"Well this is our stop." I said as our train came to a halt.
We got up, got out, and looked at the building in awe. This it our new headquarters? I could not be happier.
We looked at each other, then went in the building. Well, Buddy did. My attention was on a girl who was observing the building.
She had black hair, ruby eyes, hopefully fake fangs and wearing a red and grey uniform.
I walked up to her and said, "Um, may I help you?" "NOT SPYING. That's for sure! Oh, wait, I mean...Stay back! Or I'll bite your face!"
Um...Okay. Then, I went into the building.
And woah! Look at this place!
"Wow! This is amazing!" said Buddy, "I'm gonna draw you as a special agent in a cool headquarters like this one." "I think...Yeah, I think I am a special agent in a cool headquarters like this one!"
"That's right." Agent Walker said, standing in front of us, "This is all yours. Roxie here will show you around."
The girl beside Walker looked close to our age. She's dark skinned, like me, has dark brown hair in a ponytail, and brown eyes. She's wearing a white lab coat, a yellow and black striped shirt under it, brown pants, yellow and black striped shoes, and yellow antennas on top of her head.
"Hi Aaron," she said, "Welcome to your new home! It's the standard setup: Five floors, basic equipment package, built in Fenergy Vents, it even has vaulted ceilings and a jet plane up on the roof!"
"Wait, REALLY?!"
"Really. Vaulted ceilings. They really make the place feel roomy-"
"Not that! I really get my own jet?!"
"Oh, sure. Just take the elevator to the top floor. It leads out to the landing pad." Roxie said as another girl came into the room, "You also get your own agency-issue secretary: Jenny."
Jenny has black hair, white skin, a dark blue beanie on her head, and is wearing a dark blue shirt with a orange lightning bolt decal, long sleeves, a dark blue plaid skirt, black pants and black shoes.
"Temp secretary. 'Temp' being the operative word there." Jenny said, "As soon as my fanfiction takes off, I'll get a sweet publishing deal and then I'm outta here." "Haha! Good one. She's kidding, of course." said Roxie. "No. I'm not." "DO NOT ABANDON YOUR POST!" Jenny took a step back.
Roxie said to us in a calm voice, "If you'll follow me, please." As we followed Roxie, I heard Jenny say, "Yikes! Don't take this job too seriously or anything..."
We were at a different area in the room and Roxie said, "This is the center of operations for your H.Q.. You can do a variety of things here. *Gestures to a machine* Such as changing your outfit in the Derobenator 9000."
"Sweet! Can I try it?" Buddy asked. "Actually, that's for agents only." said Roxie.
"Buddy's not an agent?" I asked. "Not unless he can provide a crimefighting tool." "Um...He's my sketch artist!" "Yeah!"
Roxie thought about it for a bit.
"...Alright, fine." "Yes!"
Buddy went up to the Derobenator and it opened up showing clothes galore, and from the sides came out mechanical hands: One with a brush, one with a comb, and one with a mirror. A curtain appeared around Buddy and the machine went to work.
When it was done, the curtain went away, and whoa! Buddy's new look is, wow!
His pencil and cap are gone, showing his now combed hair, he has sunglasses, and his clothes now consist of a vertical striped shirt, a black vest, a red tie, navy blue pants, black shoes, and a badge on his vest.
"Ha! So what do you think, Aaron?" "Lookin' good, Buddy." "Heck yeah! Did you see these glasses? Now people will take me more seriously!"
The both of us then followed Roxie to a desk with a lot of beakers, a computer, a microscope, a lot of science stuff.
"This is my station. While you're out on a case, I can give you real-time updates from here. I can help you chemically analyze any number of things you might encounter on your missions." "Neat, science stuff!" Buddy said, reach for the stuff on the table.
"DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! You're covered in germs and it takes me sixteen hours to sanitize this station!"
As Buddy pulled his hands back, I asked, "So if I need to analyze something, I should just call you on the phone?" "Yup! The analyzer fits right on your phone. It will allow you to scan any suspicious material and send the results directly to me! Now, there's something else we should discuss."
We followed Roxie back to the front where Walker and Jenny were.
Jenny saw Buddy and said, "Whoa! Buddy! Check you out! Did those come from the Derobenator?" "Uh-huh." "So it just gives out free clothes? I'm going on break so I can go browse."
"AGENTS ONLY!" fumed Roxie "(in normal voice) Besides, you have more important things to do. (to Aaron) Jenny is going to help you recruit more agents." "When I'm on the clock. Right now, I'm taking my break."
"Hold on, I can hire my own agents?"
"Of course!" Agent Walker said, "Preserving liberty is everyone's duty! Talk to Jenny and she'll explain how to get some new recruits. (to Roxie) Thank you, Roxie. Well done. (back to Aaron) Looks like you're all set."
He was about to go somewhere, but before that, he turned back to me and said, "Well, that's it, Aaron. It's all up to you now." "Where are you gonna be?" I asked. "I need to return to my own city; but don't worry, I'm confident that you're the right one for the job."
He then sniffed the air.
