CLOSED PARALOGUE The Evrensel Conflict: Paralogue 2 -- Thieving in Space

[Wade Von Doom]

For a station as large as the Pathfinder, and for as many people that had been, or were still, held prisoner within its mechanical bowels, it was surprising how the hustle and bustle of the freed humans within it created a constant cacophony of noise to rival even the busiest of airports. Of these denizens, not everyone was a high-powered human, or a mechanical creature of immense power. Many people, if not the majority, were simply random humans from random worlds with random expertise's. Engineers and scientists, farmers and laborers, teachers and accountants, and so many more professions existed within the general population of the Pathfinder that at times it was hard to find the right role for the growing number of freed humans.

However, two things remained a constant.

First, there was always something to be done on the Pathfinder. Of the many hundreds of rooms and hallways, there was always something that needed to be figured out, sorted, cataloged, or otherwise handled in some professional sense. Everyone had a purpose, and those who didn't have a purpose either because they were too young, to old, or to mentally unsound, all had to be handled by a small number of caretakers from the general population. For a station that had a strange number of amenities given the prior owners, life was stressful, resources were perpetually low, and everyone was scared and overworked.

Thus, the second constant about life on the Pathfinder: The Bar.

The bar of the Pathfinder was a constant home for many adults coming back from a stressful work shift, or explorers coming back from a tiring reconnaissance into a deeper, unexplored section of the station, or perhaps even into a whole new universe. However, despite the bar being a cornerstone of the overall morale of the people of the Pathfinder, every bar suffered from the fact that it could get rowdy. Alcohol had a way of loosening the moral convictions of man, and thus inciting violence amongst the more troublesome humans of the Pathfinder. Thus, the most important rule of the Bar: you leave all weapons and problems at the door.

How was this rule enforced, especially in the light of the more…excessively powered humans? Some of the people aboard the Pathfinder came from military or security related backgrounds but were not superhumans or otherwise super-powered in any sense. Thus, because of this particular problem, this group banded together and took it upon themselves to police the bar and its patrons to prevent drunken fights from breaking out. Additionally, they also maintained a strict limit on alcohol sales to minors, despite the protests of the younger superhumans who came from universes where it wasn't a problem.

The real problem, however, was that some people couldn't really abide by the no-weapons rule, given that their "weapon" was something more internal to themselves, like a power of some sort. This, occasionally, led to a dangerous scuffle now and then between people who couldn't have their powers checked at the door. This was to say nothing of the more average bar fights that had to be broken up. However, because of this limitation, a situation like the one occurring at present was an inevitability of the area.

For any newcomers who were just walking into the bar, they would see a growing commotion between a strangely human looking cat and one of the superhumans who bordered on just being old enough to drink. The cat in question was more human-like than cat-like in appearance, and was standing on the bar. Behind it stood a specter of a cartoon-like man in a black coat and mask hovering behind it, rapier poised to stab the cat's current opponent. Across from the cat, also standing on the bar, was a dark-haired teenager in what looked like mixture between casual-wear and what many from western-oriented worlds would call "ninja-wear". In her left was a crackling fistful of lightning that chirped with all the grace and charm of a thousand chirping birds.

For those who had been in the bar long enough to see this fight begin, they would know that this issue had been one that had sprung up before in the last few days, as odds and ends had been disappearing for some time now. However, the constant questions and irritation surrounding this issue had finally reached a boiling point amongst some of the crewmembers of the Pathfinder, especially as the items veered away from inane and random, and more into the categories of personal and hard-to-replace.

"I swear to God, if you don't give me back my mechanical pencil, I'll fucking throttle your stupid little cat neck and give you permanent static fur problems!"

"I didn't steal your stupid pencil, and for the last time, I AM NOT A CAT!"

A voice piped out from a nearby table from a gnarly looking man who was covered in tattoos and scars, and who was nursing what looked like a cosmopolitan, "Hey! That's that cat that's always going on about being a Phantom Thief! I bet he's the one who stole my left sock!"

Another voice pitched in, this one from a woman who was multiple beers down, as evidenced by the bottles strewn across her table. "If he's stealing socks and pencils, he probably the one who stole all of my toilet paper!"

