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Chapter 17:
The Return of The Catch and Tapman
Everyone took a seat as, Dr. Victor Guitirrez stood by waiting for them to get comfortable.
"I understand this is uncharted territory for everyone and the timing couldn't be worse. So I'm not going to beat around the bush. There's a lot of things you have to learn. Not just you Detective Lassiter but everyone here. At this moment I'm going to need all of you to follow me up to my cabin. For the rest of the week all of you are going to need training."
"You expect us to up and leave an active murder investigation for this? And what, you just happen to have a cabin ready to train us?"
"Honestly, yes. You see when officer McNab pulled me out of a phone meeting. I was talking to some others who were changed like you. The woman was an old student of mine and is currently an FBI scientist. I was setting up a meeting to train them for the rest of the week as well."
"But why do we have to come?" asked Henry.
"Because, God forbid, one day you have to fight someone in a biosuit. And with that fight you need to know how to fight them and the type of weapons needed for your very survival."
"Gus! We're going to the Xavier Institute!"
"Come on son. The Xavier Institute is for kids. If anything, we're going to the Avengers Academy."
"Gus, don't be the one game at Chuck E. Cheese that isn't broken. This dude's totally got the bald thing going on like Xavier."
"I'd prefer the term follically impaired."
"That still doesn't work Shawn."
"Why are you fighting me on this?"
"Enough!" Karen, Henry, and Lassiter bellowed.
"Now that, that's over...can we go?"
As they walked out of the beach house and into their respective cars, Shawn looked at Lassiter, who was putting Mia and Cuddles in the back seat, and said, "Think about it Lassie. We could be like the Justice League! Or the Secret Avengers!" Lassiter simply rolled his eyes fondly at the younger man and got into the passenger seat of the navy blue crown vic.
Dr. Guitirrez cabin...
An enormous cabin sat nestled in the woods on the outskirts of town. As the several rows of cars pulled up to it and were placed in park, Shawn and Gus were already out of the blueberry and started jumping up and down excitedly.
"Well let's not just stand here. Let's get inside so that everyone can start getting acquainted." Dr. Guitirrez said opening the door.
The interior of what they saw of the cabin was quite lavish without being overly ornate. As they entered the living room they saw priceless paintings, a huge tv mounted above a huge fireplace, and a beautiful couch were four people had their back to the new on comers.
Sitting on the couch were four people. As Lassiter and the others rounded the sofa, the Head Detective exclaimed, "Chuck?! What're you doing here?"
"Me?! What're you doing here?"
"You're both here because you both have a biosuit." said a slightly muscular man with a short scruffy beard and of average height.
The life long friends starred at each other in utter surprise.
"Alright everyone, please sit down. This is Max Conlon. He was the first and most successful person to have the biosuit. He's going to be the one that's going to instruct your crash course in this new way of life."
Not wanting to beat around the bush, "Because of the time restraint we're under, you're going to have to pay very close attention constantly. For those of you who are now bonded with the biosuit you're limits will be tested. Because at the end of the day, your lives have drastically changed. Honestly all of you are a lot more powerful and more dangerous than you think you are. Over the next few days you'll have to learn how to control your mind, body senses, and emotions. The most important control is over your emotions. The more control you have over your emotions the safer everyone else will be." Max said sternly as he looked each and everyone of the in the eye.
"Now that we all understand each other, you all go to the shed and Dr. Emerson and Dr. Skirth will watch little Mia here," Dr. Guitirrez said.
As Dr. Guitirrez, Dr. Emerson, and Dr. Skirth were watching Mia the rest of the adults went to the training facility. The training facility was a giant shed like structure that was attached to the cabin.
It had cement covered walls and had sound proofing materials padding the cement walls. The ceiling was at least 30 feet high and had several logs dangling off of heavy ropes. The shed also had many other dangerous looking equipment placed strategically throughout.
Shawn and Gus then looked at each other simultaneously saying as they fist bumped, "X-Men Danger Room!"
