Officers Harley and Vantas grab their equipment and head for the cop car where Vriska is waiting for them in the driver's seat. Karkat reaches to open the driver's door, but Vriska quickly locks it. "Oh fuck no you spider bitch. You are not driving me anywhere!" Vriska laughs behind the wheel and jerks her thumb to point behind her. Karkat snarls and tugs at the door in response.
Jade opens the front passenger's side, but says in a loud and stern voice to Karkat before entering, "Get in the car fuckass. Stop being such a baby all the time." Karkat grumbles, but goes in the back. He reaches into his coat pocket for a certain something to make this trip easier.
Vriska shouts behind at him while exiting the lot, "You are not smoking while I'm driving, Karkat!"
"Fuck you! You can't tell me what to do," Karkat claims. Jade reaches into her equipment bag and pulls out a spray bottle. She squirts the bottle in Karkat's face; which ruins his cigarette.
"Learn to respect the driver Karkat," Jade says. Karkat tosses the soggy cigarette into a trash can up front all the time while glaring at Jade.
"Why the fuck do you have that?" he asks.
The human smiles, "I heard that it was good to train stubborn cats."
The drive was fairly short and quiet with exceptions of a growling troll in the back. Upon arrival, the cop car stops at an entrance booth where Jade leans over Vriska to flash her badge and inform the station security that they are there to investigate the missing reporter. Security allows the cops and Vriska to enter, and the group enters the news station.
Inside the station there is a hustle and bustle with trolls trying to scrape together the news for tonight. The trio walks towards Aradia's desk that was pointed out to them by the administrative desk troll. While traveling to the desk, many trolls glared or appeared scared while looking at them.
Jade's curiosity gets to her, "What's with everyone? Surely they know why we are here."
Vriska smirks, "Isn't it obvious?" Jade shakes her head. "Well just look at all of them, a bunch of loser low bloods. They're not used to seeing such a beautiful, exquisite blue blood."
"Yeah exquisite is a word for you," Karkat mutters. Vriska shoots him a look, but continues to follow the cops.
Aradia's desk is what you assume for a news reporter; except that the desk is a little more organized than the others.
Jade takes note of something on the desk, "Oh what pretty flowers!" She picks up a vase with deep red flowers.
"Yeah Aradia got those yesterday," a small troll sitting next to the desk says. "She got those yesterday from another one of her admires."
Karkat crosses over to the troll staring into her orange eyes, "Who are you?"
"I'm a friend of hers. I was so shocked to hear of her disappearance. Tragic." The female troll sighs, "Well I don't know much about the kidnapping, but I'm willing to help out in any way!"
"What do you do here?" Jade questions while putting the bouquet down.
"I gather information for the news, it's very important I assure you," she says with pride.
Karkat slowly backs away, "Yeah that's great." The three walk away, and he turns to Jade to whisper, "What a loser." His partner flicks him on the forehead.
"Excuse me," someone taps on Karkat's shoulder, "But it appears as you need some help "reporting" on Aradia's kidnapping." The group turns around to find a pompous male troll with too much hair jell and possibly too much Botox in each cheek. The troll stands erect waiting for someone to recognize him.
"What the fuck do you want," Karkat intrudes after five awkward seconds of silence. The troll deflates his posture and his light green eyes go big with sadness.
"Don't you know who I am?"
"Like I give a fuck about the news," Karkat says.
"Sorry, but the other news show is more suitable to me," Jade says a little awkward.
"Who would want to watch a bunch of low bloods talk like wanna be high bloods?" Vriska argues.
The troll sneers, "What is a high blood doing here?"
"Work. Real work."
Karkat rolls his eyes, "Yeah sure "real work."" He turns to the troll, "Now why are you wasting our fucking time you ass wipe?"
The troll picks himself up again, "My name is Trawel, and I work here as co-anchor. I'm one of the closes friends Aradia had," he sneers.
"You mean has?" Jade corrects.
"Yeah whatever," Trawel replies ignoring her. "Now I'm sure that I can help you solve this case."
