Where The Korean Gets The Cash, The Bad Guys, And The Girl
Meanwhile...
"Hey, Vati."
The man, who's health had taken a turn for the worse last week, did not respond. Gilbert cleared his throat, sitting down next to the hospital bed.
"I triet to make Ludwig come, I really did. He vas just being an idiot. Stubborn... you know how Ludwig is. I don't know vhy he's like dis vith you. You'fe never done anyding vrong."
This was too depressing of a subject for him to talk about with someone who was in a coma. Gilbert decided to change gears and talk about something else.
"Dings hafe been goin' good. Got some new members in town... Francis came back. Stayin' against 'is own vill, but stayin' vith me for now. He brought dat son of his... Matthew. Adopted, of course. Francis has never actually shacket up vith a real voman, don't be ridiculous."
Gilbert rambled on and on. Everything he thought his father would want to know and more, things that would always have his father laughing and responding and asking questions. For hours and hours he would talk, until his voice was hoarse and beyond.
"Good times, eh Fritz?"
Gilbert wiped the tears from his face.
"Heracles! I know it's two o'clock in the morning, but I really need you to open this door! We need to talk! I can promise you that this is important and has nothing to do with Sadiq! Well, sort of. It sort of has to do with Sadiq, but he's not here! Heracles?"
Five minutes of pounding on the door finally yielded results. Heracles opened the door slowly. Like everything else he did it was slow. Alfred could not understand how anyone could live at that speed. Sure it was two in the morning, but Heracles looked as awake as he ever was. Which was never much.
"Can I help you?" Heracles asked. Whether it was because he had not heard him before or because he was hoping Alfred would change his reason for being here Alfred was not certain.
Fortunately, Alfred could think of the perfect incentive to get Heracles moving. It was sort of the inverse incentive he could use on Sadiq. Blame the other one.
"Sadiq got the truck stolen." It worked. At the sound of the other's name Heracles' eyes narrowed. Then he nodded, probably able to imagine the Turk being at fault for anything. "He thinks it was nicked by one of the gangs that has been acting up in this area."
"In this area?" Heracles questioned and Alfred rethought it.
"You know, the area near the warehouses. Same district as your library."
"Oh." Heracles blinked a few times. "That would be... Jared's, I think."
"Jared?" Alfred asked. "Good, you can show me where to go." Though Heracles did not seem very keen on coming, Alfred grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the house, steering him towards the Library.
"I can't say I advise this," Heracles told him, rubbing at the back of his neck, looking a bit sorry about the entire situation. Of course, he was not likely to be as sorry as Alfred was going to be if he did not get the truck back, so Alfred had to ignore it.
"You and Sadiq both." Alfred inwardly apologized to both of them. That certainly got Heracles moving and would likely give Sadiq a very big headache the next time the both of them saw each other. Using their hatred to his own ends would make him feel guilty, but Alfred had some bigger fish to fry.
Or a bigger automobile to drive. Or something like that.
"From here..." Heracles pointed to the left of the entrance. "You go straight down that way until you reach the fork in the road with only two ways to go. Take the left and find the first alleyway on your right which has the trashcans in the mouth of the way. Good luck."
"Wait, you aren't coming?" Alfred asked, trying not to panic. "What do I do then?"
"Tell Jared that you're a friend of mine," Heracles shrugged. "They'll give you back your truck."
"You tell Jared I'm a friend of yours," Alfred argued. "I don't wanna look like I'm making it up."
"Why would you make it up?" Heracles was confused. Alfred wondered if he really was that slow. He had his Uncle Erin would probably get right along.
"Why would anyone make anything up? To survive, stupid." Heracles stayed quiet as he thought about the situation. Alfred let out a groan, decided not to wait for Heracles to come to whatever conclusion he would arrive at, and pulled the man along once more. "Sometimes I wonder whether you're really slow or that's just an act you put on." Like Maddox. Was Maddox really emotionless or was he just the best actor known to mankind?
"What?"
"Exactly."
Alfred was beginning to think that there was little point to bringing Heracles along. It might have taken him a while longer to find this Jared's place, but as the door was already opened when they got there Alfred figured that they were not alone on this trail.
Which was pretty cool. As long as they were on his side, of course. Otherwise it would be the anti-cool. Which, despite the English language, is not hot.
"Huh." Heracles did not seem phased by the situation. Alfred took a few tentative steps in.
"Who are you." It did not sound like a question, but as she had a gun pointed at him he decided to pretend it was.
"Alfred Jones. Sorry for interrupting your... house breaking or whatever." He grinned over right as he realized she looked somewhat familiar. But not really much. Then again, most Asian strangers looked alike.
Kiku would so not be proud of him.
She lowered the gun. "You're Yong Soo's friend."
Yong Soo, buddy, you are missing out on a lot. And the woman does remember you. Lucky.
"Guilty as charged!"
"Hello Long," Heracles said as he stepped beside Alfred. Long looked annoyed once more.
