Wesley Bukes was very much at home in Gregminster. He had money, women, success. His stint in the Imperial Guard had been followed up by several lucrative side-businesses, and now he considered himself a wealthy man. His military endeavors--a few key arrests here, a promotion or two there--as well as his business practices, had gotten him to where he was today: the top of the heap! Or so he liked to think. He certainly wasn't the highest-ranking person in the Guard, by any means. And he wasn't the richest man in Gregminster. But he had quite a bit, and he made sure others knew it.
Wesley Bukes was a confident man. About five foot ten, he wore an air of confidence on his face, and was ordinarily flanked by a bodyguard or two, with at least one woman on each arm. Tonight, however, he had opted to go for a nice walk by himself, get a breath of fresh air. Wesley saw nothing wrong with walking in Gregminster alone, at night.
Which is why when a polka-dotted umbrella shot out of a side-alleyway and nailed him in the head, he never saw it coming.
******
Five figures appeared in a flash of light outside the walls of Gregminster a few days later.
"I hope no one noticed that." Fitcher said nervously. His companions looked around.
"...It doesn't look like there are any guards around here." Nora noted. Aybabtu, the old ninja, glanced around at their surroundings.
"Hmph." he said. "Well, I can tell you that I certainly didn't miss this place." Cole Steele, the old man they had just broken out of Soniere Prison, had a different reaction.
"S-sweet glory!" he said jubilantly. "It's been so long since I've seen Gregminster..." Clinker smiled, though he looked a bit tired.
"Well, you'll have a lot more time to look it over, if you're looking for your wife. Gregminster's a big place, and I'm not teleporting any more for a bit." He seemed almost to be leaning on his staff for support.
"Clinker...is everything all right? Maybe we should check into an inn so you can rest." Nora said.
"That can wait for a bit, I'll be fine." Clinker insisted. Cole and Aybabtu glanced at Clinker.
"Nonsense, lad." Aybabtu said. "I, for one, would very much enjoy the comforts of an actual bed."
"My, it has been a while since I've experienced one of those." Cole said with a wry smile. "I wouldn't mind it either."
"Why don't you three go to the inn?" Nora suggested. "You can all get some real rest. Fitcher and I will be fine."
"Yeah, but just remember...you guys are wanted men, Aybabtu especially. They'd probably recognize you easier than Cole here, so lay low." Fitcher said. The ninja nodded.
"As if you need to tell me. I shall exercise complete stealth!" Aybabtu announced in a loud voice.
"I guess I get to do the talking at the city gates. C'mon, then." he said, trudging in the direction of the entrance. The two elderly men followed him. Nora watched them go.
"What now, Fitcher?" she inquired. "Think we should take a look in the city for this Magnolia person?" Fitcher considered.
"Hmmm...actually, I don't think so."
"Why not? Cole said he lived there with his wife..."
"That was years ago," Fitcher explained. "Besides, if it's the same Magnolia I know, she has no love for the Empire---probably because of her husband's prison sentence for whatever reason---and I doubt she'd still be living in Gregminster. When she helped me escape the city, and offered to hide us, she seemed to be heading...east."
"Rockland, perhaps??" Nora offered.
"Could be." Fitcher said. "We were pretty close to Rockland when Saxanne and Darryl showed up..."
"That reminds me." Nora said. "Did you guys catch Shrapnel?" It suddenly occurred to Fitcher that Nora had no idea what had happened with Saxanne and Byhaps.
"Uh, Nora...I guess you didn't know this, but..." Fitcher said gently, "Darryl wasn't behind the arson. When we went after Shrapnel--Orange, Dublos, Saxanne and I--well, things got kinda messy, and it turned out Saxanne was behind the whole thing." Nora stared in disbelief.
"No. That can't be." she said flatly.
"I'm sorry, but...it is..." Fitcher said. "Saxanne tried to kill us. She's...dead, Nora." Nora froze.
"She can't be." she denied desperately. "She can't..."
