Yo! Son Goku and friends! Cell Saga (Chapter 4)
Yamcha
Everyone was there on the Capsule Corp. lawn. Chi-Chi and Launch were cooking up a storm near the table, Gohan making sure to help the ladies.
"Could you take these to the table, Gohan?"
"Yes mom." He said, taking the two large plates, chauffeuring them with a waiter-like devotion. "Whoa~"
"Easy." Piccolo smiled as he caught the plate.
"Thanks, Piccolo."
After the hand-off, Gohan jogged spiritedly to the large gathering at the table.
"These are just the appetisers. The main meal won't be ready for a while."
"Good thing! I'm starving! Goku!" Yamcha yelled.
"Coming!"
Raditz sat on top of the loft by himself, looking down at the Earthlings.
"Why don't you come on down, son?" Dr. Brief asked from behind.
"I'm fine up here, besides, I can fly down any time I want, I don't have to take the stairs."
"Suit yourself." Brief shrugged, putting a towel over his back and walking into the loft.
"Yo! Piccolo! Over here! You gotta try some of this!"
"I'm good."
"Nah, you gotta try some."
Piccolo rolled his eyes at Yamcha's insistence, walking over with a bit of hesitance.
"You ever had a slaw bunny?" He asked matter-of-factly as he handed over the recently placed shishkebab.
"This is a shishkebab. What's a slaw bunny?"
"Slob on deez nuts!"
Piccolo's mood was dashed and dashed utterly.
Krillin and Tien just about busted a gut laughing at the dumb joke, forcing a smile out of Bulma as she bounced Trunks up and down on her lap. She held onto Goten as well on the other side, doing double duty.
"Looks good!" Goku hollered as he took up a stick. "Nom! Nom-nom-yom~ Bro!"
Raditz looked down.
"Get over here!" He waved.
Raditz smiled and caved, floating down peacefully. The Mr and The Mrs walked out of the building and Yamcha scanned the landscape as Oolong and Roshi finally showed up, stepping out of a taxi cab.
"I told you, but you just never listen."
"How was I supposed to know she was gonna try and rob us?" Roshi yelled back antagonistically.
"You never trust a girl with a Birkin bag. That's law."
"Hi, Oolong!"
"Nice to see ya, Goku."
They came in for a handshake but Goku brought it in for a hug, coaxing Master Roshi to do the same.
"Missed you guys."
"Krillin! You old coot!" Roshi yelled with that characteristic cackle. "How the hell are ya!?"
"Doing great, Master. Thanks for asking."
"Movin' up in the world are ya'?"
"Something like that."
Ting~Ting~Tingg!
"Here here!" Yamcha shouted as he ticked a spoon off the side of a tall glass. "Everyone's here so it's time to make our toast! There's one reason why we've gathered here today and that's because we're celebrating a momentous event of paramount importance!"
"It's not that big a deal…" Krillin said sheepishly, shaking his head and laughing awkwardly.
"Krillin finally got promoted to detective! Whoo~"
"YEAHHHHH!"
Tien's scream in particular was deafening, not helped by the fact that he was sitting directly to Krillin's right, claps all around.
"West City finally has a watchful eye on its street corners! No longer do we have to play vigilante justice, we have a real professional in our midst ladies and gentlemen! As of yesterday Krillin was just promoted to detective! Everyone give it up for our boy! Here here!"
Kink-Klinkk!
"Way to go, man." Tien congratulated as he shook Krillin violently.
Mrs and Dr. Brief paid him with some modest golf claps as mostly everyone else went to town.
Tyuu~Wheeeeee!
Goku whistled with the devotion of a cheerleader at the final game of the season.
"Bravo. Well done. Watch out for the cholos." Oolong said as he came in close. "I know you're not gonna be any worse for wear but you gotta think long term. Don't want your partner to get greased in any drive-bys."
"Wow!" Krillin said loudly, unable to stifle a laugh. "That was pretty strong. I don't know if you're allowed to say stuff like that." He couldn't help but continue to laugh.
There was a moment of pause for Launch. She scanned the front lawn, eyes wide with genuine happiness and compassion.
She recalls the time when Krillin and Goku were just children. After coming home successful with the turtle-symboled rock, Krilin had passed the test and was able to have dinner, only Launch hadn't prepared the pufferfish the right way so the little boy got sick as a dog.
"They've come a long way." Launch stated with pride.
"Hmm?"
"Did I say that out loud..? Sorry."
"What do you mean?" Chi-Chi asked earnestly.
"I'm just proud of him, that's all."
Lapis
The precinct was full of toughs and professionals all the same, a perfect synergy of people who looked the part and people who definitely didn't look the part for police work.
Lapis definitely wasn't one of them. An undercover cop working for Homicide.
"Come on now, you're busting my balls." Lapis said with a smile, wide as could be. "You know I wouldn't do something like that intentionally."
