The Glitch V: Taste of Fear (Episode 1)

[General Havoc]

The Alchemist?!

Gregory'd heard stories, but he'd been told that all of the remaining veterans from the Glitch war were retired or dead. The objections he had died in his throat, and he simply nodded to the older man. Random strangers treating him like a little kid he was sick of, but this was not a random stranger, or so it appeared.

"I prefer Lizbet," said the girl as she leaned over. Gregory's head began spinning, and he felt himself blush as she did so.

"O... okay..." he managed to stammer with a smile, hoping that he didn't sound too much like an idiot. "Glad to... to meet you... Lizbet."

He had meant to ask "Uncle Jack" where the hell they were going, but he somehow didn't find the means.

[LadyTevar]

"Glad to meet you too," Lizbet smiled, straightening up and looking at her Uncle. "Yes, I know where he went. Its this way," she said, walking past her Uncle to lead them back to the alley where they'd met the young Ascended. Lizbet was confident she could find him again.

[Agent Fisher]

Jack kept the smile from his face and started following her. He caught up to her and as they were walking, he leaned in low. "Don't torment the kid. He'll already be scarred just from meeting you. No need to make it worse." He said, tone playful.

[Dark Silver]

Hero... I'm not a hero. Heroes are larger then life characters who can see the right thing to do no matter what. Heroes... Matter. I don't. I'm just a guy looking for his wife. I'm a desperate man.

...
...

Perseus was desperate to though wasn't he? Jason was desperate.

"Alright. Long as your boss understands what he's getting. I was a cop but I was an honest cop. I never looked the other way and I won't now. If your boss can deal with that... Tell me about this... Cannibal."

The Negotiator nodded, "Rest assured, As I have already done with Malkamar...you will not be asked to bend your moral code. You will walk the Heroes Path, My Employer has no wish to make you act in anyway you would not. I think, Mr Ackers....you will find yourself suited well for the role thrust upon you. My Employer is taking no chances...."

With that, The Negotiator began the tale, telling of how the Cannibal appeared some three months ago, abducting and killing his victims, portions of their bodies chewed up, bitten through, their flesh marred and cut away in certain areas.

"The symbols cut into the body are never the same...and unfortunatly, they do not appear to be the entire symbol. The police has managed to....keep quiet in the media about those cuts. But rest assured, they are there. This is no man, he is no Villain in the traditional sense. Even here, the Villains play by rules, strictly and deeply held rules that date back to the Source Code. Something like this...is...frightening...to many. And well it should be. We are dealing with something not seen on Transverse before, something that needs to be stopped as soon as possible."

Two envelopes appeared in the Negotiators hands, white envelops, about the size of a sheet of paper. "These are for you. My Employer would not send a party such as you and Mr Malkamar against a being like the Cannibal without appropriate backup. Inside you will find the addresses for Individuals who are already looking into this, either on their own, or with suitable persuasion. Each has a small link of the puzzle in so far - it only requires that the pieces are brought together - in orde to set you upon the trail."

[B4UTRUST]

James had made his way back to his office to begin his research. He opened the front door to Ravenmore Investigations and stepped inside, letting the door shut behind him. The reception area, if that's what you wanted to call it was larger than his personal office but not by an impressive amount. It held a pair of well worn but comfortable couches, some chairs, a coffee table with some miscellaneous magazines spread across it. A TV mounted on a stand was bracketed to the wall in one corner, silently playing one of the local news stations. Beneath it a small side table sat, its top covered in a coffee maker, a bottle of powdered creamer, a container of individually packed sugars, and a package of Styrofoam coffee cups, one of which contained stirring sticks. Next to the table was a water cooler. The only other things in the reception area were a single desk, a chair and his secretary, Lenore. Who was busy trying to hide one of those trashy bodice rippers she habitually read.
"Lenore," James began, his tone only half serious.
"Y-yes, sir?"
"What have I told you about reading at work?"
"B-but I.."
"Just don't let the clients see you do it. Gives an unprofessional appearance."

James couldn't get too upset at her. At least it wasn't extreme porn on the computer and sometimes it was a long time between clients and once the paperwork was done, there was only so much busy work one could do. He smiled at her and went into his own office. Shrugging off his trench coat and pulling off the fedora he set them on the coat rack by the door. He dug into the trench coat's pockets and pulled out the files McFarland had left for him. He tossed them onto his desk and made himself a cup of coffee before sitting down to get to work.

