Officer Trent/RP/The Search for Seth
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Contents |
Overview
Mr. Wenkler, the patron from the previous case, has another mission for the misfit detectives. This time they go under the radar on behalf of Preston James who, for some reason, is avoiding police involvement in the disappearance of his son.
The Search for Seth, Part 1
Souvenir
None
Plot
Things had been quiet as far as cases went, until Mr. Wenkler had a little something for the Three Eye Detective Agency. His friend Preston James had a son, Seth, who recently went missing. Since Wenkler would be remiss in not helping his friend though, strangely enough, James didn't want the police to get involved, this was going to be under the radar.
Before they set out, a young woman known as Skytrail gingerly made her way into the base. She had been directed to the Agency by the PPD in order to assist them on their cases. She seemed the eager, helpful sort (if easily distracted and a little crazy because of her heated arguments seemingly with empty air), but Trent agreed with Dolbian: they needed all the help they could get. Plus, her ice powers could come in handy.
The first step was checking out Seth James's last known whereabouts. Seth was a student at Paragon City University and was last seen at a party a few days ago, so the Three Eye began their search at his dorm in Steel Canyon. The door was answered by his roommate, Brad. At first Brad and his friend were apprehensive about talking to the police, as they let it slip that drugs had been in use at the party, but Dolbian and Trent assured them that they were only interested in finding Seth. Apparently, Seth was followed into his room by someone who was not a student, a young woman—a Warrior—named Persephone. They were in there until about 3:00am until Brad watched her leave and locked the door behind her for the night. Seth wasn't noticed as missing until the next day when Brad went in to check on him.
They then requested to check out Seth's room. Brad mentioned that the windows were always closed because of safety reasons, but when he went to check on Seth, the window was wide open. The detectives didn't find any sign of a struggle either, meaning he probably left of his own free will.
The next step was finding Persephone. Fortunately, Trent recognized the name as her father Claudius was a leader in the Warriors (with whom Trent had a previous run-in). He led them to their base on Talos Island where they were promptly attacked. The detectives tried to reason with them that they just wanted to talk to Persephone about Seth, but Claudius was less than accommodating. Persephone tried to flee the battle but was quickly stopped by Skytrail by freezing her in place.
Like the college students, she was reluctant to talk at first, but once they assured her that they were only interested in Seth, she became noticeably more open to questioning. She and Seth had only played a few card games in that dorm room. After she left, she did notice a few people skulking outside where his window was, but it was dark and she only saw that they wore funny headgear. The officers tried to pry out of her the shape of the headgear, but from her ever-changing descriptions, it could've been Rikti, Circle of Thorns, Lost, Family, or anyone really. A little flustered, Dolbian asked Call of Hope to try and get a better mental picture of what Persephone saw that night. While she discovered that Persephone had been telling the truth, it was unhelpful at best. Persephone then made the surprisingly helpful comment that they should try Seth's father, as rich people tend have many enemies and many things to hide.
It seemed reasonable, so the Three Eye's next stop was Founder's Falls—the location of the James mansion. Dolbian pointed out that talking to Preston James might not be the wisest idea since he did not want to get the police involved. But then Trent noted that while any of them were obviously PPD, the newly-recruited Skytrail was not. The idea was to send her in with a wiretap and try to wheedle out of him some clues. Distraught at the prospect of having "more voices" in her head (!), she reluctantly agreed as she was the only one who could pull it off.
The butler who answered the door was less than welcoming. Posing as a classmate of Seth's who just wanted to get her notes back for her big test, Skytrail was able to gain entrance into the manor, but she was prohibited from going anywhere until she was met by Preston James himself. James then fed her a lame story that Seth was out out of the country on an "emergency vacation" and it was impossible to get in contact with him at this point. There were also some veiled threats—to which Skye seemed immune—but had the detectives beside themselves and itching to barge in and rescue her.
Before Skye departed, she did manage to get him to talk about a family portrait she saw on the way in. It was of Preston James, his wife Loretta, and Seth. James sadly told her that Loretta was killed several years ago.
The Agency was more than ready to investigate the mansion next, as James was obviously hiding something, but then Trent suddenly remembered something about a trial that had been all over the news about nine years ago. It was about the murder of Loretta James. Some guy connected to the Family, a Louie Badaducci, was found guilty and had only recently been released from prison. Either Preston James hired this guy to kidnap/kill his son or else Badaducci had some sort of vendetta against the James family. Whatever the reason, Badaducci's whereabouts were unknown and the Three Eye had reached a dead end.
The Search for Seth, Part 2
Souvenir
A depth map of the waterways of Paragon City (this one appears to be of the Independence Port/Terra Volta area) and a map featuring the layout of an underwater base. Based on the markings, these look like attack plans! Both were found in a secret Council base located in Founder's Falls.
Plot
Two days passed without a break in the case until the Three Eye Detective Agency received word that the Bank of Talos Island was being robbed by the Family and that Louie Badaducci had been identified at the scene. Dolbian, Daisie, and Trent were dispatched to take care of the Family and they quickly captured the convicted killer.
