Next part where Mephiles and Blaze go to check in on Bowser and see what's up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this.

The Dark Among Us Episode 1 Jade Chapter 6

Back to Bowser's Building

Mephiles and Blaze were walking the streets as they head to Bower's building to check up on the situation happening in Qrow's apartment. Along the way Mephiles tells Blaze about what happened the previous night so she wouldn't question the obvious damage that can be seen and probably why Bowser would be upset with him.

"And we ended up going out the window and I landed on Bower's car." Mephiles said finishing his explanation.

Blaze seeing the damage as they were about to cross the street said "You guys made a real mess."

"Yeah…. I'll admit it looks a lot worse in the day." Mephiles said with a nod. They look up to the room and see no sign of anyone in it.

"I don't think anyone's here…" Blaze said thinking

"I swear if we came all this way for nothing…" Mephiles said in annoyance as they go to enter the building.

They enter the building and they can hear sobbing of a child coming from Bowser's room.

"It's alright son, alright he's gone, he's left, it's over now…" Bowser is heard saying.

Blaze and Mephiles look at each other and the purple cat approaches the door, the latter follows her. When close Blaze asked in a whisper "Is that his son?"

"Bower's? I think, it could be one of the Koopalings though." Mephiles said thinking, he hasn't interacted much with the children under Bowser's care but he knows one of them is legit Bowser's kid. He goes to know but Blaze stops him.

"Be nice in there, okay?" Blaze asked him, knowing Mephiles has a habit to be too hard at times.

Mephiles nods and knocks on the door "Hey Bowser, you in there?" He goes for the door knob but it slowly opens

"Shhhh…" Bowser said as he has Bowser Jr. who was sobbing go to his room as Mephiles and Blaze walk in. Mephiles notices the Koopa was wearing a sombrero hat which was odd, but odder is he was all smiles as he said to the dark hedgehog "Mephiles! ….and Miss Blaze! Surely you didn't come all this way just for my bother!"

Mephiles folds his arms and looks at Blaze, he didn't know why but this attitude was different from how Bowser was on the phone who was scared.

Bowser probably picking up on that said "Sorry Mephiles. It's embarrassing to have to admit, but, eh, I thought there was someone else in Qrow's place. There wasn't through, not when I checked, nothing but a leaky drain pipe. Imagination must have gotten the better of me."

Mephiles was unconvinced as Bowser keeps going "So, you know, false alarm. Sorry for dragging Miss Blaze into this but thanks for coming, much appreciated."

"When we first entered here, we heard someone crying." Mephiles told Bowser.

"Oh!" Bowser said nodding. "Junior just stubbed his toe on the bedframe is all. It stings, you know, but nothing to kick up a fuss about! Just a little swim in the tub, he'll be right as rain, I'm sure."

Blaze looks at the room Bowser Jr. went into and asked "Is your son in there?"

"He's fine, Miss Blaze, just stung his toe a bit." Bowser told her "He is a better shell spinner and swimmer then a walker, just like his old man."

"Wanna…" Blaze said to Mephiles and motions to the room and Mephiles nods.

"So, I guess you'll be taking off now. No need to hang around here anymore." Bowser said to them smiling, he was really trying to get them to leave. "I mean, I'm sorry you came all the way here for nothing…but it was nothing, really."

"This is for your own safety, Bowser. You called us, remember? Especially since you had to keep your fire breath in check." Mephiles said to him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, and I appreciate it buddy but…" Bowser said trying to object.

"It's fine, relax." Mephiles told him "We'll be out of here in a minute. I just want to check things out first."

"Alright, alright. I just don't want to waste your time is all" Bowser said relenting and goes to the living room part of the room "Have a seat, have a cup of tea, whatever you like!"

Blaze goes to the room Bowser Jr. was in and knocks on it "Junior? Are you alright?" Bowser Junior sobs a bit and opens the door, the purple cat smiles and said "Their you are, I don't want to intrude, but….Ringmaster said you had a 'epically amazing' Pokemon card collection, and I was wondering if you could…perhaps….let me see it?"

It was a common fact that Ringmaster and Bowser Jr were good friends and often hung out when Bowser came to the Emeralds for glammer so Blaze was aware of this.

"It has a holo shiny Weedle." Bowser Jr said cheering up a bit.

"Cool…" Blaze said smiling and Bowser Jr. opens the door more allowing her in and she enters.

