A/N: …Hi. Sorry about the delay in getting this chapter out. My collaborator for this story and I both have summer classes which are apparently killing him and boring me. Anyways, it's not like I don't have a huge amount of buffer for this story, so posting another chapter is safe. There's probably about eleven sitting in a folder on my computer, waiting for me to add in the non-dialogue….

Erm, happy reading?

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"Well, we're here!"

Danny stared up at the ranch house. It appeared simple enough, with three stories and a large shed out in the back. "...Huh," he murmured, "it looks bigger in real life..."

Val chuckled. "These things usually do. Now, tie up Yoki on the front porch. When you're done, meet me around back." She walked off, leaving a blinking Danny there.

Danny glanced at Yoki, shrugged, and moved to tie her up to one of the patio's pillars before heading around back. "Okay, so what's the—what is that?"

He was staring at a set of bilco doors. They were a bright red and leaned at an angle out from the house itself.

Val rolled her eyes. "Dude, chill. It's called an outside basement entrance. It's what's inside that'll really knock your socks off!" She pulled open the doors and disappeared inside.

Danny's eyes went wide. "Oh dear gawd, it ain't a ranch house, it's the frickin' bat cave!"

"..Dan, please. Breathe. As I said, this is the vacation residence of the director, not some quaint little B&B in some magazine by RCI or some such organization. These are just bilco doors. Nothing fancy. And the little surprise isn't exactly high-tech. But, man, is it cool!"

Danny shivered a bit, not liking whatever this surprise was already. "R—Right, of course. This is the city, everyone in the city has fancy little escape hatches in their backyards..."

Val grinned over her shoulder at him as she led him down the stairs. "Heh...not exactly. But, then, not everyone has as...storied a history as Lancer's family."

"Alright, so what's this other surprise?"

"Follow me. Oh, and...watch your step. Some of the steps can be a bit...tricky." She continued down, and Danny followed as ordered.

He frowned, though, at her last warning. "How s—oof!" His foot had caught on one stair, stumbling and landing rather hard on a small landing about three feet below where he tripped.

Val sighed. "I tried to warn ya!" She pulled a previously invisible string, causing the lights to turn on. "That better?"

Danny replied with his face still to the floor. "Much..." He pulled himself back up, shaking his head. "Ugh, never using that entrance again..."

"Don't worry, we won't have to." Val smirked. "At least, not that way."

"Huh?"

"You'll see." She walked off to the far side of the room, declaring, "Check this baby out!" Then she ripped off a tarp, revealing a kick-ass ATV.

Danny's eyes widened slightly, then he smirked. "Ohhh, these I remember from back home..." He walked over, straddled the seat, then revved the engine. "Lesgo."

Val blinked at him before throwing up her hands. "Whoa, killer! You have no idea how to work this little beauty!"

Danny merely stared at her, disbelieving. "Val, I've built these things. Nothin' y'all coulda done to it'd surprise me."

She snorted. "How about I show you some...additions that've been made, then you tell me if you can handle it, okay?"

Danny huffed. "Fine."

"Thank you. Scootch back a bit, please," she politely ordered as she moved to take the front spot.

He grudgingly did so, saying, "Go ahead."

"Gracias, amigo." She swung herself on. "Now. About those steps. You see that little box on the wall right behind you?"

He glanced to the side, noticing the tiny box for the first time. "Yeah?"

"Punch the black button at the very top, por favor."

"Any particular reason for the Spanish?" He pressed the button.

"Eh, I speak Spanglish now and then." As she was speaking, the 'old' steps turned to join, then slanted as one to form ramp.

Danny stared blankly at the new ramp. "...What."

She just smirked. "Told ya we wouldn't be using that entrance that way! Now..." She pressed a button by her left thigh, causing ankle straps to appear, locking both people in place. "There we go!"

Danny was getting fidgety and nervous, wanting off and wishing he hadn't agreed to this. "Um, what're the straps for...?"

Her grin turned feral. "THIS!" Then she revved the engine, blasting out of the basement.

"Holymotherof—who the heck makes a bike this fast?" Danny screamed, clinging to Val as the ATV shot forward and down the road.

"Heh. That'd be a couple of the...changes that've been made to this baby."

"How're we not gonna crash in this thing? Traffic here moves slower than molasses!"

She snorted. "Who said we'd be using the roads!"