Indeed, the toilet paper situation on the Pathfinder was a large problem, one that required strict rationing and control by the powers that be.

The Cat's ears twitched in irritation at the growing number of people, and it turned its disturbingly large head to retort, but was stopped as the local bar security finally kicked in.

Six men and three women, all armed to the teeth with firearms from a variety of universes, arose from nearby tables or out from nearby corners. The leader of this small group, a man who claimed he was from a universe where humanity had achieved a means of getting out of Earth's solar system without faster-then-light travel, was a man on the verge of entering middle-age, but still being right before it, named Evan Lorne.

A well-mannered Major in his Universe's United States' Air Force, this man had bridged the differences of the various soldiers who had appeared on the station, and had formed an effective security brigade to police the general population of the Pathfinder.

"Alright everybody, let's take a nice big breath, and put away our…spooky magical powers…before things get worse." Despite his rather placid tone, the man didn't hesitate or falter as he kept his weapon firmly aimed at the girl with the obnoxiously loud lightning powers. Throwing around powers and abilities in the bar was frowned upon, but directly being a threat to another person on the Pathfinder was something that Lorne would not stand for, even from a young adult.

Said youth, however, simply snorted and shifted her body slightly, making herself a smaller target for the various weapon-wielding bar-guards, "…and what if I don't? Do you really think you normies could really take me?"

At this, every weapon that was at one pointed aimed at the cat shifted to being aimed at the girl, prompting the overall tension of the bar to skyrocket. It was an unspoken rule, given the dangerous situation they were all in, that violence against one another was harshly frowned upon. To outright threaten someone when one was clear-minded, however, was a whole new level of problematic for the humans on the Pathfinder.

"Really? That's the decision you make? Threaten me and my team over some alcohol and a mechanical pencil? Is this really the move you want to make?" Lorne's voice was incredulous and light, but the hard edge to the tone of his voice belied how seriously he was taking this particular situation. Above all else though, the tension was sky-rocketing, and some kind of intervention on either side was going to be needed to force the other side to step down.

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Thieving in Space
GM: @BlackRoseDova ​

 

[The Wanderer]

Otto Kadovah

The young Mandalorian had been mostly wandering the station, for Ami did not have anything she needed help with, and the surprise he had for her was still being cooked up and in no real way was near being ready.

The range proved to be a futile effort as most of the stations were filled and it’d just be a waste of shots. The sparring area was similar, either folks way outside his scope or far too inexperienced for the moves he knew, on top of filled spots that made it a bust also.

This led to him overhearing various complaints about missing items and accusations being thrown or mused about. This had led to Otto checking the ship he and Ami had built, the numerous safeguards showing no signs of tampering or attempted burglery. Otto’s own additions in tandem with Ami’s ingenious security features would ensure that anyone foolish enough to attempt to steal any of his possessions would be regretting their choice.

What Otto did find were strange footsteps leading around the station, barely visible using his helmet’s vision mode and very often led to dead ends. The hours spent diving into parts of the station that he was certain were still being mapped out, would eventually lead him to buy into the rumor that someone was indeed stealing items from the crew.

He sent in many inquiries about if the exploration teams had perhaps seen signs of a tribe deep within the depths of the station, or if they had seen peculiar figures not yet accounted for. All this was met with no reports of strange sightings or anything to prove his claims.

This ultimately kept him up at night and made him very paranoid to the extent that he would frequently patrol certain segments of the station or mark things with a chemical he could track. But those had yet to be explored when he passed the bar and heard the signs of a scuffle breaking out.

He personally would never drink, and as such he had no real reason to ever consider entering the space until now. The bouncers all gathered around a stand-off allowed him to walk in and not have to drop off his weapons.

The intervention needed was going to be a tough puzzle to crack, but one that Otto would quickly settle by throwing his wrist forward, aiming his wrist flamer in between the two groups and letting loose a torrent of fire to show a point that if such a fight were to break out, he could easily shower either side in flame.

This with the armor and hand on his blaster would hopefully help sell the idea that this would be settled enough for him to get some things straight.

