Adventures Of The Cat Bureau: Season One
Episode One: The Girl Who Disappeared Twice
Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen was sitting at his desk, in fact he has been sitting there for a while lost in his thoughts. Business was running short and there had been no cases since Haru, who had been in danger of marrying a cat; more specifically, the Cat Prince of the Cat Kingdom whom Haru saved from being run over by a truck. This was a month ago and Baron wished he could see his most recent client again, for he had found respect in her when she stood up to the arrogant Cat King, who now had retired and gave the crown to Lune.
"Baron, you've been staring into space for a while now" said Toto, the stone crow with a soul who, with the help of his crow friends, safely returned Baron, Haru and Muta back to solid ground again as a staircase which to a human who wouldn't believe magic existed would be impossible. Not to Haru, who experienced the thrill of walking on the staircase.
"Toto, I've just been lost in my thoughts, there is no business for the Bureau today, just like any other day..." replied Baron, his head resting on his enclosed hand, looking at Toto who evidently had just been in the human world with his crow friends, perhaps?
"You're not wrong to say it's getting boring around here, especially without Muta-where is that furball anyway?" Questioned Toto, it seemed to Baron that Toto was looking to spark another daily argument, although neither of them had seen Muta all day
"Right here! New case?" Muta came through the doors in the middle of the conversation, to interrupt with this question. "If you're looking for a new case, start looking here" while saying this, Muta walked over to Baron and dropped an article at his desk, indicating he should read it aloud.
"Let's see: Only yesterday, the teenager was seen near her home in the area, but reports say she did not return home that evening. This is the fourth disappearance this month, where all the victims have been female students of ages 14-18. The police warn those this applies to to be careful when traveling and not to travel alone." Baron continued "There are no witnesses so far, but it is suspected that these victims are being lured into narrow dark alleyways, though how the victims disappeared has no existing theories at present." This was the end of the article, and Baron began to process what he had just read.
Well, I don't know about you Baron, but I'd say we're dealing with an expert here" Muta commented.
"What do you propose we do then, Baron?" Questioned Toto
"I'd suggest we look around older articles, dating from the beginning of this month up to yesterday, and look into these girls' histories, find a link which may tell us why they were kidnapped-Muta?" Baron stood up, once he said this and Muta responded instantly
"Then it's a good this I keep articles until the end of the month they're published in, sometimes you underestimate me birdbrain" commented Muta with pride in his voice.
"I didn't say anything you unoriginal hairball!" Replied Toto, slightly raising his voice
"Toto! Could you and your crow friends scan the local area daily, at least four times just to ensure the safety of the the local students, if your friends see anything, they should pay attention to every detail and report back to you or myself if another kidnapping is suspected" finished Baron
"Got it!" Toto flew out of the balcony, back to the human world to report to his friends. Only Baron and Muta were left alone
"So this is an official investigation for the bureau?" Questioned Muta
"... correct" Baron replied hesitantly, his mind wandered off again and Muta considered that he shouldn't disrupt Baron's thoughts, so he left to sort out the articles he mysteriously hid somewhere, where he hid them no one knew, not even Baron.
The next day...
"Muta, did you find anything?" Asked Baron once Muta came in the bureau doors
"I found all the articles which describes the chicky's who disappeared, though I can't find a link between them" replied Muta "maybe you'll find something I missed"
"Very well, let me take a look at those articles" requested Baron. He began reading the articles and did not look up until he found what he had been looking at, the evidence was right under his cat nose and it took him a while to realize a vital clue, immediately he drew out a map he had of the entire city, where all four victims were last seen, and marked with his ink and quail the locations. Only when Baron plotted the last location did Muta realize what he missed; all four locations formed a square on the map, Muta took the quail, marked the centre of the square and looked at Baron who also heard a noise outside the bureau-Toto was back.
"Baron-"
"Hold it birdbrain, we found something vital, I'll go first!" Interrupted Muta
"I doubt it's more important than what I found! Baron hear me out before furball interrupts again" continued Toto
"Both of you enough! Toto will go first, it may be urgent" stated Baron
"One of my friends reported seeing one of the victims I described somewhere different than where she was last seen according to the article" Toto said in a hurry
"Which one?" Asked Muta
"The fourteen year old girl apparently, the one spotted last in the bottom left corner of the map you've hung up there-what's that about?" Toto said pointing towards the map with his outstretched wing.
"Time for our news Baron, should I tell or should you?" Asked Muta
"Toto, on this map is the location of all the teenagers where they were last seen according to witnesses, it can't be a coincidence that they form a square" explained Baron "where is the location of the one your friend mentioned"
Toto flew over to the desk cautiously not to knock anything out of place, and pointed out a location close to the centre of the square which narrowed down the location where the Bureau might find the girls, especially as Toto added "my friend said there is an old building there that has been abandoned for years, this may be where we should look"
"Nice work Toto, we'll set off there tomorrow, you and I will travel the air, Muta will make his way on foot, all to divert suspicions, this is acceptable?" Inquired Baron. The other two nodded simultaneously in agreement of this strategy and the all set off they're separate ways: Muta left for his usual spot of a white plastic chair outside a cafe; Toto took his place on his pillar and morphed back into his original stone self; and Baron took his form back as a wooden cat figurine. The Bureau fell silent for the night, only to rest for the adventure the next day.
The next day...
"Are we there yet..." Muta said to himself, he and the flying duo, Toto and Baron, were on their way to the abandoned location, he was falling behind Toto who flew ahead so Baron could scan the area before investigating the building internally.
Once Baron and Toto arrived, they looked through each and every shattered window for any sign of life or evidence that life had once inhabited the building during the month the teenagers went missing. Nothing.
