((Yeah, we're not exactly Batman, the greatest detective of all superheroes. But, hell, we found out something, right?))
Experiment grunted negatively to Ian's question. "Nah, I don't drink." he muttered, then turning toward the detective.
"Well, we found ninja, we found a lab, we found magical stuff, we found... Well, I guess you could say Archie found--... What DID you find? Wasn't it some kind of candle?"
((Heh, well I was kind of expecting for people to fan out and cover more ground but everyone kind of stuck together. I told myself "give them 15 pages to explore around and stuff and they might solve the mystery too soon" then I expanded it to 25 pages.
Well, anyway, you can still ask Detective Holmes about the clues he found but they'll be from his perspective...just so everyone sees more of the big puzzle so ask away 
.))
"Ah, the ninja story again," Rich grinned. "Normally, I wouldn't believe you but if the proof is there," he then pulled out a clear plastic baggie and tossed it on the table near him. Inside was a rectangular strip of paper with japanese symbols written on it. "It's some kind of paralyzing paper. I found it on one of the robots near the lab. One of my guys was completely paralyzed by just touching it. Now I have to wonder what their motives were and where they are now."
"Well, at least I am not crazy any more. Do you have any idea why these ninja would kidnap Ian's mother and kill his father? Because, if my deductions are correct..."
2.0 began counting off of his fingers. "I thought they may have killed his father because of this whole Magi-tech deal, and so wanted to get at him for mixing the two. However, after the murder, they kidnapped the mother. They would have no one to hurt, unless they were mobsters and wanted to hurt their victim's families."
He closed his eyes in concentration. "So, either they didn't really kill the father, or there is something deeper than just magic mixed with technology going on here. Maybe if we knew more about this project, we could figure out why these ninja would hurt Ian without actually HURTING him, because, in case you guys didn't notice, they never seemed to attack him head on..."
Interesting deductions there...I never knew there were even ninjas involved.....but, Holmes paused to pull out a cigarette and lit it. After a quick drag, he rested it on his lip, You need to get some of your facts straight. For one, Mr. Kelly is dead. I got the pictures and paramedic confirmed it. Secondly, no one really knows what happened to the mother. According to the surveillance cameras....some dumb crystal camera magic crap things....all we know is there was smoke that veiled the whole scene. The smoke could have been the result of an explosion caused by the equipment so Mrs. Kelly could be dead as well or it could have just been used as cover to get to her. Thirdly, the special purpose that the deceased Mr. Kelly summoned weirdos like yourselves here for was some kind of trans-dimensional equipment he was testing. The details on it I have yet to receive because the two other scientist working on the project are missing.
Growing tired of the cigarette, the detective put it out in a nearby ash tray. I already have a hunch on who did it and what happened but I need to review the surveillance footage more before I get any warrants.
((Hal, Ess, Kell, Laz? Still there?))
Experiment shrugged slightly, and smirked. "Eh, I will believe anyone is dead when I know for sure no copies, dummies, no nothings are in their place. However, this 'trans-dimensional thing' you were talking about... Perhaps Mr. Kelly had some kind of lead on something, perhaps an opening to some place those weirdos didn't want him snooping around in."
He leaned against a wall calmly. "Therefore, they could have killed him and been done with it, but that still makes no sense. Why would they still be here? There must be something they had here, or something we missed that they are, or were, looking for.
"It makes no sense, tactically, to leave any trace of themselves, or anything someone could use to find them. For instance, if they had left that spell thing behind, they were in a hurry, they wanted someone to follow, or they are not very smart. If the third choice, it may be a little easier."
2.0 looked to the roof, as if searching for inspiration. "Hmm... Well, if they had come to murder Ian's father to stop him getting close, then they would have destroyed the 'trans-dimensional thing'. The lab was pretty much totaled, even BEFORE they attacked us. Knowing tech, that stuff could take weeks to fix, not even including the magical components and the money to find parts that are unusable..."
"Ugh. Why do these people make things so complicated!?"
Naga had been silent this entire time, but spoke again in a hissing voice. "May I see where mother vanished? I pick up trail maybe."
After all, she was a huntress with a sharper senses than most humans, and with a few extra gifts of her species.
[ QUOTE ]
((Hal, Ess, Kell, Laz? Still there?))
[/ QUOTE ]
((Not really. My internet connection is shot until Thursday, assuming it is fixable, and I can't post much at all now.))
"Okay. . ." Hal said nervously. "We could try that. . . but I'm so confused now I really have no idea what to do. I'm just not good at this sort of thing. I get too flustered. . ."
((I generally don't post much, if at all, on weekends. :3 ))
Essex piped up, moving over to Experiment quietly. "I can take a look at the tech to see if I can fix it and salvage any information. In the meantime, Ian, Miss Naga would probably be very skilled at finding your mother..."