Badaducci did not seem to know who Seth was, that is, until he was reminded that he had killed his mother Loretta nine years ago, but he seemed to think Seth had it coming as he revealed that Preston James was actually Archon James of the Council! (That would definitely explain why he was avoiding police involvement.) Apparently, the Family and the Council had had a spat about nine years ago, and Loretta was caught in the crossfire. Since it was her death that put him away, Badaducci agreed to tell the Three Eye everything he knew about James's secret Council base located underneath his Founder's Falls mansion—in exchange for leniency, of course.
They were eventually joined by Skytrail before proceeding through a secret, unguarded route through some sewers. They arrived at the Council base just in time to hear a peculiar announcement over the loud speaker: "All units report to your posts. The operation to rescue Seth James will be underway in five minutes." Rescue? As they mulled over the meaning of this, the loud speaker also detected their presence (despite their loaned PPD stealth suits), and the base suddenly went on full alert.
Fighting wave after wave of Council soldiers, the detectives came across several items of interest: scuba gear, a depth chart of the Independence Port/Terra Volta area, and the layout of an underwater base located somewhere in said area. It looked like a major operation, but why this rival group had Seth James in the first place was still a mystery. As they pushed deeper and deeper inside, the loud speaker made it's final announcement: "Submarine will launch in one minute. Anyone not on board will be left behind." They needed to stop that submarine!
When they arrived at the sub hangar, the butler who had coldly greeted Skytrail only two days before was waiting for them, only this time he was wearing an Archon's uniform! He and his troops were able to delay the Three Eye just long enough for the submarine bearing Archon James to escape.
It took some doing, but the detectives were able to locate the underwater base James and his men were going to assault. Shedding their confiscated scuba gear, they were quickly caught up in a pitched battle of Council versus Council. Seth was up ahead, huddled behind a potted plant while his father battled another Archon close by. Upon seeing the detectives (and perhaps his doom), Archon Shmeley was able to wrestle away from Archon James and fire at Seth in an attempt to deprive everyone the victory. Fortunately, Skytrail was on top of things and shielded Seth in a wall of ice before the bullets could harm him. Shmeley was then knocked out by Dolbian.
Seth was alright, if rattled by the whole affair. (He had no idea his father was a Council boss.) He said he had been kidnapped in order to keep his father from running in some election. They then turned to Archon James, beaten and bloodied but otherwise alive and obviously displeased at his cover being blown. He refused to divulge anything unless he had some assurance that they wouldn't reveal who he was, and Dolbian agreed. James then revealed that the Council had opened up a new leadership position, and Shmeley—knowing that James would win such an election—hoped to eliminate his rival by kidnapping his son. Unfortunately, he underestimated James's tenacity and the fact that another party would get involved. And... it was as simple as that.
Slightly taken aback—after all, the case itself was a much more complicated affair—Dolbian reassured James that he wouldn't reveal who he was, that he would even make up some story about how James was some PPD plant in the Council. There was a bit of a problem, however. Trent had made no such promise! And neither had Daisie or Skytrail. And Dolbian could not take responsibility for what they decided to do with this information. Disgusted at this double-cross, Archon James suddenly shouted into his communicator for his forces to torpedo the base!
Knocking James out, they quickly grabbed him and tried to find a means of escape. Dolbian then radioed the surface, but they all knew it was going to be a few minutes before help arrived. Meanwhile, besieged on all sides by rushing water, Skytrail tried her best to freeze it in place, but it simply proved to be too much for her. Suddenly Seth remembered something he overheard from Archon Shmeley—something about an escape pod! He led them down a corridor to where the escape pod lay... but from the looks of it, it wasn't going to fit all of them.
Seth was going in first—that was for sure! Dolbian then ordered Trent to take Archon James back with him to the surface. Daisie was in next, adamantly dragging a reluctant Dolbian with her. Meanwhile, Skytrail reassured them that she would find a way out and tried once again to hold back the water, but it was clear that she was about to give up out of sheer exhaustion. Dolbian tried to get up so that Skytrail could take his place, but he was quickly tazed down by Trent.
Unwilling to watch his leader or the newest recruit sacrifice themselves, he pointed to Dolbian, his voice cold. "He's staying. Skye, get in here!"
They switched places, and before they can say another word, Trent was swept away by the rushing water. The hatch doors began to close. Without Dolbian to hold her back, Skytrail suddenly slipped back out just as the hatch doors locked behind her. The escape pod jettisoned to the surface.
Dolbian regained consciousness a few minutes later. He noticed that Skytrail and Trent were missing and he desperately tried to open the hatch to swim after them. As the escape pod was being recovered by PPD speedboats, Dolbian dove back into the water, but then Seth suddenly noticed something in the distance. It was a ball of ice!
Daisie managed to melt the ice with one of her fiery arrows. They found Skytrail and Trent encased within, cold and barely conscious but still alive. The pair were rushed to the shore where some ambulances were waiting.
Mr. Wenkler was also there to meet them. He informed them that Archon James was now in police custody and that would be tried by the court system. (Seth didn't really care what happened to him, since his father did shoot a torpedo at him.) While Wenkler regretted losing a friend, he regretted sending the detectives into such incredible danger even more. He promised to make it up to them by sending them all on a much-needed vacation.