“I’ve spent some time tracking folks around this station, I can confirm the thief is not the two on the table.” He said, hand still on his blaster in its holster and wrist flamer ready to go. “I’d also advise against thinking powers will save you against several ranged weaponry.” He added on, pointed at the words spoken by the one of the powered duo on the table.

@Epiphany @Wade Von Doom @Valkan @LenxKaitoYaoi @Apothecary Bruce @BlackRoseDova

 

[Valkan]

Ryan Morganyag

With the chaotic mess that was this new station the group called home now, it has been a rather tiresome endeavor. Ryan didn't even had the chance to spend time with Luer, not enough, at least. He still felt terrible for how he had treated him that one time. It seemed like it was water under the bridge now, but one can never be too sure. Ryan still hadn't built up the courage to ask Luer if he wanted to share a room with him again.

Ryan wanted to show his boyfriend how sorry he was, even if he said it was fine. Luer would always say something like that to not incite anything. He looked around for Luer in the station guided by his smell, and on a larger scale, through his connection to the Blood Dragonstone Ryan made for him. Contacting him through ANNA didn't feel right. In other words, he was too nervous to simply talk to him instantly. The walking helped ease his mind.

Finally finding him, Ryan stood awkwardly at a distance "H... Hey there. Wanna go for a walk?" How things went from there would be up to Luer. Still, both of them took a stroll through the station, with Ryan being unusually quiet. Eventually, the couple arrived at the bar. "Why don't we go for a drink?" Ryan suggested. He wasn't getting anywhere like this, which sparked the concern he had towards Morgan. As a retainer of hers, he was even more ashamed.

Ryan ordered two pints of mead, downing one in record time. Booze servings were rather generous, so it did slow his mind a bit. Ryan has been having trouble with calming himself with meditation, he couldn't quite ease himself with just that for a while now. He hated needing a drink to relax, but at the moment he didn't have a quick way to relax and properly talk to Luer. "You... We haven't talked a lot since we were on the cliff" Ryan sighed, his nerves evident on it. "So, how have you been?"

Before he could get a deeper talk with Luer though, a loud discussion that turned into a standoff occurred. Two people were discussing missing objects of theirs. It ended up with the bouncers aiming their weapons at one of the troublemakers. Otto came out of nowhere and intervened. Ryan didn't doubt the Mandalorian's skill, but to leave the matter to him alone felt wrong. So he took a sip of mead, dropped a warmer "I'll be right back" on Luer, and in the blink of an eye, he stood between the two discussing parties. holding a hand in each direction. "Now, now. Easy everyone. I trust Otto here to be onto something, so why don't we all relax before someone does something they'll regret."

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

A new station meant new ways for Luer to get lost and more damn buzzing noises around him. He was damn near sure this one was louder than the last two, and in some false hope he explored the place to try and find a new room with the smallest amount of that cursed feeling and sound in it. Alas, he had yet to find one. Though, a room to retreat to was not the only thing he sought out. His other quarry was just as elusive though, should the hearsay be true. He could only hope.

With no luck yet though on either of his endeavors, he was pleased to run into someone by chance, as the dragon called out to him. He tilted his head at the way Ryan stopped and stuttered. He shook it off though and moved closer to the dragon with a smile. "Hey." He chuckled to the suggestion of a walk. He had been walking all morning. "Sure." He responded regardless. He would have continued walking regardless in his searching so he had no protests. Besides, he and Ryan had not been able to talk much of late after getting back together- a decision he had been criticized for. He saw no reason for it though. It actually pissed him off…

He was mostly going about small talk every now and then as the two walked, up until they stopped by the bar. He gave an unsure look to his boyfriend when he suggested they get a drink. Ryan knew as well as the archer did what a drink could do to him. Perhaps he will settle for something non-alcoholic… He did not deny the dragon though, following him to a corner of the bar where they got their drinks. Seeing how fast his partner drowned his drink, the archer slid his to him and chuckled. "I think it best I not be drinking, lest we find ourselves naked somewhere less favorable."