"This is indeed strange, Toto..." Said Baron. Suddenly movement caught Toto's attention at the ground floor, as he swooped immediately into thick branches of a tree, much to Barons confusion
"The lower left window, Baron, there's someone in the room" After Toto alerted him, Baron could make out the figure moving a sheet of metal to reveal a knocked down wall, a gap leading somewhere that wouldn't be obvious just by looking from the outside. Baron could only just make out the outline of a staircase descending into the ground, Toto was thinking the same thing
"No one would have found them, they're right beneath us! What now Baron, we can't move the metal on our own can we?"
"Muta might be capable of doing it, we'll wait until he gets here" informed Baron. The duo continued to watch the shadow figure of a man as he emerged from the gap he disappeared into, and after a couple of minutes he left the building. As if perfect timing, Muta turned up almost exhausted from walking all this way, and Toto flew beside him for Baron to explain what they just witnessed.
Suddenly something started making beeping noises, being guided towards the noise, Baron found technology which he couldn't identify-knowing next to nothing about technology in his old-fashioned bureau. He hesitated before pressing the biggest button, and hearing a message come through loud and clear:
"Is there someone there or is my imagination playing tricks on me? It's either that the security camera is picking up CGI"
"If you're aware of our arrival and can hear my voice, we are real-who are you and where are you watching us from?"
"Are... are you really real? I haven't seen a human being in almost a month, but I didn't expect a dapper cat in a... brilliant suit! Where did you get it?"
Baron, the only one who had been speaking to this voice, discarded the comment on his appearance once he heard a vital word "month? Are you one of the teenage girls who has gone missing during this month? How are you communicating with us?"
"The news mentioned all of us then, how did you- never mind for now, we're all here, just make your way in if you know how?"
"We have located the entrance, we will join you shortly"
"Bring the device with you, we'll stay in touch"
Once Muta removed the entrance, Baron, Toto and Muta cautiously walked down the stairs, and flew! There had been no contact to the device from the female voice they all heard, and none of the Bureau team knew how to make it work the other way. After a few minutes of silence, the device rang out again, causing them all to jump
"Just so you know, I forgot to mention it's like a labyrinth in here, once you find the others, I'll guide you out-"
"You mean to say you're not with them?" This voice belonged to Toto
"The others are in a group but I separated myself from them to contact the outside world- take your next right- you picked up my message after a month of broadcasting"
A thought clicked in Barons mind "you didn't mention us saving you-"
"My priority is the others first, if you're unnoticed by the kidnappers, then I'll let you come back for me"
For a second, Baron thought she smiled on the other side, because of how confident she sounded when she said she'll let the bureau go back for her. "What's your name?"
"Hey you're really close now, just at the end of the corridor, second door to your left!"
"I'll ask again, what is your name?" Repeated Baron
"What's yours?"
"I am Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen-"
"Well, Baron, the kidnappers are back, my CCTV cameras just picked them up, they're already in the tunnels, the door that's holding the other three is activated by voice recognition but where I am I could override the system and open it but..." her voice trailed off which made Baron uneasy.
"They'll be alerted to your activity and whereabouts, and they'll catch you before we reach you..."
"Nothing will escape you, but I'll still do it for them, I'll be fine! I'll handle it on my own, my escape"
"No, just listen to me-"
"Deactivation of door initiated, I suggest... you run"
"... thank you, I wont give up on you just yet though!" With this, Baron released his hold on the button, and he turned to the watching duo, as all the girls were watching at the same time, he allowed them to hear him too "Muta, get these young ladies out of here, I've marked the way with white chalk in case we should lose contact with our new friend, Toto you will leave too, wait for my return to the surface in case I need to make an emergency get away"
"Got it! Good luck" informed Toto
"You get back to the bureau yourself Baron, you'd better come back, you hear?" Said Muta with concern in his voice. A moment passed and the group left without Baron, who proceeded deeper inside, where he heard a commotion which ended a minute before he reached his destination: a door at the end of a narrow darkened corridor, opened slightly-keeping to the shadows to avoid being seen by the wrong human, he cautiously stepped into the room, full of technology beyond a normal average civilian could use, to find them destroyed, electricity flying off ripped wires (which wouldn't harm Baron as he was made of wood), the lights were out too, exploded, some of them still working which allowed Baron to see he was alone in this room. He pressed on the button of his device and spoke into it; "hello, are you there? Hello, say... something", Baron heard a faint voice in the other side of the room, and cautiously walked over-someone was repeating what he was saying in a distorted sounding tone. "Where... are you..." the voice was now loudest under some metal rubble, and Baron kicked it aside to reveal an identical device to his: the girl who assisted him had disappeared, and it appeared that the kidnappers had gotten here first, taking her elsewhere. The room was silent, and Baron found himself holding his breath. He left the room.
"... she knew what would happen Baron, she accepted that she would have to wait a little longer, for us" a girl stood next to Baron, Kasey, the fourteen year old.
Baron was back at the bureau, along with Muta, Toto, Kasey, Kiki, and Hikari. The three remaining girls were escorted to the hidden refuge via a portal (a similar style to what took Haru to the cat kingdom), and Baron had been staring into space. Miss Kasey, what was her name?"
"She never told you..."
"..."
Kasey sighed "she said if someone happened to come-which you have- she would resist revealing her name as part of a 'game' and she would put her life on the line, I'd known her for just over three weeks, and I think... you'll definitely see her again, and you'll eventually learn her name when the time is right"
"Thank you. I'll see all your safe returns home."
"My new friends and I have agreed that this place is our secret" the other two approached as she said this.
"If you find yourself troubled by something mysterious, or a problem you can't solve, you will always find help here, and the bureaus doors will be open, be it day or night" Baron smiled to the three girls.