He worked his way past the many officers, brushing his hands against their black suits and parrying them as he made his way through.
"Nah nah, I'm glad your record's good, I just couldn't really do much last time."
"Hey Lapis!" One of the more rotund but still distinctly muscular guys hollered with a raised fist.
Lapis waved right back with a hollywood smirk, teeth and everything. He really did look hollywood too, long black hair with a sleek part, piercing blue eyes, and a razor sharp jawline.
"Come onnn." He lashed right back with the cantor of a man who's done that before. "Look, I'll make sure next case we work together I'll get the evidence airtight. I'm not trying to screw you over."
"..."
"Lapis! Get in here."
"One sec. What?"
"Word from the higher ups says you're getting a partner."
"Are you fucking kidding me? No not you, chill."
Be-Bee!
Lapis' bluetooth earpiece sounded and he gave his full attention to the man standing smack dab in the middle of:
Homicide
"Are you serious?"
"Mmhmm." The man nodded slowly.
"Fuckin' A man. Can't get a damn break around here."
Be-Beep!
"Yeah, what's up? Bruh come onnn." Lapis shot back as he sat down deep in a lousy chair putting his feet on one of the many desks littering the room. "I, scout's honour, I gotchu' on whatever case we work next."
"..."
"For real. Gotta go."
Be-Beep!
"Was that the new lawyer girl?"
"Yeah."
"You trying to make a move on her?" The man in the front asked with a sly smile.
"Eww! No!" He yelled back with vitriol, almost falling out of his chair and throwing up.
Krillin
"Alright Detective. You've proven yourself to be a real asset to WCPD, I'm finally transferring you over to homicide."
"Yes!" Krillin couldn't help but pull his fist down deep and lock in a fist pump at his higher-up's command.
"Walk with me."
"Yes sir."
Krillin and the dog-man walked around the facility dodging a few people on the way and settling into a room labeled:
Homicide
"Everyone, this is Detective Krillin. You treat him with respect and we'll have no problems, are we clear?" He pointed his dog paw at everyone in the room.
"Yes sir!"
"Krillin."
Krillin stood stoic, meeting the man's eye contact respectfully.
"Your new partner is going to be Lapis. He's a bit of a rogue and has the most citations out of any officer in Homicide. I'm putting you with him not because you haven't proved yourself but because I trust that you might be the one to make sure that he doesn't get fired and might actually get his goddamn act together."
"Come onnn, it's not that bad!" The man replied, feet on the desk, leaning back with arms crossed.
"He's not even a bad cop, that's why it's been hard to throw the book at him. Please shape him up so that we won't have to."
"Yes sir." Krillin answered with an emphatic salute, giving the man his full attention even as his back was turned and he entered the swarm of officers littering the halls.
"You want a mint bro? Your shit probably smell terrible from all that ass you be kissing." The man joked out loudly, causing an uproar in Homicide.
"Bruh." Krillin made sure to keep to himself.
Pamput
Two men stood in isolation in a nicely lavished hotel room, pink drapes on the windows and embroidered carpets detailing tribal designs. There was a tall brown man with a righteous afro pacing and opposite him, in front of the door, was a very small, fat man wearing a green pinstripe suit and fedora. He tilted his shades down and smiled through his cigar.
"We had a deal, Vodka!" The spirited man shouted down at the suited individual.
Vodka didn't respond, only pulling out a device to relight his cold cigar.
Foff~
"Phhhhh~" He took a long drag before the other man continued.
"I did my fuckin' time man! I fight underground and you get a roll in Space Wars 4!" He accentuated by bringing up the correct amount of fingers on his right hand. "The movie's in post production and I beat up all the guys you asked me to! I'm done!"
"Me and you both know that's not how it's gonna work." Vodka lashed back with a killer smile, a puff of smoke rising high from his hit. "You don't just walk away from the business, Pamput."
"Yeah I fuckin' do! Who do you think I am!? I'm not just some no name!"
"You're right!" He coughed out a laugh. "You're Pamput, the hollywood actor who slept with a little girl! HAH! All too common in the industry I'm afraid."
Pamput could only shake his head as he stared daggers at the man in front of him.
"My guy! You're almost 40 years old! You shouldn't even be fooling around with little teenagers anyway, 18 or not. You were on thin ice and I think you liked it."
"I would Never do anything like that! Ever! How could I know she was underage if she was lying to me!?"
"Doesn't matter." Vodka smiled wickedly. "I got the photographs to prove it." Vodka piled on the pressure by taking a phone out of his suit pocket
"My mama was right, I shoulda neva paired up with a guy like you."
"Sheesh, there we go with the name calling." He laughed out. "I'm trying to be cordial with a pedophile and you're saying I'm the one with screws loose."