"She'd been controlling Byhaps with magic, Nora. You have to understand, she was the one. Saxanne tried to do us all in. Orange, Dublos, Nok-Nok, Clinker...even Shrapnel, too." Fitcher explained.
Nora burst into tears.
"She ...she couldn't! She could never do a thing like that!!" she sobbed hysterically. For some reason, this news had made her come completely unglued.
"I'm sorry, Nora...it's been tough, for everyone. Even T." Fitcher said consolingly.
"You don't understand..." Nora sniffed. "She was like...a mother to me. When my mother died thirteen years ago...Saxanne cared for me, she comforted me. How could someone like that...be such a ...monster??" Fitcher shook his head. He had no convenient answers for her.
"I...don't know..." he said.
"...how did it happen?" Nora asked after a moment. Fitcher couldn't bring himself to tell her that the weapon he now held at his side was responsible for Saxanne's death. So he sat there, without speaking.
"...I need to have some time alone. Do you mind if I go back to the inn?" she said quietly.
"Of course not. I think we should all go back and sleep on this for now. Whaddya say?" Fitcher offered.
"'We' should sleep on it? As in, together?" Nora asked, frowning.
"I'm not Dublos." Fitcher said sourly. Nora managed a small smile.
"I know. I was just testing you." she said with a wink, getting up and walking away.
Man, even when devastated, she still knew how to get him!
******
One afternoon turned into two, then more. After three days of solitary rest and relaxation at the inn, they were beginning to feel better. Aybabtu insisted he was more than rested, Nora was in good spirits again, and Cole was anxious once more to find Magnolia. Clinker claimed he was rested up enough to start searching, though he didn't feel up to more teleportation yet.
They had agreed that morning to use Fitcher's idea of searching the area east of Gregminster first, to avoid as many potential Imperial run-ins as possible.
Engaging in what had become a daily ritual at the inn, first Nora peeked out the door of their room, confirmed that the coast was clear, and then they all came out in single file. They had collectively decided that Aybabtu was the largest risk, as he had been most recently captured in Gregminster. Cole had been in prison quite a while and he didn't think he would readily be recognized. Fitcher and Clinker were easily recognizable---however, they still were wearing the Imperial uniforms they had gotten in Soniere Prison.
The group of five left the inn and then mixed in with a group of traveling merchants leaving the city to slip through the gates. Once outside, they seperated from the merchants and headed east, trudging towards Rockland.
"So, I hear you were nearly executed not too long ago." Cole said to Fitcher as they walked.
"Yeah, but I didn't actually DO anything warranting putting me to death, thank you very much." Fitcher replied.
"That makes two of us." Cole sighed. "Several officials in Kunan tried to make sure I got the noose."
"Well, why didn't you, then?" Fitcher inquired.
"Hmph. A supposedly compassionate Imperial Lieutenant from Gregminster came to where I was being held for my trial, gave a sappy little speech about humane punishment, and persuaded them to only imprison me for the rest of my days." Cole spat. "Confounded Bukes..."
"Er...what's wrong with that? At least you weren't killed." Clinker asked.
"That's not the point! I hadn't done anything! I got caught in the Cats scandal, like I said, and I was framed. With a little persuasion of my OWN, I could have been released, could've convinced them it was truly a misunderstanding. But no, that fool got me a life sentence, and it was only to make himself look like a 'noble, thoughtful patriot'." Cole raged.
"Boy, I see now why your wife hates the Empire so much." Fitcher said. Cole gave him a look.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"...Didn't I tell you? I know her because she SAVED me from getting executed. She's practically a one-woman Revolution Army." Fitcher explained. Cole blinked, then broke out in a wide grin.
"That's my girl! She'll give 'em hell, that's for sure!"
After walking into the late afternoon, they finally reached the town of Rockland. It was a small, generally over-taxed village, where a good deal of the residents struggled to make ends meet. It lived up to its name, as most of the buildings were carved out of stone, but a few of the newer ones scattered about were built out of more conventional materials.
The townspeople that were out and about seemed abuzz about something. Rockland was generally not an exciting place, and so they must've gotten wind of some news recently. Fitcher heard snippets of conversation as he waited for Nora and Cole to finish browsing a shop.
