The Case of the Black Lion--Chapter 2
by HA
A few screams continued to sound off from outside the bathroom. Bo and Blake looked at each other silently and wide-eyed and immediately ran out.
What they found outside shocked them. People were picking themselves off the ground, which was littered by pieces of food, shattered remains of dishes and cups, and puddles composed of coffee and other beverages. A few were shaking, and others were calling for someone to call the police and an ambulance. In fact, some had pulled out their cell phones and were hysterically shouting into them. Stepping into the chaos, Bo and Blake noticed the waiter from earlier was on his knees holding his right arm. Alicia was near him and from the looks of things, was trying not to fall apart on the spot. The boys couldn't blame her; they noticed the oozing blood underneath the poor man's hand. A crowd was forming around the waiter, whose teeth were clenched as he breathed through his nose.
Amongst the people, Bo and Blake found Shirley. Yume was holding her by her arm, and Lucy was being helped up from the floor by C.D. "You okay?" the blond-haired boy asked.
"Never better," Lucy answered with a smile, and when C.D. began to blush, he quickly let of her and looked away.
Rushing towards Shirley, the two boys asked at the same time, "Are you okay?" They froze and looked at each other as the teen sleuth answered them.
"I'm fine." Shirley looked at Yume. "If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't be."
Bo looked past his friend and noticed the bullet hole where Shirley had been sitting. "You saved her?" he said to Yume.
Yume nodded. "I pushed her down right before the shooter fired."
"Thank God," Bo muttered, and then he realized something. "Hey, why are you guys here?"
Lucy brushed herself off a little. "We came to tell Shirley some good news about our masked friends."
"ENIGMA?" Blake said.
"Yep." Lucy fixed her scarf. "Then, this guy in a gray trenchcoat came in..."
"...and all hell broke loose," C.D. said, his face free of redness. "The waiter who got shot yelled 'Get down!'"
"He pulled out a gun," Shirley said. "As everyone ducked to the floor, he fired towards the waiter, and a few seconds later, he aimed towards me, and next thing you know, I'm being pushed down into my seat."
"Then he ran off," C.D. said.
"Why didn't any of you do anything to stop him?" Bo asked, his hands forming into fists.
"It happened too fast," Lucy said. "Besides, we're not exactly supposed to use our abilities in public."
While Bo stewed, Shirley walked towards him and Blake, and before they could react, she threw her arms around both of them and hugged them tightly. Both boys blushed, and looking at the Strangers, Bo noticed Yume smiling at him.
Parting from her friends, Shirley took a deep breath and regained her composure. "All right, I noticed that the shooter had some sort of mask."
"A skull," Lucy said. "A human skull, to be exact."
"He also had this weird headset," C.D. said. "Like a targeting scope."
"Great, ENIGMA," Bo muttered. "Just what we need."
Police sirens sounded off from outside, and the familiar flash of red and blue leaked through the front window. "That was quick," C.D. said.
Blake looked around at the people, especially the waiter, who was being held up by Alicia and a man dressed in a stocking cap, a "Save Cyberspace" T-shirt, and pants that almost sagged to his knees. When he looked back at Shirley and the others, he blinked. "Where'd Yume go?"
* * * * *
The shooter looked down from the top of a nearby building. Thanks to his special training, he had climbed the fire escape within minutes of the shooting without being pursued. Through the visage of death he chose as his trademark, his eyes beheld the police cars and the ambulance now parked in front of the Quazar Cafe. He curled a gloved hand into a fist and cursed his bad luck. He had been so close, so very close.
"Admiring your handiwork?"
The question had caught him by surprise, and he spun around to see a dark clad figure with a pair of red eyes staring at him. As he made out the features of the other, he gasped. "You," he said, his voice revealing his accent.
"Don't forget about me."
The shooter spun around to see a pair of yellow eyes with a wicked grin below it. "You!" he cried, and he pulled out his gun. Seconds later, it fell to the rooftop, and the shooter clenched his teeth as he lowered his hand, now with a spiral shaped shuriken embedded in it.
The two figures closed in. "So, care to play a game?" the yellow eyes asked.
