Title: The Scales Tipped

Rating: PG

I'm so sorry about the interlude there, guys! I never really had any definite idea about where I'd take this story when I started, so the ineveitable happened: writer's block. You'll be pleased to know, though, that I suddenly have everything figured out for the rest of the story! ^_^ So it should be 1 week updates from here on in. Let us hope, anyway.

Is anyone else glad they've fixed the whole (...) thing? That's happened in just about every one of the previous chapters of this story.

Beth- I hope I didn't scare you off with the last comment I made about you not asking about Fillmore/Ingrid anymore! There was supposed to be a happy face after that, but ff.net turned it into a line! ;0; Don't be mad at me! **cries**

sinta1- Thank you!

summersitesprite- Yeah, I know. The whole ' vs. " thing is just screwed up. 0_o Oh well, lets just say it leaves room for... creative interpretation?

Blackheart Syoaran- Ah! It was the whole 'Hall of Heroes' thing that Ingrid said. I read something about Luther having a Hall of Heroes where there were statues of like, evil villains. Ingrid was drawing a comparison between that and detention hall. And you know, I thought Stingray was lame too. I'm gonna make him a bit more menacing. Just wait to you find out what he's up to! That won't be for a few more chapters though!

Soulful-sin- Maybe, maybe not... **shifty eyes** Stop making guesses at my plot! ;P I like using characters from the episodes though, because it grounds the fanfic in the series a bit more.

Chris- The world owes a debt to you! Until you submitted that review, I had no clue what to do in chapter five!

Cath2x- Thank you!

Ketchum fan- I hope my little rant up the top cleared things up for you regarding the updates. Sorry again. And thanks for the info on that episode! For those of you who don't read the reviews (why would you?): Augie appeared in This Savior, A Snitch, and the battle was a Revolutionary battle.


Fillmore strode grimly down the hall. It had been a late night and an early morning. His mood, not to mention the mood of the force in general, was particularly off. One of their own had been hit hard, and that was something that was taken personally. If Stingray had been a menace before, he or she had been officially promoted to arch enemy of the Safety Patrol, to be brought down at any cost. But if the officers were taking all of this to heart, no one had been hit harder than Vallejo. Not only was he technically responsible for the entire thing, being Junior Commissioner and all, Neil was a close friend. It didn't matter how many consoling words had been spoken to him in the last 24 hours, Vallejo blamed himself.

It certainly didn't help that the failed sting operation had been leaked to the press. The disaster was plastered all over the front page of the Examiner. It was the only thing anyone seemed to want to talk about. Vallejo had already been pushed by More! More! to give a statement on the incident. It had been near painful to watch. Fillmore had to admire the guy's strength though. For talking about something that was eating him up inside, Vallejo had done an amazing job of maintaining his composure and speaking with a stern voice, the one he usually employed during briefings.

Folsom had been on his back all morning too. Phone calls from her were not to be taken lightly, and Vallejo didn't take them lightly at all. He took them almost too seriously. He wanted Stingray caught and in confinement, now.

Which was why Fillmore was tracking down Augie. The Commissioner was running them all ragged in search of anything that could help them pinpoint Stingray. Augie was proving, as always, quite slippery in his movements. The kid was clever; he knew how to not be found. But slippery as he was, he'd slip up sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. Fillmore had spent the last two and a half hours looking for him.

'Fillmore!'

Tehama was walking down the hall towards him, handcuffed student in tow.

'Sup Tehama?' he asked.

'Found this guy's prints on some boxes stacked at the back of the room where the sting took place. Gonna bring him in and ask some questions.'

Said guy sneered at Fillmore.

'Are you still looking for Augie?'

Fillmore looked back at the Forensics expert. 'Yeah. I'm getting close.'

She shook her head. 'They had him in the interrogation room for 2 hours yesterday. I don't see what you want to talk to him about if they couldn't get a single useful word out of him.'

'Well, first of all, if he didn't know anything then why is he avoiding me?'

The guy Tehama was holding jerked away from her, trying to loosen her grip. She rolled her eyes. 'I've gotta get this one back to HQ. Good luck, Fillmore.'

He nodded and watched her move down the hall. He then watched as Ingrid Third walked down the hall towards him. She, of course, was looking straight through him as if he wasn't even there. 'Where are you off to?'

'Lunch. Is that still legal?' She didn't even look at him.

Fillmore shook his head. He didn't have time to deal with this. He had to find Augie. 'Fillmore.'

The officer pulled out his walkie talkie. 'Fillmore here.'

'We're heading over to question Neil about the incident. I want you to come along,' Vallejo's voice came across the fuzzy radio signal.

'On my way.'

The hospital room was rather typical. Blindingly white. Medical equipment with wires crossing this way and that. Four beds protruding from the left wall, all empty except for the one farthest from the door, the one next to the window. Neil was propped up against a pillow, a food tray balanced on his lap. 'Hey, Vallejo. I was wondering when you'd show up.' His voice sounded tired and rung hollow. He forced a smile, but winced as it put pressure on a gash that was hidden beneath a bandage on his right temple. Various other bruises graced his face.

'Neil. This is Officer Fillmore. He's working on the Stingray case.'

