united_one | [Action] Second Clue

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[Action] Second Clue - Abandoned Hotel

[Here, have what looks like a dilapidated, abandoned hotel. Everything is black and white, bearing a resemblance to traditional film noir. The walls are crumbling, the wallpaper is peeling, and an eerie green fog permeates everything. The sickly fog is the only splash of color around. The wooden floor creaks with nearly every footstep, and the ceiling is leaking mysterious liquid in places as well.

Absolutely no one seems to be around. Places of interest may include a comprehensive library with books old enough to become dust at the slightest touch, and a secret laboratory littered with rusted, pointy, dangerous-looking instruments.]

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Homura blinked before tensing up, taking out a machine gun and loading it instantly before scanning her surroundings. It eerily reminded her of a witch's labyrinth, but where were the minions?

"...Hello?" Homura called out, taking a timid step forward, eyes narrowing as a drop of water leaked out of the ceiling... Or was it even water?

The spaces she was entering out of the blue seemed completely unreal to her. Something was amiss but she decided to keep moving until she encountered something.

Out of the shadows stepped what appeared to be a young boy. The over-sized lab coat he was wearing dwarfed his true size and only served to augment the impression of youth.

He scrutinized Homura, looking rather displeased.

"Who are you? I wasn't informed that I would have a partner during this investigation."

Homura blinked. An illusion? No, this one was practically real. She kept her hold on the machine-gun at any rate.

"Akemi Homura. Investigation? There was no police tape outside to indicate such a thing," Homura replied stiffly, wary of the boy. "And where's your license? If such a thing is going on?"

Naoto scowled, belligerently eyeing the girl with the machine gun. Yet another person condescending him because of his age! Worse yet, this one looked about as old as he was.

"I am Detective Naoto Shirogane!" From his lab coat's long sleeves, he pulled out a detective's badge. It would look more official if it wasn't merely a crayon drawing.

"I see," Homura stated. Was this a dream? She didn't see a single house in the city ahead of her that looked like this. How did she arrive here anyway?

"What's the investigation about? This does seem like a perfect place for storing bodies," Homura commented dryly. Her Soul Gem didn't detect the presence of a witch or familiar, but she examined her surroundings with guarded emotions. It felt like something might pop out at any moment.

"Well, that is... That is classified information." There, a satisfactory answer. He looked smug as he put away the 'badge.'

Despite his apparent outward confidence, however, Naoto's mind was racing. Why was it difficult for him to remember what he was doing here? He was never this out of it during investigations before. He did recall inspecting a room splattered with dried blood... It was most likely a murder investigation, then.

"Hmmm...? Well despite the fact that this is an investigation, there certainly seem to be few officers around," Homura observed, deciding to put her machine-gun away, determining nothing would pop out that she couldn't react to quickly enough.

She had enough time anyway.

"So when did you become a detective?" Homura inquired, curious about how intellectual Naoto seemed to be.

"It was supposed to be a secretive investigation."

Why was he being questioned?

"It was gradual. I began helping my grandfather with his cases at a young age." At first, people had gone crazy over him, calling him the 'Boy Detective', but then... Naoto quickly changed the subject.

"An answer for an answer. How did you find this place?"

"I see. Must mean you're well prepared for any contingencies," Homura observed, thinking that perhaps Naoto's labcoat hid gadgets of some sort to use in dire situations.

"How admirable," Homura commented dryly, though she was a bit impressed. "And as for how I came here, I would like to know that too," the puella magi smirked to herself.

"But of course." Naoto replied, looking a bit smug. He had to be prepared for anything, after all.

He found what Homura said next less satisfactory, however.

"You do not know? But you must. People do not just suddenly appear in other places." It seemed like he didn't recall the Entralink malfunction.

"...Certainly not. Under normal circumstances that is," Homura elaborated.

QB chose this exact moment to appear in his Eevee form out of his Pokeball and hop onto Homura's shoulder, broadcasting his thoughts more easily for some reason.

My my, this is intriguing indeed! We seem to have happened upon Naoto's dreamscape! QB exclaimed, scientifically interested on how this happened.

"...If you consider the possibility that this is a dream it might make sense. I've not to tendency to walk into those of others however," Homura shrugged, mainly at Naoto. "What a predicament."

Naoto's eyes widened when the Eevee popped out.

"A talking Pokemon...?" Wait, how did he know what it was? He had never seen an animal like that before...

"A dream is a viable explanation," Naoto admitted after considering the data for a moment. There was no way this girl could have entered this hotel in reality. There was too much red tape surrounding investigations. "But I've never had someone wander into one of mine." This entire situation was very strange... Naoto tried to shrug off the overly large lab coat, but for some reason it insisted on clinging to him.

"Well, he used to talk before he became a Pokemon. It's not too unnatural that he can speak, albeit telepathically," Homura commented, QB dancing around on one of her outstretched arms.

Nice to meet you, Shirogane Naoto! Hmmm, you might have quite a potential, QB noted, before cleaning his tail. Unfortunately I've no power to contract in this world and it doesn't seem like demons spawn in this world at any rate. Wut?