Shaking, the shooter reached into his coat with his uninjured hand.
* * * * *
Outside and inside the Quazar Cafe, the police interviewed people about what happened moments ago. As Shirley and her friends made their way outside, they picked up what everyone was saying and confirmed the description of the shooter and what had transpired.
"You sure you're all right?" Bo asked the young sleuth as he stayed close to her.
Shirley stopped and saw the waiter sitting on the end of the ambulance. His sleeve was rolled up, and a paramedic was examining his arm as Alicia stood by his side. Nodding to each other, Shirley and Lucy left the company of the boys and made their way towards the ambulance in time to hear the waiter speak.
"I will be fine," he reassured Alicia.
"Are you sure, Jim?" Alicia asked as Shirley and Lucy appeared behind the paramedic.
"I'm positive," he answered with a grin. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Shirley looked past the paramedic and focused on the waiter's arm. The gunshot wound was wrapped in bandages. Shirley immediately picked out part of a tattoo above it. It was black and resembed the lower part of a large lion's mouth and mane. Shirley heard a gasp besides her and saw Lucy staring at the arm.
"Oh my God," the Stranger whispered.
"You're a lucky fellow," the paramedic told Jim, who let out a little chuckle. "The bullet just winged you."
Jim watched as the police began taping off the Cafe. "Looks like we'll be off for a while, hey, Alicia?"
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" the paramedic asked.
The waiter shook his head. "As long as the wound causes no further trouble, I will be fine." He stood up. "I think it will remind me to be more careful next time, yes?" he said with a smile.
Alicia smiled. "As long as you're all right, Jim."
As Jim and Alicia walked away from the ambulance, Shirley and Lucy followed them. They appeared in front of them. "Hello," Lucy said with a smile.
"You have an interesting tattoo," Shirley said. "May I see it again?"
Jim frowned. "I have to go home now."
Alicia frowned at Shirley. A plainsclothes detective with a mustache walked up to Jim. "Excuse me, sir, but we have a few questions for you."
"Why?" Jim said.
"Well, most of the people we interviewed said the gunman shot at you and at another person." The detective rubbed the back of his head. "We just want to know why."
"I know nothing, I'm afraid," Jim answered firmly.
"Maybe, but we want to be sure, sir," the detective said. "If you'll come with me..."
"I tell you, I know nothing," Jim insisted.
Alicia appeared in front of Jim and spread her arms out protectively. "Can't you see the poor man isn't in the mood?" she told the policeman, her eyes filled with anger. "He just got shot, for God's sake!"
The detective looked at Alicia. "Miss, I understand your concern, but we need to know what happened, and we think this man may know why someone took a shot at him."
"There were two shots," Jim said. "I recall not being shot at twice. Perhaps this was a random act."
"Maybe, but it's be more likely he'd shoot until his gun was empty, right?" the detective said.
"Perhaps he had only two bullets," Jim said.
The detective frowned. "Look, when a guy in a mask starts shooting at people these days, people are going to panic. I'd like to prevent something like that from happening in the near future, so if you could just tell me what you know..."
Jim stepped out from behind Alicia, who looked at him with widened eyes of worry. "You want to know what I know?" he said, his eyes firmly fixed on the detective. "This is what I know." He got closer to the detective's face. "I came to this country to start a new life, and now for some strange reason, a madman comes into my place of work and tries to shoot people at random! I do not know why, and I do not really care at the moment. That is my official statement."
Shirley studied Jim closely as he told off, and she noticed how his hand trembled while he spoke. The police detective probably noticed this as well. "If you say so," the detective said. "However, I might have some more questions for you about this..."
"I do not have a phone," Jim answered.
"Oh?" The detective raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll just ask your boss on how to contact you, and..."
A sudden flash of light from a nearby rooftop got the attention of some people, and they pointed it out to the gathered policemen. "Find out what the hell that was!" the detective ordered, and a number of blue-uniformed men ran towards the spot. Grumbling, he left Jim and walked towards a well-dressed woman with a microphone. A man with a camera mounted on his shoulder followed her as best as he could.