'Along with every other Safety Patroller I hear.' Neil gave another weak smile.

'If you don't mind, I have a few questions,' Fillmore put in. The Intel agent turned his attention from Vallejo.

'By all means, Officer,' he said, nodding to a chair beside the bed.

'We need to know what you uncovered before you were discovered.'

'It's all in my report, but I can give you the basics. As far as I could gather, the deal had to do with a shipment of stolen beverages.'

'Beverages?'

'Yes.'

'Why beverages?'

'I don't know why, but the deal was supposed to take place in January.'

'Then why did it take place yesterday?'

'My "supervisor" had implied that the deal was moved up in light of the disaster in the cafeteria regarding the soda machines. If the school records are right, a shipment of refills arrived for vending machines 2 and 5 the morning of that accident. Those shipments should be in a storage room now, and will stay there until the vending machines can be replaced.'

'And that's all you know?'

'Everything was kept pretty quiet. No one really knew what was going on. We just did what we were told, no matter how little sense it made. Looking back, I can't help but wonder if they knew all along that I was a spy.'

'Who were you working with?'

'Does it matter? They won't help you find Stingray; they don't have a clue who he is. They're just the small fish. I thought we were after something more like a swordfish.'

'A stingray, actually,' Fillmore smirked.

Neil smiled back. 'You're a clever guy, Fillmore. Ever thought of going out for Intel?'

'I like my orange sash, thanks.'

'Oh well.'

'What about Augie?'

The agent gave him a confused look. 'What about Augie?'

'He was found near the crime scene just minutes after the sting took place. Do you know if he had any connection to what happened?'

'I won't say that he didn't, because he tends to deal in the petty things that Stingray might find him useful for. But I never heard any mention of him.'

Fillmore sat in silence a moment, brow creased as he stared at the floor. 'That's it for now. I might be back later to ask some more questions. Gonna follow up the drink shipments.'

'Good luck, Officer.'

Fillmore moved to the door, but Vallejo didn't follow. 'I'm uh, gonna stay a while. Got some catching up to do.'

Fillmore nodded and left the two friends to themselves.

Once outside the hospital Fillmore pulled his walkie talkie off of his belt. 'Anza, you copy?'

'I'm here. Go ahead.'

'Do you know if there have been any reports of stolen beverage shipments?'

'Doesn't really ring any bells, but you might want to check it out for yourself. With everything that's been going on something like that might have been overlooked.'

'Thanks Anza. Fillmore out.'


'Hey.' Ingrid closed the door to find Augie casually leaning against the wall behind it.

'Fillmore's looking for you,' she stated, not in the least startled by his appearance.

'And he's going to find me here?'

'In the school archives? Probably not,' Ingrid smirked. 'I doubt he can imagine the possibility of you even setting foot in a library.

'So what are you doing here?' he asked, nodding his head toward her.

'Research.'

'Oh yeah? On what?'

'Foes. Rivals. It's good to know your enemy.' She walked down a row of old year books, faded dusty red, and reached up to the top shelf where a few bright and new looking books were sitting. 'Let's see, 2002-2003. Here we are.' She pulled it down and casually flipped trough the pages.

'You readin' that?'

'Yes, Augie. I had a photographic memory yesterday and I still have one today.' She smiled genuinely to soften the sarcasm.

'So how does it work?'

'What?'

'This photograph memory thing.'

'I can remember everything I see exactly as it was. Essentially, my mind takes pictures of everything, and I can just conjure them up in my mind and look at them in closer detail whenever I want.'

'So even if you only see something for a split second?'

'I can remember exactly what it was, looked like, said. Yes.'

'Explains why you're such a brain.'

'I take it this room doesn't get used often?'

'Huh? Oh, no. Not really. I mean, once and a while you got newsies coming in here to do background checks, but just about everything is accessible by computer anyway. They can find everything they need without leaving their desks.'

Ingrid eyed the computer sitting against the far wall. 'Is that one hooked up to the school network?'

'Yeah. They all are.'

She turned her focus back to the old yearbook in her hand, stopping on one page. A multitude of photographs of grade seven students smiled back her. She was only interested in one. 'So what can you tell me about Fillmore?'

'Information will cost ya.'

Ingrid rolled her eyes and pushed past him to the computer.

'What are ya doing?' Augie asked incredulously as she began to type furiously.

'If you're not going to tell me anything, I might as well just consult the office records.'

'You mean you're gonna hack into the administration records? You can do that?' Augie pulled a chair up beside her and sat watching with a look of interest.

'Cornelius Fillmore... His first name is Cornelius?' Ingrid stifled a little laugh at that.

'Yeah, what a gag, huh? No wonder the guy's so uptight. He wasn't always though, back in grade six-'

'He has a criminal record,' Ingrid stated in disbelief. She stared wide- eyed at the computer screen.

'That's what I was saying. Man, I remember back when I was in grade five he and Sonny pulled off the Millennium protractor heist. It was some piece of work.'

A sly grin came over Ingrid's face. 'This is interesting.'


Next Chapter: Ingrid meets an old friend of Fillmore's, and 'Cornelius' begins to get a tad suspicious about Third.