"Do you even hear yourself man? I'm the one with screws loose? You know what!?" Pamput zoomed forwards in the blink of an eye, snatching Vodka's phone and breaking it into nothing but atoms.
Vodka smiled and laughed heartily once more.
"I don't even need you anyway."
"Good, cause we're through!"
Klm~
Pamput's expert reflexes sniped out the brandishing of a pistol from a hidden holster.
KOMM! Fwut.
"Nice try." Pamput fired back with a cocky smile, catching the bullet between his thumb and index.
"Good thing I brought some insurance."
"Wha..?"
Pamput turned and it was over.
Krillin
"Movie megastar and cultural icon Pamput has been missing since last Tuesday on the 7th. Here is what actress Cocoa Amaguri has to say about the recent events. Cocoa starred with Pamput in the last picture they filmed together."
"It's all so strange. Pamput was a gentleman whenever we were on set so I can't imagine anyone having a problem with him. I hope he's not hurt. The only thing I could think that'd ruffle a few feathers was that he bragged a lot but unlike most actors he can actually fight for real."
"We were also able to get words from the producer himself, X.S. Cash to give his own piece of mind on the matter."
"It's just absolutely ridiculous! I can't believe that punk would just no-show like he owns the place. He didn't have much work left to do but that's certainly no excuse. Un-Bleep-inbelievable."
Krillin sat with eyes locked on the TV set, half of the officers scurrying all around him and the other half just as invested as The New Detective.
"Damn." One of the officers said as he stood and drained the last of his coffee. "Pamput was sick in Explosions 4. I hope nothing bad happened to him."
The rest got up and soon enough it was just Krillin staring as they nonetheless advertised the new movie he'd be staring in.
"Pamput and Amaguri are set to star in the 4th installment of the exhilarating Space Wars series. This was supposed to be the first film in a new trilogy for the franchise but now that prospect is up in the air since Pamput is nowhere to be seen. This is ZTV coming to you live, we'll be back after a short commercial break."
Krillin breathed out and looked up to the ceiling fan with determination before he closed his eyes and opened them in The Chief's office.
"Sir?"
Hercule turned around, checking his gun and slotting in the correct spot.
"What do you have for me, Detective?"
"I know I've just been sworn into Homicide but I want you to put me on Pamput."
"You're serious?"
There in fact was a serious stillness in the room before Hercule nodded, turning around and checking out the rest of the weapons in the lockers.
KLAMM!
He forced them shut then gave Krillin his full attention.
"You're working with Lapis now, right?"
"Yes sir."
"God help us all." Hercule didn't really even seem to joke, just rolling his eyes and shaking his head.
"..."
"So you think someone axed him then?"
"I have reason to believe he was killed."
"How do you gather that?"
"It's a hunch."
Hercule was not impressed.
"What do you have to support this hunch? I'm not gonna just let you run around and do whatever you please just because you're West City's Superman. We made that clear from the start once you passed the entrance exam."
"Yes sir."
"You're not exempt from due process and you're definitely not above the law."
"Yes sir."
"So what have you got?" He asked with that distinct southern drawl, putting his hands on his belt like the modern cowboy he definitely was.
"Are you familiar with The Tenkaichi Budokai sir?"
"Yes I am. I've competed and even won the Mifan circuit."
"I'm aware."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm friends with The Emperor."
"Get outta here!"
"It's true." Krillin sat on the top of Hercule's desk with a killer smile, The Chief eased up a little finally.
"So..?"
"Pamput competed in The 22nd Budokai. He fought and was eliminated in the first round by my best friend. Now that's not to discredit him at all, he was stronger than an average human by a long shot, capable of shattering the tournament wall. Those things are made from solid stone, if Pamput can shatter a wall like that no sweat he's not gonna die from bullets. I've taken shots from an Uzi since I was 12 years old. You think that's a joke but I'm not kidding."
Hercule recalls the events during the raid on West City.
"There's also The 23rd and 22nd martial arts tournaments."
"May be one of those guys who could shoot fuckin' fireballs out of their hands. They could have had enough playing nice and decided to fry all their enemies during this fuckin' fiasco."
The fact that that one winged creature was just eating up bullets made it all the more real when he came back to reality.
"But if that's true then..? Who could kill him?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"..."
"If Pamput ends up being a case for Homicide, I'm the only one in the department capable of handling myself against a supernatural perp."
"I see."
"..."
"You got it. You've done nothing but good work since you got here, this is your final test. You have my blessing. Get. It. Done."
"Yes sir." Krillin answered with a righteous salute, walking right out of the gun locker room and out into the hall, blazing and weaving past officers as he strided his way to Homicide. "Lapis!?"
"Hmm? The man just raised inquisitive brows.
Krillin just nodded his head once to the outside and his partner stood up with a huff and a sigh.
"Later boys."