Vriska pulls Jade and Karkat by the arms away from Trawel, "Great job. You're a real contribution to society. Blah blah great job. Real useful information." The blue troll pulls the officers to the other side of the room while Trawel watches confused.
Once away from the co-anchor, Vriska lets the officers go. Jade immediately scorns Vriska, "Why did you do that! He could've been useful."
"Isn't it obvious Jade?" Karkat interrupts Vriska, "That guy didn't give a fuck about Aradia. I know those types of assholes. Want to use the whole thing as a big publicity stunt. All that guy could do is waste our time." The troll scratches his head and continues to search around the room only to cry out in aggravation; which brought attention to the whole room on him.
"Karkat don't bring attention to yourself," Jade shushes waving her hands in front of his face. "We need to look like we are in control. Makes confidence for the citizens!"
"Quiet Jade, I need to think," Officer Vantas growles. "Vriska," the absent minded spider troll snaps back into focus, "write Trawel as a suspect."
Vriska pulls out a notepad and pen and writes down Trawel as the suspect. "What?" Jade exclaims, "You can't go accusing him just because he wanted to abuse the case!"
Karkat pushes Jade away with one finger to her forehead, "Sure I can, he has a motive." Jade glares at the troll.
"Why must you always make things so difficult!" she screams. The news station stops what they are doing and watches them. Jade then notices them and turns shy trying to cover her face. Vriska notices Jade's embarrassment and hides Jade behind her.
"Alright nothing to see here grubbies. Get back to your pointless lives." And with surprising efficiency, the station slowly goes back to their business.
Jade removes herself from behind Vriska and gives a small smile and thank you.
"So you got Trawel as a suspect right?" Karkat says returning to the conversation.
Jade was about to disagree with Karkat again when a small feminine "ahem" was made behind her.
The trio turns around to find a well dressed female troll with light hazel eyes staring at them nervously. "Hello," she whispers, "can we please talk in another room?" The officers look at each and nod their heads.
The nervous troll takes them into another room labled "K. Vtatlos," a room which turned out to be a dressing room.
"Good afternoon," she says. "My name is Kharlotti Vtatlos. I work as co-anchor for the news here."
"Look," Karkat intervenes, "We already talked to your friends and-"
"Please! I'm not trying to pull a publicity stunt for once!" she cries out. Kharlotti takes a deep breath and regains her confidence, "I actually have some information to help you."
"Really!" Jade says lighting up with joy.
"Hold on Officer Harley," Karkat holds her back by the shoulder. He turns to Kharlotti, "What's your deal?"
The troll is slightly shocked, "Nothing at all!" She waves her hands in denial, "I just want to help out." Kharlotti relaxes her hands and lowers her eyelids, "I just . . . I feel bad about what happened. I don't like Aradia that much, but I wouldn't want something bad to happen to her."
Jade places her hand on Kharlotti's shoulder, "It's alright, now tell us what you know."
A deep breath and then, "Yesterday a package came for Aradia. They are the flowers on her desk. It's not surprising though, everyone gets gifts from the fans. But this one had a card on it. Asking to meet her that night, but Aradia kind of ignored it. I'm worried that she knew more than she let on about that admire."
"Where did the card say to meet?" Jade asks. The officer instructs Vriska to jot everything down.
"It didn't really say. Just some "special place," but I have no idea what that could be. And the card is who knows where."
"Thanks Kharlotti," Jade smiles comforting, "Your help will really contribute to this case."
"I have one more thing to ask," Karkat intrudes. He spent the majority of Kharlotti's hints thinking in silence. "Who spread the idea about Aradia's disappearance?"
"Uh I think it was her," Kharlotti points to the orange troll that they were talking to earlier.
"Great thanks," Officer Vantas dismisses walking towards the other troll. Vriska quickly follows behind while Jade gives a final goodbye.
"You," Karkat barks at the troll causing her to jump in her seat, "we need to have a talk. It looks like you'll finally be of use for the case."
"Oh that's great officer." The troll says regaining her composure, "What do you want to know?"