"...It was poor Wes Bukes!" said a woman regretfully.
"I knew he never should have gone to Gregminster." vowed a middle-aged woman who looked as if her nose had been broken multiple times with a stick. "It's the same old story...you go to the big city, strike it rich, and get whacked."
"He's not dead, you fools. He was just mugged!" said a man next to the two women.
"Nonsense." said the first woman. "I heard..." She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "He got 'rubbed out' by...the Mafia!" The woman with the crooked nose nearly had a heart attack.
"Quiet, you fool! Don't you know they've got spies everywhere?! You'll be whacked next, if they find out you know anything!!!" she vowed ominously. A younger man laughed derisively.
"You're all wrong. There's no Mafia! Even if there was, it's far less dangerous than the real problem." he said.
"Oh?? And just what is that?" the first man demanded.
"The prostitutes in Gregminster aren't just any old prostitutes, you know. Wesley Bukes had call-girls in and out of his room nightly--he was notorious for his womanizing! He must have angered the Prostitute Syndicate---or the 'Whorde', as they call it." the young man insisted. "And they took him out."
"Oh, please! That's such bull---" the man shouted, and their conversation erupted into a shouting match, and Fitcher heard no more. Clinker suddenly ran out of a clothing store, laughing hysterically. He ran over to Fitcher, trying to contain himself.
"Fitcher...just...don't laugh, okay?" he said, trying to look serious. He knew Clinker had taken Aybabtu to get new clothing---Fitcher and Clinker themselves had ditched the Imperial uniforms upon reaching Rockland due to the fact that there wasn't many soldiers stationed there.
"Why, what are you---" Fitcher tried asking before getting his answer. Aybabtu emerged from the store, with the most foul look Fitcher had ever seen upon his face. His usual gray ninja outfit was folded up and tucked under his arm. The first words that came to Fitcher's mind were "What the HELL?".
The second words that came into Fitcher's mind were, "WHAT THE HELL?!!"
The ninja was unhappily clad in a red, silky shirt with not only a lacey, ruffled collar, but lacey, ruffled sleeves as well. And then there were the too-tight, blue pants, the high-heeled boots, and the wide-brimmed black hat.
Fitcher could not HELP but laugh.
"You'd better have stopped laughing by the time I get over there, providing I don't break my neck in these ridiculous boots, or I'll stop the laughter FOR you." Aybabtu swore, stalking towards them.
"It was all I could find in his size. Not much selection in Rockland, at least today." Clinker whispered to Fitcher.
"Hmph. You rotten child." Aybabtu snapped at Clinker. "Certainly, under the Code of the Ninja, if I had any sense, I would strangle you here and now. Because if this clown-getup doesn't shame every ninja that has ever lived, then nothing does."
"I didn't do it on purpose. It's not exactly a wide variety in there." Clinker said with a smirk.
"Besides..." Fitcher lied. "You don't look..er...that bad."
"Preposterous. I look like a gypsy who recently went insane." Aybabtu grumbled.
Nora and Cole emerged from the shop across the street, and walked over to them.
"...Where's Aybabtu?" Nora remarked.
"Oh good, a gypsy." Cole said cheerfully. "Has he seen Magnolia anywhere?" The ninja's face twisted into a scowl of death.
"It IS me, you fools! I should pump you all full of throwing stars!!!" he exploded.
"Calm down, Aybabtu, they didn't know..." Clinker said. Nora tried to contain her mirth.
"Well, no one will know you're a ninja, that's for sure." she said.
"You'll all pay for this, someday." Aybabtu vowed, stomping off. Fitcher turned to the others.
"We haven't seen Magnolia in any shops or public places like that. Maybe we should check some alleys, or hiding places like that." he suggested. The others agreed.
"Hmmm...we should split up to cover more area." Cole said. "I know what she looks like, and evidently so does Fitcher here, so each will lead a group."
"I'll go with Fitcher." Clinker volunteered.