He opened up the report and began to read through it, trying to find any references to the science behind the symbols carved on the victims. It came up empty, other than some high-resolution pictures. The toxicology report was equally blank save for some interesting and rather disturbing lines about substance traces in the area surrounding the eaten flesh. There were needle marks there, large gauged. And the list of things found around it would require a medical degree to pronounce. He muddled his way through the list and had to look up several of the things in the list on the computer. Acesulfame Potassum, Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Polydextrose, Fumaric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potasium Bromate, Sodium Nitrate, Erythosine. The list went on and on. And it got stranger as he read through it. Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Yellow #7, Sugars, Soy, Wheat, Salt, Citric Acids, Cloves, Garlic, Paprika...

Poe leaned back and looked at the list with disbelief, looked at his handwritten notes about the harder to pronounce chemicals, mostly additives, preservatives and artificial sweeteners and flavorers. The conclusion he came to was not a nice one. It, in fact, made his stomach churn a bit at the thought when it all came together. The Cannibal hadn't drugged his victims. He had marinated them...

He tossed the report on his desk and shook his head to clear it. This whole Cannibal thing was getting more and more disturbing as he went along. And really, he had just begun. He turned to his computer and concentrated on another aspect he could at least do without having to think of steak marinades and dead bodies. He began the slow task of trying to find what he was looking for. Eventually he could muddle his way through the vast system that was the internet, or this universes version at any rate. But right now he wished he had one or two of those smartassed kids from computer crimes back home. They probably could have found this shit in a few seconds. They always said they used something called 'Google-fu' but he could never find the program they talked about.

It took him almost an hour to get it all together, but he finally found it. Alchemy. The symbols were Alchemical symbols and they were part of what looked, according to the images and diagrams he could find, like some sort of what they called a transmutation circle. But he could be wrong. He'd have to find someone who knew anything about it to even get an idea of what this all meant. And that meant hitting the streets again. But he wanted to try to dig up some more information on his own first. Sighing and realizing he'd probably be here for a bit more he reached up and unsnapped the front clip of his shoulder holster, letting the pair of 1911s hang loose in the straps. As a force of habit he lit up another cigarette and inhaled deeply before tapping some of the ash off into an overflowing ashtray.

[frigidmagi]

Two envelopes appeared in the Negotiators hands, white envelops, about the size of a sheet of paper. "These are for you. My Employer would not send a party such as you and Mr Malkamar against a being like the Cannibal without appropriate backup. Inside you will find the addresses for Individuals who are already looking into this, either on their own, or with suitable persuasion. Each has a small link of the puzzle in so far - it only requires that the pieces are brought together - in orde to set you upon the trail."

"Alright then, let's get to work." Jeremy said taking the envelop and standing up.

[LadyTevar]

"What? I'm not doing anything," Lizbet protested as she lead her Uncle and Gregory unerringly to the alley where they'd met (Seth), which also happened to be the alley where the Cannibal's last victim was found. The police tape was still up to keep out onlookers, although most of the Towners were avoiding it out of fear.

"Ok, last I saw him he started down this way," Lizbet said, turning away from the police tape and following the street. "He shouldn't have gone that far, probably lives nearby."

[Charon]

Finishing his exercise, Matt put the shovel back where it had been and grabbed a towel, wiping off the sweat from the workout. Walking upstairs he tossed the towel into a bin with other dirty clothes and passed by a shelf that had various glassware with liquids in them. Most were innocuous but a few had "Potion" written on them. One was a mild sedative, the other was a laxative. He figured if any wanna be adventurers came into this house and went through his stuff to take valuables, the least he could do was make things interesting for them.

Sitting down on his couch, he pulled out his latest book. "The True Story of the Ascended" it said in big bold letters. He enjoyed reading this one. It was good for laughs.

[Agent Fisher]

"What? I'm not doing anything," Lizbet protested as she lead her Uncle and Gregory unerringly to the alley where they'd met (Seth), which also happened to be the alley where the Cannibal's last victim was found. The police tape was still up to keep out onlookers, although most of the Towners were avoiding it out of fear.

"Ok, last I saw him he started down this way," Lizbet said, turning away from the police tape and following the street. "He shouldn't have gone that far, probably lives nearby."