"Later."
Krillin lead the way, passing through the halls and finally settling on the other side of a counter at the front desk.
"Can you search for any addresses or names that list Pamput as an attendee, tenant, or homeowner?"
"One moment, Detective."
The girl typing away at the counter took a while but soon enough she produced a list of residences.
"Thanks."
"Mmhmm~" She replied sassily, getting back to her work soon enough.
Lapis put his hands in his pockets and smiled as the pair exited the precinct, filing out of the building and into the parking lot. They piled into a squad car while Lapis whistled a tune.
"So..?"
"So?"
"What are we doing?"
"We're investigating Pamput's disappearance."
"Oh shoot. You think he's dead?"
"He failed to show up during the post-production multiple times since last week. Maybe he's not dead but I have a hunch."
"So you're a hunch guy?" Lapis taunted, holding out a shit-eating grin. "I like that, I'm a hunch guy myself. I think we'll get along just fine."
"I hope so too." Krillin replied, turning the key over and subsequently causing the car to roar to life.
Lapis grabbed the print-out hastily.
"Hey!"
"Chill out, amigo. We're in this shit together, I need to look at it anyway."
The car rose high but not too high into the air before lurching forward and above the streets before them.
"What do you think?"
"X.S. Cash lives in South City. So if they got an in-person interview they'd have to do that in South City."
"You saw the news? You weren't in the newsroom."
"My sister sent me a text as soon as she found out the news." Lapis got out his phone and pressed play on a screen-recorded clip.
"But..?" Krillin countered as they turned around the block. "If he's the producer of that new movie, who's to say the set he was on wasn't somewhere else?"
"Dumbass." Lapis lashed back with a smile. "Look."
Krillin stopped the car on the air and looked over.
"Intergalactic. Wrestling. League." He stated matter-of-factly.
"And..?"
"I guess you don't follow IWL." Lapis followed, rolling his eyes. "Cash is the owner of the largest pro-wrestling federation in the world. That's The IWL hall, that's in South City."
"That doesn't prove anything." Krillin relayed as he started up the car again and began driving. "That just means the interview was conducted where he lives."
"No, it does prove something. I can't believe you're this slow bro." Lapis thumbed through his phone until he brought up another video. "Look."
"It's all so strange. Pamput was a gentleman whenever we were on set so-"
"Same background. She also took the interview in front of the IWL hall."
"Gotcha." Krillin finally nodded his head on board. "So you're suggesting we hit up South City first?"
"Why wouldn't we? What reason does Cocoa have to take the interview in South City unless she was also there for post-production?"
"Sounds good to me."
Lapis smiled like a goofball, snapped his fingers, then pointed finger guns at Krillin before they drove off into the aether.
Lapis
"Hello sir, we're with The West City Police Department, we're here to ask for any information on Pamput's last stay here."
"Sir." The desk clerk reiterated pretty genuinely. "This is South City. What are you boys doing here?"
"Special case." Krillin stated. "We believe that Pamput may have been murdered and there might have been foul play."
"Oh my god…"
"We understand your concern." Lapis stated. "He was pretty sick in Explosions 4."
"I love that movie."
"Me too. It hitted."
"I just need to see some ID, just in case I ratted out the hotel room to a moviestar that asked to keep it quiet."
"Sure thing."
The man looked at their IDs and badges, handing them back soon enough.
"Here's the key to room 619."
"Thank you sir."
"Thank you."
Lapis and Krillin took the elevator.
"What the fuck are you on, bro?" Lapis laughed loudly. "What do you mean you'd get up faster on the stairs!? What are you nuts!?"
Dingg!
"That's 6 fucking flights of stairs dude! Don't tell me you're one of those freak shows." Lapis continued as the pair exited the lift. "You got me fucked up!" He threw his hands up as a declaration as they entered the sixth floor.
They walked down the rest of the hall to room 619. Krillin posed up against it confidently, not drawing his gun. Lapis drew his and put his hand on the door and motioned to open in 3...2...1!
Fwomp! Fwuf~
Lapis scanned both ways and drew his gun back as Krillin sent out a pulse of Ki Sensing.
"Welp."
Skrrrrrrrt!
Lapis drew back the shower curtain and shook his head.
"Nothing. Just a regular ghosting. My man's contract suck or something cause I'm not really seeing any foul play here amigo. Bro..?"
Krillin sat meditating in the middle of the floor which caused Lapis to burst out laughing.
"What tha fuck are you doing, dude!? Hahaha~"
Krillin paid no mind, trying desperately to get ahold of something. The room was no more, only a black canvas around The New Detective. He waited and waited for any ripples in the darkness that were not his own. Finally he registered the faintest most daintiest ripples from long since passed.
"Ki was used here."
"Ki?"
"Chi, energy. Whatever you wanna call it."
"What?"