Shirley noticed the news van parked across the street, and more were coming in. She looked at Jim, who was walking away from the scene while Alicia was following him. "I believe it's time to go."
Lucy nodded. "I believe you're right."
The two girls walked towards their friends while the detective dealt with the reporter, and Alicia continued to walk with Jim. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"Home," Jim replied without looking at her.
Alicia frowned, then stopped as Jim stopped. "What's wrong?"
Jim looked towards the spot the light had come from. He began to shake, and his breathing quickened for a while. He exhaled a few times and continued walking, leaving Alicia to wonder what happened.
* * * * *
"Tricky little guy, isn't he?" Tomie Uzumaki asked as she rubbed her eyes.
Damian Thorne kept his eyes on the area below. "Hmmmm..."
The yellow eyed girl with green hair styled into two long pigtails with spirials at their ends rubbed her chin as she watched Damian. "You know, he seemed to recognize us, and that accent..." She snapped her fingers. "Of course! He's one of the..."
"We must go and rejoin the others," Damian said as he walked away from the edge. "The authorities and the media are here."
Tomie frowned as Damian started to walk away with his comlink out. "If you say so," she said as she followed him.
* * * * *
"Okay, I'll see you at home, then," Lucy said, and she hung up her comlink. "Damian and Tomie cornered the guy, but he got away."
"Big surprise there," Bo remarked as he looked back at the scene in front of the Quazar Cafe. Reporters were swarming the police as they did their best to keep things under control, and customers took turns recalling the night's events. "Good thing we left in time."
"Tell me about it," Blake said. "Dad's coming home tomorrow, and I'm sure he'd like ot look into this case."
Shirley looked at Lucy. "You recognized the tattoo."
Lucy nodded. "I'll explain everything tomorrow," she said before Shirley could say another word. "I'll call you after school, okay?" She turned to C.D. "Let's go."
Shirley nodded, and Lucy and C.D. left Shirley and the others. C.D. stayed close to her as they departed into the night.
"Guess we can't do anything for now," Blake said.
"Hmmmmm..." Shirley pondered the past events for a moment. Her brain processed the imformation she had gathered.
"Well, I'd better go," Blake said. "Need to make sure everything's ready for Dad's return." He didn't see the look of disappointment on Shirley's face. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He began to walk away, and as he passed by Bo, he whispered, "Take care of her."
Shirley frowned as Blake walked away. "I'll walk you home," Bo said, but he sighed as his best friend kept her eyes on the departing Blake.
* * * * *
Shirley and Bo stayed silent as they rode their bikes to the Holmes residence. When Bo looked at her, he started to blush, and he became very intent on keeping his eyes focused on what was in front of him. Still, he looked at her occasionally, and when they arrived at the large Victorian house Shirley called home, he offered to walk her to the door.
"That won't be necessary," Shirley answered, but she lookded at her feet since Bo was very close to her.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Bo asked as he suppressed the trembling in his voice.
"I'm fine," Shirley said, but her eyes never met his.
"Hey." Bo laid his hand gently on her shoulder. "Just take care, okay?"
"Thanks," Shirley said.
His face reddening, Bo removed his hand quickly and walked off with his bike. As Bo left, Shirley rolled her bike to the door. She was about to knock on the door when it flew open.
Wearing a rose red-colored robe and matching furry slippers, Dr. Joanna Holmes stood in the doorway. The TV was on in the background, and Shirley made out a female voice reporting about the Quazar Cafe. For a while, the two women stared at each other silently. "Mom," Shirley said, breaking the silence as she left her bike near the door and entered the house.
Dr. Holmes threw her arms around her daughter, and Shirley found herself enveloped in red. She hugged her mother back and leaned into her shoulder. Seconds later, she let go of the tears waiting to be released. As Shirley sobbed, she and her mother tightened the hug.
* * * * *
At the Knight residence, a goggleless Damian sat in the kitchen and dialed a number on his comlink. He listened to the dial tone and waited.
The other line picked up. "Hello?" a man asked, sounding tired.