"Oh. Hello Heracles."
"I take it Jared is that unconscious person over there," Alfred pointed over to the person he was pointing out. Pointedly. This was not good. At this rate he might as well say so much for getting the truck back. But he would never give up! For the reason that giving up would sort of be pointless at this point. There are a lot of points in this sentence. "I sort of needed Herc to talk to him."
"Don't call me Herc..."
"I actually needed to speak with him. He passed out," Long placed her handgun back in the holster strapped to her leg. "Do you recognize this man?" She pulled out her cell phone showing the screen to them.
"Nope, sorry."
"That... is Jaakob," Heracles noted. Long moved between them and the door. Heracles looked rather put out.
"You're going to show me where I can find him," she announced.
"But I need him to get the truck back!" Alfred protested, grabbing Heracles' shoulder.
"Don't I have a say?" Heracles asked. It was a good question.
"Since we're dealing with the same people... we can help each other out," Alfred suggested. Long let out a groan.
"Last person I let do that got caught by them. No way."
"Did the last person you let do that have the strength to pick up the said truck?"
"Actually, my say involves me going home," Heracles informed them. "Can I go home please?"
Alfred and Long shook their hands on the deal though and ignored him.
Yong Soo began to hear voices. They came from outside of the crate he was trapped in, so it was okay. Being as bored as he was he started listening to them. He had also managed to locate a few holes in the crate, though the only thing he could do with them was press his eyes up to them and hope to see something.
Which he did not. At least not until a light went on in the room.
"Where's the next shipment?"
It came to his mind that Long would like to know what was going on here. Yong Soo finally remembered his cell phone and searched his pockets for it. There was no reception here, but as he had power he had the ability to record this. He set it up and went to searching the crate. There was a lot of drugs and he kept that in mind just in case he wanted to get high in the near future. Next he went to inspecting his pockets.
All of that money he just got...
One of Maddox's firecrackers...
One of Kiku's flathead screwdrivers...
One of Yao's collection of acupuncture needles...
One of Gilbert's lighters...
A lighter and a firecracker. Yong Soo went back over to hear if the people were still there. He could hear the talking, but by this point it was far enough away. He jammed his phone back in his pocket and set the firecracker in the corner.
Yong Soo's lack of foresight included the fact that not only did that side of the crate catch fire and fall apart, but the drugs did as well. He was comfortably high when he knocked out the two gang members and hid in the rafters.
Alfred was much more willing to do what Long wanted when she mentioned what had happened to his friend. That and showed him her gun again. As much as Long had expected this job to be difficult, to have plenty of hitches, this could not have been right.
"That's not tight enough..."
"What do you know?"
"He's a doctor, Long."
She let Alfred fix the bandage on her shoulder when they had the time to pause. Honestly, tonight was not supposed to go this way. She should have already had some of the major names in the drug ring and returned to her station so as to have the men arrested. No such luck.
"I don't see why I'm here," Heracles said. Long was inclined to think that Heracles never knew why he did whatever he did, but she kept that to herself.
"That's Yao's truck!" Alfred hissed out, nearly moving toward it.
"Please don't be an idiot!" Long pleaded despite herself. Alfred did stop though, making her lapse slightly worth it.
"I'm not an idiot. I just need the truck."
"And Yong Soo?" Please don't tell me he forgot about him. Please don't tell me everyone here is absolutely insane. Please don't–
"Oh yeah."
Fuck you Alfred Jones.
"If my first, albeit failed, contact was supposed to be doing anything tonight... what are the chances one of these guys will go over to his place and find out we're on to them?"
She did not know why she was asking either of them. And she knew the chances were high, but...
"He went to Jared's?"
Long punched him in the face. Alfred stayed put, though he brought a hand up to his face to rub at his nose.
"Okay, I deserved that."
"I'll get the truck," Heracles offered as he turned and left, leaving both of them to stare at him. Long would have pulled him back except she knew better than to stop Heracles when he actually started to do something. The man did not lie and always did what he said he was going to. So though it looked like he was walking away he was actually going to get this Alfred's truck. How? She was not even going to venture a guess.
The both turned their attention back to looking over near the truck. Heracles talked with them for a bit before some of the men took a few crates out of the back and Heracles drove off with the truck.
"You're kidding me," both witnesses said in unison.
She struggled to think of a plan, but Long finally came up with something the both of them could accomplish. At least, that was the case until the men Heracles spoke with all keeled over one by one.
Long knew she would need a few months of respite after this. Her superiors would understand once they read her report.
Alfred was okay with doing as Long said. This was what she did for a living, after all. She would know best. Then again Alfred was big into improvisation. Every single cops show he had ever said practically required that. Alfred was really good with improvising. He was also pretty good with heroics. With Yong Soo in danger he would rescue him.
Then again, he had not begun to think that Yong Soo did not need his help. Especially as he almost was struck by a projectile acupuncture needle.