The team came to the middle of the ginormous room and sat on the floor as Max stood in front of them.
"There's a lot of lessons that we're going to over in the next few days but the most important one anger management." At this pretty much everyone turned and looked at Lassiter. To which, Lassiter completely ignored them and starred at Max as he continued to explain. "If you're not in control of anger then your biosuit will convert that anger into feral and primal rage. This form of range is almost uncontrollable if not handled properly. So first question who here is the most angry?"
Everyone pointed at Lassiter who huffed in annoyance, "I'm not the angry one."
Max smirked saying, "Regardless, you're up first."
Lassiter rose off of the floor and stood in front of Max with a posture that screamed defensive.
"Now remember Detective, this is simply to see what your limit is before you shift. And Well, it's come to my attention that your particular sore spot comes from verbal assaults. "
"Just do it."
"Alright. From what I understand you're a die hard Republican am I right?"
Lassiter nodded silently.
"You honestly don't think Ronald Regan was a good president do you?"
Lassiter simply took a deep breath and let it slide off of his back.
"Hmm. Okay. I've heard that you're a little trigger happy Detective Dipstick. Any reason for this?"
Lassiter clinched his jaw tight at the horrible name and accusing question.
"I think the police in general should try different tactics to apprehend people regardless of your need to own a gun. Maybe this is crazy, but I think the right to own a gun is trumped by the right not to be shot by one." Lassiter took several deep breaths on that one, crossed his arms and kept quiet. Which absolutely floored his colleagues.
"Very good detective. But my only real concern is for your partner and your daughter back in the cabin. Do you really think that you can always protect them?"
Now all Lassiter could see was a blinding tent of red! With in seconds he transformed and Everyone's eyes went huge with wonder now rather than fear this time around. With his ferocious set of fangs bared, Lassiter lunged at Max. In response, Max transformed into a white and black colored biosuit monster. Although not as tall as Lassiter but Max was more experienced. However even with that experience, It took a bit of effort but max was able to pin down a still very pissed off Lassiter. Once the Irishman was settled down and reverted back to his normal form did Max release him.
"I'm sorry detective. No one wants their daughter or partner to be insulted or threatened but I had to see how you handle pressure. For the most part you did extremely well."
"Mia's not my daughter. But know this. If O'Hara or Mia gets hurt in anyway because of you...you'll be this armless, legless, faceless thing rolling down the street."
"Sounds like your describing a turd in the wind."
Lassiter simply starred angrily at him.
"And really that kid's not yours? You act like a helicopter pop..."
Lassiter cut him off saying, "Do not play with me."
"Okay, okay I'm done. You can sit back down now Detective Lassiter."
"So is anger the only emotion to trigger a transformation? Like the Hulk?" Shawn asked in his usual way of animated enquiry as Lassiter sat back on the floor next to Juliet.
"No it's just generally the easiest emotion to transform under. But any strong emotion will trigger it. Hate, love, anger, excitement, lust,..."
"Whoa there slugger! Thanks we get it!" Lassiter said as he was turning red.
"Alright...who's next?"
Over the course of the next several hours, everyone was tested. The normal humans were tested on their fighting skills or lack there of for some of them. They were shoved, chased, shot at (with rubber bullets), and more!
The biosuit clad people were tested on their strength, fighting, speed, jumping, climbing, and more for them as well!
By the time dinner rolled around, everyone was hungry and dead tired. But on the bright side, they all had new weapons. The humans were equipped with new weapons such as a Hexaplan which is an incendiary chemical that can paralyze biosuits. Everyone also was given Hexaplan blade. They had sonic vibration gun. They had a miniature heat gun. They had a huge stack of Vervain. And finally they were given a Vitrovate which is a hyperbolic pulse generator.