Danny doubted his eyes could get any wider. "W—What?"

"Tch, tch. Danny, Danny, Danny. You think because this city is larger than your hometown that everyone lives in a high rise? Think again, man!"

"...So it's some place on the outskirts, then? Alright, but do we have ta go so fast?"

"…No. But it's soo much funnn!"

Danny groaned. "Oh gawd, this town's full of adrenaline junkies..."

"Well, when you live cooped up in that urban jungle for so much of your life..."

"...And here I thought trick ridin' was an adrenaline boost..."

Val sighed. "Okay, we'll go normal speed. One more thing, though."

"What?"

"Oh...nothing. It's just that...well... Does this ATV seem a bit...lighter than it first appeared to be?"

Danny thought that through. The bike was lighter than it looked. "Um... now that ya mention it, yeah..."

"Well...look straight down."

"What're you-?" Danny looked down, and, seeing that they were floating nearly a foot off the ground, immediately shutting his eyes and holding on tighter to the ATV. "Put us back down!"

Val shrugged. "Can't. Only way to do that'd be to go back to the garage. The wheels you saw were mostly cosmetic. They aren't actually attached to this thing. Sure, they were at first, but that was magnetization. That's how this thing parks...and also how we control for any unauthorized piloting."

"Shitshitshit I want DOWN!"

"Cool it, man. We aren't gonna take off or anything. It's just that, well...this thing don't run on old-fashioned gasoline."

"Then what the hell does it run on?"

"To be precise...algae."

Danny actually opened his eyes just to blankly stare at her. "This frickin' thing is flying and it's dependent on algae? Who the hell makes this stuff?"

Val smirked. "Danny, I don't know what you've learned thus far, but...basically, Lancer grows algae. The algae use sunlight to make energy. That energy is used to charge this beauty's battery. So, it runs on electricity gotten from algae. Also, when the algae finally...pass on, they can be turned into a fluid with the consistency of gasoline. However, any emissions are certainly not detrimental to the environment. So, any extra umph comes from the algae itself. Ask someone to show you the process some other time. We're kinda short on time, ya know…."

"Fine, then land this frickin' thing and let's go!"

"...Danny, I told you. I can't. This thing only runs hovering and, well...we're not exactly able to walk from here."

Danny practically growled. "Then get us there NOW!"

"Yes sir!" Val floored it, and they zoomed along for a few moments before she slowed to a stop, stating, "Estamos aqui, señor!"

His eyes were still closed, not quite trusting anything right now. "Are we on the ground again?"

"Well...not exactly. The wheels're back at the ranch, but it's safe to step off."

"Good!" He practically jumped off, collapsing to the ground, crying out, "LAND!"

Tucker chose that moment to walk up to them. "Wow. You guys made good—" He paused when he saw Danny. "...You took off before explaining again, didn't you, Val?"

She grinned happily. "Guilty."

"...Of course..."

Danny sat up, grumbling, "I hate stupid frickin' flyin' machines..."

"But we weren't—"

"It's okay, Danny," Tucker said. "You can ride back with me if you want."

Val shrugged. "Sure. That is, if you don't mind my riding Yoki solo."

Danny blinked, glancing between the two. "Wait, you do what now?"

"Danny, please. Try and take a breath."

Tucker patted Danny on the shoulder, grinning reassuringly at him. "Yeah, man. If you don't leave here with Val, she's gonna be going back to the ranch alone. I can't meet her there. And, since Yoki's the only other way to get back to HQ..."

Danny blinked a couple times before catching on. "Ohhh... But why not just take the screamin' metal death trap back?"

Both chuckled. "If you really want to."

"Yeah, man," Tuck said, "Totally your call."

"I don't want to, I meant why doesn't Val take that... thing instead of Yoki? She'll be fine at the ranch 'til we get back."

Val stared at him. "...Dude, I told you. This thing runs on algae power. It only had enough in it for a round trip ranch to here. Not exactly, but...basically. The only place with ready fuel is the ranch."

"...That doesn't seem very efficient..."

"Hey, it's not exactly mass produced," Val huffed.

"Good," Danny shot back.

"Yeah, man," Tuck said. "The thing's mostly a playtoy for the director and his closest friends."

"Heh…" Val chuckled, "closest friends being anyone with the balls to try and tame this thing…." She and Tucker shared a smirk.