"First," Karkat stops to realize something, "what the fuck is you name?"
"Pampeon."
"Great Pampeon, now why did you report Aradia's disappearance to others that are not the police department?" The troll finally pulls out a cigarette for himself, he lights it making the interrogated troll even more nervous.
"I-I don't understand what you are asking officer; also I don't think you're allowed to smoke-"
"What I mean you fucking idiot who needs to get the nook stain out of their pants, why did you report a missing person, when it wasn't even twenty-four hours, to citizens? What about the police department? Why are we even calling it a kidnapping without any evidence of one?" Karkat takes a deep breath and shakes his head, "This case is so fucking stupid." Karkat stares Pampeon down hard. The troll starts to sweat. Officer Harley finally comes up confused at the situation.
"The law here doesn't necessary restrict it to twenty-four hours, and well I was worried, she didn't mention missing work and she was in perfect health. Plus I called her apartment and got no answer. I worried; there are lots of people who would want her. I was hoping someone could find out what happened. She has made a lot of enemies and stalkers through her work."
"Are you one of them?" Karkat growls.
Pampeon gasps, "What?"
"Karkat you're scaring her," Jade protests.
He ignores her, "Are you a stalker? A lover from afar? Must be hard to love someone when others buy her extravagant gifts, or are they yours?"
"What! No I didn't-" she stammers.
"Karkat," Jade warns.
Officer Vantas spits a mixture of nicotine and spit in Pampeon's face, "You love her and it tears you apart that you are still below her even when you are above her blood caste. She is still better than you. You are just that fucking pathetic!"
Pampeon breaks down crying orange streaks. Jade pulls Karkat away, "What is your fucking problem! You made her cry!" No worries about drawing attention now, the entire room is watching them make a scene.
"I do love her," Pampeon cries, "but I would never take her away! I'm not crazy like that!" The troll broke down in to loud, strong sobs.
Karkat backs away, "Welp I'm calling this a day." And he heads for the exit leaving a stunned Vriska and Jade behind. The leftover two scramble to catch up with Karkat.
"What is your problem?" Jade asks exasperated when she is finally caught up with Karkat outside the building. The troll officer tosses a finished cigarette in a nearby trashcan.
"To be honest," Vriska starts as she catches up, "I didn't know you had it in ya' Karkat."
"That makes me feel great Vriska," Karkat sarcastically responds. He grabs another cigarette, "Did you get everything down?" Vriska nods her head.
"Yeah, but I don't know where you're going with this."
"Good question Vriska." Officer Harley says. She then squints her eyes toward Karkat, "Just what was your goal in all this?"
Karkat shrugs his shoulders, "I winged it."
"What!"
"Calm yourself Jade, even making it up I accomplished some shit," he stops walking in front of the cop car to finish his smoke. The others wait for him.
"Like what did you accomplish?" The human queries.
"Well I got my question of who made up the rumor about Aradia's kidnapping solved. I still would like to know where she is, but I wouldn't call it a kidnapping." Jade groans annoyed. "Also I don't think anyone in there kidnapped her. If those flowers are connected to her kidnapping, then no one in the station would kidnap her."
"What's your reasoning?" Jade asks.
Vriska answers for Karkat, "Low blood trolls aren't interested in fancy, expensive gifts. It reminds them of the bad times. Low bloods are more appreciative to homemade gifts with high sentimental value."
"Exactly," Karkat confers. "And if anything can come from this, we at least look like we know what we are doing. Isn't that what you wanted Jade?" She doesn't answer. "Well I also enjoyed the little Good Cop Bad Cop interrogation. Nice job Jade." Jade glares angrily at the trickery. "Now as for case, we can't continue the case until tomorrow if Aradia doesn't turn up by then. Sollux will have a search warrant for us then, and we can look for any evidence inside her house."
Vriska and Jade stare at Officer Vantas a little impressed and annoyed. "I guess that's it," Jade agrees. "We'll meet at the department and go to her house quickly."
The spider troll claps her hands together, "Good work team! Now who's hungry?"