Welcome back, peoples! I is has'ing a beta reader now! Could you tell by my exceptional writing? Whatever. So, if you haven't been keeping up the Suritium series, you need to watch that because I won't be describing any of these new locations in much detail. I'm too lazy for that. I'm also running out of things to say before the story. Also, I'm making Ike the chief in this because in the series he built most of the SCPD HQ, he's the only one with an office, and he managed to catch Mystery AND Geohny. Unfortunately, he's also bad cop, but whateva. Also, Suritium ended again while I was gone. :( So lets get on with it.

Chapter 4: Confrontation

Geohny Bobson POV

Strange. That's the only word that could describe Mystery's behavior recently. Come to think of it though, he's been especially irritable since the two new citizens had arrived. Perhaps the SCPD's ignorance was simply the straw that broke the camels back? Either way, Mystery had done something that could not be undone. And he needed to know why. Granted, this man was the closest thing he'd ever had to a father. And although he would never say it out loud, Johnny knew that Mystery thought of him and his brother as sons. Although, he insisted they either call him boss, or Mystery rather than use his real name when they were working. The two of them would follow their father figure to hell and back. But first, they needed to know why.

It didn't take long to find him. He was in his office, looking at the map of Suritium on the back wall, his back turned to the door. His coat was hung up on a quartz rack in the corner of the room, revealing the worn Black shirt he wore underneath. The moment Johnny stepped into the office, Mystery spoke.

"You wish to know why I nearly killed three men yesterday." It wasn't a question. He knew why Johnny was there.

"It would have been enough to simply burn down the tower. But to knock out Timby and attack Jesse...all that TNT. Why?"

"It was never my intention for any of them to die there. I needed them to think It was, though. It was no accident that I left behind my flint and steel for them to find. Nor that the furniture shielded Timby from the flames long enough for Ike to find him. It was a risky plan, but it payed off"

"But why put that idea in their heads?" Mystery sighed, then turned around. His messy dark brown hair and intense chocolate eyes always intrigued Geohny. When he wasn't wearing his coat and that trademark grin of his, he looked just like any other citizen. Of course, lately that grin had begun to give way to a scowl. Even now, the mischievous glint that usually marked his eyes was gone, replaced by a sad look.

"...I made a promise, a long time ago. Before I even met you and your brother. And despite my best efforts, I have failed to keep it thus far. Despite that though, I shall continue to uphold it to the best of my abilities." Then he grinned, and amusement filled his eyes once more. "Besides, how else could I have gotten their attention, and still had fun with it?"

Suddenly, the PMT (Private Message Tube) let out a ding, signalling that someone had sent a written message to Mystery HQ. Those who even knew the PMT existed had been few ever since the comms had gone up. Those who knew that Mystery had a personal PMT address were even fewer, limited to just the three of them. There was only one person who could have sent that letter.

10 minutes previous...

Three loud knocks sounded out throughout the Mystery Shack, followed by Ike calling out; "SCPD, open up!"

"Ike, why are we here? Honestly, who would be stupid enough to hang around this shop the day after the fire?"

"You've been here longer than me, so you should remember that Timby used to own this shop. Back then, Fred Bobson worked here, and he fits the description you gave me. 5'11, with Dark brown hair."

"Your right, he did! And it can't be coincidence that this shop became the Mystery Shack, or that the Fred Bobson sapling was kidnapped from my front lawn!"

"Exactly!" Ike exclaimed.

"But still, even if someone is here we can't lock them up just based on that."

"No, we can't. However, after our mystery man, pun intended, who bought this shop from Timby took over, he moved it from behind the mall, to here. This is where the meth lab prank used to be."

"And one of the things being sold in bulk here is meth! Although, we've never been able to prove that... Do you think there's an entrance to the meth lab inside?"

"I'm hoping so, yeah." Then finally, the door opened, revealing a familiar face. Johnny.

"Long time no see, detectives. Whats this here all about?"

"Following up on a lead. May we come in?" Jesse said. Johnny opened the door the rest of the way open, and the two cops entered.

"I heard about the fire. Awful. So what can I do ya's for?"