"Uh...I guess I'll go with Cole, then. Aybabtu can come with us, too." Nora said. She walked off in the direction the disgruntled ninja had gone, and Cole followed.
"Sorry." Clinker said to Fitcher once they were out of sight. "I know you'd rather go with someone else, but if I end up with Nora, I'll just hold everything up."
"I don't mind having you around, Clinker." Fitcher said, somewhat confused. "And what do you mean, you'd hold it up?" Clinker frowned guiltily.
"Well, if I'm with you, you're good enough that you can search on your own, and let me rest. Y'know, ignore me. Nora would just make a big deal and stop everything. She worries like that..." Clinker said.
"I still don't understand. What's the matter?"
"I...I'm really feeling kind of drained, Fitcher. I probably shouldn't have teleport-battled with Saxanne so recently, and then I overused my rune in the prison. Honestly, I could use some more rest. But like I said, if I even start to let on about that, Nora will overreact." Clinker said. Fitcher nodded.
"Well, then, I won't make a big deal if that's what you want. But don't overdo it, Clinker. No one will think any less of you for resting." Fitcher said. They turned and walked down a narrow alley between a couple two-story buildings.
"Hmmm...doesn't seem like anyone's here." Fitcher remarked, checking a few piles of trash that had accumulated.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling, girly scream came from the second-story window of the building beside him. His glance turned sharply upward, but at first, he saw nothing---then the window broke and a shrieking figure fell out of it, straight into Fitcher's lap, knocking him onto his rear.
It turned out to be a man, who had only just stopped shrieking in a voice so high-pitched it made Fitcher wonder if this guy's ...equipment...was in working order. He had short, spiked blond hair, and blue eyes filled with fear. He had boyishly-cute sort of looks, and a well-built physique. He was clad in a brown button-up overcoat, and black boots. He was clutching a magnifying glass that had most certainly broken in the fall, and a yellow polka-dotted umbrella.
"Please h-help me, mister!" he pleaded. "They're after me!"
Fitcher blinked. Then he blinked again. What the...?
"Who's after you?" Clinker asked sharply.
"...The Empire?" he said in a far-too-high voice. Fitcher groaned.
"We'd better get moving, then, Fitch..." Clinker urged.
"C'mon, then. Hurry!" Fitcher said, pushing the young man off his lap. He scrambled to his feet, and to their dismay, instead of running madly in the other direction, he introduced himself.
"My name's...Archipelago! What's yours?" he said cheerfully.
"It's Fitcher, now run!" he said urgently, sprinting out of the alley. Archipelago quickly followed him. Clinker brought up the rear, going as fast as he could.
******
Despite not looking like a ninja anymore, Aybabtu got quite a few stares from the ordinary citizens of Rockland as he scanned the town with Nora and Cole. And it was no wonder, considering he was dressed as if he had been attacked by a bargain bin at midnight.
"I can't walk in these confounded boots." he complained.
"We can't risk you being recognized..." Nora said. She glanced at his outfit, and reconsidered. "Well, if you must, take off the boots, then. I wouldn't want to walk in those things either."
"Are you calling me a quitter?!" Aybabtu bellowed. "Never! The Code of the Ninja mandates that a ninja shall never give up! I must endure..." Nora rolled her eyes and kept walking.
"Hmmm...haven't seen Magnolia anywhere. I'm beginning to think she may still be in Gregminster." Cole said with a sigh.
"You'll find her." Nora said. "Fitcher was in this area fairly recently, and hopefully she's stayed put since then..." Aybabtu suddenly stopped short, and examined a poster that had just been tacked on the outer wall of a shop by the shopkeeper.
"Is this her??" he asked tentatively. Cole came and looked at the poster.
TRIAL! Political radical and wanted terrorist Magnolia Steele will be tried for crimes against the Empire, assault, theft, and high treason. The trial will be held in Gregminster...
"WHAT?!" Cole spewed. "My Magnolia, a terrorist?!!! Trial!? What is this nonsense?"
"Apparently your wife's been busy while you were away." Aybabtu remarked. Cole scowled, peering at the trial date.
