this game for a humble 7 years; it would foolish of either me or Sprite - who's only been my partner for the last 4 - to think that they'd be experts on handling partners right off the bat. Even if it's such a minor detail, it has instilled me with hope. When the case'd come as far that we'd talk to the BTS boys, I'd at least have a guy with celeb experience on my side; useful'd be an understatement.. Anyway, the meat and bones of this work is upon us now. It would be best to focus, find our evidence, and bring an end to this child-abducting nightmare. === Randle Pentecost "Don't worry about me, kid, been in the business for over 20 years; I know what to do," grinned Randle, blowing a puff of smoke into the chilly night air. He wanted to humor Jeremy's urge to chew the 'search it-shoot it-bag it' protocol out for him; it was only appropriate. "Make sure to give me call if you uncover a piece leading off the perimeter, last thing we want is either of us straying off on our own in this part of town. Good luck." With that, he Zipped - an ingenious app invented in 2055 that allowed people to share their phone numbers through an AirDrop - his partner his number and went on his way, entering the roofed bus hangar like Jeremy'd suggested he would. "Hm, now where has the peep gone?" A few months ago, Sprite and him had agreed on the fact that there two kind of silences in place: there was either the calm silence, pure and unassuming, usually heard in places that were supposed to be silent as they were.. and the tense silence, which was what Randle was sensing now. Here and now, the lack of sound was like the warning of a hidden force; a spirit-like presence nudging him to get the living heck out of here. "Well, this should help determine if we're dealing with a passion-freak or a grade A maniac here.. where is the bus?" he pondered. Randle's theory was simple: a smart kidnapper would only use the bus to lure the kids in, not keep it, since stealing from his own company would instantly paint the target on his back and might even have opened a bus-hunt without the suspicion of an abducting going around. "Not expecting a public bus either, that would have too many unrelated folks riding it. We're after a coach, at the very least, a straight line to the concert. Those ain't used as frequently, so they gotta be.." He'd be damned, there they were! Three motor coaches stood hidden in the back end of the garage, not yet stripped of their posters. "So would that be..?" Ears turning to scan his surroundings for the slightest off sounds, Randle wandered on over to the coaches, which clearly were a different breed from the regular city busses. Wrapped in simple car sticker material, the poster of a group of androgynous Asian boys stared back at him. "These have to be those BTS fellas. Can't say I get the appeal." Not that it mattered; middle-aged men weren't the target audiance anyway. "I'm sure this guy's started simple, no way there's a whole trio of psycho bus drivers behind this.. but which one is it?" That required a closer inspection. Randle made sure to jot down the license plates on the coaches first, then stuck his notepad back into his trench's pocket. Nothing in particular jumped out on any of the busses; aside from their designations, they were identical in shape and state. Clean, plated with BTS promo posters, only the expected filth from the streets on the tires- except for one. "Huh.. that doesn't look like your average gum collage.." He crouched down and gently trailed his fingers across the dirt on the middle bus's tire. "That kinda reminds me of.. clay? Something sandy. Guess this big boy's been taking a tourist route.." While the other coaches had clean tires, this one bore traces of having gone off the beaten track. Away from the city and concert grounds. Randle scribbled down a key words about his findings so that he could report back to Jeremy in a moment. He wanted to check out the inside of this bus together, to