"Sure you aren't." He said, looking around the street and following her. "Like finding a damn needle in a haystack." He looked back at Gregory. "I don't know your powers, got anything that could help us find this random guy who I met for maybe five seconds?"

[Dark Silver]

The Negotiator nodded, clasping his hands in front of his face, steeping them. "Excellent..I suggest going to see one Mr James Poe, he runs a detective agency at the address supplied. I'm sure you and he will get along.....famously..."

The Negotiator smiled serenely, before rising, "If you wish, i could perhaps...speed you along on your way? Time is, after all, of the essence here. Every wasted moment, brings your quarry closer to his next kill...."

[frigidmagi]

The Negotiator smiled serenely, before rising, "If you wish, i could perhaps...speed you along on your way? Time is, after all, of the essence here. Every wasted moment, brings your quarry closer to his next kill...."

"Agreed let's be about it." Jeremy said.

[SirNitram]

"Works for me." Malkamar hoisted Shadowmourne, the malevolent presence of the axe instantly calmed by being held. He nodded to the Negotiator. "Let's go."

[Dark Silver]

The Negotiator inclined his head, closed his eyes for a merest moment, then opened them again.

"Your vehicle it awaiting downstairs. It will take you directly to the Raven Detective Agency and Mr Poe, and from there, wherever else it is you need."

With that, the man in black rose from the chair, "If there is nothing further, I will be on my own way. There is a communications crystal on the desk, should you have been to contact myself, and rest assured, my Employer shall contact you and the Light of Dawn as needed upon it."

[rhoenix]

The sounds of booted feet on the rough gravel of the alleyway pulled Seth's consciousness roughly away from dreams, and directly into the waking world even as old man Thomas started to hide himself again, unable to do anything about the still-burning fire within the old oil can.

Seth sat up, keeping himself within the shadows of the alleyway just as Thomas was, warily watching those that entered it intently, energies already gathering for his use.

[LadyTevar]

"See? Oilcan fire. Someone's down this way, and they might have seen where he went," Lizbet announced, proud of her tracing skills thus far. "I think there's a old NPC called Thomas that lives down this way... he's usually got good advice, if you don't mind waiting for him to trust you."

[General Havoc]

"Um..."

Gregory wasn't sure how he wanted to have this conversation. On the one hand, his powers theoretically could be of help in such regards, but explaining the er... drawbacks at this juncture, would not be pleasant.

"I'm not really a scout," he said gently, hoping to defer this little discussion until a moment where his strengths, such as they were, would be a little more apparent.

[Agent Fisher]

Jack nodded. "Good job, kiddo. And by the way, we don't say NPC anymore." He said, starting to walk down the alley, leading the way, hand tensed just incase, as he glanced around.

"'Cuse me, anyone down here?" He called out.

[Dark Silver]

Jeremy and Malkamar climbed into the waiting car, as far as Jeremy could tell, it was the same one which had brought him to the Prescott earlier that day. The inside was still done in tasteful black leather, the driver still only looked eyes front, never spoke to them, and the car moved soundless, without even a vibration; forward as soon as both were seated and comfortable.

The trip through Old Town was uneventful, though telling. The car drove through what could be considered not the nicest parts of town, people on the streets, some moving about, others huddled against buildings who had obviously seen better days.

It took nearly a hour, but finally the car pulled up to a multi-story building, on the front corner. The door to the sidewalk opened of it's own accord. The building was made of brick, brown and red and looked old - like the rest of Old Town , far older than it really was. On the fourth floor, several windows were painted in black, block letters - 'Ravenmore Detective Agency' and below that, in slightly smaller letters 'James Poe'.

The two had been delivered.

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

"Who are you calling a NPC?!" Thomas said, peeking out of his hiding place, he looked almost livid. "Come here and I'll teach you who a NPC is, you bigoted kid! I'd never..."

Thomas' words continued on in a bit of a ramble, as he huddled behind his trash can. After all, the girl had two men with her, and one at least, was much larger and looked armed.

[frigidmagi]

. The building was made of brick, brown and red and looked old - like the rest of Old Town , far older than it really was. On the fourth floor, several windows were painted in black, block letters - 'Ravenmore Detective Agency' and below that, in slightly smaller letters 'James Poe'.

Jeremy read the sign and shrugged. He knocked.