"You smell that? That's justice! No smell is sweeter."
"...I guess." I heard Jenny say.
"I'll be sure to drop in if there are any new upgrades for your special agent tools. For now, explore the new H.Q., get to know the place. When you're ready, talk to Jenny to recruit a new agent."
Walker and I shook hands and he left the headquarters.
"Wow! Take a look at us, Aaron!" Buddy said. "Congratulations!" said Jenny, "You should give me the rest of the day off to celebrate."
"One more thing:" said Roxie, "If you have someone in mind you want to recruit as an agent, just give them a call on the office phone."
"Ooh, I have the perfect person in mind."
"Welcome to the team, Travis!"
"What's up guys? Let's do this!"
"Your room's on the top floor Trav, go ahead and check it out." "Sweet!" he said going to the elevator.
While he went to his new room, went over to Jenny at her desk.
"Any clients with dispatch missions?" "You want a dispatch mission? Just choose one and let's get this over with."
Looking down on the list, there was only one of them so far. It was from Walker.
Alright, Aaron. It's time to delegate! You won't have the time to do everything, that's what your loyal recruits are for! We've got a cat stuck in a tree. Send that new recruit of yours, Travis, to take care of it and I'll keep you updated on his progress.
I chose that one. It shouldn't take long for Travis to get to it.
"That's it! You just sent Travis off on his first mission." "I hope he'll be okay." "Dispatch agents will always check in with a quick text message to let you know how the mission's going. Make sure you keep an eye out for any updates on your cell phone." "Right. That's a good way for us to keep in touch." "Yeah, it means you don't have to hang around H.Q. to get dispatch updates. You're free to search the city for new cases."
...
...
...
"Seriously, you can go now. I'll work real hard while you're gone."
Before I could say something, someone suddenly came in the building, catching my attention.
She had dark red hair, green eyes, a red dress, a gold bracelet and necklace, and red shoes. that go with the dress.
"Hey, you can't just barge in here without an appointment!" Jenny said, "Aaron, do something!"
"Aaron, is it?" the girl asked. I nodded. "My name is Evelyn Gray. I understand you help people out with mysteries." "Well, I try to." "Well, I have a mystery. I think someone was in my apartment while I wasn't there." "And why do you think that?" "Because they completely wrecked the place before they left."
"Whoa. I'd say that's pretty compelling evidence." Said Jenny.
"Yes. The door was open when I got home, and when I went inside...It was awful!"
"Did they take anything? What did they want?" I asked.
"Well, I don't know what they wanted. That's why I'm hiring you."
"Hmm..." I walked to a corner where Buddy and Jenny were talking. We decided to discuss this problem.
"I don't like her." Jenny said, "Her shoes are way too casual for that outfit." "I think we should help." Buddy said, "Do you think Derek has moved up to burglary now?"
"No, this sounds way to big for the neighborhood bully. I wonder..."
I walked back to Evelyn and asked, "Evelyn, did you see anybody strange around your apartment?" "Well, there was a girl...I didn't get a good look. She was wearing a red and gray Morcucorp jumpsuit..." "'Morcucorp'?! Evelyn, I'll take the case." "Thank you, Aaron. When you're ready, I'll meet you outside of my apartment."
She walked to the door, but then stopped.
"I'm...still a little scared to go inside."
I said to her, "Don't worry, I'm sure whoever did this is gone already. We'll be over soon." "Okay."
She then left the building.
"She seems nice." Buddy said. "Yeah. I wonder who'd want to scare her like that." "I dunno. A mummy?"
"Aaron, be careful." Jenny said, "If this was one of my stories, I'd make this the part where you take a seemingly simple case from a mysterious stranger, but get drawn into something far more dangerous!"
That spooked Buddy a bit.
"You might be right, Jenny." I agreed, "I get the feeling we're about to step into something big."
On the train...
Buddy and I are on our way to Evelyn's apartment, and I'm super deep in thought.
Evelyn Gray is a really mysterious person. She seemed genuinely frightened, but was Jenny right about her? I can't shake the feeling that Evelyn knows more than she's letting on.
I wonder what Buddy thought about her?
"I had a hamster named Evelyn once!"
...There's my answer.
Buddy and I made our way to Evelyn's apartment.
Our new mystery: Why was Evelyn's apartment ransacked?
As we approached Evelyn who was standing outside her apartment, I said, "Evelyn, I've got a few questions." "Okay, Agent Aaron."
"Got anything else about the perp you saw escaping?" "Not really, just that she was wearing that red and gray Morcucorp uniform." "Have you had any problems with Morcucorp before at all?" "No...Never!" "So whatever interest they have in you...it's new.
Do you have any idea if they took anything?" "Yes! I took a quick inventory, it looks like they took some jewelry and some other random stuff." "What 'random stuff' did they take?" "Oh, they also took some of my dad's old stuff: a letter and one of his research journals." "Aha! If it was a simple burglary, they wouldn't have a use for those. Looks like we have a lead."
I bet the apartment's full of evidence.
"Buddy, come on."
Inside Evelyn's apartment...