"Just mind the upholstery while you're looking for nothing." Bowser told Mephiles.

"Yeah, sure thing." Mephiles said nodding, he knows Bowser's hiding the truth, he will uncover it. He looks at the front door and notices the brocken lock. "Your lock's busted."

"Huh?" Bowser said confused

"The lock." Mephiles said examining it "It looks like somebody kicked in the door."

"Oh for Goomba's sake, the stupid lock's been busted for weeks, pal." Bowser told him "Rotted just like everything else in this stupid building."

"Hmmm…" Mephiles said looking at Bowser who looks back, he feels that isn't the truth, but he can't prove it yet. He then sees nearby on the floor was a broken lamp and examines it "And the lamp's broke, too."

"Goddamn it. Damn thing must have fell off the table." Bowser complained.

"Uh-huh, the lamp just fell off the table." Mephiles said not buying that.

"You know with this place, it's like living on a foundation of termites, it is." Bowser explained "All's so cheap, it's a wonder it stay standing as long as it does."

Mephiles nods then he notices the sockets on the wall of the table nearby, both had plugs them none which connected to the lamp. He then goes and knocks on the door to Bowser Jr's room to check in on Blaze.

"….through most people think it's the best card." Bowser Jr. is heard saying as Blaze opens the door a bit.

"Uh huh." Blaze said nodding and looks to Mephiles aking "How's it going?"

"Bowser's hiding something but I don't know what yet." Mephiles tells her "Did the kid say anything…?"

"No but I'm worried. He had two huge bruises on his arms." Blaze said concerned "He won't tell me why and he acted nervous when I brought it up." Mephiles nods understanding "Something's going on."

"Stay with the kid till I figure out what." Mephiles told her. Blaze nods and closes the door, he then goes to Bowser.

"I need to get a dust pan one of these days…" Bowser said thinking.

"Listen, you want me out of here, I want out of here….just come clean. What's going on?" Mephiles asked the former Koopa king.

"The place just needs some sweeping is all." Bowser told him.

Mephiles goes into the living room area to look for more clues and sees a blood spot on the wall and approaches it and examines it, he turns to Bowser and asked "Are you bleeding?"

"Why? Is that…" Bowser asked having seen him looking at the wall.

"It's blood. Still looks fresh too." Mephiles told him.

"Oh, well. I cut my hand." Bowser said quickly "I ran around like mad trying to pick up a wrap. Must have got some on the furnishments…." He rubs his head "Lamp in pieces, blood on the wall…it's awful, I know."

"Sounds painful." Mephiles said to him rolling his eyes.

"Hey, don't you go Mother Henning now!" Bowser said glaring "The wound didn't sit very long, you know. Perks of being a Fiction, I guess. And a Koopa."

Mephiles keeps looking then notices something on the floor, a fire poker but on the pointy tip was blood. He picks up and examines it. "There's more blood over here."

"On the poker?" Bowser asked concerned.

"Yeah. What happened?" Mephiles asked him.

"Ah, well that's…that's how it happened, didn't it?" Bowser said thinking "I-I was poking the coals and it slipped a bit—sliced open my foot like a mushroom. Hurt like heck, the ugly thing." He then noticed the look on Mephiles' face "If you're going to say something, out with it."

"Hang on…. you dropped it on your foot?" Mephiles said thinking as he noticed the contradiction "You told me before that you cut your hand."

"Yeah, no, I-I did cut my hand first, and that made me drop the damned thing on my foot." Bowser said realising he was no doubt caught in a lie. He chuckles nervously "Ruinous flip of events, really."

"Mm." Mephiles said and goes to close to the blood splat and angles the poker with it and swings it a bit like he was hitting someone with it.

"Oh my god, will you not make a big deal out of this!" Bowser said annoyed "There's nothing to solve here, Sheriff, I'm telling you everything that happened! Why don't you believe me? I mean, things happen you know….No crime in a little accident."

"I think perhaps you're hiding something." Mephiles told him

"Hiding something?" Bowser asked

"Maybe. But to be honest, I don't know yet." Mephiles said nodding "…but I know you're lying about something."

"But I'm not…" Bowser said trying to deny.

"And you're just going to make it worse for yourself the longer you keep up the act." Mephiles said cutting him off.

"I am not messing with you. Honest truth." Bowser said to him.