Danny rolled his eyes. "I've tamed mustangs wilder than that thing." He shuddered. "They just don't fly." He made a face at the last word.

Val sighed. "Dan, we weren't flying. We were barely a few inches off the ground."

"Yeah, man. That one doesn't fly."

"...As in, there's one that does?" Danny blanched at the thought.

Tucker's eyes were shifty. "Uhh...yeah...you could say that."

"…Heh...yeah. Remember that one long basement wall made of one big mirror?"

Danny was completely ashen by now. "...I'm officially never going in that basement again..."

Val snickered. "Which is why I'm asking your permission to ride Yoki without your being there. Either you ride back with me on this—whether you go back in the garage is your choice—or you ride to HQ with Tuck, and I meet you there with your horse."

Danny sighed, giving up. "...Just be careful with her. And I tell you this more for your protection than hers. That horse has an attitude..." He glanced over at said horse, who snorted at him.

Val chuckled. "I noticed earlier."

Danny's head tilted to one side. "Huh?"

"Dude, don't you remember? I rode back with you on her from the crime scene?"

Danny thought back. "But she was behavin' purty well then..."

"Heh…maybe to you. I can tell when an animal's a bit…uneasy carrying a stranger."

"Hm? Oh, that. Yeah, she gets that way when anyone but me or my family rides her." He smirked. "Though she still won't let Jazz ride her..."

"...I see. Well, I think we should be able to manage the ride back to base."

Tucker grinned at Val. "Yeah...you always have had a special knack with animals."

Danny just shrugged at them. "Either way, good luck with 'er."

"Thanks."

"…Anyway, we do have someone to question here." Tucker rolled his eyes as the other two blushed, remembering their original goal.

"Oh...right. My bad."

"Awright, so let's—" Danny got cut off as someone slammed into him and both fell to the sidewalk. "Ouch!"

"Oof!"

Danny stared up at the kid who'd fallen onto him, then blinked and rolled out from under him. "Geez, you awright, kid?"

"Y—Yeah, sorry, mister..." The kid stood up.

Danny stood as well. "Well... s'long as you're awright..."

"Bye!" The kid took off, Danny staring in confusion after him.

Tuck and Val walked over, the former looking worried and the latter barely containing her laughter. "…You alright, man?"

"I'm fine," Danny said, eyebrows peaking. "I just hope that kid really is awright, he was movin' purty fast..."

Val laughed out loud then. "I—I think you just got robbed."

Danny blinked at her. "You... what?"

"Check your pockets, dude!"

Danny did so, wondering, "Why would I needa—?" He froze, a hand in his front pocket, then, "Little bandit took my wallet!"

As he took off after the kid, Val and Tucker doubled over laughing.

"Let 'em go," Tuck finally managed once the laughter subsided.

Val wiped a tear from her eye, saying, "Yeah, we should get going, too."

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"So, this...Stephens, is it?" Tuck began as they moved around the side of the building and started up some stairs.

"That's what the boss said."

"What's his relation to the deceased again?"

Val shrugged. "Well, it's basically textbook politics. He was a rising name, looking to be on the ticket for mayor. She was a young, beautiful, bright woman with enormous…potential."

"Heh...like blood in the water."

Val snorted. "Please. More like a gallon of blood in a freaking Dixie cup!"

"…Right. Well, we should probably—"

Val threw a hand out to stop him, yelling, "Freeze!"

Tucker did so mid-step. "What the—?"

Val motioned in front of them. "Tripwire. Almost missed it myself."

Tucker stared, wide-eyed, at her in shock.

"Very carefully, place your foot next to the one still on the ground."

Tucker slowly moved his foot back to the floor.

"Good. Now…." Val crouched, following the tripwire to where it met the wall. "...You have got to be kidding me."

Tuck barely stopped himself from panicking. "…W—Wh—What is it!"

"Brainchild of a very…innovative little bastard. Seems to be a pressurized canister of shaving cream."

"Whaddya mean, seems to be!"

"Well, the only way to know for sure is detonation—"

"No thank you!" Tuck replied instantly.

"…That's what I thought. Let's keep going, but…take it slow. I would say 'watch your step', but then you're liable to trip over a blade of grass looking for a landmine."

"…very funny, Val." Tuck glared at her.

"Okay, let's see…."