"T-that's tomorrow!" he exclaimed.
"We're still not too late, then." Nora reasoned. "If we make for Gregminster right away, we can get there by tomorrow." Cole was like an angry hornet.
"Then what are we waiting for??" he bellowed. "To Gregminster! Before something terrible happens to her! I can't have received my freedom only for hers to be taken from her!" With that, he shot off towards the edge of Rockland without another word.
"Ahhh, wait...!" Nora cried, but too late. "...What now? We can't just leave without Fitcher and Clinker." Aybabtu adjusted his wide brimmed hat and was about to make a remark when they heard a gunshot, presumably fired into the air.
"I believe they'll be joining us shortly..."
******
Fitcher, Clinker and Archipelago found themselves suddenly headed off by a squad of able-bodied soldiers as they attempted to flee down a secluded alley.
"There's the wanted man!" one of them shouted. Unsurprisingly, they were gesturing at Archipelago. "Get 'im! They're offerin' a reward in the capital!"
"Just what did you DO?" Fitcher groaned. The blond man shrugged guiltily.
"Absolutely...nothing..." he declared. "I'm...innocent?"
"Liar! You're carrying the polka-dotted umbrella that the suspect was said to be holding. And you match the description, however vague it was." the leader of the squad reasoned. Archipelago quickly hid the instrument behind his back.
"I don't know what you're talking about. And...do you know who you're dealing with??" He stepped forward imposingly.
"Whatever. Just get him." the leader shrugged. The men surged forward. Archipelago jumped back, squealing. He opened the umbrella in defense.
"Don't hurt me~!" he whimpered, cowering. So much for that. Fitcher pulled out his gun and pointed it at the sky. After all, there was no reason to do more than threaten at this point.
"A Voicer!" gasped one soldier.
"Look out!" another one yelled, ducking for cover. Fitcher fired a shot straight into the air, then motioned for the others to make a break for it. He followed right after them.
As soon as the Imperials realized they hadn't been shot at, they quickly pursued the fugitives.
Fitcher saw Nora and Aybabtu standing near a shop, in a crowd of townspeople--some of whom had also looked for cover when the pistol had sounded off. He burst out of the alley, followed by Archipelago, and then Clinker.
"Run, run!" Fitcher cried, not slowing as he passed his associate and the ninja.
"Oh, how discreet." Aybabtu said sarcastically. "At this rate, we'll be arrested for sure. I suppose it's up to me." He reached into what he thought was his ninja outfit for what he also thought were shurikens.
"Aybabtu, don't--" Nora cried, thinking that he was about to just-as-'discreetly' assassinate the entire Imperial force in full public view.
"Taste this, Imperials!" Aybabtu shouted as Archipelago passed them too. However, he did not withdraw tiny, accurate throwing stars of ninja death.
What he pulled out were two large, festive maracas. They had evidently been some sort of 'free gift' along with his frilly shirt.
"Er..." Aybabtu improvised, giving them a rattle, "The Dance of the...the..."
"...The Dance of the Flaming Duck!" Nora supplied hurriedly. Aybabtu began to rhythmically shake the maracas as he danced around in an odd fashion.
"Well, boys?? How long have you been living in Rockland? Don't tell me you've never heard of the Flaming Duck Dance!" Aybabtu chortled. The soldiers looked confused.
"That guy's...gettin' away..." they said, attempting to pass. Nora suddenly joined in the 'exotic' dance, along with several of the people gathered in the plaza. Men and women began to clap their hands to the beat. One soldier found himself tapping his foot to the music. Even Fitcher and Archipelago, who had run to the edge of Rockland, returned, to keep up appearances that they had done nothing wrong. Nora quickly grabbed Fitcher by the arm and swung him around.
"Grab a partner!" she urged the soldiers. Aybabtu swiveled his hips as he shook the maracas. Archipelago twirled his umbrella.
Dominated by the increasing tide of peer pressure, the soldiers shrugged and joined in the now-elaborate dance, a dance that no one seemed to know exactly what the steps were. Aybabtu tossed the maracas to the woman Fitcher had seen earlier, with the crooked nose, who took over the shaking.