BVVVVVVV~
Krillin conjured an energy ball in his hand, much to Lapis' intrigue.
"It's what those freaks at The Budokai use. It's called ki. I was searching for it. Apparently someone used it at some point in this room. Had to be somewhat recent, I honestly doubt I would have been able to find out ki usage from a week ago but maybe that's because they didn't open the door..? Fuck, I don't know. I'm not gonna pretend I have any idea of how the physics and shit of ki works but that's something."
"So you're telling me one of those super guys at The Budokai killed Pamput? And you're one of them?"
"Not necessarily no, but someone used ki in this hotel room. Maybe it was Pamput himself. I can't put a yes or no to that yet. Have you checked the rest of the room yet?"
"Nah, just the bathroom."
"I'm just gonna meditate throughout the rest of the room and I'll yell at you if I find anything else."
Lapis nodded and the two got to work.
Beep!
"Sis, I swear it's important. Nah, this one for real. I'm working Pamput as we speak."
"..."
"I mean, yeah… I'll get you an autograph if he's not dead." He said with a sly cantor, smirking a bit as it left his mouth.
Roshi
"What are you doing back so fast?"
"Gotta couple a questions for you, Master."
"Master!? Sheesh, you into some kinky stuff amigo."
"Who's this?" Roshi asked with a raised brow, pointing his old staff at the young man with the long black part.
"Lapis. I'm undercover."
"He's my new partner."
"I see. He's a spry one."
"Yeah."
"So what are the questions?"
"Hello."
"Is that a talking turtle?"
"Yep."
"Huh. Hey bro."
Turtle waved his little turtle wing at him and retreated back to the calm waves.
"Were there any other people you knew of back in the day that could use ki? I mean other than Master Shen and his brother?"
"Hmm~ Not that I can remember."
"Well I'm working a case right now and my only lead is that I think ki might have been used at one point. No blood splatter, no signs of foul play, no signs of a struggle either. Just someone missing, last point of interest didn't work out so I thought I'd ask who could have used ki."
"Could be anyone. Ki is fickle, it comes to some and not to others. I think there are people out there who are just naturally attuned to the elements. They don't need to practice like you or me. That question's too vague!"
"Sorry but that's kind of all I got."
"Huh."
"Yeah, sorry, I know it's not much to work with but I wouldn't ask unless I thought it might lead somewhere. Thanks anyway."
"Wait."
"Hmm?"
"Tao was at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Maybe he's still in the business."
"What do you mean still in the business?"
"Killing you numbskull!"
Bonkk!
Krillin just took it.
"Damn." Lapis cracked a smile. "You not even gonna fight back, bro?"
"No point, Roshi knows I'd fold him like a lawn chair."
"The youth these days are always so ungrateful!"
"So you said Tao kills people?"
"Like a hitman?"
"Yes! He used to anyway."
"If he's on the record why hasn't he been arrested yet?" Lapis asked like it wasn't obvious.
"The police have tried for years, you just can't challenge someone like him with regular men."
"So you're talking like Red Ribbon Army then?" Lapis questioned.
"Much worse. That one man is stronger than them all put together! I don't know who'd be able to beat him back in the day but now my boys are far stronger than him. If I knew Krillin, I'd say, but I don't have the faintest idea where he'd be hiding."
"So you'd say Tao is a good lead?"
"Well I can't say he'd be the one who did something to your missing person but I can say that he's worth arresting regardless if warrants weren't out for arrest already."
"I see."
The water splashed in calmly behind the trio and Krillin took a moment to think.
"Yeah, I'll ask Tien. He'd know more about Tao."
"Sounds like a fine idea to me."
"Later, Master, I got work to do."
Roshi bowed peacefully to the two younger men as they soon drove off into the horizon.
Tao
"Haah~"
KLOMM!
The cyborg man was thrust right into the brick wall of a random establishment.
"Tao you are under arrest for multiple confirmed counts of murder! You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you-"
Before Krillin could even finish what he was saying, Tao turned his mechanical body around and squirmed out his hidden blade, ready to stab at The New Detective's throat.
"I don't have time! For this..?" Tao finished sheepishly as his cyborg head was severed from the rest of his body with a chop.
"Ha-Ha!" Tien laughed heartily. "I'm glad I tagged along."
"Dude what the heck?" Is all Lapis could say as Krillin and his friend moved at light speed while dealing with threats.
"Look Tao. You've been looking at hard time for a long time, and now you're just a head. Can you tell us anything about Pamput?"
"Who the hell is Pamput!? Wait..? Isn't Pamput that guy in Space Wars?"
"Yeah." Tien answered earnestly.
"I liked those movies up until the 3rd one fucking ruined it."
"I agree." Lapis said with his whole chest. "That's when it started getting way too convoluted. I mean time travel? That the best you got?"