Luer hummed at the question, going to answer with his recently learned whispers of another curse bearer. Alas, the every rowdy nature of a bar was not the place for speaking without interruption. He turned instead to the argument as it got more heated and security became involved, looking rather unamused. He had heard of the missing things, too, and it had left him reason to sleep with his bow in hand more often than usual these days. He would be damned to have someone steal it.

Still, when Ryan got up to intervene his brow furrowed as he watched. He knew he could not stop the dragon from running into a fight— it was not as if Ryan could stop him from doing so either, making it unfair of him to try the same. But still he worried. He would intervene as well, but this was far from anything he was decent at. So instead he would observe and be the healer on standby if it were needed.

 

[Apothecary Bruce]

In the corner of the bar sat a man in an odd costume - though by the standards of such an eclectic station, a man in a mixture of cutting edge black ops gear, ninja garb and circus strongman outfits might not be the weirdest thing onboard. The only thing he had ordered was water in a wine glass, specifically. The man had not failed to notice how no one bat an eye much at him, what with actual human-animal hybrids in plain sight. Still, he kept his long cape draped around him, covering the symbol of the bat brazenly sprawled on his chestpiece.
The Batman hadn't done much, not yet. Writing in his journal, he listed a variety of questions, a plan to follow.
'1. Find out what brought me here, and why.
2. See if anyone else was brought along.
3. Test what's new here. See if my skills are still worth anything, and if not, then how to adapt.'

Batman wasn't new to the feeling of being a fish out of water. He was a rich kid, with money and issues, in a world of superhumans, gods and true evils. But, if nothing else, he was resilient and persistent. 'Metahumans seem common. Powers haven't overcome firearms yet though. No Supermen here that I can find.'
Suddenly, he stopped writing, and raised his head. Before taking a sip of water from his glass, he spoke softly. "Superman. If you can hear this, come sit at my table. We've got to discuss." He finished his water, and placed the cup down. He looked ahead, as if to meet the eyes of someone who wasn't there.
After thirty seconds passed, Batman pulled out his journal again. 'Superman isn't here. If I want heavy hitters from home, I'd have to find them. Put in backburner.' Batman continued to observe the bar scene, trying to dissect who was who, and if anyone meant anything. He had little to go off except for intuition and experience - he had to hope people were still people, no matter the setting. Many of the people here are armed, overarmed. This isn't a military facility. Which means at least a few of these people are criminals. I can work with criminals.

His eyes passed over each and every patron. 'The young man in the blue hair. Would fit in the Gotham East End with little issue. A little more cleanly, and innocent looking, but that doesn't mean much. The bow looks real, and he looks fit - likely trains enough to use it.'
'The thug in the shining armor - sits with confidence. Not bombastic, but silent and ever-present. Built himself to impose. Wrist-mounted device, could be gas attack, flamethrower, something more esoteric. Plenty of gear. Likely not superpowered.'
'Swordsman with the archaic garb. Horns suggest supernatural origins. Superpowered. He's the one to look out for. Too close to the Demon's Head for comfort.'

He hadn't gotten any farther before tensions with a small cat-person boiled over. Quickly, the situation had deteriorated until nearly everyone in the bar was on edge, or had their guns out. Mental notes, the warrior - Otto, the other one said - is prone to show off and make himself the center of attention, even if he can't handle it. Either a sense of pride in his skills, a sense of trust in his equipment, or, if he has none, trying to make up for having no significant powers by acting confidently enough to discourage anyone from calling his bluff. Still, if his claim about tracking people on the station isn't a bluff, he's smarter than I previously thought. I have to respect the persistence, and he's bound to have surprises.
The swordsman lived up to my expectations - placing himself in the middle of harms' way, despite the arrival of security, with little concern. Could likely take a bullet, or otherwise ignore guns. Don't punch unless I have to.
The archer is quick to enter an engagement, and is close to the swordsman. Either the archer is better than I expected with that bow, or more likely he's confident in the swordsman's ability to protect him. Wild card.