make sure he wasn't missing anything. He'd learned that obvious clues left by smart criminals were, often times, misleading on purpose. Thus, a second set of eyes on this item would be of great help. Firstly though, he had to make sure to take a little sourvenir off the wheel. Little did Randle know, however, that as he messed around with the dirt in the tire, something was watching him and Jeremy from the shadows.. === Sprite Cinders Funnily enough, Mrs Jahrvi matched Sprite's mental image perfectly. A woman soft-spoken in character, robbed of even more ardency now that what she cared about most had been taken from her. Without the intention of doing so, Mrs Jahrvi'd pressed a pathos-button without people's systems, and in this case, that would only be an advantage to her. Sprite didn't want to pity her, yet couldn't resist the desire to lend her a hand. "Yep, I'm 'ere from t'former Pentecost Detective Agency, pleasure t'meet ya," Sprite added, trying not to pay the confusing and annoying 'right-wing companion' thing much mind. Lucky for her, focus went on going inside. "Thank'y, Mrs-" To Lisa, she smirked: "After y'. Ladies first, eyy?" If Lisa got to have the fun of calling Sprite a mere 'right-wing companion', the very least she herself could do was reply with a little joke of her own. Contrary to the outside, the inside was a bit more authentic and further away from the picket-fence look. The Jahrvi's extended families, likely from far away in India or something alike, lined the walls, and from the kitchen there was the smells of spices too tasty and refined to be of regular American liking. Sprite could appreciate it from time to time, really. Her best meals during the rebellion were the ones cooked by the people with non-western roots. Feeling welcomed by the scent and the warmth of the home, she settled on a seat opposite of Mrs Jahrvi, figuring Lisa'd do the same. She started them off with a simple starter; Mrs Jahvri illustrated her daughter's passion for BTS, enlightened them with a picture of said Korean pop band - were those supposed to dudes or chicks with short cuts..? - and told them about her mood her kid'd been in on the night she last saw her. Then Lisa turned to her, asking for any input- right off the bat, Sprite definitely had an idea.. somehow, they had to persuade her into allowing them to look through some of her child's things. Crimes like these didn't always come out of the blue, and Sprite had to make sure that there wasn't any trickery involved, or signs of there being a history between this child, the concert and whoever'd abducted her. "Hmh, what can y'tell me 'bout 'ow y'daughter acquired 'em tickets f'tis concert? Did y'help 'er get it f'erself, or was it more'o a group ticket kinda deal wit' whoever she went with?" Something deep inside her hoped that this case would just lead to coincidences, accidents. With most if not all of the kids alive and well, and the only one to blame for their disappearance being their own childish clumsiness. No villains involved, no wild animals, killings or kidnapping plans. It would still be awful, yeah, but it wouldn't hurt her faith in humanity as much. "Oh, shit, maybe gotta ask 'bout 'em other kids too. Gotta be friends'o hers, right? Better get any'o 'em t'talk t'us soon.. better t'get a monopoly on 'tis case, havin' 'em contact any pigs's only gonna make 'tis more complicated than needa be." Eight children, if she remembered correctly, were related to this BTS bizz. How come Mrs Jahrvi was the only one willing to speak? Giving Mrs Jahrvi proper time to answer and Lisa room to ask questions of her own, Sprite spaced off for half a second, reminded of the whole reason why they were even here: the Millers and Tony. Much like the scout boy Macie'd mentioned, they didn't seem to be related to this concert drama.. but what if they were? Too many thoughts and theories were already going on inside her head- crap, she really needed those pills soon.