"Damn shame." Tao said right back, his long braid jiving front the head tilts.
"Well, you're coming with us regardless."
"Hmm." Is all Tao let out before Tien parted from the rest of the group and Lapis picked up Tao's spare parts.
"Whoa~" He grunted. "This thing is heavier than it looks."
"Isn't this a violation of my rights?" Tao snapped. "I mean don't I have a right to my own body?"
"You pulled a knife on me during your Miranda Rights, Tao. I don't owe you anything." Krillin responded quickly as he turned the key.
"You struck first! I can get you on that can't I?"
"You're a known felon." Lapis said matter-of-factly. "I didn't know your name off the dome but I just looked it up and yeah you're super wanted. FBI levels."
"Hmm."
"You're getting the book thrown at you as soon as possible cause I'm simply not interested in having you take up more time than necessary while looking for our Missing Persons."
"So that moviestar is missing then? Not murdered?"
"No… Why do you care..?"
"A mercenary can't like movies?"
Krillin just nodded his head to the side and shut up.
Lapis
"You got me Tao, bro?"
"Yeah." Lapis flexed, shrugging his shoulders. "That's 2-0. Get your shit together, sis."
"I only didn't get the lifer cause they plead insanity. Get off your fucking high horse." The blonde woman pushed Lapis back hard, brandishing a cheesy and sarcastic smile.
"That's two dubs on the board, can't say no to those."
"Get outta my face and go do your job." The woman said as she slammed the door to the courtroom in his face.
"We ready?"
"Yeah yeah."
"So we got nothing?"
"Nah, depends on if Tao's actually got anything. She'll needle something out of him I'm sure of it, whether it has anything to do with Pamput..? Who's to say?" Lapis reiterated while shrugging.
Krillin tucked his index and thumb onto his bottom lip in thought before his partner stood right in front, blocking his path.
"..?"
"Slow down there, bucko. This is a two-man operation. We don't always just get to do what you want to do. Mind if I provide a suggestion?"
"Fine by me. I was gonna have an aneurysm trying to solve it with no leads."
"We sped run that shit cause you wanted out so bad, why don't we go back to the hotel and check the cameras. If that's really where Polly was at last time then we might see someone in his room somewhere on the tapes."
Krillin said nothing, only nodding and wagging his finger at the man.
Krillin
"Shit. My man wide."
"Something doesn't sit right with me though. That guy never leaves the room, neither does Pamput. They're like in limbo or something. You're sure this footage isn't messed with or anything?"
The fox-person just shrugged sheepishly.
"Could have left through the window."
Krillin looked up at Lapis. He just stared at the many screens in the room with a lazy look about him.
"You overthink the big picture things, amigo. Gotta look at the small too. Where else could he have gone?"
"You're right. So the only one we got is this big guy?"
They zoomed in on the man in the pinstripe suit.
"How many times did this guy come to the hotel with Pamput?"
The fox-guy just sheepishly shrugged once more.
"If we roll back the tapes, I'm pretty sure you'd see that man a few more times. If I remember correctly, I was there in the lobby when Pamput checked in the first time."
"So he's a friend maybe?"
"Maybe..? I don't know, I was kind of doing something else at the time." The fox-guy sai with a whimper.
"..."
"I know where we gotta go next."
Mic
"Sorry we're late."
"No! That's not a problem at all boys, I don't work a day beside The Budokai. You're no sweat off my back!" Mic yelled with fervor, feet crossed on the table, coolers at the ready. "I even got a couple of cold ones for my favourite opp."
"Charming." Krillin smiled as he fished a water bottle from the ice.
"So what's up?" Mic questioned with genuine intrigue, crossing his fingers and locking them together.
"Do you know this man?" Lapis asked as he slid a picture of the rotund pinstriped man.
Fwwwf~
Mic stared at it a long time before he flipped over to the other scant images of the hotel floor view from above.
"Hey. That's Pamput."
"..."
"No wait a minute! I didn't recognise him at first but now that I'm seeing Pamput… Yeah! I do know this guy! I think he's his manager or something."
"Manager?" Krillin asked out loud. "We looked over his personal information but no it doesn't list that he Ever had a manager. At least not anything that didn't have to do with acting."
"Nah, I'm pretty sure this dude was setting up fights for him. That's what it sounded like at least."
Krillin took a long drain from his water bottle and stared at the ceiling for a while.
"What else we got?" Lapis asked earnestly, swiveling around in one of the chairs in the boardroom, spinning and driving around like a kid. "Uh oh." He stood up, shaky, almost about to tip over.
"Did you ever get a name or anything?"
"Dude it's been way too long. I can check the tournament records if he was ever listed as a beneficiary, manager, or emergency contact though."
"Let's do that."
In no time at all, Krillin and Lapis were already scouring the details of The 22nd Budokai.