"We'll see." Mephiles said, he already cause him in one lie, just need to peel the others away. He drops the poker and looks around, he sees a dust ring on a table and goes to it and exaimes it.

"That more blood?" Bowser asked concerned.

"No, just a clean space in the dust." Mephiles told him then asked "Did you move something?"

"Uh, maybe one of Junior's toys or something. I mean, who knows?" Bowser said shrugging.

Mephiles looks and sees near the table another outlet with nothing plugged in. He then looks at the dust ring and back at the brocken lamps base, it matched up perfectly

Bowser seeing the thinking look on the dark demon's face again asked annoyed "God damn it, Mephiles, what sinister bit have you uncovered this time? I left the tap watter running? Didn't sort the recycling? What is the point of all this, buddy, really?!"

"That broken lamp used to be here. Right?" Mephiles told him calmly and simply "Just tell me what happened."

"Nothing happened, pal. Nothing." Bowser told him. "And why did the lamp have to be there, of all the darn pointless inquiries? It's my own place, don't you think I know what happens in it?"

"Because it wasn't on the table, Bowser. There isn't any room in the electric outlets." Mephiles explained to him

"Huh? What are you…" Bowser said confused.

"It was plugged in over here…and now it's there." Mephiles finished explaining.

"I-I did some refiguring—who the heck cares?" Bowser said as he was again caught in a lie.

"And no plug it in? Come on Bowser." Mephiles said shaking his head.

"I just haven't gotten round to it yet! Have you seen how many damn plugs there are." Bowser said defensively.

Mephiles continues looking around and comes to the window and examines it, he then sees what looked to be claw marks on the windowsill. He opens it up and checks them they were claw marks "There's some marks here on the windowsill." He said to Bowser.

"Well, like I said, Junior leaves his toys around all the time…" Bowser began thinking he meant dust marks.

"These don't look like they're from a toy." Mephiles said to him.

"Oh, well…." Bowser said thinking "Just last night, when I'd gotten home, I was in a….downright tizzy pal as you would be and I completely forgot my keys to this place. And I had to climb in through the darn window, luckily it was big enough for my shell."

"Really." Mephiles said not buying it as he saw a contradiction.

"Scared Junior half to death." Bowser admits. Mephiles looks at the windowsill and the front door. The Koopa then asked "You heard, uh, the new, uh….Lurleen Lumpkin album yet?"

"But you wouldn't need keys, since the locks broken." Mephiles said exposing Bowser's lie right there. "So why'd you climb through the window?"

"Huh?" Bowser asked confused.

"Why'd you climb though the window? You said it yourself, the locks been rotten for weeks…" Mephiles said nodding. "You wouldn't needed a key to get in."

"Son of a Goomba, just what the heck you on about mate?" Bowser asked annoyed "After the state I was in, I didn't have my head, that's all it was, I forgot the stupid handle was freaking busted. Also let me tell you it's embarrassing, you bringing all this up, okay? So quit it with the third degree and all that." Mephiles approaches him and the Koopa said "Mephiles, come on. I'm begging for mercy here, old friend. I was looking forward to a nice afternoon with the Koopalings out for a nice afternoon with me and my son, and you've taken up enough of the day with all this…this sniffing around at my private belongings! I'm sorry I called, really, I am, but…. will you please—please just beat it?"

"Not yet." Mephiles told him.

"Not yet?" Bowser repeated in shock and anger "You say…to my face…that you think I'm hiding something from you. Well you've had a go of the room now for a fair bit of time now. Nothing's here. So when? When are you going to leave? I mean, it feels like I am on trial here in my own damn home! It's not seemly!"

"When? When I figure out what's going on here, Bowser." Mephiles replied and added "You can help the process along, you know…"

"How? How can I help the 'process' along?" Bowser asked "I cut my head, I broke the lamp, I forgot my keys so I climbed the sill. There's no more story to tell pal!"

"Bowser….These stories have made no sense." Mephiles said looking serious as he calls Bowser out on his lies "You didn't cut yourself on the poker. You didn't forget your keys. You didn't bump the lamp off the table. Do you want to tell me what's really going on?"

"…she doesn't think much of me, I don't think." Bowser Jr. said smiling as he and Blaze enter from the bedroom.