Jeremy nodded and went on his side. On his side he saw some evidence of a struggle. He didn't know what to make of it...



Jeremy: *Looking at the platform* Okay... There was a struggle. A fight. Clearly this guy or woman... came with the intent of luring some kids over to one of the busses and hold them. The child refuses and tries to struggle. Scream perhaps. The Abductor gets startled as attention is drawn from the other kids who manage to be close by. The Abductor would have had to be of a rather cunning sort. Meticulous. calculating. Now... i'm a Ex-celebrity. But from a celebrity standpoint... if i were performing and saw an abduction... I'd motion for security to adhere to it and try to foil the attempt. Now... okay. The concert was BTS and they were performing. This abductor was possibly counting on a big turn out of young teens showing up. Saw what he wanted and plucked them... harvested the crowd for the ones he wanted.

He looked onwards and took pictures of several points and as he looked on...

Jeremy: *Noticing a watch abandoned on the ground in the shadows nestled by the side of the nearby benches* Hold the phone, love. What do we... have... here?

Jeremy walked over and knelt down before reaching over to grab the watch. He had a pair of gloves on and had a bag ready to place the watch in... sealing it inside the bag and then kept looking on. There was more there... Evidence very likely. But... there was more closeby. Jeremy was about to move on to another piece of the section that he was covering when...

--Whimpering--

Jeremy: *Hearing sounds of crying and sobbing* Who's there? *Hearing thumping and banging* ... *turning to look at one of the parked busses and noticing it rocking a little bit* There is nobody here... but the bus is rockin'. We're not shaking... so earthquake is out. It's not a ghost or ghoul... so that's out. Perhaps an intruder. *Walking over to the bus and checking it out* Hmm...

It was then that he went near it to investigate and as he got closer...

--I want my mom.--

Jeremy: *Speaking out* Hello... anyone there? Whoever's there... this is Detective Jeremy Lightfoot from the Lightfoot detective agency... I'm coming to find you. No one is gonna hurt you.

Jeremy got closer and closer till suddenly seeing the door left ajar and it was when he got inside it...

Jeremy: *Seeing the child crying and trying to break free from the ties* Oh god... Oh sweet dear mother of gasp, love. What... who did this? *On the radio* Jeremy Lightfoot... to Randle. Randle... Come in now. Come to the west side and come now. We have a child here... tied up and appears to be rather beat. Call for an Ambulance and a medivac. Right away.

Something was there and there was bit of a break.

Jeremy: *Voice-over* I knelt down and started to ask the kid some question... as to who he/she was. Turned out that it was a girl from the east side of the residential area of the city. The girl's name was Veronica Fenner. She was very attentive to the details while still shaken as she was made to just cower. She clearly was beaten.

What was going on here?

Would Lisa and Sprite be with any better luck? Would Randle and Jeremy gain a unexpected ally? Would this ally pony up and aide in the case? Just wait and see...

Often times, my mind took ran off to make conclusions any sort of professional shamus wasn't supposed to make. No good house has ever been build on a poor foundation, and that went for cases as well. Nevertheless, when I received a call from Jeremy and heard him out, a half-relieved, half-flabbergasted thought resounded through my head: "Guess our criminal was dumber than I thought." I was, of course, wrong. Yeah, it was incredibly stupid to abduct over 8 children and leave 1 in the very bus stop that you work at.. but maybe that was the point. Maybe they wanted us to think that they were lowly sociopaths with no structured kidnapping plan in mind, just so that they could set up an even thicker barrier of tricks once we realized they weren't.. Either way, decoy or not, I'm still worried for that kid. God knows what the poor thing has gone through; no doubt that even after we dealt with this child-abducting scum of the Earth, they will yet be haunted by this case for the rest of their life. === "Ya found one? Darn it, and I thought this one here was our target bus!" Little did Randle know, however, that the coach was the bus the kids'd been abducted in; the kid Jeremy found'd relocated themselves to another one to hide. "Do what ya can to make the kid comfortable, we don't wanna catch it in a shock. I'm on my way!" Keeping their call running for safety's sake - and a lack of walkie-talkies -, Randle turned away from the suspicious sand-caked wheel and began to stride over to Jeremy's location, back in the parking lot. Yet a few meters before he could leave the depot's hangar, that what'd been watching them from the shadows sprang up behind him and pulled him to the ground by a rope around his neck. "Hhngh!" Randle's phone smacked to the floor with him; out of darn reach! More startled than in pain, he quickly twisted onto his belly and threw himself to his opponent, wrestling him onto his back. Growing anger built up inside of him, the desire to let his metal claws out and slice this guy up.. luckily, he was smarter than that. "Gotta do better than that, pal," Randle growled, pressing a human male in fully black clothes and facial covering to the rough asphalt. "Now you gotta tell me who was so polite to send you to get all this fun started. Where're the others kids?" He quickly used his other hand to grab his phone and informed Jeremy of what had happened; but then, something entirely unexpected rained down on him. "Go to hell, Husk!" A flash, a new and burning ram to his face! Randle was propelled backwards by the blast, and when he was able to open his eyes, the light was gone and his opponent'd gotten into a bus to drive away. "Jeremy, we got a bit of a situation here," Randle hissed through the phone. "This guy's gotta be connected, no doubt; attacked me, prolly wants us to drop outta this case. I gotta go after him, you got the kid?" As the bus started up and began to race by, Randle took a noisy sprint towards his car. He knew he couldn't let this slide.. question was: was he to leave Jeremy with the kid, or did they want to take the risk of bringing the child along to a chase?