"You mind if we take a look around?" Jesse asked, getting straight to business.

"Don't ya need a permit for that?" He asked, failing to mask the nervousness in his voice. Ike pulled a folded piece of paper from his suit and placed it on the counter top, with a grin.

"We sure do" He said. Without another word, Johnny moved to let them behind the counter. As soon as he did, they both turned their backs to him to look at a trapdoor on the ground. Jesse crouched down, and tipped it slightly ajar, revealing a dark room. And that's when he heard the dull thud of a night stick striking the back of Ike's head. He fell to the floor, and Johnny was upon him in seconds, swinging the rod for another blow.

Jesse's training immediately kicked in, and he ducked under the first swing. Johnny quickly used the momentum of the missed strike to launch another attack, but Jesse managed to draw his sword and deflect it, than deliver a sharp right cross to his jaw. The hit left Johnny in a daze, and Jesse tackled him to the ground, twisting his arm behind his back, effectively disarming him. Behind him, Ike began to stir. "You can't hold me, I know my rights!" Johnny called out in a panicked voice.

"Actually, I can. We now have you on armed assault, and I'm betting that we're gonna have hard evidence that you've been illegally manufacturing and selling meth too. I hope you like bars, Johnny, cause that's all you're gonna see for a long time."

"Ugh. He got me good..." Ike mumbled behind him, as Jesse slapped cuffs onto Johnny's wrists.

"Please, did you see how fast I just took him down? He could not have gotten you that good." Jesse told him, with a grin.

"Yeah, well not everyone can be as awesome as the great and powerful Jesse Gabel." Ike said, with a roll of his grinned again, and pulled Johnny to his feet. Suddenly, the door burst open and a huge cloud of thick white smoke exploded into the room.

"Crap! Smoke bomb, get dow-" Jesse didn't even finish his sentence before a fist came flying at his face from the thick smog, and he barely had enough time to dodge. Unfortunately, that meant letting go of Jonnhy, who promptly turned and gave a kick to the stomach. The leather armor he had replaced the 7000 spectacular did little to shield him, and his gut exploded with pain. Ike immediately rushed to his aid, checking Johnny into the wall, and blocking a punch from another assailant that looked exactly like Johnny. Ike blocked another one of his punches, and countered with a headbutt that sent the second man reeling back.

Then a black coat appeared from within the smog, and shoved Ike back over the counter. Jesse rushed him, and received a precise kick to the leg, sending him back to the ground with a grunt of pain. Mystery followed up by palm striking him in the chest, sending him into the wall, hard. Ike jumped over the counter, throwing a punch in midair, and landing it right in the cheekbone. Mystery's hat flew off, but before Ike could get a good look, he dropped to the floor and swept his legs out from under him. The breath left his lungs as he hit the ground, and when he looked back up, all three were gone.

"ugh...Next time, we wear body armor..." Jesse groaned from the other side of the shop.

"Agreed"

Too close. He had come too close to losing someone to that man again. He knew what he had to do. But out of respect for her, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Mystery sighed. his coat flapped in the wind, and he closed his eyes, remembering the last time he had felt the wind blow through his hair. He stood before a finely carved marble gravestone, with Johnny and Geohny behind him. The stone read; Here lies Lily Question. He opened his eyes once more, and knelt down to place a single rose at the base of the grave.

"Its hard to believe its already been 7 years. I miss you, Lil..." He spoke quietly, a tear sliding down the side of his face.

"Boss.." Johnny began.

"We aren't working, Johnny. There's no need for formalities."

"Of course, Fred. Are you ever going to tell us who she was?" He asked. Mystery remained quiet, as he stood and turned to face them. The Jonny brothers faltered when they saw his face.

"..I-I'm sorry, it wasn't my place to ask-" Johnny started

"No. No, you both have a right to know." He sighed. Several moments passed, before he closed his eyes and sighed once more.

"She was my fiancee"

DUH DUH DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!

Plot twist, Mystery has a tragic past! Is it backstory time!? I suppose so. But you'll have to wait for the next chapter ;) R&R, peeps.