"...QB, are you implying that this boy is actually...?" Homura raised an eyebrow, before cutting herself off, glancing back at Naoto.

"...I won't broach the topic at any rate. But in any case there must be something bound for you to explore in this realm," Homura proposed. "Dreams tend to not have easy exits after all."

"I see. How strange." Became a Pokemon? That was the first time Naoto ever heard of anything like that, and he took note of the possibility.

"....? It is a pleasure to meet you, QB-san." He wasn't certain what the Pokemon was speaking of, but he didn't like the sound of it. Actually what? Could it be that QB knew his secret? Animals were often more perceptive than humans... He didn't like this.

"Yes, I have to continue my investigation." Naoto's voice became a bit more cold in an attempt to push Homura (and more specifically, QB) away.

The dimensions collapsed together but luckily I've maintained some of my power, QB commented, licking one paw. Shirogane Naoto, you are certainly an interesting person.

"That's quite enough," Homura glared at QB, who shrugged and hopped on top of the puella magi's head, swishing his tail back and forth.

"Seeing as I can't easily escape this area, I think I will follow," Homura stated. "There's nothing else for me to do at any rate."

Naoto would rather not be labeled interesting by such a perceptive Pokemon.

"I would prefer to work alone." He said that more bluntly, seeing as how Homura hadn't taken his hint the first time. He feared that if she stayed around for much longer, she would discover something he would rather not bring to light.

"You're going to leave a girl by herself in this dark dreary corridor of your dreamscape?" Homura raised an eyebrow. "I won't get in the way and I'll make sure QB..." Homura quickly retrieved his Pokeball and sent him back in. "Doesn't say anything unnecessary."

Put that way... It would be extremely rude to leave her here alone, and had the potential to cause sour relations later on if they met again. Naoto sighed.

"Very well. You may follow, but do not touch anything and do not enter the crime scene." He didn't need to break standard operating procedure any more than he already had.

...Was it just Naoto, or did the corridor just get darker?

"It's better to stay in groups in this kind of situation after all," Homura remarked, following Naoto. "I'll come in only if something happens, perhaps," Homura shrugged.

The long path to what Homura assumed to be the crime scene became drearier as they went on. A foul smell pervaded the area.

And then a footstep unlike any of their own sounded through the hall.

"..."

It was often said that the criminal returned to the scene of the crime. Naoto raised a finger to his mouth, indicating that Homura should remain silent. Though the fact that the long sleeves of his lab coats covered his hands made the gesture difficult to comprehend. With his other hand, he slowly, quietly, pulled out what appeared to be a ray gun from his sleeves.

Homura nodded at Naoto's gesture, pulling out a handgun at the same time and undoing the safety before turning toward the source of the sound.

...Step.

..Step.

Step.

And what appeared before them was...

A slightly undulating chalk outline of a human, flecked with bits of blood. It resembled the ones found drawn around dead bodies at a crime scene, save for the fact that it was moving. It walked with strange twists and jerks, as if unable to support its own strange body shape.

"....!" Naoto's fingers tightened around his gun, as he waited to see if the creature would attack. He didn't want to provoke it if unnecessary.

The creature lunged, an iron bar raised in one arm.

Homura shifted her timer to a sideways position, taking Naoto's hand and freezing time before shooting the creature in the shoulders and thighs. Homura grabbed Naoto and jumped back, letting time flow again.

A horrible shriek came out of the creature as ink sprayed from its wounds.

Did Homura just... freeze time? Naoto didn't know if it was an ability of the girl's or merely a product of the dream, but he took note of it anyway.

"Ah!" He quickly ducked to avoid being splattered with the ink the injured creature was spraying as he charged his ray gun. Who knew what might be in it? It turned out Naoto's instinct was validated, as the ink began eating away at the portions of the walls that it had touched, revealing what looked like a black abyss beyond.

The monster seemed to have realized that its last attack had failed. With a cacophonous cry, it spat out a thick cloud of chalk dust that made it impossible to see. Coughing, Naoto shot into the nearly solid cloud, his gun producing a strong gust.

"Tch," Homura grunted, her attack not stopping the monster in the least.

"Get back," Homura advised to Naoto, before pushing him further behind herself, grenade in hand. Pulling the pin, the puella magi tossed it directly at the monster, before tackling Naoto backwards.

"Did it work?" Homura mumbled, unaware that she was probably on top of Naoto in a very awkward position.

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What a nightmare.

I thought this was going to be a cool pair but then I realized both of them are so lone wolf

They can be lonely.... TOGETHER.

This reminds me of a song.

What song? :U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi-_fAeViSI

Awesome. B)

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Idk if Naoto was supposed to hear QB so... :D

Since he's basically in the mind of someone his powers are back to normal. ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人

Omg that smilely xD

KEIYAKU? ／人◕ ‿‿ ◕人 \

NOPE NO TY. (◕‿◕✿) ;;;

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Pretty much just stand there really

Naoto screams and Homura whips out a rocket launcher or something

Pshaw Naoto won't be the one screaming

No one screams and they both shoot the killer in the shoulders.

That sounds about right :D Idk what should step out why you do this to me ;3; it could be a witch k.

NAOTO STARTLED THE WITCH

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