Jeremy took the details and understood...

Jeremy: *On the radio* Okay. You be careful. I'll tend to the girl here and see on getting some aide on this end while you chase our lead. It's okay.

Jeremy wasn't too calm about Randle ditching to go after someone... but he knew as to why it was going on. It was a lead and there was no other option. Any leads would be profoundly helpful. No matter from where or who... or what.

Jeremy: *Making a call* Kimberly... meet me at the bus depot parking lot.



Kimberly: *On the phone* You got it. I'll be right there. What's going on over there anyway?

Jeremy: A case. I'll fill you in when you get here. but... please hurry. I am running against time here. Also... get Sandy on the horn. He's gonna be needed as well.

Kimberly: Okay. I'll be right there. 20 minutes. I'm coming.

Jeremy: Thank you.

Call ends...

Jeremy: *Voice-over* I could only sit and wait for the ride and while waiting for the ride... i spoke with the girl. The girl was a troubled girl with a troubled family. They were druggies as from what the girl said. She told of how her parents were planning on selling her to the highest bidder and were looking to buy some drugs with the money that they got for what they attained from the purchase of her. She was still wanting her mom... but thing was... how could she want her mother and or father when she happened to tell me that her parents were seeking to sell her off? That's what i couldn't figure. It rather made me feel sickened to know the fact that there were some parents who weren't the most clean minded or the example of a couple that possessed a set of clear clean morale. I was unsure of whether i was looking to be like a father figure or not... but this was the thing... 12 years ago... i became a father myself. to a pair twin girls. Lolita and Marybell Cassidy Lightfoot. they were both 12 and very energetic. So for the girl to be telling me this... it got me very upset and pissed. Not at her. She was the victim. but i was pissed at the parents. Hers. Treating her like a object that could be sold like a piece of property.

Jeremy: You're a victim. but yet... we can't send you back home... not like this. Plus not to a family who would rather sell you off than love you like actual loving parents should. So... how about you come along and help with the case. food and care and medical aide provided.



Veronica: Okay. Sure.

Jeremy: I'm Jeremy. I'm one of the good guys. Our ride's gonna get here within minutes. Let's go and wait out for the ride.

Veronica: Sure.

Outside the parking lot...

It was minutes later when a car came pulling up and inside the car was...



Sandy: Hey sweetheart. Need a lift?

Jeremy: Yes.

Kimberly: Get in. Let's get going.

Inside the car...

The car was on the move...

Sandy: Hey. Passion... who's the girl?

Jeremy: This is one of the children... or young young teens who were abducted or possibly victimized by some group of bad men... or a single bad man or woman going around getting kicks from taking innocent kids and holding them captive... possibly for ransom...

Veronica: The bad lady... she's got my friend Izzy Lakers... That woman is a gambler and always looking to abduct kids to sell off to a very high bidder. Why she does it is because she figures that the more money she makes for the kids she sells off... the more money she has to throw into the gambler pot... to place big bets. She bets on everything... Horse races... Car races. She goes to casino's and drops at least 2,000 a shot. sometimes... she goes at 5,000 a day and up. My friend Izzy studied her movements and activity.

Jeremy: Who is the bad lady?

Veronica: I don't know. None of the other kids know... She never speaks of her name... Ever. all the kids are made to call her by her codename... Nickname "Mrs. Moneyburn. She goes through money so fast that she just doesn't have an off button. She gambles so much and loses... over half the money every time. When she does... she springs up another wave of abductions and it helps her accumulate more funds for her gambling addiction.