Batman stood up, carefully sliding himself next to the archer, his steps making no sound despite the firmness and material of his boots. Underneath his cloak, his grappling hook had been prepared, with its claw attachment - meant for non-lethal disarmament and pulling an enemy closer - useful if anyone starts shooting. Start with the armored one first. Best not to engage fully - sweep the leg, use the weight of that armor to crash him into his table. Before he recovers, move to the security team. One by one, disarm and strike. If the swordsman engages, don't hurt the archer - even though it might throw him off, its too underhanded a tactic for innocent people. Of course, Batman didn't move to enact this plan immediately, instead he waited to see how the situation resolved itself.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"Well, one of you bastards definitely stole my Ferrier vintage Port '45! You know how rare that bottle is?! It costs nearly fifteen thousand these days!" A VERY slurry and drunken voice cried out from at the far end of the bar, as the overweight man angrily shouted about his missing bottle.

"Boyle, no one stole it, we saw you drink it twenty minutes ago!" Another voice at the other far end of the room shouted back.

"That so? Or is it that you all can't admit that you have a problem!? BEEEEEELCH!~" The man belched loudly across the room, before then falling off his stool backwards and landing on the ground with a loud thump, before everyone could then hear him snore loudly.

"I'd had to agree with our man in the armor!" Yet another voice called out, this one along the table closest to Otto. It was a small man in a crumpled beige suit, off-white shirt, scuffed boots, green/brown tie and, of course, the shabby raincoat. All while taking a puff from a cheap green cigar he always had on hand whenever people saw him. Ryan would recognize him, having met him in this same bar when he and a few others were taken here to cut a deal with The Man You Do Business With, to go back to their homes and never be bothered again with this multiverse shenanigans.

Yet, as out of place as he was in this place, and that was saying a lot, considering the literal thousand people who were brought here, he stayed and kept himself in the background. Until now.

"The thief's pattern, as random as it may seem, isn't valuable enough for one such as our fellow Phantom Thief here. It's minor things, stuff you would find at thrift stores. And, outside the toilet paper, would be things only the individual would notice. And with a place like this full of much more valuable items, why take items of such little worth financially?"

 

[Valkan]

Ryan Morganyag

It seemed like Ryan's words went on deaf ears, as the people engaged in the standoff didn't budge an inch. Though the overall tension in the bar lightened up when an alcoholic by the name of "Boyle" made a fool of himself in his heavily inebriated state.

Some light was shed into the situation when a familiar face took his turn to speak, "Lieutenant Columbo" he greeted the man respectfully. He showed off his skill in investigating as he planted a small theory based on what little he knew. The most likely case is that what he mentioned is all he knew, but he said it with resolve and lacking doubt. Which just might cut it for this particular situation... For now at least.

"Cause hostility among the residents of the station? Like now?" Ryan inquired. He kind of jumped the gun and looked at the parties involved in the standoff "For now though, like I said before. Everyone relax. We will not catch the thief if we just attack each other at random because of paranoia. So, let's all put our weapons down. Nice and slowly." as he repeated his order, he used a more commanding tone, but he also showed an example by relaxing his arms to his sides, just the way he expected the heated people to follow.

"And please, someone take Boyle to... wherever he sleeps" he finalized with a sigh.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

~~GM~~

A few seconds of silence fell in the bar, yet as the sense moments passed, the youth intimidating the cat-like creature threw up her arms slowly and backed away. One by one, the others in the bar followed suit, with Boyle being picked up by the large fellow in the back with the scars and tattoos.

"Don' cry for me, I'm already dead~" Boyle mumbled out to everyone, before letting out another large BEEEEELCH!~

"Whew~... Thanks!" The cat said to Ryan and co.

"Yeah well, don't be givin' those out just yet," Lorne spoke up, holstering his weapon against the front of his uniform. "We still have a thief on our hands. And if it isn't you, then we have a hundred dozen people on this station that are prime suspects. And if you and the Lieutenant are right, then maybe this is all to stir up trouble for something bigger."

"Then we got our work cut out of us, huh?" Columbo added, walking over to the group to discuss further plans. "What's your name?"

"Major Evan Lorne of the US Air Force." Lorne introduced himself.

