First, thank you again to all who read this and to those who also reviewed. Thank you so much! You guys are the best.

Just so you know, I in no way want to copy the Shawn vs. Red Phantom episode. I just needed a convention, and it worked. So, that being said... Thank you for reading!

And the chapter title is taken from a Beck song. A song that seemed fitting to this story. :D

Thank you to Geeky BMWW Fan for the beta! Band-aids for you!! And also thank you to Kippling Croft for her input.

Chapter Four: No Complaints

So far, the best part of John's trip was purposefully speeding and tailing behind an assortment of police cars.

"This is more like it," he said while running a red light as his beige rental zoomed past unsuspecting drivers. Gus and Shawn seemed impressed, if not slightly frightened into silence, at John's driving skills.

Shawn knew his half-brother was a good pilot, but hair-pin turns at forty-five degree angles jostled him in his securely fastened seat belt. "Is going fifty around corners neccesar...eee," Shawn paused as he watched a semi turn into their lane. John expertly flew around it. Shawn was about to make a note about checking one's blind spots, but he decided against it.

Within minutes they were parked out front of the Santa Barbara marina docks.

Once out of the car, the warm sea breeze fluttered around John, reminding him of his plans to surf and take in the ocean-filled sights. In addition to all that good touristy stuff.

Hanging around Shawn, while he faked superhuman powers, was not on his to-do list.

Shawn pointed to John. "You coming?"

"This is a crime scene. Besides, I think it would tick off Mr. Control over there." John made an inconspicuous nod over at Lassiter who was ordering cops around like a dictator.

Shawn shrugged. "You're part of my entourage."

"That's my line." John then sighed and shook his head while following Shawn and Gus to the large marina.

As they walked down the wooden stairs, the forensics team was already taking pictures of the crime scene while barricading it with yellow tape. Lassiter and Juliet were in front and they walked down quickly to get a better look at the body.

"Spencer, what is he doing here?" It was, of course, Lassiter referring to John.

"He's uh... he's needed for my psychic energy ... it runs in the family. With him around, I can get things done twice as fast."

Lassiter rolled his eyes and gave Juliet a look. She only shrugged and went back to the crime scene.

John stopped before continuing down the stairs, and he pulled Shawn aside while speaking quietly. "I don't think me being here is a good idea, and it doesn't help if they think I'm some kind of weirdo."

Gus must've over heard, since he spoke up just as quietly. "Oh, since you're related to Shawn... believe me, they already think you're a weirdo."

Shawn patted John's shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy."

John wanted to leave, but Shawn and Gus strolled forward, down to the body.

"An alien?! You call that an alien?"

It was Lassiter, but John was now intrigued as to what they were looking at.

He followed a random cop down the steps to get a better look.

Sure enough, a male body wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt was lying on its back in the center of a well covered boating platform. All while a very distinct rubber alien mask covered the man's face. The mask was powder white with dark yellow eyes, a closed blue mouth, along with light blue tentacles that came from the base of the head, which were now splayed out around on the ground.

The more John looked at it, the more it looked like a Wraith head. At first he was taken aback at the uncanny resemblance, but soon he let out a little snicker.

Lassiter looked over at him in disgust.

"Oh, you think death is funny?" He pointed to the body. "And I'm sure you see this all of the time, don't you, Mr. Marine..."

"Air Force."

Lassiter made a face. "Same difference."

John was surprised at how fast the detective had changed. He was almost certain that Lassiter liked him, but he had done a one-eighty on him.

Jules crouched down to the body while she eyed it carefully. "His neck was broken, but there are small lacerations on the neck. Identical holes." She looked up at Lassiter. "It's funny... but it looks like a vampire bite."

"Don't be ridiculous, O'Hara."

Just then Shawn jumped in, while placing a hand to his head and forcing his eyes shut.

"Nerds... nerds everywhere!"

John smirked. It was hard to fathom anyone believing this, but it was apparent that most people did.

Shawn must have caught something no one else had yet. Quickly, John scanned the body and made sure to look closely. A small fragment of paper was peaking out of a front pocket on the jeans. The letters 'SCI-CO' could be seen.

"What are you blabbering on about, Spencer?" Lassiter asked in annoyance.

"Star Wars. Star Trek... Star..." he looked at Gus.

"Scape...?"

"Yes! Starscape! They are all together, signing autographs... dressing up. Not getting girlfriends..."

"Like a convention?" Juliet asked.

Lassiter looked as though all of this was a waste of his time.

"Yes! Thank you, Jules!"

"You know, Sci-Con is starting tomorrow," Gus said with a grin. Nobody else smiled.

"This man... was an... employee. He was killed elsewhere..."

Jules nodded. "He's right. Time of death suggests that the victim was killed approximately four hours ago. And the marina reported that just two hours ago, there was a scuba team here. The body wasn't discovered until over a half an hour ago."

"I'm personally questioning the employees. Who doesn't notice a dead man being brought to a marina in broad daylight?" Lassiter mused aloud. He turned to a few officers. "I need a team at the harbor and another at the wharf."