"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed. Yong Soo stopped, staring at him with a dashing smile on his– oh whoa no. Dashing? Alfred found himself staring.
"Alfred?" Long called as quietly as she could. In that instant Yong Soo was no longer paying attention to him, but moved over to Long.
"Hello there! Alfred. Long..." He took Long's hand and kissed it. She went bright red and tried to punch him in the face, but he had turned his head away to look at Alfred. "Miss me?"
"Dude!" Alfred stared, startled into words as he recognized the scent. "You are high."
"What?" Long asked. Long was certainly intelligent, he could tell, but she certainly missed things.
"Inhale," Alfred pointed at his nose. She sniffed, covering her nose and mouth shortly afterward.
"Hell!"
"This does not explain why everyone in this place is unconscious, but I don't care man," Alfred nearly patted him on the shoulder, but withdrew his hand, not trusting himself to touch him. "You, my friend, are a ninja. A Korean ninja. If we fused together we could totally be Doctor McNinja."
"No." Long glared at him. "No, you wouldn't."
"Not that it would matter," Yong Soo waggled his finger in front of Alfred before pulling out his cell phone and tossing it to Long. She scrambled, managing to get a grip on it before it fell from her fingers. "The name of everyone here, beautiful."
"Bu... whu..." Long spluttered. Alfred rubbed the back of his neck, trying his hardest not to look at Yong Soo.
"And photographic evidence. It's what you needed, right?"
Long punched him in the face. Which might not have succeeded if Alfred had not punched him in the back of the head. Yong Soo slumped to the ground. Alfred managed to look Long in the eye.
"I just..."
"He... um..."
"Totally high."
Long nodded. "Yes. It was for his own safety."
For his own safety. "Totally." Alfred knew he was probably as flushed as Long. He tugged at his collar. On the ground, unconscious, Yong Soo looked like he usually did. Which was good. And no one was going to believe either of them if they mentioned 'strong personality' and 'Yong Soo' in a single sentence.
They were taken to the station and Alfred knew he was feeling the effects of exhaustion because, thinking back on it, he could not tell what had just happened.
"Vhat took you so long?" Gilbert asked. Alfred looked back over toward the truck and then at Yong Soo. Alfred looked like he had not gotten any sleep, but not the type of no sleep gained when having a good time. Yong Soo looked as if he was suffering from a hang over. Gilbert almost wished he had seen the both of them failing at the bar.
"The police report," Alfred said. Gilbert blinked.
"Police report?" he snickered. "I can see dat. I'll drife."
Alfred did not complain. Gilbert really wanted the details now.
"Yong Soo!"
The strange feminine voice brought Yong Soo to a complete halt and the three of them turned around to see some Asian chick (definitely smoking hot) running over. Gilbert let a drawn whistle.
"Dis a final slap?" he asked Yong Soo. Yong Soo had been looking hopeful for a moment, but then suddenly looked concerned.
"But I was awesome," Yong Soo protested. Alfred coughed, though when Gilbert looked at him he was not looking at either of them.
"Ah..." the woman looked between the other two, giving Gilbert a bare glance. "I wanted to thank you, I guess."
"Oh!" Yong Soo suddenly perked up. "It was nothing, glad I could help!"
Gilbert doubted it very highly. He doubted it right up to the point where the woman kissed Yong Soo right on the lips. Yong Soo looked absolutely clueless. Gilbert was gaping. Alfred coughed.
"Do not tell me you want one too." Her dark eyes stared over toward Alfred. Alfred shook his head frantically.
"Uh... no thanks. I'm gay. Yeah, very gay."
She burst out laughing.
"Vhat is going on?" Gilbert demanded. She turned and started walking away, a wave back at them without looking back. "I'm serious. Vhat just happenet?"
Alfred opened his mouth, closed his mouth, then looked back at Yong Soo. "She wouldn't have kissed you if you mentioned all that money."
"Yes should would have," Yong Soo retorted. "I'm just irresistible like that."
"And loaded with enough money to pay off your debt to Eduard."
"Can't forget that!"
Alfred and Yong Soo high-fived each other and went to the truck, Alfred mentioning something about whether Yong Soo had managed to get someone's number or not.
"Vhat de hell?" Gilbert shouted after them.
He had missed out on something big. That was not fair.
If you do not understand the 'Jared's' reference, then good for you. I hate those commercials with a passion and would not recommend learning anything about them.
I do not own Doctor McNinja. Sometimes I wish I did.
Depressing part with Gilbert at the beginning? I know no one actually seemed to be curious as to why he had come with, but since it is sort of important in my mind I had to put it in. I am so sorry everyone, I think I have spent too long writing 'Discovering' and 'Recovering'. I will do my best to bring more humour back to the world of Hearth and have the depressing parts only to accentuate the humour later on. But to explain, Fritz is Gilbert and Ludwig's father. Gilbert absolutely adores him. Ludwig has his issues with him. The family has some (read: a lot of) problems. Like people do.