"No kidding! Oh, it's an honor, Major, been a very long time since I last met a fighter pilot," Columbo complimented.

Lorne couldn't help but crack a small smile at it, "Thanks,"

"I was in the army myself! During Korea, but nothin' as impressive as fighter piloting, I was just in KP really," Columbo would've gone on, but more important matters were at hand, "But, that's another thing. Right now, we should think about a good strategy in finding our crook."

"I can help!" The cat chipped in. "If it'll just help clear my name."

"Could use the eye of a thief to find out how the other thief did it. If you ain't plannin' on stealing anything while we search?" Columbo asked.

"If I wanted to steal something here, it would have been a lot bigger and more shiny than toilet paper and pencils!" Morgana cried out, a little annoyance in her voice.

"Then I'll take your word for it," Columbo told her, still cracking his own little smile. "Major, could you bring us to where the thefts happened?"

"Sure, I can get my men to set up a crime scene or two." Lorne answered.

"Perfect! That just leaves finding us some suspects. We'll need to interview some of the residents that were living close by the places, obviously, and see what they can tell us. We should split up then," Columbo told the rest of the group, "One team interviews, the other investigates. Who's going where?"

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

Luer had mostly just been listening from his seat as the others debated back and forth on this whole situation. He gave a small shake of his head and mostly ignored the obviously drunken man someone addressed as Boyle. Instead his attention was drawn to someone else that spoke up. He crossed his arms, looking down at his lap for a moment as he took in the man's words. That was true, and all the more reason he preferred his bow in hand these days even when just lounging- the last thing he wanted was it to up and disappear. Not that he would consider it something to be found a thrift store. The damn thing was crafted specifically for him, after all.

Another thing surprised him though; Ryan addressed the new voice by name. He knew him? He will have to ask the dragon more about the man later then, since the archer was entirely unaware of who the hell he was. He looked to said dragon when he made his own conclusion on Columbo's words. That made sense, in some way. If there unrest and distrust amongst them (more than already anyway) it could easily cause the whole crew to fall apart. Which could be a problem in the long run.

Either way, he smiled and got up as the others started listening to Ryan. His personal bias aside, Ryan had a point. Aware as he was that there are people here he would prefer not to associate with, the archer also knows the importance of teamwork- and how fragile it can be. With Boyle taken care of and the cat girl agreeing to offer her help, he focused on Columbo as he took lead.

He hummed thoughtfully to himself. Saying he did not have a preference for a team was a lie. He knew he was more observant than anything, investigating to notice things out of place would be easy for him. Though, he also knew if he could convince random people to pay him for sex even underaged, coaxing a truthful alibi out of them should be easy. "Forgive me, Lieutenant, for my personal bias here, but I have no shame in admitting it. I would prefer to work with Ryan on this. So whichever team he goes, I will help." He stated. Honestly, just spending time with Ryan was all he wanted right now, and if he got that in the form of helping catch a thief, well, who knows? It might be fun.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"Alright then. Sounds fine to me." Columbo answered back with a casual tone, since Luer's tone suggested he was making some sort of statement. Rather than just personal preference. "... Are you two not already together?" Columbo then asked as he looked between Ryan and Luer with some confusion.

"What I mean is, I just assumed you two were at least seeing each other, if not already involved. 'Cause I saw how you two came into the bar, and overheard some of your conversation. I didn't mean to pry or anything, you were both just very close to earshot." Columbo clarified, since he wasn't the type to lean into gossip about people's lives... Well, at least off the clock.

 

[Apothecary Bruce]

All throughout the discussion, Batman's strategic mind was at work. The lieutenant - he's the man in charge, despite his unassuming appearance. Clearly has some sway over the group gathered and his ex-military training might prove useful in a confrontation. Get his trust, or at least his respect.
The dragon-man seemed to retain some degree of leadership, but was eager to hand it over to the lieutenant. Confirms my suspicions about this 'Columbo.'
The Major is unimpressive. Projects the image of authority, without having any in truth. Like Otto, he tries to be the scariest man in the room, but unlike him, Lorne lacks his cool.
When Columbo finished speaking, the Batman stepped forward, cape dragging across the floor as he did so, its mass completely covering him. His movement was almost specter-like, gliding across the floor with no noticeable leg movement. "I can help you," he said to Columbo, careful to make his voice as commanding and deep as possible. Impressions were the key to everything. "This is my field. I want to be on the investigation team - I believe I can do better work there."