The two continued to creep carefully up the stairs.

"Well, I don't see anythi—"

"FREEZE!"

Val rolled her eyes. "Tuck, c'mon, man, don't—"

"I—I'm not kidding!"

Val believed him and stopped. "...What's wrong?"

"L—L—Look at your chest!"

Val glanced down, seeing a red dot moving slowly across her torso. "What the hell!"

A voice called out through hidden speakers. "Intruders, identify yourselves or face the consequences."

"…Special Agents Foley and Grey, APPD!"

The red dot vanished, and instead of being relieved, Val was just angry. "…That's it. This guy has some serious explaining to do!"

"Heh…you're telling me! Here's his front steps."

Val stomped towards them, saying, "Yeah, well, I'm done playing games." She pounded on the door. "Mr. Stephens, this is Special Agent Grey of the APPD. Please come to your front door."

The man who came to answer the door was slightly overweight and rather short. His face seemed a little pinched, with squinty eyes that Val and Tuck immediately distrusted. "And what, pray tell, are Amity Park's finest doing at my front door? Certainly there are other places your attention is needed."

The two cops realized then that the man was a smooth talker. Not surprising for a politician. "Not at the moment, sir." Val answered. "I'm sure you're aware of your former manager's…passing?"

"Ah, yes, dear Jamie. Such a lovely young lady, very good at her job. Such a tragedy that she's gone..."

"Yes, I can see that. Our condolences."

"Certainly." Val was mentally rolling her eyes as Tucker played along with the man. "May we come in? We have a few questions for you."

"Of course, of course." Stephens ushered them in.

"Thank you. As I said, we have some…things we wish to discuss."

"Indeed," Tucker said, taking over. "As you are probably aware, your constant…closeness to Miss Donaldson has not gone altogether unnoticed by the local populace. As such, it would be a misstep if we did not at least appear to consider you capable in the onset of any investigation into her demise."

He sighed. "Of course, have to uphold the formalities, no matter how fruitless. Ask away."

"Thank you for understanding. However, before we begin the formalities, I feel I have to ask…who designs your…defense grid here?"

Stephens chuckled nervously. "That would actually be my head of security. Rather paranoid fellow, you know, but he gets the job done."

"…Paranoid," Val repeated, deadpan. "Yes, I suppose you could call him that."

"Was…that a…dart gun I saw in the upstairs window?" Tuck asked.

Stephens shrugged. "Quite possibly."

Val shot Tuck a glare. "…A dart gun!"

"S—Sorry, Val. I only just noticed it as we were walking up the front steps."

"…I see." She turned back to the politician. "So, I take it he's as…prolific with his…toys around the rest of your domain here?"

"Yes, he tends to be. But he always aims to incapacitate rather than kill. If you'd been hit by anything, you would've been brought straight here for me to determine what to do with you."

"That explains the shaving cream…." Val muttered to Tuck.

"…Very good. Anyway, let's get down to business, shall we?" Tuck tried, smiling nervously.

"But of course. What do you need to know?"

"Well, could you please, in your own words, describe the relationship you two shared? Again, these questions are more formalities than nothing else. We need to get a few things on record, regardless of what common knowledge may be."

"Well, Jamie was an intern for me for a while, and when I decided to run for mayor, she asked to be my campaign manager. She was an exceptional choice for the job, so of course I agreed. We had a strictly employee/employer relationship."

Val thought that sounded very well rehearsed. "I see. And, may I ask if the relationship turned more, well…personal?"

Stephens was immediately indignant. "Of course not! I would never—she would never—!"

A knock at the door interrupted him. "Boss? We caught an intruder..."

Stephens sighed. "Yes, yes, come in..."

A huge bodyguard entered, dragging along a struggling Danny. "What should we do with him, sir?"

Danny crossed his arms, huffing and grumbling, "I frickin' hate this city..."

Val and Tucker stifled their laughter. "Uhh…he's actually one of ours…." Tucker stated.

Danny huffed. "Y'coulda waited for me..."

Stephens sighed again. "Fine. You may let him go."

The guard did so and left, Danny still huffing and grumbling to himself.

Val tried to salvage their previous conversation. "…I think I didn't make myself clear, sir. I was not implying, as do some rumors, that you two had an affair. Merely that, at least for all intents and purposes, the relationship shared between you two seemed a bit more than purely professional, especially of late."