"Nope. Damn."
Lapis breathed out a sigh and fell back onto the floor in a starfish.
"Bro you just gonna let your suit lie on the floor like that?"
"The way I see it, it's the management's fault for having an unsanitary floor. If my suit can't lay on it without getting dirty that's a L for your business."
Krillin just shook his head and gave one final look throughout the documents.
"Hmm."
"What gives? Who is this guy? He's known Pamput for a long time if he was here during the 22nd."
Mic just looked back earnestly at Krillin who paced around the room in thought.
"He's the number one suspect now, if he was here with him during the 22nd, that means he's known Pamput for over 14 years."
"All I can say is that Pamput did seem to respect the man, but you're the officer here so I'm not gonna put any words in anyone's mouths."
"If he's known Pamput for years, do you think that guy was ever foolish enough to show up to a set?" Lapis asked without moving a muscle, just staring up lazily at the ceiling lights.
Krillin
"Get them out of here! We don't have time, people!" A man with pale white skin and bleach blonde hair barked at the many employees while making fierce eye contact.
"We're with The West City Police Department sir. We're investigating the possible murder of Pamput."
"Thank god. That man was going to hear it from me if not someone else for just skimping out on me and my team. We have a fucking job to do, you know. Pamput doesn't get to skip just because he's the hottest on the market right now."
"Barry, calm down." Cocoa put her hand on the man's back. "Do you even realise what you just said in front of the police?"
"I mean if he wants to come and do show-and-tell at the precinct I'm all ears." Lapis lashed back with a fitting smile for the studio.
"We need to know if any of you here in the studio today can identify this man."
"..."
"..."
"Oh god, it's Burbonne. Ughck!" Barry whined. "I'm going to be sick." He said, feigning a fever as he turned tail and walked away.
"Burbonne?"
"Yes. That's Burbonne. You wouldn't recognise him in the film because he's one of the monster's minions." Cocoa made sure to answer earnestly.
"Thanks for being a great help. We just have a couple more questions."
"Mmhmm~" She hummed cutely, paying full attention to the two officers in front of her.
"Do you know if Burbonne or Pamput had a history together?"
"Oh yes. Clearly. They took lunch breaks together almost exclusively. Pamput always had to fight off offers from female coworkers to take lunches with the man."
Be-Bee!
"Go on, amigo, I gotta take this. What's up?"
"..."
"Oh shit! Krillin!"
"..?"
"We got it! Tao coughed up the guy! It's not Burbonne, it's Vodka!"
"We've got to go, if you could be a doll and spread these photos around the studio, it'd be a great help." Krillin asked as he gave the photos over to Cocoa. "If you see or hear anything don't be afraid to let us know."
"I won't." She replied, taking his card and glancing over it.
"Who's Vodka?"
"I don't know, but apparently Vodka's some dude in the mafia that's worked with Tao."
"Interesting."
Krillin
"Finally, damn."
"What'd you get?"
"They tried to see if they could get any less time for him by giving up names or conspirators for his previous hits."
"Was Pamput a part of his hitting history then?"
"He was."
There was a chilling silence that Lapis broke as he entered the interrogation room. Tao's head sat with stoicism in the middle of the table. Lapis breathed in deep and smirked like a bastard.
"So you like lying to us, Tao?"
"Define lying."
"Not telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."
"Please. What leverage would I have against two cops who beheaded me? It's a waste of my goddamn time, might as well try and make things more efficient."
"What'd that get you, amigo?" Lapis said it more like a statement than a question, brandishing a smile as he turned the chair around.
"Took my 7 life sentences down to 5. I'm actually going to be able to live through those so while it's a tedious process, I'm at least going to waste less of my time living in squalor."
"Ahh~" Lapis snapped and pointed a finger gun at the head without a body. "Okay, not a bad move I suppose."
"That guy Vodka, he was wearing a green pinstripe suit that day. We killed him right in Pamput's hotel room in South City."
"But that's Burbonne, right?"
"No." Lapis snapped again. "Stage names. He must have taken an alias for the set."
"Right." Krillin nodded along as he shifted his focus to Tao. "Well… maybe Vodka's not really his name either."
"Maybe." Lapis shook his head, weighting the prospect.
"Where's Vodka now?"
"You think I know that? I'm not his babysitter, I'm an assassin. I kill and I don't ask questions."
"Hmm." Krillin hummed in thought. "Thanks." He imparted to the blonde girl who looked shockingly like Lapis. "What'd you do with the body?"
"It's like I told the rest of the courtroom. There's no body to be found. Learned my lesson last time with that brat. If you don't completely obliterate them, what's the point?"
"Oh-ho my god…" Krillin laughed out a bit, covering his face with his right hand and chuckling.
"So where are we going then?"
Be-Bee!
"Hello~ Oh yes."
"..."