[LadyTevar]

"Hi Thomas," Lizbet grinned, knowing the title would rile him up. "Have you seen a young man that may have walked by?" She adds a description of Seth, fairly accurate for the short talk they had. "We want to see if he'll help us out with a problem."

Yes, Uncle Jack was the leader... but as long as Lizbet could get the first word in, she was determined to be the 'face'.

[rhoenix]

"It's okay, Thomas," said Seth as he got to his feet, and moved into the lit area of the alleyway. "I remember them from earlier," he added to Thomas to reassure the old man.

Turning back to the gathered group, he wiped the sleep from his eyes before facing them directly and asking the question foremost in his mind. "Why do you seek me out?"

[B4UTRUST]

A moment later the door to the office opened up, revealing a young woman, probably in her early to mid twenties. Blond hair, a decent body and glasses completed the bookish look of, the secretary, Lenore.
"Hi," she began cheerfully enough. It wasn't quite nauseatingly cheerful, but close. "Welcome to Ravenmore Investigations! Please, come in and have a seat. What can we do for you today?"

She ushered them in, smile plastered across her face. At least until she caught a glimpse of Malkamar. There was something a bit off-putting about a large man dressed in armor having an equally large and decidedly unsettling ax about his person. One had to give her credit though. Her smile only faltered a little and her eyes only got a tiny bit bigger. She tried not to stare as she returned to her desk, leaving the front door very much open. She sat down and turned to address Jeremy and Malkamar.
"And, um, how can we help you um gentlemen today?"

Even in Old Town you didn't see Malkamar's type every day...

[frigidmagi]

Jeremy was a bit off balanced by being greeted by a... receptionist? He was also unsure what was safe to tell her and what wasn't. He was fairly sure that he should stand there in middle of the office and declare that a shadowy underground figure had directed him to work with Mr. Poe to catch a cannibalistic serial killer and save old town in exchange for aid to find his missing wife... Even if that was pretty much exactly what was going on. How to phrase it? Hell.

"Huh... My name is Jeremy and this is my friend and working partner Malkamar. We're here to meet Mr. Poe over a case at the direction of a shared acquittance. He wouldn't happen to be in at the moment would he?" Jeremy asked.

[SirNitram]

"Forgive my appearance." A rumble from Malkamar. "Situations beyond my control. But yes. We are here to see Mr. Poe."

[B4UTRUST]

Lenore nodded slowly, letting the death knight's words sink in. She firmly believed that she did a very good job of not staring or making a fool of herself.
"Oh, err yes, Mr. Poe. Umm, let me check and see if he's available."

She picked up the phone on her desk and hit the button that would ring to James' desk. It rang once before he answered.
"Yeah?"
"Umm, Mr. Poe, there's uh, two uh a pair of um gentlemen here to see you. They say that a uhh mutual acquaintance sent them."
"Did they say which mutual acquaintance?"
"Oh, um... no, sir, they didn't."
"I see. Are you okay?"
"Yes, sir. Just fine, Mr. Poe."
"Uh huh.. Alright. Send them in, then go take lunch. A long one."
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
"I said make a good show for the clients, Lenore, not go for yes-man of the year."
"Sorry, si-. Sorry."

She hung up the phone and looked over at the pair.
"Mr. Poe is available and he'll see you now if you like. Just through the door."

As soon as they went in, she was grabbing her purse and taking the long lunch. There was something about the death knight that was disturbing to her.

Inside his office James was still typing away at his keyboard, multiple windows open as he delved deeper into his research into Alchemy. He had made some headway at least. He had found someone who was listed as an Alchemist who was still alive and in Old Town. Though it was really the only listing for a person there was in this area. A rather small field with a small number of local practitioners and only one listed in this place. James mentally added him to two mental lists, one labeled source and the other labeled suspect. The guy was a hero from the last big war it seemed. A hero. Great. James remembered the problems dealing with the vets of wars back home. Got a taste for combat and couldn't go back to a normal life. Or worse, became broken and had their minds damaged by the horrors they had been forced to endure. They never came home the same as when they left. And someone of them just couldn't cope, couldn't deal with the things they had seen, had done. And they went a bit nuts. Those were the hardest. James wondered what sort of label this Jack the Alchemist would wear when it was said and done.

When the pair entered his office, he minimized the windows he was looking at. There was no need to let everyone know what he was up to. He stood and offered out his hand to them.
"Hello, I'm James Poe."