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
They left more traces of their presence besides this piece of paper? Rich asked. I dunno if its possible to track them with this little clue but if we had more we might be able to find where they went and what they were here for.
((*Nudges Archlich*
.I wonder if anyone found anything else
.*Nudge, Nudge*))
[ QUOTE ]
Naga had been silent this entire time, but spoke again in a hissing voice. "May I see where mother vanished? I pick up trail maybe."
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Essex piped up, moving over to Experiment quietly. "I can take a look at the tech to see if I can fix it and salvage any information. In the meantime, Ian, Miss Naga would probably be very skilled at finding your mother..."
[/ QUOTE ]
Good luck with that, Rich laughed. Didnt I tell you? Those robots picked that place clean. If it werent for them Id still be there looking for clues but now its simply pointless. By the time you find any leads, the possible ones were sitting on will be long gone."
Naga gave the detective a look he would have a hard time reading, but among her own people it would have been recognized as patronizing. Humans generally couldn't read the element which her tail added to body language. "Your robot maybe ruined trail then. But I may still find something."
"May I see the place?" She asked Ian again.
OOC: Never trust people to do thing the way you want them done. >_>
BIC: Sighing in exasperation, the lich pulled the large feather he had found earlier out from under his breastplate and extended it to the detective.
"Examine this," Archlich said. "I have not yet had the time to investigate it for myself and perhaps your equipment will yield answers my magic may not, however much I doubt."
Turning away, Archlich started walking back to the front of the laboratory.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
"Ah..." Essex said, looking after Archlich curiously. Turning her steps to Naga, she shuffled over to the lizardlike girl, looking up at her in admiration.
"I'll go with you, too." she said. "...That is, if you don't think I'd be a bother."
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
"Um, this is going to be really embarassingly predictable . . ." Hal said, flushing slightly, "but can I come too?"
Ian returned with the detective's ice to a procession of people leaving toward the door.
He nodded to the group and gave the detective his glass.
I guess I can show you
.I just hope you can find a trace of my mother
Heh, good luck with your search but dont hold your breath, Richard laughed. Im not doubting your abilities or whatever but I can tell you youre doubting mine. The detective took the glass and revealed a flask of Scotch from his coat and poured himself a drink. He then pulled out some notes and began looking over them, writing parts from scraps of paper into a notebook although his writing looked like chicken scratch. If you find anything, be sure to inform me
.please, he said over his shoulder.
((Ill save the travel commentary and just poof us there.))
Upon arriving at the laboratory, Archlich was met with a mild tempered Linn. What do you think youre doing here? Linn asked rather coldly as he stepped outside from the smashed opened entry way.
~~
Meanwhile, Ian with Naga, Essex and Hallucinogen in tow, arrived at the Banquet hall. There were still a few officers gathering up the rest of their equipment but most were already driving away. Over there
Ian said, simply pointing in the far direction of the large reception area. It was a door leading to an auditorium of sorts, for theatrical showings or, in case of tonights events, demonstrations and public addresses.
"You should be glad I did not destroy this entire structure when I first came, fool," Archlich snapped, in no need to be lectured. "Enough perversions lie within this one building to give me more than enough excuses to atomize it a hundred times over. That goes doubly for that oversized shanty called a mansion. Now get out of my way and let someone with more brains than muscles try and solve this mockery of a mystery."
After getting that off his chest, Archlich pushed Linn aside and began searching through the rooms that had not been damaged by the collapse.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((*Rosalind's voice from far away* "Archie's throwin' a diva-fiiiiiiit...."))
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
OOC: >_> <_< >_>
*tosses bone over Rosie's head*
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((Oops, I forgot Leek's last post...))
<Leeksoup>:Andrew, silent for a while, perked back up. "A trans-dimensional thing? Hmm... that would take a lot of power, wouldn't it?..." Andrew trailed off. "I may have a lead." Andrew stretched out his left arm, palm open and facing up for all to see. ((Remember, he's got the magnesium stuff that Mr. Kelly put on.)) "when we were in that first room in the lab, before the ninjas came in, I managed to read a bit of data off that computer. The terminal I read controlled the large power source- the crystal- in the next room, and made sure all its power was shunted off into the right port." He lowered his hand to put it on his chin. "It looked to bit a good distance away... but if you like, I'll bet I could lead us to the dimensional portal." Andrew looked pleased with himself. "It's probably too late now, we should get some sleep. Still, in the morning, I'm sure I could do it."