Jeremy however secretly had his phone on speakerphone and it was straight to Randle. Randle had to have heard it and Jeremy was sure of it. IT was vital information. For both sides.

Jeremy: Veronica... where does she usually take you kids?

There were clues and each one were getting to be pretty sound... Was it gonna lead them their big break... or were there to be more twists and turns coming along the way... as the case started to get some strong traction...

Sometimes, when the time is not-so-right and cases turn as violence-packed and sour as ours was turning, I ask myself if I'm not getting too old for this. I know that Sprite says that I do, but at the same time.. that's just teasing. I don't age, not physically anyway, and I can't stress enough how much that bothers me. I know that risking my car and hide with chasing this lunatic in a stolen bus will be worth it in the end, yeah, but it does make me wonder if I'll indeed be doing this for decades to come. Will there come a time that my hardware gives in? Or is my AI that closely modelled after a human's that I'll grow out of it at one point, need a mental retirement? Still, there's one thing I know: as long as evil keeps existing, I'll keep those artificial spirits of mine up high, and face it. === Out of town the bus raced, flying through the streets like a box-shaped astroid from hell. Randle kept on its tail at all times, leaving only minimal space between his vehicle and the suspect's, in case he had a sudden brake-stomp attack planned. During the first few minutes of his chase, the enviroment thinned from the heavily populated downtown area to the suburbs surrounding Metropolis - even in the heat of the moment, Randle's mind wandered off to the missing children that allegedly hailed from this area, the poor Millers and Tony -, though eventually, he was brought back to reality when left the shiny Kansas city behind, crossing into the countryside. Here, the roads were dark and unpredictible, full of unexpected danger. "Oh, someone's gonna have his sandcastle of evil demolished tonight," Randle grumbled under his breath, surprised that even his glowing feline eyes weren't able to see much in this enviroment. The closer they drove towards a certain direction, the foggier the air got. "Ugh, bad news.." However, things really took a turn for the worse when the suspect took one himself; in an instant, he drove the bus off the road and into the hilly grasslands surrounding them; at this point, the mist'd grown so thick that Randle hadn't noticed it happen, if it hadn't been on the clattering noise the vehicle made when it hobbled down the hill. A tad reluctant to be cocktail shaker'ed around his own car, he followed behind, putting his headlights on high beam. This was where his earlier assumptions about something going on in the rural areas around Metropolis were starting to make more sense; the fields eventually became more bog'y in nature, with mud and clay licking at both their wheels, slowing them down immensely. Reeds lashed against the windshield, with foul water splashing up to the underside of his windows. He could've caught him.. until it all came to stop. "H-holy-!!" Out of absolutely freaking nowhere, Randle's car made a mighty prance.. and crashed into a ditch. Wet, brown slush washed all over his window, and after complaining a bit, his headlights blinked out. "Dammit!" Instictively - or so he thought -, Randle turned to get out and assess the situation, but the doors didn't give in nearly as quickly as he wanted them to. Curses crept up at the back of his throat.. yet it wouldn't be of help. "Can I reverse, and-.. no? Allis'll have my tail.." No doubt about it; he was a stuck as a mouse in a trap. His car was, anyway. Randle groaned and kicked open the door, climbing and half-crawling out of the unlucky car through slick and sludge. Not too far ahead, the bus was still struggling its way through the mud- even if he wasn't quick enough to follow it on foot, he could still track the traces in the dirt. However, once Randle closed the car's door behind him and put the locked the poor thing for no practical reason at all, he soon learned that that wouldn't be a problem at all.. Thick, muddy cliffs cut into the ground, blessing the bus with the tracking-down rate of a Samoyed with its paws dipped into ketchup. Hope wasn't lost yet; this job, as dirty as it'd gotten all of a sudden, had only just begun. Now more than ever, Randle was determined to finish it. "Hey, uh, Jeremy, you there?" Seconds later, he found himself talking to his phone again. It would keep him company while he took a stroll through the bogland, as well as hopefully provide him with clues to help his own search once he was able to find wherever the bus was heading for. "Any news on the kid ya found? Things've gotten, uhh.. rowdy over here, but I'm sure that what'll find at the end of my trail here will be worth the effort. Does the child happen to know anything about.. ya know, out-of-town business?" Was his mind playing tricks on him, or was he actually seeing a mysterious shack in the distance? Randle sped up his pace, now soaked from the knees down, and focused on what Jeremy'd answer. The bus seemed far gone, but seeing where the tracks were leading him, the chances of the shack and the bus - and possibly the missing kids - not being connected became slimmer every second..

