Gem Noir
Chapter One: A Dark and Stormy Night


The storm seemed to be assaulting Beach City with an agenda. For risk of sounding cliche, it was truly a dark and stormy night. A violent duet between the rain's percussion and the wind's whistle. And it was music to the detective's ears.

Rose Quartz sat at her desk, furiously studying a collection of photos, documents, and newspapers. Lighting struck outside, immediately followed by the raging crash of thunder. The detective wasn't even phased.

She shuffled through the pile of papers, picking up an article.

Prized Gem Stolen: Mollusc Strikes Again!

She dangled the paper in the air, a small grin crossing her face. Mollusc, her pray. A thief that had been terrorizing Beach City for the past two years. They had pulled off some of the biggest crimes in the city's history, even giving the mob a run for their money. However, nobody knew their identity. They were a ghost.

"Illusive as always, my friend," Rose spoke, as she put down the clipping. This wasn't a job she had been hired for. No, catching Mollusc was her pet project. Something to work on when business was slow.

And business was very, very slow. That was the curse of being a private investigator. When business boomed, it boomed. When business was dead...

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door. Rose stood up. Who on earth was crazy enough to be out in this storm?

She walked to the door, to find a man standing there. A very, very, drenched man.

"Are you the private investigator? Rose Quartz?"

The pinked haired PI smiled, "Indeed I am."

"I need your help."

Rose gestured for the man to come in.

"Would you care for some tea?"


Rose took a small sip from her beverage, a simple green tea. She mentally took notes of the man as he talked.

He had introduced himself as Greg Universe. He had a beard and long brown hair, though he was starting to bald. From the looks of his wardrobe, he was lower to middle class. He was nice enough. Friendly, if not slightly awkward. Honestly, Rose was enjoying his company.

"Mr. Universe, what is it you do for a living?" She inquired. Greg straightened his posture ever so slightly.

"I wash cars," he explained, a smile on his face. He seemed proud of his job, "Although, this'll sound crazy, but that's kinda why I'm here."

Rose swirled the tea around in her cup "Oh?"

Greg shuffled in his seat, "You see, Ms. Quartz, I wash cars for, uh...certain people."

"Certain people?"

He nodded, "The Crystals."

Rose coughed, throwing her tea down on the table. The Crystals were the biggest mob the city had ever known. They ran everything. Hotels, restaurants, drugs, prostitution. The police force. The government.

They owned Beach City.

"Well, this just got a lot more interesting."

Rose sat back, crossing her legs. Greg sighed.

"I overheard some of them talking about...well, something bad."

Rose laughed, "It's the mob. What do you expect, cancer research?"

"I know," Greg sighed, "It's just...I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do anything. And I couldn't go to the police because..."

"You don't know who to trust," Rose smiled, "Well you made the right decision, Greg. You can trust me."

Greg laughed, a look of relief crossing his face.

"Thanks."

Rose adjusted her seat, grabbing a notebook from the table, eager for the new job.

"Now, what are they planning to do that is so awful, that you'd risk being fish-food to tell me about."

Greg looked her dead in the eye.

"A kidnapping."


I really wanted to write something with Rose as the main character, because there just isn't enough Rose centered stories. At the same time, I've been really wanting to do a film-noir like detective story. So I figured, why not both? After spending a few days playing with the concept and listening to the Taxi Driver soundtrack, this story came to be. I hope everybody enjoyed it, and thank you for reading!