Shawn turned to Gus while John walked over, skirting the dead body. "Dude, we should check out the convention center. But we're car-less without John."

"I'll drive. This is actually more exciting than I thought. It's like watching tv... And I don't get much of it where I'm at."

"No tv? Must be rough," Gus said.

Shawn mocked disappointment. "Aww, man! You missed the Sanjaya-hair?"

"The what?" John asked.

Gus shook his head. "I envy you."

After they had walked back to the car, and after Gus called shot gun again, it took little to no time for Shawn to start complaining in the back seat.

"Weren't we just at a comic-con? Why is there another one?"

Gus rolled his eyes and turned to his friend. "There's a difference, Shawn."

"San Diego Comic-Con has everything from Master Chief to Walt Disney and whatever is in between."

"And how would you know?" Gus asked coyly.

Now he looked as if he had been caught. "Uh... extensive Angelina Jolie research? I was going through a Tomb Raider phase. It happens to the best of us."

John was soon on his way to the convention center, when he was given sufficient directions.

"I hope this is worth it. And I actually hope you solve the case, because I am wasting precious time with you guys. I haven't even had coffee today." John paused to think that over. "Oh, great. I'm turning into Rodney."

"Who's Rodney?" Shawn asked from behind his seat.

"No one you need to worry about. So when we get to this place, what do you plan on doing?"

"Snooping around."

Gus gave Shawn a look. "We might not be able to get in. The convention starts tomorrow."

Shawn wasn't listening. "What would cause two identical holes on a neck... " He gave a jovial laugh. "Since, of course, vampires don't exist. Or at least they shouldn't. Unless they're Kate Beckinsale."

"A handclaw," John said. "I've seen it happen before."

Gus made a horrified face at John's comment, but he slowly nodded. "Oh yeah. Like what General Shagura's character uses on Starscape."

"Gus, that show hasn't even started yet... and you already know the characters?"

"Yeah, Shawn, I already know the characters. So? General Shagura is an alien warlord who also happens to be a Japanese ninja."

"I'm going to forget you said that just now, but how can you be alien and Japanese? That doesn't even make sense."

John sighed. Sometimes their back and forth quips were too much. And the two hadn't even noticed that they were already parked in front of the convention center.

"We're here." John announced loud enough to cover their highly immature banter.

Soon the three were out of the car and were crossing the semi-full parking lot.

"This better work," Gus said, trying to hide his excitement. He was going to see a behind-the-scenes Sci-Con.

Just as the three walked up to the large front doors, they opened. A man wearing a VIP pass, large black sunglasses and a Matrix t-shirt stopped them.

"Sorry guys, the convention starts tomorrow."

Shawn was the first to speak. "Steve sent us here."

The man looked skeptical. "You know Steve?"

"We're... "

"Technicians to check the pyrotechnics on the uh.. Space Odyssey exhibit," John interjected.

Gus smiled in agreement with his two friends.

It looked almost as if they were going to have to find another way in, but the doorman almost looked relieved. "Well, you guys don't really look like technicians."

Just then John realized that wearing flip-flops might have been a give away.

The doorman continued, "But thank God you guys are here. We were worried that we'd have to scrap the whole thing. Kubrick fans would be pissed."

All four of them just stood there, not sure what to do next.

"Uh, well... time is money," Shawn said.

"Oh! Right..." The man opened the doors for them, and the three walked into the main corridor.

"How did that just work?" John asked in disbelief.

Shawn smirked. "One well known universal law. Everyone knows a Steve."

As they walked further into the building, the place was already scattered with people who were working extensively. Some were putting up signs while others were carrying boxes and memorabilia pieces.

Many of the workers were already dressed as a science-fiction character of some sort.

"Should we split up? Do we know what we're looking for?" Gus asked the other two.

Shawn was about to answer, until he noticed that John was distracted. Both Gus and Shawn turned to look at him.

John simply stared at a giant sign that brightly read, "Wormhole X-Treme!" Behind it was a circular object that deftly resembled a working Stargate. John had to blink a couple times to believe what he was seeing.

"What in the hell is that?" he finally asked.

Gus and Shawn made their way over to John, while Gus noted what John was looking at.

"Oh that show?" He laughed a bit. "It was pretty much a joke. Some how incorporating yet ignoring the limitations of Einstein's theory of relatively while using wormholes or gates to get to other planets in our galaxy. It was pretty cheesy."

"That's cheesy, but General Shakira the Japanese warlord and cruise ship captain isn't?" Shawn asked, clearly disappointed in his friend.

After blinking a few times, John seemed to shake off the creepy feeling Wormhole X-treme gave him.

Before Gus could retort to Shawn, John interrupted them.

"Guys, don't you have work to do?"

Sorry this was so long in coming. Thank you for reading and please, let me know what you think.

One reviewer (playing13dead) said that Shawn and John are canon half-brothers. I think it's fun! Anyone else feel that way? lol

aislinn - Thanks! Glad you are enjoying this... Yeah, the murder is some what alien related. :D

kat- Thank you! Yeah Henry can be a jerk. He'll meet up with John soon. As for Rodney... well you'll just have to see. :)