Jeremy had by then filled Kimberly and Sandy in on what was going on. Told about the case and what was taking place at the time. Where things were going in the case. Sandy and Kimberly both took out a smoke and lit up. They knew that since now they had come to give Jeremy a ride and now that he told about the case and the situation therein... they'd now be involved in the situation as well. It was just how it would go.



Jeremy: *Voice-over* I had then pulled out a smoke myself as i told Sandy and Kimberly exactly what it was that was going on in the case... They didn't really have much involvement in the case. they were involved in it through me... as i was bi. That has not changed since i was 15 years of age. I was into heavy action with Kimberly and Sandy. They were into the heavy petting. That i was all for. But i couldn't think about that. There was a case to do. As we all smoked and took a moment for deep thought on what was gonna go on with this case... i thought about what Randle was likely doing and i know that he heard the details of what the girl knew. He was very surprised by his voice. I realized that and so did the girl. She knew too. She was being very straight on what she knew. She told of what she witnessed and knew that she managed to provide some very sound clues and breaks.

Jeremy: Veronica, Did Mrs. Moneyburn conduct anything revolving Out of town business making?

Veronica: Uh-uh. No. All her business affairs were held within town. For out of town businesses... she'd need to have connections... the kind that were deemed V.I.P status. And she didn't have it. She practically burned all of her bridges and lost most of her clout. She's barely got enough to keep going with her compulsive gambling. But she does have a competitor who does out of town businesses. It's a guy... Someone name Duggenfield. Arno Duggenfield. His idea of dealing with kids was to turn them into sex slaves. He was the one with the dirty mind... but he has been known to branch out to sending the kids he's played with... to the drunk tank. After doing way with them by hooking them on cigarettes and beer. It's awful. Mrs. Moneyburn has been considering doing the same thing... But never reached that point as she too much of a gambling addiction. she counts that as her #1 hobby flavor of the century.

Jeremy: Oh my god...

Jeremy: *Voice-over* That was what got me in a state of numbing shock. I called my mother and told her the news. It was the one thing that snapped her senseless. She sobbed as crimes done onto kids... always got her and upsetted her more than anything as it's a really soft spot for her...

Jeremy: This is like a child sex-trafficking ring. Kimberly... Sandy. We are gonna need to find a way to stop this ring. We have to. We must. The kids are being used in the worst way... We have to stop them. We can't let the kids get used like that. It is a crime considered a felony before god.

Was the fate to the kids... gonna cast a permanent veil of despair... or were they gonna be saved by the detectives in time???