"It is me," Damian said. "I have found him."
by HA
A few screams continued to sound off from outside the bathroom. Bo and Blake looked at each other silently and wide-eyed and immediately ran out.
What they found outside shocked them. People were picking themselves off the ground, which was littered by pieces of food, shattered remains of dishes and cups, and puddles composed of coffee and other beverages. A few were shaking, and others were calling for someone to call the police and an ambulance. In fact, some had pulled out their cell phones and were hysterically shouting into them. Stepping into the chaos, Bo and Blake noticed the waiter from earlier was on his knees holding his right arm. Alicia was near him and from the looks of things, was trying not to fall apart on the spot. The boys couldn't blame her; they noticed the oozing blood underneath the poor man's hand. A crowd was forming around the waiter, whose teeth were clenched as he breathed through his nose.
Amongst the people, Bo and Blake found Shirley. Yume was holding her by her arm, and Lucy was being helped up from the floor by C.D. "You okay?" the blond-haired boy asked.
"Never better," Lucy answered with a smile, and when C.D. began to blush, he quickly let of her and looked away.
Rushing towards Shirley, the two boys asked at the same time, "Are you okay?" They froze and looked at each other as the teen sleuth answered them.
"I'm fine." Shirley looked at Yume. "If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't be."
Bo looked past his friend and noticed the bullet hole where Shirley had been sitting. "You saved her?" he said to Yume.
Yume nodded. "I pushed her down right before the shooter fired."
"Thank God," Bo muttered, and then he realized something. "Hey, why are you guys here?"
Lucy brushed herself off a little. "We came to tell Shirley some good news about our masked friends."
"ENIGMA?" Blake said.
"Yep." Lucy fixed her scarf. "Then, this guy in a gray trenchcoat came in..."
"...and all hell broke loose," C.D. said, his face free of redness. "The waiter who got shot yelled 'Get down!'"
"He pulled out a gun," Shirley said. "As everyone ducked to the floor, he fired towards the waiter, and a few seconds later, he aimed towards me, and next thing you know, I'm being pushed down into my seat."
"Then he ran off," C.D. said.
"Why didn't any of you do anything to stop him?" Bo asked, his hands forming into fists.
"It happened too fast," Lucy said. "Besides, we're not exactly supposed to use our abilities in public."
While Bo stewed, Shirley walked towards him and Blake, and before they could react, she threw her arms around both of them and hugged them tightly. Both boys blushed, and looking at the Strangers, Bo noticed Yume smiling at him.
Parting from her friends, Shirley took a deep breath and regained her composure. "All right, I noticed that the shooter had some sort of mask."
"A skull," Lucy said. "A human skull, to be exact."
"He also had this weird headset," C.D. said. "Like a targeting scope."
"Great, ENIGMA," Bo muttered. "Just what we need."
Police sirens sounded off from outside, and the familiar flash of red and blue leaked through the front window. "That was quick," C.D. said.
Blake looked around at the people, especially the waiter, who was being held up by Alicia and a man dressed in a stocking cap, a "Save Cyberspace" T-shirt, and pants that almost sagged to his knees. When he looked back at Shirley and the others, he blinked. "Where'd Yume go?"
* * * * *
The shooter looked down from the top of a nearby building. Thanks to his special training, he had climbed the fire escape within minutes of the shooting without being pursued. Through the visage of death he chose as his trademark, his eyes beheld the police cars and the ambulance now parked in front of the Quazar Cafe. He curled a gloved hand into a fist and cursed his bad luck. He had been so close, so very close.
"Admiring your handiwork?"
The question had caught him by surprise, and he spun around to see a dark clad figure with a pair of red eyes staring at him. As he made out the features of the other, he gasped. "You," he said, his voice revealing his accent.
"Don't forget about me."
The shooter spun around to see a pair of yellow eyes with a wicked grin below it. "You!" he cried, and he pulled out his gun. Seconds later, it fell to the rooftop, and the shooter clenched his teeth as he lowered his hand, now with a spiral shaped shuriken embedded in it.
The two figures closed in. "So, care to play a game?" the yellow eyes asked.