The biosuit people also had a better understanding of what they could do. But to everyone's surprise the most powerful one of them all was Lassiter. They, Lassiter included, had found out that the Head Detective could conceal his powers from others. He had mild biokinesis, which was found out when he shushed Shawn from talking and much to the loveable psychic's surprise he was unable to talk. Thankfully though, Juliet made her partner give back Shawn's voice. Lassiter now had 360 degree vision. He could induce sleep with a single touch. And he was able to shapeshift his hands and arms into weapons.
So overall, it wasn't horrible. The day was just exhausting.
After dinner, Dr. Guitirrez explained that the biosuit people needed a particular nutrition plan. But thankfully, it wasn't too drastic. The doctor said, "So for those of you who have the biosuits, your nutrition from now on should be high carb and high fat diet. It's the one thing that's never changed within this project."
"Wow Lassie...you're gonna be livin' off of chocolate and tater tots from now on." Shawn said teasingly.
"Spencer that's never gonna happen."
"I dunno Lassie. I t could...I mean we never thought the Catch and Tapman would be back. But here we here! Ready, willing, and enabled." Shawn said with a big grin on his face.
"You mean 'able', Shawn," Gus corrected.
"I've heard it both ways."
"No you haven't Shawn."
Before they could start yet another banter, Juliet asked, "On a different topic...will our jobs as detectives be a cause of worry? Because I'm saying now, I'm not getting another partner. And I won't have another partner."
"It's alright Detective O'Hara. Detective Lassiter has proven himself strong and trust worthy before his teachings today. So it shouldn't be a problem. At least not in my opinion." Max said with a chuckle.
Karen smiled at Juliet's loyalty to her partner and said, "He's right Juliet. Carlton has done very well. I won't separate the two of you." Continuing with a smirk Karen said, "And quite frankly today can count as one of his anger management classes I was going to order him to once this case was solved."
Lassiter sharply turned his head to her with a questioning look. A look Karen promptly ignored with a smile on her face.
"Well with that, you all can adjourn to your bedrooms. We'll see you bright and early tomorrow. And don't worry. I had Max get some clothes for you all before we got here. Also, Detective Lassiter please take this time to call Mia's school. She should stay with you for the rest of the week."
Lassiter nodded in agreement and then Dr. Guitirrez left to go to his master suite.
The adults had split the remaining rooms amongst themselves.
In a room with three beds was Shawn and Gus and Buzz. In another three bedroom was Karen, Emerson, and Doris. In yet another three bedroom was Chuck, Henry and Woody. In the last room with three beds were the FBI Agents Jacob Talbot, his partner Kaela Walker, and their scientist Dr. Butterfly McMillan. And in the very last room was Lassiter, Juliet, and Mia. However, the last room only had one huge bed. Which left the partnered detectives in quite an interesting situation. Before Lassiter could suggest his sleeping on the couch, Juliet had already miraculously read his mind and said sternly, "Carlton this bed is big enough for the three of us to sleep very well. So do not start with me! But if you want to test my wrath I promise you, you're going to regret it."
"I...uhh...was just...going to ask which side did you want?"
"The one facing the door."
"Neat. I'll, uh, take the...the left facing the window."
"Good," Juliet said before kneeling to Mia and said, "Hey Mia, Why don't you and I go get dressed. And Mr. Car will be waiting for us right here."
"Okay!"
As the two girls disappeared into the spacious restroom, Lassiter thought, This is going to be one long night...
TBC
A/N: So here's a new chapter with some new cast! Max Conlon played by Tom Hardy, FBI Agent Kaela Walker played by Aja Naomi King, FBI Jacob Talbot played by Charlie Weber, FBI scientist Dr. Butterfly McMillan played by Julianna Guill, and finally Dr. Victor Guitirrez played by Héctor Elizondo.
The quote about Chuck E Cheese is from the psych episode Ferry Tale. The gun quote is by Andy Borowitz. The follically impaired joke was from Colin Mochrie's Goin Bald Hoedown from Whose Line Is It Anyway.
Also, Hexaplan and Vitrovate are completely made up. :)