"I see," Randle answered through the phone, his throat tightened once he heard the child's voice. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out. From what I can tell, though, we might be meeting that disgusting beast of a man a bit sooner than expected.." So not only were they dealing with this so-called 'Mrs Moneyburn', there was a second player in the field too. "Hey, Jeremy, take care out there, okay? I gotta hang up now, got something here.." This was getting worse and worse with each passing second. Randle ended his phone call with Jeremy and stuffed his device into his trench coat. "Sooner we get to this, the better.. but I'm not sure if I wanna see what's going in there.." he fretted, crouching by a patch of a ticklish grass and undergrowth at the border of the shack. It was just two stories tall and made out of rotting wood, seeming to hail from the era of the first settlers in the US. As excitingly Western-movie as it looked, though, Randle wasn't eager to go in. "There's a gnarly smell coming from that house.. no darn place for a child, for anyone at that. Bus's already here though. God, I hate this case already.. Gotta get a look now." Utilizing the agility his creator'd been so kind to bless his body with - which, over the years, had crumbled with the aging of his metal skeleton -, Randle sneaked past the bus and into the wooden shack. Nobody was there. At least, not the son-of-a-witch who'd punched him with a blesslight and a rope to the throat, earlier that night. Eyes peeled regardless; the guy must've gone somewhere, and there was no telling if he'd decide to look around the house himself later. Ears turning towards every sound, Randle crept around the corner and onto the stairs to the second floor; at the top, however, he froze. Whimpering. Raspy, tormented, weak puffs and sighs. The reek was more intense here than everywhere else in the shack. Something was waiting to be seen. Randle breathed it, glad that he was unable to wretch at the smell, and pushed forward into the unknown. Then he saw it: enough to break a man's soul into pieces. In the dark room, rusty cages meant to hold a guard dog at most stood lined against the walls, all with their doors open and as deprived of prisoners. There were feces, vomit and other bodily fluids plastered into the corners of the cages, as well as desperate handprints smeared with those substances on the walls; small handprints, children's. And, almost put out in display for Randle to see, one object that confirmed that this house for horrors was indeed connected to Jeremy'd witness and the cases as a whole: a Spiderman shirt, child's size, torn and sprinkled with blood. His body knew no pain nor fear, but his mind was a mess. In total silence and disbelief, Randle stumbled over to the t-shirt and plucked it off the floor. These used to belong to a kid, a child, a youngster with dreams and ambitions, a favorite animal, color and food. A sentient, living creature, treated like a cursed doll. He had to tell Jeremy. Randle's grip on the shirt tightened, his hand reached to his pocket to grab his phone- something grabbed him. "H-nuh!" Small, bony fingers; a grip hardly stronger than the bite of a flea. It held onto him, tighter than ever.. and then it fully slumped. Falling from the darkness of a corner came a child, head shaven and with a touch colder than the night. "Oh God.." He turned around to crouch and catch them, holding them onto his lap like the dramatic Pietà of old. The child shivered, wanting to say something, but their condition was getting the better of them. "Ambulance.. dammit.. we need an ambulance," Randle whispered, shoving a trembling hand down his pocket to make the call. Ambulances were good news, but what came with it wasn't: if he called on the public forces, he was to expect all of them. Randle didn't necessarily have anything against the police, but their intervention wasn't something that would help their case. In the end, though, he had no choice: this kid was doomed to die if they didn't get it any help. And so, he made the decision and called 911. He told them of their location, the nearest highway, and decided to get the child out of the house: ASAP. Yet as Randle walked down the stairs, child carried with both arms, he heard creaking footsteps outside.. voices, just out on the porch. He came to a standstill, holding the kid close, and listenened.. "Damn that woman! She's gettin' bolder everyday with those sales of hers; more money for less quality. She even tried to sell us a ****in' blind kid and some girl with Downs, the damn wench! No, dad, no, I know, woman's got her gamblin' problem, but she gotta understand that we ain't doing no trading if she keeps on handing us the bottom'o the barrel, yeah?" Apparently, Randle wasn't the only one making calls that night. He focused on the voice; yeah, this had to be his attacker. Though who was he calling? "Dad, I know you're not allowed into Metropolis no more. I know! Look, she's got a few more kids taken already, okay? She ain't planning to sell it to us lest we pay her big time, don't want anyone to know she's dealing with her competitors. Yeah dad, fine, I'll see what I can do.. Okay, okay over 'n out.." Competitor? Was he talking about that Moneyburn woman? Randle dared not to flinch- blind kid, a girl with Down syndrome.. he had to talk to Jeremy. Unfortunately, the circumstances didn't let him to that just yet. He had to smuggle the child out of the shack and get it to the ambulance once they arrived. Thing was, they still had the bus man to deal with..