"Oh, I wouldn't necessarily say that." Blaze said smiling and asked Mephiles "Progess?" The too look as Bowser leans down to hug his son and sees blood coming from his head "Bowser….you're bleeding" she said surprised.

Bowser surprised feels the back of his head and indeed feels it and looks embarrassed. He looks down. Mephiles sighs and said "Take off the sombrero." Bowser nods and does so and relaves a large cut on his head. Shocking the two.

"It was that…. butcher, a Paradox bother. Dox or Para, you to put labels on them if you don't know which colour each of them wear to tell them apart like me." Bowser said sitting down on a chair and Blaze gets a wet cloth and wipes the wound to clean it. He holds the cloth in place as he comes clean "He came barging in, screaming about something Qrow had, or thought he had…I don't know. He tore up the place, overpowered and beat me up when I said I didn't have it." He then added glaring "And if you had come when I asked you too, maybe he wouldn't have had the nerve to strong arm my son." Bowser Jr. looks down.

"He hurt Bowser Jr? How awful." Blaze said looking at Mephiles

"What the heck does he care?" Bowser said glaring at Mephiles "It's always the same with you these days, isn't it Mephiles? If I'm in trouble, need help, if I call about something, you always take the live long day to get here to one of your old villain friends. What if he'd done something worse huh? I'm tired of feeling trivial, pal. A lot of us are."

Mephiles felt a bit a guilt, sure Bowser is an old friend from the old days, but he he was one person and lost the ability to clone himself, he knew it was a tough call. But no sense in dwelling on it, he needed more info.

"We're sorry, Junior. Really." Blaze said to the small koopa "We were lucky it didn't go any further…"

"Do you know where the Paradox brother went?" Mephiles asked.

"He mentioned something about Kotal Kahn's…I don't know if he'd already been there or was going there, but…he said something about it." Bowser said thinking and then stands up and admits "I would have told you…I wanted to, really I did…But he said if word of this ever got back to him, if he ever thought you knew, or Miss Blaze…he'd come back and kill my son and the Koopalings. I even tried to give the jerk her cloak. He wouldn't take it."

"Whose cloak?" Blaze asked.

"The girl." Bowser replied

"Papa borrows things from people who live here…" Bowser Jr. said smiling but notes the annoyed look on Bowser's face and added "….uh….sometimes…?"

"Borrows?" Mephiles asked giving Bowser the look.

"Relax, I don't steal anything." Bowser states firmly "You'll be surprised at how fast the turnaround here is, pal. I merely…repossess what's been left behind."

"Well, we'll be taking the coat now. If she had next of kin, family, anyone…" Blaze tells him

"Alright, fetch the slik." Bowser said to Bowser Jr. sighing. "A quality piece of fabric it is." Bowser Jr. goes to the fireplace and with Blaze's help pulls out an elegant green cloak. "Through I would only wear it for extra special occasions." He added smiling.

Mephiles nods in agreement with Bowser and watches Blaze put the cloak on the couch and sees something "Wait." He said he sees sticking out of the cloak pocket a letter and pulls it out "It's an envelope."

"Good damn it, of course there it." Bowser said annoyed "Knowing my luck it's a map to some darn coins"

"It's addressed to Kotal Kahn." Blaze said reading the address. "What do you want to do with it..."

"Don't make it a dilemma!" Bowser said to Mephiles "Just open it!" Mephiles looks at it thinking it might contain a clue.

"Mephiles…" Blaze asked him.

Mephiles nods making his choice and puts it in his bag and admits "It doesn't seem right opening another man's mail. Let's try and give it to him."

"Okay." Blaze said nodding.

"Well it's been quite a surprising day for all of us, hasn't it?" Bowser said looking annoyed "I'd see you out but I'm afraid of dripping more blood in the place." He sits down.

Mephiles nods and goes to leave. Blaze was about to follow but coutches down to Bowser Jr. and pats his head and said smiling "It was very nice talking to you Junior."

"Thank you…uh….see you." Bowser Jr. said smiling.

Blaze stands up and goes to leave but adds "And don't worry about what happened earlier. Just feel better, okay?"

Just before they left, Bowser decides to give them one bit of information and said "and if you're looking for Qrow, try down at The Spider's Nest."

"Thanks Bowser." Mephiles said nodding to him and the two left the father and son.

Once they goes outside, Mephiles gets out and lights up one of his Solaris brand cigarettes. Blaze watches and smiles.