Shaking, the shooter reached into his coat with his uninjured hand.
* * * * *
Outside and inside the Quazar Cafe, the police interviewed people about what happened moments ago. As Shirley and her friends made their way outside, they picked up what everyone was saying and confirmed the description of the shooter and what had transpired.
"You sure you're all right?" Bo asked the young sleuth as he stayed close to her.
Shirley stopped and saw the waiter sitting on the end of the ambulance. His sleeve was rolled up, and a paramedic was examining his arm as Alicia stood by his side. Nodding to each other, Shirley and Lucy left the company of the boys and made their way towards the ambulance in time to hear the waiter speak.
"I will be fine," he reassured Alicia.
"Are you sure, Jim?" Alicia asked as Shirley and Lucy appeared behind the paramedic.
"I'm positive," he answered with a grin. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"
Shirley looked past the paramedic and focused on the waiter's arm. The gunshot wound was wrapped in bandages. Shirley immediately picked out part of a tattoo above it. It was black and resembed the lower part of a large lion's mouth and mane. Shirley heard a gasp besides her and saw Lucy staring at the arm.
"Oh my God," the Stranger whispered.
"You're a lucky fellow," the paramedic told Jim, who let out a little chuckle. "The bullet just winged you."
Jim watched as the police began taping off the Cafe. "Looks like we'll be off for a while, hey, Alicia?"
"Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital?" the paramedic asked.
The waiter shook his head. "As long as the wound causes no further trouble, I will be fine." He stood up. "I think it will remind me to be more careful next time, yes?" he said with a smile.
Alicia smiled. "As long as you're all right, Jim."
As Jim and Alicia walked away from the ambulance, Shirley and Lucy followed them. They appeared in front of them. "Hello," Lucy said with a smile.
"You have an interesting tattoo," Shirley said. "May I see it again?"
Jim frowned. "I have to go home now."
Alicia frowned at Shirley. A plainsclothes detective with a mustache walked up to Jim. "Excuse me, sir, but we have a few questions for you."
"Why?" Jim said.
"Well, most of the people we interviewed said the gunman shot at you and at another person." The detective rubbed the back of his head. "We just want to know why."
"I know nothing, I'm afraid," Jim answered firmly.
"Maybe, but we want to be sure, sir," the detective said. "If you'll come with me..."
"I tell you, I know nothing," Jim insisted.
Alicia appeared in front of Jim and spread her arms out protectively. "Can't you see the poor man isn't in the mood?" she told the policeman, her eyes filled with anger. "He just got shot, for God's sake!"
The detective looked at Alicia. "Miss, I understand your concern, but we need to know what happened, and we think this man may know why someone took a shot at him."
"There were two shots," Jim said. "I recall not being shot at twice. Perhaps this was a random act."
"Maybe, but it's be more likely he'd shoot until his gun was empty, right?" the detective said.
"Perhaps he had only two bullets," Jim said.
The detective frowned. "Look, when a guy in a mask starts shooting at people these days, people are going to panic. I'd like to prevent something like that from happening in the near future, so if you could just tell me what you know..."
Jim stepped out from behind Alicia, who looked at him with widened eyes of worry. "You want to know what I know?" he said, his eyes firmly fixed on the detective. "This is what I know." He got closer to the detective's face. "I came to this country to start a new life, and now for some strange reason, a madman comes into my place of work and tries to shoot people at random! I do not know why, and I do not really care at the moment. That is my official statement."
Shirley studied Jim closely as he told off, and she noticed how his hand trembled while he spoke. The police detective probably noticed this as well. "If you say so," the detective said. "However, I might have some more questions for you about this..."
"I do not have a phone," Jim answered.
"Oh?" The detective raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'll just ask your boss on how to contact you, and..."
A sudden flash of light from a nearby rooftop got the attention of some people, and they pointed it out to the gathered policemen. "Find out what the hell that was!" the detective ordered, and a number of blue-uniformed men ran towards the spot. Grumbling, he left Jim and walked towards a well-dressed woman with a microphone. A man with a camera mounted on his shoulder followed her as best as he could.