 

[Valkan]

Ryan Morganyag

Ryan watched with fascination as Columbo spoke with the cat person and Evan. Such an unassuming man, and yet, so charismatic. What's his secret? Regardless of his admiration for the man, Ryan remained focused, glad his words had enough weight behind them. He was happy that he didn't had to use his draconic glare, or something harsher to make people cooperate. "For the love of..." Ryan shook his head as the drunkard was taken out the bar, catching a whiff of Boyle's alcohol aura.

Columbo suggested splitting up and look for clues, while others interviewed suspects. Ryan was about to speak up when Luer popped into the conversation. Caught a bit off guard by Luer's statement, he looked back and forth between Columbo and Luer exchanging words in silence. When they halted, another man stepped in. A mysterious figure in black appeared from the shadows of the bar, or so it seemed. He offered himself to help with investigations, as did the rest interested in helping...

With that in mind, he cleared his throat and jumped back into the fray "I'll take care... Or rather, we will take care of interviewing suspects". Ryan affirmed as he pointed to himself and his dear archer.

 

[LenxKaitoYaoi]

Initially, the archer nodded when Columbo agreed to his statement. He had felt the need to point out he was not going to go along with being on a separate team from Ryan right now, and he had felt doing so immediately was better than if they were assigned so and he argued it. So when Columbo's question came, Luer tilted his head in his own confusion. Why was that a relevant question?

As the man continued to elaborate the archer's own confusion was not absolved by any means. "W-well yes…" He answered first, his brows knit in thought. They were dating as far as he was concerned and knew. But that still seemed irrelevant at the moment. It was only relevant in the fact he has made it apparent he wanted to be close to the dragon right now.

He looked up for a moment as Batman appeared, giving the strangely dressed man a once over before settling on Ryan when he spoke up after. He smiled rather happily when the man corrected himself and pointed to the both of them. Something about it made his chest flutter. He nodded, taking hold of the hand that pointed at him.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

"Alright then, think we're all settled then," Columbo told the group, a small smile on his face as he looked at the strange ragtag team of detectives. "Major, if you would," The detective then signaled to Lorne, and with a nod, the Major then lead them out the bar and to their destinations.

----------------------------

THE SCENE OF THE CRIME!

The Evrensel Detective Agency's™ first stop was to the latest crime scene. Located on the lowest floor of the newly renamed 'suits,' the theft in question was of an electric toothbrush by the resident in the fifth suite. There were ten in total on the floor, five on a lower section of the floor, the other five above them.

The brutalist architecture of the station made everything look and feel lifeless, with a strong mood of existentialism among many. The lighting was minimal, the shadows long and creeping, and those walking around seemed aimless. They were now being told the multiverse, once a concept to many in their reality, was real, and there was a slim chance of returning home. Lorne's men had done well to close off the area, setting up boundaries to the entrance of the crime scene, but many looked out of it.

Some sat there along the metal stairs pondering, others looked out the corners of their eyes with aggravation or anxiety of those around them. A sense of a fight about ready to break out between two strangers for no reason than the bottled up motions of the insanity of what had become of them. It made figuring out the thefts all the more important if such a feeling turned into rioting and looting, or something much worse.

"Here," Lorn told Batman and Columbo, his men moving aside to let the three pass through. "Our tenant made a complaint about a missing electric toothbrush, believing his neighbor stole it. We haven't searched her place yet, because... Well, you'll see." Once inside, the suite looked more like a workshop than a home. There was a mini-fridge, but there were only oils and lubes inside that needed to be kept cold, and while there was a bed, there was no bathroom, and the bed itself looked like it had never been used. It even had wood shavings on it.

And that wasn't the strangest part of this scene. The resident?

Jimmy Carter.