"So, does it always go that smoothly?" Blaze asked smiling. She was aware there was some sore history between Bowser and Mephiles since the exodus but she was surprised how well that went.

"Admittingly this is a rare occurrence." Mephiles said with a smiling look.

"So….split a cab?" Blaze asked him.

"Sure." Mephiles said nodding "I can only go to the Spider's Nest for now, anyway."

"Not because of what Bowser said?" Blaze asked him concerned.

"Best case scenario is Qrow is there…. if not hopefully someone will know where to find him." Mephiles said shrugging, it was there only lead so far and even if he didn't think he did it, Qrow was still a suspect in Jade's murder. And when Blaze gives him a look he told her "It's my best lead."

"Our only lead really." Blaze admits and goes to hail a cab.

"Well, when you put it that way…" Mephiles said and follows her.

A while later the two were in a cab as it takes them to the Spider's Nest. They sat in silence as the cab driver drives them to the location.

Blaze then said "Every time I think I getting a handle on what's going on…things just get more complicated." She looks at Mephiles worried "It feels like we're aways a step behind."

"Qrow Branwen is the only lead we got and he was one of the last people to see Jade alive." Mephiles notes down. "Getting some answers out of him will start to clear things up."

"I hope you're right." Blaze said nodding. "Mephiles….Be honest with me please, who do you thing…did this? I know it's still early but…I just feel a step behind. It's an uncomfortable feeling."

Mephiles thinks and believes it still might be the pimp, he said "Jade was in trouble. Afraid of someone…I need to find out who. Might be whoever she was working for."

Blaze nods in agreement that makes sense. The two then sat in silence for a bit while they were stuck in traffic for a bit, to say it was awkward was an understatement. Despite there history from the old lands the two didn't interact that much these days outside of work.

"Thanks for the…" Mephiles began to say but at the same time Blaze said "I wish there was…" The two stop and look away from each other awkwardly.

"Sory." Blaze says to him.

"Go ahead. I didn't mean to cut you off." Mephiles said to her embarrassed.

"No it's…" Blaze said awkwardly "It's nothing, I just…" She looks out the window and said "Seeing all this today…There are Fictions that are struggling worse than I'd imagined. We pay so much attention to the residents of The Emeralds…you forget there's a whole community out there to serve. To have to turn to…. prostitution. I wish there was more we could do. This isn't how I thought it would be…but Scarecrow runs things his own way."

"You're doing your best. It's all anyone can do." Mephiles said to her in reassurance.

"Obviously, you don't know what I do all day." Blaze said and explained "Right now, I'm the gatekeeper, making sure none of these disenfranchised folks are, as he puts it, wasting his time."

"Don't worry, you'll fix it." Mephiles said smiling

Blaze smiles looking at Mephiles, she appreciated what he said. She then said sadly "I don't know…It's just a broken system. The Fictions who walk in through the back door, like Ganondorf…we have all the time in the world for them. You try and come in through the front door, through the proper channels asking for anything needing help, well…I turn you away. Now things are worse off than they've ever been."

Mephiles things and admits indeed since Jonathan Crane took over leading since Optimus' absence things have gone downhill but he doubts they are that bad and said "Well…that's not true."

"Right, we've had it worse, but…not by much." Blaze admits to him. "Maybe this isn't for me. I used to think public service was…. pure. A way to help."

"You'll figure it out. You were a princess of a kingdom, you're obviously better in this political stuff then I am." Mephiles told her.

"Well, that's not saying much." Blaze asked with a smirk

"Look, I trust you to make the right decision." Mephiles said nodding.

"I hope you're right." Blaze said looking down. Soon the taxi stops outside the Spider's Nest bar and the two look outside and she said seeing shady people nearby "Yeah, maybe you should handle this one."

"Yeah, maybe I should." Mephiles said nodding. He gets out the cab and goes to the entrance.

Blaze thinks and then calls out "Mephiles…" The dark hedgehog looks and goes back to her "I…um…just….be careful, please."

Mephiles nods and said "The same goes for you."

Mephiles watches the taxi leave and turns to the Spider's Nest. Time to see if Bowser's tip on Qrow was accurate and he'll be here.

Well that was intent and some revalations but still no closer to solving the case. Time to follow the only lead left.

Please Read, Review and Suggest. Thank you.