Let me tell ya, this place is a mess.
Buddy and I are looking around for anything that could help us out.
Looking on this desk, I don't see- Hold on.
I found a receipt from Shirley's place for a haircut. I'll have to see if it's Evelyn's.
"Aaron, look what I found!" Buddy said, getting up from looking under the bed.
In his hand is a coupon for Gino's pizzeria. We'll have to check that too.
We looked around some more until my eyes landed on a puddle of ink from a knocked over inkwell on a coffee table. Maybe it got stepped in?
Pulling out my magnifying glass and looking through it, I was right!
"Buddy, check it out! Someone stepped in this ink." Buddy came over and looked through the magnifier. We both saw inky footprints.
We looked at each other then followed the footprints. They went all around the room, over Evelyn's bed, to a dresser on the other side, then out the window.
I went through first then Buddy. He fell on his face though. I helped him back up then we kept going.
The footprints lead out of the yard and down the street.
After a while of following footprints, they started to fade, then they just stopped. We both started looking around the area. I checked in a dumpster, don't ask why, and in it I found-
"Buddy, look!" He came over. "It's a letter addressed to Dr. Gray."
"Wait, if they stole the letter, why's it in the trash?" "...Because they wanted something else. Let's head back to Evelyn."
We first showed Evelyn the receipt.
"Yeah, that's mine. I went to Shirley's yesterday to get my hair done." "Oh, really? It looks nice." "Thank you, Buddy."
Buddy then showed her the coupon.
"Nope. I'm allergic to tomatoes, so I never go to Gino's place." "So it's the culprit's. Man, I love it when criminals drop things."
At Gino's Pizzeria...
"Hey, Gino," I said getting his attention, "You serve anyone new recently?" "Yes, actually! A young woman in a red and grey uniform. She had some of my filet mignon pizza, and I gave her a coupon." "Really? Remember where she sat at?" "*points at table*At that table over there." "Thank you, Gino."
Buddy and I went to the table and looked around for clues.
"What's this?" I said, finding a napkin with a note written on the back.
Meet me in the forest.
We exited the pizzeria, Buddy with a slice of pepperoni pizza, went to the park, and to the forest.
When we arrived, we saw Poppy with Dogwood.
"Hey, Poppy, Dogwood." "Hi, Aaron!" "*Woof!*" "Hey, Poppy, anything weird happened in the forest lately?" "Hmm...I don't think I've seen anything 'weird'." "Okay, thanks Poppy."
We turned to leave, but suddenly,
"Oh no! Wait a second!" "*Turns back* What's up?" "Derek did just give me a bunch of shiny rocks to hold onto, but I gave them to Dogwood 'cuz he likes shiny things." "Fantastic. Thanks, Poppy."
Buddy and I went to work, digging for the evidence that Dogwood buried.
It took a while, but,
"Aaron! I found something!"
I ran over to Buddy. Bingo! Evelyn's jewelry!
"So they took Evelyn's jewelry-" "But they ended up buried by Dogwood." Buddy and I said.
Hearing footsteps behind us, we turned to see Derek walking by with his hands in his pocket.
Derek gave Poppy the jewelry. Something tells me that he knows more
Going up to him I said, "Derek, I need to speak with you." "No way! I don't wanna talk to you." "C'mon dude, this is important." "Aww, poor baby." "Derek, I'm not playing around, I need you to tell me about this meeting." "I'm not playing either. I have some important things to do. Leave me alone."
Oh, I am a second from breaking his legs with my crowbar. But, I'm not gonna result to violence, yet. Let's try a different approach.
"Wow, that's awesome! You're like the king of this forest." "Heh, yeah! I am, aren't I? Not even Esma can boss me around here."
Esma?
"Yeah, I know! She's so bossy, right?" "Heh, yeah! She even yelled at that dude who came to the meeting for the book exchange."
"A book exchange, huh Derek?" "Oops. Gah! I wasn't supposed to tell you that!" He ran off.
"*turns to Buddy*You get that, Buddy?" "Uh, kinda." "Derek said that he saw Morcucorp operatives give some man the journal. You know what means." "Oh! They just wanted the journal!" "Exactly. C'mon, let's go tell Evelyn."
"Evelyn, we found out what Morcubus wanted." "Really?! What was it?"
I switched my glasses with my sunglasses then said, "We've got good news, and bad news." "I'll take the good news first."
Buddy said, "The good news is that we found the letter and the jewelry! Here you go." He gave the stuff back to Evelyn. "And the bad news?"
"They took your journal." I said, "Apparently, there was a meeting in the forest with Morcucorp goons and an unknown guy. He gave the journal to them."
"My father's journal?! It had all his research notes in it! Who would want to steal it?!"
"My guess? The mayor, Skip Rogers. I've already connected him to dealings with Morcubus."
"Well, let's go arrest him! Throw him in prison! Let him sit in a cell!"
"Whoa, slow down, Evelyn. We need concrete proof first. Trust me we'll find it."
"I'll be waiting outside City Hall." she said, "I want to be there when this goes down."