"What's up?"
"..."
"Burbonne~ Is down at the studio right now dubbing some of his lines. Go get em', Superman."
"Is that real?" The woman asked. "I keep hearing abou-"
WHUOFF~
"Yep. We've been to South City, Papaya Island, and back to West City three times all in 2 hours. We just fucking parked the car back at the precinct. He's faster than that thing anyway. I'm honestly thinking if I should just swallow my pride and see if he'd be willing to train me."
"Unreal."
"Krillin's wild."
They waited for only a moment and Krillin was already back, Vodka in tow, throwing him onto a chair in the interrogation room.
"Spit it out and we might lighten up the toss when we throw the book at you." Krillin said confidently as he sat across from the man.
"You've gots to be fuckin' kiddin' me! I can't believe this shit!"
"Yep. That's Vodka right there."
"Fuck you!" Vodka fought back, taking out his cigar and marking it onto Tao's mustache. "Lil' prick… Why's only his head here?"
"We don't have to answer that."
"I'll just leave you guys to it." The blonde woman bowed and closed the door to interrogations, leaving the two officers and the two criminals together. The three men and one head sat in silence for time.
"So why'd you do it?"
"I didn't do it."
"We just got our talking head over here chattering away at the fact that you hired him."
"He's a damn liar! Look at em'!"
"Not very professional of you, Vodka." Tao sassed back.
Tao and Vodka locked eyes, the cyborg's red lenses scanning and whirring as they pierced into the black shades of what he considered to be his ex-employer.
"You can't just lie and hideaway like you weren't there, amigo. We got you on tape." Lapis reiterated, bringing out the camera footage. "You and Pamput entered that hotel in South City and neither of you exited. Seems pretty fishy to me. Why would non-criminals need to leave through the window, huh?"
Vodka was sweating up a storm.
"I'm not talking to you til I get a lawyer."
"Ooh, my man is guilty."
"What'd you say?"
"I mean an innocent man doesn't need a lawyer, Mr. Vodka. I don't know why you'd be clamoring for one, unless…"
Lapis brandished a plastic baggy with a sticker and the faintest of scuffs inside.
"What the fuck is that? An empty bag?"
"Gunfire Residue. Picked it up from the carpet Krillin was meditating on. Not much but it would seem that there was a struggle… even if nothing ever came of the bullet."
"This would be out there if people didn't have supernatural powers, but the fact of the matter is that people do, and I'm looking to change how the police operate and think through their problems."
"Listen to this." Lapis pointed the back of his thumb at his new partner with an uncanny smirk.
"The precinct identified the gunshot as being from a smaller weapon like a handgun." Krillin smiled as he took the piece from inside Vodka's suit. "Oh would you look at that?"
"Wow!" Lapis phoned it in. "I can't believe it! That looks like a handgun!"
"I gotta permit you know! You can't get me on that!"
"Let my man talk, sheesh."
"Anyway… I predict, just like I did at the start of the case that Pamput couldn't be killed by firearms. I know this to be true because I've seen firearms not pierce skin before. You were in the hotel room with Pamput on the day of the murder to discuss whatever you were going to discuss, things got heated, you wanted to be the one to end it and so shot first."
"Bang." Lapis mimed with a finger gun and Krillin met it by miming catching the bullet.
"And Pamput caught it. Now, since you've known Pamput for a long time, you didn't necessarily think it was gonna work, but you wanted to try anyway. You're a prideful man. But not too prideful, that's why you brought Tao. Is that correct?"
"That's pretty much exactly how it happened."
"You muthafuck!" Vodka screamed as he looked to strike down on the hapless mobster. "You're dead!" Vodka picked up the head of Tao and brought it in close, shouting all the while. "You hear me!? Guhck!"
The assassin shot out his tongue and stamped it between the eyes, Vodka fell over and convulsed on the floor as Tao's head rolled under the table.
"Relax, I didn't kill him. But he assaulted me first so I'm calling self defence on that."
"No arguments here." Lapis smirked like a goofball, shrugging his shoulders as he went to pick up the man's head, placing it back on the metal table.
Hercule
"Great work, Detective. They confirmed that Vodka's piece had fired a round and that his gun was the exact model to produce that specific type of residue. Well done."
There was a bit of silence in the workplace as they contemplated Pamput's existence.
"So there's really no body?" Hercule asked.
It was the question on everyone's mind.
"Nah. Back in the day, when King Piccolo attacked, he leveled an entire city with one blast. A simple guy like Pamput is nothing in the grand scheme of things, even if he was strong."
"Damn shame." One of the officers threw out his two cents.
"You got that right."
"Keep up the great work, I can't believe how accurate you called it. What made you think that Pamput was just dead and not MIA?"
"I don't know." Krillin responded as he looked out into the sprawling tube tunnels of West City. "Intuition."