"Hello there!" The former president began to say, as he was focusing on measuring a couple blocks of plywood with a ruler. They looked like they had been ripped off from a rowboat. "You must be the men I was told to meet with. I'm Jimmy Carter," he raised up his hand to shake theirs.

Columbo was in awe. "....... Uhh....." He had such a dumbfounded look on his face, before it turned into a big smile of disblief. "You're.... Jimmy Carter...."

"....YYYYes I am," Carter confirmed.

".... Current President, Jimmy Carter." He was still in office in Columbo's world.

"Former in my world. I've been out the white house for the last two years now, to the best of my memory." Carter explained.

Still dumbfounded, he put a hand over his forehead and wasn't sure what to say for the next few seconds. ".... I'll be a son of a gun," finally, he shook Carter's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you sir!" He shook it vigorously, using both hands, as his smile seemed to grow even bigger. "A absolute pleasure, my wife just adores you!"

"Oh, why thank you." Carter took the compliment in stride, smiling back to Columbo, even as the detective's handshake began to go on perhaps a bit too long.

"I tell ya, whenever I get back to her, she'll get an absolute kick outta this. Everyone she knows down at the beauty saloon constantly talked about how all politicians are crooks, and after Nixon, they were never gonna vote again. But my wife, she says to them, 'if all politicians were crooks, how come you have men like Carter?'" Columbo continued to say to the man, finally letting go of his hand, "She got the girls all wound up and come voting season, she convinced them all to vote again."

"She sounds like a lively woman to be with," Carter complimented.

"Oh, she's one of a kind." Batman and co were pretty much put into the background by how much glad handing Columbo was doing with Carter.

The room was impeccably well organized. There was wood dust and shaving on the floor, but each of the tool racks were kept well organized and very well clean, especially with how quickly the former president moved into the room. The room also felt colder than outside in the large hallway, like there was a draft that lowered temp by several degrees. Besides the fridge, nothing else with an electric pulse was emitting anything cold.

There was also no food in any of the cabinets, nor drink. Or anything that had running tap water. Just tools and appliances for crafting. Along with various pieces of wood and metal gathered together for whatever crafting the president would make.​

 

[Camleen]

The fact that part of the corridor was blocked off, well that was enough to indeed attract some somewhat unwanted attention. The beings here have little else, and so any sort of out of the ususal droll of daily existence is welcome.
"A thief?"
"Someone shot?"
"…tried to escape…"
"garbage all over!"
The murmurings of the crowd is low (as murmuring usually is), hushed. None really want to get involved, most just don't want to be here period. The air is electric, that unspoken tension just hanging there. But there is at least one that seems ignorant of such things.
++I saw it all++ the voice has a faint mechanical edge to it. It had come from the open door to the suite, and the originator of the voice half standing in the doorway. Her head tilts to one side as she stares in, a single green throbbing light moving along those gathered. Her 'eye' perhaps. Her height seems to be about 8feet, her skin shimmering gently in what light is offered. She now steps more into the room, despite the others attempting to move her away. She pushes their hands off of her effortlessly, though they had no want to hurt her and so didn't go all in with dragging her away. She points towards the President and speaks once more. ++I happen to have seen the whole thing. Cor-tar's device, gone! Thieves dissapearing into the dark!++
She exclaims dramatically, her hands thrown up as if to accenuate her point.

 

[Apothecary Bruce]

Before the robot came, Batman had been both quick, and subtle. While Columbo drew the former president's attention, the detective scanned his workspace, and more notably, the wood. He looked for any markings, before snapping up a few errant splinters and placing them in a small plastic bag, which he then inserted into his utility belt. His hand then drew a notepad and a slick black pen.
'Carter's office - covered in wood shavings. Unsurprising. The house looks otherwise untouched, almost uninhabited. Carter is two years out of office. Strange chill.'

He flipped back to the page he had dedicated to Columbo. 'The lieutenant is good at his job. Earning the trust of Carter and establishing some form of familiarity. Getting ready to interrogate Carter without the president even knowing it.'
The dark knight turned his attention to Carter to ask a question, but the robot appeared first. "Can you show us?" Cor-tar. Does she mean Carter, or a new third party?