"Keep it up!" Aybabtu urged. Slowly but surely, as the town of Rockland danced on, Fitcher and the others slipped away from the crowd, and off to the west again, towards Gregminster.
******
"Well, that's one for the record books!" Clinker laughed as they jogged along. Though somewhat out of breath and pale, he seemed in good spirits to Fitcher.
"I can't believe that actually worked!" Nora marveled.
"Hmph. You underestimate my skills!" Aybabtu boasted. "My ninja-agility also allows me to dance like a wildfire!" Fitcher nodded, grinning widely.
"At least that getup was good for something." he remarked.
"Baaah." Aybabtu grumbled.
"This guy's a ninja...?" Archipelago said with wonder. "He's the oddest looking one I've ever seen..." Aybabtu shot a venomous look at the young man.
"Well, you're certainly an oddball yourself."
"I'm supposed to look like this! I'm a private detective!" Archipelago whined, looking pouty.
"Just what did you 'detect' that got everyone so mad at you?" Fitcher asked worriedly.
"Uh, well, this cranky old lady wanted me to cause severe pain to this one soldier---Pukes or something---and I agreed, so she hired me. But then I chickened out and made her come along...so we beat him up, but she got caught! Now they're after me...." Archipelago explained. Nora blinked.
"You left an old woman to get arrested?" she said, frowning.
"What kind of detective ARE you??" Clinker asked.
"That has to be Magnolia." Aybabtu said certainly. "Cole already ran off, so he has a head start. But he's not a ninja, like me! Therefore, we shall overtake him." He strode forth confidently.
"Duuuude..." Archipelago whined some more, "You're dressed all funny, like a magician or something! Can't you, like, magically zap us to Gregminster??" Clinker glared at him.
"No." he said simply. Fitcher shot the Blinking Mage a look that said 'Take it easy'.
"It doesn't matter..." Nora said, attempting to smooth things over as usual. "We'll just walk at a quick pace, so we can hopefully get there in time to save her." They walked on in silence for a while longer. Finally, Archipelago spoke up again.
"Hey ninja-man, can I have your hat?? It's awwwesome." he said.
"Be my guest." Aybabtu said, thrusting the wide-brimmed hat at the odd private detective. Archipelago placed the hat proudly on his head.
"Mwahaha!" he cackled happily, adjusting the brim so it obscured his face. "Now I'm a true secret detective! Concealed identity and all!" Fitcher suppressed a rude stare. Who on earth was this guy? Was he completely wacked?
With an inaudible sigh, Fitcher pressed on into the night.
******
Walking all night, the group managed to reach the gates of Gregminster once more, early the next morning. Cole was waiting impatiently outside the gates. If he had left before them, it meant he had arrived before them, obviously. And since he was madly trying to save his wife, he ordinarily would have gone straight into the city. The fact that he was waiting outside meant he had suddenly and unusually acquired patience, or Fitcher's guess---it meant trouble.
"These buffoons won't allow me inside!" he fumed. They glanced over at the stern-faced guards.
"Somehow, I get the feeling that dancing won't work this time." Fitcher lamented.
"Neither will crossdressing." Clinker added with a chuckle. Nora snorted.
"Does anyone have enough cash for a bribe, then?" Cole asked. "Line their pockets and they'll do anything for you." Fitcher shook his head. The other agents and the ninja followed suit. That left...
"Whaaat?" Archipelago said innocently.
"How much do you have, Archipelago?" Clinker asked.
"...not much..." he lied.
"How much??" the mage repeated. Archipelago pouted.
"Aww, fine. I have 9,348 bits on me." he said, reluctantly producing a coin pouch, filled with bills and coins.
"That's not going to get us far." Nora said. "But it'll have to do..." She took the bag of coins and walked over to the guards.
"Hello there. My friend tells me you won't let him in." she said conversationally. "What if I were to give you a little gift, now? How does...9,000 bits sound to you?" She jingled the purse. The guard smirked.