~~
The instant Archlich pushed against Linn, the mild mannered oriental man sprang into action. Linn pushed the lich back with a normal palm then quickly turned and thrust another palm in the villains direction but this time, waves of blue force pushed the lich further from the laboratory entrance. Keeping his palm facing the armored sorcerer and his face as emotionless as always, Linn sternly said, I dont know how youre acquainted with Ian but I suggest you leave now before I force you to leave.
OOC: *facepalms*
BIC: "You cannot force me to do anything, mortal," Archlich rasped as he brushed one skeletal hand over where Linn had struck him. "And your temerity shall be your downfall. After I have finished with you, I might as well destroy this entire area and be done with what I came here in the first place to do."
Spinning his hands dexterously through the air, Archlich swiftly drew several runes in the air that exploded into form, becoming several balls of magical energy that rushed at Linn.
Even as that attack took place, Archlich began casting another spell.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((I'm back! Everyone do the wave!
Or not. Y'know, whatever.))
Naga entered the theatre hall and lept onto the stage where Ian's mother had been at the time of her disappearance. She went down on all fours for a moment, sniffing the floor like a bloodhound and looking about. She drew a small device from her belt and aimed it at the floor. It emitted what appeared to be UV light, but to everyone else it did not reveal anything they could see.
Her eyes were a bit different.
"They use smoke the detect man said?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "I smell it. Also see residue of footprints."
Looking about the floor again, she noticed a very well hidden seam in the floor. It was in the shape of a long square. Jamming her dagger into the gap, she managed to pry open the trapdoor in the stage floor.
"Where this go?" She asked Ian, looking down into the darkness below.
((I hope that's ok, pretty much having to make it up as I go along.))
((Welcome Back Leek. Now I dont have to worry about forgetting you again 
. And yeah, Ill say you can track the dimensional portal if you think you can.))
The smoke odor that Naga sensed was very faint and would soon be completely gone in a few minutes. The smoke was not like something being burned or some kind of smoke weapon but rather a collection of gasses from another atmosphere from another planet or something.
[ QUOTE ]
"Where this go?" [Naga] asked Ian, looking down into the darkness below.
[/ QUOTE ]
Under the stage I guess
. Ian replied with a very worried look on his face. But that wasnt a trap door
he said, pointing down at the part Naga pulled off. She had pried off a chunk of the floor.
~~
You trespass on my property, say youre going to destroy it and then call me impudent? Linn stated and at the same time his palm changed to a claw and he swiped at the air. A blue wave of force came not from his hand but seemingly out of thin air and struck down on a few balls of magic energy which exploded into the lawn.
You have no idea who youre dealing with, Linn scoffed. The cloud of debris separated the two but this didnt stop Linn from attacking. He could sense the lichs hand movements and attempted to thwart them. He skillfully turned, almost like a dance, and swiped laterally while crouching low to the ground. A large wave of blue energy rushed toward Archlich from close by and surged up as it neared Archlichs legs.
"You can sense something?" Hal said excitedly. "What is it?"
". . .Come to think of it. Who the heck are you, anyway? Essex? Care to introduce this. . . entity?"
"Oops." Naga said simply as she noticed the nails in the underside of the board she had pried up.
Still, something was odd about that smokey smell. It was sulferous, like gunpowder, but there was an odd element she remembered smelling before.
Pulling out another tool she began scanning the area again. There was something out of the ordinary with the immediate atmosphere, but more interesting was that for some reason the gravity in this spot was slightly higher than in the area around it. The difference was hardly detectable and on a decline towards Earth normal.
"There was a portal here." She said. "They always muck with the local gravity."
Jase? Ian answered, a bit surprised. He was here? Could he....nevermind. Lets just get inside.
....not bad but not good.))
Ian was about to open up the door to let everyone in when someone from behind made their voice heard. Hey! Its the kook troop, the detective laughed as he followed behind them. Well, the investigation here is pretty much done. Everything is packed up and has been sent to the labs for further investigation so Ill be out of your hair soon enough.
Inside, the guest house just resembled a really large house, not a mansion or anything. There was a living room with theatre entertainment center, fire place, plenty of places to sit and relax, quite a comfortable place to stay although seeing people like Archlich and Naga around such surroundings would seem extremely peculiar.
Okay, Ill see to opening up the up-stairs area for you and then I can get you all something to drink if youd like, Ian said to the group, Im not very good at mixing drinks though so....does anyone have any requests?
Detective Rich eyed the boy a moment, coming to the conclusion he shouldnt be handling alcohol at all. Just get me some ice, I have my own something to drink. Rich then sat in a comfy modern arm chair and looked back over to the group. Before I head back to the lab, Id like to know if any of you guys found anything while you explored around.
((And that's the 'end' of the information gathering phase. If I were grading you on your skills to explore and investigate, I'd give you all a C+