Shirley noticed the news van parked across the street, and more were coming in. She looked at Jim, who was walking away from the scene while Alicia was following him. "I believe it's time to go."
Lucy nodded. "I believe you're right."
The two girls walked towards their friends while the detective dealt with the reporter, and Alicia continued to walk with Jim. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"Home," Jim replied without looking at her.
Alicia frowned, then stopped as Jim stopped. "What's wrong?"
Jim looked towards the spot the light had come from. He began to shake, and his breathing quickened for a while. He exhaled a few times and continued walking, leaving Alicia to wonder what happened.
* * * * *
"Tricky little guy, isn't he?" Tomie Uzumaki asked as she rubbed her eyes.
Damian Thorne kept his eyes on the area below. "Hmmmm..."
The yellow eyed girl with green hair styled into two long pigtails with spirials at their ends rubbed her chin as she watched Damian. "You know, he seemed to recognize us, and that accent..." She snapped her fingers. "Of course! He's one of the..."
"We must go and rejoin the others," Damian said as he walked away from the edge. "The authorities and the media are here."
Tomie frowned as Damian started to walk away with his comlink out. "If you say so," she said as she followed him.
* * * * *
"Okay, I'll see you at home, then," Lucy said, and she hung up her comlink. "Damian and Tomie cornered the guy, but he got away."
"Big surprise there," Bo remarked as he looked back at the scene in front of the Quazar Cafe. Reporters were swarming the police as they did their best to keep things under control, and customers took turns recalling the night's events. "Good thing we left in time."
"Tell me about it," Blake said. "Dad's coming home tomorrow, and I'm sure he'd like ot look into this case."
Shirley looked at Lucy. "You recognized the tattoo."
Lucy nodded. "I'll explain everything tomorrow," she said before Shirley could say another word. "I'll call you after school, okay?" She turned to C.D. "Let's go."
Shirley nodded, and Lucy and C.D. left Shirley and the others. C.D. stayed close to her as they departed into the night.
"Guess we can't do anything for now," Blake said.
"Hmmmmm..." Shirley pondered the past events for a moment. Her brain processed the imformation she had gathered.
"Well, I'd better go," Blake said. "Need to make sure everything's ready for Dad's return." He didn't see the look of disappointment on Shirley's face. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He began to walk away, and as he passed by Bo, he whispered, "Take care of her."
Shirley frowned as Blake walked away. "I'll walk you home," Bo said, but he sighed as his best friend kept her eyes on the departing Blake.
* * * * *
Shirley and Bo stayed silent as they rode their bikes to the Holmes residence. When Bo looked at her, he started to blush, and he became very intent on keeping his eyes focused on what was in front of him. Still, he looked at her occasionally, and when they arrived at the large Victorian house Shirley called home, he offered to walk her to the door.
"That won't be necessary," Shirley answered, but she lookded at her feet since Bo was very close to her.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Bo asked as he suppressed the trembling in his voice.
"I'm fine," Shirley said, but her eyes never met his.
"Hey." Bo laid his hand gently on her shoulder. "Just take care, okay?"
"Thanks," Shirley said.
His face reddening, Bo removed his hand quickly and walked off with his bike. As Bo left, Shirley rolled her bike to the door. She was about to knock on the door when it flew open.
Wearing a rose red-colored robe and matching furry slippers, Dr. Joanna Holmes stood in the doorway. The TV was on in the background, and Shirley made out a female voice reporting about the Quazar Cafe. For a while, the two women stared at each other silently. "Mom," Shirley said, breaking the silence as she left her bike near the door and entered the house.
Dr. Holmes threw her arms around her daughter, and Shirley found herself enveloped in red. She hugged her mother back and leaned into her shoulder. Seconds later, she let go of the tears waiting to be released. As Shirley sobbed, she and her mother tightened the hug.
* * * * *
At the Knight residence, a goggleless Damian sat in the kitchen and dialed a number on his comlink. He listened to the dial tone and waited.
The other line picked up. "Hello?" a man asked, sounding tired.
"It is me," Damian said. "I have found him."