"Heh. Maybe 9,000 bits per person, but not for the lot of ya." he said. Nora frowned thoughtfully.
"Oh, that's a shame..." she said. "My other friend from the Howling Voice Guild will be most upset to hear that. He hates having to exchange all that Harmonian currency. It makes his trigger finger all itchy, you see." The guard's eyes widened considerably.
"Y...you don't say." he said nervously. His partner was more skeptical.
"She's just bluffing." he insisted.
"Okay, then." Nora said with a shrug, walking back over to Fitcher and the others. "They want us to pay 9000 apiece. Act like an angry Harmonian with a gun." she hissed discreetly to him. Fitcher whipped out his pistol. Well, there was the gun part. But angry? Hmm...what would Ghira Blackwell have said?
"Arrrrgh!" he shouted loudly enough for the guards to hear. "9,000 bits?! Heathens! Injustice! In the name of...the Howling Voice Guild, I feel like...grrr...shooting recklessly!" He waved his pistol around threateningly. "Feel my wrath!"
"Okay, okay! 9,000 for the lot of you!" the first guard said, panicking. "Just tell him to calm down, all right?" Nora smiled and handed him the money, and they all went through the gates.
Inside of Gregminster, the city seemed to be plastered with the flyers about Magnolia's trial. Cole examined them more closely this time--the ones in this city seemed to have more specific details.
"Hmph, I should've known it! She's on trial in a secluded building. It's labeled as 'semi-public', meaning they want public support, but in reality it's just her against the Imperial courts." Cole said darkly.
"Does it give an address for the building?" Fitcher asked. Cole nodded.
"I know the place, it's not far. Hurry, or we'll be too late!" he shouted, scampering off. For a malnourished prison escapee, he could sure haul ass when he wanted to. They followed at a hurried distance. As they ran off in pursuit of Cole, they didn't notice the two gate guards had followed them in to give them a closer glance.
"Say, doesn't that guy in the funny hat look like the guy off the wanted poster? The one who assaulted Wesley Bukes with that old lady??" the second guard inquired. The first was busy counting the cash.
"Sorta. He didn't have a funky hat in the drawing, though." he shrugged.
"I think it's that guy. And those people with him are suspicious too. Let's trail 'em...!" the second guard urged.
"And have that nutty Harmonian guy shoot us full of holes?" the first guard said incredulously. "No thanks."
"Fine, you can stay here and miss out on the big reward." the second guard said, following the group.
"What? Reward? Hey, wait!" the first guard cried, running after him.
It became apparent to Fitcher immediately upon reaching the building that this was not the conventional courthouse. It was located out of the way, had no official marking of any kind, and just looked ...run down. Before barging in, they crouched below a slightly-open window and eavesdropped.
"...and with the assault of respected citizen Wesley Bukes. Have you anything to say to the charges?" came a male voice.
"This is tyranny!" raged a familiar female voice.
"...This is it!" Cole cried. "Magnolia, I'm coming!"
Suddenly the two gate guards emerged from another side street.
"Aha, I shoulda known you guys were criminals." the second man said smugly. Fitcher pulled out his gun again, and waved it around.
"Argh, grrr! Don't make me accidentally pull this trigger!" Fitcher said unconvincingly.
"Yeah, sure." the guard replied. "You don't even sound Harmonian, you fake."
Well, he had a valid point there. Time to run for it!
"Uhhh...oh yeah?" Fitcher said. "Well.....GO!" The group suddenly scattered, most of them heading for the entrance to the court building though. The guards rushed forward, but they weren't quick enough. It seemed as if they would shake them for the time being.
At the last moment, Archipelago tripped and fell.
"Yaaagh!" he cried tearfully. "Go on without me!" Fitcher paused. Oh, for goodness sake... Whining, complaining, tripping at critical moments...this guy was starting to remind him of---
"Well, well, well," said a smug female voice from behind him. "I see you came back...Fitchums."
He didn't need to turn and look, he already knew. But he did anyway.
"...Hello, Pearl."