Danny raised an eyebrow at this, mumbling, "Stupid not knowin' anythin' about anyone in this stupid city..."

"It was a professional relationship, nothing more, nothing less. Jamie was one of my best employees, and I am hard pressed to find a replacement for her as campaign manager."

"Of course, sir," Val soothed, "our deepest apologies. As I said, this sort of thing needs to go on record to…assuage the locals more than all else."

"Of course, of course. Is that all?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm curious," Tucker continued. "Not to call you a liar, but..exactly how well did you know the deceased if it was purely professional? You've only been on the campaign trail for a couple of months now, and even the most seasoned politicians aren't always so keen to pick up on someone's work ethic as well as you seem to have done."

Stephens noticed Danny glaring at him and narrowed his eyes at the cowboy. "Mind if you call off your attack dog before I answer?"

Tucker's eyes went wide, glancing between the two. "Uhh…of course. Is there a room where my friend can relax? I'm sure the little…show he's just witnessed outside has put him quite on edge."

Stephens turned his distrusting stare on Tucker. "My security won't take well to him wandering about."

"Not at all, sir. I am merely requesting, with your permission, that, well…he be able to sit in some other room and cool off. Maybe even have a drink…?"

"And I understand that, but forgive me if I'm... doubtful that he'll remain in one place." Stephens glared once more at Danny, who grumbled to himself, glaring back.

"Not to worry," Val said. "My partner will escort him, if that will help to ease your mind."

Stephens pursed his lips but nodded. "I suppose it will have to... Fine, there's a room across the hall you may use."

"Many thanks, sir. Tuck?"

"On it. C'mon, man. Let's split." Tucker grabbed Danny's arm, practically dragging him to the door.

As he was frog-marched out, Danny called back, "Just know that, if you're lyin' 'bout your 'professional relationship' with 'er, we will find out."

Tucker quickly pulled Danny out, Val blinking after them before turning back to Stephens. "S—Sorry. He's new in town. Tends to be a bit…blunt sometimes..."

Stephens narrowed his eyes, glaring in the direction Danny'd gone. "It's alright. I assumed as much from his... demeanor."

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Tucker shut the door behind them, turning back to face a simmering Danny. "Cool it, dude. He may be a slug, but we need to respect the process here."

"You're tellin' me ta cool it when the slug in there prob'ly raped our vic!"

Tucker winced at that, but stood his ground. "Dude. Trust me. If the guy is proven guilty, it'll be all anyone can do to keep the boss off that worm. Either way, I have a feeling the director'll have a few choice words for the good candidate."

Danny crossed his arms, grumbling, "This is why we roast our mayors before we vote 'em inta office..."

"…Yes, I've heard of the grilling that's commonplace in smaller locales. But Dan, you have to understand. As I'm sure Val's mentioned to you by now, this city has enough people in it to where most only care about their own bottom lines. Generally speaking, they couldn't care less if a politician has an unsavory character, long as he does what they want him to: lower taxes, keep tax cuts in force…."

As Tucker spoke, Danny snuck over to the door. "Either way, they shouldn't be in office in the first place..."

Tucker stopped him just before the door. "Oooh no, you don't!"

Danny's nose wrinkled when he realized he was caught. "Dangit..."

"Dude, you have to understand something. If you do anything, anything to him without prior proof, there's gonna be hell to pay. Not the least of which being the case against him being at the very least postponed indefinitely."

Danny grumbled angrily.

The door opened, and Val peeked in. "Everything okay in here, guys?"

"Can I kill the smug little jerk yet?" Danny demanded.

"…No, not yet. We need to get going. See you guys back in the squad room."

Danny ran a hand through his hair, remembering that he wouldn't be riding Yoki. "...Right... Dangit..."

Val quirked an eyebrow at him, a hand on her hip. "Hey, you can still make the decision. Ride back with me on the 'screaming metal deathtrap', then on Yoki, or just ride back to HQ with Tuck. Your choice, pal."

Danny paled. "I'll-go-straight-back."

Val chuckled. "Okay, okay. Heel, silver, heel!"

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A/N: Sorry again about the wait. But, while I'm on that subject, I may not be able to update much if at all in July, as I have a summer class that I absolutely cannot bomb. As such, I probably won't be on much, so unfortunately, I may not get another chapter of this story up until August. Sorry!